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India’s Central Statistics Office has published their Energy Statistics 2012 document, a provisional assessment of the state of play for the country. It’s interesting, to say the least.
They lead off with an energy map of nuclear power generation–and India has 52 plants with 6,780 MW capacity either up and running or under construction. Nuclear power capacity grew 4.8% in 2011.
When the report covers renewable energy–wind and solar–it concentrates on potential, referring to an estimated wind power potential of 49132 MW (55%), SHP (small-hydro power) potential of 15,385 MW (17%), Biomass power potential of 17,538 MW(20%) and 5000 MW (6%) from bagasse-based cogeneration in sugar mills. That’s because actual renewable production is fairly low. India is 10th in the world for solar, but it amounts to about 600 MW installed last year. When it comes to current capacity, “The total installed capacity of grid interactive renewable power, which was 16817 MW as on 31.03.2010 had gone up to 19971 MW as on 31.03.2011 indicating growth of 18.75% during the period. Out of the total installed generation capacity of renewable power as on 31-03-2011, wind power accounted for about 71%, followed by small hydro power (15.2%) and Biomass power (13.3%).
For electricity generation, the report says, “The total installed capacity for electricity generation in the country has increased from 16,271 MW as on 31.03.1971 to 206,526 MW as on 31.03.2011, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% . There has been an increase in generating capacity of 18654 MW over the last one year, which is 10% more than the capacity of last year.” (My bold.)
The sad tale of the tape is next–India dreams of nuclear and renewables, but their feet are firmly planted in coal. “At the end of March 2011, thermal power plants accounted for an overwhelming 64% of the total installed capacity in the country, with an installed capacity of 131.2 thousand MW. Hydro power plants come next with an installed capacity of 37.6 thousand MW, accounting for 18.2% of the total installed Capacity. Besides, non-utilities accounted for 15.9% (32.9 Thousand MW) of the total installed generation capacity. The share of Nuclear energy was only 2.31% (4.78 MW).”
What the Report Didn’t Cover
India is the 5th largest energy consumer in the world and its people wish mightily that it ranked higher. Their energy consumption in 2009 was 21.7 quads, not nearly enough for their huge (and growing) population. Their per capita energy consumption is on a par with Swaziland.
India imports about 75% of its oil. In fact, one-third of all India’s imports consist of oil. That is expected to rise to 80%, as energy consumption rises. India’s need to import gas is not as bad, but it is also rising–from 25% of their needs to half by 2015, according to the Financial Times.
Oh–by the way. That link to India importing 75% of its oil? The title of the article is “India’s Energy Consumption Set to Double by 2031.” So I’m not the only one…
And coal? Readers will remember that I am concerned about coal powering the rise of the developing world. Well, India has a lot of coal to burn–”Coal production in the country during the year 2010-11 was 533 million tonnes (MTs) as compared to 532 MTs during 2009-10, registering a growth of 0.12%. Considering the trend of production from 1970-71 to 2010-11, it is observed that coal production in India was about 73 MTs during 1970-71, which increased to 533 MTs during 2010-11, with a CAGR of 5%.”
And India has more where that came from–”India has a good reserve of coal and lignite. As on 31.03.11 the estimated reserves of coal was around 286 billion tones, an addition of 9 billion over the last year,” according to India’s Energy Statistics 2012. Their reserves actually grew 3%, primarily because India’s bureaucracy and corruption make it very hard to get coal out of the ground. But that’s okay, I guess. Because India’s imports of coal grew by 31% this year… And just to cheer you all up, “India’s coal imports are likely to touch a whopping 185 million tonnes (MT) by 2017, almost 20% of the international dry-fuel trade amid widening demand-supply deficit, according to Planning Commission.” | <urn:uuid:870abf9c-3ff2-4c70-8af6-b0c510ba7724> | {
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Lesson 2: The Pieces
Shogi is played with 8 types of pieces. Each player gets 20 pieces, for a total of 40 pieces in the game. Like Xiangqi (Chinese chess), shogi pieces are flat with their names written on them in Chinese characters.
Each player gets the following pieces:
2 Silver Generals
2 Gold Generals
?? (fuhyou) – Foot Soldier
The Pawn moves one square forwards, and captures the same way. It cannot move any other way under any circumstances, and there is no capturing en passant
?? (kyousha) – Incense Chariot
The lance moves any amount of squares forward, and must stop when it reaches the end of the board, a piece of the same player, or when it captures a piece.
?? (keima) – Cassia Horse
The knight can move to the square 2 squares forward and one square to the side, like the chess knight, but it can only move forwards. It can also leap over other pieces.
?? (ginshou) – Silver General
The Silver General can move one square diagonally in any direction and one square forwards.
?? (kinshou) – Gold General
A gold general can move to any adjacent square except diagonally backwards.
?? (kakugyou) – Angle Mover
The bishop can move any amount of squares diagonally until it meets the end of the board, a piece of the same player, or captures a piece.
?? (hisha) – Flying Chariot
The rook can move any amount of squares forwards, backwards, and sideways until it meets the end of the board, a piece of the same player, or captures a piece.
?? (oushou) – King General ?? (gyokushou) – Jewel General
The king can move to any adjacent square. The difference between the King General and the Jewel General is that the superior uses the King General and the inferior player uses the Jewel General. Examples of this are when a title holder plays against the challenger in a professional title match, a higher ranked player plays a lower ranked player in a tournament, a father plays his son, etc. | <urn:uuid:3a990e68-e6e6-47dc-9584-61c765c17dba> | {
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and his associates at Cambridge have found that babies exposed to high levels of testosterone in the womb have autistic traits such as poor social skills, a lack of imagination, a lack of empathy, less eye contact, and slower language development. This finding supports Baron-Cohen's hypothesis of "extreme male brains" in children with autism. (I note excessive body hair in any of the children with autism that I see in my clinic so I am not surprised.) This finding could lead to a prenatal test for autism and ABA could be started at an early age perhaps preventing autism. | <urn:uuid:de0206b4-235a-4f79-bb05-3c599679447a> | {
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A History of Innovation, a Path to the Future
March 1994 Visual C++ Strategy
The Microsoft Visual C++ development system family of products meets the need of developers to develop sophisticated Windows-based applications quickly. It also protects existing investments in the Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC) and the Windows API and establishes a clear path to developing 32-bit applications for Windows that run on multiple software and hardware platforms.
With the Visual C++ development system family of products, Microsoft’s strategy is to provide the shortest path for developers to access the full power of Windows, the smallest and fastest executables, and the safest investment for the future.
These fundamental principles have guided the development of Visual C++ and will continue to do so in the future. In order to deliver on these promises, we have chosen to focus our development efforts as follows:
C++ is the language we will focus on for the long term. We will implement new features in the language as standards emerge. However, in order to reduce the complexity that C++ brings with its power, we will implement a subset of the language in our class library and minimise the work involved in creating Windows-based applications in C++.
We believe that the greatest gains in productivity can be achieved through the use of a well-written class library. A key element of Visual C++ is the MFC architecture, which not only provides the fundamentals for developing Windows-based applications but also provides significant amounts of reusable code that developers can use in their applications. In addition, we have designed the Visual C++ development environment so that developers can easily exploit the full power of MFC.
