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Noroviruses inflict diarrhoea and vomiting on hundreds of millions of people worldwide every year. Now, the gut cells targeted by the virus have finally been identified in mice. Noroviruses are known to infect the immune cells of mice by binding to a receptor called CD300lf, but that receptor has never been found in the cells lining the gut. Craig Wilen at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, and his colleagues used a fluorescent marker to identify mouse gut cells that express CD300lf. The tags revealed that noroviruses infect tuft cells, a rare type of cell in the gut lining. This also explains a puzzling observation from previous studies: why mice infested with intestinal worms tend to experience worse norovirus symptoms than mice without worms. Worm infestation leads to a proliferation of tuft cells, providing more cells for the virus to infect. The finding also offers an explanation for why antibiotics that reduce tuft-cell proliferation alleviate norovirus infection.
An ectotherm, from the Greek εκτός (ektós) "outside" and θερμός (thermós) "hot", is an organism in which internal physiological sources of heat are of relatively small or quite negligible importance in controlling body temperature. Such organisms (for example frogs) rely on environmental heat sources, which permits them to operate at very economical metabolic rates. Some such animals live in environments in which temperatures are practically constant, as is typical of regions of the abyssal ocean. In contrast where temperature varies so widely as to limit the physiological activities of other kinds of ectotherms, many species habitually seek out external sources of heat or shelter from heat; for example, many reptiles regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun, or seeking shade when necessary in addition to a whole host of other behavioral thermoregulation mechanisms. In contrast to ectotherms, endotherms rely largely, even predominantly, on heat from internal metabolic processes. In ectotherms, fluctuating ambient temperatures may affect the body temperature. Such variation in body temperature is called poikilothermy, though the concept is not widely satisfactory and the use of the term is declining. In small aquatic creatures such as Rotifera, the poikilothermy is practically absolute, but other creatures have wider physiological options at their disposal, and they can avoid ambient temperature changes, or moderate their effects. \|Thermoregulation in animals\| Various patterns of behavior enable certain ectotherms to regulate body temperature to a useful extent. To warm up, reptiles and amnthoids find sunny places and adopt positions that maximise their exposure; at harmfully high temperatures they seek shade or cooler water. In cold weather, honey bees huddle together to retain heat. Butterflies and moths may orient their wings to maximize exposure to solar radiation in order to build up heat before takeoff. Gregarious caterpillars, such as the Forest Tent caterpillar, benefit from basking in large groups for thermoregulation. Many flying insects, such as honey bees and bumble bees, also raise their internal temperatures endothermally prior to flight, by vibrating their flight muscles without violent movement of the wings (see insect thermoregulation). Such endothermal activity is an example of the difficulty of consistent application of terms such as poikilothermy and homiothermy. In addition to behavioral adaptations, physiological adaptations help ectotherms regulate temperature. Diving reptiles conserve heat by heat exchange mechanisms, whereby cold blood from the skin picks up heat from blood moving outward from the body core, re-using and thereby conserving some of the heat that otherwise would have been wasted. The skin of bullfrogs secretes more mucus when it is hot, allowing more cooling by evaporation. During periods of cold some ectotherms enter a state of torpor, in which their metabolism slows or, in some cases, such as the Wood Frog, ineffectively stops. The torpor might last overnight or last for a season, or even for years, depending on the species and circumstances. Advantages and disadvantages Ectotherms rely largely on external heat sources such as sunlight to achieve their optimal body temperature for various bodily activities. Accordingly they depend on ambient conditions to reach operational body temperatures. In contrast endothermic animals as a rule maintain nearly constant high operational body temperatures largely by reliance on internal heat produced by metabolically active organs (liver, kidney, heart, brain, muscle) or even by specialized heat producing organs like brown adipose tissue (BAT). Also as a rule, ectotherms have lower metabolic rates than endotherms at a given body mass. As a consequence, endotherms generally rely on higher food consumption, and commonly on food of higher energy content. Such requirements may limit the carrying capacity of a given environment for endotherms as compared to its carrying capacity for ectotherms. Because ectotherms depend on environmental conditions for body temperature regulation, as a rule they are more sluggish at night and in early mornings. When they emerge from shelter, many diurnal ectotherms need to heat up in the early sunlight before they can begin their daily activities. In cool weather the foraging activity of such species is therefore restricted to the day time in most vertebrate ectotherms, and in cold climates most cannot survive at all. In lizards, for instance, most nocturnal species are geckos specialising in "sit and wait" foraging strategies. Such strategies do not require as much energy as active foraging, and do not as a rule require hunting activity of the same intensity. From another point of view, sit-and-wait predation may require very long periods of unproductive waiting. Endotherms cannot in general afford such long periods without food, but suitably adapted ectotherms can wait without expending much energy. Endothermic vertebrate species are therefore less dependent on the environmental conditions and have developed a higher variability (both within and between species) in their daily patterns of activity. Contrast between thermodynamics and biological terminology Note that because of historical accident, students encounter a source of possible confusion between the terminology of physics and biology. Whereas the thermodynamic terms "exothermic" and "endothermic" respectively refer to processes that give out heat energy and processes that absorb heat energy, in biology the sense is effectively inverted. The metabolic terms "ectotherm" and "endotherm" respectively refer to organisms that rely largely on external heat to achieve a full working temperature, and to organisms that produce heat from within as a major factor in controlling their bodily temperature. - Davenport, John. Animal Life at Low Temperature. Publisher: Springer 1991. ISBN 978-0412403507 - Jay M. Savage ; with photographs by Michael Fogden and Patricia Fogden. (2002). The amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica : a herpetofauna between two continents, between two seas. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press. p. 409. ISBN 0-226-73538-9. - Milton Hildebrand; G. E. Goslow, Jr. Principal ill. Viola Hildebrand. (2001). Analysis of vertebrate structure. New York: Wiley. p. 429. ISBN 0-471-29505-1. - McClure, Melanie; Cannel, Elizabeth; Despland, Emma (June 2011). "Thermal ecology and behaviour of the nomadic social forager Malacosoma disstria". Physiological Entomology 36 (2): 120–127. - Hut, RA; Kronfeld-Schor, N; van der Vinne, V; De la Iglesia, H (2012). "In search of a temporal niche: environmental factors.". Progress in brain research 199: 281–304. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-59427-3.00017-4. PMID 22877672.
There are circumstances when symmetrical encryption, that is where both sender and recipient use the same secret key to encrypt and decrypt messages, is the most practical and safest method for encrypting email. Whenever a message sender, who is known by cryptographic custom as Alice, wishes to write an end-to-end encrypted email to a recipient, customarily known as Bob, one of two cryptographic systems can be used. The simpler is symmetric encryption in which Alice and Bob have a single secret key, which is used by both of them to encrypt and decrypt messages. The obvious shortcoming of symmetrical encryption is that before Alice and Bob can email, they need to meet up – or have some other safe channel – through which to communicate the secret key. Asymmetrical encryption solves that problem. Both Alice and Bob have two mathematically related keys, one private one public. For Alice to send Bob an encrypted message she ascertains his public key and encrypts her message using it. The message can only be decrypted using Bob's private key, which he keeps secret and safe. It would seem, then, that asymmetrical encryption, involving no prior secret exchange of keys, enjoys a clear advantage, and for many purposes it does. But there are a number of things that can go wrong with asymmetrical encryption, which can't happen with symmetrical encryption – or at least can’t happen when the secret symmetric key is agreed face-to-face. Let us look at what can screw up with asymmetric encryption: 1. Alice is sending Bob a message encrypted with Bob's public key. However she needs to authenticate it; i.e. prove the message is from her. Precisely because Bob's public key is public anybody could encrypt a message using it and then impersonate Alice. To prevent that, Alice “signs” the message using her own private key. To decrypt the message Bob uses his private key; and to verify the authenticity of the message he needs Alice's public key. The difficulty is solved, but only at the expense of complexity. With symmetric encryption signing and verification are not necessary because the ability to encrypt and decrypt using the single secret key is proof of authenticity. 2. Before Alice can email Bob she needs to find Bob's public key, which may be on his website or in some other public place. But how can Alice be sure that the website or key server has not been tampered with, and that she is not encrypting the message with a key that can be read by somebody else? Equally, when Bob needs to find Alice's public key from a public place to verify the message, how can he know it is genuine? If Alice and Bob had agreed a symmetric key face-to-face the issue of tampering and impersonation would not arise. 3. It could happen that Alice or Bob believe that their private key is no longer secret and safe. If someone else had acquired it, all his or her incoming mail could be read, but revoking the key from a public place is not easy. To be successful, everyone who has or might use it needs to know of the revocation and of the replacement. With symmetric encryption, compromising one key only affects the two parties involved; they can then easily set up a new key – and maintain different levels of security for each key used with different people. Alice's communication with Bob can be kept more securely than her communication with Bill, for instance. Asymmetric public key encryption therefore brings with it a number of difficulties not suffered by symmetric encryption. The sole disadvantage of symmetric encryption is that Alice and Bob need to agree a secret key face-to-face or through some other safe channel. But in many cases that it is no difficulty at all. It may well be that Alice and Bob meet in person as well as send emails. Alice and Bob could be lovers, or they could be members of a political action group which is under surveillance by security agencies. There is no safer form of email encryption than for Alice and Bob to meet, agree a twenty-character long password consisting of random numbers and letters, and for both of them to keep it secret and safe and to use it to encrypt and decrypt their text emails.
On Dec. 11, 1998, the Mars Surveyor program launched the first of its two missions for the 1998/1999 launch window. Named the Mars Climate Orbiter, the spacecraft carried two more Mars Observer instruments. During its orbit insertion on Sept. 23, 1999, Climate Orbiter disappeared. Unlike the Mars Observer case, JPL knew within hours what had happened. A computer program in the ground control system had been written to use English Engineering Units (feet, pounds, etc.) instead of NASA-mandated metric (meters, kilograms, etc.). This had caused the spacecraft to be just far enough off course to hit the atmosphere while going into orbit. The Climate Orbiter was the first mission JPL had ever lost to a navigation error. Director Ed Stone had John Casani, who had been project manager for Voyager and Galileo, immediately start a detailed review of the second mission, which was already on its way to Mars. This was the Mars Polar Lander, launched Jan. 3, 1999. Stone hoped Casani and the small team he assembled would be able to identify and fix anything that might be wrong with Polar Lander in the short period of time before it reached Mars. The Polar Lander's target was the south polar region of Mars. It used a Viking-like lander equipped with a landing rocket and legs. In addition to the lander, it consisted of a cruise stage that would fly past Mars after releasing the lander, and two Deep Space 2 surface penetrator probes. They were also released by the cruise stage and entered the atmosphere independently of the lander. The Polar Lander disappeared Dec. 3, 1999, apparently crashing onto its landing site. The spacecraft had not been designed to provide telemetry during its descent so a definitive cause could not be found. But a test on duplicate hardware at Lockheed suggested that the most likely cause was a software fault that had shut off the descent rocket too early, causing the spacecraft to fall the last 60 meters (about 65 yards) or so to the surface. The penetrator probes were also lost without a trace. After these losses, NASA overhauled the Mars program, adding more money while reducing the objectives for the 2001 mission to a single orbiter. This marked the end of Faster/Better/Cheaper management for Mars.
The history of Thanksgiving presents parents and teachers with a wonderful opportunity to explain the relevance of the Thanksgiving traditions in a contemporary context. In addition, an understanding of Thanksgiving history can explain the more universal human need to give thanks to a higher being for the good things in our lives. Traditional Thanksgiving Themes The story of Thanksgiving is a fascinating pastiche of human interest: it highlights the passions and aspirations that unite us as human beings, regardless of creed or background. Thanksgiving history is also about human endeavor and pulling together in times of adversity. Historical Thanksgiving Plays The ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews and Egyptians all had their own versions of Thanksgiving celebrations, giving thanks to the various deities that directed their lives. Today, Christians across the globe celebrate Thanksgiving with prayers, religious feasts, Thanksgiving plays, skits and other activities. Twenty-first century Thanksgiving activities vary from community to community, but all focus in one way or another on the importance giving thanks in a modern and turbulent world. Modern Thanksgiving Skits Engaging a young audience and holding their interest, especially with a historical theme, is quite a task! Teachers, Sunday school teachers, local community organizers and parents all understand how difficult it is to choose themes for Thanksgiving plays or Thanksgiving skits that will fire their kids imagination and encourage them to become involved in the true spirit of Thanksgiving. The solution is to choose a theme with contemporary relevance and to tailor the topic to meet the needs of a global and multicultural society. Thanksgiving Play Ideas Possible themes for Thanksgiving plays, Thanksgiving skits or other Thanksgiving activities include: Human Endeavor and Triumph over Adversity: Action-packed Thanksgiving plays of the swashbuckling variety have universal appeal for audiences of all ages. When scripting this particular genre of Thanksgiving play, try to concentrate on the original Pilgrims hazardous sea voyage and subsequent battle with the elements both on land and sea. Draw parallels with modern day struggles for survival, whether physical, emotional or spiritual. Human endeavor and triumph over adversity against all odds is a theme with which all age groups can identify. Counting Our Blessings: Thanksgiving plays with a central theme of “counting our blessings” offer a real opportunity for each and every one of us to take time out to reflect and give thanks for the blessings we all enjoy in our everyday lives. If handled sensitively, this Thanksgiving theme can give fresh hope and perspective to those who are in need, lonely or simply feeling down. Family Values: By following the Pilgrim”s example, other families, groups, and communities worldwide can learn how to pull together and support each other through adversity. When families or groups unite, they can become stronger than their strongest individual member. Teamwork during tough times is an enduring Thanksgiving theme that can be easily adapted in Thanksgiving plays and Thanksgiving skits. Thanksgiving Plays for Families Are you struggling to come up with topics for Thanksgiving skits that will appeal to all the family? The following scenario may help: Re-enact the heartwarming story of the Abnaki Indian brave called Samoset who came to the rescue of the Plymouth Pilgrims on that famous day in Thanksgiving history, March 16th, 1621. Following a cruel winter, the surviving Pilgrims were weak, sick and dispirited. By some kind of providence, an English speaking Indian visited their settlement. He greeted the Pilgrims with the word “Welcome.” The Pilgrims were confused and alarmed until the stranger explained that, although he was of Indian origin, he had mastered the English language by talking to English fishermen and crew members around the coast. The following day, Samoset returned to the settlement with a fellow Indian called Squanto, who also spoke English. Squanto had picked up the language when visiting England and Spain. According to Thanksgiving history, the Plymouth Pilgrims would not have survived without the help of Squanto. He taught them how to cultivate the local terrain as well as which plants were poisonous and edible or medicinal. The moral of this Thanksgiving skit is one of altruism and the generosity of the human spirit that transcends color, nationality or creed. Other Thanksgiving Activities The story of Thanksgiving is one of the most exciting sagas in the history of America. Revive the age-old art of spontaneous storytelling by reading or telling your kids the story of the Plymouth Colonys adventures at sea and how they came to settle on American soil: - Emphasize the importance of harmonious relationships between natives and settlers. - Ask your audience to give examples of how they can be kinder to those people fleeing religious persecution and political discrimination. - Invite participation. - Discuss the need for greater compassion and understanding on an international level. - Above all, seize the opportunity to stress not only the importance of Thanksgiving Day but also its relevance in the twenty-first century.
In most cases of blindness, the majority of the eye is intact. The problem lies in the layer of light-sensitive cells in the back of the eye, called the retina. A variety of diseases lead to the degeneration of the retina, and vision decays along with it, even though the nerves that would take signals from the retina to the brain remain intact. There have been many ideas on how to use those nerves to restore some level of vision to people with retinal degeneration. These range from biological (using genetic engineering to make other nerve cells in the eye responsive to light) to electronic (using an external camera to send signals to an implant that activates the nerves). This week, researchers from Italy have reported something somewhere between the two: a photovoltaic polymer that acts as a replacement retina, no wires required. The design of the new device is remarkably simple. The authors started with silk since it provides a biocompatible material that cells can grow around and attach to. On top of that, they layered a conductive polymer [poly(3,4-ethylene- dioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate)]. And on top of that, they added an organic semiconductor—poly(3-hexylthiophene)—that acts as a photovoltaic material under ambient light conditions. When implanted in the retina, incoming light would lead to a local buildup of charge, which should cause the underlying nerve cells to fire. To test this theory out, the authors used a breed of rats that is genetically prone to retinal degeneration. The researchers surgically implanted their device into the rat retinas so that it covered about 10-15 percent of the back of the eye. After giving the eye a chance to heal up, they tested whether the rats could respond to light. By every measure, they could. While their untreated siblings had severe vision problems due to retinal degeneration, those with the implants saw a degree of vision restored. For example, the authors tested the response of the animals' pupils, which should narrow when exposed to light. At very low intensity (one lux, a bit more than you'd get from a full Moon), the rats with the implants didn't show any more of a response than their untreated siblings. By four lux, however, the pupil closure was almost as strong as you'd see in a healthy rat. This sort of pattern—good, but not quite as good as the original retina—held for a variety of tests. These include the rats' tendency to avoid brightly lit areas and a response to a pattern that tested spatial resolution. The researchers were also able to determine that the visual cortex of the brain was activated by the implants. For these tests, they performed an implant in only one of a rat's two eyes. They were then able to show that the visual cortex on the opposite side of the head from the implant showed the activity. That's exactly what you'd expect, since the nerves from our right eyes extend to the left side of the brain and vice versa. There was also no sign of inflammation, and the implant remained in place for six months. While retinal implants had been tested previously, the first generation relied on external hardware with wires running into the back of the eye. Later versions also used photovoltaics, but they were sensitive to wavelengths or intensities of light that aren't common in daily life; one version even required an external laser to operate. They were often metallic or rigid as well. The surprising thing is that the authors aren't entirely clear how the generation of charges by the photovoltaic layer gets translated into nerve activity. Clearly it's working, but they admit that "the detailed principle of operation of the prosthesis remains uncertain." The other issue, of course, is that we can't ask a rat what it's seeing or compare its implant-driven vision to what it saw prior to retinal degeneration setting in. Still, there are a variety of other visual tests that can be done to tease out just how well these rats are seeing. And as some of the earlier generations of implants were tested in humans, there's a chance that something like this may eventually make its way into patients.
Of earth’s two vast ice sheets, Antarctica is perhaps the more mysterious. From the icy surface to the ocean below, there are several different ways the ice sheet is shrinking. How these processes compare is key to knowing how fast melting ice sheets are raising sea levels worldwide – and a new study out today may help to shed a bit more light. Ice sheets and sea level rise There is huge scientific interest in monitoring how the ice sheets are changing because when ice on land melts it drains into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise. But while Greenland is relatively well understood, at the other end of the planet in Antarctica the picture is a little less clear, the report concludes. Antarctic ice shelves To understand how most of the ice is lost from Antarctica, a new study just published in the journal Science looks to the ice shelves that surround 75 per cent of the continent. Ice shelves are floating extensions of land ice that act as buttresses, stopping ice flowing from the interior straight out into the ocean. Ice shelves line 75 per cent of the Antarctic coastline. The biggest ones are the Ross and Ronne-Filchner ice shelves, marked here in red and dark blue. Source: National Snow and Ice Data Centre Traditionally, scientists thought large chunks of solid ice breaking off the ice shelves was the main source of ice loss from Antarctica – a process known as iceberg calving. But there’s another way. As the ocean below the ice shelves warms, the ice melts from the bottom up – something scientists call basal melting. With melting from the top and bottom, some ice shelves are getting noticeably thinner, says the new study. The paper looked at both processes of ice loss across 99.5 per cent of Antarctica’s ice shelves between 2003 and 2008. Overall, the scientists found basal melting caused 55 per cent of ice loss, although they saw quite a lot of variation between regions. This makes bottom-up ice shelf melt the largest source of ice shelf loss in Antarctica, the paper suggests. Previous studies have estimated the contribution to be more like 30 per cent, or even as low as 10 per cent. Calling the new findings “a game changer”, lead author on the paper, Professor Eric Rignot from the University of California Irvine, explains what this means for scientists’ understanding of the ocean surrounding Antarctica – the Southern Ocean. He tells us: “[T]he role of the Southern Ocean in controlling the evolution of ice shelves, thereby the evolution of the ice sheet as a whole, is more significant than estimated previously. This places more emphasis on understanding the evolution of the state of the Southern Ocean”. The scientists found smaller ice shelves melted more than large ones. Giant ice shelves like the Ross, Filchner and Ronne occupy two thirds of the total ice shelf area but accounted for just 15 per cent of melting. Half of the meltwater came from 10 smaller ice shelves occupying just eight per cent of the total area. An uncertain ice sheet If Antarctica melted completely, scientists estimate it could add about 58 metres to global sea level. At the moment, satellite data indicates the Antarctic ice sheet is losing ice but only at a rate of about 0.2 mm per year – more than three times slower than Greenland. That’s partly because different parts of the ice sheet are changing in different ways. Even though ice shelves in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula are melting and breaking apart, this doesn’t contribute directly to sea level rise as they are already floating on water. But their thinning accelerates ice flow from the many glaciers in the continent’s interior, which does raise sea levels. Warmer air overlying the ice also causes melting on the surface. Nearly half of the ice shelves In East Antarctica are thinning too, according to the new paper. But satellite data indicates the mass of ice in East Antarctica is growing overall thanks to an increase in snowfall. But scientists warn there are still lots of uncertainties about these estimates. So monitoring the contribution of different processes – and how they’re likely to change in the future – is critical for producing reliable projections of sea level rise. Updated 14th June 09:55 GMT to include a quote from lead author Professor Eric Rignot.
Strategies for Building Content Vocabulary Do you have students who struggle memorizing academic vocabulary? Do they switch meanings or struggle with multi-syllabic spelling? Read-on for some fun, pull-out games you can play to ensure that your students master those tricky words. 1. Make flashcards with a picture on one side and the word on the other (students make) : Put six cards down. Student closes eyes. Take one away. Which one is missing? If the cards are picture up, they must resond with the word. Symbiosis is missing. 2. With the flashcards play Go Fish. Does anyone have Symbiosis? (if a student does, then they must respond with its definition) 3. Fishing game: On a table have the definitions. Each student gets a string with sticky tape on the bottom. Each time they get a card, they have to fling the string in order to hit the definition. Wacky but fun. In order to memorize the spelling, here’s a great trick that works for kids with processing delays. Have them write the word on ten different surfaces including: the air, their jeans, the rug, etc. Once they’ve written it on ten different surfaces, for many it sticks.
Collared brown lemurs live in multimale-multifemale groups of around 3 to 12 individuals, although group sizes of 29 individuals have been observed. Breeding is seasonal with mating occurring between June and July. The gestation period is approximately 120 days, with infants born between September and November (4). A single offspring is usual, although twins have been reported (2). Collared brown lemurs reach sexual maturity between one and two years, and the lifespan in the wild is thought to range between 20 and 25 years (2) (4). This species is cathemeral, meaning it is active at varying times throughout the day and night. Fruit forms the bulk of this lemur’s diet (5), although young leaves, flowers, bark, sap, soil, insects, centipedes and millipedes may also be eaten (6).
Cultural Materialism – ‘an anthropological school of thought (or “research strategy”) that says that the best way to understand human culture is to examine material conditions – climate, food supply, geography, etc.’ (link) From Charles C. Mann’s 1491, an interesting perspective on the potato; another foodplant that ‘doesn’t belong‘ outside (perhaps) of its home in South America, but was adopted – apparently – for the relative social benefits it conferred when compared to the other major introduced species feeding the growth of civilisation: The staple crop of the [Peruvian] highlands was the potato, which unlike maize regularly grows at altitudes of 14,000 feet; the tubers, cultivated in hundreds of varieties, can be left in the ground for as long as a year (as long as the soil stays above 27°F), to be dug up when needed. Even frozen potatoes could be used. After letting freezing night temperatures break down the tubers’ cell walls, Andean farmers stomped out the water content to make dried chuño, a nigh-indestructible foodstuff that could be stored for years. (The potato’s cold tolerance spurred its embrace by European peasants. Not only did potatoes grow in places where other crops could not, the plant was an ally in smallholders’ ceaseless struggle against the economic and political elite. A farmer’s barnful of wheat, rye, or barley was a fat target for greedy landlords and marauding armies; buried in the soil, a crop of potatoes could not be easily seized.) (pp.225-6) More info from Wikipedia: Following the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, the Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the second half of the 16th century. The staple was subsequently conveyed by European mariners to territories and ports throughout the world. The potato was slow to be adopted by distrustful European farmers, but soon enough it became an important food staple and field crop that played a major role in the European 19th century population boom. Across most of northern Europe, where open fields prevailed, potatoes were strictly confined to small garden plots because field agriculture was strictly governed by custom that prescribed seasonal rhythms for plowing, sowing, harvesting and grazing animals on fallow and stubble. This meant that potatoes were barred from large-scale cultivation because the rules allowed only grain to be planted in the open fields. In France and Germany government officials and noble landowners promoted the rapid conversion of fallow land into potato fields after 1750. The potato thus became an important staple crop in northern Europe. Famines in the early 1770s contributed to its acceptance, as did government policies in several European countries and climate change during the Little Ice Age, when traditional crops in this region did not produce as reliably as before. At times when and where most other crops failed, potatoes could still typically be relied upon to contribute adequately to food supplies during colder years. I suppose a key factor undermining the potato’s egalitarian potential is its storability: if it can be stockpiled (to any degree – even if less so than grains) this basically invites an elite group to come along, stick surpluses in a guarded barn and deny access to anybody refusing to pay tribute (as Richard Manning put it: ‘Agriculture was not so much about food as it was about the accumulation of wealth’). Naturally, this would only work if they also found ways to deny access to comparable plants freely available in the wild. (Destroying non-agricultural land to plant more potatoes would be a good start…) Here’s either Ray Mears or Gordon Hillman writing in Wild Food, the book accompanying the BBC series: Roots were an extremely important food source for our ancestors. In Britain we have more than 90 indigenous species of edible root of which most were probably used by the combined populations across the country. Evan an individual band of hunter-gatherers probably used 20-30 species in the course of their annual round. Compare this to our present-day diet, in which root foods are dominated by a single introduced species – the potato – and in which our cultivated carrots, turnips, swedes and radishes were probably much later additions, domesticated in the Mediterranean Basin from where they were introduced into Britain, although wild forms were native here. The bland taste of these domestic forms probably appeals to a lot of palates in contrast to the broad range of distinctive and often strong flavours offered by wild roots. (pp.80-1) Of course, decentralised self-sufficiency and a degree of social equality aren’t much good to you if you’re dead. Ask the Irish about the dangers of relying too heavily on a few varieties of non-native foodplants. Not that they had much choice in the matter: The Celtic grazing lands of… Ireland had been used to pasture cows for centuries. The British colonised… the Irish, transforming much of their countryside into an extended grazing land to raise cattle for a hungry consumer market at home… The British taste for beef had a devastating impact on the impoverished and disenfranchised people of… Ireland… Pushed off the best pasture land and forced to farm smaller plots of marginal land, the Irish turned to the potato, a crop that could be grown abundantly in less favorable soil. Eventually, cows took over much of Ireland, leaving the native population virtually dependent on the potato for survival. If cultures are what they eat, what kind of food staples would lead to the least hierarchical social organisation? The above seems to suggest: as many different ones as possible, and the more uncontrollable (perishable), localised and wild the better. Food for Freedom! – Indeed, Mann doesn’t mention that conquistadors later made use of it as a ‘convenient food for slaves in the Spanish silver mines and sailors on the Spanish galleons’ (link) – in this instance the plant acted less as an ‘ally’ than a collaborator with the enemy in the indigenous struggle against a foreign ‘economic and political elite’.
Fur Seal Range - Average life span in the wild: - 12 to 30 years - 4 to 10 ft (1.2 to 3.1 m) - Up to 700 lbs (317 kg) - Group name: - Did you know? - Mother seals and pups find each other using a familiar call. A study in Alaska found that mothers and offspring were still able to recognize each others' calls even after a separation of four years. - Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man Please add a "relative" entry to your dictionary. There are many species of seals named for the fine fur that makes them so attractive to hunters. The large northern fur seal, found in chilly northern waters, was hunted to near extinction during the 19th century. These animals were protected by law in 1911, and populations later rebounded to 1.3 million animals. There are eight species of southern fur seals, all smaller than their northern relative. They include the Guadalupe fur seal of Baja California, the South African fur seal, the South American fur seal, and the Australian fur seal. Fur seals have sharp eyesight and keen hearing. They have small ears, unlike the earless or hair seals. Although they breathe air, seals are most at home in the water and may stay at sea for weeks at a time eating fish, squid, birds, and tiny shrimp-like krill. Fur seals may swim by themselves or gather in small groups. When breeding season arrives, however, these social animals gather on shore in very large numbers. Powerful males, known as bulls, establish territories and gather harems of up to 40 females, battling their rivals to establish dominance. During this season, coastlines are filled with roaring, growling, honking seals. Female fur seals, or cows, give birth during this breeding season, then mate again just a few days later. The following year they will return to give birth to a single pup after a nearly yearlong pregnancy, and mate once again to continue the cycle. Many fur seal populations have not rebounded from extensive hunting, and now face additional threats from climate change and overfishing, which can limit their prey. The loss of animal species is irreversible and potentially catastrophic, not to mention heartrendingly sad. Where do we stand? Face the facts with this quiz. The Hawaiian monk seal is one of the oldest species of seal on the planet. But their tenure in paradise is perilously close to its end; only about 1,100 seals remain in the wild. They’re rarely seen. Even less often photographed. Bryde’s whales rocket through Pacific shallows to gorge on fish. Dive in for more. Find out what National Geographic Society is doing to save animals all over the world, and learn what you can do to help.
Astronomers have discovered direct evidence of water on the dwarf planet Ceres in the form of vapor plumes erupting into space, possibly from volcano-like ice geysers on its surface. Using European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory, scientists detected water vapor escaping from two regions on Ceres, a dwarf planet that is also the largest asteroid in the solar system. The water is likely erupting from icy volcanoes or sublimation of ice into clouds of vapor. "This is the first clear-cut detection of water on Ceres and in the asteroid belt in general," said Michael Küppers of the European Space Agency, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain, leader of the study detailed today (Jan. 22) in the journal Nature. [See more photos of the dwarf planet Ceres] The research has implications for how Ceres formed, and supports models that suggest the planets moved around a lot within the solar system during its formation, Küppers told SPACE.com. Ceres, a dwarf planet or giant asteroid (depending on the definition used), is the largest object in the asteroid belt, orbiting at 2.8 astronomical units (the distance from Earth to the sun). The "snowline" is thought to partition the solar system into dry objects inside the asteroid belt, and icy objects such as comets further out. But the finding of water on Ceres suggests more mixing has occurred. Scientists have suspected that there is a substantial amount of water on Ceres for about 30 years. A study found hints of water in the form of hydroxide, a product of water's dissociation, on Ceres in 1991, but the finding wasn't confirmed by later observations. Now, Küppers and his colleagues have confirmed the finding. The researchers used the Herschel Space Observatory's spectrometer to look for signals of water. Clouds of water vapor around Ceres absorbed the heat that radiates from the dwarf planet, which Herschel's instrument detected. The team found that Ceres produces about 2×10^26 molecules, or 13 lbs. (6 kilograms), of water vapor per second from its surface. One possible source of the water is icy volcanism. "It is like volcanism in that hot material from the interior is 'spat out' to the surface," Küppers said — much like a geyser. But these icy volcanoes eject water vapor instead of molten rock, he said. Another possibility is that ice near the surface of Ceres sublimes, or goes directly from a solid to a gas, dragging with it dust from the surface and exposing more ice. A similar process occurs on comets. "I personally consider cometary-style sublimation the most likely source, because I find it difficult to maintain the internal heat over the age of the solar system to maintain volcanoes," Küppers said, but he added that more studies were needed. NASA's Dawn spacecraft, set to go into orbit around Ceres in early 2015, could answer some questions about the water on Ceres. Dawn recently visited the asteroid Vesta, a baked world whose surface is covered with volcanic eruptions. "One of the most puzzling questions about the origin and evolution of asteroids is why Vesta and Ceres are so different," astrophysicists Humberto Campins and Christine Comfort at the University of Central Florida in Orlando wrote in an article in the same issue of Nature. Water vapor can transport a lot of heat, so when Ceres formed 4.6 billion years ago, sublimation of water ice might have dissipated much of its heat into space, Campins and Comfort wrote. "This would have stopped Ceres from ending up with an igneous surface like that of Vesta." Detecting water on Ceres supports models of the solar system in which giant planets, such as Jupiter, migrated to their current positions, mixing material from the outer and inner regions of the solar system. This mixing could have moved Ceres and Vesta far from the sites where they formed. Ceres probably formed close to its current position, but accreted material from further out, Küppers said. The findings also suggest that asteroids may have delivered some of the water in Earth's oceans.
