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Cranberry is a dietary supplement to support urinary tract functions.*
Cranberry contains Malic, Citric, and Quinic Acids which are the active ingredients that acidify the urine and keep unwanted material from adhering to the cells that line the bladder wall. * These acids also act as antiseptics to promote thorough cleansing of the urinary tract.*
About Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s)
Eighty percent of all women will experience a UTI in their lifetime and approximately 20% of women will have one each year. In the US alone, 9.6 million doctor visits per year are attributed to UTI’s and they are the second leading cause of lost work days for women.
UTI’s also occur in men and may be a sign of serious underlying conditions such as problems with the prostate gland. Many conditions affecting the kidneys, bladder, or urethra are described as urinary tract infections, and most UTI’s are concentrated in the bladder and urethra.
An infection can develop when bacteria enter the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) and travel up into the bladder. Over 90% of UTI’s are caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is present in the colon and rectal area.
Factors that increase UTI possibility are:
•Pregnancy – because the growing baby presses on the bladder which may prevent it from completely emptying.
•Sexual activity – because bacteria can be pushed from the rectal area toward the vagina and can then enter the urethra and ascent into the bladder.
•Use of a diaphragm – if not fitted properly, can cause pressure on the bladder and increase the chance of infection.
•Menopause – because the decline in estrogen levels leads to thinning of the urinary tract, making it easier for bacteria to break through.
•Incontinence – because the bladder does not completely empty which increases the susceptibility to infection.
•Structural abnormality – because it can restrict the free flow of urine.
•Suppressed immune system – because it affects the body’s ability to fight off infection.
•Enlarged prostate – because it puts pressure on the rethra and the bladder opening preventing complete emptying of the bladder and may result in infection.
For centuries cranberry has been a popular folk remedy for urinary health. Research suggests that its benefits may be due to its ability to acidify urine.
A study done in mice and published in the Journal of Urology demonstrated that cranberry inhibited the adherence of Escherichia coli to the epithelial cells in urinary tracts by 80%. E. coli is the primary cause of urinary infections. Similar activity was found in human subjects as well.
Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has identified that certain compounds in cranberry, namely the condensed tannins or flavanoids (proanthocyanadins), are responsible for the anti-adherence effect.
Several clinical studies have found cranberry juice beneficial in preventing UTI’s. The amount of juice required is 10 to 20 ounces per day, and it may contain a fair amount of sugar and calories.
Cranberry from DaVinci® Laboratories provides a convenient way to get a concentrated extract that can give you all of the benefits of the berry.
Suggested Use: Take 1 capsule, 1 to 3 times daily between meals, or as directed by your healthcare practitioner.
Warning: If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your healthcare practitioner before taking this product.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. |
New ITDP Study Measures Percentage of Residents Who Live Close to Rapid Transit,
A Major Factor in Limiting Climate Change and Making Cities More Equitable
Many of the world’s most important cities are expanding rapidly without adequate transportation planning, according to a new report released today by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). The report measures the number of urban residents who are within a short walking distance to rapid transit with a new metric, People Near Rapid Transit (PNT), and applies the metric to 26 major cities and their greater metro regions around the world. Of the cities surveyed, the city of Paris earned a perfect score and the metro regions of Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles were among the worst.
“The PNT metric illustrates how unplanned urban and suburban growth focuses on automobiles and only those who can afford to drive,” said Clayton Lane, ITDP’s chief executive officer. “Washington, DC, Paris, and Beijing are major examples of cities that have expanded beyond prescribed political boundaries without effective regional transport plans. Larger integrated rapid-transit networks serve more people and limit climate change—but they don’t grow without foresight and planning.”
The PNT metric was established by ITDP researchers to measure the number of residents who live within 1 km of rapid transit. The report, People Near Transit: Improving Accessibility and Rapid Transit Coverage in Large Cities, released in advance of the United Nations’ Habitat III conference, applies the metric to 26 cities around the world with high-capacity mass transit systems and the greater metropolitan regions anchored by these cities.
Increasingly, the outlying regions of cities are home to less wealthy communities. A recent report from the Brookings Institution found that the poor population in US suburbs grew faster than anywhere else in the country, surging 64 percent in the past decade. Similar trends have already emerged in most countries around the world. Without a corresponding increase in rapid transit access, the poverty in these areas becomes entrenched, as the lack of transportation limits access to jobs and education in other parts of the cities.
Very few cities are investing in the rapid transit systems that serve the less wealthy communities living outside of the urban core, even in Europe and especially in North America. For the 13 cities in industrialized countries that were scored, the average PNT was 68.5%, while those cities’ metropolitan regions averaged 37.3%. The metro regions of the six US cities averaged a score of 17.2%.
“Mass transit systems should grow as cities grow; yet in most cities, governments still rely on automobile traffic as the primary way of getting people around,” noted Lane. “In today’s megacities, road space is already massively congested with car ownership presently at only 10-30 percent, yet building more roads remains a misguided top infrastructure priority. Governments need to better serve the other 70-90 percent of the population without cars, and provide better mobility choices for everyone.”
The rapid transit systems of Seoul and Beijing, the two largest cities in the survey, served the most people by far. Almost 11 million people live within 1 km of each system and their scores reflect the population density.
For the cities measured in low- and middle-income countries, the average PNT score was 40.3%, while the metropolitan regions averaged 23.7%. Of these cities, the rapid transit systems in Jakarta and Quito did not extend past the city borders. Almost all of the other systems only served a small fraction of the population living in these outlying areas.
“In many cities, it’s far too easy for municipal governments to ignore the problems on the other side of their borders,” Lane observed. “But cities today do not exist in a vacuum. All metropolitan regions have an urban core, as well as surrounding communities. People in the outer regions cannot thrive without better transportation connections to the core and other outer communities. Government relationships across city and state lines are crucial to meeting the needs of their populations.”
A Critical Tool in Efforts to Limit Climate Change
Expanding and optimizing rapid transit is also critical to achieving climate change targets. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, cars, light trucks and SUVs generate one-fifth of all carbon dioxide emissions in 2014 that result from burning fossil fuels in the US.
Governments cannot limit these emissions without rapid transit and compact urban development. In a report released two years ago that ITDP produced in collaboration with the University of California, Davis, researchers estimated that more than $100 trillion in cumulative public and private spending, and 1,700 megatons of annual carbon dioxide (CO2)—a 40 percent reduction of urban passenger transport emissions—could be eliminated by 2050 if the entire world expands public transportation, walking and cycling in cities.
“The impacts from climate change could still be mitigated if there is enough political will,” concluded Lane. “The continuing construction of car-oriented development found in metropolitan regions all over the world is a perfect example of this tragedy. Rapid transit integration, including rail, bus, cycling, walking, and shared car networks could connect these places sustainably to a wealth of opportunities.” |
A lack of moisture and abnormal desquamation lead to dry, rough skin, which is particularly granular to the touch. Dermocosmetic products can help moisturize and smooth the skin.
Dry and rough skin
It is easy to identify dry, rough skin, both visually and to the touch. This type of skin has a granular and rough texture. Moreover, skin with dry, rough patches tends to become chapped and flaky. This dry flakiness can be seen over the entire body, particularly on the legs. Large, white scales then shed from extensive areas of the skin’s surface.
Dry and rough skin is caused by a lack of moisture and excessive desquamation
The skin becomes rough, due to changes in the hydrolipidic film on the cutaneous surface. Water evaporates at an unusually rapid rate and the skin loses its natural moisture, leading to excess desquamation. The cells accumulate in clusters and remain on the skin’s surface rather than being eliminated. Thus skin feels rough to the touch. Extremely dry skin and rough skin is a condition called xerosis. Different factors that can cause the skin to become increasingly dry and rough:
- frequent and prolonged exposure to the sun
The rough and granular aspect of the skin on the face and body may also be caused by skin disorders, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis.
The solution: specific skincare to smooth the skin
Above all, dry and rough skin requires in-depth moisture-replenishment. Dermocosmetic products are specially formulated to restore the deficient hydrolipidic film and thus help regulate desquamation. These moisturisers should be applied to the entire body daily, particularly the more fragile areas, such as the legs. Moreover, we recommend that you:
For more information, please contact your dermatologist.
- cleanse your skin with gentle, rather than harsh cleansers: use soap and fragrance-free gels
- take showers rather than baths
- when taking a bath, do not stay in the water for too long
- wash yourself in lukewarm water
- avoid wearing wool clothing, which can rub against and thus irritate the skin
- protect yourself from the cold and sun
- drink sufficient amounts of water |
How does imagery, metaphors and/or similes contribute to the meaning of "Those Winter Sundays"?
How do they relate to the emotions or ideas communicated by the poem "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden?
1 Answer | Add Yours
The controlling metaphor of Robert Hayden's "Whose Winter Sundays" is in the father's "austere and lonely offices," acts of love performed against the elements so that the family would not encounter the cold. Like the fire that the father builds, the imagery moves from cold to warm: The father rises in the "blueblack cold,/then with cracked hands that ached from labor...." he builds a fire to warm the house. Still in bed, the poet as a boy wakes and hears "the cold splintering, breaking." The cold is bitter, and can be heard as well as felt. The sensory images become auditory with the words splintering and breaking. When the boy rises, he can still sense the "chronic angers" of the house. This metaphor compares the harsh auditory images to complaints. That is, it is as though the house complains as the father seeks to get it to warm up.
In the third stanza, however, the images become warmer as the poet reflectively expresses his appreciation of the father who
had driven out the cold/And polished my good shoes as well.
These images are warmer; the shining of the shoes expresses a positive feeling, and the father emerges as respected and admired through Hayden's use of these warm images in the closing couplet:
What did I know, what did I know/of love's austere and lonely offices?
The speaker, now a man, realizes that it was wrong that "No one ever thanked him." Just as there has been a gap between the father and the son in the boy's youth as expressed in the first two stanzas, so, too, is there a gap between the perspective of the speaker as a youth and, finally, as an adult.
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Chassefiere E.,University Pierre and Marie Curie |
Maria J.-L.,University Pierre and Marie Curie |
Goutail J.-P.,University Pierre and Marie Curie |
Quemerais E.,University Pierre and Marie Curie |
And 49 more authors.
Planetary and Space Science | Year: 2010
Probing of Hermean exosphere by ultraviolet spectroscopy (PHEBUS) is a double spectrometer for the Extreme Ultraviolet range (55-155 nm) and the Far Ultraviolet range (145-315 nm) devoted to the characterization of Mercury's exosphere composition and dynamics, and surface-exosphere connections. This French-led instrument is implemented in a cooperative scheme involving Japan (detectors), Russia (scanner) and Italy (ground calibration). PHEBUS will address the following main scientific objectives relative to Mercury's exosphere: determination of the composition and the vertical structure of the exosphere; characterization of the exospheric dynamics: day to night circulation, transport between active and inactive regions; study of surface release processes; identification and characterization of the sources of exospheric constituents; detection and characterization of ionized species and their relation with the neutral atmosphere; space and time monitoring of exosphere/magnetosphere exchange and transport processes; study and quantification of escape, global scale source/sink balance and geochemical cycles synergistically with other experiments of BepiColombo (Mercury Sodium Atmospheric Spectral Imager (MSASI), Mercury Plasma Particle Experiment (MPPE) on Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO); Mercury imaging X-ray spectrometer (MIXS), Search for exosphere refilling and emitted neutral abundance (SERENA) on Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO)). Two gratings and two detectors are used according to a specific, compact design. The spectrum detection is based on the photon counting method and is realized using micro-channel plate (MCP) detectors with Resistive Anode Encoder (RAE). Typical photocathodes are CsI or KBr for the extreme ultra-violet (EUV) range, CsTe for the far ultra-violet (FUV) range. Extra visible lines are monitored using a photo-multiplier (PM) that is also used in photon counting mode. In order to prevent sensitivity losses which are critical in UV ranges, a minimum of reflections is achieved inside the instrument using only an off-axis parabola and a set of holographic gratings. A one degree-of-freedom scanning system allows to probe, at the highest possible signal-to-noise ratio, selected regions and altitude ranges of interest. Different modes of observation will be used sequentially (vertical scans, along-orbit scans, grazing observations at twilight, etc.). During the mission, the instrument will be regularly calibrated on well chosen stars, in such a way to quantitatively estimate the overall degradation of the sensitivity of the instrument. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
News Article | February 15, 2017
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In its latest Cardiology Report, BioPharm Insight (BPI) reported that Amgen’s Repatha Phase III FOURIER trial will be deemed successful by experts if it shows a 35% reduction in major cardiovascular events (MACE). The report from BPI, the most comprehensive life science news and analytical solution, highlights recent editorial coverage of cardiology therapies in development that have potentially market-moving clinical events expected in the next few months. It also provides analysis of sales forecasts and licensing deals. “Amgen’s announcement at the start of February that it met its primary and key secondary composite endpoints was a hugely anticipated event for a drug predicted to have peak sales in excess of $7 billion,” said Peter Murphy, BPI senior editorial analyst. Amgen management has reiterated the cardiovascular outcomes trial (CVOT) trial is powered to show a 15% risk reduction but did not provide further details on FOURIER outcomes, which the market widely expects could be a game-changer for the lipid-lowering treatment space. While equity analysts think a 20% reduction has been hit, experts BPI spoke to said that anything lower than a 35% MACE reduction may mean that the cost outweighs the treatment benefit. “Although Amgen’s news has significant implications for the entire PCSK9-inhibitor class, experts expect to see similar results between Repatha and its competitor Praluent,” said BPI reporter Alexandra Thompson. Amgen’s (NASDAQ:AMGN) Repatha and Praluent, from Sanofi (EPA:SAN) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN), were approved within one month of each other in 2015 and are currently the only two anti-PCSK9s on the market. BPI reports, though, that so far physicians and payers alike are not satisfied that PCSK9 inhibitors successfully lower LDL-c (bad cholesterol) levels. The market is looking for evidence that the reduction in LDL also drives a reduction in the likelihood of patients suffering potentially catastrophic cardiovascular events. Praluent’s Phase III CVOT is due in late 2017, and Alnylam Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ALNY)/The Medicines Company’s (NASDAQ:MDCO)/inclisiran is due to start its own Phase III trials soon. BPI’s Cardiology Report also highlights articles covering experts’ dubious expectations for Merck’s (NYSE:MRK) hypercholesterolemia drug anacetrapib’s Phase III CV trial following termination of three drugs of the same CETP inhibitor class. Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) torcetrapib, Roche’s (VTX:ROG) dalcetrapib and Eli Lilly’s (NYSE:LLY) evacetrapib all suffered high-profile clinical trial failures over the past decade. Additionally, the report offers insights on several ongoing therapies under development to prevent heart failure (HF), including Novartis’ (VTX:NOVN) Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) and Mesoblast’s (ASX:MSB) MPC-150-IM. The perforation risk of MPC-150-IM’s transendocardial delivery could possibly limit its administration to specialized cardiology cell injection centers or warrant cardiologist training, but the significant positive outcomes of the earlier Phase II trial have analysts optimistic, forecasting peak sales of the HF therapy to be $5.2 billion if successful. Learn more about expected market catalyst events in Cardiology Indications with BioPharm Insight’s full report: BioPharm Insight is the most comprehensive life science market intelligence and analytics solution, featuring a team of investigative journalists writing exclusive news and thousands of healthcare data points, aggregated into one centralized source. In addition to the proprietary articles, BioPharm Insight is currently tracking 250,000 management and R&D contacts, 7,500 biopharma companies with full pipeline data, 120,000 investigational and approved drug profiles, 28,000 M&A and licensing deals, 10,000 extended sales forecasts and epidemiology profiles for hundreds of indications.
News Article | February 21, 2017
TestPlant, a leader in digital service assurance and software test automation, that received investment last year from a €657 million (c.$696m) Carlyle Group fund focused on European technology, media and telecoms (TMT) companies, has announced software industry veteran Dr John Bates who sees “incredibly disruptive forces at work” in the testing arena is to become its new Chief Executive Officer. A dynamic business leader and tech visionary a with a robust track record in enterprise software who gained a Ph.D at Cambridge University in the UK and has worked in the US over the past 12 years, Dr Bates will lead the British-headquartered company into its next phase of growth and global expansion. While he will still be based in the San Francisco Bay area for the time being and where he was previously CEO of PLAT.One, a company with an enterprise-grade Internet of Things (IoT) platform acquired by SAP last September, he will move between TestPlant’s London HQ and their office in Boulder, Colorado. Building on his time at PLAT.One, with its IoT platform, which enables the rapid development and scalable management of enterprise IoT environments - including connected products, smart cities, connected transport and smart manufacturing, Bates, who has been listed as one of the ‘Tech 50’ most influential technologists by Institutional Investor five years running (2011-2015), will continue to be in the US regularly and visit TestPlant’s customers around the globe. As an international software business based in London, TestPlant has in addition to development centers in the US and the UK - sales and support centers located in China, Germany, India and Japan. Their products - through the eggPlant range - are used in over 40 countries by well over 350 enterprise customers in sectors, which includes automotive, financial services, healthcare and life Sciences, media and entertainment, retail as wells as defense and aerospace industries. TestPlant’s eggPlant range comprises a set of tools, which support the design, development, test and management of software applications for mainframe, desktop and mobile use in any technology platform environment, can be deployed to improve and report on the quality and responsiveness of software systems. Relevant in agile, mobile, web and DevOps deployments, the tools are touted as helping technology driven organizations deliver “customer value faster and at higher quality” by automating the testing process, including functional testing, performance testing, load testing - even network emulation. Agnostic, they can function on their own, with test tools from other vendors or together in a unified environment. The Englishman, who has founded and grown a number of cutting-edge businesses and served in a range of ‘C-level’ roles at public software companies, joins TestPlant at a time when he noted incredibly disruptive forces bearing down on industries and “morphing testing into one of the most critical business imperatives.” And, a high-quality digital experience - without friction - he cited as key to businesses right across a range of industries in order to operate efficiently and at top gear. Commenting on the testing landscape on the cusp of fully taking up his new role, Bates said: “A frictionless, high-quality digital experience is essential for any successful business from financial services to retail and to automotive. And, the update speed of DevOps and Continuous Delivery means that automation is essential to deliver customer value with speed and quality.” He added: “Meanwhile, new software models around mobile, augmented reality, robots, drones, AI algorithms and the Internet-of-Things, are driving new testing requirements.” As such TestPlant’s solutions, which are at work at some of the largest enterprises around the globe and backed by an experienced team are “well placed to power these business imperatives, delivering true test automation” according to Bates. In the world of agile, DevOps and continuous integration, software development could be likened to the ‘Big Apple’ - New York - the city never sleeps. As Bates put it: “In the age of Millennials - the two-second attention span and instant social media retaliation at anything less than full performance, connectivity and outstanding user experience - it’s a tough day to be building software. Combine this with the fact that in the digital era, every company is a software company - and you have the perfect storm.” That, he contended, can only be “calmed” by a testing approach designed for the rigors of continuous automation." And, that hits on not just function but also performance, user experience, security and other critical dimensions,” he stressed. So, can we break this down this concept? Well, let’s consider here a bank rolling out mobile user applications. The apps must run on a wide variety of different devices and be updated continuously with new features and user feedback. Add to that they must work seamlessly each time. As such firms either need the equivalent of an army of testers working on it, testing thousands of dimensions on every device and a wide variety of parameter permutations. Or, they require the ability to algorithmically simulate those users and user cases. That’s where the attributes of a software vendor like TestPlant comes in, which is the recipient of two Queen's Awards for Enterprise and rated an EMEA 500 business. One could also take as an example a major aerospace company rolling out an unmanned air vehicle. In the era of the industrial IoT, this is collecting user feedback and sensor data all the time and must be updated with tweaks continuously. It’s a tough job but somebody has got to do it. “How do we test such a vehicle and ensure it behaves as it should? The whole testing cycle, including how the user interface performs, must be automated,” as Bates asked. Other examples from healthcare to retail and media as well as sectors beyond that abound according to the TestPlant’s new CEO, especially when one considers every business is in the software business. Bates revealed to Forbes that his experience over the last twelve years in the US has enabled him to understand the “pain points now and coming in a number of industries”, and understand the pressure businesses are under in competing in a disruptive environment. This goes a long way to explaining his decision to join TestPlant. Michael Wand, managing director of The Carlyle Group, which had $158 billion of assets under management across 281 investment vehicles as of December 31, 2016, said in relation to the new CEO’s appointment: “Having backed John Bates and his first business Apama with a previous Carlyle fund and remained in close contact throughout the years, we are pleased that we can re-engage with such a seasoned executive who brings a tremendous amount of unique and highly applicable talent and experience.” It was in January 2016 that TestPlant received investment from Carlyle Europe Technology Partners III, the €657m Carlyle fund focused on European TMT companies and other companies offering growth opportunities through ground breaking and innovative technologies. In so doing the alternative asset manager, which was advised on the transaction by Travers Smith, KPMG and CIL, became TestPlant’s majority shareholder. Wand, who is also TestPlant Director, anticipated that Bates “will positively impact the shaping of TestPlant’s vision and product direction and supercharge the go-to-market strategy.” George Mackintosh, who founded the business in 2008 with chairman Jon Richards and backed initially by VC firm Seraphim Capital, now assumes a new position as a non-executive director on TestPlant’s Board. Carlyle Group, which closed its CETP III fund in May 2015, had at that time half the capital in the new fund consisting of commitments from investors in CETP II, the €522m 2008 vintage fund, with the majority of the fund's investors based in Europe and the US. For the past 15 years Carlyle Europe Technology Partners has been investing in small-cap buy-outs in the European technology sector for the past 15 years or through various industry cycles. In July 2014, CETP III made two investments in the technology sector with a majority investment in Expereo, a global managed networks operator based in The Netherlands, followed in May 2015 by an investment in Telvent Global Services, a Spanish provider of IT infrastructure management and cloud-based services.
Kasaba Y.,Tohoku University |
Bougeret J.-L.,University of Paris Descartes |
Blomberg L.G.,KTH Royal Institute of Technology |
Kojima H.,Kyoto University |
And 10 more authors.
Planetary and Space Science | Year: 2010
The BepiColombo Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) spacecraft includes the plasma and radio wave observation system called Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI). Since the receivers for electric field, plasma waves, and radio waves are not installed in any of the preceding spacecraft to Mercury, the PWI will provide the first opportunity for conducting in-situ and remote-sensing observations of electric fields, plasma waves, and radio waves in the Hermean magnetosphere and exosphere. These observations are valuable in studying structure, dynamics, and energy exchange processes in the unique magnetosphere of Mercury. They are characterized by the key words of the non-MHD environment and the peculiar interaction between the relatively large planet without ionosphere and the solar wind with high dynamic pressure. The PWI consists of three sets of receivers (EWO, SORBET, and AM2P), connected to two sets of electric field sensors (MEFISTO and WPT) and two kinds of magnetic field sensors (LF-SC and DB-SC). The PWI will observe both waveforms and frequency spectra in the frequency range from DC to 10 MHz for the electric field and from 0.3 Hz to 640 kHz for the magnetic field. From 2008, we will start the development of the engineering model, which is conceptually consistent with the flight model design. The present paper discusses the significance and objectives of plasma/radio wave observations in the Hermean magnetosphere, and describes the PWI sensors, receivers and their performance as well as the onboard data processing. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
News Article | February 22, 2017
No statistical methods were used to predetermine sample size. The experiments were not randomized and the investigators were not blinded to allocation during experiments and outcome assessment. Animal experiments were neither randomized nor blinded. All animals used in this study (ADicerKO, Dicerlox/lox, or C57BL/6) were males and 6 months of age unless specifically indicated otherwise. All animal experiments were conducted in accordance with IRB protocols with respect to live vertebrate experimentation. Human serum was obtained from human subjects after obtaining IRB approval and patients were given informed consent. Mouse and human sera were centrifuged at 1,000g for 5 min and then at 10,000g for 10 min to remove whole cells, cell debris and aggregates. The serum was subjected to 0.1-μm filtration and ultracentrifuged at 100,000g for 1 h. Pelleted vesicles were suspended in 1× PBS, ultracentrifuged again at 100,000g for washing, resuspended in 1× PBS and prepared for electron microscopy and immune-electron microscopy or miRNA extraction. All in vitro experiments were carried out using exosome-free FBS. AML-12 cells were acquired from ATCC (cat no. CRL-2254) and were tested for mycoplasma contamination. Dicerfl/fl brown preadipocytes were generated as previously described16. For exosome loading, exosome preparations were isolated and diluted with PBS to final volume of 100 μl. Exosome electroporation was carried out by using a variation of a previously described technique45. Exosome preparations were mixed with 200 μl phosphate-buffered sucrose (272 mM sucrose 7 mM, K HPO ) with 10 nΜ of a miRNA mimic, and the mixture was pulsed at 500 mV with 250 μF capacitance using a Bio-Rad Gene Pulser (Bio-Rad). Electroporated exosomes were resuspended in a total volume of 500 μl PBS and added to the target cells. Isolated exosomes were subjected to immune-electron microscopy using standard techniques7. In brief, exosome suspensions were fixed with 2% glutaraldehyde supplemented with 0.15 M sodium cacodylate and post-fixed with 1% OsO . They were then dehydrated with ethanol and embedded in Epon 812. Samples were sectioned, post-stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate, and examined with an electron microscope. For immune-electron microscopy, cells were fixed with a solution of 4% paraformaldehyde, 2% glutaraldehyde and 0.15 M sodium cacodylate and processed as above. Sections were probed with anti-CD63 (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, sc15363) or anti-CD9 (Abcam, ab92726) antibodies (or rabbit IgG as a control) and visualized with immunogold-labelled secondary antibodies. Immuno-electron microscopy analysis revealed that the isolated exosomes were 50–200 nM in diameter and stained positively for the tetraspanin exosome markers CD63 and CD9 (ref. 46). Exosomal concentration was assessed using the EXOCET ELISA assay (System Biosciences), which measured the esterase activity of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity. CETP is known to be enriched in exosomal membranes. The assay was calibrated using a known isolated exosome preparation (System Biosciences). Additionally, exosome preparations were subjected to the qNano system employing tunable resistive pulse sensing technology (IZON technologies) to measure the number and size distribution of exosomes. For total serum miRNA isolation, 100 μl of serum was obtained from ADicerKO mice or Lox littermates and miRNAs were isolated using an Exiqon miRCURY Biofluid RNA isolation kit following the manufacturer’s protocol. RNA was isolated from exosomal preparations using TRIzol, following the manufacturer’s protocol (Life Sciences). Subsequently, 50 ng of exosomal RNA was subjected to reverse transcription into cDNA by using a mouse miRNome profiler kit (System Biosciences). qPCR was then performed in 6-μl reaction volumes containing cDNA along with universal primers for each miRNA and SYBR Green PCR master mix (Bio-Rad). In line with previous research, for all serum and exosomal miRNA quantitative PCR reactions the C values were normalized using U6 snRNA as an internal control. To estimate miRNA abundance in fat tissue, data were normalized using the global average of expressed C values per sample47, as the snRNA U6 was differentially expressed between depots. For all quantitative PCR reactions involving gene expression calculations for FGF21, normalization was carried out by using the TATA-binding protein as an internal control. Differential expression analysis of the high-throughput −ΔC values was done using the Bioconductor limma package48 in R (www.r-project.org). Fold differences in comparisons were expressed as 2−ΔΔC . Ct Principal component analysis plots were created using R with the ggplot2 package. A detection threshold was set to C = 34 for all mouse miRNA PCR reactions; no threshold was used for human miRNA PCR, according to the manufacturer’s recommendation (System Biosciences). An miRNA was plotted only if its raw C value was ≤34 in at least three samples, except for the brown pre-adipocyte and 4-week-old mouse experiments, in which the raw C only had to be ≤34 twice. miRNA −ΔC values were Z scored and heatmaps were created by Cluster 3.0 and TreeView programs as previously described49. Fat tissue transplantation was carried out as previously described50. In brief, 10-week-old male Lox donor mice (C57BL/6 males) were killed, and their inguinal, epididymal, and BAT fat depots were isolated, cut into several 20-mg pieces and transplanted into 10-week-old male ADicerKO mice (n = 5 male mice per group). Each recipient ADicerKO mice received the equivalent transplanted fat mass of two donor Lox control mice. Transplanted mice received post-surgical analgesic intraperitoneal injections (buprenorphine, 50 mg/kg) for 7 days. At day 12, a glucose tolerance test was performed after a 16-h fast by intraperitoneal injection of 2 g/kg glucose. All mice were killed after 14 days. All procedures were conducted in accordance with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee regulations. An adenoviral Fgf21 3′ UTR reporter was created by cloning the 3′ UTR of Fgf21 into the pMir-Report vector. Subsequently, the luciferase-tagged 3′ UTR fragment was cloned into the adenoviral vector pacAd5-CMV-IRES-GFP, creating an adenovirus bearing the Fgf21 3′UTR reporter. Hsa-miR-302f-3′-UTR was created by cloning the synthesized Luc-miR-302f-3′-UTR fragment (Genescript) into the Viral Power Adenoviral Expression System (Invitrogen). In vitro bioluminescence was measured using a dual luciferase kit (Promega). Eight-week-old male ADicerKO or wild-type mice were injected intravenously with adenovirus bearing the 3′-UTR of Fgf21 fused to the luciferase gene to create two groups of liver-reporter mice—one with a ADicerKO background and one with a wild-type background. One day later, a third group of ADicerKO mice, which had also been injected intravenously with an adenovirus bearing the 3′-UTR of Fgf21 fused to the luciferase gene, were injected intravenously with exosomes isolated from the serum of wild-type mice. After 24 h, in vivo luminescence of the Fgf21 3′ UTR was measured using the IVIS imaging system (Perkin Elmer) by administering d-luciferin (20 mg/kg) according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Perkin Elmer). For the second group, 8-week-old male ADicerKO or wild-type mice were also transfected with adenovirus bearing the 3′ UTR of Fgf21 fused to the luciferase gene by intravenous injection. After 1 day, mice received an intravenous injection of exosomes isolated from the serum of either ADicerKO mice or ADicerKO mice reconstituted in vitro with 10 nM miR-99b by electroporation. Twenty-four hours later, in vivo luminescence was measured using the IVIS imaging system by administering d-luciferin (20 mg/kg) according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Perkin Elmer). Protocol 1. On day 0, adenovirus bearing either pre-hsa_miR-302f or lacZ mRNA (as a control) was injected directly into the BAT of 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Hsa_miR-302f is human-specific and does not have a mouse homologue. This procedure was conducted under ketamine-induced anaesthesia. Four days later, the same mice were injected intravenously with an adenovirus bearing the 3′ UTR of miR-302f in-frame with the luciferase gene, thereby transducing the liver tissue of the mouse with this human 3′ UTR miRNA reporter. Suppression of the 3′ UTR miR-302f reporter would occur only if there was communication between the BAT-produced miRNA and the liver. In vivo luminescence was measured on day 6 using the IVIS imaging system as described above. Protocol 2. To assess specifically the role of exosomal miR-302f in the regulation of its target reporter in the liver, two separate cohorts of 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were generated. One cohort was injected with adenovirus bearing pre-miR-302f or lacZ directly into the BAT (the donor cohort); the second cohort was transfected with an adenovirus bearing the 3′ UTR reporter of this miR-302f in the liver, as described for Protocol 1 (the acceptor cohort). Serum was obtained on days 3 and 6 from the donor cohorts; the exosomes were isolated and then injected intravenously into the acceptor mice the next day (days 4 and 7). On day 8, in vivo luminescence was measured in the acceptor mice using the IVIS imaging system as described above. To test for the presence of adenovirus in the liver and BAT of C57BL/6 mice, 100 mg tissue was homogenized in 1 ml sterile 1× PBS. The homogenate was spun down and 150 μl cleared supernatant was used to isolate adenoviral DNA using the Nucleospin RNA and DNA Virus kit, following the manufacturer’s protocol (Takara). PCR was performed on 2 μl isolated adenoviral DNA using SYBR green to detect lacZ or miR-302f amplicons. For all PCR data obtained in the fat-tissue-transplantation experiment, an miRNA was considered to be present only if its mean C in the wild-type group was <34. We then identified those miRNAs that were significantly decreased in ADicerKO serum. For an miRNA to be considered restored after transplantation by a particular depot it had to be significantly increased from ADicerKO serum with a mean C < 34 and its C had to be more than 50% of the way from ADicerKO to the wild type on the C scale. ANOVA tests were followed by two-tailed Dunn’s post-hoc analysis or Tukey’s multiple comparisons test to identify statistically significant comparisons. All t-tests and Mann–Whitney U-tests were two-tailed. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. All ANOVA, t-tests, and area-under-the-curve calculations were carried out in GraphPad Prism 5.0. For miRDB analysis (http://www.mirdb.org), a search by target gene was performed against the mouse database. A target score of 85 was set to exclude potential false-positive interacting miRNAs. All high-throughput qRT–PCR data (raw C values), the code used to analyse them (in the free statistical software R), and its output (including supplementary tables, tables used to generate heatmaps, and statements in the text) can be freely downloaded and reproduced from https://github.com/jdreyf/fat-exosome-microrna. All other data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
News Article | March 11, 2016
LONDON (Reuters) - So-called "good" cholesterol may actually increase heart attack risks in some people, researchers said on Thursday, a discovery that casts fresh doubt on drugs designed to raise it. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is generally associated with reduced heart risks, since it usually offsets the artery-clogging effects of the low density (LDL) form. But some people have a rare genetic mutation that causes the body to have high levels of HDL and this group, paradoxically, has a higher heart risk, scientists reported in the journal Science. "Our results indicate that some causes of raised HDL actually increase risk for heart disease," said lead researcher Daniel Rader of the University of Pennsylvania. "This is the first demonstration of a genetic mutation that raises HDL but increases risk of heart disease." The scientists found that people with the mutation had an increased relative risk of coronary heart disease almost equivalent to the risk caused by smoking. Normally, HDL is an important helper in the smooth running of the cardiovascular system by ferrying cholesterol to the liver, where it is eliminated. But this process is disrupted in people with a faulty version of a gene known as SCARB1, leading to high levels of HDL that fails to do its job, Rader and colleagues found. The mutation appears to be specific to people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. The finding could help explain why drugs that boost HDL have so far failed to deliver expected benefits in clinical trials. Over the past decade, three experimental drugs known as CETP inhibitors from Pfizer, Roche and Eli Lilly have flopped in tests, leaving Merck's anacetrapib as the only one remaining in late-stage studies. Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, which supported the research, said the new research had shed light on a major puzzle and could open up new medical avenues in the longer term. "These unexpected findings pave the way for further research into the SCARB1 pathway to identify new treatments to reduce heart attacks in the future," he said in a statement.
News Article | December 27, 2016
The Biophysical Society has announced the winners of its international travel grants to attend the Biophysical Society's 61st Annual Meeting in New Orleans, February 11-15, 2017. The purpose of these awards is to foster and initiate further interaction between American biophysicists and scientists working in countries experiencing financial difficulties. Recipients of this competitive award are chosen based on scientific merit and their proposed presentation at the meeting. They will be honored at a reception on Sunday, February 12 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The 2017 recipients of the International Travel Award, along with their institutional affiliation and abstract title, are listed below. Ana F. Guedes, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Portugal, ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY AS A TOOL TO EVALUATE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN PATIENTS. Karishma Bhasne Mohali, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), A TALE OF TWO AMYLOIDOGENIC INTRINSICALLY DISORDERED PROTEINS: INTERPLAY OF TAU AND α-SYNUCLEIN. Chan Cao, East China University of Science and Technology, DIRECT IDENTIFICATION OF ADENINE, THYMINE, CYTOSINE AND GUANINE USING AEROLYSIN NANOPORE. Venkata Reddy Chirasani, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, LIPID TRANSFER MECHANISM OF CETP BETWEEN HDL AND LDL: A COARSEGRAINED SIMULATION STUDY. Assaf Elazar, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, DECIPHERING MEMBRANE PROTEIN ENERGETICS USING DEEP SEQUENCING; TOWARDS ROBUST DESIGN AND STRUCTURE PREDICTION OF MEMBRANE PROTEINS. Manuela Gabriel, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3D ORBITAL TRACKING OF SINGLE GOLD NANOPARTICLES: A NEW APPROACH TO STUDY VESICLE TRAFFICKING IN CHROMAFFIN CELLS. Farah Haque National Centre for Biological Sciences, India, A NEW HUMANIZED MOUSE MODEL FOR STUDYING INHERITED CARDIOMYOPATHIC MUTATIONS IN THE MYH7 GENE. Stephanie Heusser, Stockholm University, Switzerland, STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL EVIDENCE FOR MULTI-SITE ALLOSTERY MEDIATED BY GENERAL ANESTHETICS IN A MODEL LIGAND-GATED ION CHANNEL. Amir Irani, Massey University, New Zealand, HOMOGALACTURONANS ILLUMINATE THE ROLE OF COUNTERION CONDENSATION IN POLYELECTROLYTE TRANSPORT. Olfat Malak, University of Nantes, France, HIV-TAT INDUCES A DECREASE IN IKR AND IKS VIA REDUCTION IN PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL-(4,5)-BISPHOSPHATE AVAILABILITY. CONFORMATIONAL TRANSITION AND ASSEMBLY OF E.COLI CYTOLYSIN A PORE FORMING TOXIN BY SINGLE MOLECULE FLUORESCENCE. Sabrina Sharmin, Shizuoka University, Japan, EFFECTS OF LIPID COMPOSITIONS ON THE ENTRY OF CELL PENETRATING PEPTIDE OLIGOARGININE INTO SINGLE VESICLES. Xin Shi, East China University of Science and Technology, DIRECT OBSERVATION OF SINGLE BIOPOLYMER FOLDING AND UNFOLDING PROCESS BY SOLIDSTATE NANOPORE. Omar Alijevic, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, ANALYSIS OF GATING OF ACID-SENSING ION CHANNELS (ASICS) UNDER RAPID AND SLOW PH CHANGES. Swapna Bera, Bose Institute, India, BIOPHYSICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE MEMBRANE INTERACTION OF THE CORE AMYLOID-FORMING Aβ40 FRAGMENT K16-K28 AND ITS ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. Anais Cassaignau, University College London, United Kingdom, STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION OF AN IMMUNOGLOBULIN DOMAIN ON THE RIBOSOME USING NMR SPECTROSCOPY. Bappaditya Chandra, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India, SECONDARY STRUCTURE FLIPPING CONNECTED TO SALT-BRIDGE FORMATION CONVERTS TOXIC AMYLOID-β40 OLIGOMERS TO FIBRILS. Gayathri Narasimhan, Cinvestav, Mexico, ANTIHYPERTROPHIC EFFECTS OF DIAZOXIDE INVOLVES CHANGES IN MIR-132 EXPRESSION IN ADULT RAT CARDIOMYCYTES. Giulia Paci, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany, FOLLOWING A GIANT'S FOOTSTEPS: SINGLE-PARTICLE AND SUPER-RESOLUTION APPROACHES TO DECIPHER THE NUCLEAR TRANSPORT OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS CAPSIDS. Bizhan Sharopov, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, DISSECTING LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC EFFECTS OF TRPV1 ON BLADDER CONTRACTILITY IN DIABETES. Chao Sun, East China Normal University, FUNCTION OF BACTERIORUBERIN IN ARCHAERHODOPSIN 4, FROM EXPRESSION TO CHARACTERIZATION. Matthew Batchelor, University of Leeds, United Kingdom STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS IN THE MYOSIN 7A SINGLE α-HELIX DOMAIN. Daniel Havelka, Czech Academy of Sciences, MICROVOLUME DIELECTRIC SPECTROSCOPY AND MOLECULAR DYNAMICS OF AMINO ACIDS. Ivan Kadurin, University College London, United Kingdom, INVESTIGATION OF THE PROTEOLYTIC CLEAVAGE OF α2δ SUBUNITS: A MECHANISTIC SWITCH FROM NHIBITION TO ACTIVATION OF VOLTAGE-GATED CALCIUM CHANNELS? Linlin Ma, University of Queensland, Australia, NOVEL HUMAN EAG CHANNEL ANTAGONISTS FROM SPIDER VENOMS. Ivana Malvacio, University of Cagliari, Italy, MOLECULAR INSIGHTS ON THE RECOGNITION OF SUBSTRATES BY THE PROMISCUOUS EFFLUX PUMP ACRB. Cristina Moreno Vadillo, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Netherlands, RESTORING DEFECTIVE CAMP-DEPENDENT UPREGULATION IN LONG-QT SYNDROME TYPE-1 THROUGH INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE IKS CHANNEL OPENING. Melanie Paillard, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, France, TISSUE-SPECIFIC MITOCHONDRIAL DECODING OF CYTOPLASMIC CA2+ SIGNALS IS CONTROLLED BY THE STOICHIOMETRY OF MICU1/2 AND MCU. Mohammed Mostafizur Rahman, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, India, STRESS-INDUCED DIFFERENTIAL REGULATION LEADS TO DECOUPLING OF THE ACTIVITY BETWEEN MPFC AND AMYGDALA. Marcin Wolny, University of Leeds, United Kingdom, DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION OF LONG AND STABLE DE NOVO SINGLE α-HELIX DOMAINS. Elvis Pandzic, University of New South Wales, Australia, VELOCITY LANDSCAPES RESOLVE MULTIPLE DYNAMICAL POPULATIONS FROM FLUORESCENCE IMAGE TIME SERIES. The Biophysical Society, founded in 1958, is a professional, scientific Society established to encourage development and dissemination of knowledge in biophysics. The Society promotes growth in this expanding field through its annual meeting, monthly journal, and committee and outreach activities. Its 9000 members are located throughout the U.S. and the world, where they teach and conduct research in colleges, universities, laboratories, government agencies, and industry. For more information on these awards, the Society, or the 2017 Annual Meeting, visit http://www.
Bettaieb L.,University Pierre and Marie Curie |
Kokabi H.,University Pierre and Marie Curie |
Poloujadoff M.,University Pierre and Marie Curie |
Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation | Year: 2011
Electromagnetic Non Destructive Evaluation (E-NDE) is often conducted by inducing eddy currents in the structure to be examined, if this is conducting. Existence of flaws is detected by difference between the response of defect-free structures and damaged ones. In the present paper, we model such processes in order to predict the feasibility of this evaluation and to facilitate the interpretation of the observation. An original method is to represent a crack by a current source producing a magnetic signal. We have applied it to the case of a defect with a standard shape. The experimental evidences for the validity of this method are given. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009.
Habets F.,Meteo - France |
Habets F.,CNRS Transfers and Interactions in Hydrosystems and Soils |
Gascoin S.,CNRS Transfers and Interactions in Hydrosystems and Soils |
Korkmaz S.,MINES ParisTech |
And 11 more authors.
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences | Year: 2010
The Somme River Basin is located above a chalk aquifer and the discharge of the somme River is highly influenced by groundwater inflow (90% of river discharge is baseflow). In 2001, the Somme River Basin suffered from a major flood causing damages estimated to 100 million euro (Deneux and Martin, 2001). The purpose of the present research is to evaluate the ability of four hydrologic models to reproduce flood events in the Somme River Basin over an 18-year period, by comparison with observed river discharge and piezometric level as well as satellite-derived extents of flooded area. The models used differ in their computation of surface water budget and in their representation of saturated and unsaturated zones. One model needed structural modification to be able to accurately simulate the riverflows of the Somme river. The models obtained fair to good simulations of the observed piezometric levels, but they all overestimate the piezometric level after flooding, possibly because of a simplistic representation of deep unsaturated flow. Models differ in their annual partition of the infiltration of water within the root zone (mostly driven by simulated evapotranspiration), but these differences are attenuated by water transfers within the saturated and unsaturated zone. As a consequence, the inter-model dispersion of the computed annual baseflow is reduced. The aquifer overflow areas simulated during flooding compare well with local data and satellite images. The models showed that this overflow occurs almost every year in the same areas (in floodplain), and that the flooding of 2001 was characterized by an increase in the quantity of the overflow and not much by a spreading of the overflow areas. Inconsistencies between river discharge and piezometric levels suggest that further investigation are needed to estimate the relative influence of unsaturated and saturated zones on the hydrodynamics of the Somme River Basin. © 2010 Author(s).
News Article | December 19, 2016
LONDON, Dec. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Market Forecast 2015-2025: Opportunities in PCSK9 Inhibitors, CETP Inhibitors, MTTP Inhibitors, ApoB Inhibitors and PPAR AgonistsWhat can be expected from the cholesterol-lowering drugs market? Which areas are going to grow... |
At Hazelwood, we recognise the importance of all areas of the English curriculum as vital life skills that every child deserves to master in order to live a fulfilled life.
We strive for all children to leave Hazelwood Schools with a love of books and literature which will enrich their lives. We believe that children should have the courage, desire and ability to express themselves effectively both orally and in their writing so that their voice can be heard.
The aims of our English curriculum are:
- To read easily, fluently and with a good understanding
- To develop a positive love of reading and willingness to read often for both pleasure and to gather information
- To use a wide and broad range of vocabulary in writing and spoken word
- To develop confidence and understanding of punctuation, grammar and sentence structure
- To introduce children to a rich and varied literary heritage
- To write clearly, articulately and coherently, adapting style, sentence structure and language for a range of audiences and purposes
- To develop a good understanding of spelling rules and patterns
- To write with neat and legible handwriting that allows ideas to be understood effectively
- To ensure children become confident and competent communicators who are able to express their ideas effectively
English is made up of different strands of learning. Please click below for more information. |
Human beings have sadly achieved the impossible, we have divided the human race. I struggle to make sense of history, and wished to view it as progression. Yet, the reappearance of some annoying human errors, makes history bleak. Ironically, history would have been different if we had learned from history. Expressed differently, recent history shows the failure to learn from distant history. Currently, we still have a chance to learn the same old history lesson. I am speaking of our grave mistake in calling unity what in reality is our separation. I am also speaking of the dehumanizing effect identity labels have on people. Amy Chua, in Political Tribes, rightly points out, “The tribal instinct is not just an instinct to belong. It is also an instinct to exclude.”
Uniting to Separate
The evidence is too overwhelming to ignore, but still we prefer dwelling in illusions. Human history is crowded with provincial social organizations, and cramped with the recurrent bloodbaths that ensued when such factions collide. However, the historians, together with the teachers and students of history, have failed to grasp the essence. We have all failed in the study of history! If we accept the definition of insanity as repetitively doing the same thing with expectation of a different result, humans are indeed collectively insane. We still fail to learn that parochialism engenders hostility, and still fail to create grand notions that embrace the whole of humanity.
Time after time, we have altered the size and criteria of grouping, yet we have not seriously examined the underlying form. This form or shape of unity is separatist, since it defines itself in contrast to others.
The tribal tendencies which fostered hostility towards ‘others’ is evident in ethnic, national and continental alliances. Our borders concentrate more on keeping others out rather than maintaining the wellbeing of members within the confines of boundaries. Just like our political organizations, our religious and social institutions too are isolationist. We have truncated humanity by limiting its scope to group identity. Our kindness has remained parochially concrete but universally abstract. If we allow ourselves to scrutinize this pervasive form of organization, we will find the common folly that menaces our existence.
Unity precedes and predates human institutions, being an inherent energy for the survival and perpetuation of every life form. Unity is a natural force of life that humans, as well as all organisms abide to, lest extinction visits the deviant species.
To offer some truisms: if human beings had to wait for the institution of marriage before they reproduced, we would have been extinct; if we had refrained from communal life until national sovereignty was determined, we would have remained detached; and if we had to wait for educational institutions in order to acquire knowledge, we would have remained ignorant. In other words, it is natural for humans to seek each other and unite; but the act of defining, contrasting and institutionalizing this natural harmony ends up confining further expansion. True, our rationality can be employed to strengthen this instinctive energy, but too often, our cognition backfires and ends up creating divisions in the pursuit of unity. Our history is evidence to our constant struggle in remodeling institutionalized human groups, and a constant neglect towards the deeply flawed tenets of our collective institutions.
Unlike the natural harmony of people, institutional unities tend to define themselves in contrast to others. When we institutionalize the natural, we replace fluidity with rigidity. To institutionalize is to name and expect consistency from what we define. There are certain types of names which possess a domineering power. When such overbearing names are uttered, those who are named are expected to live a future that maintains the integrity of the name. For instance, the name of tribes, ethnic groups, nations, religions, or ideological entities define a people with future expectations of adherence to the name. Yet the greatest danger of names is in their power to isolate the named group from other groups. In other words, the natural togetherness of people, once institutionalized, is assigned unique features that contrast and separate. As to be one thing is not to be all else, a name not only shows what is but all what is not.
Being social is the most natural and commonest aspect amongst human beings. True, other animals also form groups, yet their sets do not exceed a certain number – for primates such as chimpanzees 150 is mostly the limit. Humans exceed this number as imagination and reason endow us with unifying ideas. However, the same unique human features – imagination and reason – too often do us a disservice as they also separate us. The ideals that define a group of people are glorified through the contrasts that distinguish it from other groups of people. As Sheldon S. Wolin in Fugitive Democracy remarks, “The sameness that is used to establish the community then becomes the ‘difference’ that distinguishes its members from nonmembers. Not infrequently it is accompanied by a demand that ‘difference’ be ‘recognized’.”
Hidden behind size and defining elements of societies resides fear – members fear the loss of uniqueness, and so wish to protect and preserve it. In our leaders I see the chieftain who requires uniformity within the tribe, but hopes other tribes remain different. Why? Well, if other tribes recognize their similarity and unite, the tribal illusion fades along with the members and group leaders. All groups share this protective element of social identity, thus negotiation and hostility dominate interactions between factions or separated unities. This is why our provincial unity is, at the same time, the cause for separation and hostility.
The hostility towards others finds a match with the hostility others harbor towards you. After you are labeled, and even if you expect to deny the label, you will be exposed to all the dangers other groups direct onto you. When you are attacked collectively, you find no escape except retaliating as a people. When individuals find themselves in such a tight situation, the risky but rational way is defending and reclaiming your individual autonomy so as to judge both sides based on facts.
While I firmly accept universal human unity as an unlived reality, the parochialism of human past and present contend to threaten my optimism. This is not to say that universal concepts like human rights do not exist; it is rather to hint at the fact that provincial institutions are not broad enough to protect them. The world is already occupied by dehumanizing labels of isms and schisms, making it hard to envision a world free of organized factions.
Dehumanizing with Labels
We all do it, and do it all the time. Yes, we do put labels and name tags on human beings. The labelling is done collectively, and the label too is attributed to a collection. We collectively strip individuals of autonomy, and we place identity nametags by suffocating signs of individuality. Remember, it is we, all of us, who assign the labels and, in turn, are also labeled. To label is to dehumanize since it robs humans of humanity and destines them to group treatments.
We dehumanize, and we too are dehumanized because all of us are playing the same deadly game.
In Notes of a Native Son, James Baldwin expresses it best by reminding us that, “the oppressed and the oppressor are bound together within the same society; they accept the same criteria, they share the same beliefs, they both alike depend on the same reality.” If clarification is needed, he is showing past and present generations that ‘Labels’ or ‘Categories’ in and of societies create both the oppressed and the oppressor, and the dehumanizing role of oppression will remain if we cling on to our labels.
Identity labels are indiscriminately attached to each person, and this dehumanizes sentient humans, reducing them to a singularity. If we allow ourselves to look closer, we notice it both in our minutest ordinary interactions and in our institutionalized dealings. Our daily social interactions begin, progress and end in labels, making it hard for genuine human interactions. We enter a taxi or a bus, and we see only a taxi or bus driver while, in turn, we are visible only as customers. We go shopping to deal with a salesperson and we become only a shopper. Our institutional interactions are no different: Ethiopians, Africans, Irish, Jamaicans, Russians, Africans, Europeans, Asians, Jewish, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Atheists, socialists, capitalists, feminists, environmentalists, etcetera are visible only in those labels. All shuts the door on the unique individuality that resides in each human being. Labeled encounters are with singular beings defined by profession, age, religion, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender, and endless identity frames. We persist on loving and hating through labels; we end up with dehumanized interactions.
Wars are fought in the name of identity, but if the identity fought over was another, perhaps friends and enemies would be reorganized. As Amy Chua explains, “When groups feel threatened, they retreat into tribalism. They close ranks and become more insular, more defensive, more punitive, more us-versus-them.” Think of two opposing battalions, warring soldiers exchanging fire. (‘Exchanging’ is an ironic word when death is the exchange.) One side is exhilarated when a ‘comrade’ takes the life of the ‘enemy’. But suddenly the mood changes, a comrade is shot by enemy fire. The same individuals feel happy and sad when death is intentionally exchanged for the life of a fellow human being. Perhaps they are fighting a national war, but enemy and comrades would reshuffle if the identity war was of religion or social class.
Unless we are all willing to give up our labels, the struggle for freedom amounts only to exchanging roles – Who plays oppressor and who plays oppressed? Who would dehumanize and whom? In reality, both oppressor and oppressed are dehumanized. The oppressor is dehumanized by belonging to a collective identity of the superior group. The oppressed too is trapped in the inferior group. Amy Chua describes how individuals bound their identity to group even at their own peril, and remarks, “They will penalize outsiders, seemingly gratuitously. They will sacrifice, and even kill and die, for their groups.” Both oppressed and oppressor respond as crowd, both have been dehumanized by losing their individuality.
The Path Towards Humanity
If we are to build a world community to the human race, we must first shake off the socially imposed and personally sanctioned veil of arrogance. Our perennial separation feeds on ignorance. It begins with the look of bewilderment in the rudely innocent faces who mockingly look at an unfamiliar face, or who tease an unfamiliar name. It is evident in that shockingly impersonal, and indifferent comment about people: They all look alike! In a grand scale, it is evident in the European arrogance that begot ‘white’ and ‘black’ races out of skin pigment.
Human history loudly speaks of our collective, past and present, negligence of humanity. We have forgotten the precariousness of life for all of the human race. We unite to separate, and dehumanize one another by creating identity labels. But our salvation lies in the grand recognition of our interconnectedness and in our collective fate.
Grand conceptions of nationality, religion, and ideologies have united millions of people, but the same concepts have kept even more people outside. I fail to understand our failure in imagining the grandest notion that is abundant enough to accommodate all humans, or at least one that does not need distinction to define itself. Put in simpler terms, a grand social identity (1) must be accessible to all of humanity, and (2) must have a definition that describes it without comparing and contrasting itself to other social identities.
Me and you are our religions, races, our ideologies, our nationalities, or other affiliations; but we are also more than each and all identity labels. James Baldwin in Notes of a Native Son, explains, “But our humanity is our burden, our life; we need not battle for it; we need only to do what is infinitely more difficult—that is, accept it.” We are our label(s) with or without consent, but there is a creative and constantly altering humanity in us. When we see beyond labels, we discover beauty in fellow human beings.
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Abel Merawi is from Addis Ababa. He is an English literature teacher, freelance writer/reporter for Ezega.com and an Amharic-English translator and editor. He also writes for www.msingiafrikamagazine.com. You can reach him via: [email protected] |
Far away from the smog and crowds of China’s east coast cities is Yunnan Province. Though it has a few cities of its own, the southwestern province is geographically diverse, with the Tibetan plateau rising in the north and west, and subtropical lowlands steaming to the south.
