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According to a group of mathematicians, it may be possible to create devices with internal tunnels that are invisible to detection by electromagnetic waves—wormholes, in a sense. The group discusses the idea in a paper published in the October 29 online edition of Physical Review Letters.
The scientists say that by custom designing the values of two parameters that describe electromagnetic (EM) materials, the electrical permittivity and magnetic permeability, around and inside a cylinder, a novel optical device could be produced. Essentially, most of the device would be invisible to detection by external EM radiation of a certain frequency, with only the ends of the cylinder being visible and accessible to the EM waves.
“The chosen values for the permittivity and permeability would cause the coating to manipulate EM waves in a way that is not seen in nature,” explained University of Rochester mathematician Allan Greenleaf, one of the paper's authors, to PhysOrg.com.
Permittivity is a measure of a material's readiness to become electrically polarized in response to an applied electric field (how well it “permits” the field). Permeability describes how magnetized a material becomes when a magnetic field is applied. Modern EM materials known as metamaterials allow theoretical designs, such as a wormhole, to be physically constructed, at least in principle.
Greenleaf and his colleagues, Yaroslav Kurylev of University College in London, Matti Lassas of the Helsinki University of Technology, and Gunther Uhlmann of the University of Washington, use the word “wormhole” in more of a mathematical sense than physical. That is, the devices would act as wormholes from the viewpoint of Maxwell's equations, the four fundamental equations that describe the relationship between electric fields, magnetic fields, electric charge, and electric current.
For any other frequencies than those for which the permittivity and permeability were designed, the tunnel region would look roughly like a solid cylinder. But for the right frequencies, says Greenleaf, “the tunnel has the effect of changing the topology of space. The electromagnetic waves behave as though they are propagating through a space to which a handle has been attached, in the same way that ants crawling on the door of your refrigerator have two ways to get from one end of the handle to the other: by traveling over the handle or on the flat surface underneath.”
That is, any object within the tunnel is only visible to EM waves that enter at one of the tunnel's ends. Conversely, any EM waves emitted by an object in the tunnel can only leave through one of the ends. However, Greenleaf says that it's important to note that the shape of space has not actually been changed, as does happen for Einstein-Rosen wormholes in general relativity.
This effect could have interesting applications. For example, a magnetic dipole (such as a bar magnet) placed near one of the ends would, at the other end, appear to approximate a magnetic monopole, a theoretical particle with only one magnetic pole, i.e. that has magnetic charge. True magnetic monopoles have never been discovered, and the work by Greenleaf and his colleagues does not claim otherwise.
The scientists propose other possible applications, such as in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where a wormhole device could be used to allow doctors to operate on a patient while simultaneously imaging the patient. Doctors could insert metal surgical tools into the tunnel area without disturbing the MRI machine's magnetic field.
Another example is an optical computer, where active components could be placed inside wormholes such as to not interact with each other and cause malfunctions.
Metamaterials for invisibility, while still in the very early stages of development, are already being researched. Last year, scientists from Duke University created a device that renders a copper disc invisible to observation by microwaves.
Citation: Allan Greenleaf, Yaroslav Kurylev, Matti Lassas, and Gunther Uhlmann “Electromagnetic Wormholes and Virtual Magnetic Monopoles from Metamaterials” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 183901 (2007)
Copyright 2007 PhysOrg.com.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of PhysOrg.com.
Explore further: Research: Hopping DNA supercoils |
Let’s look at the leaves. Here are the leaves of the first plant. . .
So let’s look more closely at the inflorescence. The first plant. . .
Okay, let’s put each plant’s flower side-by-side. How would you describe the difference?
For the plant on the left, the flower’s spurs rise upward, spread apart a bit, and extend above the point of connection to the flower stalk. For the plant on the right, the flower’s spurs are shorter, rounded, and barely above the connection point to the flower stalk.
The left-most flower is from a Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) while the right-most flower is from a Squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis).
You might find these plants when their flowers are dying or when they’ve already developed seed capsules.
Or you might find only the foliage. The next comparison image shows leaves which look a bit different. It seems like the Dutchman’s breeches leaves are somewhat wider within their dissected lobes — at least with these specimens. This may be misleading since illustrations (and comments) in field guides show (and state) the leaves are mostly the same.
The best way to distinguish between these two Dicentras is to find them in bloom. |
On this day;
Japan allied to Germany and Italy
In Berlin... Germany, Italy and Japan sign an agreement promising that each will declare war on any third party which joins the war against one of the three. It is stated that his agreement does not affect either Germany's or Japan's relations with the USSR. This treaty is known as the Tripartite Pact. All the signatories hope that the pact will deter the United States from joining the war in Europe or taking a more active line in the Far East. |
(PhysOrg.com) -- The astonishing similarity in the appearance of embryos from different animal species was observed as far back as the 19th century by scientists such as Karl von Baer, Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel. Such observations prompted the hypothesis that the individual development of an organism reflects its evolutionary history or phylogeny. Two groups of scientists, including researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Genetics in Dresden and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, have now succeeded in demonstrating, for the first time, that parallels exist between individual development and phylogeny on the level of gene expression. (Nature, December 9, 2010)
Whether fish or flies - at a certain stage in their development, the embryos of different animal species within a phylum are almost impossible to distinguish on the basis of their appearance. The greatest similarity arises in the middle of embryonic development, during the "phylotypic stage"; species-specific differences predominate before and after this stage. This observation is illustrated by the hourglass model. The question as to how this extensive morphological similarity - the "waist" of the hourglass - arises is one that has long preoccupied researchers. The extent to which the individual development of an organism (ontogeny) and that of a phylum (phylogeny) are linked was also previously unclear.
For the first time, scientists have now demonstrated that the hourglass motif arises in organisms as diverse as the fruit fly and zebrafish, not only at morphological level but also at molecular level - a finding that suggests that parallels do, indeed, exist between ontogeny and phylogeny. In a study carried out on six fruit fly species (Drosophila sp.), the research group working with Pavel Tomancak at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden discovered that the similarities not only in morphology, but also in the expression pattern of the genes are greatest during the phylotypic stage; before and after this phase, the differences between the species are greater. Moreover, the scientists also observed that the expression pattern of key genes reflects the hourglass model most faithfully. Meanwhile, Tomislav Domazet-Loo and Diethard Tautz, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, demonstrated with zebrafish (Danio rerio) that the phylogenetically oldest genes are active during the phylotypic stage and that, before and after this stage, the most active genes are those that arose later in evolutionary history. The Plön-based evolutionary biologists also made another astonishing discovery: they observed that in adult zebrafish progressively older genes are also activated with the increasing age of the animals. The same conclusion was reached in comparative analyses carried out on Drosphila , mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles and threadworms.
These two studies throw new light on an age-old biological conundrum: that of the link between ontogeny and phylogeny. "Our discovery confirms the earlier anatomical studies and broadens our understanding of how development and evolution are linked at molecular level," explains Alex T. Kalinka, a researcher from the Dresden group. "The results show that the similarity between different animal species in the middle of their embryonic development is shaped by selection," adds Casey Bergmann, a co-author from the University of Manchester. Their findings explain how the "waist" in the hourglass arises.
Fruit flies are one of the most thoroughly researched model organisms and offer unique possibilities for the study of the molecular mechanisms that underlie embryonic development. The discovery of the hourglass pattern in different species makes it possible for evolutionary biologists to travel back in time to the earliest days of evolution when the differences between organisms arose. "We hope to gain insight into the processes that led to the variety of forms in the animal kingdom," explains Pavel Tomancak.
For their study on zebrafish, another model organism widely used in evolutionary biology, the researchers from Plön also developed a new method: the transcriptome age index (TAI). This method enables the measurement of the phylogenetic age of active genes. Domazet-Loo and Tautz used this new tool to trace the development of the zebrafish from the fertilised egg to the adult organism. "The TAI profile faithfully reproduces the hourglass model and therefore demonstrates that parallels exist between ontogeny and phylogeny," reports Diethard Tautz. The scientists explain the observation that the phlogenetically oldest genes are active in older zebrafish with the fact that animals which have passed reproductive age are "overlooked" by selection.
These studies show that naturalists like Karl von Baer, Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel were basically correct in their hypothesis that embryonic development is a reflection of phylogeny. "It will be very exciting to extend our approach to other species with different blueprints and life-cycle strategies," says Domazet-Loo.
Explore further: Study: Junk DNA is critically important
More information: Alex T. Kalinka et al, Gene expression divergence recapitulates the developmental hourglass model, Nature, December 9,, 2010, DOI: 10.1038/nature09634
Tomislav Domazet-Loo and Diethard Tautz, A phylogenetically based transcriptome age index mirrors ontogenetic divergence patterns, Nature, December 9, 2010, DOI: 10.1038/nature09632 |
The French architect, designer and engraver Daniel Marot (1661-1752) was born into a family of artists and craftsmen. His grandfather, Girard Marot, was a cabinetmaker and his father, Jean Marot was named architect of King Louis XIV. Jean Marot (1619-1679) is well known today for his contribution to seventeenth-century French architecture. In 1686, Daniel Marot assisted his father with the publication of the Grand Marot, a series of 185 prints that undoubtedly served as an important educational tool for the young designer. Daniel Marot spent the first years of his career in France working with the most prominent figures in interior and garden design, and architecture. Some of his early influences include the engravings of Jean le Pautre, a French designer and engraver who worked at the Gobelin manufactory, and André-Charles Boulle, the famous cabinetmaker to Louis XIV, for who he designed amongst others bracket clocks. By 1680, Marot had become one of the leading designers of his time.
In 1685, his career took an international turn, when he was ordered to emigrate to the Netherlands because of his Huguenot religion. Daniel Marot and his family were members of the French Reformed communion. The edict of Nantes, signed by Henri IV on the 13th of April 1598, granted a large measure of religious liberty to the Protestant population of France and imposed peace in France after many years of civil war. In 1685, Louis XIV ceded to political pressure and revoked the edict of tolerance and replaced it with the Edict of Fontainebleau. Under this new law, Catholicism was the only tolerated religion in France. Repression and violence against the Protestants forced many Huguenots to flee to the Netherlands and England. Among them were extremely talented designers, artist and craftsmen who brought their style to their adopted countries.
In Holland, Marot was commissioned to design apartments at Slot Zeist for the cousin of William III of Orange and a former ambassador of France. He was then hired by the stadholder who entrusted him with the design of the Palace Het Loo interiors. For the palace interior, Marot drew strong inspiration from the designs of Jean Bérain, one of Louis XIV’s official designers at the Manufacture des Gobelins. Bérain’s style is characterized by the use of delicate arabesques and whimsical grotesques that originally derived from the Renaissance. Using light floral patterns, Bérain famously combined foliage with human and animal forms that prefigured the rococo movement. The genius of Marot lies in his ability to adapt the French style for the Dutch interior, using a unique and luxurious baroque expression.
In 1689, James I, King of England left the throne to Mary and her royal consort, and the couple moved to England. As the favored designer, Marot was asked to follow them. Marot is believed to have lived in England from 1694 to 1696, where he was in charge of adorning the interiors, conceiving new furniture and redesigning the gardens of the Hampton Court Palace. He also likely had a role in the interior design of adjacent mansions and palaces. Because of his wide-ranging influence, Marot is often described as an originator of the English style. According to Walter A. Dyer, “he typified the swing of British taste away from provincialism and toward greater luxury and ornateness.”
Undeniably, many of the most exceptional Delftware pieces bear Marot’s characteristic style. The Delftware with the most similarity to Marot were commissioned by the Royal court and its circle to one of the most prestigious Delftware factories, De Grieksche A (The Greek A). We do not know if Marot and Adrianus Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A factory, worked in collaboration but it is highly probable that Marot created some of the designs for De Grieksche A factory. Unfortunately, there are few remaining objects that can be positively attributed to Marot, and his work is best known through the publication of his engravings. In 1892, a number of his plates were brought together by Ersny Wasmuth in Das ornamentwerk des Daniel Marot. This extraordinary published work has allowed art historians to chart the influence of Marot and attribute several objects, drawings and interior schemes to the famous designer. For example, the two grotesque masks molded in relief on the blue and white pilgrim bottle marked for Adrianus Kocx, show the impact of Marot’s designs on the objects produced by the factory.
The shape of the pair of oval monteiths marked CK for Cornelis Koppens, owner of De Metaale Pot (The Metal Pot) factory from 1724 to 1757 bears many similarities to Marot’s designs. Like the engraving, the handles are formed as a lion mask clasping a ring in its mouth, and the bottom of the object is affixed with four paw feet. Marot certainly drew his inspiration from the silver models that were produced during Louis XIV’s reign.
Also, many painted decorations of Delftware derive from the work of Marot. This pair of cashmere garden pots are reminiscent of Marot’s luxuriant baroque style in the cartouches filled with foliate motifs, the garlands of flowers and the regular structure of the motifs, as well as their shape. These two garden urns were made during the ownership of Pieter Adriaensz. Kocx, the owner of De Grieksche A factory from 1701 to 1703, or his widow Johanna van der Heul, the owner of the factory from 1703 to 1722. Interestingly, this model was also produced by his father and predecessor Adrianus Kocx. Also, shards excavated at Het Loo include fragments of vases similar in shape. It is thus highly possible that these type of jardinieres were designed by Marot himself and that the same molds were used after Adrianus Kocx and Marot’s deaths.
Marot’s prints are also a remarkable source of information concerning the way Delftware objects were displayed. The prints encouraged the display and use of Delftware throughout the home, and especially in public rooms, beyond the conventional display cabinets and private rooms. Marot also designed cabinets where porcelain and Delftware would sometimes rival in beauty. An essential decorative element of his designs was the display of garnitures. As seen in his engravings, large sets of vases would have been placed in the chimney during the summer months, while smaller ones would have been displayed on top of cabinets, above a door or on a mantel piece.
After William II’s death, Marot returned to the Netherlands, where he lived until he died in 1752. Even after his death, Delft potters continued to produce objects in Marot’s style. His work remains one of the most comprehensive and wide-ranging bodies of design that was produced by a European designer of his age.
W.A. Dyer, “Creators of English Style: II. Daniel Marot” in Arts & Decoration (1910-1918), vol. 6, no. 6, 1916, p. 281.
Dyer 1916 (Note 1), pp. 281.
J. Banham, Encyclopedia of Interior Design, p. 448
Banham (note 4), p. 448
Bowett, Adam. “The Engraving of Daniel Marot” in Furniture History, vol. 43, 2007, pp. 86
Dyer 1916 (Note 1), pp. 280
A.M.L.E. Erkelens, ‘Delffs porceleijn’ van koningin Mary II. Ceramiek op Het Loo uit de tijd van Willem III en Mary II. Queen Mary’s ‘Delft porcelain’. Ceramics at Het Loo from the time of William and Mary, Zwolle 1996, p. 96.
Christine A. Jones, Shapely Bodies: The Image of Porcelain in Eighteenth-Century France, 2013, University of Delaware, p.143 |
Biomarker link to bladder disorder
A bladder disorder common to humans and cats may originate in the nervous system, U.S. researchers say.
The study of chemicals found in blood samples, published in Analyst, suggests tryptophan — an essential amino acid — is processed in those with a painful bladder disorder called interstitial cystitis in a way that may affect how brain signals are transmitted.
Senior author Tony Buffington of Ohio State University in Columbus and colleagues collected samples from cats with feline interstitial cystitis, healthy cats and cats with other diseases, as well as samples from humans with the painful bladder syndrome, healthy humans and humans with other urological illnesses.
Using infrared microspectroscopy to tell the difference between blood samples on the basis of their molecular profiles, the researchers find samples from humans and cats with interstitial cystitis demonstrated nearly identical molecular peaks.
What we know now is that this testing method is very sensitive and specific for the disorder in both humans and domestic cats. So far it hasn’t missed one diagnosis, Buffington says in a statement.
Symptoms of interstitial cystitis include recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and pelvis, and often an urgent and frequent need to urinate, the researchers say. The diagnosis typically follows tests to rule out other diseases. |
The sternest challenge for an independent artist arrives when their work has to compete with big-budget music albums of eminent performers. Although fabricating a track seem like a simple task, making the sound quality of that particular song as good and reliable as the other releases are not that easy. This difficult endeavour is successfully managed by competent sound engineers through certain exceptional techniques. In the following discussion, we would explore a few of those methods in details.
- Frequencies- A song is just not made of one component. Several elements work together to form a particular track. Thus, it could be said that each one of them is significant and you cannot offer undue prominence to any one. Competent audio engineers make use of professional mixing and mastering to offer all the tracks with unified frequencies. This means each component of the arrangement is given its suitable space. Make sure that there is no fight of frequencies for it can make the tracks messy. For example, your song comprises two major instruments- keyboards and guitars. If the guitars occupy much of the low-mids, then make sure to push the keyboards towards the higher notes. You must create a hierarchy and clearly state how much audible spectrum would be covered by each instrument.
- Balance- As a musician, you must have a clear understanding of the sound of all your tracks. You could sharpen your comprehension skills by listening to other songs of the same genre. Try to evaluate their balance: how loud are the guitars, drums and keyboards? Are they on the same level with the vocals? Once you have analysed a few of the reference materials, start assessing your own track: how much space does the sound of each instrument occupy? Are they overlapping one another? Are the vocals too quiet? Try to find answers to all these relevant questions and then arrive at a final decision. You need to arrange all the components in such a way that the music album acquires a definite balance. It is not necessary to adhere to the set rules but make sure to do things with acute precision, so that your album could create a buzz in the commercial market.
- Bottom End-The low or bottom end plays a significant part in most of the songs because it is where the entire credibility of a track lies. A song that sounds frail at the end would not be able to compete with the contemporary tracks that make use of online mixing and mastering services. Unless you are into experimental music, every normal song at the low end must have enough clarity so that the kick and bass could have a free movement but any other instrument should not meddle that range. Remove the frequencies of pads, guitars, percussions and any other element that was in the arrangement. Work on kick and bass by reinforcing them and adjusting the EQ.
- Sound Effects- Use the effects much wisely because an excess of it can destroy your entire track. Do not keep on adding reverbs wherever you can. Effects are used to make a stereo mix large. Equalise, filter, tweak and widen them so that they do not make your track sound cheap. At first, learn to control them and then use them in the track subtly.
The aforementioned techniques could make your songs sound professional and allow them to hit the music market with a bang. By following the above methods, your tracks would appeal listeners and sound exceptionally well through all devices starting from loudspeakers to earphones.
Mastering continues to be one of the tantalizing pursuits on which musicians want to be dexterous. With decades and development of technology, the mastering procedure has been the subject to colossal changes that made it further impossible to delineate out a precise learning method. Yes, you can enroll in music mastering course or scour the internet to learn about the steps before mastering your own album but the professionals have spelled out the importance of ‘experience’ in mastering. Without extensive practice, it’s virtually impossible to master the processes, moreover, innate creativity is another prerequisite.
It is truly said mastering is the concoction of science and creativity, technology irrefutably plays an important role but the artistic feel, taste of the person is also crucial. While music is a pure art form, the way instruments resonate and the right application of compression, equalization techniques are deeply rooted in science or better say the understanding and knowledge of these technical forces. Being an enthusiastic musician, you must be eager to explore the art of mastering process but before you start investing your time, it’s important to weigh up the viability of hiring professional mixing and mastering service and learning the skill. As its mentioned earlier music mastering process has undergone myriad of changes let’s have a basic glimpse on them-
Evolution of Audio Mastering
Though the basic work remains the same that is to prep up the album but the methods, related technology and tools have undergone transition. Initially audio mastering was designed to ensure a set of mixes would work impeccably on the vinyl format and in addition to that the music of the album was sometimes be tweaked to make it compatible for radio broadcast that was crucial for the promotion of the artists and the record albums.
In the era of vinyl records, owing to the two sides of the vinyl disc the song order was a cautiously weighted decision. It was important to determine whether the song would belong to side A or B and the total running time, the sequence of the song was decided in several ways specifically considering certain vibe or feeling.
Nowadays, the final mixes need to be sent via a hard drive, data storage device or FTP, no matter whichever media you have chosen be sure it must be on a format on which the mastering engineer can work unhindered. A clearly perceptible sound will help them to discern the flaws existed in the mix. You must be wondering how people in earlier days brought the mix to the mastering studio before the invention of such advanced data transfer procedure, prior the advancement and widespread use of computer, analogue tape was the medium to record and store the final mix. In the era of 80, digital tape took its place; the final mixes were recorded in digital tape in Reel-to-Reel format. The transfer process has been simplified over the decades, a greater part of the final mixes is now sent as digital audio files storing a hard drive and this has significantly eliminated the necessity of analogue to digital conversion. The most remarkable change in mastering technology came with the launch of compact disc in the year 1982; it completely changed the customary mastering techniques. Now with the commence of mastering music online it’s better to discuss with the mastering engineer about his preferred medium or simply follow the instructions mentioned on their website before you send the mix. |
A primary source is an immediate or up-to-date account of an incident or theme. It is the most direct evidence of an era or incident since it was created or written by people or things at the event or time. These sources have not been changed by clarification and provide new information or unique thoughts.
Primary sources are essential resources of historical research - they are the artifacts or documents closest to the study subject. Frequently they are formed throughout the time, which is being examined (journals, correspondence, government documents, newspapers, and art). However, they can also be created later by witnesses or contributors (oral histories and memoirs). Historians may discover primary sources in their simple format (typically within an archive) or replicate in a diversity of methods: digital, microfilm, books, etc. |
You might feel safe working away at your office desk, but a large proportion of workplace accidents occur in an office environment.
While your employer can do as much as they can to keep you and your colleagues safe, there are steps you can take to further avoid injury and harm and ensure workplace safety.
If you feel uncomfortable doing something or you believe it could result in harm, such as lifting heavy boxes or using a ladder, always speak up. Don’t be afraid to tell your supervisor and they can arrange for someone to help or work out a way that it can be done more safely.
Even if an activity is part of your everyday job but makes you feel unsafe, you should still say something to your supervisor. They are not mind-readers and rely on their employees speaking up to avoid accidents.
Did you almost trip over a loose bit of carpet on your way to the kitchen? Perhaps you cut your finger on some rough wood on your desk? You may think nothing of it at the time, but it’s important to report these incidents to your supervisor. If you don’t, someone - including yourself - could have a more serious accident.
After a long week at the office it can be easy to switch off and start daydreaming - but this is when accidents happen. Always stay alert when walking around, keeping an eye out for any potential hazards. If you see something that looks dangerous, either move it (such as a box blocking a hallway) or if it’s something you can’t easily fix (such as a loose cable), tell your supervisor immediately so that they can fix it.
Many office workers spend the majority of their days staring at a computer screen. While there’s no evidence that it can cause you any permanent damage, it can cause temporary discomfort.
Excessive computer work can lead to headaches, eyestrain and fatigue. To avoid this you should take regular breaks. Every fifteen minutes, focus your eyes on something in the far distance for a minute or so. At least every hour you should be getting up and stretching your legs for a few minutes. Not only will it be beneficial to your health, but you’ll find yourself more energised and productive.
The way that we sit at our desks can have temporary and permanent effects on our health. You should maintain good posture at your desk. To achieve this, adjust your chair height so that your feet are flat on the floor and make sure that when you type or use the mouse your elbows don’t bend sharply in either direction.
Your monitor should sit approximately 50-100 cm from your face to avoid eye strain, and the centre of the screen should be at eye level. |
Anthropogenic addition of bioavailable nitrogen to the biosphere is increasing and terrestrial ecosystems are becoming increasingly nitrogen-saturated, causing more bioavailable nitrogen to enter groundwater and surface waters. Large-scale nitrogen budgets show that an average of about 20-25 per cent of the nitrogen added to the biosphere is exported from rivers to the ocean or inland basins, indicating that substantial sinks for nitrogen must exist in the landscape. Streams and rivers may themselves be important sinks for bioavailable nitrogen owing to their hydrological connections with terrestrial systems, high rates of biological activity, and streambed sediment environments that favour microbial denitrification. Here we present data from nitrogen stable isotope tracer experiments across 72 streams and 8 regions representing several biomes. We show that total biotic uptake and denitrification of nitrate increase with stream nitrate concentration, but that the efficiency of biotic uptake and denitrification declines as concentration increases, reducing the proportion of in-stream nitrate that is removed from transport. Our data suggest that the total uptake of nitrate is related to ecosystem photosynthesis and that denitrification is related to ecosystem respiration. In addition, we use a stream network model to demonstrate that excess nitrate in streams elicits a disproportionate increase in the fraction of nitrate that is exported to receiving waters and reduces the relative role of small versus large streams as nitrate sinks. ??2008 Nature Publishing Group.
Additional Publication Details
Stream denitrification across biomes and its response to anthropogenic nitrate loading |
- San Diego Zoo
Lo'ulu Palm Prichardia ssp.
FAMILY: ARECACEAE (Palm Family)
Many palms from all around the world grow at their best in the warm, volcanic lands of Hawaii, but only one genus, the Prichardia, is a Hawaiian native. The lo'ulu palm can be found throughout many tropical Pacific islands, including most of the seven major Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately, with the continual introduction of nonnative flora and fauna, the native habitat of Prichardia palms is in jeopardy.
The beautiful lo'ulu palms tend to be slower growing fan palms than the Washingtonia fan palms found growing all over Southern California. Most have solitary trunks and green palmate leaves, although some can be found with a blue-green hue. Long flower spikes arch out from the crown and produce large, dark seeds. Prichardias tend to be self-cleaning palms, meaning that when their old fronds die, they fall to the ground; this differs from other fan palms that produce a "petticoat" of hanging, dead leaves.
Of the 23 known Hawaiian Prichardia palms, the San Diego Zoo is currently growing 16 species. These palms can be found throughout the Zoo, with a high concentration at the Hawaiian Native Plant Gardens Reptile Mesa. |
|Argentavis life reconstruction by Christopher DiPiazza.|
To put into perspective how massive this bird really was lets look at the largest flying birds of today. There is the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exolans) with a wingspan of twelve feet but this is mostly wings. The bird itself isn't really that large. Then there is the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) which is quite large with a wingspan of about ten feet and a body length of about four feet from beak to tail. There are two of these guys at the zoo I work at and they are quite intimidating when being viewed up close. It looks like a child wearing a scary bird costume... but it's a real bird. Argentavis would have dwarfed both of these birds. Judging by the arm bones found, Argentavis is estimated to have had a wingspan of over twenty feet and its body would have been the size of a man's at about six feet tall! That is a HUGE bird.
Judging by the parts of the skull found it is believed by many that Argentavis was some sort of a vulture but it is possible it could have been something more similar to a huge eagle as well. Then again there are some birds today that sort of blur those lines anyway like the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) or Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). They both have "vulture" in their names but they are somewhat genetically separated from the the birds that we typically consider "vultures", hovering (or should I say soaring? BAM) somewhere between vulture and eagle/hawk on the family tree.
|Argenativis skeleton mount reconstruction.|
So how did a bird this big fly? Its wings must have been vast enough to make the wing to weight ratio steep enough combined with special adaptations that all flying birds possess like air sacs, hollow bones and rigid feathers (the first two not originally intended for flight we know thanks to their presence in non-avian dinosaurs). Also keep in mind that Argentavis was only the largest flying bird of all time. Some pterosaurs had wingspans about the same as small airplanes and were the size of giraffes when standing on the ground!
It is likely that Argentavis would have done very little flapping with its wings while in the air. Just take a look at the largest flying birds today and you will find that all of them soar and glide, relying on thermals to gain altitude. The bigger a bird's wings are, the more work it is to flap them. This being said it is also difficult for a large flying bird to take off. This is why many of them, like condors, prefer to perch and nest on the sides of cliffs and canyons so all they need to do in order to get airborne is jump off! Taking off from flat ground can be a daunting task that requires a lot of running space to finally get in the air (think how long it takes for an airplane to get in the air from the runway). Now imagine a bird the size of Argentavis trying to get off the ground! It must have been quite a site!
Thats all for this week! Go to your local zoos and check out some of the modern vultures for yourself! As always feel free to comment below or on our facebook page!
Campbell, Kenneth E. Jr. & Tonni, E.P. (1983). "Size and locomotion in teratorns". Auk 100 (2): 390–403.
Chatterjee, S.; Templin, R. J.; Campbell, K. E. (2007-07-24). "The aerodynamics of Argentavis, the world's largest flying bird from the Miocene of Argentina". PNAS 104 (30): 12398–12403. doi:10.1073/pnas.0702040104. PMC 1906724. PMID 17609382 |
The nature of the learners
Children enter the early years of schooling with established communication skills in one or more languages and varying degrees of early literacy capability. For young students, learning typically focuses on their immediate worlds of family, home, school, friends and neighbourhood. They are learning how to socialise with new people, share with others, and participate in structured routines and activities at school. Typically they have little to no experience of Japanese language and culture.
Japanese language learning and use
The initial focus is on listening to the sounds and patterns of Japanese through language-rich activities such as rhymes, songs, clapping and action games. Repetition and recycling help children to identify frequently used words, simple phrases and non-verbal communication strategies employed in greetings and other social interactions. Learners experiment with simple responses to prompts and cues.
They are introduced to the scripts through initial exposure to high-frequency kanji, focusing on their ideographic nature before learning the associated Japanese sounds. They learn hiragana using a play-based approach that incorporates chanting, the use of mnemonics and a focus on the creative and crafted process of writing Japanese kana. As they learn to read hiragana they draw on first language literacy skills such as predicting the meaning of unfamiliar elements using contextual cues or by linking them to known elements.
Reading skills begin with recognition of single kanji or hiragana and progress to reading whole words and familiar phrases. Writing skills progress from labelling pictures with single kanji and tracing and copying words in hiragana to scaffolded writing of words and short phrases.
As they progress to using Japanese for functions such as asking and answering questions, responding to classroom instructions, singing songs, and taking turns in games and simple shared tasks, children begin to notice that language behaves differently in different situations and that Japanese speakers communicate in some ways that are different from their own. They practise and repeat formulaic expressions and gestures such as bowing that differ in Japanese from ways of communicating in English. Creative play provides opportunities for exploring these differences and for using Japanese for purposeful interaction.
Contexts of interaction
Children use Japanese to interact with one another and the teacher, with some access to wider school and community members. Information and communications technology (ICT) resources provide additional access to Japanese language and cultural experiences.
Texts and resources
Learners engage with a variety of spoken, visual and written texts. They listen and respond to teacher talk, share ideas, and join in stories, songs, plays and simple conversations. Written and digital texts include stories, wall charts, Big Books, and teacher-produced materials such as games, captions and flashcards.
Features of Japanese language use
Learners become familiar with the sound systems of the Japanese language, including pronunciation and rhythm. They learn to pronounce individual sounds and sound combinations. They understand basic word order in simple sentences, indicate affirmative or negative responses, respond to requests, and notice different levels of formality when addressing friends, family and teachers. They discuss similarities and differences that they notice between Japanese and their first language(s) and culture(s), such as adjective–noun patterns, adding か to ask a question, and ways of showing respect.
Level of support
Learning is supported through the provision of experiences that are challenging but achievable with appropriate scaffolding and support. This involves modelling and monitoring by the teacher, provision of rich and varied sources of input, opportunities for recycling and reviewing, and regular cues, feedback, response and encouragement. At this stage, play and imaginative activities, music, movement and familiar routines provide the essential scaffolding for language development.
The role of English
While children are encouraged to use Japanese whenever possible, with the teacher providing rich and varied language input, English is used as a medium of instruction, and for explanation and discussion. This allows learners to discuss differences and similarities they notice between Japanese and their own language(s) and culture(s), to ask questions, and to express their reactions to the experience of learning and using an additional language. |
Although many Catholics are familiar with the four Gospels and other writings of the New Testament, for most, reading the Old Testament is like walking into a foreign land. Who wrote these forty-six books? When were they written? Why were they written? What are we to make of their laws, stories, histories, and prophecies? Should the Old Testament be read by itself or in light of the New Testament?
John Bergsma and Brant Pitre offer readable in-depth answers to these questions as they introduce each book of the Old Testament. They not only examine the literature from a historical and cultural perspective but also interpret it theologically, drawing on the New Testament and the faith of the Catholic Church. Unique among introductions, this volume places the Old Testament in its liturgical context, showing how its passages are employed in the current Lectionary used at Mass.
Accessible to nonexperts, this thorough and up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament can serve as an idea textbook for biblical studies. Its unique approach, along with its maps, illustrations, and other reference materials, makes it a valuable resource for seminarians, priests, Scripture scholars, theologians, and catechists, as well as anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible.
A remarkable achievement. Substantive and systematic, it integrates history, theology, faith, reason, Scripture, and tradition—all in light of the living authority of the Church.
— Most Rev. Robert Barron, S.T.D., Auxiliary Bishop, Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Founder, Word on Fire Ministries
Truly a magnificent achievement. It offers one of the most desperately needed elements of a renewed biblical pedagogy, the restoration of the Old Testament to its rightfully indispensable place in the life of the Church.
— John C. Cavadini, Ph.D., Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
This book far outpaces the competition with its historical erudition and liturgical depth.
— Matthew Levering, Ph.D., James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary |
They are three of the stories dominating headlines around the world. They are insidious, shocking, and destructive, in wildly disparate ways. Zika is a virus, ISIS is a terrorist group, and Donald Trump is … Donald Trump. But while there’s not much the three phenomena have in common, they do have some instructive similarities: They are all modern-day versions of older phenomena, made more virulent by globalization.
Epidemics, terrorism, and demagoguery have afflicted the world for centuries, even as they’ve consistently taken on new forms. This means that their latest incarnations have earlier precedents. The current Zika epidemic started in 2015, but the virus was first identified in a monkey in Uganda’s Zika Forest in 1947. ISIS rose to international prominence in 2014, but it traces its ideological lineage and some of its leadership to al-Qaeda, a terrorist group formed in 1988, and even further back to ideas of radical Islam sketched out in Egypt in the 1960s. Donald Trump announced his candidacy in 2015 and has since become the Republican front-runner; in 2000, he managed to win two primaries while running for the Reform Party’s presidential nomination before dropping out and declaring the party “a total mess.” He even gave a quasi-campaign speech in New Hampshire in 1987 after a Republican activist suggested he’d make a good president, though he opted not to run that time. But Trump’s approach echoes the style, if not the policies, of the 1960s candidates Barry Goldwater and George Wallace, in his extreme rhetoric and polarizing policy positions.
Yet despite the long histories behind the problems represented by Zika, ISIS, and Trump, the world seems to have been surprised by their sudden re-emergence. It’s suspected, for example, that the Zika virus is primarily transmitted by some of the same mosquitoes that also carry diseases like the dengue and West Nile viruses. But although this mosquito is well-known to health officials, Zika itself is not. In February, Brazil’s alarming rise in occurrences of microcephaly in newborns, as well as cases of the rare condition of the nervous system Guillain-Barre Syndrome—both of which seem to be connected to the Zika outbreak—led the World Health Organization to declare a “public health emergency of international concern.” Substantial sums are being invested in preventing new outbreaks and containing the epidemic, and scientific research has intensified to find vaccines and cures. But the international community is for now ill-prepared to combat this virus. It’s an old sickness with new strength.
Precisely the same description can be applied to modern terrorism. The tactic has existed for centuries, but its lethality has been increasing alarmingly over the past several years. ISIS’s ostentatious violence and its obsession with killing Shia Muslims is unacceptable even to al-Qaeda, which broke with the group in February 2014. Ayman al-Zawahiri, who has led al-Qaeda since the death of its founding leader Osama bin Laden, issued a statement that month disavowing ISIS and insisting that al-Qaeda was “not responsible” for the actions of its former affiliate. And it wasn’t only al-Qaeda that was caught unprepared for the rise of ISIS. The Islamic State’s cruelty, efficiency, wealth, and expert use of social media to recruit followers has surprised governments with long-time experience dealing with Islamic terrorists. “ISIS is different” seems to be the defeated consensus among security agencies.
A version of that same statement is made about Trump. Both Republican leaders who have attempted to block his candidacy, and political analysts who never believed he would make it this far, agree that “Trump is different.” Trump’s particular brand of theatrics seems unprecedented in U.S. politics. But his innovations are bigger than his outrageous rhetoric and aggressive policies. Trump has altered traditional ideas about campaign financing by trumpeting his own spending on his relatively cheap campaign (though he’s taken outside contributions as well), and has deftly turned even negative media attention to his benefit, not to mention causing a massive and potentially far-reaching rift in his own party. His apparent ability to make millions of people believe he can fulfill unachievable promises—like building a wall on America’s southern border and making Mexico pay for it, or bringing back large numbers of manufacturing jobs from China—has left analysts perplexed.
There’s a reason these disparate, dramatic phenomena are gaining strength now. Zika, ISIS, and Trump are all to some degree products of globalization. For example, the origins of the current Zika outbreak aren’t known for sure, but a leading theory has it that the virus was brought to Brazil from French Polynesia, likely on an airplane, in 2013. Easy travel and increased tourism to Brazil, which hosted the soccer World Cup in 2014, may have helped the virus spread. There are now reported cases of Zika in more than 30 different countries and territories within the Americas alone. ISIS, too, has globalization to thank for its success—in part through sophisticated use of modern media, it has managed to recruit jihadists from more than 80 countries; it has sent trained fighters back to the West through the means of modern travel; and the connectedness of international oil markets means the Islamic State’s smuggled oil may have found its way to numerous other countries via Turkey.
And what would Donald Trump do without the Mexicans that he’s essentially portrayed as invading the United States, the 11 million illegal immigrants he plans to deport, or the Chinese workers to whom in his view millions of Americans have lost their jobs?
Zika, ISIS, and Trump are new manifestations of old phenomena, upgraded and made more dangerous in their current forms. And the world is not prepared to deal with them. |
Points A (-1, 2) and B (3, 2)are the endpoints of a diameter of a circle graphed in a coordinate plane. How many square units are in the area of the circle? Express your answer in terms of $pi$.
we use the distant formula to found out that the diameter is 4 then we divide it by 2 and found out that the radius is 2 the area of this circle is 4\( \pi\)
Lol "no rush" and solved in 7 minutes |
16 The Transformations of S , k iand R
We assume in the remaining sections that temperature is a key variable which is directly connected to many structural properties of materials, and therefore is independent of the velocity of an observer:
T' = T
Given the invariance of temperature we get from section 8 for the transformations of k and R
k' j= k · √ mmmm and mmm R' j= R · √
The two gas constants are thus not cut from the same cloth as the speed of light c jand the Planck constant h . It is therefore not appropriate to set the value of k jto 1, as is done in the system of natural units jwith c , h_bar jand the gravitational constant G .
S j= k · ln (Ω) japplies for physical entropies, where Ω is the inverse of an invariant probability. Therefore entropy transforms the same as the Boltzmann constant k :
S' jj= S · √
Entropies of information theory however are relativistically invariant ! |
Typically, the rates for natural disasters to occur in the nation spike around a certain time of the year. There’s a higher chance for tornadoes to form in the Midwest around early summer while hurricane season lasts from late summer to mid-fall. For a while, you could say the same thing about California’s wildfire seasons. While there were a few occasionally on questionable dates, most burn damage usually occurred around fall.
However, recent years have made Californians question the probabilities. Even though October and November wildfires still tend to have more acres burned and lives lost, there’s been an increasing amount of wildfires happening around July and even the earlier winter months such as February. Many residents wonder if it’s a threat that needs to be taken seriously throughout the whole year, and a recent study might confirm some of their fears.
Winter rains won’t work
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a study analyzing the effect winter storms have on preventing wildfires on March 4, 2019. They found that before the 20th century, years with high amounts of precipitation usually had mild wildfire seasons because the winter rains weakened the chances of multiple droughts. However, over the last 100 years, the correlation decreased significantly to the point where the connection is now almost nonexistent.
Researchers behind the study found that this was due to a combination of factors such as climate change, the state’s fire management and human error. This has become even more apparent in recent years as California still had plenty of wildfires in 2016 and 2017 despite both years seeing a significant amount of rainfall.
What should homeowners do?
Scientists emphasizing the unpredictable nature of California’s wildfires further demonstrates why you should properly prepare yourself for a potential disaster. You can’t just refresh on your safety knowledge once fall rolls around. You and your family need to know what to do when you hear news of a devastating wildfire in your area during any point of the year. Keep an eye out on the news for any burn damage in nearby cities and have a sufficient escape plan ready.
You also need to know how you can recover financially if you end up losing your house to the flames. Make sure you know someone that can help you file a claim to the insurance company and challenge it if they try to hold back assets you rightfully deserve. |
The San Xavier Cooperative Farm (SXCF, or the Farm) was established in 1971. The farm is managed and operated by the San Xavier Cooperative Association (SXCA, or the Co-op). The SXCA is a non-profit organization. The San Xavier Cooperative Association board members are elected by land allottees, whose lands are leased to the SXCA. Presently, the Co-op leases about 1,700 acres of farmland. The Farm stretches west of the Santa Cruz River and north of the San Xavier Mission. These lands are the traditional farmlands for numerous families in the earlier days. The objective of the Co-op is to 1) promote and improve the education, social conditions, and economic welfare of its members, and 2) foster the business of farming and livestock: its production and products. The Co-op is designed to put fractional interests in allotments together for the purpose of ranching, farming, and to generate income for the allottees. Presently, the San Xavier Cooperative Farm produces quality chemical-free alfalfa hay, dry goods, and traditional crops such as beans, corn, squash, peas, and melons. The Farm also grows herbal plants, specialty crops, devil’s claw, and plants trees such as pomegranate, fig, and mesquite. SXCF distributes its produce to local schools, the community, food manufacturers, and retailers located in Arizona.
The four sections stand for the four directions (i.e. north, east, west, and south) and the four seasons (i.e. summer, spring, winter, and fall), which contain the cycles of the sun, rain, moon, and wildlife.
The birds and bugs are both symbols of destructive and helpful natural forces. The balance of all these elements brings success to the seedlings and the Farm.
Respect For Land
- Improve health of land each year through wise use of available resources, including CAP water
- Use existing topographical characteristics of land in determining designs and water systems
- Analyze results of soil tests…
- Avoid use of herbicides, pesticides, and other harmful substances.