Improvements in the development environment and build throughput provide the next level of productivity gains. Visual programming tools, integration and task orientation are the key areas of focus for achieving this objective with Visual C++.
Microsoft continues to lead the industry in C and C++ optimisations to help create the smallest and fastest executables possible. We have tuned MFC so that developers incur very little overhead in developing applications using C++ and MFC compared to using C and the Windows SDK.
Tools are provided for all the platforms supported by the Windows family. MFC and the tool set support all the latest features of the Windows operating system so that developers can take advantage of these features in their applications.
It is essential to preserve customers’ knowledge base and their investments in code into the future. For that reason, the MFC architecture is built around the Windows API to utilise existing knowledge. Existing applications based on C and the Windows API can be migrated to C++ and MFC. Once developers invest in MFC, their investment is completely protected from version to version and platform to platform.
Visual C++1.0:The move to C++
Research into developer needs defined the major design goals of Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0. Research showed that While 70% of developers wanted to move to C++, only 15% were actually using it because of the difficulty in learning and using the language. Furthermore, developers didn’t want to learn an entirely new API or throw away their existing source code. Thus Visual C++ was created to provide the shortest path to C++ programs for Windows.
To ease migration to C++, Microsoft introduced the innovative wizard technology along with a new, more powerful version of MFC. MFC version 2.0 included and application architecture and features that further simplified application development, while providing full backward compatibility with version 1.0. Wizards were added to make it easier to exploit the full power of MFC. Wizards make it possible to generate fully featured applications for Windows without writing thousands of lines of tedious implementation code. An integrated editor, compiler, debugger and source browser make the edit-build-debug cycle as short as possible. An integrated visual resource editor makes it possible to develop user interfaces rapidly. In addition, Visual C++ 1.0 continued to focus on providing the smallest and fastest executables of any commercially available compiler.
Because it combined industry-leading performance with breakthroughs in ease of use, Visual C++ 1.0 became the shortest path to developing C++ applications for Windows.
Microsoft Foundation Classes
MFC 1.0 was first introduced in 1992 with Microsoft + 7.0. MFC 2.0 in Visual C++ 1.0 followed in February 1993. MFC 2.0 built on the Windows-specific foundation established in 1992 by adding sophisticated architectural elements such as document/view architecture, high-level application-specific features such as MDI support, tool bars, status bars, true device-independent output including print preview, and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) support. In short, designing MFC to handle the standard interface chores and platform issues eliminated much of the tedious details facing C++ application developers. Most importantly, MFC 1.0 was upward-compatible with MFC 2.0. MFC 1.0 programs merely had to be recompiled to gain all of the new benefits of MFC 2.0. Investments in code were preserved without sacrificing innovation.
To ensure compatibility, we implemented MFC 1.0 and MFC 2.0 using a practical subset of C++ that exploited the language’s strengths without relying on unusual or compiler-specific features. As a result, the framework is portable between different vendors’ tools and compilers. MFC was written to solve real application problems of professional developers. It is tuned for both speed and size, to produce professional, industrial-strength C++ code for Windows with copious diagnostic support. MFC has been licensed to other leading C++ tools vendors including Blue Sky, Metaware, Symantic and WATCOM, affirming it as the premier C++ application framework for Windows.
Now, with version 2.5, MFC demonstrates its leadership by adding support for OLE version 2.0 and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) while maintaining source-code compatibility with MFC 2.0. The MFC library has been available for the Win32 API since August 1993 and later versions will soon support other platforms, further demonstrating its portability.
A year after Visual C++ 1.0 was released, 81% of developers are using C++, with 30% already having completed several C++ projects. Visual C++ and MFC have helped make the move to C++ a reality.
Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0, 32-bit Edition: The Move to 32-Bits
Because developers needed tools to create 32-bit applications for Windows, in August 1993 Microsoft introduced Visual C++, 32-bit edition. This was the first integrated 32-bit development environment for professional C++ programmers for Windows that was hosted on the Windows NT operating system and that targeted both Windows (via the Win32s API) and Windows NT (via Win32). To ease developers’ learning curves, this product has the same tool set and class library as Visual C++ 1.0, but on 32 bits. It is the safest investment in C++ development tools because it provides an easy migration path from previous 16-bit Microsoft C++ products. MFC applications need only be recompiled to become fully functional 32-bit Windows-based applications. Because developers can write applications from a single source-code base that will run on Windows 3.1 and Windows NT, the 32-bit edition increases their productivity and allows them to take advantage of the performance benefits of 32-bit programming on both platforms.
Windows NT is the host for the 32-bit compiler because it is the most robust development platform choice. In addition, the true 32-bit platform enables the development of powerful 32-bit applications. We exploited its pre-emptive multitasking and multithreading capabilities to enable seamless background compilation and simultaneous multiple project builds. To aid debugging we added in the 32-bit Edition a memory Window on the current contents, support for structured exception-handling to help in locating errors, and support for threads, allowing developers to analyse and view window messages, relationships between windows, processes and threads as well as their details. Books Online technology revolutionised the presentation and usefulness of product documentation.
New optimisations for the I486 and Pentium processors helped ensure the smallest and fastest 32-bit executables. Visual C++, 32-bit Edition is proven technology: Microsoft used it to build Windows NT itself.
Visual C++ 1.5: The Move to OLE 2.0
In April 1993, Microsoft released OLE 2.0 – a breakthrough for component-based software development. OLE 2.0 provides a standard means of defining what an object is and how objects can interact. With OLE 2.0, developers from different companies can write objects that interact with one another without relying on the specifics of how those objects work. With OLE 2.0 developers can use entire applications as components, which makes application integration and combining information from multiple applications easier. Hundreds of companies have announced support for OLE 2.0, and corporations and independent software vendors (ISVS) are already using it to develop sophisticated applications for their end users.
Visual C++ 1.5 Makes OLE 2.0 Easy
Microsoft research shows that although more than 75% of developers would like to develop applications for OLE 2.0, less than 10% of them had started development before Visual C++ 1.5 was available. This was because native OLE 2.0 development can be difficult. However, Visual C++ 1.5 and MFC 2.5 make OLE 2.0 development easy. Using Appwizard, developers can create an OLE 2.0 client, server or container (even with OLE Automation) in seconds. Because AppWizard creates default code to deal with all OLE messages and requests, developers need only write code for the functionality that they want to support, thus significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to get started with OLE 2.0 applications.
AppWizard, C1assWizard and MFC 2.5 support full OLE 2.0 functionality, including toolbar and menu negotiation, visual editing, drag and drop, in-place activation, all structure and storage mechanisms, incremental read/write, component object model, and synchronous function completion. More than 19,000 lines of C++ code are provided in the MFC 2.5 Library to support OLE 2.0 development - code that developers don’t have to write.
Enabling Database Development
Incorporating support for database access in Windows-based applications can be difficult, Yet it is increasingly important. MFC makes it easy. ODBC classes and wizards allow full ODBC support for accessing local or remote databases to be built into Windows-based applications with just a mouse click. ODBC drivers are available today for a diverse set of database formats and implementations.