* Related article: The best national parks of Europe
Edging towards the northwest of the province is Three Parallel Rivers National Park. Here, southern Asia, eastern Asia and the Tibetan Plateau smash together in a dramatic riot of deep, near-sunless gorges, mighty rivers and craggy snow-capped peaks. The spectacular terrain has historically meant tough travel, and the subsequent isolation experienced by its inhabitants has preserved its cultural diversity. The park is home to the Naxi people, as well as the Li, Nisu and a handful of others.
The park encompasses the near-meeting points of three of Asia’s – and the world’s — great rivers: the Jinsha, Lancang and Nu, which eventually become the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween respectively. Although the mouths and headwaters of these rivers are all quite distant, for a brief period they gravitate towards each other and then run parallel for roughly 100 miles before diverging into different seas. Their relatively short run alongside each other happens to be in one of the most biologically diverse and geographically varied temperate zones in the world, which earned it a Unesco World Heritage Site status in 2003.
Trekking The most well-known area of the park is Tiger Leaping Gorge, arguably the deepest gorge in the world and the site of one of China’s most popular treks. The trail snakes along vertical cliffs and through small villages, while the Jinsha rushes far below. Visitors usually take two days to hike the upper path, stopping to sleep in one of the villages along the way and using Lijiang or Shangri-la as a base.
When trekking through this region, you often feel as though time is standing still. A group of small goats clang by, herded by a man carrying a walking stick. Women carry woven baskets on their backs, peddling food to travellers or carrying goods home. As the sun rises, the light filters through the jagged teeth of the mountaintops, while pure streams rush down from glaciers.
It is easy to organize your own trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge, as it is a well-travelled trail. Tour operators in Lijiang and Shangri-la can help organise more remote treks. Consider WildChina for upscale, customized trips or Yunnan Adventure for a more basic approach.
Getting there To visit Three Parallel Rivers National Park, start in Kunming, Yunnan’s capital city. From there you can fly, take a train or bus to Lijiang, another Unseco protected site. Buses and planes also run to Shangri-la, further west. From these two cities, buses and minivans depart regularly for Qiaotou, at one end of Tiger Leaping Gorge. |
Kanban is a method for managing the creation of products with an emphasis on continual delivery while not overburdening the development team. Like Scrum, Kanban is a process designed to help teams work together more effectively.
Its a Method of Visualize the flow of work.
in order to balance demand with available capacity and spot bottlenecks
This frame work is highly productive and effective to run ..
- Ad-hoc Requests,
- Unplanned works,
- Production Support
In the late 1940s, Toyota found a better engineering process from an unlikely source: the supermarket. They noticed that store clerks restocked a grocery item by their store’s inventory, not their vendor’s supply.
Only when an item was near sellout did the clerks order more. The grocers’ “just-in-time” delivery process sparked Toyota engineers to rethink their methods and pioneer a new approach—a Kanban system—that would match inventory with demand and achieve higher levels of quality and throughput.
Kanban, also spelt kamban, is a Japanese term for “signboard” or “Billboard” that indicates “available capacity (to work)”. Kanban is a concept related to lean and just-in-time (JIT) production, where it is used as a scheduling system that tells you what to produce, when to produce it, and how much to produce.
Kanban became an effective tool to support running a production system as a whole, and an excellent way to promote improvement. Problem areas are highlighted by reducing the number of kanban in circulation.
We will learn details about all these and how we can implement this principles, and its benefit later in this course. You can also watch the Video tutorials to get a deep dive.
Implementing software increment on Kanban Method is a pull based system, that help the team to Continue the delivery in a sustainable pace, with in capacity. Its reduce waste of efforts and time. To Maintain this, It needs to follow the basic principles of Kanban as below.
1. Visualize Work
Visual model of Kanban Board of work and its workflow make the scope and capaicty transparent, it helps to observe and Inspect the flow of work moving backlog to done. This makes the work visible—along with blockers, bottlenecks and queues and upcoming work, Which helps the team to make strategy of working on exiting work or bring new work to in Progress.
2. Limit Work in Progress
The Team mutually defines a Limit for all “work in progress” Columns in Kanban Board, such as Analysis, Development, Testing etc. This WIP limit implements the Pull based system, as work can be pulled to the current column from previous column only if the total number of work under the column is less than its limit.
This helps balance the flow-based approach so teams don’t start and commit to too much work at once. Its reduce waste and help the team to focusing on finishing first and starting later.
3. Focus on flow of Work
To Complete a work, and add a value it has to pass through multiple stages of its development phase. Like Analysis, Development, Testing , Review etc. To get the effective benefit of Kanban the Team needs to focus on flow of work from its initiation to completion. By following above 2 principles helps achieve focus on flow.
Focus on the workflow leads the team to visualize upcoming bottlenecks to act on. so that the flow remains. Team frequently makes strategy of working on in progress wor item to optimize the flow
We already learn the basics of Kanban and its principle, lets try to relate the Kanban flow with Real life. Assuming you already know and practicing scrum, where we do Iterations of defined timebox. we commit bundle of stories, work on them for 2 to 3 weeks and complete the Iteration and again plan for new bunch of stories for next iteration. In Kanban we dont commit stories for iteration or time box or sprint. we do it little differently.
In the below example we will relate Scum and Kanban with real life. Lets assume the people are the stories a movie Theater is a Iteration, Show time is iteration
Relating Scrum flow with Real life
This Scenario explains the flow of people in a move Theater in a bunch of people at once. If we assume the peoples are user stories and Show time as Iteration or time box. Then you may able to notice that the group of people peoples are going in a Movie theater together and coming out together. We have a defined seat capacity and show time. The people planned for each show is pre -planned before the show starts.
Relating Kanban flow with Real life
This Scenario explains the flow of people in a Public Park one by one permitted by the gate keeper. If we assume the peoples are user stories, The Park is the Kanban Board. Then you may able to notice there is no defined show time of the park, as it is open 24 hours. The people going in or Roaming inside the park and coming out is not in a group. We don’t have capacity and show time. However the management of the park decided not to allow more than 6 people at a time inside the Park, to improve the comfort of the people inside.
In this picture, lets try to relate the scenario in Scrum terminology. If we assume the peoples are User stories, Then the people waiting outside the Hall for future show are lists of User stories in Backlog. The Active Move Theater show is the Active Sprint or Iteration. The People watching the Show are the Stories of active sprint. The Show time is the Sprint Duration. The Seat capacity is the Teams capacity for the sprint. The People who already watched the movie are the “done” stories from the previous sprints, those may have identified as released or already deployed.
And here lets try to map Kanban terminology with the above picture. Assuming People are the User stories or Tasks, The Park is the Visual Kanban Board. People Waiting outside in a queue are active Kanban backlog. Show time is not defined, Max Capacity is unlimited, however Management has decided not to allow more than 6 stories in the board. People already moved out from the park are ate completed user stories ready to deploy. The management is taking a count of stories coming out, to allow that many stories move in. No defined start or end date of the stories/people inside the Kanban board / park.
Summarizing the above two pictures and explanation in one picture, that explains the Scrum Flow.
Summarizing the above two pictures and explanation in one picture, that explains the Kanban Flow.
Now Lets jump into the play. we got an fare idea of Kanban and its rules, principle. Lets start talking about how do we really implement that principle of Visualization of flow , Implement the WIP limits etc. You can definitely watch the video to get an understanding. I will try to explain it here also.
Well, So to have the work visible and transparent to all, we need to have a board of works , it can be physical (better for co-located team). How ever now a days most teams are situated distributed location, So we can have a digital board. You can use you ALM tool to configure a board like that.
Later this section you can browse through videos on different ALM tools like Jira, Rally, TFS etc to find out how Kanban can be configured and implement with in those ALM.
A Kanban Board typically have three main Sections
- Todo (or the Backlog)
- In Progress (The Work in Progress Area)
- Done (The Stories those are completed.
Implementing Multiple WIP Columns
How ever to make the distribution of work, we normally distribute the In Progress work into multiple columns
For Example, We can have Analysis, Development, Testing etc. In the picture on the right we have distributed the In Progress work into two section Development and Testing.
You can make the distribution as per your need and teams comfort to have a better control. This Distribution to more than one column always helps implement the WIP Limit for different skillset.
Implementing WIP Limits
Limiting the count of Stories for Work in Progress Column is one of the core principle of Kanban.
By implementing the WIP Limit, you will enforce the team to focus on the flow of stories from Left to right.
In this example we have limited the number of max stories in Development as 4 and max stories for testing is 3. That means the team can work on max of 4 stories under development column and max of three stories under testing column.
This Limitation will help the team to focus on finishing the stories first and then think about new stories to in progress.
For the image on right we can see there are already 4 stories on development with limit of 4 and 3 stories under testing with limit of 3. So in this case even the developer completes the development of 1 or more stories, They can not pick new stories from Backlog, as there are no room for new story or task under development.
To make room on development column testers need to pull one or more stories or tasks from Dev to testing. and the Tester can only do that, if the complete the testing of some existing story/task and move it to done state.
In this senario the Developer will not seat Ideal. The will contribute their efforts to tester and expidite the testing so the team can pull stories from development, and developer can bring in new stories from Backlog.
The Team members can mutually decide the WIP limit at the beginning based on the team size and available skill set. And this Limit is subject to revise after certain period of time.
Split the WIP Columns.
Its always a good practice of splitting the WIP Limit by two areas
This split will make the status of WIP more visible and prominant. And help the team to make their strategy.
Done state of the Left column is the backlog for right column.
For Example, The stories under done state of Development are the backlog for testing.
Understanding the Pull Based System
As we discussed earlier, Kanban is a pull based System. Implementing the WIP Limit, active the Pull based system. That means Thew team pulls a new task to its WIP column based on its current tasks and limits.
Even there are rooms in the current column, the team decide to pull a new story/task or finish the existing stories or task in the column.
The below three picture demonstrate three scenario, where the developer or tester have the opportunity can pull new story or task.
To understand it better, Please watch the video on Understanding Kanban System. later int his section.
Working with Beyond Control WIP
So far we have talked about Work in Progress like Analysis, Development , testing etc. The execution under this column is always controlled by the Kanban Team.
However Sometimes the team wanted to have a column for other purpose , before moving it to done, for an example UAT.
The work under this UAT column may not be controlled by the team, as the task or stories has to be executed by end customer or client.
If we implement a WIP limit for this UAT column, it will become a bottle neck for the team, as the stories from UAT to next column may take times, depend upon customer’s other priority of work and available time.
To overcome from this situation of bottleneck, we set the limit of columns like UAT to infinite. to allow the task’s free flow to this column
Policies or Exit Criteria
If you have earlier worked on Scrum, you must be familiar with definition of ready. which is a checklist we use to review our story before marking it as “Done”.
For Kanban we use a similar concept, that we call as policies or exit criteria. and instead of having it at only before done. We prepare the exit criteria for all the done sate with in each work in progress.
As each WIP columns have two sections of “Doing” and “Done”. we implement the gate for each story from doing to done.
So we will have a policies of Analysis done, another policy for Dev done , and another for Testing Done.
The example for a Dev Done could be
- All code has to be reviewed, and Review Comments should have uploaded in some repository
- All code has to be checked in and Merged with QA branch
- the Latest code should have deployed to QA environment.
- x person should have notified by email.
- Unit test result should have updated to somewhere.
The Team member mutually decide the policies for optimize the work and performance and and subject to revise after certain period of time.
During our Regular work and priority we often responsible and accountable for resolving production support issues with different severity. and many other high priority activity comes in our plate from management with immediate resolution.
To work on those high priority work by overriding the WIP limit, we keep a reserved Swim lane for all those kind of work. and we call it as Expedite Lane or Priority Lane. And reserve a number of tasks for that lane on top of each column.
In this example here, our Expedite lane can add 2 more tasks on top of the WIP limit of each columns. So even the Dev limit is 4 and the developers are already working on 4 stories, They can still pick addition two stories if any stories can classify as High priority or eligible to work on expedite base.
Depends upon the frequency of those high priority tickets, issues, Tasks, Stories the team member can define the additional limit of Expedite Lane. and that Limit is again subject to revise in future.
The Team can prepare a definition of eligibility to treat a work item as priority work. and classify the work as priority item accordingly.
Making the Strategy (Class of Service)
So far you learned how to work on kanban to maintain a sustainable and optimized flow of stories and work items.
The Team always makes the strategy to finish first and start later, that means teams focus on working and finishing the already started work and then plan for start a fresh work. with exception of any expedite work.
To start a new work, you look into the backlog and found there are numbers of work items available on the backlog or to-do list. so you need to make a strategy everyday during stand up, which item to start, and also which item you need to focus on completing faster, keeping the WIP limit in time.
To simplify the strategy we categorize our work items on 4 different areas or class of service, as below.
Class of Service
The Regular as usual stories or work items.
The High priority work items like, Severity one Production issue. This goes on Priority or expedite lane.
Stories having fixed completion date. Sometimes Penalty clause associate with this kind of stories. In case business needs something on or before some specific date, and available on backlog way in advance. the team can make the strategic, to the bring the work item in Progress accordingly.
These are the work items, which does not add immediate value to the business but have a long term benefits. most maintenance work falls under this category. example could be, Database migration from Server A to Server B, Re indexing the database. Getting backup of production date to test environment.
By categorizing the source of work on the above four areas, you will be able to optimize the flow and pull work item into work in-Progress as it best fit your business need.
If your ALM tool supports making separate swim lanes, you can create it accordingly, however even if it not supports or you are using Physical Kanban board, you can color code the story or tasks for different category of work.
I will try to explain this on my video tutorial on ALM tools. All the video tutorials are at the bottom of this page.
When your stories or work items travels on kanban flow, from first stage to last stage, its flows through multiple stage. Its stays with in one stage for a longer time or Shorter time.
We calculate the cycle time of a story by calculating the time between
its entered the first WIP column. and leave the last WIP column in control (UAT is treated as Out of control WIP). It should be calculated based on the team spent actually working on this item, not how much time it was on the board.
In this example on right, the total time a story or work item spent in Development and Testing is the cycle time of the story.
We don’t calculate cycle time for those stories which are still in progress or not started.
We usually take an average of all the eligible stories cycle time to calculate the team’s cycle time for a given period.
This is similar to cycle time, but only difference is, its get calculated from when the work-item/story was created, or requested by the client and the time when it was delivered to the client. This time is also called as Customer lead time.
From the example on right, the lead time is getting calculated as the time between a story enters into the board and leave the UAT column (Done means delivered to Customer).
We usually take an average of all the eligible stories lead time to calculate the team’s cycle time for a given period.
This is again calculated as the time a story/work item was waited on todo list. The time between it was created and got the first Response by moving it to in Progress.
Throughput is not that known measurement metrics. This metrics is number of stories completed in a given time frame, Week, Month etc.
Completed means the stories/work-item completed or delivered to client. Its a real data, not on assumption or prediction.
Throughput is the number (count) of stories or work items that the team is capable to deliver in a given time period, e.g. week, month, provided that they keep a bearable work load.
Its not a Velocity (velocity calculates on Story Point per sprint, usually measured on Scrum or XP framework) Throughput calculates on Count. Kanban system don’t refer it to estimate or plan. However its useful for measuring performance of the team and utilization of Kanban to improve.
There are many interesting formulas we must learn on throughput, Will talk about some formulas and little’s Law, on some other article.
Remember : The higher the Throughput, the shorter the Lead time
Cumulative Flow Diagram
Cumulative flow diagram is one of the valuable metrics to visualize health of Kanban flow. Its gives the view of cycle time, Lead time and Response time, with addition to benefits of WIP limit results.
Cumulative flow diagram is a multi-layer Area chart, represents different colors of stages in Kanban board.
The X axis denotes the time (plot on latest week, month etc). And the Y axis denotes the amount of stories on each stage.
The CFD (Cumulative flow diagram) for Kanban shows the one or two stages (Left most stages on the board) at the very beginning of the project, and after couple of days, its shows the story count from stages on relatively right side. That’s natural because we start our work from analysis then development then review then testing order.
The CFD diagram always goes up from left to right. As it always adds the current day’s work-item count under any stage with previous day’s count of that stage. That what the name is “Cumulative’.
You will notice the color of Stages don’t have a WIP limit keeps on increasing on their width, while the color of the stages have WIP limits are relatively consistent on their width.
Form the below mention picture, you can notice that, how the Cycle time, Lead time are calculated, and WIP areas are calculated.
To understand better on CFD diagram, please watch the video of Understanding Kanban. I have explain about the Kanban Metrics in details at the later section of the Video. |
By Prof. JOSE MARIA SISON
NDFP Chief Political Consultant
What most Filipino children suffer
At least 90 per cent of Filipino children suffer gross human rights violations under the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system of the comprador big bourgeoisie and landlord class. They are victimized by the same foreign and feudal oppression and exploitation that torment their worker and peasant parents.
They live in appalling conditions of poverty and gross deprivation. They are malnourished and are prone to illness. They have extremely limited or no access to education, health care, medicine and proper housing. The overwhelming majority of them do not go beyond grade 4 and generally retrogress into illiteracy and innumeracy. Long before they reach the age of 15, they engage in hard labor to help their parents in eking out the subsistence of the family. The overwhelming majority of children live in the countryside under feudal and semifeudal conditions and they take part (often as unpaid labor) in agricultural production, some primary processing of the products and handicrafts.
Under the system of export-oriented semi-manufacturing, children are harnessed as cheap wage labor to do piece work either in their own homes, in plantations or in makeshift sweatshops in urban slums and village communities. They are made to work for long hours, at times extending beyond 12 hours, at subhuman wages. A considerable number of children take to the streets to engage in petty peddling and other odd jobs in order to augment the inadequate incomes of their parents or make up for their parents' lack of employment.
Street children are exposed to extremely degrading conditions. Some of them are drawn to petty crimes, prohibited drug use and prostitution. They experience daily extortion and bullying from the police and are vulnerable to sexual molestation. They are often rounded up and dumped into crowded jails where they are mixed with hardened criminals. Here some of them are recruited as runners between the corrupt police officers and crime gangs and generally they are further abused by their hardened criminal cellmates.
The worst cases involve the murder and trafficking of children. In a southern city, street children are murdered by the police whenever the local authorities want to show off that they are suppressing street crimes, drug trafficking and burglaries in wealthy subdivisions. There is also the trafficking of children for illegal adoption, for making them sex slaves or sometimes for the sale of their internal organs abroad.
Not only the children of workers and peasants are vulnerable to human rights violations. Children of low middle class parents who go abroad in large numbers and take up menial jobs are left behind and also become susceptible to the risks of being without direct parental attention and motherly care. In these cases, the violations of the rights of the child are often veiled by the illusion that the remittances of their parents take care of everything.
The children of the Bangsa Moro and other national minorities suffer not only the class exploitation and oppression of the workers and peasants. They also suffer national discrimination in general and specific terms. The Manila-based authorities know well how to deliver the rich natural resources and cheap labor in the areas of the national minorities to foreign plantation and mining corporations and to local exploiters. But they allot extremely low public funds for the education, proper nutrition and health care of children and nursing mothers. There are no resources available for promoting intercultural understanding to combat discrimination at all levels.
Filipino children of the toiling masses in any ethno-linguistic community in the Philippines are usually made invisible or of less concern by the powerful and wealthy in the current social system. When the sight of them cannot be denied, because genuine advocates of their rights call attention to them, they are often regarded as merely the objects of pity and not as conscious and active actors in gaining respect for and fulfilling their rights. There is an ever urgent need to arouse, organize and mobilize the children to fight for their own rights and interests. |
AI Technology ( Artificial Intelligence) is a rapidly growing field that has been transforming the way we live and work. From virtual assistants to self-driving cars, AI has revolutionized the world we live in. In this article, we will explore the latest developments and trends in AI technology that are shaping the future of various industries.
As AI technology continues to advance, the world is witnessing some exciting developments and trends that are changing the way we interact with technology. AI is being used in a variety of applications, from healthcare to finance and entertainment. In this article, we will explore some of the latest developments and trends in AI technology that are transforming various industries.
AI technology is rapidly advancing, and there are many exciting developments and trends that are worth exploring. Here are some of the latest developments and trends in AI technology:
1. Natural Language Processing (NLP)
NLP is a field of AI that deals with the interaction between computers and humans using natural language. With the help of NLP, computers can understand human language and respond accordingly. This technology is used in chatbots, virtual assistants, and other applications where human-like communication is required.
2. Computer Vision
Computer vision is a field of AI that deals with enabling machines to see and interpret the world like humans do. With the help of computer vision, machines can recognize objects, faces, and even emotions. This technology is being used in self-driving cars, security systems, and other applications where visual recognition is required.
Robotics is a field of AI that deals with designing and developing robots that can perform tasks autonomously. With the help of AI, robots can learn from their surroundings and adapt to new situations. This technology is being used in manufacturing, healthcare, and other industries where automation is required.
4. Machine Learning
Machine learning is a field of AI that deals with enabling machines to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. With the help of machine learning, machines can identify patterns and make decisions based on the data they have learned. This technology is being used in fraud detection, recommendation systems, and other applications where data analysis is required.
5. Deep Learning
Deep learning is a subfield of machine learning that deals with enabling machines to learn from data using neural networks. With the help of deep learning, machines can perform tasks like image and speech recognition with high accuracy. This technology is being used in self-driving cars, facial recognition systems, and other applications where complex data analysis is required.
6. Edge Computing
Edge computing is a technology that allows data to be processed and analyzed at the edge of the network, closer to the source of the data. With the help of edge computing, machines can process data in real-time, without the need for a centralized server. This technology is being used in IoT devices, self-driving cars, and other applications where low latency is required.
7. Explainable AI
Explainable AI is a field of AI that deals with enabling machines to explain the reasoning behind their decisions. With the help of explainable AI, machines can provide transparent and interpretable results, which is essential in applications like healthcare and finance.
8. Quantum Computing
Quantum computing is a technology that uses quantum mechanics to perform operations that are not possible with classical computers. With the help of quantum computing, machines can solve complex problems much faster than classical computers. This technology is being used in applications like cryptography, drug discovery, and optimization.
As we enter the new era of technological advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of our lives. With each passing day, AI is revolutionizing the way we interact with machines, enabling them to perform complex tasks with greater efficiency and accuracy. From healthcare to finance and retail, AI is transforming every industry, making it essential to keep up with the latest developments and trends in AI technology. In this article, we will explore the latest developments and trends in AI technology that are shaping our future.
The Evolution of AI
Artificial intelligence has come a long way since its inception. It has evolved from simple rule-based systems to sophisticated machine learning algorithms that can learn from data and improve their performance over time. The most significant breakthrough in AI came with the development of deep learning, a subset of machine learning that uses artificial neural networks to model complex patterns in data. With the advent of deep learning, AI has achieved remarkable results in image and speech recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous driving.
The Latest Developments in AI Technology
1. Reinforcement Learning
Reinforcement learning is a subfield of machine learning that focuses on training agents to make decisions based on rewards and punishments. It has been used to train agents to play games like Go and chess at a superhuman level. Recently, researchers have used reinforcement learning to develop AI systems that can solve complex problems like protein folding, which could lead to the discovery of new drugs and therapies.
2. Generative Adversarial Networks
Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are a type of deep learning algorithm that can generate synthetic data that closely resembles real-world data. GANs have been used to generate images, videos, and even music. Recently, researchers have used GANs to develop AI systems that can generate photorealistic images of human faces, which could have significant implications for the entertainment industry and law enforcement.
3. Explainable AI
Explainable AI (XAI) is a new field of AI research that focuses on developing AI systems that can explain their decision-making processes. XAI is essential for critical applications like healthcare and finance, where the decisions made by AI systems can have a significant impact on human lives. Recently, researchers have made significant progress in developing XAI systems that can provide interpretable explanations for their decisions.
4. Quantum Computing
Quantum computing is a new computing paradigm that uses quantum bits (qubits) instead of classical bits to perform calculations. Quantum computers have the potential to solve complex problems that classical computers cannot, including optimization problems and cryptography. Recently, researchers have used quantum computing to develop AI systems that can solve problems faster than classical computers.
5. Edge AI
Edge AI is a new approach to AI that involves deploying AI algorithms on edge devices like smartphones, cameras, and drones. Edge AI has significant advantages over traditional cloud-based AI systems, including lower latency, increased privacy, and reduced bandwidth usage. Recently, researchers have used edge AI to develop AI systems that can perform real-time image recognition and natural language processing.
The Latest Trends in AI Technology
1. Personalized AI
Personalized AI is a new trend in AI that involves developing AI systems that can adapt to individual users’ preferences and behaviors. Personalized AI is essential for applications like personalized medicine and recommendation systems. Recently, companies like Netflix and Amazon have been using personalized AI to improve their recommendation systems and provide a better user experience.
2. Autonomous Systems
Autonomous systems are AI systems that can operate without human intervention. They include self-driving cars, drones, and robots. Autonomous systems have significant implications for transportation, logistics, and manufacturing industries. Recently, companies like Tesla and Google have |
Shave and a Haircut - Banjo Tab and Sheet Music
This short riff is often used at the end of a piece of music. Because the riff is centered around two notes (tonic and dominant) it can easily be used in any key if you understand some basic music theory. If you figure out the tonic and dominant for a key, you can just look at the other notes in the riff in relation to them. For example, the last two notes of the riff are a half step below the tonic and the tonic itself. |
The History of Boiled Wool (Walk)
The method of fulling is a long tradition and known in many areas of the world. The eldest findings stem from the time around 6.500 before Christ and were found in Turkey. In the Altai Mountains in Sibiria, clothes made from boiled wool were found in graves that stem from the 7th century before Christ. They were preserved by the cold and ice and were able to keep their colors and still are in a good condition.
Also in the Alps, the method of wool felting is known since more than 2.000 years. People used the wool of sheep, goats and other wild animals as material to produce socks, cloaks, and other clothes. Warriors even covered their shields with Walk fabrics. Especially rangers and hunters count on equipment from felt because it enabled them to move noiselessly on the hunt.
At around 1350, knitted wool was the first time basis for Walk fabrics. Walk-Jackets are still very popular and especially worn in the alpine regions of Europe.
The production of fabris has a long tradition in our company. While we started out with other products in 1926, the industrial manufacturing of walk fabrics began in 1952. In the course of the years we refined and improved our technique and are now able to produce the most premium fabrics.
The Fulling Process at Gottstein
The best way to describe walking/fulling is with water, warmth and friction. The english saying for "walk" is boiled wool and it perfectly describes the process. The wool felts when the temperature exceeds 35°C and is thereby kneaded and pressed. Thereby the structure changes and the material gets thicker while the size decreases depending on the processing time by 20% to 60%. This is because air is enclosed in between the single fibers. Apart from the shrinkage in size, the process has an additional effect: The fabric becomes 8 to 20 times more resistant than the initial material.
In our company we produce Walk fabrics in the following way:
- We source final spun and colored yarn from leading yarn manufacturers in Europe where we order twine thicknesses from thick (8/1) to very thine (60/2).
- We process the yarn on a circular knitting machine to a knitted tube.
- After the knitting we loosen the knitted tube and bring it into a huge industrial washing machine. Every knitted wool has a different washing recipe which is performed with computer assistance. Usually, the process takes 30 to 40 minutes at a temperature of about 35°C.
- After the fulling process the felted tube is cut open.
- The fabric goes through a dryer and is fixed on a ironing machine.
- Every walk fabric is being inspected and controlled strictly before we leave the company.
Gottstein fabrics are natural combined with the latest computersteered production technology. The raw material is pure new wool and crystal clear spring water from the alpine mountains. The raw material is processed mechanically under the impact of heat. We do not add any chemicals or fabric softeners. Through the support of modern technology, we were able to reduce the energy and water demand by 60%.
The pure new wool for our fabrics stems from merino sheep. Their wool is chosen in a rigid process and it is carefully washed and cleaned. The cleaning happens when the wool is dry again after the washing by combing the fibers. This makes the wool especially soft and sleek.
- pure new wool is a perfect natural product
- due to the natural crimp, wool cannot adhere. Air inclusions guarantee a high thermal protection.
- Wool is highly elastic
- The softness of the wool enables a high comfort at wearing
- Wool is very absorbtive and can absorb moisture up to one third of its weight without feeling wett
- Walk fabric is very long lasting
- Walk fabric is more or less crease-free.
- Boiled wool does not charge electrically or magnetically.
- The fabric is dirt repellent and can be washed at 30°C.
- The material is biologically decomposable |
Tubular SOFC, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology
How Acumentrics Fuel Cell Systems Work
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen and carbon monoxide from hydrocarbon fuels into electricity. The process is driven by the flow of oxygen ions from a cathode to an anode through an electrolyte that is comprised of solid zirconia. When these ions combine with hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the fuel, electrons are released to an external circuit. This process is replicated many times in the fuel cell, in arrays or stacks, and it results in highly efficient power generation with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions.
In contrast to planar or membrane designs, patented Acumentrics tubular solid oxide fuel cells are constructed from many discreet electrolytic tubes in parallel. The anodes are on the inside of each tube and the cathodes are on the outside, in an “anode supported” configuration, as shown in the diagram.
Using the exclusive Acumentrics “fuel-in-the-tube” technology, fuel is introduced directly inside the tubes in a high-temperature environment, at approximately 750 C. Ambient air (the oxygen source) circulates around the outside of the tubes. The oxygen ions are conducted through the tube, and an electrical potential is generated between the inside and outside of the tube. This potential difference is tapped as electrical energy. The electrochemical process happens in multiple tubes in a stack, producing power systems that can supply a few hundred watts to 10 kilowatts.
The net result is a highly efficient system that produces clean electricity, with water, heat, and low levels of carbon dioxide as the only by-products. Efficiency is further enhanced when the high-grade waste heat is recovered for heating, hot water and processing purposes. This results in total fuel efficiency (LHV) levels exceeding 80 percent for residential and industrial cogeneration applications.
Because operation is below the high temperature of internal combustion engines or turbines, fuel cells have nearly undetectable levels of nitrous oxides (NOx). Sulfur oxides (SOx) are reduced due to the high efficiency of our fuel cells that also provide near-silent operation and none of the maintenance associated with legacy engine- or turbine-based gensets.
Where Is The Fuel Reformer?
Many fuel cell designs require a separate reforming process with associated components, maintenance and costs to reform the fuel and extract the hydrogen required by the fuel cell generation process. The reformers add bulk, component costs, and maintenance costs.
The Acumentrics system reforms the fuel inside the fuel cell stack of tubes from hydrogen-rich fuels such as methane, propane, butane, ethane with the general structure CnH2n+2. This internal reformation bypasses the need for extra equipment, resulting in a smaller footprint.
With the introduction of a small amount of air with the fuel, the inherent temperature of the process reforms the fuel, producing the needed hydrogen as well as carbon. During the direct electrical generation process, the hydrogen is oxidized to produce water and the carbon combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide – each of these processes liberate electrons that flow from a system as electrical current.
Small Tubes – the Acumentrics Edge
Our small tube fuel cell design avoids one of the biggest problems in many fuel cell concepts – catastrophic damage due to temperature gradients. Gradients occur during thermal cycling in normal start-up and shut down, and are repeated over the lifetime of a unit. The small-radius geometry in our system minimizes gradients. It tolerates thermal cycles, and faster cycles. An Acumentrics power system can power up within 30 minutes, as opposed to 12 - 24 hours for other high-temperature fuel cell designs. Additionally, internal reforming of hydrocarbons would be destructive to planar fuel cell systems due to the resulting temperature gradients resulting from this process. Our tubular structure tolerates the stresses from this process and, therefore, eliminates the large, expensive, external reformers that are common in planar fuel cell systems.
Specialized Ceramics Are the Key
The operating principle of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology is founded on electro-ceramics, which are advanced materials that exhibit unusual electrical properties. These ceramic materials are fast ion conductors but poor electron conductors. A special ceramic electrolyte layer that promotes ion and charge transfer, and separates the anode and the cathode, also insulates the anode and the cathode. This creates an electrical potential between the anode and cathode. As a result, the electrons are released to the external circuit. This direct generation process is analogous to the operation of a battery. With a battery however, the necessary reactants are contained within the battery.
The fuel cell process uses externally supplied components to react with the electro-ceramic material. This results in a continuous battery-like electrical generation process that can run indefinitely as long as the fuel and air are externally supplied. (Battery reactants have a finite life, which is why batteries must be replaced or recharged.)
While electro-ceramic materials are readily available, their material and fabrication quality can vary widely. For this reason, Acumentrics makes its own anode-supported tubular oxide fuel cells at its facility in Westwood, Massachusetts. In-house fabrication allows for tighter control over critical materials and processes.
Ceramic fuel cells can run at high heat, and are fuel-flexible. They are able to reach efficiencies almost double that of proton exchange membranes (PEMs), and are not poisoned by carbon monoxide. Several other advantages are: |
Neurodevelopmental disorders are estimated to affect 150 million people worldwide. In the US the cost of care for people with autism alone was $268 billion in 2015 – a number expected to rise to $461 billion by 2025, in the absence of more-effective interventions and support.
For people with autism, the disconnect between what they are thinking and feeling and what they are outwardly expressing is a major problem for a variety of social interactions. Patients become isolated, more alone, and feel more helpless and hopeless.
Atlantic Productions, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School faculty and innovative tech partners across the world, have developed a system that will potentially change the lives of patients living with autism, schizophrenia, and other mental and emotional disorders. Moreover, the system has potentially significant broader mental health benefits with applications in both social and work-related environments, even for healthy individuals.
Working with the latest virtual reality (VR) technologies and cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), we have created an adaptation of proven treatment, which uses and combines physical exercise and cognitive training. In addition to AI and VR, we employ the latest in gesture control (Leap Motion), and heart beat sensors, facial and eye tracking, and are looking to voice analysis as an additional diagnostic and therapeutic tool. The aim is to package these technologies into a complete ecosystem for treatment – while simultaneously providing an entertaining, engaging, narrative-driven experience.
The new AI-based tool which tracks eye, face, and voice patterns presents VR-based scenarios to patients in ways that incrementally reduce the fear or pain they feel in those situations. It helps patients learn to interpret other people’s expressions and, in turn, helps them to develop mastery of what they themselves are feeling and what they are outwardly expressing.
The Atlantic-Harvard faculty partnership was created through an initial proof-of-concept, adapting a non-immersive game which combined physical exercise and cognitive training in a therapy scenario. In the initial concept the user wears a VR head-mounted display, with a heart-rate monitor strapped to their chest, becoming immersed in a 6-degrees-of-freedom game environment. While using a peddle exerciser, patients were simultaneously challenged with tasks that would test their working memory. The biosensor information, provided by the heartrate monitor, was used for controlling the game mechanics, ensuring an optimal range of difficulty was maintained. Tests revealed that this approach was highly engaging and improved cognitive function in patients.
Research indicates that immersive experiences, such as those provided by VR, are likely to increase engagement as well as effectiveness of psychological treatments. These fully immersive worlds are not only potentially fun and engaging, but physicians can comfortably put their patients into them confident that they are in a safe and controlled environment. These treatments have potentially much wider applications, including other neuro-developmental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, and depression. Advancing technology-based applications, such as VR and AR-based interventions, can potentially bridge the large ‘mental health gap’ we see today.
While much of current AI tends to focus on creating efficiencies or replicating human tasks, we believe there is real room for AI to help people create and build happier personal relationships. We use AI technology to detect patients’ facial expressions and emotions in real time as they experience their virtual world. This project is a fundamental game changer as it lets physicians prescribe individual, AI-informed treatment. It is at the heart of the new era of precision medicine, where the treatment is specific to the individual patient.
Yet this approach is highly scalable. This type of treatment can be extended not only to a wide range of psychiatric disorders, but also to healthy people. The benefits are likely to be far-reaching in terms of improvements in physical and mental health.
At this stage, our program is ready for further development and testing. In this next phase we plan to expand into new games that have additional applications. Through a range of new creative approaches these potential applications could include cognitive bias modification, criticism management, managing social dilemmas, practicing social skills, and learning to take the perspectives of other people. These immersive VR games will be developed using the latest technologies such as real-time game engines, next generation CGI, 3D ambisonic audio, and haptic feedback.
The intention is that everything from the system to the VR headset to the AI enable software will be packaged up into a single off-the-shelf unit, with a centrally controlled database, available globally to health care institutions, community mental-health centers, employers, and individuals of any age who value talent development and cognitive enhancement. In other words, a highly individualized therapeutic solution in a one-size-fits-all package. |
Sustainable Packaging: Embracing Green Solutions for a Greener Future
As the world becomes more conscious of the environmental impact of our actions, industries are striving to find sustainable solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. One area that has gained significant attention is packaging. Traditional packaging materials, such as plastic and Styrofoam, have long been a cause for concern due to their non-biodegradable nature. However, the rise of sustainable packaging, circular packaging, and the use of green materials is revolutionizing the industry.
Sustainable Packaging: A Step Towards a Greener Future
Sustainable packaging refers to the use of materials and design techniques that have a minimal impact on the environment. It aims to reduce waste, conserve resources, and promote recycling. One of the key aspects of sustainable packaging is the use of renewable materials. For instance, bioplastics made from cornstarch or sugarcane are gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional plastics. These bioplastics are not only biodegradable but also have a lower carbon footprint during production.
Another approach to sustainable packaging is the use of recycled materials. By utilizing materials that have already been used and discarded, the need for new resources is reduced. Recycled paper, cardboard, and glass are commonly used in packaging to minimize waste and energy consumption.
Circular Packaging: Closing the Loop
Circular packaging is a concept that aims to create a closed-loop system, where materials are continuously recycled and reused. It focuses on eliminating waste and reducing the consumption of finite resources. One example of circular packaging is refillable containers. Instead of single-use packaging, consumers can purchase products in containers that can be refilled multiple times. This reduces the need for new packaging materials and minimizes waste.
Another approach to circular packaging is the implementation of take-back programs. Companies encourage customers to return their used packaging, which is then recycled or repurposed. This helps to ensure that packaging materials are not sent to landfills and are instead given a second life.
Green Materials for Packaging: Innovations for a Sustainable Future
The use of green materials in packaging is a significant step towards a more sustainable future. These materials are derived from renewable sources and have a minimal impact on the environment. One such material is bamboo, which is known for its rapid growth and versatility. Bamboo can be used to create packaging that is not only biodegradable but also strong and durable.
Another green material gaining popularity is mushroom packaging. It is made from agricultural waste and mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. Mushroom packaging is not only biodegradable but can also be composted at home. It provides a sustainable alternative to traditional foam packaging materials.
Furthermore, seaweed-based packaging is also emerging as a green solution. Seaweed is a renewable resource that can be grown without the need for freshwater or fertilizers. It can be used to create flexible and biodegradable packaging materials that have a minimal environmental impact.
The shift towards sustainable packaging, circular packaging, and the use of green materials is a positive step towards a greener future. By embracing these solutions, we can reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimize our impact on the environment. As consumers, we also play a crucial role in supporting companies that prioritize sustainable packaging. Together, we can make a significant difference and create a more sustainable world for future generations. |
What is Animal Farm an allegory for?
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Orwell uses allegory to write about the misuse of political power. Through his novel, Orwell makes a political statement and satirically criticizes those who misuse political power. Orwell uses animals to get his message across. His novel Animal Farm is entertaining while it is critical of those who misuse political power:
Using allegory—the weapon used by political satirists of the past, including Voltaire and Swift—Orwell made his political statement in a twentieth-century fable that could be read as an entertaining story about animals or, on a deeper level, a savage attack on the misuse of political power.
George Orwell wrote an allegory that identified Old Major with Karl Marx. Old Major shares his ideas that fuel the Animal Rebellion. In reality, Marx formulated ideas that caused the Russian revolution:
Old Major is identified with Karl Marx because, just as Old Major develops the teachings that fuel the Animal Rebellion, Marx formulated the ideas that spawned the Russian revolution.
Napoleon and Snowball represent the Russian leaders Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Stalin and Trotsky both had disagreements which lead to a controversy and a falling out. Napoleon and Snowball have a falling out which leads to Snowball being banished from the Farm:
Napoleon and Snowball, both pigs, stand for Russian leaders Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Stalin and Trotsky had a falling out much like Napoleon and Snowball do. Events from history— the revolution itself and the Moscow purge trials of the 1930s—also appear in allegorical form in the novel.
Orwell writes an allegory that reveals deeds done by historic figures who were assigned to political positions. These historical figures abused or misused their political power. Through the novel Animal Farm, Orwell reveals how power can corrupt. Through the animals in the novel, Orwell attacks political misuse of power.
The characters are "easily identifiable for those who know the historic parallels, because [Orwell] gives each one a trait, or has them perform certain tasks, that are like that of a historical figure."
Although Old Major was clearly trying to make a political statement that expressed the idea of people being equal one to another, Napoleon corrupted Old Major's philosophy by being power hungry. Napoleon twisted Old Major's ideas to make life better for himself. In the end, life is no better for the animals. They are suppressed by the teachings of Napoleon. Boxer is a fine example of one who is abused by political power. Boxer works so hard but still winds up going to the glue factory. No one is safe from the political misuse of power. Napoleon dominates and misuses his power to make life better for himself. Orwell makes it clear in his allegory.
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The three main cities of the Kathmandu Valley—Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur—are best known for their Durbar Squares,
The three main cities of the Kathmandu Valley—Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur—are best known for their Durbar Squares,filled with monumental temples and shrines to Hindu deities, constructed by the Malla kings of the the tree cities. The Mallas were Hindu kings, who had first come as refugees to the valley in the 13th century CE. Over the centuries they built up a formidable kingdom, while ruling over their predominantly Buddhist subjects, the Newars.
The Newars have been prolific traders and master craftsmen for over a thousand years. Their trading activities brought them into close contact with both the Gangetic Plains of north and eastern India as well as the Tibetan Plateau and the Silk Route in China. Their culture has been predominantly Indian and the Newars have historically been mostly Mahayana Buddhist in their religious orientation. During the great flowering of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in eastern India under the Pala kings of Bengal and Bihar between the 8th and the 13th centuries, the Newars were important participants in an international Buddhist culture centred around Nalanda and Bodh Gaya. Many learned pandits and monks travelled between the Kathmandu Valley and India, and later they were instrumental in the conversion of Tibet to Indian Buddhism as well.
With the sudden demise of Indian Buddhism in the 13th century CE, many Indian monks and pandits moved to the valley, carrying with them precious manuscripts, works of Buddhist art and the tradition of tantric Buddhism. These traditions continued to exist in the valley, and indeed, still do, making the Newar community the only Buddhists in the whole world whose religious texts and practices are still in Sanskrit.
Over the centuries, Patan or Lalitpur (as it’s called in the valley), has remained the most Buddhist of the three cities, and beyond the major tourist draw of the Patan Durbar Square lie the community viharas (called Baha in Newari) and courtyards where the Newars live. Today you’ll find Newars in all walks of Nepali life, though they retain their millennia-old reputation of being master artists. Artists’ workshops and ateliers lie all around town, as do shops and emporia selling some of the finest Buddhist art you will find anywhere. Take a walk with us into the magical Buddhist courtyards of Patan. |
All Saints Church - exterior
There has been a church in the village since Norman times and probably earlier. The first definite mention is in 1096 when the rectory was given to the Prior of Barnwell. All that remains of this are perhaps the grotesque corbels supporting the nave roof. Most of the present church was built about 1445 although the tower may be somewhat older, judging by some peculiarities in the masonry on the north and south sides. The main building has survived virtually unaltered since that date though the nave roof has been lowered – the moulding indicating an earlier roof-line can be seen on the east face of the tower.
The present church was probably built by masons from Northamptonshire although the flint-faced exterior is typically East Anglian. The church is described in the ‘Victoria County History’ as being a fine example of flint and rubble construction. The tower has buttresses clasping the corners, a Northamptonshire feature.
English Heritage has listed the building as Grade II.
The church is unusual in being approached from the north by a pleasant path through the churchyard. So this side of the church is decorated with a porch, larger windows and an original conical roof to the stair turret. Since 1983 this has an added ornament of a heron weather-vane. Herons are among the many birds to be seen on this particularly attractive part of the river Rhee shadowed by large chestnuts. In 1974 the churchyard was redesigned as a peaceful garden, with seats overlooking the river and roses planted to commemorate those whose ashes are interred here |
PWB Code of Ethics
Do no harm to subjects directly or indirectly (mental, physical or emotional) and do not shame others for their beliefs.
Be sure to obtain consent for capturing the likeness of vulnerable peoples.
Treat all subjects with respect and dignity.
Accurately represent subject matter. Be aware of and avoid stereotypes, nostalgia, romanticism, cultural fetishism/exoticism and personal biases.
Retain integrity of the image and subject matter during the editing and culling process.
Do not accept compensation, favours or gifts that might influence the outcome of the project.
Do not interfere with nature. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photographs
Do not take selfies with endangered wildlife.
Standards of practice for taking photographs
Photos taken by the volunteer photographer should respect human dignity and ensure the rights, safety and well-being of the person or people being portrayed.
- Comply with local traditions or restrictions when taking photos of people, objects or places.
- Inquire into national laws related to photography and privacy rights.
- Gain verbal or written consent before taking photographs.
- Respect a person’s right to refuse to be photographed. If you sense any reluctance or confusion, refrain from taking the photo.
- Do no harm. Individuals or groups may be put at risk of reprisal, violence or rejection in their communities as a result of exposing their identity or personal story through the publication of their image.
- Do not misrepresent the individual, situation, context or location of the photo.
- Absolutely no payments or any other form of compensation are to be provided to subjects in exchange for their photo or consent.
Photos of issues that are culturally or politically sensitive must protect the identity and privacy of individuals.
- Do not identify individuals. Position the camera so that faces and other unique characteristics cannot be seen.
- Gain written consent to use real names and locations in situations where disclosure could result in harm. Otherwise, remove detailed personal information such as names and locations in captions or any other associated documentation.
- Identifiable images of individuals should not be used to illustrate sensitive subject matter in such a way as to indicate that the individual is connected with the issue.
Photos of people who are vulnerable are to be taken with particular care, compassion and protection of privacy.
- Photograph all people with respect and dignity. Special care and compassion must be exercised with vulnerable subjects.
- Survivors of sexual exploitation, gender-based violence or abuse are not to be identified as such (unless it is an objective of a project)
- An individual’s status as a person living with HIV, TB or any other serious health conditions must not be revealed without written consent.
- An individual’s engagement in socially marginalised or criminal activities must not be identified.
- Care must be taken in photographing people in times of crisis. Do not exploit an individual’s vulnerability at times of trauma or grief. Benefits must outweigh costs. |
why does standard hydrogen electrode acts cathod when connected to zinc electrode half cell and as anode when connected to copper electrode half cell?
i have read the answer of this in books which explains in the terms of electrode reduction potential but i find it confusing please explain it mechanically.
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Electrochemical series is the arrangement of metals based on the tendency of each metal to donate electrons. Greater the tendency to donate electrons, higher up is its place in the electrochemical series and greater is its electropositive character, and vice versa. The standard reduction potential actually quantifies such tendency in respect of a reference system, say, standard hydrogen electrode.
So, when a voltaic cell is constructed by placing two redox systems from different positions in the electrochemical series, the metal located higher donates electrons, thereby accumulating them on its surface. Thus it becomes the negative terminal or anode of the cell and the metal located lower accepts these electrons, thereby acting as the positive terminal or cathode of the cell.
Considering Zn/Zn2+, Cu/Cu2+ and H+/H2 redox systems, zinc is more electropositive followed by hydrogen and copper comes last in the electropositivity count (you can get it from their relative position in the electrochemical series, or from their general chemical reactivities, or from their displacement abilities etc.). Therefore for reasons discussed above, hydrogen will act as cathode when coupled with a Zinc half-cell, and as anode, when coupled with a Copper half-cell.
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Tendonitis Medical Considerations
Aloe Vera Liniment Liniment helps penetrate the skin to get down into the muscle layers Liniment is used for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, simple backaches, strains, and sprains. It works great for pain relief from sore muscles.
Bromelain: Bromelain is a Plant Digestive Enzyme which is extracted from Pineapple. Bromelain has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties that will reduce internal inflammations. These inflammations can be inflamed joints, inflamed sinus passages, or inflamed organs such as the prostate. However, in order for Bromelain to demonstrate its anti-inflammatory action, it must be taken on an empty stomach. The reason is simple. If there is food in your stomach, then Bromelain, along with the other digestive enzymes, will be used up to digest your food. If taken without food, then the entire digestive enzymes formula will find it way into the blood stream, unused.
Digestive Enzymes: Must have a very high quality, bioavailable, preferably broad spectrum formula, for rapid and complete digestion of foods, to prevent developing possible food allergies. Raw food has intact enzymes that assist in the digestion of that food group. Cooking destroys enzymes. Our bodies also have enzymes that assist in digesting foods, however enzyme function diminishes with age. Failure to completely digest foods leads to incomplete assimilation of nutrients. The result is the development of a number of chronic medical conditions, food allergies included. Plant based digestive enzymes work at any pH; meaning once it is in your stomach, it starts working right away. Animal based digestive enzymes do not begin to work until after your stomach pH drops very low; thus any person with hypochlorhydria (a lack of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juices), may never benefit from animal based digestive enzymes. Enzymes taken with meals will be used up in the stomach while they help digest that meal. Enzymes taken on an empty stomach will go into the blood stream intact. Blood conditions such as stacking of red blood cells (RBCs) like a stack of coins (RBC Rouleau), or red blood cells clumping together (RBC Aggregation), or accumulations of Uric Acid Crystals in the blood, can be greatly helped with a combination of Plant Digestive Enzymes and Antioxidants, taken on an empty stomach. (See our section on
Health NOTE: Individuals with extreme cases of Gastritis, Gastric or Duodenal Ulcers should begin their Enzyme Supplementation with very little (or no) Protease. Then slowly introduce Protease in approximately 4-6 weeks. This is due to the situation that Protease may temporarily have a burning sensation on individuals with these situations.
MSM: The body requires elemental sulfur for many of its functions. Sulfur is a component of the proteins necessary for the formation of skin, hair, nails and muscle. Sulfur is also a component of bones, teeth and collagen (connective tissue). Sulfur is integral in the formation of bile acids by the liver and insulin by the pancreas. It is the fourth most plentiful mineral in the body and it essential for life. MSM, short for methylsulfonylmethane, is an organic form of sulfur readily absorbed and utilized by your body. MSM is composed of 34% bio-available sulfur, making it the richest source of organic sulfur available. MSM is a safe, natural, assimilable food that assists the body in maintaining adequate sulfur stores. MSM may support the body in regulating insulin production, improving skin smoothness and elasticity, regulating environmental and allergic sensitivities, enhancing bowel function and liver detoxification, and enhancing respiratory function.
Frequency Specific Microcurrent: This is very effective for injuries of any kind, including tendonitis.
Available only through a doctor trained in this technology.
Tendonitis is inflamed tendons, which are usually the result of some degree of trauma. The trauma can be perceived as sore muscles when in actuality it is sore tendons. Trauma and / or overuse can result in small tears of the tendon, which will then result in inflammation of that tendon. If the tendonitis is not properly corrected quickly, calcium deposits will begin to accumulate in the affected tendon. If the calcium is deposited into the tendon, that tendon will be much less elastic. Even though tendons are thought to be like a piece of rope, there is some small degree of give in them. When calcium is deposited in a section of that tendon, then life-long problems can result.
When describing calcium deposits to patients, I usually use the example of a strip of elastic. If you had a strip of new elastic, and then put the center of that elastic in your sewing machine, zig-zagging back and forth many times, that section of elastic will no longer be able to stretch. Now when pulling on that elastic, extra pressure is exerted on the rest of that elastic, much more than what that elastic can safely tolerate.
When a tendon has calcium deposits, you will notice there are certain positions that will always cause pain. If it is a shoulder joint, you may never again be able to toss a baseball normally, or skip a rock across a lake.
Proper and quick home treatment should be performed at the first sign of any inflamed muscles / tendons. |
Historically, Anantnaag is called Islamabad by local people. It is a historical city since around 5000 BCE. The first civilization emerged here. In 1320 CE, Kashmir was divided into three parts-Maraz, Yamraj and Kamraj. Anantnag came in Marhan and was called Maraj. It is said that the name Anantnag is derived from the Sanskrit term “countless springs". The meaning of Nag is water spring in the Kashmiri language. There are numerous springs in the district namely Nag Bal, Salak Nag, Ananta Nag and Malik Nag. Anantnag is named after the spring Anant Nag.As per Marc Aurel Stein, the name of the place probably comes from the name of the spring of Shesha Nag, the "Divine Serpent" in Hindu mythology, who was also popularly called Anantnag. Moreover, this is also believed by almost all local historians including Kalhana. The Hindus and Sikhs community of the district prefers to call it, Anantnag where as the Muslims prefers to call it, Islamabad. According to legends, the name, Islamabad is taken from the name of a Mughal governor, Islam Khan who built a beautiful garden in the area. The district surrounding the town was called the Islamabad district until the 1950s when Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad administration changed it to "Anantnag district".
Mahmud Gami was a poet of the Masnavi and ghazal. He is mainly known for his work Yusuf Zulaikha. Rasool Mir was a Kashmiri poet of the 19th century. He is famous as the John Keats of Kashmir. His poetry was based on Romanticism and many Gazals with rivers, valleys, birds, fruits and imagery of Kashmir were written by him. Basharat Peer is a Kashmiri journalist, author, political commentator and script writer. Parvez Ghulam Rasool Zargar is an all rounder Indian cricketer. He is serving as the caption of Jammu and Kashmir domestic cricket team. He is a right-hand batsman and off break bowler. He has played for IPL and International cricket against Bangladesh in the year 2014.
Geographically, the district has a total 2,727 sq km. area and occupies the rank 5th in State and 427th in India on the bases of this size. It lies at 33°73'N latitude, 75°16'E longitude and 2195 m altitude. In the year 2021, there was a total 39.42% forest area of total geographical area. It is bounded by Ganderbal district in the North, Doda district in the South, Kishtwar district in the East and Ramban district, Kulgam district and Pulwama district in the West. Arapath, Brengi, Sandran, Veth, Lidar are the main rivers in the district. The climate of the district can generally be described as cool in the spring and autumn, mild in the summer and cold in the winter. Most of its rainfall occurs in the monsoon season. The actual rainfall in the district was 896.9 mm in the year of 2021-22.
Administration wise, the district is divided into 6 sub-districts, 12 town and 335 villages. Urdu is its official language. The district came into existence in the year 1871 with an allotted district code of 14. Anantnag, the headquarters of the district is situated at the distance of 56 kms from the capital of the state.
Demographically, according to the 2015 census, the district has a total number of 1,42,987 households with the total population of 10,78,692 comprising of 5,59,767 are males and 5,18,925 are females which is leading it to the rank 3rd in the state and 422nd in India. The population density in the district is 302 (persons as per sq km.). The sex ratio is considered 927 (females as per 1000 males) and child ratio is 841 (females as per 1000 males). According to 2011 census the principal languages in the district are Kashmiri at 85.10% and Hindi at 13.32%. During the year 2001-2011, the population growth rate of the district was 46.85% including 45.33% were males and 48.52% were females. As per 2011 census the major religion in the district is Muslim with 97.99% of the total population. In the year 2020 the number of live births in the district was 4,948 out of which 1,973 were males and 2,975 were females. In the same year the number of deaths in the district was 1,547 out of which 907 were males and 640 were females.