NASA named the site where the twin GRAIL spacecraft crashed in honor of the late astronaut Dr. Sally K. Ride, the first American woman to fly in space. GRAIL was the first NASA planetary mission to include cameras dedicated to education and public outreach. Dr. Ride led this component until her death in July 2012 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Called MoonKAM, the program allowed middle school students nationwide to use cameras aboard the GRAIL spacecraft to snap detailed pictures of the Moon’s barren, cratered surface. Sally Ride Science, the science education company founded by Dr. Ride in 2001, continued her work in collaboration with undergraduate students at the University of California, San Diego, after her passing. The location where the spacecraft crashed, on the southern face of a mountain near the Moon’s north pole, will be officially known as the Sally K. Ride Impact Site. The twin robotic spacecraft that mapped the Moon’s gravity field were deliberately sent crashing into a huge mountain near the Moon’s north pole The Sally K. Ride Impact Site is on the southern face of an approximately 1.5-mile-tall (2.5-kilometer-tall) mountain near a crater named Goldschmidt. GRAIL Principal Investigator Maria Zuber (left) and Bear Ride, the sister of late astronaut Sally Ride, were on hand as the GRAIL twin spacecraft successfully completed their mission and crashed into the Moon. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
What is causing climate change? Geological records stretching back millions of years indicate a number of large variations in Earth’s climate. These have been caused by many natural factors, including changes in the sun, volcanoes, Earth’s orbit and CO2 levels. However, research by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that it is 90% likely that human activity has caused more recent global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions Evidence that CO2 emissions are the cause of global warming is very robust. Scientists have known since the early 1800s that gases in the atmosphere trap heat. Global CO2 emissions from human activity have increased by over 400% since 1950. As a result, the concentration of CO2 in the air has reached more than 400 parts per million by volume (ppm), compared to about 280ppm in pre-industrial times (pre-1750). The Earth’s natural climate cycle Over the last 800,000 years, there have been natural cycles in the Earth’s climate. There have been ice ages and warmer interglacial periods. After the last ice age 20,000 years ago, average global temperature rose by about 3°C to 8°C, over a period of about 10,000 years. We can link the rises in temperature over the last 200 years to rises in atmospheric CO2 levels. Rises in temperature are now well above the natural cycle of the last 800,000 years. The sun is the primary source of Earth’s heat, so relatively small changes in solar output can affect our climate. Satellite observations since the late 1970s have shown a slight decrease in the sun’s total energy output. However, instead of cooling, the Earth has warmed over this period. Also, warming from the sun would heat all of the atmosphere, including the lowest few kilometres (the troposphere) and the layer above (the stratosphere). Observations show that the stratosphere is in fact cooling while the troposphere warms. This is consistent with greenhouse gas heating and not solar heating. Trends in stratospheric temperature since systematic measurements began, from eight different datasets.
This is part of a sequence of posts developing a new project for Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics called BEAM 6. BEAM 6 will be a non-residential, four-week summer program for underserved 6th grade students in New York City. You can find the other posts about its design here. In about seven months, there will be 100 sixth-grade students all ready to learn math. Almost exclusively, their mathematics educations so far will be designed around memorizing procedures and passing tests. We have four weeks to change their lives. What should we do? No pressure or anything. It’s rare in education to get an opportunity to work with motivated, talented students with no outside requirements. We can design the program that is best for them. This is the first post developing BEAM 6, and so we will set down the program goals. Goal: Teach Them to Think Deeply If students leave the program and they have not learned about logical reasoning, I will feel exceptionally disappointed. I want students to grasp ideas of deductive reasoning. This might be my single biggest goal. I also want to change the way they think about mathematics. For many students, math problems are defined by the solution method. “Oh, this is an addition problem.” “Oh, this is a related rates problem.” “Oh, this is a Pythagorean theorem problem.” This thinking leads to oversimplification and memorizing procedures. It makes it more difficult to solve multi-step problems. Students should engage with the question, understand the problem independent of its solution, and accept or reject solution paths because they do or don’t solve the problem. This leads to the broader question of mathematical communication. For example, the equals sign. Students often interpret the equals sign as asking a question. In elementary school, it is always used as “2 + 5 = ?”. By algebra, the question changes — “2x – 3 = 15” means “solve for x” — but the equals sign is still primarily used to express a question. Students don’t realize that “25 + 7 = 32” is a statement that can be true or false; that the purpose of = is not to ask a question but rather to give a statement. The result is a failure of both communication and conceptualization. These goals are less mathematically sophisticated than BEAM 7’s goals. This is in part because the students are younger. It’s also to build synergy with BEAM 7. Students often come out of BEAM 7 with a strong grounding in abstract mathematics but still well behind peers in school-based math. For example, students often do well taking a number theory course at CTY or going to a program like MathPath, but do relatively poorly in a contest like MATHCOUNTS. BEAM 6 can close that gap and set students on a path to deepening their facility with school-based math. Goal: Help Them Love Math People love math because it is beautiful; because it is thrilling to challenge yourself with a hard problem that you finally solve; and because it is interesting to see how it applies to the real world. We must show students what math really is. That it is not about memorization or following procedures. That it is beautiful and creative and exciting. A love of math will carry you far, and we should develop it in the students. Goal: Develop Their Self-Identities In my experience, self-identity drives a lot about a person. More than just thinking something is “cool,” self-identity can push someone to pursue an interest; it can create resilience to failure; it can drive life decisions. If we can develop self-identities in our students as scholars, and furthermore as scientists and mathematicians, they are much more likely to succeed on that path. What contributes to developing self-identity? Here are some thoughts: - Interest/passion for a topic. - A feeling of self-efficacy; confidence in your abilities. - Membership in a distinctive community. - Role models. - A sense of future (where will it take you?). We should harness all of these within the program. We have special expertise in creating a mathematical community. To drive students’ further engagement, creating a very strong community will be essential. Goal: Develop Independent Learners A summer program cannot alone cover the mathematical education of all these students. If they will be successful, they must continue to pursue learning after the summer is done. Students should be connected with resources for further study, such as Art of Problem Solving. They should get used to these tools during the summer and be encouraged to continue using them when they’re done so that they continue to get better. These goals feel right. They cover what I feel is very important to develop in young mathematicians. However, they are not complete. While program elements will be tied into these goals, as the program development continues we will also find new goals that we want to achieve. These will be included below as updates to this post.
Teaching Argument Writing: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning by George Hillocks, Jr. (Heinemann, 2011 – Learn more) Let’s face it, nobody can argue like middle school students. They come to us armed with the ability to form an opinion and defend it. Whether or not their opinion or defense is rooted in sound evidence or critical thought is another issue entirely. Faced with the Common Core challenge of developing quality opinion writers, Teaching Argument Writing Grades 6-12 helps the reader begin to clarify his/her own definition of quality argument writing and explore exemplar lessons that are rooted in meaningful academic discourse and critical thinking. Hillocks subscribes to Stephen Toulmin’s conception of argument writing, found in The Uses of Argument, which includes the following elements: - A claim - Based on evidence of some sort - A warrant that explains how the evidence supports the claim - Support for the warrant(s) - Qualifications and rebuttals or counter arguments that refute competing claims. After taking a closer look at each element, Hillocks moves the reader through high-interest lessons and transcripts of classroom discussions leading students to apply the Toulmin elements in developing their own arguments. Though Hillocks begins with an exemplar lesson that middle school teachers may find grisly (solving a murder mystery based on forensic evidence in the drawing provided), there is no doubt that Hillocks has a knack for finding content that will engage middle grades students in spirited discussion (choosing a school mascot, defining heroism, etc.) Through exploration of these lessons in action, Hillocks leads the reader through scenarios moving from simple arguments of fact to more complex arguments of judgment and policy. Common Core Implications Perhaps most relevant to those preparing for Common Core implementation is the last chapter, “Argument and Interpretation: Teaching Students How to Make Literary Judgments.” In this chapter, Hillocks notes evidence from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) which shows that while American students can read text at a literal level fairly well, when it comes to making inference, they “fail miserably.” In the exemplar lesson that Hillocks shares, the teacher uses text to teach students to think interpretively about literature. This leads to what I found to be the “juiciest morsel” of the book, a brief section on the systematic planning of instructional units. Hillocks shows teachers the step-by-step planning process for development of an inquiry-based argument unit rooted in text evidence. Long on Discourse, Short on Assessment Each exemplar argument lesson focuses heavily on students developing an understanding of the overarching concept and arriving at common definitions of important terms. While the development of common understanding and construction of common background knowledge is no doubt important, I found myself wading through lengthy transcripts of student comments and discussions and longing for more information about the writing assignments themselves and more examination of student work. I was expecting a more practical guide that might include rubrics, checklists for argument writing, or an appendix of usable classroom resources based on the exemplar lessons within. More Theory Than Practice Though not the practical, portable “take immediately to the copy machine” guide I was expecting, the book did help me begin to wrap my brain around what quality argument in the classroom sounds and looks like. It does a good job illustrating what students whose opinions are rooted in founded claims sound like and how they begin to formulate thoughts that will inform effective argument writing. This book will get you thinking! And that’s a good place to start for teachers who have previously focused on expository writing or the old notion of persuasive writing. Jaime Greene is the Middle School and High School Instructional Coach for Hamblen County Schools in Morristown, Tennessee. She has delivered professional development regionally on topics including instructional strategies, constructed response, middle school writing, and student motivation.
These games teach valuable skills and have a high fun and educational rating. Your child learns about conversion of his/her weight on different planets in the solar system. Your child learns about the scientific concepts of speed and velocity by watching this fun and informative music video. Your child learns about the 3 forms of matter by watching this fun animated music video showing different, common occurrences of solid, liquid, and gas. Your child will watch Bill Nye explain magnetism. Your child will learn a variety of topic in science by watching Sid the Science Kid videos. Your child will watch Bill Nye explain planets and moons. Your child will understand basic concepts about physical behavior of objects by playing a variety of physics games. Your child develops an understanding of the cell cycle by helping aliens decide which step is appropriate to follow. Your child will learn about simple machines like wheels, pulleys, ramps, and levers.
Whole School approach to Reading - High Reliability Literacy Teaching Procedures (HRLTPs) Glenroy College has a whole school approach to Literacy where everyone is responsible for the teaching and learning of literacy. The teaching of Literacy is underpinned by the application of the High Reliability Literacy Teaching Procedures from Professor John Munro of Melbourne University. All classes focus on Getting Knowledge Ready and Clarifying Vocabulary for reading. Reading Aloud is important to give a visual and auditory input to the brain. Students learn to Paraphrase text and to Say and Write Questions that the text answers. This shifts the responsibility for reading to the students. Summarising the text and Reviewing what they have read are the final stages of these regular routines for dealing with written text. The High Reliability Literacy Teaching Procedures (HRLTPs) are seven procedures that support students to improve their literacy abilities. Staff at Glenroy College have spent considerable time learning the strategies and are expected to plan for and use them in their lessons. In particular, in any subject, when students are asked to read a piece of text, teachers need to embed the seven strategies within the lesson plan. The seven strategies are: Getting Knowledge Ready, Vocabulary, Reading Aloud, Say questions text answers, Paraphrasing, Summarising and Review. Glenroy College has a set of agreed tasks that teachers can use to support implementation of the HRLTPs into their classroom practice. - I Predict This Text Will Be About…. Question – what questions - Literal – on the line - Inferential – between the lines - Evaluative- beyond the lines - What Words Do You Need To Clarify? - Summary of main point Our use of On Demand and Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) online testing has enabled us to create detailed information about the progress of each student in Reading. Each student is tracked from Year 7 to 10. By closely monitoring the results, students feel more supported in their efforts to improve their levels. On Demand reading data is used to inform planning of class lessons. Analysis of this data over the past 3 years shows significant improvement in reading levels. These results are available for parents to see at Parent/Teacher interviews. Language support program We recognise that Oral language is the foundation for literacy. We have an extensive program to support year 7 & 8 students to speak fluently and effectively. To support students to follow instructions, staff have agreed to a consistent board layout for each class to assist students who need the visual display of instructions to back up the oral instructions. As part of this program, students are given opportunities to visualise what they are reading or hearing. A range of resources is available for all levels of literacy. Varied activities: vocabulary, shared reading, play reading, graded comprehension cards, tutor systems, reading games, fluency timed reading and charts, grammar reviews, note-taking, read and retells etc. Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge Every year students in years 7-9 have an opportunity to take part in the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge. The Premiers' Reading Challenge encourages children to read a set number of books and record their efforts online. It's a great way to get young people talking about reading with their friends and pushing themselves to read as many books as they can. Take the Challenge, read, record what you've read and vote for your favourite books. If the Challenge is met, the Premier of Victoria will send you a certificate of achievement. To meet the Challenge you need to read fifteen books by a set date and keep a record of them. We know that reading is critical to the development of our kids. It’s why the Challenge is so important. It helps children understand the world around them, developing their language skills and nurturing their imagination.
LEFT: Above left: Adult A. mali are affected by most of the tested reduced-risk pesticides. RIGHT: The parasitic wasp Aphelinus mali attacks woolly apple aphids and leaves black, swollen aphid mummies behind. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BEERS, WSU Pesticides are an important tool to protect crops from pest damage. While pesticides are aimed at killing pests, their chemistries and use must meet regulations and not pose harm to humans and nontarget organisms. For this reason, organophosphate insecticides like azinphos-methyl (Guthion) have been or are being phased out, and newer “reduced-risk” chemistries have been registered as replacements. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criteria, these reduced-risk pesticides are safer for humans, birds, and fish, but they can have negative impacts on natural enemies like lacewings and predatory mites, resulting in secondary pest outbreaks. Our five-year Specialty Crop Research Initiative project “Enhancing Biological Control in Western Orchards” evaluated whether certain reduced-risk pesticides disrupt the biological control of secondary pests. In a series of laboratory experiments, we tested the effects of five insecticides and two fungicides on adult and immature stages of eight natural enemy species. Just as pesticides kill pest insects or mites, they can also kill beneficial insects and mites. These natural enemies can be exposed to pesticides by direct contact, contact with residues, or ingestion. Direct contact occurs when the natural enemy is sprayed with the pesticide. Natural enemies are exposed to pesticide residues when they walk on treated leaves or fruit. They can also ingest a pesticide that has contaminated their prey or other food sources (e.g., pollen) or when they groom themselves. Most assessments of pesticide effects on natural enemies consider only acute toxicity, meaning, how many organisms die within 48 hours of exposure. For example, our laboratory tests consistently showed that Warrior (lambda-cyhalothrin), a synthetic pyrethroid, has a high level of acute toxicity to many natural enemies. But, we also found that if a pesticide does not immediately kill a natural enemy, it can disrupt its biology in other ways. These sublethal effects can result in chronic mortality, or death that occurs beyond 48 hours after exposure. We discovered that exposure of lacewings and ladybird beetles (adults and larvae) to Altacor (chlorantraniliprole) caused chronic mortality, while it had a low impact on the other natural enemies, for example the predatory mirid bug Deraeocoris brevis and spiders. Sublethal effects can also cause a reduction in the number of eggs laid or the number that hatch. Although Rimon (novaluron), an insect growth regulator, did not kill lacewing adults, it prevented nearly 100% of the eggs from hatching. We also found that Exirel (cyantraniliprole) reduced both the survival of ladybird beetles and the number of eggs laid. Pesticides sometimes prolong the development of the immature stages, or even change the sex ratio of the offspring. For example, Exirel was found to increase the developmental time of convergent ladybird beetle larvae by about 20% and shift the sex ratio of Deraeocoris brevis to 72% females compared with 42% for untreated insects. Overall, we found that the effects of a pesticide cannot be generalized for all natural enemies. Lacewings can be affected differently than ladybird beetles or predatory mites. Moreover, immature stages can be more susceptible than adults, making timing of pesticide applications a key factor in minimizing impacts. And parasitic wasps that develop inside their hosts, and are therefore somewhat protected, can be impacted differently than general predators or predatory mites. All the acute and sublethal effects of pesticides have consequences on the population of a natural enemy, and, ultimately, the natural enemy’s ability to control secondary pests. To simplify matters, we summarize all effects into the overall impact on population growth. Imagine a natural enemy population that grows from 10 to 100 individuals in one generation when not exposed to any pesticides. If the same natural enemy were exposed to a pesticide, population growth might be suppressed and only increase to 20 individuals due to acute and/or sublethal pesticide effects. And, depending on the percent reduction in population growth, we can assign the risk of a pesticide to a natural enemy as low, moderate, or high. Our laboratory results represent a worst-case scenario where an individual natural enemy had no way to escape pesticide exposure. In orchards, natural enemies might escape pesticides, because sprays rarely cover 100% of the tree surface. Therefore, we do not claim that our laboratory results exactly predict what would happen in an orchard, but we do believe that they provide a reasonable estimation of a pesticide’s relative risk to a natural enemy population. When our results indicate either low or high pesticide impacts, we are confident that the risk of disrupting biological control in the orchard will be either minimal or high. However, when a pesticide’s effects fall into the “moderate impact” category, predictions of disruption are more difficult. We conducted field studies and were able to confirm some of our laboratory findings, but more often than not, results were inconclusive because of too many uncontrolled variables. Besides spray coverage, other factors can further modify a pesticide’s risk to natural enemies and influence whether biological control will be disrupted in an orchard. These include how many generations a natural enemy has each year, how fast it can recolonize an orchard after treatments, how long a pesticide’s residue affects the natural enemy, and how often and exactly when in the season the pesticide is applied. Some of these factors are the focus of current research projects. Through this research, we realized that we are just scratching the surface in understanding how pesticides affect natural enemies. Future work will produce additional information to develop a more precise and dynamic disruptive index for each pesticide and natural enemy. With natural enemy models (see “Use of natural enemy models is a new tool for IPM” in the March 1 issue of Good Fruit Grower), we will soon be able to predict when susceptible stages are present in orchards and thus when to use low-risk pesticides. New monitoring tools that we have developed (see “Natural enemy inventory” in the February 15 issue) will reveal which natural enemies are present and when, and what impact management practices have on their populations. Although we have already drawn some meaningful conclusions from our research, understanding the complete picture will take more time. All information we have available will be integrated as recommendations, databases, guides, videos and more on our project Web site (enhancedbiocontrol.org), in the WSU Crop Protection Guide, and on the WSU Decision Aid System. To find out more about pesticide effects, visit our Web site, http://enhancedbc.tfrec.wsu.edu/, and look for more project information in the next two issues.This is the sixth article in an eight-part series highlighting results of a five-year Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to enhance biological control of orchard pests. The project involves researchers from Washington State University, Oregon State University, University of California Berkeley, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Yakima, Washington.
Astigmatism is an uneven curvature of the cornea and causes a distortion in vision. To correct this, a lens is shaped to correct the unevenness. Why does vision worsen as we age? As we grow older, the lens becomes less elastic. It loses its ability to change shape. This is called presbyopia and is more noticeable when we try to see things that are close up, because the ciliary body must contract to make the lens thicker. The loss of elasticity prevents the lens from becoming thicker. As a result, we lose the ability to focus on close objects. At first, people begin holding things farther away in order to see them in focus. This usually becomes noticeable when we reach our mid-forties. Eventually, the lens is unable to move and becomes more or less permanently focused at a fixed distance (which is different for each person). To correct this, bifocals are required. Bifocals are a combination of a lower lens for close vision (reading) and an upper lens for distance vision.
The drawing shows a cross-section of the crust, and the unusual altitude variation of the Martian surface. The figure illustrates the depth of frozen ground at various latitudes, called the cryosphere. The Martian geography is one of high altitudes at high southern latitudes and low altitudes near the equator. The ground is less frozen at the lower latitudes because it is warmer near the equator and water can evaporate. Thus, the frozen ground is only 2.5 km deep at the Martian equator while it is 6 km deep at the south pole. To have liquid water running on the surface of Mars, the water region must be exposed to the surface. This may have happened at various times in the history of Mars as the climate changed.
Particle Motion Simulation Using A Priori Collision Detection This Demonstration implements a physics collision detection device using a priori (continuous) collision detection to simulate the motion of particles in 2D. You can have up to six particles at the same time moving inside a closed unit square. Collisions between particles and the walls can be elastic or inelastic. The masses of the particles can be the same or different (randomly generated). No friction and gravity are neglected, hence the speed of the particles is the same after collisions. Four buttons are used to control the Demonstration. You select the number of particles and the radius of the particles, and then click "run" to see the motion in 2D. All the particles have the same size. You can change the collision from elastic to inelastic using the slider for the coefficient of restitution. You can see the current position, speed, and mass of each particle as it moves by using the checkbox labeled "annotation". As this is not a real-time simulation, keeping the frame rate synchronized with the time of collision in order to achieve smooth motion all the time was difficult. The occasional jumps in motion can be reduced by keeping the simulation speed slow (i.e., keeping the simulation time step size small). David Morin, Introduction to Classical Mechanics: With Problems and Solutions, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. David Eberly, Game Physics, 2nd ed., New York: Morgan Kaufmann, 2010.
These two pictures show sunspots on the Sun. Sunspots only form near the Sun's equator. They never form near the Sun's poles. Click on image for full size Images courtesy of SOHO/NASA/ESA. The Sun's Poles Earth has a North Pole, a South Pole, and an equator. The Sun does too! Some things are different at the Sun's poles from the way they are near the Sun's equator. The Sun has a magnetic field. The Sun's magnetic field has a North Magnetic Pole and a South Magnetic Pole. About every 11 years, the Sun's magnetic poles flip. North becomes South and South becomes North. Did you know that the Sun has spots? Sunspots are dark places on the "surface" of the Sun. The magnetic field around sunspots is much, much stronger than normal. Sunspots only show up near the Sun's equator. We never see sunspots near the Sun's poles. The Sun is a bit like a huge ball. However, it is not a solid ball. It is a ball made of gas and plasma. Some parts of the Sun-ball spin around faster than other parts. The part near the equator spins fastest. Places near the poles spin around more slowly. The Sun has an atmosphere. The Sun's atmosphere near the poles is different from its atmosphere near the equator. The corona is part of the Sun's atmosphere. The corona sticks out further from the Sun's surface near the equator. The corona doesn't stick out as far above the poles. The solar wind is also different at the poles. It "blows" much faster above the poles than it does above the Sun's equator. Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!Cool It! is the new card game from the Union of Concerned Scientists that teaches kids about the choices we have when it comes to climate change—and how policy and technology decisions made today will matter. Cool It! is available in our online store You might also be interested in: The force of magnetism causes material to point along the direction the magnetic force points. Here's another picture of how this works. This picture shows where the magnetic poles of the Earth are to...more Text for this level has not been written yet. Please see the "Intermediate" text for this page if you want to learn about this topic. To get to the "Intermediate" text, click on the blue "Intermediate"...more Sunspots are dark spots on the Sun. They may look small, but they are actually as big as a planet like Earth or Mars! Sunspots are "dark" because they are colder than the areas around them. Of course,...more Most of the energy we receive from the Sun is the visible (white) light emitted from the photosphere. The photosphere is one of the coolest regions of the Sun (6000 K), so only a small fraction (0.1%)...more You probably have magnets on your refrigerator holding up some of your artwork or a photograph of a friend or family. Did you know that it is magnetic fields (which all magnets have) that make sunspots...more Solid is one of the four common states of matter. The three others are gas, liquid, and plasma. There are also some other exotic states of matter that have been discovered in recent years. Unlike liquids...more Plasma is known as the fourth state of matter. The other three states are solid, liquid and gas.Almost everything is made up of atoms (your dog, your science book, this computer...). The atom has a nucleus...more
EVANSTON, Ill. — Researchers at Northwestern University have placed nanocrystals of rock salt into lead telluride, creating a material that can harness electricity from heat-generating items such as vehicle exhaust systems, industrial processes and equipment and sun light more efficiently than scientists have seen in the past. The material exhibits a high thermoelectric figure of merit that is expected to enable 14 percent of heat waste to electricity, a scientific first. Chemists, physicists and material scientists at Northwestern collaborated to develop the material. The results of the study are published by the journal Nature Chemistry. “It has been known for 100 years that semiconductors have this property that can harness electricity,” said Mercouri Kanatzidis, the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry in The Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. “To make this an efficient process, all you need is the right material, and we have found a recipe or system to make this material.” Kanatzidis, co-author of the study, and his team dispersed nanocrystals of rock salt (SrTe) into the material lead telluride (PbTe). Past attempts at this kind of nanoscale inclusion in bulk material have improved the energy conversion efficiency of lead telluride, but the nano inclusions also increased the scattering of electrons, which reduced overall conductivity. In this study, the Northwestern team offers the first example of using nanostructures in lead telluride to reduce electron scattering and increase the energy conversion efficiency of the material. “We can put this material inside of an inexpensive device with a few electrical wires and attach it to something like a light bulb,” said Vinayak Dravid, professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and co-author of the paper. “The device can make the light bulb more efficient by taking the heat it generates and converting part of the heat, 10 to 15 percent, into a more useful energy like electricity.” The automotive, chemical, brick, glass and any industry that uses heat to make products could make their system more efficient with the use of this scientific breakthrough, said Kanatzidis, who also has a joint appointment at the Argonne National Laboratory. “The energy crisis and the environment are two major reasons to be excited about this discovery, but this could just be the beginning,” Dravid said. “These types of structures may have other implications in the scientific community that we haven’t thought of yet, in areas such as mechanical behavior and improving strength or toughness. Hopefully others will pick up this system and use it.”
When it comes to computers, it’s imperative to have a bit of knowledge of its terms and their meanings behind them. While there’s a plethora of hardware and software technology terms to fully comprehend computers as a whole, there are basic acronyms and words to help you better understand your computer. Here are a few: URL, as we all know is simply a web address. But the acronym is known as Uniform Resource Locator. It can also be known as Universal Resource Locator. SSH is known as Secure Shell. This protocol gives the administrator secure access and control over their servers over the internet. If unknown sources attempt to hack into the server, the code will jumble up to confuse the source. ELI5 is an acronym in technology known as “Explain Like I’m 5”. It means to simplify certain complex topics. BSOD, or Blue Screen of Death is an error that shows up on your monitor as a blue screen. This unfortunate error usually indicates your system has crashed. IP Address is also known as Internet Protocol Address. This is a series of numbers which are identified to a local network or device. The identification connects to your online activities. Cache/Cookies seem like intriguing terms for the computer world. They’re not harmful, but these files are created and saved by websites you visit. In addition, the websites can track visits. Thankfully, these cache/cookies can be cleared when certain issues ensue, such as pages not loading. CPU is the Central Processing Unit that pertains to the memory and control of the computer. This hardware allows the user to utilize the programs and apps installed. UI, or User Interface, can be applied to a visual display of a computer as a whole (monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.). It can also mean apps and the internet and how users engage with those products and services. VPN is also called Virtual Private Networking. This network allows users to acquire privacy while they’re online. It gives security and peace of mind when you are on a public Wi-Fi connection. OS is known as the Operating System software. For example, Windows 10 and MacOS are both operating systems. The software connects with the hardware, keeping your PC working the best it can for you. More terminology will be added throughout the year, so check back in! For any computer related issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285. Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Arvada Computer Repair Service, if you need better SEO or computer repair in Arvada, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.
Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer which develops from immature nerve or neuroblasts primarily in the adrenal gland, neck, abdomen chest, pelvis or spinal cord. The infected cells may spread to other organs such as the bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin. The immature malignant cells are mostly found in. . . .+ Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that develops from immature nerve cells found in several areas of the body. These nerve cells are in their early developmental stages, found in embryo or foetuses. The word neuroblastoma consists of two terms where ‘neuro’ refers to nerves, and ‘blastoma’ refers to a cancer that affects immature cells. Cancer treatments can cause several changes to your body. There are some side effects of each type of cancer treatment, which different people experience differently. As you prepare yourself for cancer treatment, you may benefit from these coping strategies. Chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer. The term ‘chemotherapy’ refers to the drugs that prevent cancer cells from dividing and growing. It works by killing the cells that divide in an uncontrolled way. Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that develops in certain types of nerve tissue. It mostly starts from one of the adrenal glands, but can also develop in the neck, chest, or abdomen. The adrenal glands are located on top of each kidney. They’re part of your endocrine system that produces certain hormones. Neuroblastoma is a rare disease characterized by uncontrolled or abnormal cell growth resulting in the formation of a lump or mass called solid tumor. Children who undergo three or more kinds of treatment for neuroblastoma are at risk of developing severe side effects and late effects of the treatment. Neuroblastoma is the most common malignant neoplasm that mostly occurs in neonates. Fetal neuroblastoma and neonatal neuroblastoma are the two types of congenital neuroblastoma in children. Congenital neuroblastoma in children is usually diagnosed within one month of birth. The cells responsible for neuroblastoma formation are called neuroblasts. Stage 4 neuroblastoma is also called high-risk neuroblastoma. At this stage, the cancer has spread to distant body parts like distant lymph nodes, bone, liver, skin, bone marrow etc. Stage 4 neuroblastomas are highly aggressive and have a survival rate of less than 50%.
This material must not be used for commercial purposes, or in any hospital or medical facility. Failure to comply may result in legal action. Early Childhood Cavities Early childhood cavities (ECC) are holes or decay that form in or on your child's teeth. This usually happens before he or she is 6 years old. The cavities can start as soon as the tooth starts to erupt (push through the gum tissue). ECC is sometimes called night bottle mouth or baby bottle tooth decay. Cavities are caused by bacteria. The bacteria mix with carbohydrates from foods and create acids. The acids break down areas of enamel, which covers the outside of a tooth. Common signs and symptoms: The earliest signs are white spots along the gum line, near the upper front teeth. You may not be able to see these spots. Your child may not have any symptoms if cavities have just started to form. When cavities reach deeper parts of your child's tooth, he or she may have pain. Your child may also have any of the following: - Pain when your child chews or eats hot or cold foods - Chalky white, yellow, or brown tooth - Gum swelling Seek care immediately if: - Your child has severe pain in his or her tooth or jaw. - Your child has swelling in his or her jaw or cheek. Call your child's dentist if: - Your child has a fever. - Your child's tooth pain gets worse. - You have questions or concerns about your child's condition or care. Treatment for ECC is important, even in baby teeth. Healthy teeth at a young age will help your child have healthy teeth as an adult. Depending on your child's age, he or she may need any of the following: - A fluoride treatment may be given during dental visits. Your child may use products with fluoride at home. Your child's dentist will tell you what kind of fluoride your child needs and how to use it. - A filling may be placed in your child's tooth after the decayed portion is removed. The filling may help to protect your child's tooth from more decay. - A root canal may be needed if the tooth is infected or the decay is severe. Help prevent ECC: - Bring your child to the dentist 2 times each year. Your child should start seeing a dentist when you see the first tooth, or by 1 year of age. A dentist can find and treat problems early. This may help prevent dental cavities. The dentist can give your child a fluoride treatment to help prevent cavities. - Do not put your child to bed or nap time with a bottle. Breast milk, formula, and fruit juice contain sugars. If your child falls asleep with a bottle, these liquids can sit in his or her mouth and cause cavities. Instead, hold your child while you feed him or her. Wipe his or her teeth with a clean washcloth after the feeding. Then put him or her down to sleep. - Give your child healthy foods and drinks. Choose foods and drinks that are low in sugar. Read food labels to help you choose foods that are low in sugar. Limit candy, cookies, and soda. Do not dip your child's pacifier in sugar, syrup, or any other sweetened liquid. - Limit fruit juice as directed. Fruit juice is high in sugar. Do not give your baby fruit juice in a bottle. Do not give your child fruit juice in a cup he or she can carry around during the day. Limit fruit juice to 4 ounces a day from 6 months to 1 year. Limit to 4 to 6 ounces a day from 1 year to 6 years. - Teach your child to drink from a regular cup as early as possible. Your child should be able to drink from a cup by 12 months. A regular cup will make your child slow down to drink carefully. This means he or she will drink sugary liquids more slowly than from a bottle or sippy cup. How to brush your child's teeth: - From birth to 1 year, use a clean washcloth to wipe your baby's gums. You can start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as they start to appear. Use a baby toothbrush with a soft head. Put a small amount (the size of a grain of rice) of fluoride toothpaste on the toothbrush. Go over the teeth with a washcloth to remove any remaining toothpaste. Brush 1 time each day. - From 1 to 3 years, your child needs to have his or her teeth brushed 2 times each day. Brush your child's teeth with a children's toothbrush and water. Your child's healthcare provider may recommend that you brush his or her teeth with a small smear of toothpaste that contains fluoride. Make sure your child spits all of the toothpaste out. He or she does not need to rinse with water. The small amount of toothpaste that stays in your child's mouth can help prevent cavities. - From 3 to 6 years, your child needs to have his or her teeth brushed with fluoride toothpaste 2 times each day. You should also floss your child's teeth 1 time each day. Brush for at least 2 minutes. Apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush. Make sure your child spits all of the toothpaste out. He or she does not need to rinse with water. The small amount of toothpaste that stays in your child's mouth can help prevent cavities. Follow up with your child's dentist as directed: Write down your questions so you remember to ask them during your visits. © Copyright IBM Corporation 2021 Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. All illustrations and images included in CareNotes® are the copyrighted property of A.D.A.M., Inc. or IBM Watson Health The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you. Learn more about Early Childhood Cavities (Ambulatory Care) IBM Watson Micromedex Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
In this entertaining title, readers will learn about Mother Goose, rhyme schemes, and metered verse. They will look for the logic in nonsense words and be guided through the process of writing their own nursery rhymes. This lively book shows readers how repetition and word sounds contribute to a limericks impact. Students will discover methods they can use to find appropriate rhymes, and then use them to compose their own limericks. Children will find this book a lot of fun to write! After researching information about animal life, students will then formulate the questions that they would ask animals in an interview. They can then pretend to interview animals about the foods they eat, the ways they move and hide, and the challenges they face to survive. This book teaches interviewing techniques and how to ask questions using the words why, when, where, what, who, and how. Children will be inspired to write creatively and use their imaginations in new ways. Idioms, adages, and proverbs are common expressions and sayings that have meanings beyond what can be understood by their individual words. This insightful title identifies the purpose of each figurative language form and provides strategies to help young readers decode the meanings of these nonliteral expressions. Designed to bolster reading comprehension and enhance writing skills, this imaginative title helps children identify and decipher the meaning of similes. Accessible text and engaging examples support a solid understanding of this figurative language form. This appealing title helps children identify and understand the meaning of metaphors. Examples familiar to children are used to help them learn how to decode this often tricky figurative language form and distinguish it from a simile. Understanding metaphors will expand children's reading comprehension and give them skills to add creativity to their writing. Attributing human qualities or characteristics to an object or idea is a form of figurative language called personification. This creative resource provides readers with strategies to recognize and decode this literary device. Imaginative examples and vibrant images make the words in this book “leap off the page!“ List poetry includes a number of forms that rely on parallel structure, repetition, and line breaks. This fascinating book gives readers useful instructions for writing a variety of list poems, including acrostics, biopoems, and riddle poems. This fun book provides a logical plan for creating concrete poems - a poetic form in which the text creates a shape that mimics its subject. Tips are included for choosing workable topics, arranging words on the page, and making the most of white space. Haiku is a form of short poem that features a set number of syllables. This engaging book describes how to create haiku focusing on setting, seasonal words, and making every word count. As they write their own haiku, readers will learn what else matters besides counting syllables. In this delightful book, readers will learn how to write poems in a five-line poetic form called a cinquain. Examples help show budding poets how to condense text while using natural sentence structure in writing their own cinquains. Easy-to-understand text encourages concrete language, highlights imagery, and provides hints for creating effective titles. Political maps are often the first kind of maps children learn about. These maps identify the boundaries of countries, states or provinces, and cities, as well as such physical features as lakes and oceans. Detailed, up-to-date maps and clearly written text help readers understand how to use political maps to solve problems. Realistic fiction is a defined as a story that is not true, but could happen in real life. This exciting title encourages budding young writers to draw inspiration from the world around them to develop characters and plot. Engaging writing activities provide guidelines for readers to create their own realistic fiction stories. Adventure stories are exciting stories that take readers on a journey out of the ordinary and into the dangerous unknown. This action-packed book introduces young writers to the elements of an adventure story and provides fun ideas for writing a daring tale of ones own! Science fiction stories incorporate science and technology that take readers into new worlds where anything can happen. In this fun title, key elements of science fiction are explored using sample texts. Step-by-step instructions help readers compose science fiction stories that are out-of-this-world! How To Write a Fantasy Story is an engaging title that identifies the common features that make this genre so imaginative and distinctive. Step-by-step writing prompts guide readers through the writing process as they create their own fantasy stories. A drama is a story that is experienced by an audience as a performance. In this engaging title, readers will explore acts, dialogue, stage direction, and other elements that define this genre. Mentor texts and writing prompts guide readers as they compose their own show-stopping dramas. A myth is a story that attempts to explain a natural phenomena - such as how the world was created. Myths often include supernatural characters who have extraordinary powers. How To Tell a Myth is an engaging title that introduces readers to myths from around the world and highlights the common elements that make up this genre. Step-by-step instructions help readers create their own myths. This exciting title introduces readers to the folktale genre. Readers will learn that folktales are often passed down and retold from generation to generation. Readers will discover the similarities and differences between folktales from around the world. The title also includes guided writing activities to help readers write their own folktales. A fable is a short story that teaches the reader a lesson. The characters in a fable are often animals that speak and act like humans. How To Tell a Fable is an engaging title that uses fables from around the world to help readers identify the conventions of this genre. Readers are guided through a series of writing tasks to learn how to incorporate these same conventions in their own writing. A legend is a story about a hero, a people, or a natural phenomena. Popular legends include King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Blackbeard, and Robin Hood. This exciting new title teaches readers about the common characteristics found in legends from around the world. Engaging writing activities guide readers as they use these characteristics to create their own legends. In this informative book, readers will focus on figurative language and using all the senses to create vivid details. Students will also use brainstorming techniques to choose exciting topics and write their own free verse poems. This easy-to-understand book introduces young readers to poems that tell stories. Students will explore story elements in poem form. They will also learn how to break poetry into lines and stanzas to write their own narrative poems. Writing this how-to book will not only motivate children to live healthier, happier lives but will also encourage them to share with others what they have learned. Children will learn how to eat a rainbow and be shown how to write healthy recipes for others to try. They can share how they play their favorite sports and games using point-form instructions. They will also share ways to be kind to their families, friends, and the planet. Writing a book is a great way to internalize knowledge. Children will learn and teach others how to live their best possible lives. Maps can show more than just cities - they can also show you what the landscape looks like in different areas. Physical maps use colors and symbols to identify landscape features like forests, plains, valleys, deserts, mountains, and bodies of water. Full-color maps and accessible text help readers understand the specific features of physical maps.