Plans of Leading Edge Developers for Windows
In order to better understand developers’ needs for the future, we surveyed more than 5,000 developers who attended the Win32 Professional Developer’s Conference in December 1993. We asked developers specifically what their plans were for 1994. The key results are shown in figure 1:
|More than 80% are using MFC|
|More than 50% are targeting Win32-based applications|
|More than 50% are using Win32 as a host platform|
|More than 20% are targeting Win32-based RISC and Macintosh platforms|
|More than 60% are targeting OLE 2.0 More than 90% are using high-performance hardware (Intel 486 20MB RAM, CD-ROM)|
Figure 1 - developer plans for 1994
New Issues for Developers in 1994
The survey indicated a very strong interest in the development community in targeting Win32 and OLE 2.0-based applications using MFC. Developers also want the flexibility to target other software and hardware platforms as they become more popular. They would like to do this through a single source-code base that is developed using a single tools set and class library. Finally, developers have the necessary hardware to host a Win32-based platform such as Windows NT and exploit the advanced capabilities that Windows NT provides.
Key Challenges for Visual C++ Tools
From the perspective of development tools, these goals presented us with four challenges:
Provide tools that developers can use to create leading-edge applications for Windows that exploit the latest systems features, such as OLE 2.0, while enabling them to use their code investment in the future.
Provide a clear and easy migration path to the 32-bit future of Windows through guaranteed upward compatibility.
Provide a consistent tool set and class library that enable developers to easily target multiple platforms through a single code base.
Provide tools that allow developers to exploit advances in host operating system platforms to increase productivity. For example, support background builds on a multitasking operating system such as Windows NT.
Microsoft’s Answer: Visual C++ Everywhere
The Visual C++ 2.0 family of products provides a consistent tool set and class library (MFC) that enables the development of Win32-based applications that target a wide range of platforms including Windows, Windows NT (Inte1- and RISC-based), Microsoft Windows “Chicago” (the next major release of Microsoft Windows), and the Macintosh. The Visual C++ 2.0 family utilises Microsoft’s systems strategy to provide the Win32 API along with key systems features such as OLE 2.0 and ODBC on all these platforms. Developers need only learn one tool set and API (MFC and Win32) to develop and support Win32-based applications that are portable and compatible across a range of leading platforms. Developers will be able to continue maintaining their 16-bit applications for Windows using Visual C++ 1.5. In addition, we will work with developers licensed to provide the Windows API on Unix platforms to make sure that developers can easily port their MFC applications using these platforms as well.
The Visual C++ 2.0 Family
The Visual C++ 2.0 family consists of the following products:
Visual C++ 2.0 Intel Edition.
This product hosts on a Win32- and Intel-based platforms (Windows NT or Windows “Chicago”) and enables developers to target Win32- and Intel-based applications that run on Windows (through Win32s), Windows NT, and Windows “Chicago”.
Visual C++ 2.0 RISC Editions.
These products host on a Win32- and RISC-based platform and target the same platform. The tool set is identical to the Intel-based tool set described above. The first version will be available for the MIPS platform followed by the Digital Alpha AXP and other RISC platforms supported by Windows NT.
Visual C++ 2.0, Cross-development edition for Macintosh.
This product is an add-on to the Visual C++ 2.0, Intel Edition and enables developers to target the Macintosh through a core Win32 code base. When this product is installed on top of the Visual C++ 2.0, Intel Edition, developers will gain new options to target the Maointosh. All development, compilation and linking are performed on the Windows NT-based machine. Debugging is performed across a network or serial connection to a Macintosh using the integrated debugger in the Visual C++ development environment.
The table in figure 2 illustrates the Visual C++ 2.0 product family:
Visual C++ 2.0: Continue the Innovation
In addition to the multiplatform support, Visual C++ will continue to provide the shortest path to developing applications that exploit the full power of the Windows family. Visual C++ 2.0 continues the leadership established by Visual C++ 1.5 by making it easy to develop 32-bit OLE 2.0 and ODBC applications through innovative wizards technology and a 32-bit compatible version of MFC. In addition, all versions of Visual C++ 2.0 exploit the power of Windows NT as the host development environment.
Visual C++ 2.0 provides a completely redesigned and integrated environment (IDE) that makes application development even easier than with previous versions of Visual C++. Everything is truly integrated, so there is no longer a separate App Studio application for resource editing, for example. The IDE includes all the latest innovations found in the latest Microsoft applications such as customisable toolbars and dockable windows.
Powerful project-management capabilities make it possible to manage complex development projects. Developers will also gain a dramatic boost in productivity through a new incremental linker that is aimed at producing 10-second links so developers can get from edit to EXE very quickly. The Browser can now be updated on demand rather than on every build, and it supports navigation of both definitions and references. Finally, C++ templates and exception handling have been added to the C++ compiler, enabling developers to benefit from the latest C++ language features.
We have continued our leadership in C-based optimisations to turn our focus on new C++ optimisation. Our goal with the new optimisation technology, called Opt++, is to eliminate most, if not all, of the additional overhead that comes with using C++ rather than C. This technology along with highly tuned versions of MFC will enable developers to deliver applications built using C+ and MFC that have very little performance overhead compared to that of comparable programs built using C and the SDK.
Maximum Compatibility and Portability
Visual C++ 2.0 once again demonstrates our commitment to preserving developers’ investments in MFC. Visual C++ does this in a number of ways:
Version to version. MFC 3.0 is completely upward compatible with previous versions of MFC. new features provided with MFC 3.0 can easily be incorporated with little additional work.
16- to 32-bit conversion. 16-bit Windows-based applications written using MFC 2.5 included in Visual C++ 1.5 need only be recompiled with MFC 3.0 to convert them to 32-bit applications.
Intel to RISC. Applications written to MFC 3.0 are 100% source-code compatible across all Win32 platforms. They only need to be recompiled with the processor-specific Visual C++ compilers to produce executable files for different target platforms.
Win32 to Macintosh applications. As above, most MFG 3.0 applications can simply be recompiled with the Visual C++ 68K cross-compiler to produce executable files for the Macintosh. Applications written directly to the Win32 API can achieve 80% or greater compatibility, depending on the APIs used by the application.
Visual C++ Portability: RISCbased Multiplatform Editions
RISC editions of Visual C++ are identical to the Intel-based Visual C++ product. They also exploit the fact that Windows NT is the same on all hardware platforms.
This means that developers who use Visual C++ can use the same tools, regardless of which platform they are targeting. Also, features of the Visual C+ language - for example, C++ templates or exception handling - are implemented in the same manner on all platforms.
The same APIs, Win32 and MFC, are implemented identically across all supported platforms. A developer’s knowledge and code base can be used across all RISC platforms.
To provide true targeting for Windows NT, 21 development system must support all Windows NT-compatible hardware platforms.
Microsoft is working closely with all licensees of Windows NT and is already shipping versions of the Microsoft C/C++ development tools for MIPS and Alpha AXP through the Win-32 SDK program.
Microsoft has licensed the compiler to several licensees of Windows NT and is actively integrating the compiler with each chip makers’ back-end optimising code generators.
Visual C++ 2.0 has also been designed to be completely portable across various Win32-based hardware platforms. Microsoft is working with licensees of Windows NT to port the entire Visual C++ development environment, including MFC, to all Windows NT-compatible hardware platforms.