Economically, agriculture and industry both are the main sources of income for the people of the district. Wheat, paddy, maize, oil seeds are main production here. Shawl weaving, Gabbah and Namdah manufacturing, handicrafts making are the main occupations in the district. Tourism is also a main source for income here. It has become a large business and trading centre in Kashmir Valley. The Gross Domestic Product in the district during the period 2005-06 was Rs. 2,96,845 lakh at Current Price and Rs. 2,25,738 lakh at Constant Prices in the year 1999-2000. In the year 2003-2004 (Pre.) the Net Domestic Product in the district was Rs. 1,82,696 lakh at Current Price and Rs. 90,583 lakh at Constant Prices in the year 1993-1994. The Per Capita Income or NDDP, At Factor Cost in the district during the period 2003-04 was Rs. 14,488 at Current Price and Rs. 7,183 at Constant Prices in the year 1993-1994.
Education wise, the according to 2011 census, the literacy rate in the district is 62.69% out of which 72.66% are males and 52.19% are females. The literate population in the district is 5,45,532 comprising 3,24,417 are males and 2,21,115 are females.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir for two times. He was the founder of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party. Dr. Mehboob Beg Mirza is an Indian politician from Peoples Democratic Party. Previously, he belonged to the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference but later he became the Chief Spokesperson of Peoples Democratic Party. In the 2009, he represented Anantnag constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha. During 1983-1987 and 2002-2008, he was the part of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Presently, he is serving for the state politics only. Syed Hussain was a Member of Rajya Sabha and Ex-Chairman of Legislative Council. Abdul Majeed Bhat Laram (Majeed Larm) is a social worker, businessman and the Member of Legislative Council. Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed is the 2nd Muslim woman Chief Minister of India. Presently, she is the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir for 9th time and representing Anantnag constituency in the 16th Lok Sabha. She is also serving as the President of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party.
The district has many famous historical tourist places to visit. These places are Mattan, Pahalgam, Achabal, Kokernag, Daksum, Verinag, Wasaknag. Mattan is a hill station. Pahalgam is a town and a hill station. The famous Amarnat Yatra starts from here. Achabal is a beautiful and famous spring. It is surrounded by a garden namely Mughal Garden. Daksum is situated in the Green Forests at Anantnag-Semthan-Kishtwar road. It is famous for natural beauty. Verinag, a wonderful place is known for Verinag Spring. There is also a garden around the spring which was built by Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1620 A.D. This place comes first in the way from Jammu to Kashmir valley. Achabal is an important tourist place located 7 kms away from Anantnag. The place is famous and attractive due to an ancient spring surrounded by a garden terraced and developed by the Mughals. The place has got some historical background also. The upper portion of the garden is called 'Bag-e-Begum Abad' developed by Malika Noor Jehan Begum in 1616 AD and renowned as Sahib Abad in which there is a Hamam (treasure of water) getting heat from a logical lamp (Tosnag). |
GIS – recording finds on a 3D site map
The position of everything found during excavation is recorded digitally in three dimensions. You will know that is what is happening when you see two people shouting numbers at each other, while apparently being ignored by the excavators in between.
The process at the Ness runs like the well-oiled machine it is thanks to our present and past geomatic officers Mark Littlewood, Alette Blom and Sierra Renna.
Each find is put in a sealed bag with the details marked on it – Site code, context number, trench, date, structure number, a brief description of the find (e.g. flint, pot, pumice etc etc) and a unique small finds number. Then, a small plastic tag with a matching small find number (that are recycled repeatedly) is inserted into the ground at the exact location the find came from.
Then, during their rounds, the geomatics specialists stop at each section and using a piece of technological wizardry known as a Total Station, the location of each tag, using 3D co-ordinates, is zapped in using a laser and a reflective prism. This 3D recording also applies to certain samples and other points that need accurately located such as the points on section drawings or plans.
In a very brief and non-technical nutshell, the way it works is that the Total Station is always set up on exact known spots on the site grid. These are constant. We know their exact spatial co-ordinates on both the site grid and the National Grid, and these never change.
When recording finds, the tip of the long-handled prism is held vertically on each find spot and reflects a laser back to the Total Station, which then calculates by simple mathematics the spatial co-ordinates – all done in an instance whereas some of the older diggers can still remember when this was all done by hand using tape measures, levels and theodolites!
All this finds data is then transferred into a geographic information system (GIS) which show the exact location of everything found on site.
Apart from the 3D finds data there are many other layers of information contained within the GIS, site plans, section drawings, maps, geophysical surveys, XRF data etc and also linked into our overall small finds database and photographs of finds etc etc – all interlinked so that they can be interrogated in various combinations.
This allows for instance the production of invaluable three-dimensional distribution maps that allow us to spot patterns of deposition that might not otherwise be obvious
Reviewing year’s worth of data, for example, might show a high number of worked stone around a structure, which could indicate it was being used for a specific task or perhaps the manufacture of these objects. The data can then be cross compared and laid over for instance the XRF distribution plots, or other artifact types to look for correlations or differences in distributions which may further clarify how the site was used. |
People who are bicultural and speak two languages may actually shift their personalities when they switch from one language to another, according to new research. . . .
The authors studied groups of Hispanic women, all of whom were bilingual, but with varying degrees of cultural identification. They found significant levels of "frame-shifting" (changes in self perception) in bicultural participants--those who participate in both Latino and Anglo culture. . . .
In one of the studies, a group of bilingual U.S. Hispanic women viewed ads that featured women in different scenarios. The participants saw the ads in one language (English or Spanish) and then, six months later, they viewed the same ads in the other language. Their perceptions of themselves and the women in the ads shifted depending on the language. "One respondent, for example, saw an ad's main character as a risk-taking, independent woman in the Spanish version of the ad, but as a hopeless, lonely, confused woman in the English version," write the authors.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
This has been cross-posted at Smart and Good.
The most recent issue of Education Week included a piece highlighting Bill Damon’s new book, The Path to Purpose: Helping our Children Find Their Calling in Life. Damon is a Stanford psychologist and long-time moral development researcher whose earlier work, The Moral Child, sets out a worthwhile vision of what makes a child good.
Damon’s work is a hermeneutically-enriched form of survey research. He is asking large numbers of young people aged 12 through 26, through paper and pencil surveys and selected in-depth interviews, about their lack of direction in life. The work, still in progress, has a comparative dimension in that Damon and his colleagues are trying to determine whether the youth of today differ from past generations in their ability to frame meaning and purpose in their lives.
Damon’s preliminary answer is that more than a quarter of young people are “disengaged” and about a fifth have actually found something meaningful to which they wanted to dedicate their lives. The vast numbers in between have not given up on meaningfulness but haven’t found a way to make sense of their lives either. Damon calls on schools and communities to address this “malaise.”
Damon’s on target here in my estimation, and this may be one of the premier ways that “moral education” can – and must – be integrated with academic purposes in schooling. When a young person (in high school or college) learns biology, the purpose is not that he will know the difference between mitosis and meiosis. One purpose is that he will understand himself in the world as a form of life, as a walking miraculous process, as a complex system, as an atomic unit in a much larger complex system, and so forth. Another purpose is that she will possess the resources (knowledge, analytic skills, skills of appreciation/communication) to respond in a fitting way to the day’s practical issues re health, innovation, nourishment, etc. And if he finds himself fascinated with either the mechanisms of biology or the issues that biological understanding illuminates, he may find a pursuit (of employment or leisure) to which he can commit large amounts of time and energy. Each of these purposes is about life meaning, about one’s way of being in the world, and about the actions that turn meaning into meaningfulness. This is moral education (as Damon’s background and life purpose would portend) -- without the direct weight of moralizing or evangelization or indoctrination.
These are unquestionably educational issues though perhaps not narrowly academic ones. Are our school structures, schedules and curricula designed to make it likely that this work is being done? Are teachers willing and/or able to take up these issues even when time – and administrative fiat -- “permits”? I’d answer no.
Monday, June 16, 2008
As the Federal government has delayed reauthorization of the basic law affecting public schools, the Elementary And Secondary Education Act, the most recent version of which is (unfortunately and inaccurately) as No Child Left Behind, perhaps now might be a good time to explore alternative approaches to public education. Since public education is primarily the responsibility of the states, and since the Federal government provides less than 8% of the cost of public education, perhaps rather than Federally imposed mandates we can explore what states have done to address some of the needs of public education. And if we are willing to go down that path (as I certainly am), perhaps the first state at which we would look would be Minnesota.
Had I any doubts of the wisdom of such an examination, they would have been removed after reading a May 4 column in the Providence Journal by Julia Steiny entitled Columnist Julia Steiny looks at Minnesota’s plan to save money and improve schools. Let me begin by discussing what in that column caught my attention.
Steiny begins her column with an argument about reducing the number of school divisions in Rhode Island from its current 36. That holds little interest for me, but in the process of looking for different examples, she had a discussion with Joe Nathan, the director of the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute, about whom she notes that
Nathan had a hand in writing several of the Minnesota school-choice bills, including the nation’s first charter school legislation. He was also an author of the 1991 Open Enrollment legislation that offered public-school choice to all families.While I have never met nor spoken with Nathan, we have overlapped on various educational lists for more than a decade and I have been well aware of his work. He was gracious enough to help me in obtaining information I needed in order to write about the Minnesota approach.
Let me return to Steiny's column, in which she wrote of MN that
Its technique was to pass a series of laws allowing all children, K-12, to attend whatever school the family chooses, provided there is room. The money followed the students. The parents were thrilled, and the bureaucracies had no choice but to adjust.
Unappealing or incompetent districts lost students, so rather than run astronomically expensive programs for the remaining students, they merged with stronger districts. Good schools filled to capacity, which is the most cost-efficient way to run them. Bad ones closed, which also saves money. Kids generally got better, more efficient schools.
And there wasn’t so much to fight about. Consolidations took place. Tax money flowed more directly to good schools and away from bureaucratic waste.
Steiny quotes Nathan as saying that because the power was placed in the hands of parents, districts might have consolidated, but also might have found ways to cooperate to increase the options offered to parents for their children, options that might attract those parents. According to 2005 survey run by the Center, 80% of respondents said that parents should have some voice in selecting the schools their children attend. And while Nathan properly warned that no single approach is a panacea to solve the problems faced by our schools, he also noted that the approach in MN allowed teachers greater voice in designing the alternatives of schooling offered to parents. This has resulted in a great variety of options from which parents can choose.
Before I explore those options in more detail, allow me to quote what Nathan said about himself:
“I entered this issue in the 1970s for social justice reasons. All kids need options. Not crummy options, good options. Some kids flourish in core knowledge, Montessori, or two-way bilingual. Others need a multiple-intelligence school, international baccalaureate, or one that teaches how to repair computers. Every kid should have transportation and no admissions test. Families have options for daycare, nursery school, college, so why not public school?”Minnesota may not yet have fully implement the sweep of this kind of vision, but as a state it has probably gone further than any other, and certainly it has done enough to warrant anyone interested in public education policy taking a closer look.
An examination of the website of the state's Department of Education will take you to this page, which lists all the options of school choice (of which I will only examine those relating to public school choice). Allow me to quote the text with which the page begins:
Minnesota is a place where all parents have meaningful public school choices for their children. Minnesota is, after all, the state that brought the nation the charter school movement. It is also a state where students may “open enroll” into schools that are part of school districts where the families do not reside. It’s a place where Minneapolis students encounter a wealth of choices not only within their district, but also in nearby suburbs, with transportation provided free. And it’s a state where the borders of a classroom can be as broad as the global connections of the worldwide web. With this wide range of learning options, Minnesota families are often able to find a school that meets their child’s individual needs.
The website provides information on five different aspects of public school choice. These are
Charter schools, which have existed in MN since 1992, and of which there are currently 158 in operation. The Department notes of charter schools that they
employ licensed teachers, offer services to special needs students and require students to take state and national tests to assure academic accountability. They do not charge tuition, and there are no admission requirements to enroll students in charter schools. New charter schools with exciting programs open their doors to students every year in Minnesota. Parents may contact charter schools directly to find out about the type of programs and enrollment options.
Alternative Education provides more than 150 programs at over 600 sites for students under 21 at risk of not graduating who meet ANY of the following criteria:
(1) are performing substantially below grade level; (2) at least one year behind in credits for graduation; (3) are pregnant or parents; (4) have experienced physical or sexual abuse; (5) are chemically dependent; (6) have mental health problems; (7) have been homeless recently; (8) have withdrawn from school or been chronically truant; or (9) speak English as a second language or have limited English proficiency.
Online Learning gives students the ability to take such courses either as supplementals in place of a regular class during the school day, or as the sole means of obtaining a public education. The state maintains a clearinghouse of approved programs, and all those certified by the state
are taught by Minnesota licensed teachers, meet or exceed state academic standards, transfer to other public school districts and apply to high school graduation. The documents linked below contain information about online learning programs, student enrollment and certification of public providers.
The Choice is Yours is a special program for families receiving free or reduced lunch benefits in the city of Minneapolis, giving them priority in placement in the schools they choose, whether for magnet programs in the city or schools in the suburbs. For those going to suburban schools the state provides the cost of transportation. The city is split into Northern and Southern sections, with the choice of suburban districts being limited by proximity.
Finally, there is Open Enrollment which
allows all Minnesota’s public school students the opportunity to apply to attend school outside of the school district where they live. More than 30,000 Minnesota students did just that last year.While in this program parents do not have to pay tuition, they are responsible for providing the transportation for their children.
I contacted Joe Nathan to ask some specific questions, and he was kind enough to respond in detail, and to reach out to people in the State Department of Education to verify the figures. Let me note that his Center for School Change offers a great deal of information at their website, and for those interested in knowing more I encourage you to explore there as well as at the State website.
Let me offer some of Joe's concluding words from one of our earlier exchanges, because I believe this provides some appropriate context (and PSEO = Post Secondary Enrollment Options, which enables secondary students to take college courses on a part- or full-time basis while still enrolled in HS):
The broad coalition that supports the public school choice programs above (plus inclusion of private college and universities in PSEO) has NOT supported vouchers. Moreover, statewide polls show Minnesotans do not support vouchers unless private and parochial schools are open to all, with no admissions tests. Many private and parochial schools in Mn want the power to decide who is admitted. that has helped mean vouchers went no-where.
Public school choice has received strong bi-partisan support here. PSEO,
open enrollment and the charter movement all were first proposed by
Democrats who saw it as expansion of opportunity.
In other words, even though there are SOME aspects of the MN approach that do allow some limited enrollment in non-public schooling situations, the program has been implemented in a fashion that does not move in the direction of privatization of public schooling. As to vouchers, I will reiterate something I have noted on multiple previous occasions: in every case were vouchers have been placed on the ballot for the voters they have been defeated. Those voucher programs which exist have been imposed by legislative bodies without the direct voice of the voters included. MN clearly demonstrates that it is possible to offer a wide variety of options of public school education without resorting to vouchers.
In my examination, I became interested in seeing how widespread participation in the various programs of choice were in Minnesota. Joe Nathan was kind enough to contact a variety of people in the State, and he and I went back and forth several times with the data we were able to obtain. In fairness, since he understands the meaning of the numbers better than I do, I am going to present the numbers by quoting his suggested presentation:
* In 2007-2008 About 145,000 of Minnesota's 836,672 public school students used Minnesota's cross district, public school choice laws
(includes open enrollment, 2nd chance laws, charter law and Post-Secondary Enrollment Options) That's about 17%.
* In addition, Mpls and St. Paul (two different districts) do not assign students to a particular school, k-12. They have dozens of magnets, schools within schools, and other options. Those kids and families are actively selecting from within district options. So if you add the 38,000 from St .Paul and 34,000 from Mpls you are up to more than 210,000 kids. (Again, there is some double counting because of Post-Secondary Options - but that is only 7400 kids. Mpls and ST Paul also have a few thousand kids attending contract alternative schools so that is why I did not add 72,000 and 145,000 call it 217,000). 210/836 is 25%.
* Many other districts including Rochester and Duluth offer schools within schools, magnets and other options. At this point is not possible to figure out exactly how many kids involved.
Beyond the numbers, I raised several other issues about the program in order to understand it better. Joe was kind enough to offer detailed responses to these questions.
I live in Arlington VA which spends more than 19,000 per student. There are other districts nearby which spend substantially less. The district in which I teach, Prince George's County MD, spends significantly less than does the neighboring district of Montgomery County. The differentials come from local taxes. Joe's response on this was
In Minnesota, the state provides more than 2/3 of the funding for the students. So the issue you describe for Maryland and Virginia is less of an issue here. To be fair, in states such as yours, my sense is that all or a portion of local property taxes should follow students.That is one thing that could represent a stumbling block to expanding the MN approach to other states.
I asked about the chartering of schools, and how that affected their enrollment, given the state's open enrollment approach. Joe responded that
The original charter idea was that the state legislature would give at least one other group the power to authorize, or "charter" groups of educators, parents and others to create new public schools, open to all. Thus, a law such as you have in Virginia that limits this power only to local districts is not really a charter law. In Minnesota, the following groups are allowed to authorize a new chartered school: Local districts, regional groups of districts, higher education institutions, social service agencies or foundations that are registered with the Mn Attorney General and have a bank account of at least $2 million.
Students attending Mn charter schools may move across district lines, just
like students attending district public schools. However, charters may NOT
have any form of admissions tests for their students.
I also asked if receiving schools or districts had any ability to limit the number of students coming in by open enrollment. Joe responded as follows:
The legislation gives receiving districts the ability to limit cross district enrollment, but no specific % is included in the
legislation. So a receiving district has complete flexibility in terms of
numbers of students it can accept, and has complete flexibility at each
grade, and if it has more than one school, at each school. The receiving
district may NOT limit incoming enrollment to just students of one race,
and may not use an admissions test for the school (unless it already uses
an admission test for students in its own district).
I have often written that I believe the entire structure of American public schooling is flawed, and were it up to me I would blow it up and redesign it from the bottom up. Unfortunately that does not seem a viable option. Because of our ongoing responsibility to those currently enrolled in our schools, we have to see what salutary improvements are possible within the reality in which we currently find ourselves. Merely attempting to drive performance by analyzing test scores and graduation rates has not as yet demonstrated that its effects are positive, and in fact may be proving the contrary case.
Further, we know that not all children learn alike, and that parents have different aspirations for how they want their children instructed. Because we know that the education of any child is improved when the parents are involved and committed to that education, involving the parents in the process of selecting the environment in which their children are instructed seems to warrant giving those parents some say in how their children are educated. It is often difficult for one school or even one district to provide the full range of options that parents might seek or students might need. Allowing a wide range of options within a public school framework seems a reasonable method of attempting to meet such aspirations.
I encourage those with interest in educational policy to take the time to explore more completely than I can within this posting the approach that Minnesota is taking. It may not be completely transferable to other states, but there is much than can be learned from their experience, which now extends more than a decade and a half since their implementation of the nation's first charter school program.
I will be interested in your responses to what I have presented. So will Joe Nathan and those people in the Minnesota Department of Education who were kind enough to help me with information: Glory Kibbel, Bondo Nyembwe, Cindy Jackson, and Marceline Dubose. They are rightly proud of what they have accomplished in MN, even as they seek to find better ways to serve the people of their state.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I’ve spent my 20+ years as a teacher educator on campuses that serve large numbers of students from working class backgrounds, so I’ve always done a bit of a mental lurch when hearing frequent references in the literature and in casual conversation among colleagues to the teaching force being “white and middle class”.
I’ve nodded in agreement at the “white” part but have been puzzled by the casual but common references to most teachers being from middle-class backgrounds, in part because the students with whom I’ve worked have not fit this profile, in part because I’ve looked in vain for any actual data on the class background of people who go into teacher education (it doesn’t seem to actually exist), and in part because it’s rare for researchers to even collect data on the actual class backgrounds of teachers in critical studies of schooling, as if teacher identities were formed independently from backgrounds of relative deprivation or privilege.
But beyond frustration with casual uses of language about class, I’ve wondered if we aren’t missing the pedagogical possibilities of opening richer conversations about class with students who do occupy a distinctive social space -- students who, while in teacher education, may be poised at the very point of crossing formidable class borders because they have methodically, if not consciously, constructed new social identities through school to enable their social mobility.
So I’ve wondered if, rather than dismissing upwardly-mobile students as “tokens”, who have been “allowed” to succeed to placate gullible others into faith in fairness (or worse, just seeing classed identities of White working- class students as something that needs to be “fixed” as a condition of academic success) , there wouldn’t be potential in interrogating the “complex social trajectory” (Reay, 1997, p. 19) of class border crossing as they progress through teacher education.
I do want to be clear about what I mean when I speak of class. I draw on the theoretical work of Pierre Bourdieu, and I’m challenged by feminist scholars writing about class at the intersections of gender and race (e.g. Adair, 2002; Furman, Kelly and Nelson, 2005; Reay, 1997a; 1997b; 2004; Walkerdine, 2003; Lucey, Melody, and Walkerdine; 2003; Skeggs, 1997, 2005) who understand class boundaries to be constructed and maintained not only in occupational hierarchies but also in the dailiness of social life. Sayer (2005, p. 1) elaborates:
Class matters to us not only because of differences in material wealth and economic security, but also because it affects our access to things, relationships, experiences and practices which we have reason to value, and hence our chances of living a fulfilling life. … Condescension, deference, shame, guilt, envy, resentment, arrogance, contempt, fear and mistrust, or simply mutual incomprehension and avoidance typify relations between people of different classes.
Success in school has delivered first-generation teacher education students to the contested social spaces at the very borderlands of class, and they likely come with baggage that not even they can fully recognize. As Renny Christopher (2004) notes, class borders are essentially invisible to upwardly-mobile students until they stand ready to step across them. They’re likely encountering these (previously) invisible borders at the very time that they’re becoming teachers, yet the field seems to assume that most teachers have lived their entire lives on the privileged side of those class divides and have little to say about deprivation or exclusion.
So, my challenge in thinking about teaching these students is how to both honor the experiences of the White, working-class students but also “to encourage students from working-class families to form new political relationships with that experience” (Lindquist, 2004, p. 191).
My questions about this work, then, are about how we might attain two goals: a) to draw upon the distinctive perspectives of these class border-crossers to illuminate their “complex social positioning as a complicated amalgam of current privilege interlaced with historic disadvantage” (Reay, 1997, p. 25) and b) to complicate what Adair and Dahlberg (2001 p. 174) have termed a cultural “impulse to frame class mobility as a narrative of moral progress” .
Both goals, I think, could serve our work as teacher educators well, and perhaps could help to get us past the “resistance” that we sometimes see in teacher education when we try to teach critical perspectives on schooling.
Might there be potential in more explicit reflective/autobiographical work on class and social mobility in teacher education? Or at least in moving beyond our casual depictions of teachers as "white and middle class" when many may be facing formidable barriers to class mobility at the very time that they hear themselves described as middle class (and therefore ill-informed about social struggles) in our courses?
Do many of us actually know the class backgrounds of the teachers and teachers-to- be with whom we work, since identity is complicated upwardly-mobile students likely learned long ago that they have to "pass" as middle class to make it?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
-- Advanced certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is an effective way to identify highly skilled teachers, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. Students taught by NBPTS-certified teachers make greater gains on achievement tests than students taught by teachers who are not board-certified, says the report. However, it is unclear whether the certification process itself leads to higher quality teaching. WASHINGTON
"Earning NBPTS certification is a useful 'signal' that a teacher is effective in the classroom," said Milton Hakel, Ohio Board of Regents' Eminent Scholar in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at
, and chair of the committee that wrote the report. Bowling Green State University
"But we don't know whether the certification process itself makes teachers more effective -- as they become familiar with the standards and complete the assessment -- or if high-quality teachers are attracted to the certification process."
The report recommends further research to investigate that question, as well as to determine whether NBPTS certification is having broader effects on the educational system, beyond individual classrooms. Studies so far suggest that many school systems are not supporting or making the best use of their board-certified teachers.
Link to the press release and the full report.
Full disclosure: I am a National Board Certified Teacher and worked, for two years, as a Teacher in Residence at NBPTS. I am fully conversant with the range of research on National Board Certification--both positive and less than glowing--and have noticed a trend, lately, toward a shorthand, knee-jerk opinion that there is no "proof" that National Board Certification is a signal of anything except a willingness to put oneself through the assessment wringer for a year (which, in itself, represents a huge break from business as usual). It's gratifying to see a highly respected entity take a, well, scientifically based look and come out with some qualified positives.
And not just from a research/editorial/scholarly standpoint, either. Most National Board Certified Teachers (over 90%, in fact) will tell you that the process changes them and their teaching. They know, in their gut, that it's been good for their practice--especially being required to articulate what, precisely, their students have learned and how they know that learning is real. It's enormously frustrating for a teacher who's clear about the benefits to their own professional learning to be told the research on National Board Certification is murky or negative, negating their first-hand experience.
I'm sure they're celebrating at the National Board, but the real winners are National Board Certified Teachers.
Post-Fordism’s appetite for self-directed activity is bringing about a crisis in progressive education. No longer perceived as threatening, a work force trained to think for itself has become highly desirable. So what should an emancipatory education entail today?I tried to get at this question from the opposite side in "Rethinking Domination and Resistance, where I argued that the worries about the oppression of progressive forms of education are problems for people who don't really have problems. People who are more overtly oppressed don't have any doubts about whether it is happening or not.
As I've said, I think emancipatory education must involve teaching skills that actually generate collective power, which progressive education does not. |
In Norse mythology, Víðarr (Old Norse, possibly "wide ruler", sometimes anglicized as Vidar, Vithar, Vidarr, and Vitharr) is a god among the Æsir associated with vengeance. Víðarr is described as the son of Odin and the jötunn Gríðr, and is foretold to avenge his father's death by killing the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök, a conflict which he is described as surviving. Víðarr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and is interpreted as depicted with Fenrir on the Gosforth Cross. A number of theories surround the figure, including theories around potential ritual silence and a Proto-Indo-European basis.
In the Poetic Edda, Víðarr is mentioned in the poems Völuspá, Vafthrúdnismál, Grímnismál, and Lokasenna. In stanzas 54 and 55 of the poem Völuspá, a völva tells Odin that his son Víðarr will avenge Odin's death at Ragnarök by stabbing Fenrir in the heart. In stanzas 51 and 53 of Vafthrúdnismál, Vafþrúðnir states that Víðarr and his brother Váli will both live in the "temples of the gods" after Surtr's fire has receded and that Víðarr will avenge the death of his father Odin by sundering the cold jaws of Fenrir in battle.
In stanza 17 of Grímnismál, during Odin's visions of various dwelling places of the gods, he describes Víðarr's (here anglicized as "Vidar") residence:
- Brushwood grows and high grass
- widely in Vidar's land
- and there the son proclaims on his horse's back
- that he's keen to avenge his father.
According to Lokasenna, Loki rebukes the gods at the start of the poem for not properly welcoming him to the feast at Ægir's hall. In stanza 10, Odin finally relents to the rules of hospitality, urging Víðarr to stand and pour a drink for the quarrelsome guest. Víðarr does so, and then Loki toasts the Æsir before beginning his flyting.
Víðarr is referenced in the book Gylfaginning in chapters 29, 51, and 53. In chapter 29, Víðarr is introduced by the enthroned figure of High as "the silent god" with a thick shoe, that he is nearly as strong as the god Thor, and that the gods rely on him in times of immense difficulties.
In chapter 51, High foretells that, during Ragnarök, the wolf Fenrir will devour Odin, Víðarr will avenge him by stepping down with one foot on the lower jaw of the monster, grabbing his upper jaw in one hand and tearing his mouth apart, killing him. Víðarr's "thick shoe" is described as consisting of all the extra leather pieces that people have cut from their own shoes at the toe and heel, collected by the god throughout all time. Therefore, anyone who is concerned enough to give assistance to the gods should throw these pieces away.
In chapter 54, following Ragnarök and the rebirth of the world, Víðarr along with his brother Váli will have survived both the swelling of the sea and the fiery conflagration unleashed by Surtr, completely unharmed, and shall thereafter dwell on the field Iðavöllr, "where the city of Asgard had previously been".
According to Skáldskaparmál, Víðarr was one of the twelve presiding male gods seated in their thrones at a banquet for the visiting Ægir. At a point in dialogue between the skaldic god Bragi and Ægir, Snorri himself begins speaking of the myths in euhemeristic terms and states that the historical equivalent of Víðarr was the Trojan hero Aeneas who survived the Trojan War and went on to achieve "great deeds".
Later in the book, various kennings are given for Víðarr, including again the "silent As", "possessor of the iron shoe", "enemy and slayer of Fenrisulf", "the gods' avenging As", "father's homestead-inhabiting As", "son of Odin", and "brother of the Æsir". In the tale of the god Thor's visit to the hall of the jötunn Geirröd, Gríðr is stated as the mother of "Víðarr the Silent" who assists Thor in his journey. In chapter 33, after returning from Asgard and feasting with the gods, Ægir invites the gods to come to his hall in three months. Fourteen gods make the trip to attend the feast, including Víðarr. In chapter 75, Víðarr's name appears twice in a list of Æsir.
The mid-11th century Gosforth Cross, located in Cumbria, England, has been described as depicting a combination of scenes from the Christian Judgement Day and the pagan Ragnarök. The cross features various figures depicted in Borre style, including a man with a spear facing a monstrous head, one of whose feet is thrust into the beast's forked tongue and on its lower jaw, while a hand is placed against its upper jaw, a scene interpreted as Víðarr fighting Fenrir. The depiction has also been theorized as a metaphor for Jesus's defeat of Satan.
Theories have been proposed that Víðarr's silence may derive from a ritual silence or other abstentions which often accompany acts of vengeance, as for example in Völuspá and Baldrs draumar when Váli, conceived for the sole purpose of avenging Baldr's death, abstains from washing his hands and combing his hair "until he brought Baldr's adversary to the funeral pyre". Parallels have been drawn between chapter 31 of Tacitus' 1st century CE work Germania where Tacitus describes that members of the Chatti, a Germanic tribe, may not shave or groom before having first slain an enemy.
Georges Dumézil theorized that Víðarr represents a cosmic figure from an archetype derived from the Proto-Indo-Europeans. Dumézil stated that he was aligned with both vertical space, due to his placement of his foot on the wolf's lower jaw and his hand on the wolf's upper jaw, and horizontal space, due to his wide step and strong shoe, and that, by killing the wolf, Víðarr keeps the wolf from destroying the cosmos, and the cosmos can thereafter be restored after the destruction resulting from Ragnarök. Thus Dumézil conceives of Víðarr as a spatial god (per the hypothesized Víð-/wide root - O.E. wīd, from P.Gmc. *wīdas (cf. O.S., O.Fris. wid, O.N. víðr, Du. wijd, O.H.G. wit, Ger. weit). Dumézil substantiates this claim with the text of the Lokasenna, in which Víðarr, trying to mediate the dispute with Loki, urges the other Aesir to "grant Loki his space" at the feasting table. Dumézil argues that this play on Víðarr's spatiality would have been understood by an audience familiar with the God, an interpretation further warranted by his reading of the Lokasenna as being in significant part a book of puns and word plays about the different Aesir. Dumézil also suggests that Víðarr's spatiality is seen in the Vishnu of the Vedic traditions, both etymologically (the Vi- root) and mythologically, citing the story of Bali and Vishnu. In this legend, Vishnu (in the form of Vamana) tricks the malevolent king Bali, who has secured dominion over the whole Earth, by making Bali promise to grant Vamana all the land he can cover in three paces. Vamana turns himself into a giant and strides across all of heaven and Earth, taking Bali's head and granting him immortality in lieu of taking the last pace. Dumézil theorizes that these myths of Fenrir/Víðarr and Bali/Vishnu may have a common origin in an Indo-European God of spatiality, similar but distinct from the hypothetical framing or entry/exit God that spawned Janus and Heimdall.
- Orchard (1997:174–175).
- Larrington (1999:11).
- Larrington (1999:48).
- Larrington (1999:54).
- Larrington (1999:86).
- Byock (2006:37).
- Byock (2006:73).
- Byock (2006:77).
- Faulkes (1995:59).
- Faulkes (1995:66).
- Faulkes (1995:76).
- Faulkes (1995:82).
- Faulkes (1995:95).
- Faulkes (1995:156–157).
- Pluskowski (2004:158).
- Schapiro (1980:264, note 66).
- Lindow (2001:312—313).
- Lindow (2001:311).
- Lindow (2001:314) referencing Dumézil, Georges (1965). "Le dieu scandinave Víðarr" collected in Revue de l'histoire des religions 168, pages 1–13.
- Harper, Douglas. "Wide". Online Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- Byock, Jesse (Trans.) (2006). The Prose Edda. Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-044755-5
- Faulkes, Anthony (Trans.) (1995). Edda. Everyman. ISBN 0-460-87616-3
- Larrington, Carolyne (Trans.) (1999). The Poetic Edda. Oxford World's Classics. ISBN 0-19-283946-2
- Lindow, John (2001). Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515382-0
- Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2
- Pluskowski, Aleks. "Apocalyptic Monsters: Animal Inspirations for the Iconography of Medieval Northern Devourers" as collected in: Bildhauer, Bettina. Mills, Robert (2004). The Monstrous Middle Ages. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-8667-5
- Schapiro, Meyer (1980). Cain's Jaw-Bone that Did the First Murder, Selected Papers, volume 3, Late Antique, Early Christian and Mediaeval Art. Chatto & Windus, London, ISBN 0-7011-2514-4. JSTOR.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Víðarr.| |
Assessing Quality of Service on the Internet
by Peder J. Emstad
Everyone who uses the Internet and mobile phones has an interest in their quality of service. We may notice delays when we browse the Web and transfer files, and we may wonder if our transactions are secure or if we can connect at all. New services, such as voice and video, are constantly being offered based on packet-switching technology, but provide varying quality for the user. A new centre at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has been established to determine how to assess this quality of service.
Traditionally, telecommunication networks have been established to transport voice sig-nals between geographically disparate users, and for that purpose a worldwide network, albeit of widely varying technical quality, has emerged. However, the days of networks dominated by analogue voice signals are long gone. Today's network of networks, the Internet, has become the general vehicle for the transport of digital data representing all kinds of information and information services. These services are realised through the exchange of digital data between end-users, and between end-users and service providers. They cover most aspects of human activities, both private and professional: general information exchange, e-mail, voice and multimedia services, transfer and storage of medical information, economic transactions, location information the list is already seemingly endless. In the industrialised world, everyday life as we know it would cease to exist if the Internet were to become permanently inoperable.
In order to address the problem of Quality of Service (QoS), the Centre for Quantifiable Quality of Service in Communication Systems has been established at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Research will be based around the continued evolution of packet-switching techniques for mobile networks and the Internet . Society's use of and dependence on such networks increases steadily, even though the QoS in a broad sense is unsatisfactory and at best variable. Services to be considered include traditional teleservices, multimedia, messaging, Web and information services, and location- and content-aware services.
QoS as perceived by the users is a combination of factors, and relates to user expectation and satisfaction. It addresses quantifiable technical qualities and solutions, but other aspects such as billing and service management are not included. User (or source) and network behaviour and interaction in a broad sense are determining factors.
To assess QoS it is necessary to thoroughly understand underlying network architecture, to make models and case studies, and to perform measurements. Research will therefore also assess methods and techniques. Furthermore, insights from the research will lead to improved technical solutions and strategies for network and service management. This will mean users can be guaranteed services without undesirable side effects.
The Centre was established on 1st January, 2003 and now includes six post-docs, fourteen PhD students, and seven professors, one of whom is a visiting academic. The Centre hosts two ERCIM fellows (see Figure).
|ERCIM fellows Venkatesh Babu Radhakrishnan (center) and Yuming Jiang (right) hosted by NTNU at the Centre for Quantifiable Quality of Service in Communication Systems with Centre Director Peder J. Emstad.
The Centre is financed by the Research Council of Norway, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and UNINETT, the network operator and service provider for all educational and research organisations in Norway. Financing has been secured for five years, and may be extended for another five years. Telenor is also supporting the Centre, both financially and otherwise. The professors at the Centre are employed either in the Department of Telematics or the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications at NTNU.
The Centre shares labs with the above-mentioned departments. In addition, UNINETT has made available laboratories, testbeds and advanced instrumentation for network measurements. The Centre is located on the premises of the Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering at NTNU in Trondheim. Trondheim is in the central part of Norway and offers excellent working and living conditions.
Mobile systems and the Internet are taking over services traditionally made available through dedicated networks, such as voice, audio and video. Furthermore, they are constantly offering new services, including banking, e-commerce, tax returns and so on. Society is relying more and more heavily on these services, and it is of the utmost importance that they are perceived to be secure, dependable and of good quality. The Centre will assess technical solutions, including mechanisms, methods and specifications, and quantify the QoS using appropriate measurements.
The Centre works within the areas of multimedia signal processing, dependability, traffic and security as applied to multiparty communication. Theoretical studies will be undertaken based on analytical models, simulations and laboratory tests.
Theoretical results can then be verified using the unique laboratories available to the Centre for experimentation
The idea of the Centre is to look at overall QoS in packet-based communication networks like the Internet. This is equally important for audio and video encoding, as is handling of these flows in the network, where they can suffer delays and losses. This can be due both to high traffic and to breakdown of equipment. Excessive traffic may be due to junk mail or hacker attacks, and for a user there may be a subtle difference between reliability and security. Indeed, QoS-relevant issues may be very entangled and should be studied as a whole.
The Centre is a member of EuroNGI, a Network of Excellence under the EU 6th Framework Programme working with problems related to the design and engineering of the Next Generation Internet. It will be represented at COST 276 - 'Information and Knowledge Management for Integrated Media Communication' and is a member of COST 290 'Traffic and QoS Management in Wireless Multimedia Networks'.
Peder J. Emstad, NTNU, Norway
Tel: +47 73 59 4326 |
- Historic Sites
The Seventeenth Largest Army
The old Regular Army, part fairy tale and part dirty joke, was generally either ignored or disdained. But its people went about their work with a dogged humdrum gallantry—and when the storm broke, they helped save the world.
December 1992 | Volume 43, Issue 8
The great American military issue of the day was the horse.
Their meal ended, soldiers sat around the dayroom reading magazines purchased by the company fund, listened to the radio, talked about last payday, talked about next payday, played cards for matchsticks, told each other they were getting out at the end of this hitch, talked about making corporal. At the overseas posts, in Tientsin in China where the 15th Infantry had been stationed for decades by protocol arrangements growing out of the Boxer Rebellion, and in Hawaii, Panama, and the Philippine Islands, the routine was the same except that in the last three locations one’s brawls took place under tropical moons and often featured the United States Navy as preferred enemy. When, after months at sea with no place to spend money, the fleet made port in Subic Bay or Pearl Harbor, the bars and whorehouses catering to servicemen tripled their prices. That left the soldiers out in the cold. This led to exchanges of opinion between men in khaki and men in bell-bottom white that concluded with the appearance of the shore patrol and the white-legginged and brassarded provost marshal’s people, with batons rising and falling on any convenient skull. Overseas duty had one important attraction: Things were inexpensive. There was a Panama place beloved by generations of soldiers where a man could get for half a dollar American a woman who would service him in a manner many of her Stateside counterparts refused, plus a glass of rum, a cigarette, and a shoeshine. Simultaneously.
It is hard, it is almost impossible, to talk about the officers in the same breath as the soldiers. As commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee often wore an old colonel’s uniform, and Grant, we know, was in private’s attire with blouse buttoned in the wrong holes and lieutenant general’s stars sewn on at Appomattox. For the Army of between the wars such doings and concepts were inconceivable. Pershing was the model, Pershing who was the only soldier the public knew (how many today can name one of his subordinates?) and who positively glittered in his shining boots with gleaming spurs, polished Sam Browne belt, flawless brass and silver insignia, fitted breeches, and stern garrison cap. An officer was an Officer. And a Gentleman. They had all taken it in at the Point along with Duty, Honor, and Country.
They lived on a plane utterly remote from the men they commanded, always addressed in the third person. Will the lieutenant sign the report now? If the captain will step this way. (Familiarity breeds contempt, and so the word you for enlisted personnel was outré .) The Army’s officer corps of some twelve thousand dwelt in what was both a formal country club—and an informal old boys’ world. Dress blues, dress whites, sabers with glittering chain of nickel, shoulder braid, knowing how to put a horse over a jump, good form at tennis and at the bridge table, holding liquor like a gentleman, ability to tell a story well, rigid attention to courtesy calls and the leaving of cards on silver trays, and perfect posture— all co-existed with being openly flat at the end of the month (but up-to-date on bills, for a letter from a collection agency would bring a calamitous black mark on your record), boozing, fear that a superior’s wife wouldn’t care for your bride or that your kids might fuss, childish jokes at dinner with friends in your quarters, use of profanity unheard in the civilian world, substitution of the radiator for a chair and the floor for a table when household furnishings were late in arriving at a new post, and the perpetual, lifetime use of nicknames for friends made when young with whom the decades were served out—Ike, Brad, Georgie, Hap, Tooey, Skinny. (Old-timers still referred to Pershing as Nigger Jack for his early service with one of the two segregated cavalry regiments, even though during the World War the papers cleaned it up to Black Jack.) |
This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the Kings and ruling Queens of Denmark, including Regents of the Kalmar Union, up until the present time. This includes:
- The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1396)
- The Kingdom of Denmark (1536 to present)
The kingdom was elective until 1660.
Gorm the Old was the first trustworthy Danish monarch. All reigns before him are dubious. Denmark has one of the longest running unbroken lines of succession in the world, second only to that of the Japanese emperors.
Different branches of Oldenburg have held the Crown of Denmark since 1448, until 1864 in personal union[?] with the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.
Danish name forms are given in parenthesis.
- 794-803 : Sigfred (Sigurd) Snogoje of South Jutland
- a Harald before Godfred
- 798?-800 : Godfred (Godfrid?)
- 810-812 : Hemming, nephew of Godfred reigned 2 years after Godfred's death
- 813 : Sigfred, another nephew of Godfred
- 813 : Anulo, a nephew of the Harald before Godfred
- 812,813,814, 819-826 : Harald Klak, brother of Anulo and nephew of Godfred
- 813-814 : Reginfrid, another brother of Anulo
- 814-827, sole ruling 827-854, died 854 : Eric I the Old, 1 of 4 corulers and sons of Godfred
- 854- after 864 : boderson of Eric the Old, Eric II the Child, whose daughter married Harald I of Norway
- 803-850: Canute I (Knud I)
- died ca 863 : Harold I (Harald I)
- before 873-? : the 2 corulers, Halfdan and Sigfrid
- a Swedish "Olof Dynasty" from ca. 850 with Olof as its first king, he was boderson of Sigfrid.
- at least 934 : Chnuba
- after 934 - memtioned with Gorm the Old in 936 : Sigtryg, last king of the "Olof Dynasty"
Note: Above list of dubious kings affected the numbering of subsequent Danish monarchs:
- Harold Bluetooth is sometimes accounted as Harald II and hence Harald II Svendsen as III and Harald Hen as IV.
- Canute the Great as Knud II.
See also: List of Icelandic rulers, List of Norwegian monarchs, List of Swedish monarchs, lists of incumbents
All Wikipedia text
is available under the
terms of the GNU Free Documentation License |
Eighty percent of all known bioluminescent groups inhabit the world's oceans. At certain depths, nearly all organisms glow. On land, things are quite different. There are bioluminescent fungi and insects, but no flowering plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or mammals that glow.
How did bioluminescence evolve? Scientists are still working on this question. But one thing is clear: bioluminescence has evolved independently many times—at least 50, and probably many more. Such widespread occurrence tells scientists that the trait provides an important edge to organisms that have it. |
Researchers at Touchstone Research Laboratory Ltd. struck a chord with the U.S. Dept. of Defense when they demonstrated the uniqueness of their CFOAM, product. The material, made from coal under controlled conditions, is now being investigated for use in a wide range of military applications from ship bulkheads, smokestacks and blast deflectors to armor, thruster nozzles and stealth materials.
The material is an enabling technology for a host of next-generation material systems and components according to Touchstone's president Brian Joseph. It can be used as the core material in a structural composite that makes ships more fireproof, as a firewall in airplanes and as energy absorbing structural components in automobiles. The foam material performs well in a marine environment, unlike many metals, which are susceptible to corrosion in such an environment.
The carbon foam is an attractive alternative material to traditional material in many applications due to its unique properties. For example, you could make an oven out of the foam, and it could serve both as the insulation and as the actual oven structure. The black foam feels like foam insulation, but is a thousand times stronger; one square inch of the material could support the weight of a full size automobile without crushing. It also is possible to have a flame (from an acetylene torch, for example) impinge directly onto the foam without initiating combustion of the material. Such properties are what make the material so different to work with.
The list of possible applications is long and varied. The carbon foam conceivably can replace balsa wood, intumescent mats, polymer matrices, metallic honeycombs, ceramic fibrous insulation, ceramic tile polystyrene, plastics, fiberglass, rubber and various metals that currently are in use as basic, conventional materials of construction.
Every conventional material has some limitations that can make it less attractive than carbon foam. For example, high material cost, structural limitations, fire hazards, foreign sourcing, corrosion susceptibility, and weight are problems associated with many traditional materials that can be overcome using carbon foam. As a result, the material could become the future material of choice when shipbuilders are designing vessels and aeronautical engineers conceptualize the next fighter for U.S. defense. Major aerospace companies, ship builders, automotive companies and the home construction industry have inquired about using the foam material in different applications because it will not burn and because it presents significant opportunities for cost savings and extended life cycle.
The coal-based material can be made having a wide range of densities from 5 to 40 lb/ft3 (0.08 to 0.64 g/cm3) and having tensile strengths approaching 3,000 psi (20 MPa). The foam can be made either as an electrical conductor or an electrical insulator. While the foam currently is produced as a thermal insulator, it also is possible to manufacture it as a thermal conductor.
The foam also can be graded in density and pore structure through its thickness to provide localized stiffness and thermal expansion control while maintaining an overall weight-efficient structure. As a result, the foam is being evaluated for use commercially as well as for defense. Possible commercial uses include structural panels and firewalls for automobiles, fireproof attic doors on new houses, and even in recreational equipment like canoes.
The material's versatility is based on properties/characteristics including:
- Low cost; the foam is produced from coal, which is inexpensive and readily available
- Product forms; CFOAM is manufactured both as panels of various thicknesses and as foamed-to-shape parts
- Fire resistance; after heat treatment, the foam generally does not contain a sufficient amount of volatile material to support combustion
- Thermal conductivity; low-temperature heat treatment versions of the material have thermal conductivities of less than 1.0 W/mK, roughly equivalent to rock wool. When graphitized, conductivity is in the range of 70 W/mk approaching that of metals.
- Thermal expansion; the foam has an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion (typically from 0.5 and 6.5 x 10-6/C), which can be tailored
- Thermal stability; the material can be used in air to a temperature of about 540 C (1000 F), and in an inert environment to 3000 C (5430 F).
- Design flexibility; properties can be readily engineered to meet different requirements, such as density, cell size and cell connectivity, and its mechanical properties can be varied over a broad range.
- Finishing; the material can be integrated with other materials, such as lamination with fiber reinforced face sheets, impregnation with resins or metals and thermal spraying with metals or ceramics.
- Machinability: the foam is easily worked with most woodworking tools or machining equipment.
- Formability; it can be foamed to virtually any shape.
- Joining; the foam can be joined by means of pitch bonding and heat treatment or, more simply, using low-temperature cure graphite-phenoic adhesives, allowing the use of carbon-foam building blocks to create larger or more intricate structures, as well as repair to damaged structures
- Impact absorption; the foam outperforms conventional polymer foams in mechanical properties and impact resistance.
These properties/characteristics combined with the fact that production of the material is based on a readily available low cost precursor have attracted attention for using the material for defense purposes. Combustion-resistance is one of the key attractions of the material for use in military and commercial applications; the material will not support ignition. Its strength and weight properties and its possibilities as a fire-protection material could lead to incorporation of the carbon foam in ships where on-board fires always are a concern, in aircraft and in space applications where weight problems always exist.
There also is a great deal of interest in the material for crash protection. For example, race cars have crashed at speeds of 200 miles per hour and the driver walked away. This same protection could be used in small aircraft, which often hit the ground at much slower speeds. Until now, materials have not been available for designers to create airplanes for impact absorption. Tests results show that CFOAM performs better than conventional polyurethane foams that are currently used for impact absorption.
The U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy are aware of the possibilities of using this carbon-foam material and are supporting additional research, which has lead to the creation of pilot plant facilities to manufacture the foam. Touchstone's pilot plant at Triadelphia was commissioned this fall and has the capacity to make 40 tons of foam per year. A full-scale plant is on the drawing board.
CFOAM is a next-generation structural material offering a wide range of user benefits. It is inexpensive, lightweight, fire resistant, impact absorbing, can be thermally insulating or conducting, and has an electrical conductivity that can be varied over seven orders of magnitude.
Touchstone's innovative technology transforms high-sulfur bituminous coal, using a proprietary process, into a lightweight, strong, fire-resistant and thermally insulating material. The material potentially could be suitable for use in a number of applications including U.S. Navy ships and other military vehicles, thermal protection for future spacecraft and aircraft, ballistic impact protection for law-enforcement vehicles, energy-absorbing car bumpers, and fire-proof walls for the construction industry.
Two principal microstructure types possible are open, reticulated foam and cellular foam. Reticulated foam (Fig 1) can be produced in densities between 0.08 and 0.80 g/cm3 (5 to 50 lb/ft3). They graphitize readily to exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivities for use in thermal management and electrical applications. In addition, they offer carbon fiber-like performance in the ligaments that define each foam cell and, thus, are an excellent reinforcement choice for resin systems.
The cellular foams were developed for use as a structural core, where it is not desirable for resin or adhesive systems to penetrate the foam significantly; for example, where the foam is used as a fire-resistant core, separating polymer-based structures. Adhesion to the polymer-based structures is critical, but penetration of a flammable resin through the foam thickness would eliminate the foam's fire protection benefit. Such foams are composed of sintered, hollow spheres (Fig 2), with only small pinholes in the cell walls and are available in densities between 0.35 and 0.80 g/cm3 (22 to 50 lb/ft3). They have very low fluid permeability and thicker, more complete cell walls. Less graphitizable than their reticulated counterparts, they are more suitable for use in structural and thermal insulator applications.
Typical mechanical properties for CFOAM material having a density of around 0.4 to 0.5 g/cm3 (25 to 31 lb/ft3) include:
- Compressive strength of 2,200 to 3,000 psi (15 to 20 MPa)
- Compressive modulus of around 80,000 psi (550 MPa)
- Tensile strength of 300 to 1,000 psi (2 to 7 MPa)
- Tensile modulus of 100,000 to 200,000 psi (689 to 1,379 MPa)
- Shear strength of 300 psi (2 MPa)
- Impact resistance of 0.3 to 0.4 ft lbf/in.2
Mechanical properties, especially compressive strength, are strongly related to foam density. In compression, the foam fails by a sequence of shear and compressive buckling. Tensile strength varies with material density and the heat treatment used to produce the material as shown in Table 1.
CFOAM typically is supplied in the calcined, or carbonized, form. That is, it has been heat treated at a temperature sufficient to remove the majority of the volatile matter and make the material resist ignition, but not sufficient to develop graphitic order.
When heat treated to a very high temperature to develop graphitic order within the foam, thermal conductivity increases greatly as shown in the table for low and high density products. |
The Energy Debate
With the increasingly evident reality of global climate change, there
is an imperative to change the ways in which we create and use energy,
in all its different forms and applications. Many human activities
have an impact on our planet's biosphere. The majority view
of scientists around the world is that greenhouse gas emissions have
to be brought under control. With atmospheric carbon dioxide at the highest
level ever, we need to take urgent action.
The former Howard Government proposed nuclear power as a solution
to global warming and proponents continue to advance that proposition.
The Briefing Papers available on this website discuss key issues in the
debate around the suitability of nuclear power for Australia's electricity
needs, and the problems that surround this technology.
Latest Briefing Papers
The Briefing Papers are designed for a quick
but accurate analysis of issues raised by nuclear energy and alternative
energy strategies and
are designed so they may easily be downloaded for printing on any computer
printer, or reading on a tablet or computer screen.
They are numbered with
the latest having the highest number. Currently they are in the
process of being reviewed for update. The most recent two deal with the
implications of exporting Australian uranium to India (an update of Briefing
Paper 18), the public health issues associated with nuclear power (Briefing
Paper 22), and a new paper on nuclear power and civil liberties (Briefing
energyscience.org.au is provided as a public service by
The EnergyScience Coalition, an independent
non-governmental organisation established as a collaboration of concerned scientists,
engineers and policy experts to present information to people on the issue
of sustainable energy.
energyscience.org.au combines rigorous research from leading
academics and other experts to promote informed public debate and to foster
dialogue between policy makers and their critics |
Despite the doomsayers' dire warnings, rapidly accelerating changes in American manufacturing provide an excellent opportunity for growth if they are recognized and acted upon. Just as agriculture changed in the early part of the 20th century, manufacturing is being driven, at the start of this century, by technology and improved methods. Requiring fewer people to produce more products through enhanced product design and manufacturing methods, the face of manufacturing is changing rapidly. Often reported in the conventional media as declining domestic manufacturing, the real dynamics and incredible opportunities are overlooked.
Additionally, suppliers of manufactured goods are continuously looking for ways to gain market-share through ever-improving products. Requiring increased capability and performance and/or lower cost allows them to differentiate themselves from their competitors. This need is insatiable and speed is essential.
Although "capacity demand," more of the same, may be down due to improved efficiencies and mature markets, "capability demand," the need to be able to do something that cannot be done now, is the key to the new manufacturing era. The only way to satisfy the "capability demand" is the relentless introduction of new technologies into the manufacturing arsenal.
Powder Metallurgy (PM)Powder metallurgy is a technology that allows the design of a part through the engineering of the geometry, materials, and processing to effectively match the part performance to the end-use needs. Few technologies have the flexibility and economic advantages of PM, but for all of PM's advantages, the physical properties often fall short when compared to wrought materials, which sometimes limits PM's application.
To close the performance gap with wrought materials, the PM industry has been continuously developing new materials and processes to meet the higher performance applications, converting previously machined wrought parts to net shape powder metal parts. PM can be found in automotive drive trains, power tools, and even lawn equipment, providing excellent performance at a significant cost advantage relative to other material technologies.
PM - Materials and CompactionThe primary means of performance improvement for PM is increased density as most of the physical properties of sintered powder metal parts are proportional to density; the nearer to full density, the nearer to wrought material properties. As PM densities approach full density, it has been found to not only equal, but also in some instances exceed, wrought material properties due to the higher purity materials used in the formulation of alloys.
Many efforts, both by private companies and industry consortiums, are underway and achieving considerable success. Improved powder compressibility has enabled parts to be pressed to higher densities without exceeding the tonnage limitation of compaction tooling. Die wall lubrication systems have been used to lower the internal lubricant content of a powder blend, resulting in higher density parts.
While conventional double press, double sinter processing and powder forging are commonly used, more advanced techniques, such as high velocity compaction (HVC), orbital forging (OF), and warm powder compaction (WPC), are being developed and installed as commercial technologies.
- HVC uses a high velocity ram to transfer kinetic energy to the powder, resulting in densification in a constraining die. Through a series of pre-programmed high velocity impacts, a part approaching full density can be achieved.