Sacredness Of Water
- While CAP water has value, the Tohono O’odham culture teaches the younger generations that water is sacred, as the culture is built around the calling for, and celebration of, the coming of rain
- Harvest rainwater
- Dilute CAP water to avoid damage to soil
- Perform ceremonies of thanks for all water
Respect For Elders
- Serve as a venue for Elders to pass on traditional knowledge about farming and the Himdag
- Make traditional food crops available to help the community achieve a state of wellness
- Provide volunteers to help distribute of seasonal harvests
- Create stronger ties throughout the community, especially between Elders and younger generations
Respect For Animals
- Acknowledge the usefulness of animals who pollinate crops, aerate the soil, and rejuvenate the mineral content of the land
- Develop a farm plan that includes attracting pollinators to assist with growing crops
- Include the assistance of underground animals and micro biotic organisms in the plan for the successful growing of crops
- Use a method of controlling “pests” that do not harm the beneficial animals
Respect For Plants
- Provide opportunities to enhance successful harvests with ceremonies throughout the growing season
- Grow crops the were developed by those “Who Have Gone Before”, which supplemented the foods of the tohono we collected
- Grow crops, such as wild flowers and native plants, whose seed can be sold for use in rehabilitating the land
- Grow mesquite trees, which can provide food, be used for building purposes, as firewood, for the construction of furniture, and as material for artisans |
Mellan frihet och kontroll : om läroplanskonstruktioner i svensk skola
Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis is to explore how different competing discourses inthe historical context of the Swedish education development have qualifiedand disqualified different constructions of national curriculum. How andafter what kind of principles is the curriculum constructed? What qualifywho are going to be recognized as the author and addressee of the curriculum?These key questions of the study are discussed in the first part of thethesis. My point of departure is that the curriculum can be understood as arelation between freedom and control. In an educational system this relationshipreflects the problematic tension between the external demandsfrom an authoritative center and the local need to independently reflectover educational issues. How these concepts are defined by the prevailingsocial discourses affect specific relations and constructions of curricula as asteering tool and a producer of specific teacher identities. In this sense, Iclaim that curriculum is constructed in different ways depending on whichof the didactic questions are emphasized and answered and who is judgedas the legitimate author. Based on this, three models of curriculum constructionare formulated; the content based, the result based and the processbased. These models are subsequently used as an analytical tool to examinethe historical development of Swedish national curricula.The second part of the thesis investigates the Swedish education systemand the production of the national curriculum as a product of rival discourses.The historical investigation begins 1842 when the first state curriculumwas issued and the inquiry concludes in 2008. The findings indicatethat no one single construction has been totally dominant and thatthere has been an on-going discursive struggle between different alternativeand opinions about what teachers must do and be.
HÄR KAN DU HÄMTA AVHANDLINGEN I FULLTEXT. (följ länken till nästa sida) |
Question: How does wave power generate electricity from a floating object?
Answer: All forms of hydrodynamic (water flow) energy resources rely on mechanical motion to drive electrical generators. Magnets moved within copper wiring will produce an electrical charge which is the basis of how all electrical generators work. Wave power harnesses the elliptical motion of objects floating on the surface of a body of water with waves. Not only does the object move up and down but it also moves from side to side first behind pushed by the wave and then “falling” down the other side once the peak has passed. This results in the circular (elliptical) motion. The object (buoy) is connected to an electrical generator usually through cabling that provides the mechanical motion necessary. The generator will be anchored either below the surface of the water or an anchoring system exists solely to keep the system in place and the generator is mounted above water.
Other questions related to wave energy:
- How does wave power generate electricity from a floating object?
- How does water work as a renewable energy resource?
- How does hydrodynamic power work?
- Where does wave power work well?
- What is the difference between wave power sources?
- How does the pelamis wave power work? |
Archaeological sights of Santorini
On the south coast of Santorini where there is the last of the five “kastelia”, also known as “kasteli of Punda” a great archaeological sight is located. The excavation started in 1967 by the most important archaeologist Sp. Marinatos and revealed a whole prehistoric city. The impressive findings prove that an organized “urban” society in the Aegean Sea in the second millennium BC existed. The use of writing (Linear A) , the elaborate wall paintings, the city infrastructure, the standardization of measures, the multiple financial activities, the commercial relationships with other parts of the Mediterranean, the allocation of work and the technical specialization are all proof of a prosperous civilization that was unfortunately destroyed by the great eruption around 1650 BC.
Due to the fact that no human remains were found, it seems that the volcano had already “warned” for its becoming active by earthquakes. Thus, the prehistoric residents of Akrotiri managed to abandon their settlement. On the other hand, the volcanic ash which covered everything, helped in the preservation of roads, houses, pottery and wall paintings. The excavation area covers 10, 000 square meters and is thought to represent only 1/10 of the original settlement.
In the remains of ancient Thira excavated by German archaeologists, there were found graves and inscriptions that prove it was the capital of the ancient Dorians settlers in the 9th century BC. During the 8th century BC a hero from Thiva called Thiras left Sparti where he used to live and with a group of nobles they settled in Santorini. Afterwards, the island was given his name. Herodotus wrote that Santorini had 7 different cities and was ruled by king Grinias. |
There are certain things that we know aren’t good for our health, and smoking cigarettes is the perfect example. There is nobody in the Western world that doesn’t know how harmful cigarettes can be for our health; both in the long and short term. But we are all guilty of doing little things which could actually have a really terrible impact on our health and wellbeing in the long term. From maintaining high levels of stress to listening to blaring music, we put our bodies through a lot. Here are some common causes things that could be seriously damaging your health.
Using Your Laptop for too Long
Do you ever come away from your computer after a long day with a terrible headache in the front of your skull, dry eyes, or even dizziness and nausea? Staring at a backlit screen for a whole day is putting all sorts of strain on our eyes, but using a computer is something that’s quite unavoidable. Quitting your job and throwing your PC out of the window is quite a drastic response; there are plenty of things we can do to help our bodies to deal with this strain. Firstly, regular screen breaks are a must; get away from the computer, look into the long and middle distance, and try to avoid too much bright light. A walk around outside with sunglasses on for just a few minutes is perfect. It is advised that a five-minute break is taken every 60 minutes, at least. You could always invest in an anti-glare film for your screen, which stops any natural or unnatural light from reflecting on your screen, making the likeliness of eye strain and headaches lower.
Listening to Your Music too Loud
Ever had the warning from your music device that listening to loud music could be damaging to your health, and just written it off as a nag, keeping your volume blaring? It might seem that your music isn’t too loud, but when it’s projected directly into your ears for long periods; it’s surprising how little volume can do long-term and irreversible damage – somewhere around 75-85 decibels depending who you ask. If you are experiencing reduced hearing, or any sort of ringing in your ears, it’s worth popping into a hearing clinic for some advice. Problems with hearing don’t tend to just crop up overnight; they are usually the result of long-term exposure to noise above the recommended level.
Wearing Skinny Jeans
Skinny jeans are a fashion staple. They suit women of almost any body shape and size, and look amazing. But actually, they could be doing our bodies a serious disservice, for more than one reason. Firstly, the tight waistband could be forcing your organs to move within your body; which could cause stomach complaints and digestive issues that last long after the jeans are off. This is especially the case if you wear skinny jeans while eating a large meal. In some cases, the tight waistband literally stops the food from being able to move properly; hindering digestion and causing all manner of discomfort.
Secondly, the tightness of the fabric around the top of the thighs can actually pinch the nerves there; especially when sitting down. This can cause a tingling feeling in the legs and feet, and over a long period of time could cause serious damage. And finally, tight jeans need to be washed more frequently. The continuous contact with skin can cause all manner of bacterial skin complaints which can be tricky to treat. If you’re a huge fan of the skinny jeans, try to avoid wearing them every day, and make sure they’ve got a bit of elasticity, especially around the tops, and just remember to keep them clean, and you should be a-okay.
Using Electronics Before Bed
In order to be happy and healthy, we need to sleep for the optimal amount each night. While this amount of time differs between people, most people can admit that they probably don’t get enough sleep. Whether it’s staying up later than we ought, or just not being able to switch off once we are in bed; many of us are suffering from some sort of sleep deficiency. A surprising but significant cause of this insomnia epidemic is the use of electronics both before bed and in the bedroom.
Electronics and screens act to energize our brains. The high amount of information we receive requires our brains to work at full throttle; which lasts long after we turn our phones off. A blackout period of at least an hour, although preferably two, before it’s time to go to sleep is a great way to convince your brain that it’s time to wind down. Use this time to catch up with your partner, read a book, or take a relaxing bath, and see how your sleep quality and energy the following day are improved.
Eating too Much Fruit
Fact or fiction: a healthy diet should mainly consist of fruit and vegetables? Well actually, it’s fiction. Vegetables yes, but fruit – less so. Most fruits are high in sugars, which are super calorific. When these calories aren’t burnt by your body, they can be stored as fats; which is probably the opposite of what you’re aiming for. On top of this, fruits which are highly acidic, such as apples and citrus fruits, could be damaging the enamel in your teeth; which can lead to cavities and tooth decay. The odd bit of fruit is fine, but make sure it’s washed down with a glass of plain water to avoid the acid staying in contact with the teeth for extended periods. And if you’re on a healthy diet, focus your meals and snacks on veggies, rather than fruit, for a lower sugar intake.
What’re Your Thoughts
Finally, don’t let things get you down. Stress and anxiety have been connected to high blood pressure and possible heart disease in the future; so keeping stress levels low is the key to a long, healthy, and happy life. |
How can we register the variables into a session?
A session is a simple and effective way to store information. It works primarily like cookies, where user information is saved. However, unlike a cookie, the information is not stored on the user’s computer, but rather on the server thus making the data safer.
In order for the information to be saved, a session must be started. A new session can be started by using the session_start() function.
A variable can be registered into a session using the $_SESSION function.
<?php // Starting session session_start(); // Storing session data $_SESSION["firstname"] = "Peter"; $_SESSION["lastname"] = "Parker"; ?> |
Visualizing Emotions: Turning ‘Dry’ Data Into Stories
The best data visualizations are the ones that tell you a story. A good data visualization has the ability to show you something that you wouldn’t have seen by only looking at the data, it presents the data in a way that the viewer can explore and understand it. Transforming data to symbols causes us to see it and therefore react to it. Data is clarified, but it can also be revealed through data visualization. It can visualize the impact of something or give the viewer a sense of the degree of ‘seriousness’ of certain statistics. As Stephen Few notes, the saying that a picture says more than a thousand words is only true in the case of data visualization if the graphic is designed well (( Few, Stephen. “Data Visualization for Human Perception.” The Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, 2nd Ed.. Soegaard, Mads and Dam, Rikke Friis (eds.). Aarhus, Denmark: The Interaction Design Foundation, 2013. )). Therefore, well-designed data visualizations have the potential to provoke emotions or add an emotional layer to statistical data that alone are just facts and figures.
Feelings and emotions are a recurrent subject for data visualizations, which either provoke or depict them. I find this interesting as data visualizations that do either of these two things therefore focus on something that is very rare when looking at dry statistics. The visualized or experienced emotion is a layer of something not visible to the human eye but present in every viewer of the visualization. Or, as Alberto Cairo argues, the visualization functions as a tool to facilitate comprehension and to evoke emotions in the viewers’ minds (( Cairo, Alberto. The Functional Art: An introduction to information graphics and visualization. New Riders, 2012. )).
The following projects are a few examples that focus on emotion, through either portraying human feelings as data or using data to provoke human feelings.
Emotions as data
The book Emotional Cartography (2009) is a collection of essays discussing the desire to map emotions, by visualizing intimate biometric data and emotional experience. The book was originally intended in order to form a deeper understanding of the 2004 project Bio Mapping, by Christian Nold (who also edited the book). The Bio Mapping project is a visualization of data gathered through a specifically designed portable device. The device records data on the changing in sweat levels on the fingertips of the person who is wearing it, the so-called Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). This GSR is described by Nold as a simple indicator of emotional arousal. Through these devices, a person’s emotional arousal can be measured together with their geo-location. The Bio Mapping project maps out the points of high and low physiological arousal. The following image is an excerpt from the full emotion map of San Francisco. The San Francisco Emotion Map (2007) is an abstracted map of the city, constructed by the geo-location and GSR data also showing the device carriers’ personal annotations as to what they were doing or experiencing at specific data points.
– San Francisco Emotion Map | Copyright Christian Nold
These emotional maps visualize the journey of the person wearing the device, combining the geographical journey with the emotional journey the person underwent. The visualization of the statistical data not only portrays feelings but also provokes them. It combines the objective data with the subjective stories of what created the data. As Nold describes in Emotional Cartography, the project sparked the interest of a large variety of commercial instances, from car companies wanting to know the stress level of their drivers to advertising agencies wanting to emotionally re-brand entire cities (Nold 4). Nold describes his reaction to this unforeseen response (( Nold, Christian, ed. Emotional cartography: Technologies of the self. 2009. p: 4 )):
I was shocked: my device, or more correctly, the idea or fantasy of
my device had struck a particular 21st century zeitgeist. A huge range of
people had imagined ways of applying the concept, some of which I felt
uncomfortable about. I realised that ‘Mapping Emotions’ had become
a meme that was not mine anymore, but one that I had merely borrowed
temporarily from the global unconscious.
Since Bio Mapping many more projects have visualized the ‘global unconscious’, turning the invisible layer of emotions into a visible and explorable graph. As described by Natalie Dixon in this previous Masters of Media post, social media plays an important role in communicating emotions, while often functioning as a means to vent ones feelings. Dixon argues, “Social media confirms that other people share your feelings”. Therefore social media also function as an emotions database.
Where Nold uses specifically designed devices to gather his data and has their carriers personally annotate several data points, many projects use readily available public data on feelings. The 2005 project We Feel Fine by Jonathan Harris and Sem Kamvar is a well-known example of harvesting publicly available emotions from the blogosphere, gathering thousands of sentences containing “I feel” or “I am feeling” every ten minutes and visualizing them in a playful application that enables the viewer to explore the expressed emotions in an (almost) real-time database.
Another way of crawling publicly available data containing feelings or sentiment is by using Tweets as data. Tweet Viz, a project by Siddarth Shankar Ramaswamy and Christopher G. Healey, that visualizes Twitter sentiment does such a thing. The application arranges Tweets by word recognition and categorizes them by sentiment and by topic. Tweets arranged by sentiment are shown in a psychology diagram, Tweets arranged by topics are clustered together. The Tweets are color coded by “pleasant/high confidence” (green) to “unpleasant/low confidence” (blue).
– Tweet Viz query “Obama”+”tax” | Copyright Siddarth Shankar Ramaswamy and Christopher G. Healey
The results are two graphs visualizing sentiment expressed in Tweets, after querying for single or multiple keywords, which therefore shows the state of mind regarding the queried keywords at that very second. No two graphs are the same. The realtime generated graph allows the viewer to explore the Tweets by clicking on them and therefore being able to view them.
Experiencing emotions through looking at a graph
Projects such as the ones mentioned above use subjective, human emotions as data in order to visualize them, making the invisible visible. Another way of adding emotion to a data visualization is by using objective, “official”, statistics but visualizing them in a way that impacts the viewer’s emotional experience. A recent project by Periscopic that was developed in early 2013 does this very well. “U.S. gun killings in 2010” shows data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report combined with demographic statistics in order to visualize the murders committed by gun violence in 2010 in the U.S. and the “stolen years” of the life expectancy per victim.
– U.S. Gun Killings 2010 | Copyright Periscopic
Exploring the application, while showing statistical data (and self-calculated data to produce the “stolen years” dataset), becomes an emotional experience. This is due to several factors of the graph. The use of tags, such as “stolen years” and “could have lived to be XX years old”, the dramatic effect of the counter of “stolen years” and “people killed“ while loading and the labels revealing details of the murder and at the same time the life expectancy of the victim, had he or she not been murdered all add to this emotional experience. The emotional experience is also strengthened by the optional second graph: two line charts showing the amount of victims per age and the amount of possible victims per age according to lifespan demographics. The graph visualizes a story of too many lives taken too soon.
– U.S. Gun Killings 2010, age of victims vs. potential lifespan of victims | Copyright Periscopic
Data visualizations provoking or depicting emotions focus on making the invisible human emotions visible, turning data into stories. The added emotional layer of a data visualization can therefore enrich not only a visualization, but also its viewer. |
About Them: Sage Grouse encompasses the Greater Sage Grouse and the Gunnison Sage Grouse both residents of the sagebrush steppe that ranges across 11 western states. These are the birds of paradise of the western North American plains. The males perform a dramatic show in open sagebrush called a ‘lek’ from March to May to convince females they should be chosen for breeding. The males make a sound by flapping and popping their chest air sacks that sounds like a human not quite making the water drip noise that Cameron makes in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Here’s a link.
These birds are part of the family Phasianidae grouping them with Turkeys, pheasants, ptarmagans, other grouse, and prairie-chickens.
Gunnison Sage Grouse are about 1/3 the size of the Greater Sage Grouse.
Their plight: Habitat loss is the key issue for these birds. They live across a vast generally open space that has a high volume of natural resources within. They are in constant competition with humans for right to use the land. Unlike some species this is not a species that can handle the high tole of human disruption on their land. It may seem like a small thing to build one station in a 10,000 acre space, but that includes light pollution, sound pollution, dust, introduction of invasive plants, and land fragmentation.
The juniper and pinyon trees are also reaching farther into sagebrush steppes. Wildfires used to mitigate their reach. However, as we have suppressed wildfires the land plants have changed.
What we should consider: While these birds are not currently listed as Endangered I put them on my list because their protection is a really interesting story involving cooperation between a wide range of group beliefs to actually do their best to protect these birds. In 2015 during the Obama administration they decided not to list the Greater Sage Grouse as endangered because of a massive locally written plan to conserve the habitat for this bird while still allowing for economic growth to the states affected. Much of that has been disrupted by new regulations from the current administration, it unwinds enough of the interwoven work between all the groups’ interests to make these birds much more in danger. Imperiling these birds will also cause problems for the other 300+ species that inhabit the sagebrush steppe.
The struggle to balance human progress and natural landscapes is the great problem of our time. We want so much energy for all of our convenience making devices. We have to find a method for creating that energy somewhere. Even when we build solar farms or wind farms we disrupt the land there too. It may be better for humans with consideration to toxins released into the environment, but that needs more research for me to say with certainty. Ultimately we should consider making our culture need less energy.
We humans are a large population now and everyone deserves a chance to make a decent income for themselves. Currently some of the best jobs in these regions are in the gas and oil industry. How do you manage the needs of the people and the needs of the wildlife? It seems like that had been handled ok in 2015. Compromise is the only way through.
What is being done: Consideration for what land parcels are available for sale when being purchased for oil and gas operations, land that is integral to the Sage Grouse is not meant to be sold to such industries. Continued counts of the birds to watch the species population trends which can be used when putting forth evidence for greater protections. New methods for counting are being discovered, finding and counting the grouse poop through genetic testing is less disruptive to the birds, but not yet cost effective.
How to help: Reduce your energy consumption. Don’t leave devices plugged in all day, use a clothing line instead of a dryer, don’t run the dry cycle on your dishwasher, turn off lights when you leave a room. As you can update your house to use solar energy and other non gas and oil energy sources.
Continue bringing awareness. Call into state senators when legislation is being passed that could affect the continued support of policy that protects wildlife and waterways. Currently there are a lot of actions Support locally.
Support can be:
- donating to science groups
- helping to ensure funding to the organizations that creating breeding programs
- being a citizen scientist through
- land restoration project
- trash clean ups
- species counts
- bio blitzes
- getting people you know excited about how incredible our planet’s biodiversity is.
Joining your local Audubon Society or other local conservation group is a great first step into finding activities and ways to become a citizen scientist and environmental advocate.
Further Reading, my sources: |
3000 gallon black poly water tank.
Unquestionably clean water is the most important
resource for a sustainable existence in any environment. Historic
weather patterns seem to be changing and can no longer be counted
on, the rains may or may not come.
The first priority for rural survival is to secure
a water supply. Here in the Northwest, snow pack in the mountains
has been diminishing yearly while summers getting hotter and drier
at record pace.
||From mid June to late October it rained only
once, a paltry one tenth of an inch that did nothing but make
pock mark indentations in the dry flour like soil. The woods
were tinder dry and news of wild fires on TV were making everyone
The regional hay crop was devastated from the lack
of rain causing acute shortages and sending hay prices soaring.
By the beginning of December we were 15" below normal precipitation
for the year.
|Check the current draught conditions, analysis
and forecasts for your region. Provided by Rich Tinker, Climate
Prediction Center, NOAA: U.S.
Miraculously these unhappy turn of events were interdicted
by the emergence of the La Nina climate event. Her colder and wetter
than normal winter for the Pacific Northwest made up 9" of
the shortfall in three weeks. A train of Pacific storm systems lined
up and swooped through one after another. The annual total was still
more than 6" from the average but without La Nina it would
have been an all time record dry year.
These events underscore the fickle and precarious
nature of weather. If the La Nina event did not occur and the pattern
of diminishing snow pack held course we would most likely be in
dire straits with water shortages come next summer. Water storage
is the solution to avoid being forced to take a bad gamble of rolling
the dice and hoping for rain.
The problem with water around here is that it has
a tendency to not stick around for long. There is plenty of water
in early spring but whether it is replenished when most needed in
summer is problematic, as evidenced by our small creek that we estimate
millions of gallons roaring through during early spring and barely
moving by end of summer. Capturing and storing a tiny fraction of
this bounty in the spring would ensure an adequate water supply
for the year whether the rains come or not.
400 gallon poly tank. Part of my neighbor's
domestic water system.
The water requirement for rural survival
should not only cover daily potable water usage but also irrigation
needs, enough water for vegetable gardens, herb gardens, fruit trees,
greenhouse, animal needs and hopefully some for spot fire suppression
if needed. A large enough storage tank 2000 gallons or more would
work well if used frugally and replenished after each use. I use
a 3000 gallon tank and various other smaller capacity tanks strategically
placed near gardens for easy use. I find cattle troughs very handy
for garden use. The open top makes it easy to get a quick 5 gallons
with a bucket or washing dirt off carrots by swishing them in the
water instead of turning on a faucet. Another convenience is that
you can get water to anywhere a hose will reach by throwing in a
submersible pump. All the tanks and troughs are replenished with
water from a hand dug well and a centrifugal pump. The well is 600'
away but is set up to turn on when I flip a lever near the tank.
Eventually the goal is to set up a solar panel system for continuous
slow pumping during the day.
Portable poly tank 325 gallons.
Made for pickup trucks. Used
to water a small vegetable garden.
175 gallon oval and 400 gallon circular cattle
troughs. Used to water a small vegetable garden and refilled
Plastic sheeting used as liner to stop leaks.
In most cases domestic water supply is not recommended
for irrigation purposes. We have a drilled well and the driller
advised us against using it for irrigation. They cited possible
over drawing of the water in the well casing and damage to the submersible
pump. It should be OK if the well produces substantially more water
than the pump can pump. Even so since ground water levels are independent
of surface conditions and is next to impossible to gauge accurately,
it would not be worth the risk of over use and running the well
dry. Imagine the stress and hassle of having no water when you need
it the most and frantically repairing or replacing a pump.
Capturing and storing water.
1200 gallon poly cistern buried under house.
Drained and refilled every spring as emergency water supply.
Man hole cover with water outlet pipe. Just
enough room for a skinny guy to go down for cleaning and inspection.
Water inlet pipe. These
tanks are built to be buried three quarters of its height.
The earth giving it structural support.
time rainwater storage container called a water butt.
The easiest way to capture water is to collect rainwater.
1 inch of rain on 1 sq' flat surface produce about 0.62 gallons
of water. 1" of rain on a roof area of 20'x40' gives about
500 gallons of water. Significant amounts of water can be collected
in just one good rainfall if roof areas of a house, barn, garage,
shop, greenhouse etc are utilized. According to government studies
one inch of rain falling on 1 acre of ground is equal to about 27,154
"Irrigation of the land with seawater desalinated
by fusion power is ancient. It's called 'rain'." Michael McClary
|Water from a surface source however small can
be continuously fed to a holding tank from where it can be pumped
to storage tanks on demand. I have a large culvert pipe, 7 feet
diameter and 11 feet in height, which I plan to burry below
a small spring for a 3000 gallon plus holding tank and set up
a solar pumping system as shown here.
Our irrigation requirement conservatively is about
200 gallons a day or 30,000 gallons for the season from May to September.
My eventual goal is to have an irrigation water storage capacity
of 10,000 gallons which is continuously trickle filled and topped
off. That should allow for future garden expansions and be ready
for possible hotter and drier summers.
2500 gallon poly water tank. |
3000 gallon steel culvert water tank
Ideally one should estimate the total water need
and double it, as building contractors do with their labor estimates,
to ensure coverage of unseen scenarios. The constraint with this
idea of-course is the cost.
The cheapest and easiest to setup large water tank
I have found runs about $880.00 for a 3000 gallon polyethylene or
poly tank which
works out to roughly $0.30 per gallon, a very reasonable cost considering
These are above ground, free standing tanks plumbed
for inlet and outlet hookups and an inspection manhole with a lid.
The polyethylene is UV rays stabilized, weather proof and meets
the NFS standard for potable water. Although weatherproof, in the
northern latitudes the tank would need to be protected from freezing.
My idea on this is to erect a straw bale structure over it.
Building a water tank, say out of concrete, would
have been cost effective perhaps fifteen years ago. However today's
price for steel rebar, plywood and lumber for forms and concrete
combined with the price of diesel needed for excavation and delivery
at or near record highs make it cost prohibitive. This is not counting
the labor cost whether contracting it out or building it yourself.
10,000 gallons may seem like a lot of water but
it really isn't, when one considers that the average water usage
per person nationwide is 70-80 gallons a day or a household of 4
at over 9000 gallons a month not including watering lawns and washing
| Drying of the West
, Feb. 2008 issue National
Scientists are just beginning to understand the nature of the
draught in the western states. Evidence, study of tree rings,
points to fact that draught conditions are the norm, broken
by periods of wet and that the 20th century being the wettest
period in the last 1000 years. Concerns are mounting for water
resourses as the southwest appears to be entering into a cyclic
two hundred year mega draught exacerbated by global warming
and population pressures.
Fire and Rain:
The Consequences of Changing Climate on Rainfall, Wildfire
and Agriculture Nate Hagens February 21, 2008 The
An excellent overview of changing precipitation
patterns in the western U. S. and its current and projected
effects on agriculture and wildfires.
|The U.S. Nears the Limits of Its Water
By Shiney Varghese, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
Posted April 8, 2008. AlterNet
“Public water systems are failing, several
states are setting severe water use restrictions, and key
water sources are drying up.”
|Water - the under-reported resource
Last Updated: 2:01pm BST 22/04/2008 By Fred Pearce Telegraph
“The great slow-burning, under-reported
resource crisis of the 21st century is water.”
“China can't feed itself any more, for want of water.
Ditto India, where underground water reserves are being over
pumped by 100 cubic kilometres a year.”
“…the River Nile no longer reaches the sea because
all its water is taken for irrigation.” |
Overcoming Common Problems Related to Communicative MethodologyStephen B. Ryan
ryan [at] human.kj.yamagata-u.ac.jp
IntroductionEnglish-as-a-Second Language (ESL) teachers are often faced with the challenging tasks of making our classes meaningful, practical and, yes, even fun for our students. In planning course curriculum for the year, it can be exciting to modify past curriculum or experiment with a new plan that can make teaching easier or more interesting for all. Unfortunately, there are recurring problems that need consideration and planning to overcome potential pitfalls to realizing our curriculums full potential. In this paper, six problematic areas in the Japanese university EFL classroom context are identified and a few suggestions offered to combat these weaknesses. Although there are more areas of concern than the six discussed here, these are believed to be the most critical to the success of the course.
Provide Adequate FeedbackToday's communicative methodology is learner-centered and emphasizes fluency over accuracy. Although fluency is much needed, it does, however, create a problem of providing enough concrete feedback for learners to correct their mistakes and keep focused on the immediate classroom task(s) at hand. Students often do not receive enough feedback as to how they are doing throughout the course. This results in loss of motivation and interest. Despite what students may say, they prefer and expect to receive some kind of concrete feedback as to how they are progressing in the course. Feedback can be the traditional test or weekly quiz but students can also benefit from "real time" feedback which requires them, for instance, to write their answers on the blackboard or collaborate with a partner. In sum, learners need a constant stream of feedback big or small that can keep them motivated and learning as opposed to a assessing them with a single final semester test.
Clarify GoalsAnother weakness of a solely communicative approach is that it is a collection of principles that are loosely bundled together (Van Lier 1988:72) offering the learner little or no direction. Some teachers give a class syllabus on the first day that seldom gets used. Students can benefit more if they know specifically on a class-by-class basis what language they trying to practice and in what context. Rather than practice language for the sake of language, learners can be kept motivated and interested if, for example, they know that they will be practicing the past perfect or within a specific context such as language used in a hotel. The teacher can even write the lesson goal on the blackboard on a daily basis. All of this kind localized goal setting is more explicit and lets students know what they are expected to do. In sum, it is useful to set small achievable goals on a daily basis and make learners aware of how they are to accomplish these goals.
Have Consistency in Teaching StyleCommunicative methodology is great for requiring our students to produce language albeit in a somewhat loose fashion. But, it also creates a division in teaching style. At some stages, we are expected to be strict about certain aspects such as regular attendance and punctuality. On the other hand, we often have to assume the role of friend-coach to make our learners feel compelled to speak and not be afraid of making mistakes. This creates a stark contrast between the teacher who can fail and the teacher that wishes to encourage speaking and, necessarily, making mistakes. Learners may feel betrayed if they score poorly on a test but do well in classroom tasks. As second or foreign language teachers, it is crucial that we maintain awareness of our "style" of teaching. It often helps to observe a colleague's class or have a trusted colleague observe your own. You may find some useful insights into your own lessons. For instance, I once had a colleague observe my own class, and he observed that I occasionally changed my English grammar to a Japanese grammar style, "On the blackboard, write your answers please." This usage was inconsistent with the goals of the course. It may feel uncomfortable to be critiqued or observed. However, if we do not become more aware of our teaching style and inconsistencies, we will have difficulty in continuing to grow professionally.
Lessons Need a Routine or FrameworkThere is a fine line between in communicative methodology between giving students too much responsibility to speak freely in class and not enough. The communicative approach in its pure form advocates making students speak as much as possible. However, language is also a routine and learners need a framework in which they can feel comfortable in taking that risk to speak out in front of others. A useful framework often presented by many teacher trainers is:
- Controlled practice
- Free practice
Topic: Hotel reservations
Language functions: making reservations, asking, expressing opinion
- Warm-up: The teacher asks students (in pairs) to think of 3 "hotel words" such as lobby or front desk and write them on the blackboard. The teacher then goes over each word explaining any difficult points and just trying to frame the context.
- Presentation: Learners listen to a short dialogue between a hotel clerk and customer. Then, they repeat it with the teacher aloud to raise awareness and practice pronunciation
- Controlled practice: Students practice the same conversation above substituting some words if they wish. After 10 minutes, learners close their books and can volunteer to perform the memorized dialogue. With books still closed, the teacher plays the same dialogue from the tape again allowing learners to gain additional confidence.
- Free practice: The teacher gives a hotel information gap exercise to each pair. Students are now required to freely practice the same language and are sufficiently empowered to do so.
- Feedback: The teacher goes over any problematic phrases, pronunciation difficulties or even acts out the drama with the students by changing the dialogue in "real time".
Have Cultural AwarenessWe know that culture plays an important role in the day-to-day classroom activities. It is important for the teacher to recognize potential negative culturally based perceptions of their learners and vice versa. In Japan, for instance, it is not uncommon to be met with silent expressionless students. It is possible for the novice instructor to interpret this negatively as a lack of interest. This is a cultural interpretation that may play a detrimental role in classroom methodology. Silence is a cultural value that is relative to Western and Japanese cultures. Humor, teasing and silence are also highly diverse culturally so the teacher must be self-aware when using humor or teasing to induce students to perform or simply react. An instructor does not necessarily have to be interculturally competent to be an effective teacher however. It may be more effective if the instructor adopts a consistent style of instruction to allow learners to adapt within the bounds of their own personalities without being coerced to behave outside their own cultural values.
Be Clear About Student-Teacher RelationshipESL teachers are often faced with choosing the kind of relationship they wish to establish with their students. Some prefer a strict division between the student-teacher relationship while others prefer a friend-coach relationship. Communicative methodology encourages the latter. Many students misinterpret this as tacit approval to pursue undesirable behavior such as cutting class or turning in late homework. To avoid this, it is important to clearly express not only the course requirements but one's own personal philosophy to assessing learners. For instance, students need to know from the first class that you will not accept late homework assignments or poor attendance, but that they will be allowed to make up tests and quizzes. By explicitly stressing this kind of seemingly trivial information, the teacher can save a lot of valuable class time and create a more productive atmosphere.
ConclusionIn conclusion, by being consistent, explicit and offering immediate feedback, there are fewer opportunities for learners to consistently misinterpret the goals of a course curriculum. While a communicative methodology is an excellent tool for increasing fluency, used exclusively, it also creates recurring problems that need to be addressed and counterbalanced with different methodology. Overcoming these common recurring problems that plague our courses can free the instructor to become more creative while allowing learners to become more competent in the target language.
- Van Lier, L. (1988). The Classroom and the Language Learner. Longman: New York.
The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VII, No. 11, November 2001 |
Teachers are spending more time than ever in the role of “designer,” being the architect of their students’ learning experiences. Meanwhile, they must also fill the roles of instructor and facilitator, said blended learning and online learning expert Catlin Tucker.
When teachers rely exclusively on a teacher-led “whole group” model, the challenges of teaching in a concurrent classroom are exacerbated, said Dr. Tucker, a bestselling author, international trainer and Google Certified Innovator. However, there are strategies that educators can implement to combat these challenges.
As the author of a collection of books on blended learning, Dr. Tucker was the featured presenter at the latest Virtual Keynote Series event on Dec. 9, which was presented by the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s Technology Leadership Institute.
“Teachers really need to hear from their leadership that less is more,” in order for them to be able to engage students in deep, rigorous learning with their students, Dr. Tucker told nearly 150 attendees during the online event. While that learning may not be broad, “that doesn’t mean that there can’t be depth,” she said.
The LHRIC’s Technology Leadership Institute is designed to provide participants with various opportunities to engage in discussion with experts and vendors about technology-based educational topics that are timely and relevant. This was the third virtual event in what Sarah Martabano, the LHRIC’s Educational Technology Manager, dubbed as a “pandemic-inspired series” of keynote presentations.
In Dr. Tucker’s address, titled “Using Blended Learning Models to Design for and Facilitate Learning in a Concurrent Classroom,” she spoke of four key challenges that teachers face in the virtual and hybrid learning environments.
1. Managing students in two learning landscapes
2. Inequality of teacher attention
3. Lack of student engagement
4. Not enough time to connect with individuals or small groups of learners
The remedy that she recommended to solve these issues is to give students greater control over the time, place, pace and path of their learning. She offered a series of practical and substantive ideas about how to accomplish that.
With regard to teaching students both remotely and in-person, Dr. Tucker suggested creating an interactive agenda that all students can access and developing a welcome routine at the start of each class. To counter inequality of teacher attention, she suggested various rotating learning stations, which offers several benefits, including allowing students to control the pace of their learning.
Regarding student engagement, Dr. Tucker posed a question to her audience: What engages students? She invited attendees to share their answers. The real-time results informed an interactive word cloud that featured responses like “interest,” “fun,” “interaction,” “connection,” “movement” and “games.”
She suggested a choice board, a graphic organizer that allows students to choose different ways to learn about a particular concept. In addition to being fun for students, it can help teachers to drill down on specific skills and standards. “Choice is a really powerful motivator,” Dr. Tucker said, “and we all know that students don’t always enjoy the same tasks.” A choice board offers a series of activities that students navigate through, which shifts the control of the pace of learning from teachers to students.
In response to educators not having enough time to connect with learners individually, she suggested using the “Playlist Model.” With playlists, teachers can differentiate the path of student learning and create clarity about the work’s trajectory so that children can continue to make progress. Teachers can also fuse media, modalities, online and offline work, and build in check-ins with students, which are essential for receiving and giving feedback.
Dr. Tucker offered sage advice to those striving for success in a concurrent classroom. Think big, start small and embrace a “less is more” mentality, she counseled. She recommended that the attendees create clear channels of communication, prioritize relationships and make time to connect with students. She suggested that educators design learning experiences, which put students at the center of learning, and to use blended learning models to differentiate learning experiences.
At the end of her engaging lecture, she asked participants to be compassionate with themselves: “Remember that we are all learning right now,” she said. “Be patient with yourself.”
Dr. Tucker is the author of several educational books, including “Blended Learning in Grades 4-12,” “Blended Learning In Action,” “Power Up Blended Learning” and “Balance With Blended Learning.” She is also active on Twitter (@Catlin_Tucker) and writes an internationally ranked education blog at CatlinTucker.com.
TLI’s Virtual Keynote Series continues on Jan. 29, 2021, with keynote speaker Carl Hooker. We hope you can join us. For more information, visit the TLI website. |
If you read the tutorial where I introduced acids and bases, you may not have understood exactly what I was talking about when I discussed the idea of Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases. Not to worry – some of you have teachers who don’t understand this concept either, so you’re not alone in being confused.
Fortunately, here’s a tutorial that goes into much greater detail with the goal of making it a little easier to understand. Additional goal, to make stupid jokes:
What’s a Brønsted-Lowry acid or base?
If you’ll think back to the Arrhenius definition of acids, you’ll recall that they’re any compound that give off H+ ions when you put them in water (HBr, for example). Arrhenius bases are compounds that give off OH- ions in water (NaOH, for example). If you want to know whether something is an Arrhenius acid or base, you just look at the formula of the compound because a compound is always either an acid or a base.
The big difference between Arrhenius acids and bases and Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases is that Arrhenius acids describe what a compound is, while Brønsted-Lowry describes what a compound does. To give you a better idea of what I mean, let’s compare the definitions to human strength:
In one definition of strength, you’re defined as being strong by how much you can bench press. If you can bench press 150 pounds, you’re strong, and if you can’t, you’re weak. There’s no wiggle room here, and you can definitively call anybody strong or weak depending on this criterion.
However, you could also define strength by whether or not you can beat somebody up. For example, if I were to fight a toddler they would probably consider me to be strong. On the other hand, if I were to fight the enraged toddler’s father, he’d consider me weak after I was beaten into pulp. By this definition, strength doesn’t measure how strong you are in any absolute way, but how strong you act under certain circumstances.
In the same way, Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases can only be defined in terms of how they react with one another. By themselves, no compound is either acidic or basic because there’s nothing to compare them to. However, once you get them combining with each other, you can start to figure out which one is which. To illustrate this, let’s use water as an example.
An example of a Brønsted-Lowry acid: water
The Arrhenius definition says that water is neutral. However, Brønsted-Lowry says that it needs to react with something before you can make this determination. Let’s consider this example:
H₂O + NH₃ → OH- + NH₄+
In this example, water acts as a Brønsted-Lowry acid. Why? This reaction shows water giving an H+ ion to ammonia to form the ammonium ion. This is the sort of thing that acids do, according to the definition below:
- Brønsted-Lowry acid: A compound behaves as a Brønsted-Lowry acid when it gives one or more H+ ions to something else.
Likewise, in this case, ammonia is a Brønsted-Lowry base, because the Brønsted-Lowry definition tells us that:
- Brønsted-Lowry bases: A compound behaves as a Brønsted-Lowry base when it grabs one or more H+ ions from another compound.
An example of a Brønsted-Lowry base: water
I know I just did an example in which I told you that water is an acid, but bear with me for a moment. Let’s consider what happens when water combines with HBr:
H₂O + HBr → H₃O+ + Br-
You see what happened here? In this example, the water molecule grabbed an H+ ion from HBr, which means that it acted as a base. HBr, on the other hand, acted as an acid because it gave the H+ ion to water.
What does this all mean? It means that chemical compounds aren’t acids and they aren’t bases. Instead, they behave as acids or bases depending on the circumstances in which you put them. As a result, water can be either an acid or a base, depending on what else is in the beaker.
Conjugate acid-base pairs
When talking about Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases, we need to talk about something called Brønsted-Lowry acid-base pairs. Let’s see what happens when HF reacts with NaOH:
HF + NaOH → H₂O + NaF
In this example, HF acts like an acid because it gives H+ to NaOH. Likewise, NaOH acts as a base because it takes the H+ from HF. Not too bad yet.
However, let’s ask ourselves another question: What happens after the reaction takes place? Let’s consider our products of water and NaF. Because all chemical reactions can behave as equilibria to some extent, there will be some reverse reaction that looks something like this:
H₂O + NaF → HF + NaOH
In this reaction, water acts as an acid because it gives an H+ ion to NaF, while NaF acts as a base because it grabs an H+ from water. Again, this isn’t particularly surprising by itself.
Now, let’s put everything together in one big equation:
HF + NaOH ⇄ H₂O + NaF
or, to make it a little clearer what I’m going to talk about:
HF (acid) + NaOH (base) ⇄ H₂O (acid) + NaF (base)
Looking at this, you can see that when HF loses H+ (i.e. it acts like an acid), it becomes NaF (which will act like a base when it reacts with water). As a result, we’d refer to HF and NaF as being a conjugate acid-base pair, because they’re related to one another by this gaining or losing electrons. Specifically, HF is an acid and NaF is its conjugate base.
Likewise, NaOH and water are another conjugate acid-base pair, where NaOH is the base and water is its conjugate acid.
Some good rules of thumb about Brønsted-Lowry conjugate acid-base pairs:
- The stronger an acid is, the weaker its conjugate base. HF is an acid with moderate strength, so its conjugate base, NaF will be a lousy base.
- The stronger a base is, the weaker its conjugate acid. NaOH is a terrific base, so its conjugate acid, water, will be a lousy acid in this case. Together with the point above, this tells us that the reaction will lie mostly toward the water/NaF side of the equation (and in fact, this is overwhelmingly the case in real life).
- The relative strengths of acids and bases can be determined by a term known as Kₐ. Though Kₐ won’t tell us whether something is an acid by itself (the term acid doesn’t make sense unless there’s a base around), compounds with higher Kₐ values will act as acids when they react with compounds that have smaller Kₐ values. For example, acetic acid has a Kₐ of 0.000018, and water has a Kₐ of 0.0000001. Though the Kₐ of acetic acid isn’t particularly large, the Kₐ of water is even less, so if you put them in a beaker together the acetic acid will give an H+ ion to water.
- Anything with a Kₐ value greater than 1 is referred to as a “strong acid.” Strong acids almost completely dissociate in water, so if you’ve got one of those guys around, look for some cool acid action to happen sometime soon.
OK… go study some more acid-base stuff.
- Loser hipster: Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
- Angry jerk: Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
- Danish: Image courtesy of rakratchada torsap at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
- Woman on beach: Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid at FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
What matter mosts, heat or humidity? The conundrum of warm versus cold weather can be untangled a bit if you consider humidity as a cofactor with heat. The short answer is that more aerosolized virus particles are in transit when it is arid and less aerosolized virus particles are in transit when it is humid. The related temperature is largely irrelevant. Humidity slows the evaporative process whereas increasing temperature accelerates it.
Why does this matter for COVID? No one breathes out the virus all by itself. We exhale water droplets of various size that are much much larger than a virus, but the evaporative process begins immediately on exit of the mouth if the local environment is arid. Keeping a virus contained in a large droplet is IDEAL because even a lousy mask will stop transmission or the droplet will fall to the ground in less than 6 feet. A good mask is IDEAL in all environments because it is capable of stopping the smaller aerosols too. BTW … a good mask is a simple as layering cotton and chiffon together, which gives a 97% filtration efficiency down to 0.3 microns. Note that an N95 is only 95% efficient for that.
Why is colder weather typically associated with an increase in virus transmission? When it is cold outside, people tend to go inside and crank up the heat, thus making evaporation happen. Unfortunately, this reduces the efficiency of your respiratory tract cilia, which takes away one of your bodies weapons in the fight against the virus. More virus particles are in transit when it is arid and less virus particles are in transit when it is humid. Period. Why?
- Big droplets fall to the ground before they can evaporate into aerosols and float around for hours.
- Big droplets get stuck in your mask if it’s on your face. Even little droplets get stuck in your mask if it’s on your face. THIS is why wearing masks and practicing social distancing WORK so well!