The result is a compatible language implementation, integrated tool set, system API and C++ application framework across the entire family of Windows-compatible hardware. Developers will be able to use their existing source code, makefiles and development experience with Visual C++. They will benefit from the ease of use of the Visual G++ development system and from the high performance of the chip makers’ optimised native-code generators. The application architecture is depicted in figure 3.
|Figure 3 - The application architecture|
Visual C++ Portability: Macintosh Cross-development Edition
The cross-development tool set is an add-on to the Intel-based Visual C++ 2.0 development environment tailored for targeting the 68K-based family of Macintosh computers, and in the future, Power Macintosh versions of the same tools.
The product provides all the tools necessary for developing and debugging native applications for the Macintosh. These include an optimising C/C++ cross-compiler, linker, resource compiler, remote debugger and profiler. The tool set also includes a Macintosh version of MFC 3.0 and a Win32 portability library. These tools are all integrated into the Visual C++ 2.0 development environment.
The architecture of Macintosh applications generated by Visual C++ is shown in figure 4.
|Figure 4 - Macintosh application architecture|
The application source code can be Written in C or C++ and can be from a single source-code base that supports both Windows and the Macintosh. The Win32 portability libraries for the Macintosh simplify the porting of an application written to the Win32 API and/or to the Macintosh Foundation Class Library. These libraries generate appropriate Macintosh System 7 instructions from calls to the Win32 API. As depicted in the figure, developers can also program directly to the System 7 API to take advantage of platform-specific features. The resulting application, however, incorporates the native look and feel of a Macintosh application. Rigorous performance-tuning of the Win32 portability library ensures there will be very little performance penalty for the ported application. In fact, Microsoft uses this technology for its Macintosh application developments, such as Excel and FoxPro for the Macintosh.
OLE Custom Controls
Microsoft recently announced the OLE custom control architecture, which merges the popular Microsoft Visual Basic custom control architecture with the open, standard architecture of OLE. OLE custom controls make component-based development a reality by allowing developers to easily utilise existing bodies of functional code encapsulated as OLE controls. An OLE control is a custom control, implemented as an OLE 2.0 compound document object with visual editing support. An OLE control has additional capabilities beyond those of ordinary OLE objects, such as the ability to fire events. OLE controls will be supported in the future by all Microsoft development tools, including applications through Visual Basic, Applications edition.
Most OLE 2.0 objects require a substantial amount of implementation effort. Fortunately, an OLE Control DeveIoper’s Kit (CDK) - along with Visual C++ - provides most of the required implementation, so developers only have to fill in details that are specific to the OLE control. The CDK includes both 16- and 32-bit MFC extensions to support controls, a Controlwizard for creating an initial custom control project, C1assWizard extensions, a Test Container to verify the OLE control, full online documentation, and sample code.
Microsoft Visual C++ and the OLE CDK make component-based software development a reality.
Visual C++ 2.0 for Intel and MIPS and the cross-development system for the Macintosh 68K are scheduled to be made available in the first half of 1994. A future version of this tool set will target other Windows NT- and RISC-based platforms and the Power Macintosh platform. The OLE CDK will be available in the same time frame as Visual C++ 2.0 for Intel.
The Visual C++ development environment and the Microsoft Foundation Class Library will continue to evolve to support Microsoft Windows operating systems in the years ahead.
Overload Journal #5 - Sep 1994 + Programming Topics
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All > Topics > Programming (488)
Any of these categories - All of these categories | <urn:uuid:0dbf9581-7577-4b95-8e5b-255701854a09> | {
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Description - This National Monument was the first designated site established in Utah by the National Park Service. It preserves and protects the terrain surrounding Owachomo, Sipapu and Kachina natural bridges. This site lies in the desert of southeastern Utah far from any supplies and services. It has limited facilities, but water is available on site.
- The biggest attraction at Natural Bridges National Monument is the natural beauty of the desert terrain in which it lies. There are few developed facilities at this park. A small visitor center lies along State Road 275. It contains a sales area with books, maps, posters and postcards and an exhibit area which explains the geology, natural and cultural history of the region. An audiovisual program is periodically shown throughout each day at the visitor center and rangers are available to answer questions. Water is available at this site as are restrooms.
A 13-site campground is maintained by the park service near the visitor center. It is open on a first come, first served basis. Individuals should arrive early to reserve a campsite.
Other facilities within the park include a nine-mile scenic drive and several overlooks. Short trails lead to each bridge and Horsecollar Ruin. A longer loop trail leads to a viewpoint of each bridge. Bikes are permitted on the scenic drive, but not on trails in the monument.
Recreation - Visitors to Natural Bridges can enjoy hiking, camping, viewing exhibits, photography and scenic driving. The scenic loop drive along the rim of White Canyon is open year-round. Overlooks of each bridge are accessible for individuals using wheelchairs. Informal interpretive programs may be given on the patio of the visitor center during peak season.
Climate - Southeastern Utah is the high desert. Summer highs reach 85 to 95 degrees F, with lows near 50 to 60 degrees. Thunderstorms often occur during summer afternoons. During autumn highs reach 60 to 75 degrees F, with lows dipping to 40 to 50 degrees. This time of year is mild and snow can be expected late in the season. Winter highs usually reach 40 to 50 degrees F during the day with lows near 0 to 30 degrees at night and snow likely. Spring is a pleasant time to visit the desert with highs ranging from 50 to 70 degrees F and lows dipping to 20 - 40 degrees. Snow is possible anytime until May. Most of the precipitation in this area falls in the spring. Winter snows also can contribute significantly to precipitation amounts.
This preserve lies in the southeastern corner of Utah east of Lake Powell. The site is accessible from Blanding via State Highway 95. Bring all supplies necessary for your adventure as there are none available in the immediate area. | <urn:uuid:d44ef9b2-6cce-4ecf-933c-c8bd9f9a1e4f> | {
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Think Like a Philosopher: Psychosomatics and the Luo Vessels
By Nicholas Sieben, LAc
The philosopher was given great respect within classical Chinese culture. The Dao De Jing has many passages extolling the virtues of the "philosopher king." The same was true within medicine. It is not enough to look at things in their literal sense: the Nei Jing asks a bit more from us than that. Much of the classical texts are written in code, using philosophical metaphor to present their wisdom.
My teacher Jeffrey Yuen has called Chinese Medicine "applied Chinese philosophy," advising that we'd benefit as acupuncturists by learning Chinese philosophy. Every teaching we received from Yuen was rooted in philosophy relating to that particular tradition. To illuminate the mysteries of the Chinese Medical classics, we must try to understand and think like the philosophers who wrote them.
Acupuncture is popularly seen to address physical problems. The notion that acupuncture also affects the mind and emotions is confusing to some; enticing to others. An acupuncturist works on the external tissues of the body, exciting the "Jing Luo" (channels and collaterals), which travel along the body's external muscles. The Jing Luo have resonance with the internal organs, which control physical as well as mental-emotional function.
Physiology of the mind (and emotions) is usually discussed in classical Chinese medicine in relation to blood, and explored through study of the Primary Channels, especially those relating to blood: the Heart/Pericardium, Spleen/Stomach and Liver; pathology can be explored through the "collaterals," mainly the Luo Vessels.