- OF adapts this wrought forging technology to a PM pre-sintered preform, resulting in a nearly full density part. Effectiveness of this technology is very dependent upon the ultimate part geometry, but for certain configurations, it is quite effective.
- WPC, although slightly more mature than HVC and OF, is a relatively new technology that employs proprietary polymer lubricants in the metal powder blend that, when heated, provide improved internal lubricity of the powder, resulting in higher pressed densities. Many commercial applications have been successfully developed using WPC that would not have been possible in PM without this technology. The outlook for WPC is for continued growth in a wide variety of applications.
PM - Thermal ProcessingAnother avenue available for improved performance of powder metal components is the use of high temperature sintering. Typically, iron PM parts are sintered in a furnace at a "conventional sintering" temperature of 2050°F (1120°C). Employing "high temperature" sintering [approximately 2200 - 2400°F (1205° - 1315°C) for iron parts] gives the parts manufacturer two ways to capitalize on this enhanced capability. Not only are PM properties strongly dependent upon density, they are also increased by sintering at a higher temperature. A gear designed to be sintered at 2300 °F (1260°C) should have superior performance to the same gear, using the same material, but sintered at 2050°F (1120°C). Using high temperature sintering can be an effective technique to incrementally improve the performance of applications that may be just beyond the capability of conventional PM, potentially opening new market niche opportunities.
Another aspect of high temperature sintering that can be leveraged to a commercial advantage is the performance of alternative, lower cost material systems. Since it can be argued that 80% of a part's cost is driven by its design, material selection is critical to the final cost of a part. Conventional PM materials are typically comprised of iron with elements added such as nickel and molybdenum to enhance the material's performance. Through the use of high temperature sintering, materials systems using lower cost components such as chromium and silicon can meet or exceed the performance of higher cost, conventionally sintered nickel and molybdenum materials. This can have a tremendous impact on part cost, especially for larger parts.
High temperature sintering is typically performed in an atmosphere pusher furnace. Recent developments in controls and refractory packages have made available designs that are capable of producing commercial production on a reliable basis, far superior to models produced twenty years ago.
Shown in Figure 1 is a six zone pusher furnace, rated to 2600°F (1425°C), hydrogen/nitrogen atmosphere, and capable of over 200 pounds/hour (90 kg/h) net production. Incorporating an alloy preheat muffle, this furnace is designed specifically for iron PM parts, which can be de-lubricated in the furnace prior to sintering in the high temperature heat zone.
Figure 2 is another pusher furnace, specifically designed for the sintering of stainless steels. Parts for this furnace must be de-lubricated externally, then sintered up to 2600°F (1425°C), in pure hydrogen with a throughput in excess of 200 net pounds/hour (90 kg/h).
ConclusionDue to global forces and the changing manufacturing environment, the powder metal parts maker is facing an increased risk of losing "conventionally processed" products as they become a commodity in the marketplace. By adding high temperature sintering to his manufacturing capabilities, a PM parts producer will have an additional, powerful tool to meet the needs of his customers for higher performance, lower cost parts by custom engineering the geometry, material and processing to meet the end use requirements of his customers. This will enable him to achieve and maintain a significant competitive advantage by producing high value engineered products as opposed to low value commodity parts.
Additional related information may be found by searching for these (and other) key words/terms via BNP Media LINX atwww.industrialheating.com: High temperature sintering, high velocity compaction, HVC, powder metal, pusher furnaces, sintering, warm powder compaction |
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the discovery of penicillin, the first naturally occurring antibiotic drug discovered and used therapeutically.
It all started with a mold that developed on a staphylococcus culture plate. Since then, the discovery of penicillin changed the course of medicine and has enabled physicians to treat formerly severe and life-threatening illnesses such as bacterial endocarditis, meningitis, pneumococcal pneumonia, gonorrhea and syphilis.
Slide of penicillin
Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish researcher, is credited with the discovery of penicillin in 1928. At the time, Fleming was experimenting with the influenza virus in the Laboratory of the Inoculation Department at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
Often described as a careless lab technician, Fleming returned from a two-week vacation to find that a mold had developed on an accidentally contaminated staphylococcus culture plate. Upon examination of the mold, he noticed that the culture prevented the growth of staphylococci.
An article published by Fleming in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology in 1929 reads, “The staphylococcus colonies became transparent and were obviously undergoing lysis … the broth in which the mold had been grown at room temperature for one to two weeks had acquired marked inhibitory, bactericidal and bacteriolytic properties to many of the more common pathogenic bacteria.”
Fleming described the colony as a “fluffy white mass which rapidly increases in size and after a few days sporulates” and changes color from dark green to black to bright yellow.
Even in the early experimentation stages, penicillin had no effect against gram-negative organisms but was effective against gram-positive bacteria.
Published reports credit Fleming as saying: “One sometimes finds what one is not looking for. When I woke up just after dawn on Sept. 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer. But I guess that was exactly what I did.”
Though Fleming stopped studying penicillin in 1931, his research was continued and finished by Howard Flory and Ernst Chain, researchers at University of Oxford who are credited with the development of penicillin for use as a medicine in mice.
Penicillin made a difference during the first half of the 20th century. The first patient was successfully treated for streptococcal septicemia in the United States in 1942. However, supply was limited and demand was high in the early days of penicillin.
Penicillin helped reduce the number of deaths and amputations of troops during World War II. According to records, there were only 400 million units of penicillin available during the first five months of 1943; by the time World War II ended, U.S. companies were making 650 billion units a month.
To date, penicillin has become the most widely used antibiotic in the world. – by Katie Kalvaitis
Theodore C. Eickhoff
The discovery of penicillin changed the world of medicine enormously. With
its development, infections that were previously severe and often fatal, like
bacterial endocarditis, bacterial meningitis and pneumococcal pneumonia, could
be easily treated. Even dating all the way back to World War II and today with
the war in Iraq, soldiers experienced injuries that would have been fatal
without penicillin and other antibiotics that were developed subsequently. It
is really impossible for me to imagine what the world would be like without
penicillin. I question whether there would be a discipline of infectious
diseases as we know it today.
There were beginning treatments for pneumococcal pneumonia in the 1930s with
antisera and sulfonamides, but use of these treatments quickly came to a halt,
and everyone began using penicillin. This quickly led to a number of
pharmaceutical industries beginning to screen a variety of other natural
products for antibacterial activity, which led to a whole host of new
antibiotics, such as streptomycin, aminoglycosides, tetracycline and the like.
Penicillin clearly led the way in that development.
It is interesting that using penicillin for the treatment of infections like
pneumococcal pneumonia and bacterial endocarditis never had a randomized,
controlled trial because the difference with treatment was so clearly apparent
that no one even thought of doing a randomized controlled trial.
– Theodore C. Eickhoff, MD
Medicine in the Division of Infectious Disease at the University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center
For more information:
- Fleming A. On the antibacterial action of cultures of a penicillium, with special reference to their use in the isolation of B. influenzae. British Journal of Experimental Pathology. 1929;10:226-236.
- Haven KF. Marvels of Science: 50 Fascinating 5-Minute Reads. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited; 1994:182. |
The Neon Museum | How a Glowing Room in Warsaw Tells the Story of Poland Under Communism
This collection of Cold War-era signage is a rare glimpse into Poland's past
Photo: Stuart Kenny
It is 1953. Stalin is dead. He is succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev, who denounces the crimes of his predecessor and begins the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union, leading to “the Khrushchev Thaw”, a period of relative creative freedom in the Eastern Bloc.
Authorities in Poland are faced with increasing demand for consumerism from their people as the decade goes on. Poles want their homeland to be seen as a modern, leading western country again, as it was in the inter-war period after the nation gained independence in 1918.
"By the time the Polish people finally threw off the yoke of communism in 1991 the neons were seen as an emblem of a hated regime - and a propaganda tool of the Soviet Union"
Conferences are held in Czechoslovakia and in an attempt to quell growing unrest while keeping the iron curtain shut, leaders discuss the idea of “state controlled consumerism” and decide on a programme of ‘neonisation’. The idea is that by deploying neon signs across the streets of the country, and indeed the Eastern Bloc, the regime will remove the endless grey of Stalin’s USSR and usher in hope of a cultural and economic revival by transforming colourless cities into buzzing metropolises inspired by the glitz and glamour of Paris, London, Hamburg, and even pre-war Warsaw.
The ‘neonisation’ becomes an emblem of Poland’s ambitions on the global stage; and the rise and fall of the signs over the following three decades serves to map out the political post-war progression of the country - from their rise in the 50s to their fall and demolition at the end of communism decades later.
But while the Soviet-era signs have disappeared from the streets, there is one place where their story is still told.
The Neon Museum in Warsaw is the world’s only museum dedicated “to the documentation and preservation” of Cold War neon signs.
Situated in Warsaw’s Soho Factory area, the museum was opened in 2005 by co-directors David S. Hill and Ilona Karwinska. Karwinska’s astounding photography book “Neon Revolution” is the bible on the topic of Cold War neons.
The Neon Museum is a simple, stylish building. Huge neon signs lay outside, propped up against the walls less in advertisement for the museum than for a lack of storage space.
The small, dark museum radiates colour, and the signs range from those hung above hotels to those taken from florists, toy shops, bookshops, state-owned lottery points and more. One of the most unique attractions depicts Syrenka, the Mermaid of Warsaw, defender of the city, sitting on top of a book - a sign from a library which came to the museum in 2011.
The “Cinema Siren” neon represents a more typical story of how signs find their way to the museum. It was hoisted above an early-20th Century cinema in Warsaw in 1962 in a bid to modernise the building for the new era. In winter the poorly-built cinema was too cold though, and in summer it was too hot. It closed in 2008, and the sign was donated to the museum.
In her introduction to “Neon Revolution” Karwinska writes how the neons, while photogenic and evocative “must also serve as a painful reminder of the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of a people trapped in one of Europe's most brutal and oppressive systems.”
She describes the producers of the neons as “brilliant avant garde artists and designers” but also notes the argument that the neon’s main significance is their representation of an attempt by the authorities to “propagandise, subdue or placate the resentment and suffering of the people of the Eastern Bloc”.
Indeed, not far from the Neon Museum is the Museum of Life Under Communism, where you can learn about the struggles to attain everyday items like fruit and toilet paper in the era, and watch the intensive, almost farcical propaganda films that ran in cinemas at the time.
The neonisation, in a way, was a bid to distract from all that.
As unrest spread to Poland after the Hungarian Revolution in the late 50s, the best architects and artists were hired to produce eye-catching, exciting neon graphics which, free of the capitalist advertising slogans of the West, became a new form of Polish Applied Arts.
Neonisation boomed in the 60s and 70s, but after the Prague Spring, which saw huge political protests shake neighbouring Czechoslovakia in 1968, a wave of brutal suppression ensued, and the economic situation of Poland deteriorated. As the 60s went on, neon production halted, and there was no money left to repair existing neon graphics or create or commission new signs.
Bureaucracy also played a huge part in the problem. The process of implementing a new design and getting approval from authorities became so extensive it could take up to three years. But in the 70s, as the authorities needed to reinstate their control over the Eastern Bloc, funds for state-sponsored advertising increased and a new development program for neons was approved by the highest authority of the time - the Secretary of the Polish Communist Party (PZPR).
In 1971, the process of neonisation for all districts was centralised and prominent streets like Warsaw's Pulawska Street saw as many as 84 new neon designs hung in a matter of a few years. But fate was to deal these iconic signs another blow. As the 70s gave way to the 80s, the neons fell out of favour - alongside the communist regime that had commissioned them.
An economic crisis which had begun in the late 70s in Poland was followed by the rise of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Eastern Bloc, led by the iconic figure of Lech Walesa. At one stage its membership peaked at 10 million members, a third of all working Poles.
In a bid to crush this increasingly powerful opposition, the authorities declared martial law was in Poland on December 12, 1981. The economy slowly collapsed, there are power cuts and shortages and the country’s neons flickered out, returning Warsaw to Stalin-era gloom.
In the Eastern Bloc, where everything was produced by state-owned firms, eye-catching advertising served no financial purpose. After the economic collapse of the late 70s and early 80s the government decided there are more important needs than the colour of the streets. And so few neon signs were made after 1981.
By the time the Polish people finally threw off the yoke of communism in 1991 the neons were seen as an emblem of a hated regime - and a propaganda tool of the Soviet Union. All over the country, the signs were destroyed en masse.
But thankfully for historians, not all of them were switched off for good. Those that survived, and their fascinating story, live on still in a dark, buzzing museum in Warsaw. |
Virtual Museum ID: 19-EKM14
Barite is a barium sulphate mineral that occurs in many different colours and crystal shapes. It occurs in a variety of sedimentary and metamorphic settings and often replaces other minerals or fossils. Despite its many forms, it is relatively easy to identify because of its heavy weight. In fact, its name comes from the Ancient Creek “barys”, meaning heavy. Examples of different forms of barite include golden yellow honeycomb barite and Desert Rose barite that has a flower-like appearance. Barite is also often found in hydrothermal veins with ores of antimony, copper, lead, manganese and silver. Barite is used to add weight to oil and gas drilling fluids to prevent blowouts, as well as in paints and automotive parts, ceramics, LED TVs and medical applications. Geologists can analyze the oxygen and sulphur isotopes in barite to investigate ancient seawater compositions.
The information listed below relates to the current holding location or collection that the sample is from, and whether the item is viewable at that location or is part of a private collection. Coordinates are given as guides, and we remind you that collecting specimens from these locations is not allowed. Caution is advised visiting such sites and Below BC assumes no responsibility for any injuries or trespassing charges that may occur as a result of the viewer entering these sites.
Original Collection:East Kootenay Chamber of Mine (EKM)
Virtual Museum ID:19-EKM14
Date Added to VM:2019-06-14
Sample Origin:Golden, BC
Specific Site:Jubilee Mountain
Datum:11 (NAD 83)
Primary Mineral Formula:BaSO4
Advanced Geological Information
The following section provides geological data relating to the specimen or the site it was collected from, when available. Information has been obtained from various sources including private and government datasets but may not be up to date. Any geological time periods or ages listed often relate to the primary geology of the area, and may not be the actual date of an event such as mineral formation.
Geological Formation:Jubilee Formation
Geological Period:Upper Cambrian
Stratigraphic Age:508 - 521 Million Years
Geological Terrane:Ancestral North America
Galena, sphalerite and pyrite occur as disseminations, as irregular veins with barite, and with barite in vugs and cavities in massive to thin bedded limestone of the Middle to Upper Cambrian Jubilee Formation. Breccia zones with angular clasts of dense dolomite and limestone in a granular carbonate matrix that contain disseminated sulphides and numerous barite and sulphide-filled vugs is also present.
Drilling in 1974 intersected grades of 12.16 per cent and 16.92 per cent barite across widths of 18.6 and 10.7 metres, respectively (Buckley, R.A. 1976).
A few narrow barite veins are present in the overlying slates of the Upper Cambrian to Middle Ordovician McKay Group.
Art Louie holds the area as the Legacy claims. WWC Consulting Ltd. optioned the claims in 1998 and drilled 4 holes totalling 197 metres.
On Jubilee Mountain west of Spillimacheen, W.W.C. Consulting Ltd., an exploration subsidiary of Hydrotech Dynamics Ltd., continued to evaluate its optioned vein barite prospect. In 1999, the company drove two short exploration adits and shipped a few thousand tonnes of barite ore to a mill, which is owned by its parent company, at the Elkhorn barite property on Madias Creek south of Windermere. No further mining was done in 2000 but an aggressive program of surface diamond drilling tested several other veins and breccia zones on the property. A jig concentrator is being constructed at the mine site.
From 2001 to 2003 (inclusive) , Tiger Ridge Resources Ltd. continued underground development and surface exploration drilling on its Jubilee Mountain barite project. In these three years, Tiger Ridge drilled 3869 metres in 52 holes. They also completed 55 metres of drifting and 22 metres of raising in 2002. A 5556 tonne bulk sample was mined in 2001 and 1000 tonne bulk sample was taken in both 2002 and 2003. No work was reported for 2004 and 2005. |
Roman Sculpture, with artists from across a huge empire and changing public tastes over centuries, is above all else, remarkable for its sheer variety and eclectic mix. The art form blended the idealised perfection of earlier Classical Greek sculpture with a greater aspiration for realism and absorbed artistic preferences and styles from the East to create images in stone and bronze which rank among the finest works from antiquity. Aside from their own unique contribution, Roman sculptors have also, with their popular copies of earlier Greek masterpieces, preserved for posterity invaluable works which would have otherwise been completely lost to world art.
As with Greek sculpture, the Romans worked stone, precious metals, glass and terracotta but favoured bronze and marble above all else for their finest work. However, as metal has always been in high demand for re-use, most of the surviving examples of Roman sculpture are in marble.
The Roman taste for Greek and Hellenistic sculpture meant that once the supply of original pieces had been exhausted sculptors had to make copies and these could be of varying quality depending on the sculptor’s skills. Indeed, there was a school specifically for copying celebrated Greek originals in Athens and Rome itself, the latter headed by Pasiteles along with Archesilaos, Evander, Glykon and Apollonios. An example of the school’s work is the 1st century BCE marble statue of Orestes and Electra, now in the archaeological museum of Naples. Roman sculptors also produced miniaturised copies of Greek originals, often in bronze, which were collected by art-lovers and displayed in cabinets in the home.
Roman sculpture did, however, begin to search for new avenues of artistic expression, moving away from their Etruscan and Greek roots, and, by the mid-1st century CE, Roman artists were seeking to capture and create optical effects of light and shade for greater realism. By later antiquity, there was even a move towards impressionism using tricks of light and abstract forms.
Sculpture also became more monumental with massive, larger-than-life statues of emperors, gods and heroes such as the huge bronze statues of Marcus Aurelius on horseback or the even bigger statue of Constantine I (only the head, hand and some limbs survive), both of which now reside in the Capitoline Museums of Rome. Towards the end of the Empire, sculpture of figures tended to lack proportion, heads especially were enlarged, and figures were most often presented flatter and from the front, displaying the influence of Eastern art.
It is also important to distinguish two quite distinct ‘markets’ for Roman sculpture, the first was the aristocratic ruling class taste for more classical and idealistic sculpture whilst the second, more provincial, ‘middle-class’ market seems to have preferred a more naturalistic and emotional type of sculpture, especially in portraiture and funerary works (although the limitations of artists away from the larger urban centres may also have had something to do with the differences in styles). An interesting comparison of the two approaches may be found in Trajan’s Column in Rome and a trophy at Adamklissi commemorating the same Dacian campaigns.
Statuary & Portrait Sculpture
As with the Greeks, the Romans loved to represent their gods in statues. When Roman emperors began to claim divinity then they too became the subject of often colossal and idealised statues, often with the subject portrayed with an arm raised to the masses and striking a suitably authoritative stance as in the Augustus of the Prima Porta.
Statues could also be used for decorative purposes in the home or garden and they could be miniaturized, especially in precious metals such as silver. One type of such statues which were peculiar to the Romans was the Lares Familiares. These were usually in bronze and represented the spirits which protected the home. They were typically displayed in pairs in a niche within the house and are youthful figures with arms raised and long hair who typically wear a tunic and sandals.
However, it is in the specific area of portraiture that Roman sculpture really comes to the fore and differentiates itself from other artistic traditions. The realism in Roman portrait sculpture may well have developed from the tradition of keeping wax funeral masks of deceased family members in the ancestral home which were worn by mourners at family funerals. These were very often accurate depictions where even the defects and less flattering physical aspects of a particular face were recorded. Transferred to stone, we then have many examples of private portrait busts which move away from the idealised portraits of earlier sculpture and present the subject as old, wrinkled, scarred or flabby; in short, these portraits tell the truth.
Once again, for official portraits of the ruling elite, in contrast to lower class subjects, the subject continued to be idealised, for example, the statue of Augustus as Pontifex Maximus has the emperor looking much more youthful and fresh-faced than he actually was at the time of sculpting (end of the 1st century BCE). However, by the time of Claudius in the mid 1st century CE, and even more so under Nero and the Flavian emperors, official portraiture on occasion strove for more realism. In the same period female portraits are also notable for their elaborate hairstyles and they no doubt were prime instigators in fashion trends.
Under Hadrian there was a return to idealised images such as in Classical Greek sculpture (e.g. the colossal statue of Antinous, c. 130 CE) but there was an important innovation in terms of a more natural rendering of the eyes in marble works. Previously, pupil and iris had only been painted on to the sculpture but now these also came to be sculpted as had been the case in bronze and terracotta works.
Realism once more returned with the Antonines, and such features as crow’s-feet and flabbiness return. There was also at this time a trend for polishing the skin parts of the marble which then contrasted, in particular, with the hair, which was deeply carved and left unpolished. In addition, in this period it became fashionable to have a complete torso rather than just the shoulders below the head. (See, for example, the bust of Commodus as Hercules, c. 190-2 CE in the Capitoline Museum, Rome). The bust of Caracalla (c. 215 CE) in the same museum is another good example of the abandonment of idealism in elite portraiture for the emperor has a closely cropped beard, determined turn of the head, taught mouth and mean-looking eyes which clearly betray his character.
By the late Empire elite portraiture becomes formulaic and abandons all attempts at realistically capturing the physical attributes of the subject. Representation of emperors such as Diocletian, Galerius and Constantine I (see the colossal bronze head in the Capitoline Museums), for example, have hardly any distinguishable physiognomic features, perhaps in an attempt to assert the emperor’s distance from ordinary mortals and proximity to the divine.
Sculpture on Roman buildings could be merely decorative or have a more political purpose, for example, on triumphal arches (which most often celebrated military victories) the architectural sculpture captured in detail key campaign events which reinforced the message that the emperor was a victorious and civilizing agent across the known world. A typical example is the Arch of Constantine in Rome (c. 315 CE) which also shows defeated and enslaved ‘barbarians’ to ram home the message of Rome’s superiority. Similarly, on columns such as Trajan’s Column (c. 113 CE), the sculpture could show the emperor as a fine leader - meticulously prepared, militarily innovative and suitably inspiring to his troops. Such a portrayal of real people and specific historical figures in architectural sculpture is in marked contrast to Greek sculpture where great military victories were usually presented in metaphor using figures from Greek mythology like amazons and centaurs such as on the Parthenon.
Altars could also be used to present important individuals in a favourable light, perhaps the first such piece is the altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus from Rome (c. 100 BCE) which may depict the orator Marcus Antonius. The most famous altar of all is the Ara Pacis of Augustus (completed 9 BCE) in Rome, a huge block of masonry which depicts spectators and participants at a religious procession. Unlike later official sculpture the representation of the emperor is understated but what makes the monument significant is the rendering of the figures in a state of action. It seems as though they have been captured in a single moment as in a photograph, a child pulls on a toga, Augustus’ sister tells two chatterers to be silent and so on.
Funeral busts and stelae (tombstones) were one of the most common forms of sculpture in the Roman world. These sculptures could portray the deceased alone, with their partner, children and even slaves (see the 1st century CE gravestone of the corn-merchant Ampudius, now in the British Museum). Figures usually wear a toga and women can hold the pudicitia pose with hand on chin in remorse. Grave altars were also common and these could carry relief scenes from the deceased’s life or stock scenes and those of the more wealthy could portray different generations of family members.
From the 2nd century CE burial (as opposed to the more traditional cremation) became more common and so a market developed for sarcophagi. These were carved in stone and often had scenes from mythology sculpted in high relief on all four sides and even the lid. ‘Asiatic’ sarcophagi were the most highly decorated with reliefs cut almost in the round. The Proconnesian type had sculpture above maidens holding garlands and the ‘Rome’ type had a blank side for placing the sarcophagi against a wall. By the 2nd century CE the sculpture could also include a portrait of the occupant, usually in heroic guise, perhaps as a victorious general or, later still, in a dedicated panel or tondo on the front side.
The two large relief panels from the Arch of Titus in Rome are celebrated as the first successful attempt to create depth and space in sculpture. The panels depict scenes from the emperor’s triumphal procession in 71 CE following his campaigns in Judaea, one shows Titus riding a four-horse chariot whilst the other shows the spoils from the temple of Jerusalem. A perspective is successfully achieved by having the figures recede into the background, carving the figures in higher relief the closer they are to the foreground, having the relief higher towards the centre of the scene and having the background of the panel curve slightly inwards. Thus a bustling scene of depth and movement is created.
The 3.52 m high gilded-bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius is one of the most imposing bronze statues surviving from antiquity. It was probably erected between 176-180 CE at an unknown location in Rome. The statue commemorated either the emperor’s victories over the Germanic tribes in 176 CE or his death in 180 CE. The remarkable survival of the statue has been credited to the fact that the emperor may have been mistaken for Constantine. Much needed restoration work was carried out in the late 1980s CE as the statue had been slowly withering away in the open air but it now takes pride of place in a purpose built room in the Capitoline Museums of Rome.
The portrait of Commodus as the hero Hercules (c. 190-2 CE) is a striking example of how elite portraiture in Roman art could be both realistic and idealistic at the same time. The features of the emperor are distinctly recognisable and his expression shouts a self-assured indifference of the onlooker. However, the artist too, has, either intentionally or not, revealed something of the arrogance and weakness of this infamous emperor. In a powerful description by Mortimer Wheeler:
The smooth and effeminate Emperor with his weak arms, his flaccid feeble face in its aureole of drilled and over-barbered hair, reeking of pomade, the property lion-scalp and club and the tiny ‘apple of the Hesperides’ in that tenuous manicured hand, is delicate but brutally expressive charade. No doubt it delighted, as it revealed, the sadistic pervert whom it has so faithfully immortalized. (1964, 170)
Roman sculpture, then, has provided us not only with a priceless record of earlier Greek masterpieces but it has also contributed great works in their own right. Unique contributions to the art form include the use of historical narratives and an unprecedented realism in portraits which could take the form of grandiose emperors dressed as gods or more humble depictions of lesser mortals which, with the rendering of particular physical features and emotional expressions, allow us to feel a little closer to a people that lived so long ago.
About the Author
- Giustozzi, N. (ed), The Capitoline Museums Guide (Electa, Milan, 2012)
- Giustozzi, N. et al, Palazzo Altemps Guide (Electa, Milan, 2012)
- Henig, M, A Handbook of Roman Art (Cornell Univ Pr, 1983).
- Hornblower, S, The Oxford Classical Dictionary (Oxford University Press, USA, 2012).
- Rosanna, edited by CAPPELLI, The National Roman Museum Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme (Electa, 1998).
- Wheeler, M, Roman Art and Architecture (Thames & Hudson, 1985).
Roman Sculpture Books
Univ of Michigan Pr (01 April 1984)Price: $65.00
Oxford University Press (03 February 2015)Price: $158.66
Brill Academic Pub (01 August 1997)Price: $117.00
British Academy (16 June 2015)Price: $199.00
Metropolitan Museum of Art (11 January 2004)Price: $40.00
c. 10 BCEStatue of Augustus as Pontifex Maximus sculpted.
c. 100 CEIn Roman marble sculpture the pupil and iris of the eye begins to be sculpted rather than merely painted onto the statue.
c. 130 CEThe idealised colossal marble statue of Antinous is sculpted. |
Chinese Grammar: Lesson: Numbers
It’s easy to learn to count in Chinese. Once you’ve mastered numbers up to 10, you can count up to 99 in the blink of an eye.
Single digits work the same way as in English.
Counting up to 99
To form a two-digit number, simply state its tens digit and its units digit. For numbers 11-19, say ten (十) and state the units digit.
99 and above
Once you know the words for a hundred, a thousand, ten-thousand and zero, counting up to hundreds of thousands is easy to work out.
The Chinese counting system is based on 4 numbers. This means that unlike in the Western world where a comma after a thousand (1,000), the Chinese place their comma after 4 numbers, i.e 1,0000 (一 万, ten thousand.) This is important to memorize as a lot of the numbers in Chinese follow that rule.
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Find the Latest Resources in Education Today
Little-known ways Skype is great for teaching ELABy Sharon Carter
Read more by Contributor
June 27th, 2014
Implementing Skype in the classroom is both fun and rewarding for the educator and student
The compressed video applications I tested were Skype, OoVoo, Facetime, and Zoom.
Research has already identified the benefits of using video technology in an education setting. The International Journal of Information Science and Management, expounded on the significance of how integration of video and audio technology will expand in k-12 curriculums in the future.
I used each technology to analyze which one would be best for teaching my lesson. The lesson I chose is based on the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and it entails comparing injustice in the novel to modern day global injustice. After each video application is tested and the lesson taught. My focus will shift to finding another teacher using Skype in the classroom to give my students more practice.
(Next page: Watch the benefits of Skype in the classroom) |
Year Inducted: 2001
John T. Hayward
John T. Hayward began his oil industry career in Europe in 1913 where at the age of 23, he was a tool pusher on the first rotary-drilled oil well in Europe. He was primarily an engineer and inventor and spent much of his life in the oil industry. In 1948, while working as chief engineer for Barnsdall Oil Company, he invented and designed the world’s first movable offshore drilling barge for protected waters, the submersible Breton Rig 20. This rig was designed for operation in 20 feet of water and worked successfully until retired in 1968. |
In the APG III system, the genus is placed in the subfamily Agavoideae of the broadly circumscribed family Asparagaceae. Some authors prefer to place it in the segregate family Agavaceae. Traditionally, it was circumscribed to comprise about 166 species, but it is now usually understood to have about 208 species.
Chiefly Mexican, agaves occur also in the southern and western United States and in central and tropical South America. They are succulents with a large rosette of thick fleshy leaves, each ending generally in a sharp point and with a spiny margin; the stout stem is usually short, the leaves apparently springing from the root. Along with plants from the related genus Yucca, various Agave species are popular ornamental plants.
Each rosette is monocarpic and grows slowly to flower only once. During flowering, a tall stem or "mast" grows from the center of the leaf rosette and bears a large number of shortly tubular flowers. After development of fruit, the original plant dies, but suckers are frequently produced from the base of the stem, which become new plants.
In the Cronquist system and others, Agave was placed in the family Liliaceae, but phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences later showed that it did not belong there. In the APG II system, Agave was placed in the family Agavaceae. When this system was superseded by the APG III system in 2009, Agavaceae was subsumed into the expanded family Asparagaceae, and Agave was treated as one of 18 genera in the subfamily Agavoideae.
Agave had long been treated as a genus of about 166 species, but it is now known that this concept of Agave is paraphyletic over the genera Manfreda, Polianthes, and Prochnyanthes. These genera are now combined with Agave as Agave sensu lato, which contains about 208 species. In some of the older classifications, Agave was divided into two subgenera, Agave and Littaea, based on the form of the inflorescence. These two subgenera are probably not monophyletic.
Agaves have long presented special difficulties for taxonomy; variations within a species may be considerable, and a number of named species are of unknown origin and may just be variants of original wild species.
Spanish and Portuguese explorers probably brought agave plants back to Europe with them, but the plants became popular in Europe during the 19th century, when many types were imported by collectors. Some have been continuously propagated by offset since then, and do not consistently resemble any species known in the wild, although this may simply be due to the differences in growing conditions in Europe.
Commonly grown species
One of the most familiar species is Agave americana, a native of tropical America. Common names include century plant, maguey (in Mexico), or American aloe (it is not, however, closely related to the genus Aloe). The name "century plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. The number of years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual plant, the richness of the soil and the climate; during these years the plant is storing in its fleshy leaves the nourishment required for the effort of flowering.
Agave americana, century plant, was introduced into Europe about the middle of the 16th century, and is now widely cultivated for its handsome appearance; in the variegated forms, the leaf has a white or yellow marginal or central stripe from base to apex. As the leaves unfold from the center of the rosette, the impression of the marginal spines is very conspicuous on the still erect younger leaves. The tequ plants are usually grown in tubs and put out in the summer months, but in the winter require protection from frost. They mature very slowly and die after flowering, but are easily propagated by the offsets from the base of the stem.
A. attenuata is a native of central Mexico and is uncommon in its natural habitat. Unlike most species of Agave, A. attenuata has a curved flower spike from which it derives one of its numerous common names - the foxtail agave. A. attenuata is also commonly grown as a garden plant. Unlike many agaves, A. attenuata has no teeth or terminal spines, making it an ideal plant for areas adjacent to footpaths. Like all agaves, A. attenuata is a succulent and requires little water or maintenance once established.
Agave azul (blue agave) is used in the production of tequila.
Four major parts of the agave are edible: the flowers, the leaves, the stalks or basal rosettes, and the sap (called aguamiel—honey water). (Davidson 1999)
Each agave plant will produce several pounds of edible flowers during its final season. The stalks, which are ready during the summer, before the blossom, weigh several pounds each. Roasted, they are sweet and can be chewed to extract the aguamiel, like sugarcane. When dried out, the stalks can be used to make didgeridoos. The leaves may be collected in winter and spring, when the plants are rich in sap, for eating. The leaves of several species also yield fiber: for instance, Agave rigida var. sisalana, sisal hemp, Agave decipiens, false sisal hemp. Agave americana is the source of pita fiber, and is used as a fiber plant in Mexico, the West Indies and southern Europe.
During the development of the inflorescence, there is a rush of sap to the base of the young flower stalk. Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is used as an alternative to sugar in cooking and it can be added to breakfast cereals as a binding agent. In the case of A. americana and other species, this is used in Mexico and Mesoamerica in the production of the beverage pulque. The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently fermented. By distillation, a spirit called mezcal is prepared; one of the best-known forms of mezcal is tequila. In 2001, the Mexican Government and European Union agreed upon the classification of tequila and its categories. All 100% blue agave tequila must be made from the Weber blue agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in certain Mexican states.
People have found a few other uses of the plant aside from its several uses as food. When dried and cut in slices, the flowering stem forms natural razor strops, and the expressed juice of the leaves will lather in water like soap. The natives of Mexico used the agave to make pens, nails and needles, as well as string to sew and make weavings. Leaf tea or tincture taken orally is used to treat constipation and excess gas. It is also used as a diuretic. Root tea or tincture is taken orally to treat arthritic joints. Several agave species are also considered to have potential as effective bioenergy crops.
The juice from many species of agave can cause acute contact dermatitis. It will produce reddening and blistering lasting one to two weeks. Episodes of itching may recur up to a year thereafter, even though there is no longer a visible rash. Irritation is, in part, caused by calcium oxalate raphides. Dried parts of the plants can be handled with bare hands with little or no effect. If the skin is pierced deeply enough by the needle-like ends of the leaf from a vigorously growing plant, this can also cause blood vessels in the surrounding area to erupt and an area some 6–7 cm across appear to be bruised. This may last up to two to three weeks.
Images of species and cultivars
Agave americana var. 'americana'
Agave americana var. 'marginata'
Agave americana cv. 'Medio-Picta Alba'
Agave angustifolia 'Marginata'
Agave bracteosa (Spider agave)
Agave inaequidens ssp. barrancensis
Agave potatorum cv. 'Kichiokan'
Agave schidigera cv. 'Durango Delight'
Agave sisalana (Sisal)
Agave tequilana (Tequila agave)
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Agave|
|Wikispecies has information related to: Agave|
- ^ An Anglo-Hispanic pronunciation. Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607.
- ^ An Anglo-Latin pronunciation. OED: "Agave".
- ^ Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada. Macmillan, New York.
- ^ a b Mark W. Chase, James L. Reveal, and Michael F. Fay. 2009. "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, and Xanthorrhoeaceae". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161(2):132-136.
- ^ Sara V. Good-Avila, Valeria Souza, Brandon S. Gaut, and Luis E. Eguiarte. 2006. "Timing and rate of speciation in Agave (Agavaceae)". PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA) 103(24):9124-9129. doi:10.1073/pnas.0603312103
- ^ a b David J. Bogler, J. Chris Pires, and Javier Francisco-Ortega. 2006. "Phylogeny of Agavaceae based on ndhF, rbcL, and ITS sequences: Implications of molecular data for classification". Aliso 22(Monocots: Comparative Biology and Evolution):313-328.
- ^ Chomka, Stefan (30 July 2007). "Dorset Cereals". The Grocer (Crawley, England: William Reed Business Media). http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=independentarticle&ID=120966. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
- ^ Davis, S. C.; Griffiths, H.; Holtum, J.; Saavedra, A. L. �; Long, S. P. (2011). "The Evaluation of Feedstocks in GCBB Continues with a Special Issue on Agave for Bioenergy". GCB Bioenergy 3: 1. doi:10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01085.x. free summary: Wiley - Blackwell (2011, January 26). Agave fuels excitement as a bioenergy crop. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 26, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110126121102.htm
- Howard Scott Gentry, Agaves of Continental North America (University of Arizona Press, 1982), the standard work, with accounts of 136 species.
- Die Agaven.
- IPNI : The International Plant Name Index.
- Native Plant Information Network More information on species in the Agave genus.
- Xeric World An online community dedicated to the study of Xeric plant species with a focus on the family Agavaceae.
- Kolendo, Jan. The Agave Pages.
- Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University press. pp. xx + 892. ISBN 0-19-211579-0. |
Audax, Ditalcus and Minurus were the supposed assassins of theLusitanian leader Viriathus.
In 139 BC, after a long war against the Romans, Viriathus was killed in his sleep by Audax (Latin meaning audacious), Ditalcus and Minurus (Latin meaning diminish), who had been sent as emissaries to the Romans and had been bribed by Marcus Popillius Lenas. The Roman general Servilius Cipianus had them executed, declaring “Rome does not pay traitors”. According toAppian, Servilius Cipianus had paid them and sent them to Rome to collect the rest of the promised payment.
Diodorus says the third killer (Minurus) is called Nicorontes, while Appian calls him Minouros. Another account by Sextus Aurelius Victor says that Caepio paid two royal guards (“satellites”) to kill Viriathus. |
Sanskriti Dawle and Aman Srivastav are second-year students at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Goa. After a Raspberry Pi workshop they decided they wanted to do something more meaningful than just flash LEDs on and off, and set this month’s PyCon in Montreal as their deadline.
They ended up producing something really special. Mudra means “sign” in Sanskrit: the Raspberry Pi-based device is a learning tool for visually impaired people, which teaches Braille by translating speech to Braille symbols. Braille literacy among blind people is poor even in the developed world: in India, it’s extremely low, and braille teachers are very, very few. So automating the teaching process – especially in an open and inexpensive way like this – is invaluable.
In its learning mode, Mudra uses Google’s speech API to translate single letters and numbers into Braille, so learners can go at their own speed. Exam modes and auto modes are also available. This whole video is well worth your time, but if you’re anxious to see the device in action, fast-forward to 1:30.
Sanskriti and Aman say:
Mudra is an excellent example of what even programming newbies can achieve using Python. It is built on a Raspi to make it as out-of-the-box as possible. We have close to zero coding experience, yet Python has empowered us enough to make a social impact with Mudra, the braille dicta-teacher, which just might be the future of Braille instruction and learning.
We think Mudra’s a real achievement, and a great example of clean and simple ideas which can have exceptional impact. You can see the Mudra repository on GitHub if you’d like a nose around how things work; we’re hoping that Sanskriti and Aman are able to productise their idea and make it widely available to people all over the world. |
Book Report Writing
How to Write and Structure a Book Report
If or when you are given a book report to write, you should first determine what particular type of report is required. For example, some book reports analyze themes and/or characters while another type is known as a plot summary. On some occasions, the assignment may comprise of a mixture of all these different types. Professors often ask students to submit book reports when they want to find out if the student can spot the hidden meaning or ideas in a book, and to see how well they are able to analyze the plot or storyline from a number of different angles or perspectives. Before beginning to write your book report, it is a good idea to understand the elements that make a good report.
Summary of the Plot
If you have been asked by your tutor to primarily focus on summarizing the plot or storyline, this does not mean retelling the plot in your own words. Yet, it is important you give your own opinion and say if you think the plot is interesting, tedious, funny, difficult to understand, and so on. A worthwhile report always includes the writer’s view or opinion of the text they have read. You should also always include examples – direct quotations are preferable – to support any claims you make. If you do not do this, readers may think your opinions are not valid or credible.
You could, for instance, describe a book’s plot as follows:
“Upon reading John Smith’s ‘A Lonely Man in the Desert,’ the reader may feel confused by the sequence of events and the way the plot turns in an amusing way.
Analysis of Characters
If asked to analyze a book’s main characters, the writer will need to concentrate on particular behaviors and traits of individual personalities. Furthermore, it is important to select and describe particular actions that impact the development of the plot.
For example, you could start analyzing a character in the following manner:
“In John Smith’s book ‘A Lonely Man in the Desert,’ Ciara is a pivotal character, whose every action shows her desire to be independent. This is also clear in the way she acts, dresses, and interacts with other characters.”
When reading a book, you should make a note of any themes the author has tried to portray in his or her book. You may focus on any theme you think is most prominent or important. Do your best to give your report a personal “feel” or “touch” i.e. say what you personally feel and mention any ideas that show you understand a particular theme or themes. At the same time, you should try to be quite objective and describe a sequence of occurrences or events as these are presented in the text or book.
- Say clearly, which theme(s) your book report will discuss. In the event you wish to analyze a number of themes, remember to mention these in the opening paragraph i.e. in your introduction.
- You should always establish if word limits or rules concerning the use of quotations apply. Remember if you use too many direct quotations without properly analyzing these, this will not do you or your grade any good.
- When you do use direct quotes, these should clearly relate to the particular discussion you are having at that time. Interpret quotes in respect of outline points or ideas. Page numbers should be included in citations.
- Say what your own understanding of the subject matter is. How enjoyable did you find the book to read? Was the main theme so complex that you needed a break to digest it?
You could consider beginning your report with the sentence below:
“The theme in John Smith’s book ‘A Lonely Man in the Desert’ is one that explores the continuous challenges that isolates the people of today from each other.”
Find more useful information in article "Book Reviews"
Book Report Sample
Always try to ensure your book reports are concise, interesting, and expressively written, regardless of what genre you are writing about. Whether you are analyzing characters, plots, or themes, it is essential to provide a short summary, relate the plot to your own experiences, and be able to analyze the book from a variety of perspectives.
If you feel like this is too much, you can always request expert book report help
Buy Book Reports at the Professional Custom Book Reviews Writing Service
With modern rates of livings, it is no surprise that the students have no time to read the entire book in order to accomplish a book review. What to do when you are not the last student in the group but because of the circumstances you may lose your reputation? Luckily you can buy a book report online that will demonstrate your full understanding of the book, as well as of an author’s theoretical framework and assumptions.
Best-Writing-Service.net will provide you with professional assistance and friendly support. If you need advices, writing tips or anything else our support team will answer your questions, and a top quality writer will write an excellent report on different types of book for you.
We have very strict rules towards issues of plagiarism, our writers are aware of it, and that is why they always deliver original custom book reports. If you need to do some modifications to the book report, which you already have, then we will help you with this task. You have the opportunity to buy book report assignments you need.
Do you need help? Fill the order form, state the topic of your essay and instructions to the essay, and everything else will be taken care of. Your book review will be formatted appropriately, and all sources will be cited. There is no such task, which we will not be able to handle. We love our job, and that is why all our essays are of high quality. As a result, we have a very good reputation of a reliable essay service provider. |
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. (Mon., Dec. 3, 2007) - Two methods that permit scientists to examine critical stages in early embryogenesis are featured in this month's release of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. The methods, which are freely accessible online (www.cshprotocols.org), describe how to fluorescently tag cells in very young embryos. These cell-tagging techniques, combined with sophisticated imaging methods, permit scientists to visualize even subtle movements of individual cells in the embryos, as they morph, divide, and migrate.
The first protocol, available at www.cshprotocols.org/cgi/content/full/2007/24/pdb.prot4915, describes a step-by-step approach to label specific cells of live mouse embryos using fluorescent dyes called carbocyanine dyes. Carbocyanine dyes are ideal for this purpose because they can be used on living embryos. After labeling, the embryos are imaged to reveal the precisely coordinated patterns of cell movements as the embryo develops.
The protocol was contributed by Dr. Patrick Tam's group from the University of Sydney, Australia (www.medfac.usyd.edu.au/people/academics/profiles/ppltam.php). His lab uses these techniques to investigate the timing and patterning of cell movements during gastrulation, which is a critical stage in early embryonic development. Also, by performing this procedure in embryos that are both normal and genetically mutated, they can better understand the functions of specific genes involved in gastrulation.
The second featured protocol is from Dr. Rusty Lansford's lab at Caltech (quad.bic.caltech.edu/~fraserlab/people/lansford/). It describes how to insert a DNA vector into very young bird (quail and chicken) embryos using a method called electroporation. The DNA vector contains a gene of interest attached to a fluorescent marker, which allows the researchers to track the fluorescently labeled cells using imaging techniques. Lansford's group uses this method to investigate mechanisms of brain and heart development in birds.
In Lansford's protocol, the DNA is electroporated into shell-less bird eggs. There are several advantages to using shell-less eggs: each embryo can be more accurately positioned during electroporation, and the researchers can ensure that all embryos used in the experiment are at the same stage in development. The protocol is freely available here: www.cshprotocols.org/cgi/content/full/2007/24/pdb.prot4894.
For content and submission information, contact:
David Crotty, Executive Editor
Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
For access, subscription, and free trial information, contact:
Stephanie Novara, Journals Marketing Manager
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
About Cold Spring Harbor Protocols: Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (www.cshprotocols.org) is an online resource of methods used in a wide range of biology laboratories. It is structured to be highly interactive, with each protocol cross-linked to related methods, descriptive information panels, and illustrative material to maximize the total information available to investigators. Each protocol is clearly presented and designed for easy use at the bench--complete with reagents, equipment, and recipe lists. Life science researchers can access the entire collection via institutional site licenses, and can add their suggestions and comments to further refine the techniques.
About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is an internationally renowned publisher of books, journals, and electronic media, located on Long Island, New York. Since 1933, it has furthered the advance and spread of scientific knowledge in all areas of genetics and molecular biology, including cancer biology, plant science, bioinformatics, and neurobiology. It is a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an innovator in life science research and the education of scientists, students, and the public. For more information, visit www.cshlpress.com. |
What to Do If Working Out Is Killing Your Knees
Knee pain from exercise? Here's what you should know, according to Health's medical expert.
Knee pain is a common exercise complaint. The knee is an intricate joint, involving bones, menisci, muscles, tendons, and ligaments all supporting the joint. If there is damage or stress to any of these components, you may have achy knees. Plus, many physical activities—running, jumping, stretching, bending—can put a lot of strain, impact, or body weight directly on the knees, and in turn, cause pain while you work out. This is common among weekend warriors who work out intensely but inconsistently. You can also develop tendonitis over time if you’re regularly doing these motions.
Some causes of knee pain are a bit more serious, however. A common cause in young people, especially those who exercise or play high-impact sports, is patellofemoral pain syndrome. Also known as runner’s knee, this syndrome is characterized by pain in the soft tissues and bone around the kneecap. Treatment may involve rest and physical therapy to stabilize the knee joint. Or, it’s possible that the cartilage in your knees has suffered some wear and tear with use and age (osteoarthritis), in which case you may have to change up your workouts and incorporate more low-impact activities, like swimming, using the elliptical, or cycling, to lessen the pain.
Doing away with general knee pain from exercising could just be a matter of perfecting your form when you, say, run or do squats and lunges. A few sessions with a certified personal trainer or physical therapist can help you learn these basic movements so that you’re doing them with correct form every time and not putting yourself at risk of injury or long-term damage. Or you may need to do physical therapy to improve your knee stabilization. But because there are so many possible reasons for knee pain, your best bet is to talk to your doctor so you can get the specific help you need.
Health’s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. |
You have probably heard it at some time or another: Someone, who doesn’t have ADHD, but can’t find their keys or forgets an appointment jokes, “Oh, I am so ADD today” But jokes such as these are insulting because they minimize the impact of ADHD on people’s lives.
For many years, those with ADHD fought the misconception from many that “ADHD wasn’t a real disorder.” While there are still a few medical professionals and people who hold this view, their numbers have greatly decreased. Today, ADHD is an accepted medical diagnosis, and it is understood that symptoms can cause many problems in daily life and can sometimes be debilitating.
When someone without ADHD has an “off” day, and all have those from time to time (running late for work, forgetting appointments or losing items such as your keys or wallet) it usually signifies that the mind is otherwise occupied. You might be thinking about a problem at work, your sick child or simply the many tasks on your to-do list. It happens. It’s human. But to laugh it off to say, “I am so ADD today,” minimizes the very real struggles that adults with ADHD go through every day.It becomes much deeper than a joke in that It simplifies ADHD to a minor annoyance rather than a disorder that can impact every aspect of life.
Life with ADHD
Both children and adults with ADHD work hard each day to overcome forgetfulness, difficulty focusing, constant feelings of restlessness or hyperactivity, and problems associated with impulsivity. These added impulsivity problems can manifest as car accidents, speeding tickets or impulsive shopping.
Due to its effect on interpersonal matters, ADHD can cause problems in relationships and adults with ADHD often have moved from job to job throughout their lives. Many people with ADHD have problems with social skills, self-confidence and have a higher risk of developing other conditions such as depression or anxiety. Those living with ADHD may have spent their life feeling “less than” or inferior to classmates, friends, co-workers.
It’s important to keep in mind that those with ADHD don’t have “off” days where forgetfulness occurs. Instead forgetfulness is part of their daily life. ADHD isn’t something they deal with once in awhile, it is there every minute of every day.** But it’s just a joke**
Too often, when you, or someone with ADHD, gets offended by remarks such as these (or maybe the squirrel joke as well), is that the other person is likely to come back with “But, it is just a joke.” This means that you shouldn’t be offended because it wasn’t meant to be insulting. After all, it was...just a joke.
The problem with this rationale is that insulting remarks shouldn’t be used as jokes. Suppose you said to your neighbor, “Wow, that’s quite a large nose you have,” and then when they looked offended, you said, “Oh, it was just a joke.” Would that make it okay to have insulted this person? Similarly, making fun of ADHD and ignoring the big picture produces the same conclusion: It should not be okay, just because it is a joke.
A ripple effectEven within the ADHD community, there are different responses. Some people feel that the phrase, “cheapens the diagnosis of ADHD” and “** makes it harder for someone with legitimate problems and other illnesses to find help****.**” Others such as some within Facebook Communities have commented, “it only bothers me when people think we have a made up disease because so many people use it as a joke.” This Facebook member explains that she has met people who try to do too much, never succeed at anything and then say they have ADHD (even if they don’t) - to use it as an excuse for not meeting deadlines or neglecting their responsibilities.
As I was taught when I was young, “If even one person is offended, it isn’t a joke, it is an insult.” ADHD, like many other chronic conditions, causes daily struggles. It is a serious medical condition and should be treated as such. Those who seek to use it as a joke contribute to the negative stigma surrounding ADHD.
See more helpful articles on living with adult ADHD:
Eileen Bailey is a freelance health writer. She is the author of Idiot's Guide to Adult ADHD, Idiot's Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Essential Guide to Overcoming Obsessive Love and Essential Guide to Asperger's Syndrome. She can be found on twitter @eileenmbaileyand on Facebook at eileenmbailey. |
The Most Inspirational Nurse Of All Time
Florence Nightingale, known as the ‘lady with the lamp’, had the strongest impact on the field of nursing and healthcare as we know it today. Onward Healthcare’s travel nurses often find inspiration from Florence and her experiences in nursing. She dedicated her life to the treatment of the sick and frail, changed the design of hospitals, and developed the field of preventive medicine. Florence also enforced workplace safety, determined to stop contamination and the spread of infections and disease. Her dream, dedication, and passion-filled her lifelong commitment to speak out, educate, overhaul, and sanitize the horrendous healthcare conditions in England. What skills and experience do travel nurses share with Florence Nightingale? Why do so many travel nurses find her to be so inspiring, having such a strong impact on their lives? Let’s find out how Florence Nightingale became universally recognized and known as the "pioneer of modern nursing".
Florence Nightingale: the Pioneer of Modern Nursing
Florence's Early Life
Florence Nightingale was born on May 12, 1820, in Nightingale, Italy. The younger of two children, her family belonged to elite social circles. . Florence was raised on the family estate at Lea Hurst, where she was homeschooled by her parents and tutors. Although she was born in Italy, she grew up in London. Her father taught her history and philosophy, while her governess taught her music and the arts. She gained excellence in Mathematics and found solace in taking care of other people.
Florence's Timeline of Transforming Nursing, Hospitals, and Patient Care
To understand and recognize the strong impact that Florence has had on travel nurses, nursing, hospitals, and patient care, it is helpful to see the timeline of her dedicated commitments, successes, and drastic overhaul of the healthcare industry: Florence Nightingale
1853: Florence started working at the Harley Street Nursing Home in London. She made improvements to the nursing home, including more training for the staff and implementing a system that piped hot water to every floor. She also created a lift to bring patients their meals. She became the superintendent at the Institute for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen in Upper Harley Street, London, and held this position until October 1854.
1854: Florence Nightingale and her group of 38 nurses that she trained, went to Crimea when the Crimean War began. The reports of the Crimean War in the newspapers described the lack of proper medical facilities for the British soldiers. The British army could not accommodate the battle injuries and casualties, which led to cholera, lack of supplies, and a massive problem with sanitation. To say that the battlefield medical facilities were deplorable, was an understatement. There was absolute filth, overcrowding, rats, and shortages of supplies, surgeons, clothes, food, and medicine. The Minister at War, Sidney Herbert, appointed Nightingale to oversee the care of the wounded in Constantinople, Turkey. Florence’s first priority was to scrub all of the injured men’s clothes, making them more sanitary and germ-free. In addition to insisting that all dirty clothing be removed from the hospital and taken outside to be washed, she spent her own money to purchase bandages, extra clothes, 200 scrub brushes, better food, operating tables, and basic necessities for the hospital.
Once Florence had organized everything and put new practices into place, the hospital conditions drastically improved and were more sanitary. Her nurses cleaned the entire hospital, eliminating all germs, which contributed greatly to the decrease in contamination and spread of deadly diseases. She sent detailed reports back to London about ways in which they could improve conditions for patients. During her night shifts, Florence made her rounds on horseback with an oil lamp in her hand to light the way. She would visit each patient at their bedside with a lamp in her hand, and widely became known as the ‘Lady with the Lamp’.
As a result of Florence’s initiatives and successes with hospitals, patients, and doctors, the public noticed the importance of nurses, and the nursing profession changed forever. Her selfless devotion and determination gave the dignity to honor travel nurses, hospital staff, and patient care. What was once considered an occupation with little respect suddenly became the most honorable profession in the country. The word spread around the country, as funds and donations flooded the hospitals, and patients received better care.
During this time, Florence researched and studied environmental settings that were appropriate for the gradual restoration of patients’ health. She also wanted to understand how the external factors that were associated with the patient’s surroundings affected their biological and physiological processes. The Environmental Theory, by Florence Nightingale, described nursing as "the act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery." Florence identified five environmental factors: fresh air, pure water, efficient drainage, cleanliness or sanitation, and light/direct sunlight which put the patient in the best possible condition to improve and become healthy in a nurturing environment. Florence forever changed the face of the nursing profession, as she created sanitary conditions so that patients could receive the best care.