Cancer refers to a broad group of diseases in which body cells grow out of control and are or become malignant (harmful). Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States (heart disease is first). Current estimates say that 30 percent of all Americans will develop some kind of cancer in their lifetimes. The most common forms are cancer of the skin, lungs, colon and rectum, breast, prostate, urinary tract, and uterus. Exactly what causes all cancers has not yet been found. Evidence suggests, however, that cancer could result from complex interactions of viruses, a person’s genetic make-up, their immune status and their exposure to other risk factors that may promote cancer. These risk factors include: - Exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, nuclear radiation, X-rays, and radon. - Use of tobacco and/or alcohol (for some cancers). - Use of certain medicines such as DES (a synthetic estrogen). - Polluted air and water. - Dietary factors such as a high fat diet, specific food preservatives, namely nitrates and nitrites; char-broiling and char-grilling meats. - Exposure to a variety of chemicals such as asbestos, benzenes, VC (vinyl chloride), wood dust, some ingredients of cigarette smoke, etc.). - Do not smoke, use tobacco products or inhale second hand smoke. - Limit your exposure to known carcinogens such as asbestos, radon, and other workplace chemicals as well as pesticides and herbicides. - Have X-rays only when necessary. - Limit your exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, sun lamps and tanning booths. Protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays with sunscreen (applied frequently and containing a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher) and protective clothing (sun hats, long sleeves, etc.). - Reduce stress. Emotional stress may weaken the immune system that is relied on to fight off stray cancer cells.
Operating system shells generally fall into one of two categories: command line and graphical.Operating system shells generally fall into one of two categories: command line and graphical. Operating system shells generally fall into one of two categories: command line and graphical. Command line shells provide a command line interface (CLI) to the operating system, while graphical shells provide a graphical user interface (GUI). A graphical user interface (GUI) is a human-computer interface (i.e., a way for humans to interact with computers) that uses windows, icons and menus and which can be manipulated by a mouse (and often to a limited extent by a keyboard as well). GUIs stand in sharp contrast to command line interfaces (CLIs), which use only text and are accessed solely by a keyboard. The most familiar example of a CLI to many people is MS-DOS. Another example is Linux when it is used in console mode (i.e., the entire screen shows text only). The relative merits of CLI- and GUI-based shells are often debated. CLI proponents claim that certain operations can be performed much faster under CLI shells than under GUI shells (such as moving files, for example). However, GUI proponents advocate the comparative usability and simplicity of GUI shells. The best choice is often determined by the way in which a computer will be used. On a server mainly used for data transfers and processing with expert administration, a CLI is likely to be the best choice. On the other hand, a GUI would be more appropriate for a computer to be used for image or video editing and the development of the above data.
Autism Spectrum Disorders include difficulties with nonverbal communication, socialization, and empathy. Children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder have difficulty understanding what other people are saying, need help playing with other children, thrive on routines, and find unfamiliar situations difficult. Symptoms in these children can range from very mild to severe social and cognitive delays. This disorder is not necessarily associated with any reading disabilities, but many children with autism struggle with reading difficulties due to language delays. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of a child’s life. A child with autism will process and respond to information in interesting ways. Although some children can function at a relatively high level, many children with autism have serious cognitive impairments or intellectual disabilities, and some never gain the capability to speak. A child with autism may seem closed off and shut down or locked into repetitive behaviors and rigid patterns of thinking. They might avoid eye contact and resist physical contact, such as hugging, or may have frequent temper tantrums or remain fixated on a single item or activity such as spinning objects. Also, sensitivity to pain could be higher or lower than typical. The severity of autism can vary, ranging from mild to severe. Children with mild to moderate symptoms are considered “high-functioning.” Two children may share the diagnosis of autism, but behave very differently and have very different skill sets as well as abilities. Children diagnosed with Autism often struggle in reading and writing skills. These children might have poor phonemic awareness abilities due to the auditory processing problems, which are common in children with ASD. Receptive language problems may also be present in these children. If you can’t hear the sounds, you can’t say the sounds and finally, you can’t read the sounds! Hyperlexia is a condition where a child demonstrates an early and intense fascination with letters, numbers, patterns and logos, and a self-taught gifted ability to read, spell, write, or calculate, usually before the age of five. At the same time, these children have major difficulty understanding and using oral language skills, as well as socializing and interacting appropriately with people. Although the early achievement of reading ability makes hyperlexia seem very different than a reading disability, both conditions are rooted in difficulties with understanding and using language. A child diagnosed with hyperlexia is often highly intelligent, learning best from visually presented information. This child can easily manipulate and understand written symbols for language and concepts, and decodes and encodes quite well. They also can read very fluently. Children diagnosed with hyperlexia usually read well but struggle considerable in the area of reading comprehension. Specific comprehension strategies need to be taught to these children including summarizing, making inferences, finding the main ideas, visualizing while reading and understanding and learning new vocabulary. Karina Richland, M.A. is the Founder and Director of PRIDE Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County. Ms. Richland is a certified reading and learning disability specialist. Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications. You can visit the PRIDE Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com
The p-n junction has two important open-circuit properties -- that is, properties that arise when there are no external connections to the device. These are the barrier potential and the space-charge region. These properties emerge from the interactions among free electrons and holes in the n- and p-type sections. A p-n junction consists of one piece of p-type semiconductor adjacent to a piece of n-type semiconductor. Recall that the p-type material has an excess of holes, while the n-type material has an excess of electrons; when moving from the p-type material to the n-type material, the concentration of holes (or free electrons) will change. If you were to physically move a positive charge (a hole) from a point within the region with a high concentration of holes (point x1, below) to a point within the region with a high concentration of electrons (point x2), energy would be released, since the positively-charged hole is attracted to the negatively-charged electrons. Recall that voltage is defined as the work required to move a positive charge across a distance; therefore, we see that a voltage will be established across any distance where there is a concentration gradient of charges. Moving a charge from x1 to x2 involves a release of energy - therefore, there is a voltage difference. The same voltage exists between x1' and x2' (explained below); therefore the voltage difference is across the intersection point. According to Bobrow1, the formula for the voltage difference across a hole gradient is the following: v0 = VT ln(p1/p2), where VT = T / 11,586 ( = 0.0259 at room temperature of T = 300 K), p1 is the hole concentration at x1, and p2 is the hole concentration at point x2. Note that this formula depends only on the difference in hole concentration between the two points and not the distance separating them; therefore, if we assume the hole and electron concentrations are constant throughout the p-type and n-type sections, respectively, we can see that the exact same voltage difference would be found between points x1' and x2' as between x1 and x2. Furthermore, we could move x1' and x2' arbitrarily close to the junction line and still find the same voltage. Therefore, the voltages within the p- and n-type materials must be constant, and the difference must occur only at the junction line. Now let's simplify the equation. The concentration of holes in the p-type section (p1) is approximately equal to the concentration of acceptor atoms, NA. The mass-action law says that, at all times, the product of the hole concentration (p) and free electron concentration (n) is equal to the square of the intrinsic concentration (ni) of the semiconductor: np = ni2. Therefore, the hole concentration in the n-type section is p = ni2/n. Since the free electron concentration is approximately equal to the donor atom concentration ND, we have p = ni2/ND, an expression which contains all easily measureable quantities. Plugging these expressions for p1 and p2 into Bobrow's equation, we find: v0 = VT ln (NAND/ni2) This is the formula for the barrier potential of a p-n junction. Note that this is the voltage difference in the direction from n-type towards p-type. In reality, the hole and electron concentrations will not be constant throughout the material and will decrease as you move towards the junction line. However, the approximations made here still produce a formula for the barrier voltage that is reasonably accurate with empirical results. Consider again the locations and concentrations of charge carriers within the p- and n-type material. The p-type material will have a high concentration of holes and low concentration of free electrons, and vice versa for the n-type material. But any time particles are contained in a crowded environment, they will naturally diffuse out of that environment. Therefore, this steep concentration gradient will result in the diffusion of majority carriers across the junction line -- holes will diffuse into the n-type side and free electrons will diffuse into the p-type side. The free electrons will recombine with the holes, leaving this area depleted of charge carriers. This area is called the space-charge region, or the depletion region. Recall that the p-type material is doped with Group 3 atoms, which have an ionic core charge of +3 and are surrounded by three valence electrons (charge -3). When placed in the semiconductor lattice, they create an excess hole. If this hole is filled by an electron that diffuses across the junction line, then the acceptor will still have an ionic core charge of +3 but will now be surrounded by 4 valence electrons. Therefore, the acceptor atoms in the space-charge region will have a charge of -1. The opposite is true for the Group 5 donor atoms in the n-type material, which normally have an ionic core charge of +5 and are surrounded by five valence electrons. When put into the semiconductor lattice, however, the fifth electron cannot covalent bond and is therefore a free electron. If the free electron diffuses across the junction-line, then the +5 ionic core will only be surrounded by 4 valence electrons; it will then carry a charge of +1. Therefore, the space-charge region consists of a region of negative ions in the p-type material, and a region of positive ions in the n-type material (see figure below). This juxtaposition of positive and negative ions creates an electric field within the material, pointed from n-type to p-type. The diffusion of electrons and holes across the junction line creates uncovered ions in the space-charge region. These ions create an electric field within the material, which further affect the carriers (explained below). Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The electric field resulting from the uncovered ions in the space-charge region will tend to push free electrons back into the n-type material and holes back into the p-type material. This force, which opposes diffusion, is called "drift". Drift gets stronger as diffusion increases, so it will prevent all the majority carriers from diffusing across the junction line. The charges will eventually orient themselves in such a manner that the diffusive and drift forces are exactly opposite. - "Chapter 6: Diodes." Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering. 2nd ed. New York, New York: Oxford UP, 1996. 352-54. Print.
Why do we see more anadromous species (spawning in freshwater, while living the duration of their lives in saltwater, only returning to freshwater environments to spawn, e.g. salmonids or lamprey) compared to catadromous species (spawning in saltwater, while living the duration of their lives in freshwater, only returning to saltwater environments to spawn, e.g. american eels or some mullets)? The difference in these diadromous fish migration has ultimately been described as a paradox. Geographically, you will find the highest quantity of aquatic species in tropical regions, containing the highest amount of diversity. Anadromous species are more prevalent within temperate latitudes, while finding catadromous species are more common in the tropics. There have been numerous hypotheses of the differences in food availability in ocean and freshwater habitats. Oceans often produce higher quantities of food compared to freshwater habitats in temperate latitudes where anadromous species predominate. Vega and Wiens (2012) assessed actinopterygian (class of ray-finned fish) richness, which contains 96% of all fish species found today. They found that richness was similar between both freshwater and saltwater clades. That marine actinopterygians derived from a freshwater ancestor! Diversify from this ancestor only started 110 million years ago. Through evolution percomorpha (spiny ray finned fish) now makes up 40% of bony fish. Another group, ostariophysi evolved from freshwater to saltwater and now makes up 70% of freshwater species. They indicate that some possible extinction might have caused the low marine species richness. After these mass extinctions, freshwater actinopterygians were then able to re-occupy and repopulated saltwater environments. Lack of marine diversity could be one explanation to why there is low diversity within marine environments. It’s easy to think how easily a freshwater species could diversify compared to a saltwater species. Freshwater habitats could be subjected to geographical barriers, take for instance the formation of the Andes and the Amazon River basin. The rise of the Andes enclosed a small bay. Overtime the bay became less saline, allowing for species to evolve. The bay would periodically be flooded with saltwater, introducing new species and more diversity. Vega, G. C., & Wiens, J. J. (2012). Why are there so few fish in the sea? Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279 (1737), 2323-2329. Gross, M. R., Coleman, R. M., & McDowall, R. M. (1988). Aquatic productivity and the evolution of diadromous fish migration. Science(Washington), 239 (4845), 1291-1293.
Liquids are classified as acids, bases, or neutral based on the concentration of hydrogen ions present in it. If a substance is neutral it has an equal amount of positive and negative ions present in it. If a liquid has a greater concentration of positive ions in the form of hydrogen than say water, it is classified as an acid. If the liquid has less hydrogen ions than water, it is a base. An acid and a base can be used to neutralize one another. When this occurs salt and water are formed. By the time we are ready for school, we have all heard the about acids and how bad they are. Many acids are very helpful to use in everyday life. When looking at acids and bases we are completely worried about the change or transfer of hydrogen or hydroxide ions. If a particular substance has many hydrogen ions, it is an acid. If it has a bunch of hydroxide ions, it’s a base. We use a pH scale to classify substance that ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral (meaning neither an acid nor a base. The closer a substance is to 0, the more of an acid it is. The closer to 14 a substance is, the more it is a base. You will learn how to identify acids and bases based on their chemical symbol and you will learn to predict where they might fall on the pH scale. You will also begin to realize the relative strength of these substances based on the nature of the elements that are involved. You will also learn how the nature of a liquid can help you understand if they are good conductors of electricity. The worksheets work on identifying acids and bases based on a number of different criteria and your understanding of ion transfer.
When you were told that humans evolved from earlier primates, that was believable, right? What if you found out that we really evolved from a worm that was crawling at the bottom of the ocean 555 million years ago? Well, sort of. Ikaria wariootia is the extinct Ediacaran sea worm that has been found to be the origin of humans and all other bilateral creatures. Bilaterians have their bodies organized the same way on each side, with a mouth and the opposite of a mouth. Until now, paleontologists could only imagine what the first bilaterian must have looked like. Turns out they were almost dead on, since this thing didn’t have much more than a mouth and a butt to it. Fossilized burrows with the imprint of the worm have finally surfaced, and are now both proving that image right and understandably freaking everyone else out. “This organism is consistent with predictions based on modern animal phylogenetics that the last ancestor of all bilaterians was simple and small and represents a rare link between the Ediacaran and the subsequent record of animal life,” said UC Riverside postdoc Scott Evans, who recently published a study in PNAS. There are several ways this otherwise creepy life form is just like us — and all bilateral organisms. What we know of the rest of the Ediacaran biota, or the earliest complex multicellular life forms (think sponges and mats of algae), is that these creatures lacked body symmetry and had no mouth or gut. I. wariootia was symmetrical on either side and had a definitive front and back, with a gut going through its body and connecting openings at both ends. These are the dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes of the body. It could actually swallow food instead of feeding by osmosis, or absorbing nutrients from the surrounding water. The prehistoric ancestor of bilaterian animals today was about the size of a grain of rice and moved by peristaltic locomotion, or contracting muscles across its body like extant worms. Its burrows revealed how it shoved food in its mouth. Evans’ team used a 3D laser scanner to zoom into the burrows and find impressions left by I. wariootia. Wherever sediment has been displaced, the worm was probably feeding on organic matter buried in the seafloor. Bilaterality is so crucial for most animals today because it allows for purposeful movements. It wouldn’t exactly be that easy to get things done if you had one arm randomly shooting out of your head and the other on your hip. The double body axes first found in I. wariootia allow different systems to develop on their own and specialize in certain functions: the central nervous system on the dorsal, or upper back, side of the body in vertebrates, and on the ventral, or upper front, side in most insects and other invertebrates. Eyes and other sensory organs are usually found on the anterior axis whether you’re a human or a praying mantis. You can probably guess about the posterior. I. wariootia represents a point in evolution representing “the transition from simple, microscopic [life] forms to the abundance of complex animal life that exists today,” Evans said. Knowing what the earliest bilaterians on Earth looked like could help us identify alien life that might just be emerging and in the early phases of evolving on other planets. No wonder this study was funded by a NASA exobiology grant.
These are two of the most used functions in Computer Graphics, and quite a lot of the time, the underlying process of how it works, is ignored. Normalizing a vector is essential for a variety of reasons, and below is the long way around to do it, as opposed to the normalize VOP. We need to find the length of the Vector, as this will be used as the divisor for the x,y,z components of the Vector to be normalized. This is done by taking the x,y,z components and taking each to ^2 power. Then we add those values together and find the square root. Now we have the length of the Vector, and can use it as the divisor. Voila! Now it’s time to do the Dot Product! Mysterious I know. But very handy in shading/lighting and other areas of Computer Graphics. The Dot Product is the Cosine of two normalized vectors. Cosine being the trig function equal to the ratio of the side adjacent to an acute angle (in a right-angled triangle) to the hypotenuse. That’s pretty neat! Below is a quick animation of the Cosine around a unit circle. The unit circle being a radius of 1 of course. The Dot product of two normalized vectors, which we will see is just multiplying their components and adding them together, creates a trigonometric function. Here is the long way of doing it, instead of using the dot product VOP. First we normalize both Vectors. Then we split the x,y,z components of each vector and multiply them. Adding the results of this all together. Bingo! Very Simple really isn’t it. Additionally, using a trig VOP to use arc cosine along with a radians to degrees, will give you the actual angle between those two vectors.
File Name: law of sines and law of cosines worksheet .zip Explore our library of the law of cosines worksheets to solve for the unknown angle or the missing side of a triangle. The law of cosines is a formula that relates the three sides of a triangle to the cosine of the included angle. Gain a comprehensive understanding on the cosine law by downloading our rich resources on a variety of topics like finding the missing side, finding the unknown angle, solving each triangle and many more. - Cosine Law Worksheet With Answers - Solving Triangles - using Law of Sine and Law of Cosine - The Law of Cosines Worksheets Cosine Law Worksheet With Answers Runs through the cosine law worksheet with answers are angles of a visual proof of advanced worksheets available for various impressive photos that every one end of. Inclined to calculate the cosine law answers are organized by entering in your materials. Resource in your document window if angle of cosine law with answers images. Short term and 8 cm law worksheet with excel can be used in this google, we collected for? Data and cosines puzzle worksheetsine on solving the practice worksheet with answers to open in a great visuals for a lake, please log in this time we are overall. Option but finally a scalene triangle and a problem using formula with law how to tynecastle hwy. Worksheetsine on your answers pictures on the two adjacent to 1 and cosines? Logarithmic Differentiation Pt II. Graphing Linear Inequalities Mr. Slope Guy Mr. Slope Guy notes. Finding the Geometric Sequences and Series. Transformation of Quadratics 2. Solving Triangles - using Law of Sine and Law of Cosine Students will practice deciding when to apply the law of cosines vs the law of sines to calculate the side length of a triangle and to calculate the measure of an angle. The second part of the sheet focuses on problems that require using the formulas more than once law of cosines to get side, then law of sides to get angle etc.. All of your worksheets are now here on Mathwarehouse. Please update your bookmarks! Error : Please Click on "Not a robot", then try downloading again. Back to link 1 Next to link 2. Popular pages mathwarehouse. Theorem, the tangent ratio, the sine ratio, and the cosine ratio. Yes, by using two laws, the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines that state: Law of Sines. The Law of Cosines Worksheets Dell optiplex specs i7. There are two problems that require them to use the law of sines to find a side length, two that require them to use the law of sines to find an angle measure, and two that require them to use the law of cosines. I like to throw in a couple of non-examples to make sure that students are thinking about the conditions for applying the law of sines. Teachers Pay Teachers is an online marketplace where teachers buy and sell original educational materials. Are you getting the free resources, updates, and special offers we send out every week in our teacher newsletter? Grade Level. Resource Type. Log In Join Us. Well, let's do the calculations for a triangle I prepared earlier: The answers are almost the same! Танкадо пишет, его партнер отвечает. - Убедительно. - Сьюзан нахмурилась. Стратмор попытался их удержать, но не сумел. За мгновение до того, как они сомкнулись, Сьюзан, потеряв равновесие, упала на пол за дверью. Коммандер, пытаясь приоткрыть дверь, прижал лицо вплотную к узенькой щелке.
Remnants of ancient subsurface ocean observed on Ceres The bright spots in Ceres’s Occator Crater, which mystified scientists when first observed by the Dawn spacecraft in 2015, indicate the dwarf planet may harbor remnants of what was once a global subsurface ocean. Dawn captured closeup, detailed images of the 57-mile- (92 km-) wide crater from a distance of just 22 miles (35 km) above the dwarf planet’s surface. After analyzing these images, scientists identified the deposits as sodium carbonate, a compound of sodium, carbon, and oxygen contained in salt water that erupted onto Ceres’s surface. That water subsequently evaporated, leaving behind the bright salty deposits. Mission scientists determined the deposits originated in a deep, global underground ocean of salty water. Based on Ceres’s gravity, they analyzed its internal structure and concluded its subsurface ocean is several hundred miles wide and around 25 miles (40 km) deep. Gravity measurements also confirmed Ceres’s crust becomes more dense with increasing depth, possibly due to a combination of freezing water, salt, and mud mixing into its lower crust. Ceres is the only dwarf planet located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but some scientists believe it originated in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune and Pluto and either migrated or was hurled inward. The presence of a subsurface ocean puts Ceres into the growing number ocean worlds in the solar system, including Jupiter’s moons Europa and Ganymede, Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus, Neptune’s moon Triton, and Pluto. All except Earth have their oceans below their surfaces. While the ocean worlds that are satellites of gas giants are heated by tidal forces from their parent planets, Ceres, like Pluto, has no external heat source. This is why some computer models indicate the ocean that once existed has subsequently frozen over. However, five years of studying surface features around the craters have led researchers to believe the dwarf planet still harbors a salty liquid ocean below its surface. “Past research revealed that Ceres had a global ocean, an ocean that would have no reason to exist [still] and should have been frozen by now. These latest discoveries have shown that part of this ocean could have survived and be present below the surface,” Dawn team member Maria Cristina De Sanctis of the National Institute of Astrophysics in Rome told Astronomy magazine. “If future missions can confirm the results, it will mean that there’s a very salty, very muddy body of liquid somewhere around the size of Utah’s Great Salt Lake on a dwarf planet that’s just 590 miles (950 km) across–roughly the size of Texas,” she said. The water’s high salt content could be preserving the liquid ocean by lowering its freezing point. Additionally, Ceres’s water contains hydrates, which trap gas and salt, changing the way heat flows within a planet’s crust. Occator Crater is not the only place on Ceres with bright salt deposits. Dawn photographed similar bright spots on the smaller Haulani Crater. Researchers also determined that Ceres’s bright spots are young, some less than two million years old. Because the dwarf planet is regularly hit by micrometeorites, its surface should be dark. The presence of bright spots suggest it is still experiencing geologic activity, causing eruptions from the subsurface. Salts containing water normally dehydrate quickly on Ceres. Yet analysis of the bright spots indicates they still have some water content, meaning they were deposited very recently. Discovery of organic materials on Ceres suggests it could potentially harbor microbial life in its still existing underground ocean. The Dawn team therefore chose to place the spacecraft in a long duration orbit around the dwarf planet to avoid contaminating it with microbes from Earth. “Oceans should be common features of dwarf planets based on what New Horizons learned at Pluto and Dawn at Ceres,” Dawn project scientist Julie Castillo-Rogez of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in an interview with Astronomy magazine. Earlier this month, she submitted a study for publication proposing a $1 billion followup NASA mission to land on Ceres’s surface. The European Space Agency (ESA) is also considering a return mission. Laurel Kornfeld is an amateur astronomer and freelance writer from Highland Park, NJ, who enjoys writing about astronomy and planetary science. She studied journalism at Douglass College, Rutgers University, and earned a Graduate Certificate of Science from Swinburne University’s Astronomy Online program. Her writings have been published online in The Atlantic, Astronomy magazine’s guest blog section, the UK Space Conference, the 2009 IAU General Assembly newspaper, The Space Reporter, and newsletters of various astronomy clubs. She is a member of the Cranford, NJ-based Amateur Astronomers, Inc. Especially interested in the outer solar system, Laurel gave a brief presentation at the 2008 Great Planet Debate held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD.
Electromagnetic waves have crests and troughs similar to those of ocean waves. The distance between crests is the wavelength. The shortest wavelengths are just fractions of the size of an atom, while the longest wavelengths scientists currently study can be larger than the diameter of our planet! Can humans see electromagnetic waves? WAVELENGTHS OF VISIBLE LIGHT All electromagnetic radiation is light, but we can only see a small portion of this radiation—the portion we call visible light. Cone-shaped cells in our eyes act as receivers tuned to the wavelengths in this narrow band of the spectrum. How electromagnetic waves are produced? Electromagnetic waves are created by oscillating charges (which radiate whenever accelerated) and have the same frequency as the oscillation. Since the electric and magnetic fields in most electromagnetic waves are perpendicular to the direction in which the wave moves, it is ordinarily a transverse wave. Can you feel electromagnetic waves? Energy from infrared light and radio waves is converted to heat in the body. We can feel the heat of infrared light because its energy is absorbed mostly by the skin. On the other hand, we cannot feel radio waves because these emit their energy deeper in the body, under the heat-sensitive cells of the skin. What the human eye Cannot see? What Is Non-Visible Light? The human eye can only see visible light, but light comes in many other “colors”—radio, infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray—that are invisible to the naked eye. Why can’t our eyes see all electromagnetic waves? Each color corresponds to a certain wavelength of light in the electromagnetic spectrum. Our eyes are only privy to a very. ‘ This essentially means that, just outside of eyeshot is a whole world we can’t see or experience. What are three sources of electromagnetic waves on earth? Sources of Electromagnetic Radiation - solar radiation, in other words natural radiation that originates from the sun. - terrestrial radiation, in other words natural radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface. - artificial radiation originating from a remote sensing system. What is the ultimate source of all electromagnetic waves? The ultimate source of electromagnetic waves is moving charged particles. These travel at the speed of light and are composed of electric and magnetic… How can we make electromagnetic waves at home? Electromagnetic waves are produced whenever electric charges are accelerated. This makes it possible to produce electromagnetic waves by letting an alternating current flow through a wire, an antenna. The frequency of the waves created in this way equals the frequency of the alternating current. Is all light electromagnetic energy? Radio waves, gamma-rays, visible light, and all the other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation can be described in terms of a stream of mass-less particles, called photons, each traveling in a wave-like pattern at the speed of light. Can WIFI cause heart palpitations? Daily symptoms include nosebleeds, headaches, heart palpitations, lethargy and tinnitus. Electro-hypersensitive people attribute such symptoms to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) such as those emitted by Wi-Fi, mobile phones, DECT phones and certain light sources, and say symptoms worsen with close proximity. Can electromagnetic waves affect the brain? Electromagnetic waves, particularly RF-EMFs emitted by mobile phones are absorbed into the brain to such an extent that it can affect the activity of neurons (Kleinlogel et al., 2008; Hinrikus et al., 2018). … Glucose metabolism in the brains that were exposed to RF-EMF increased rapidly. What is the hardest color to see? How do you know if you’re a Tetrachromat? If you see between 33 and 39 colors, you are a tetrachromat and have four types of cones. Derval says tetrachromats are irritated by the color yellow but are less likely to be tricked by the blue/black or white/gold dress, no matter the lighting. Only about 25 percent of the population is tetrachromat. What color does the human eye see best?
When you want to grow fruit, vegetables or plants indoors, you have several different options. You can use pots and growing trays and move the plants from the indoors out when you want to, or use a designated hydroponic system. A nontraditional method is to use an old terrarium, or fish tank, as your growing base. Tanks provide a good view of the plants and can also provide a sustainable, contained growing situation with good humidity and protection for the plants. Start with a 20- to 30-gallon fish tank, so that you have room to grow several different plants, and make sure your tank has a glass lid. Because you're going to be growing in a restricted area, choose plants that do well in enclosed, hydroponic situations. Vegetables such as bush beans, peppers and tomatoes grow well in controlled environments. Fill your tank with a 1-inch layer of large rocks or gravel to ensure good drainage. Put a 4- to 5-inch layer of compost and quick-draining soil on top of the base. This layer must be deep enough for the roots of your plants, so when in doubt, choose a deeper layer rather than a shallow one. Plant your seedlings at their preferred planting depths and spacing. Don't crowd the plants, and put plants that will need support, such as tomatoes, near the walls. Water your seedlings with 2 inches of water and put the lid on the fish tank. For tank growing, keep the lid on during the day to conserve moisture and slide it off at night to give the plants air circulation. In the restricted area of the tank, where there's no drainage, water will condense and run down the sides of the tank to maintain the moisture in the growing environment for weeks at a time. Check the soil of the tank periodically; if the top 2 inches of soil are dry, give plants another 2 inches of water. Put the tank in a place where it receives four to six hours of natural or artificial light every day. If you live in a warm area, put the fish tank outdoors during the day, but bring it inside at night or if temperatures drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Feed plants once a month with a small application of phosphorous-heavy fertilizer, which will encourage blooming and fruiting. Follow manufacturer directions when using fertilizer.
Reading aloud will help your child develop the language and listening skills necessary to begin a lifelong love of language and the printed word. At 3 or 4 months, hold your infant and read books with rhythmic language and brightly colored, simple pictures. - In a few months, add books that have pictures your infant will recognize. - Read from cloth and board books that your infant can hold and touch. - Be dramatic. Use different voices; make faces; and feel free to wiggle, bounce, and sing to engage your infant. From the age of 2 to 5, children can turn the pages in a book and follow the pictures, repeat the words they have heard you read, follow the story, and “read” on their own. - Be dramatic and read often, varying the length to accommodate your child’s interest. - Involve your child by talking about the book while reading. - Sound out some words and play with sounds. - Have conversations about the book that you read last or will read tomorrow. Five- and six-year-olds can begin the ritual with books they can read or almost read. Extend the bedtime hour as children get older so that they believe the reading period is an extra gift of time. - For more information and tips on how to start growing your child’s love of reading, visit Growing Readers. - Looking for books to start an infant's library? Here are some great suggestions. - Visit the Mom to Mom blog for great posts about literacy and language development. - Our Online Community members are discussing how to encourage an interest in reading and books.