Luo Vessels are conduits of ying qi. They relate to the interior of the body. As collaterals, the Luo Vessels are created as needed to take on pathology from the Primary Channels. They are pathological channels representing a disturbance to the normal physiological flow of qi and blood. The Luo are a major arena where battle between internal pathogenic factors and the body's physiology is played out. Internal pathogenic factors are mainly considered to be the seven emotions within classical medicine.
The "collaterals," or so-called "Secondary Channels of Acupuncture" can be seen as detailed explorations into the pathological process. When the Primary Channels become overwhelmed by a pathogenic factor, coming from the exterior or interior of the body, they rely on support from the collaterals so as to maintain daily physiological function. The Luo do not treat the pathogenic factors they inherit, but hold them in a state of latency as "fullness." When the Luo reach saturation, they "empty" back into the Primary Channel, or deeper into the source.
To study pathology of the mind and emotions, the Luo Vessels are paramount. It can be confusing however, when studying the Luo, to see most classical symptoms associated with them are somatic. The only "psychological" Luo Vessel symptom mentioned in Chapter 10 of the Ling Shu is "mania," associated with the Stomach Luo. Even the Heart and Pericardium's Luo symptoms sound very physical: "chest/heart pain," "loss of voice," "stiffness of the neck." Commentators, such as Yuen, have said the somatic language used to describe Luo Vessel pathology is the result of Confucian politeness, keeping discussion of the emotions within the family. It is historically considered inappropriate to speak of such things in the clinical setting. People expressed psychological pain through somatic language. "Heart pain" expresses a sense of heartache, betrayal or disappointment; "neck stiffness": the stubbornness or inability to see new options. Thinking like a philosopher, it's not difficult to see connection between the somatic and psychological within classical discussion of the Luo Vessels; descriptions in Ling Shu Chapter 10 are subtly illustrative and evocative.
Let's examine the Small Intestine Luo Vessel from this point of view. The symptom of "fullness" of the Small Intestine Luo is described as "looseness of the elbow joint." Commentators have said this is somatic language for difficulty handling situations in life. The elbow represents the ability to grasp a situation and manipulate it. The channel travels through the elbow into the shoulder, where it terminates. Progression of this Luo Vessel shows inhibition in ability to manipulate situations becoming difficulty reaching out and grasping, represented by movement of pathology from the elbow into the muscles of the shoulder.
Small Intestine follows the Pericardium in the Luo Vessel progression, as presented by Chapter 10 of the Ling Shu: Lung, Heart, Pericardium, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, ect. By the stage of the Pericardium Luo, the body has failed to release a pathogenic factor from the chest via the Lung's ability to diffuse and let go and the Heart's ability to articulate and expel the problem through use of the tongue. The problem becomes stuck in the chest, creating a sensation of "chest pain:" a sign of fullness of the Pericardium Luo. As the vessel progresses into "emptiness," the neck tightens to prevent heat stagnation from reaching the brain.
The Small Intestine Luo shows progression from a growing state of helplessness coming from the Pericardium Luo. The person has lost ability to see new options to their problem, as represented by the stiff neck. The Small Intestine tries to use its yang qi to open the chest, becoming deficient from the struggle. Incidentally, the Small Intestine is the first Luo to show symptoms of consumption and degeneration. Einstein has a famous quote: "Doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result, is the definition of insanity."
Emptiness of the Pericardium Luo, in which a person can only see a situation in one way, can lead to doing the same thing over and over trying to get something to change. Overuse or "Lao" will eventually lead to consumption of qi and degeneration, a term known as "Wei Atrophy Syndrome." The stage of progression represented by the Small Intestine Luo suggests this scenario can eventually lead to autointoxication through weakening of the bowels.
Psychologically, fullness of the Small Intestine Luo is described as the inability to accept feedback, manifesting in a defensive demeanor. All criticism is taken as an attack. The world begins to be perceived as a toxic place where the person feels they must always defend themselves. This state progresses into a sense of insecurity as the Vessel empties.
"Pebbly stools": the symptom associated with emptiness of the Small Intestine Luo shows impact on the bowels, damaging the ability to separate the pure from the turbid. The second emptiness symptom of the Small Intestine Luo Vessel is skin breakouts, further suggesting sluggish bowel function, and difficulty with separation and elimination. Inability to remove waste properly via the bowels manifests in damp-heat or fire toxins that can express through the skin. Accumulation of fire toxins and weakening of the portals of elimination are part of the clinical picture of Wei Atrophy Syndrome. The Small Intestine Luo illustrates how an unresolved emotional issue can lead to physical degeneration. It also shows a person who cannot discern the meaning of feedback from others, which can lead to dissociative personality disorders, as taken up by the Large Intestine Luo Vessel, which follows Small Intestine in the progression.
Within Ying Level pathology, effect on the mind and emotions is often implied. Blood stasis, mostly associated with fullness of the Luo can also be seen as Shen stasis. Emptiness of the Luo is associated with phlegm stasis, as the body relies on the support of fluids to maintain latency after the blood becomes insufficient. When one humor becomes taxed and unable to deal with a pathogenic factor, or to support latency, another humor will either transform itself into the needed commodity, or support the holding process. The Gynecological model of Chen Zi-Ming (1237 C.E.) explains the mutual support amongst the body's humors. Liver blood engenders Heart qi, which allows the blood to move; the Ye fluids also support the blood (as well as Kidney Yin). Within the Luo Vessel discussion, fluids are supporting the blood to maintain latency: blood stasis gives rise to phlegm stasis, both of which affect the Shen and therefore the Heart.
Luo Vessels can also be seen as pathological expressions of a person's psycho-social development. They represent physiology gone astray, or a "break in the sequence," as eloquently stated by Lung 7. Just as physical trauma is capable of creating blood stasis within the muscles; emotional trauma can disrupt the psychological development of a channel.
The Primary Channels represent physiological process within human development. They are organized as a progression according to the priorities of life. Respiration, digestion and sleep are mandatory to sustain life. This is acknowledged by the placement of the Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen and Heart as the first five meridians within the Primary Channel progression. This progression is also mirrored in the psychological and social development of a person.
As a child is developing mentally and socially during the first few years of life, the psycho-social attributes of the Primary Channels progressively become activated. The Lung Channel governs respiration: the most vital physiological process within human life. It allows sensation and contact with the world: the ability to be sensual. It is very primitive (being the first channel): representing nonjudgmental, indiscriminate contact and the ability to perceive stimuli. It is vital to being in the world. To create relationship with things and people, one must first be able to make contact, and have the ability to become aroused and stimulated. Without initial stimulation and arousal, one cannot make contact with oneself or others: the Lungs fail to descend to the Kidneys to support yang qi that continually renews the will to live. The psychological function of the Lungs is just as vital to sustaining life as the respiratory function; without the support of Metal, there is no will of Water.