1856: The Crimean War ended, and Florence returned to her childhood home, Lea Hurst, in England. The public welcomed her with open arms and shouts of victory. Florence not only transformed health care, but she inspired the groundwork to open the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which carried out her tasks and procedures of caring for the wounded and sick soldiers in battle. Based on her experiences and observations in Crimea, Nightingale wrote “Notes on Matters Affecting the Health, Efficiency, and Hospital Administration of the British Army”. It was an 830-page report which analyzed her experience and proposed the same reforms for military hospitals, which led to the establishment of a Royal Commission for the Health of the Army in 1857 and the United States Sanitary Commission.
1860: Florence established the Nightingale Training School for Nurses at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London. After the nurses received their training, they went to practice at hospitals in Britain, enforcing the ‘Nightingale model of nursing’. Florence also published “Notes on Nursing”, which outlined her principles of nursing, and she used the money from the sales to establish St. Thomas Hospital and the Nightingale Training School for Nurses.
1870: Florence mentored Linda Richards, America’s first trained nurse. This enabled Linda to return to the USA with the training and knowledge to establish the highest quality nursing schools. Inspired by Florence Nightingale, Linda became an innovative nursing pioneer in the USA and Japan.
1883: Queen Victoria awarded the Royal Red Cross to Florence.
1904: Florence was awarded the Order of Merit.
1910: Florence fell ill and passed away on August 13 at her home in London.
1912: A medal, created in Florence Nightingale’s honor, was created. This honor recognized the outstanding nurses who showed courage and devotion to the wounded, sick, and disabled or to civilian victims of armed conflict and natural disasters.
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tues of the various gems, indicating also the month in which it was proper to wear particular stones in order to secure the best result. The idea took, and for some time it was the fashion in several Italian cities to have the precious stone of the ring determined by the month in which the bride was born. If in January, the stone was a garnet, believed to have the power of winning the wearer friends wherever she went. If in February, her ring was set with an amethyst, which not only promoted in her the quality of sincerity, but protected her from poison and from slanderous tongues. The blood-stone was for March, making her wise, and enabling her with patience to bear domestic cares; the diamond for April, keeping her heart innocent and pure so long as she wore the gem. An emerald for May made her a happy wife; while an agate, for June, gave her health and protection from fairies and ghosts. If born in July, the stone was a ruby, which tended to keep her free from jealousy of her husband; while in August, the sardonyx made her happy in the maternal relation. In September, a sapphire was the proper stone, it preventing quarrels between the wedded pair; in October, a carbuncle was chosen, to promote her love of home. The November-born bride wore a topaz, it having the gift of making her truthful and obedient to her husband; while in December the turquoise insured her faithfulness. Among the German country-folk, the last-named stone is to the present day used as a setting for the betrothal-ring, and, so long as it retains its color, is believed to indicate the constancy of the wearer.
From Italy this fanciful notion spread to France, and French bridegrooms would sometimes insure themselves against a bad matrimonial bargain, and, as far as they could, guarantee to their brides a variety of good qualities, by presenting twelve rings, one for each month, with occasionally one or two extra as special charms. However, this extravagance in the number of rings used at weddings is not a solitary instance, for the use of several rings at the marriage ceremony has often been known. Four rings placed on her hand at her marriage could not keep Mary Stuart faithful to Darnley; and the annals of European courts record many instances similar, both as to the rings and to the result. The Greek Church uses two rings, one of gold, the other of silver; while in some districts of Spain and Portugal, three rings are placed, one at a time, on the fingers of the bride, as the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," are pronounced.
Fashion has also determined, not only the style of the wedding-ring, but the finger on which it is to be worn; and so capriciously has custom varied, that the symbol of matrimony has traveled from the thumb to the fourth finger, where it now reposes. In the time of Elizabeth, it was customary, both in England and on the Continent, for ladies to wear rings on the thumb, and several of her rings now shown in the British Museum, from their size, must have been thumb- |
According to the first-ever study of pesticide residues on field-caught bees, native bees are exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides and other pesticides. This report was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
This research focused on native bees, because there is limited information on their exposure to pesticides. In fact, little is known about how toxic these pesticides are to native bee species at the levels detected in the environment. This study did not look at pesticide exposure to honey bees.
“We found that the presence and proximity of nearby agricultural fields was an important factor resulting in the exposure of native bees to pesticides,” said USGS scientist Michelle Hladik, the report’s lead author. “Pesticides were detected in the bees caught in grasslands with no known direct pesticide applications.”
Although conservation efforts have been shown by other investigators to benefit pollinators, this study raises questions about the potential for unintended pesticide exposures where various land uses overlap or are in proximity to one another.
The research consisted of collecting native bees from cultivated agricultural fields and grasslands in northeastern Colorado, then processing the composite bee samples to test for 122 different pesticides, as well as 14 chemicals formed by the breakdown of pesticides. Scientists tested for the presence of pesticides both in and on the bees.
The most common pesticide detected was the neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam, which was found in 46 percent of the composite bee samples. Thiamethoxam is used as a seed coating on a variety of different crops. Pesticides were not found in all bee samples, with 15 of the 54 total samples testing negative for the 122 chemicals examined. |
Comprehensive DescriptionRead full entry
| Common names: wrasse (English), vieja (Espanol), arco iris (Espanol) |
Thalassoma lucasanum (Gill, 1862)
Cortez rainbow wrasse
Elongate, slender, compressed body; 1 pair canines at front of top jaw, 1 pair on bottom, none at rear of jaws; preopercle edge smooth; dorsal fin VIII, 13; anal rays III, 11; pectoral rays 15; tail fin concave; lateral line unbroken, but bends abruptly down near end of soft dorsal fin; scales large (26-27 on lateral line), smooth; head scaleless.
IP: with pair of bright yellow and red stripes bordering broad dark brown to greenish stripe from snout through eye along head and body; TP: body purplish, a broad yellow bar just behind head; tail bluish; head bluish with darker blue-green stripes below eye; pectoral yellow, with blue margin.
Maximum size to 15 cm.
Forms aggregations that feed on plankton around rocky and coral reefs, also feeds on benthic crustaceans, and fish eggs; the young sometimes "clean" parasites from other fishes.
Depth: 0-64 m.
Central Baja and the Central Gulf of California to central Peru, plus all the offshore islands except Clipperton. |
GULF WAR SYNDROME
INTRODUCTION OFFICIAL RESPONSE MEDICAL RESEARCH CONSPIRACY THEORIES RESOURCES BOOKSTORE
Gulf War Syndrome: IntroductionEvents that lead to the current Gulf War Syndrome http://www.biofact.com/gulf/index.html Persiam Gulf War http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0838511.htm Persian Gulf War or Gulf War,Jan.–Feb., 1991, armed conflict between Iraq and a coalition of 32 nations including the United States, Britain, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia. It originated with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990; Iraq then annexed Kuwait, which it had long claimed. Iraqi president Saddam Hussein declared that the invasion was a response to overproduction of oil in Kuwait, which had cost Iraq over $14 million when oil prices fell. Saddam Hussein also accused Kuwait of illegally pumping oil from Iraq's Rumaila oil field. Gulf War Syndrome: Culprit Remains a Mystery Six Years Later http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0193315.html Although the Persian Gulf conflict ended in 1991, some eighty thousand veterans of the war are still suffering from unexplained health problems including chronic fatigue, joint aches, memory loss, rashes, bleeding gums, tumors, and intestinal and respiratory illnesses. Frontline: Last Battle of the Gulf War: Analysis: Causes of Gulf War Illnesses http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/syndrome/analysis/ Here is FRONTLINE's guide to the best of what is known about these risk factors as well as valuable material to evaluate the continuing debate over the two major theories: chemical agents and stress. Panels of scientists were asked to review everything known about any toxin vets might have been exposed to in the Gulf - from tropical infections to chemical weapons. Frontline: Last Battle of the Gulf War: Interviews http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/syndrome/interviews/ Dr. Stephen Joseph led the DOD's medical investigation of Gulf War Syndrome. He explains the complex epidemiological issues involved in determining what is behind the veterans' illnesses. He also discusses why there is resistance among the public, the media and members of Congress to accept the findings of the scientific panels. Frontline: Last Battle of the Gulf War: Veterans http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/syndrome/veterans/ Paul Hanson is on active-duty in the Army, based at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Paul and Connie Hanson have two children, Amy and Jayce. Jayce has severe birth defects and the Hansons are convinced they are related to Paul's service in the Gulf War. CNN - Pentagon says it hid drug risk from Gulf War troops - Sept. 26, 1996 http://www.cnn.com/US/9609/26/gulf.illness/index.html WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon said Thursday it made a "conscious decision" not to tell U.S. troops that they were being given a drug to protect them from chemical weapons attacks. The drug, which the Pentagon called "investigational," was intended to help ward off the effects of chemical weapons that the U.S. feared might be used by Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
Gulf War Syndrome: Official Response·Statements & reports Committee Members' Statements (1/9/97 Hearing) http://www.senate.gov/~veterans/state109.htm Hearing on Persian Gulf War syndrome before the 105th congress. January, 1997. Committee Members' Statements (1/29/97 Hearing) http://www.senate.gov/~veterans/state129.htm This is the second hearing in Washington that the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs held during the month of January, 1997, on the issue of Persian Gulf War illnesses. NGAUS Newsstand http://www.ngaus.org/gulfvets.html NGAUS Asked to Help With Gulf War Illness Outreach. Pentagon officials have asked the NGAUS -- and several other military associations -- for help in reaching Gulf War veterans. They want to speak with those who are either suffering service-related illnesses or who might be able to help answer vexing questions about the sources of the mysterious ailments plaguing thousands of Desert Storm participants. V.A. Illness Page http://www.va.gov/health/environ/persgulf.htm Gulf War veterans who need assistance in locating their nearest VA Medical Center or who have general health questions regarding Gulf service may call toll-free Gulf Illnesses http://www.gulflink.osd.mil Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses CASE NARRATIVES, INFO PAPERS, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE REPORTS CURRENT NEWS, HELP FOR VETERANS
Gulf War Syndrome: Medical Research ·Clinical studies GWS http://www.swmed.edu/home_pages/epidemi/gws/gws.htm WASHINGTON — Jan. 8, 1997 — Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have concluded that some Gulf War veterans are suffering from three primary syndromes indicating brain and nerve damage caused by wartime exposure to combinations of low-level nerve agents and other common chemicals. Gulf War Syndrome Questions & Answers http://www.swmed.edu/home_pages/epidemi/gws/gwsqa.htm The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Answers to Commonly Asked Questions on the Gulf War Syndromes Q. How can I get copies of the 3 papers on the Gulf War syndromes by Dr. Haley and colleagues that appeared in the January 15, 1997, issue of JAMA? Timeline of Gulf War Syndrome Studies http://www.swmed.edu/home_pages/epidemi/gws/timeline.htm The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Timeline April 1994 UT Southwestern researchers begin investigation of Gulf War veterans' illnesses. Drs. Robert Haley and Tom Kurt attend NIH Consensus Conference on the subject. CDC. Persian Gulf War Study Fact Sheet - January 3, 1997 http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/veterans/pgw_fs.htm The University of Iowa College of Medicine, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that Persian Gulf War military personnel from Iowa reported significantly higher rates of certain medical and psychiatric conditions than their counterparts in the military who were not deployed to the Persian Gulf. The Tuite Reports http://www.chronicillnet.org/PGWS/tuite/default.htm The Tuite Reports Return to the Persian Gulf War Syndrome Lobby. ChronicIllnet is proud to have Mr. James J. Tuite, III, the former congressional investigator under Senator Donald Riegle, continue his pursuit of determining what happened to the troops while deployed in the Gulf and how their exposures are tied to their present illnesses and those of their close family members. SEMEN http://www.arrakis.es/~loruda/semen.htm In the beginning, when the soldiers still were in their countries they received multiple vaccines and adjuvants to defend them against Persian Gulf illnesses and biological attacks. Their immune system began to work making antibodies against different agents than they were vaccinated. Clue to Gulf War Syndrome found - Wednesday, April 17, 1996 http://www.chronicle.duke.edu/story.php?articleID=6206 Gulf War veterans who suffered fatigue, memory loss, headache, muscle weakness and a host of more severe symptoms upon returning home from service were unknowing victims of American defenses. That is the conclusion Duke pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia and a colleague reached after observing similar symptoms in chickens from the combined effect of three chemicals given to soldiers in the Gulf War. CNN - Scientist finds nerve damage in Gulf War vets - Mar. 27, 1996 http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9603/gulf_syndrome/ A scientist studied 14 British veterans who had complained of unexplainable symptoms and found a common link. His study, published Wednesday in the prestigious Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, found evidence of dysfunctions in the nervous systems of the ill veterans, who were compared to 13 healthy civilians. Release_10.html http://www.chronicillnet.org/news/releases/release_10.html RESEARCH TEAM IDENTIFIES GENETIC MATERIAL IN GULF WAR-ERA VETERANS. Mounting Scientific Evidence Shows Gulf War Vets Were Exposed to Chemical Agents. Tampa, FL, October 7, 1996. Research on Gulf War-Associated Neurologic Illness http://www.swmed.edu/home_pages/epidemi/gws/ ·Who's to blame? Gulf War Syndrome Defined -- Evidence and Conclusions. http://members.cox.net/linarison/gws.html The primary source document for this paper is the May 25, 1994, 198-page, U. S. Senate Report "U.S. Chemical and Biological Warfare-Related Dual-Use Exports to Iraq and Their Possible Impact on the Health Consequences of the Persian Gulf War". IMMUNIZATIONS & VACCINES: Stop Adverse Reactions -- Thinktwice.com http://www.new-atlantean.com/global/ith_gulf.html IMMUNIZATIONS & VACCINES: Stop Adverse Reactions -- Thinktwice.com. The Thinktwice Gateway -- your main entry to New Atlantean Holistic Books and the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute. Both sites offer extensive selections of valuable information. Captain Joyce Riley: Gulf War Syndrome http://www.all-natural.com/riley.html "Gulf War Syndrome Biological Warfare Conducted on U.S. Military Members, and Corporate Bio-Genocide Levied on the Planetary Population". A Lecture By Captain Joyce Riley in Houston, Texas on January 15, 1996 Transcript by Leading Edge Research Group. GULF WAR SYNDROME COVER-UP http://mediafilter.org/MFF/CAQ/caq53.gws.html Spec. 1st Class Dean Lundholm, of the National Guard's 649th Military Police Company, was assigned to guard duty at the Hafar Al Batin POW camp near the Iraq-Kuwait border. He was in the shower when the Scud landed. You Don't Have to Be Sick (Issue #15) http://www.alternativemedicine.com/digest/issue15/i15-a04.shtml A cover-up of immense proportions is under way in the U.S. Defense Department, with the complicity of the media. It’s about the origin of Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), a disease similar to chronic fatigue syndrome and with 31 different symptoms. Workers World Nov. 14, 1996: Gulf War Syndrome http://www.workers.org/ww/gulfwar.html Two ex-CIA employees broke into the major news media in late October by going public with what they call a "government cover-up" of GI exposure to nerve gas during the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq. The story got covered in the big-business media, with major stories in the Oct. 30 New York Times and the Nov. 11 Newsweek as well as on television.
Gulf War Syndrome: Conspiracy Theories ·Probe special reports ·Senate hearings Senator Lieberman's Position on Gulf War Illness http://www.senate.gov/member/ct/lieberman/other/glf97.html Thousands of veterans of the Persian Gulf War have reported suffering a wide range of symptoms, including fatigue, skin rashes, headaches, memory loss, and joint pain, that may be related to their service there. Committee Members' Statements (1/9/97 Hearing) http://www.senate.gov/~veterans/state109.htm UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS Sen. Arlen Specter, Chairman Charles Battaglia, Majority Staff Director James R. Gottlieb, Minority Staff Director Hearing on Persian Gulf War Illnesses (1/9/97) Statement of Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) Statement of Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC) Statement of Senator James M. Jeffords (R-VT), and others. GULF WAR SYNDROME COVER-UP http://caq.com/caq53.gws.html 1st Class Dean Lundholm, of the National Guard's 649th Military Police Company, was assigned to guard duty at the Hafar Al Batin POW camp near the Iraq-Kuwait border. He was in the shower when the Scud landed. GWS Cover-Up http://www.parascope.com/mx/gulfsyn2.htm During the Gulf War, Americans were entranced by the overwhelming military superiority exercised by the United States during Desert Storm. After long weeks of waiting to find out how high the casualty figures would climb during the opening round of the New World Order, relatives and friends breathed a sigh of relief when the Iraqi armies were stomped by a margin of about a thousand to one. Gulf War Syndrome http://www.parascope.com/mx/gulfsyn1.htm Were Gulf War troops exposed to chemical and biological weapons during Desert Storm? Why have the military and the government been so reluctant to offer assistance to Gulf War veterans and their families? ·Official news pgfacts.html http://www.va.gov/pressrel/pgcb1_97.htm The Persian Gulf Veterans Coordinating Board was established in January 1994 to work to resolve the health concerns of Persian Gulf veterans, including active duty personnel and reservists with Gulf service. Official news 97163. Clinton Seeks Answers to Handling of Chem Weapons Info http://www.dtic.mil/afps/news/9703036.html 97163. Clinton Seeks Answers to Handling of Chem Weapons Info. By Douglas J. Gillert, American Forces Press Service, WASHINGTON -- When did the Army know about chemical weapons at Khamisiyah, Iraq, and what did it do about them? DOD sets up Gulf War illness reporting line http://www.af.mil/news/Jun1995/n19950608_593.html -- The Department of Defense has set up a toll-free number so people who served in the Persian Gulf region can report incidents they believe may have led to medical problems. Military and civilian members who were in the Persian Gulf region as early as August 1990 can call the Gulf War Incident Reporting Line at 1-800-472-6719 from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT. pgfacts.html http://www.va.gov/pressrel/pgcb1_97.htm The Persian Gulf Veterans Coordinating Board was established in January 1994 to work to resolve the health concerns of Persian Gulf veterans, including active duty personnel and reservists with Gulf service. 97165. DoD Airs Case Study on Gulf War Investigation http://www.dtic.mil/afps/news/9703037.html 97165. DoD Airs Case Study on Gulf War Investigation By Douglas J. Gillert American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON -- The first DoD case narrative on Gulf War illnesses, released Feb. 25, describes U. 97195. Clinton, Cohen Address Gulf War Illness Issues http://www.dtic.mil/afps/news/9703122.html 97195. Clinton, Cohen Address Gulf War Illness Issues By Douglas J. Gillert American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON -- President Clinton has ordered federal agencies to take three new actions in their investigation of Gulf War Illnesses. 97174. Defense IG to Investigate Missing Gulf War Logs http://www.dtic.mil/afps/news/9703052.html 97174. Defense IG to Investigate Missing Gulf War Logs By Douglas J. Gillert American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON -- The DoD inspector general will lead an investigation into missing chemical weapons logs from the Persian Gulf War. NGAUS Newsstand http://www.ngaus.org/gulfvets.html NGAUS Asked to Help With Gulf War Illness Outreach Pentagon officials have asked the NGAUS -- and several other military associations -- for help in reaching Gulf War veterans. They want to speak with those who are either suffering service-related illnesses or who might be able to help answer vexing questions about the sources of the mysterious ailments plaguing thousands of Desert Storm participants. DOD concludes: No single Gulf War illness http://www.af.mil/news/Aug1995/n19950804_839.html -- There is not "a" Gulf War illness, according to the Defense Department. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Stephen Joseph told Pentagon reporters Aug. 1 that 10,000 "systematic clinical evaluations" of active-duty people and their families leads him to conclude that "no single disease or syndrome is apparent.
Gulf War Syndrome: Resources Newsstand http://www.enews.com/zinezone/main Bookstore Browse and purchase books about the Gulf War. Use the Search Engine to look for titles and topics you are interested in. http://www.angelfire.com/biz/odoc/vetbooks.html ·Organizations Untitled Document http://www.teleport.com/~dmills/ NORTHWEST VETERANS for PEACE HOME PAGE Revised on 7-18-99 Position Statement - Northwest Veterans for Peace was founded during the buildup for the Persian Gulf war when a small group of veterans got together in a hallway, outside an anti-war activist meeting, where they talked of their shared experiences and concerns over 'just another war'. Gulf War Veterans of Wisconsin has moved to GWVW.com http://www.geocities.com/~gwvw This Internet resource is provided as a service of Gulf War Veterans of Wisconsin. This resource was created especially for Wisconsin veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, but should also serve as a valuable source of information for veterans of other areas and eras, and all those with an interest in Gulf War Syndrome and related issues. You're Visiting Military & Army Access http://pages.prodigy.com/heathermj/home.htm This is the 1st Amendment at its Best! The Web site of Mother, Wife and Army Vet Heather Moore. Dedicated to the Soldiers that still serve, have served .Let us not forget those Americans that fought in the forces to guard our country and way of life, some, giving their lives in it's defense. Veteran's resource pages http://www.gulfweb.org/ American Legion http://www.legion.org/gulftoc.htm Gulf War Vets in Canada a href=http://www.gulfwarvets.com/board/messages/77.html Disability Net: Soap Box - UK Gulf War Vets a href=http://www.disabilitynet.co.uk/classified/soapbox/gulfwar.html HOME |
Very important English, blown glass, sealed wine bottle belonging to Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales, son of King George II (1 February 1707 – 31 March 1751); a most colorful and important figure in early 18th century England an was first in line of succession to the inherit the British throne from 1727 until his death.
He arrived in England in 1728, one year after his father became King George II. According to Van der Kiste, pp. 39, 85, “he was a high-spirited youth fond of drinking, gambling and women“. Prince Frederick Lewis, was always in opposition of his father, King George II, and never became King himself as he predeceased his father in 1760.
The seal bears the Lewis Royal Family Crest of a greyhound (royalty) upon a chapeau (peer to the throne) as it was created at that time. Its near transitional form, along with the date of Prince Lewis arriving in England (1728) would date its manufacture in the 1728-1730 period.
About 6 7/8” tall. Deep green “black” glass. Deep kick-up with “sand pontil”. String rim chipped as in photos, otherwise excellent with no cracks or bruises, full gloss to glass and expected use wear.
Unlisted by Ruggles-Brise and Dumbrell. Probably the only surviving example.
See the 2 photos showing the crest and reference as pictured in the monumental reference book, “Fairbairn’s Creats of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland“.
Certainly one of the most important sealed wine bottles in existence.
This historical piece should be on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum!
Serious inquiries only.
Please state your full name and location when inquiring.
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Antique Glass Bottles |
100 Amazing Facts for People Who Can't Get Enough Amazing Facts
Prepare to be amazed!
Some people enjoy learning a new fact every now and then, but others are absolute trivia junkies. And the following 100 amazing facts are for them. From how big the world's largest plane is (wider than two football fields!) to how tall prehistoric penguins stood (as tall as professional basketball players!) this list of extensive and deeply-researched amazing facts is sure to please. So read on, and prepare to have your thirst for surprising information totally quenched.
The word "sneeze" came about through a misspelling of the original word "fneze" or "fnese."
"Sneeze" is definitely a silly-sounding word. But it's not quite as silly-sounding as "fneze" or "fnese," which is how this bodily function was once spelled. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "sneeze" originates from the Middle English word "fnese" and came about due to a "misreading or misprinting" of the original term. The dictionary writes that despite that, the word sneeze was "later adopted because it sounded appropriate."
Benjamin Franklin only received two years of formal education.
After spending just two years at the Boston Latin School as well as a private academy while he was young, Benjamin Franklin left formal education behind to work at his family's candle and soap-making business before becoming an apprentice at his brother's printing shop.
However, Franklin continued his education independently by reading whatever books, essays, and articles he could get his hands on. His studious ways not only helped him become a revered writer, politician, and inventor, but also allowed him to earn honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Oxford, the College of William and Mary, and the University of St. Andrews.
Whether or not you dream in black and white depends on whether you watched black-and-white television.
If your dreams look more vintage than HD, there's a high chance you grew up watching black-and-white television. According to one 2008 study published in the journal Conscious Cognition, most people born after the year 1983 said they almost never dream in black and white, whereas people born in the year 1953 and earlier said they dream in black and white about a quarter of the time. Overall, 12 percent of people dream entirely in black and white, leading the researchers to suggest that "true greyscale dreams occur only in people with black and white media experience."
The word "unfriend" was first used in 1659.
When you disconnect with someone on social media, you might say that you've "unfriended" them. The now-common word was even the New Oxford American Dictionary Word of the Year in 2009. But it turns out that "unfriend" is much older than you might expect. According to The Globe and Mail, the word "unbefriended" is cited several times in the Oxford English Dictionary beginning in 1629. But it wasn't until 1659 that Thomas Fuller used the word as we know it today. In his book The Appeal of Injured Innocence, Fuller wrote, "I hope, sir, that we are not mutually Unfriended by this Difference which hath happened betwixt us."
It's against the law to die in the town of Longyearbyen, Norway.
According to IFL Science, "Even if you've lived [in Longyearbyen, Norway] all your life, if you are terminally ill, you will be flown off the island to live out the rest of your days. If you do happen to die suddenly in Longyearbyen, your body will be buried elsewhere."
That's because, in 1950, it was discovered that bodies in the local cemetery in Longyearbyen were not decomposing as usual because there was so much permafrost in the area. That meant that viruses could survive in the human remains and eventually infect those living nearby when the ground thawed each year.
There are a ton of misspellings on the Stanley Cup.
Winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal for anyone in the National Hockey League. And if you do win it, you'll have your name etched onto the trophy itself. Unfortunately, whoever is responsible for that task has committed plenty of errors over the years, including accidentally spelling the Toronto Maple Leafs as "TORONTO MAPLE LEAES" and the Boston Bruins as "BQSTQN BRUINS." Hall of Fame goaltender Jacques Plante won the Stanley Cup for five consecutive years and his name is spelled differently each time, according to the NHL.
NASA thinks it's detected the first "marsquake."
Earthquakes are expected in many places on Earth, but it turns out they can happen on other planets as well—although they're obviously not called "earthquakes." On April 6, 2019, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory recorded a tremor that they believe was a "marsquake," making it the first quake recorded outside of either the Earth or the Moon.
If you were to write out every number (one, two, three, etc.), you wouldn't use the letter "b" until you reached one billion.
You'll have to trust us on this one: If you spelled out every number, you'd get all the way to one billion before you'd need the second letter in the alphabet.
Casu Marzu cheese is purposely infested with maggots.
If you ever come across maggot-infested food (yuck!), the best course of action is usually to throw the item into the trash as quickly as possible. However, those who make Casu Marzu cheese welcome the fly larva. With a name that literally translates to "rotten cheese," the Sardinian delicacy starts as Pecorino Sardo. But, instead of being soaked in brine, it's left out so that Piophila casei cheese flies can lay their eggs inside of it. The larva eventually hatches from the eggs and eats the cheese, which produces enzymes that lead to fermentation and decomposition in what will become the Casu Marzu.
I Love Cheese describes it by saying that it's a "highly pungent, super soft cheese that oozes tears ('lagrima'), and fittingly so, as it tends to burn on the tongue."
Queen Elizabeth II invented a new breed of dog.
It's a well-known fact that Queen Elizabeth II is a fan of dogs, particularly one breed: corgis. She got her first corgi when she was seven years old after meeting those that belonged to the children of the Marquess of Bath. She's also credited with the introduction of the "dorgi," a corgi-dachshund cross.
Over her lifetime, the royal has had more than 30 pet corgis, all of whom were descendants of a dog named Susan, who the then-princess received as a gift for her 18th birthday in 1944. Sadly, Willow, the Queen's last corgi, passed away in 2018 and the aging monarch will not be getting any new dogs because she doesn't want to leave any behind when she passes away.
"Witzelsucht" is a condition that causes people to have an uncontrollable urge to make jokes.
Comedians, clowns, and comics like to make people laugh. But for people with witzelsucht, telling silly stories and making groan-worthy puns is an uncontrollable impulse. According to a 2016 article published in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, patients with the condition can't resist "excessive and often inappropriate joking and facetious humor" as well as "a childish or silly excitement."
There are 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) insects alive at any time.
Unfortunately for anyone who's afraid of bugs, the creepy (yet crucial) critters certainly hold their own population-wise. There are around 900,000 known species of insects on Earth and an estimated 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) of them alive at any given time.
In Medieval Europe, a moment was exactly 90 seconds.
If you were whisked back in time to Medieval Europe and someone asked you if you had a free moment, you'd better be sure that you had 90 seconds available before saying yes. That's because, as late as the early 19th century, a moment was exactly 1/40th of an hour long.
Ben & Jerry's was going to be a bagel company but the equipment was too expensive.
These days, Ben & Jerry's may be a beloved brand that offers all kinds of ice cream, but when Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield first started their business in the late 1970s, it was originally going to be a bagel company. However, the cost of the necessary equipment was too high, so they instead decided to take a $5 ice cream course that was being offered at Penn State. And the rest, as they say, is delicious dessert history.
In Back to the Future, the time machine was originally an old fridge.
When you watch 1985's Back to the Future, you'll see that the main character, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travels back to the '50s in a DeLorean car that's been turned into a time machine. And while the DeLorean became a signature part of the film, we have to wonder what the movie would have been like if the producers had gone with their original concept, which was to make the time machine an old refrigerator.
According to HuffPost, "Ultimately, it was determined that it probably was not a good idea to use a refrigerator in such a manner as kids might want to re-enact the scene." Parents everywhere are grateful.
"Overmorrow" is the day after tomorrow.
You can accurately refer to the day after tomorrow as "overmorrow." For example, you might say, "We're leaving on vacation overmorrow."
Stephen Hawking once hosted a party for time travelers but didn't send the invitations until after the fact.
In 2009, renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking decided to throw a party, but none of his guests showed up. However, they weren't being rude. It turns out that they didn't receive an invitation for the event until well after the fact—which was the plan… to test time travel.
Hawking explained in 2012 to Ars Technica, "I gave a party for time-travelers, but I didn't send out the invitations until after the party. I sat there a long time, but no one came."
Birth control for men exists.
Taking birth control is not just for women. In 2016, scientists announced that they had developed an injectable male contraceptive that was found to be 96 percent effective in the men who used it. Using the hormones progestogen (which affects sperm production) and testosterone (which reduces the effects of the progestogen), the treatment could help equalize the burden of control between the sexes.
World War I boosted the bra market.
During the First World War, the U.S. War Industries Board asked American women to forgo their corsets—which required significant amounts of metal to construct, according to NPR. Instead, they were expected to switch to the less-demanding bra. The ladies did their part for the cause, freeing up to 28,000 tons of metal—enough to build two battleships—and changing female fashion from that moment forward.
Eating pistachios can help reduce erectile dysfunction.
For a 2011 Turkish study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research, 17 men with erectile dysfunction were given 100 grams of pistachios to eat for lunch every day for three weeks. The subjects were then measured on the International Index of Erectile Function—and the pistachios proved to improve blood flow and the dilation of blood vessels. Hey, it's certainly a cheaper option than Viagra!
Caterpillars turn into soup before becoming butterflies.
We all know that caterpillars create a cocoon in which they transform into beautiful butterflies, but what actually goes on inside that cocoon is pretty gross: The insect actually "digests itself, releasing enzymes to dissolve all of its tissues," as Scientific American explains. Once it's fully disintegrated (excluding some "imaginal discs"), it then begins "the rapid cell division required to form the wings, antennae, legs, eyes, genitals, and all the other features of an adult butterfly or moth."
The oldest still-operating amusement park in the world opened in Denmark in 1583.
The Guinness World Records lists Bakken in Klampenborg, Denmark, as the oldest still-operating amusement park in the world. The park, which opened in 1583, features more than 150 attractions, including a wooden roller coaster that was built in 1932.
According to the records book, Bakken wasn't totally unique in its time. "In medieval Europe, most major cities featured what is the origin of the amusement park: the pleasure gardens," they write. "These gardens featured live entertainment, fireworks, dancing, games, and some primitive amusement rides."
Penguins used to be almost seven feet tall.
Researchers from the La Plata Museum in Argentina found fossils in the Antarctic of a "colossus penguin," measuring six feet, eight inches in height. According to the researchers, the larger penguins would have been able to dive underwater for 40 minutes at a time!
Nicolas Cage and Jake Gyllenhaal could've been Aragon and Frodo in The Lord of the Rings.
It may be hard to imagine anyone else as Frodo or Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings film franchise, but before Elijah Wood and Viggo Mortensen nabbed the coveted roles, many famous actors were considered. For example, Nicolas Cage was offered the role of Aragorn but turned it down, telling Newsweek, "There were different things going on in my life at the time that precluded me from being able to travel and be away from home for three years."
And Jake Gyllenhaal might have been Frodo, but he bombed the audition for one not-so-small reason. "I remember auditioning for The Lord of the Rings and going in and not being told that I needed a British accent. I really do remember [director] Peter Jackson saying to me, 'You know that you have to do this in a British accent?'" he recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. "We heard back it was literally one of the worst auditions."
And Sean Connery turned down the role of Gandalf.
The wise wizard of The Lord of the Rings almost had a bit of a 007 vibe. Sean Connery was originally offered the role that Ian McKellen would make into a classic but turned it down—despite the offer of a 15 percent stake in the franchise's box office profits.
Notre Dame's 180,000 rooftop bees survived the 2019 fire.
When a massive fire destroyed a large part of Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral in April 2019, almost 200,000 bees that were set up with homes on the roof survived the blaze. The hives were built in 2013 as a part of a city-wide initiative to increase the bee population.
"Right after the fire I looked at the drone pictures and saw the hives weren't burnt but there was no way of knowing if the bees had survived," Nicolas Geant, Notre Dame's resident beekeeper, told CNN. "Now I know there's activity; it's a huge relief!"
The Olympic games were originally a religious festival.
These days, the Olympics represent the ultimate achievement for many of the world's top athletes. But when the prestigious games first started in Ancient Greece in 776 B.C., they were part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of Greek gods and goddesses. The athletes were all male citizens from every corner of the Greek world, according to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Humans move their eyes more 100,000 times a day.
If your eyes tend to feel tired at the end of the day, it's because they do a ton of work. Humans generally move their eyes around three times a second, which is more than 100,000 times every single day.
One Brazilian island has so many venomous snakes that the government banned visitors.
The government of Brazil has banned tourists from visiting Ilha de Queimada Grande, an island that has the highest concentration of venomous snakes in the world. By some estimates, there's one snake for every square meter.
The island is crawling with thousands of golden lancehead vipers. And when these snakes strike, their venom can kill the victim in under an hour. So yes, you're better off vacationing elsewhere!
Montana has a super toxic lake.
If you're looking for a place to go swimming in Montana, avoid Berkeley Pit at all costs. This super toxic lake opened in 1955 as a copper mine, which operated until 1982. Now, the lake is a mix of chemicals and heavy metals, such as copper, arsenic, cadmium, iron, and zinc.
To understand just how toxic the lake is, know that in 1995, a flock of geese settled near the pit. Within a few days, their insides had been charred and some 340 birds were found dead, according to the Washington Post. Yikes!
The world's largest plane is wider than two football fields.
The largest plane in the world is the Stratolaunch. With a 385-foot wingspan and six engines, the plane made its maiden voyage over the Mojave Desert on April 13, 2019. In the future, the Stratolaunch is expected to be used as a stratospheric launch platform for space rockets.
Hippos produce a natural skin moisturizer and sunblock.
Hippopotamuses spend their days under the blazing hot sun, which means their skin could really start to feel the effects of sun damage if they didn't do anything about it. Fortunately, the creatures produce an oily substance that acts as both a natural moisturizer and a sunblock. The secretion, known as "hippo sweat," contains microscopic structures that scatter light and protect the animals from burns.
The word "Pez" comes from the German word for peppermint.
Eduard Haas III first invented Pez candy in Vienna, Austria, in 1927, as an alternative to smoking. And when it came to naming his tiny treats, which were originally a minty flavor, he looked to the German word "pfefferminz," which means peppermint. He took the "p" from the first syllable, the "e" from the middle syllable, and the "z" from the last syllable to form the word "Pez."
Apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, cherries, and almonds all belong to the rose family.
While it might not shock you to find out that fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, cherries, and plums are related, you might be surprised by the fact that they're also related to almonds. And you'll probably be amazed to discover that they all belong to the rose family Rosaceae, which includes more than 2,500 species in more than 90 genera.
Ocean-dwelling species are disappearing twice as quickly as land animals.
Climate change is wreaking all kinds of havoc on our planet, including altering habitats, threatening the creatures that live in them. And while every organism on Earth will be affected in one way or another, a 2019 study published in the journal Nature found that species that live in the ocean are disappearing twice as fast as those who spend their time on land. That's because they can't adapt to or escape the rising water temperatures effectively.
The African bush elephant only sleeps for two hours per day.
The African Bush Elephant holds the Guinness World Record for being the mammal that requires the least amount of sleep per day. When researchers at South Africa's University of Witwatersrand conducted a field study on the giant creatures, they found that the elephants, who sleep standing up, snooze multiple times throughout the day. However, those four or five naps only add up to two hours in total.
It's a myth that we only use 10 percent of our brains.
In the 2014 film Lucy, Morgan Freeman's character says, "It is estimated most human beings only use 10 percent of the brain's capacity. Imagine if we could access 100 percent." But this estimation is merely a myth.
"Unless you have a traumatic brain injury or other neurological disorder, you already have access to 100 percent of your brain," writes science journalist Jane C. Hu for Slate. "Your brain is available all the time, even when you're sleeping. Even the most basic functions of your brain use more than 10 percent—your hindbrain and cerebellum, which control automatic bodily functions like breathing and balance, make up 12 percent of your brain, and you definitely need those just to stay alive."
Four U.S. Presidents have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
You might be surprised to find a politician as a Sports Illustrated cover star, but that has happened multiple times in the publication's history. In fact, four presidents have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated: John F. Kennedy (with his wife, Jackie), Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan (twice), and Bill Clinton.
It's illegal to kill Bigfoot in British Columbia.
We still don't have any definitive proof that Sasquatch is out there, but if you do happen to come across one, while you're in Canada, you may not kill it.
"It has long been rumored that a previous governor of [British Columbia] declared that killing a Sasquatch is illegal," according to British Columbia Magazine. The magazine notes that "the laws of British Columbia do declare that wildlife is owned by the government and can't be hunted without a specific license. For your own protection, it's probably best to let Bigfoot go if he crosses your path."
Scientists created a 3D-printed heart using a patient's own cells.
In 2019, researchers from Tel Aviv University successfully 3D-printed a human heart using a patient's own cells. Biological materials were reportedly used to "completely match the immunological, cellular, biochemical, and anatomical properties of the patient," the lead researcher said in a statement. "People have managed to 3D-print the structure of a heart in the past, but not with cells or with blood vessels. Our results demonstrate the potential of our approach for engineering personalized tissue and organ replacement in the future."
Canada's national parks are bigger than many countries.
Canada is famous for its abundant natural landscape and stunning scenery. But it may surprise you to find out that the northern land's national parks are so massive that they're actually bigger than the total area of many other countries. For instance, either Albania or Israel could fit inside the 11,602 square miles that make up the Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories. Denmark or Switzerland could fit inside the 17,300-square-mile Wood Buffalo National Park, which reaches into both Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
The oldest bookstore that is still in operation was established in 1732.
Shops that sell the written word are becoming increasingly rare these days. However, Bertrand Bookstore in Lisbon, Portugal, will hopefully stand the test of time. The shop, which is now part of a nationwide chain that includes 47 other stores around the country, was opened in 1732 and is the oldest operating bookstore in the world.
Gmail was originally called Garfield Mail (as in the cartoon cat).
Introduced by Google in 2004, Gmail is currently one of the most popular email services in the world. But back in the late 1990s, Gmail was something very different. The original Gmail was a feature offered to fans of Garfield, the snarky cartoon cat. Described as "e-mail with attitude" and available via gmail.garfield.com, users received an address suffix that ended in "@catsrule.garfield.com," according to Gizmodo.
Barnacle geese jump off cliffs when they're just a day old.
In order to keep their babies safe from predators, barnacle geese make their nests on hard-to-reach cliffs that are hundreds of feet high. However, the mother geese can't provide their babies with food in the nest and the newborn birds need to eat within 36 hours of hatching. Therefore, the goslings, who still cannot fly, have to leave their perch, which means jumping from staggering heights when they're just a day old.
While some of the little geese don't survive the ordeal, David Cabot, an adjunct professor at Ireland's University of Cork, told National Geographic that the chicks are usually able to make the jump due to the fact that "they are light and fluffy, often appearing to bounce off rocks as they fall."
Octopuses lay 56,000 eggs at a time.
These eight-legged sea creatures lay a staggering 56,000 eggs at one time. Each egg—which biologist Jim Cosgrove describes as "a gleaming white tear-drop about the size of a grain of rice"—comes out on its own, then is gathered up along with all of the other eggs and kept in a protective braid-like den until they're ready to hatch.
Space smells like a Nascar race—a mix of hot metal, diesel fumes, and barbecue.
If you were ever able to use your sniffer in space, you'd discover that it smells like a mixture of hot metal, diesel fumes, and barbecue. That's all thanks to compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that emanate from dying stars. According to Louis Allamandola, the founder and director of the Astrophysics and Astrochemistry Lab at NASA Ames Research Center, the stinky molecules "seem to be all over the universe… And they float around forever," he told Popular Science.
The largest book ever weighs more than 3,000 pounds.
Avid readers won't be intimidated by a hefty novel, but they'll still surely be impressed by what's been deemed the largest book ever. Weighing more than 3,000 pounds and measuring 16.40 feet by 26.44 feet with 429 pages inside, the book, which is titled This the Prophet Mohamed, was created in 2012 by 50 people working together in the United Arab Emirates.
Autological words are words that describe themselves—like short, unhyphenated, and word.
Words are capable of doing all kinds of quirky things, including some terms that are autological, which means that they describe themselves. Take "short," for example, which describes something that is small and is a small word itself. Or "unhyphenated" which is, in fact, spelled without a hyphen. And when you use the word "word," it is definitely a word. Other autological words include English, noun, cutesy, suffixed, prefix, polysyllabic, and buzzword.
The world's smallest wasp is tinier than most one-cell amoebas.
The Megaphragma mymaripenne wasp has muscles, guts, wings, eyes, a brain, and genitals. However, this teeny-tiny insect—which is the smallest wasp in the world and the third smallest insect in the world—measures around 200 micrometers, which is a fifth of a millimeter and smaller than many one-cell amoebas.
Peas are a popular pizza topping in Brazil.
People in North America are fairly faithful to pepperoni pizza, but in Brazil, you'll be able to find pizza with green peas on it. And in Germany, you'll find pizza topped with seafood, such as canned tuna.
Foreign accent syndrome is an actual disorder.
This speech disorder, which can occur after traumatic brain injury or stroke, is when a person's way of speaking shifts from a native accent to a foreign one. Among the cases identified are American English to British English, Japanese to Korean, British English to French, and Spanish to Hungarian.
There was a third Apple founder.
While the duo of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak have become tech industry legends, there was another guy in the garage when Apple was founded: Ronald Wayne, who had a 10 percent stake in the company at the time. He acted as "adult supervision" of the project (he was 42 at the time). Wayne ended up selling his stake for $800—it would have been worth around $35 billion today.
Pi was almost legally defined as 3.2.
Legislators in Indiana came close to legally redefining the value of pi—the beloved number that begins with 3.14 and continues on forever—as the much more simple 3.2. The reason for doing so is long and a bit jargony, but suffice it to say that while the bill got surprisingly far in the legislature, passing in the state's House of Representatives, it was stopped by the time it got to the Senate.
Whispering is bad for your voice.
It might seem like whispering can help you preserve your vocal cords, whether you've got laryngitis or are auditioning for American Idol. But researchers have found the opposite to be true. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Voice used a fiber-optic scope on 100 subjects while they counted from one to 10 (first in a normal voice, then a whisper). Researchers found that 69 of them put more strain on their vocal cords when they whispered.
Humming is good for your sinuses.
On the other hand, humming, while annoying to the people around you trying to do work, is a good way to fight off sinus infections. Since keeping air flowing steadily between nasal cavities and sinuses is the key to preventing infection, humming is an ideal way to keep your sinuses healthy. One 2002 study published in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that humming resulted in a 15-fold increase in nasal nitric oxide in the airflow.
Ravens can learn to speak better than parrots.
Parrots have the reputation as the most talkative birds in the animal kingdom, but ravens could hold their own in a debate any day. In captivity, the animals can be trained to mimic human speech, saying basic words like "hello" and "hi" and even coughing like a person. Note: It's not clear if they can be taught to say "nevermore."
Poe originally wanted "The Raven" to be a parrot.
In fact, Edgar Allan Poe had originally written his poem to feature a parrot, rather than the gloomy raven.
The Easter Island heads have torsos.
You know the heads of the Easter Island figures, but often overlooked is the fact that they also have bodies. Archaeologists at the University of California, Los Angeles have developed the Easter Island Statue Project to dig deeper into these Pacific Island icons and explore what's below the surface. The answer? Full-bodies statues measuring as much as 33 feet high.
The cities with the most single women per capita are in the Carolinas.
Straight guys looking to improve their dating odds should head to the Carolinas, where the three cities with the largest ratios of single women to men in the U.S. are, according to Citylab. Specifically, Burlington, North Carolina (with 1,185 single women for every 1,000 men), Florence, South Carolina (with 1,212), and Greenville, South Carolina (with 1,227 single women per 1,000 guys—the highest ratio in the country).
The city with the most single men per capita is in California.
Conversely, ladies looking to land a man should head west, where the city with the highest proportion of single-guys-to-girls can be found: Hanford-Corcoran, California has a whopping 1,859 single guys per 1,000 single women.
Hummingbirds can fly backwards.
As if these animals weren't already cool enough—with their ability to beat their wings 80 times per second—they can also move forward and backward with the same speed and efficiency. Scientists studying the phenomenon filmed the fast birds as they moved toward a feed. The researchers blasted air, pushing the bird backward and leading it to adjust its direction with ease.
Judy Blume is one of the most banned authors in the U.S.
The author of numerous children's classics has found herself on the list of most frequently challenged books in school libraries, according to the American Library Association. Five of Blume's books made the list of most challenged books of the 1990s: Forever; Blubber; Deenie; Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret; and Tiger Eyes.
The smell of fresh-cut grass is a smell of distress.
The best part of mowing the lawn is that pleasing, herbal scent of fresh-cut grass, but that's not a pleasant smell for the grass. Researchers have determined that the scent is a chemical compound given off by plants in anguish. They give off a similar odor when attacked by caterpillars or other predatory insects.
Pride and Prejudice was originally titled First Impressions.
Here's one of our favorite amazing facts for literary lovers. Not quite as catchy, but certainly less of a mouthful, this original title of the Jane Austen classic was rejected by publishers. Following a rewrite and title change, it sold like gangbusters.
In the Peanuts comic strip, Peppermint Patty's real name was Patricia Reichardt.
Along with Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Peppermint Patty is one of the most recognizable characters from the classic Peanuts comic strip. But have you ever thought about her strangely sweet name? No, her first name isn't Peppermint and her last name isn't Patty—the candy-like moniker is her nickname. The fictional character's real name is Patricia Reichardt.
Fergie once voiced Charlie Brown's sister Sally.
You knew Black Eyed Peas' Fergie was multitalented, but you may not have realized that she also was part of the Peanuts universe. In the 1980s, long before taking off as a pop star, she voiced the character of Charlie Brown's sister Sally in two TV specials and the 1984 season of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.
One man who urinated in a reservoir ruined 8 million gallons of water.
In 2011, one 21-year-old man thought it would be funny to urinate in the city reservoir of Portland, Oregon. His little gag ended up requiring the city to get rid of 8 million gallons of the treated drinking water as a result.
In Japan, it's considered good luck for sumo wrestlers to make your baby cry.
There is actually a competition at the annual Nakizumo festival, going back four centuries, in which sumo wrestlers make babies cry. The longer the wail, the better for the kid's health and fortune.
The "X" in airport codes is just a filler.
When three-letter airport codes became standard throughout the world, the many airports that had been just using a two-letter code simply added an "X" to their code—which explains where LAX, PDX, and others come from.
Nutella was invented to extend chocolate rations.
The delicious chocolate-hazelnut spread known as Nutella came about due to the restrictions made on chocolate consumption during the Second World War. A resourceful Italian pastry chef realized he could get more out of the limited chocolate available by mixing it with hazelnuts. First marketed as a solid block, he struck gold with the creamy form, which he dubbed "Supercrema" in 1951.
Fear of young people is known as "ephebiphobia."
Ephebiphobia may seem like a silly condition, but according to sociologists and psychologists, it's surprisingly widespread and can show itself in a wide range of ways, from the "in my day…" tut-tutting about teenagers' behavior to restricting our own children's activities.
It is also a condition long-experienced by society's adults. One professor studying the subject in 2009 pointed to a quote from Plato: "What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets, inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?"
Sex is dangerous for flies.
When certain types of flies mate, they emit a sound that catches the attention of predatory bats, so they only copulate briefly.
The world's longest man-made beach is in Mississippi.
The next time you plan a beach vacation, you might want to forget about Florida and California and head to Mississippi instead. That's because the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the world's longest man-made beach. At 26-miles long, the beach boasts stunning white sand from Biloxi all the way to Henderson Point.
There's a mammal that mates for 14 hours straight until it dies.
The antechinus, a small, mouse-like mammal in Australia, kills itself for sex. When the males of the species hit their first mating season, they mate for as many as 14 hours straight with as many females as they can encounter. Ultimately though, the animal's fur falls off, he bleeds internally, and his immune system fails, causing him to die. "By the end of the mating season, physically disintegrating males may run around frantically searching for last mating opportunities," Diana Fisher from the University of Queensland told National Geographic. "By that time, females are, not surprisingly, avoiding them."
When eagles flirt, they also flirt with death.
Courtship between eagles can be rather death-defying. As New York's Department of Environmental Conservation puts it, "The pair soars high in the sky, begins a dive, and interlocks talons while descending in a series of somersaults." But it usually all works out, with the two producing one or two offspring each year.
After Roosevelt's teddy bears, toy companies tried to create a William Taft stuffed animal.
President Teddy Roosevelt's legacy includes the beloved and ubiquitous teddy bear toy. Trying to replicate its success, a toy company created "Billy Possum," the marsupial that was served at a banquet following his election. It served as an anti-Teddy symbol, and was featured in songs, picture books, and more—but it never took off like the bear.
AOL was once responsible for half of all the CDs produced.
When AOL was giving away internet via CDs in the mail, spending some $300 million to produce and mail them during its peak in the 1990s, the early online giant was producing a whopping 50 percent of all CDs being made in the world.
The original seven dwarves had even stranger names.
Though the seven dwarves of Snow White have pretty goofy names, originally, Disney had considered even odder monikers for the pint-sized miners: Chesty, Tubby, Burpy, Deafy, Hickey, Wheezy, and, awfully enough, Awful.
Botox affects your emotions.
You know that Botox can reduce wrinkles by paralyzing parts of your face, but the changes aren't just cosmetic: It has also been found to make it harder for those using it to identify emotions as deeply as those who don't. A 2011 study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science found that Botoxed women were less able to identify the emotions felt by those in photographs than the people who did not use Botox.
Cicadas expand and contract their exoskeletons.
You know that near-deafening chirp that cicadas create? It's done by essentially expanding and contracting their exoskeleton really fast, about 300 times a second.
A study on the creature described it this way: "If your body were like that of a cicada … you would have a thick set of muscles on either side of your torso that would allow you to cave in your chest so far that all your ribs would buckle inward one at a time into a deformed position. Releasing the muscle would allow your ribs to snap back to their regular shape and then pulling the muscle again would repeat this."
Some rocks are natural solar panels and can convert light into electricity.
Solar panels are becoming an increasingly popular way to harness energy. And it turns out, they also exist in nature, too. In 2019, Peking University's Anhuai Lu discovered electric currents on the surface of certain desert rocks that have thin coatings of iron and manganese. According to IFL Science, "The weaker the light, the less current, demonstrating the coatings are turning the photons into moving electrons. The coatings are also quite stable, so generation probably lasts all day."
"Shivviness" is a word for the uncomfortable feeling of wearing new underwear.
If you're the kind of person who needs a little time to get used to a fresh pair of panties, boxers, or briefs, then you can add "shivviness" to your vocabulary. This word refers to the uncomfortable feeling of wearing new underwear.
Ulysses was once banned in four countries.
Though now considered one of the greatest books ever written, James Joyce's Ulysses was once banned in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and England, due to its sexually explicit content, leading the British director of public prosecutions to call it a "filthy book."
The author of The Da Vinci Code was a failed pop star.
Before he wrote blockbuster thrillers about religious history, Dan Brown worked as a songwriter and pop singer in Los Angeles. One of his albums was Angels & Demons, using some of the same design elements in the liner notes that he would use in his novel of the same title six years later.
James Patterson coined the "Toys R Us Kids" jingle.
Before he got into writing massive-selling thrillers, James Patterson worked for advertising firm J. Walter Thompson, where he is credited with coming up with the jingle "I'm a Toys R Us Kid." With earworms like that, he worked his way up to creative director in no time.
Columbus thought he saw mermaids.
During his travels, in 1493, Christopher Columbus believed he saw mermaids in the ocean, which he described as "not half as beautiful as they are painted," History.com. More than likely, he had simply spotted manatees in the water—not quite as beautiful.
Truman Show Delusion is a real disorder.
Also known as Truman Syndrome, this is the belief in which "the patient believes that he is being filmed and that the films are being broadcast for the entertainment of others," according to the researchers who first coined the affliction.
Male platypuses are venomous.
They may look silly and harmless, but platypuses can be dangerous—at least certain ones. The males come equipped with sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet that can add some extra pain to a kick via venom. This venom has been found to resemble that in animals such as snakes, starfish, and spiders—though it's an odd thing to find in mammals.
Female platypuses lay eggs.
Did we mention these are mammals? Despite that, these odd duck-billed creatures lay eggs, like a reptile or bird might, making it an intriguing example of evolution at work.
Janis Joplin left $2,500 to her friends for a funeral party.
Janis Joplin set aside $2,500 in her will "so my friends can have a ball after I'm gone." They did just that at her wake, held at the Lion's Share in San Anselmo, California.
There's a basketball court in the Supreme Court Building.
Dubbed "The Highest Court in the Land," this basketball court, on the fifth floor of the Supreme Court Building, is not open to the public and not open on court day. But it has hosted the likes of Byron White and Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
Ray Bradbury wrote the screenplay for Moby Dick.
The man had many talents. In addition to his popular short stories and classic novels like Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury also penned the screenplay for the 1956 film Moby Dick, directed by John Huston. It was not a pleasant process though; Bradbury called it "eight long months of agonizing work, subconscious work."
The FBI investigated the song "Louie, Louie."
We all know the chorus to The Kingsmen classic version of "Louie, Louie," but that's about it. And for the FBI, that was a problem. The organization, concerned it might contain indecent lyrics, spent several years investigating what exactly the song said—playing it backward, at different speeds, and otherwise—and whether it was suitable to play on the radio. They eventually gave up when they determined it was "indecipherable."
Snakes have two reproductive organs.
Called "himipenes," these two reproductive organs only work one at a time.
Tug of war used to be an Olympic event.
This even existed all the way up until 1920. Now, it's been relegated to field days and family reunions.
The biggest bat colony is in Texas.
If you're creeped out by bats, stay away from Bracken Cave, Texas. This location, about 20 miles outside of downtown San Antonio, hosts the largest bat colony—consisting of more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats that pack onto cave walls, with as many as 500 per square foot when they are pups.