Today, the species inhabiting our planet are so critically threatened that it has generated the question of whether the earth is going through its sixth mass extinction. A variety of factors like habitat destruction, persecution, poaching, climate change, and the introduction of non-native species, are triggering the loss of species. Poaching for traditional medicines is also a major cause of decimation of wild populations of a large number of threatened species. 10. Feral Water Buffaloes Though domestic water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are widespread in the world today, wild water buffaloes (Bubalus arnee), the ancestors of the domestic ones, are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Domestic water buffaloes are reared for their meat, hide, horn, milk, and physical strength (such as to be used in fields for plowing). Though protected by law, wild water buffaloes are also poached for their body parts. In Southeast Asia, especially in China, the horns of these animals are used for preparing traditional Chinese medicines and are regarded as alternatives to rhino horns. This has led to the extermination of large populations of wild buffaloes in South Asia and Southeast Asia and they have completely disappeared from countries like Bangladesh, Laos, and Vietnam. Today, each of the five extant species of rhinoceroses, including Indian Rhinos and White Rhinos, are threatened with extinction. One of the primary reasons responsible for this is rhino poaching for body parts that are used in alternative medical practices. Though medical researchers have found rhino horn to be composed of only keratin (a substance making up human hair and nails), the extensive use of rhino horns in traditional medical practices is still carried out. In the 1990s, China signed the CITES treaty and removed the mention of rhino horn use for medical purposes from its Chinese medicine pharmacopoeia. For a few years, rhino populations began to recover. However, the blissful situation was not to last long. Soon, a section of the Vietnamese developed a new fascination for rhino horns. A rumor about a high-profile Vietnamese official being cured of liver cancer by consuming rhino horn spread far and wide. Thus, the poaching of rhinos resumed again, now at a much faster rate. 8. Sun Bears Sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) are another species threatened by human exploitation and greed. These bears are farmed in large numbers in China, Vietnam, South Korea, Myanmar, and Laos for their bile. The bile extracted from the gall bladders of these bears is believed to cure sore throats, gallstones, and hemorrhoids. Animal welfare organizations and animal lovers claim that these animals are treated with cruelty with no regard paid to their pain and suffering. They are stored in cramped cages for their entire lifetime where they are often unable to even straighten their backs. The surgical procedures implemented on these bears for extracting bile are usually conducted in a crude manner with little attention paid to the risks to the animal’s health from such procedures. Wild bears are also captured and killed for their gall bladder. 7. Musk Deer Musk deer refers to the seven species of deer belonging to the genus Moschus. These deer are well-known for their musk glands that produce a sweet smelling compound called musk. For years, these deer have been poached for their musk that is used in perfumery and traditional Chinese medicines. Large populations of musk deer have been decimated in Russia and Mongolia for commercial gain. For over 5,000 years, musk has been utilized by the Chinese for treating ailments of the circulatory and nervous system and also as a sedative. Preparations of perfume also involve the use of musk. The high demand for musk in the market has led to the annual killing of over 17,000 to 20,000 musk deer stags in Russia. Currently, all the species of this deer are endangered. 6. Hawks-Bill Sea Turtles Though the Hawks-bill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) have a widespread distribution, today they are designated as critically endangered by IUCN due to their highly reduced numbers. Extensive poaching of these turtles for their body parts is the primary reason for their demise. The shell of these turtles has been used as travel souvenirs and for making decorative items. The oil extracted from them have been used in traditional medicine in parts of Southeast Asia. A large number of turtles have also been killed as marine bycatch. Though trade in turtle parts have been banned in most parts of the world, human greed continues to threaten the survival of this species. 5. Grevy's Zebras An endangered species of zebra, the Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi) is the only extant wild equid living in the forests of Kenya and Ethiopia in Africa. From 15,000 Grévy's zebras in the 1970’s, the number has plummeted down to only 3,500 in the early 21st Century. The primary reasons for loss of these zebras are habitat loss and poaching. The locals persecuted the zebras to reduce the competition for food offered to their livestock by these creatures. Some ethnic populations also poach the zebras for their meat, hides, and fat. The meat and fat of these zebras are often used by traditional healers in Africa to prepare alternative medications for tuberculosis. Conservation efforts have been initiated in Kenya and Ethiopia to save these zebras and this has helped stabilize the zebra population to some extent. 4. Chinese Alligators The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is a critically endangered species of alligator that has been hunted down over the years for its meat and organs that are believed to have cold and cancer curing abilities as per traditional Chinese medicine. These alligators are endemic to eastern China and currently have a negligible population in the wild. Large numbers of alligators are, however, bred in captivity in Chinese breeding centers where they are also used for commercial purposes. The breeding centers sell alligator meat, use alligators for tourism purposes, and also sell live alligators to the European pet market. 3. Banteng Feral Cattle The wild banteng (Bos javanicus) is an endangered species of wild cattle native to Southeast Asia. Though domesticated banteng populations are large, the population population of wild bantengs is only around 2,000 to 5,000. For years, the bantengs have been hunted for their meat and other body parts and like many other wild species of Southeast Asia, the banteng body parts have often been utilized for traditional remedies. 2. Asian Tigers Tigers in Asia have undergone a drastic decline in numbers, and every species of tiger is either critically endangered or endangered with only a few hundred to a few thousand individuals of each species remaining in the wild. Though habitat loss has been one of the primary factors driving these tiger species to extinction, poaching for tiger parts is another major cause of worry. Every part of the tiger, its bones, claws, hides, and teeth have been used in alternative medicine preparations, especially Chinese traditional medicine. According to the traditional healers , the medicine made from tiger parts is believed to cure a range of disorders including toothaches. However, modern medical research resents such claims. Tigers, though protected in all places they inhabit, are still subject to illegal poaching activities. The lure for money and human greed thus continue to threaten the Asian tigers. 1. Asian Elephants Unlike all African elephants, only a few Asian elephant males have long tusks. Thus, one would assume that the Asian populations are relatively immune to poaching. However, this is far from the truth. Humans have also managed to decimate Asian elephant populations by poaching them for their meat, hide, and other body parts. In Myanmar, a paste is made from pieces of elephant foot and is used as an alternative medicine to treat hernias. Illegal hunting and poaching of these animals, accompanied by habitat loss and degradation, has thus led to the decimation of Asian elephant populations. These elephants are now classified as endangered by the IUCN.
Scoliosis is a condition that affects the normal shape of the spine, altering a person’s overall trunk alignment and posture. Scoliosis is defined as a curvature of the spine, which shifts to the side and may also exhibit rotation. This condition can occur at any time during the lifespan, but is more commonly detected during adolescence. Scoliosis ranges from mild to severe cases, requiring a variety of treatments. Scoliosis is usually a pain-free condition, but pain may occur as the spine curves abnormally and affects the surrounding muscles and joints. These changes may alter a person’s alignment, posture, and movement patterns, causing irritation, pain, and hunching of the back. Muscles that usually support the spine may become imbalanced in scoliosis, leading to a loss of strength and flexibility. Scoliosis ranges from mild to severe cases, requiring a variety of treatments. The more severe cases may require surgery.
A significant area of concern, with respect to my role as a primary school class teacher, is literacy. I must be effective in delivering SPaG – spelling, punctuation and grammar. With respect to grammar, I must be clear about two other acronyms, which represent important areas for lesson planning, provision and progression. SOAP is similes, onomatopoeia, alliteration and personification. VCOP is vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation. Grammar is the structure of language, comprising sounds, words, syntax, and semantics. SOAP is figurative language, the distortion of language to make the reader think about what the writer is trying to convey. Figurative language is not literal. It appeals to the imagination. Figurative language compares things that are different, in order to make their similarities seem interesting or unique or unusual. Figurative language can be thought-provoking or manipulative. I teach children to understand and identify different types of figurative language. When teaching onomatopoeia, for example, I enable and encourage imitation of sounds as they are named (‘hiss’ or ‘buzz’) or used to describe an event or attribute (‘the crisp, yet uncertain, rustling of leaves’). When helping children to understand poetic and musical terms and forms, I teach children to recognise and understand how different types of figurative language are used by composers and poets. Poetry is often most enjoyable for children, in my experience, when they can express or understand ideas through personification, giving human characteristics to non-human things in order to explain actions or emotions or reasoning (‘a smiling moon’, ‘a happy sun’, ‘a growling stomach’). Teaching VCOP, for me, is a subtler experience than teaching SOAP. Take a simple sentence, and expand it, and learning progresses with expansion. Take this: The cat went along the wall. It becomes, with a greater range of vocabulary, this: The fluffy, ginger cat quietly prowled along the unstable wall. This sentence becomes, with a connective, this: The fluffy, ginger cat quietly prowled along the unstable wall while the unsuspecting bird pecked for worms in the garden below. Adding an opener makes this: Licking his lips, the fluffy, ginger cat quietly prowled along the unstable wall while the unsuspecting bird pecked for worms in the garden below. Throw in additional punctuation and we have this: Licking his lips, the fluffy, ginger cat (who had missed his breakfast) quietly prowled along the unstable wall while the unsuspecting bird pecked for worms in the garden below. So much growth, by growing a single, simple sentence.
America's Assembly Line The mechanized assembly line was invented in 1913 and has been in continuous operation ever since. It is the most familiar form of mass production. Both praised as a boon to workers and condemned for exploiting them, it has been celebrated and satirized. (We can still picture Chaplin's little tramp trying to keep up with a factory conveyor belt.) In America's Assembly Line, David Nye examines the industrial innovation that made the United States productive and wealthy in the twentieth century. The assembly line -- developed at the Ford Motor Company in 1913 for the mass production of Model Ts -- first created and then served an expanding mass market. It also transformed industrial labor. By 1980, Japan had reinvented the assembly line as a system of "lean manufacturing"; American industry reluctantly adopted the new approach. Nye describes this evolution and the new global landscape of increasingly automated factories, with fewer industrial jobs in America and questionable working conditions in developing countries. A century after Ford's pioneering innovation, the assembly line continues to evolve toward more sustainable manufacturing.
As the inhabitants of an ancient Middle Eastern city now called Tall el-Hammam went about their daily business one day about 3,600 years ago, they had no idea an unseen icy space rock was speeding toward them at about 38,000 mph (61,000 kph). Flashing through the atmosphere, the rock exploded in a massive fireball about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) above the ground. The blast was around 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb. The shocked city dwellers who stared at it were blinded instantly. Air temperatures rapidly rose above 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius). Clothing and wood immediately burst into flames. Swords, spears, mudbricks and pottery began to melt. Almost immediately, the entire city was on fire. Some seconds later, a massive shockwave smashed into the city. Moving at about 740 mph (1,200 kph), it was more powerful than the worst tornado ever recorded. The deadly winds ripped through the city, demolishing every building. They sheared off the top 40 feet (12 m) of the 4-story palace and blew the jumbled debris into the next valley. None of the 8,000 people or any animals within the city survived — their bodies were torn apart and their bones blasted into small fragments.
Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the endometrium or uterine lining. The menstrual cycle is controlled by rise and fall of hormone levels. In anticipation of an egg that is released during a month, the uterine lining is thickened with blood, tissue and fluid. This is in preparation for fertilization and possible pregnancy. When no fertilization occurs, the egg along with the uterine lining are shed throuh the cervix and into the vagina. This menstrual period occurs nearly once every 28 - 35 days. Each time it lasts for about 3 - 7 days. Anemia stands for 'without blood' in Greek; When the number of red blood cells (RBC) falls below normal, Anemia is a resultant condition. Hemoglobin is an important constituent of RBC. Hemoglobin usually occurs in the range of 12 and 18 g/dL (grams per deciliter of blood). If the hemoglobin levels show a decrease, anemic conditions set in. Consequently, the various organs and tissues of the body do not receive adequate oxygen on account of the diminished oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. This impairs their normal functioning. Usually women have smaller stores of iron than men. Besides, they also lose blood during menstruation making them primary targets for anemia. World Health Organization (WHO) defines anemia as a hemoglobin level lower than 13 g/dL in men and lower than 12 g/dL in women. It is essential to be familiar with the typical symptoms of anemia. Often anemia is misdiagnosed and left untreated. An anemic person is likely to feel extremely tired and weak. This is accompanied with dizziness and breathlessness. A person suffering from anemia tends to appear pale and experience feelings of depression. In some cases, anemia can lead to heart ailments too. Causes of Anemia Types of Anemia Iron deficiency Anemia - Nearly 20% adult women tend to suffer from this form of anemia. Loss of blood due to menstruation is not compensated with an iron-rich diet. Pregnancy and breast feeding can also deplete iron stores. Iron deficiency anemia is also noticed during growth spurts or internal bleeding. Aplastic anemia - When the bone marrow does not produce sufficient quantities of blood cells, aplastic anemia is noticed. Childhood cancers such as leukemia are often responsible for this form of anemia. Other possible causes of aplastic anemia are radiation, cancer or antiseizure medications and chronic diseases such as thyroid or kidney malfunction. Treatment for aplastic anemia involves blood transfusions and bone marrow transplant. This is done to replace malfunctioning cells with healthy ones. Vitamin deficiency anemia - Low levels of folic acid lead to faulty absorption of iron. Anemia caused due to folic acid deficiency is called Megaloblastic anemia. Pregnancy doubles the body requirements of folic acid and it is imperative that pregnant women take folic acid supplements. Good dietary sources of folate are fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, liver and kidney, dairy products and whole grain cereals. Vegetables should be eaten raw or lightly cooked.Folic acid anemia is also a common problem faced by alcoholics. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to a condition of Pernicious anemia. Diseases such as thyroid malfunction or diabetes mellitus can affect the body's ability to absorb vitamin B-12. This vitamin is vital in the production of hemoglobin. Vitamin C Deficiency Anemia is a rare form of Anemia that is the result of small red cells owing to prolonged dietary deficiency of the Vitamin C. Sideroblastic Anemia: In this anemia, the body has sufficient iron but it fails to incorporate it into hemoglobin. Hemolytic Anemia results from high rate of destruction of Red Blood Cells (RBC) at a rate faster than the rate bone marrow can replenish them. Thalassemia anemia - Thalassemia or Cooleys Disease is a hereditary disorder found predominantly in people of South East Asian, Greek and Italian racial groups. This form of anemia is seen in differing degrees as Thalassemia encompasses a group of related disorders that affect the human body in similar ways. The most common occurrences of Thalassemia are alpha and beta thalassemia. Thalassemia anemia is characterized by symptoms like jaundice, enlarged spleen, shortness of breath and facial bone deformities. A complete blood count test will test for hemoglobin levels and display an anemic condition. But often anemia is a symptom whose cause lies deeper. The cause and type of anemia will determine the treatment that is needed. A stool test will help in detecting occult blood. Hemoglobin electrophoresis is a blood test that helps identify abnormal hemoglobins. Diagnosing thalassemia or sickle cell anemia becomes possible with this test. Deficiency can be treated with supplements of iron, Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin C. Partaking an iron-rich diet can be beneficial for those suffering from nutritional deficiency anemia. Seafood, nuts, whole grains and dried fruits such as raisins, prunes and apricots are rich in iron. Ensure adequate consumption of Vitamin C as it aids and stimulates iron absorption. Try and combine citrus foods with iron-rich foods - add tomatoes to a turkey sandwich or chopped strawberries with iron-fortified breakfast cereals. Breast pain, medically termed as cyclic mastalgia is a common complaint experienced by many women before menstruation. Particularly, young women of reproductive age suffer from pain and tenderness of breasts before the onset of periods. The pain normally starts four to five days prior to the monthly cycle, but in few cases the discomfort is experienced right from the ovulation period. The pain is usually felt in both the breasts and more in the upper quadrant portion and rarely around the nipples. The pain subsides soon after menstruation and may persist for few months to years. The incidence of cyclical mastalgia is very rare in post menopausal women. Cyclic Mastalgia is not an indicator of breast cancer as breast pain is rarely a first symptom of this cancer. The exact cause of the mastalgia is not known, however the condition is linked to the hormonal imbalance. The fluctuation in the level of two important hormones progesterone and estrogen before the periods can lead to cyclic mastalgia. Increased level of estrogen in comparison with progesterone levels during the second half of the month is believed to cause cyclical mastalgia. Women, who take oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy during menopause, may be affected by cyclic breast pain. As hormones play a major role in cyclic mastalgia, the condition is also known as hormonal breast soreness. However cyclical mastalgia cannot be totally attributed to hormonal imbalance. The monthly fluid retention swells up the breasts causing pain and tenderness. Low androgen levels, and high prolactin levels also result in cyclic mastalgia. It is also interesting to note that, the severity of the mastalgia increases with the stress related issues and wrong choice of diet. Managing cyclical mastalgia Cyclic mastalgia is not a disease and hence does not require any treatment as such. Yet if the pain is persistent, see your gynecologist to rule out other breast related conditions. Your doctor will first assess if the pain is cyclic or non cyclic (not related to monthly cycles). Non cyclic mastalgia occurs due to trauma, breast infection or sometimes it is associated with the chest wall. Once it is confirmed that the mastalgia is cyclic, doctor may merely reassure, counsel and educate you on how to manage the condition. If the pain is severe and disrupting normal life, doctor prescribes some medication such as Tamoxifen, Danazol and Bromocriptine. You may also be given Anti inflammatory gel which is quite effective in alleviating the pain. There are few natural remedies available for cyclic mastalgia. Following are some of the methods which can be followed at home to manage the mastalgia effectively. 1. Wear a correct fitting bra to provide right support. 2. Avoid caffeine products as caffeine contains a substance called methyxanthine which allows blood vessels to dilate. The dilated blood vessels cause swelling that results in breast soreness. 3. Restrict salt intake as excess salt in the body leads to water retention making the breasts heavy and painful. 4. Following a low fat diet and also a diet that is free of sugars will provide relief to certain extent. 5. Popping in a capsule of evening primrose oil at least for 3 to 4 months is known to give good results. Though, this method has been followed since many years, it is advisable to consult your doctor before starting the course. 6. Taking vitamin E supplements has also been shown to help with breast discomfort. Enter your health or medical queries in our Artificial Intelligence powered Application here. Our Natural Language Navigational engine knows that words form only the outer superficial layer. The real meaning of the words are deduced from the collection of words, their proximity to each other and the context. Diseases, Symptoms, Tests and Treatment arranged in alphabetical order: Bibliography / Reference Collection of Pages - Last revised Date: December 7, 2022
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is caused by infection with a tick-borne virus, aNairovirus in the familyBunyaviridae. The disease was first characterized in theCrimea in 1944. It was then later recognized in 1969 as the cause of illness in theCongo, thus resulting in the current name of the disease.Evidence of CCHF virus has been found in Africa, Asia, the Middle East andEastern Europe. Ticks of the genus, Hyalomma, particularlyHyalomma marginatum are believed to be both a reservoir and a vector for the CCHF virus. The virus has been found in other Ixodid (hard) ticks although it is not clear whether they are able to transmit the virus. Antibodies have been found in numerous wild and domestic animal species, such as cattle, goats, sheep and hares, which may serve as amplifying hosts for the virus. Sporadic cases and outbreaks of CCHF affecting humans do occur. Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected blood or ticks. CCHF can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or body fluids. CCHF is a severe disease in humans, with a high mortality rate. Fortunately, human illness occurs infrequently, although animal infection may be more common. The onset of CCHF is sudden, with initial signs and symptoms including headache, high fever, back pain, joint pain, stomach pain, red eyes, and vomiting. As the illness progresses, large areas of severe bruising, and severe nosebleeds can be seen. Information on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever from CDC
Middle Ages Religion Middle Ages Religion - The Christian Religion (Christianity) The Christian religion, or Christianity, is the name given to the system of religious belief and practice which was taught by Jesus Christ in the country of Palestine during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius (42 BC - AD 37). Christianity took its rise in Judaism. Jesus Christ, its founder, and His disciples were all orthodox Jews. The new Christian religion emerged based on the testimony of the Scriptures, as interpreted by the life of Jesus Christ and the teaching of His Apostles, which were documented in the Bible. Middle Ages Religion - The Rise of the Christian Religion (Christianity) in the Roman Era Christianity began among a small number of Jews (about 120, see Acts 1:15). Christianity was seen as a threat to the Roman Empire as Christians refused to worship the Roman gods or the Emperor. This resulted in the persecution of the early Christians, many of whom were killed and thus became martyrs to the Christian religion. The prosecution of adherents to the Christian religion ended during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Emperor Constantine I (AD ca. 285 - AD 337) of the Roman Empire legalised Christianity and Constantine the Great proclaimed himself as an 'Emperor of the Christian people'. Most of the Roman Emperors that came after Constantine were Christians. Christianity then became the official religion of the Roman Empire instead of the old Roman religion that had worshipped many Gods. Middle Ages Religion - The Rise of the Christian Religion (Christianity) in the Dark Ages In the 5th century, the Roman empire began to crumble. Germanic tribes (barbarians) conquered the city of Rome. This event started the period in history referred to as the Dark Age. The period of the Dark Age saw the growth in the power of the Christian Church which was then referred to as the Catholic religion. Middle Ages Religion - The Catholic Religion During the Dark Ages and Early Middle Ages the only accepted Christian religion was the Catholic religion. The word Catholic derives from the Middle English word 'catholik' and from the Old French 'catholique' and the Latin word 'catholicus' meaning universal or whole. Early Christians, such as Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who was martyred in c110, used the term 'catholic' to describe the whole Church - the literal meaning being universal or whole. Any other sects were viewed as heretical. The Catholic religion was seen as the true religion. The Christian church was divided geographically between the west (Rome) and the east (Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch). Middle Ages Religion - The Power of the Catholic Church and the Role of the Church in the Middle Ages With it's own laws, lands and taxes The Catholic church was a very powerful institution which had its own laws and lands. The Catholic Church also imposed taxes. In addition to collecting taxes, the Church also accepted gifts of all kinds from individuals who wanted special favors or wanted to be certain of a place in heaven. The power of the Catholic Church grew with its wealth. The Catholic Church was then able to influence the kings and rulers of Europe. Opposition to the Catholic Church would result in excommunication. This meant that the person who was excommunicated could not attend any church services, receive the sacraments and would go straight to hell when they died. Middle Ages Roman Catholic Religion - The Great Schism and the Great Western Schism In 1054 there was a split between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches prompted by arguments over the crusades. This split was called the Great Schism. The Great Western Schism occurred in in Western Christendom from 1378 - 1417. This was caused by an Italian pope called Pope Urban IV being elected and establishing the papal court in Rome. The French disagreed with this and elected a French Pope who was based in Avignon. The schism in western Christendom was finally healed at the Council of Constance and the Catholic religion was referred to as the Roman Catholic Religion. Middle Ages Religion Each section of this website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about these great monuments to bygone times. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about this fascinating subject.
For decades, scientists have been grappling with the consequences of climate change and working toward viable solutions. Climate engineering, also known as geoengineering, is the most controversial possible solution. Currently, one of the most talked about geoengineering ideas is Solar Radiation Management (SRM), which intends to block shortwave solar radiation, thus cooling the Earth to offset rising temperatures. In other words, SRM may be one way in which global temperatures could be artificially stabilized. But a new study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, finds that while SRM-style geoengineering may succeed in cooling the Earth, it would also disrupt precipitation patterns around the world. The June 12, 1991 eruption column from Mount Pinatubo taken from Clark Air Base. Image resized. U.S. Geological Survey Photograph taken by Richard P. Hoblitt. One popular SRM idea is to fire sulfates into the atmosphere, simulating what happens during a volcanic eruption, when plumes of debris are emitted into the atmosphere and effectively act as shields against solar radiation. However, large volcanic events are often accompanied by negative effects on local and even global environmental systems. For instance, the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines weakened the water cycle and depleted the stratospheric ozone layer above the Arctic pole for two years. Climate change is generally expected to increase global precipitation because the heat trapped near Earth’s surface leads to higher rates of evaporation. But using SRM is expected to decrease rainfall. Therefore to better understand what rainfall may look like in the future under various scenarios, scientists led by Simone Tilmes of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) manipulated 12 of the world’s leading climate simulation models via the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP). Model accuracy is important, and those used by this team were vetted against past observations and shown to correctly predict previous long-term climatic observations. However, their accuracy diminished when used for more specific weather events. “For instance, over the last 100 year period, most of the models showed the observed temperature increase;” said Tilmes, “however there are still uncertainties in the details…Climate models cannot predict specific weather phenomena, but they can predict that for instance, hurricanes become stronger, rainfall extremes increase, and that can be compared if we have long observational records.” The team began by setting global CO2 levels at an extremely high level: 1,120 parts per million (ppm) or four times the pre-industrial level of around 280 ppm. This level is on the extreme side of projections for the end of this century. But the team wanted to test how effective SRM geoengineering would be against a drastic increase in CO2. The scientists found that global precipitation rates increased by approximately seven percent under the extreme climate change scenario, without geoengineering intervention . However, within the seven percent increase in precipitation, there were regional variations of rainfall and snowfall as well as prolonged droughts in some parts of the world. For instance, precipitation increased 10 percent over East Asia and India while there was a seven percent reduction in the North American summer monsoon. There were also variations in precipitation rates when comparing land (3.7 percent increase) with oceans (7.1 percent increase). In addition, the researchers observed a 50 percent increase in the number of months with high-intensity rainfall. However, when the scientists ran the models again, this time with SRM-style geoengineering, things changed significantly. The researchers found that intervention with SRM geoenigeering caused a 4.5 percent reduction in global precipitation as opposed to pre-industrial levels. Again, the scientists observed regional variations: monsoon precipitation decreased by six percent in East Asia, seven percent in North America, six percent in South America, five percent in South Africa and two percent in India. Notably, decreases in precipitation rates on land and in oceans were similar, showing only minor variations compared to the extreme climate change conditions. During high-intensity rainfall months there was a 20 percent reduction in the frequency of monsoon-level rainfall events. The overall impact of SRM on global mean temperatures was cooling in the tropics and warming in the higher latitudes. The NCAR study shows that climate engineering can be used to return global temperatures to pre-industrial conditions, even when CO2 levels are extremely high. But these methods cannot solve the associated effects on the water cycle. “Now we know that any geoengineering scheme would only work with drastic mitigation measures in place, because it can be only used as a short-time fix, to buy some time,” said Tilmes. “If we would continue, more and more geoengineering would be required, which is not possible. Most scientists agree that the only way geoengineering should ever become an option is to have a strict strategy of greenhouse gas emission reductions go along with it.” - Tilmes, S. et. al (2013). The hydrological impact of geoengineering in the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP). Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol. 118, 11,036–11,058. (11/26/2012) In 1990, British cloud physicist John Latham published a paper arguing he could cool global climate by brightening clouds over the ocean. Most colleagues ignored the paper, titled ‘Control global warming?’—probably because this thing called global warming was not yet a hot topic. Now, more than two decades later, Latham continues to develop what has become one of the most promising and controversial ideas in climate control. ‘Marine cloud brightening’ might sound benign, but hairs rise when it’s called ‘geoengineering.’ (10/17/2012) This year saw the Arctic sea ice extent fall to a new and shocking low, while the U.S. experienced it warmest month ever on record (July), beating even Dust Bowl temperatures. Meanwhile, a flood of new research has convincingly connected a rise in extreme weather events, especially droughts and heatwaves, to global climate change, and a recent report by the DARA Group and Climate Vulnerability Forum finds that climate change contributes to around 400,000 deaths a year and costs the world 1.6 percent of its GDP, or $1.2 trillion. All this and global temperatures have only risen about 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.44 degrees Fahrenheit) since the early Twentieth Century. Scientists predict that temperatures could rise between 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) to a staggering 6.4 degrees Celsius (11.5 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. (07/18/2012) For a long time, oceanic iron fertilization was seen as a promising mechanism to combat global climate change. But then in 2009 a well-publicized study found that iron fertilization stored 80 times less carbon than expected, dampening enthusiasm and support around the geoengineering scheme. Now, however, the idea of fertilizing the ocean with iron may be back: a new study in Nature reports that iron fertilization, in the right conditions, could store carbon in the deep ocean for centuries.
Challenge-based learning (CBL) is a framework for learning while solving real-world Challenges. The framework is collaborative and hands-on, asking all participants (students, teachers, families, and community members) to identify Big Ideas, ask good questions, discover and solve Challenges, gain in-depth subject area knowledge, develop 21st-century skills, and share their thoughts with the world - wikipedia The framework in organized into three phases: __Engage__ – Through a process of Essential Questioning, the Learners move from an abstract Big Idea to a concrete and actionable Challenge. __Investigate__ – All Learners plan and participate in a journey that builds the foundation for Solutions and addresses academic requirements. __Act__ – Evidence-based Solutions are developed, implemented with an authentic audience, and then evaluated based on the results. Throughout the process, all participants are expected to document the experience, reflect on practice and share the experience with the world. Challenge-based learning builds on the foundation of experiential learning, leans heavily on the wisdom of a long history of progressive education, shares the many of the goals of service learning, and the activism of critical pedagogy. The framework is informed by innovative ideas from education, media, technology, entertainment, recreation, the workplace, and society. Using Challenges to frame learning experiences originated from an exploration of reality television, conversations with individuals whose lives center on Challenges, and reflection on personal learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom. When faced with a Challenge, successful groups and individuals leverage experience, harness internal and external resources, develop a plan and push forward to find the best solution. Along the way, there is experimentation, failure, success and ultimately consequences for actions. By adding Challenges to learning environments the result is urgency, passion, and ownership – ingredients often missing in schools.
Using the internet is a great way for children to learn, explore and socialise – it offers kids an abundance of information and has many positive and valuable uses. However, as every parent knows, the internet also poses some very real risks to children. It is very important for parents to stay abreast of current online trends and the way in which kids use the internet. All home computer time should be supervised by parents and all devices with internet connectivity should have content filters – including all PCs, laptops, tablets and smart phones. You can help educate and empower your kids to seek positive and safe online experiences, with these basic tips: - Teach children that information found on the internet is not always accurate. This can include people pretending to be someone they are not. - Ensure children are aware that there are constant risks when surfing the web, including identity theft, misuse of personal details (e.g. credit card details), cyber bullying, and inappropriate sexual messaging known as ‘sexting’. - Encourage children to think before posting anything online, and ensure they are aware that you can never permanently delete anything once it has posted online. - Teach children how to use privacy settings, and how to keep their passwords safe. - Discourage children from replying to bullying or threatening messages or to meeting up with unfamiliar people they have communicated with online. - Make sure children never provide personal details to any website or person online unless they have checked with you first. Above all, keep the lines of communication open with your children. Encourage your kids to come and talk to you about anything that has made them feel uncomfortable when they have been online – and always allow them this opportunity without judging them or being angry or upset with them. For further information, visit www.cybersmart.gov.au
User Interface (UI) - an interface that provides the information transfer between a human user and the hardware/software components of a computer system. User interface combines all the elements and components of the program, which can simplify the interaction of the user with the software. These elements include: Means for displaying information, formats and codes; Command modes, user interface language; Devices and technologies for data entry; Dialogs, interaction and transactions between the user and the computer; Feedback from the user; Support for decision-making in a specific subject area; The program using procedure and the documentation for it. UI defines how commands are given to a program or computer and how information is displayed on the screen. Three main UI types are: Command language: the user must know the instructions or the code of the machine and the specific program. Menus: the user selects the command from the list that is displayed on the screen. Graphical user interface (GUI): the user gives commands by selecting and clicking on the icon shown on the screen. There are a set of rules laid down by the developer of the device, which enables smooth transition between action and response: a combination of inputs by the user should lead to the necessary responses of the device and task. work out the user interfaces for each of the screens within the software or application. These rules should be sufficiently clear for understanding, natural and easy to remember (all this is included in the concept of usability). User Interface Design Basics User Interface (UI) Design focuses on the users needs, ensuring that the interface has elements that are easy to access facilitate actions. UI brings together concepts from interaction design , visual design , and information architecture Choosing Interface Elements Users have become familiar with some common interface elements , declared as the standard visualisation by operating system standards - iOS and Android. The designers of user dashboards should be consistent and predictable in choosing the existing elements. Doing so will help gain the user’s satisfaction by providing clear and convenient interface. Interface elements include but are not limited to: Input Controls: buttons, text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdown lists, list boxes, toggles, date field Navigational Components: breadcrumb, slider, search field, pagination, slider, tags, icons Informational Components: tooltips, icons, progress bar, notifications, message boxes, modal windows The simple and well balanced combination of all elements, joined as an attractive visual solution for the software interface can be a good example of user-friendly interface design.
VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Masks) VLSM, just as with subnets, is a local, LAN scheme. The Internet backbone routers have no concept of VLSM !!! It allows the boundary between the subnet bits and host bits to vary - in otherwords, the length, in bits, of both the extended prefix and hosts can vary. In all previous examples, there is a specific number of network bits (prefix bits), a specific number of subnet bits (where the extended prefix = network prefix + subnet bits), and a specific number of host bits. With VLSM you can have several subnets and several extended prefixes of varying length. Those subnets, in turn, can be separated into other subnets of varying length, and so on. However, the prefix (network) bits stay the same !!! Longest Match Algorithm All routers must implement a consistent forwarding algorithm based on the "longest match" algorithm. The deployment of VLSM means that the set of networks associated with extended-network-prefixes may manifest a subset relationship. A route with a longer extended-network-prefix describes a smaller set of destinations than the same route with a shorter extended-network-prefix. As a result, a route with a longer extended-network-prefix is said to be "more specific" while a route with a shorter extended-network-prefix is said to be "less specific." Routers must use the route with the longest matching extended-network-prefix (most specific matching route) when forwarding traffic. For example, if a packet's destination IP address is 188.8.131.52 and there are three network prefixes in the routing table (184.108.40.206/24, 220.127.116.11/16, and 18.104.22.168/8), the router would select the route to 22.214.171.124/24. The 126.96.36.199/24 route is selected because its prefix has the greatest number of corresponding bits in the Destination IP address of the packet. Destination 188.8.131.52 = 00001011.00000001.00000010.00000101 * Route #1 184.108.40.206/24 = 00001011.00000001.00000010.00000000 Route #2 220.127.116.11/16 = 00001011.00000001.00000000.00000000 Route #3 18.104.22.168/8 = 00001011.00000000.00000000.00000000 * Best Match is with the Route Having the Longest Prefix (Most Specific) There is a very subtle but extremely important issue here. Since the destination address matches all three routes, it must be assigned to a host which is attached to the 22.214.171.124/24 subnet. If the 126.96.36.199 address is assigned to a host that is attached to the 188.8.131.52/16 or 184.108.40.206/8 subnet, the routing system will never route traffic to the host since the "longest match algorithm" assumes that the host is part of the 220.127.116.11/24 subnet. This means that great care must be taken when assigning host addresses to make sure that every host is reachable! Where you would use VLSM ? For example, in a campus environment. You might have a Class B block of addresses to be used across several campuses. One of the campuses requires half of the addresses and the other two need a fourth. So you use variable length subnets. Within each campus, there are several buildings, so you further subnet the subnets. And in those buildings you could have workgroups, which require subnets of the subnets of the subnets. All these entities require different numbers of IP addresses. To use fixed subnet masks, where all would receive the same number of IP addresses, would be very wasteful. VLSM Route Aggregation VLSM is simlilar to CIDR, in that is performs route aggregation. The ISP applies CIDR to reduce the number of routes that must be stored. Similarly, the customer applies VLSM to their LAN to optimize usage of their alloted address space. They do not create any new addresses - but they can group them more efficiently. The difference is that with CIDR, the ISP or Internet Registry agregates smaller variable-length address blocks into one larger block – and with VLSM the end organization aggregates smaller variable-length address blocks into their larger, assigned address block. You may be thinking . . . "wait a minute . . . CIDR is supernetting and VLSM is subnetting". Actually, VLSM uses subnet masks, but the purpose is to combine them into a larger network address - a supernet !! Both CIDR and VLSM perform supernettinf, or route aggregation. But the similarity stops there - with aggregation. CIDR goes a lot farther - it includes the complex formula for routing classless packets across the Internet backbone. VLSM is not concerned with routing, and it is not concerned with either classless or classful. It is only a method of using variable length subnet masks to allow variable length subnets to exist, and to be combined into one larger network address. This allows networks to use different subnet masks of varying lengths, so that the address space can be more fully used. For example, a company may have several mid-size groups and then several smaller groups – all on different network segments. VLSM could be used to give the mid-size segments /24 subnets and the smaller segments /27 subnets. All of the smaller subnets are combined into the larger subnets, and all the routes are agrregated as shown in the following diagram:
Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations Watch a video about our work in Mexico. The northeastern Yucatan Peninsula—stretching across 500,000 hectares of dry and moist forests, wetlands, coastal lagoons and sand dunes—is the first stop for millions of migratory birds crossing the Gulf of Mexico. The region is home to 407 bird species (49 of which are endangered) and 123 mammal species, including jaguar, Baird’s tapir, anteater, howler monkey, ocelot, tigrillo, manatee and the northern tamandua, or collared anteater. Non-timber products—such as chicle, palm leaves, firewood, charcoal and organic honey—add value to these forests as well. A Region Under Threat But a rapidly growing population and real estate and infrastructure projects are reducing the amount of forest cover, creating barriers to wildlife and polluting the underground water supply. In addition, catastrophic wildfires often follow on the heels of tree-toppling hurricanes, both of which are exacerbated by climate change and hot, dry season peaking from March to May. What the Conservancy Has Done The Conservancy and Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatan (PPY) purchased a 2,400-hectare property—El Zapotal—containing dry and humid forest, savannas and wetlands. The property is key to reducing pressure to change land uses and provides a platform for working with local landowners and communities whose vision and practices have changed over time. The Conservancy and PPY have helped local communities obtain annual funding from the National Forestry Commission of more than $1,000,000 to manage and protect their lands, as well as federal funds to train and equip fire brigades to build and maintain 250km of fire breaks annually. The Conservancy also supported coordination among federal, state, and municipal agencies and private land owners to address fire management. At a larger scale, TNC and PPY led a comprehensive conservation action planning process for the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula with the participation of local agencies and communities. And the Conservancy helped form an environmental alliance for the Yucatan Peninsula (abbreviated as AAPY in Spanish) with local partners PPY, Amigos de Sian Ka’an, the National Protected Areas Commission, NIños y Crias, and El Eden. Current Conservation Strategies The Conservancy and partners are now focused on developing a mosaic of land uses compatible with conservation to preserve habitat not only for plants and animals, but also for local people who count on nature to provide clean water, clean air, croplands and livelihoods. AAPY is pursuing the following strategies: - Establishing private reserves through land purchase and local partner management, including a 4,000-hectare property owned by PPY. - Promoting conservation easements and land use limitations on ejido (communal) land, private property and real estate developments using voluntary conservation incentives such as tax breaks, a conservation compensation fund generated from Cancun water user fees, funding from the National Forestry Commission and other financial mechanisms. - Promoting ejido land conservation by helping partners and ejidos access federal funding to manage their forests and implement fire management activities such as fire breaks on nearly 10,000 hectares. - Promoting the establishment of a formal protected area covering 25,000 hectares of wetlands and associated forest near Isla Mujeres. - Monitoring birds and wildlife on the El Zapotal reserve (home to 65 migratory bird species and 157 residents, with 110 of those species breeding in the area) and using trip cameras to detect large mammals in the reserve and surrounding ejidos and properties.
78% of concussions occur during games. (as opposed to practices) Impact speed of a professional boxers punch Impact speed of a football player tackling a stationary player Impact speed of a soccer ball being headed by a player Soccer is the most common sport with concussion risk for females (50% chance for concussion) Football is the most common sport with concussion risk for males (75% chance for concussion) What is a Concussion? A concussion is a brain injury and is defined as a complex pathophysiological process that affects the brain, typically induced by trauma to the brain. It can be caused either by a direct blow to the head, or an indirect blow to the body, causing neurological impairments. Symptoms usually reflect a functional disturbance in the brain and may present themselves in the following categories: What happens to the brain during a Concussion? The adult brain is a three-pound organ that floats inside the skull. It is surrounded by cerebral spinal fluid, which acts as a shock absorber for minor impacts. When the brain moves rapidly inside the skull, a concussion has technically occurred. One common scenario that can lead to a concussion is a direct blow to the head or a whiplash effect to the body. The impact rapidly accelerates the head, causing the brain to strike the inner skull. When the head decelerates and stops its motion, the brain then hits the opposite side of the inner skull. The second common scenario is a rotational concussion, in which the head rapidly rotates from one side to another causing shearing and straining of brain tissues. In either case, delicate neural pathways in the brain can become damaged, causing neurological disturbances. Does age and gender play a role in Concussion management? There are distinct differences in age when it comes to managing sport-related concussions. Recent research demonstrates that high school athletes not only take longer to recover after a concussion when compared to collegiate or professional athletes, but they also may experience greater severity of symptoms and more neurological disturbances as measured by neuropsychological and postural stability tests. It is also estimated that 53% of high school athletes have sustained a concussion before participation in high school sports, and 36% of collegiate athletes have a history of multiple concussions. Because the frontal lobes of the human brain continue to develop until age 25, it is vital to manage youth concussions very conservatively to ensure optimal neurological development and outcomes. Data suggests that female athletes sustain more concussions than their male counterparts. A major reason results from females not having the same head-neck muscle mass as males, which contributes to frequent and greater whiplash movements on the brain itself. What are some long-term consequences of multiple concussions? Long-term effects of multiple concussions are currently being studied by researchers around the globe. Research shows that multiple brain injuries may result in many mental health issues including the following: This is serious. While we are still elucidating the causes of these long-term effects, it is imperative that a person fully recovers from one concussion before risking a subsequent one. Failing to do so can lead to additional neurologic damage or even death. Given this new understanding, managing concussions requires specialized, comprehensive, and state-of-the-art approaches.
Vocabulary and sentences for beginning readers. Common Core Alignment: RI.1.5. Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text. RI.1.9. Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
In this article we shall discuss the concept of orogeny, and investigate how plate tectonics causes the formation of mountains. It will be helpful to the reader to recall the facts discussed in the articles on subduction, terranes, and ophiolites. Note on the word "orogeny"Edit The term orogeny means, literally, "the formation of mountains". It is sometimes used to mean just that; so, for example, we may use the term "subduction orogeny" to refer to the volcano- and island-arc-forming process described in the article on subduction. When I use the term "orogeny" without any further qualification (i.e. unless I specifically say that I am talking about subduction orogeny) I shall be using the word in this last sense. In orogeny, mountains are formed when a continent meets another continent, a micro-continent or an island arc, and instead of one subducting beneath the other, they push together and buckle, forming mountains. Hence if we wish to distinguish this mechanism from subduction orogeny, we may call it "collisional orogeny". Now, this mechanism for mountain-forming is at least plausible, for the following reasons: (1) When (for example) two continents collide, each will be too thick, and too low in density compared to the athenosphere, for one to simply subduct under the other. (2) There is no reason why, when the two continents meet, the forces that brought them into collision should then regard their job as done and knock off: whatever propelled one continent into another will, it seems safe to suppose, continue to impel the continent. (The reader should note, however, that the continents do not continue to move because of their "momentum", as some people carelessly say. The momentum even of something with the mass of a continent is negligible when it's only moving at a speed that can be measured in centimeters per year. Rather, as we have said, they continue to move because the forces that brought them together continue to push them together.) (3) We know that rocks can deform under stress; in fact, geologists perform experiments with plasticine to gain insights into orogeny, on the grounds that two slabs of plasticine in collision should behave on a small scale over a small period of time much as two continents in collision will behave on a larger scale over a longer period of time. But it is one thing to be plausible, another thing to be right. In order to show that the concept of collisional orogeny is more than just the thought of an idle hour, it is necessary to look at the details of mountain ranges. How do we know?Edit We are used to the fact that mountains come in belts (the Urals, the Himalayas, the Appalachians, and so forth) but when you think about it the fact is rather striking. Why do mountains come in long and relatively thin strips rather than being arranged in big circles (for example) or being dotted randomly here and there about the landscape? Well, a subduction orogeny will produce belts (such as the Andes) because the boundary between two plates is necessarily a line; and collisional orogeny will produce belts (for example the Himalayas) for exactly the same reason: the boundary (the suture zone) between two adjoining pieces of continental crust must in the nature of boundaries be linear. When we look in detail at orogenic belts, we see that the nature of the folds they contain is consistent with the theory of their origin. Consider a piece of deformable material such as a floor rug. If you push it from one end so as to shorten the area it occupies, it must necessarily ruck up in a series of parallel folds; if this process continues some of the folds will become recumbent; they will fall over sideways. This is just what we see in orogenic belts. The photograph to the right shows a fine example of a recumbent fold belonging to the Caledonian orogeny. Then there is the matter of sedimentology. Before the discovery of plate tectonics, geologists recognized that non-volcanic mountain ranges tended to consist largely of prisms of marine sediment (often metamorphosed); they just didn't know why. It was simply the fact that these great accumulations of sediment would form in the ocean and then climb out of the sea and become mountains, and the most that geologists could say about it was that this was just the sort of thing that tended to happen from time to time. But this can be explained in terms of collisional orogeny: before a continent meets another continent (or microcontinent, or island arc) there must be sea floor between them; this will contain the sediment of the continental shelf and slope. Naturally when the two landmasses meet this sediment will be squeezed between them. Because in order for the two landmasses to meet the oceanic crust between them must be subducted, we might well expect to find signs of subduction orogeny accompanying collisional orogeny: we would expect to see volcanoes on at least one landmass or the other, or volcanic island arcs between them which would then be trapped when they meet to form a terrane. And this is in fact what we find. The idea that orogenies are collisional also explains why ophiolites are found in mountain belts. Recall that these are sections of oceanic crust: what, then, are they doing in the middle of the Alps, the Appalachians, the Himalayas, the Urals, the Apennines, the Klamath Mountains, the Cascade Mountains ... ? But this is all explained on the collisional theory of orogeny. These ophiolites are there because that's where the ocean was, before two landmasses collided; they remain as clear evidence of the suture zone. Case study: the HimalayasEdit As an example of all that we have been discussing, consider the Himalayas. Note first of all that they do in fact form a mountain belt; they have a long thin topography. Along the north edge, we have the Transhimalayas, which look just like they were produced by subduction volcanism; further south we have 10 - 17 kilometers of marine sedimentary rock and metamorphosed sediments; at the Indus Suture Zone where the two plates meet we have ophiolites. The whole Himalayan range has very evidently been smashed, mashed, folded and faulted, and contains many recumbent folds. To the south of the Himalayas is of course India, which may be considered one vast terrane, having its own distinct geological, paleomagnetic, and fossil history up until the point where it crashed into south Asia; if, as this evidence suggests, they were once separate, they must at some point have collided. Finally, we may note that in this case the collision is still going on: India is measurably still moving north by about 5cm/year, the Himalayas are still measurably undergoing uplift at about 1cm/year, and Asia north of the Himalayas is still measurably stretching and deforming as a result of the collision. So when we find something that looks similar to the Himalayas but where the motion has ceased, we are entitled to infer motion in the past.
A literary analysis of the motifs and symbols in plays by william shakespeare Themes themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary motifs & symbols summary & analysis motif throughout the play. Examples of motifs in macbeth act 2 exam aswers search engine symbols of guilt macbeth is a play by william shakespeare. In a literary work, a motif can be seen as an image motifs, and symbols in dickens’ a tale of two cities (by william shakespeare. Macbeth – themes, motifs & symbols which has led some critics to argue that this is shakespeare’s most misogynistic play and literary devices. The paperback of the hamlet (sparknotes literature guide series) by sparknotes, william shakespeare explanations of key themes, motifs, and symbols. Shakespeare plays, literary analysis the symbolism of blood in macbeth essay - the seventeenth-century william shakespeare employs many motifs. A distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary shakespeare used symbols and motifs in symbols throughout the plays you can. Part b: study the play now let's take a look at the major motifs and symbols in the play macbeth is one of shakespeare's bloodiest plays. Role of motifs in shakespeare's literary analysis] 707 words role reversal in shakespeare’s macbeth essay - in william shakespeare’s play. Context the tempest was probably written in 1610–1611, and was first performed by the king's men in the fall of 1611 the tempest is most likely the last play. Includes storyboards to define themes, symbols, & motifs in literature with elements • literary genres • shakespeare plays • influential people. One cant deny the fact that shakespeare had a unique way of including symbolism in his plays through these symbols he was able to deliver a lot of. Absolute shakespeare monday, february 28, 2011 themes, motifs and symbols of dr faustus themes insofar as doctor faustus is a christian play. This lesson examines motifs in williams shakespeare's ''macbeth'' the motifs are used to emphasize the play's major themes macbeth literary analysis & devices. This summer featured the release of ian doescher’s william shakespeare’s the studying skywalkers : shared motifs in star who plays. How to write literary analysis which has led some critics to argue that this is shakespeare’s most misogynistic play motifs & symbols quick quiz. Get free homework help on william shakespeare's macbeth: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis. Symbols and abbreviations: the a--z section of this website deals with shakespeare's general english vocabulary plays 2004 \| penguin books. Shakespeare study guides here you will find a detailed analysis of selected plays, including information on the major characters and themes, study questions. Make a romeo and juliet a literary analysis of the motifs and symbols in plays by william shakespeare twelfth night as a romantic comedy by touhidsm, may 04, 2014. This webpage is a literary analysis of the motifs and symbols in plays by william shakespeare for dr this accessible literary criticism is perfect for anyone faced. A motif is a narrative element with symbolic meaning that repeats throughout a work of literature motifs may william shakespeare williams’s play the. Get an answer for 'what are some motifs in hamlet' and find homework this motif occurs sporadically throughout the play of william shakespeare's. International journal on studies in english language and literature (ijsell the analysis of shakespeare’s ‘othello’ a study of verse or a play. Close reading of a passage in othello by shakespeare : analysis of the scene i of william shakespeare’s play history of literature since shakespeare’s. The paperback of the romeo and juliet (sparknotes literature guide series) by sparknotes, william shakespeare \| at barnes & noble free shipping on. Themes, motifs, symbols - download as word doc king lear is a brutal play william shakespeare's star wars. Symbols in macbeth : blood, dagger, dead the cover of night is evoked by shakespeare horses crazy and eat eachother storm at the beginning of play.
Symptoms of Allergic reaction Symptoms of Allergic reaction: Introduction People who have an allergic reaction to a specific substance can experience a wide variety of symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, skin, gastrointestinal system, and in severe cases, the cardiovascular system. Symptoms can occur alone or in combination with other symptoms. Common respiratory symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, sinus pressure. Itchy, watery eyes and headache can occur with or without respiratory symptoms. Hay fever is a condition in which there is an allergic reaction to pollen. Hayfever and other respiratory allergies, such as those to mold and dust, are types of allergic rhinitis. These allergic reactions can mimic the symptoms of a cold. In some cases respiratory symptoms of an allergic reaction can also occur in combination with allergic symptoms of the skin. These include rashes, pruritus (itching), swelling and hives. Allergies are also associated with some skin conditions, such as eczema and contact dermatitis. Food allergies can present with respiratory symptoms in addition to symptoms, such as swelling of the throat, mouth, and lips, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, and nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Asthma often goes hand-in-hand with having an allergic reaction. Allergens can trigger an asthma attack which results in constriction of the airways in the lungs, inflammation, and a build-up of mucus. This results in wheezing, shortness of breath and coughing, which can become severe and life-threatening if not treated promptly. A life-threatening allergic reaction is called an anaphylactic reaction and requires immediate medical intervention. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, swelling of the lips, mouth and throat, difficulty swallowing or speaking, confusion, a severe drop in blood pressure (hypotension), and shock....more about Allergic reaction » Symptoms of Allergic reaction The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Allergic reaction includes the 16 symptoms listed below: Research symptoms & diagnosis of Allergic reaction: Allergic reaction: Symptom Checkers Review the available symptom checkers for these symptoms of Allergic reaction: Allergic reaction: Symptom Assessment Questionnaires Review the available Assessment Questionnaires for the symptoms of Allergic reaction: Research More About Allergic reaction Do I have Allergic reaction? Allergic reaction: Medical Mistakes Allergic reaction: Undiagnosed Conditions Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas: Home Diagnostic Testing Home medical tests related to Allergic reaction: - Allergies -- Related Home Tests - Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing: - more home tests...» Wrongly Diagnosed with Allergic reaction? The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Allergic reaction includes: See the full list of 7 Allergic reaction: Research Doctors & Specialists - Allergy Specialists: - Immune-Related Disease Specialists (Immunology): - Lung Health Specialists (Pulmonologist): - more specialists...» Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions. More about symptoms of Allergic reaction: More information about symptoms of Allergic reaction and related conditions: Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom. Allergic reaction as a symptom: For a more detailed analysis of Allergic reaction as a symptom, including causes, drug side effect causes, and drug interaction causes, please see our Symptom Center information for Allergic reaction. Medical articles and books on symptoms: These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general: Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis About signs and symptoms of Allergic reaction: The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Allergic reaction. This signs and symptoms information for Allergic reaction has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Allergic reaction signs or Allergic reaction symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Allergic reaction may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Allergic reaction symptoms.
Music is an art form and cultural activity whose medium is sound organized in time. The common elements of music are pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. Sound design consists of creating a sonic pallet for the reality of the story, that means coming up with the sound effects which aren't foley (which is the recording of sounds like footsteps, clothes, most of the ordinary interactions with objects, etc, all of which is done in a foley recording studio by foley artists). Designing sounds can be achieved by recording new material, manipulating library sound effects to create new sounds and by inventing new and extraordinary sounds through synthesis techniques,
The United States and Canada have historically struggled to delineate a maritime geographic boundary for the Gulf of Maine in the Atlantic Ocean. Running inland, from the Gulf of Maine, these countries not only share a boundary, but also dams on the St. Croix River system. For the past two decades, the St. Croix River system of Maine and New Brunswick has been the site of an increasing impasse between the United States and Canada concerning the management of fisheries resources. In 1995, this dispute culminated with the Maine legislature authorizing the modification of the Grand Falls Dam and the Woodland Dam on the St. Croix River to prevent the passage of alewives. Proponents of the bill argued that alewives were “eating machines” that killed and devoured “everything in a body of water.” Since this time, constituents within the Maine legislature, the U.S. federal government, and the Canadian government have attempted to intervene and reverse the devastating effect that the legislation has had on the rapidly declining alewife population. The alewife, known in Canada as Gaspereau, is either a landlocked or an anadromous fish. Both types of alewives are indigenous to Maine and New Brunswick waters and this comment focuses on the native, anadromous alewives that formerly ran the waters of the St. Croix River. These fish are important to the Gulf of Maine ecosystem because they provide a source of food for large and smallmouth bass, brown trout, salmonids in freshwater; groundfish in the ocean and in estuaries; and for osprey and bald eagles. Additionally, both Maine and Canadian lobstermen depend on the alewife as bait during the spring lobster season. By preventing the passage of alewives into the St. Croix River, the Maine legislature has succeeded in preventing this species of fish from spawning. The practical effect of this has been to almost completely extinguish sea-run alewives from existence in the St. Croix River system. This Comment argues that the unilateral decision by the Maine legislature to prohibit alewives from swimming upstream into Canada, and thereby preventing the fish from spawning violates not only U.S. federal law, but also international law. This Comment maintains that, from a policy perspective, state legislatures should not be the arbiters of international fisheries management decisions because foreign relations are not matters for state interference. Scientific data and studies have revealed that the presence of anadromous alewives within the St. Croix River system would have no adverse effect on either the flora or the fauna, including other species of fish, such as the smallmouth bass and salmon. Without intervention, the Maine legislature may succeed in single-handedly causing the extinction of a native species of fish, from a designated body of water. Sadly, this Comment concludes that the Maine legislature is allowed to occupy the field in this instance, and make critical decisions regarding fisheries management, because neither the U.S. Congress nor the Canadian government has precluded it from doing so. Structurally, this Comment begins with a short introduction of the alewife and its history as a native fish in the St. Croix River system. Next, a discussion of the bill, An Act to Stop the Alewives Restoration Program in the St. Croix River, and its history will follow. Then, a discussion of possible legal theories and dispute resolution devices will be shown as either inapplicable or ineffective to stop the Maine legislature’s Bill. Finally, a short policy argument will advocate for either one or both of the U.S. or Canadian governments to enact new legislation that will prohibit a single state or province from unilaterally having the ability to enact fishery management legislation that would affect surrounding states, provinces, or countries. The Maine Legislature's Bill: An Act To Stop The Alewives Restoration Program In The St. Croix River - Have The Canadians And The Biologists Gone Beserk?, Ocean & Coastal L.J. Available at: http://digitalcommons.mainelaw.maine.edu/oclj/vol13/iss2/5
Developmentally appropriate practices like play-based learning are valuable for strengthening many areas of development and learning. This topic aims to show how play-based learning can help support young children’s learning of social-emotional skills, general cognitive development, and self-regulation abilities. It also helps to clarify the relationship between play and academic learning. Young children growing up in the 21st century are known to be active users of technologies. Technology use by young children has introduced a new concept into early childhood education and care – that of digital play.
The process of extracting common characteristics from two or more classes and combining them into a generalized superclass, is called Generalization. The common characteristics can be attributes or methods. Generalization is represented by a triangle followed by a line. Inheritance is a mechanism of acquiring the features and behaviors of a class by another class. The class whose members are inherited is called the base class, and the class that inherits those members is called the derived class. Inheritance implements the IS-A relationship. A relationship defines the connection between objects. This explains how objects are connected to each other’s and how they will behave. Object oriented and Object based programming languages have some different features and behaviour. In this article, I am going to expose the main difference between these two programming languages. In programming langauages we have two concepts functions and methods. functions are defined in structural language and methods are defined in object oriented langauge. The difference between both is given below : OOP is a design philosophy. It stands for Object Oriented Programming. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) uses a different set of programming languages than old procedural programming languages (C, Pascal, etc.). Everything in OOP is grouped as self sustainable "objects". Hence, you gain re-usability by means of four main object-oriented programming concepts.
A newly published study from the Carnegie Institute resolves a decades-old paradox between thermal history models and estimates of Mercury’s contraction, showing that Mercury contracted substantially more than the old estimates. Washington, D.C. — New global imaging and topographic data from MESSENGER* show that the innermost planet has contracted far more than previous estimates. The results are based on a global study of more than 5,900 geological landforms, such as curving cliff-like scarps and wrinkle ridges, that have resulted from the planet’s contraction as Mercury cooled. The findings, published online in Nature Geoscience, are key to understanding the planet’s thermal, tectonic, and volcanic history, and the structure of its unusually large metallic core. Unlike Earth, with its numerous tectonic plates, Mercury has a single rigid, top rocky layer. Prior to the MESSENGER mission only about 45% of Mercury’s surface had been imaged by a spacecraft. Old estimates, based on this non-global coverage, suggested that the planet had contracted radially by about ½ to 2 miles (0.8 to 3 kilometers) substantially less than that indicated by models of the planet’s thermal history. Those models predicted a radial contraction of about 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 kilometers) starting from the late heavy bombardment of the Solar System, which ended about 3.8 billion years ago. The new results, which are based on the first comprehensive survey of the planet’s surface, show that Mercury contracted radially by as much as 4.4 miles (7 kilometers) — substantially more than the old estimates, but in agreement with the thermal models. Mercury’s modern radius is 1,516 miles (2,440 kilometers). “These new results resolved a decades-old paradox between thermal history models and estimates of Mercury’s contraction,” remarked lead author of the study, Paul Byrne, a planetary geologist and MESSENGER visiting investigator at Carnegie’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. “Now the history of heat production and loss and global contraction are consistent. Interestingly, our findings are also reminiscent of now-obsolete models for how large-scale geological deformation occurred on Earth when the scientific community thought that the Earth only had one tectonic plate. Those models were developed to explain mountain building and tectonic activity in the nineteenth century, before plate tectonics theory.” Byrne and his coauthors identified a much greater number and variety of geological structures on the planet than had been recognized in previous research. They identified 5,934 ridges and scarps attributed to global contraction, which ranged from 5 to 560 miles (9 to 900 kilometers) in length. The researchers used two complementary techniques to estimate the contraction from their global survey of structures. Although the two estimates of radius change differed by 0.6 to 1 mile (1 to 1.6 kilometers), both were substantially greater than old estimates. “I became interested in the thermal evolution of Mercury’s interior when the Mariner 10 spacecraft sent back images of the planet’s great scarps in 1974–75, but the thermal history models predicted much more global contraction than the geologists inferred from the scarps then observed, even correcting for the fact that Mariner 10 imaged less than half of Mercury’s surface,” noted Sean Solomon, principal investigator of the mission, former director of Carnegie’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, and current director of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. “This discrepancy between theory and observation, a major puzzle for four decades, has finally been resolved. It is wonderfully affirming to see that our theoretical understanding is at last matched by geological evidence.” Publication: Paul K. Byrne, et al., “Mercury’s global contraction much greater than earlier estimates,” Nature Geoscience, 2014; doi:10.1038/ngeo2097 Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The loss of species that are genetically rare and geographically isolated is more damaging to the overall diversity of life on Earth over time than previously thought, according to a mathematical model described online in Ecology Letters. Conservation needs to consider the evolutionary relationship between species said lead author of the study Hélène Morlon of the University of California at Berkeley. Preserving the most unrelated species and unique genetic types would maximize protection of biological innovations developed over millions of years. To build the model, the researchers traced 538 species of woody plants genetic lineage back to their common ancestor. The species all came from Mediterranean habitats in Australia, California, Chile, and South Africa. They then mathematically analyzed how evolutionary diversity increases with the size of the geographic area. The breakdown of evolutionary similarity caused by geographic separation was also calculated. They found that the extinction of certain plants would have a larger impact on biological diversity than previously thought, Morlon said. Plant types with limited ranges could represent unique biological innovations. But some types of plant were found in multiple regions, so the loss of one of them would not be wiping out an entire lineage. “If you consider a branch of the tree of life that is present in the Northwest and also in South Africa, you can lose one while the other remains to preserve diversity on the planet,” Morlon said. The research suggests that when conservation strategies are developed, scientists and officials need to consider whether species are evolutionarily unusual. The mathematical modeling system could serve to help people decided what species need special consideration. By prioritizing the preservation of the widest span of evolutionary diversity possible, the biological variety of the Earth could bounce back faster from the current wave of human-caused extinctions. PHOTO 1: A plant from the proteaceae family Banksia hookeriana growing in Australia. CREDIT: H. Morlon PHOTO 2: These plants, commonly known as laurel protea, grow in South Africa. They are an example of related woody plants growing in geographically distant regions. CREDIT: H. Morlon
\|Setting a Purpose\| \|Setting a purpose is a necessary part of any learning. If students have authentic purposes for what they are doing, motivation and engagement increase. Initially the teacher can help students to set a purpose, but the goal is that students will set their own purposes for new learning and extended engagement.\| \|Synthesizing helps students to see the complete picture and to recognize how their thinking evolves over time. Synthesizing also makes students more likely to remember and to transfer their learning to new situations. \|Questioning is a strategy that readers can employ at all stages of readingbefore, during, and after reading. Questioning frames the way readers will approach the text and directs their purposes for reading. \|Readers make inferences when they combine their own experiences or prior knowledge with information gathered from the text to create meaning or draw a conclusion that isn't directly stated in the text. Teaching students to make logical inferences helps them discover deeper meaning in the texts they read.\| \|The strategy of determining importance allows readers to bring hierarchical order to the information and ideas they encounter at every turn of the page. Once readers can determine the big ideas and important facts, they can home in on what is crucial to their understanding.\| \|Visualizingcreating visual pictures or imaging sounds, textures, smells, and tastesis part of the process of thinking about an experience, whether it is reading a novel or a nonfictional text, solving a math problem, completing a science experiment, or locating information on a globe or map. If the senses are activated, the experience is deeper, richer, and more memorable. \| \|Connecting to Prior Knowledge\| \|Readers who are skilled at connecting to prior knowledge make links with what they know that enable them to grasp more easily what they are learning. In essence, connecting to prior knowledge fosters comprehension.\| \|Comparing/contrasting is a major pattern in expository writing that is often found in content reading. If students can master the strategy, it will allow them to bring order to concepts, which in turn makes the information memorable and leads to successful learning across the curriculum. \| \|Predicting is a strategy that turns reading into an active process that engages students, rather than a rote process in which students just read words. Predicting sets the stage for comprehension.\| \|If predicting sets the stage for comprehension, self-monitoring is the on-stage action that results in comprehension. Self-monitoring impels readers to think about what they are reading, as they are reading, to ensure that they understand what the words mean.\|
Like most labels Dyslexia covers a whole host of different conditions, often with varying underlying causes. Dyslexia is related to our ability to age appropriately read fluently and accurately, while Dyscalculia is linked to our ability to work with numbers. The underlying cause of most forms of Dyslexia includes an auditory and language processing component. - How our brain learns to read - More about reading, writing and Dyslexia - More about Dyscalculia - Solutions to reading, writing, Dyslexia To understand the possible causes of Dyslexia it is useful to know how we learn to read. In the first years of life an infant is exposed to a constant flow of written material through television or advertising displays, on toys, packaging, magazines or books, on cars and street signs. Initially the infant will ignore all this writing, but eventually the child will start to recognise whole words, shapes and colours and will be able to put sounds to this visual input. This first spontaneous reading is not based on the sounds of individual letters, but on whole shape recognition. When formal reading teaching commences, the child learns that those funny squiggles are called letters and that each letter represents a certain sound. By putting the sounds of a number of squiggles together, they start to form their first reading words. They will already know these words, but never have translated the words into as series of squiggles. In the beginning the translation of squiggles into familiar words is slow, difficult and probably quite meaningless to the child as he or she already knows how to say these words and ask for things. This translating of squiggles into words is a very visual process and thanks to modern brain imaging we now know that most of this processing takes place in the right brain-half. Over time the child will learn to read faster and more automatic, not needing to sound out each letter any more. When that happens the processing burden in the brain shifts from the right side to the left side. Accomplished readers will process almost all information in the left side of the brain. For further study we recommend "Neuropsychological Treatment of Dyslexia" by Dirk J. Bakker, Professor of Child Neuropsychology at the Free University and Head of the Research Department, Pedological Institite, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - published by Oxford University Press, 1990, ISBN 978-0-19-506132-1. Some people read more slowly than their peers and often don't like to read or write at all. They probably still process most reading on the right side of the brain and have, not yet, made the transition to the left side. We categorise this as “P-type” or Perceptual Dyslexia. Others read at normal speed but make many mistakes, skip words or lines or reverse letters or words. They probably started to process reading on the left side of the brain too early on and have not given the right side enough time to establish a strong routine of visual processing of letters. We categorise this as “L-type” or Language Dyslexia. Most people suffering from either “P” or “L” type Dyslexia also have problems with deciphering short sounding letters, such as the explosive “B”, “D” or “P” sounds. If a sound is shorter than the time required to recognise that letter, then the brain has to guess or spend extra time on recovering the missing information from context. We categorise this as “A-type” or Auditory Dyslexia. By activating each brain-half separately with either language or non-language (music), it is possible to retrain the brain to process language more efficiently, using the dedicated processing centres in the correct side of the brain. For each type of Dyslexia we can design a personalised SAS course that fits the abilities and needs of the client and that can trigger rapid and lasting results. In most cases clients also experience a boost in confidence and a strengthened feeling of self-worth. Dyscalculia is a condition involving difficulties in understanding or manipulating simple numbers and often co-exists with a poor comprehension of time, measurements and spatial awareness. Interestingly many people with Dyscalculia have good abstract mathematical reasoning abilities. People with Dyscalculia do not necessarily suffer from Dyslexia, although about half of all people with Dyslexia also have problems working with numbers. People suffering from Dyscalculia also often have difficulties with: - times-tables (multiplication-tables) and sequencing; - reading analogue (round) clocks and understanding time intervals; - differentiating between left and right or reading maps; - estimating the cost of a basket of items; - over-sensitivities to sounds, light, touch. The underlying causes of Dyscalculia are not yet fully understood, although both working and short-term memory seem to influence our ability to work with numbers, as is our ability to visualise patterns related to numbers. Our sense of musical rhythm is also closely related to sequencing and patterning. By activating the brain with sounds that move from one side to the other, it is possible to strengthen coordination between the two brain halves, which often leads to improvements in memory and understanding. We can design personalised SAS courses that fit the abilities and needs of the client and that can trigger lasting results. In many cases clients also experience a boost in confidence and a strengthened feeling of self-worth. Faster and more efficient processing in the correct part of the brain can be achieved in just a few weeks of intensive neuro-sensory training. We offer a range of condition-specific courses at SAS Centres, through SAS Practitioners, or as a SAS At Home course. Tailor-made brain training that can make a real difference! Home Help - here are some hints and tips you can try yourself at home, school or work: - Experiment with different positions in the classroom, back or front and left or right from the teacher and board. - Study or work in a quiet room, facing a blank wall - minimising sounds and visual clutter helps the brain to focus. - Break study or work time up in chunks of about 20 minutes, going for a short walk or having a drink or bite to eat in between. - Vary the type of study or work - create a mix of reading, writing, internet research. - Use a computer when possible and allowed to do so. - Use different coloured pens and different coloured paper to distinguish between tasks or categories. - Make mind maps with colour and shapes as a note taking and revising tool. - Spell words with a finger on fine sandpaper to activate tactile memory. - Use fidget objects or modelling clay to keep hands busy and divert excess energy. - Allow study or work to be done while standing up or walking about. - Establish study and work routines, using “To do” lists to stay focussed and on track. - Repeat verbal instructions back to the person which gave them. - Continue to practice reading, using not too challenging and interesting reading material. Make a list or display board of successful Dyslexic people and recognise the special creative abilities that go with Dyslexia.