These two practices remove at least 90% of virus-laden particles from the air that you breath indoors, which is where essentially ALL of the transmission happens. ALL of the countries who have kicked COVID-19 to the curb had near universal adoption of masks plus social distancing AND they had extensive testing and contact tracing. The United States of America are suffering because we are doing a lousy job at all 4, especially the last two. |
Shock is a medical emergency in which the organs and tissues of the body are not receiving an adequate flow of blood. This deprives the organs and tissues of oxygen (carried in the blood) and allows the buildup of waste products. Shock can result in serious damage or even death
There are three stages of shock: Stage I (also called compensated, or nonprogressive), Stage II (also called decompensated or progressive), and Stage III (also called irreversible).
In Stage I of shock, when low blood flow (perfusion) is first detected, a number of systems are activated in order to maintain/restore perfusion. The result is that the heart beats faster, the blood vessels throughout the body become slightly smaller in diameter, and the kidney works to retain fluid in the circulatory system. All this serves to maximize blood flow to the most important organs and systems in the body. The patient in this stage of shock has very few symptoms, and treatment can completely halt any progression.
In Stage II of shock, these methods of compensation begin to fail. The systems of the body are unable to improve perfusion any longer, and the patient's symptoms reflect that fact. Oxygen deprivation in the brain causes the patient to become confused and disoriented, while oxygen deprivation in the heart may cause chest pain
. With quick and appropriate treatment, this stage of shock can be reversed.
In Stage III of shock, the length of time that poor perfusion has existed begins to take a permanent toll on the body's organs and tissues. The heart's functioning continues to spiral downward, and the kidneys usually shut down completely. Cells in organs and tissues throughout the body are injured and dying. The endpoint of Stage III shock is the patient's death.
Causes and symptoms
Shock is caused by three major categories of problems: cardiogenic (meaning problems associated with the heart's functioning); hypovolemic (meaning that the total volume of blood available to circulate is low); and septic shock
(caused by overwhelming infection, usually by bacteria).
Cardiogenic shock can be caused by any disease, or event, which prevents the heart muscle from pumping strongly and consistently enough to circulate the blood normally. Heart attack
, conditions which cause inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), disturbances of the electrical rhythm of the heart, any kind of mass or fluid accumulation and/or blood clot which interferes with flow out of the heart can all significantly affect the heart's ability to adequately pump a normal quantity of blood.
Hypovolemic shock occurs when the total volume of blood in the body falls well below normal. This can occur when there is excess fluid loss, as in dehydration
due to severe vomiting or diarrhea, diseases which cause excess urination (diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, and kidney failure), extensive burns
, blockage in the intestine, inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis
), or severe bleeding of any kind.
Septic shock can occur when an untreated or inadequately treated infection (usually bacterial) is allowed to progress. Bacteria often produce poisonous chemicals (toxins) which can cause injury throughout the body. When large quantities of these bacteria, and their toxins, begin circulating in the bloodstream, every organ and tissue in the body is at risk of their damaging effects. The most damaging consequences of these bacteria and toxins include poor functioning of the heart muscle; widening of the diameter of the blood vessels; a drop in blood pressure; activation of the blood clotting system, causing blood clots
, followed by a risk of uncontrollable bleeding; damage to the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome; liver failure; kidney failure; and coma
Initial symptoms of shock include cold, clammy hands and feet; pale or blue-tinged skin tone; weak, fast pulse rate; fast rate of breathing; low blood pressure. A variety of other symptoms may be present, but they are dependent on the underlying cause of shock.
Diagnosis of shock is based on the patient's symptoms, as well as criteria including a significant drop in blood pressure, extremely low urine output, and blood tests that reveal overly acidic blood with a low circulating concentration of carbon dioxide. Other tests are performed, as appropriate, to try to determine the underlying condition responsible for the patient's state of shock.
The most important goals in the treatment of shock include: quickly diagnosing the patient's state of shock; quickly intervening to halt the underlying condition (stopping bleeding, re-starting the heart, giving antibiotics
to combat an infection, etc.); treating the effects of shock (low oxygen, increased acid in the blood, activation of the blood clotting system); and supporting vital functions (blood pressure, urine flow, heart function).
Treatment includes keeping the patient warm, with legs raised and head down to improve blood flow to the brain, putting a needle in a vein in order to give fluids or blood transfusions, as necessary; giving the patient extra oxygen to breathe and medications to improve the heart's functioning; and treating the underlying condition which led to shock.
The prognosis of an individual patient in shock depends on the stage of shock when treatment was begun, the underlying condition causing shock, and the general medical state of the patient.
The most preventable type of shock is caused by dehydration during illnesses with severe vomiting or diarrhea
. Shock can be avoided by recognizing that a patient who is unable to drink in order to replace lost fluids needs to be given fluids intravenously (through a needle in a vein). Other types of shock are only preventable insofar as one can prevent their underlying conditions, or can monitor and manage those conditions well enough so that they never progress to the point of shock.
Kerasote, Ted. "After Shock: Recognizing and Treating Shock." Sports Afield 217 (May 1997): 60+.
— A condition of having too little of something.
— Blood flow through an organ or tissue.
— An overwhelming infection throughout the body, usually caused by bacteria in the bloodstream.
1. a sudden disturbance of mental equilibrium.
a condition of acute peripheral circulatory failure due to derangement of circulatory control or loss of circulating fluid. It is marked by hypotension and coldness of the skin, and often by tachycardia and anxiety. Untreated shock can be fatal. Called also circulatory collapse
Mechanisms of Circulatory Shock. The essentials of shock are easier to understand if the circulatory system is thought of as a four-part mechanical device made up of a pump (the heart), a complex system of flexible tubes (the blood vessels), a circulating fluid (the blood), and a fine regulating system or “computer” (the nervous system) designed to control fluid flow and pressure. The diameter of the blood vessels is controlled by impulses from the nervous system which cause the muscular walls to contract. The nervous system also affects the rapidity and strength of the heartbeat, and thereby the blood pressure as well.
Shock, which is associated with a dangerously low blood pressure, can be produced by factors that attack the strength of the heart as a pump, decrease the volume of the blood in the system, or permit the blood vessels to increase in diameter.
Types of Circulatory Shock
. There are five main types: Hypovolemic (low-volume) shock
occurs whenever there is insufficient blood to fill the circulatory system. Neurogenic shock
is due to disorders of the nervous system. Anaphylactic (allergic) shock
and septic shock
are both due to reactions that impair the muscular functioning of the blood vessels. And cardiogenic shock
is caused by impaired function of the heart.
Hypovolemic (Low-Volume) Shock. This is a common type that happens when blood or plasma is lost in such quantities that the remaining blood cannot fill the circulatory system despite constriction of the blood vessels. The blood loss may be external, as when a vessel is severed by an injury, or the blood may be “lost” into spaces inside the body where it is no longer accessible to the circulatory system, as in severe gastrointestinal bleeding from ulcers, fractures of large bones with hemorrhage into surrounding tissues, or major burns that attract large quantities of blood fluids to the burn site outside blood vessels and capillaries. The treatment of hypovolemic shock requires replacement of the lost volume.
Neurogenic Shock. This type, often accompanied by fainting, may be brought on by severe pain, fright, unpleasant sights, or other strong stimuli that overwhelm the usual regulatory capacity of the nervous system. The diameter of the blood vessels increases, the heart slows, and the blood pressure falls to the point where the supply of oxygen carried by the blood to the brain is insufficient, which can bring on fainting. Placing the head lower than the body is usually sufficient to relieve this form of shock.
Anaphylactic (Allergic) Shock.
This type (see also anaphylaxis
) is a rare phenomenon that occurs when a person receives an injection of a foreign protein but is highly sensitive to it. The blood vessels and other tissues are affected directly by the allergic reaction. Within a few minutes, the blood pressure falls and severe dyspnea develops. The sudden deaths that in rare cases follow bee stings or injection of certain medicines are due to anaphylactic reactions.
Septic Shock. This type, resulting from bacterial infection, is being recognized with increasing frequency. Certain organisms contain a toxin that seems to act on the blood vessels when it is released into the bloodstream. The blood eventually pools within parts of the circulatory system that expand easily, causing the blood pressure to drop sharply. Gram-negative shock is a form of septic shock due to infection with gram-negative bacteria.
Cardiogenic Shock. This type may be caused by conditions that interfere with the function of the heart as a pump, such as severe myocardial infarction, severe heart failure, and certain disorders of rate and rhythm.
Pathogenesis of shock. (ARDS = adult respiratory distress syndrome, GI = gastrointestinal, IL = interleukin, TNF = tumor necrosis factor.) From Damjanov, 2000.
cardiogenic shock shock resulting from primary failure of the heart in its pumping function, as in myocardial infarction, severe cardiomyopathy, or mechanical obstruction or compression of the heart; clinical characteristics are similar to those of hypovolemic shock.
colloidoclastic shock colloidoclasia.
cultural shock feelings of helplessness and discomfort experienced by an outsider attempting to comprehend or effectively adapt to a different cultural group or unfamiliar cultural context.
hypovolemic shock shock resulting from insufficient blood volume for the maintenance of adequate cardiac output, blood pressure, and tissue perfusion. Without modification the term refers to absolute hypovolemic shock caused by acute hemorrhage or excessive fluid loss. Relative hypovolemic shock refers to a situation in which the blood volume is normal but insufficient because of widespread vasodilation as in neurogenic shock or septic shock. Clinical characteristics include hypotension; hyperventilation; cold, clammy, cyanotic skin; a weak and rapid pulse; oliguria; and mental confusion, combativeness, or anxiety.
insulin shock a hypoglycemic reaction to overdosage of insulin, a skipped meal, or strenuous exercise in an insulin-dependent diabetic, with tremor, dizziness, cool moist skin, hunger, and tachycardia; if untreated it may progress to coma and convulsions.
respirator shock circulatory shock due to interference with the flow of blood through the great vessels and chambers of the heart, causing pooling of blood in the veins and the abdominal organs and a resultant vascular collapse. The condition sometimes occurs as a result of increased intrathoracic pressure in patients who are being maintained on a mechanical ventilator.
septic shock shock associated with overwhelming infection, usually by gram-negative bacteria, although it may be produced by other bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. It is thought to result from the action of endotoxins or other products of the infectious agent on the vascular system causing large volumes of blood to be sequestered in the capillaries and veins; activation of the complement and kinin systems and the release of histamine, cytokines, prostaglandins, and other mediators may be involved. Clinical characteristics include initial chills and fever, warm flushed skin, increased cardiac output, and a lesser degree of hypotension than with hypovolemic shock; if therapy is ineffective, it may progress to the clinical picture associated with hypovolemic shock.
spinal shock the loss of spinal reflexes after injury of the spinal cord that appears in the muscles innervated by the cord segments situated below the site of the lesion.
1. The condition in which the cells of the body receive inadequate amounts of oxygen secondary to changes in perfusion; most commonly secondary to blood loss or sepsis.
2. A sudden physical or biochemical disturbance that results in inadequate blood flow and oxygenation of an animal's vital organs.
3. A state of profound mental and physical depression consequent to severe physical injury or to emotional disturbance.
4. A state characterized by inadequacy of blood flow throughout the body to the extent that damage occurs to the cells of the tissues; if the shock is prolonged, the cardiovascular system itself becomes damaged and begins to deteriorate, resulting in a vicious cycle that leads to death.
[Fr. choc, fr. Germanic]
1. a sudden disturbance of mental equilibrium.
2. a profound hemodynamic and metabolic disturbance due to failure of the circulatory system to maintain adequate perfusion of vital organs.
cardiogenic shock shock resulting from inadequate cardiac function, as from myocardial infarction or mechanical obstruction; characteristics include hypovolemia, hypotension, cold skin, weak pulse, and confusion.
endotoxin shock septic shock due to release of endotoxins by gram-negative bacteria.
hypovolemic shock shock due to insufficient blood volume, either from hemorrhage or other loss of fluid or from widespread vasodilation so that normal blood volume cannot maintain tissue perfusion; symptoms are like those of cardiogenic shock.
insulin shock a hypoglycemic reaction to overdosage of insulin, a skipped meal, or strenuous exercise in an insulin-dependent diabetic, with tremor, dizziness, cool moist skin, hunger, and tachycardia, sometimes progressing to coma and convulsions.
septic shock shock associated with overwhelming infection, most commonly infection with gram-negative bacteria, thought to result from the actions of endotoxins and other products of the infectious agent that cause sequestration of blood in the capillaries and veins.
1. A massive, acute physiological reaction usually to physical trauma, infection, or allergy, characterized by a marked loss of blood pressure, resulting in a diminished blood flow to body tissues and a rapid heart rate.
2. The sensation and muscular spasm caused by an electric current passing through the body or a body part.
v. shocked, shocking, shocks
1. To induce a state of physical shock in (an animal or person).
a. To subject (an animal or person) to an electric shock.
b. To administer electric current to (a patient) to treat cardiac arrest or life-threatening arrhythmias.
c. To administer electroconvulsive therapy to (a patient).
an abnormal condition of inadequate blood flow to the body's tissues, with life-threatening cellular dysfunction. The condition is usually associated with inadequate cardiac output, hypotension, oliguria, changes in peripheral blood flow resistance and distribution, and tissue damage. Causal factors include hemorrhage, vomiting, diarrhea, inadequate fluid intake, or excessive fluid loss, resulting in hypovolemia. Kinds of shock include anaphylactic shock
, cardiogenic shock
, hypovolemic shock
, neurogenic shock,
and septic shock
observations Hypovolemic shock is the most common kind of shock. There is decreased blood flow with a resulting reduction in the delivery of oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and electrolytes to the body's tissues and a concomitant decreased removal of metabolic wastes. Pulse and respirations are increased. Blood pressure may decline after an initial slight increase. The patient often shows signs of restlessness and anxiety, an effect related to decreased blood flow to the brain. There also may be weakness, lethargy, pallor, and a cool, moist skin. As shock progresses, the body temperature falls, respirations become rapid and shallow, and the pulse pressure (the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressures) narrows as compensatory vasoconstriction causes the diastolic pressure to be elevated or maintained in the face of a falling systolic blood pressure. Urinary output is reduced. Hemorrhage may be apparent or concealed, although other factors, such as vomiting or diarrhea, may account for the deficiency of body fluids.
interventions Fluid volume must be restored quickly so that there can be a rapid return of oxygenated blood to the perfusion-deprived tissues. Supplemental oxygen should be administered. Blood volume is expanded with IV fluids, such as a lactated Ringer's solution or a 5% dextrose in normal saline solution. Packed red blood cells, plasma, and plasma substitutes are also given for shock of hemorrhagic origin. Metabolic acidosis may result from anaerobic metabolism.
nursing considerations After vital functions are restored and diagnosis has been made, the patient in shock must be monitored continuously until recovery is assured. The patient should remain flat in bed, but the lower extremities can be raised to improve venous return (modified Trendelenburg's position). The Trendelenburg position should be avoided because it tends to push the abdominal organs against the diaphragm and increases the work of breathing. Position changes should be made slowly. Vasoactive drugs may be ordered when the blood volume is adequate. The patient's skin color, temperature, vital signs, intake and output, pulse oximetry, and level of consciousness should be monitored closely.
SHOCK Cardiology A clinical trial–Should We Emergently Revascularize Occluded Coronaries for Cardiogenic shock comparing the efficacy of emergency revascularization and initial medical stabilization in managing Pts with MI complicated by cardiogenic shock. See Cardiogenic shock.
shock A condition characterized by signs and Sx due to a cardiac output below that required to fill the arteries with blood of sufficient pressure to adequately perfuse organs and tissue Clinical Hypotension, poor peripheral perfusion, hyperventilation, tachycardia, oliguria, cyanosis, mental clouding, a sense of great anxiety and foreboding, confusion and, sometimes, combativeness Causes Trauma with major multiorgan system injury, septicemia, fluid loss–blood or intractible diarrhea, burns, high voltage electric current, abrupt loss of myocardial activity Classification Based on related mechanisms of cardiac dysfunction–pump failure, ↓ volume–loss of blood or extracellular fluid or changes in arterial resistance or venous capacity Pathogenesis Shock activates sympathetic nervous system via the carotic and aortic baroreceptors, ↑ catecholamines, vasoconstriction of 'non-essential' organs–intestine, kidneys, skin to maintain blood flow to vital organs–heart and brain; with time, hypotension becomes irreversible. See Anaphylactic shock, Bacteremic shock, Calcium shock, Cardiogenic shock, Cardiopulmonary obstructive shock, Culture shock, Heat shock, Hypotension, Hypovolemic shock, Insulin shock, Psychologic shock, Refractory septic shock, Septic shock, Spinal shock.
1. A sudden physical or mental disturbance.
2. A state of profound mental and physical depression consequent upon severe physical injury or an emotional disturbance.
3. A severe disturbance of hemodynamics in which the circulatory system fails to maintain adequate perfusion of vital organs; may be due to reduction of blood volume (hemorrhage, dehydration), cardiac failure, or dilation of the vascular system in toxemia or septicemia.
4. The abnormally palpable impact, appreciated by a hand on the chest wall, of an accentuated heart sound.
[Fr. choc, fr. Germanic]
A syndrome featuring low blood pressure, a prejudiced blood supply to important organs such as the brain and heart, and low kidney output. Causes of shock include severe blood loss, burns, severe infection, allergy, heart damage from CORONARY THROMBOSIS
and head injury. Untreated shock may be rapidly fatal. The main element in treatment is the rapid restoration of the circulating blood volume by transfusion and the use of the drug VASOPRESSIN
to help to maintain the blood pressure.
2. A temporary state of psychological overburdening from severe mental distress, often associate with stupefaction.
shock profound physical depression characterized by low blood pressure, circulatory collapse and coma
anaphylactic shock due to hypersensitivity; see anaphylaxis
cardiogenic shock due to decline in cardiac output secondary to serious heart disease, e.g. myocardial infarction
haemorrhagic shock due to acute haemorrhage, characterized by marked hypotension, hypovolaemia, tachycardia, pallor, cold and clammy skin and oliguria
hypovolaemic shock due to sudden reduction in circulating blood volume (e.g. severe haemorrhage, dehydration, faint [vasovagal attack] or anaphylaxis)
insulin shock due to relative overdose of insulin/relatively low levels of blood glucose (i.e. a ‘hypo’), characterized by sweating, tremor, anxiety, vertigo, double vision, which if left untreated can progress to delirium, convulsions, coma and collapse, but can be readily reversed by ingestion of sugar (e.g. sweet drink or biscuit) in conscious patient, or injection of glucagon (if the patient is unconscious)
1. State in which cells of body receive inadequate amounts of oxygen secondary to changes in perfusion; most commonly due to blood loss or sepsis.
2. Sudden physical or biochemical disturbance that results in inadequate blood flow and oxygenation of an animal's vital organs.
3. State of profound mental and physical depression consequent to severe physical injury or to emotional disturbance.
[Fr. choc, fr. Germanic]
n 1. a state of collapse of the body after injury or trauma. Shock may be either primary or secondary. The principal effects of shock are slowing of the peripheral blood flow and reduction in cardiac output.
2. a circulatory insufficiency caused by a disparity between circulating blood volume and vascular capacity.
n pain produced as a result of galvanic currents caused by similar or dissimilar metallic restorations.
n an ineffectual circulating volume of blood resulting from loss of whole blood.
a coma resulting from too much insulin or an inadequate intake of food. Symptoms include wet or moist skin, hypersalivation or drooling, normal blood pressure, tremors, dilated pupils, normal or bounding pulse, and firm eyeballs. Sugar and acetoacetic acid may be present in bladder urine but are absent in the second specimen. The blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia). See also coma, diabetic.
n shock caused by loss of nervous control of peripheral vessels, resulting in an increase in the vascular capacity. Onset is usually sudden but is quickly reversible if the cause is removed and treatment is instituted immediately.
n shock that has a neurogenic basis in which pain and psychic factors affect the vascular system. Occurs immediately after an injury.
n shock that occurs some time after the injury (6 to 24 hours later). It is associated with changes in capillary permeability and subsequent loss of plasma into the tissue spaces. Changes in capillary permeability are probably related to histamine release associated with tissue injury.
n a shock produced by trauma, whether psychic or physical. In general usage, this term refers to shock following physical trauma, with hemorrhage, peripheral blood vessel dilation, and changes in capillary permeability.
a condition of acute peripheral circulatory failure due to derangement of circulatory control or loss of circulating fluid. It is marked by hypotension, coldness of the skin and tachycardia.
hyaline globules composed of fibrin degradation products which act as microthrombi and cause hemorrhage and necrosis.
the loss and redistribution of fluid, electrolytes and plasma protein, increased blood viscosity and increased peripheral resistance that follow a severe burn contribute to shock.
classically associated with acute myocardial infarction in humans; in animals may be caused by intrinsic congestive heart failure, cardiac depression caused by anesthetic overdosage or other drugs with negative inotropism, rarely, thromboembolism.
shock due to breakdown of the physical equilibrium of the body colloids. Thought to cause anaphylactic shock due to the absorption of the colloids into the bloodstream.
see vasogenic shock (below).
see electrical injuries.
electric shock. See also electrical stunning.
caused by endotoxins, especially Escherichia coli.
See also toxemic
animals in shock develop changes in the gut including congestion and hemorrhage into the lumen.
shock due to reduced blood volume as a result of water deprivation, fluid loss due to diarrhea, vomiting, extensive burns, intestinal obstruction, whole blood loss.
a condition of circulatory insufficiency resulting from overdosage with insulin, which causes too sudden reduction of blood sugar. It is marked by tremor, weakness, convulsions and collapse.
shock which has reached the stage where irreparable damage has been done to tissues, e.g. liver, kidneys and treatment will not salvage the patient although it might prolong life for a long time.
animals in shock due to massive burns, septicemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), acute viral or bacterial pneumonias or trauma develop an acute respiratory distress syndrome. The pulmonary lesion is a nonspecific acute or subacute interstitial pneumonia.
a temporary cessation of function in nervous tissue caused by an acute insult such as trauma without the part having been directly or detectably damaged. The loss of function is only temporary, usually for a few minutes but it may last for several hours. There may be residual signs due to direct damage when the shock passes. Stunning by a lightning stroke is an example.
those organs, specific to each animal species, which respond to allergens circulating in the blood.
flaccid paralysis up and down the body from the site of the spinal cord lesion. Accompanied by a fall in skin temperature, vasodilatation and sweating. Signs disappear within an hour or two. There may be residual signs due to physical injury to tissue.
vasogenic shock, vasculogenic shock
shock exists because of the severe reduction in effective circulating blood volume caused by sequestration of blood and other fluids in the vascular system and their withdrawal from the circulating blood. Is the classical shock of traumatic injury, burns, uterine prolapse, extensive surgery.
Patient discussion about shock
Q. SHOCK-WHAT IS IT? clinical anaphylactic shock
A. shock is when the fluid volume in the blood decreases to a dangerous amount. then the body "panics" because most of the organs don't get oxygen and don't remove carbon dioxide and die. so the body start to shut down "unnecessary" organ's blood flow. like skin and such.
this is death closing in on you in minutes.
Q. I was shocked to note that vaccination in the children could cause autism too. Is that true? Very recently I have delivered a cute male baby and I could see a change in me after my delivery in the sense that I always think about him. My sister’s son who is 5 years old is diagnosed with Autism and I just can’t see the sufferings of my sister with him. She experiences difficulty in almost all dealings with him right from brushing, giving bah and making him to study….etc. Now I fear that my son should not get in to autism although I know that this is too early to think about disorder in my son. But as my sister’s son got in to this disorder, this has affected me a lot. Hope you can understand my feelings towards my baby. When I browsed through the net, I was shocked to note that vaccination in the children could cause autism too. Is that true? Can I get some idea…..
A. Hey! I appreciate your care for the new born. But to be honest, fearing at this stage will only trouble you and your baby in the sense that your emotions could catch your baby especially when you breast feed. I want you to be cheerful so as to bring up a healthy child. The signs of autism in the new born are something which should not be thought about at this stage. All you may have to think is to bring up him nicely without any disease. As regards vaccinations that could create autism in children, there is no proof that a vaccine causes Autism. It is only a belief and all the children are vaccinated and not all get autism. It is not a fair idea to suspect vaccination as vaccinations are administered in a new born child after carrying out the necessary tests.
Q. Is electric shock efficient for ocd? Is it dangerous? My husband has OCD for 15 years now. He was also diagnosed with mania-depressia. He takes so many medications and nothing really helps. We were offered to try electric shock and I'm scared. Is it dangerous? What are the chances of this method to work for him?
A. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is indeed considered effective for OCD, although it's not the first line of treatment. It does have its risks, including memory loss, disorientation and sort of confusion. There is also a change in the activity of the heart but it's rarely significant.More discussions about shock
Generally it can be said that it's not an absolutely safe treatment, but it may help, especially if other drugs don't help.
You may read more here: |
This Is Just To Say
If the speaker of this poem were, indeed, William Carlos Williams, he would have been in his fifties, married, and a father when it was published. So, we'd guess that he would be writing this note to his wife before he went off to his day job as a doctor. Right? Right.
But it's dangerous to assume that the writer of a poem is its speaker, because poets often write about the lives of others. So we'll just have to hazard some guesses about our guy, based on the (meager) evidence we get from the poem itself.
The poem lets us know just a little bit about our guy: he's nice enough to write a note to apologize for eating these plums, but easily tempted enough to eat them. He also puts great value in simple things, like the taste of these plums, and their temperature.
Let's use our imaginations to guess a little more about our speaker. We can picture our speaker waking up on a balmy morning, and heading down to get his normal breakfast of cereal when he sees these plums, and he just can't resist them. We're guessing he's got a steady job—he could be a lawyer, a banker, a dentist—whatever he is, he's got to be there pretty early.
He'll be gone, at work, when his wife wakes up to find her breakfast missing. He feels guilty about eating the plums, and leaving her with none, and figures he'll write a note so that she knows he's sorry. He could also feel a little lonely, waking up in the morning without her, and wants her to know he's thinking about her.
The speaker takes great stock in his own words—he's written this note very carefully, with the fewest words possible. He goes slowly, building up to what he considers the most important: that the plums were delicious.
We like to think that, as the speaker goes about his day, the memory of the taste of these plums will stay with him, giving him a little bit of sweetness and cold even as the day drags on. He hopes that this note, and its description of the plums, will give his wife bit of joy too. |
My family LOVES to play cards. I grew up playing games and so did my brother and sister and all of my cousins. We always say we have the “card gene.” As children, we had to know that 4 + 8 = 12 or 9 + 5 = 14 or we’d lose the game! Memorizing addition facts was a necessity. It had nothing to do with school, it had everything to do with winning! And yes, we are a competitive family but we also had to learn how to lose gracefully. Our parents didn’t just “let” us win, no, they taught us to think for ourselves and learn new strategies.
I’m telling you this because I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that attests to the value of family games. Games not only teach math skills but improve memory too. In order to win, you need to remember cards your opponent played and analyze what they might need. These strategic thinking skills challenges your memory for young and old alike. My 97 year old card playing sister has an amazing memory! By analyzing and remembering her opponents discards, she can tell exactly what they are saving. I’ve had to learn to lose gracefully to her!
“To be able to compete against parents and sometimes win is symbolically important to kids. They get a sense that ‘my time is coming,’ a little foretaste of not being under the parent’s thumb,” says William Doherty, professor of family social science at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. Children also can learn to win and lose gracefully, he says—“to be happy but not gloat, and to lose and not pout.”
Confidence building is another benefit of playing a game of cards. Begin with easy games for toddlers, like War, Old Maid, Concentration or Go Fish. If you’ve forgotten how to play some of these games, here is a good link, Family Games. Another list of fun games for teaching addition and subtraction math facts is found at Dice and Cards to Teach Math Facts.
Remember, “The family that plays together, stays together.” Interaction as a family far outweighs solitary activities. Plan a family game night once a week. Make it fun and you will be creating memories that last a lifetime! |
You may have read in the news about the Queensland government’s push for Languages learning as part of their Global Schools initiative.
From 2015 all Queensland state schools are required to provide a language in Years 5-8
Queensland state schools will become familiar with the Australian Curriculum: Languages in 2015, commencing implementation in 2016.
The release of the Australian Curriculum: Languages covering Prep to Year 10 is continuing with four languages currently available – Chinese, French, Indonesian and Italian – and more under development.
One of the findings from the Queensland Plan External Link was Queenslanders’ support for students learning Asian language skills as part of a flexible, future-focused curriculum in the state’s schools.
A Consultation Draft has just been released detailing the Department of Education, Training, and Employment’s goals and strategies for achieving Global Schools.
Languages in Queensland State Schools Policy: http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/framework/p-12/docs/qld-languages-policy.pdf
QLD Gov Media Release: http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2014/8/25/more-language-lessons-for-students
The MLTAQ: http://www.mltaq.asn.au
The Draft is well worth reading!! As a MLTAWA member commented, “I loved every word”.
Should WA follow in QLD’s footsteps? Leave a comment below! |
Vocal Cord Paralysis/ Paresis
If Your Voice Is Weak, Sounds Breathy, and Tires Easily, You May Have Partial or Complete Nerve Disruption
What’s the Difference Between Vocal Cord Paralysis and Vocal Cord Paresis?
Vocal cords are a pair of tissue folds in the throat that vibrate to produce the sound of your voice.
Vocal cord paralysis occurs when nerve impulses to the voice box (larynx) are totally disrupted. If there is partial disruption of the nerve, then the condition is referred to as vocal cord paresis. The result, in either case, is a weakened voice that sounds breathy and tires easily.
Vocal cord paralysis not only prevents you from emitting normal vocal sounds but it can also create challenges while swallowing. Since vocal cords sit atop the trachea (windpipe), they fold closed when ingesting food, drink, and mouth saliva. If either or both of the folds don’t close all the way, food, drink, or saliva will “go down the wrong pipe” and cause choking, coughing, and gasping.
Causes of Vocal Cord Paralysis
Vocal cord paralysis does not discriminate. It can affect males and females of any age, from birth to old age.
There are many causes of vocal cord paralysis:
- Nerve damage during neck surgery
- Complication from endotracheal intubation
- Blunt neck or chest trauma
- Tumors of the skull base, neck, and chest
- Viral infections
- Certain cancers
Symptoms of Vocal Cord Paralysis
In most cases, only one vocal cord is paralyzed.
Some symptoms of vocal cord paralysis can include:
- A breathy or hoarse voice
- Loss of vocal pitch
- Choking, coughing, or gasping when ingesting food, drink or saliva
- Frequent breaths while speaking
- Speaking softly or weakly
- Ineffective coughing
- Frequent throat clearing
Treatment of Vocal Cord Paralysis
Unfortunately, we do not have treatments to make the injured nerve work better. But we can change the shape of or reposition the paralyzed vocal cord so that it works better with its normal partner (the unaffected vocal cord). Treatment for vocal cord paralysis/ paresis can include:
- Voice therapy
- Vocal cord augmentation with injections (gel or paste)
- Vocal cord augmentation with implants
More On Injections to Treat Vocal Cord Paralysis/ Paresis
We commonly perform injections to treat vocal cord paralysis and paresis.
We recently performed an injection medialization laryngoplasty whereby gel was injected into the paralyzed vocal cord of a patient. The injection increased the volume of the paralyzed vocal cord so the functioning vocal cord could meet it to initiate vibration (and thus, sound).
In the “before” section of the video, you can hear the breathy, weak voice of the patient while he reads The Rainbow Passage.
In the “after” section of the video, the patient has his strong voice back and you witness the incredible success of injection medialization laryngoplasty performed by BergerHenry ENT.
Vocal Cord Paralysis Strobe Exam
Through This Strobe Exam of a Patient’s Throat, See What Vocal Cord Paralysis Actually Looks Like
When to Call BergerHenry ENT
If you have an unexplained weakening of the voice, voice discomfort, or persistent hoarseness for more than two weeks, call BergerHenry ENT at (610) 279-7878. |
How to separate a mixture of oil and water?
- Two immiscible liquids, oil and water, can be separated using a separating funnel.
- Take the liquids in the funnel.
- Now we can see the formation of two layers of oil and water.
- The denser liquid sinks to the bottom and other liquid is at the top.
- A conical flask is placed at the bottom to collect the denser liquid.
- The valves allow you to control when and how the liquid is let through down to the conical flask.
Method of separation of mixture |
Uneasiness in social relations
In social relations, the
feeling is one of indifference and discomfort.
1 - The schizoid and the avoidant
In DSM-I and DSM-2, the avoidant group was not mentioned. Instead, their traits were included in the schizoid group.
In DSM-III, the schizoid and avoidant appear in different groups for the first time.
The social relations of the schizoid are dominated by indifference. The avoidant’s, by intense anxiety.
In the high grade schizoid, this definition is obvious. However, in the low to medium schizoid,
indifference may also be accompanied by different levels of anxiety. Nevertheless, these people
remain classified as schizoid – low to medium.
It’s just that they may also
experience anxiety in social situations.
2. The source of security
In nature, the purpose of animals
is simply to eat, and not be eaten.
Anyone can observe that a wild animal has its own personal space. If we enter this space,
the animal flees …..In modern times, humans live in secure environments, and are no longer so sensitive
to anyone invading their personal space.
Bear in mind that, like other animals, our ancestors also had their own personal space.
Though modern humans no longer feel this need as intensely, the need for personal space
remains part of our genetic makeup,
and may still be acted upon by some people, especially those who are schizoid avoidant..
Their fear is triggered when they feel that someone – as though that someone has been watching them
– has invaded their space.
Their fear is irrational, uncontrollable – and not unlike a wild animal’s..
Some schizoid avoidants say that they flee social relations because “they feel invaded ”.
Others state only that they “need to flee”.
3- Harmonize man-risk-escape with man-friend-comfort
In the beginning there were living organisms. Some species survived, while others became extinct.
The successful species developed instinctive strategies which enabled them to survive.
The most important instincts for species survival are self-preservation, and reproduction.
One of the sources which triggered and activated the instinct for self-preservation, was fear.
Thus, fear has become a tool for survival.
When a life-threatening situation is detected, discomfort increases as the danger increases.
Eventually, this discomfort turns to fear and panic.
The entire range of emotions is regulated by the brain.
Through time, the human brain evolved to become less primitive.
However fear remained a dominant emotion, and emotions are still controlled by the primitive brain,
in the gland called the amygdala.
As a result, fear has remained an instinctive, unreasonable, and automatic response to perceived threat.
The influence of the evolved brain – the thinking and reasoning one – has little effect on the emotion of fear.
Thus, it is difficult, if not impossible, to control fear through reason.
Over time, emotions and affection have evolved from being purely instinctive. Nevertheless, they still have
their origin in the primitive brain.
The response to a perceived threat remains instinctive and automatic in all humans.
The response is fear.
Unfortunately, the schizoid avoidant, instinctively perceives another human being as a threat (to survival).
This triggers fear, and the need to flee.
Fear to man of avoidant schizoid is not adaptive.
The adaptive harmonize man-risk-escape with man-friend-comfort.
The avoidant schizoid active man-risk-escape when the adaptive is
4- Inability to learn through experience
Every day, our nervous system records new experiences which lead to learning.
These learned lessons are carved into our memory, and influence our behaviour.
So, through experience, we know that some things are pleasurable, some are not,
And that others should be avoided because they are dangerous.
If the consequences of a particular action are repeatedly bad, we learn that we should avoid it in future.
However, if that same action ceases to cause harm, even though we may be wary we learn
that there is no reason to avoid it any longer.
Having to cope with situations which threaten our well-being, will result in tension and discomfort.
Daily experience teaches us that there is no danger in social connection,
We learn that there is nothing to fear since nothing bad happens and you’re not assaulted, or harmed in any way.
But people who suffer from social anxiety are incapable of learning this.
This learning is rational, and has no influence on social fear, which is primitive and related to the primitive, instinctual life.
Thus learning through experience has no effect on social fear.
It is as though, at an early age, something has been broken and cannot be mended.
Not even with something as convincing as one’s own experience.
5- Eye Contact
When two people meet, they may shake hands in greeting.
The covert message in their greeting is, ‘I come in peace. ‘Here is my hand, I am not armed’.
The act of shaking hands shows friendship, and it is usually accompanied by mutual eye contact.
Then, they have a conversation. The one who speaks looks the other one in the eye.
The one who listens also looks the speaker in the eye.
Eye contact is established. Eyes are expressive. Their eyes meet without fear.
There is communication, there is empathy, there is enjoyment, there is this message:
“You’re friend, you help me and I feel well”
Some people are uncomfortable with maintaining eye contact.
This severs the eye contact and the conversation loses its honesty.
In addition, the body language says: ‘I don’t feel comfortable, and I want to end this as soon as possible’.
The other person may feel that the body language is saying: ‘I don’t like you, I don’t want your friendship’.
Some people may not even try to establish eye contact, and look in another direction.
And, if they do meet the other person’s eyes, they do so quickly and elusively, without actually establishing eye contact.
Schizoid people often have difficulty establishing eye contact.
Webpage updated on February 2012 . Copyright (c) |
People are bad at recognizing liars. Data culled from several psychological experiments demonstrates that even the most well trained individuals – government agents, police officers, and so on – can barely succeed at a 50 percent rate. Lying and deception, however, are fundamental narrative elements in several film genres – particularly the detective film and the female gothic, genres that peaked in popularity in 1940s Hollywood. Considering their real-life lack of proficiency, how do viewers successfully spot deception in such films? Drawing on findings from a handful of experiments, this article brings cognitive psychological concepts to bear on two 1940s films: Out of the Past (1947) and Secret Beyond the Door (1948). The article claims that filmmakers, particularly actors, exaggerate, simplify, and emphasize deception cues to selectively achieve narrative clarification or revelation. This process reveals not only how viewers recognize deception, but how actors stylize real-life behavior in service of narrative and aesthetic priorities. |
Oregon Historical County Records Guide
Wasco County Scenic Images
The Dalles Mural
A detail of a mural in The Dalles depicts Native Americans fishing at Celilo Falls on the Columbia River. (Photo No. wascDA0191)
About this image
Dimensions: 2973 x 1974 pixels (300 dpi version); Date created: September 2010; Camera: Nikon D80 Digital SLR; Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED; Photographer citation: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives; Keywords/Tags: horizontal, Oregon, Wasco County, Columbia River, The Dalles, mural, painting, Native Americans, Indians, Celilo Falls, fishing, salmon, waterfall, culture, heritage, downtown, public art. |
What Determines Biological Effects of Radiation on Human?
- Type of radiation
- Amount of radiation
- Part of body
- Age of individual
- Biological difference among individual
Non-stochastic Effects of Radiation
- Acute effect, typically with a very large dose in a short time
- There is a threshold dose, i.e. exposure below this dose would not cause such effects.
- Severity (magnitude) of effect is directly proportional to dose.
- Evident in hours or days
- Erythema, burns, cataract, sterility, radiation sickness and death
- Not typical for imaging procedure, which typically employs lower dose of radiation |
Modern Residential Home
The first argument indicates the type of an event, the second argument is a listener, and the third argument defines an event phase (so-called “bubbling” or “capturing”). The reason why the last argument exists is because most DOM events traverse the DOM tree from document node to target node (capture phase) and back to the document node (bubble phase).
This process is called “event flow” and brings several powerful features. LIVE AND DELEGATED EVENTS Instead of attaching a handler for each element in a group, we can attach one listener onto an ancestor shared by all of the elements in that specific group. Then, we can determine where an event took place using the target property of the event object, passed into the listener. This is known as “event delegation”: |
Mobile chip maker Qualcomm wants your gadgets to look out for you.
The company is working on a technology that packages together a lens, an image sensor, and a low-power processor that runs computer-vision algorithms. The module, which Qualcomm calls Glance, would be cheaper than a camera and use far less energy, but it could detect humans, determine if they are taking certain actions (such as jumping or walking toward or away from the sensor), and even identify certain hand or arm gestures.
Every computing company is trying to add some form of computer vision to its products, whether for self-driving cars or automated shipping facilities. Though Glance is still taking shape in Qualcomm’s R&D division, it gives the company an opportunity to leverage its expertise in low-power computing and jump into this fast-growing market. Mobile-device companies and sensor manufacturers are already evaluating the technology for its ability to add new capabilities to devices from smartphones to home appliances.
On a smartphone, Glance hardware could make new security features practical, says Jeff Henckels, Qualcomm’s director of product management and business development. He says that manufacturers are interested in using iris scans to identify people and unlock phones—but a device’s camera can’t be constantly active without draining the battery. A Glance sensor consumes about two milliwatts of power, as opposed to hundreds of milliwatts for the camera module in a smartphone.
Henckels says the power-sipping Glance sensor can be constantly looking out at the world. Its resolution of 320 by 240 pixels isn’t high enough to handle tasks like facial recognition or to map the image of an individual’s iris, but it can recognize when a person is facing a phone’s screen and then activate the device’s front-facing camera to scan his or her iris, shaving precious seconds or a few taps off the interaction.
In your home, Glance could help appliances and toys know what’s going on around them. A doll could detect when a child’s face turns toward it, for example.
Henckels says engineering samples of Glance hardware and a software development kit are in the hands of several device makers, and that smartphone vendors are testing the iris-scan capabilities. He declined to say when products featuring the technology would appear, or when Qualcomm would turn it into a commercial product.
There’s reason to think it should do so soon. In the past year, Intel has bought two companies, Movidius and Mobileye, that develop image-processing hardware aimed at small gadgets and larger machines like cars. In 2016, the chip-licensing firm ARM purchased a company called Apical to help it offer low-power computer vision for small devices. Other startups, such as Israel’s Emza, are pursuing the goal of low-power computer-vision modules as well. Emza offers a module that consumes less than five milliwatts of power.
Kurt Wedig, the CEO of OneEvent, a company that uses a wide variety of sensors to detect anomalies in residential and commercial homes, thinks that a new source of data could be very useful—but that some consumers may consider the idea intrusive.
Glance isn’t quite a camera, but it can gather more detailed information than a simple motion sensor, long used for home security and increasingly for things like elder care. “Motion sensors are really noninvasive for scenarios like aging in place,” says Wedig. “You get a lot of data points, and people are more comfortable without the cameras because of privacy concerns.”
Qualcomm stresses that Glance doesn’t store or send images. The only data the sensor passes on to the rest of a gadget is what it saw—for example, the fact that it detected a person. Qualcomm and other companies are betting that new features made possible by computer vision will ultimately offset any privacy concerns. |
Marquette & Arizona Mining Company
Marquette & Arizona mine
Marquette & Arizona Mining Company started in December 1902. In 1903 the main shaft was sunk to a depth of 562ft. Water was struck at 450ft. but, sinking continued until it was necessary to install a pump. At this time it was decided that it would be more economical to continue prospecting with a diamond drill. The shaft was allowed to flood to the 430ft. level. Work underground ceased in January 1904 and diamond drilling was stopped later that year. The surface facilities were substantial, with a headframe, hoist house, a boarding house, four bunk houses, a superintendent’s house and a few other dwellings.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you. |
When Did World War Two End
The World War II is considered as the deadliest and most unforgettable war in the entire history of the world. Many countries used their economical, scientific and other resources to be able to fight and sustain their civilian and military sources. The conflict of many countries provoked the occurrence of the most deadly war in the world history. Many people suffered because of poverty, pain and other negative outcomes resulted by the war.