Shakespeare disappeared from history from the year 1585 to 1592.
Despite the fact that William Shakespeare lived hundreds of years ago, we still know many details about his life. But one thing we don't know is what he was up to between the years 1585, when the baptism of his twins was recorded, and 1592, when playwright Robert Greene wrote in a pamphlet that Shakespeare was an "upstart crow"—and that's because the writer left no historical records during that time.
History.com explains that historians have speculated that during those seven years he may have "worked as a schoolteacher, studied law, traveled across continental Europe or joined an acting troupe." There's also a 17th century account that Shakespeare "fled his hometown after poaching deer from a local politician's estate."
"Twelve plus one" is an anagram of "eleven plus two."
Check for yourself. It's true!
The Mona Lisa has the highest insurance value for a painting in history.
In 1962, the painting was assessed at $100 million. If you adjust that for inflation, the value today would be around $780 million. That means it has the highest insurance value for a painting in history, according to the Guinness World Records.
Barry Manilow wrote State Farm's "Like a Good Neighbor" jingle.
While best known for tunes like "Mandy" and "Copacabana," Barry Manilow was a prolific writer of ad jingles for Band-Aid, Stridex, KFC, and, most famously, that perennial ditty for State Farm insurance. And for more hilarious jingles, check out these 30 Funniest Jokes Found in TV Commercials.
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Treatment For Children
According to a recent ‘conservative’ estimate, there are approximately 500,000 autism spectrum cases in the United States, including perhaps as many as 1 in 150 children. Autism is the fastest growing population of special needs students in the US, having grown by over 900% between 1992 and 2001, according to data from the United States Department of Education. In 1999, the Autism incidence rate in the US was generally cited at 4.5 cases per 10,000 live births. By 2005, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates one of every 250 babies is born with Autism, or 40 cases per 10,000. As many as 1.5 million Americans may have some form of Autism, including milder variants, and the number is rising. Epidemiologists estimate the number of autistic children in the US could reach 4 million in the next decade (Autism-Help.Org, 2008).
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes Autism, Aspergers’ Syndrome (AS) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, (PDD). ASD involves a history of social impairment before age three. Often the child does not maintain eye contact, does not spontaneously greet or say good bye to family members is indiscriminate to familiar persons and strangers alike does not participate in reciprocal play and does not share pleasure or interests with others.
Children with ASD often demonstrate restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior and often talk on one or two themes, regardless of suggestions from others. The child frequently amasses facts about these restrictive interests but lacks a depth of understanding about them.
Stereotypical and repetitive motor mannerisms and preoccupation with repetitive actions, such as turning things on and off are common.
ASD includes impairment in social interaction (few or no friends of in spite of a desire to have them and ample opportunities for friendships) and a lack of social and emotional reciprocity. Self-chosen activities are usually solitary in nature.
Impairments in communication are evident with difficulty in beginning and continuing a conversation, and one-sided conversations which are repetitive, without appropriate turn-taking.
Children with ASD often display a deficit in their ability to use spoken language socially and the content of their speech is often one-sided with little interest in what others wish to bring to the conversation. They may frequently have difficulty sustaining conversation with others.
One of the most frequent problems involves not coping well with change or transitions in daily routine and becoming upset if small details of the regular environment are not maintained. The child can become agitated and distressed when things do not go as anticipated or desired.
Many children with ASD are often initially diagnosed (usually around age 6) with and Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) due to problems with impulsiveness, inattention, distractibility and sometimes hyperactivity that are seen across settings and over time. Several studies have confirmed the relationship with ASD and ADHD. However ADHD can be over diagnosed in children with ASD because there behaviors may be due to stress and anxiety.
A substantial proportion of children with ASD have one or more co-morbid anxiety disorders. Research has demonstrated that anxiety disorders exacerbate the social difficulties and other functional impairments caused by ASD. Many children receive a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder before the ASD is correctly identified or as a secondary diagnosis once ASD is identified. Research conducted by: Susan W. White, Donald Oswald, Thomas Ollendick, and Lawrence Scahill indicate that:
Anxiety and poor stress management are common concerns in clinical samples of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Anxiety may worsen during adolescence, as young people face an increasingly complex social milieu and often become more aware of their differences and interpersonal difficulties.
Other researchers have identified that individuals with ASD also often have obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). One recent study found that children with ASD showed higher frequencies of obsessive and compulsive symptoms than did typically developing children.
Children with ASD may also be observed to have Learning Disorders/Learning Disabilities (usually prior to the 4th grade). In these cases reading, mathematics or written expression ability(s) of the child measure lower than their expected potential and the child may be identified as learning disabled.
Some children with ASD have disruptive behavior disorders and present with a pattern of defiance, anger, antagonism, hostility or irritability and often blaming others for their problems or mistakes. These behaviors can be the result of punishments and consequences for something the child does not fully understand.
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) one of the few empirically supported therapies available for ASD is cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT can help with common behavioral problems associated with ASD. For younger children or children with lower functioning forms of ASD, Behavioral Therapy (BT) a component of CBT is considered the intervention of choice.
Cognitive behavior therapy is an excellent, but often underutilized form of treatment for individuals with autism. Dr. Tony Attwood
Cognitive therapy can help the child/adolescent by teaching them to identify and change thinking patterns that are associated with their mood or behavioral problems. Children with ASD frequently have associated anxiety (social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders, separation anxiety disorder), depressive disorders and/or disruptive behavioral disorder. CBT involves helping the child/adolescent develop skills to recognize the connection between their thinking, behavior and moods. In addition CBT helps children/adolescents identify their thoughts and teaches them skills to evaluate the accuracy of their thinking. CBT also helps children/adolescents with ASD by developing their ability to socialize in ways that are more appropriate and that will be more rewarding. CBT addresses changes in thinking and changes in behavior utilizing principles proven to work in rigorous research studies. In order to build consistency and to extend what begins in the cbt sessions treatment is ideally based on collaboration between parents, teachers and therapist.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - IV -TR is being revised and DSM - V is expected to be released in 2014. The proposed changes will tighten the diagnostic criteria and in all likelihood fewer people will be diagnosed with autism. The proposed criteria, if adapted, will mean fewer children being diagnosed on the autism spectrum and fewer children and adolescents being eligible for special education services. According to the American Psychiatric Association the recommendation is for a "new category called autism spectrum disorder which would incorporate several previously separate diagnoses, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. The proposal asserts that symptoms of these four disorders represent a continuum from mild to severe, rather than a simple yes or no diagnosis to a specific disorder. The proposed diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder specify a range of severity as well as describe the individual’s overall developmental status--in social communication and other relevant cognitive and motor behaviors."
The following link will take you to a January 19, 2012 New York Times article that addresses the changing diagnostic criteria: New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests
If you are interested in the proposed criteria the following link may be of interest DSM -5 Proposed Autism Diagnostic Criteria.
GAD involves an excessive worry, occurring more days than not, for at least six months, about a number of events or activities, such as work or school performance; There is difficulty controlling the worry and the worry is associated with multiple physical symptoms. The anxiety, worry or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning (American Psychiatric Association).
Up to 10 percent of the school age population is likely to have mild anxiety (sensitive children) while 2 percent of the school age population meet diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Association of Anxiety Disorders).
Anxiety is a “fight or flight” response and is associated with the perception of danger, threat or vulnerability. Cognitive therapy helps parents and children to identify, evaluate and alter thoughts and beliefs associated with anxiety the child is experiencing.
Without treatment, Generalized Anxiety Disorder can be chronic and persistent throughout lifetime. Cognitive therapy, relaxation training and behavioral therapy have demonstrated in research studies to be very effective in the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in children (Manassis, 2008).
Panic Disorder is the experience of panic attacks followed by ongoing concern and worry about having another panic attack and/or worry about the possible consequences of a panic attack. There may be avoidant behaviors associated with, and secondary to, the panic attacks. Often associated with a panic attack is a catastrophic misinterpretation of a physical sensation. These catastrophic misinterpretations include thoughts such as “I’m having a heart attack” “I’m going to die” or “I’m having a stroke”. These catastrophic thoughts further create anxiety which increases the physical sensation and strengthens the catastrophic misinterpretation.
Cognitive/behavioral therapy has shown to be effective in the treatment of Panic Disorder. Therapy consists of parental and adolescent instruction in relaxation exercises and teaching adolescents to identify evaluate and alter the thoughts that are associated with their panic attacks. This is often combined with systematically approaching situations or experiences that are being avoided because of fear of having a panic attack.
Outcome studies have shown that cognitive/behavioral psychotherapy is very effective in treating Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder in adolescents and adults. Panic Disorder rarely occurs in children.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is likely to affect 2% of the child and adolescent population at some point in their life. The disorder is equally common in males and females.
Adapted from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – IV-TR.
Obsessions are distressing and persistent thoughts that are associated with anxiety. Obsessive thoughts frequently have a theme of contamination (germs or dirt), or doubts over something that was said or done. Many children have obsessive thoughts that have to do with rules and fairness, and contain magical or unrealistic thinking.
Compulsions, on the other hand, are behaviors or actions that are designed to reduce the anxiety associated with the obsessive thought. Compulsive behaviors are repetitive actions (behaviors) that are also designed to prevent a dreaded consequence from occurring. Compulsive behaviors include repetitive washing or cleaning, showering or doing some other activity in a particular order, checking, double-checking and triple-checking, etc., repeating phrases or thoughts or redoing actions. Compulsive behaviors frequently result in a reduction of anxiety and a temporary sense of feeling good. The most common compulsive behaviors are washing and checking.
Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
The behavioral treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder consists of three components – exposure, response prevention and cognitive (thoughts and beliefs) therapy. Exposure involves systematic, gradual contact or exposure to events in which the obsessive thoughts and -compulsive behaviors are likely to occur. For example, a child with a fear of contamination from germs would be helped (by parents, teachers and therapist) to gradually come in contact with germs via petting a dog or a cat. This could be combined with the response prevention component of the treatment which is to not engage in the usual compulsive activity which, in this example, may be hand washing. Variations on response prevention include response delay or response restriction. Response delay means delaying immediately washing the hands for longer and longer periods of time. Response restriction, means limiting the amount of time that the hands are washed. One of the purposes of the exposure and response prevention is to see if the fear or anxiety diminishes with time and without the compulsive behavior.
The cognitive (thoughts and beliefs) component of treating OCD involves assessing and understanding the result of the exposure and response prevention exercises described above. For example, how does the child explain the fact that no disease was contracted despite touching the dog or cat, and not washing for a significant period of time? Does this new experience cause the child to rethink their assumptions about their vulnerability and the purpose of their compulsive behaviors? The cognitive therapy component of treating OCD is also designed to teach children and their caretakers’ new thinking methods and strategies that can help the child identify and alter the interpretations that they have of their obsessions.
Treatment of OCD also involves learning, practicing and implementing anxiety management strategies including progressive muscle relaxation, mental imagery or deep breathing. Becoming proficient in these relaxation strategies can make it easier for the child to approach feared and anxiety producing situations.
Cognitive behavioral therapy has shown to be effective in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders in children and adolescents.
Social anxiety is painful and anguishing for a child and or adolescent. It can interfere with social functioning, and relationships. Shy children often avoid situations where they might be judged. Avoidance is the behavior most often associated with social anxiety. Most people would not willingly or easily put themselves in a situation where they believe they will be judged negatively and children may protest when adults attempt to force them into social situations (Manassis, 2008).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Social Anxiety
The goal of CBT for social anxiety is often increased social interaction with minimal anxiety. Successful treatment may result in the ability of the child to interact in any group or social situation without anxiety and with little or no concern about being evaluated or judged. Successful treatment may result in the elimination of avoidance behaviors.
Social anxiety disorder is very treatable. Psychotherapy research studies have shown that CBT is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders in general and social anxiety in particular.
For many families the first days of school are met with excited anticipation of new friends, new teachers, and new experiences. However as many as 5% of school aged children refuse to attend school based on fears and anxiety. Emotional meltdowns and anxiety may occur at school, in the car on the way to school, when getting out of bed in the morning or even the night before school. A common scenario is parents desperately attempting to get their fearful, emotionally distraught child out of the house, into the car or out of the car and into the school. Psychologists call this by various names including separation anxiety, school refusal or an anxiety disorder.
What is School Refusal?
In young children, in order to understand school refusal it is important to first understand the nature of anxiety. Anxiety is another word for fear and is thought of as a response involving thoughts, behaviors, and physical responses. The thoughts that accompany anxiety have to do with anticipation of something terrible that is about to occur. For younger children they may be worried that something terrible may happen to their parents while they are at school. For children that are somewhat older they may anticipate something terrible happening to themselves while at school. A better understanding of school refusal occurs when we have a clear picture of the thoughts that occur when the anxiety or fear is highest. The physical reactions that occur with anxiety are what is commonly known as a “fight or flight” response. This includes a rapid heart beat, breathing changes, muscular tightness and sweating. The behavior that naturally accompanies this response is avoidance or in this case school refusal.
The early signs of childhood anxiety which can often result in school refusal include: a reluctance to fall asleep without being near parents, nightmares, extreme homesickness, as well as physical symptoms such as stomach pain and rapid heart-rate.
Family history and parenting style are extremely important components to school refusal. It is relatively easy for a parent to inadvertently strengthen a child’s anxiety by not gently requiring the child to overcome the distress and challenge their avoidance of school.
If on the first days of school your daughter does become anxious and resistant it is very important that you stay calm and do not over-react. Your daughters’ Kindergarten teacher will have experience with this problem and will help your child settle in. It is important that you do not stay and wait for your daughter to calm down. Instead leave quickly and assure her you will be there to pick her up. Staying to long with your daughter may reinforce her anxiety and perpetuate the problem.
What to Do If the Situation Does Not Improve?
If these steps do not solve the problem within the first weeks of school your daughter could have a Separation Anxiety Disorder. Separation Anxiety Disorder affects approximately 4% of children (Anxiety Disorders Association of America). With Separation Anxiety Disorder, a child experiences excessive anxiety when away from home or separated from parents or caregivers. While separated, it is not uncommon for these children to have fears and worries regarding the health and safety of their parents.
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Help
Anxiety disorders have been shown to be highly responsive to cognitive behavioral therapy. School refusal can be addressed with CBT anxiety protocols such as exposure and response prevention (ERP). ERP is a treatment method available for a variety of anxiety disorders. The intervention is based on the idea that a child/adolescent is exposed to their fears and through repetitive exposure they learn to overcome their avoidance. In doing so the thoughts/cognitions associated with the fear are altered and the fear and avoidance lessens and ultimately is extinguished.
Depression affects a significant portion of the population. This includes children and teens. In 2009, US News and World Report published an article which stated, "Serious depression afflicts two million teenagers each year"
Depressive disorders consist of a variety of symptoms in the areas of mood, thinking, behaviors and physical reactions. Mood related symptoms include sadness, irritability, depression and anger. Many depressed children and adolescents are also anxious and nervous. When children and adolescents are depressed their thinking may be characterized by negative thoughts about themselves (self criticism), negative thoughts about the future and negative interpretations/ thinking about ongoing events in their lives.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Autism/Aspergers Disorders, Communication Disorders and Learning Disorders often co-exist with anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Therefore our practice also includes a specialization in psycho-educational assessment for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment/intervention of learning and behavioral problems. Parents with concerns about their child’s cognitive processing (attention, memory, and perception), academic achievement, overall development, and psychological/social functioning are appropriate candidates for this type of assessment. These psycho educational assessments can provide important information to parents and educators about any special education needs that are appropriate for their child.
Other Conditions & Disorders We Treat:
Autism, aspergers, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, pddnos, PANDAS, tourettes disorder, tic disorder, tricotillomania, skin picking, autism spectrum disorder, HFA - high functioning autism, non verbal learning disability, psychoeducational assessments, learning disability, ADD - attention deficit disorder. |
USDA Awards More Than $5M in Grants
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced March 3 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding $5.2 million in grants to 14 universities and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct research into improving and maintaining healthy watershed habitat and water supplies.
"Developing science-based information on water quality issues is critical for America's producers and consumers," Schafer said. "These grants will help us understand the sources and work of microorganisms in water used in agricultural production, which is critical to maintaining a safe food supply."
The awards are administered by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service through the National Research Initiative Water and Watershed competitive grants program. The program seeks to reduce pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, in waters derived from agricultural and rural watersheds, as well as maintain adequate water supplies for agricultural crop and livestock production and rural use. In the past five years, the program has awarded more than $23 million in grants.
Funded projects include research to identify relationships between land management and the introduction of microbial pollutants into highly impaired watersheds at Ohio State University. Research at University of Vermont will investigate how pathogenic bacteria, in particular the ones that can swim, travel through the ground and in irrigation pipes. Cornell University researchers will study how roadside ditches act as a rapid conduit for pathogens, nutrients, and other contaminants from agricultural lands to downstream drinking water reservoirs. |
Dedicated to Sainte-Foy , and built from 1895 to 1899 on the plans of Henri Pons (1849 1909), Departmental Architect of Aveyron, builder of the church of sacred heart in Rodez. It was built in limestone from Les Clapouses, near Canac, in the predominantly neo-Gothic eclectic style fashionable at the time. The surroundings were cleared by the demolition of the presbytery in 1935 (replaced by a public garden), then of the adjoining house. The joints in relief are characteristic of this architect. The tympanum (1900) is the work of Casimir Serpantié (1855-1949), local painter and sculptor. It represents the martyr of Sainte-Foy.
Inside, the furniture is executed according to the plans of Henri Pons or André Boyer (1880-1953) his successor in 1909:
The stained glass windows (1899) are from the Dagrant house in Bordeaux, active from 1864 to 1970. Gustave Pierre Dagrant was appointed glass painter to Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome in 1888. At the end of the 19th century the company occupied around fifty 'workers.
The bust of Monsignor Verdier (1925) and Joseph Mallet (1873-1946), sculptor from Millau, author of the statue of the entomologist Fabre in Saint-Léons and many monuments around Campagnac (Sévérac-le-château, Saint-Geniez, etc.)
Demolished in 1895 , the old church consisted of parts added to a Romanesque church from the 11th century : side chapel from the 14th and 15th century, aisle, gallery, facade and pinnacles from the 18th century. Poorly maintained in the 19th century, the church deteriorated and its solidity was called into question. Considered a bastard style, too small for the size of the population, and unworthy of a county town, they preferred to demolish it to build a new one. The following remains remain :
Abbé Pierre Verdier (1854 1924), parish priest from 1889 to 1901, initiated the project to rebuild the Church in 1892. Its cost (59,000 francs) was 80% financed by the inhabitants. The donations from Sylvie Serpentié (1812-1896) and the parish priest (respectively 15,000 and 5,000 francs, i.e. one third of the total cost) were decisive. Abbé Verdier was appointed auxiliary bishop of Rodez in 1917.
The project gave rise to a political crisis between pros and cons which lasted 2 years (1892-1894) and caused the resignation of the mayor. The priest is the target of anonymous attacks in the press. The works began in February 1895, but the contractor, influenced by the main opponent, stopped them in August and did not resume them until 2 and a half years later, in February 1898, after legal action.
-Texts of the Association " Living in Campagnac and its Hamlets "-
Comments are approved before publication. |
Scientists from Cornell University have developed an entirely new superconducting material that is capable of self-assembly. Unlike the magnets present inside an MRI machine, which are usually quite hard and rigid, the new substance is remarkably soft, almost like a plastic bottle. According to the researchers, it can arrange itself into a three-dimensional, gyroidal structure with incredible superconducting abilities.
The result of 20-year-long research, the breakthrough marks the first time that scientists have been able to create a self-assembling superconductor. Recently published in the Science Advances journal, the study could pave the way for highly versatile, scalable superconductors that offer greater control over the way magnetic fields passing through them get moved. Built using niobium nitride (NbN), the superconductor is designed to self-assemble into a 3-D porous form, shaped like a gyroid. Gyroid is an intricate cubic structure, with a surface that separates space into identical and interpenetrating labyrinthine passages.
Superconductivity as a phenomenon plays a major role in MRI machines and fusion reactors, and usually requires temperatures near absolute zero (-459.67°F or around −273.15°C). While recent research has yielded superconductivity at slightly higher temperatures of about 94 degrees below zero, the ability to pass electrons without any resistance or energy drainage is still an expensive affair. The superconducting magnets in MRIs, for instance, have to be continuously cooled using a combination of liquid nitrogen and helium. Speaking about the project, Ulrich Wiesner, a professor of engineering and materials science at Cornell and the study’s author, said:
There’s this effort in research to get superconducting at higher temperatures, so that you don’t have to cool anymore. That would revolutionize everything. There’s a huge impetus to get that.
The current research focuses on how self-assembling, gyroidal forms affect the superconducting properties of a material. To develop the plastic-like substance, the scientists used organic block copolymers to shape sol-gel nionium oxide (Nb2O5) into special three-dimensional, gyroidal networks, through a process of solvent evaporation-induced self assembly. Of the two intertwined gyroidal channels, one was removed by heating the material in air at temperatures of around 450 degrees.
To check for superconductivity, the team first heated the niobium oxide to nearly 700°C (approx. 1292°F), exposing it to ammonia for conversion into niobium nitride. When cooled to room temperature, however, the material was not found to be superconducting. According to the scientists, re-heating the substance to about 850°C (or 1562°F) caused it to achieve superconductivity. While the exact reason behind this rather convoluted process is not yet clearly understood, the researchers are hopeful that it could lead to the development of mesostructured superconductors. Wiesner added:
There’s something that happens to the material when we heat the material to 700 and then cool it and heat it to 850 again is different than direct heating it to 850, and whatever that is isn’t clear to us.
As the team points out, the superconducting material boasts multiple pores, measuring around 10 nanometers in diameter, all along its surface. This in turn has several advantages. Superconductors, in general, tend to expel magnetic fields of energy. The pores allow scientists to direct the magnetic fields surrounding the superconductor right into the pores. Wiesner esplained:
We can fill the pores with a second material, that may be magnetic or a semiconductor, and then study the properties of these new superconducting composites with very large interfacial areas… these organic block copolymer materials can help you generate completely new superconducting structures and composite materials, which may have completely novel properties and transition temperatures.
Source: Cornell University |
One of the most visible, and perhaps even iconic, features of a super energy-efficient home is the heat recovery ventilator (HRV). These devices remove stale air from the home and replace it with pre-heated fresh air from outside. The result is better indoor air quality and lower energy use than in standard homes.
The HRV itself is fairly simple: an airtight box with a heat exchange core that transfers heat from the indoor air to outside air as it passes through the box. The box also contains two small fans to move the air. All the points below apply equally to HRVs and their close cousins, energy recovery ventilators (ERVs).
Read more from this first installment of a two-part series on HRVs based on training developed by Bruce Manclark and Dan Wildenhaus of CLEAResult. Part 2 covers integrating HRVs with forced air heating and cooling systems. |
Howe, Mark L. (2011) The Adaptive Nature of Memory and Its Illusions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20 (5). pp. 312-315. ISSN 0963-7214Full text not available from this repository.
In this article I discuss how false memories do not always have to be associated with negative outcomes. Indeed, under some circumstances, memory illusions, like other illusions more generally, can have positive consequences. I discuss these consequences in the context of the adaptive function of memory, including how false memories can have fitness-relevant benefits for subsequent behavior and problem solving. My hope is that this article changes how illusions are conceptualized, especially those arising from memory. Rather than being a "demon" that vexes our theories of memory, illusions can be thought of as sometimes having positive consequences much in the same way as many of the other outputs of a very powerful, adaptive memory system.
|Journal or Publication Title:||Current Directions in Psychological Science|
|Uncontrolled Keywords:||adaptive memory ; memory illusions ; false beliefs ; EVOLUTION|
|Departments:||Faculty of Science and Technology > Psychology|
|Deposited On:||23 Feb 2012 09:54|
|Last Modified:||03 Mar 2016 01:18|
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The practice of checking gastric residuals has been a part of neonatal nursing care for as long as I can remember. Even as a graduate nurse in 1997, I can recall gently pulling back on the syringe prior to each feed to verify the stomach contents of my patient.
At the time, the practice was based on what I had been taught by my preceptor. I then dutifully reported my findings to the physician to make decisions based on what was found. My understanding of the rationale for this protocol was threefold:
- To check tube placement
- Evaluate gastric emptying
- To determine stomach contents volume and color to help with evaluation for other medical conditions such as NEC or obstruction
More recently, however, this routine practice has come under scrutiny for a variety of reasons:
Is the information accurate?
What does it actually mean?
Are we doing the right thing when making medical decisions based on this information?
Tube Placement Accuracy
Accurate placement of an orogastric or nasogastric tube is critical to reduce potential complications to the neonate such as tracheal aspiration or esophageal perforation. Ideally, verification of the tube placement would be done via x-ray.¹ However, due to radiation exposure, cost, and the impracticality of this test, it is estimated that 83% of nurses routinely use the gastric residual check to determine placement, even though the literature states that it may be an unreliable indicator of feeding tube placement and does not protect against placement in the infant’s trachea.2, 3
In fact 38% of gastric residual checks fail to obtain any aspirate at all, primarily because of the multitude of variables that can affect the accuracy of this measurement such as body position, feeding tube size, technique, feeding temperature, and viscosity of feed. 4, 5
So if the data is potentially flawed based on the multitude of influencing factors that confound the results, is it a true reflection of gastric emptying? If 38% of checks do not yield any residuals in our syringe, how do we know that the infant’s motility is “ok,” and how does that impact our decision-making in terms of advancing feeds? These questions shed some light on the insightful conversations that need to be had by clinicians, as well as an evaluation of the current literature.
Additionally, if the measurement is flawed, why are we basing medical decision on flawed data? Most likely it is because, at the moment, there is no method that is as easy, cost-effective, and convenient as checking a GR at the bedside. But is that enough of a reason to continue the practice?
Certain practice implications need to be analyzed. Is withholding feeds and delaying attainment to full feeds based on gastric results now putting that child at risk of neurodevelopmental impairment and higher risk of sepsis related to delay in central line removal? Are we harming rather than helping? It is in this area that the literature shows a definite gap.
Evaluation of Gastric Contents
Another confusing component of gastric residuals is exactly how to define them. Much variation exists across the nation. Is it greater than 30% or 50% of the prior feeding? If there is color variation, how do we medically manage it? Do we re-feed and hold future feeds, or discard and feed fresh milk? Traditionally, the green residual raised a red flag for obstruction or possible precursor to NEC. Now in many NICUs if the clinical exam is normal it can be viewed as a part of the premature gut and poor motility related to prematurity. But the consensus varies, and because it is based on poor data the picture becomes that much more difficult to interpret.
One thing is for certain when it comes to the gastric residual check: creating a standardized policy within your unit will only benefit further evaluation of the practice. Additionally, more research is needed to clarify what we are doing with this practice, whether it is of benefit or not, and investigate potential practice options to gain the information we seek without putting our patients at risk.
- Gastric Residual Evaluation in Preterm Neonates: A Useful Monitoring Technique or a Hindrance, Li, Yue-Feng et al. Pediatrics & Neonatology , Volume 55 , Issue 5, 335 – 340
- Parker LA, Withers J, Talaga E. Survey of NICU nurses: Methods of NG/OG insertion and verification. 2014
- Geraldo V, Pyati S, Joseph T, Pildes RS. Gastric Residual (GR): Reliability of the Measurement. Pediatric research. 1997; 41:150.
- Bartlett Ellis RJ, Fuehne J. Examination of Accuracy in the Assessment of Gastric Residual Volume: A Simulated, Controlled Study. JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition. 2014 Feb 21.
- Metheny NA, Stewart J, Nuetzel G, Oliver D, Clouse RE. Effect of feeding-tube properties on residual volume measurements in tube-fed patients. JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition. 2005 May-Jun;29(3):192–197. [PubMed: 15837779] |
About one in every ten Americans will develop diabetes. Type two diabetes is commonly referred to as a “lifestyle disease.”
Insulin is the hormone that our bodies use to turn the food we eat into energy. The more insulin our bodies produce, the more it increases the production of glycogen.
Fortunately, there is a simple way to control your insulin production. One of the benefits of building muscle is to control insulin resistance (the culprit of diabetes) and further prevent diabetes.
In this guide, we discuss a few reasons building muscle can protect you from developing diabetes. Keep reading to learn more.
Understanding Muscle Mass
Muscle mass, unlike lean body mass, exclusively refers to the muscles in your body. There is skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle. Smooth muscle and cardiac muscle make up different organs in your body.
For the sake of this guide, we’ll be discussing skeletal muscle. These are the large muscles all over the body that we exercise during strength training. These muscles can be built up, maintained, or shrink depending on your activity and age.
In preventing diabetes, the goal is to build a healthy amount of skeletal muscle to stabilize blood sugar.
The Relationship Between Blood Sugar and Muscle Mass
When it comes to preventing diabetes your weight matters. More specifically though, the proportion of your weight that is muscle is what matters.
Diabetes happens when your body no longer makes enough insulin or doesn’t metabolize it as it should. This is what causes the high blood sugar levels associated with pre-diabetes and diabetes. Insulin resistance if not managed can progress into type two diabetes.
Luckily, one of the best ways to reverse insulin resistance is through exercise, specifically strength training. Studies found a link between increased muscle mass and reduced insulin resistance and prediabetes.
For every 10% increase in muscle mass within the body, insulin resistance reduces by 11% and prediabetes reduces by 12%. The more muscle your body has, the more excess glucose your body can use or flush out.
Living a sedentary lifestyle greatly increases the risk of developing diabetes. This is not news, but in the past being lean was the only aspect of diabetes prevention highly valued.
Today doctors realize the ideal combination is being lean and also having a higher muscle mass ratio. This calls for a mix of aerobic exercise and at least two days of full-body strength training weekly.
The Benefits of Building Muscle Mass to Control Blood Sugar
One of the benefits of building muscle via strength and weight training is its ability to help you reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Adults who want to prevent type two diabetes are recommended to strength train at least two or three times a week. Building muscle mass to control blood sugar has been shown to help managers and improve the following diabetes precursors.
Burns Blood Sugar
When strength training your body uses up old glycogen stores to feed the muscles. Once the stored muscular glycogen is consumed, the body then turns to the liver glycogen and blood sugar.
By removing and consuming excess blood sugar, the next meal you have, your body will be eager instead of overwhelmed by the sugar in your meal.
Improves Glucose Storage
Trained muscles are better at storing glucose in the form of glycogen. When glucose is stored instead of roaming around freely in the blood, it helps to reduce overall blood sugar levels which further decreases the risk of developing diabetes.
Consistently elevated blood sugar, especially fasting blood sugar, is a sign of pre-diabetes.
Because increased muscle mass helps reduce sugar in the blood, it is responsible for helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels plummet or skyrocket, we can have unstable energy and mood disruptions that prompt us to seek out unhealthy food.
A poor diet is a contributing factor in the development of diabetes among other diseases.
Simplifies Weight Loss
When you strength train you build lean muscle mass. The more lean muscle mass a person has, the easier it is for them to maintain and lose weight. Studies found that losing 5 to 10% of your current body weight can improve your overall HbA1c score.
Your HbA1c measures hemoglobin A1C and is the main test to help those manage diabetes. Because it denotes your blood sugar levels over three months it is also useful in preventing diabetes.
Burning muscle helps us lose weight and losing weight lowers A1C scores.
Targets Visceral Belly Fat
Visceral fat is encapsulating abdominal fat. It is incredibly dangerous and disrupts hormones, including insulin. Adipocytes release hormones that trigger insulin resistance. If left unchecked insulin resistance can become diabetes.
With strength training, aerobic exercise, and stress reduction you can reduce your body’s visceral fat.
The Best Foods for Regulating Blood Sugar Levels and Boosting Muscle Growth
If your goal is to build muscle, lose weight and steady blood glucose-protein needs to be your best friend. This macronutrient is abundant in many food sources, but it is important to consider the quality of the protein you consume. Some of the best sources of protein for building muscle mass include:
- Lean meats
- Fish and shellfish
- Nuts and legumes
These protein sources stem from nature and are shown to reduce blood sugar levels which can stabilize cravings.
Prevent Diabetes by Increasing Your Muscle Mass
It’s amazing that one of the benefits of building muscle is offsetting disease. If you’re wondering how to build muscle mass naturally make sure to strength train at least two times weekly and take a rest day between strength sessions.
Support your workouts with healthy protein consumption that matches your activity level.Consistently following the steps above can help you control blood sugar, lose weight, and prevent diabetes. Read more on other steps you can take to prevent diabetes. |
A Matter of Perspective
“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.” — Mark Twain
That quote brought a smile to my face when I read it because I knew exactly what Twain was talking about! Some of us are a bit slower to learn this lesson because we have to do it at least twice!
There are many ways to learn things, just like there is more than one way to “skin a cat.” (Poor cats! They get a lot of grief, don’t they!?)
But this one lesson, there is NO other way to learn it! If you carry a cat by the tail, you will learn a valuable lesson!
Education is a tricky subject. Some believe that formal education is only a way to teach us to become workers. To some extent, I think that is true. We need workers, don’t get me wrong. But we also need thinkers.
Promoting lifelong education is something that I think we sometimes forget to do.
Only by continually learning can we create the lives and the world that we want to live in.
Of course, the problem arises when we realize that not everyone has the same idea about what the world should look like!
When those ideas come into conflict, well, it is much like carrying a cat by the tail, isn’t it?
As I am writing this, I am glancing over at my cat and wondering what mischief she is thinking about getting into!
Learning can be full of distractions. Sometimes it is hard to focus on learning something new when the world around us is spinning so fast it takes a lot of effort just to hang on...
I like this quote, too: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” —Mahatma Gandhi
There is a lot of wisdom there.
I think that the change we wish to see in the world can come about through learning. I am not alone in this thinking.
“Change is the end result of all true learning.” —Leo Buscaglia
If what we learn doesn’t change us, then I would say it wasn’t true learning.
When we learn the alphabet and we learn how to read, we become readers. That is change. (I still don’t know what happens when we learn math, though!!)
“I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.” — Abraham Lincoln
I believe that through daily acts of self-improvement we can make ourselves better by at least 1% every day.
That doesn’t mean we have to learn 100 new things. What I think this means is to learn 10 things and do them over and over and over until we are better and better at them.
I think the best quote I read while researching this article is this one, though: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.” — Henry Ford
If you want to stay young, keep learning—forever!
And if all else fails and you don’t feel you can ever learn anything else, pick a cat up by the tail and see how long you can carry it! |
As you drink that cup of tea, the words catechins and epicatechins may not be at the top of your mind. But teas contain an abundance of these chemicals, which are part of a broader family of flavonoids and may be responsible for the improved cardiovascular health of many tea drinkers.
We took a close look at the science to give you the best recommendations and insights.
Black and green teas are among the most potent sources of dietary flavonoids available to us — along with cocoa, apples, and berries. What makes tea such an ideal source is its low cost and glycemic load, making it accessible to many people interested in improving their health, whether they’re on a budget, diabetic, or weight conscious. The presence of caffeine in tea offers some health benefits of its own, though it’s also the one element that disqualifies tea from specific diets. And decaffeinated teas often lose a large percentage of their flavonoids in the decaffeination process.
Still, flavonoids are essential. Several studies show that flavonoids can lower blood pressure, increase endothelial function, and improve cerebral blood flow. Each of these benefits would significantly reduce the risk of both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, including vascular dementia.
Flavonoids may also play a role in managing inflammation, countering antibiotic resistance, and increasing acetylcholine levels, which may help with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease symptoms.
Several extensive population-based studies indicate a relationship between tea consumption and a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. Other studies point to flavonoids’ ability to activate cellular insulin receptors, effectively blunting the harmful effects of diabetes.
But it’s important to remember that these relationships are correlative, not causal. There may be additional factors in the lives of average tea drinkers that influence their improved cardiovascular numbers, not least of all the increased water intake and attendant hydration that tea consumption provides.
And tea contains other valuable ingredients beyond flavonoids. Whether flavonoids or other components are responsible, some studies show that consuming certain teas may help you manage stress. A study of rats found that green tea extract reduces cortisol levels in the blood. (Known commonly as the stress hormone, high cortisol levels are understandably associated with negative health impacts over time.) And meanwhile, a placebo-controlled human study of young male adults (published in the journal Psychopharmacology) found that drinking black tea allowed men to adjust in healthier ways to stressful situations; their cortisol levels dropped back to normal faster than the control group's levels did.
So can drinking tea save you the time and money of investing in other stress-lowering activities like online therapy? No, we certainly wouldn't suggest that you opt for tea as a substitute for therapy. Some studies also rely on a very high amount of tea — or potent tea extracts — to yield those promising results. Rather than a replacement of anything, we believe it's best to think of tea-drinking as a gentle helping hand alongside your more profound and powerful efforts.
One area of human health in which we can accurately determine the positive influence of flavonoids is the fight against free radicals. A natural part of oxygen metabolism, free radicals can alter the net charge of a cell, leading to its death. When an oxidative free radical encounters a flavonoid, it oxidizes the flavonoid instead of a cell. This process renders the free radical non-reactive, and the resulting flavonoid poses no threat to the system.
Oxidative free radicals have implications in everything from cancers to aging, and having a known compound that can render them impotent is a powerful weapon in the fight against disease.
Some products claim to boost flavonoid levels in the body by flooding it with things like green tea extracts. The big problem with products like these is their trustworthiness. While there are plenty of studies evaluating the flavonoid benefits of teas, there are fewer than examine the effects of such extracts. A concentrated dose of green tea flavonoids may have a compounded effect on the body. But it’s also true that an overabundance of these flavonoids and other compounds found in such extracts may do more harm than good.
As is the case with many of the best vitamins, nutrients, and healthy compounds found in nature, the best way to incorporate them into your regimen is to eat a healthy, balanced diet. You can get plenty of helpful flavonoids from a couple of daily cups of tea, and if you also include apples, berries, and cocoa in your diet, you’ll need those unregulated supplements even less.
And if you really want to maximize the health benefits of a given tea, drink it without any additives. No added sugars or flavors, no milk or creamer. Just plain, delicious tea. Brewing it yourself can save you money and help ensure that no such additions find their way into your drink.
Camellia Sinensis is the plant that produces black, green, and white teas. The only fundamental differences among the teas are their oxidation processes and, in some cases, the level of leaves harvested from each bush. Black tea undergoes the most oxidization, which results in its dark color and deep flavor. White tea, by contrast, endures as slight oxidation as possible. Most white teas consist of leaves from the top-most bud of a bush, while green and black teas will include leaves from slightly lower.
Herbal teas usually don’t contain any of the leaves from Camellia Sinensis, though some will include them in small quantities. More commonly, herbal teas utilize herbs, spices, berries, and other botanicals to create unique flavors or medicinal effects. Some common herbal tea ingredients, like chamomile, for example, contain flavonoids. However, it’s important to note that food science breaks flavonoids up into six subclasses, and the subclass to which chamomile’s flavonoids belong is distinct from that of Camellia Sinensis.
That said, specific flavonoids behave similarly enough in the body, so those derived from berries, chamomile, and other botanical sources will still have their benefits. The flavonoids from teas happen to be among the most potent and most thoroughly researched compounds readily available in a food source. |
|2005 Salt Lake City Annual Meeting (October 16–19, 2005)|
|Paper No. 64-7|
|Presentation Time: 10:20 AM-10:40 AM|
WHAT MAKES THE GREAT SALT LAKE LEVEL GO UP AND DOWN?
TARBOTON, David G., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, 4110 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, [email protected], MOHAMMED, Ibrahim N., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Utah Water Research Laboratory, Logan, UT 84322-4110, and LALL, Upmanu, Earth & Environmental Eng, Columbia University, 918 mudd, 500 w 120th st, new york, NY 10027|
The Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah, is the fourth largest, perennial, terminal lake in the world. Fluctuations of the GSL's level are of direct concern because high levels threaten infrastructures, while low levels put large scale industries in jeopardy. Inflows are due to streamflow, primarily from the Bear River (54%), Weber River (18%) and Jordan/Provo River (28%) systems. Inflows also include precipitation directly on the lake and groundwater both from the East and West sides. The only outflow is evaporation that is controlled by the climate and area of the lake that changes with level. The GSL reached historic high levels above 1284 m in 1873 and 1986. A historic low at 1278 m occurred in 1963. These fluctuations represent the dynamic interactions between the climate and hydrology of the Great Salt Lake Basin as well as the dynamic interaction between lake volume, area and salinity that impact evaporation from the lake. This paper examines the relationships between Basin climate (precipitation and temperature), Inflows to the lake (primarily streamflow) and outflows (evaporation). Historic streamflow used is from USGS stations, both unimpacted hydroclimatic stations and major inflows to the lake near the downstream end of rivers. Forcing data of precipitation and other climate indices will be the University of Washington (1/8) degree gridded meteorological data that provides basinwide climate inputs. We separate lake volume changes into increases in the spring (due to spring runoff) and declines in the fall (due to evaporation). These are then analyzed and related to precipitation, streamflow and climate. Consideration of potential climate change in the intermountain West has produced scenarios for trends of increases in precipitation and decreases in snowpack. Due to that we would like to use our analysis to assess the implications of climate variability on the future level of the lake. This analysis would contribute to better understand how both external forcings and internal feedbacks are involved in GSL basin system dynamics.
2005 Salt Lake City Annual Meeting (October 16–19, 2005)
General Information for this Meeting
|Session No. 64|
The Wasatch Range–Great Salt Lake Hydroclimatic System
Salt Palace Convention Center: Ballrooms AC
8:00 AM-12:00 PM, Monday, 17 October 2005
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 37, No. 7, p. 162
© Copyright 2005 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions. |
The blue crust coral shares many of the same threats that are faced by coral species around the world, including several specific threats to shallow water corals, such as pollution and sedimentation. Although less susceptible to bleaching than many coral genera, the Porites genus has proven to be more prone to the emerging threat of disease, which is causing widespread reef deterioration worldwide (1).
However, the major threat to all corals is global climate change, which is expected to cause rising sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification, and more frequent, severe storms, which can damage reefs. Climate change will also increase the risk, frequency and duration of coral bleaching, even for the more hardy genera such as Porites, and will make corals more susceptible to disease, parasites and predators, such as the crown of thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) (1) (7) (8) (9).
Worldwide, there is also increasing pressure on coastal resources resulting from accelerating human population growth and development. There has been a significant increase in domestic and agricultural waste in the oceans, leading to pollution and sedimentation. The effects of the over-exploitation of reef resources, over-fishing and destructive fishing practices have also had damaging knock-on effects on many coral reefs (7) (10). Porites species are also heavily collected for the aquarium trade (1). |
Sack of wood flour (finely powdered wood or sawdust) used to make substitute bread. The official ration of this "bread" for Soviet prisoners of war was less than 5 ounces a day. Deblin, Poland, 1942 or 1943.
Instytut Pamieci Narodowej
Copyright © United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC |
In the fifteen years of devolution a new multi-faith religious establishment has emerged in Scotland in partnership with Scotland’s national Presbyterian Church. The denominations involved are seeking to guarantee that they have a continuing privileged position should Scotland become an independent state. But does religion need any special constitutional recognition and why should it be singled out from the considerable range of other areas of human activity? Written by Norman Bonney.
In mid-April 2014 the Scottish National Party, which now controls the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government, celebrated its 80th birthday at its annual spring meeting. It might have been thought that with this long history and its seven years in power as a minority administration 2007-11, and as a majority government since 2011, that it would have presented the Scottish people well in advance with detailed proposals for the features of the independent Scottish state. However, its 649 page November 2013 independence plan, Scotland’s Future, only sketchily does this. It proposes that the Scottish Parliament should take over full sovereign power by March 2016, only a year and a half after the referendum, with a statutory duty to prepare a written constitution for the new state, designed with ‘inclusive’ consultation with the Scottish population. Significant among the many uncertainties as to the character of the future putative independent state facing voters in the referendum is the place of religion in the proposed new constitutional arrangements.
Constitutional concerns of the Church of Scotland
In May 2013 the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, a body that represents, according to the 2011 census, just under one third of Scots, called on the Scottish Government to publish a draft constitution for an independent Scotland ahead of the referendum. It also urged that, in recognition of the historic and continuing role of the Christian faith in Scottish society, any constitutional arrangements must ‘continue to recognise the Claim of Right, … recognise that human realms are under the authority of God, (and) should also recognise the role of religion in general and the Church of Scotland in particular’.
The Claim of Right Act 1689 of the pre–union Scottish Parliament asserted the sovereignty of the Scottish people and legitimated the coming to the throne of Scotland of William and Mary as a result of various constitutional and religious offenses of their predecessor James II who was denounced as a ‘profest papist’ who did not take the oath to maintain the protestant religion in Scotland. The Church is now concerned to protect its special relationship with the monarch, who under the terms of the Acts of Union of 1707 must immediately on coming to the throne, swear to maintain and preserve ‘the True Protestant Religion and the Presbyterian form of church government in Scotland’.
These statements by the Kirk would seem to require a continuation of the Protestant monarchy in an independent Scotland. The brief references in Scotland’s Future contain few explicit references to the status of religion in the new Scotland other than suggesting that there will be no proposed changes to the legal status of any religion. However, there is a suggestion that, while the current form of the monarchy would be retained in the interim, an independent Scottish Government (for which, of course, the current Scottish Government cannot attest) would support reforms to end the current religious discrimination in succession to the throne under the Act of Settlement of 1701 which explicitly excludes Roman Catholics, and others not in communion with the Church of England, from becoming monarch.
There is thus a considerable conflict between the future putative constitution of an independent Scotland and the desire of the Church of Scotland to retain the key current features of the three hundred year old religious settlement. The Scottish Government has avoided potential conflict over these issues by not bringing forward a draft constitution prior to the Kirk’s annual assembly in May 2014, thus depriving the latter’s main deliberative forum of the opportunity to debate the proposed constitution prior to the referendum ballot.
However the Scottish Government has recently decided to bring forward a draft of an interim ‘constitution’ for an independent Scotland in the form of a Scottish Independence Bill which will be revealed in June 2014 on the eve of the Scottish summer holidays and the accompanying July/August recess of the Scottish Parliament. The Kirk and the voters will thus be deprived of adequate opportunities to thoroughly assess these proposals prior to the referendum.
Scotland’s new religious establishment
Seeking to recover some initiative in these debates the Church of Scotland recently convened a meeting of representatives from a wide range of denominations. As well as wanting to preserve its own constitutional advantages the Kirk is also looking to achieve special recognition for religion in general in any new constitutional arrangements. At that meeting it was resolved to hold a further one in July 2014 to review the draft of the interim constitution. The official report of the meeting stated that ‘representatives of Scotland’s diverse faith traditions were united in the view that the contribution of faith to Scottish society should be properly recognised whatever the future holds.’
The bodies represented at this meeting can be described as Scotland’s new religious establishment. Since devolution in 1999 it has evolved out of the requirement to provide regular Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic Church, other Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh and some other contributions to the Scottish Parliament’s weekly four minute Time for Reflection. The overwhelming majority of contributions come from these denominations which are members of the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office and Interfaith Scotland. All these denominations also benefit, directly or indirectly, from funding from the Scottish Government to the interfaith movement, as well as benefits that accrue through charitable status whereby they can avoid tax on income and gains and benefit from gift aid and rates relief. The two main Christian churches also benefit from access to, and influence over, the religious curriculum and worship in state schools and places on council education committees.
A conspiracy against the public?
This multi-faith initiative raises many issues. Does religion need any special constitutional recognition and why should it be singled out from the considerable range of other areas of human activity? In a society where so many are indifferent to religion does the state need to associate with one particular religious denomination or a subset of them? Are not constitutional guarantees of freedom of association and freedom of expression sufficient to protect and empower all citizens as well as those who engage in religious activity? And as Adam Smith wrote:
People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, …. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies, much less to render them necessary.
Note: This article gives the views of the author, and not the position of the British Politics and Policy blog, nor of the London School of Economics. Please read our comments policy before posting. Homepage image credit: Charles Clegg CC BY SA-2.0
About the Author
Norman Bonney is emeritus professor at Edinburgh Napier University. His book, ‘Monarchy, religion and the state; civil religion in the UK, Canada, Australia and the Commonwealth’ is published by Manchester University Press. |
The next time your child’s coughing keeps the whole family up at night, you might be glad to have read this. It’s one of those rare mainstream medical journal articles that points toward an alternative, non-medicinal treatment for an ailment as superior to the standard pharmaceutical one. The article in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine looks at the “Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents.” The findings (in a partially double-blind randomized trial that involved 105 children ages 2 to 18 with upper respiratory infection) suggest that kids given a single nocturnal dose of buckwheat honey fare a bit better in terms of their cough symptoms and difficulty sleeping than those given a dose of Dextromethorphan (the active ingredient in cough suppressants like the Triaminic in our medicine cabinet) and significantly better than kids given a placebo.
In case you’re interested, their honey dosage chart looked like this: Age 2 to 5: ½ teaspoon; Age 6 to 11: 1 teaspoon; Age 12-18: 2 teaspoons. Remember, honey is NOT recommended for children under 1 (due to the risk of infant botulism).
And for those of you who don’t want to wade through the whole article but would like to understand why something like honey would relieve cough symptoms (which your grandmother may have told you long ago anyway), here’s an excerpt of their theorizing:
“Honey has well-established antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which have been suggested as the mechanism for its efficacy in wound healing and may help to explain its superiority in this study. Buckwheat honey is a dark variety of honey, and darker honeys tend to have a higher content of phenolic compounds. These compounds have been associated with the antioxidant properties of honey that may have contributed to its effect in this study. Further, its topical demulcent effect may contribute to its benefits for cough as postulated by the World Health Organization review.
Another explanation for some of the beneficial effects of honey was recently described in a provocative review by Eccles. This article argues that the sweetness of liquid preparations used to treat cough accounts for a significant portion of the treatment effect and also explains why studies have shown that antitussive preparations containing DM are not significantly superior to sweet, liquid placebos. This hypothesis is based on the suggestion that sweet substances naturally cause reflex salivation and may also cause the secretion of airway mucus and lead to a demulcent effect on the pharynx and larynx, thereby reducing cough (particularly dry, unproductive cough). For productive cough, Eccles suggests that these secretions could improve mucociliary clearance in the airway via an expectorant mechanism.”
Of course honey’s a staple ingredient in plenty of home remedies, although I’ve never done much beyond sweeten some tea with it when I have a sore throat.
Any believers in the power of honey out there? What honey remedies do you swear by? |
Dreams and Expectations in Tari Tari
August 21, 2012 Leave a comment
High school is a highly romanticised place within Japanese popular culture and in particular manga and anime, with the number of series set in high school innumerable. It is a space that sits between childhood and the world of adults, with students entering as innocent children but leaving as adults ready to join society. Much like the western in America, high school is a timeless space in Japanese popular culture, and regardless of the time the activities and attitudes within high school remain the same. In many high school anime the characters are first or second years, those who are just starting their high school life and the narrative appears to suggest that they have an eternity to live out their high school dreams. Certain anime portray high school as an innocent time where teenagers of both sexes learn about sex, sexuality and other elements of the adult world, all the while maintain an almost child-like view of what goes on in society. There are of course exceptions, with series such as Great Teacher Onizuka demonstrating that schools differ depending on where they are, although in this case the school is an extreme and at times, comic example.
This is not to suggest that there is no hard work in high school anime, with numerous tests sat at particular intervals throughout any given anime, along with the dreaded career report. Japan is (largely) a meritocratic society, so these test scores can and do have a significant impact upon your future choices such as going to university. There are other cases in high school anime where specific characters are attending juku (cram-schools designed to help prepare students for university entrance exams, although they also exist to help prepare for high school and junior high exams now). Furthermore the career forms also demonstrates that having entered high school these students are now expected to think about their careers and what they want to do in life. However, in both cases there is a detached quality to these activities, suggesting that while they are an essential part of high school life they are not taken seriously or given any real weight.
In Amagami SS for example Junichi is attending a cram school so that he can attend a good university, but it is given little importance and portrayed as a side activity to the main romantic plot. Similarly in many anime many view these career forms with distain, and it is often the case that the main protagonists do not take them entirely seriously. School wide mock exams are also portrayed in a similar fashion, and while the top scorers are viewed either with disdain or awe, those who are in the middle brush it off suggesting that ‘there is always next time’. Regardless of the importance placed upon test scores or the career forms there is still a timeless innocence embedded within high school anime. Such series end without seeing the conclusion to these characters high school lives, and even in those rare cases when we do get to see the characters after their school lives have finished it is for a brief moment.
There are several endings for Amagami SS where there is a glimpse of the central couples once they have graduated, they are all in steady jobs and enjoy their lives, but there is nothing in-between. The fairy-tale hasn’t ended, but instead jumped ahead to see the characters successful in what they chose to do, but, it is often the case that the anime never tells the audience these characters goals in any clear fashion. Tari Tari differs in this respect by presenting a case that are coming to the end of their high school lives, and have to come to terms with the idea of moving on. As a series it continues to focus on dreams and expectations of what life will bring, however there is also a distinct hint of realism.
Each character has their own distinct dreams and wishes, however, as their high school lives draw to a close, the reality of the situation has to be recognised and acknowledged. Some dreams are not always possible and must stay as dreams, a part of high school that has to either be left behind or viewed as a goal to strive for. Tari Tari demonstrates the immense pressure placed upon some people who have to live up to expectations or have to come to terms with either abandoning their dreams or putting them on hold. However, it also suggests that people cannot and should not be expected to decide their futures during such a short period of time. It is unreasonable to expect teenagers or even adults to truly understand what they want to do with their lives, but the pressures placed upon Japanese high school students to decide are immense and in some cases almost soul destroying.
Each character has a distinct dream or expectation of life, one that has been shaped and changed by their childhood and how they live. Characters such as Taichi are utterly focussed on his dream of playing badminton, and while he has a sports scholarship he is also attending juku in order to make sure that he can attend university and continue playing the sport that he loves. His dream is realistic while also remaining hard to attain, but it is also one that can take on physical form. Taichi’s constant efforts to improve his play demonstrate his commitment to this goal regardless of the problems that he faces by being the only member of the schools badminton club. He is however unique in this respect and is the only character with a distinct and tangible goal that can be attained in a relatively simple way.
Wein arguably has the hardest time as a returnee student who has transferred in just before graduation and entrance exams. This is made more problematic by the attitude that many in Japan have towards returnees. While they may have Japanese nationality, they are not considered to be truly Japanese, having little understanding of the customs, mannerisms and social niceties that are considered essential within Japanese society. What makes Wein coming to this small school so interesting is that for the most part returnees go to special international or returnee schools where they can learn how to be Japanese while also mixing with others in similar situations. He has just returned only to be confronted with these difficult decisions while also attempting to learn about Japan as a society and culture. He is therefore confused and evidently doesn’t entirely know what he wants to do with his life.
Konatsu on the other hand is Tari Tari’s resident dreamer, a character who only wants to sing and appears to have no distinct or tangible goals for the future. It is clear that Konatsu loves to sing and all her energy goes into getting the choir club to succeed for their last school festival, however there is nothing after that. Even when looking at the career form Konatsu is portrayed as indecisive while also shown to really have put very little thought into what may happen after graduation. Such an attitude is hardly unique in anime and real life, with many people not really knowing what they want to do and finding out as the go through their education or jobs. Konatsu is therefore entirely normal, however her portrayal as an indecisive character suggests that being indecisive is a negative quality. Konatsu is perhaps still stuck in the fairytale world of the Japanese high school, and while her graduation is imminent wishes to enjoy what she perceives as her final days of innocence.