Pathological disturbances to the Lung's psychological development manifest through its Luo. "Frequent yawning" and "frequent urination" are somatic symptoms associated with emptiness of the Lung's Luo. These symptoms can be seen to represent lack of interest in life, boredom, and the inability to hold onto stimuli. In this case, emptiness of the Lung Luo appears similar to a deficiency of Lung qi. When the Lungs are weak and unable to deal with external pathogenic factors, the Bladder channel must provide support. Within the Primary Channel theory of pathological progression, the Bladder channel is indicated for external conditions with an underlying deficiency. If the Lungs lack the Wei qi to "release" an external pathogen, they will descend the problem to the Bladder to be expelled. Metal is no longer giving birth to Water; instead the reverse is occurring, going against the generation cycle of the Five Elements.
Fullness of the Lung's Luo is described as "heat in the palms," representing hyperactive sensuality: the constant need for contact and stimulation; a seemingly excess symptom relating to the stage of psycho-social development governed by the Lungs.
The Large Intestine Primary Channel becomes involved during the teething process of a child, when the world begins to become something to "masticate." Discrimination and association begins with the Large Intestine. The Stomach Channel follows, providing the capacity for primal feelings of like and dislike. If food is not good, the child will vomit it back up. There is not yet a mental process involved at this stage, but one of pure feeling. The Spleen, which comes next in the progression, provides the mental component, through the Yi. The grouping of these four channels has been called "the survival stage" of development by Yuen. If these criteria are not met, one cannot progress into the further stages of "interaction" and "differentiation." Without adequate respiration and digestion, life cannot be sustained. The same is true for the psycho-social. One must be able to make contact and discriminate one thing from another, especially in terms of harmful or safe, to be able to interact and ultimately differentiate within the more advanced level relating to perception and major life choices.
The Luo Vessel becomes activated when there is a disturbance within one of the Primary Channels. Luo Vessel symptoms indicate trauma relating to blood. They can be formed during a person's developmental process, pathologically influencing demeanor, perception and behavior as the person grows into adulthood.
Some of us never learned how to deal with the word "no." We became rebellious whenever we were not allowed to do something, showing a disturbance within the psycho-social development of the Heart Primary Channel. Luo Vessels manifest in rebellious qi. We have already established symptoms need not be physical. Within this model, the Luo Vessel progression follows that of the Primary Channels, as they are pathological outgrowths of psycho-social development. The "heart pain" of being told "no" can cause inability to handle feedback, which leads to a sense of overreaction within our minds, a hyper-vigilant "fight or flight" demeanor, which can ultimately progress into obsessive-compulsive behavior. The psycho-behavioral progression described here is that of a disturbance to the Heart, manifesting through its Luo, and progressing to the Small Intestine, Bladder and Kidney Luo Vessels, respectively. This person could be treated through working with the affected Luo Vessels: to expel the blood stasis disturbing normal psycho-social development. Once the blood stasis is resolved, the Primary Channel is given the opportunity to build itself back, restoring natural function.
Much of the language within the classics is codified. It must be read with a philosophical, three-dimensional point of view mirroring the three levels of energetics. What may seem simple and straightforward often has deeper meaning, illustrated through the somatic language of the channel systems of acupuncture. The wonderful thing about Chinese Medicine is that it is an art as well as a science; built upon philosophy. There have been thousands of commentators to the classics throughout history; some very popular, whose way of seeing the world have inspired others. This has given rise to numerous traditions. Each of us must make the medicine our own, honoring ourselves as philosophers and commentators who create our own style based on the way we see the world. Only then does Chinese Medicine remain a living system, imbued with Shen: like the blood.
Click here for more information about Nicholas Sieben, LAc. | <urn:uuid:d7ec53e9-2384-47d7-b391-2d84b500c366> | {
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Thank you. This is very helpful. To be safe, I'll probably go with batteries, or buy some separate 9 V wall warts for the Arduinos. I expect we will be using the Arduinos for other projects, so it might be good to have separate power supplies for them.
Next design question: Displaying data.
In my prototype I have the arduino connected to my computer, so I just send the rotation speed to the serial monitor where a student could read it. But the computers in my classroom are old. They are 10 year old iMacs running OS 9.2, which is not really supported by the arduino software. Here are the options I'm considering:
1) Finding a way to make these old iMacs work with arduino. I found one link about how to do this online, but it isn't really enough info for me, and I'm not sure it is an easy fix.
2) I have access to a set of old PC laptops, but these are running Windows 2000, which also does not appear to support Arduino without a fair amount of fiddling:http://arduino.cc/playground/Main/UnoWin2k
3) Buying an LCD display for each setup would probably work, but I'd rather find a cheaper alternative, since I have to build 8 to 10 of these.
4) A four-digit 7 segment display would be sufficient. Reading about these, I think I would also need a shift register chip. (Might I need four of these, one for each digit?) Or I could use a LED driver chip, but these seem to be more expensive. And if I go with LED displays, I think I would need extra transistors to provide the necessary current for all the segments in the four digits. So the cost here starts to add up, since I will be building 10 of these setups.
5) Another very elegant solution, in lieu of connecting directly to computers, would be to connect to students' TI calculators. The calculators have a link port built into them, and I have extra link cables in my lab. I found someone on youtube who is able to do this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMNOGHKQDQk&NR=1
), but I'm going to need to learn some z80 assembly language programming to interface the TI calculator to the arduino. In some ways this would be a great solution, though, because teachers at other schools would be able to duplicate it (since nearly all high school students have TI calculators, but many physics classrooms do not have computers) and students could also use the keypad on the calculator to send data to the arduino.
Any suggestions would be appreciated on how to make alternatives 1, 2, or 5 easier, or on exactly what hardware would be required to implement alternative 4. | <urn:uuid:97ca12f4-2685-4da5-bd32-6c6356920792> | {
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Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
In general, a nun is a female ascetic who chooses to voluntarily leave the world and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent. The term "nun" is applicable to Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Buddhists, for example. The male equivalent of a nun is a monk.
In Roman Catholicism a nun is the term for a female monastic regular, equivalent to that of a male monk.
In the Catholic tradition, there are a number of different orders of nuns each with its own charism or special devotion. In general, when a person enters a convent she has a trial period (Noviciate) that lasts a number of years. Upon completion of this period she may take her vows. In the various branches of the Benedictine tradition (Benedictines, Cistercian and Trappists) nuns usually take formal vows of stability (that is, to remain a member of a single monastic community), obedience (to an abbess or prioress), and "conversion of life" (which includes the ideas of poverty and chastity) while in other groups like the "Poor Clares" (a Franciscan order) and cloistered Dominicans the three-fold vows of chastity, poverty and obedience are used.
Nuns observe "papal enclosure" rules and their monasteries typically have walls and grilles separating the nuns from the outside world. The nuns rarely leave, though they may have visitors in specially built parlors that allow them to meet with outsiders. They are usually self-sufficient, earning money by selling jams or candies or baked goods by mail order, or by making liturgical items (vestments, candles, bread for Holy Communion). They sometimes undertake contemplative ministries – that is, a monastery of nuns is often associated with prayer for some particular good: supporting the missions of another order by prayer (the Maryknoll order has both missionary sisters and cloistered nuns; and the sisters of Daughters of Saint Paul are supported in their media ministry by the nuns of Daughters of Divine Wisdom), prayer for a diocese, etc.
Technically, a convent is the home of a community of sisters – or, indeed, of priests and brothers, though this term is rarely used in the U.S. The term "monastery" is usually used by communities within the Benedictine family, and convent (when referring to a cloister) of certain other orders.