Fame, power, pride and personal motives of many countries also cause the rise of the World War II. The real victims of the said country are the civilian people and all the people who fight for the advantages of their country. No one would want to have war because war will only means death, suffering and pain to the life of many people.
War can neither create nor destroy a structure of a certain country. It can create because it can a one way for a certain country to get all the things that they think belong to them however it can definitely destroy and steal many lives. War is not a good thing because it only means that there is a high possibility that many people might lose someone they love. Miss communication and pride definitely also causes the rise of conflicts and war within many countries.
The End of World War II
The end of the war can be a new start for many people and countries. The start of the end of the World War II happened in the year 1942 when the Axis stopped and Japan lost in a critical battle at the are near the Hawaii. Germany was also defeated. The Germany faced many defeats that lead to the initiative of the Germany to surrender. The Allies accepted the retreat of Germany on May 8, 1945 a week after Adolf Hitler committed suicide
In the year 1944, the alliance of Western countries became successful when they able to invade France and the Soviet Union able to get back all its territories. In the Asia, in the year 1944 until 1945 Japan began suffering defeat. The United States defeated the Japanese forces. The drop of Atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9 provoked the Emperor of Japan to surrender. The surrender statement of the Emperor was announced through a radio address. The end of the in Asia served as the total victory of the Allies. The war in Europe also ended with the defeat of Germany by the Soviet Union and the Western Allies.
Outcomes of the War
No one will ever win a war whether a country able to conquer it enemy because war means lose of many lives and damage to the many properties of the country. The World War II brought devastation and suffering of many people and stole the life of many people. The entire duration of the war there is an estimated more than 100 million people died because of the war.
Brand New Start
The end of the World War II served as a new beginning for the many people and almost more than 30 countries that participated in the war. They need to start a new life and make their economy rise again. The war also served as a way so that many people will value world peace. |
This subject of Muamalat is the most important in our time. Ibadat is knowledge of the relationship between us and Allah. Whereas Muamalat is the relationship between humans. Social, political, economic affairs.
Two thirds of Fiqh is all about Muamalat. This course will revive this knowledge that has been ignored, neglected and even worse, at times, completely re-rewritten -- in compliance with the world order created after World War 2 -- run by a new ideology called capitalism, by banks and by its legal framework, Constitutionalism. This has legalized central banks, paper money and national debt -- the three elements foundational to the sustaining of the world order set up by the victors of the said war.
This subject, Muamalat, is something that cannot be avoided. One cannot say it does not affect me. We are are affected whether we like it or not, whether we know it or not, whether it feels comfortable or terribly uncomfortable. Muamalat has almost totally vanished. The obstacles thrusted upon us can be overcome through Muamalat.
Outline and Introduction
Lesson 1 – Course Outline
An Outline of the Course.
Lesson 2 – Introduction to Muamalat: What Happened to Us?
How did we arrive in this present condition where riba is so prevalent, parading around us while we are seemingly paralized?
Lesson 3 – Knowledge of Allah
We bear witness there is no God but Allah.
How do we use this knowledge to bring about a darul Islam?
The Fundamentals of Muamalat
Lesson 4 – Markets, Caravans & Guilds
Close our eyes and try to reconstruct the city of Madinah. This is where the model was born, and it is here we will learn how it was, and how it should be for us.
Lesson 5 – Money and Contracts
Now we're talking. Money and contracts - the tool of modern capitalism. Learn how they are supposed to be used.
Lesson 6 – The Politics of Muamalat & the Prohibition of Riba
This is the most important lesson to know...
Lesson 7 – End the Fed & Fiat Money
Now you know a bit about the Islamic model, here's a reminder of how the current system works, for comparison.
Lesson 8 – Implementation of Muamalat
Ok, ok. Enough theory. How do we implement this?
Lesson 9 – Return to Dar Al Islam
The ultimate aim?
Lesson 10 – Political Discourse and Hegemony
This lecture explores the Political Discourse of Muamalat and how capitalism has today taken this hegemony. In analyzing this, understanding muamalat allows you to see things that are otherwise hidden.
Lesson 11 – Why are most people unfamiliar with Muamalat?
Lesson 12 – Questions about the Marketplace
Lesson 13 – What is the role of students in this movement?
Lesson 14 – What would a modern marketplace look like?
Lesson 15 – What is the relationship between guilds and tariqahs?
Lesson 16 – Mualamalat and the Internet |
Technology can do a lot of wonderful things, but just like anything used in excess, it can have its dark side too. We use cell phones to stay connected, to network, and even to get fit, but we may not realize there are ways that our phones are ruining our health. Whether it's your relationship with social media, your obsession with texting, or even the physical dirt and germs lingering on your screen, your phone may be doing some unsuspecting harm to your overall wellbeing.
"Since smartphones have become more popular, new syndromes have been emerging," chiropractic physician Dr. Scott Schreiber tells me over email. "Blackberry thumb is a tendonitis, common in teenagers that excessively text message. Text neck is another disorder caused by excessive flexion and looking at your phone."
According to the Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, so it's no surprise we are all becoming affected by technology in similar ways. Although there's no need to ditch your phone completely in a quest to be happy, it's important to know how the pervasive device can be affecting us negatively.
If you worry you might be spending too much time on your cellular device, you may want to consider these six ways that your phone could be ruining your health.
1. Head And Neck Problems
Looking down at your cell phone for too long can cause Anterior Head Syndrome, which happens when the head moves forward past the center of gravity. This can lead to muscular tension, damaged vertebrae, and compressed and degenerated discs in the back. "These things can contribute to a number of many secondary conditions ranging from headaches, numbness and tingling, neck pain, and even carpal tunnel," says chiropractor Jason Nardi over email. "This is an easy fix though. Instead of looking down, or bringing your eyes to the phone, you only need to bring your phone to eye level."
2. Disturbed Sleep
"The screens on smartphones emit a lot of blue light," says Nardi. "[Blue light affects] the part of your neurology related to your circadian rhythms, also known as your sleep cycle, and turns off melatonin production." Using your phone at night can not only cause problems with how you sleep, but it can increase your risk of depression, obesity, and even several types of cancer, according to Harvard Health.
"Many people use their phones while in the bathroom, and though this may seem like a great way to 'multi-task,' it can lead to a greater chance of sickness due to the spread of germs and bacteria," says Dr. Scott Weiss, MD over email. A study from The Wall Street Journal found that cell phones contain an abnormally high number of bacteria, including fecal matter, which can cause the flu, pinkeye, and more.
4. Eye Problems
"Prolonged staring at small cell phone displays causes squinting and straining of the eye muscles," says Weiss. "Furthermore, staring at bright screens in the evening time can also cause squinting and ocular stress that can lead to headaches." Optometrists warn that staring at a screen for multiple hours a day can cause blurry vision, dry eyes, and even long-term nearsightedness.
"Like any stimulus, lack of use can lead to feelings of withdrawal, and cell phones are no different," says Weiss. Studies from the University of Maryland have shown that abrupt reduction of cell phone use can cause physical, mental, and emotional signs of withdrawal that are similar to the feelings of kicking an addiction, including anxiety, fidgeting, and stress.
"We all know how hazardous texting and driving is and how the distraction of cellphones cause hundreds of phone-related car accidents each year," says Weiss. "The safety hazards that phone-related distractions causes are growing more and more as people incorporate using their phone in everyday tasks. Countless people each year do some serious damage to their bodies as a result of falling while walking and looking at their phones."
Your cell phone is definitely not supposed to make you sick, so if you feel like all that time spent on Instagram might be contributing to some of your recent ailments, it may be time to take a little break from technology.
Images: Pixabay (7) |
"After a year of liberation, Iraqis start to think, to move, to work, to believe and to pray without any form of repression, and we are moving toward a democratic system."
-- Dr. Mohammed Ihassen, regional Human Rights Minister for the Kurdish Democratic Party, based in Irbil, Iraq
Promoting democracy and human rights is now a central pillar of U.S. policy in the Middle East. As President Bush stated on November 6, 2003, "the United States has adopted a new policy, a forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East." Through the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and in consultation with Middle Eastern governments, civil society and G-8, European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners, the United States will continue to support reform in the Middle East to increase freedom, political modernization and prosperity.
Positive trends toward democratization and human rights protection continued in a number of countries over the past year. In Iraq, a U.S.-led Coalition has ended the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and is supporting the establishment of a democratic, pluralist government. In Morocco, parliament passed a new family law improving the status of women and creating a more egalitarian society. The citizens of Jordan and Yemen elected new parliaments in elections that were generally free and fair. More women have been appointed to ministerial positions in countries across the region. New legislation in Bahrain authorizing trade unions has resulted in a nascent labor movement, with 40 unions registering over the past year and a half. New human rights commissions have been created in Jordan and Egypt; their actions and influence bear watching. In some parts of the region, Internet access is increasing and there is a growing diversity of choice among Arabic-language satellite television broadcasters. This means that more citizens are beginning to shop freely for ideas in the world marketplace and heavy, governmental control over media is slowly being eroded.
Despite these promising steps toward greater political participation and respect for fundamental freedoms in some Middle Eastern countries, the overall trends in the region are cause for concern. Many countries still suffer from systemic denials of political freedom. Women cannot vote or be gainfully employed in some countries and some governments severely restrict free speech, religious freedom and the development of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Demographics and slow economic growth mean continued high unemployment, particularly among youth. This combination of economic and political stagnation will breed greater political instability, insecurity and poverty if not overcome. Education has also stagnated in the Middle East, leaving large numbers of illiterate adults, under-educated children and a work force that lacks the education and training required to compete successfully in global markets. Many citizens of the Middle East have also been radicalized by religious education at the expense of secular education in history, civics, economics, reading, writing, mathematics and science. Respect for the religious beliefs and practices of all citizens and groups is limited or lacking and is often manifested in economic and political discrimination.
The United States continues in its private and public diplomacy efforts to support political reform, economic growth and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Middle East. To reinforce our diplomatic efforts, the United States has also begun to sponsor programs that strengthen the role of independent journalists and trade unions, increase respect and safeguards for the rule of law, strengthen public participation in the political process, improve the status of women and promote a regional dialogue on democracy for members of NGOs and governments. The United States has introduced two sources of Arabic-language broadcasting in the region, Radio Sawa and al-Hurra Satellite Television, with the objectives of increasing access to unbiased news as well as promoting understanding of the United States.
MEPI, announced in December 2002, is a State Department initiative funding assistance in four separate areas relevant to democracy and human rights advancement in the Middle East: economic reform, business investment and private sector development, education, development of political pluralism, including independent parties, independent judiciaries, effective legislative bodies and strong civil society, all committed to good governance and transparency with increased participation, and full and equal opportunities for women across all spheres of society. The United States is also continuing long-standing educational and cultural exchanges with Middle Eastern partners.
THE ARAB JUDICIAL FORUM
The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative launched its Arab judicial reform program in September 2003 at the Arab Judicial Forum, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain and organized by the American Bar Association's Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative. The three-day event brought together high-level government officials and non-governmental reformers active in the judicial arena from 15 Arab countries, the Palestinian Authority, the United Kingdom and the United States to discuss essential elements of sound judicial systems, identify common issues and develop plans for ongoing programs to address those issues. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor led the U.S. delegation to the forum, which centered on four key themes:
Algeria is gradually emerging from more than a decade of civil strife between proponents and opponents of an Islamic state. Daily violence has declined and the situation in the country has improved since the 1990s when persons regularly disappeared and were brutally killed. The Algerian Government's human rights record remained poor and worsened in a few areas; however, important progress was made in some areas. Arbitrary arrests, prolonged incommunicado detentions, excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, reported cases of torture and official impunity were problems. Short-term disappearances of prisoners deemed "threats to national security" reportedly increased. The Government imposed new restrictions on freedom of expression and demonstrated an increased willingness to implement them. Defamation laws and government actions restricted the relative freedom of the print media. However, the media continued to openly and regularly criticize the Government, despite government reprisals. The State of Emergency and improper application of laws continued to restrict citizens' right to change their government, and the Family Code continued to limit women's civil rights. Terrorist violence also deprived citizens of their fundamental right to security.
Over the last year, Algeria made some important progress in some areas. There were fewer reports of security force abuses. The incidence and severity of torture declined markedly. There were no substantiated reports of new disappearances implicating security forces. The Government created an "Ad Hoc Mechanism" to research cases of the missing and possibly pay indemnities to family members. Reform of the judiciary and legal codes began to be implemented. The Kabylie region saw little or no violence between ethnic Berbers and security forces and, by the end of the year, both parties had begun a dialogue. Also, the Government agreed to grant more visas to international human rights organizations.
The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy in Algeria is to press for the removal of the State of Emergency, end harassment of the media, conduct more human rights training within the security forces, implement judicial reforms and resolve the issue of the "Disappeared." Throughout 2003 and early 2004, the United States engaged the Government and civil society organizations in dialogue and implemented assistance projects to encourage progress in these areas. U.S. officials conducted direct discussions of human rights and democracy issues with their Algerian counterparts. Secretary of State Powell, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns and Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Lorne Craner all visited Algiers to reinforce President Bush's November call for greater freedom and democracy in the Middle East.
Because many of Algeria's human rights abuses occurred within the justice system, the United States continued to emphasize progress in that sector. One multi-year program sought to bring together the efforts of the Government, lawyers, civil society activists and media in support of judicial independence and reform. The program placed seven Algerian journalists in internships with media outlets in the United States, helped the Algerian Judges' Association draft a Code of Ethics and conducted seminars on the U.S. judicial system. A Commercial Law Development Program has helped encourage judicial reform against corruption and strengthen adherence to the rule of law.
The Disappeared remained one of Algeria's most serious human rights issues and, accordingly, the United States supported both governmental and non-governmental approaches to the problem. U.S. officials cited the need to bring justice to the missing in public statements. The Embassy established a dialogue with the head of the Ad Hoc Mechanism to help ensure its effectiveness. U.S. officials met with members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) representing the missing, and pressed them and the Government to combine and coordinate efforts. The State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor awarded more than $400,000 in grants to support the creation of an independent coalition to monitor the Ad Hoc Mechanism and to fund training to build the capacity of human rights groups to investigate, document and advocate on behalf of the missing.
The United States continued to actively promote free, fair and transparent electoral practices, especially in advance of Algeria's presidential elections in April 2004. The Secretary and other high-level officials stressed the importance of a level political playing field, open media coverage and a fair electoral process in meetings with government officials and public gatherings. Funding was provided for education and training on political party development, coalition-building, election monitoring and comparative electoral systems.
To help promote independent media, the Embassy worked daily with Algerian journalists to strengthen professional standards and encourage increased coverage of democracy and human rights issues. U.S. officials also raised specific cases of media harassment with the Algerian Government.
The United States placed a priority on professionalizing the police, working with the Government to support an effective shift away from the use of the military for internal law enforcement toward civilian police enforcement. The International Military Education and Training (IMET) program also helped encourage increased respect for civilian control of the military and greater professionalism within the military and gendarmerie. IMET training focused on the subjects of military ethics, human rights, civilian control of the military, laws of war and the use of force. Funding for U.S.-based training of Algerian military officers increased dramatically during the year from less than $30,000 in 2002 to almost $600,000 in 2003. Training also included $150,000 for English language materials for Algeria's military academies. In compliance with the Leahy amendment, military officers who participated in training in the United States were vetted for human rights abuses. Productive liaison between the Embassy and police entities increased, facilitating expanded training opportunities in the future.
The United States used diplomacy and assistance to champion the rights of women in Algeria. The Embassy expanded its contacts among women's advocates and pressed for greater women's political participation and changes to the 1984 Family Code in regular meetings with the Minister-Delegate for Women's Affairs and Family Issues and NGOs. High-level U.S. officials also raised these issues publicly during visits to Algiers. The Embassy partnered with two Algerian NGOs to sponsor a conference on Women's Political Participation in October.
In light of recent political unrest and violence in the Kabylie, the United States continued to monitor the region. Embassy officials visited the Kabylie region throughout the year to assess the conditions of the Berber minority and the status of its relationship with government authorities. U.S. officials also visited the Sahraoui refugee camps around Tindouf to assess living conditions of Western Saharan refugees.
The International Visitor program continued to reinforce U.S. human rights and democracy objectives by promoting new, up-and-coming leaders. During the year, 11 governmental and civic leaders participated in exchanges, acquiring first-hand exposure to democratic activists and practices in the United States. The Embassy hosted a speaker on human rights issues in October as part of a new "Distinguished American Speaker" series.
Finally, the Embassy improved its base of contacts among various religious groups over the year, strengthening its capacity to report on issues relating to religious freedom.
In 1999, President Hosni Mubarak was reelected unopposed to a fourth six-year term in a national referendum. The National Democratic Party, which has governed since its establishment in 1978, continues to dominate national politics and has maintained an overriding majority in the popularly elected People's Assembly and the partially elected Shura (Consultative) Council. While the Government introduced some potentially significant reforms in 2003, including the establishment of a National Human Rights Council and the abolition of one type of extraordinary court, the overall human rights situation remained poor.
The Government's human rights record remained poor and many serious problems remain; however, there were improvements in a few areas. The principal human rights problems were the continuation of the 1981 Emergency Law, trials of non-security cases in emergency courts, persistent reports of torture by police and state security officers, the use of administrative detention for indefinite periods and restrictions on religious freedom. The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy addressed these problems and supported efforts to build a more robust civil society, promote the rule of law and encourage the growth of democratic institutions, including an independent press.
Human rights and political reform were prominent on the bilateral diplomatic agenda during the year. Senior U.S. officials lobbied their Egyptian counterparts to lift the Emergency Law and, after its renewal, sought to limit its application only to extraordinary cases involving dangerous individuals and violent, extremist organizations. The United States also raised concerns about torture and urged the Egyptian Government to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee against Torture, which held sessions on Egypt in November 2002 in Geneva. The United States frequently raised concerns regarding the new law on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and pressed the Government to implement it in a flexible and liberal manner, specifically drawing attention to issues of registration and foreign funding. Specific cases of nonregistration were also raised in diplomatic contexts. Concerns about civil society development, political participation and basic political rights were also addressed in official meetings. U.S. officials met with Egyptian civil society leaders and activists to solicit their views on how the United States might use the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and other initiatives to support the reform process.
In his November 2003 address commemorating the National Endowment for Democracy's 20th anniversary, President Bush proclaimed Egypt's importance to the U.S. strategy to promote reform in the region when he said, "The great and proud nation of Egypt has shown the way toward peace in the Middle East, and now should show the way toward democracy in the Middle East." Other senior U.S. officials have also urged Egypt to democratize and to strengthen respect for human rights.
The United States reviewed its democracy and governance programs during the year as part of a comprehensive assessment of its bilateral assistance to Egypt. Programs in 2003 and early 2004 focused particularly on justice sector reform, citizen participation with a special emphasis on gender equality, media independence and professionalism, and responsive local governance.
The eight-year, $18.4 million Administration of Justice Support (AOJS) program neared completion, promoting increased transparency and public confidence in the courts. The program used two pilot commercial courts to introduce automated, streamlined administrative processes and training for judges and court staff. A follow-on AOJS II project will assist the Ministry of Justice in replicating the reformed and modernized court systems nationwide.
A five-year, $500,000 criminal justice project with the Egyptian prosecutor general's office continued and featured a high profile conference in September attended by the Minister of Justice, the Public Prosecutor, the Speaker of the Parliament and other distinguished participants. The conference concluded with recommendations for legal reforms for which legislation is currently being developed. Under this same program, Egyptian participants visited the United States and interacted with U.S. federal judges.
A seven-year, $32.5 million U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) grant continued, strengthening the institutional capacity of NGOs through assistance in the areas of internal governance, financial management, advocacy for citizens' interests and participation in civic action. This grant helped women, particularly in rural areas, obtain the basic civil records necessary to access government services, protect their legal rights, and register to vote.
In other efforts to strengthen civil society, the United States supported a conference in September that afforded 200 NGO activists from around the country a forum to address issues of institutional capacity, management and the regulatory environment. At the event, Egypt's Minister of Social Affairs publicly acknowledged, for the first time, the need for legal reforms to lessen constraints on NGOs and accord them greater freedoms. Other initiatives included a model U.S. Congress at Cairo University and civic education summer camps.
USAID continued to implement a $5.2 million experimental program to promote responsive local government by fostering new relationships between the government and citizen groups in four target communities.
Several efforts promoted greater independence and professionalism in the media. A $1 million project with international partners and Egyptian journalist groups placed 15 young Egyptian journalists in internship and training programs in the United States. Another program provided training to hundreds of journalists on international professional standards for news reporting and assistance in publishing fact-based, dispassionate news stories.
The State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor awarded a grant to the American University in Cairo (AUC) to expand the impact of its formal degree program in International Human Rights law by developing professional and community outreach programs.
The Embassy continued to administer an interagency mechanism that awarded numerous small grants totaling $600,000 to support local, grassroots initiatives. These included a regional conference on the rights of women in the Arab world, a tutoring and mentoring program for underprivileged girls, a workshop to train journalists and lawyers on human rights law and a civic education program to raise awareness of the rights of disabled citizens. The 2003 International Visitor program included exchanges on subjects relating to human rights, civil society, good governance and women's issues.
The United States strongly supported MEPI pillars in Egypt. Egyptians participated in the Arab Judicial Forum and the Women in Law Program in Jordan, both MEPI regional initiatives. The Embassy maintained contact with the women parliamentarians who visited the United States in November 2002, and sponsored two participants in the MEPI Young Ambassadors Program and hosted the follow-up conference in January 2004. MEPI also worked with a local NGO to host the first session of the Arab Women's Forum in May 2003, which will be expanded in 2004.
The Embassy urged the Government to grant due process of law to all citizens and raised specific concerns about the process for those apparently arrested because of their sexual orientation. Concerns about the status of Egypt's Christians and other religious minorities were also raised, and the Embassy maintained excellent relations with representatives of Egypt's various religious communities. Embassy officers monitored some trials in cases involving human rights principles.
IRANThe Islamic Republic of Iran is a theocratic, constitutional republic dominated by Shi'a religious leaders. Ayatollah Ali Khamen'i dominates the legislative, executive and judicial branches, directly controls the armed forces and indirectly controls internal security forces. President Mohammed Khatami, who won a second four-year term in multiparty elections in 2001, heads the executive branch. Deeply flawed parliamentary elections, in which the Government forbade virtually all of the country's reformists from running, were held on February 20, 2004. The Government's poor human rights record worsened in 2003 and early 2004, and it continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. Summary executions, disappearances, extremist vigilantism, widespread use of torture and other degrading treatment remained problems. In 2003, a Canadian citizen photographer died from injuries sustained while in government custody, the Government beat student protesters and arrested thousands more, and also arrested several journalists and banned reformist publications. The Government continued to discriminate against and harass the Baha'i community and other religious and ethnic minority groups, including Jews, Christians, and Sunni and Sufi Muslims. The Government continued to severely restrict worker rights, including freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively.
The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for Iran centers on urging friends and allies to condition improvements in their bilateral and trade relations with Iran on positive changes in Iran's human rights policies and other areas of concern, supporting the continuing efforts of the Iranian people to institute greater freedoms and increase political participation in Iran, pushing for resolutions criticizing Iran's human rights policies at the United Nations and other international forums, and publicly highlighting the Iranian Government's abuse of its citizens' human rights.
Although the United States does not maintain diplomatic relations with Iran, the United States continues its multi-faceted effort to press the Iranian Government to stop abusing its citizens' human rights.
In Fall 2003, the United States co-sponsored and actively supported a Canadian resolution at the UN General Assembly condemning the human rights situation in Iran. The Iran human rights resolution passed in the UN General Assembly's 58th Plenary, sending an important signal to the Iranian people that the international community recognizes their suffering, and to the Iranian Government that dialogue on human rights is no substitute for concrete action to improve its record.
Calling for Iran to stop abusing its citizens' human rights is central to the U.S. overall policy approach and reflected in all public statements. President Bush and senior-level U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed their support for the Iranian people in their quest for freedom, democracy and a more transparent and accountable government, and will continue to do so. U.S. representatives regularly meet with members of various groups suffering human rights abuses in Iran. Their complaints are documented for dissemination to other governments and for inclusion in the State Department's annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Iran and the Report on International Religious Freedom. Secretary Powell designated Iran as a "Country of Particular Concern" for the fifth year in a row, in accordance with guidelines set out in the International Religious Freedom Act.
Iran is currently ineligible for most official programmatic assistance from the United States pursuant to U.S. law. However, the Voice of America supports broadcasts into Iran. The United States also supports a website in Persian to speak directly to the Iranian people about U.S. policy, and Radio Farda, which operates 24 hours a day to keep the flow of information open. In response to the December 26, 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran, in which more than 40,000 were killed, the United States quickly assembled and deployed a response team to the scene through the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. The United States has waived relevant sanctions for a period of six months for the express purpose of aiding humanitarian response to the disaster.
IRAQIraq's human rights record prior to the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime in April 2003 was extremely poor. The Hussein regime regularly committed serious human rights abuses. Citizens had neither the right nor ability to change the government, and elections were neither free nor fair. The regime habitually and summarily executed alleged political opponents and leaders of the Shi'a religious community. The Government arbitrarily executed people because of ethnic or religious associations, political views and even as part of an effort to reduce prison populations. Until its fall, the regime was responsible for the disappearance, torture and killing of persons suspected or related to persons suspected of opposition politics, economic crimes, military desertion and a variety of other activities. By the end of 2003, approximately 250 mass graves had been reported in Iraq and some 50 had been confirmed, many relating to five major atrocities perpetrated by Saddam Hussein's regime. Preliminary reports estimate that the graves may hold the remains of as many as 300,000 victims.
A U.S.-led Coalition removed the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein in April 2003. Pursuant to language in UN Security Council Resolution 1511, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was established to administer Iraq until an internationally recognized, representative Iraqi government is established and assumes responsibility. The CPA appointed the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), a broadly representative body of 25 Iraqis. The IGC has coordinated with the CPA to oversee the rehabilitation of Iraqi governing institutions and establish policy related to Iraq's transition to democracy.
Following the liberation of Iraq and the establishment of the CPA, the United States worked through the CPA in collaboration with Iraqis, foreign governments and international organizations to address the effects of decades of political repression and human rights violations. The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy has promoted Iraqi efforts to account for past atrocities, prevent future human rights abuses and support institutions conducive to a successful transition to democracy.
The CPA worked with Iraqis to set up the new Iraqi Human Rights Ministry. The Ministry is charged with organizing policy and coordinating assistance in support of a robust effort to account for crimes under the previous regime and prevent future human rights abuses. In collaboration with the Ministry and specialists from the United Kingdom, the United States provided funding and guidance to develop a strategy to uncover mass graves, including forensic training and equipment for local communities and advocacy programs to help families of victims. The United States also helped secure the contributions of Danish, Finnish, Dutch and Swedish forensic and logistical experts. The United States organized a project to collect, preserve and systematize documentation on atrocities perpetrated by the former regime. These efforts will support the future work of the Iraq Special Tribunal, an institution created by the IGC to try former regime members accused of crimes against humanity.
With start-up funding from the Government of the Netherlands, the United States helped establish an Iraqi National Bureau of Missing Persons. The United States is also working with Iraqis to create a mechanism to address property claims and restitution issues, launch human rights education in civil society and schools, and introduce human rights training for Iraqi police recruits and employees of other government ministries and agencies.
To support Iraqi efforts to promote human rights at the grassroots level, the United States has provided training and funding to strengthen and organize hundreds of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The United States helped create an independent national network of human rights organizations and set up government-sponsored human rights centers at the provincial level to provide information on human rights and register claims and complaints. The United States provided basic infrastructure and support to local human rights and democracy education and training initiatives, and developed media programs to support them.
The United States played a leading role in supporting Iraqi efforts to revive justice and the rule of law. Iraqis consulted U.S. experts on the creation of the Iraqi Special Tribunal. Additionally, the United States facilitated consultations by international experts and Iraqis on transitional justice and "truth commissions." The United States provided guidance and support to the new Ministry of Justice and is helping to establish an independent judiciary system. The United States helped draft and revise legislation affecting basic rights, for example on NGOs, judicial procedures and penal codes, and placed a priority on training Iraqi police to provide security and promote law and order in a manner consistent with international human rights standards and democratic practice.
The United States also contributed to multilateral efforts aimed at reintegrating Iraq into the international community and ensuring its compliance with international human rights standards. These included facilitating IGC contacts with foreign governments and promoting Iraq's adoption of international conventions, including those against torture. The United States helped arrange to place a permanent Iraqi Special Representative on Human Rights at the UN, successfully advocated seating the Iraqi delegation at the UN General Assembly and successfully lobbied for the participation of an Iraqi delegation in the 60th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, in April 2004.
The United States has promoted participatory, representative and accountable government at the local level. Accordingly, the United States helped establish interim councils in 18 governorates, 78 cities, 54 districts, 48 sub-districts and 138 neighborhoods and provided assistance to promote democratic practices within these councils and among Iraqi communities more broadly. Under the U.S. Agency for International Development's Community Action Program (CAP), Iraqi community associations developed and implemented projects that gave local citizens a direct role in defining and addressing local priorities. CAP projects included repair to local sewage systems and roads, rehabilitation of schools and renovation of health clinics, and placed a priority on the participation of women, youth and minority groups.
Civic Education Programs (CEP) also promoted democratization and civil society development. CEP activities facilitated citizen participation in public dialogues addressing political and social issues of national importance, promoted interaction between citizens and public officials aimed at encouraging responsive and accountable local government and provided start-up resources and training to strengthen the institutional capacity of local organizations. More than 1,060 rapid response grants worth in excess of $50 million were also awarded to increase Iraqi participation in local government decision-making.
The United States provided support to Iraqi media, training journalists to fulfill the functions of information, education and oversight that characterize a professional, independent press. The United States also funded media outlets that reported news in a fair and unbiased fashion, including Al Sabah radio and IMN/Al Iraqiya TV.
The United States has dedicated considerable effort to ensuring religious freedom in Iraq. Since the fall of the Ba'ath regime, religious rights of the people are unrestricted. The Shi'a community is able to freely and openly engage in once forbidden religious expression, and Shi'a pilgrims from other countries are finally permitted to visit Iraq's holy sites. President Bush met with representatives of the IGC and discussed their mutual desire to see constitutional protections for minority rights and freedom of religion.
On June 30, 2004, CPA will pass authority to an Interim Government that will guide Iraq toward elections for a Transitional National Assembly and a process for drafting a permanent constitution. Iraqis drafted a Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) to govern the period between the June 30 handover of authority and the election of a representative government under a permanent constitution. The United States consulted with Iraqis on the TAL to support its conformity with international human rights language and standards of due process. The TAL accords a bill of fundamental rights to all Iraqis, regardless of gender, sect, political opinion or ethnicity. The TAL also guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religious belief and practice for the people of Iraq.
The United States placed a high priority on promoting equality for women in Iraq and supported this goal through policy and programming initiatives. Three women were named to the Governing Council, and women gained seats on councils at the city, district and provincial levels. U.S. officials, including President Bush, met with Iraqi women in the United States and Iraq. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky participated in the Voice of Women in Iraq conference on July 9, 2003. The State Department helped send a delegation of Iraqi women to the June 2003 Global Summit of Women conference in Morocco and to the 48th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York. On March 8, 2004, Secretary of State Powell announced two new initiatives aimed at supporting women in Iraq. The first, a $10 million Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative, will provide Iraqi women with training and education in the skills and practices of democratic public life. The second, the U.S.-Iraqi Women's Network, is a public-private partnership that will bring Iraqi NGO representatives and business leaders together with American counterparts to empower them to participate in the political and economic life of their country. The IGC included a provision in the TAL calling for the electoral law to be crafted in such a way to support a goal of at least 25 percent women in the Transitional National Assembly.
A new Ministry of Labor was created with U.S. guidance and assistance to promote and protect workers' rights and opportunities. The United States helped facilitate agreements with the International Labor Organization to reinstate Iraq as a member with full voting rights. The United States also consulted on a new draft labor code to ensure protection of worker rights in accordance with internationally recognized labor standards.
U.S. agencies acted to prevent human trafficking in Iraq. The State Department distributed information about trafficking in persons to advisors to Iraq in the Department of Defense, CPA and U.S. military police, and implemented a zero-tolerance policy with regard to the involvement of U.S. personnel in trafficking and prostitution. U.S. civilian police recruited for service in Iraq also received training to combat trafficking and other human rights abuses. U.S. officials consulted with the Ministry of Justice on a model anti-trafficking law and provided the example of U.S. legislation to ensure that the Iraqi criminal justice system addresses trafficking offenses. An anti-trafficking plan was developed for the new government that included relevant international conventions and documents and extensive educational materials were prepared and distributed to the general public to promote awareness of the crime and recommend steps to prevent and report it.
Although many problems remained, the Government of Jordan's respect for human rights improved in some areas during the year. The June parliamentary and July municipal elections were generally considered free and fair. King Abdullah established official institutions to address human rights, and specifically charged the new Government appointed in October with promoting human rights and political development. Public debate on major policy issues had increased by year's end. There was a lack of progress, however, regarding judicial independence and violations of due process rights. Members of the security forces continued to commit human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention and torture. While citizens participated in the political process through their elected representatives to Parliament, they did not have the right to change their government. Freedoms of assembly, association and the media were restricted. Academicians reported government actions that restricted their freedom, and societal discrimination against and restrictions on the rights of women continued to be problems.
Addressing a wide range of continuing problems, the U.S. human rights and democracy strategy promotes the rule of law and legal reform, civil society development, popular participation in the political process and women's rights. The United States did this through direct dialogue with the Jordanian Government at all levels, as well as programs, training and the publication of reports on human rights, labor and religious freedom.
The United States advanced its strategy by building on Jordanian government initiatives to strengthen human rights. The Embassy arranged in-kind donations to the library of the quasi-independent National Center for Human Rights and developed a cooperative relationship with the Human Rights Directorate recently set up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A grant from the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor provided training on international human rights law and practice to Directorate officials as well as to members of the Ministries of Education, Justice and Interior, the police, military and the National Center for Human Rights. More than half of the professional military education provided in the United States to Jordanian personnel included a human rights component.
The United States was directly involved in promoting the rule of law and legal reform. Twenty-four Shari'a law faculty members participated in International Visitor programs on religious tolerance and religion and the law. Fifteen judges participated in a 10-day mediation and case management workshop in the United States that included visits to different courts in California. The Embassy continued to work with the Ministry of Justice to extend case management and mediation reforms to increasing numbers of courts and personnel and, potentially, to implement criminal justice reforms.
The United States promoted broader participation in the political process, particularly among women. During the year, about 60 women parliamentary candidates participated in U.S. programs that afforded them individual consultation and training on campaign techniques and public relations. The Embassy provided orientation and training on parliamentary procedure and human rights issues to members of a women's network that includes the six new parliamentarians and many of the women who ran unsuccessfully. The Embassy also funded a campaign phone center for one month prior to the parliamentary elections to help women candidates contact voters.
The United States sought to promote media independence and professionalism through a workshop cosponsored by an American non-governmental organization and a Jordanian local partner that focused particularly on strengthening the skills of women journalists. The Embassy conducted three workshops for journalists on press freedom, journalistic responsibility and election coverage.
The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative supported a pilot Arab Civitas program to introduce civic education and human rights awareness in 21 government schools. An educational initiative linking 52 Jordanian public and private schools with American counterparts enabled students to exchange ideas and information on human rights. In September, 20 students participated in a civic awareness and student leadership program in several cities throughout the United States. In December, the Embassy hosted a delegation from the American Council of Young Political Leaders to interact with civic-minded Jordanian youth and professionals. It funded and produced Arabic translations of the book series "Foundations of Democracy."
The United States tracked and reported on religious freedom cases, and U.S. officials discussed individual cases with Jordanian counterparts at the highest levels.
The U.S. Agency for International Development's assistance program was especially structured to assist women and the sometimes marginalized poor and rural populations. A State Department grant supported the efforts of local women's groups to advocate on behalf of their needs and rights.
The United States maintained dialogue with key actors in the labor sector, including union leaders, International Labor Organization officials, industrial park managers, factory owners and government representatives. There was a special focus on the Qualified Industrial Zones, where labor conditions continued to be better than average. Three union leaders traveled to the United States in January on a Citizen Exchange Program that familiarized them with the American labor movement and provided them with an opportunity to network. On several occasions U.S. officials discussed with the Government implementation of Jordan's international commitments to fight child labor and trafficking.
Kuwait is a constitutional, hereditary emirate. The Constitution provides for an elected National Assembly; however, it permits the Amir to suspend its provisions by decree. National Assembly elections held in July 2003 were generally free and fair; however, there were some credible reports of government and opposition vote buying. Although the Government's respect for human rights has improved over the last decade, serious problems remain. Citizens do not have the right to change their government. Women, who comprise slightly more than half the citizen population, do not have the right to vote or seek election to the National Assembly. Some police and members of the security forces abused detainees during interrogation. The judiciary remained subject to government influence. The Government placed some limits on freedoms of speech, assembly, association, religion and movement. Violence and discrimination against women, especially non-citizens, persisted, and judicial authorities discriminated against non-citizens, especially foreign laborers. Some underage foreign boys were used as jockeys in camel races. Some domestic servants and unskilled foreign laborers faced abuse and worked under conditions that constituted indentured servitude. As the State Department reported in the 2003 Trafficking in Persons Report, the Government started to make significant efforts to combat trafficking in persons, but it did not meet the report's minimum standards for eliminating trafficking in persons. The Government restricted worker rights to organize and bargain collectively and form unions. Foreign workers suffered from the lack of a minimum wage in the private sector and weak government enforcement of some Labor Law provisions. As of late February 2004, a new draft Labor Law was under parliamentary review.
The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for Kuwait targets a wide range of critical issues, including strengthening Kuwait's democratic and civil society institutions and its protections for workers, empowering women, combating trafficking in persons and improving the working conditions of domestic servants and foreign laborers. The Embassy uses the various programming tools available to the Public Affairs Section and funding through the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to strengthen democracy and respect for human rights in Kuwait. U.S. diplomatic, programming and advocacy efforts resulted in some positive changes to Kuwait's overall human rights situation during the year. In early 2004, for example, the Ministry of Interior adopted a number of new measures to improve the conditions for domestic servants. The Embassy actively engages government officials, parliamentarians, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society groups at all levels to advance dialogue and debate on key human rights concerns, particularly female suffrage and equal protection under the law for foreign laborers. The increased number of Congressional delegations transiting Kuwait en route to Iraq in 2003 and 2004 is also strengthening the ability to sustain this dialogue. In addition to the regular bilateral dialogue the Embassy maintains with government officials, Embassy officials frequently attend the influential evening meetings that private Kuwaitis host in their homes ("diwaniyas") to discuss current events and promote awareness and understanding of U.S. human rights and democratic values.
The Embassy actively encourages positive debate on the role and status of women in Kuwaiti society and the impact of women's disenfranchisement on their basic rights and protections. The Embassy also assists women's rights activists to develop effective advocacy and political action strategies. As part of these efforts, the Embassy sent three Kuwaiti women to Amman, Jordan, in February 2004 to participate in a MEPI-funded workshop hosted by the Government of Jordan entitled "Women and the Law - A Regional Dialogue: Supporting Voices of Change." Participants addressed and discussed challenges facing women in the legal and judicial system, and aspects of law that directly impact women in the region. Kuwait also participated in a U.S.-sponsored regional program to train women activists working to develop and implement an effective strategy for obtaining political rights for women, including the right to vote and run for elected office.
Women's rights activists believe apathy and disinterest among many Kuwaiti women are key factors inhibiting a more vibrant suffrage movement. Activists hope to highlight ways in which women are economically and legally disadvantaged as a result of their disenfranchisement, in order to galvanize broader societal support for political reform. The Embassy supported these grassroots civil society efforts through various programs and exchanges during the year. In May 2003, the Embassy sent an influential Kuwaiti male businessman and supporter of women's rights to the United States to participate in a "Women as Leaders in the Public and Private Sectors" project to study American women's experiences in the U.S. political process. His participation was an integral part of embassy efforts to encourage Kuwaiti men to support women's political rights - a challenge in Kuwait's patriarchal society. Using a State Department Near East Affairs Democracy Small Grant, the Embassy is sponsoring a gender budgeting study to be carried out by a local NGO. The study will entail a gender-sensitive analysis of the most recent government budget to highlight gender inequity in government spending. In a related initiative, the Embassy brought a U.S. speaker to Kuwait in March 2004 to provide advocacy and political action campaign training to another local NGO planning to challenge an inequitable social allowance law that discriminates against women and children.
Parliamentary institutional and capacity building is another key component of the Embassy's strategy to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Kuwait. The Embassy is working with the Parliament to encourage broader understanding of U.S. human rights and democratic values. The Embassy's Public Affairs Section has also agreed with Kuwait's National Assembly to establish a permanent "American Studies Corner" in the National Assembly's library in 2004 to provide comprehensive resource information to parliamentarians on U.S. history, law, political system and business environment, including an encyclopedia of U.S. law and CD-ROM information.
The Embassy continues its longstanding efforts to strengthen Kuwait's media and to promote more responsible journalism. The Public Affairs Section sent a young Kuwaiti female journalist to the United States in 2003 on an International Visitor program for "Young Professional Journalists." The Embassy is also organizing a workshop for local print media representatives in 2004 on accurate, ethical and balanced reporting.
The United States raises religious freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall policy of promoting human rights. The Embassy actively encourages the Government to address the concerns of religious leaders, such as overcrowding, lack of worship space and inadequate staffing. Embassy officials meet regularly with recognized Sunni, Shi'a and Christian groups and representatives of various unrecognized faiths to hear their concerns and monitor progress on religious freedom issues.
The Embassy and senior State Department officials consistently urged the Government to strengthen legal and regulatory measures to combat human trafficking. The Ambassador hosted a roundtable discussion on trafficking in May 2003 comprising embassy officials, labor attach�s and other diplomatic representatives from the major source country embassies to share ideas and propose strategies to address continued abuses. Embassy officials worked throughout the year to encourage the Government to improve protections for the estimated 400,000 to 450,000 domestic servants who remained excluded from the Labor Law, strengthen enforcement of regulations banning the employment of minors as camel jockeys and vigorously investigate incidents of human trafficking.
The Embassy also focused on labor rights and working conditions for foreign workers, and encouraged the Government to reform its outdated Labor Law to conform more closely to internationally recognized labor standards. The Embassy met regularly with government officials at all levels to promote awareness of labor problems and urge improvements in the status and treatment of foreign workers, particularly domestic servants. In January 2004, embassy officials attended the first-ever public seminar held in Kuwait hosted by a local NGO to address the treatment of foreign workers, particularly domestic servants. The seminar brought together for the first time members of the Government, parliament, labor unions and NGOs to discuss these labor concerns. Also in January 2004, the Embassy organized a roundtable discussion on domestic worker rights with embassy labor officials from major source countries. The event has encouraged source country embassy labor officials to meet more regularly, share experiences and present their labor concerns to the Government. The Embassy maintained a close working relationship with NGOs and domestic and international labor groups, especially the International Labor Organization, to monitor labor conditions and investigate incidents of abuse.