Hamlet speaks several important soliloquies in william shakespeare's play hamlet, each of which reveal important information about his state of mind o, that this too too solid flesh would there are many themes for hamlet by shakespeare. The theme of death in william shakespeare's hamlet in the play hamlet, by william shakespeare, the protagonist, hamlet is obsessed with the idea of death, and during the course of the play he contemplates death from numerous perspectives. Revenge is a theme that is cleverly built upon throughout the extent of the play with it being the driving force behind two of the main characters in the play the play is introduced by the appearance of the ghost of hamlet’s father in the first scene, which automatically gives the impression that something is amiss. Hamlet is often called an elizabethan revenge play, the theme of revenge against an evil usurper driving the plot forward as in earlier stage works by shakespeare's contemporaries, kyd and. A summary of themes in william shakespeare's hamlet learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of hamlet and what it means many people have seen hamlet as a play about indecisiveness, and thus about hamlet’s failure to act appropriately it might be more interesting to consider that the play shows us how many. Explore the different themes within william shakespeare's tragic play, hamlet themes are central to understanding hamlet as a play and identifying shakespeare's social and political commentary mortality the weight of one's mortality and the complexities of life and death are introduced from the beginning of hamlet. Struggling with the themes of william shakespeare's hamlet we've got the quick and easy lowdown on them here skip to navigation hamlet by william shakespeare home / literature blood is thicker than water, which is easy to see when it's spilled all over the floor at the end of the play hamlet dwells on issues of incest and rev. The play hamlet's major theme is death it is the death of the king hamlet that triggers the events in the play one after another when the prince hamlet hears about the news of his father's death, he comes back to denmark. In regards to shakespeare's hamlet, the answer to this question, for me, comes down to the notion of the moral conundrum of justice (law) versus morality this is just one way to phrase a rather complex moral/ethical scenario that stands at the heart of this play.
A monster black hole has been detected. With 17 billion solar masses, it is significantly heavier than models predict and could be the most massive black hole known to date. Astronomers believe there is a super-massive black hole at the heart of every galaxy and its mass ranges from several hundred thousand solar masses to a few billion. The black hole that has been best investigated sits at the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, and has around four million solar masses. Studies of the masses of distant galaxies and their black holes have turned up an interesting relationship: accordingly, a black hole typically reaches only a tiny fraction - around 0.1 percent - of the total mass of all stars belonging to the parent galaxy. Although this relationship is not completely understood, it plays an important role in all current galaxy evolution models. During a systematic search which started in 2010, a team headed by Remco van den Bosch from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy has tracked down a black hole that could upset this generally accepted relationship - NGC 1277 in the Perseus Cluster. The mass of the huge gravitational trap amounted to around 14 percent of NGC 1277's total mass - which is significantly more that the 0.1 percent stated above and means a factor of more than ten. In other words: the astronomers had expected a black hole of this size in an unstructured ("elliptic") galaxy at least ten times as big - but not in a small disk galaxy like NGC 1277. Is this a rare freak of nature, an exception? Preliminary analyses of further data point in a different direction: van den Bosch and colleagues have five other galaxies which are comparatively small, but might nevertheless have unusually massive central black holes. This will only be known for sure when detailed images of these galactic systems are available, however. To make this determination, the astronomers used the Hobby-Eberly telescope and archived images from the Hubble space telescope. The Hobby-Eberly telescope at the McDonald observatory in Texas has a main mirror measuring 11 by 9.8 meters in total and is comprised of 91 hexagonal sub-mirrors. The size of the optics mean the observation of each individual galaxy can be carried out relatively quickly and the team was able to obtain almost 700 galactic spectra. The spectra enabled the astronomers to draw conclusions about the motions of the stars, which depend directly on the gravitation of the black hole. With the aid of specific changes, such as the shift of spectral lines (Doppler effect), they were able to derive the velocity, for example. The rule here: the more massive the black hole, the more rapid the motion of the stars in the center of the galaxy. The team thus identified six candidate galaxies which were comparatively small and had to have large black holes. The archives of the Hubble space telescope already contained detailed images of NGC 1277. In order to determine the mass of the black hole, they created a dynamic model of the galaxy that includes all possible stellar orbits. Systematic comparisons of model and observation data then showed which orbits in combination with which mass value for the black hole provided the best explanation for the observations. In the case of the NGC 1277 disk galaxy, the astronomers arrived at around 17 billion solar masses. Researchers don't know what the current record holder might be, estimates range from 6 and 37 billion solar masses, so if the true value is at the lower end, NGC 1277 will hold the record. If the 5 other cases they are examining are confirmed and there are indeed more black holes like the one found in NGC 1277, then galaxy evolution models will need to account for it. They will particularly have to direct their attention to the early universe: the NGC 1277 galaxy appears to have formed more than eight billion years ago and has not changed very much since then. No matter how this gigantic black hole formed - it must have happened a long time ago.
Show transcribed image text Show transcribed image text In a photodiode, light produce reverse current forward current electroluminescence dark current Answers to odd numbered problems are at the end of the book. BASIC PROBLEM Use the practical diode model unless specified otherwise. Introduction to semiconductors List two semi conductive materials. How many valence electrons do semiconductors have? In a silicon crystal, how many covalent bonds does a single atom form? What happen when heat is added to silicon? Describe the process of doping and explain how it alters the atomic structure of silicon. What type of impurity is antimony? What type of impurity is boron? Explain what a hole is What is recombination The Diode How is the electric field across the pn junction created? Because of its barrier potential, can an diode be used as a voltage source? Explain. To forward - bias a diode, to which region must be positive terminal of a voltage be connected? Explain why a series resistor is necessary when a diode is forward - biased.
This post will describe how a tunnel, consisting of 79 standard elements and 10 special elements, will be immersed and assembled under water. The construction phase begins with the dredging (digging underwater) of the trench where after a gravel layer will be placed on the bottom of the excavation. This gravel bed will form the foundation for the elements. The concrete elements are closed in both ends with steel bulkheads and are designed to float with a small freeboard. Once the trench is ready, the elements are transported by the aid of tug boats to the position where they shall be immersed. The pictures above show preparations before immersion and as the immersion process unfolds. - Having positioned the element on the tunnel alignment, the ballast tanks inside the element are filled with water making the element sink (immersion process). - Following the elements immersion onto the gravel bed (close to the previous element), the element is dragged towards the previous element by help of jacks thereby closing the gap. - The element to be immersed is provided with a Gina profile (a custom made very large rubber seal) on the connecting end of the element. This rubber seal creates a water filled space between the elements as shown. - The water between the elements is pumped out and the water pressure acting on the opposite end of the newly joined element pushes the elements close together and makes the Gina joint fully watertight. - The bulkheads are then removed and for added safety against ingress of water an Omega rubber profile is installed. On paper the scale of the immersed tunnel elements can be difficult to grasp. A standard element weighs 73,500 tons corresponding to the weight of more than 14,000 elephants; or if you find it difficult to imagine then imagine Queen Mary 2 (QM2), the largest ocean liner ever, which is approximately the same weight. Above, Queen Mary is seen as she passes Kronborg Castle at Helsingør (Denmark). I have now described how the element is joined to the previous element, however, the trench still needs to be filled and the temporary water ballast tanks need to be replaced with permanent ballast concrete. More about this in a future blog.
March 2, 2015 Asthma - Children Asthma is a disease that causes the airways to swell and get narrow. It leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. Recent findings and perspectives on medical research. The most pressing issue in childhood asthma today is how the disease affects minority children. - Premature Babies With Asthma Outgrow It - Antibiotics May Not Raise Asthma Risk - First Year May Be Critical for Lowering Asthma and Allergy Risk - Health Experts See Benefits in Push to Cut Pollution - Colds During Pregnancy Linked to Asthma in Children - On Bad Air Days in India, Staying Inside Doesn't Help - The Soaring Cost of a Simple Breath - Little Difference Seen in Asthma Strategies - Use of Inhalers May Affect Growth - Studies Suggest an Acetaminophen-Asthma Link Back to TopAlternative Names Pediatric asthma; Asthma - pediatric Asthma is caused by swelling (inflammation) in the airways. During an asthma attack, the muscles surrounding the airways tighten. The lining of the air passages swells. Less air is able to pass through as a result. Asthma is often seen in children. It is a leading cause of missed school days and hospital visits for children. An allergic reaction is a key part of asthma in children. Asthma and allergies often occur together. Some things that can bring on asthma symptoms (triggers) include: - Animals (hair or dander) - Dust, mold, and pollen - Aspirin and other medicines - Changes in weather (most often cold weather) - Chemicals in the air or in food - Tobacco smoke - Strong emotions - Viral infections, such as the common cold Breathing problems are common. They can include: - Shortness of breath - Feeling out of breath - Gasping for air - Trouble breathing out (exhaling) - Breathing faster than normal When the child is having a hard time breathing, the skin of the chest and neck may suck inward. Other symptoms of asthma in children include: - Coughing that sometimes wakes the child up at night (it may be the only symptom) - Dark bags under the eyes - Feeling tired - Tightness in the chest - A whistling sound made when breathing (wheezing). You may notice it more when the child breathes out. Your child's asthma symptoms may vary. Symptoms may appear often or else develop only when triggers are present. Some children are more likely to have asthma symptoms at night.In-Depth Symptoms » You and your child's doctors should work together as a team to create and carry out an asthma action plan. This plan will tell you how to: - Avoid asthma triggers - Monitor symptoms - Measure peak flow - Take medicines The plan should also tell you when to call the nurse or doctor. It's important to know what questions to ask your child's doctor. Children with asthma need a lot of support at school. - Give the school staff your asthma action plan so they know how to take care of your child's asthma. - Find out how to let your child take medicine during school hours. (You may need to sign a consent form.) - Having asthma does not mean your child cannot exercise. Coaches, gym teachers, and your child should know what to do if your child has asthma symptoms caused by exercise. There are two basic kinds of medicine used to treat asthma. Long-term control drugs are taken every day to prevent asthma symptoms. Your child should take these medicines even if no symptoms are present. Some children may need more than one long-term control medicine. Types of long-term control medicines include: - Inhaled steroids (these are usually the first choice of treatment) - Long-acting bronchodilators (these are almost always used with inhaled steroids) - Leukotriene inhibitors - Cromolyn sodium Quick relief or rescue asthma drugs work fast to control asthma symptoms. Children take them when they are coughing, wheezing, having trouble breathing, or having an asthma attack. Some of your child's asthma medicines can be taken using an inhaler. - Children who use an inhaler should use a spacer device. This helps them get the medicine into the lungs properly. - If your child uses the inhaler the wrong way, less medicine gets into the lungs. Have your health care provider show your child how to correctly use an inhaler. - Younger children can use a nebulizer instead of an inhaler to take their medicine. A nebulizer turns asthma medicine into a mist. GETTING RID OF TRIGGERS It is important to know what things make your child's asthma worse. These are called asthma triggers. Avoiding them is the first step toward helping your child feeling better. Keep pets outdoors, or at least away from the child's bedroom. No one should smoke in a house or around a child with asthma. - Getting rid of tobacco smoke in the home is the single most important thing a family can do to help a child with asthma. - Smoking outside the house is not enough. Family members and visitors who smoke carry the smoke inside on their clothes and hair. This can trigger asthma symptoms. - Do not use indoor fireplaces. Keep the house clean. Keep food in containers and out of bedrooms. This helps reduce the possibility of cockroaches, which can trigger asthma attacks. Cleaning products in the home should be unscented. MONITOR YOUR CHILD'S ASTHMA Checking peak flow is one of the best ways to control asthma. It can help you keep your child's asthma from getting worse. Asthma attacks do NOT usually come on without warning. Children under age 5 may not be able to use a peak flow meter well enough for it be helpful. However, a child should start using the peak flow meter at a young age to get used to it. An adult should always watch for a child's asthma symptoms.What should be in an asthma management plan?The correct answer is all of the above. An asthma management plan –also called an asthma action plan – is a written document that helps you control your asthma over the long term and in emergencies. You and your doctor can work together to create your own personal plan.Everyone with asthma, including children, should have an asthma action plan.The correct answer is true. Asthma action plans are an important tool to help people of all ages manage asthma.Your child with asthma needs support at school. You can help by:The correct answers are A, B, C and D. Your child's teachers, coaches, the school nurse and the school office staff are all key members of your support team. Work with them so they can help your child manage asthma symptoms.The green zone on your asthma management plan means you are:The correct answer is doing well. The green zone is your happy place when it comes to asthma. You're not coughing or wheezing, and you can do your regular activities. Your long-term control medicines are managing your asthma.Your asthma has gotten worse. Your asthma action plan says you're now in:The correct answer is the yellow zone. Yellow-zone symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Your asthma action plan tells you which quick-relief medicine to take and how much – and what to do if you don't go back to the green zone.Which of these is a sign you're in the red zone?The correct answer is all of the above. Get help right away if you are in the red zone of your asthma action plan. Take the medicines in your plan and call your doctor. Call 911 if you are still in the red zone after 15 minutes and you can't reach your doctor.A big part of managing asthma is staying away from your asthma triggers.The correct answer is true. Things that make asthma worse are called triggers. Common triggers are dust, mold, pollen, and smoke. You will need to learn how to avoid your asthma triggers. Write down your triggers and talk with your doctor if you need more ideas for coping.If you think your asthma action plan isn't working, you should:The correct answer is tell your doctor right away. Asthma can be managed, but it can change over time. Your doctor may need to adjust your asthma action plan. Tracking your symptoms and using a peak flow meter can help you and your doctor address problems early.To control your asthma, you can't be physically active.The correct answer is false. Exercise can trigger asthma in some people, but that doesn't mean you should give it up. Everyone needs physical activity for good health. Talk with your doctor about how you can stay active while managing your asthma.Most people with asthma can manage their symptoms by following their asthma action plans and:The correct answer is having regular asthma checkups. There is no cure for asthma. But working with your doctor can help you avoid problems, take good care of yourself, and live a full and active life.In-Depth Treatment » Back to TopReferences National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Rockville, Md. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2007. NIH publications 08-4051. Available at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm. Accessed May 14, 2014. Bush A, Saglani S. Management of severe asthma in children. Lancet . 2010 Sep 4;376(9743):814-25. Liu AH, Covar RA, Spahn JD, Leung DYM. Childhood asthma. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 138. MOST POPULAR - HEALTH - The New Old Age: A Surgery Standard Under Fire - Psychiatric Drug Overuse Is Cited by Federal Study - Well: Should Athletes Eat Fat or Carbs? - Most Doctors Give In to Requests by Parents to Alter Vaccine Schedules - A Faster Way to Try Many Drugs on Many Cancers - Well: A.D.H.D. Diagnosis Linked to Increased Risk of Dying Young - The New Old Age: Continued Questions on Benzodiazepine Use in Older Patients - Well: Meditation for a Good Night’s Sleep - Well: Walk Hard. Walk Easy. Repeat. - U.S. Push for Abstinence in Africa Is Seen as Failure Against H.I.V.
The threat to food security Oil is not as abundant as it used to be and reserves are becoming more difficult and expensive to extract and the days of cheap oil are coming to an end. This tipping point is known as peak oil. Arguably peak oil has already been reached and, with increasing demand from emerging markets, the price of oil will continue to rise dramatically. With the reduction in oil will come a peak in gas supplies. Cheap flights, cheap imports and the global distribution of food will be things of the past. Intensive agriculture and the global food trade depend on large quantities of fossil fuels for transport and for the industrial production of nitrogen fertiliser. Nitrogen is important as it is the nutrient that’s availability most often limits the growth of plants. With the growth of towns and cities and the increases in population that came with industrialisation, the importing of food from rural areas to urban areas meant a loss of nutrients from soils without replenishment. These imported nutrients found their way into sewers; little, if any, were available for recycling in the field of origin. During the 19th century supplies of nitrates for use as fertilizer were obtained from South America. Peru had massive reserves of guano. Guano is the name given to any excrement from birds, seals or bats with value as fertilizer. In this case bird droppings that had built up to many metres thick on the rocky coast. Chile had a good supply of sodium nitrate, a source of highly soluble nitrogen that was mined from the largest source in the world in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. These days the vast majority of the food consumed in this country, and up to 40 % worldwide, is grown from fertilizer produced using the Haber-Bosch process. The Haber-Bosch process At the beginning of the 20th century, a time of tension in Western Europe, Germany felt vulnerable because it was reliant on supplies of nitrates from South America not only for use as fertiliser but for the production of explosives. Germany felt it must become self sufficient in nitrates as supplies from overseas could be cut off by a blockade at any time. In 1909, chemist, Fritz Haber devised the chemical solution whilst chemical engineer Carl Bosch developed Haber’s technique into a working plant which began producing nitrates in 1913. World War 1 broke out in 1914 and supplies of nitrates from South America were stopped from reaching Germany. The Haber-Bosch process ensured German self sufficiency in nitrates and historians argue, helped Germany sustain a war that would have otherwise ended much sooner. The Haber-Bosch process began to be used worldwide during the 1940s and the basic chemistry is still used today for the industrial production of nitrogen fertiliser. Hydrogen gas from fossil fuel, often from natural gas (CH4) is combined with nitrogen gas from the air (N²) at high temperatures and pressures, using nickel and iron as catalysts – a catalyst being a substance that speeds up the chemical reaction without being consumed itself. Nickel/750degrees C/30 atmospheres CH4 (Natural Gas) +2H2O (Water)———–CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) + 4H2 Iron/400 degrees C/200 atmospheres N2 (Nitrogen) +3H2 (Hydrogen)——————2NH3 (Ammonia) The ammonia produced is then combined with other compounds for use as fertiliser, such as with sulphate to make ammonium sulphate, (NH4)2SO4. As can be seen within the chemical equation it not only takes fossil fuels to provide a source of hydrogen to combine with nitrogen – in order to create a form of nitrogen that will eventually be able to be used by plants – it also takes masses of fossil fuel energy to create the vast temperatures and pressures needed for the process. This is truly unsustainable especially with the worries of peak oil, not to mention the fossil fuel use that goes into the production of pesticides and herbicides. As is stated in Craig Sam’s Little Earth Book: A farmer using pesticides and (synthetic) fertilisers uses 12 calories of energy from fossil fuels to produce 1 calorie of food energy. A subsistence farmer with a hoe uses 1 calorie of energy to produce 20 calories of food. A sustainable ‘revolution’ lies somewhere between these extremes of high and low tech farming. Nitrogen fixation in nature and the organic way Almost 80% of the earth’s atmosphere is composed of nitrogen gas (N2), a molecule of which consists of 2 atoms of nitrogen held together by a strong triple bond. Most plants do not have the means to break this triple bond and make use of nitrogen for growth by this method, instead relying on other plants that have broken down re-releasing nitrogen in a more readily taken up form. However some plants and organisms are able to break the bond and are essential to the cycling of nitrogen within the terrestrial environment. The alder tree and bog myrtle are two species able to fix nitrogen and are found in waterlogged soils in this country. Lichen are also able to fix nitrogen for growth. Some free living bacteria can fix nitrogen: in rivers and seas, blue green bacteria or cyanobacteria are important free living fixers of nitrogen in the sea. The biggest plant group able to fix nitrogen and the most important to the organic farmer are the legumes, otherwise known as the pea and bean family, which includes clovers and fenugreek. Legumes form a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria. (A symbiotic relationship is a close association between two different species where both organisms benefit from the relationship.) Rhizobium bacteria possess an enzyme that can break the strong triple bond present in nitrogen gas in the air. Leguminous plants provide the bacterium with a supply of sugars for energy and an oxygen free home (important because the enzyme is poisoned by oxygen) in knobbly nodules on the side of the roots. Non-organic farmers apply industrially fixed nitrogen from a bag in the hope that the nitrogen will be taken up by plants, but it is possible nitrogen may change its form and be lost from the soil as gas or washed from the soil leading to a risk of pollution. Organic farmers, on the other hand, grow legumes in order to make use of their capacity to fix nitrogen naturally from the air, reducing external inputs to the farm, as opposed to using nitrogen from a bag fixed industrially in the Haber-Bosch process. Through growing legumes, organic farmers incorporate nitrogen biologically into plant material, boosting levels of organic matter which is important for soil structure, regulating plant nutrition and keeping the soil alive with bacteria, fungi, worms and other soil organisms – thus sustaining the growth of healthy plants and a healthy balanced field scale ecosystem.
Accommodations help level the playing field in academics and may include: • Allowing more time for assignments and during testing • Having assignments or tests read aloud to the student • Reduced amount of items the student is tested on • Receiving notes from other students • The student is allowed to answer test questions verbally • The student is allowed to go into a quiet room for testing Accommodations help the student show that they have knowledge of the material. Accommodations do not help the student become a better reader, better at math skills or improve their processing speed. Accommodations are work arounds. If your child is allowed an accommodation at school your child should use these accommodations to help them achieve academically; however, this is also an indication that you child has some cognitive – communication weakness. The cognitive – communication weakness may have potential to be improved and should be evaluated by a professional. The evaluation helps determine how to proceed by learning about the student’s strengths and weaknesses and developing a plan to improve their foundation skills. Brain Training and/or neurodevelopmental therapy can help build cognitive foundations skills that support academics. Addressing cognitive foundations skills such as attention, memory, auditory and visual processing, logic & reasoning – concept formation, comprehension, verbal expression, and processing speed may be a better way to improve both their foundation skills and future academic success. Providing accommodations for a student and developing cognitive skills can work together. However, improving their skills is a more functional approach that can be used for every aspect of their life; at home, in the community, at work, and at school.
Points: 100 \| Due Date: Week 5, Day 7 \| CLO: 1, 3 \| Grade Category: Assignments Infographics are visual representations of information. They can include numbers, text, images, or any combination of the three. Just as in traditional writing assignments, infographics can take on any of the various rhetorical modes — informative, instructive, descriptive, persuasive, etc. Infographics provide a quick way to convey a lot of information. For example, this infographic from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners conveys data related to NPs much more concisely than another paragraph inserted here could have (https://www.aanp.org/all-about-nps/what-is-an-np-2): Students will create an Infographic on the topic of Advanced Practice Nursing. You will create an infographic that is easily understood by the lay public or general population. The infographic should provide information useful to communicating the “What, Why, When and How” of APN. - Student will select a platform (tool) for building their infographics. There are plenty of great infographic platforms out there. Most are free, but may require that you do set up an account. Check out Infogr.am, Easelly, Piktochart, and Visme. - Create the Infographic using one of the above platforms. - Post completed infographic in PDF format - Due: Monday, 11:59 pm PT - Format: PDF of visual
Chrysopelea – Flying snakes They use their flattened bodies and undulating movements to glide through the air, making them exceptional aerial gliders In South and Southeast Asia jungles, five highly arboreal snakes rarely descend from tree canopies. They glide their way from one tree top to another, and flying snakes are technically better gliders than their more popular mammalian equivalents, the flying squirrels. They can glide through the air as far as about 100 meters (300 ft) from the tops of trees by drawing up their ventral scales to make their underside concave. They are mildly venomous snakes but are harmless to humans. There are no substantial threats to flying snake populations, and IUCN has classified all flying snake species as Least concern.
Converting sunlight into electricity is not economically attractive because of the high cost of solar cells, but a recent, purely optical approach to improving luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) may ease the problem, according to researchers at Argonne National Laboratories and Penn State. Using concentrated sunlight reduces the cost of solar power by requiring fewer solar cells to generate a given amount of electricity. LSCs concentrate light by absorbing and re-emiting it at lower frequency within the confines of a transparent slab of material. They can not only collect direct sunlight, but on cloudy days, can collect diffuse light as well. The material then guides the light to the slab’s edges, where photovoltaic cells convert the energy to electricity. “Currently, solar concentrators use expensive tracking systems that need to follow the sun,” said Chris Giebink, assistant professor of electrical engineering, Penn State, formerly of Argonne National Laboratory. “If they are a few tenths of a degree off from perfection, the power output of the system drops drastically. If they could maintain high concentration without tracking the sun, they could create electricity more cheaply.” LSCs can do this, potentially concentrating light to the equivalent of more than 100 suns but, in practice, their output has been limited. While LSCs work well when small, their performance deteriorates with increasing size because much of the energy is reabsorbed before reaching the photovoltaics.
Sleeper Effect Definition A sleeper effect in persuasion is a delayed increase in the impact of a persuasive message. In other words, a sleeper effect occurs when a communication shows no immediate persuasive effects, but, after some time, the recipient of the communication becomes more favorable toward the position advocated by the message. As a pattern of data, the sleeper effect is opposite to the typical finding that induced opinion change dissipates over time. Sleeper Effect Discovery and Original Interpretation The term sleeper effect was first used by Carl Hovland and his research associates to describe opinion change produced by the U.S. Army’s Why We Fight films used to improve the morale of the troops during World War II. Specifically, Hovland found that the film The Battle of Britain increased U.S. Army recruits’ confidence in their British allies when the effect of this film was assessed 9 weeks after it was shown (compared with an earlier assessment). Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services Get 10% OFF with 24START discount code After the war, Hovland returned to his professorship at Yale University and conducted experiments on the sleeper effect to determine its underlying causes. According to Hovland, a sleeper effect occurs as a result of what he called the dissociation discounting cue hypothesis—in other words, a sleeper effect occurs when a persuasive message is presented with a discounting cue (such as a low-credible source or a counterargument). Just after receiving the message, the recipient recalls both message and discounting cue, resulting in little or no opinion change. After a delay, as the association between message and discounting cue weakens, the recipient may remember what was said without thinking about who said it. History of the Sleeper Effect Research The Hovland research gave the sleeper effect scientific status as a replicable phenomenon and the dissociation discounting cue hypothesis credibility as the explanation for this phenomenon. As a result, the sleeper effect was discussed in almost every social psychology textbook of the 1950s and 1960s, appeared in related literatures (such as marketing, communications, public opinion, and sociology), and even obtained some popular notoriety as a lay idiom. However, as the sleeper effect gained in notoriety, researchers found that it was difficult if not impossible to obtain and replicate the original Hovland findings. For example, Paulette Gillig and Tony Greenwald published a series of seven experiments that paired a persuasive message with a discounting cue. They were unable to find a sleeper effect. They were not the only ones unable to find a sleeper effect, prompting the question “Is it time to lay the sleeper effect to rest?” The Differential Decay Hypothesis Two sets of researchers working independently of each other were able to find reliable empirical conditions for producing a sleeper effect. In two sets of experiments conducted by Charles Gruder, Thomas Cook, and their colleagues and by Anthony Pratkanis, Greenwald, and their colleagues, reliable sleeper effects were obtained when (a) message recipients were induced to pay attention to message content by noting the important arguments in the message, (b) the discounting cue came after the message, and (c) message recipients rated the credibility of the message source immediately after receiving the message and cue. For example, in one experiment, participants underlined the important arguments as they read a persuasive message. After reading the message, subjects received a discounting cue stating that the message was false and then rated the trustworthiness of the message source. This set of procedures resulted in a sleeper effect. The procedures developed by these researchers are sufficiently different from those of earlier studies to warrant a new interpretation of the sleeper effect. As a replacement for the dissociation hypothesis, a differential decay interpretation was proposed that hypothesized a sleeper effect occurs when (a) the impact of the message decays more slowly than the impact of the discounting cue and (b) the information from the message and from the discounting cue is not immediately integrated to form an attitude (and thus the discounting cue is already dissociated from message content). The procedures associated with a reliable sleeper effect and the differential decay hypothesis do not often occur in the real world. However, one case in which these conditions are met is when an advertisement makes a claim that is subsequently qualified or modified in a disclaimer (often given in small print and after the original message). In such cases, the disclaimer may not be well integrated with the original claim and thus its impact will decay quickly, resulting in the potential for a sleeper effect. Other Sleeper Effects Although much of the research on the sleeper effect has focused on the discounting cue manipulation, researchers have developed other procedures for producing sleeper effects including (a) delayed reaction to a fear-arousing message, (b) delayed insight into the implications of a message, (c) leveling and sharpening of a persuasive message over time, (d) dissipation of the effects of forewarning of persuasive intent, (e) group discussion of a message after a delay, (f) the dissipation of reactance induced by a message, (g) delayed internalization of the values of a message, (h) wearing-off of initial annoyance with a negative or tedious message, (i) delayed acceptance of an ego-attacking message, and (j) delayed impact of minority influence. Although these other procedures for obtaining a sleeper effect have been less well researched, they may indeed be more common in everyday life than are sleeper effects based on the differential decay hypothesis. Gillig, P. M., & Greenwald, A. G. (1974). Is it time to lay the sleeper effect to rest? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 29, 132-139. Gruder, C. L., Cook, T. D., Hennigan, K. M., Flay, B. R., Alessis, C., & Halamaj, J. (1978). Empirical tests of the absolute sleeper effect predicted from the discounting cue hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 1061-1074. Hovland, C. I., Janis, I. L., & Kelley, H. H. (1953). Communication and persuasion. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Pratkanis, A. R., Greenwald, A. G., Leippe, M. R., & Baumgardner, M. H. (1988). In search of reliable persuasion effects: III. The sleeper effect is dead. Long live the sleeper effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 203-218.
Learn the basics of the NumPy library for Python in this tutorial from Keith Galli. The tutorial explains how NumPy works and how to write code with NumPy. You will learn about creating arrays, indexing, math, statistics, reshaping, and more. Here are the topics covered: - What is NumPy - NumPy vs Lists (speed, functionality) - Applications of NumPy - The Basics (creating arrays, shape, size, data type) - Accessing/Changing Specific Elements, Rows, Columns, etc (slicing) - Initializing Different Arrays (1s, 0s, full, random, etc...) - Copying variables - Basic Mathematics (arithmetic, trigonometry, etc.) - Linear Algebra - Reorganizing Arrays (reshape, vstack, hstack) - Load data in from a file - Advanced Indexing and Boolean Masking You can watch the full video course on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel (1 hour watch).
Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood from an infected person. Today, most of the people become infected with the hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or other equipment wont to prepare and inject drugs. Long-term infection with the hepatitis C virus is known as chronic hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis C is usually a “silent” infection for many years, until the virus damages the liver enough to cause the signs and symptoms of liver disease. Signs and symptoms include: Yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice) Fluid buildup in your abdomen (ascites) Swelling in your legs Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy) Spiderlike blood vessels on your skin (spider angiomas) Every chronic hepatitis C infection starts with an acute phase. Acute hepatitis C usually goes undiagnosed because it rarely causes symptoms. When signs and symptoms are present, they may include jaundice, along with fatigue, nausea, fever and muscle aches. Acute symptoms appear one to three months after exposure to the virus and last two weeks to three months. Acute hepatitis C infection doesn’t always become chronic. Some people clear HCV from their bodies after the acute phase, an outcome known as spontaneous viral clearance. In studies of people diagnosed with acute HCV, rates of spontaneous viral clearance have varied from 15% to 25%. Acute hepatitis C also responds well to antiviral therapy. Hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection spreads when blood contaminated with the virus enters the bloodstream of an uninfected person. Globally, HCV exists in several distinct forms, known as genotypes. Seven distinct HCV genotypes and more than 67 subtypes have been identified. The most common HCV genotype in the United States is type 1. Although chronic hepatitis C follows a similar course regardless of the genotype of the infecting virus, treatment recommendations vary depending on viral genotype. Your risk of hepatitis C infection is increased if you: - Are a health care worker who has been exposed to infected blood, which may happen if an infected needle pierces your skin - Have ever injected or inhaled illicit drugs - Have HIV - Received a piercing or tattoo in an unclean environment using unsterile equipment - Received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992 - Received clotting factor concentrates before 1987 - Received hemodialysis treatments for a long period of time - Were born to a woman with a hepatitis C infection - Were ever in prison - Were born between 1945 and 1965, the age group with the highest incidence of hepatitis C infection Protect yourself from hepatitis C infection by taking the following precautions: - Stop using illicit drugs, particularly if you inject them. If you use illicit drugs, seek help. - Be cautious about body piercing and tattooing. If you choose to undergo piercing or tattooing, look for a reputable shop. Ask questions beforehand about how the equipment is cleaned. Make sure the employees use sterile needles. If employees won’t answer your questions, look for another shop. - Practice safer sex. Don’t engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners or with any partner whose health status is uncertain. Sexual transmission between monogamous couples may occur, but the risk is low. The list of some Hepatitis C medicine:
Asian character sets contain large numbers of ideographic characters that represent an entire or partial word or concept. They may also contain interspersed phonetic characters. They may therefore consist of tens of thousands of characters. Because one 8-bit byte can hold only 256 unique codes, these languages require at least two bytes to represent each character, in order to accommodate the full range. Most double-byte characters occupy two full character screen positions (each byte corresponds to one screen position). Such data may be entered into and displayed from USAGE DISPLAY data items. Most COBOL applications can therefore accept and store double-byte data without modification. Problems can arise when double-byte data is displayed on the screen. For example, during an ACCEPT, one byte of a double-byte character may be deleted or overwritten. When a window is displayed, the edge of the window might cover one byte of a double-byte character. In these circumstances, the pairing of bytes can change, and the resulting codes may represent entirely different characters. On most machines this confuses the operating system's display driver. To overcome these potential problems, the runtime system must follow two rules: These rules must be obeyed when an ACCEPT handles cursor movement, cursor placement, text selection, delete, backspace, and character overtyping. The rules must also be followed when the edges of windows are displayed, to avoid covering parts of double-byte characters. To implement these rules, the runtime system needs to know which of several double-byte character encoding schemes is being used. It gets this information from the value of the configuration variable CODE-SYSTEM. See Appendix H for a detailed discussion of this variable.
An algorithm is a set of mathematical sequence that can be defined by a set of programming languages that is utilizes certain logic commands that are needed by a computer to complete a defined task. Algorithms can be found just about anywhere, embedded within, any and every computer program or software that one has ever used. It can also be found while conducting a run on the internet search engine and for controlling machinery. If you are bent on studying mathematics, computer programming, computer science, or any of the related field, then you are more than likely to need professional algorithm assignment help to make matters simpler for you to grasp. The subject of algorithm enlightens the students about the communication secrets between computer and the command that speeds up the process with fine techniques. Students in their initial days in the curse often face problems in understanding the complicated subject of algorithm as it operates on a different language that is not very easy one to comprehend. But a little algorithm assignment help from the professionals it is not as difficult as it seem to be. In this world of technology knowledge on algorithm has become an essential element if you wish to succeed on the technical field. It is an evolving subject which has a promising career perspective. An algorithm is a methodical approach for solving a problem. 1. Assume M integers to be sorted, each isin the range 1 to N. 2. Define an array A[ 1 .. M ], initialize allto 0 => 0( N ) 3. scan through the input list B[ i ], insert B[ i ] into A[ B[ i ]] => O( M ) 4. Scan A once, read out the nonzero integers => O( N ) Total time: O( M + N ) i.e, if N= 7, M= 9, Want to sort 8, 1, 9, 5, 2, 6, 3 Output: 1 2 3 5 6 8 9 Pseudo code of bucket sort is: \|BUCKET_SORT ( B )\| n <- length[ B ] for j <- 1 to m do insert B[ j ] into list C[\|m B[ j ]\|] for j <- 0 to m - 1 do sort_list c[ j ] // with insertion_sort Concatenate the lists c[ 0 ], c[ 1 ],.... c[ m-1 ] together in order
This set of Class 11 Biology Chapter 14 Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Aerobic Respiration – 1”. 1. What is aerobic respiration? a) Partial oxidation of glucose b) Incomplete oxidation of glucose c) Complete oxidation of organic substances d) Complete oxidation of only glucose Explanation: Aerobic respiration is the complete oxidation of organic substances which occur in the presence of oxygen. It is an energy yielding process as a large amount of energy in the form of ATP is released. Water and carbon dioxide are also released as its by-products. 2. Where does aerobic respiration usually takes place? a) Lower vertebrates b) Higher organisms d) Only unicellular eukaryotes Explanation: Aerobic respiration is most common in higher organisms. In eukaryotes, the steps of aerobic respiration take place within the mitochondria and this requires oxygen. 3. What is the efficiency of aerobic respiration? a) More than 75% b) Approximately 45% c) Less than 20% Explanation: The efficiency of aerobic respiration is approximately 45%. For aerobic respiration, the final product of glycolysis is transported from the cytoplasm into the mitochondria. 4. Where does the second process of aerobic respiration take place? a) In the lumen of mitochondria b) In the matrix of mitochondria c) In the inner membrane of mitochondria d) In the cristae of mitochondria Explanation: The two stages of aerobic respiration are Kreb’s cycle and electron transport system. The first process takes place in the matric of mitochondria while the second process takes place in the inner membrane of mitochondria in eukaryotes. 5. How many CO2 molecules are left during the complete oxidation of pyruvate? Explanation: The complete oxidation of pyruvate by the stepwise removal of all the hydrogen atoms takes place while leaving three molecules of Carbon-dioxide. 6. Which of the following is a crucial event in aerobic respiration? a) Simultaneous synthesis of ATP b) Synthesis of ethanol and water c) Complete oxidation of methanol d) Complete oxidation of carbon-dioxide Explanation: The crucial events in aerobic respiration are the complete oxidation of pyruvate and the passing on of the electrons removed as a part of the hydrogen atoms to molecular oxygen with the simultaneous synthesis of ATP. 7. After entering the mitochondrial matrix, pyruvate undergoes reductive decarboxylation. Explanation: Pyruvate is the product of glycolysis which occurs in the cytoplasm of all the living organisms. Therefore, for pyruvate to enter Kreb’s cycle, it enters in the mitochondrial matrix where it undergoes oxidative decarboxylation as from 2 molecules of pyruvate, 6 molecules of carbon dioxide are released. 8. Which of the following participates in the reaction catalysed by pyruvic dehydrogenase? a) Carbon dioxide d) Coenzyme A Explanation: The reaction catalysed by pyruvic dehydrogenase requires the participation of several coenzymes that include NAD+ and Coenzyme A. 9. How many molecules of NADH are produced by the metabolism of pyruvic acid? Explanation: During the process, two molecules of NADH are produced from the metabolism of two molecules of pyruvic acid i.e. produced from one glucose molecule during glycolysis. 10. Who discovered the Tricarboxylic acid cycle? a) Hans Krebs b) Ernst Haeckel c) Louis Pasteur d) Charles Darwin Explanation: Tricarboxylic acid cycle, more commonly known as Kreb’s cycle was elucidated by Hans Krebs who first discovered it in the flight muscles of pigeon. 11. The TCA cycle starts with the condensation of which of the following compounds? b) Acetyl group Explanation: The TCA cycle starts with the condensation of acetyl group. It reacts with oxaloacetic acid and water and forms citric acid. This reaction is catalysed by the enzyme citrate synthase and a molecule of CoA is released. Further, citrate is isomerised to isocitrate with the help of isomerase enzyme. 12. After the condensation of an acetyl group, citrate is replaced by malic acid. Explanation: After the condensation of acetyl group with oxaloacetic acid, citric acid is formed. This citrate then isomerises to isocitrate. It then leads to the formation of α-ketoglutaric acid. 13. How many steps of decarboxylation lead to the formation of ketoglutaric acid? Explanation: Two steps of decarboxylation leads to the formation of ketoglutaric acid. When citric acid is formed in the cycle, it then forms cis-acotinic acid and then isocitric acid. Isocitric acid further forms oxalosuccinic acid which finally forms ketoglutaric acid in the presence of oxalosuccinate decarboxylase enzyme. 14. Which of the following compounds is the first member of the TCA cycle? a) Oxaloacetic acid b) α-ketoglutaric acid c) Succinic acid d) Malic acid Explanation: Oxaloacetic acid is the first member of the TCA cycle. The continued oxidation of acetyl CoA via the TCA cycle requires the continued replenishment of Oxaloacetic acid. 15. What is the full form of SLP? a) Subgeneric Level of Phosphorylation b) Subcutaneous Level Photophosphorylation c) Substrate Level Phosphorylation d) Substrate Level Pyruvatisation Explanation: SLP stands for Substrate Level Phosphorylation. During the conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinic acid, a molecule of GTP is synthesised. This is substrate-level phosphorylation. Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Biology – Class 11. To practice all chapters and topics of class 11 Biology, here is complete set of 1000+ Multiple Choice Questions and Answers.
Human ancestors in Africa were pushed to the brink of extinction around 900,000 years ago, a study shows. The work1, published in Science, suggests a drastic reduction in the population of our ancestors well before our species, Homo sapiens, emerged. The population of breeding individuals was reduced to just 1,280 and didn’t expand again for another 117,000 years. “About 98.7% of human ancestors were lost,” says Haipeng Li, a population geneticist at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, who co-led the study. He says that the fossil record in Africa and Eurasia between 950,000 and 650,000 years ago is patchy and that “the discovery of this bottleneck may explain the chronological gap”. Nick Ashton, an archaeologist at the British Museum in London, who wrote a related perspective, says he was intrigued by the tiny size of the population. “This would imply that it occupied a very localized area with good social cohesion for it to survive,” he says. “Of greater surprise is the estimated length of time that this small group survived. If this is correct, then one imagines that it would require a stable environment with sufficient resources and few stresses to the system.” Clues from modern-day DNA Table of Contents To make their discovery, the researchers needed to invent new tools. Advances in genome sequencing have improved scientists’ understanding of population sizes for the period after modern humans emerged, but the researchers developed a methodology that enabled them to fill in details about earlier human ancestors. Serena Tucci, an anthropologist at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, says that such work was sorely needed. “We still know very little about the population dynamics of early human ancestors for several reasons, including methodological limitations and difficulties in obtaining ancient DNA data from old Homo specimens,” she says. The researchers’ method allowed them to reconstruct ancient population dynamics based on genetic data from modern-day humans. By constructing a complex family tree of genes, the team was able to examine the finer branches of the tree with greater precision, identifying significant evolutionary events. The technique “put the spotlight on the period 800,000 to one million years ago — for which there is much unknown — in a way that hasn’t been done before,” says Stanley Ambrose, an anthropologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This period was part of the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition — a time of drastic climate change, when glacial cycles became longer and more intense. In Africa, this led to long periods of drought. Li says that the changing climate might have wiped out human ancestors and forced new human species to emerge. Eventually, these might have evolved into the last common ancestor of modern humans and our extinct relatives, the Denisovans and Neanderthals. Around 813,000 years ago, the population of pre-humans began to swell again. How our ancestors managed to survive, and what allowed them to flourish once more remains unclear, says Ziqian Hao, a population geneticist at the Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences in Jinan, and a co-author of the paper. However, he says that the bottleneck is likely to have had a crucial impact on human genetic diversity, driving many important features of modern humans, such as brain size. He estimates that up to two-thirds of genetic diversity was lost. “It represents a key period of time during the evolution of humans. So there are many important questions to be answered,” he says. Ashton would like to see the researchers’ findings backed by more archaeological and fossil evidence. The authors “suggest that the bottleneck was a global crash in population,” he says, “but the number of archaeological sites outside Africa suggests that this is not the case. A regional bottleneck might be more likely.”
Argument Writing: Counter-Arguments Make a better argument! Help your students understand a key aspect of argument writing: counter-arguments. In this worksheet, students will practise writing counter-arguments and rebuttals to help them in their persuasive essay writing. Perfect for fourth and fifth graders, this writing process resource also provides sentence frames to get them started.
Adolescence is a transition period of children into adulthood. Teenagers ranges of 10-19 years. Along with the transition period, teens have a complex problem. One is the behavior of premarital sex. Factors affecting premarital sex among adolescents are lack of information and knowledge about reproductive health. Reproductive health education is a way to reduce negative impacts and prevent premarital sex. The study aims to determine the effect of peer education on knowledge of reproductive health and adolescent attitude in preventin of the pre-marital sex at SMAN 1 Sukamara, Central Kalimantan Province. It is an intervention study with a quasi-experimental design, pre and post test control group design. The samples are 50 students with 25 students at intervention and control groups, respectively. Data are analyszed was performed using paired samples t test and unpair t test. Reproductive health education is given three times. Pre-test and post test was performed to measure knowledge and attitudes. There is a signifi cant difference in the control group and the treatment group on the knowledge and behavior of teenagers. knowledge in adolescents p=0.000 (p<0.05) and attitude in adolescents p=0.014 (p<0.05). There is the infl uence of reproductive health education to improve the knowledge and attitude of adolescent in SMAN 1 Sukamara, Central Kalimantan Province.
Ages: 3 - 10 Devices: Mobile, Tablet, or Desktop Topics: Family, Relationships Follow along as penguin learns about divorce, and how to cope with a changing family. The Penguin with Two Homes is a 16 page digital story, full of bright and colorful illustrations to keep children engaged as they learn about divorce.Suggested Uses Comparison: Compare the experiences of Penguin to those of your young clients who are dealing with divorce. What's similar, and what's different? Can your clients relate with Penguin? Use comparisons to prompt discussion about personal experiences. Lessons: During the course of the story, Penguin learns several important lessons: The divorce was not her fault, her parents love her regardless of where they live, and she will always have a family, despite the changes. Highlight these lessons for your client, and use them for further exploration. Dealing with Emotions: Penguin experiences anger, sadness, and anxiety as a result of her parents' divorce. Eventually, Penguin learns to manage these feelings by talking with an adult. Use Penguin's experience as a prompt to explore how your client's emotions have been affected by divorce. If you would like to delve deeper into anxiety or anger, check out The Angry Monkey and The Nervous Mouse.
On this page: Reviewed July 2014 What is Barth syndrome? Barth syndrome is a rare condition characterized by an enlarged and weakened heart (dilated cardiomyopathy), weakness in muscles used for movement (skeletal myopathy), recurrent infections due to small numbers of white blood cells (neutropenia), and short stature. Barth syndrome occurs almost exclusively in males. In males with Barth syndrome, dilated cardiomyopathy is often present at birth or develops within the first months of life. Over time, the heart muscle becomes increasingly weakened and is less able to pump blood. Individuals with Barth syndrome may have elastic fibers in place of muscle fibers in some areas of the heart muscle, which contributes to the cardiomyopathy. This condition is called endocardial fibroelastosis; it results in thickening of the muscle and impairs its ability to pump blood. In people with Barth syndrome, the heart problems can lead to heart failure. In rare cases, the cardiomyopathy gets better over time and affected individuals eventually have no symptoms of heart disease. In Barth syndrome, skeletal myopathy, particularly of the muscles closest to the center of the body (proximal muscles), is usually noticeable from birth and causes low muscle tone (hypotonia). The muscle weakness often causes delay of motor skills such as crawling and walking. Additionally, affected individuals tend to experience extreme tiredness (fatigue) during strenuous physical activity. Most males with Barth syndrome have neutropenia. The levels of white blood cells can be consistently low (persistent), can vary from normal to low (intermittent), or can cycle between regular episodes of normal and low (cyclical). Neutropenia makes it more difficult for the body to fight off foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses, so affected individuals have an increased risk of recurrent infections. Newborns with Barth syndrome are often smaller than normal, and their growth continues to be slow throughout life. Some boys with this condition experience a growth spurt in puberty and are of average height as adults, but many men with Barth syndrome continue to have short stature in adulthood. Males with Barth syndrome often have distinctive facial features including prominent cheeks. Affected individuals typically have normal intelligence but often have difficulty performing tasks involving math or visual-spatial skills such as puzzles. Males with Barth syndrome have increased levels of a substance called 3-methylglutaconic acid in their blood and urine. The amount of the acid does not appear to influence the signs and symptoms of the condition. Barth syndrome is one of a group of metabolic disorders that can be diagnosed by the presence of increased levels of 3-methylglutaconic acid in urine (3-methylglutaconic aciduria). Even though most features of Barth syndrome are present at birth or in infancy, affected individuals may not experience health problems until later in life. The age at which individuals with Barth syndrome display symptoms or are diagnosed varies greatly. The severity of signs and symptoms among affected individuals is also highly variable. Males with Barth syndrome have a reduced life expectancy. Many affected children die of heart failure or infection in infancy or early childhood, but those who live into adulthood can survive into their late forties. How common is Barth syndrome? Barth syndrome is estimated to affect 1 in 300,000 to 400,000 individuals worldwide. More than 150 cases have been described in the scientific literature. What genes are related to Barth syndrome? Mutations in the TAZ gene cause Barth syndrome. The TAZ gene provides instructions for making a protein called tafazzin. Tafazzin is located in structures called mitochondria, which are the energy-producing centers of cells. Tafazzin is involved in altering a fat (lipid) called cardiolipin, which plays critical roles in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Once altered by tafazzin, cardiolipin is key in maintaining mitochondrial shape, energy production, and protein transport within cells. TAZ gene mutations result in the production of tafazzin proteins with little or no function. As a result, tafazzin cannot alter cardiolipin. A lack of functional cardiolipin impairs normal mitochondrial shape and functions. Tissues with high energy demands, such as the heart and skeletal muscles, are most susceptible to cell death due to reduced energy production in mitochondria. Additionally, abnormally shaped mitochondria are found in affected white blood cells, which could affect their ability to grow (proliferate) and mature (differentiate), leading to neutropenia. Dysfunctional mitochondria likely lead to other signs and symptoms of Barth syndrome. Read more about the TAZ gene. How do people inherit Barth syndrome? This condition is inherited in an X-linked recessive pattern. The gene associated with this condition is located on the X chromosome, which is one of the two sex chromosomes. In males (who have only one X chromosome), one altered copy of the gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the condition. In females (who have two X chromosomes), a mutation would have to occur in both copies of the gene to cause the disorder. Because it is unlikely that females will have two altered copies of this gene, males are affected by X-linked recessive disorders much more frequently than females. A characteristic of X-linked inheritance is that fathers cannot pass X-linked traits to their sons. Where can I find information about diagnosis or management of Barth syndrome? These resources address the diagnosis or management of Barth syndrome and may include treatment providers. - Cleveland Clinic: Dilated - Genetic Testing Registry: 3-Methylglutaconic aciduria type - Johns Hopkins Children's Center: Neutrophil - MedlinePlus Encyclopedia: Neutropenia--Infants You might also find information on the diagnosis or management of Barth syndrome in Educational resources and Patient support. General information about the diagnosis and management of genetic conditions is available in the Handbook. Read more about genetic testing, particularly the difference between clinical tests and research tests. To locate a healthcare provider, see How can I find a genetics professional in my area? in the Handbook. Where can I find additional information about Barth syndrome? You may find the following resources about Barth syndrome helpful. These materials are written for the general public. You may also be interested in these resources, which are designed for healthcare professionals and researchers. What other names do people use for Barth syndrome? - cardioskeletal myopathy with neutropenia and abnormal mitochondria - DNAJC19 defect - 3-methylglutaconic aciduria type 2 - 3 methylglutaconic aciduria, type II - MGA type 2 - MGA type II - TAZ defect What if I still have specific questions about Barth syndrome? Where can I find general information about genetic conditions? The Handbook provides basic information about genetics in clear language. - What does it mean if a disorder seems to run in my family? - What are the different ways in which a genetic condition can be inherited? - If a genetic disorder runs in my family, what are the chances that my children will have the condition? - Why are some genetic conditions more common in particular ethnic groups? These links provide additional genetics resources that may be useful. What glossary definitions help with understanding Barth syndrome? aciduria ; bacteria ; cardiomyopathy ; cell ; chromosome ; dilated ; elastic ; gene ; heart failure ; hypotonia ;inborn errors of metabolism ; infection ; inheritance ; inherited ; lipid ; low muscle tone ; metabolism ;mitochondria ; motor ; muscle tone ; mutation ; neutropenia ; newborn screening ; proliferate ; protein ;proximal ; puberty ; recessive ; screening ; sex chromosomes ; short stature ; stature ; syndrome ;white blood cells ; X-linked recessive You may find definitions for these and many other terms in the Genetics Home Reference Glossary. See also Understanding Medical Terminology. References (8 links) The resources on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Users seeking information about a personal genetic disease, syndrome, or condition should consult with a qualified healthcare professional. See How can I find a genetics professional in my area? in the Handbook.
Take a look at this tip from Hanen They offer sensible, practical advice and programmes to help parents and practitioners. Communication opportunities are everywhere. Have a look at this one: Sing songs with your child and build in opportunities for him to take turns Sing simple songs with your child, especially ones with actions, like “Row Row Row your Boat”, and build in opportunities for him to participate. This is a fun way for him to learn to take his turn in an interaction, as well as to learn new words. - Sing a new song the same way a few times so your child learns the song and its “high point”. High points are the most interesting parts of a song. In “Row, Row, Row your Boat”, the high points are the rocking back and forth while you and your child sit on the floor, holding outstretched hands, and saying the last word after a long pause – i.e., “dream”. - Once your child is familiar with the song, pause before a high point and wait for him to respond. For example, when singing “Row Row Row your Boat”, sing the song through once or twice and then, still holding his hands, WAIT for him to ask you to sing it again (he will probably make a sound or rock back and forth to ask you to do it again). Or, you can start to sing the song while rocking back and forth, pausing mid-song so he can ask you to continue. Or, you can slow down and pause before the last word (“dream”), so he can make a sound - any sound - to end the song. - To take his turn during songs, your child may wriggle, make a sound, look at you, point to something or perform an action. Accept anything as his turn and then continue immediately. The most important thing is that he takes a turn and has fun while doing it.
It's long been speculated that there may be planets whizzing through space without a sun to orbit, and now we may have found the first confirmed case. It's been a long standing theory that planets on occasion become ejected from their solar systems. Several objects have been found since the 1990's which have possibly met this fate, but until now, all such objects have been too close to a star to observe properly. It's unknown if these objects really are planets, or failed stars known as Brown Dwarves. Now though, Philippe Delorme and his team from Institut de planétologie et d'astrophysique de Grenoble, CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier, France, have found an object which they can confirm is an ejected planet by using the ESO's Very Large Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The planet, known as CFBDSIR2149 …we'll call it Charlie for short, is supposedly four to seven times the size of Jupiter, but is bluish in hue and looks more like Neptune. Artist's depiction of Charlie if illuminated by a star Delorme's team explains their conclusions: "The team's statistical analysis of the object's proper motion; its angular change in position across the sky each year, shows an 87% probability that the object is associated with the AB Doradus Moving Group, and more than 95% probability that it is young enough to be of planetary mass, making it much more likely to be a rogue planet rather than a small "failed" star." The AB Doradus Moving Group is a group of around 30 stars which are all traveling at the same velocity, and have similar age and composition. The planet most likely used to orbit one of these stars, before being thrown out. It's not easy to throw a planet out of it's star system, but gravitational forces and interacting bodies could certainly do it. Another planet in the star system might have had an orbit that took it too close to Charlie, and slingshot it (him?) out of the system.
Asbestos Exposure: An Introduction Asbestos Exposure poses a serious health hazard and may occur in the workplace, in the community we live in or in our very own homes. Most cases of asbestos exposure occurs in asbestos workers, however because asbestos can be persistent, family members of the workers who have been exposed heavily to asbestos can be affected as well. The Versatile and Invitrifiable Asbestos Asbestos is a general term used for naturally-occurring silicate minerals that are in fiber form. Some of the of these compounds also exist in nature in different forms, some may have the same empirical formulas of their fibrous brothers, but may have a different physical appearance, like a solid rock. These minerals exist naturally in its metamorphosed stage. These are considered igneous rocks that have a low pH, basic or ultrabasic. The term “asbestos” was coined back in ancient times, the modern and legal definition given to it by the Environmental Protection Agency defines the word asbestos by limiting the term to 6 specific fibrous minerals categorized in two distinct groups, namely: 1. Serpentine Group 2. Amphibole Group Other properties of asbestos that make this compound of so much interest, is its ability to be spun into fiber and formed into fabric. They have been made into fire retarding clothing, gloves, gaskets and so many other products. Chemically inert except for the lone member in the serpentine group, chrysotile is resistant to acid. Asbestos is resistant to water and other chemicals. It does not have any odor or taste. The fibers, once airborne, can be too small for the eye to see. That is why asbestos exposure can be very difficult to detect. The fact that asbestos is considered to be an industrial superstar because of these characteristics, they have found their way into more than 5000 successfully commercial products finding their way into the many residential, commercial, industrial, marine products. Making the detection of asbestos exposure tricky. Three Most Common Types of Asbestos As mentioned above, from the six types of EPA-identified asbestos, there are three that are most widely used in application. They are generally identified by their color, they are: 1. Chrysotile, White Asbestos White Asbestos Chrysotile is the only member of the serpentine group of asbestos. Characteristically curly, this asbestos is the most flexible of all. This allows asbestos fibers to be spun and formed into textile to make gloves, fire blankets, and fire protection clothing, they can be formed into fabric just like regular cotton. White Asbestos has the ability to withstand hot temperatures, and still be resistant to alkalis (bases). Their resistance to alkalis renders them a good reinforcing compound with concrete, rendering their nonflammable properties to concrete. Chrysotile white asbestos was the most widely used asbestos comprising about 95% of asbestos mined annually. Other uses of asbestos cement products such as corrugated sheet and cavity roof decking, drainage and sewage pipes are acceptable under current regulations. Under similar conditions, products containing chrysotile tend to age better than those containing crocidolite or amosite 2. Crocidolite, Blue Asbestos Crocidolite, more popularly known as blue asbestos and is a member of the Amphibole group. The needle-like structure of the crocidolite fibers makes them the strongest of all asbestos fibers. This same structure also renders crocidolite to have a high resistance to acids. Blue Asbestos was used extensively in the manufacture of preformed thermal insulation, yarn and rope lagging before their banned from future use. Aside from preformed insulation, some crocidolite was also sprayed-on as an insulation material. Of the three types of asbestos, Crocidolite is known to be the most deadly because of its structure. 3. Amosite, Brown Asbestos Amosite, another member of the Amphibole group, is also known as brown asbestos. Well differentiated from other asbestos because of its harsh, dendritic fibers, it has good resistance to heat and has good tensile strength. In buildings construction, amosite was used for to prevent condensation and for its good sound dampening purposes. Industrial applications it is used on structural steel as part of passive fire protection systems. Between the years 1920 and 1960, amosite was heavily used in preformed thermal insulation, their value as a building material was to provide insulation for piping structures and the pipes themselves, formed into slabs and moulded pipe fitting covers. The Harms of Asbestos Exposure: - There is no assigned safe level of exposure to asbestos fibers. In other words, no exposure is too little. - Utmost safety precautions must be observed when working with asbestos or during asbestos removal in Melbourne, otherwise you risk asbestos exposure for yourself and your family to long-term often times, irreversible detrimental health risks. - If asbestos, especially friable asbestos is disturbed, it can release dangerous minute particles into the air. - Airborne asbestos particles can be so small and may not be easily be seen by the unaided eye. Never assume that friable asbestos will not be airborne once disturbed. - Asbestos exposure by inhalation from friable asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma asbestosis, and lung cancer. - Mesothelioma is a cancer which most often afflicts the lining of the lungs. There is no known cure for mesothelioma. - The rates, incidences of the incurable cancer malignant mesothelioma are expected to rise from 2012 to 2020. - The risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases increase with the number of fibers inhaled by the length of time that you inhaled asbestos fibers (number of years of asbestos exposure). - Smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer coupled with asbestos exposure. - Diseases from asbestos exposure do not usually exhibit symptoms until after 20 to 30 years after asbestos exposure. - Mesothelioma symptoms exhibit after an average time of 45 years after asbestos exposure. Who is at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases? Military Asbestos Exposure Military personnel whose jobs involved handling and using asbestos in the normal course of their duties are subject to asbestos exposure and its detrimental effects. The military appreciated the use of asbestos in service so much that they mandated the use of asbestos. Some ships, especially those prior 1970 used asbestos as an insulation material, they were used to protect personnel maintain the operations of ships. They were used as insulation for pipes and boilers. During normal operation, the asbestos would not pose serious health risks, the danger arises when the pipes, boilers and lagging are disturbed by cutting, grinding, sanding, re-applying, and removal of the asbestos-containing materials. These onboard maintenance and repair activities pose serious asbestos exposure to military personnel. Commercial and Industrial Asbestos Exposure Persons who have worked in the mines and for establishments that process igneous rocks that come from the mine are at risk of asbestos exposure. Likewise, end users of asbestos materials in commercial and industrial sectors are also at risk of asbestos exposure. There are different job sites where dangerous levels of asbestos are present. These job sites are considered as“high heat” environments that require the use of fire and heat resistant materials for the construction of machinery or even in the protective clothing that workers were required to wear including fire-resistant gloves and apron. Examples for these job sites include: - Oil refineries - Power plants - Steel mills - Chemical plants Commercial Product Asbestos Exposure Personnel who have used end products made from or made with asbestos are at risk of asbestos exposure, from heat resistant gloves, to fire retarding clothing, the use of these commercial products have exposed personnel in different industries to the long-term adverse effects of asbestos exposure. Aside from those who worked in the construction industry, DIY enthusiasts who worked with popular building and construction products are also at risk of asbestos exposure. Many commercially available products through the late 1970’s were made with asbestos, including those that are commonly used for home repair and construction such as insulation, roofing materials, siding, tiles, joint compound and flooring. These products when cut, sanded or filed release asbestos fibers into the air. Second Hand Asbestos Exposure Second hand asbestos exposure are those people who were not directly exposed to asbestos. These include family members who live with personnel who have worked in the mines, establishments and installations that use asbestos on a regular basis, whatever industry they may have been in. When workers from these establishments and installations return home after a day of work, they bring home with them, unbeknownst to them, the dangerous asbestos fibers sticking in their hair, hands, skin and in their clothes. Simple and innocent interactions with asbestos workers like hugging, kissing and holding hands exposes the family members to asbestos. Even sharing a laundry load with the work clothes of the asbestos workers and wearing these clothes afterwards exposes the family members to asbestos. Remember, asbestos does not dissolve in water, though some may be remove during laundry, the ability of the asbestos fibers to cling to fabric and their insolubility in water makes them difficult to be removed from clothing. Some of these fibers that cling to clothing eventually becomes airborne, and that’s when the danger starts. Deadly Asbestos, a Class 1 Carcinogen The Australian government has recognized that diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer are listed as a 7(1) declared diseases. Maglignant mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the mesothelial cells found inside the pleural membranes that cover the lungs. The pleura serves as a smooth surface so that during respiration, the lungs can expand and contract smoothly within the chest cavity. There are two pleurae: the parietal pleura, the pleura that covers the inside of the chest wall and the visceral pleura, one which covers the outside surface of lungs itself. With the aid of small fluids secreted by the pleural membranes, the visceral pleura can slide smoothly over the parietal pleura. The most common symptom of mesothelioma include shortness of breath. This happens when there is a pleural effusion between the two pleurae, which, in turns gives the effect that the lungs are being squashed because of the accumulation of the fluid. Along with this effusion, chest pain is also reported in many cases, along with a sensation of tightness the chest. At the later stage of the disease, mesothelioma patients may experience appetite and weight loss, fatigue, fever, night sweats and anemia. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. There is much difficulty in diagnosing mesothelioma as the symptoms of this debilitating disease is very similar to other ailments afflicting the lungs. With diagnoses reaching 2,500 ~ 3,000 in the United States a year, the pathology of the disease is very similar to adenocarcinoma of the lungs. Oftentimes, imaging techniques are used to verify a diagnosis. Procedures like a PET, a CT scan and an MRI can be used to verify a diagnosis, some oncologists may also order a biopsy to reach a conclusion on a diagnosis. Unfortunately, approaches to possible treatments for mesothelioma are only to prolong life and not to eradicate the cancer. The use of the drug Alimta is now used to reduce tumor size to prolong and improve quality of life for persons afflicted with mesothelioma. 2. Lung Cancer Research suggest that concentration and duration of asbestos exposure determine the risk of developing lung cancer. A 4% probable increase in the occurrence of lung cancer is approximated by the Helsinki Criteria with each year of asbestos exposure. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has reached a conclusion that the correlation between asbestos exposure and the development of lung cancer is highly viable. It states that the higher the concentration of asbestos fibers a person is exposed to is proportional to higher risks of lung cancer development. Symptoms of lung cancer generally include a persistent cough that does not go away with OTC cough medicine or even worsens in time, hoarseness and wheezing, labored breathing, pain or discomfort in the chest. It may also be accompanied by appearance of blood in the sputum, either appearing as streaks or a rust-colored sputum. Lung cancer patients may also experience a loss in appetite and weight. The diagnosis of lung cancer due to asbestos exposure should follow the Helsinki criteria to ascertain that lung cancer is definitely caused by asbestos exposure. Ten years is observed to be the latency period prior to the development of lung cancer due to asbestos exposure, other factors notwithstanding. There are two types of lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, a combination of both is also prevalent. Treatment options involve radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Asbestosis is a lung disease characterized by the formation of lung tissue scars, it can only be contracted by prolonged asbestos exposure. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, some of these fibers end up in the tiny sacs in the lungs called alveoli, some end up and accumulating in the bronchioles. Scar tissues in the lungs are formed due to the chronic irritation caused by asbestos fibers wounding the lung tissue that eventually heal that form scar tissue. Over time, as asbestos exposure happens unabated, the more and more asbestos fibers enter the lungs causing more irritation and producing more scar tissue. Eventually, lung tissue become stiff making it difficult to breathe. One of the first noticeable symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath which can be experienced after exertion of force, but in most cases, as the disease develops, it can be a persistent condition. Very common to other lung ailments, symptoms may also include a cough that won’t go away accompanied by chest pain. Wheezing cough, fatigue, hoarseness are also observed. Diagnosis of Asbestosis can be confirmed by imaging tests such as chest x-ray and CT (computerized tomography) scans. Without the aid of these diagnostic tests, diagnosis can be difficult as the symptoms of asbestosis can be similar to other lung ailments like pneumonia or bronchitis. Currently, there is no treatment available to aid asbestosis sufferers. Treatment involves only to slow down the progression of the disease and to relieve the symptoms. Patients suffering from asbestosis might be given an supplemental oxygen to improve delivery of oxygen to the body. A lung transplant may also be considered if symptoms are severe. 4. Pleural Plaques Pleural plaques are benign fibrous thickening of the pleura, the pleurae are the lining that covers the exterior of the lungs and the chest walls. The formation of pleural plaques is an indication that there was a significant exposure to asbestos some 20 or 30 years earlier in life. How pleural plaques form is still a puzzle for medical practitioners. Persons who develop pleural plaques normally don’t exhibit symptoms, they are often diagnosed when undergoing imaging procedures like chest x-ray, CT scans or MRI, most often than not, when these procedures are done looking for something else. Unlike asbestosis, developing pleural plaques is not a precursor to cancer. Diagnosis of pleural plaques, similar to lung cancer and mesothelioma, is confirmed by imaging techniques, by chest x-ray and the more conclusive CT scan. For most cases, the formation of pleural plaques do not affect lung function, and no treatment is necessary, however, when pleural thickening develops, where more extensive fibrous thickening occurs, it can prevent the lungs from fully expanding and may cause breathlessness. Pleural thickening normally affects a greater area than pleural plaques. 5. Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers Gastrointestinal tract cancers is a generally accepted term affecting the intestinal tract, including the stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, colon and rectum. This may also include gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Although the relationship between asbestos exposure and gastrointestinal tract cancers is still unclear, it is considered possible. A person suffering gastrointestinal tract cancers may experience labored breathing, an abnormally fast heartbeat, fatigue or swollen feet. Oftentimes a sensation of warmth is felt in the face and neck that may be accompanied by redness. A dull pain in the abdomen, or a feeling of fullness that may or may not be persistent, some report a feeling of fullness even after eating a small quantity of food. Diagnoses for the varying cancers affecting gastrointestinal tract cancers differ, but the size, location and stage at which the cancers are discovered are key to the prognosis of the disease. Early stages of the disease may be difficult to detect without tests and some are found out when a medical practitioner is looking for something else. The key is if you are feeling any of the symptoms stated above and it doesn’t go away after a few days, it is best to consult with a physician. DIY House Renovation and Asbestos Exposure In Australia, a nationwide ban on the importation and use of all forms asbestos was in force on December 31, 2003. Reflecting the ban, the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) revised asbestos-related material to promote a consistent approach to controlling exposure to workplace asbestos and to introduce best-practice health and safety measures for asbestos management, control and removal. The ban does not cover asbestos materials or products already in use at the time the ban was implemented. 1-out-of 3 Australian houses are built using asbestos. With older houses built before 1970, asbestos exposure becomes a risk when home renovations are carried out. Asbestos exposure is prevalent with renovations carried out in the fibro sheeting widely used in the construction of the homes. Research results from the Medical Journal of Australia reported that a survey conducted in 2008 out of 1597 participants who renovated their homes DIY, 527 reported asbestos exposure during the renovation. 337 (39.3%) reported that their partner was subject to asbestos exposure during the renovation. 196 (22.8%) reported that their children were subject to asbestos exposure. From the survey, 20% reported that they will carry out renovations in the next 5 years. Comparing Britain and Australia, Australia has only a third of the UK’s population, but its asbestos disease fatalities approximate Britain’s of more than 3,000 cases annually. Asbestos exposure due to DIY home renovation is real, but nonetheless, manageable. The safest approach to conduct home renovations is to assume that asbestos was used during the construction. Employing a professional removalist or occupational hygienist is the best approach to manage asbestos exposure when planning a home renovation. How to Avoid Asbestos Exposure The best way to avoid asbestos exposure is to not handle it and stay away from it. You should not, in anyway, handle any removal of already installed asbestos or asbestos containing materials by yourself. Asbestos Exposure becomes viable only when friable asbestos becomes airborne due to damage or due to wear and tear, they may also become airborne during the course of repair. The use of asbestos has been banned since 2003 and is no longer allowed to be used in new constructions or building repairs. Asbestos Exposure nowadays is limited to industrial, marine (ships and shipyards) and residential and commercial building occupants where asbestos was used during construction. There are laws in Australia that deal with the disposal of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials. They should in no way be disposed of in the trash to avoid asbestos exposure.