A nun who is elected to head her monastery is termed an abbess if the monastery is an abbey, a prioress if it is a priory, or more generically may be referred to as the Mother Superior. The distinction between abbey and priory has to do with the terms used by a particular order or by the level of independence of the monastery.
Roman Catholic Nun or Sister?
"Nun" is not to be confused with "religious sister". Though commonly called nuns in informal conversation, women belonging to orders like the Sisters of Charity, Franciscans or Dominicans are religious sisters, not nuns. Nuns and sisters are distinguished by the type of vows they take (solemn vow vs. simple vow) and the focus of their good works. The type of vow that one must take to become a member of a religious community is decided by the Roman curia upon the approval that community. The religious community of a nun is referred to as a "religious order" while the religious community of a sister is referred to as an "institute" or "congregation". Nun and sister are mutually exclusive religious paths.
To be a nun, one must a) live in a cloistered community or monastery; b) have taken the solemn vows of poverty, chastity and obedience (as opposed to the perpetual simple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience taken by sisters); and c) recite the Liturgy of Hours, Divine Office, or other prayers together with her community.
Nuns are restricted from leaving the cloister, though some may engage in limited teaching or other vocational work depending on the strictness of enforcement. Visitors are not allowed into the monastary to freely associate with nuns. In essence, the work of a nun is within the confines of her monastary, while the work of a sister is in the greater world. Both sisters and nuns are addressed as "Sister."
Eastern Orthodox Christian
In the Eastern Orthodox Church there is no distinction between a monastery for men and a monastery for women. In the Greek language both domiciles are called monasteries and the ascetics who live there are Monastics. In English, however, it is acceptable to use the terms "nun", "convent", and "abbess" simply for clarity and convenience. Orthodox monastics do not have "orders" as in the Catholic Church. Orthodox monks and nuns lead identical spiritual lives. There may be slight differences in the way a monastery functions internally but these are simply style differences (Gr. Typica) dependant on the Abbess or Abbot. The Abbess is the spiritual leader of the convent and her authority is absolute (no priest, bishop, or even patriarch can override an abbess within the walls of her monastery). There has always been fair equality between men and women in the Orthodox Church. Abbots and Abbesses rank in authority equal to bishops in many ways and were included in ecumenical councils. Abbesses hear confessions and dispense blessings on their charges though they still require the services of a presbyter (i.e., a priest) in order to celebrate the Divine Liturgy and other priestly functions. There have been, however, cases where nuns have functioned as deaconesses; though the last one to serve in that position was in the 19th century.
There are a number of different levels that the nun passes through in her profession. When one enters a monastery the first three to five years are spent as a "novice". Novices may or may not dress in the black inner robe (Isorassa), this being dependent on the abbess’ wishes. The isorassa is the first part of the monastic "habit" of which there is only one style for Orthodox monastics (this is true in general, there have been a few slight regional variations over the centuries). Orthodox monastics, in general have little or no contact with the outside world, especially family. The pious family whose child decides to enter the monastic profession understands that their child will become "dead to the world" and therefore be unavailable. If a novice chooses to leave during the novitiate period no penalty is incurred. When the abbess deems the novice ready, the novice is asked to join the monastery. If she accepts she is "tonsured" in a formal service, she is given the outer robe (Exorassa) and veil to wear, and because she is now dead to the world she receives a new name. Nuns consider themselves part of a sisterhood, however, tonsured nuns are usually called "Mother". The next level for monastics takes place some years after the first tonsure when the abbess feels the nun has reached a level of discipline, dedication, and humility. Once again, in a formal service the nun is elevated to the "Schema" which is signified by additions to her "habit" of certain symbolic pieces. In addition, the abbess increases the nun’s prayer rule, she is allowed a more strict personal ascetic practice, and she is given more responsibility. The final stage, called "Megaloschemos" or "Great Schema" is reached by nuns whose Abbess feels they have reached a high level of excellence. In some monastic traditions the Great Schema is only given to monks and nuns on their death bed, while in others they may be elevated after as little as 25 years of service.
Denominations that are directly descended from the Roman Catholic Church, such as the Lutherans, Anglicans, and even Calvinists continue to have small monastic communities. In some Anglican orders, there are nuns who have been ordained as priests.
Nuns also appear in Buddhist traditions. While monks and nuns are celibate, it is not unusual for both to exist within the same monastery. There are many variations to the style of "Habit" worn by these monastics, however, most, male and female, shave their head.
Other uses of the word nun
- In biology, Nun is a genus of the hillstream loach, a type of small freshwater fish.
- In Egyptian mythology, Nun is an alternate spelling for Nu, the name by which ancient Egyptians called both the mysterious underworld from where life was renewed and the primordeal god residing there. The name translates as "Abyss".
- Nun is also the fourteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Nun and Nunnery were also Elizabethan era slang for prostitutes and brothels.
- Nun is also the name of the father of Joshua, the right-hand man and successor of Moses.
- A nun buoy is a type of buoy.
- Sister Wendy Beckett
- The Sound of Music
- The Singing Nun
- Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis
- Poor Clare nuns in Rockford, Illinois
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details | <urn:uuid:b89f99df-2da3-41a8-8d61-ebd60662f769> | {
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Current computer graphics are fairly well known and understood. But how did we get here? The evolution of computer graphics is intertwined with textual display, and it is difficult to consider the two separately.
An old saying has it that a picture is worth a thousand words. The exact quantification of the value of imagery versus text appears to vary somewhat with subject matter, and is probably better left to psychologists and social scientists. But there is little question of the kernel of truth in the saying, and it has been a driver of computer architecture for many years.
Computer graphics are taken for granted today. But it has been a long and painful struggle, with hardware rarely keeping up with the demand for better images. In English, there are a relatively small number of characters which comprise text. The same is not true of images: graphics are computationally intensive. They always seem to take as much speed and memory as there are available. But the demand was high enough that early computer graphics could be fairly crude and still be in demand.
From blinking lights to plotters
Getting computers to type text was, in comparison, a simple process. Even in the early days of computing, there were existing devices which could translate a simple binary pattern into text. The military, for example, had used teletype machines for many years. Programming a computer to output the pattern that outputs the code for a textual character on a teletype machine is relatively simple.
Early computers used mostly flashing lights, with punched cards or paper tape for input and output. When there is only room for a few hundred instructions, you take input and output in its simplest form. But sometimes the available technology drives applications, and sometimes, the need to do something becomes a driver of seeking new technology.
The potential for getting a computer to produce a picture of the data wasn’t missed. It would be more valuable if the picture were produced rapidly enough for the user to interact, but even producing an image of some sort that represented the computer contents or calculations in the recent past had its merits.
IBM was offering an output printer on its 701 model in 1952. It also offered a primitive graphics solution (the model 740 “Cathode Ray Tube Output Recorder”) in 1954.
The 740 demonstrates just how big the demand for graphics was, and how minimal a capability was considered meaningful. The 740 was a cathode ray tube to which a camera could be attached. Digital-to-analog converters drove the cathode ray tube, slowly drawing lines, based on the digital outputs of the computer. This method gradually came to be known as “vector graphics,” to distinguish it from other technologies.