LEBANONThe Government of Lebanon's overall human rights record remained poor; although there were some improvements in a few areas, serious problems remained. The right of citizens to change their government remained significantly restricted by the lack of complete government control over parts of the country, shortcomings in the electoral system, the flawed 2000 elections and Syrian influence. Members of the security forces used excessive force and tortured and abused some detainees. Prison conditions remained poor. Government abuses also included the arbitrary arrest and detention of persons who were critical of government policies. The courts were subject to political pressure, and the Government infringed on citizens' privacy rights and continued surveillance of political activities. The Government limited press and media freedom. The Government continued to restrict freedom of assembly and imposed some limits on freedom of association, movement and religion. Violence and discrimination against women, child labor and the mistreatment of foreign domestic servants remained problems.
The U.S. strategy to promote human rights and democracy consists of both diplomacy and programs to strengthen civil society, the rule of law, press freedom, judicial independence and to combat trafficking in persons. The United States engaged the President of Lebanon, the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister on these issues. Embassy officials also met regularly with non-governmental organizations and the Beirut Bar Association to monitor human rights developments. The Embassy cooperated with the Bar and the Institute of Judicial Studies to organize two seminars by a visiting American judge on the rule of law and the use of arbitration and alternative methods to resolve disputes. Embassy officials also attended press conferences organized by human rights organizations and trials involving principles and advocacy of human rights and democracy.
The 2003 and 2004 International Visitor program reinforced U.S. human rights and democracy objectives. Eight community members and government officials participated in exchanges on such topics as democracy, women's empowerment, young leaders, media, student leadership and trafficking.
Assistance programs sought to promote participatory and accountable government and strengthen civil society institutions. The Transparency and Accountability Grants program, funded through the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative awarded 59 grants of approximately $25,000 each to local civil society initiatives to increase transparency and accountability in Lebanon's public and private sectors. An additional $4 million supported a program in the Democracy and Governance portfolio to strengthen the delivery of government services to citizens and municipalities. Projects under these programs addressed such subjects as transparent government transactions, professional ethics and youth education, and reached more than 1,000 municipality presidents, vice presidents and key employees. More effective municipal governance helped ensure citizens' equal access to services, regardless of their religion, thereby promoting reconciliation among communities and strengthening popular confidence in government.
The United States initiated a regional program based in Beirut to strengthen the management and commercial base of independent media throughout the region.
The United States also conducted programs to promote women's political participation in advance of 2004 municipal and 2005 parliamentary elections.
To address trafficking in persons, the United States funded a $59,000 program for judges-in-training and continuing education for sitting judges to identify and successfully convict traffickers. A grant of $330,000 helped operate a safe house for the protection of victims of trafficking.
Libya has a history of summary executions, disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention of persons, many of whom remain incommunicado, widespread use of torture and other degrading treatment, restricted freedoms of speech, assembly, press and expression, and impunity. The Government controls the judiciary, citizens do not have the right to a fair public trial or to be represented by legal counsel, and the establishment of independent human rights organizations is prohibited. Women and religious and ethnic minorities also continue to face violence and discrimination. These and many other problems contribute to Libya's extremely poor human rights record. The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for Libya centers on concrete, verifiable and sustained improvement in Libya's destructive policies.
Although U.S. ties to Libya remain at a low level, Libya's December 19, 2003 commitment to eliminate all weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and Missile Control Technology Regime (MCTR)-class missiles has cleared a path for better relations. For the first time since 1980, American diplomats are based in Tripoli. The U.S. strategy to encourage the Libyan Government to stop abusing its citizens' human rights is multi-faceted and ongoing. Libya remains on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and is consequently ineligible for assistance from the United States.
U.S. diplomacy played a central part in Libya's move to address its UN Security Council obligations related to the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. On August 15, 2003, Libya submitted a letter to the President of the UN Security Council in which it accepted responsibility for the actions of its officials in connection with the bombing, arranged to pay appropriate compensation to the families of the victims, renounced terrorism and pledged to cooperate with future requests for information about the case. At various times, the United States reiterated the need for Libya to abandon its WMD programs and take steps to improve its human rights record. During late 2003, the Qadhafi Foundation, under the direction of Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, conducted a number of prison inspections and went on record about the need to improve prison conditions in Libya. On December 19, 2003, Libya announced that it would abandon its WMD and MCTR-class missile programs. In February 2004, representatives from Amnesty International were invited to Libya and met with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice.
On February 6, 2004, the United States held the first bilateral talks with Libya, opening a broad political dialogue that includes human rights issues. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns visited Libya in March. Representatives of the United States regularly met with members of various groups suffering from human rights abuses in Libya. Their complaints were raised with other governments and were included in the State Department's annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Libya and the International Religious Freedom Report.
MOROCCOAlthough there was important progress in some areas, Morocco's human rights record remained poor in other areas. Local elections in September were more transparent and fair than those in the past. Bold changes to the family status code, or moudawana, which Parliament passed in January 2004, significantly increased the rights of women and children in areas such as marriage, property rights and inheritance. The King inaugurated a non-judicial Truth and Justice Commission to examine thousands of cases of alleged human rights abuses during the reign of Hassan II and consider requests for indemnification. The Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Committee of the Red Cross to introduce human rights training in schools. Parliament passed a new labor code that respects workers' rights to form unions and engage in collectively bargaining.
Problems remained however, including deaths in police custody and the detention of several thousand people for possible involvement with terrorist groups following terrorist attacks in Casablanca in May. International human rights groups reported a sharp rise in the number of cases of torture and ill-treatment over the last two years. Impunity remained a problem. Freedom of the press was restricted. Seven journalists were sentenced to prison, most of them under the new anti-terrorism law, and several publications were banned for defaming the monarchy or violating the new anti-terrorism law. Two journalists were imprisoned, but all journalists were pardoned in January 2004. Police forcibly dispersed several demonstrations during the year. While there were some well-publicized prosecutions for abuses by security forces, the failure to prosecute other cases raised questions about the Government's commitment to resolving the problem. The judiciary remained subject to government influence and corruption, and prison conditions were poor. Child labor remained a serious problem, and the Government did not act forcefully to end the illegal employment of child maids.
The U.S. democracy and human rights strategy addresses many of Morocco's worst abuses. The Embassy-sponsored interagency Democracy Working Group was key to developing this portfolio, convening regularly in Rabat to consult on strategy and coordinate U.S. assistance.
During 2003 and early 2004, U.S. officials representing many federal agencies contributed to fostering progress in human rights in Morocco. In several high-level visits, U.S. diplomats applauded Morocco's achievements while conveying the importance of sustaining progress in human rights and political reform. Secretary of State Powell participated in a roundtable with 35 community and youth activists during his two-day stop in Morocco in December. He expressed strong U.S. commitment to seeing press freedom flourish and made interventions on behalf of two detained Moroccan journalists. An Associate Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development met with officials of the Moroccan Government to develop a strategy to strengthen the Parliament, increase government transparency and improve local government performance. Embassy officials regularly spoke to high-level Moroccan officials urging them to respect the rights of the media, release imprisoned journalists, conduct honest elections and, in general, sustain forward momentum for reform. They also frequently raised the problems of child maids, child labor and trafficking in persons, which are U.S. priorities. The Embassy maintained regular contact with many Moroccan non-governmental organizations (NGOs), human rights activists and Jewish and Berber community leaders in an effort to monitor domestic developments and identify ways to advance reform. Embassy officials met with Sahrawi human rights activists, including several released from prison, in January 2004. Visiting Congressional delegations also advanced U.S. democracy and human rights objectives. Members of Congress urged the Government to free imprisoned journalists, encouraged Moroccan officials to fight corruption and pressed for greater transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors.
The State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor helped promote due process in the judicial system through a grant that enabled a coalition of government officials, lawmakers, attorneys and independent activists and groups to advocate reform of Morocco's penal procedure code. Seventy percent of the coalition's recommendations were reflected in the new Code. Additional funding helped train Moroccan prosecutors and lawyers to understand and implement the legislation.
Many activities sought to strengthen popular participation and public confidence in the political system. U.S.-funded training programs promoted political party development at the local and national levels, strengthened Parliament and the representative functions of individual lawmakers, imparted opinion and social research skills to political parties and advocacy groups and facilitated voter registration and nonpartisan citizen monitoring of elections. Programs also encouraged professional electoral conduct and provided specialized training for women.
Assistance under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program helped address concerns relating to Morocco's security forces. In compliance with the Leahy amendment, 100 Moroccan military officers received U.S.-based IMET training in the rule of law and human rights.
To promote full democracy in Morocco, the United States dedicated considerable efforts to strengthening women's legal status and promoting women's participation in the political process. In his November 6 speech on freedom in the Middle East, President Bush stated, "Morocco has a diverse new parliament; King Mohammed has urged it to extend the rights to women. Here is how His Majesty explained his reforms to parliament: 'How can society achieve progress while women, who represent half the nation, see their rights violated and suffer as a result of injustice, violence and marginalization, notwithstanding the dignity and justice granted to them by our glorious religion?' The King of Morocco is correct: The future of Muslim nations will be better for all with the full participation of women." In fact, U.S. grants supported projects to promote advocacy and legal literacy among rural women and to combat illiteracy among women and girls. After the announcement of the reform of the family code, small grants helped local organizations raise popular awareness of women's new rights.
The United States also supported several programs to reinforce diplomacy on issues relating to child labor. These included a $3 million initiative to broaden school access for child workers and dropouts and a State Department grant that funded a television and radio campaign addressed to parents and employers discouraging child labor. The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a $250,000 Community-based Innovation to Reduce Child Labor through Education grant to a Moroccan NGO to provide educational alternatives to poor rural children who work on farms instead of attending school. The Office of Defense Cooperation began construction of six dormitories in rural Morocco for girls who would not otherwise attend school because of the need to travel overnight from their homes to reach their classes.
The United States also supported workers' rights more broadly, providing a grant of $1.52 million to the International Labor Organization to begin a dialogue project to improve labor management relations, reduce the number of strikes and inform workers and employers about their respective rights and responsibilities under the new Labor Code.
The Democracy Working Group responded to the need to promote greater tolerance in the wake of the May 16 bombing by providing eight small grants to Moroccan NGOs to conduct public campaigns against extremism, bias and stereotypes.
The International Visitor (IV) program and other outreach efforts reinforced U.S. democracy and human rights objectives. Approximately 19 Moroccans participated in IV exchanges on subjects related to free press, labor and child trafficking, and children's and women's rights. In addition, the Embassy provided funding enabling four women to attend a leadership training program for Arab women sponsored by the State Department in partnership with the Arab Women's Council Research and Education Fund. A State Department grant also enabled ten women to travel to the United States to attend an NGO-sponsored leadership training program. The Minister of Justice and President of the Supreme Court participated in the Arab Judicial Forum and five women's advocates participated in the Women in Law Program. Both were regional initiatives funded through the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative.
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy without elected representative institutions or political parties. The Government's human rights record remained poor; although there were improvements in a few areas, serious problems remained. Security forces continued to torture and abuse detainees and prisoners, arbitrarily arrest and detain persons, and detain them incommunicado. Mutawwa'in, religious police, continued to intimidate, abuse and detain citizens and foreigners with impunity. Most trials were closed, and defendants usually had no legal counsel. The Government infringed upon privacy rights and continued to restrict freedom of speech and the press, although there has been an increase in press freedom over a series of years. The Government restricted freedom of assembly, association, religion and movement. Violence against women and children, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities and strict limitations on worker rights continued. The Government announced in October 2003 that it would hold the first municipal elections within one year. The Government met with organized groups of reform advocates and in public statements committed to political, economic and social reforms. The Government established a National Dialogue Center to address differences between different Muslim traditions in the country. There was an increase in press freedom, with open discussion of previously taboo subjects, and numerous foreign journalists were permitted to report freely; however, journalists were also sanctioned. In 2003, the Government permitted the first visit of an international human rights organization and held its first human rights conference. In early March 2004, the Government officially approved the country's first human rights association.
The United States addresses democracy and human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia by urging the Government to increase political participation, transparency and accountability in government, rights for women, religious freedom and worker rights, raising concerns about human rights violations when they occur, urging the Government to promote greater religious tolerance and supporting on-going reform efforts.
During his November 6 speech commemorating the National Endowment for Democracy's twentieth anniversary, President Bush said, "The Saudi Government is taking first steps toward reform, including a plan for gradual introduction of elections. By giving the Saudi people a greater role in their own society, the Saudi Government can demonstrate true leadership in the region."
U.S. officials routinely highlight the need to improve human rights conditions. The Embassy welcomed the visit of Human Rights Watch to the Kingdom and has urged the Government to continue to allow non-governmental organization (NGO) involvement on human rights cases. U.S. officials raise concerns with the Government when violations of human rights occur, and have encouraged the Government to finalize its work on establishing a non-governmental human rights commission. The Embassy addresses these issues at all levels of government and the Ambassador has raised these issues with senior government officials. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Lorne Craner visited Saudi Arabia in July 2003, and raised concerns about political reform and human rights.
The United States encourages and promotes freedom of the press in a number of ways. During 2003, the Embassy brought six Saudi reporters (three women and three men) to the United States on programs related to journalism. The Public Affairs Office organized a training workshop for women journalists including sessions on responsible journalism, investigative reporting and writing. The Embassy regularly held roundtable discussions with journalists in Riyadh and Jeddah in order to provide an opportunity for candid exchange. The Public Affairs Office expanded its outreach program to Saudi editors to encourage them to expand their coverage of human rights issues.
Using the International Visitor Program, the Embassy sponsored 15 individuals to go to the United States for programs, including leadership studies. Due to security concerns in Saudi Arabia during 2003, the Embassy was unable to conduct major projects in the Kingdom, but utilized the Fulbright program to nominate four Saudis to travel to the United States and bring three American scholars to Saudi Arabia. The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is the Administration's primary mechanism to support a forward strategy for freedom in the Middle East. Representatives from the Government and private sector in Saudi Arabia have participated in several MEPI regional programs, including forums on judicial reform and women and the law. Saudis also participated in Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor-sponsored training for NGOs on political participation, political party development, women and media in Yemen, and for journalists in the Gulf. The Embassy plans to expand its work with MEPI and other U.S. programs to promote human rights and promote democracy in the coming year to support the Government's announcement of municipal elections.
In Fiscal Year 2003 the United States provided $25,000 in International Military Education and Training assistance for the Saudi military. The program increases awareness of international norms of human rights and fosters greater respect for the principle of civilian control of the military and the rule of law. In compliance with the Leahy amendment, the Defense Attach�'s Office worked closely with the Ministry of Defense to vet military units for U.S. training and checked candidates with other embassy officers.
The United States encourages Saudi officials to honor the Government's public commitment to permit private religious worship by non-Muslims, eliminate discrimination against all religious minorities and promote tolerance toward non-Muslims. U.S. officials also continue to press the connection between religious intolerance and terrorism. The Ambassador called for increased respect for religious minorities in the country. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom John Hanford visited Saudi Arabia in October 2003 and raised concerns about religious freedom issues with high-level officials. Senior embassy officers and official visitors called on the Government to enforce its public commitment to allow private religious practice and respect the rights of Muslims who do not follow the Salafi tradition of Islam. The Ambassador protested the raids on private homes and detention of Christian worshipers in Riyadh, contributing to the successful release of several Christian detainees. In addition, embassy officers met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials at various other times during the year on matters pertaining to religious freedom.
To address the problem of trafficking in persons and worker rights, at the Embassy's urging the Saudi Government has implemented programs to inform incoming workers of their rights and recourse in response to abuse when they receive visas to travel to Saudi Arabia and upon arrival. The United States also urges the Government to promote public awareness on issues relating to domestic servants, and it is taking steps to do so. Finally, the United States has discussed long-term means of improving the legal rights of foreign laborers under Saudi labor law. Through engagement with Saudi officials, the Embassy has advocated protection for foreign workers under the law and encouraged the investigation and prosecution of traffickers. The United States is also encouraging NGO and private involvement and increasing public affairs efforts to highlight the dangers and vulnerabilities of trafficking in persons. Saudi officials have participated in International Visitor programs to the United States on trafficking in persons.
SYRIASyria's human rights record is poor; the Government uses its vast unchecked powers to prevent organized political opposition and severely limits civil society activities and anti-government manifestations. Hopes for a more open political life, based on the public statements of President Bashar al-Asad, were stymied by the Government's continued repression of civil society groups in 2003 and early 2004, including the arrest of 14 intellectuals in Aleppo for attending a lecture, the mass arrest of suspected Islamists in Aleppo, Zabadani and Damascus, and the suppression of the stateless Kurdish minority. In President Bush's November 6 speech commemorating the National Endowment for Democracy's twentieth anniversary, he stated, "Dictators in Iraq and Syria promised the restoration of national honor, a return to ancient glories. They've left instead a legacy of torture, oppression, misery and ruin." Syria's presence on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism disqualifies it from receiving economic assistance from the United States.
Because of limitations on providing assistance to Syria, the United States relied heavily on diplomacy to advance human rights and democracy. U.S. officials emphasized the importance of freedom of association, speech and the press and respect for human rights in meetings with Syrian officials and during high level visits, and the Embassy established an ongoing dialogue with Syrian officials on those subjects. The Embassy also participated actively in a human rights monitoring group involving other foreign missions in Damascus that regularly exchanged information on the situation in Syria and coordinated responses and programs. The group monitors trials, makes demarches to the Syrian Government and brings high profile human rights cases to the attention of Syrian officials. The United States maintained contact with Syrian and expatriate human rights and civil society advocates, on occasion convening them to help them network and develop strategies for cooperation and support. The Congressional visits were put to use in support of U.S. human rights and democracy goals as members were briefed on the domestic situation and encouraged to pose frank questions to Syrian leaders about Syria's human rights practices.
Allowable U.S. assistance focused on public diplomacy and information rather than training. During the Syrian International Book fair, the Embassy sold books in Arabic on human rights and international law through the Arab Book Program. It also distributed copies of the Arab Human Development Report and the State Department's Country Report on Human Rights Practices. Speaker programs focused on encouraging greater Syrian participation in public life. For example, an Arab-American political consultant spoke to an audience of prominent Syrian intellectuals and opinion-makers about ethnic outreach in American politics and ways that individuals can influence the political system. The Embassy sponsored a Women's Issues Series, in connection with which the director of a Washington-based non-governmental organization spoke through direct video conferencing about women's leadership skills.
The International Visitor program promoted U.S. objectives in the areas of human rights and democracy by exposing up-and-coming Syrians to alternative viewpoints and encouraging broader participation in civil society. Exchanges last year introduced young Syrian journalists, academicians, civil society leaders and other opinion makers to American counterparts and helped them develop new skills and contacts.
TUNISIATunisia's human rights record remained poor, and it continued to commit serious abuses in many areas; however, the Government continued to respect human rights in certain areas. Paradoxically Tunisia stands ahead of its regional neighbors on basic issues such as universal education, health care and the rights of women. Its impressive gains in these fields are undercut by an authoritarian system of government and significant limitations to political participation and freedoms of expression, association, assembly and the press. The Government remained intolerant of public criticism and used intimidation, physical abuse, criminal investigations, the court system, arbitrary arrests, residential restrictions and travel controls (including denial of passports) to discourage criticism by human rights and opposition activists. Security forces arbitrarily arrested and detained individuals and tortured prisoners and detainees. The Government did not allow international observers to inspect prisons, and lengthy pretrial and sometimes incommunicado detention remained a problem.
The U.S. goal is to work with the Tunisian Government and civil society to increase the pace and substance of internal reform. Toward this end, the Embassy maintains a regular and specific dialogue on human rights with all levels of the Government, monitors and reports factually on important events, stays in contact with all elements of Tunisian civil society and media and develops and tailors elements from the four pillars of the U.S. primary assistance program, the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) which will have its Maghreb regional headquarters in Tunis. In addition, the Embassy produces its annual reports on human rights and international religious freedom that describe both the overall situation in the country and notable events from the previous year.
During 2003 and early 2004, the United States pressed the Tunisian Government to match its notable social and economic progress with similarly bold steps toward human rights and political process reform. The key to this strategy was supporting a human rights dialogue with Tunisian government officials at all levels. During a four-month period, Secretary of State Powell, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Lorne Craner, and a senior U.S. Senator visited Tunisia and directly engaged senior Tunisian government officials on reform issues, including harassment of activists, media freedom, elections and prison inspections. Several U.S. officials raised the harassment and imprisonment of journalists and activists with the Government. Both President Bush and Secretary Powell raised human rights issues in their meetings with Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Washington, D.C., in February 2004.
These initiatives built on a record of activities throughout the year that conveyed U.S. concerns regarding human rights, including demarches, opinion pieces in the local press, inquiries regarding specific cases and a bilateral human rights dialogue that the Embassy initiated with Tunisian officials. The Embassy has assigned one officer exclusively to this portfolio.
To promote the rule of law and human rights awareness, the Embassy outfitted a "common law reading room" at a Tunisian law school and equipped it for access to U.S. legal databases. Two Tunisian women judges participated in the Women in Law Program, a regional initiative funded through the MEPI, which enabled them to share their personal and professional experiences with counterparts from other Arab countries and the United States. Tunisians also participated in MEPI's Arab Judicial Forum in Bahrain. The Embassy funded the publication in Arabic of an election observers training manual designed to train observers in the region. Embassy officers attended trials involving prominent human rights issues and activists and requested prison access.
MEPI reinforced the U.S. strategy through projects to strengthen civil society and its ability to influence and communicate with the Government. In discussions about MEPI, U.S. officials urged the Tunisian Government to liberalize registration and funding mechanisms for non-governmental organizations. The Embassy tried to ensure active participation of Tunisian women in all MEPI programs, including sending a delegation of Tunisian businesswomen to participate in the U.S.-Arab Economic forum in Detroit. Tunisian executives and political leaders also participated in other MEPI training programs.
Several projects sought to promote media independence and professionalism. The Embassy funded English language training for 40 journalists and maintained ongoing ties with the country's sole school of journalism, enabling discussions of U.S. foreign policy and press freedom in the United States. The Embassy also published a "daily outreach journal" to media contacts and worked to explain the U.S. approach to freedom of expression in daily interactions with the press.
Wide placement in the Tunisian press of op-ed pieces written by the Ambassador and State Department officials and distribution of articles from the International Information Program helped raise awareness of international norms and practices and explain U.S. goals. The International Visitor program advanced U.S. human rights and democracy objectives by introducing Tunisian public servants and private citizens to U.S. policies and values directly. Under the program, 35 leaders in the fields of media, local government, human rights and judicial reform visited the United States to meet their counterparts and gain exposure to U.S. perspectives.
Embassy staff maintained close contact with Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious groups.
Although trafficking in persons is not a significant problem in Tunisia, the Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation maintained links with and provided training and equipment to Tunisian border security forces to increase their ability to protect the country's borders. Embassy staff contributed to the annual trafficking in persons report on Tunisia.
WEST BANK AND GAZAIsrael's overall human rights record in the West Bank and Gaza remained poor and worsened in the treatment of foreign human rights activists. The Palestinian Authority (PA) also had a poor human rights record. Israel's security forces killed at least 573 Palestinians and one foreign national and injured 2,992 Palestinians and other persons during the year. Israeli security units often used excessive force in their operations that resulted in numerous deaths. Israel carried out policies of demolitions, strict curfews and closures that directly punished innocent civilians. Israeli forces often impeded the provision of medical assistance to Palestinian civilians by strict enforcement of internal closures, harassed and abused Palestinian pedestrians and drivers at the approximately 430 Israeli-controlled checkpoints in the occupied territories and conducted mass, arbitrary arrests in the West Bank. Israel restricted the freedom of the Palestinian media and placed strict limits on freedom of assembly and movement for Palestinians.
The PA continued to commit numerous, serious abuses. Palestinian terrorists and gunmen were responsible for the deaths of 376 Israelis killed in the occupied territories. Many members of Palestinian security services and the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization participated with civilians and terrorist groups in violent attacks against Israeli civilians inside Israel, Israeli settlers, foreign nationals and soldiers. Palestinian security forces used excessive force against Palestinians during demonstrations. PA security officials abused prisoners and arbitrarily arrested and detained persons. PA courts were inefficient and failed to ensure fair and expeditious trials, and PA executive and security services frequently ignored or failed to enforce court decisions. Internal closure in the occupied territories obstructed courts from holding sessions or issuing rulings. The PA security forces infringed on the right to privacy and restricted freedom of speech and the press.
The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy for the West Bank and Gaza supported implementation of President Bush's two-state vision, the end of violence and the restart of a political process within Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The United States utilized bilateral and multilateral diplomacy to emphasize the unacceptability of violence on all sides and demand PA actions against terrorism in the West Bank and Gaza as well as in Israel. The Roadmap explicitly calls on both parties to end incitement, and calls on the Palestinians to undertake comprehensive reforms.
U.S. programs worked to improve the rule of law in the West Bank and Gaza. Approximately $1.9 million in assistance was provided to introduce advanced caseload management techniques and equipment to seven Palestinian courts. This same program improved the capabilities of the Palestinian Attorney General's office, helping the state prosecutor's office modernize its administrative functions and raise its technical capacity. Programs offered judicial training, specifically addressing complex areas of modern law such as international property rights, international banking, commercial transactions and ethics. Assistance further helped establish two Alternative Dispute Resolution centers that are available to mediate and arbitrate legal claims outside the court system.
U.S. officials continued to encourage Palestinian legislators to pursue governmental reform. Video-conferencing equipment financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development enabled the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to deliberate and conduct parliamentary sessions despite frequent closures and travel restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza. Such sessions included the historic Spring 2003 session during which the PLC revised the Palestinian Basic Law to create the position of the Prime Minister. In addition, the United States funded other programs totaling approximately $3 million to strengthen the institution of the PLC. Assistance improved its capacity to conduct oversight of the executive branch, raised the quality of its lawmaking, deepened its management controls and capacity and extended its reach to ensure that the PLC effectively represented the interests of its constituents.
Other funding supported preparations for Palestinian elections, including assistance for women candidates and women's political organizations, and training in building and promoting political platforms. These activities offered leadership and organizational training to emerging young Palestinian activists, mid-career managers and mid-level government workers.
Support for civil society development in the West Bank and Gaza remained a U.S. priority, and its flagship program, "Tamkeen," was allocated $33 million for 2000-2005. To date, the project has awarded 193 grants totaling $10 million to Palestinian civil society organizations to promote democracy and provide training in advocacy, finance and strategy. A $1 million "Moderate Voices" project supported Palestinian civil society organizations that have developed creative means, including a popular radio soap opera series, to teach non-violence, conflict resolution and mediation. The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative helped launch an Arab Civitas project to introduce civic education into Palestinian schools.
The United States provided assistance to strengthen media professionalism, content and independence. Programs provided instruction to print journalists on investigative reporting and trained television media professionals on the production and airing of topical talk shows.
Public diplomacy programs sought to improve human rights awareness in the West Bank and Gaza among all citizens. The Consulate General in Jerusalem hosted numerous speakers on the topics of rule of law and democratization, sponsored Palestinians' participation in international conferences addressing these topics and provided books and other publications in Arabic and English on human rights and democracy to local schools, libraries, PA officials and other contacts. Palestinians were also regular participants in the Salzburg Seminar, International Visitor and Fulbright Summer Institute programs, which focused on democracy and human rights topics.
The State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration administered $1.4 million in special projects to promote human rights, tolerance and conflict resolution skills among Palestinian refugee children. Under a multi-year grant to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees, projects introduced supplementary educational materials and peer mediation training in all UNRWA schools in the West Bank and Gaza in grades 4 through 9. The materials included illustrated storybooks that introduce basic concepts of human rights, tolerance and responsibility for one's actions as well as worksheets that introduce human rights and tolerance concepts at pre-selected points in the Palestinian curriculum.
YEMENYemen is a republic with an active bicameral legislature. An elected President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, an elected 301-seat House of Representatives and an appointed 111-member Shura Council shared Constitutional power. International observers judged April 2003 parliamentary elections to be generally free and fair, and there was a marked decrease from previous years in election related violence; however, there were some problems with underage voting, confiscation of ballot boxes and voter intimidation. Although many problems remained, the Government's respect for human rights improved in a few areas during 2003. There were limitations on citizens' ability to change their government. Security forces continued to arbitrarily arrest, detain and torture persons. The Government sometimes failed to hold members of the security forces accountable for abuses; however, the number of security officials tried for abuses increased since 2002. Prison conditions remained poor. Despite constitutional constraints, security officers routinely monitored citizens' activities, searched their homes, detained citizens for questioning and mistreated detainees. Prolonged pretrial detention, judicial corruption and executive interference undermined due process. The Government continued to harass and intimidate journalists despite a decline in detention of journalists from last year. The Government at times limited freedom of assembly, imposed some restrictions on freedom of religion and placed some limits on freedom of movement. Violence and discrimination against women remained problems. Female genital mutilation was practiced on a limited scale. There was some discrimination against persons with disabilities and against religious, racial and ethnic minorities. The Government imposed restrictions on labor unions. Child labor remained a problem.
The United States actively encourages the Government to continue to strengthen its human rights record and enact social reforms, improve problems within the judiciary and further the process of democratic development.
Yemen continued a long-term program of judicial reform in an attempt to counter the numerous problems within the judiciary. Yemen's Minister of Justice and other jurists participated actively in the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative's (MEPI) Arab Judicial Forum.
The United States has been urging the Government to enact social reforms, encourage respect for human rights and foster democratic development at the highest levels. For example, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns encouraged democratic progress in a visit to the Supreme Committee for Elections and Referenda in October. National Security Council officials raised democracy and human rights with the Foreign Minister in February 2004. The Ambassador and other senior-level officials engage frequently with the Ministry of Human Rights to improve the Government's ability and willingness to redress specific human rights abuses. U.S. officials have raised the issue of corruption at the highest levels, particularly as it relates to qualification for the Millennium Challenge Account.
The United States continued several long-term National Democratic Institute and International Foundation for Election Systems projects aimed at strengthening Yemen's political parties, improving election administration, increasing voter participation, fostering civil society and improving the country's human rights records. The United States provided technical assistance and supported election observers to the April 2003 parliamentary elections. The Ambassador, embassy staff and international election observers were present at polling places throughout the country to observe the elections.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reopened its offices in Yemen in 2003. The USAID program focuses on strengthening democratic institutions among other areas. In 2004, the Embassy is increasing programming designed to strengthen democratic institutions, decentralize authority and resource management, and expand opportunities for civil society in decision-making.
MEPI, the Administration's primary mechanism to support a forward strategy for freedom in the Middle East, is currently working with Yemen on a variety of programs including legislative strengthening and civic education. For example, a $2 million MEPI-funded program aims to address the 67 percent illiteracy rate among women and girls. MEPI is also continuing its work on election assistance in Yemen. In addition, both government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Yemen have participated in numerous MEPI regional programs.
Two Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor-sponsored regional training sessions were held in Spring 2003 in Yemen, with the strong support of the Government. The first was a training academy for NGOs on political participation, political party development, women and media. The second provided specialized instruction in fact-based reporting to journalists from around the Arabian Peninsula. In October 2003, MEPI supported a third regional forum, held in Sanaa, which brought together democratic activists from the Gulf and Iraq to improve their advocacy skills in fostering political reform in the region.
In Fiscal Year 2003, the United States provided $638,000 in International Military Education and Training assistance for the Yemeni military, a part of which addresses awareness of international norms of human rights and fosters greater respect for the principle of civilian control of the military and the rule of law. In compliance with the Leahy amendment, U.S. officials work closely with the Ministries of Defense and Interior to vet units for U.S. training. The Defense Department Counter-Terrorism Fellowship funds a training program in the United States for Yemeni military officers, one aim of which is to convey the importance of respecting human rights. This program, which has trained ten participants during the past year, is highly successful in Yemen and is ongoing.
In 2003 and early 2004, International Visitor programs brought NGO activists, government officials and other leaders to the United States to gain skills and knowledge in such areas as journalism, youth leadership, women's leadership in civil society and the public and private sector, and community service and NGOs. The Embassy continued to support 17 separate NGO projects in 2003. Two programs to provide training and capacity building to NGOs targeted rural areas where civil society remains nascent. Another project raised awareness of the struggles and rights of disabled children in public schools to combat discrimination. Several projects aimed to improve women's rights. Under a U.S. Department of Agriculture program, the Embassy established a project to build and furnish new primary schools for girls in isolated rural areas in order to give them access to modern education and to facilitate their inclusion within society.
A multi-year, $1.4 million U.S. Labor Department-supported program administered through the International Labor Organization continued combating the problem of street child labor in 2003 and early 2004. |
AGES 6+ YEARS
Enrichment programs and classes for children ages 6 and up promote academic excellence and develop personality, talents, and self-esteem.
Math for Me
Levels 2 & 3
Our program builds your child's math skills in a fun, engaging environment. The program is based on the Montessori approach. The curriculum is featuring higher critical thinking, problem-solving strategies, and competition prep. 1-3 graders
Our Clay Exploration class uses clay and other sensory materials to help children develop invaluable life, social and academic skills. Guided and free play opportunities maximize learning and engagement.
Thursdays 4.30-5.30pm, 5.30-6.30pm
Build, code, and learn with LEGO WeDo! In this class, children will explore the exciting world of robotics and coding in a hands-on, exploratory manner. Your child will develop thinking skills and problem solving. Ages 5+
A new unique program helps young pop-singers to feel confident in their voice, develops a singing technique, and as result initiates them to write songs and create their own melodies.
Essay writing, reading comprehension, grammar, critical thinking, and debating. We will virtually travel to different countries, become scientists or musicians, and read books from all over the world.
In our STEAM & Coding program, kids gain valuable technology and life skills. We use adventure, hands-on play and activities to make coding fun and engaging.
Ages 5-8, Wednesdays 6-7pm
Ages 4-6, Wednesdays 3.45-4.45pm
Uncover children’s talents and gifts
Ignite innate curiosity by exploring the world around
Explore creative expression through a variety of art forms
Develop knowledge through experimentation
Expanding children’s awareness and understanding of the world and their place in it
Teach how to be “global citizens” by influencing kids’ interest in discovering different cultures and customs
Build an understanding about complexity of the world |
Philadelphia has four main seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter.
- The spring season (March-May) is sunny with several rain showers. The temperature usually ranges from 34° - 73° F (1° - 23° C).
- The summer season (June-August) is sunny and warm. The temperature usually ranges from 63°-87° F (17°-31° C).
- The fall season (also known as the autumn season) falls between September and November with a temperature that usually ranges from 39°-77° F (4°-25° C).
- The winter season is cold and snowy. The temperature usually ranges from 24°-44° F (-4°-7° C). |
It's easy to see why we have developed a throwaway mentality towards technology in recent years. Bombarded with an onslaught of must-have products, we continually furnish our homes and offices with the latest and greatest technology. Millions of pounds are pumped into marketing campaigns that make us yearn for the latest gadgets and turn the cutting-edge products of yesteryear into worthless, unfashionable expendables.
We are coaxed into buying products not because our old things are broken, but because an upgraded model has been unveiled, and the urge to replace the obsolete items in our possession has become almost impossible to ignore. As a result, we discard an alarming amount of often fully-functioning products each year.
To counter this trend, the European Union is proposing new reforms that should result in more demanding e-waste targets, and force electronics retailers to take back unwanted electrical and electronic equipment waste (WEEE). This should also make it easier for consumers to return small products to the retailers that originally sold them, while at the same time make it harder for scrap dealers to illegally ship e-waste out of the EU.
These are all laudable initiatives, particularly as the EU is also proposing some pretty ambitious targets, stating that 70-85% of e-waste should be recovered and 50-75% recycled. However, while these proposals make for impressive headlines, they lack any convincing explanation of how the leap from plan to reality is to be made.
The figures themselves seem to have been plucked out of the air. Indeed, while the proportion of e-waste that is to be collected and recycled is relatively high, the target for reusing unwanted equipment is a paltry 5%, indicating reuse is just an afterthought. If the EU proposal is passed it will send a clear message to consumers that reuse is not nearly as important as recycling, and that it is environmentally acceptable to replace a perfectly good laptop or phone just because a newer, shinier version has been launched.
When you compare it to recycling, the reuse of WEEE has a major advantage – it reduces the amount of e-waste being produced in the first place. If the EU sets higher targets for the repair and reuse of equipment, it would not only lessen the amount of equipment being sent for recycling (or worse to landfills or illegal dumping grounds), it would also create sustainable and highly skilled employment within the repair industry.
In addition, it's all very well raising targets for recycling, but it's another thing entirely to police it effectively and ensure that all the e-waste is disposed of responsibly. There are no real measures outlined in this proposal that address the final destination in the recycling process, meaning that there are still no guarantees that these goods won't end up being dumped illegally further down the line. Without a strong enforcement strategy in place, it's unlikely that the proposal will have any real impact on the devastating social and environmental effects of e-waste.
Furthermore, while on the face of it, it's a great idea that consumers should be able to return equipment to the retailer that sold it to them so they don't have the hassle of recycling it, think for a moment about just how practical this really is.
By limiting the outlets to which consumers can return their unwanted goods, it will be difficult for them to put recycling into practice – particularly as many products are now purchased online and even from overseas sellers. Retailers would have to ship unwanted equipment between branches or distribution centres, which would be costly and complicated to administer. It would make much more sense to cut out the middleman completely and send equipment directly to organisations that already accept electronic goods for reuse and recycling, without making a charge to the consumer.
At the moment, these reforms are just proposals, but if they are enacted, people simply aren't going to take them seriously – they are half-baked, unreasonable and difficult to comply with. Instead, the emphasis should be placed on reducing the amount of e-waste we produce in the first place, which is why it is so important that the reuse targets are reconsidered when the proposal is reviewed in January.
Askar Sheibani is CEO of Comtek |
Changes in outcomes among live births were seen during 2006–2012. For example, the percentage of births delivered at 39 weeks of gestation or more rose and preterm birth and infant mortality rates declined. Limited recent data, however, have been available on fetal mortality. This information is essential for a more complete understanding of pregnancy health in the United States.
A new NCHS report focuses on fetal deaths (spontaneous intrauterine deaths) at 20 weeks of gestation or more, sometimes referred to as stillbirths, using recently released national data. Trends are examined for fetal mortality for 2000–2012, focusing on the period 2006–2012, and for perinatal mortality by race and Hispanic origin for 2006–2011 (the latest year available) and by state for combined years 2005–2006 and 2010–2011.
Key Findings from the Report:
- Following declines from 2000 through 2006, total, early, and late fetal mortality rates were generally flat from 2006 through 2012.
- Fetal mortality rates were essentially stable for non-Hispanic white (4.91 per 1,000 in 2012), non-Hispanic black (10.67), and Hispanic women (5.33) during 2006–2012.
- The overall perinatal mortality rate declined 4% from 6.51 per 1,000 in 2006 to 6.26 in 2011, with an 8% decline for non-Hispanic black women (10.80 in 2011).
- The perinatal mortality rate declined in 14 states, rose in 1 state, and was unchanged in 35 states and the District of Columbia between 2005–2006 and 2010–2011. |
Chapter 2 is now ready for downloading—it can be found at this link.
This chapter is all about basic probability, with an emphasis on understanding and not on mechanics. Because of this, many details are eliminated which are usually found in standard books. If you already know combinatorial probability (taught in every introductory class), you will probably worry your favorite distribution is missing (“What, no Poisson? No negative binomial? No This One or That One?”). I leave these out for good reason.
In the whole book, I only teach two distributions, the binomial and the normal. I hammer home how these are used to quantify uncertainty in observable statements. Once people firmly understand these principles, they will be able to understand other distributions when they meet them.
Besides, the biggest problem I have found is that people, while they may be able to memorize half a dozen distributions or formulas, do not understand the true purpose of probability distributions. There is also no good reason to do calculations by hand now that computers are ubiquitous.
Comments are welcome. The homework section (like in every other chapter) is unfinished. I will be adding more homework as time goes on, especially after I discover what areas are still confusing to people.
Once again, the book chapter can be downloaded here. |
It’s no accident that some of our best-known fictional children are those who are brought up without parents, in orphanages, children’s homes or workhouses.
As they make their own way in the world, their experiences create a gripping read – how will they deal with what life throws at them and what roads will they take?
Throughout our history, the story of Coram has inspired writers, novelists and poets alike. From Dickens’ Tattycoram to Lemn Sissay’s recent Superman was a Foundling, the experiences of Foundling pupils and care-experienced people continues to inspire today. You can see a list of examples of the books and literary works that have been inspired by our work here.
While writers have been inspired by, and continue to write about their experiences, their work has also served to remind us of the difficulties faced by those young people and how we can help them.
As the former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo says:
“We can go back to Dickens […], he wrote a great deal about the poverty of people and children in particular in the streets of London. At some stage, whether it was Hogarth or whether it was Dickens, we changed. We decided that this was not a way that people should be.
“Writers and poets and artists and dramatists are there to remind us of these things. […] I think it’s important for me certainly that whenever I write a story, it is a cause in some sense and I’m quite sure Dickens felt that when he wrote Oliver Twist.” |
GPCRDB information system for G protein-coupled receptors
【摘要】 The GPCRDB is a molecular class-specific information system that collects, combines, validates and disseminates heterogeneous data on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The database stores data on sequences, ligand binding constants and mutations. The system also provides computationally derived data such as sequence alignments, homology models, and a series of query and visualization tools. The GPCRDB is updated automatically once every 4-5 months and is freely accessible at http://www.gpcr.org/7tm/.
【关键词】 information proteincoupled receptors
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a major target for the pharmaceutical industry as is reflected by the fact that more than 50% of all medicines available today act on a GPCR ( 1 ). GPCRs consist of seven transmembrane helices that are connected by loops. The N-terminal extremity is always located extra-cellularly, while the C-terminus extends into the cytoplasm. GPCRs are found in a diverse range of species where they are involved in signalling from outside the cell to inside the cell. Most GPCRs detect a ligand, that upon binding, elicits a response that is felt by the heterotrimeric G protein at the cytosolic side. This G protein in turn activates a second messenger system by modulating the activity of enzymes such as adenylyl cyclase or phospholipase C. Ligands for GPCRs are heterogeneous molecules and include ions, hormones, neurotransmitters, peptides and proteins. Stimuli such as light, taste or odor can activate sensory GPCRs [see ( 2 ) for review].
In a related application, we have used the molecular class-specific information system (MCSIS) technology to maintain the NucleaRDB nuclear receptor information system ( 8 ). In this current report, the authors explain how the MCSIS technology is used to maintain the GPCRDB.
The GPCRDB is presently the only regularly updated GPCR information system available on the World Wide Web [WWW; see ( 3 ) for a list of GPCR-related websites]. Since its introduction in late 1994, the GPCRDB has received increasing attention from the scientific community.
The GPCRDB contains sequences, mutation and ligand binding data that are regularly imported from the original sources [SWISS-PROT ( 4 ), EMBL ( 5 ), TinyGRAP ( 6 )]. Recently, a significant amount of ligand binding data was incorporated from Organon ( 7 ). Table 1 summarises statistics about the data content of the GPCRDB.
Table 1. Statistics about the September 2002 release of the GPCRDB
Sequences are updated as described previously ( 8 ).
Structure data is only available for bovine rhodopsin ( 9 ). For years, there was no high-resolution structure of a GPCR and the structure of the bacteriorhodopsin was used as a reference. Thus, many individuals within and outside industry have built 3D models of a variety of GPCRs. Some of these models were deposited in the GPCRDB, in addition to the 3D models we automatically built based on three different templates.