\|This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)\| Grade retention or grade repetition is the process of having a student repeat a grade, because last year, the student was failed. Students who repeat a grade are referred as "repeaters". Repeaters can be referred to as having been "held back". Students are not necessarily repeat the grade in the same classroom, but it's the same grade anyway. The alternative to grade retention (for those who have failed) is a policy of social promotion, under the ideological principle that staying with their same-age peers is important. Social promotion is the obligatory promotion of all students, regardless of achievement and absences. Social promotion is somewhat more accepted in countries which use tracking to group students according to academic ability. Regardless of whether a failing student is retained or promoted, academic scholars believe that underperformance must be addressed with intensive remedial help, such as summer school programs. In most countries, grade retention has been banned or strongly discouraged. In Canada and the United States, grade retention can be used in primary education and secondary education. However, with older students, retention is usually restricted to the specific classes that the student failed, so that a student can be, for example, promoted in a math class but retained in a language class. Where it is permitted, grade retention is most common among students in early elementary school. Most schools refuse to retain a student more than once in a single grade, or more than two or three years across all grades. Students with intellectual disabilities are only retained when parents and school officials agree to do so. Children who are relatively young in their age cohort are four times more likely to be retained. Different schools have used different approaches throughout history. Grade retention or repetition was essentially meaningless in the one-room schoolhouses of more than a century ago, because access to outside standards were very limited, and the small scale of the school, with perhaps only a few students of each age, was conducive to individualized instruction. With the proliferation of larger, graded schools in the middle of the 19th century, retention became a common practice. In fact, a century ago, approximately half of all American students were retained at least once before the age of 13. Social promotion began to spread in the 1930s with concerns about the psychosocial effects of retention. Social promotion is the promoting of underperforming students under the ideological principle that staying with their same-age peers is important to success. This trend reversed in the 1980s, as concern about slipping academic standards rose.The practice of grade retention in the U.S. has been climbing steadily since the 1980s. The practice of making retention decisions on the basis of the results of a single test — called high-stakes testing — is widely condemned by professional educators. Test authors generally advise that their tests are not adequate for high-stakes decisions, and that decisions should be made based on all the facts and circumstances. There is conclusive evidence that grade retention is significantly helpful, and much of the existing research has been methodologically invalid. Three different kinds of studies exist or have been proposed, and each has its inherent pitfalls: - Studies which compare students who were retained to students who were considered for retention, but were eventually promoted. These studies favor social promotion.:54 However, the promoted students were not retained because the schools believed them to be stronger or more personally mature students (as evidenced by the decision to promote them). These studies are unfairly biased in favor of social promotion becse they compare the better/promoted students to the weaker/retained students. - Studies which compare retained students to their own prior performance. These studies favor grade retention. However, these studies are biased because they do not adequately control for personal growth or changes in environmental factors (such as poverty). - Studies which randomly assign a large pool of borderline students to promotion or retention. This style of research is methodologically sound and, if performed on a sufficiently large scale and with sufficiently detailed information collected, would provide valuable or even definitive information. However, schools and parents are unwilling to have a child's future affected by a random assignment, and so these studies are simply not done. Non-academic outcomes: Retention is associated with poor “social adjustment, attitudes toward school, behavioral outcomes, and attendance.” Retention is a “stronger predictor of delinquency than socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity,” and is also a strong predictor of drug and alcohol use and teenage pregnancy.:54–55 (Study style #1 favors social promotion.) Australia and New Zealand Australia uses grade retention, although in 2010, the New South Wales Department of Education and Training made a new policy of no student repeating at any school for various reasons (for example, as of 2010, students are not repeating Year 11 or Year 12 because of all the post-school services after they complete Year 12 such as TAFEs or universities. In New Zealand, secondary schools commonly use a system of internal academic streaming in which children of the same age are subdivided on the basis of ability, and lower achieving students (those who would be retained under the North American system) are taught in different classes, and at a different rate, from higher achieving students, but are kept within their own age group. This system has largely rendered grade retention unnecessary in all but the most exceptional circumstances. In most cases where streaming alone is insufficient, additional special needs provision is usually seen as being preferable to grade retention, particularly when behavioral difficulties are involved. Singapore practices grade retention in secondary school if a student is unsuccessful in achieving a satisfactory accumulated percentage grade. The school authorities may also decide that it would be more appropriate for the student to advance to a higher level in a lower stream such as in the cases of Express and Normal (Academic) students. Greece allows grade retention if a student fails more than 5 final exams, or 5 or less both in May examinations and in September examination. A student who has missed more than 114 periods of class can also repeat a grade. The United States and Canada both use grade retention. In the U.S., six-year-old students are most likely to be retained, with another spike around the age of 12. In particular, some large schools have a transitional classroom, sometimes called "Kindergarten 2," for six-year-olds who are not reading-ready. The following are common arguments regarding this practice. Arguments against grade retention Opponents of "no social promotion" policies do not defend social promotion so much as say that retention is even worse. They argue that retention is not a cost-effective response to poor performance when compared to cheaper or more effective interventions, such as additional tutoring and summer school. They point to a wide range of research findings that show no advantage to, or even harm from, retention, and the tendency for gains from retention to wash out. Harm from retention cited by these critics include: - May lower the self esteem of the student and make them feel as if they were mentally inferior and in turn cause them to give up on their academics. It may also cause them to be the subject of ridicule and bullying by other students. - Increased drop-out rates of retained students over time. - No evidence of long-term academic benefit for retained students. - Increased rates of dangerous behaviors such as drinking, drug abuse, crime, teenage pregnancy, depression, and suicide among retained students as compared with similarly performing promoted students. Critics of retention also note that retention is expensive for school systems: requiring a student to repeat a grade is essentially to add one student for a year to the school system, assuming that the student does not drop out. The possibility of grade retention has been shown to be a significant source of stress for students. In one study of childhood fears performed in the 1980s, the top three fears for US sixth graders were a parent's death, going blind, and being retained. After two decades of increasing retention practices, a repeat of the study in 2001 found that grade retention was the single greatest fear, higher than loss of a parent or going blind. This change likely reflects the students' correct perception that they were statistically far more likely to repeat the sixth grade than to suffer the death of a parent or the loss of their vision. Arguments for grade retention Opponents of social promotion argue that passing a child who did not learn the necessary material cheats the child of an education. As a result, when the child gets older, the student will likely fail classes or be forced to attend summer school. Opponents of social promotion argue that it has the following negative impacts: - Students who are promoted cannot do the work in the next grade, and so are being set up for further failure. - Students will have many failures in the high school years, which will most likely lead to dropping out. - It sends the message to all students that they can get by without working hard. - It forces teachers to deal with under-prepared students while trying to teach the prepared. - It gives parents a false sense of their children's progress. - It will not get them the help they need. - Florida, the first state to end social promotion in third grade, now has the highest reading scores in the nation for disadvantaged fourth-grade students according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. - Definition of repeater, accessed January 28, 2007 - social promotion definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta, accessed June 7, 2010 - McKee Agostin, Tracy (July 1997). "Predicting early school success with developmental and social skills screeners". Psychology in the Schools. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(199707)34:3<219::AID-PITS4>3.0.CO;2-J. - Jeronimus B.F.; Stavrakakis, N.; Veenstra, R.; Oldehinkel, A.J. (2015). "Relative Age Effects in Dutch Adolescents: Concurrent and Prospective Analyses". PLOS ONE 10 (6): e0128856. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128856. - Rose, Janet S.; et al. (1983). "A Fresh Look at the Retention-Promotion Controversy". Journal of School Psychology 21 (3): 201–211. doi:10.1016/0022-4405(83)90015-8. - Leckrone, M. J.; Griffith, B. G. (2006). "Retention Realities and Educational Standards". Children & Schools 28 (1): 53–58. doi:10.1093/cs/28.1.53. - Goldberg, M. (2005). "Losing Students to High-Stakes Testing". Education Digest 70 (7): 10–19. ISSN 0013-127X. - "Large scale assessments and high stakes decisions: Facts, cautions, and guidelines". National Association of School Psychologists. 2002. - "Grade Retention and Promotion., Steiner, Karen". Retrieved 2008-01-28. - Mims, K., R. Stock, & C. Phinizy (2001) “Beyond grade retention.” In eJournal of education policy. At http://jep.csus.edu/journal2001/journals.aspx?id=101 ¶2 - Medina, Jennifer (June 10, 2010). "More New York City Students to Face Summer School - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. - Bridgeland, J., DiIulio, Jr., J. J., & Balfanz, R. (2009). Perspectives of teachers and principals on the high school dropout problem. Washington, DC: Civic Enterprises, LLC. - Shane R. Jimerson; Sarah M. Woehr; Amber M. Kaufman (2002). "Grade retention: Achievement and mental health outcomes" (PDF). National Association of School Psychologists. External link in - "Taking Responsibility for Ending Social Promotion: A Guide for Educators and State and Local Leaders". U.S. Department of Education. May 1999. - "Retention and Social Promotion: Research and Implications for Policy". ERIC Digest (161). December 2000. - Potter, Les. "Examining the Negative Effects of Retention in Our Schools". Questia 117 (2).
A rare laser emission, which hints at the existence of a double star system concealed at the center of the “spectacular” Ant Nebula, has been discovered by an international team of astronomers. Associated with the demise of a star, this highly unusual phenomenon was discovered through observations made by the Herschel space observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA). Toward the end of their lives, stars with low to middle weight (e.g. Sun) eventually get denser, white dwarf stars. During this process, their outer layers of dust and gas are liberated into space, thereby forming a kaleidoscope of intricate patterns termed planetary nebula. It is anticipated that one day, our Sun will form such a planetary nebula. Nebulae are interstellar clouds of helium, hydrogen, dust, and other ionized gases. The Ant Nebula is named after its twin lobes that look similar to the head and body of an ant. From the latest Herschel observations, it can be seen that the spectacular death of the central star in the core of the Ant Nebula is even more dramatic than observed from its colorful display in visible images, for example, those taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The new data indicates that intense laser emission is also emitted from the core of the Ant Nebula. Lasers are very familiar here on earth in day-to-day life, whether for communications and healthcare or for special visual effects in music concerts. In space, one can detect laser emission at extremely distinctive wavelengths and only under specific conditions. Very few infrared space lasers are familiar. Incidentally, Donald Menzel, the astronomer who was the first to observe and classify this specific planetary nebula in the 1920s (it is officially named Menzel 3 after him), was one among the first to propose that under specific conditions, natural “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”—from which the acronym “laser” is derived - could take place in nebulae in space. This was much ahead of the discovery of lasers in labs. Elucidating on the new outcomes, lead author of the paper Dr. Isabel Aleman stated, “We detected a very rare type of emission called hydrogen recombination laser emission, which is only produced in a narrow range of physical conditions.” “Such emission has only been identified in a handful of objects before and it is a happy coincidence that we detected the kind of emission that Menzel suggested, in one of the planetary nebulae that he discovered.” For this laser emission occur, there must be highly dense gas located very near to the star. When the observations were compared with models, it was found that the density of the gas from which the laser emission occurred is about 10,000 times more than the gas observed in typical planetary nebulae and in the lobes of the Ant Nebula itself. In general, the region close to the extinct star (close here means approximately the distance of Saturn from the Sun) is absolutely empty since its material is ejected outward. Any gas that is left out would eventually fall back onto it. According to Prof Albert Zijlstra, co-author of the study, from the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics in the School of Physics and Astronomy, “The only way to keep such dense gas close to the star is if it is orbiting around it in a disc. In this nebula, we have actually observed a dense disc in the very center that is seen approximately edge-on. This orientation helps to amplify the laser signal.” “The disc suggests there is a binary companion because it is hard to get the ejected gas to go into orbit unless a companion star deflects it in the right direction. The laser gives us a unique way to probe the disc around the dying star, deep inside the planetary nebula.” The anticipated second star, concealed at the center of the Ant Nebula, has not yet been observed by astronomers. Göran Pilbratt, ESA’s Herschel project scientist, said: “It is a nice conclusion that it took the Herschel mission to connect together Menzel’s two discoveries from almost a century ago.”
Largest areas of bamboo forest are in North Eastern states of India and China. Average life cycle of bamboos varies from 40-80 years. After attaining maturity most of the bamboo flowers and thereafter, seeds are formed. After flowering the tree is dead. When these seeds are ripe, they fall on surface. These seeds are very nutritious and protein rich. Rats feed upon them and multiplication among them increases. Consequently, rat population is increased manifold within a short span. This problem aggravates, when there is no much variety in bamboo trees of forest. Due to this reason, all the trees start flowering simultaneously. Till the time bamboo seeds are available in forest, rats enjoy by feasting upon them and increase their population. But, as soon as seeds are finished, these rats start migrating to agricultural farms and human colonies. Such large number of rats finds it difficult to have food . The stored food in homes becomes target of rats, A famine like situation is created due to sudden population burst in rats. Such famines have been witnessed in Mizoram in 1862, 1911 and 1958. The rat population increase led to raids on granaries and the destruction of paddy fields and subsequently to a year-long famine. The 1958 Mautam resulted in the recorded deaths of at least a hundred people, besides heavy loss to human property and crops. Such famine is called as ‘Mautam’ in Mizoram, India. In 2006, Mautam was controlled timely, with help of Indian Army. Govt must encourage different types of bamboo varieties in forest. Bamboo cutting before flowering is also very helpful and it can be used for commercial purpose. This will help tribal population to improve their livelihood. Keeping in view these factors, our Govt. has recently allowed bamboo for commercial cultivation and cutting. Bamboo is not a tree scientifically.
Increased supply of grains has led to cheaper livestock as well. Mounds containing material culture including engraved shells and effigy pipes, some made from materials not found in Oklahoma, indicated an advanced trading system. The Middle Ages saw further improvements in agriculture. Contact with Sri Lanka and Southern India by Austronesian sailors also led to an exchange of food plants which later became the origin of the valuable spice trade. This swampland, found in Virginia and North Carolina, is a haunting, heartbreaking, and important site of North American archaeology. Rice cultivation then spread to South and Southeast Asia. This led to the clearing of northern European forests and an increase in agricultural production, hook which in turn led to an increase in population. Just north of Boston in the state of Massachusetts lies one of the most mysterious sites in North American historic archaeology. Sheep and Goat Science Fifth ed. The Economic History Review. Many peasant parties were also nationalist parties because peasants often worked their land for the benefit of landlords of different ethnicity. This national park includes the famous cliff dwellings and protected wilderness. With the advent of chemical agriculture, Rudolf Steiner called for farming without synthetic pesticides, how accurate are late and his Agriculture Course of laid the foundation for biodynamic agriculture. The Journal of Economic History. - Time Traveler for agrarian The first known use of agrarian was in See more words from the same year. - University of Minnesota Press. - Examples of Clovis points, like those discovered at Blackwater Draw. - University of South Carolina Press. - The John Deere Tractor Legacy. Large estates called latifundia were over iugera. The Advances to Settlers Act provided low-interest mortgages, and the agriculture department disseminated information on the best farming methods. Influences on the emerging party systems in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. This resulted in increased productivity and nutrition, as the change in rotations permitted nitrogen-fixing legumes such as peas, lentils and beans. The people at Spiro shared their horticulture, writing systems, sex casual and religious ceremonies with a vast number of other people in the area. Food Journeys of a Lifetime. The exact location where the hangings took place has been a mystery, but it is commonly thought to have been located at Gallows Hill. It was consistently the strongest party, forming and dominating coalitions. British Agricultural History Society. European Journal of Social Sciences. History of agriculture Asian Dating Site Friends and Social Discovery The historic archaeological site of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania is one of the most important landmarks of American history. Kola nut and coffee were domesticated in Africa. National Geographic Society. Fish was preserved by drying, salting and smoking. Wendell Berry Ernest Callenbach G. How to use a word that literally drives some people nuts. Cambridge University Press. It was mostly supported by wealthy farmers in the east of Ireland. In other projects Wikimedia Commons. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. That, Sir, shows the real political position of New Zealand. Test your vocabulary with our question quiz! Need even more definitions? Early people began altering communities of flora and fauna for their own benefit through means such as fire-stick farming and forest gardening very early. As the only archaeological site in Oklahoma that is open to the public, difference between Spiro is a must-see spot in the state. Food and the African Past. The potato allowed farmers to produce more food, and initially added variety to the European diet. Indian Academy of Sciences. The meat of sheep, goats, cows and poultry was eaten, mainly by the elite. United Nations Environment Programme. An engraved shell found at Spiro. University of Kansas, Lawrence. The forest-garden farms of Kandy, Sri Lanka. The landed gentry and aristocracy ruled Britain at this time. Agricultural Innovation in the Early Islamic World. What made you want to look up agrarian? See the full definition for agrarian in the English Language Learners Dictionary. Agrarian parties advocated land reforms to redistribute land on large estates among those who work it. Did You Know Right here in the state of Oklahoma, one of the most important and well-known sites for Mississippian culture dating to about A. In one spot you will find a Kiva, a religious ceremonial structure of the Pueblos, while a Spanish colonial church structure dating much later sits just a few feet away. The use of clover was especially important as the legume roots replenished soil nitrates. - Maize, potatoes, sweet potatoes and manioc were the key crops that spread from the New World to the Old, while varieties of wheat, barley, rice and turnips traveled from the Old World to the New. - In response, organic farming developed in the twentieth century as an alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides. - The river's predictability and the fertile soil allowed the Egyptians to build an empire on the basis of great agricultural wealth. - Before that standard was set, it's believed that an acre represented a rougher measurement - the amount of land that could be plowed in one day with a yoke of oxen. - The Ohio State University.
AI Vision Units Temporal coherence of a light source is the temporal interval over which is possible to reasonably predict the phase of a light wave at a given point in the space and tells us how monochromatic the source is. The effects of coherence can be observed in nature by sunlight in the form of interference fringes over thin layers(for example in bubble soaps or in oil layers) or easily generated by coherent sources such as lasers. Each light source has his own degree of temporal coherence which can be defined as the extent in space over which a the light source maintains a certain degree of coherence, called coherence length. Coherence length (L) can be calculated as: Where λ is the central wavelength and Δλ is the spectral bandwidth. Effect of coherence can be observed in the formation of diffraction patterns when the optical path difference of the light beams is comparable to the coherence length. This is the case of interferometry with laser sources, which can have a coherence length of hundreds of meters,or with low coherent waves, such as for example sunlight, when the propagation happen in very thin layers. In imaging optical systems illuminated with quasi monochromatic light, such as for example Light Emitting Diodes (LED), the coherence length can be of several microns (see Fig. 1). For example a green LED with a spectral bandwidth of 40nm FWHM the coherence length is about +/-4 um. Let’s now take into account an optical system where the object is illuminated by a collimated light with a divergence alfa. If we consider for simplicity just the object point on axis, it will be imaged on a point again on axis in the image plane. The maximum optical path difference between the shortest path (ray on the optical axis) and the ray with the larger divergence (alpha) in a optical system of length D, is given by: OPD = D/cos (α) - D Fig. 2 reports the OPD generated in an optical system of 20 cm in function of the divergence of the light source. Comparing Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 it is possible to see that highly collimated sources have an OPD comparable to the coherence length of an LED. Fig. 1: coherence length in function of the spectral bandwidth for a green light source (540 nm). Fig. 2: optical path difference for the light beams taking part to the image formation process in function of the illumination divergence. As an example we can observe in Fig. 3 that the formation of a diffraction pattern changes in function of the source divergence. Fig. 3 reports the diffraction patterns of a test target illuminated with a green LED with 40 nm spectral bandwidth with a divergence of 0.5 mrad (left) and 16 mrad (right). Fig. 3: diffraction pattern generated by a green LED with 0.5 mrad divergence (left) and 16 mrad (right). Coherence effects can be observed in the image plane by the formation of overshoots on the edges of the image as illustrated in the cross sections in Fig. 4. As the divergence of the source increases the OPD of the beams which take part to the image formation increases as well determining a reduction of the coherence artifacts. They can be reduced either by increasing the source divergence (for example inserting a diffuser) or increasing the source bandwidth. Fig. 5 compares the effect in the reduction of the overshoot of using a diffuser and a broadband illumination. Fig. 4: cross sections in the image plane for different beam divergence (red: 0.5 mrad; black: 16 mrad). The overshoots decrease as the divergence of the source increases. Fig. 5: cross sections in the image plane for: green LED source (green), LED and diffuser (red) and white LED (blue). Opto Engineering Copyright © 2015 - 2019 \| P. IVA 02011230204 \| All rights reserved Design & development by Opto Engineering SEO and consulting by Dipiemme Studio
How to learn piano scales? Did you go to the piano a short time ago and dream of being able to accompany other instruments or even your voice? Have you heard of scales and just want to practice? Here is some information on piano scales and how best to integrate them. The scales, the bases of the playful piano During his first months or first years of instrument, a pianist learns music theory, the notes and rhythms , but not necessarily the scales. Yet this is one of the first lessons for guitarists for example. The ranges are the notes that, played together, “sound good”. The notes that make up the same range are in the same tone and are harmonious . To play the range of C Major, it is to go from one Do to the other, on the keyboard, both hands together, then go down again. The passage of the thumb and middle finger are then for this specific example two technical steps that will allow you to play your scales without stopping. The more you control this passage of the fingers, the more fluid your game will be. If you number your fingers from 1 to 5 (the thumb being the number 1) , you will have to raise the range as well with your right hand: Do / 1 – Re / 2 – Mi / 3 – Fa / 1 – Ground / 2 – The / 3 – Si / 4 – Do / 5. You will have to learn to move your thumb under your middle finger while keeping your hand straight. Note however 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 for the left hand. Another fingering is to master for other ranges, or to play two scales in a row. Repeat our scales and arpeggios “If we want to practice them every day, We will see our progress quickly encouraged”, that is what the Aristocats with conviction in the eponymous cartoon sings. Rigor is the secret of learning many instruments and the piano is no exception to the rule. The scales can be worked alone, using the notes played one after the other, or via other methods. Learn how to read a score in 7 points . For example, Ernest Van de Velde’s ‘Déliateur’ is a collection of exercises that allows you to work on the sequence of notes, the speed and the looseness of your fingers, and some teachers advise their pupils to put an object together. example an eraser, on the top of their hand so that only the fingers move. The range of C major, but not only! The major ranges are the simplest to master and often the most harmonious to the ear. It’s just a matter of habit. The major scales are actually the following sequence of intervals: 1 tone – 1 tone – 1/2 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone – 1/2 tone. The so-called “altered” ranges are those that do not follow this logic. They are just as pretty to hear and you will be very useful when you will for example improvise or accompany a singer for example. There are three types of minor scales: The natural minor scale: 1 tone – 1/2 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone – 1/2 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone The harmonic minor scale: 1 tone – 1/2 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone – 1/2 tone – 1 tone and 1/2 – 1/2 tone The melodic minor scale: 1 tone – 1/2 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone – 1 tone – 1/2 tone For all students who want special lighting, consider Allegro Music teachers. One hour of class can sometimes change everything.
Weekly language classes run by qualified language teachers allow the children to develop greater mental flexibility whilst developing an appreciation for other cultures. The classes incorporate arts/craft, singing, songs, puppets, visuals, games and stories. Same books as used in schools. Short story books available for children to borrow and take home in preparation for kindergarten. Circle activities for children to make their own told stories, use puppets and design books to increase literacy understanding. Daily sessions allowing the children to develop their language skills through sharing information of something meaningful to them. In our nursery, the educators model language and encourage children to express themselves through language in a range of contexts and for a range of purposes. This enables the children to respond verbally or non-verbally to what they see, hear, touch, feel and taste. In our explorers room, educators provide a literacy enriched environment, which enables the children to view and listen to printed, visual and multimedia texts and respond with relevant gestures, actions, comments and/or questions. In our preschool room, children are encouraged to interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, clarify and challenge thinking and negotiate and share new understandings. Children will begin to understand key literacy and numeracy concepts and processes, such as the sounds of language, letter-sound relationships, concepts of print and the ways that texts are structured.
This is the second article in a four-part series looking at how infectious diseases have influenced our culture and evolution, and how we, in turn, have influenced them. It’s easy to feel our survival is under threat from new and emerging infectious diseases that are going to wipe out the human race, or at least end our current way of life. The recent outbreaks of Ebola in West Africa re-ignited our interest in pandemics and reminded us of our potential frailty in the face of an overwhelming enemy. With so many microbes capable of hijacking and destroying us, how are we as a species still enduring? We all just want to survive – and procreate We share with our invaders a need to survive and propagate our genes. Infectious pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, are parasitic – they have to find and infect a susceptible host in order to maintain themselves and propagate. Therefore, it’s not really in their best interests to kill us. Our relationship with pathogens is shaped by our capacity to evolve genetically, to modify our behaviour, or to force the pathogens to evolve so that we all survive. Viruses such as influenza replicate and spread to new hosts before the original host gets sick (with influenza symptoms such as a sore throat and sneezing), meaning the parasite can survive and thrive in new hosts. On rare occasions the death of the host is necessary for the pathogen to reproduce. One example is trichinellosis (also known as trichinosis), which is caused by eating undercooked or raw meat from animals (usually carnivores and omnivores) infected with a worm (nematode). To survive in the host the worm constructs a capsule around itself to avoid the immune system. The immature worms in the meat cause muscle weakness and paralysis, and eventually death, in the host. This means the victim is defenceless to predators that may come and gobble it up, thus giving the worm a new host to infect. This is an old disease that we tackle either by avoiding eating meat (possibly the reason some religions avoid eating pork), or through cultural adaptation such as overcooking. How we’ve adapted to win the fight Evolutionary pressures through Darwinian selection, survival of the fittest, constantly shape life on Earth. This innate ability to adapt has enabled humans to develop defence mechanisms to counter some of the most devastating pathogens. Malaria is a parasite of red blood cells that is estimated to have caused 429,000 deaths in 2015. When malaria became a human disease (it is thought to originate in primates) is unclear. One thing that is clear is that it emerged long enough ago for humans to evolve innate defences. Sickle cell mutation is a potentially fatal blood disorder seen mainly in Africa. This mutation in a haemoglobin gene (responsible for red pigment in blood cells) is one of a number of genetic traits that actually protect against malaria. People who have this genetic mutation are protected against malaria and thus likely to reproduce and pass on their evolutionary advantage. A second genetic mutation that protects humans against malaria affects an essential enzyme for red blood cell function. But individuals with this mutation may also develop life-threatening anaemia (deficiency in the number or quality of red blood cells) due to the destruction of red blood cells as a side effect of treatment with some modern anti-malarial drugs. Perhaps the most significant and wondrous part of the evolutionary machinery that enables the human race to keep one step ahead of the pathogens is the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The MHC – proteins on the surface of our white blood cells – evolved along with the vertebrates (animals with a spine), which makes them our oldest defence mechanism. We have different types of white cells: mobile ones in the blood (lypmphocytes) and resident ones in lymph nodes (macrophages). When there is an infection the macrophages gobble up the bugs and “present” proteins from the organism on their surface like signals. The lymphocytes containing MHC molecules that recognise this protein bind on. (Our immune system has memory cells that are produced after vaccination or past infections so we can remember how to fight them next time.) The lymphocytes then produce chemicals that recruit more lymphocytes to help. These multiply and you end up with a “swollen gland”. Our body’s ability to “remember” past infections is one of the reasons the entire population of London didn’t perish during the Black Death. MHC molecules are passed on to our offspring, which explains why we have such a wide variety of these molecules. When a disease enters a population for the first time it always more lethal than subsequent introductions because some people are now immune, and people have been born to the survivors. Not all pathogens make us stronger Not all co-evolution leads to changes in human genetics, especially if there is no impact on our ability to procreate. Human tuberculosis is a chronic disease that continues to plague the world with little evidence that humans have developed any ability to resist infection. This is interesting because it is likely to have co-evolved with us from Neolithic times. We will continue to face new and emerging diseases. So far our capacity to adapt and respond has served us well. But some scientists believe humans are no longer evolving due to the removal of many selection pressures, most importantly things that cause premature death. The question is whether we are up to the challenges posed by what comes next. Perhaps the most pressing issue facing us now is that bugs seem to be evolving faster than we can create things to kill them – known as anti-microbial resistance. The spectre of life without antibiotics is terrifying given we never did “overcome” bacterial infections through evolution. Instead we used our ingenuity. Our future will reflect how well we exercise our collective intellect and will to dodge this bullet. Read the other instalments in the series:

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