While Konatsu may be the dreamer it is Sawa who is arguably the most childish character in the series. She is someone with a distinct dream, but whereas Konatsu simply dreams, Sawa pushes forward without thinking about the consequences of her actions on her family and her own life. It is evident that she is passionate about her horse Sabure and about riding, dreaming to become either a show jumper or a horse archer. Her dream goes against the wishes of her mother and father, who want her to go to university and get a ‘proper’ job with riding as a hobby. Sawa insists that she wants riding to be her livelihood, but on simple questioning it becomes clear that she has no knowledge of how to do this and does not have the funds to support herself let alone Sabure. To Shiho and Seiichi (Sawa’s parents) such a dream while attainable is flawed, and while they appear harsh it is clear that they care about Sawa’s future.
Sawa demonstrates her lack of maturity by storming out when Shiho suggests that life is not always easy, showing that while she may be nearing the time to decide on her future she has yet to fully mature from being a child. Furthermore, her attempts to loose weight for her riding interviews and practical’s demonstrates a stubborn and dangerous attitude, which further demonstrates her childish attitude towards parental advice. While she is as serious about her goals as Taichi, Sawa has not given them as much thought and instead continues to dream rather than put in the hard work. By lashing out at her parents concern for her future Sawa shows us something similar to Wakana during the flashbacks of her mother, perhaps suggesting that she knows that her dream may not be attainable but is too stubborn to admit it. The inability to listen to her parents’ advice and understand that they do not mind her riding or even jumping so long as she is able to support herself shows that despite her mature appearance she is still a child at heart.
In comparison Wakana has matured as the series has progressed, and has learnt to overcome and accept her anger at her mothers death. Wakana has acknowledged and understood that her mother only wished for her happiness and that hiding her illness was not because she wanted to lie, but because she knew how much it would affect her daughter. By accepting music and coming to terms with her own childish behaviour and acknowledging that this was a part of growing up Wakana demonstrates a maturity that the other characters currently lack. Her dreams are smaller, focussing on finishing off the song that her mother Mika had composed for her just before she died. There are no grand dreams, and instead Wakana is shown as a realist by continuing to focus on her studies in order to give her the opportunity to go to university and therefore get a stable job. She is the complete opposite of Sawa, and by acknowledging the importance of such hard work, while also maintaining her dreams and goals demonstrates the ability to do both.
Whereas other high school anime present a timeless place where the same activities take place in a blissful, and above all innocent surrounding, Tari Tari adds an element of realism. There may still be an element of innocence and almost fairy-tale like setting, there is an urgency to the characters actions that is often missing from other anime. Rather than being set at the beginning of their high school lives the series is set at the end, with the central cast having to come to terms with what it means to graduate from high school and officially become adults. It becomes clear that these characters have their own distinct dreams and ideals, many of which may not be fully realised. Furthermore Tari Tari presents a cast that is far from being mature adults, and regardless of the expectations of society, still maintains a playfulness that is perhaps supposed to have disappeared by this point in time. The series demonstrates then that choosing ones career is not a simple thing and no matter how much it is forced upon these students they may still be uncertain as to what they want to do in life. However that does not mean that you should stop dreaming, but instead focus on the things that are manageable while maintaining your dream as something to attain or inspire. |
The use of sailors as infantrymen ashore was common during the nineteenth century and the first four decades of the twentieth century. The Navy also provided artillery to support land operations. This paper illustrates the use of Navy artillery ashore. Vignettes discussed are: artillery support for the defense of Washington and Baltimore during the War of 1812; siege artillery support of General Winfield Scott’s Army besieging Veracruz during the War with Mexico; mid-nineteenth century development of the 12-pound Dahlgren boat howitzer; and, design, production, deployment, and employment of 14-inch railroad guns in France during World War One.
Defenders of Washington and Baltimore, 1814 - The War of 1812
During the late summer of 1814, a British force under overall command of Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane threatened the nation’s capital. Cochrane was under orders to use both his naval force and embarked army troops under command of Major General Robert Ross to “conduct such operations as may be found best calculated for the advantage of His Majestys Service, and the annoyance of the Enemy.”1 After vacillating over potential targets, Cochrane landed General Ross’s division, supported by Royal Marines and British sailors, at Benedict, Maryland, on the Patuxent River.
Commodore Barney’s artillery at Bladensburg
The British landing sealed the fate of Commodore Joshua Barney’s Chesapeake Flotilla of gunboats which were trapped upriver from Benedict at Nottingham/Pigs Point. By prearranged direction of Navy Secretary William Jones, Barney destroyed his flotilla, and with his 400-450 flotillamen joined Brigadier General William H. Widner’s force defending Washington. Jones also attached approximately 100 marines to Barney’s force and provided the flotillamen with five pieces of artillery—three 12-pound and two light 18-pound long guns.2
Barney’s artillery (one 12-pounder) covered the withdraw of US forces from a position at “Long Old Fields,” eight miles east of Washington, where Widner’s forces encamped the night of 22 August. Barney’s flotillamen then pulled back into the city to the vicinity of the Washington Navy Yard and Marine Barracks at Eighth and I streets. At Widner’s direction, Barney placed his guns to cover the lower bridge across the Anacostia River. For a period, this was considered the most likely avenue of British approach.
Fresh information indicated a British approach via Bladensburg, and Widner’s regulars and militia set up defenses there the morning of 24 August. Barney and his Navy/Marine force arrived at Bladensburg somewhat later.3 By the time Barney’s men arrived “in a trot”, Widner’s initial front was collapsing. On arrival, the Commodore deployed his men and artillery in the center of a second line established by late arriving troops. He deployed his long 18-pounders in the center of the road to Washington and the 12-pounders to their right. The 18-pounders quickly engaged the advancing British, driving them clear of the road during three separate attacks.4 General Ross’ assaulting troops then shifted their focus to the right flank of the American line. At this point Barney’s flotillamen and marines, supported by the 12-pounders, attacked, pushing back the assaulting 85th Regiment of Foot. This temporary setback persuaded Ross to commit his Second Brigade to the flank assault. This fresh assault, coming at the same time as orders by General Widner to retreat, resulted in the collapse of the American second line of defense. Barney’s flotillamen found themselves flanked on both sides. Having resisted as long as possible, the flotilla spiked its guns and retreated.5
Commodore Porter’s Gun Battery at White House, Virginia
Navy Secretary Jones ordered all available navy personnel to assist in the defense of Washington. Among these were men from the frigates USS Guerriere (Commodore John Rogers) and USS Essex (Commodore David Porter). Guerriere was blockaded at Philadelphia and the Essex men were in Philadelphia for the courts-martial of Commodore Porter.6 They received orders to proceed to Washington on 19 August. Arriving too late to participate in the battle at Bladensburg, they were in time to meet a different threat.
Admiral Cochrane had ordered a separate British force under Captain James A. Gordon, Royal Navy to ascend the Potomac River as a feint. Gordon captured Fort Washington on the Maryland shore guarding Washington from the south and then occupied Alexandria, Virginia, on 29 August. By the time the Navy forces from Philadelphia arrived, Secretary Jones determined to destroy Gordon’s squadron when it returned down the river. He ordered Porter and his men to the White House on the Virginia side of the river and upon arriving there to construct a battery utilizing pre-positioned artillery supplied by the War Department.7
Porter, augmented by some volunteer Virginia militia and displaced Fort Washington garrison personnel, established a 13-gun battery (an eclectic collection of long three 18s, two 12-pounders, six 6-pounders, and two 4-pounders) on the river bluff.8 The battery engaged ships of Gordon’s British squadron from its establishment on 1 September through the 4th. As the British withdrew down the Potomac on 5 September, Porter’s battery engaged Gordon’s entire flotilla.9 Despite an energetic American effort, little damage was done to the British.
Commodore Perry’s Battery at Indian Head, Maryland
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of Lake Erie and prospective commanding officer of USS Java, which was fitting out at Baltimore, was assigned to the Courts-martial board for Commodore Porter. When the board was suspended he came south with Rogers and Porter. He was ordered to establish a battery on the Maryland side of the Potomac. With sailors from USS Guerierre and USS Java, augmented by Major Peter’s Georgetown militia battery, he attempted to establish a battery on the Maryland shore of the Potomac opposite Porter’s battery at the White House. The location proved impractical and he moved his men to the cliffs at Indian Head, Maryland where he established a battery.
With a single exception, Perry’s guns (6-pounders) were of too small a caliber to “make much impression on the enemy.” The exception was a long 18-pounder that arrived “only 30 minutes before the firing began.” The 18-pounder quickly ran out of ammunition, as did several of the sixes. Perry’s battery hardly slowed the British down.10
Following British withdraw from Washington; they faced a decision as to their next move. Admiral Cochrane favored leaving the Chesapeake in order to engage in military operations in Rhode Island. His Army subordinate, General Ross, and his second in command Rear Admiral George Cockburn persuaded him to attack Baltimore instead. They landed 12 miles east of the city at North Point on 12 September. Maryland Militia Major General Samuel Smith had organized a defense. Part of this defense was a naval force “of about 1,000 Seamen and Marines…formed into a Brigade consisting of Two Regiments” under Commodore John Rogers.11
“Rodgers Redoubt”: defending the direct approach to Baltimore
Rogers’ sailors and marines from Philadelphia arrived in Baltimore on 25 August where they were informed of the American defeat at Bladensburg and British occupation of Washington. He immediately began to organize naval forces for the defense of the city.12 Subsequently, he and USS Guerriere and Essex crewmen were ordered to Washington to deal with Captain Gordon’s squadron returning on 8 September. When they arrived, Rogers deployed the bulk of his sailors and marines along Hamstead Hill, the highest promontory just east of the City. From this position, they covered both the Philadelphia and Sparrows Point Road. Artillery bastions manned by sailors stretched from the Philadelphia road to the Northwest Branch.
First Lieutenant Thomas Gamble of USS Guerriere commanded the northernmost Navy battery of seven guns commanding both roads with 100 men. Sailing Master F. De La Roche of USS Erie and Midshipman Robert Field from Guerriere, with twenty men and two guns, manned the next battery. Sailing Master James Ramage with 80 men from Guerriere commanded the next battery adjacent to the Sparrows Point Road. Midshipman William Salter with 12 seamen manned a one-gun battery to the right of the Ramage Battery. None of these batteries engaged the British, who behaved cautiously after an engagement with militia at North Point during which General Ross was killed, and did not assault the eastern landward approach to the city.13
The Flotillamen at Baltimore: Fort McHenry’s Defenses
Barney’s flotillamen came north to defend Baltimore along with the regular Army and militia. They were assigned duties manning artillery defense protecting the city from the South. Eighty flotilla sailors and one officer manned a battery of three long 18-pounders at the Lazaretto, a point of land across from Fort McHenry at the entrance to the Northwest Branch of the Patapsco River.14 An additional 50 flotilla seamen manned Fort McHenry’s water battery.
West of Fort McHenry, flotilla seamen manned two batteries that protected the south side of Baltimore. Sailing Master John Webster and fifty seamen manned Fort Babcock, a six-gun battery on the Patapsco Ferry Branch at Rigley’s Cove. Lieutenant H.L. Newcome of USS Guerriere commanded 80 seamen manning guns at Fort Covington, also on the Ferry Branch. Forts Babcock and Covington were active participants in the repulse of a British effort to flank Fort McHenry during the bombardment on the night 13/14 September. An assault force embarked in boats under command of Captain Charles Napier, Royal Navy, slipped by Fort McHenry unnoticed, but were sighted by flotilla men manning Forts Babcock and Covington. These forts immediately engaged the assault force and drove it off before troops could be landed. Meanwhile the Navy manned guns of the fort at the Lazaretto, and the water batteries actively engaged the bomb ships bombarding Fort McHenry.15
Siege Artillery for the Army, 1847 - The War with Mexico
During the late summer of 1846, President Polk and his advisors began to contemplate seizure of the Gulf coast port of Veracruz and possible advance to Mexico City should offers of a negotiated peace with Mexico be rejected. The Navy supported this proposal and in October, General Winfield Scott drew up an initial planning paper.16 A month later Polk selected Scott to command the expedition. A flurry of activity ensured, and early in March 1847 Scott’s US Army transport ships joined Commodore David Conner’s Home Squadron at the Antón Lizardo roadstead near Veracruz.
The US Naval Battery during the bombardment of Vera Cruz on 24 and 25 March 1847. The Battery was composed of heavy guns from the US Squadron under Commodore Matthew C. Perry, and commanded by the officers opposite their guns.
The Army’s three-division force landed 9 March in good order, but it was short of transportation and ordnance.17 Although Scott was short of siege artillery—he had only one fifth of what he believed necessary—he put off an immediate assault electing to besiege the city using artillery.18 Siege lines and artillery redoubts were ready by March 22.
The Home Squadron changed commanders on 21 March when Commodore Matthew Perry relieved Commodore David Conner. Following change of command, both men called on Scott who by then was ashore. During this meeting, the use of naval guns came up. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison suggests that Perry convinced Scott to accept a previously rejected offer by Conner to land heavy naval guns for use as siege artillery.19 Historian K. Jack Bauer suggests that they jointly discussed the earlier proposal “because it was clear the guns available to the Army were not heavy enough to batter down the Veracruz walls as rapidly as Scott desired.”20 This latter scenario suggests Scott now reconsidered the earlier offer of heavy naval artillery. Under either scenario, the guns were needed and they were accepted.
Perry personally visited each ship of the Squadron to announce that guns would be landed. An eyewitness, junior officer John H. Upshur, recalled “cheer after cheer was sent up in evidence of the enthusiasm the promise of a release from a life of inaction… In a moment everything was stir and bustle, and in an incredibly short piece of time, each vessel had landed her big gun, with double crew of officers and men.”21
Perry directed the Squadron to land three 32-pounders and three eight-inch shell guns together with crews. Two of the 32-pounders came from USS Potomac and the other from USS Raritan. USS Mississippi, USS Albany, and USS St. Mary’s provided a single shell gun each. Crews rotated daily. The guns were transferred ashore by boat on the 22nd, being moved on land by two wheeled trucks provided by the Army. Upwards of 200 soldiers and sailors pulled each truck from the landing spot to the site of the naval battery. Army Engineer Captain Robert E. Lee selected and supervised construction of the naval battery redoubt. The last gun was emplaced during the night of 23-24 March and at 10 a.m. on the morning of the 24th Captain Lee turned the site over to its first Navy commander, Captain John Aulick, commanding officer of USS Potomac.
The six heavy guns of the Navy Battery quickly engaged Mexican forts.22 Four sailors were killed and six wounded during the day by return fire. At 2:30 in the afternoon the battery ceased firing when it ran out of ammunition, having expended 50 rounds per gun. During the night of 24-25 March, Army engineers repaired the battery defenses damaged during the previous day and the Home Squadron landed additional ammunition. The engagement continued during the 25th at a furious pace.23 The battery received increasingly accurate counter battery fire. Two naval personnel were killed and three wounded. At mid-afternoon, the Mexican batteries ceased firing and the Navy Battery followed suit. When firing resumed later in the day, the battery again ran out of ammunition.
This would be the last action by the Battery. At 8.00 a.m. on the 26th, Mexican commander Brigadier General José Juan Landero offered to negotiate surrender. General Scott immediately ordered all firing to cease. The Battery expended about 1,000 shells and 800 round shot during the two day engagement. This accounted for about 45 percent of the total number, and one third of the weight, of shot and shell expended by American forces. The Navy heavy guns were particularly effective in reducing the coral composition walls of the Mexican fortifications.24
“The Best Boat Gun in the World” - The 12-pound Dahlgren Boat Howitzer
(Second half of the nineteenth century)
Although the Navy conducted an active blockade, naval operations during the War with Mexico were largely conducted either ashore with sailors serving as infantry or involved the use of ship’s boats on rivers and elsewhere near the seacoast. The Navy had no satisfactory gun for these operations. The experience highlighted the need for a light boat howitzer. Lieutenant John A. Dahlgren, then assigned at the Washington Navy Yard, recognized the problem, and proposed, and then developed such a gun. Officially adopted in 1850, the Navy manufactured Dahlgren’s boat howitzer in three sizes: a 12-pounder light howitzer, a 12-pounder medium howitzer, and a 24-pounder. All guns were adapted for use with either a boat or a field carriage.25
The medium 12-pound boat howitzer, mounted on a field carriage, became the standard US Navy infantry field piece. It remained the standard US Navy infantry and boat gun until late in the nineteenth century. Naval personnel did not favor the light 12-pounder. The larger 24-pounder, while a boat gun, in practice was generally retained aboard ship and was not used ashore.26
Twelve-pounder Dahlgren boat howitzer, Fairfax Court House, Virginia.
The Dalghren boat howitzer is elegant in design. The gun is of cast bronze incorporating housing for a Dahlgren designed percussion-lock. In the manner of earlier carronades, a loop underneath, rather than trunnions, secured the gun to its carriage. For boat operation, a boat carriage enabled the gun to be sited in the bow of a ship’s boat. For operation ashore, a field gun carriage was used. A simple screw elevator adjusted elevation. The boat carriage was adjusred in train by tackle and the gun carriage by use of a handspike. The field carriage was constructed of wrought iron, with all iron or iron rimmed wood wheels. It was designed to be pulled by men rather than horses. For this purpose, a wheel at the tail along with drag and guide ropes were standard. All carriage parts were simple in construction and easily bolted together. The trail wheel lifted for firing by simple removal of a pin. A socket on the tail accommodated the handspike used to adjust the train. Ammunition was of a fixed type and carried individually by the crew and in two portable ammunition boxes that the carriage was designed to transport.
The boat howitzer and its carriages were a complete gun system. For operation, when the ship’s boat was hoisted out, the gun was installed on its boat carriage at the bow. The field carriage was stowed at the stern of the boat. (The howitzer was generally never handled separately from one of its carriages.) For operations ashore, the field carriage was run forward and the gun transferred between carriages using a spar. The gun and field carriage then landed across the bow using skids.27
The 12-pound boat howitzer was very effective and was “considered to be the best boat gun of its day in the world.”28 An early indication of its effectiveness occurred during the assault on the Pearl River Barrier Forts near Canton (Guangzhou) China in 1856. Dahlgren howitzers played a large role in support of the naval infantry assault and capture of the forts. During the Civil War, 1,087 twelve-pounders were cast. Demand was so large that the Washington Navy Yard could not keep up with production and had to let contracts to civilian foundries.29 The gun was a mainstay of US Navy operations until the very end of the nineteenth century.
The Biggest Guns on the Western Front, 1918 - (World War I)
Long range German artillery was quite effective during World War I, especially in Belgium where it put allied port operations at risk. The so-called Leugenboom guns bombarded allied channel ports from a range of 24 miles during the period from April 1915 until the Germans withdrew in 1918. Allied counter fires were insufficient in range to counter this threat. After considering this problem, the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, recommended to the Chief of Naval Operations mounting naval 14-inch guns along the coast in a letter dated 12 November 1917.30 Two weeks later the Navy Department approved construction of five batteries and as well as a command train.
Railroad Battery in the Washington Navy Yard.
The Naval Gun Factory (now the Washington Navy Yard in south east Washington, DC) was directed to develop the gun. The naval railway batteries had to be self-sufficient. This meant design not only of a gun mounting but also mobile headquarters cars, machine shops, ammunition carriers, cranes, barracks cars, etc. Standard drawings were ready by January 1918 and sent to bid. Baldwin Locomotive Works received the award for the gun mount cars. The remainder of the battery cars was awarded to Standard Steel Car Company, which furnished locomotives, ammunition, headquarters, kitchen, fuel, workshop, staff, radio, construction, office, and workshop cars. Baldwin completed the first railway gun mount 72 days after the contract was awarded. Design to delivery took only four months, a remarkable achievement! Captain, later Rear Admiral, C.P. Plunkett was assigned as the commanding officer of the United States railroad batteries. Word about the project leaked out and over 20,000 Navy officers and men volunteered for the 334 billets involved.
14-inch naval railway gun firing at Thierville, France, 1918.
The original plans envisioned shipping the guns on British ships to the English Channel ports where they would support the British Army. When the Germans threatened the British ports, the plans were changed. The Navy consulted US Army commander, General Pershing, and he requested immediate delivery of the gun trains. Drafts of Navy personnel began sailing on 26 May. The Navy cargo ship USS Newport News picked up the first delivery of rolling stock and other material on 20 June. By 20 August, the first two railway gun trains completed assembly and left St Nazaire, France, following personal inspection by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt.
" It was apparent from the beginning that the...naval guns were wanted all along the front.”31 Batteries 3, 4, and 5 generally operated in support of the US Army while Batteries 1 and 2 supported the French. They were in combat operations from 6 September when Battery 2, located in the Compiègne Forest, commenced firing against targets at the German held railroad center at Terginer until the end of the war. Batteries 4 and 5, firing at German targets in Longuyon from positions near Thierville, conducted the last Navy railway battery combat operation. Battery 4 fired the last railroad battery round of the war at 10:57:20 a.m. 11 November 1918. It was timed to land just before the armistice commenced. In all, 872 14-inch shells were expended.
The Navy guns were the largest active on the allied front and were able to target airfields, rail yards, troop centers, and other installations that allied artillery heretofore had been unable to reach.32 The method of employment generally was to engage troop and rail centers in conjunction with army assaults. Navy fires began several hours after the allied assault in order to catch enemy reinforcements and ammunition being moved up in support of the defenses. In conducting these deliberate fires, the batteries received counter-battery fire. Three engineers attached to Battery 1 were killed at Sissons. Five non-detachment personnel attached to Battery 4 were killed by return fire at Charney. At Verdun, Batteries 3, 4, and 5 were subject to furious counter fire, with German shells landing within 30 feet of the batteries and the guns' armor being hit by shell fragments. Three Battery 4 Navy personnel, one of whom subsequently died, were seriously wounded. The headquarters and a berthing car were derailed.33
1. Letter from First Secretary of the Admiralty John Croker to Cochrane, 19 May 1814, in Crawford, Michael J., Christine Hughes, Charles Brodine, Jr., and Carolyn M. Stallings, eds. The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History, Volume III, 1814-1815. (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 2002): 71-72 (hereafter cited as Naval War of 1812).
2. Letter from Jones to Barney, 2 p.m., 19 Aug., and 1130 a.m., 20 Aug. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, pp. 186-88.
3. Barney had been ordered to hold his force near the Anacostia Bridge and to destroy it if the British appeared. It took a personal appeal by Barney to President Madison and the Cabinet to get permission to move the bulk of the flotillamen to Bladensburg.
4. They were assisted in breaking up the assault by Major George Peters’ Georgetown militia artillery battery.
5. Letter from Barney to Jones, 29 Aug. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, pp. 206-8. This is Barney’s report of the Bladensburg battle. Barney himself was wounded and captured.
6. The courts-martial resulted from the capture of Essex by the British at Valparaiso Chile.
7. Letter from Jones to Porter, 31 Aug. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, p. 245
8. Porter’s battery grew in size throughout its’ service. By the 3rd it had ten guns and a furnace to heat shot. He also had some 32-pounders and two mortars. None had gun carriages.
9. Letter from Porter to Jones, 7 Sep. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, pp.251-255. This is Porter’s engagement report.
10. Letter from Perry to Jones. 1200, 3 Sep. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, pp. 245-6; Perry to Jones, 9 Sep. 1814, p. 256.
11. Letter from Rogers to Commodore Alexander Murray, 9 Sept. 1814 in Naval War of 1812, p.203.
12. Already at Baltimore were elements of Barney’s Chesapeake Flotilla who were not with Barney at Bladensburg, men attached to the Baltimore station which included USS Erie, Ontario, and Java. Roger’s overall command eventually included these plus his Philadelphia men from USS Guerriere and Essex and Barney’s Flotillamen who had survived Bladensburg.
13. Letter from Rogers to Jones, 23 Sep. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, pp.298-302. This is Rogers report of his defense of Baltimore.
14. Letter from Rogers to M.G. Samuel Smith, 11 Sep. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, p. 204.
15. Letter from Rogers to Jones, 23 Sep. 1814, in Naval War of 1812, pp. 298-302.
16 “Vera Cruz and Its Castle.” The plans were revised three times. The second and third plan included additional consideration of the expedition to Mexico City. Force composition changed throughout the planning process. The final plan included 1,200 sailors and marine infantry.
17. By the 13th, it had encircled the walled city defended by three strong forts and another nine redoubts. The major fort - San Juan de Ulúa, situated about 1,000 yards offshore - possessed 135 guns.
18. Scott, Memoirs, p. 423-24. Quoted in K. Jack Bauer, The Mexican War 1846-1848. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1974): 246-47. Scott believed he could invest the city but not San Juan de Ulúa with his artillery resources.
19. Morison, Samuel Eliot. “Old Bruin” Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry 1794-1858. (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1967): 215.
20. Bauer, K. Jack. The Mexican War 1846-1848. (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1974): 249.
21. Quoted in Morison, Old Bruin,” p. 216.
22. One of the forts engaged was Mexican Navy garrisoned Fort Santa Barbara under of command of Mexican Marine Lieutenant Sebastian Holzinger. When a 32 pound shot from the Potomac’s gun cut the forts’ flag staff, Holzinger and one of his men leaped on the wall and nailed it back to its flagstaff and was nearly killed during the process. Holzinger’s gallantry so impressed Captain Aulick that he recounted the incident in his after action report. The Mexican Navy’s Holzinger class patrol ships are named for the gallant Lieutenant.
23. The guns were fired at such a pace that they had to cease firing for about an hour in order to cool them.
24. The following secondary sources were consulted for this section: K. Jack Bauer, Surfboats and Horse Marines U.S. Naval Operations in the Mexican War, 1846-48. Annapolis, MD: United States Naval Institute Press, 1969; K. Jack Bauer, The Mexican War 1846-1848. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1974; Samuel Eliot Morison, “Old Bruin” Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry 1794-1858. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1967.
25. Several other types appeared later, including a 20-pounder howitzer. Spencer Tucker, Arming the Fleet, U.S. Navy Ordnance in the Muzzle-Loading Era. (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press): 201
26. The 24-pound boat howitzer served with great distinction aboard ship on western rivers during the Civil War.
27. Dahlgren, J.A. Form of Exercise and Maneuver for the Boat-Howitzers of the U.S. Navy. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1862.
28. Tucker, p. 203.
29. Ibid. A twelve and a 24-pound Dahlgren Boat howitzer can be seen at the Marr Monument in front of the Fairfax County Court House, Fairfax, Virginia. Both are on field carriages. A twelve, 20, and 24-pound boat howitzer are on display at the US Navy Museum, Washington Navy Yard, DC. Two 24-pound howitzers on ship gun mounts are on display at the flagpole at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
30. Letter from the Chief of Bureau of Ordnance to Chief of Naval Operations, 12 Nov. 1917. Quoted in: Navy Department, Office of Records and Library. The United States Naval Railway Batteries in France. (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1922): 2-3. He recommended 14-inch 50 caliber guns because of their availability. The then-new 16-inch gun was in short supply.
31. Navy Department, Office of Records and Library. The United States Naval Railway Batteries in France. (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1922): 9.
32. Four French naval 340-mm guns outranged the US Navy batteries but these guns fired only 280 rounds throughout the war.
33. The only 14-inch Navy railroad gun existing today is on display in front of the US Navy Museum, Washington Navy Yard, DC.
[The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Naval History & Heritage Command] |
The threat of climate change is growing at alarming rates and one player in particular is not helping: airlines. Air travel is one of the most efficient means of travel, but what is it really costing us? Even though air travel is a form of shared transportation (something we tend to think of as having positive externalities associated with lowering our carbon footprint), it is actually making us worse off.
Right now, air travel accounts for 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, but in thirty-one years, it could take up to a quarter of the world’s carbon budget. In short, the carbon emissions from airplanes will nearly triple by 2050. Naturally, this is putting pressure on airline regulators to take stronger action in an attempt to lower emissions.
Most airlines have made significant progress in becoming more fuel efficient and eco-friendly with their aircrafts. However, this progress has been overthrown by the increase in demand for air travel; there were nearly 40 million flights in the last year. This increase is largely propelled by a proliferation of low-cost airlines and a booming tourism industry catering to a growing middle class.
Airlines are off to a good start with fuel efficiency – yet, they are not combatting the real problem: there are just too many flights with a rising demand. In order to truly tackle this problem, airlines will need to cut back on their supply or increase the cost of flying in order to disincentivize consumers. I see option one working better than the latter. With no close substitutes to air transportation, raising prices will not change the quantity demanded. Yes, domestically one can drive or take a train, but for overseas travel, flying is the more efficient choice for most. The best possible solution that I see is decreasing the supply of flights per airline, which poses its own problems.
Air travel is a huge market, source of revenue, and employs many (seriously, have you seen how many people work at airports?). According to Airports Council International, the world’s fastest growing airports are in emerging economies, serving as a boost to the economy. Development economics could argue that a reduction in air travel would hurt growth. Of course, we are now more aware that progress does not come without a cost to our global well-being. Airlines need to take more urgent action when addressing climate change even at some expense to developing economies. |
Those who have followed the excerpts I have been publishing from my ‘Book in progress’ on the history of moral thought will know that there were several gaps in the chapters. That was because I left till the end a series of chapters on the Indian and Chinese traditions. These are now almost complete, and I will publish, as before, monthly extracts from each remaining chapter. Some of the chapters have been renumbered as you can see from the complete set of extracts.
This extract is from chapter 5 which explores the ancient Indian traditions, primarily Hinduism and Buddhism.
Siddharta Gautama was born in what is now Nepal some time between the end of the sixth century and the beginning of the fifth century BCE, into a prosperous, aristocratic family, part of the powerful Shakya clan. For most of his early life, he had been shielded from the reality of the poverty and degradation that surrounded him. In his late twenties he was finally forced to confront sickness, suffering and death, coming face to face with an old man, a mortally sick man and a dead man. So shocked was he by these encounters that Gautama left his family and comfortable home life, taking to the road to become a wandering ascetic, debating the nature of suffering with yogis and mendicants. Six years of asceticism and self-denial brought about no change to his sense of dissatisfaction and his frustration at not finding meaning in life. He turned to meditation. For forty nine days and nights he sat under a fig tree, now known as the bodhi-tree, or ‘tree of awakening’, in Gaya, a small village in north east India. After 49 days of meditation he gained enlightenment, understanding both the cause of worldly suffering and the means of transcending it. ‘I have obtained nirvana’, he claimed.
That, at least, is the traditional story of the Buddha (‘the enlightened one’), as Gautama came to be known, and of his enlightenment. In fact we know almost nothing with certainty about a man who lived two centuries before Aristotle. The main sources of his life and teachings are a variety of different, and often conflicting, traditional biographies, the earliest of which, the epic poem Buddhacarita, dates from the 2nd century CE. Of the actual words of the Buddha nothing is left. Early in its history, Buddhism divided into innumerable sects, possibly more than 30, each with its own story of Gautama’s life, each with its own canon of scriptures.
Whatever the historical truth, there are certain teachings now accepted as genuine by virtually all Buddhists. By tradition, the Buddha gave his first talk at the Deer Park in Sarnath, in the vicinity of Varanasi, or Benares, on the banks of the Ganges, where he gathered his first five disciples. The so-called ‘Discourse on the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma’ is to Buddhists as Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is to Christians. Like the Sermon on the Mount, the Buddha’s discourse is likely to have been patched together by later followers, shaped to reflect subsequent readings of his thought, and the changing needs of Buddhists, and then projected back to establish a canonical text.
At the heart of the ‘Discourse on the Turning of the Wheel of Dharma’ are the Four Noble Truths. The first truth is that the world is permeated with suffering, or duhkha, a concept that refers not just to pain and sorrow but also to dissatisfaction and unfulfilment. Duhkha is one of the Thee Marks of Existence (trilakshana), or features of earthly life. They stamp our lives so indelibly that those who ignore their reality will find nirvana always to be beyond their reach. The other Marks of Existence are anitya, or impermanence, and anatman, meaning ‘no self’ or ‘egolessness’. Anitya expresses the belief that everything in the phenomenal world is in a state of flux. This includes human beings themselves. Hence anatman, or lack of self. All human existence, for the Buddha, is a series of discontinuous moments. The image he presents is of a row of unlit candles. The first candle is lit, used to light the second, but is itself then extinguished; and so on it continues down the row. Human existence, too, consists of a series of moments lit up and snuffed out. Each moment of consciousness gives birth to the next and then ceases to be, so no person is constant from one moment to the next. For Buddhists, the belief that humans possess a self, that there is an essential ‘me’, is part of the illusion of permanence that must be discarded if an individual is to achieve enlightenment.
The second of the Buddha’s Noble Truths was that the cause of all suffering is human desire, the thirst for that which cannot satisfy, including the desire to be a self. Originally a place of bliss, the world had been reduced to a place of suffering by human capitulation to desire a sentiment that was, half a millennium later, to be echoed in Christian thought, though in Buddhism the cause of degradation is not sin, as in Christianity, but ignorance. Suffering can only be ended through renunciation of all desire, the third of the Noble Truths. Renunciation of desire is the path to nirvana, or liberation from rebirth, the Buddhist version of the Hindu idea of moksha. Like Hindus, Buddhists believe in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in a new form that is the inevitable burden of human life. Only through enlightenment – moksha or nirvana – can one break that endless cycle. What rebirth means when one does not possess a self, and when every individual’s life lacks continuity from one moment to the next, let alone from one birth to the next, is a conundrum that Buddhists have endlessly debated, and upon which arguments have endlessly foundered.
The fourth Noble Truth upon which Buddha insisted was that desire can only be renounced through following the ‘Eightfold Path’, eight principles of actions that lead to a balanced, moderate life. These include the acceptance of the Four Noble Truths; the resolve to live according to the Buddhist way; the wisdom to adopt the right kind of livelihood, rejecting for instance jobs that involve killing, such as being a butcher, hunter, or a soldier; and the determination to act ethically by avoiding killing, stealing, prohibited sexual activity, unjust speech, and intoxicating drinks.
There is, at one level, something Aristotelian about the Buddha’s conception of the good life (or there would be were it not anachronistic to describe as Aristotelian the ideas of a man who lived two centuries before Aristotle). Reason rather than revelation is the starting point for his thinking, and ethics rather than metaphysics its endpoint. The Buddha rejected Vedic metaphysics (even though his teachings drew upon certain Hindu metaphysical concepts), and even more Brahmanical ritual, especially the sacrificing of animals. What he demanded was a commitment to ethical behaviour. Buddhist ethics, too, wrenched itself away from Hinduism, neither rooted in the privileges and tyrannies of caste identity, nor seeking to justify the caste system, though it never properly challenged it either. It emerged, rather, out of a concern for the welfare of humanity as a whole. There is a reasonableness, even triteness, about Buddhist prescriptions that again is reminiscent of Aristotle. The Buddha described the Eightfold Path as the ‘Middle Way’ between the extremes of asceticism and hedonism, of poverty and luxury, an idea that finds an echo in Aristotle’s ‘golden mean’.
Yet Buddhism is also fundamentally different to an Aristotelian conception of the world and, despite its humanist approach, is in certain ways much closer to a theistic vision of the human condition. There has been a tendency, by some of its advocates, especially in the West, to overplay the rational and humanistic quality of Buddhism. At its core Buddhism is a doctrine of salvation. Unlike Aristotle, the Buddha did not view ethics as a means of building the good life on this Earth, but rather as a means of escaping the bad life of this Earth. His teachings embody a deeply pessimistic view of the world as a place of unremitting hurt and disappointment. Suffering without end in a futile round of rebirths after rebirths – that is the fate of most mortals. Escape comes through nirvana.
Buddhism never specifies what is meant by ‘nirvana’. It defines what nirvana delivers us from but not what it delivers us to. It is, as the philosopher of religion Edward Conze puts it, ‘a transcendental state which is quite beyond the ken of ordinary experience, and of which nothing can be said except that in it all ills have ceased, together with their causes and consequences.’ It is paradise without a deity or a theology, a paradise not discovered outside, but realized within.
The Buddha’s teachings were in large part a response to the social changes that were then convulsing India, in particular the new urbanization, the transformation of class structures and the emergence of the state. In Europe and the Middle East, similar developments helped give rise to the monotheistic faiths. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all arose in times of great social dislocation, when the foundations of traditional ethics no longer appeared sure. God seemed essential to many as a source of moral concrete. Monotheism, particularly Islam, flourished in parts of Asia, primarily through invasion and conversion. The indigenous response to the kinds of social upheavals that helped create monotheism in the West came not in monotheism but in non-theistic forms of faith, of which Buddhism was the first. There has been a great debate over the centuries about the extent to which we should look upon Buddhism as a philosophy or as a religion. It is perhaps best understood as a philosophy that historically, and socially, played role of faith. It did so not just in the sense of offering a source of spirituality and solace, but in the sense also of defining, as the monotheistic faiths did too, the meaning of right and wrong, of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and of acting as the mortar in the foundation of social order. |
Foot Injuries and Other Problems
Common and some not-so-common injuries and other problems that affect the feet.
The bones, connective tissue and small joints of the feet are prone to several types of injuries. Injuries can happen in otherwise healthy joints; however, arthritis and related disease processes can make some more likely. For example, foot bones weakened by osteoporosis are prone to fracture and toes affected by rheumatoid arthritis are more prone to certain deformities, such as hammer toe or claw toe. The following are some of the more common foot injuries and foot problems associated with arthritis and related conditions.
- Fractures. Any of the foot's 28 bones can be broken. Here's how each of the three sections of the foot – the heel, or hind foot; midfoot; and forefoot – can be affected.
- Calcaneus. A fracture of the heel bone, or calcaneus, can be disabling. Most breaks for the calcaneus are due to a high-energy collision, such as a fall from a high ladder or an automobile accident.
- Midfoot. Another common site of fractures is the midfoot, where bones held together by connective tissue form an arch on top of the foot between the ankle and toes. Dropping something heavy on the foot can break one or more of the bones. Falling or twisting the foot can break or move the bones out of place.
- Forefoot. A fracture to one of the bones in the forefoot (metatarsals) or toes (phalanges) is painful, but is usually not disabling. Fractures in the forefoot may be stress fractures, tiny cracks in the bone surface caused by stress to the bone, such as running long distances or increasing an exercise program too quickly. Others may extend through the bone and be the result of dropping something heavy on the foot or twisting the foot.
- Claw toe. In this common deformity of the foot, the toes are bent upward from the joint at the ball of the foot and then downward at the middle joint, causing the toes to dig down into the soles of the shoes. Corns may develop over the top of the toe or under the ball of the foot. Poorly fitting footwear is often blamed for claw toe, however the condition also can result from rheumatoid arthritis or nerve damage from diabetes.
- Hammer toe. In this foot deformity, the second third or fourth toe is bent at the middle joint, giving it the appearance of a hammer. At first, the toes are flexible, but over time they become fixed and can be painful. Corns and calluses can form on the top of the middle joint or at the tip of the toe. The deformity can occur from wearing narrow-toed shoes or from a disease process, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a compression of the posterior tibial nerve – which supplies sensation to the bottom of the foot and enables the muscle of the foot to move – as it passes from the lower leg to the foot through the tarsal tunnel. The tarsal tunnel is a narrow passageway inside the ankle through which arteries, veins, tendons and nerves, including posterior tibial nerve, run. Anything that strains the nerve or causes swelling or inflammation of the tunnel or the structures that pass through it can compress the nerve. The result is often pain, tingling, burning, and numbness, usually on the inside of the ankle or bottom of the foot.
- Charcot Foot. This serious condition occurs when significant nerve damage causes weakening of the bones, which can lead to fractures. As the problem progresses, the joints can collapse, leading to deformity, disability and in some cases, the need for amputation.
- Bunions. A bunion is a common deformity in which the base of the big toe is enlarged. The skin over the enlarged joint may be red and tender. As the bunion gets larger, you may find it difficult to find comfortable shoes. Walking may be painful. Your big toe may angle toward or move under your second toe. The second toe, in turn, may overlap your third toe, causing pain and deformity of the entire foot. Nine out of 10 bunions occur in women. Bunions are often caused by wearing tight, narrow shoes or high heels.
- Plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of a thick ligament called the plantar fascia, which runs along the sole of the foot, from the bottom of the heel bone to the toes. It can feel like the arch of the foot is tearing. People with inflammatory forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or reactive arthritis, as well as those with fibromyalgia, are more likely to develop plantar fasciitis. Other causes include being overweight, standing too long, having arches that are either too high or too flat, or wearing unsupportive, hard-soled shoes.
- Heel spurs. When plantar fasciitis continues for a long time, a calcium deposit called a heel spur may form where the fascia tissue band connects to the heel bone. In some cases heel spurs cause pain when walking.
- Morton's neuroma. A thickening of the tissue that surrounds the nerve that leads to the toes, Morton's neuroma often causes pain on the ball of the foot or the sensation of walking on a marble. The condition usually develops between the third and fourth toes, often in response to irritation, trauma or excessive pressure. High-heeled or tight, narrow shoes can make the condition worse.
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Recommended Reading about Homeschooling
The books listed can be found in many of the catalog recommendations, local and on-line bookstores, and at our local library. The list is not exhaustive by any means!
Handbook for Texas Home Schoolers from Texas Home School Coalition – A resource all first time home schoolers should have on their shelves to read and have for reference. This book has Texas home school laws, history, questions/answers, and many additional helpful resources for home educators.
The 3 R’s by Ruth Beechick. For many, these small books are the first that make homeschooling seem like a viable but not over-whelming educational option. One mom writes, “3R’s are my favorite to lend out and recommend to people considering homeschooling!”
You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-6 by Ruth Beechick The author is a big supporter of parents as teachers and gives straightforward information on the how-to of teaching your children. She answers questions and gives simple, yet effective information on the mechanics of teaching.
Teaching Children by Diane Lopez – A curriculum guide based on the home environment teaching style. Lists suggestions for what children need to know at each level through sixth grade.
Christian Home Educators’ Curriculum Manual (Elementary) by Cathy Duffy – An EXCELLENT resource to help with deciding on a curriculum. Author discusses learning styles and teaching styles, in addition to writing a review on available curriculum choices. Also includes helpful reproducible forms.
Junior High and High School:
Homeschooling High School by Jeanne Gowan Dennis A guide for the high school years.
Christian Home Educators’ Curriculum Manual (Jr./Sr. High Editions) by Cathy Duffy – An EXCELLENT resource to help with deciding on a curriculum. Author discusses learning styles and teaching styles, in addition to writing a review on available curriculum choices. Also includes helpful reproducible forms.
By Method of Instruction
A Well-Trained Mind: A Guide To Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer. A K-12 guide to providing a Classical education at home, but also a great resource to learn about homeschool statistics and reasons to homeschool.
Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn A mom writes, “This is my most borrowed book. Following the Biblical pattern for learning–knowledge, understanding, and wisdom–has improved our homeschooling. The ideas for what to learn when has provided me with an outline for our schooling years–an outline that I get to fill in with what suits our family. ”
Charlotte Mason/Living Books:
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola An introduction to Charlotte Mason method which centers homeschooling around living books. A great read full of sweet ideas for elementary grades.
For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Maccaulay – A wonderful book outlining the foundations for home education, supporting the home environment for learning. The perspective is a gentle way to learn, especially in the younger years. The author supports the Charlotte Mason method.
Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt This book is a resource for what to read when; it includes a comprehensive book list.
Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson – A comprehensive guide to the very best in children’s books. Each book included has been carefully read and evaluated by the author.
A Reader’s Guide K-12 produced by Classical Academic Press. A book list that features within it columns for genre, content, grade level, and difficulty.
Homeschool Parent Resources with Children of Any Age:
The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell – Written by a former public school teacher who has home schooled her own four children from elementary through high school. Includes a multitude of information from planning, curriculum advice to avoiding burnout in homeschool. A good overview of all the different paths a family can take from unit studies and project based learning to following a published curriculum and heavy academics.
Educating the Whole-Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson Universally recognized as a Christian homeschooling staple, this book explains home-centered learning with ideas, tips encouragement, motivation and inspiration from a large multi-generational homeschooling family.
Home Grown Kids: A Practical Guide for teaching your children at home by Raymond and Dorothy Moore (and their other books)
A Biblical Home Education by Ruth Beechick
Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days (share a day with 30 homeschooling families) by Nancy Lande One mom writes, “When we first started intentional schooling, I read this aloud to my daughter. We loved learning about how families learned together that were like us and not like us. We laughed a lot knowingly at the descriptions of real life learning and living. This inspired and confirmed our decision to homeschool.”
In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child’s Multiple Intelligences by Thomas Armstrong This book is especially helpful if you have a child that learns differently than you. The author discusses the science behind the types of learning, ideas for adapting subject to your kid’s learning style, and examples. One mom writes, “This book helped me understand my spatial learner and not be so exasperated.”
The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore – Gives alternatives to hard-to-use curricula, and suggests ways to educate your dren at home with low stress, low cost and high success.
The How and Why of Home Schooling by Ray E. Ballmann – Gives reasons to home school and practical guidelines for teaching your children at home.
The Big Books of Home Learning by Mary Pride – thorough guide to home education including getting started, preschool, elementary and teen through college information. |
Racing for Reading
Growing and Independency and Fluency
By Crystal Dykes
Fluency is the ability to read aloud expressively and with understanding. When fluent readers read aloud, the text flows smoothly rather than sounding halting and choppy. In order to help children become fluent, teachers should model fluent reading, and have students do repeating readings. In order to read fluently, students must first hear and understand what fluent reading sounds like. This will help them to transfer those experiences into their own reading. Repeated readings help students recognize high frequency words more easily. This helps to strengthen their ease of reading. Once students are able to decode effortlessly, they are able to enjoy reading much more because they can focus more on the story than on decoding the words. Therefore, repeated direct practice with texts is a great strategy to begin student's development of fluency. This lesson is aimed at helping students read expressively, smoothly, and quickly.
1) Sentence strips for teacher to read to class (3)
2) White board
3) Dry erase marker
4) Sentence strips for students to read in pairs (2 strips for each student with a different sentence on each) 1. The frog jumped into the sky. 2. The dog can run fast.
5) Book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff
6) A copy of: "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff (for each student)
7) Graph paper with tongue twister on board: Cookie Crumbs Cover the Comfy Couch
8) Class library of books for children to practice reading fluently
9) Assessment checklist for individual student reading assessment: number of words read in one minute, and how many words read accurately. Fluency formula: words x 60/ seconds
1. Explain the difference between a fluent and non-fluent reader. Today, we will be practicing improving our fluency when reading. Who can tell me what fluency is? Right, it means to read fast. A skillful reader not only reads fast though. A skillful reader reads words automatically and reads with expression. Reading fluently means that you can read faster, reading is easier, you can read more and you can understand the text better. Beginning readers read slowly and may struggle while reading. Reading is more difficult and is slower. I'm going to read a sentence and you tell me if I'm a beginning reader or a fluent reader. The mouse took a nap (Fluent). The mmm ooo u ss e t oo-o k a n aa p [beginner]. Great! Now let's practice to become fluent readers.
2. Now, I am going to show you how to read more fluently. What does fluent mean again? (Wait for answer). Good job! So, I am going to read without sounding out all the words, and let's see if it is more fun to listen to. I will read Abby has a pet mouse named Crumbs. Well, wasn't that much more fun to listen to? I thought so. That is how I want each one of you to try to read each time you pick up a book.
3. Write a practice sentence on the board: Read the sentence very slow to the children. For example, f-r-o-g-s j-u-m-p v-e-r-y h-i-g-h-. Sound them out slowly again and practice the cover-up method. Read the sentence again smoothly and using expression. Frogs jump very high! "Which way did you like it better, slow or fast? Fast! Why did you like it better?" (Hopefully the children will say it sounds better fast because you can understand it better).
4. Practice with the sentence strips. First, everyone is going to get two sentence strips with a different sentence on each one. Then, I want you to get into groups of two and practice saying these two sentences over and over again. "Practice smooth reading with expression class." A way to becoming a fluent reader is to read and reread texts. I am going to show you how to do it. I will read, 'The cat went to sleep on the rug.' (Several times). Then, Abby will read, The frog jumped up into the sky. She will read the sentence several times and then read the next sentence several times. Ok now practice reading and rereading your sentences to your partner. I am going to be walking around and observing you working with your partner.
5. If you get to a word that you do not know, what should you do? First, you should finish the sentence and then try to make sense of the word by crosschecking. If that does not work, then you would use a cover-up. Yes! Do not panic! Remember for the cover-ups we first cover everything up except the vowel and say the vowel sound…Like this: For the word Cat, you would cover up the c and the t, so only the vowel a is uncovered. Next, cover up everything except the letters before the vowel, so you would only keep c uncovered. Then you would blend c with the vowel a. This would be ca. Last, cover up all of the letters except the ones after the vowel. So you would cover up ca but leave t uncovered. When all is done, put all of those sounds together to help you read the word c-a-t (cat). (Model and example on the board). If the cover-ups still do not work, read on or ask your partner for help.(Teacher should model how to improve).
6. The teacher will give a book talk on If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. This book is about a boy and his pet mouse. The mouse always needs a glass of milk after having a cookie. But then after his glass of milk, he is reminded of something else that he needs. This is a continuous process and every time he gets something, he is reminded of something else that he needs. Is he going to end up getting everything that he asked for, or is the boy going to get tired of giving him things. In order to find out, we will have to read to find out what happens. Now I want you to read, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
7. We are going to do a quick, fun tongue twister. I will say if first (will be posted on the board also) and then you repeat after me: I say Cookies Crumbs Cover the Comfy Couch. (Students repeat). Now say it again, one more time, as fast as you can. Very good!
8. Okay, now I want everyone to reread the copy of If You Give a Mouse s Cookie to your partner. When you're finished, you may choose another book from our class library to practice reading fluently. Remember, if there are more than two words on a page that you don't know, you might need to choose another book.
9. Allow the children at least 30 minutes to accomplish these goals.
Assessment: Call on each child to bring their book to your desk and have them read at least one page from their book out loud to you. Have a checklist ready so you can record their smoothness, speed, and fluency. I will have a checklist so that I can note any miscues, number of words read in one minutes, and how many words read accurately. I will use the fluency formula: words x 60/ seconds.
Bruce. The Reading Genie .
Numeroff, Laura. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Harper Collins. 1985 pp. 28 |
Page last updated: Aug 17th, 2016
- FBI Cyber Surf Islands Teacher's Guide - The Cyber Surf Islands activity features 3rd- 8th grade-specific “islands” teaching about various aspects of internet safety through games, videos, and other interactive features. This guide helps use the site and create a leaderboard. (PDF)
- Safe Surfing Kids - Find lesson plans and activities for teaching online safety to students in the 3rd through 12th grades.
- NetSmartz - Teaching Materials - Find free teaching materials, handouts, videos, and activities for your students.
- Stay Safe Online - The National CybersecurityAlliance offers activities and materials to help you teach cybersecurity and cyberetehics, to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. |
Origins of HIV/AIDS
It is widely believed that HIV entered the human population as a result zoonosis, the process where a disease jumps the species barrier. In this case SIV, the monkey form of HIV is believed to have jumped the species barrier. The stronger strain of HIV, HIV-1, is almost identical to SIVcpz. SIVcpz is found in a species of chimpanzees known as Pan troglodytes troglodytes which can be found Central-Western Africa. Some researchers claim that this species of chimpanzee was responsible for HIV-1 and at some point SIVcpz jumped the species barrier. However, this theory is often questioned as SIVcpz is a rarer strand that does not often infect chimpanzees.
The other main theory of how SIV jumped the species barrier was published in 2003 by Professor Paul Sharp of Nottingham University and Beatrice Hahn of the University of Alabama. Their research idicated that a red-capped mangabey and a greater spot nosed monkey, both infected with their forms of SIV, had sex and the two strands of the virus combined to create a 3rd type of hybrid virus that was capable of infecting humans within them both. Chimpanzees became infected with this disease when they hunted and killed the smaller monkeys. When humans killed the chimpanzees and ate them, they became infected with the virus.
First Reported Cases
1959: A plasma sample taken from a man in the Democratic Republic of Congo
1969: A tissue sample from a recently deceased American teenager in St. Louis
1976: Tissue samples from a deceased Norwegian sailor.
However, it was not until 1989 that HIV erupted into an epidemic.
Why did it spread?
International Travel: The problem presented by international travel is highlighted in the case study of Patient Zero, or Gaeten Dugas - a flight attendant. Early cases of AIDS have been shown to have direct and indirect links to Gaeten Dugas. It also highlights how the disease could have travelled through a single agent.
Blood Transfusions: In many countries, such as the U.S., blood transfusions were/are paid for. Furthermore, some transfusions require blood from various sources to be pooled together, thus contaminating a larger amount of blood. This blood is also sent worldwide.
Drug Use: HIV can be transmitted through syringes. After the Vietnam War and various Middle East Conflicts, drug use boomed in the 70s and it was possible to borrow, lend or rent equipment. |
Johns Hopkins neurologist Ellen Mowry is using an abundance of data to figure out what therapies will work best for different groups of patients with multiple sclerosis. It’s a daunting task: The neurological disease not only varies greatly in how quickly it progresses but also in how much it debilitates patients.
After identifying patient subgroups based on projected disease progression and other characteristics, the associate professor of neurology and epidemiology hopes to determine which patients are at risk for long-term side effects from particular medications. Another aspect of this research is establishing when those drugs’ potential for healing outweighs the risk of harm.
“In the MS field, this really has great potential to help us stop considering a one-size-fits-all approach and think about patient-specific treatment,” Mowry says.
Her work is an example of how precision medicine is bringing researchers closer to tailoring treatment to patients’ specific needs. Defining subsets of patients, then determining the best therapies for them, is one way Johns Hopkins Medicine seeks to improve health care while cutting its costs, according to Antony Rosen, vice dean for research and director of Johns Hopkins inHealth, the institution’s precision medicine effort.
A symposium on May 30 will highlight some of the projects underway, and point to new tools and strategies to make precision medicine available to more researchers across Johns Hopkins.
“The way we do research is dramatically changing because the quantity of data we can collect on individuals and populations is truly massive,” says Dwight Raum, vice president and chief technology officer for The Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Health System. “Then we can take what we learn and practice it at a scale that we couldn’t previously contemplate.”
The symposium will feature panels with experts from Johns Hopkins and elsewhere. Discussions will explore how to define patient subgroups by using genetics and genomics and such measurements as imaging. Clinicians and researchers will also detail the approach and practice of precision medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine and beyond — a conversation that will include officials from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the U.S. Air Force Medical Service.
The event marks the rollout of the Precision Medicine Analytics Platform (PMAP), which uses the cloud — a secure online network of software and services — to collect and interpret individual patient data gathered from genetic information and other sources, along with the larger body of knowledge on particular diseases. PMAP has been piloted by researchers in prostate cancer, MS and other diseases.
Kenneth Pienta, director of research at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, says precision medicine and PMAP have already changed the way patients are treated for prostate cancer at Johns Hopkins. Using data collected from patient subgroups since 1995, Hopkins urologists are better equipped to predict disease progression in patients and determine the course of their treatments. |
is the Welsh pun, equivalent; it means a word equally
applicable to two things. The application should be remote and odd in
order to give piquancy to the play. (See Calembourg.)