Mutation data is obtained from the manually curated TinyGRAP ( 6 ) and is fully integrated throughout the GPCRDB. We also provide point mutation data extracted from online literature using an automated procedure (Horn and Cohen, in preparation).
Ligand-binding data has been obtained from a collection by P. Seeman ( 10 ) and from Organon ( 7 ). Information on agonists and antagonists binding is very difficult to collect because of the complexity of the nomenclature (antagonists to activators and agonists to repressors tend to show similar effects in assays, which leads to confusion when extracting information from literature). We encourage academic and industrial researchers to submit their ligand binding data to the GPCRDB, in order to make this information searchable and more accessible to the scientific community.
Multiple sequence alignments are performed with WHAT IF ( 11 ) using an iterative sequence-based profile ( 12 ). The multiple sequence alignments are provided in different formats (HSSP, MSF). In all the alignments, the seven transmembrane helices are annotated and numbered using a general numbering scheme suggested by Oliveira et al. (1993).
cDNA-protein alignments and phylogenetic trees are generated as described previously ( 8 ).
Correlated Mutation Analysis (CMA) is used to identify pairs of residues that remained conserved or mutated in tandem during evolution. The rationale behind this analysis is that when a mutation occurs at a functionally important site, the protein either becomes non-functional or may acquire its original or a different function due to a compensatory mutation at another position. Residues detected by the CMA method are often involved in intermolecular interactions [e.g. between ligands and receptors; see ( 13 - 15 ) for an explanation of the methods and examples of CMA application]. Residues detected by the CMA method are indicated in multiple sequence alignments and in snake-like diagrams.
For each GPCR, a table of cross-references lists all the available pointers to local and remote information. This is done automatically by reading the SWISS-PROT entries and querying other remote resources and the GPCRDB itself. In addition, we are currently trying to map the GPCR classifications in the GPCRDB to Gene Ontology ( 16 ) identifiers. The Gene Ontology consortium provides a controlled vocabulary for the description of molecular function, biological process and cellular components of gene products. As a first step into this direction, each table now contains a link to the Gene Ontology database via the QuickGO system ( http://golgi.ebi.ac.uk/ego/index.html ). In addition, we will integrate the IUPHAR receptor codes, which will be publicly available in December 2002.
MCSIS provide fast and easy access to all information related to an underlying molecular class. For this purpose we have implemented and will continue to develop the four basic information system tools: browsing, retrieval, query and inferring. Inference engine facilities are as described previously ( 8 ).
The data organisation is based on the pharmacological classification of GPCRs and the main way to access the data is via a hierarchical list of known families in agreement with this classification. For a specific family, users can access individual sequences, multiple sequence alignments, the profiles used to perform the latter, snake-like diagrams and phylogenetic trees. Each type of data is displayed in a WWW page with hyperlinks to other data, where appropriate. Another way to access the data is to browse lists that display one type of data (e.g. all chromosomal locations, all mutations, etc). In addition, a dynamic page lists all SWISS-PROT and TrEMBL entries present in the database. Two-dimensional snake-like diagrams are used to represent and combine GPCR sequence, 2D structure and mutation information. These diagrams are automatically generated using the Viseur program ( 17 ). There are three types of snake-like diagrams: the first one displays mutation data for each receptor, the second superimposes all the mutation data available for one receptor family onto the corresponding consensus sequence and the last one shows the residues detected by the CMA method for each receptor family. In the first two types of diagrams, the mutated residues are hyperlinked to the TinyGRAP database ( 6 ). In the CMA snake-like diagram, residues with a predicted important functional role are hyperlinked to the multiple sequence alignments and to details of the CMA results.
Most data can be retrieved in its native form using the save as option of the browser or via anonymous FTP from ftp://www.gpcr.org.7tm/. A complete copy of the GPCRDB can be made available to academic and industrial researchers upon request (G.V.).
A basic query system is also available to retrieve GPCR entries using keywords and SWISS-PROT identifiers. In addition, users can also run a BLAST search against the GPCRDB sequence data via the CMBI server.
CMA is a powerful tool for the computational discovery of novel inter-residue relationships, and thus represent a useful inference engine. With little computational effort, the potential functionally or structurally relevant residues are selected from among the thousands of residues in each alignment. We make these residue positions available for browsing purposes by mapping them onto multiple sequence alignments.
The GPCRDB started in 1993 as an Email-based system and was converted in 1994 to the WWW. It has been in continuous service now for almost 10 years and is probably the only non-government sponsored database/information system with such longevity. It is routinely used from fifty to a hundred thousand times per month by researchers in industry and academia from more than 120 countries (see the usage statistics at http://www.gpcr.org/7tm/htmls/analog.html ).
Although users are not obliged to inform us why they use the GPCRDB, we have reason to believe that the main usage is simple to retrieve information that would otherwise have to be collected from multiple sites. Furthermore, the system is often used to obtain knowledge about orphan receptors. Correlated mutations, the GPCR specific BLAST, multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees are used for this purpose.
The existence of the GPCRDB as a recognizable site for GPCR-related data also leads to the increased dissemination of data. As an example, we received two large batches of ligand binding data ( 7, 10 ).
The so-called snake-like diagrams are a popular way to access mutation data (Fig. 1 ). Some of the snake-like diagrams have been used more than ten thousand times for this purpose.
Figure 1. Snake-like diagram of the human Rhodopsin receptor. This plot was generated with the RbDe software ( 18 ), which will be used for the next update of the snake-like diagrams. Residues are colored based on their chemical properties. White residues indicate that mutation data is available. The yellow line represents a disulfide bridge and... indicates hidden residues.
The most important reason for the popularity of the GPCRDB is probably its long term presence as a regularly updated one-stop-resource for GPCR data.
We thank Jacob de Vlieg, Robert Bywater and the MCSIS team at the CMBI for stimulating discussions. The MCSIS project is financially supported by Organon and Unilever. F.H. and F.E.C. acknowledge the NIH for support.
Gudermann,T., Nurnberg,B. and Schultz,G. (1995) Receptors and G proteins as primary components of transmembrane signal transduction. Part 1. G-protein-coupled receptors: structure and function. J. Mol. Med., 73, 51-63.
Watson,S. and Arkinstall,S. (eds) (1994) The G Protein Linked Receptor Facts Book. Academic Press, London, UK.
Rana,B.K. and Insel,P.A. (2002) G-protein-coupled receptor websites. Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 23, 535-536.
Bairoch,A. and Apweiler,R. (2000) The SWISS-PROT protein sequence database and its supplement TrEMBL in 2000. Nucleic Acids Res., 28, 45-48.
Stoesser,G., Baker,W., van den Broek,A., Camon,E., Garcia-Pastor,M., Kanz,C., Kulikova,T., Leinonen,R., Lin,Q., Lombard,V., Lopez,R., Redaschi,N., Stoehr,P., Tuli,M.A., Tzouvara,K. and Vaughan,R. (2002) The EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database. Nucleic Acids Res., 30, 21-26.
Beukers,M.B., Kristiansen,K., IJzerman,A.P. and Edvardsen,O. (1999) TinyGRAP database: a bioinformatics tool to mine G-protein-coupled receptor mutant data. Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 20, 475-477.
Cutler,D., Barbier,A. and Pestell,K. (2002) In brief. Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 23, 258-259.
Horn,F., Vriend,G. and Cohen,F.E. (2001) Collecting and harvesting biological data: the GPCRDB and NucleaRDB information systems. Nucleic Acids Res., 29, 346-349.
Palczewski,K., Kumasaka,T., Hori,T., Behnke,C.A., Motoshima,H., Fox, B.A., Le Trong,I., Teller,D.C., Okada,T., Stenkamp,R.E., Yamamoto,M. and Miyano,M. (2000) Crystal structure of rhodopsin: a G protein-coupled receptor. Science, 289, 739-745.
Seeman,P. (1993) Receptor Tables Vol. 2: Drug dissociation constants for neuroreceptors and transporters, SZ Research, Toronto.
Vriend,G. (1990) WHAT IF: a molecular modeling and drug design program. J. Mol. Graph., 8, 29, 52-56.
Oliveira,L., Paiva,A.C. and Vriend,G. (1993) A common motif in G protein-coupled seven transmembrane helix receptors. J. Comp. Aided Mol. Des., 7, 649-658.
Oliveira,L., Paiva,A.C.M. and Vriend,G. (1995) In Kaumaya,P.T.P. and Hodges,R.S. (eds), Peptides: Chemistry, Structure and Biology. Mayflower Scientific Ltd., Kingswinford, UK, pp. 408-409.
Kuipers,W., Oliveira,L., Paiva,A.C.M., Rippman,F., Sander,C., Vriend,G. and IJzerman,A.P. (1996) In Findlay,J.B.C. (ed.), Membrane Protein Models. BIOS Scientific Publishers Ltd, Oxford, UK, pp. 27-45.
Horn,F., Bywater,R., Krause,G., Kuipers,W., Oliveira,L., Paiva,A.C., Sander,C. and Vriend,G. (1998) The interaction of class B G protein-coupled receptors with their hormones. Receptors Channels, 5, 305-314.
Ashburner,M., Ball,C.A., Blake,J.A., Botstein,D., Butler,H., Cherry,J.M., Davis,A.P., Dolinski,K., Dwight,S.S., Eppig,J.T., Harris,M.A., Hill,D.P., Issel-Tarver,L., Kasarskis,A., Lewis,S., Matese,J.C., Richardson,J.E., Ringwald,M., Rubin,G.M. and Sherlock,G. (2000) Gene ontology: tool for the unification of biology. The Gene Ontology Consortium. Nature Genet., 25, 25-29.
Campagne,F., Jestin,R., Reversat,J.L., Bernassau,J.M. and Maigret,B. (1999) Visualisation and integration of G protein-coupled receptor related information help the modelling: description and applications of the Viseur program. J. Comput. Aided Mol. Des., 13, 625-643.
Konvicka,K., Campagne,F. and Weinstein,H. (2000) Interactive construction of residue-based diagrams of proteins: the RbDe web service. Protein Eng., 13, 395-396. |
Security researchers at Bkav now say they’ve managed to crack FaceID by using custom crafted face masks. However, instead of making photo realistic masks, the team instead focused on crafting masks to trick FaceID’s depth-mapping technology.
The hacker team say they didn’t utilise any tricks to make their system work. They trained the iPhone from a real person’s face, and only spent about $150 in supplies to create the mask (aside from what a basic 3D printer would cost). The team says it began working on the mask on November 5, meaning it took them about five days to end up with a false face capable of unlocking the iPhone X in one go.
Of course, even the research team understand just how much of an effort this is for a common thief to get access to your phone. Just like with faking someone’s fingerprint, it wouldn’t make sense to go through this on a regular basis for average everyday people’s iPhones. On the other hand, it’s a technique that intelligence agencies could easily employ, assuming they have the data needed to build a model of a person’s face.
More so, the project just attempts to show that using your face to log into a device is less about how secure it is and more about convenience. It’s not the watertight security Apple claimed it is sure, but it’s likely enough for you on a daily basis. However, if you plan on becoming a person of interest for the NSA, it’s probably best not to store anything incriminating on your iPhone X. |
We are now about to plunge into one of the main topics of this year:
THE FIRST WORLD WAR.
No historical event is the result of only ONE cause, that is why we shall be considering the main causes.
In this post we will collect different types of material related to the causes of WW1.
We shall start by watching a Kahn Academy video on the Empires before WW1.
Watch the video and analyse the following points:
1. What is the connection between land boundaries and linguistic boundaries in Europe now?
2. What difference does the historian establish between boundaries today and boundaries at the beginning of the XXth Century?
3. Which were the leading Empires at the beginning of the XXth Century?
4. Which was the most powerful?
5. Which were the weakest Empires?
6. Why were these Empires the weakest?
7. Write the name of at least 4 ethnic groups inside the Austro -Hungarian Empire.
- BRING YOUR ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS ON A SHEET OF PAPER FOR OUR CLASS ON TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH.
Now, let’s move on!
We are now familiar with the Empires at the beginning of the XXth Century and with their strengths and weaknesses.
We will now take a look at the system of alliances. The following video will throw some light on the alliance system.
- Watch the video and answer the questions which follow:
Which cause does the historian in the video analyse in full?
Which other causes are mentioned in the lecture?
How old was the German Empire when the Dual Alliance Treaty was signed?
Why were the Germans paranoid in 1879 according to the lecture? What is the term used to refer to that “fear” the Germans had?
Which countries formed the Triple Entente? Which the Triple Alliance?
What was peculiar about Italy’s role in the war?
It’s time to look into the short term causes of WW1. For the short term causes you will work on a doc named “Short Term Causes WW1”.
In that doc you will collect info and answer questions on specific topics as regards:
1. The First Moroccan Crisis.
2. The Second Moroccan Crisis.
3. The Naval and Arms Race.
5. The Murder at Sarajevo.
To round up the causes of WW1, you will work on the creation of a Lino where you will include a description of the causes of WW1. Apart from the description, you should also include your analysis on the importance of each of the causes included.
DUE DATE: April 24th
A final bonus, watch this final video to see how everything we’ve been discussing finally falls into place, unfortunately for war to start.
It’s now time to create YOUR own WW1 post. Since you will be posting in your own blog, I will give you a list of what I would like you to include. Added to that, you may include any other image, video, quote or collage that you find relevant to the Causes of WW1.
1. Embed the Lino you did with an explanation of what that Lino contains.
2. Add the link to the last video that rounds up the causes of the war and together with it a short commentary on the value of the video.
3. Embed the Pearltree of the Causes of WW1.
4. On a sheet of paper make a plan for your 1st essay. Take a picture of it and share it in that same post. That image will be followed by your very 1st essay!!
Good Luck!! 😉 |
- Delivery is by ACS Courier to your nearest office for collection
- Number of Pages: 128
One in four children will suffer from anxiety at some point in their young lives. As a parent it can often be difficult to know how best to support your child when they become fearful and worried, and whether their worries are something they can deal with themselves or a symptom of something more serious.
This guide offers ways to help you to help your child articulate how they are feeling and offers effective coping strategies and simple lifestyle tweaks to manage anxiety by building their resilience and self-confidence for life. |
Blanton, J.O. 1996. Reinforcement of gravitational circulation by
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Buoyancy Effects On Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics, Coastal and
Estuarine Studies, Volume 53, pp. 47-58. American Geophysical
Union. Washington, D.C.
Buoyancy inputs from riverine discharges form an estuarine-like frontal zone along coasts. The gravitational component of across-shelf circulation drives a near-surface flow seaward and a near-bottom flow shoreward. Using data from the southeastern U.S. continental shelf, the buoyancy field is examined under upwelling and downwelling favorable wind stress. Numerical simulations and field data show that prolonged upwelling-favorable winds reinforce the gravitational circulation by enhancing its offshore component. Larger-than-normal riverine discharges in 1993 showed that this reinforcement caused a lens of warm, low-salinity coastal water to become detached from the coastal front and be advected seaward. Reinforcement of this process enhances the loss of estuarine discharges from coastal areas. Climatological data show that this loss increases as the mean upwelling favorable wind stress for the year increases. |
A ketogenic diet helps control blood sugar levels. It is excellent for managing type 2 diabetes, sometimes even leading to complete reversal of the disease. This has been proven in studies. It makes perfect sense since keto lowers blood-sugar levels, reduces the need of medications and reduces the potentially negative impact of high insulin levels.
It usually takes three to four days for your body to go into ketosis because you have to use up your body's stores of glucose, i.e., sugar first, Keatley says. Any major diet change can give you some, uh, issues, and Keatley says he often sees patients who complain of IBS-like symptoms and feeling wiped out at the beginning of the diet. (The tiredness happens because you have less access to carbs, which give you quick energy, he explains.)
3) Cholesterol levels usually go up with inflammation, because inflammation causes damage to the tissues, and cholesterol is manufactured and released in circulation to patch things up. So, again, eating high fat is the best way to drop inflammation; not increase it. My hsCRP are always below 0.1, and most of the time, below detection level. Oxidation of cholesterol causes inflammation; not the other way around. So, your point about inflammation is a non-issue.
-Cardiovascular Disease: High blood sugar has been shown to increase the risk for cardiovascular events, cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular mortality—while lower glucose levels result in lower cardiovascular risk. Coronary artery disease risk has been shown to be twice as high in patients with impaired glucose tolerance, compared with patients with more normal glucose tolerance. The risk for stroke increases as fasting glucose levels rise above 83 mg/dL. In fact, every 18 mg/dL increase beyond 83 results in a 27 percent greater risk of dying from stroke. Incidentally, glucose can “stick” to cholesterol particles and render these particles extremely dangerous from a heart health standpoint, which is why it’s all the more important to control blood sugar levels if you’re eating a “high-fat diet.” |
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Check also: 25 Deadliest Diseases In Human History
So far, 502 have died and 271 people got healed,’’health minister said on Friday during the interview on the outbreak in the Eastern part of DR Congo.
The Minister of Health, Mr Oly Kalenga Ilunga indicated that the vaccination program has so far protected over 76,000 people for the first time ever and also prevented thousands from death.
The minister said the team has now done a great job by preventing the spread of the epidemic in major cities across the region and they have also managed to prevent it from being spread to neighbouring countries, ‘he said.
The biggest challenge is the ability to move the population,’’he added. This latest Ebola outbreak started in August last year in the northern part of Kivu, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.
- Dementia Research: 9 Facts About This Deadly Disease
- Drinking Alcohol Is Directly Linked To This Dangerous Disease
- 25 Deadliest Diseases In Human History
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Last updated 4 September 2013
Using Git and GitHub with Rails. Git provides a source control repository. Use Git to roll back code changes as needed, when you are collaborating with others, and when you must deploy an app for hosting with a service such as Heroku. Get a GitHub account for remote backup and collaboration.
If you are building a throw-away app for your own education, you may decide not to use Git, but sooner or later you will need to learn to use Git to participate in the open source community. Git is not easy to understand or learn (see a discussion) but it is a worthwhile and essential tool for software development.
This is an article from the RailsApps project. The RailsApps project provides example applications that developers use as starter apps. Hundreds of developers use the apps, report problems as they arise, and propose solutions. Rails changes frequently; each application is known to work and serves as your personal “reference implementation.” Each application is accompanied by a tutorial so there is no mystery code. Support for the project comes from subscribers. Please accept our invitation to join the RailsApps project.
You’ll use Git to record the changes you make to your project over time. In Git, these changes are called “commits.”
Commits contain a change a user has made to the code and some additional useful metadata. This metadata includes the time the change was made, your name, and a message you add to describe the change. Git itself is a specialized database that stores these commits. Git provides a complex set of commands that allow more than one developer to make changes and stay in sync; maintain and access different versions of a project; and retrieve past versions of a project.
If you are new to Git, you can read a free online version of the book Pro Git by Scott Chacon.
GitHub offers a quick interactive tutorial at try.github.com.
The best Git tutorial is Git Immersion from EdgeCase.
I recommend reading Charles Duan’s article Understanding Git Conceptually with any other tutorial.
Michael Hartl’s Rails Tutorial book covers Version Control with Git for typical Rails projects.
Check that Git is installed on your computer:
$ git version
Here are instructions if you need to install Git.
The easiest way to install Git is with GitHub for Mac.
Before you download GitHub for Mac, get a free GitHub account. When you register, use your real name. Your GitHub account is as important as a résumé or a business card so use the name by which you are known professionally.
Download the GitHub for Mac application. Drag the application into your Applications folder. Launch the GitHub application to begin installation. You’ll be asked for your GitHub account username and password. The GitHub application will generate and install a public key. The public key is used to encrypt connections between your computer and GitHub. You’ll get an email message from GitHub informing you that a new public key was added to your GitHub account.
In the GitHub application, you’ll see this screen next:
Before continuing, click the button to “Install Command Line Tools.”
The application will install the Git executable into the hidden /usr/local/bin/ system folder. You’ll be prompted for your Mac login password to make the addition to your system files (the button is labeled “Install Helper”). The application will inform you that installation is complete. Clicking “Continue” will give you an option to identify local repositories (folders on your laptop that you want to back up to GitHub). Skip this step and select “Done.” You’ll see the GitHub for Mac main window.
You can quit GitHub for Mac. It is a graphical front-end for Git that you can use to become familiar with Git. Very few Rails developers use the GitHub for Mac application; since you will be using the Terminal to build Rails applications, it is easier to use Git from the command line. Installing GitHub for Mac is just the easiest way to install the Git executable.
If Git isn’t installed on your Ubuntu system, use the apt-get package manager to install it:
$ sudo apt-get install git-core
You’ll need privileges as system administrator.
Use the application from the msysGit project.
It provides both a command line and GUI version.
Check your Git configuration parameters:
$ git config -l --global user.name=Daniel Kehoe [email protected]
The email address will identify you to any services that use your Git repo, such as GitHub and Heroku.
Life will be easier if you use the same email address for all services where you use Git (so sign up for GitHub and Heroku using the same address).
When you use the
rails new command, Rails creates a .gitignore file for you in your application root directory. You may want to modify it:
.bundle db/*.sqlite3 log/*.log tmp/ .DS_Store
The RailsApps project has a more extensive example .gitignore file you might want to examine.
You’ll need to do this if you have created a new Rails application. If you’ve created a Rails application using the Rails Composer tool (“like the ‘rails new’ command on steroids”), the program will have done this for you already.
Be sure you are in your application’s root directory.
Initialize Git and check in your first commit:
$ git init $ git add . $ git commit -m 'initial commit'
-m 'initial commit' argument attaches a comment (“m” for “message”) to the commit. You should include a comment with every commit.
You can check your commit status at any time with:
$ git status
Use a GitHub repository if you want an offsite copy of your work or you plan to share your work with others.
Get a free GitHub account if you don’t already have one. It’s advisable to register using the email address that you’ve used to configure git locally (see “Git Config” above).
Check that your GitHub account is set up properly:
$ ssh -T -p 443 [email protected]
If your account is set up correctly, you’ll see a message:
Hi ...! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.
The first time you connect, you will be warned (by ssh) that you have not previously connected with the host at ssh.github.com:
The authenticity of host '[ssh.github.com]:443 ...' can't be established. Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
Unless you are the victim of a particularly insidious and unlikely exploit, you can safely answer “yes.”
Go to GitHub and create a new empty repository (https://github.com/repositories/new) into which you can push your local git repo.
Add GitHub as a remote repository for your project and push your local project to the remote repository:
$ git remote add origin [email protected]:YOUR_GITHUB_ACCOUNT/YOUR_PROJECT_NAME.git $ git push origin master
At each stage of completion, you should check your code into your local repository:
$ git commit -am "some helpful comment"
-am argument. Use
-m to add a commit message. Use
-a to automatically remove any files you may have marked for deletion (otherwise you have to use “git rm,” adding an additional step). You can combine
Then push your changes to the remote repository:
$ git push origin master
If you’re working on a team, your colleagues will appreciate if you follow convention for the style of your commit messages:
When you are using Git for version control, you can commit every time you save a file, even for the tiniest typo fixes. If only you will ever see your Git commits, no one will care. But if you are working on a team, either commercially or as part of an open source project, you will drive your fellow programmers crazy if they try to follow your work and see such “granular” commits. Instead, get in the habit of creating a Git branch each time you begin work to implement a feature. When your new feature is complete, merge the branch and “squash” the commits so your comrades see just one commit for the entire feature.
Here’s how to create a new Git branch for a feature named “login”:
$ git checkout -b login
The command creates a new branch named “login” and switches to it, analogous to copying all your files to a new directory and moving to work in the new directory (though that is not really what happens with Git).
When the new feature is complete, merge the working branch to “master” and squash the commits so you have just one commit for the entire feature:
$ git checkout master $ git merge --squash login $ git commit -am "implement 'login' feature"
You can delete the working branch when you’re done:
$ git branch -D login
Experienced Git user? Have a recommendation? Leave a comment below. |
There is undoubtedly a drinking culture that permeates college campuses. There’s this feeling that drinking in college isn’t just okay, but it’s a socially accepted norm and somewhat of a rite of passage. Most of us have those Animal House images of college where it’s one big party full of alcohol around every turn, and this isn’t far off the mark.
Unfortunately, this culture that embraces and accepts huge amounts of alcohol creates serious and sometimes deadly consequences. Many of these consequences have been in the news headlines lately, as sexual assaults and violence related to alcohol have become national topics of discussion.
There have also been instances where young men joining fraternities drink so much that they ultimately die, and there’s, of course, the ongoing conversations surrounding things like decision-making and safe sexual practices, the potential for legal issues, car accidents, injuries, and alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol poisoning can be fatal. If you suspect someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately. Do NOT be afraid to seek help. If you do not have access to a phone contact Web Poison Control Services for online assistance.
Despite the very real consequences of excessive drinking, college students don’t seem deterred, and it’s leading many researchers to look at just how prevalent alcoholism with college students is.
- Nearly 60 percent of college students aged 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month according to one national survey, and two out of three engaged in binge drinking during that timeframe
- Around 1,825 college students aged 18 to 24 are estimated to die from unintentional injuries related to alcohol every year
- There are more than 696,000 students believed to be assaulted each year by another student when drinking is involved
- Between the ages of 18 and 24, there are around 97,000 students annually that experience sexual assault or date rape when alcohol was involved
- 1 in 4 students in college say they’ve suffered adverse academic consequences related to drinking including performing poorly and missing classes
- Binge drinkers who drank at least three times a week were six times more likely than their peers who didn’t binge drink to do badly on school work. They were also five times more likely to miss a class
- 20 percent of college student meet the defined criteria for an alcohol use disorder
- Thousands of college students visit emergency rooms each year because of alcohol poisoning.
There are also many college students who don’t really grasp just how much they’re consuming or the fact that alcoholism with college students is so prevalent.
For example, binge drinking is defined as having a blood alcohol concentration at 0.08 g/dL, and this can occur after only four drinks in two hours for women and five for men. Many college students are drinking far more than this on a regular basis.
So why is alcoholism with college students and alcohol abuse so common? There are many things that are part of the equation. For young people, it’s their first taste of being independent and away from home, which leads to experimentation and a lack of self-control. There’s also alcohol readily available, and socializing is a big part of the college life and experience. Also, drinking regularly leads students to build a tolerance, so they drink more and more to get drunk.
As noted above, around 20 percent of college students meet the criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder, and since college students’ brains are still developing, heavy drinking during these formative years can increase their likelihood of becoming an alcoholic later.
For example, there was a study from researchers at the San Diego State University Department of Psychology and the Scripps Research Institute showing that college students who binge drank more than three times within a two-week period were 19 times more likely to develop alcoholism as compared to non-binge drinkers.
Some of the signs of alcoholism with college students include:
- Losing self-control regarding how much alcohol is consumed
- Making poor decisions related to school, finances, legal situations, health or social situations
- Not keeping up with responsibilities including academics
- Changing in sleep habits and patterns
- Students who start hanging out with new social circles
- A student develops a tolerance for alcohol
- The student spends more time drinking and also more time dealing with hangovers
- Changes in mood
- Attempts to stop drinking that fail
- Problems with relationships
If parents, friends or loved ones see any of these red flags, they may need to speak with a professional about the next steps. It’s unfortunate that alcoholism with college students is looked at with such a casual attitude because it contributes to many deaths, injuries, assaults and even the development of later drinking problems every year. |
Black Abolitionist Archive
Subtitle: Right of Suffrage.
Speaker or author: editor
Newspaper or publication: Colored American (1837 - 1842)
The writer reminds his readers of the importance of the right of suffrage for all Americans. He urges all African Americans to petition the government regarding suffrage legislation and voting rights.
Description of file(s): one scanned, two columned, newspaper page |
This mechanism was introduced in order to effectively defend against malicious activity.
The mechanism requires that, before the desired action, enter the exact result of the operation are shown.
Internet is a global communications system comprised of a large number of interconnected autonomous systems (networks) that exchange information using a common set of communication protocols (TCP/IP).
IP address is a numerical identifier, defined as part of the IP protocol, which allows unique addressing of devices connected to the Internet.
Internet domain is a textual identifier which connects a set of computers, devices and services on the Internet in a single administrative and technical whole. Each domain on the Internet is defined by a globally unique name.
Domain name is comprised of a series of alphanumeric segments separated by dots (e.g. www.rnids.rs).
Domain Name System (DNS) is a basic Internet service which allows the translation of Internet domain names into IP addresses and vice-versa.
DNS server is a device that is continually connected to the Internet and which, at the request of the user, translates domain names into IP addresses and vice-versa.
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an organisation that governs and manages the development of DNS systems and the distribution of IP addressing at the global level.
Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) is the name of a domain connected with an international two-letter country code ccTLD determined by ICANN in accordance with the ISO-3166-2 list.
ccTLD register is a database of domain names registered under the ccTLD.
ccTLD registry operator is an organisation delegated by ICANN to manage the national register of an Internet domain (like RNIDS).
Whois database is a publicly available database of the users of domain names registered in the ccTLD registry.
Registrar is a legal entity or sole trader who, based on a contract with the ccTLD registry operator, has the authority to conduct business relating to the registration of domain names at the request of end users.
Local Internet community are all those legal and entities and individuals conducting business in the area of the Internet or use Internet services in the Republic of Serbia.
Please, fill in all the fields: |
Lockheed Martin (LM), based in Littleton, Colorado, provided the MAVEN spacecraft and conducted assembly, test and launch operations (ATLO), and manages mission operations for MAVEN. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory navigates the spacecraft. The University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) provides science operations and data packaging. Lockheed Martin provides Flight Systems Management for MAVEN.
Click to access the full MAVEN spacecraft image gallery.
- Length: 37.5 feet (11.43 meters) with solar panels deployed
- Width: 90 inches (2.29 meters)
- Height: 11.4 feet (3.47 meters)
- High-gain antenna: 6.56 feet (2 meters) in diameter
- Dry (unfueled) mass at launch: 1,784 pounds (809 kg)
- Wet (fueled with hydrazine) mass at launch: 5,410 pounds (2,454 kg)
- Power: More than 2,000 solar cells on four panels cover 129 square feet (12m2) and generate between 1,150 and 1,700 watts (depending on spacecraft’s position in Mars orbit); solar panels power two 55-amp-hour lithium ion batteries
- Science payload: 143 pounds (65 kg) in eight instruments
- Communications relay: 14 pounds (6.5 kg) Electra UHF communications package to provide data relay from rovers and landers on Mars back to Earth |
SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) • is a method that was originally developed to discover short RNA sequences (aptamers) that bind to particular molecules. • In the first step: these DNAs are transcribed in vitro, using the phage T7 RNA polymerase, which recognizes the T7 promoter in the upstream constant region of every DNA in the pool. • In the next step: the aptamers are selected by affinity chromatography, using a resin with the target molecule immobilized. The selected RNAs bind to the resin and then can be released with a solution containing the target molecule. These selected RNAs are then reverse-transcribed to yield double-stranded DNA, which is then subjected to PCR, using primers specific for the DNAs’ constant ends. Aptamer • Aptamers (from the Latin aptus - fit, and Greek meros - part) are oligonucleic acid or peptide molecules that bind to a specific target molecule. Aptamers are usually created by selecting them from a large random sequence pool, but natural aptamers also exist in riboswitches. • Aptamers can be used for both basic research and clinical purposes as macromolecular drugs. • More specifically, aptamers can be classified as: • DNA or RNA or XNA aptamers. They consist of (usually short) strands of oligonucleotides. • Peptide aptamers. They consist of a short variable peptide domain, attached at both ends to a protein scaffold. Post-Segregational Killing (PSK) or Toxin-antitoxin system • A toxin-antitoxin system is a set of two or more closely linked genes that together encode both a protein 'poison' and a corresponding 'antidote'. • When these systems are contained on plasmids – transferable genetic elements – they ensure that only the daughter cells that inherit the plasmid survive after cell division. • If the plasmid is absent in a daughter cell, the unstable antitoxin is degraded and the stable toxic protein kills the new cell; this is known as 'post-segregational killing'(PSK). Type I • Type I toxin-antitoxin systems rely on the basepairing of complementary antitoxin RNA with the toxin's mRNA. • Translation of the mRNA is then inhibited either by degradation via RNase III or by occluding the Shine-Dalgarno sequence or ribosome binding site. Example systems Toxin Antitoxin Notes Hok Sok The original and best-understood type I toxin-antitoxin system (pictured), which stabilises plasmids in a number of gramnegative bacteria fst RNAII The first type I system to be identified in gram-positive bacteria TisB IstR Responds to DNA damage LdrD RdlD A chromosomal system in Enterobacteriaceae FlmA FlmB A hok/sok homologue, which also stabilises the F plasmid Discovered in E. coli intergenic regions, the antitoxin was originally named QUAD RNA TxpA/Brn Ensures the inheritance of the skin element RatA T during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis SymE SymR A chromosomal system induced as an SOS response A system identified in Xanthomonas campestris with erratic XCV2162 ptaRNA1 phylogenetic distribution. Ibs Sib Hok sok system Type II • In this system a labile protein antitoxin tightly binds and inhibits the activity of a stable toxin. Type III • Type III toxin-antitoxin systems rely on direct interaction between a toxic protein and an RNA antitoxin. • The toxic effects of the protein are neutralised by the RNA gene. Biotechnological applications • • • • In fermentation As a future target for antibiotics In DNA cloning Control of the Genetically modified organisms Genome editing Genome editing • Genome editing, or genome editing with engineered nucleases (GEEN) is a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, replaced, or removed from a genome using artificially engineered nucleases, or "molecular scissors." Mechanism • The nucleases create specific double-stranded break (DSBs) at desired locations in the genome, and harness the cell’s endogenous mechanisms to repair the induced break by natural processes of : – homologous recombination (HR) – nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ). There are currently four families of engineered nucleases being used: – Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) – Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs) – Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) – Engineered meganuclease • It is commonly practiced in genetic analysis that in order to understand the function of a gene or a protein function one interferes with it in a sequence-specific way and monitors its effects on the organism. • However, in some organisms it is difficult or impossible to perform site-specific mutagenesis, and therefore more indirect methods have to be used, such as silencing the gene of interest by short RNA interference (siRNA) . • Yet gene disruption by siRNA can be variable and incomplete. • Genome editing with nucleases such as ZFN is different from siRNA in that the engineered nuclease is able to modify DNA-binding specificity and therefore can in principle cut any targeted position in the genome, and introduce modification of the endogenous sequences for genes that are impossible to specifically target by conventional RNAi. Double stranded breaks and their repair • non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is a error prone process. • Thus if one is able to create a DSB at a desired gene in multiple samples, it is very likely that mutations will be generated at that site in some of the treatments because of errors created by the NHEJ infidelity. Double stranded breaks and their repair • On the other hand, the dependency of HDR on a homologous sequence to repair DSBs can be exploited by inserting a desired sequence within a sequence that is homologous to the flanking sequences of a DSB which, when used as a template by HDR system, would lead to the creation of the desired change within the genomic region of interest. • So based on these principles if one is able to create a DSB at a specific location within the genome, then the cell’s own repair systems will help in creating the desired mutations. Site-specific double stranded breaks • if genomic DNA is treated with a particular restriction endonuclease many DSBs will be created. • To overcome this challenge and create site-specific DSB, three distinct classes of nucleases have been discovered and bioengineered to date: – Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), – Transcription-Activator like Effector Nucleases (TALENs) – Meganucleases Meganucleases • Meganucleases, found commonly in microbial species, have the unique property of having very long recognition sequences (>14bp) thus making them naturally very specific. • But the challenge is that: not enough meganucleases are known, or may ever be known, to cover all possible target sequences. To overcome this challenge: • Mutagenesis and high throughput screening methods have been used to create meganuclease variants that recognize unique sequences. Meganuclease advantages and disadvantages. • less toxicity (compared to ZFNs) because of more stringent DNA sequence recognition. • very specific • the construction of sequence specific enzymes for all possible sequences is costly and time consuming. • As opposed to meganucleases, the concept behind ZFNs and TALENs is more based on a non-specific DNA cutting enzyme which would then be linked to specific DNA sequence recognizing peptides such as: – zinc fingers and – transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) • The key to this was to find an endonuclease whose DNA recognition site and cleaving site were separate from each other, a situation that is not common among restriction enzymes. A restriction enzyme with such properties is FokI. FokI enzyme • The enzyme FokI, naturally found in Flavobacterium okeanokoites, is a bacterial type IISrestriction endonuclease consisting of: – an N-terminal DNA-binding domain and – a non-specific DNA cleavage domain at the C-terminal. FokI dimerization • FokI has the advantage of requiring dimerization to have nuclease activity and this means the specificity increases dramatically as each nuclease partner would recognize a unique DNA sequence. Applications • • • • • • Targeted gene mutation Creating chromosome rearrangement Study gene function with stem cells Transgenic animals Endogenous gene labeling Targeted transgene addition TAL effector • TAL (transcription activator-like) effectors are proteins secreted by Xanthomonas bacteria via their type III secretion system when they infect various plant species. • These proteins can bind promoter sequences in the host plant and activate the expression of plant genes that aid bacterial infection. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) Asparagine Asn N Glycine Gly G Histidine His H Aspartic acid Asp D Isoleucine Ile I Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) • Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are artificial restriction enzymes generated by fusing a TAL effector DNA binding domain to a DNA cleavage domain. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) Genetargeting,ontheotherhand,reliesonHRbetweentheendogenoustargetlocusandan exogenously introduced homologous DNA fragment, also referred to as the "donor DNA".In the absenceofaDSBat the targetlocus, typically fewer than1in105 of targetedcellswillcontain the desired genetic modification, a frequency too low to be useful for gene therapy. However, proof‐of‐principle experiments involving the meganuclease I‐SceI, which binds to an 18‐bp recognition site, demonstrated that the insertion of a DSB in the target locus stimulates recombination withanexogenousdonorDNAbyseveralordersofmagnitude[15,16].Aconcernhas been thatNHEJwillcompetewithHR to seal the brokenchromosome.Recentexperimentsin two differenthumancelllinesindicatedthatHR‐mediatedgenetargetingaccountedfor60%to70 %ofall DSBrepaireventsatanendogenouslocus,suggestingthatinthepresenceoflargeamoun tsofa donorDNAHRisthepreferredpathwaytorepairDSBs. Zinc finger nuclease • Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) are artificial restriction enzymes generated by fusing a zinc finger DNA-binding domain to a DNA-cleavage domain. • A pair of two ZFNs with three zinc fingers each are shown introducing a double stranded break. Subsequently, the double strand break is being repaired through either homologous recombination or non-homologous end joining. Zinc finger nuclease • DNA-binding domain – The DNA-binding domains of individual ZFNs typically contain between three and six individual zinc finger repeats and can each recognize between 9 and 18 basepairs. • cleavage domain – The non-specific cleavage domain from the type IIs restriction endonuclease FokI is typically used as the cleavage domain in ZFNs. Zinc Finger Nucleases for Genome Editing Types of genome editing made possible using zinc finger nucleases Gateway Technology The Gateway cloning System, invented and commercialized by Invitrogen since the late 1990s, is a molecular biology method that enables researchers to efficiently transfer DNA-fragments between plasmids using a proprietary set of recombination sequences, the "Gateway att" sites, and two proprietary enzyme mixes, called "LR Clonase", and "BP Clonase". Gateway cloning steps • Making Gateway Entry clone • Transfer of target gene from Entry clone into any Gateway Destination vector Entry clones are often made in two steps: • 1) “Gateway attB1, and attB2” sequences are added to the 5’, and 3’ end of a gene fragment, respectively, using gene specific PCR primers and PCR-amplification; • 2) the PCR amplification products are then mixed with special plasmids called Gateway “Donor vectors” (containing attP1 & attP2 )and the proprietary “BP Clonase” enzyme mix. recombination sequences are referred to as the Gateway “att L” type. Destination vector • Invitrogen nomenclature for any Gateway plasmid that contains Gateway “att R” recombination sequences and elements such as promoters and epitope tags, but not ORFs Transfer into Destination vector • The gene cassette in the Gateway Entry clone can then be simply and efficiently transferred into any Gateway Destination vector using the proprietary enzyme mix, “LR Clonase”. To summarize the different steps involved in Gateway cloning: • Gateway BP reaction: PCR-product with flanking att B sites (e.g., amplified from cDNA library) + Donor vector containing att P sites + BP clonase => Gateway Entry clone, containing att L sites, flanking gene of interest – this step can be replaced by other cloning methods • Gateway LR reaction: Entry clone containing att L sites + Destination vector containing att R sites, and promoters and tags + LR clonase => Expression clone containing att B sites, flanking gene of interest, ready for gene expression. Advantages • Fast—1-hour room temperature cloning reactions • Accurate—cloning efficiency >99% delivers the clone you need • Easy—no need for restriction enzymes or ligation to maintain orientations and reading frames for expression-ready clones • Convenient—no resequencing required; use the same clone from target identification to validation for consistency • Flexible—shuttle DNA inserts from one expression vector to the next • Versatile—select from E. coli, yeast, insect, or mammalian cell Destination vectors Building an Entry Clone • The three possible methods that lead to the Entry clone are depicted below: A. BP cloning, B. TOPO® cloning and C. restriction enzyme and ligase cloning. |
Traditional fishery management has been a lot like the movie Finding Nemo, where fishery managers focus on the life of a single species of fish. But, as we saw in the movie, single species of fish do not live alone; they depend on habitat like anemones, they encounter predators like Bruce, and there are human impacts such as removing fish from reefs. Our current management system often fails to consider the bigger picture: the habitats that ocean wildlife require at each stage of life, their roles as predator and prey (Bruce’s attitude on fish as ‘friends not food’ doesn’t really hold true in the ocean), the natural variations in populations in different places and at different times, such as sea turtle migrations, and of course the critical and varied impacts of humans—climate change, pollution, ocean acidification, cultural uses, and demands for food and recreation.
In short, we need an ecosystem approach—a modern, big-picture system that maintains the overall health of the ocean ecosystem by explicitly considering the above. Ensuring the long-term viability of fish populations and communities that depend on them requires a greater focus on the fitness and resilience of the ecosystems that support productive fisheries.
The good news is that U.S. fishery managers are recognizing the need to consider the whole ecosystem. A new report by the NOAA Science Advisory Board takes stock of the shift toward ecosystem-based fishery management across the nation. The report found that the use of ecosystem science in fishery management varies greatly by region, and the last several years have proven to be a time of experimentation in the ecosystem approach. We’re getting there, but we’re not there yet.
For example, the Pacific Fishery Management Council—one of eight regional bodies who assist the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in developing and executing plans for managing fishing under the Magnuson-Stevens Act—has developed a Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the west coast. It establishes a comprehensive foundation for considering the condition of the California Current Ecosystem in fishery planning and management, and sets an example for modernizing fisheries management across the globe.
Similarly, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is embarking upon the development of a Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Bering Sea. Previously, the council developed a Fishery Ecosystem Plan for the Aleutian Islands.
This new report is more important and timely than ever. The Ocean faces significant and numerous stressors, such as the impacts of global climate change, ocean acidification, invasive species, oil and shipping contaminants, and degraded water quality from land based pollution. The impacts of these stressors are becoming more apparent, demonstrating that a broader approach to management is required to ensure ocean ecosystems can support healthy fish populations and the people that depend on them into the future.
In addition to canvassing the existing state of ecosystem-based fishery management practices across the nation, the report also made recommendations for paving the way to an ecosystem approach:
- Sharing is caring – There is much to be learned across Councils and regions. Opportunities to learn from others on science, analysis, and approach help everyone.
- Invest in more than counting fish – Tools that help managers evaluate trade-offs, science that couples the social, economic, and ecologic, and next-generation ecosystem modeling are all needed.
- Continue U.S. leadership – Export our growing success with ecosystem-based methods to other nations and to multi-national Regional Fishery Management Organizations.
An ecosystem approach isn’t easy. If it was, managers would have adopted it years ago. It is necessary though, and—as this report demonstrates—possible. There is no silver bullet or technological solution that can make it happen tomorrow, but there are proven ways to get there and it’s great to see NOAA stopping to check the map and compass.
We aren’t there yet, but we’re in the jet stream. |
A 2015 report by Common Sense, a nonprofit organization that researches the impact of media and technology for children, emphasized that body image is learned early in a child’s development and that while media play a powerful role in developing perceptions about that image, other factors including the cultural group and the communities in which we live, families and individual psychological traits influence that image.
In The Edible Complex, a new play by Melissa Leilani Larson targeted for children in grades 4-6, the topic is explored with Anna, a 10-year-old child who is talented in the kitchen and aspires to be a chef. Larson creates an articulate child who already knows how to express her passion for food. The girl could easily be a contestant on one of the many Food Network competition shows for kids or for Fox’s Master Chef competition. Anna’s culinary literacy sounds familiar to anyone who has ever viewed one of these shows.
Anna cherishes a wooden box of handwritten recipes from her grandmother, which includes how to make pecan cinnamon rolls. Anna says, “I read the card so carefully, and I got all the ingredients together. I used warm water to activate the yeast, just like we did in science. I followed all the instructions, and I think Grandma’s cinnamon rolls turned out pretty awesome. Except that I forgot to chop the pecans. I’ll remember next time. Mom liked those cinnamon rolls so much she said she got something in her eye.”
Anna is thinking about using one of her grandmother’s recipes for a school project but has a change of heart when her mother decides to skip on the offer of a sandwich that the young chef is making. The mom says, “No thanks. I’m sure it’s great. But I’m watching my weight.” Anna asks, “And my sandwich will make you fat?” Her mother, before leaving the house for work, replies, “Better safe than sorry,” and adds, “Sooner or later you’re going to learn, you can have too much of a good thing.”
And in that brief exchange, Anna, a child who already has identified the passion for her life’s career, suddenly wonders if she is dissatisfied with her own body image – and what that might mean for her dream to become a successful chef.
The play is part of Plan-B Theatre’s Free Elementary School Tour (FEST), which will hit the road this fall with performances that will reach more than 15,000 elementary students at more than 40 schools in six counties throughout the state, and is supported by an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
For the public, the premiere performance will take place Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. as part of the Repertory Dance Theatre’s Ring Around the Rose series for kids. Ticket information for the 35-minute play is here. This is the fourth FEST production for Plan-B.
With gentle humor that also treats the kids as serious audiences who think about their self-esteem and how that links up to their satisfaction with their own body images, Larson grounds the play in a solid foundation. As the Common Sense report indicates, parents are instrumental to a child’s healthy development and body image certainly is part of that. The report cites numerous peer-reviewed research that shows, for example, “girls whose fathers tended to express concern about the girls’ weights judged themselves to be less physically able than those whose fathers didn’t” and “girls whose mothers expressed similar concern judged themselves to be less physically and cognitively able.”
Another cited study that echoes even more closely the story outline of The Edible Complex, found that children, ages 5 to 8, who observed their mothers’ feelings of being dissatisfied with their body image inevitably predicted their own dissatisfied sense with their own bodies. And, the report shows that boys just as frequently as girls are dealing with the same issues of body image and satisfaction.
“I worked on this a long time,” Larson explains in an interview. “The tricky thing was I didn’t want to be preachy or didactic or to cast the play like those Saturday morning or afterschool specials many of us watched when we were growing up. I want the kids to be able to say, ‘she [Anna] is talking to me’ and that the play also becomes an important lesson.”
The plays for FEST have been written to augment the curriculum materials and objectives for Utah’s elementary students. For example, Matthew Ivan Bennett’s Different=Amazing dealt with the issue of bullying while Jenifer Nii’s Ruff!, about two dogs in a shelter who become friends, was geared toward audiences of grades K-3 and touched on plenty of lessons about bullying, identity, self-esteem and confidence, and the challenge of stepping forward without fear. FEST already has lined up plays for the next three years, which deal variously with the topics of grief, anxiety disorders and truth in works by Utah playwrights Elaine Jarvik, Jenny Kokai and Debora Threedy.
And, as with the other FEST productions, Plan-B Theatre offers a study guide to help teachers contextualize the play for additional classroom discussion and instruction. As Jerry Rapier, the company’s producing director, explains, while body image is intended as a topic for the health core curriculum, there is a dearth of instructional materials that address sufficiently the issue of how young students perceive and develop their perceptions about body image. Rapier adds the state board of education’s website in Utah only indicates a single but “woefully outdated” lesson for fifth graders.
In the play, Anna decides to ignore food during her busy school day, using a page from a magazine with a model as her motivational prompt. She says, “An expensive and skinny kind of beauty. If I were to write a recipe for that… I wonder. What would go on the recipe card? Would it just be blank?”
However, Anna cannot stop thinking about food and eventually a whole host of food items appear as characters in the play, advising her to reconsider. Larson offers up a true feast — grilled cheese, waffles, chicken wings, root beer float, apple pie, spaghetti, box of cookies, French toast, fish and chips, taco, cheeseburger, brownies and shish kabobs. As each food visits Anna, the challenge becomes more difficult, especially as the girl finds it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her school work and her stomach and head begin to ache.
It’s an effective element in the play, underscored by the playwright’s own culinary enthusiasm. As she writes in a Plan-B Theatre blog, “one of my favorite dishes from the UK. Fish and Chips! [The best is when they give you a long slab of cod, freshly fried, on top of chips that range from mushy to crispy, all wrapped in paper. I would sit on the curb with a can of Coke, unwrap the paper in my lap, and sprinkle the whole thing with salt and malt vinegar. Sad part is we just don’t make it the same way in the USA.”
In the end, both Anna and her mom experience an epiphany that offers up authentic voices of what often is missing in the public discussion about this topic. In Utah, hopefully, The Edible Complex will resonate positively. As Plan-B’s study guide indicates, a 2015 study conducted by BYU-Idaho includes some surprising statistics: 50 percent of nine-year-old (grade 4) and 80 percent of 10-year-old (grade 5) girls in Utah have dieted. Larson’s play also reinforces a larger challenge for teachers and researchers, especially as it affects children who are growing up in a world immersed in continuous exposure to social media.
Indeed, there is an encouraging trend of blogs, viral videos and other online content that counters the status quo idealized and even sexualized images of body image stereotypes. Plays such as The Edible Complex remind parents, teachers and especially students that the topic is one which should not be delayed as a teachable moment until high school but as a meaningful way of helping even the youngest students realize that they do not have to gain their self-esteem from unrealistic portrayals or stereotypes of what has been pushed as the ideal body image.
Cheryl Ann Cluff, who directs the production, says that the food characters are not “full-on costumes” for every item featured in the play but that each item has a visual element represented which includes hats and aprons. Aaron Swenson designed the food props and costumes. The cast comprises two actors: Anne Louise Brings and Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin.
For more information, see here. |
Pneumonectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the lung in its entirety. It is performed as a treatment for cancer, certain other lung conditions, and trauma.
The lungs consist of two large organs within the chest cavity whose main function is to get oxygen into the blood while removing carbon dioxide. The lungs also provide protection from harmful airborne substances such as smoke, pollution, bacteria, and viruses by trapping them in the mucus (sticky fluid produce by the lungs), which is then expelled from the body by coughing or swallowing.
When one lung is damaged, the other lung can provide enough oxygen and remove enough carbon dioxide. However, because pneumonectomy removes half of a person’s breathing capacity, physicians usually choose a less extreme form of lung surgery, if possible, removing only the affected portion.
Still, a pneumonectomy probably is the best option when a tumor is located in the middle of the lung or involves a significant portion of the pulmonary artery or veins, and a smaller surgery would not be able to remove the cancer.
Pneumonectomy may be recommended for the treatment of some cancers, such as lung cancer, pulmonary metastases (cancer that has spread to the lungs from another site in the body) or malignant mesothelioma (cancer of the pleura or the membrane lining the chest cavity and covering the lungs).
Pneumonectomy also may be recommended in non-cancerous or benign conditions, such as a traumatic lung injury, fungal lung infection, bronchial obstruction with destroyed lung, congenital lung disease, and lung infections such as tuberculosis.
Types of pneumonectomy
There are two types of pneumonectomy
- Traditional/standard pneumonectomy
This approach removes the entire diseased lung. A traditional pneumonectomy is usually performed to remove lung cancer. It also may be necessary when a patient has been severely wounded in the chest.
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy
During this procedure, the entire diseased lung is removed together with a portion of the membrane that covers the heart (the pericardium), a portion of the diaphragm, and the membrane that lines the inside of the chest (the pleura). An extrapleural pneumonectomy may be a treatment option for malignant mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the pleura that is typically caused by exposure to asbestos.
Preparing for surgery
Before surgery, the patient will have a series of imaging scans and blood tests. These tests will confirm that the cancer has not spread outside the lungs, that the remaining lung is healthy enough to compensate, and that the heart is strong enough to withstand the surgery. The scans may include a bone scan, computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest, positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and ventilation-perfusion scan (to find the areas that contribute most to breathing). The doctor also will review the patient’s allergies and medical history. About one week before surgery, the patient is advised to stop taking aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory medications. The night before the surgery, the patient is advised not to eat or drink.
How pneumonectomy is done
A pneumonectomy is generally performed using a thoracotomy. During a thoracotomy, a surgical incision is made between two ribs, extending from the front of the chest to the back. The deflated lung is then removed, and perhaps other organs or tissue, too, depending on the type of pneumonectomy being performed.
In rare cases, healthcare providers may perform a pneumonectomy using a video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) procedure. This procedure uses a special video camera called a thoracoscope. It is a type of minimally invasive surgery and uses smaller incisions than the traditional open surgery performed on the lung. In cancer treatment, most pneumonectomy experts recommend VATS only for people with early-stage tumors that are near the outside of the lung. This complex procedure requires a surgeon with a great deal of training, technical skill and experience.
Risks associated with pneumonectomy
Many people who have a pneumonectomy do very well, but it is still a high-risk surgery. There are several risks and side effects associated with undergoing a pneumonectomy. Some possible complications include dependence on a mechanical respirator for a prolonged period of time, respiratory failure, blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism), pus accumulation in the pleural space, fluid accumulation in the lungs, pneumonia, shock, complications from anesthesia, kidney failure, excessive bleeding, wound infection, abnormal heart rhythms, and reduced blood flow to the heart.
Recovery may take several weeks, or even months. Overall activity may be limited for one to two months. If the patient has other lung conditions, such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis (common diseases among smokers), shortness of breath may become worse with certain activities.
The patient’s age and other factors, such as health problems, may help to determine the risk of complications.
Note: Lung Cancer News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. |
Judges can order states to spend more on education. But does it improve schools?
In 1977, writing in the Harvard Law Review, Supreme Court Justice William Brennan Jr. exhorted state judges to embrace activist interpretations of the law. The high court had taken a frustratingly conservative turn, Brennan noted. He encouraged state judges to find in state constitutions and laws language that would guarantee citizens “even more protections” than those provided by the U.S. Constitution.
We are still paying for Brennan’s exhortation today.
His essay helped inspire a “positive rights” revolution in state courts. Over the 37 years since Brennan’s appeal, a number of state high courts have aggressively used vague state constitutional language — referring, say, to the general welfare — to force legislators to spend billions of dollars on new entitlements, particularly in education.
Since the early 1980s, the country has seen a tide of “equity” funding lawsuits in which plaintiffs have sought extra state spending in poorer school districts to address funding gaps with wealthier areas. Soon, plaintiffs were arguing that states needed not only to ensure spending equity but also to provide an “adequate” education for all children, including those from disadvantaged families — a goal that has further driven spending.
Take the case of Kentucky. In 1984, school superintendents there sued for more funding, seizing on a guarantee of an “efficient” system of public schools in the state’s constitution to challenge school spending there. A trial judge eventually ruled that Kentucky’s General Assembly had failed to provide sufficient resources for efficient public education. But to finance the court’s vision, the state, with a budget of only $8.8 billion at the time, raised taxes by $1.3 billion annually. Within five years, Kentucky’s tax burden jumped from 27th in the nation to 12th-highest among the states.
Education outcomes rose far less impressively. Kentucky students’ scores have increased over the years on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, tests, but those gains largely mirrored national increases. Perhaps more important, given that the court’s push to reduce funding inequities was about improving disadvantaged students’ life chances, the achievement gap between African-American and white students hasn’t shrunk in Kentucky. Even on its own spendthrift terms, the judicial campaign to improve schools failed.
Without waiting for the academic results of Kentucky’s massive funding increases, judges in other states also rushed to compel higher school spending, viewing expensive new buildings and additional programs in themselves as signs of improvement. Spending became a de facto measure of success.
A New York judge ordered the state and the city, already spending more than $12 billion on schools (or about $10,500 per student), to hike spending by a jaw-dropping $5.6 billion a year. An appeals court later reduced that amount, but in 2006, Gov. Eliot Spitzer agreed to boost Gotham school spending by $5.4 billion over a four-year period.
The money helped fuel an increase in per-pupil spending to $19,000 by 2013. But, as in Kentucky, the flood of new money did little to improve student achievement. Scores on NAEP tests for New York City eighth-graders went up a bit, but less than in other big cities.
One reason for the disconnect between higher funding and results may be other shortcomings in the New York City school system, ignored by the courts: fiscal waste, the lack of an effective teacher evaluation process, and rich employee pension and health care benefits that consume a growing portion of funding.
While the courts are supposed to provide checks on legislative power, such cases remind us that the judiciary has few checks on its own power. In 1995, the Wyoming Supreme Court interpreted the state constitution’s “thorough and efficient” clause regarding public education to mean that government must build an educational system that is “the best that we can do” — and then, with breathtaking arrogance, added that “lack of financial resources will not be an acceptable reason for failure.”
From 1995 through 2007, the court kept the pressure on Wyoming, and school spending grew by 130 percent per pupil, driving the state from 15th to sixth in the nation in school expenditures, according to U.S. Census data. Yet the payoff is again hard to see.
As if all this weren’t enough, liberal judges and legal scholars are calling for state courts to push the positive rights agenda even further by guaranteeing such things as minimum welfare payments and government subsidies for food, clothing, housing and medical care to every citizen.
But the problem, of course, is that while courts can order states to pay for new material rights, they can’t magically supply the money. Typically, advocates brush the problem aside by observing that the United States is a rich country and can afford the bill.
Constraining state judicial activism won’t be easy. Reform must begin in law schools, where faculties are overwhelmingly liberal and friendly to an activist judiciary (as long as it’s liberal in its activism).
James Lindgren of Northwestern University Law School surveyed the nation’s top law schools and found that only 13 percent of professors identified as Republicans.
State-level reform should focus on judicial selection, a process that varies greatly from state to state. Judicial elections, once among the sleepiest precincts of electoral politics, have gotten far more contentious, thanks mainly to the efforts of special interests, especially trial lawyers, to elect liberal, plaintiff-friendly judges.
But without new constraints on state judicial activism, voters can expect more fiscal pain. Unless state judges return to a more cautious approach to constitutional language, states and municipalities will find it ever harder to devise sound budgets.
Steven Malanga is the senior editor of City Journal and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. A longer version of this piece appears in the Spring 2014 edition of City Journal. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times. |
Bird flu threat 'understated in humans'
Hong Kong, August 15, 2008
The H9N2 bird flu strain, identified as a possible pandemic threat, could be infecting more humans than commonly thought but its mild symptoms mean it often goes undetected, a leading Hong Kong bird flu expert said.
"It's quite possible ... H9N2 is infecting humans quite a lot, much (more) than we appreciate merely because it is beyond the radar," Malik Peiris, a Hong Kong-based microbiologist, told Reuters.
"In humans, it is very mild, so most of the time it's probably not even recognized or biologically tested," said Peiris, who has co-authored several papers on the strain in recent years.
So far, only a handful of human H9N2 cases have been documented worldwide, including four children in Hong Kong in 2003 who suffered from mild fevers and coughs -- as well as a batch in China's Guangdong province, where people often live in close proximity to poultry, Peiris said.
The Hong Kong cases were only picked up by chance given the city's rigorous influenza testing regime, Peiris said.
"It's quite a silent virus, it's not highly pathogenic ... and sometimes it causes some morbidity in poultry but by and large it is just there and it's unnoticed," Peiris said of the H9N2 strain.
The strain occurs mostly in birds, although it has also affected pigs and other animals in Europe and Asia.
Most influenza experts agree that a pandemic -- a deadly global epidemic -- of some kind of flu is inevitable.-Reuters |
One significant challenge of HIV research is that the HIV virus infects only humans and chimpanzees -- not dogs, cats, rodents, or any other normal lab test animals. As a result, testing hypotheses about HIV transmission has been extremely difficult; infecting humans with HIV is unethical, and infecting chimpanzees with HIV is not feasible because of their protection as endangered species. However, Dr. J. Victor Garcia-Martinez of the University of Texas Southwestern has come up with a clever research technique that circumvents these constraints. This week, Garcia-Martinez gave a presentation describing new developments in his use of the "humanized mouse" to study HIV.
The mouse model is a chimera, meaning its cells are taken from two (or more) sets of genetically distinct cells. Fetal human liver and thymic tissue cells were used to repopulate the bone marrow, from which new cells were then created. The mouse thus develops a human immune system and can be infected with HIV. Garcia-Martinez previously used the mouse model to show that antiretroviral drugs given before and after HIV transmission can prevent vaginal transmission. This research implies, according to Science Daily, that high risk women might one day be able to take a regular pill to prevent HIV infection.
Having begun by studying male-to-female transmission, Garcia-Martinez is now using the humanized mouse to study male-to-male transmission. In my opinion, his work is extremely creative and his concept important -- even if I do have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of a mouse that is part human!
The article can be found at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420103740.htm |
We are constantly asked why we utilize smaller field sizes with a reduced number of players in our U-6 through U-12 programs. Parents constantly approach coaches expressing concerns that their child is far too skilled or talented to be confined to the smaller space.
What does "Small-Sided Games" mean? These are soccer games with fewer players competing on a smaller sized field. These are fun games that involve the players more because fewer players are sharing one ball. The field size is based on age groups, providing a more age appropriate environment that will allow players with a better opportunity to develop heightened soccer intelligence and on-the-ball skills
Meriden Soccer Club is proud of the fact that we have been a long time proponent of Small Sided Games. In fact, U.S. Soccer has adopted and published a set of Small Sided Standards that it will be mandating be implemented across the nation by 2017 ......just further validating Meriden Soccer Club's approach all along.
So, why Small-Sided Games?
1. Because we want our young soccer players to touch the soccer ball more often and become more skillful with it! (Individual technical development)
2. Because we want our young soccer players to make more, less-complicated decisions during the game! (Tactical development)
3. Because we want our young soccer players to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in! (Reduced field size)
4. Because we want our young soccer players to have more individual teaching time with the coach! Less players on the field and less players on the team will guarantee this! (Need to feel worthy and need to feel important)
5. Because we want our young soccer players to have more, involved playing time in the game! (More opportunity to solve problems that only the game presents)
6. Because we want our young soccer players to have more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball! (More exposure to attacking and defending situations)
7. Because we want our young soccer players to have more opportunities to score goals! (Pure excitement)
These are the reasons why we adults must foster "Small-Sided Games" in our youth soccer programs. The "Small-Sided" environment is a developmentally appropriate environment for our young soccer players. It's a FUN environment that focuses on the young soccer player.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THR NEW U.S. SOCCER COACHING INITIATIVES TARGET IMPROVEMENT IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS |
In the modern world, one of society’s most precious commodities has become information. With the explosion of the digital age that has affected almost every aspect of life, this often means data that has been stored digitally. For businesses and companies this is doubly true as data storage impacts all the systems and programs used to run the business. Data centers have become a popular way to store such information and can hold an entire entity’s lifeblood on its servers. Data center cooling is an important part of keeping data centers healthy, but why are they necessary and how do you choose the right system to protect your center?
Data center cooling is necessary to keep servers and other electronic devices in good working condition. If you have ever been working at your personal computer and heard the fan come on, then you have a reference point for this concept. Devices that use electricity produce a waste product of heat. When there are many electronic products in one place, such as a data center, then the amount of heat given off by such devices can add up quickly. High heat levels can be destructive for servers and other electronic devices, causing corrosion and potentially making information inaccessible. To keep your data safe, your center needs a cooling system.
The two most common forms of data center cooling use methods that involve either air or a liquid to remove heat from the center. Air methods of cooling take advantage of the tendency for warmer air to rise above cooler air. In these systems, air in the center circulates through a special room designed to remove heat from the warmer air to outside of the facility and then recirculating the cooler air back through the building. Liquid cooling systems usually require more infrastructure but are generally considered to be more effective. Cool water or refrigerant is kept in a central location, such as a tower, and then runs through pipes into the facility, taking heat with it when it exits the building.
Whether you have an existing data center cooling system or are looking to install a new one, making sure the cooling system you use is sufficient for your needs is important. For those with an existing system, periodically checking things such as the air temperature inside the facility and in the racks can help you determine whether or not your servers and other equipment is at the proper temperature. If you suspect that your existing system is not up to par or are trying to gauge what you need for a new system, remember that for every unit of heat your equipment puts out, you will need a unit of cooling to counteract it. Every system should be rated with a cooling capacity, so sure the system you choose covers your maximum waste output.
Keeping your information safe with data center cooling should be a priority. Cooling allows you to prevent servers and IT gear from corroding. There are several different systems you can utilize to cool your facility, but air and liquid systems are most common. For help determining your facility’s needs and what system best fits the bill, contact an expert today. |
Complete the Quadrilateral
(Don Steward, 2013)
Try finding the largest and smallest rhombus, rectangle, trapezoids etc. so their vertices include a special point and the other vertices lie on the lattice points of a grid. The first half of the video is quite easy, but the latter part is really fun and interesting. These puzzles were inspired by Don Steward’s brilliant blog.
Below – students struggle through a tougher variant. Download it here.
Nothing must be advanced in a positive manner. The mind of the pupil is to be the principal operator; it must instruct, convince, and confute itself; and when it arrives at some important truth or result, it must be through its own powers. It ought not even to perceive that it has been guided thither.F. J. Grund
Baobab Education had a clever theme for these type of puzzles – rock climbing walls… When I redo this puzzle I will use their theme. These themes do not make the problem “real world” – no climber looks at a rock wall and sees trapezoids 😉 However themes add interest for those students who need a little bit more to get engaged. Just because the connections are silly does not mean that they are pedagogically wrong.
Standards for Mathematical Practice
MathPickle puzzle and game designs engage a wide spectrum of student abilities while targeting the following Standards for Mathematical Practice:
MP1 Toughen up!
This is problem solving where our students develop grit and resiliency in the face of nasty, thorny problems. It is the most sought after skill for our students.
MP3 Work together!
This is collaborative problem solving in which students discuss their strategies to solve a problem and identify missteps in a failed solution. MathPickle recommends pairing up students for all its puzzles.
MP6 Be precise!
This is where our students learn to communicate using precise terminology. MathPickle encourages students not only to use the precise terms of others, but to invent and rigorously define their own terms.
MP7 Be observant!
One of the things that the human brain does very well is identify pattern. We sometimes do this too well and identify patterns that don't really exist. |
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Title: Woody plants, carbon allocation and fine roots
Author: Pregitzer, Kurt S.
Source: New Phytologist. 158: 421-424.
Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)
The ability of woody plants to survive for decades, centuries, sometimes millennia, is due in part to their capacity to withstand environmental stress by shifting their resources from roots, to shoots, to storage reserves.
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Pregitzer, Kurt S. 2003. Woody plants, carbon allocation and fine roots. New Phytologist. 158: 421-424.
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As a member of the Araceae (arum family), its common relatives include calla, anthurium, caladium, pothos, dieffenbachia and aglaonema.
Native to southeastern Brazil.
In its native habitat, stems can grow rather high (up to 30 plus feet), leaf nodes short with prominent leaf scars. Leaves up to one meter, bright green, reflexed, ovate in outline and divided. While not grown for its flowers, the spathe is about 12 x 2 inches, green to dark purple-red externally while being cream with red margins within.
The name ‘Barryi’ refers to hybrids between the formerly distinct species.
Chill sensitive, store at 55-60F.
Most are classified as “epiphytes” or air plants as they grow on other plants and elevated supports. They are not parasites but obtain water and nutrients through a spongy covering of their roots.
Philodendron: Greek for tree-loving, in reference to its native growing habit.
Several arum family members (including taro) are grown in tropical regions for their edible tubers, representing starch staples for large populations. Many other species are grown for their beautiful foliage.
Can tolerate all sorts of neglect. Will grow well in light levels bright enough to read a newspaper in comfort even though they are often exposed to lower light levels and still survive.
Recent Research Findings:
As summarized by Brown (1988) of the work by Wolverton et al. (numerous years), this is one of many foliage and flowering plant species that can remove air pollutants such as formaldehyde and/or benzene often found in cigarette smoke from interior environments. |
Crocus plants are one of the first flowers to bloom each spring, with blossoms that often open when there is still snow on the ground. Fortunately, we don't have to wait till spring to enjoy these glorious flowers. Growing Crocus indoors is easy to do by forcing them to bloom for the holidays or at any time during the winter. For the best chance of success and the biggest, healthiest blooms, use large, firm bulbs.
To force crocus bulbs, schedule indoor planting any time between mid-September and early December. For a continuous display of color, force several bulbs and stagger the planting times. Bulbs planted in mid-September bloom in late December. Plant bulbs in mid-October for a February display of color and in mid-November for early spring blooms.
Select shallow clay or plastic pots with a depth of at least 4 inches (20 cm) and a greater width than height. As a general rule, a pot 6 inches (15 cm) wide accommodates approximately 6 to 12 Crocus bulbs, depending on the bulbs' size. Pots constructed of other materials such as wood or ceramic are fine as long as the pots have a drainage hole in the bottom.
Crocus bulbs require a lightweight potting medium that drains well while retaining adequate moisture to sustain the bulbs. Good quality commercial potting mixtures consisting of potting soil, sphagnum moss, and perlite or vermiculite are suitable. Or make your own mixture using equal parts of all three ingredients. Fill the pot to about 0.5 to 1 inch (1.2 to 2.5 cm) from the top.
Plant the Crocus bulbs in the potting medium with the bulbs close together but not touching. To plant the bulbs, use your finger or a stick to create a small hole for each bulb, and then place it in the hole. Cover the bulbs with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the potting medium. Crocus bulbs require constant moisture to bloom. Water deeply until water drips through the drainage hole.
Crocus bulbs chill in cold soil for 12 to 13 weeks in their natural environment, while the bulbs develop roots for blooms in early spring. To replicate these conditions indoors, place the bulbs in an unheated garage, basement or storage shed where temperatures are between 35 and 48 ° F (2 and 9 °C). A spot where the temperatures remain fairly stable is preferable. Check the potting medium regularly, watering as needed to keep the soil moist but not soggy.
Crocus bulbs are ready to leave the cold environment when healthy roots are visible through the drainage hole. Place the pot in a cool room where the bulbs are exposed to indirect light and temperatures between 60 and 65 °F (15 and 18 °C). When you can see the buds' color, move the pot into the room where you want to display the bulbs. Keep the pot in indirect light, and continue to keep the potting medium moist. Moving the pot into a cooler room at night prolongs the life of the blooms.
- Back to genus Crocus
- Plantopedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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What is anomaly detection?
Anomaly detection (aka outlier analysis) is a step in data mining that identifies data points, events, and/or observations that deviate from a dataset’s normal behavior. Anomalous data can indicate critical incidents, such as a technical glitch, or potential opportunities, for instance a change in consumer behavior. Machine learning is progressively being used to automate anomaly detection.
What is an anomaly?
With all the analytics programs and various management software available, it’s now easier than ever for companies to effectively measure every single aspect of business activity. This includes the operational performance of applications and infrastructure components as well as key performance indicators (KPIs) that evaluate the success of the organization. With millions of metrics that can be measured, companies tend to end up with quite an impressive dataset to explore the performance of their business.
Within this dataset are data patterns that represent business as usual. An unexpected change within these data patterns, or an event that does not conform to the expected data pattern, is considered an anomaly. In other words, an anomaly is a deviation from business as usual.
But then what do we mean by “business as usual” when it comes to business metrics? Surely we don’t mean “unchanging” or “constant;” there’s nothing unusual about an eCommerce website collecting a large amount of revenue in a single day – certainly if that day is Cyber Monday. That’s not unusual because a high volume of sales on Cyber Monday is a well-established peak in the natural business cycle of any business with a web storefront.
Indeed, it would be an anomaly if such a company didn’t have high sales volume on Cyber Monday, especially if Cyber Monday sales volumes for previous years were very high. The absence of change can be an anomaly if it breaks a pattern that is normal for the data from that particular metric. Anomalies aren’t categorically good or bad, they’re just deviations from the expected value for a metric at a given point in time.
What is time series data anomaly detection?
Successful anomaly detection hinges on an ability to accurately analyze time series data in real time. Time series data is composed of a sequence of values over time. That means each point is typically a pair of two items — a timestamp for when the metric was measured, and the value associated with that metric at that time.
Time series data isn’t a projection in and of itself. Rather, it’s a record that contains information necessary for making educated guesses about what can be reasonably expected in the future. Anomaly detection systems use those expectations to identify actionable signals within your data, uncovering outliers in key KPIs to alert you to key events in your organization.
Depending on your business model and use case, time series data anomaly detection can be used for valuable metrics such as:
- Web page views
- Daily active users
- Mobile app installs
- Cost per lead
- Cost per click
- Customer acquisition costs
- Bounce rate
- Churn rate
- Revenue per click
- Volume of transactions
- Average order value
- And more
Time series data anomaly detection must first create a baseline for normal behavior in primary KPIs. With that baseline understood, time series data anomaly detection systems can track seasonality — the cyclical patterns of behavior within key datasets. A manual approach may help identify seasonal data in one data plot. But when you have to scale to thousands or millions of metrics, tracking time series data and spotting anomalies has to be automated to deliver valuable business insights.
The three different types of time series anomalies
Understanding the types of outliers that an anomaly detection system can identify is essential to getting the most value from generated insights. Without knowing what you’re up against, you risk making the wrong decisions once your anomaly detection system alerts you to an issue or opportunity.
Generally speaking, anomalies in your business data fall into three main categories — global outliers, contextual outliers, and collective outliers.
1. Global outliers
Also known as point anomalies, these outliers exist far outside the entirety of a data set.
2. Contextual outliers
Also called conditional outliers, these anomalies have values that significantly deviate from the other data points that exist in the same context. An anomaly in the context of one dataset may not be an anomaly in another. These outliers are common in time series data because those datasets are records of specific quantities in a given period. The value exists within global expectations but may appear anomalous within certain seasonal data patterns.
3. Collective outliers
When a subset of data points within a set is anomalous to the entire dataset, those values are called collective outliers. In this category, individual values aren’t anomalous globally or contextually. You start to see these types of outliers when examining distinct time series together. Individual behavior may not deviate from the normal range in a specific time series dataset. But when combined with another time series dataset, more significant anomalies become clear.
Why your company needs anomaly detection
With all the analytics programs and various management software available, it’s easier than ever for you to effectively measure every single aspect of business activity. That includes the operational performance of applications and infrastructure components as well as key performance indicators (KPIs) that evaluate the success of your business.
With millions of metrics to measure, you end up with a massive and ever increasing dataset to explore. But what happens when there are unexpected changes in data patterns? These anomalies—deviations from business as usual — are caused by business incidents in the real world. Whether it’s a new successful marketing campaign that increased leads, a promotional discount that drove up sales, a price glitch that’s impacting revenue, or anything in between, you need to be able to trace the root cause.
Because there are millions of metrics to track across your business, there are also millions of unique ways to gain insights from anomaly detection. But a closer look shows that there are three main business use cases for anomaly detection — application performance, product quality, and user experience.
1. Anomaly detection for application performance
Application performance can make or break workforce productivity and revenue. Traditional, reactive approaches to application performance monitoring only allow you to react to issues, leaving your business to suffer consequences before you even know there’s a problem.
With over 100 million monthly-active users worldwide, Waze decided it needed anomaly detection to identify and resolve potential application performance issues before they affected users. Machine learning algorithms help its anomaly detection solution seamlessly correlate data with relevant application performance metrics to provide a complete story for business incidents that the IT team can take action on.
But it’s not just software and app companies like Waze that benefit from anomaly detection for application performance. The following industries can also take advantage:
- Telco: As some of the largest time series data producers in the world, telco operators need advanced solutions to mitigate anomalies that could cause system-wide degradation in their complex networks. For Optus Networks, manually tracking metrics with traditional BI tools wasn’t enough. Monitoring things like jitter, latency, and call quality, and more across its networks requires anomaly detection that allows the telco to proactively address performance in real time.
- Adtech: Processing trillions of transactions on a monthly basis with real-time auctions that occur within 40 milliseconds leaves little room for manual KPI monitoring. While operations teams can stay on top of technical data center issues, more complex application performance trends are less clear. Rubicon Project, one of the world’s largest ad exchanges, uses anomaly detection to monitor all transactions in real time and maintain the health of its ad marketplace.
2. Anomaly detection for product quality
For product managers, it’s not enough to trust every other department to take care of necessary monitoring and alerts. From initial rollout to each instance that you introduce a new feature, you need to be able to trust that the product will work smoothly.
Because your product is always evolving, every version release, A/B test, new feature, purchase funnel tweak, or change to customer support can result in behavioral anomalies. When you don’t properly monitor for these product anomalies, ongoing issues will cost your company millions in lost revenue and damaged brand reputation.
Any product-based business can benefit from anomaly detection and the following are two key examples of how:
- eCommerce: While developers can cover the technical aspects of monitoring an eCommerce platform, someone has to monitor the business funnel, conversion rates, and other key KPIs. This role falls on the product manager. But when you’re trusting static thresholds to monitor dynamic funnel ratios, you’ll miss out on key alerts in the context of seasonality and other time series elements. Or, you’ll fail to identify pricing glitches like Argos did. Improper product pricing led to a site crash, many angry customers, and plenty of lost revenue. With anomaly detection, product quality issues like price glitches are detected much faster—before a site crashes and customers are impacted.
- Fintech: Security is important for any digital business, but it’s even more critical for fintechs. Customers and financial partners need assurance that transactions are processed securely — and it’s your job to stay ahead of advanced attacks. With anomaly detection in place, data sources are integrated into a centralized platform, giving you total visibility into performance and operations and the ability to uncover key security vulnerabilities.
3. Anomaly detection for user experience
When you have a faulty version release, experience a DDoS attack, or have a customer support process change that backfires, you risk having usage lapses across customer experiences. Reacting to these lapses before they impact user experience is crucial to avoiding frustrations that lead to churn and lost revenue.
Proactively streamlining and improving user experiences will help improve customer satisfaction in a variety of industries, including:
- Gaming: Monitoring the permutational complexities of gaming experiences can’t be done with manual thresholds. Anomaly detection solutions monitor operating systems, levels, user segments, different devices, and more with artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure glitches and errors that would hurt user experience can be remediated quickly. Outfit7 takes advantage of anomaly detection because it helps them anticipate and address challenges as their games continually evolve.
- Online Business: Smooth operation is essential for any online business. To ensure UX is never compromised, IT must mitigate API errors, load-time glitches, server downtime, and more — all in real-time. Anomaly detection ensures complete coverage and minimal response time across all platforms, operating systems, and data centers. For Wix, anomaly detection means rapid root cause analysis of all potential issues through a single, unified platform.
Understanding different anomaly detection methods
In the past, manual anomaly detection was a viable option. You only had a handful of metrics to track across your business and the datasets were manageable enough for an analytics team. But you have more data than ever at your fingertips and there’s one glaring problem with traditional, manual anomaly detection — it doesn’t scale. Without hundreds, thousands, or even millions of metrics to manage, the cost and complexity of manual anomaly detection is impossible to bear.
There’s a limit to the personnel you can hire, expertise they bring to the table, and accuracy of insights they can deliver in anomaly detection. First, consider the sheer amount of people it would take to successfully perform manual, real-time anomaly detection. Each person might be able to perform real-time anomaly detection for 100 metrics at once. For 1,000 metrics, you’d 10 people on staff full-time for continuous monitoring. When you get up to 1 million metrics or more, you’re looking at a staff of 10,000+ people just for anomaly detection. That’s just not feasible. And that’s not even mentioning the inconsistencies and human error that would come with manual analytics.
Meeting the demands of modern businesses requires automated anomaly detection that can provide accurate, real-time insights regardless of how many metrics you need to track. Truly automated anomaly detection systems should include detection, ranking, and grouping of data, eliminating the need for large teams of analysts.
The key to automating anomaly detection is finding the right combination of supervised and unsupervised machine learning. You want the vast majority of data classifications to be done in an unsupervised manner (without human interaction). However, you should still have the option to have analysts feed algorithms with datasets that will be valuable to creating baselines of business-as-usual behavior. A hybrid approach ensures that you can scale anomaly detection with the flexibility to make manual rules regarding specific anomalies.
Build vs. Buy: anomaly detection deployment
When you’ve made the decision to invest in anomaly detection for your business, the next step is determining how to get the greatest return on that investment. And that means making a decision regarding the build vs. buy dilemma. While there may not be a right or wrong answer in the general sense, your specific needs will determine which path is best for your business.
To make the right choice between building and buying anomaly detection, consider key factors such as:
- The size of your company and the volume of data that must be processed
- Your budget for implementing this new system
- Expected time to value in terms of immediate need for anomaly detection and the demands of business stakeholders
- Capacity for development and maintenance within your IT team
- Expansion plans for your business and how that will impact data analytics
When you partner with the right vendor for anomaly detection, you can achieve time to value in 30 days as opposed to months or years. And with advanced off-the-shelf capabilities, you can cut annual costs by 40%-90% depending on your specific use cases.
Whichever path you choose, make sure you’re prepared to capture, analyze, and package data in ways that will deliver meaningful, actionable insights to business users — it could be the difference between business-as-usual and ongoing glitches that cost you millions.
This overview should give you a good idea of what anomaly detection is, why it’s necessary for your business, and how these systems work on a high level. Businesses have been laser-focused on optimizing data collection — and now it’s time to use that data to gain insights that will drive your business forward.
Continue on to the second post in this series, where we discuss why it’s critical for your business to detect anomalies in real time.
And if you’re ready to get more out of anomaly detection and take advantage of an advanced, automated solution, contact us for a free demo. |
COMPROMISE ISN’T EASY
Just like today, some politicians in the early 1800s believed their cause too crucial to negotiate.
“What you have at the time is a very bitter partisan divide between Federalists and Republicans that was, if anything, more bitter than the divide between the tea party and Democrats today,” said historian J.C.A. Stagg, editor of President James Madison‘s papers at the University of Virginia.
“The Federalists thought (Thomas) Jefferson and Madison had ruined the country and had to be stopped,” Stagg said.
Angry New Englanders were so opposed to the War of 1812 that their Federalist leaders seriously discussed seceding from the union. They were tagged as disloyal by Americans elsewhere, and that contributed to the party’s downfall after the war.
The Jeffersonian Republicans, on the other hand, tried to blame all their troubles on Federalist opposition to the war, said Hickey, “just the way parties always blame their problems on the other side.”
NEVER SAY NEVER
Instead of claiming the United States has “never” defaulted, it’s safer to say America was born in default.
The former colonies emerged from the Revolutionary War deeply in debt. In 1790 the first secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, took the issue in hand. His Treasury assumed responsibility for the states’ debts, offered creditors less than they were owed and borrowed more money to put the new nation on solid financial footing.
Other maneuvers that undercut investors get labeled “technical defaults” by some historians and economists. A leading example is 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt took the nation off the gold standard amid the bank panics of the Great Depression. The nation’s creditors were paid with dollars of much lower value than the gold they were due.
The Supreme Court said the government could do it, but mourned the abandonment of “the solemn promise of bonds of the United States.” |
Quebec, Canada – Syrian calligrapher Khaled al-Saa’i discussed Arabic calligraphy at a lecture held Nov. 11 at the Galérie Montcalm in Gatineau, Quebec.
The same poetic verse (“wounding a dead man does not torment”) written in the eight basic types of Arabic calligraphy by Khaled al-Saa’i. From top to bottom: Riq’a, Ta’leeq, Dywani, Naskh, Dywani Jaly, Thulth, Maghrebi, Kufi.
Arabic calligraphy is often highly decorative. Islamic art has tended to shy away from depicting human and animal forms for fear of idolatry, so artistic creativity often took the form of architecture and calligraphy.
Al-Saa’i described Tulth as the oldest style, a highly complex form lacking spontaneity. It was used for mosque decorations and for surah headings in the Qu’ran. Riq’a is a modern style, often used in everyday writing and frequently in book titles. Ta’leeq is a Persian script from the 9th Century. Dywani is a highly decorative form developed in the 16th and 17th Centuries, and Dywani Jaly is a derivative form, perhaps the most beautiful Arabic script. The Ottoman sultans used it for their communications.
|Calligraphic artwork by Khaled al-Saa’i|
While all of these styles can be very rich in form and have been colorfully produced, modern Arabic calligraphy today has created styles that are art forms submerging the calligraphic element into something resembling various Western styles.
In al-Saa’i’s original creations, the actual letters are often not apparent, especially to one unfamiliar with the language. Rather, his works resemble abstract creations. They burst with color and energy. In Western art, one finds similarities to futurism, though his work is less obviously suggestive of forms. One is also reminded of Kandinsky and the Bleue Reiter school and of the abstractionist Viera da Silva. |
Wisconsin is about to roll the dice on public health by rolling back a state rule requiring municipal governments to disinfect drinking water [GOP proposes rollback of mandatory disinfection for drinking water]. The current rule protects the safety of drinking water for 12 percent of Wisconsin’s municipal water supply systems in some of the state’s smaller communities. Repealing the rule would mean that approximately 220,000 residents could be exposed to water that has not been disinfected. The proponents of the rule’s repeal cite budget concerns.
This is a mistake. Experience has shown us that the costs of not disinfecting drinking water are measured in much more than just dollars and cents.
In 2008, the city of Alamosa, Colorado suffered a waterborne disease outbreak that killed one person and sickened more than 1,300 of the town’s 8,900 residents. Prior to the outbreak, Alamosa, armed with a state disinfection waiver, chose not chlorinate its water. A state report following an investigation determined that animal waste likely contaminated a compromised holding tank, leading to the outbreak. Routine drinking water chlorination would have prevented this outbreak. Since 2008, the Colorado health department has withdrawn more than half of the disinfection waivers statewide and today Alamosa is chlorinating its drinking water.
Eleven years ago in Walkerton, Ontario, seven people died and more than 2,300 became ill after E. coli and other bacteria infected the town’s water supply. A report published by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General concluded that, even after the well was contaminated, the Walkerton disaster could have been prevented if the required chlorine residuals had been maintained.