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
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THE mountain near Ben Gurion Airport looks like the base of an Egyptian pyramid. But its neither ancient nor made of stone. Its Hiria landfill more than 560 million cubic feet of garbage collected on 2000 acres since 1952, from the Tel Aviv-Yafo metro area.
It illustrates the massive environmental challenges facing the 7.2 million people who live on this island called Israel.
We all live on islands: Earth is an island of life in space, continents are islands on earth, and downscale from there are countries, cities and the properties we call home.
Islanders pushing against resource limits must act to survive, or become extinct. Israelis, pressured to live within Mother Natures means, are showing ingenuity that can instruct all of us facing similar challenges.
Before 1993, Hiria was the largest of 77 unregulated dumps from Haifa to Eilat. Then, Israels Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) began closing them, and starting a program of source reduction, education and regional landfill openings that helped cut Israels solid waste output in half by 2007.
Because most of Israels waste is made up of organics (43%), paper-cardboard (22%) and plastic (14%), MEP is increasing dump fees and offering grants to incentivize recycling and composting.
Today, MEP and environmental groups have turned Hiria into Ariel Sharon National Park, an environmental education and experimental center, with miles of bicycle and hiking trails, a transfer station to the new Beersheva landfill and a methane capture system that supplies fuel to a nearby textile factory.
EcoTraders and others are brokering international carbon offset deals on Hiria, and on new forests Jewish National Fund is planting.
The Society for Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), Israels largest eco-group, lobbies for sustainable development and to secure 30% of Israels Mediterranean coastline as nature reserve.
Other groups litigate pollution and civil rights cases, educate, save animals and push for food, energy and water security.
These are urgent matters.
THIS year, Israel is projected to consume 52.8 billion gallons more water than it can supply.
Its National Infrastructure Ministry has imposed restrictions and raised fees on water use throughout the country, and distributed low-flow faucet and shower equipment to 1.2 million households.
The country recycles about 60% of its sewage water, widely uses drip irrigation, computer water-metering, water retention polymers, and organic agricultural methods such as no-till planting and integrated pest management.
JNF is funding reservoir construction, and new water is being collected from rain and mined from the sea desalination plants provide 15% of the countrys potable water.
But even a water footprint half the size of the US (367,463 gallons per year vs. 655,939), and just 10% more than the global average (328,365 gal. per yr.), is too big for an industrialized society in an arid region.
The bigger question: What is the optimum ecological footprint, or per capita area of earths resources, needed to support Israel?
At 5.0 hectares per person, Israels footprint comes in below the high-income countries average (6.5), but above the low-income countries (1.0).
Environmental think tanks such as the Rocky Mountain and Wuppertal Institutes assert that industrialized societies can improve their efficiencies by four to ten times.
If so, Israel could reduce its eco-footprint dramatically and still maintain its current standard of living.
SUPPLYING cheap, abundant energy is the big challenge. More than 90% of Israel is currently powered by imported coal and oil, less than 3% with alternative energy, and the remainder by natural gas. But huge changes are afoot.
Solar water heating panels have been required on buildings since 1983, and save the country two million barrels of oil a year. Last year, the Knesset passed a green building initiative, and a Feed-in Tariff, which obligates electricity utilities to buy electricity at above-market rates.
These will help cut resource consumption, and stimulate development of promising new ventures such as (1) the algae-biofuels farm offshore of Ashkelon, (2) the Sollel turbine, soon to debut in California as the worlds largest solar plant, and (3) the ZenithSolar Z20 solar cogeneration concentrator, which produces thermal and electrical energy, and makes solar power cost-competitive with fossil fuels.
Israel will need the electric power, as it plans to install the worlds first electric car network by 2011.
To get its 2.1 million petrol-fueled cars off its 10,000 miles of roads, cut air pollution and its dependence on foreign oil now, its also continuing to expand its taxi, bus, urban transit and commuter rail systems.
Israel runs with this breathtaking ambition and pace to survive, not change the world. But if we big islanders in North America acted with the same intensity to cut our eco-footprints, with 335 million people, and 47 times more global impact, we could change the course of global climate change and, in the bargain, guarantee our nations survival, too. |
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Re: two sine tones simultaneously within one critical band
There is no question that the sum of two
sines can be expressed as the product
of two cosines of sum-and-difference frequencies,
sin(A) + sin(B) = 2*cos(.5(A-B))*sin(.5(A+B))
But this most definitely does NOT demonstrate the
production of real acoustic beat frequencies.
It just says that you can think of the two original
sines as the product of two particular cosines.
This is essentially amplitude modulation, with
the sides of the equation reversed. Yes, we
know that if you *multiply* two frequencies, the
product will consist of two other frequencies.
That's not what we are talking about with beats.
When you add two frequencies linearly, the sum
contains *only* those two frequencies. This is
the definition of linearity. If you get anything else you
have intermodulation distortion from some system
nonlinearity. In fact, the standard test for IM is to drive a
system at two frequencies and look for difference tones.
The fact that we can hear beats tells us about
the auditory system, not about external reality.
They are not present as real acoustical sound
components, assuming you have taken reasonable
care in the production of the two tones. (Not too
loud from a single speaker or other nonlinear system,
Those with Windows computers are welcome to
download my free DaqGen software <www.daqarta.com>
and visualize this for yourself. You can generate two sine
waves and look at the the waveform and spectrum of the
total before it goes out to your sound card, so it does not
include speaker distortions, etc. You will see only
two spectral peaks. (Assuming you set each primary
"Stream" level at 50% or less, so the sum doesn't clip.)
You will want to use higher frequencies than 99 and 101, to
get better spectral resolution. Try 4000 and 5000. You will
see a 1 msec periodicity in the waveform, but you will not
see any component at 1000 Hz in the spectrum.
Beats are really, truly "all in your head"! |
“Bondi” or “Boondi” is originally an aboriginal word, the name of the historical and beautiful beach. The word means “water breaking over rocks” and it could also be translated as “noise of water breaking over rocks.” Moreover, according to the records of the Australian Museum, the word “Bondi” can also mean “the place where a flight of nullas took place.”
During the years between 1855 and 1877, the beach and the other surrounding areas were opened to the public. This was initiated by Francis O’Brien of the Bondi Estate in which made the beach a place that is ideal for picnic and for resorts to be established. However, during numerous times many years back then, the place has faced various threats of getting close to the public. In spite of these challenges, the Municipal Council had requested the Government to set a portion around the beach to be reserved for public use in 1859. They weren’t very successful at first but during the June of 1882, the Government heard their appeal and the Bondi Beach was opened to the public.
The emergence of public transport such as buses initiated during the mid-1850s. They track the route to the edges of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Before this, the only means of transportation was through either via cart, horse or on foot. The number of bus operators skyrocketed in a few years such as Joe Smith, Old Steve, and M. Macnamara. Within a few years, a number of private bus operators such as Old Steve, Joe Smith, and M. Macnamara provided convenient means of transportation in the route across the Bondi Junction. In general, the travel intervals of each bus is about every half an hour.
It was not until 1933 that the State completely took over the bus transportation system that runs throughout the route reaching the Bondi Junction. After a year, the Bondi Beach had its own regular bus transportation service which stops at the Lamrock Avenue.
Bondi Junction sub-station going towards emerged In early 1902. It is due to the efforts of the New South Wales Parliament that created the Tramway Bill during that was passed way back in the 1870s. Moreover, in the year 1905, the electric tram service that connects the Bondi Junction and Sydney were established.
It was not until the year 1906 that the first electric tram service was established down to Bondi Beach. It was later extended in 1929 towards the North Bondi. Before the electric tram was established in 1906, the management used steam-powered trams. This type of transportation catered 70 passengers around that time and had a locomotive with seemingly trailer cars with small tram pulling system that is attached.
North Bondi and Bronte, way back on the 28th of February, 1960, the last trams heading towards ran on the early morning of Sunday. Finally, the large tram heading Sydney went to complete closure at the month end of February 1961. During its peak in terms of operation, the tram network had catered passengers up to 404 million. However, the transport trend had switched drastically to buses during the 1950’s.
In spite of having the Sydney trams burned, with a minimal portion of it survived that had been secured for preservation, Melbourne is still currently one of the major tram cities globally. In fact, their network is even growing up to present.
Due to the fact that the Bondi Beach had rapidly become popular in 1920’s, there were around 1000 estimated parked cars settled near the beach. This had resulted in the imposition of parking fees by the Municipal Council in the year 1926 with a parking duration of three hours per period.
At present, buses continue to trail around the routes heading to Bondi. The operation runs for every less than ten minutes. If you own a car and you decide to drive towards the beach, keep in mind to avoid the peak hours and drive in advance because searching for a parking slot might be troublesome. |
A detailed thematic map of coffee cultivation in Colombia, issued in 1933 by the National Federation of Coffee Growers.
The map uses red dots to indicate the “coffee districts,” concentrated primarily in the Andean highlands. Flanking it to the right are tables listing distances from growing districts to oceanic ports, steamship companies engaged in the coffee shipping, a 1932 “census” quantifying coffee cultivation by district, and a table of picking seasons, also by district. In aggregate, this sector had more than half a billion trees under cultivation producing nearly 3.5 million 60-kilo bags per annum.
Another edition of the map appeared in 1939.
As of July 2019 OCLC gives five institutional holdings under five accession numbers. |
Feminist flower arranger Mrs Elizabeth Hayes demonstrates her flower sculpture techniques.
Bush Hill, London.
Mrs Elizabeth Hayes creates flower arrangements with themes. Various shots of Mrs Hayes gathering flowers for her arrangements in her suburban garden. She gathers a large bunch of roses and various other flowers.
Interior of the house. Mrs Hayes walks through some French windows into her living room and begins arranging the flowers she has picked. In her way Mrs Hayes is a most "meticulous artist" states the narrator. She dreams in her garden and gets ideas which she translates into symbolic pictures through floral sculpture.
C/U of Mrs Hayes looking at the stem of a rose. This to her represents the thorny problems which can effect men and women in their relationships. C/Us of Mrs Hayes as she peels leaves off the branch and bends the stem. It will become a sculpture called "Eternal Triangle" even though it will only last a few days. One rose is the male, the other the female. "Being an feminist as well as an artist Mrs Hayes insists that the red rose is the woman and the man is yellow."
Various shots of Mrs Hayes making a simple table arrangement, "a mere doodle with no deep thought but still with ingenuity" states the narrator. C/Us of flowers and leaves being arranged. The arrangement is then placed on a table with other arrangements. C/Us of the various arrangements. Narrator ends but stating "if the flowers die, the pictures of them live!" |
Now that you understand the key components of a strategy, you need to decide what your goals and objectives are. You must draw up a picture of where things are today, and where they need to be in the future. The difference between the two is the necessary change or the ‘gap’. Closing that gap will be your goal(s) and objectives.
A gap analysis will help you identify what change is needed.
How do you conduct a gap analysis?
This is where your research will be very useful to conduct your gap analysis. Look back at your landscape and stakeholder mappings to help identify where the possible challenges and opportunities lie to strengthen routine immunisation.
As you review your landscape analysis, the following questions will help you pinpoint the gaps in immunisation and vaccines. Use the worksheet provided in the resources section to log your answers:
- Have we introduced all the vaccines our children need?
- Are all children ‘fully immunised’, i.e. having access and able to utilise all the vaccines available to children elsewhere, or even in our own country?
- What is the coverage of vaccines nationally and sub-nationally? Are there large variations that need to be addressed?
- Are there clear inequities of wealth, geography, ethnicity or gender?
The immunisation delivery system
- How robust are: the health clinics and human resources; delivery systems and the cold chain; logistics and capacity; accessibility, affordability and utilisation?
- Are there variations in coverage and equity between and within regions, districts or communities caused by weaknesses in the delivery system?
Political commitment and decision-making
- Is the decision making process robust – does a NITAG exist?
- Do parliamentarians and politicians at every level understand the issues and are prepared to take action?
- Is there a comprehensive multi-year plan (cMYP) and national budget line for immunisation?
- What is the country’s Gavi co-financing status?
- Do sufficient funds exist for sustained immunisation? To support and strengthen routine immunisation? To introduce new vaccines?
- Is funding for vaccines and immunisation reaching and flowing through sub-national governments to where it is needed?
In short, the key questions you need to ask yourself as you conduct your gap analysis are:
- What is the current situation?
- What would be the ideal future situation?
- What is the issue that needs to be solved through a change to fill a gap?
- How do we get from here to there?
- What are the steps of change to bridge the gap?
- What is/are the ASK(S) to your decision-maker? |
If your are like me which I am guessing you are, then ever since you got into doing stuff with arduino you have wanted to make your own arduino board. You may be surprised to find out that making the prototyping board is actually very easy, and can have several advantages over using the commercially sold board. For one thing, All the components together cost a little over 15 US dollars as opposed to the $30 that the Uno board sells for. second, you may not actually want a board, but may simply want the atmega chip as the heart of the project, like if you are making a synthesizer or even a robot. In that case, you can just attach the hardware necessary to use the chip, and solder to the pins you need to use without needing the board. Another advantage is making shields. You have probably noticed that digital pins 7 and 8 are not the standard distance apart, which makes it difficult to make your own custom shields without paying the $15 dollars for a protoshield every time you make one. But if you make your own board on perfboard, the headers will be the standard distance apart and you can make your own shields with ease. Also, you may need to permanently add the board to your project, and for that you may not want to use the more expensive arduino boards. This board however is half the price, and easy to add to custom projects.
The only down side is that some parts of the arduino are kind of hard to build on perfboard. Most notably the Serial to usb adapter chip, which allows the microcontroller to interface with the computer through usb. You could use a good old RS232 jack, but they are not on a lot of newer computers. So to program your homemade board you will either need a break out board which does have the chip (get one here: http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2117341_-1), or an arduino Uno or clone board to program the chip ( I used the former.)
Either way it is a fun and informative project.
Step 1: Materials
All of these materials can be purchased as a bundle here (except for the power jack and female headers: http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2151259_-1
otherwise here is the parts list:
-two 10 uf electrolytic capacitors
-two 10 uf tantalum capacitors
-7805 voltage regulator (5v)
-LM1117T-3.3 voltage regulator(3.3v)
-two 150 ohm resistors
-one 0.1 uf capacitor (ceramic disk)
-two 22 pf capacitors (ceramic disk)
-16 MHz crystal oscillator
-momentary push button switch
-female headers (I used three rows of eight)
-row of 6 male headers
-female wall wart power jack
-ATmega328 with bootloader
-28 pin DIP IC socket
Step 2: Install the Socket
The first step is after finding a good sized perfboard is to find a good place for the chip, and place the IC socket where you want it paying attention to the notch witch will be matched with the notch on the chip. also find where you want your power jack. You should place it on the edge of the board probably in the corner. I widened the holes on the board with a 1/16 inch drill bit, but still had to fold the leads on the jack using needle nosed pliers to get it to fit through. On the jack, the pin on the back connecting to the post on the inside is positive, and the one on the bottom connected to the metal on the inside is ground (the pin on the side is not needed. You could solder it for extra support, but I just broke it off). Remember this when connecting the regulators.
Step 3: Adding the 5v Regulator
Now it is time to add the five volt regulator. This is technically the only regulator you need to power the chip, but if you want a 3.3v pin (some breakout boards or sensors require 3.3v so the pin is nice to have), you will need to add the 3.3v regulator. These regulators require two decoupling capacitors each. Holding the 7805 printed side facing you, and the pins pointing down, the one furthest left is the input, the center is ground and the furthest right is the output. connect one 10 uf electrolytic capacitor to between the output and ground and the input and ground, being sure to connect the smaller leg to ground. connect the positive from the power jack to the furthest input pin, and ground from the power jack to the center pin.
Step 4: Adding the 3.3v Regulator
It is very important to remember that 3.3v regulator does not have the same pinout as the 7805. With the printed side towards you and the pins down the one furthest to the left is ground, the center is the output, and the furthest right is the input. Again you will need two decoupling capacitors. connect one of the 10 uf tantalum caps between output and ground and the other between input and ground paying attention to polarity. the positive lead should be labeled on the front of the cap, the other is negative, and be sure negative leads on these caps get connected to the furthest left pin on the regulator.
Step 5: Indicator LED
Next you are going to connect the green LED to the output of the 7805 regulator to indicate when power is connected to the board. Connect the anode of the LED (longer leg) to the 150 ohm resistor, and then connect the resistor to the output pin of the 7805. connect the cathode (shorter leg, also indicated by being next to the flat side of the LED) to the center pin of the 7805. Once you do this it would be a good idea to plug it in to make sure you made all of the right connections. Once you are sure everything is right, you can move on.
Step 6: Connecting Power and Ground Pins
Now, you will begin making connections on the chip. connect pins 7, 20 and 21 to five volts and pins 8 and 22 to ground.
Step 7: Reset Button
On pin 1 (reset pin) connect the 10k resistor from the pin to 5v. Then connect one contact on the momentary push button switch to pin 1, and the other contact to ground.
Step 8: Adding the Crystal Oscillator
solder the 16 MHz crystal oscillator to pins 9 and 10 on the chip. Then connect 1 leg of a 22pf cap to pin 9, and the other to ground. do the same with the other 22pf cap and pin 10.
Step 9: LED on Pin 13
Connect the red LED's anode to pin 19 on the chip (pin 19 is digital pin13 on the arduino, refer to pin diagram on next step) and the cathode to ground through a 150 ohm resistor
Step 10: Connecting the Female Headers
For starters you should probably label each pin on your female headers to avoid confusion later. then solder the headers to the board and connect them to the respective pin on the chip, according to the pin diagram above.
This process is very tedious, so just have some patience and you should be fine. Also planning out how you are going to connect everything before hand will go a long way. You will probably have a lot of wires intersecting. after a while I was forced to start connecting pins on the bottom of the board to prevent this.
Step 11: ICSP Headers
On the opposite end of the board from the power jack, solder the row of 6 male headers. connect the first pin on these to pin one on the chip through a 0.1 uf capacitor, the second to pin 3, the third to pin 2, the fourth to five volts, the fifth does not get connected, and connect the sixth to ground.
You can use these pins to program the chip using the breakout board mentioned earlier.
Step 12: Programming With the Arduino Uno
To program the chip with the uno board, I simply pried the chip on the arduino board off, and replaced it with the new chip. I then uploaded whatever sketch I wanted to use the same way you would any other. Once program I pried it out again and placed it in the new arduino board.
Anything you can do with the arduino (except serial read, and other things that require constant interface with the computer) can be done on the Homemade arduino in this way.
Step 13: Finished
Now you are finished, and can use your new homemade arduino prototyping board for any project you want. As always if you have any questions comments, of problems leave a comment and I will do my best to help you. Also please rate this instructable. |
trill, in music, ornament consisting of the more or less rapid alternation of two adjacent notes. Indicated by any of several conventional symbols, it varies in speed and duration and in the manner of its beginning and ending according to context. Originating in the Renaissance, the trill became the most important of ornaments during the baroque period. In British usage the term shake is more common.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2011) — As the organic food trend continues to grow; more farmers are converting from conventional agriculture to organic production. One of the fastest growing markets in the U.S. is the production of organic milk. The growth of this industry has prompted many farmers to transition their land to organic feed grain production. With transition on the rise, it is necessary for these farmers to have effective and economical organic management practices.
A research team led by scientists from Penn State University and University of New Hampshire conducted a four-year study examining the impact of reduced-tillage and cover crops managed for hay and forage production on the agronomic and economic performance of feed grain production.
Two cropping system experiments were carried out in central Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2007. For the first year both plots rotated between a cover crop, corn and soybeans; one plot was managed with full tillage and the other with reduced tillage. Changes in weed populations, crop yields, and economic returns over the three year rotation were monitored by the research team.
From a weed management perspective, the results indicate that utilizing reduced tillage for organic production could present a challenge for some farmers. Weed populations were less responsive to the choice in cover crop than to the reduction in tillage. Weed populations dramatically increased in reduced tillage systems.
"This is a troubling result because the weed populations that increased included perennial species such as Canada thistle and bindweed which are very difficult to control without tillage once they become established. In a way, these perennial weeds can actually act as 'management drivers,' forcing organic growers to have to periodically utilize more intensive tillage practices to reduce their populations," says Richard Smith, University of New Hampshire.
The study also suggests that growers who want to transition to organic production while minimizing tillage may experience variable economic success depending on how they begin their rotation. Costs associated with manure and compost, which was purchased off-farm, also strongly influenced the economics of the systems. The authors conclude that integrated systems that include field crop and dairy production, where manure sources are available on-site or locally, would improve the economics of these systems. While tillage did not have a significant effect on cumulative net returns in either experiment, there did appear to be a trend for higher returns in the rotations that utilized full-tillage.
According to Smith, further research will be necessary to determine the most cost-effective approaches to reducing tillage in transitional and organic production systems. Research is ongoing at Penn State University.
The full study can be found in the January/February 2011 issue of Agronomy Journal. |
Knee replacement is a procedure that replaces the knee by resurfacing the bones at knee joint. The success of the surgery / implant life depends upon the proper utilization of the replaced Knee joint. After the surgery for few days, individuals are suggested to walk with the help of crutches, parallel bars, a walker, or a cane for a while to get up.
The choice of implant is made according to the bone structure of an individual. The aim of joint replacement surgery is to relieve pain, and aid the joint to work better, and enhance walking & other daily activities. There are many benefits of joint replacement surgery like return to daily activities and no pain.
Further, with the passing time, one can stand on their feet and witness a big improvement in flexibility & less pain within a duration of a month. However, it is important to exercise the knee often, in order to keep down inflammation& to fortify the muscles.
Hip Replacement is a procedure that replaces the hip by resurfacing the bones that intersect at the hip joint. This surgery aims to relieve hip pain and improve function. The surgeon removes the femoral head & replaces it with a prosthesis. This prosthetic femur head is shaped like a ball and fits perfectly into the rounded cup prosthesis that serves as the new pelvic socket. If the hip is damaged by fracture, arthritis, or any other condition & even if changes in lifestyle, everyday activities, medications & walking support do not help in improvement of the condition, the doctor may advise a hip replacement surgery. It is a safe surgery that effectively aids the patient by relieving pain, assisting in their return to normalcy, increasing motion, and enabling them to enjoy their daily activities. |
SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (SME) : SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (SME) Team Name: 1919
Members : Glenroy Phillip Gerard Chung
Hessie P. Martin Sarah Maharaj
Dated : 7th March, 2009 Presentation Outline : Presentation Outline What is the SME?
Profile of the SME sector
Small Business Development Issues
Creating and Entrepreneurial Environment
Agenda for Entrepreneurship
Conclusion What is the SME? : What is the SME? From a quantitative perspective - Small & Medium Enterprise comprise of :
Less than 25 employees
Less than 4,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing area
Less than US$50,000 investment in equipment; (Note: Investments exclude real estate)
Less than US$125,000 annual sales
The value of the machinery, equipment and working capital must not exceed $1.5M
- What is the SME? : What is the SME? From a qualitative perspective - Small & Medium Enterprise signifies :
the owner of the enterprise works alongside his/her workers
the enterprise is classified in the "formal" sector Profile of the SME sector : Profile of the SME sector Main Characteristics
Barriers Profile of the SME sector : Profile of the SME sector Main Characteristics of the SME Sector of T&T can be classified in the following sub-sectors:
v Food and agro-processing v Marine and fishing
v Woodwork and furniture v Garments
v Emerging technologies v Handicrafts
v Transport v Services
v Light engineering and electronics
v Tourism and service related activities Profile of the SME sector Cont’d : Profile of the SME sector Cont’d Between 70 and 80 percent of businesses in the country belong in the SME sector
Approx. 45,000 SMEs are operational in T & T
The MSME sector contributes significantly to the country’s GDP (5-10%).
The MSME firms are leaders in manufacturing sub-sectors such as wood products, garments and sewn goods and handicraft items. Profile of the SME sector Cont’d : Profile of the SME sector Cont’d CHALLENGES
Lack of access to or knowledge about available resources including credit and training
Limited market access
Lack of e-business infrastructure
Most of the MSEs are dependent on Imported raw materials (either primary or secondary) which are expensive and sometimes not available on time Profile of the SME sector Cont’d : Profile of the SME sector Cont’d CHALLENGES
Skilled and experienced staff now attracted to the sector.
Only 3.6% of the small businesses in Trinidad and Tobago are exporting goods and services.
High financial and labour costs resulting in uncompetitive pricing. Profile of the SME sector Cont’d : Profile of the SME sector Cont’d BARRIERS
Difficulties of access to new technologies or the inability to adapt to local conditions
Inability to access private and public procurement opportunities
Non-availability of affordable technical and managerial consultancy
Educational levels including computer competency
Inability to conduct Market research Small Business Development Issues : Small Business Development Issues MSEs have almost identical problems, but with varying
Non-availability of appropriate training and
technical assistance (TAT)
Business Survival or Failure Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d LEGAL CONSTRAINTS
While the importance of the MSE sector has been recognized and articulated in official statements, no clear and comprehensive policy has been put forward for its further development.
With the exception of the various Co-operative Societies Acts and in some countries the New Companies Act, existing laws do not address the needs of the small business sub-sector. While there are existing laws in all countries which directly or indirectly affect the MSEs, there is no specific legislation aimed at the establishment and the development of micro and small enterprises.
Fiscal Incentives and Hotel Aid Ordinances provide substantial incentives and concessions, however, MSEs are generally ineligible because they either do not satisfy the value-added criteria or are unable to present satisfactory investment plans. Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d LEGAL CONSTRAINTS
Customs laws provide for the conditional exemption of duty. Benefits to MSEs particularly in the anufacturing sector are usually extended on an ad-hoc basis with approval of Cabinet given after long delays and complicated procedures.
The Consumption Tax/VAT legislation generally requires that all enterprises engaged in manufacturing be registered. Unregistered enterprises remain ineligible for concessionary tax rates on raw materials and finished products Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS
Though there are many agencies which provide support for the small business subsector, there is no institutional framework for facilitating the planning, implementation, coordination and valuation of activities in this sub-sector.
Considerable duplication and replication of programmes.
There is no recognized national forum that provides an opportunity for MSEs to exercise leadership and to participate meaningfully in the national decision-making process. National Small Business Associations are weak or non-existent and also lack financial and human resources.
The absence of an "one stop agency": small enterprises are unclear as to "whom to approach for what" resulting in bureaucratic delays; they find it difficult to access information, etc. Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d INFRASTRUCTURAL CONSTRAINTS
The unavailability of economically priced factory/warehouse/commercial space for MSEs is considered in many Caribbean countries to be one of the major impediments to their growth and development.
The high cost of rent and limited commercial space in urban areas adversely affects the profitability and development of MSEs.
Inadequate, unreliable and high cost of basic utilities (electricity, telephone, water, roads, etc.) are considered to be other constraints faced by MSEs in most of the Caribbean countries. Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS
The lack of accessible and affordable financing and appropriate financial mechanisms remain a major constraint for small businesses, mainly due to:
lack of collateral
low credit-worthiness in terms of business experience
low capitalization which limits their borrowing capacity
the high risk involved in unproven management capability
uncertain market access
apart from the difficulty in obtaining start-up loans, many MSEs are unable to
source working capital resulting in premature failures. In fact, working capital
has been identified as perhaps the single most relevant financing constraint. Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d NON-AVAILABILITY OF TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TAT)
MSEs owners come from different social backgrounds, with varying degrees of
education, little or no business experience and with little or no prior training. Many institutions involved in skills, business and some limited entrepreneurial
training, the efficacy and relevance is far from what is desired due to:
training materials being too complex and sometimes irrelevant
the absence of qualified trainers
the core function of many agencies is not training but provision of credit
the absence of technical skills training and upgrading in the sector Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d MARKETING CONSTRAINTS
Except in the agriculture sector, there is no formal institutional arrangement for marketing the products and services of MSEs in the national/regional and international markets.
MSEs have no access to market information/opportunities and thus miss potential market for their products.
Lack of financial and human resources, MSEs do not have the capacity for sustained advertising and promotion of their products. Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d From empirical studies the key determinants are:
Choice of Business
Education and Experience
Collaboration: Internal/External team and connections
Prior choices of Employer and geographic location Small Business Development Issues Cont’d : Small Business Development Issues Cont’d Starting Capital
General Economic Conditions Microenterprises Development : Microenterprises Development Government Initiatives
Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP).
Small Business Development Company (SBDC) in Trinidad and Tobago
Military Led Academic Training (MiLAT) and MiPART Microenterprises Development : Microenterprises Development Private Sector Initiatives
BPTT’s programme in the Mayaro and Guayaguayare district. Microenterprises Development : Microenterprises Development The National Business Information Centre (NBIC)
The Entrepreneurship Technology Institution and Incubation Centre (ETIIC)
The Centre provides the following facilities:
A Customer Service Centre:
A Resource Centre:
Computer Databases: Microenterprises Development : Microenterprises Development Educational Institutions
The National Energy Skills Training Centre and the Skills Training Division of Metal Industries Company.
Vocational Training: San Fernando Technical College and the John Donaldson Technical College and SERVOL. Creating and Entrepreneurial Environment : Creating and Entrepreneurial Environment Establishment of national micro and small enterprises boards
Implementation of a national small business policy
Introduction of entrepreneurial education in the school curriculum
Develop programmes to identify prospective entrepreneurs and business opportunities Creating and Entrepreneurial Environment : Creating and Entrepreneurial Environment Development of exclusive entrepreneurship and enterprise programmes
Management programmes for women, youth and other disadvantaged groups
Development of stronger linkages between employers'/workers' organizations and the SMEs Creating and Entrepreneurial Environment : Creating and Entrepreneurial Environment Integrate technology-based institutions with the SME sector and establish a strong networking mechanism with other promotional/ financing agencies
Development of infrastructural support services through Small Business Development Centres Development of the MSE Model : Development of the MSE Model Two SME Models were developed by Prof. Saburo Kameyama (Model for SME sector development, 2000), which were:
Micro Model: Factors that impacts on SME itself.
Macro Model: Factors that impacts on the socio-economic environment of the SME. Development of the MSE Model cont’d : Development of the MSE Model cont’d Mirco Level Sector Model
Focus placed on development tools such as: Financial Assistance
Gov’t incentive tools such as direct or indirect financial assistance or guarantee scheme and tax incentives
Marketing Assistance Chamber of Commerce, Gov’t exhibitions to promote SME and their products Technology Assistance Gov’t agencies that focuses on research and development in several business sectors
Agencies that provides education and training programmes that provided trained personnel to support the SME sector Development of the MSE Model cont’d : Development of the MSE Model cont’d Macro Level Sector Model
Focus placed on Social-economic development tools such as: Structure Adjustment
Gov’t policies that promotes productivity and demand in different sector of the economy, which impacts on GDP.
Development of Industrial Estates, Ports, Access to Roads, Electricity and Water Development via Mutli-National Companies Development of SME through linkages / trade between multi-national companies and domestic SMEs.
IT / Software development
Institutions that provides training and support to an industry that is rapidly changing and very important to the development of any developing economy. E-teck Agenda / Outlook for Entrepreneurship : Agenda / Outlook for Entrepreneurship SME continues to be of strategic importance in any economy in its growth in GDP, industrial development and its immense potential for employment generation.
The main issues in the development of SMEs in the future are:
The continued lack of access to timely and adequate credit.
New policies to restructure the industry in the context of current global economic and financial changes.
Tighter patent laws through regulation of intellectual property rights.
The creation of new economic union, which limits market access. Conclusion : Conclusion It must be recognized that the support of this country's entrepreneurial talent and spirit of enterprise could only be achieved through empowerment. Conclusion : Conclusion Development of SME sector: Importance
For strengthening leading industries
For developing future industries
It provide the impetus fir socio-economic development in the country. Thank You : Thank You QUESTIONS? |
Matches: 61 Displayed: 20
- Social Studies > History > Civil War > Civil War Letters
- Letters of the Civil War (civil-war.net)
Provides letters from soldiers to their families. 7-00
- Arabic Letters (Islam 101)
Provides the Arabic alphabet and is designed for Muslims. 9-01
- Letters, Diaries, and Memories of the Civil War (TerrysTexasRangers.org - Groves)
Provides copies of letters, diaries, memoires, recollections, and biographies related to Terry's Texas Rangers during the Civil War of the United States of America. 8-02
- Letters to the Editor (MoveOn.org)
Provides a "Letter to the Editor" form for sending to various national newspapers. 3-05
- -04-25-09 Important Find of Benjamin Franklin's Letters (CNN News)
"An American professor doing research in London stumbled across a series of previously unknown letters written by, to, and about Benjamin Franklin, a stunning find that sheds new light on early U.S. history."
"The letters cover Franklin's success in dealing with British Gen. Edward Braddock, who had been sent to Pennsylvania in 1755 to defeat the French at Fort Duquesne, in modern-day Pittsburgh." 04-09
- -03-15-15 Letters on Iran Nuclear Pact (PBS.org)
Includes a letter from White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker "warning Congress to hold off on legislation that may interfere with a final agreement on Iranís nuclear program." Also includes a letter from Republicans in the U.S. Senate to leaders in Iran, warning them not to trust any agreement being negotiated with the United States unless it is approved by Congress.
Editor's Note: Senate Republicans have also made it clear that they do not want the Obama administration to negotiate an agreement with Iran. 3-15
- Go Back and Find Your City by Selecting Letters (Example- "A B C" for Albany)
- Go Back and Find Your State by Selecting Letters (Example- "A B C" for Alaska)
- American Civil War Home Page
Includes letters, documents and battles related to the Civil War.
- Hybrid Gas and Electric Autos (Toyota)
Provides information on the new Prius, a car that runs on a combination of gas and electricity. The EPA claims that this family size car gets 55 miles per gallon. The Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) option is recommended for maximum control during adverse conditions. Awesome Library does not endorse this product, but only provides it as an example. See "Tax Break Update" at lower left for certification letters to qualify for up to a $2,000 tax deduction. 12-04
- Civil War Resources (civil-war.net)
Provides photos, battles, maps, letters, diaries, and other details of the Civl War in the USA. 7-00
- Van Gogh, Vincent - Paintings (Brooks)
Provides over 3,000 graphics by Van Gogh, including paintings, drawings, watercolors (watercolours), and letter sketches. Includes over 850 letters by Van Gogh and a biography. 9-00
- Original Sources on the Civil War - Two Communities (University of Virginia Research Project - Ayers)
Provides original sources of information, such as newspapers, letters, diaries, wills, battle maps, images, and more, to study the beliefs and issues in Augusta and Franklin counties in Virginia during the American Civil War era. The project is called "The Valley of the Shadow." 2-01
- Helping Your Children Cope in a Time of Crisis and Fear (FamilyEducation - Abel)
Provides suggestions on what to say to children by grade level. For example, it is good for older children to be able to participate in helping in some way, such as writing letters of condolence to families of victims. 9-01
- Cicero, M. Tullius (Tufts University, Pereus Project - Shuckburgh)
Provides a biography and letters written by Cicero. 7-02
- What Corporate Money Buys in Government (PBS NOW - Moyers)
"On March 2002 the U.S. Senate passed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, commonly known as the McCain-Feingold Bill. It's the biggest reform of the nation's campaign finance system since the days of Watergate. Its highlight: a total ban on the large, unregulated donations to the national Republican and Democratic parties known as soft money." Some have sued to stop this legislation and this has, in turn, revealed immense corporate power in government, purchased by corporations.
"Internal documents from the Republican and Democratic parties ó including personal letters and emails which show party officials routinely discussing policy issues and offering access to elected officials in obtaining large contributions. About 100 pages of those documents have been released so far. Many more remain secret because of the objections of some of those named in the case. But even the few that are available have been enough to cause a stir." 2-02
- U.S. and Britain Provided Fake Evidence of Nuclear Efforts by Iraq (United Press International)
"Some evidence linking Iraq to a nuclear weapons program appears to have been fabricated, the Washington Post reported Saturday. The faked evidence was described as a series of letters between Iraqi agents and officials in Niger."
"The correspondence was deemed 'not authentic' after careful scrutiny by U.N. and independent experts, Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the U.N. Security Council."
"The documents had been given to the U.N. inspectors by Britain and reviewed extensively by U.S. intelligence. The forgers had made relatively crude errors that eventually gave them away -- including names and titles that did not match up with the individuals who held office at the time the letters were purportedly written, the Post report said."
" 'We fell for it,' said one U.S. official who reviewed the documents." 3-03
- Pope John Paul II - Comprehensive Biographical Resources (The Vatican)
Provides information on his works, letters, travels, and more." 4-05
- Writing to the Media - Contacts (Congress.org)
Provides information for writing letters to the editors and other media campaigns.
- -12-18-05 Testing Wartime Limits (MSNBC News)
"In his four-year campaign against al Qaeda, President Bush has turned the U.S. national security apparatus inward to secretly collect information on American citizens on a scale unmatched since the intelligence reforms of the 1970s."
"The Post reported that the FBI has issued tens of thousands of national security letters, extending the bureau's reach as never before into the telephone calls, correspondence and financial lives of ordinary Americans. Most of the U.S. residents and citizens whose records were screened, the FBI acknowledged, were not suspected of wrongdoing."
"The burgeoning use of national security letters coincided with an unannounced decision to deposit all the information they yield into government data banks -- and to share those private records widely, in the federal government and beyond. In late 2003, the Bush administration reversed a long-standing policy requiring agents to destroy their files on innocent American citizens, companies and residents when investigations closed." 12-05 |
How to practice a speech?
In this article, I want to explain the correct way to practice a speech.
Public speaking and presentation is a skill and you can’t learn a skill without practicing it. There is no way someone can learn how to swim by sitting beside the pool, telling the others: you swim, I watch and learn!
We always see in courses that people who practice, see a better result and those who don’t, won’t get very lucky.
Rehearse a speech
There are many kinds of practices for a presentation. These rehearsals must help us find our weaknesses and eliminate them. When we practice, we know in which part we may have a problem, and we try to work on it.
The best practice to rehearse a speech is a mirror.
It means you stand in front of a mirror, look into your eyes and start your presentation. When you do, your communication skills improve, you can analyze your sentences and see your facial expressions and body language.
In this video which Laura Bergells recorded for the birth of our presentation and communication skills workshop, she talks about a few ways to rehearse a speech and improve your communication skills. You can use her advice in your presentation. |
Born around 1867, Died 1922,
Nellie Bly was the pen name of American journalist Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman. She began her career in newspapers around the age of 18 when she wrote a letter to The Pittsburgh Dispatch in support of Women's Rights. The editor of the paper liked it so much he hired her on as a reporter.
She was famous for her exploits and expose's. Some of her more memorable ones were pretending to be a thief in order to get captured. She then wrote about how the police treated women prisoners. She also pretended to be insane in order to get inside a New York City mental hospital. Her report on the conditions that patients were forced to endure and the cruelty they were exposed to eventually led to reforms being passed.
Probably her most famous exploit was her trip around the world. Her newspaper, The New York World, sent her out in order to out do Phileas Fogg, the hero of the Jules Verne novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. She made the trip by ship, train, handcart and burro in a record time of 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes.
The name "Nellie Bly" comes from the song of the same name by composer Stephen Foster. There is also a small amusement park in Brooklyn N. Y. named after her. |
With all the bad press sunshine has received in the recent years, you would think the healthiest of all creatures would be moles, cave-dwelling bats, and coal miners. Indeed, certain cultures, have spent an inordinate amount of time seeking a deep tan, that, coupled with other poor health practices, leads to premature aging of the skin and certain cancers.
Life is as dependent on sunlight as it is on water. There are multiple reasons why it is so necessary for life. All warmth on earth came from the sun's heat-producing rays, without which all life would quickly freeze and die. The sun is a mega-powerhouse of energy, a portion of which is transferred to energy in the human body. Earth receives ten times more energy from sunlight than our planet's entire supply of fossil fuels each year.1 Plants require specific segments of the color spectrum or they will fail and die. A portion of the same ultraviolet (UV) light that causes tanning and sunburning is also responsible for producing vitamin D in the body. Incidentally, UV light does not produce vitamin D through glass, so sitting in a bright spot in your home will not help you get your daily dose.
UV rays from the sun change a chemical in your skin into an inactive form of vitamin D, which is then converted in the liver and kidneys to an active form of vitamin D.2 You need it because it is an essential nutrient that helps your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. In this way, the vitamin aids in maintaining healthy bones and muscles. The vitamin is also available through supplementation, but as with other nutrients, vitamin D is best when received from the most natural of sources, in the case, the sun.
This is not an excuse to throw caution to the wind, however. Doctors Dail and Thomas3 recommend a daily sunbath of no more than 30 minutes, which is sufficient for production of vitamin D. Healthy sun exposure takes into account time of day (never during midday), temperature, weather, altitude, time of year and your skin's sensitivity to being burnt. Use common sense. It is always a good idea to discuss your plans with your doctor, especially if you are taking medications. If you are not accustomed to sun exposure, and particularly if you are light-skinned, it is a good idea to start slowly, as little as three minutes a day until you are able to increase to the thirty minute maximum. Always keep the above factors in mind and keep your eyes closed during the sunbath.
Astronaut John Glenn once said,
"I don't know what you could say about a day in which you have seen four beautiful sunsets."
Not many of us will get to have such an experience in this finite life, but in the meantime we can enjoy a bit of sunlight every day knowing that, with a little caution, we are doing good things for our bodies.
Written by Sheryle Beaudry, RN,C, BSN -Copyright © 2000
1 The Handy Physics Answer Book, P. Erik Gundersen, Visible Ink Press, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 1999, 102
2 Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, Gerard J. Tortora and Nicholas P. Anagnostakos, Harper &amp; Row, New York, 1990, 810
3 Simple Remedies for the Home, Clarence W. Dail, MD and Charles S. Thomas PhD, MMI Press, Harrisville, New Hampshire, 1985, 67 |
Government and Higher Education
Pennsylvania is governed under the constitution adopted in 1873 and amended extensively since then. The governor serves a four-year term and may be reelected for one additional term. Thomas Ridge, a Republican, was elected in 1994 and reelected in 1998. Ridge resigned in 2001 to head the U.S. Office of Homeland Security; he was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Mark S. Schweiker. A Democrat, Ed Rendell, was elected to the office in 2002 and reelected in 2006. In 2010 Tom Corbett, a Republican, was elected governor. The state legislature, called the general assembly, consists of a senate of 50 members and a house of representatives of 203 members. Pennsylvania sends 2 senators and 18 representatives to the U.S. Congress and has 20 electoral votes.
Among the state's many universities and colleges are Bryn Mawr College, at Bryn Mawr; Bucknell Univ., at Lewisburg; Carnegie-Mellon Univ., the Univ. of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne Univ., at Pittsburgh; Dickinson College, at Carlisle; Drexel Univ., Temple Univ., the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Saint Joseph's Univ., and La Salle College, at Philadelphia; Franklin and Marshall College, at Lancaster; Haverford College, at Haverford; Lafayette College, at Easton; Lehigh Univ., at Bethlehem; Lincoln Univ., at Oxford; Pennsylvania State Univ., mainly at University Park; Swarthmore College, at Swarthmore; Villanova Univ., at Villanova; and the 14 universities in the state system.
Sections in this article: |
The Art unit aims to develop Kranjians’ passion for art; thinkers who are capable to communicate visually through various means of Art making. Through these efforts of perceiving, communicating and appreciating Art, students develop the confidence to discuss, respond and connect their lived experiences with society and culture.
Teaching and Learning Syllabus
To achieve a learner-centred curriculum, the Lower and Upper Secondary Art are aligned to the three big ideas in the revised Lower Secondary Art syllabus which are:
- Art helps us to see in new ways
- Art tells stories about our world
- Art influences how we live
These ideas serve to meaningfully contextualise the components of Art learning. The inquiry-based learning approach considers the designing of the curriculum with themes carefully chosen to make Art relevant to Kranjians’ daily lives. Thus, Kranjians explored and inquired themes on the environment, SG Bicentennial, Art Represent The Unsung Heroes to honour the essential and front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, etc. The Arts Education Programme in Kranji aims to be inclusive and differentiated to cater to all students.
Secondary 1 student will learn to analyse, gather, organise and record visual stimuli in nature and the man-made environment through visual journaling. They will also learn to use the information collected to generate artworks to present their identity using traditional and digital means.
They will also experience learning photography. They will transfer the photography skills that they have acquired during lessons by manipulating the images of the self- portraits of themselves with public sculptures. The Art unit aims to provide experiential learning for students to be active learners and foster a high degree of engagement and appreciation for art.
To extend the learning of sculptures, the Secondary 1 students will be given an inquiry based task to create sculptures using recycled materials. The Art unit aims to widen the exposure of different art forms for students to express their thoughts, experiences and feelings in different ways.
Secondary 2 students will experience Game-Based Learning (GBL) that has a specific learning outcome. GBL is incorporated for students to discover creative ways to retain Art content knowledge such as Principles of Design and Compositional Strategies. This pedagogical approach is to develop students’ cognitive and social skills. The Art unit aims to conduct further investigation on the benefits of GBL to retain knowledge longer from other learning methods.
Learning beyond school@NAFA
Secondary 3 students experimented with a variety of materials, techniques and technologies to translate their ideas into visual forms and expressions.
To provide students with a professional art studio practice, Kranji partnered with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) for students to reflect what they learned in the classroom. This experience was to allow students to identify their strengths and inclinations. The Art unit aims to provide learning opportunities beyond the classroom walls.
Learning Journey to the Museum
To enable students to connect and respond to artworks, students will experience museum-based learning as part of their learning journey. This is to cultivate visual literacy skills and appreciation of the Art world. |
When Glenn Davis was 19, he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole — even though the jury deciding his fate did not agree on his guilt.
Because of a Jim Crow-era statute, a person in Louisiana could be convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison, including life without parole, on a 10-2 or 11-1 verdict.
“My life was in the hands of a treacherous system that would convict me, even though two of the jurors said, ‘Not guilty,’” Davis, now 45, said in a recent interview. “How can you say a person has been convicted beyond a reasonable doubt if one juror says, ‘Hold up. Wait! Something’s not right about this’?”
Across the United States, federal courts and 48 states require juries to be unanimous in felony verdicts. Louisiana is the only state to allow nonunanimous verdicts in murder trials. Only one other state, Oregon, allows split-jury verdicts in felony cases.
Lawmakers in Louisiana passed the split-jury rule in 1880 after the 14th Amendment guaranteed all men, including former slaves, the right to vote and serve on juries. The rule was formally entered into the Louisiana Constitution at the state’s 1898 constitutional convention, where lawmakers declared a mission to “perpetuate the supremacy ofthe Anglo-Saxon race in Louisiana.”
Over the last decade, Louisiana activists and attorneys have filed more than 20 petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the rule on behalf of inmates of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola. Those efforts have been unsuccessful, but the law could soon be overturned as Louisiana legislators, in a rare bipartisan move, passed a bill in May calling for a referendum.
On Nov. 6, Louisiana residents will be able to vote to amend the state constitution and require future juries to return unanimous verdicts for convictions in felony cases.
Advocates for changing the law say the split-verdict rule has long ensured that Louisiana is one of the prison capitals of the world, and that the law has a disproportionate impact on minority defendants and jurors.
In a review of nearly 1,000 Louisiana felony trials from 2011 to 2016, the Advocate, a newspaper based in Baton Rouge, found that about 40% of convictions by 12-member juries had one or two holdout jurors. Black defendants in such cases were about 30% more likely to be convicted than white defendants.
In Davis’ case, there were good reasons for jurors to be circumspect about his guilt.
A black teenager charged with second-degree murder in a drive-by shooting in the New Orleans suburb of Westwego, Davis was locked up on the basis of testimony from a single eyewitness — a man with a history of drug abuse and a long criminal record.
The jury, Davis said, was initially deadlocked along racial lines, with nine white jurors voting guilty and three black jurors voting not guilty. But after the judge instructed them to deliberate further and come back with a verdict, he said, the majority swayed one juror. Still, two others continued to doubt his guilt.
Davis’ conviction was eventually overturned after Innocence Project New Orleans found the state had hidden evidence that linked another man to the crime and suggested the supposed eyewitness was nowhere near the crime scene.
After serving 14 years and nine months in prison, Davis was released in 2007. He was exonerated in 2010.
“The system determined I be sent to prison for something I didn’t do,” said Davis, a truck driver and construction worker in Avondale. “My ancestors had to go through slavery, being considered three-fifths of a human being and being hung from trees and lynched right here in Louisiana. This was just a legal way, a modernized way, to continue to do the lynching, I guess.”
According to Innocence Project New Orleans, in the last 30 years split juries were involved in at least 43% of Louisiana’s exoneration cases in which a nonunanimous jury verdict was an option.
The campaign to require unanimous juries is the latest in a series of significant steps to reform criminal justice in this conservative Southern state.
This year, Oklahoma unseated Louisiana as the state with the nation’s highest incarceration rate after Louisiana lawmakers passed a landmark package of criminal justice reforms. The new laws aim to steer people convicted of less serious crimes away from prison and cut jail sentences for those who can be safely supervised in the community.
“This could change the game in a way that mass incarceration as we know it today probably won’t even exist five years from now in this state,” said Norris Henderson, a former Angola inmate who is state director of the Unanimous Jury Coalition and executive director of Voice of the Experienced, a New Orleans grass-roots group.
Ahead of the referendum, an unlikely coalition of former inmates, civil rights activists, Republican lawyers and Christian conservatives is canvassing, phone-banking, writing blog posts and running TV ads in a bid to educate voters and urge them to overturn the law.
“It is time for Louisiana to rejoin the rest of the nation,” said Ed Tarpley, an attorney in Alexandria who is a former prosecutor and a Republican. He quoted founding father John Adams: “It’s the unanimity of the jury that preserves the rights of mankind.”
When Louisiana became a U.S. territory in 1803, it required unanimous jury verdicts.
Part of the impetus for the split-jury rule was a desire for quick convictions in the years after Reconstruction. Nonunanimous juries ensured African American jurors could not use their voting power to block convictions of other African Americans, thus providing free prisoner labor as a replacement for the loss of free slave labor, said Thomas Aiello, associate professor of history and African American studies at Valdosta State University in Georgia.
“Since the 13th Amendment says you can’t have slaves and put people in bondage unless they are convicted of a crime, the white South just started saying ‘Well, we’d better start convicting people of crimes,’” said Aiello, author of “Jim Crow’s Last Stand: Nonunanimous Criminal Jury Verdicts in Louisiana.”
Unlike more rural places where it was easier to keep potential black jurors off the jury rolls because they were already disenfranchised, Louisiana had a large city, New Orleans, with a long-standing free black population.
“The idea was instead of kicking off all of the black jurors, just making black jury service impossible, we can keep the federal government off our back if we continue to let black jurors serve,” Aiello said. “But since there will only be one or two of them on the jury, their votes won’t actually matter.”
Decades later, Oregon’s nonunanimous jury law, for felony cases other than first-degree murder, was also born out of racial tension. In 1934, Oregon voters passed a measure allowing for a 10-2 jury split after a sensational murder trial in which a Jewish man accused of executing a man and a woman was spared the death sentence because of a lone holdout juror.
Attempts to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn nonunanimous jury laws have been unsuccessful. In 1972, the nation’s highest court ruled that there was no constitutional right to a unanimous verdict and that Oregon’s law did not violate due process. Later that year, it found that Louisiana’s nonunanimous verdict did not violate the “reasonable doubt” standard embodied in the 14th Amendment.
This year, some Louisiana lawmakers who voted against the referendum said that requiring unanimous juries may lead to more hung juries and costly retrials.
Louisiana Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry has indicated that he opposes any overhaul of the jury system on the basis that 10-2 jury systems are more efficient. But the Louisiana District Attorneys Assn. has taken a neutral position on the issue, and no group appears to be working publicly to keep the nonunanimous system in place.
The biggest challenge is educating people about the law, said Calvin Duncan, a former Angola inmate who is a project director at the Promise of Justice Initiative, a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform.
“People have to know this is not about being soft on crime or making it easy for the defendant to work the system,” Duncan said. “It’s about a fundamental right that everyone should have, no matter where you are in the United States. The mere fact that it was introduced to preserve white supremacy should be enough.”
Many residents interviewed in downtown New Orleans recently said they were not sure how they would vote.
“I see both sides,” said Saban Sellers, 25, an administrator for a commercial real estate firm in New Orleans, noting that 10-2 is a majority. “If 10 jurors agree, and just two think differently, how many times can you retry? On the other hand, if everyone is seeing all the facts and two people actually think he didn’t do it, then maybe he is innocent?”
Davis said he has struggled over the last 11 years to transition back into society. He hopes voters will overturn the law to require unanimous juries, forcing prosecutors to work harder to prove defendants’ guilt and persuade all 12 jurors to convict.
He said he would not want anyone “else to go through what I had to go through.” |
Watch the amazing Afiara Quartet premiere Four Elements at the Drake Underground , May 2014:
In the ancient world, the four classical elements of air, water, fire and earth were believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything can consist. While modern science has since discovered a vast amount of evidence-based knowledge that makes the old beliefs in the four elements seem antiquated and simplistic, they nonetheless have a modern resonance. In the age of climate change, nothing is as apparent as the effects of weather upon the earth – water from rising seas and melting ice caps, wind from hurricanes, and fire from drought. Four Elements is inspired by Earth, and the elements that shape it.
In Harmonices Mundi (The Harmony of the World) written in 1619 by astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler designates distinct musical motifs for the eight planets then known. Kepler’s own Terra motif, a simple three-note shape that rises and then falls a semitone, forms the fundamental musical material of this composition. The work has 5 sections: Song for Fire, Song for Air, Song for Water, Song for Earth, and Song for the Earth on Fire.
FOUR ELEMENTS was commissioned by Chamber Factory, and is dedicated to the Afiara String Quartet. |
International Mountain Day
In 1998, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2002 as the International Year of Mountains and invited FAO to serve as the lead agency for the Year, in collaboration with governments, UNEP, UNDP, UNESCO and other UN and non-governmental organizations.
The UN International Year of Mountains was a unique opportunity to draw the world's attention to the importance of mountains to life, to share information, educate people and stimulate long-term action to improve mountain lives and environments.
As lead agency for the International Year of Mountains, FAO helped to mobilize action by producing, promoting and distributing a wide range of promotional and information materials throughout the Year. Its intensive global media relations programme built awareness of the Year's key messages through newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, while its outreach programme helped NGOs, civil society and grassroots' organizations around the world communicate about mountain issues to their members and audiences.
But the International Year of Mountains was more than a communications campaign. As lead coordinating agency for the Year, FAO supported the development of 78 national committees to initiate concrete action. That action continues today. Many of these national committees have involved into permanent bodies, developing national strategic plans, creating fair polices and laws and implementing sustainable mountain development.
Importantly, FAO and its partners reinforced alliances with stakeholders in mountain issues during the International Year of Mountains. This partnership- building culminated in the launch of the Mountain Partnership (World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, September 2002). The Mountain Partnership is an international, voluntary alliance of over 220 members (countries, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, NGOs and the private sector) taps the wealth and diversity of its collective resources, information, knowledge, and expertise to bring positive change to the world's mountain areas. FAO hosts the Secretariat to support the Mountain Partnership. |
Subsets and Splits