These two cities learned the hard way that waterborne diseases don’t just go away – they must be eradicated by using disinfecting agents like chlorine. Handing out disinfection waivers is the equivalent of giving waterborne diseases a free pass into thousands of Wisconsin homes. A little chlorination goes a long way toward wiping out some of the nastiest bugs including E. coli and salmonella.
During the 20th century, the dramatic increase in life span from 49 years to 76 years is widely credited to public health achievements, including the control of infectious diseases through the chlorination of drinking water. Safe drinking water has saved lives and lessened the burden of disease on millions of people, especially children in the country. We understand budgets are tight, but any savings that can be achieved by not disinfecting water could easily be offset by higher healthcare costs associated with treating Wisconsin residents with waterborne diseases and, even worse, any potential lives lost.
More than a billion people around the world have no access to safe drinking water through their public infrastructure. For them, it’s not a voluntary gamble; they simply have no choice. There’s no excuse for choosing to add more than 200,000 Wisconsin residents to their ranks.
Chris Wiant, M.P.H., Ph.D., is president and CEO of the Caring for Colorado Foundation. He is also chair of the Water Quality & Health Council. |
Telescope for Macular Degeneration?
FDA Eyes Implantable Miniature Telescope When All Else Fails to Treat Macular Degeneration
WebMD News Archive
How the Implantable Telescope Works
The telescope magnifies images by recruiting other parts of the retina to
make up for the loss of the macula. "What it does is it enlarges the image
that the patients can see to compensate for their macular degeneration, Colby
In the telescope's clinical trial, 206 patients took eye tests before
getting the implantable miniature telescope. One year later, 67% of them could
read at least three extra lines on the doctors' eye chart, compared to their
eye test results before getting the telescope.
"One of the patients I implanted actually was able to return to a
long-loved avocation of sculpting that he had had to give up," Colby
Implanting the telescope is "challenging surgery," says Colby, who
wrote a paper about the procedure in the August 2007 edition of the Archives
Four millimeters may sound small, but for the eye, "it's a large device,
so it needs to be placed in the eye carefully to avoid damaging other
structures within the eye," Colby says.
Those structures include the cornea, which is the eye's outermost layer.
In the telescope's clinical trial, patients had lost 25% of certain corneal
cells one year after surgery. That didn't meet the study's benchmark of losing
no more than 17% of those cells. Cornea specialists met that goal, but not all
of the surgeons who took part in the study were cornea specialists, Colby
The trial's results, published in Ophthalmology in November 2006,
show that most of the corneal cell loss occurred from postsurgery swelling, not
because of ongoing trauma caused by the telescope.
Lloyd notes that after getting the telescope, several patients in the
clinical trial later needed a corneal transplant. That may be in part because
of their advanced age (participants were 76 years old, on average), Lloyd
Tips for Patients
If the FDA approves the implantable miniature telescope, Lloyd and Colby
have some advice for patients.
First, keep your expectations reasonable. For instance, "it's not
realistic to hope that you're going to be able to drive," Colby says.
Second, choose your surgeon carefully. Lloyd suggests asking these
- What are the risks, the benefits, and the alternatives?
- Where did you learn how to do this procedure?
- How many of these operations have you done?
- What is your success rate with this operation?
"It's early going. These things are going to require a lot of care and a
lot of follow-up, and a steep learning curve," Lloyd says. |
Gal 5:23 (isv) gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
The definition of Meekness (gentleness) is the outcome of true humility, the bearing towards others which results from a lowly estimate of ourselves (Rom 12:3) “Expositor’s Greek Testament”.
Basically, if we truly “love our neighbors”, we are to respect everyone’s choices whether we agree or not since God gave everyone this ability to choose.
This PREVENTS arguments!
“Mildness” would represent that side of the virtue which is turned towards men; but it has also another side, which is turned towards God—a gentle submissiveness to His divine will (Ellicott’s commentary).
If we are not exercising gentleness toward others then we are not being submissive to God’s will: we are not loving our neighbors and we will argue.
This will lead to arrogance and pride (Gal 5:26, 1 Cor 13:4, Pro 10:12, 8:13, 11:2, 29:23, James 4:6).
Keep these verses handy to remind you that God wants GENTLENESS from us not bellicosity.
God bless you today |
Two New York scientists headed to Maryland late yesterday hoping to make detailed measurements of any shocks that might follow Sunday's small earthquake, the third and most powerful to hit the Columbia area in the past week.
A colleague estimated that there is a 50-50 chance that another small quake will occur. Other researchers said there is no reason to believe that the recent tremors are the prelude to a larger, destructive earthquake.
Over the next few days, the research geologists from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory will bury orange crate-size seismometers in foot-deep holes scattered around the Howard County city.
Dr. John Ambruster and Dr. Leonardo Seeber want to record any more tremors from what scientists increasingly suspect is an ancient fracture, or fault. Scientists have not been able to analyze the recent quakes in detail because there are no working seismometers in Maryland.
"If that fault continues to pop away -- hopefully, with not much larger events than we've had in the past -- that would give us the opportunity to really pinpoint which geological fault or feature is causing that activity," said Dr. Klaus Jacob, another Lamont-Doherty seismologist.
In the 28 years prior to 1990, Dr. Jacob noted, Maryland experienced only one earthquake. But in the past three years there have been six small tremors, all of them within a 20-mile radius of the Granite-Woodstock area of western Baltimore County and northeastern Howard County.
Dr. Jacob estimated that there is a 50-50 chance that one or more small earthquakes will hit the Columbia area. They could be so tiny, though, that area residents would not feel them.
Other scientists added that while small shocks are possible, a major quake is unlikely.
"The overwhelming probability is that we're not going to see anything [major] follow on this," said Dr. Randall Updike of the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va. "There's just no historic evidence to suggest that is going to happen."
In California, which lies on the seismically active edge of one of six huge plates that make up most of Earth's crust, the small Columbia quakes might be regarded as the prologue to a larger shock.
But in the East and Midwest, which lie in the middle of the North American plate, small earthquakes often occur in clusters of two or three and then subside. "Some old fault, once every 500 years, relieves some stress," Dr. Updike said. "It has a little bump."
Dr. James P. Reger of the Maryland Geological Survey said he doubts the recent Columbia earthquakes mark "the opening of a new era of earthquake activity. Maryland is still the quietest state on the East Coast between Georgia and Maine. We don't see any reason to revise that picture at this time."
Dr. Jacob cautioned that the current picture could change.
"At this point there's no way for us to know whether something larger is to follow," he said. "If someone tells you that they do know, I wouldn't trust them."
The latest tremor, measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale, occurred at 11:29 p.m. Sunday with its epicenter estimated at the intersection of Route 32 at U.S. 29, Dr. Updike said.
The shock was the most powerful of the recent temblors.
"One thing that this quake seems to have had that the others didn't is a rumbling like a freight train going by," said Dr. Reger, who has talked with many Columbia residents and has distributed 2,000 earthquake questionnaires to area supermarkets. "One person described it as sounding like driving over rumble strips. And they said they felt a little bit more vibration this time."
In all three quakes, some residents have heard loud pops or explosive sounds.
On Thursday, a 2.0 earthquake hit Columbia at 7:54 p.m. Its epicenter was roughly the same as Sunday's.
The 2.5 jolt that hit Columbia at 9:32 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10, had its epicenter about five miles away, near the intersection of Routes 108 and 175.
All three earthquakes are thought to have originated about three miles underground, which suggests that they might have been triggered by movement of the same relatively shallow geologic feature.
"It makes you start thinking that there is likely a fault at some depth," said Dr. Reger. "If it is, we don't know how big it is or how old it is."
If they catch an earthquake in the act, Dr. Jacob said, the Lamont-Doherty scientists hope to be able to pinpoint the cause of the shocks. |
Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a method they developed to screen body fluids for certain kinds of cells and some of their genetic blueprint is twice as accurate at spotting breast cancer cells as a pathologist's view with a microscope.
Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a method they developed to screen body fluids for certain kinds of cells and some of their genetic blueprint is twice as accurate at spotting breast cancer cells as a pathologist's view with a microscope. The screen, developed by Dr. Sara Sukumar and Dr. Mary Jo Fackler, first separates cells from fluid, then sifts through the cells' DNA for chemical tags on certain genes associated with cancer. Reporting in the June 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, the researchers say they have tested their screening tool on breast fluid, in search of cells shed from growing tumors.
"This screening method can see what the eye cannot see," says Sukumar, who is the Barbara B. Rubenstein Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. "It can be a valuable tool, in combination with pathological review, for breast cancer as well as other diseases where fluid can be obtained relatively easily, such as lung, head and neck cancers, pancreatic and cervical cancers."
Pathologists look for telltale shapes of cells to determine if cancer is present, but molecular changes in cells, especially for early cancers, are beyond the reach of even the most powerful microscopes. Sukumar's test searches for unusually high amounts of chemical tags embedded by a process called methylation within critical regions of DNA. The tags attach to the "on" switch of genes, which starts the message-manufacturing process. Cancer cells have abnormal levels of methylation, which turns the gene switch off, halting the assembly line of critical proteins found in normal cells.
The Hopkins test, called quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR or QM-MSP, determines the percentage of methylation present in each of 5 to 10 cancer genes. The percentages are added together for a cumulative score, which is compared to a threshold value. Levels above the threshold indicate the potential presence of cancer cells; levels below threshold suggest that the samples are normal.
In the study, Hopkins researchers compared the cancer-detection rates of their QM-MSP test vs microscopic review by a pathologist on breast fluid samples. The fluid samples, taken from high-risk women or those diagnosed with breast cancer, were obtained through ductal lavage.
Cytopathologists correctly identified 7 of 21 (33%) fluid samples containing cancer, and ruled out the disease in nearly all cases negative for cancer (92 of 93 samples, 99%). QM-MSP doubled the cancer detection rate to 71% by spotting 15 of 21 samples known to be positive for cancer. Of 76 samples negative for cancer, QM-MSP concurred on 63 (83%).
Hidden Breast Ducts
"Now that we know the screening tool is effective in finding cancer cells within breast duct fluid, we need to improve the accuracy of obtaining the fluid," says Sukumar, who believes that their gene screen may miss cancers if they overlook any hidden breast ducts. Improvements in getting an accurate representation of fluid from all the breast ducts are underway by other investigators, and include using sound waves to locate all the ducts. |
The COVID-19 crisis has affected the healthcare system in profound ways.
Among the most pressing concerns involves care for patients with chronic health conditions.
- Seniors have the highest incidence of many chronic diseases. In addition, they are the most at-risk population for COVID-19.
- CDC guidelines advise seniors to remain at home and avoid settings that increase contact with others. This, unfortunately, includes the offices of physicians, hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities.
- Many patients with chronic conditions take medications regularly — and some medications require administration by a health-care professional.
- Patients are adapting to quarantine rules. Many rely on professional home care services and support from friends and family. But, adjusting to the “new normal” has taken a toll on the health and wellbeing of seniors.
Concerns About Osteoporosis in the Age of COVID-19
In light of COVID-19, the medical community has made difficult decisions about care. These decisions have special implications for individuals with osteoporosis.
- Osteoporosis almost exclusively affects seniors — those most at risk if they contract COVID-19.
- Many osteoporosis patients are on long-term control medications or have secondary diseases that require continuous care. Due to restrictions, these patients delayed seeking medical care during the height of the pandemic — 41% delayed medical care, 12% postponed urgent or emergency care, and 32% delayed routine care.
- The mortality rate for osteoporosis increases if left untreated.
Does Osteoporosis Increase Your Risk of COVID-19?
Still, there’s some good news. Having osteoporosis doesn’t increase your risk of contracting COVID-19.
And, seniors who are taking medications for osteoporosis needn’t worry that these medications will increase their risk of infection.
According to the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research:
“We have no evidence that any of the medications that we use to treat osteoporosis affect COVID-19 in any way, so we don’t think that any of these medications is going to be harmful to someone already infected or will increase their risk of infection.”
“It is mostly a question of how can we avoid any negative repercussions that can come with discontinuation of some of these medications and how can we continue to provide them in the safest possible way.”
(Matthew Drake, M.D., of the Division of Endocrinology and Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota).
Let’s look at some specifics:
“Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that requires continued attention, is under-diagnosed, and results in significant morbidity and mortality among vulnerable, older patients if not treated.” (Considering Osteoporosis During the COVID-19 Pandemic)
Certainly, adjustments have been made to meet the need of patients for continuous care during the pandemic:
“The use of telemedicine has exponentially been adopted by members of the medical community but cannot replace clinical decision-making around the in-person assessment and management of osteoporosis…”
Some doctors suggest the use of alternative therapies until osteoporosis patients can resume their original treatments.
Help for Osteoporosis Patients During the Pandemic
But, the question remains: How will physicians and other health care professionals continue to treat patients with osteoporosis during the COVID-19 pandemic? Below are some important considerations:
- Patients receiving intravenous (IV) bisphosphonates should know that new patients often experience flu-like symptoms during the course of treatment. These reactions aren’t difficult to distinguish from COVID-19 respiratory symptoms. However, patients who are unaware of this possibility may suffer from needless anxiety and panic.
- Many treatments for osteoporosis are long-term in nature, with most patients requiring continuous care. It’s vital that these treatments be taken on time. In light of COVID-19, home care professionals can administer treatments at home, or patients can attend telemedicine sessions with their physicians to discuss treatment options.
- Changes in therapy may require an in-person examination by a medical professional. In light of COVID-19, patients may decide to either continue their current therapy regimen or procure medical home care services.
- Unquestionably, a critical treatment for osteoporosis is regular weight-bearing exercise. Seniors can reduce their risk of falls by performing exercises that build strength and improve both balance and posture. Specifically, home-based exercises can prevent bone density loss in senior osteoporosis patients.
David York Supports Osteoporosis and COVID-19 Care in Brooklyn
David York understands the challenges of caregiving and is willing to provide all the support you need.
If you’d like more information about David York Agency’s qualified, compassionate caregivers, contact us at 718.376.7755. A free phone consultation can help you decide what services might be best. If you’d like to hear more from us, please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.
David York Agency Home Healthcare remains committed to providing personalized care for your loved one. If you have questions about our services, please contact us. We can help you through the difficult times and give you the break you deserve! |
HOW TO PREVENT TOOTH DECAY
To forestall tooth decay, it’s endorsed that you must floss no less than as soon as day by day, brush twice day by day, and restrict the consumption of sugar within the weight loss program at most thrice a day. Sugar is current in many alternative meals, comparable to fruits, processed meals, mushy drinks and sweets.
People who find themselves at a excessive threat of creating tooth decay must also think about using fluoride mouthwashes or excessive fluoride dental flosses to scale back the danger of tooth decay improvement.
AVAILABLE FILLING MATERIALS
A number of dental filling supplies can be found at present. They embrace amalgams, gold forged, tooth-colored composite fillings and porcelain supplies to say however just a few are:
SILVER FILLINGS (AMALGAM)
Dental amalgam is a liquid mercury combination and a steel alloy used to fill the cavities brought on by tooth decay. Amalgam normally consists of mercury, silver, tin, copper, and different hint metals.
Many sufferers who’ve undergone tooth filling presently have amalgam as part of their dentition however the quite a few well being considerations and threats posed by the presence of Mercury within the composition of the amalgam
TOOTH-COLORED COMPOSITE FILLINGS
Tooth coloured fillings, additionally referred to as white fillings or composite fillings, are used to fill the anterior and posterior tooth. The filling comes within the type of a paste that the dentist locations on the broken a part of the tooth, adjusts the chew and polishes. It’s generally used for the fixation of entrance tooth broken by decay or chipped, cracked or worn. The filling is tied to a tooth with a really sturdy dental resin, however it may well break, lose or detach, relying on elements comparable to the dimensions of the filling, the place it’s and habits like nail biting.
Tooth coloured fillers can be found in quite a lot of colours that may normally be mixed with tooth shade, and among the newest supplies look very pure.
RISKS INVOLVED IN TEETH FILLING
Tooth sensitivity could come up after deep filling has been achieved. Normalcy is usually restored in just a few days or perhaps weeks after filling.
On uncommon events, if the sensitivity and ache persist because of a really deep filling, a root canal therapy could also be vital.
Over time, fillings could freeze, loosen, chip or break. Sometimes, if filling is essential, it’s endorsed to interchange the dental crown as an alternative of filling it to scale back the danger of fractures or fractures.
LONGEVITY OF FILLINGS
With good monitoring and upkeep, fillings ought to final for a number of years. Research present that the typical lifespan of amalgam or composite filling is about 3-5 years. Research present that in composite or porcelain fillings final a median of 5 to 10 years.
Sufferers can lengthen the longevity of their fillings by brushing and flossing the tooth, lowering the frequency of sugar consumption, and visiting the dentist each 6 months in order that their fillings may be checked regularly. |
Can We Talk Climate?
We get it. Talking about climate change can be tough. And sometimes, it's downright awkward.
Even though more than 7 in 10 Americans believe climate change is happening, and 6 in 10 are worried about it, two-thirds of Americans rarely, if ever, talk about climate change with the people they care about.
We want to change that. The most recent reports on the current and forecasted impacts of climate change are clear—we are running out of time. Silence is no longer an option—and it could be doing more damage than you think.
Research shows there are typically four reasons people don't want to talk about climate change:
- I don't know enough.
- I don't want to talk about scary things.
- I don't think I can make a difference.
- I don't want to cause an argument.
While these are certainly legitimate concerns, we're here to help you navigate them. We've created an e-book that provides tips on having a connected conversation—one with active listening where the goal is sharing honest experiences about climate change.
Atmospheric Science Professor Katharine Hayhoe notes in her TED Talk that the number one thing we can do to break the divisive rhethoric around climate change is "do the exact thing we're not doing: talk about it."
The more people hear conversations about climate change, the more socially validated these conversations become. That’s a big deal. Research shows that people tend to believe what they think those around them believe. So we need to signal to our friends and neighbors that climate is not only on our minds, it’s a priority. And once they see that climate change is important enough for you to talk about, it’s easier for them to talk to others about it, too.
We can't solve a problem we don't talk about. We’ve collected some of the best, proven information to make talking about climate change easier. You don’t have to have an argument or win a debate to make a difference. Simply having the conversation is the most important thing you can do.
After you take our climate change pledge, we'll send you an e-book with five simple tips on having a connected conversation. We'll also keep you informed and invite you to local events where you can learn about real, systemic solutions that are good for our communities, our economy and our planet. |
Sore throat is an illness that does not raise deep concerns but does come with the great pain. An irritated and swollen throat can affect your daily activities.
Beyond physical pain, there is usually an underlying cause to the sore throat. These vary from a common cold to more serious conditions. Keep in mind that early diagnosis helps to prevent complications and, overall, to have a quicker and better recovery.
A sore throat is an illness that becomes more notorious over time. The most common signs that might lead to having a sore throat are:
• Unusual painful feeling in the throat
• Pain swallowing saliva, foods or drinks
• Irritated tonsils
• Infected tonsils (presence of pus or white patches)
• Irritated lymph glands
• Hoarse voice and pain when talking
If you are experiencing any of these signs it is advisable to get medical attention. Your doctor will provide treatment and medical advice to heal that sore throat.
A sore throat itself is a symptom, which indicates an infection. The most common causes are:
Viruses are the cause of respiratory illnesses which tend to present signs of a sore throat. Viral infections that result in a sore throat are:
• Common cold (typically caused by rhinovirus, but also by the Metapneumovirus)
• Nose, sinus, or upper throat infections (Coronavirus)
• Bronchiolitis or pneumonia (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
• Mono or mononucleosis (Epstein–Barr Virus)
• The flu (Influenza Virus)
Another source of respiratory infections is bacteria. Bacteria affects the throat mucosa and causes a sore throat. Common bacterial infections are:
• Strep Throat (Streptococcus Bacteria)
• Meningitis caused by Hib Disease (Haemophilus Influenzae)
• Ear infections, sinus infections, pneumonia or bronchitis (Moraxella catarrhalis)
Allergies are a reaction from the immune system. They serve to remind us to avoid exposure to certain substances. Some of the allergies that present a sore throat as a symptom are pollen, dust, mold and pet dander.
Sore throats do not exclusively appear in respiratory infections. Other conditions to cause this symptom are:
• Viral rashes like chickenpox, measles or roseola (sixth disease).
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
The causes of a sore throat could be due to one of many illnesses or medical conditions. Exposure to bacteria, viruses, or allergens can result in a sore throat as a reaction of our immune system. Hygiene is the foremost solution to prevent having a sore throat. Consider applying into your daily routines these preventive hygiene measurements:
• Soap and Water. Although hand sanitizers are practical, they don’t remove germs as well as soap and water. Wash your hands before consuming a meal, going to the bathroom, or after visiting public places.
• Electronic Devices. Keep devices in daily use like cellphones, tv remotes, or laptops clean.
• Social Interactions. Avoid sharing personal items with other people. If someone is sick, politely maintain your distance from them.
Medical diagnosis will determine the causes of a sore throat. At BASS Advanced Urgent Care, signs of sore throat qualify as a condition to be treated as a medical urgency.
Our qualified team of licensed physicians, nurses, and medical assistants will provide an accurate diagnosis and treatment to cure your sore throat signs.
The waiting time to schedule an appointment with your regular physician can take up to 24 hours. The average medical visit at BASS Advanced Urgent Care in Walnut Creek takes from 30 minutes to an hour, and you can be seen quickly. |
New parents are often bombarded with advice and tips from everyone around them.
From things like how to dress your baby, to what to feed them, it can be a bit overwhelming.
But there is one piece of advice the American Academy of Pediatrics wants to make sure you follow: Reading to your baby from the time they're born.
Reading aloud to kids has been proven to help build vocabulary and language skills; give them background information to make sense of what they see, hear and read; and lets them use their imaginations to explore people, places, times and events beyond their own experiences.
But why read to your baby, who can't process these concepts or communicate their understanding just yet? Here's why:
1. Reading aloud sets the stage for school readiness.
According to Reach Out and Read, an organization that partners with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together, 66% of children in the U.S. are not proficient in reading by the end of third grade.
The first five years of life offer a critical window for learning, with rapid brain development that does not occur at any other time. If children miss the opportunity to acquire foundational language skills, they are set up for immediate struggles with literacy as soon as they arrive at school.
2. Reading aloud stimulates language skills, cognitive thinking, and enhances memory.
Reading him books will help teach him context for new words. For instance, a book about a cow will use certain words (like cow and spots) repeatedly and in a variety of ways. The pictures will help sharpen his memory for those words. You can also narrate your daily activities using descriptive vocabulary. When you say, "Let's put on your red-striped shirt" or "I can feel the warm sand on my feet," you're helping your baby get ready to say his first word.
3. Reading aloud can help build your child's vocabulary.
According to KidsHealth:
Hearing words helps to build a rich network of words in a baby's brain. Kids whose parents frequently talk/read to them know more words by age 2 than children who have not been read to. And kids who are read to during their early years are more likely to learn to read at the right time.
4. Reading aloud helps children bond with their parents.
According to Scholastic.com:
The intimate experience of reading yields important lessons about behavior, feelings, and the enduring bonds of relationships. It's a gift for time-challenged parents who may feel guilty about missing special moments with their kids. Snuggle together before lights-out, or schedule a Sunday morning reading hour, and you rekindle emotional closeness as well as impart important lessons, ease difficult transitions, heal personal pain, and celebrate family life.
5. Reading aloud lets children associate reading and books with warm, pleasant feelings.
According to Parents Magazine:
Making it a part of your regular family routine will teach your child that reading is something to be enjoyed, not a chore that needs to be done for school. That attitude will foster a love of reading that will take her through school and into adulthood.
So now that you know why it's important, how do you actually get a squirmy baby to listen to you read?
You can check out Tips on Reading to Babies by CloudMom below:
You can also check out these tips from Reading is Fundamental, Inc.
Do you have any tips for reading to baby? If so, let us know in the comments below. |
Psychopharmacology of Opioids
Opiate drugs are compounds that are extracted from the poppy seed. These drugs opened the way to the discovery of the endogenous opioid system in the brain (Brownstein, 1993). The term “opioids” includes “opiates” as well as semisynthetic and synthetic compounds with similar properties. Evidence for the existence of opioid receptors was based on the observation that opiates (e.g. heroin and morphine) interact with specific binding sites in the brain.
In 1976, the first evidence for the existence of multiple opioid receptors was reported (Martin et al., 1976) and pharmacological studies led to the classification of opioid binding sites into three receptor classes referred to as mu, delta and kappa receptors. Later, studies revealed that several subtypes of each receptor class exists (Pasternak, 1993).
The existence of opioid receptors suggested that these receptor sites might be the targets for opiate-like molecules that exist naturally in the brain. In 1975, two peptides that act at opiate receptors were discovered, Leuenkephalin and Met-enkephalin (Hughes et al., 1975). Shortly after, other endogenous peptides were identified and more than 20 distinct opiate peptides are known today (Akil et al., 1997).
Intravenous injection of opioids produces a warm flushing of the skin and sensations described by users as a “rush”; however, the first experience with opiates can also be unpleasant, and can involve nausea and vomiting (Jaffe, 1990). Opioids have euphorogenic, analgesic, sedative, and respiratory depressant effects.
Numerous animal experiments using selective opioid compounds have shown that agonists of the mu receptor subtype, injected either peripherally or directly into the brain, have reinforcing properties. Delta agonists, as well as endogenous enkephalins, seem to produce reward, although to a lesser extent than mu agonists. Reinforcement by mu and delta agonists has been shown in several behavioural models, including drug self- administration, intracranial self-stimulation and conditioned place preference paradigms, and has been reviewed extensively (Van Ree, Gerrits & Vanderschuren, 1999).
Pharmacological studies, therefore, have proposed that activation of both mu and delta receptors is reinforcing. It is also significant that the genetic inactivation of mu receptors abolished both the dependence-producing and analgesic effects of morphine, as well as actions of other clinically used opioid drugs. This demonstrated that mu receptors are critical for all the beneficial as well as detrimental effects of clinically relevant opiate drugs (Kieffer, 1999). Molecular studies, therefore, have highlighted mu receptors as the gate for opioid analgesia, tolerance and dependence.
Kappa receptors, however, appear to have an opposing effect on reward.The hypothesis of a mu/kappa control of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons is best documented. It is important to note the observation that heroin is also self-administered in animals in the absence of these neurons, suggesting the existence of dopamine-independent mechanisms in opioid reinforcement(Leshner & Koob, 1999).
Mechanism of Action
The three opioid receptors (mu, delta and kappa receptors) mediate activities of both exogenous opioids (drugs) and endogenous opioid peptides, and therefore represent the key players in the understanding of opioid-controlled behaviours. Opioid receptors belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors. Agonist binding to these receptors ultimately causes inhibition of neuronal activity.
Opioid receptors and peptides are strongly expressed in the central nervous system (Mansour et al., 1995; Mansour & Watson, 1993). In addition to its involvement in pain pathways, the opioid system is largely represented in brain areas involved in responses to psychoactive substances, such as the VTA and nucleus accumbens shell (Akil et al., 1997). Opioid peptides are involved in a wide variety of functions regulating stress responses, feeding, mood, learning, memory, and immune functions (for review, see Vaccarino & Kastin, 2001).
Tolerance and Withdrawal
With repeated administration of opioid drugs, adaptive mechanisms change the functioning of opioid-sensitive neurons and neural networks. Tolerance develops, and higher doses of the drugs are required to gain the desired effect.
Humans and experimental animals develop profound tolerance to opioids over periods of several weeks of escalating chronic administration. Tolerance involves distinct cellular and neural processes. Acute desensitization or tolerance of the opioid receptor develops in minutes during opioid use and abates in minutes to hours after exposure. There is also a long-term desensitization of the receptor that slowly develops and persists for hours to days after removal of opioid agonists. There are also counteradaptations to opioid effects of intracellular signalling mechanisms and in neuronal circuitry that contribute to tolerance. These processes have been recently reviewed (Williams, Christie & Manzoni, 2001).
Cessation of chronic opioid use is associated with an intensely dysphoric withdrawal syndrome, which may be a negative drive to reinstate substance use. The withdrawal is characterized by watering eyes, runny nose, yawning,sweating, restlessness, irritability, tremor, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased blood pressure and heart rate, chills, cramps and muscle aches, which can last 7–10 days (Jaffe, 1990).
This was once thought to be sufficient to explain the persistence of opioid dependence (Collier, 1980).There is no doubt that the intensely dysphoric withdrawal syndrome plays an important role in maintaining episodes of opioid use, but opioid dependence,and relapse that occurs long after withdrawal cannot be explained solely on this basis (Koob & Bloom, 1988). Currently, long-term adaptations in neural systems are also thought to play an important role independence and relapse.
In conclusion, the data show complex and broad changes ofthe endogenous opioid system following repeated stimulation of mu receptors by opioids. The precise consequences of those changes remain unclear, but it is likely that the long-term dysregulation of the opioid system influences stress responses and drug-taking behaviour.
Neurobiological Adaptations To Prolonged Use
Adaptations following chronic drug exposure extend well beyond reward circuits to other brain areas, notably those involved in learning and stress responses. Important regions are the amygdala, hippocampus and cerebral cortex, which are all connected to the nucleus accumbens. All these areas express opioid receptors and peptides, and the overall distribution of opioid peptide-expressing cells in neural circuits of dependence has been reviewed (Nestler, 2001; Koob & Nestler, 1997).
Repeated exposure to opioids induces drastic and perhaps irreversible modifications in the brain. Hallmarks of adaptations to chronic opioid use are tolerance, defined as a reduced sensitivity to the drug effects and generally referring to attenuation of analgesic efficacy.
Drug craving and the physiological manifestations of drug withdrawal are also indications of longterm neuroadaptations. These phenomena are a consequence of sustained mu receptor stimulation by opiate drugs inducing neurochemical adaptations in opioid receptor -bearing neurons. (Kieffer & Evans).
Pharmacological Treatment of Opioid Dependence
Treatment of heroin dependence has been quite successful because of substitution therapy and methadone maintenance treatment in particular (see Box 4.1). Methadone is a synthetic opioid agonist that acts on the same receptors as opiate drugs, and therefore blocks the effects of heroin, eliminates withdrawal symptoms, and reduces craving. When properly used, methadone is non-sedating, non-intoxicating and does not interfere with regular activities. The medication is taken orally, and it suppresses opioid withdrawal for 24 hours. There is no cognitive blunting. Its most important feature is to relieve the craving associated with heroin dependence, thereby reducing relapse. Methadone maintenance treatment is safe, and very effective in helping people to stop taking heroin, especially when combined with behavioural therapies or counselling and other supportive services. Methadone maintenance treatment can also reduce the risk of contracting and transmitting HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis (Krambeer et al., 2001).
References: (1) Neuroscience of Psychoactive Substance Use and Dependence (Chapter 4) Psychopharmacology of
Dependence For Different Drug Classes 79-84
Compiled & Edited By: D. Shrira Upated: 11 February 2007 |
Test IDs Bad Uterine, Ovarian Cancers
L1 Molecule in Blood Means Poor Outlook -- Even for "Good" Tumors
WebMD News Archive
Sept. 11, 2003 -- Even low-risk uterine tumors can kill. Now it may be possible to predict which uterine and ovarian cancers are killers.
The possible breakthrough comes from Peter Altevogt, PhD, of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, and colleagues. In the Sept. 13 issue of The Lancet, they report that killer uterine and ovarian cancers give off a molecule called L1.
Patients whose uterine and ovarian tumor biopsy samples contained L1 did much worse than those with no L1. And preliminary studies suggest that L1 can be detected in the blood long before a patient has any cancer symptoms.
"Collectively, our results suggest that ... L1 constitutes a new biomarker for ovarian and uterine [cancers] associated with poor clinical outcome," Altevogt says in a news release. "L1-based diagnosis and prognosis could make an important contribution towards better management and treatment of this disease."
Bad Sign in "Good" Tumors
Usually, it's a relief for a woman to hear that her uterine tumor is the endometrioid type. This kind of tumor carries a low risk of malignancy and usually means a good outcome.
Usually, but not always. Some women die from these tumors. And those that do, Altevogt's study suggest, have tumors that give off L1.
On the other hand, the serous papillary type of ovarian tumor is usually bad news. But some women do well. The study suggests that these survivors have tumors that don't have L1.
The researchers detected L1 in 46 of 58 ovarian cancers and in 20 of 72 uterine cancers. The finding nearly always meant bad news.
No L1 in Other Cancers
Ovarian and uterine cancers are deadly because they can spread very fast. L1 appears to play a critical role in this spread. Indeed, when the researchers looked at the tumors, they found L1 only on their spreading edges.
However, they did not find L1 in colon cancers, melanomas, breast cancers, or prostate cancers.
Altevogt warns that L1 testing needs more study before it's ready for doctors' offices. |
Posted on Tuesday, July 14, 02009 by Tex Pasley
With the passing of Cahuilla elder Alvino Siva on June 26, the language of the Cahuilla of Southern California moved one step closer to being lost forever. Silva was one of just a handful of fluent Cahuilla speakers left. A 1994 estimate placed the total number of speakers between 7 and 20, all elderly. Cahuilla is one of the 516 languages listed by the Ethnologue as critically endangered, and linguists estimate that we may lose as much as 90% of the world's 6,800 languages in the next century -- an average of one human language per week.
Siva was especially interested in teaching and preserving Cahuilla bird songs, which tell the origins and history of the Cahuilla people. The debut of the documentary "Sing Birds: Following the Path of Cahuilla Power," at Idyllwild Arts Academy, chronicles this rich oral history. Siva's interviews, along with those of two other Cahuilla elders, feature prominently in the film.
The Rosetta Project Archive houses more than 30 Cahuilla recordings, assembled in the fall of 1937 by John P. Harrington, some of which include performances of bird songs (available in this Google Earth Layer). During 40 years as a field ethnologist for the Smithsonian, Harrington collected recordings of languages throughout California and the Americas, including Cahuilla. The original wax cylinder and aluminum disk recordings are now kept at the National Anthropological Archives in the Smithsonian. The Rosetta Project Archive also includes a Cahuilla grammar and set of texts that you can find in our special collection in the Internet Archive. |
Fish and game experts determined the answer to the woodchuck riddle in the 1930’s….“How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” If chuck means chew, the answer is about 700 pounds a day. Not bad for the woodchuck, also called a groundhog and famous as a predictor of springtime arrival. (Thank you Punxsutawney Phil!)
You might wonder what this critter has to do with mentoring and the answer to that riddle is not much.
But questioning the riddle has a lot to do with mentoring, and both Mentors and Mentees benefit from great questions. Curiosity and the desire to reach and grow are connected.
So Mentor questions might be from acute listening, like “what DIDN’T you say here?” Or “why do I now hear uncertainty about this?” Or “why did you just pull back on that?”
And Mentee questions might be some of these: “Would you evaluate this after I try it?” Or “What was your experience about this?” Or, “What helped you get over a hurdle such as this?” Or “How often can I call you about this?”
These are the 700 pound questions! |
As a site owner, you’ve probably already heard of HTTP, even if you don’t know exactly what it is. The world of website development is filled with acronyms and shortcuts that can befuddle even the most experienced programmers. To make things easier, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you find out what HTTP/3 is, how it works and whether it will make your website faster.
What is HTTP/3?
HTTP, or HyperText Transfer Protocol, has been around for decades. In fact, it’s been a critical element of the internet since it came into existence. Technically, it’s a network protocol, but, in layman’s terms, it’s the process that allows users to open webpages.
When a user types in a web address or clicks a link, HTTP is used to connect to the server and transfer the information to the user’s screen. First launched to the public back in 1996, the original version of HTTP was used for almost 20 years, with the HTTP/2 update only arriving in 2015.
How Does HTTP/3 Work?
Although HTTP was revolutionary in its day, the methodologies it used were seen as slow as cumbersome as the internet evolved. To transfer data, for example, HTTP opened a new TCP connection every time a request/response exchange was made. This added a delay (or increased the latency) as TCP and TLC handshakes were required every time the user requested data and the server responded.
While HTTP/2 did partially resolve this issue with HTTP streams, others remained. Packet loss continued in HTTP/2, for example, which meant that users were subject to on-going slow speeds due to head-of-line blocking.
With HTTP/3, however, TCP is no longer required. Instead, HTTP/3 works with a new internet transport protocol known as QUIC. Multiple QUIC streams are capable of sharing one QUIC connection, which means that there won’t be numerous handshakes to slow down loading times.
Crucially, QUIC packets are situated on top of UDP datagrams, which means that streams are delivered independently from one another. If one incidence of packet loss occurs, it won’t affect other streams.
What’s more – HTTP streams can take place on top of QUIC streams, which means site owners can continue to get all the benefits of HTTP/2, while using QUIC to prevent head-of-line blocking.
Will HTTP/3 Make Your Website Faster?
Yes. Switching to HTTP/3 should make your website noticeably faster. The use of QUIC means that the problems which dogged both the original HTTP and HTTP/2 can now be eradicated, which results in faster loading times.
In addition to this, QUIC combines the three components of a standard TCP handshake. Effectively, this means that encryption and authentication take place by default, which also serves to increase website speed. Furthermore, the changes introduced by QUIC can enhance site security too.
Is It Worth It?
Now you know the basics behind HTTP/3 and QUIC, you can start deciding whether you want to incorporate it into your future website development. One of the major factors to consider is whether or not it’s compatible with the software and platforms you already use. Fortunately, HTTP/3 is already supported by CloudFlare, which is compatible with all the hosting plans offered by CanSpace. Additionally, HTTP/3 support will be rolled out natively later this year as soon as it is supported by cPanel. With so many major developers already making the switch, it’s a good indication that upgrading to HTTP/3 will be worthwhile.
As you know, website speed is a determining factor for your success on the internet. Your loading times have a major impact on your SEO rankings, and you’ll notice an increase in bounce rate if your page loading speeds start to drop. That’s because users want super-fast speeds with no delays.
Whether a web page consists of text, images, videos or a combination of all three, it’s vital that all content can be delivered instantaneously if you want to keep your users happy.
Outperform Your Competitors with HTTP/3
You might think that your currently loading speeds are just fine but, chances are, your users won’t. As they become more used to the superfast speeds HTTP/3 sites can offer, you could experience a reduction in website traffic, conversions and revenue if you stick with HTTP/2 for too long.
By making the switch to HTTP/3 and QUIC now, you can deliver enhanced speed and security to your users and outperform your competitors from the get-go. To learn more or to talk to us about your specific needs, contact us today! |
Central New Jersey, United States
When Lord Frederick North, the British Prime Minister, sends Colonel Jeremiah Black to America to arrest General George Washington and bring him back to England to stand trial for treason, the British warship HMS Peregrine lands Black near the mouth of this New Jersey river. From there, he is to sneak into the country and meet up with Loyalists who will assist him to carry out the plot. It is hard to imagine this heavily populated part of northern New Jersey as largely untamed wilderness, but that’s what it was in 1780.
Read more about the Raritan River here.
Passaic County, New Jersey
This Georgian-style mansion near Totowa, in Passaic County, New Jersey was owned in the 1770’s and 1780’s by Theunis Dey, who lived there with his family. In 1780, he lent part of the house to General Washington, who used it as his commander-in-chief headquarters on two occasions, the second time from October 8 through November 27, 1780. In The Trial and Execution of the Traitor George Washington, it is here that Colonel Jeremiah Black of the King’s Guards and his Loyalist co-conspirators carry out their bloody attempt to kidnap Washington. Visitors can still tour this restored mansion and see the rooms that served as General Washington’s office and bedroom, as well as the kitchen and other rooms.
Read more and plan a visit to the Dey Mansion here.
Pennsylvania State House
This building is what we now call Independence Hall. Both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted there. In 1780, it was known as the Pennsylvania State House, the seat of government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the meeting place for the Continental Congress. When news of Washington’s possible kidnapping reaches Samuel Huntington, the president of the Continental Congress, he must decide what to do. Try to rescue Washington or just begin the process of choosing Washington’s successor?
Learn more about the Pennsylvania State House now known as Independence Hall here.
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street is today both the office and the home of the British Prime Minister, much as the White house is the office and home of the President of the United States. Prior to 1780, however, 10 Downing was used mostly as a governmental office. Prime Ministers didn’t always live there. When Lord North became Prime Minister, however, he changed that. He not only used 10 Downing as his office, but also lived there with his family during his entire term as Prime Minister, from 1770 to 1782. And it's here, in the novel’s opening chapter, that North plots the kidnapping of General Washington.
Read more about 10 Downing Street here.
Today, Buckingham Palace is the principal residence of the British monarch, currently Elizabeth II. In 1780, however, it was simply a large townhouse that George III had earlier purchased for his wife, Queen Charlotte, and their thirteen children. It was known as 'The Queen’s House.' The King, a devoted family man, spent much of his time there instead of at his official residence at St. James Palace in Pall Mall. In the novel, it is here that several of the increasingly bitter confrontations between George III and Lord North take place.
Learn more about Buckingham Palace here.
Tower of London
This historic landmark in the heart of London is the place where, over the centuries, British governments often have held important political prisoners – some closely-guarded in crude cells, some in nicer rooms with the freedom to walk about the grounds, and still others in well-appointed apartments, with the right to come and go. It is where, in the novel, the Government chooses to imprison George Washington, who has the freedom to walk about, but only if he wishes to risk being pelted with rotten fruit.
Learn more about the Tower of London and plan a visit here.
The Old Bailey is now the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales. In 1780, it had only recently been expanded and improved, ready for bigger and better trials. In the novel, the biggest trial of the 18th Century, George Washington’s trial for treason, takes place there.
Read more about the Old Bailey here.
Benjamin Franklin’s House
During the many years that Benjamin Franklin lived in London before the American Revolution (1757-1775), he resided with the widow Margaret Stevenson and her children at 36 Craven Street, in central London (at the time the house was numbered as No. 7 Craven Street). In the novel, Colonel Ethan Abbott, who is sent by the Continental Congress to try to negotiate General Washington’s release, finds lodging there in Benjamin Franklin’s old rooms. Tours are available.
Read more about the house on Craven Street and plan a visit here. |
Title: Acadian French
Series Title: Languages of the World/Materials 101
Publisher: Lincom GmbH
Author: VIRGINIA MOTAPANYANE, University of New Brunswick
Paperback: ISBN: 3895861278 Pages: 56 Price: Europe EURO 35.00
Virginia Motapanyane (with the collaboration of David Jory) University of New Brunswick
Acadian is a French dialect spoken in the Atlantic province of Canada, by approximately 250,000 speakers. Although French is an official language in Canada, and the linguistic rights of the Acadians have constitutional protection, the dialect presents the signs of an endangered language. The denomination 'Acadian French' covers an impressive number of regional varieties, or 'parlers', whose geographical distribution is often described in terms of 'islands', to indicate the immersion of many Acadian communities within English speaking areas. This sketch offeres a survey of the most general properties of Acadian French: (i) in phonology, the description focuses on phenomena such as palatalization of /k/, /g/ before all front vowels; ouisms; strong /r/; (ii) morpho-syntactic pecularities such as the pronominal paradigms, generalization of auxiliary avoir in present past, frequent occurrence of 'passe simple' will be presented in two chapters. It will be shown that some of these properties attest grammatical forms in Old French, others result from local innovations, and from language contact. A special chapter discusses the contribution of extra-linguistic factors to the decline of this dialect, as well as possible means for preventing its extinction. |
Subsets and Splits