Lines were plotted one point at a time. IBM justifiably bragged (at the time) that points were plotted at a rate of 8,000 per second, with a display accuracy of a given point of only 3%, but with good repeatability. You couldn’t reliably scale the resulting image, but the image would have at least conceptual value.
Typically, the camera shutter was opened when the drawing started, and closed when it finished. At that time, the film could be developed, and the image could be viewed later the same day. Needless to say, this tech wasn't suitable for playing video games. Of course, one could maintain a simpler image on the display simply by repeating the drawing instructions at a fairly high rate. But this used most or all of the CPU time, and limited the detail which could be drawn.
The 740 had a sister display, the 780, which had a long-persistence phosphor (20 seconds). While not as precise, when paralleled with the 740, it allowed the operator to verify that the image being produced was indeed the one desired. When you have to wait several hours for the film image to be developed, that’s a good idea.
But there is another way to get an image with a slow computer, and one that will yield an image to the users much sooner: a plotter. Gene Seid and Robert Morton, two of the founders of CalComp, developed the idea in 1953, but lack of funding kept the device off the market until 1959.
The idea is simple: drive a pen on two axes. That takes a pair of stepping motors, and something to put the pen down at the start of a line, and lift it again at the end. Software can calculate when the pen should be stepped in either axis to draw straight lines between two points, curved lines, or whatever.
In time, fairly sophisticated software packages were developed which isolated the users from the plotter, and allowed them to describe the image in more human-friendly terms such as “m=1, plot y=mx+b for x=1 to 6,” and so on. If the plotter drew a shape, the shape could be filled with solid, dashed, or dotted lines to simulate black or grayscale. Calculating the bounds of the lines within the shape became a part of early plotting packages. Unless one is doing ray tracing, or something similar, the bounds for shading or color within a surface must still be calculated today, and the techniques still draw on these early methods.
In time, plotters had additional pens added to do drawings in color. But the number of colors was limited, and the drawings were still vectors.
Listing image by From PDP-1 to PS3, what a difference 45 years makes | <urn:uuid:b4f16d7b-309f-44b8-8c68-27fa5788eb89> | {
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Billy the Kid:
A Short and Violent Life
By Robert M. Utley
University of Nebraska Press, 302 pages, $22.95 While Momaday`s ``The Ancient Child`` presents the umpteenth fictive portrait of Billy the Kid, readers interested in a more authentic account of the renegade`s life will not be disappointed by Robert M. Utley`s careful study. Utley demonstrates that the Kid was very much a media creation even before Pat Garrett killed him on July 14, 1881. Eastern newspaper reporters were already on hot pursuit of the colorful outlaw`s trail.
Garrett and Ash Upson`s ``The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, the Noted Desperado of the Southwest, Whose Deeds of Daring and Blood have Made His Name a Terror in New Mexico, Arizona & Northern Mexico,`` published less than a year after the Kid`s death, assured his fame. Thereafter, myth took over.
Utley describes Billy as a ``hero and anti-hero,`` whose career did not live up to his reputation. The Kid certainly did not kill 21 men (one for each year of his life) as is generally believed. The exact number may have been as few as four. (In shoot-outs, it was often difficult to determine who shot whom.) Moreover, Utley illustrates beyond any doubt that Billy was very much concerned with going straight.
Billy`s appeal has continued largely because of the American fascination with the ``twin specters of corruption and violence.`` Reading this first-rate account of the celebrated outlaw`s life, one cannot help concluding that if Billy the Kid were alive today, he`d be very much at home. | <urn:uuid:1a71e0c6-5f4d-4913-97e4-02cea7913a65> | {
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Read has also worked on the evolution of bacteria that resist antibiotics. In a provocative paper published last year, he suggested that typically prescribed doses of antibiotics can sometimes favor resistant strains. Smaller doses, which allow the immune system to kill resistant bacteria, could prove a better long-term approach.
In infectious disease, individual bugs compete within a host, as do individuals in any population of organisms. If a drug or vaccine doesn't completely wipe out or prevent infection, the intervention can tip the evolutionary playing field and possibly favor not only bugs that resist that particular drug, but ones that spread faster, or cause more severe symptoms, Read said.
The malaria findings, published in last week's issue of the journal PLoS Biology, are being taken seriously by vaccine researchers. "If there is an effect like this we need to be mindful of it and take steps to minimize this kind of impact," said Patrick Duffy, chief of the laboratory of malaria immunology and vaccination at the National Institutes of Health.
The findings don't apply to most existing vaccines, such as those used against smallpox, measles, and mumps. Those prevent people from ever getting infected, so there's no opportunity for the viruses to evolve in immunized people, Read said. But the malaria parasite is a more complex organism and no vaccine being tested now can wipe it out.
So far, the best scientists can do with vaccines is to stave off infection and ameliorate the symptoms, so that infected children are less likely to die. But vaccinated people still harbor the parasite, and, through mosquitoes, can spread it to others. Such imperfect vaccines are referred to as "leaky" because the pathogens can still multiply and evolve inside infected people. Other "leaky" vaccines may eventually be used to treat HIV.
Evolution may also play a role in how other diseases react to vaccines. Whooping cough is one of them, Read said, since the vaccine can wear off.
Researchers should also be vigilant about evolution of human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, he said. The current vaccine doesn't protect against all strains of the virus and may allow nontargeted strains to become more virulent.
"We're moving into situations where parasites are evolving in the presence of immunized populations," he said. "We have to be sure we don't create situations where we're allowing hotter strains to spread."
While the malaria parasite that infects humans can't be given to laboratory mice or rats, these animals can be infected with a different version of the parasite that in nature infects African rodents called thicket rats.
For a vaccine in this mouse experiment, Read and collaborator Victoria Barclay chose a protein called AMA-1, which is the key component in several vaccines now in human trials in Africa. They allowed the parasite to spread through 10 different immunized mouse hosts. Then they let it infect unvaccinated mice.
This new malaria parasite made unvaccinated mice much sicker than malaria that hadn't evolved in vaccinated hosts. Read said they are still trying to figure out the specific mechanism by which the malaria parasites became more aggressive and virulent.
It's possible, he said, that the immune response prompted by the vaccine knocked out the weakest parasites, leaving the more aggressive, fast-spreading ones to grow without competition.
NIH's Duffy said the results will influence how they conduct human vaccine trials now going on in several African countries. In Read's experiment, it was the unvaccinated mice that got the worst disease down the road. If things play out the way they did for Read's experimental mice, he said, the vaccines might benefit some people but make the situation more dangerous for those who remain unvaccinated.
"We not only need to follow the people who we've given the vaccine to, but other people in the community," Duffy said.
Researchers are exploring a number of different tactics for vaccine development, Duffy said. They're targeting the parasite in different stages of its complicated life cycle, including the phase in which it lives inside the mosquito. Some of these stages may be less likely than others to allow the parasite to evolve.
He and Read agree that this new paper should increase awareness of evolution but not fuel irrational fears of vaccines. "Vaccines are still our best public health tool," Duffy said. "They are our most cost-effective way to improve public health."
Contact Faye Flam at 215-854-4977, [email protected], or follow on Twitter @fayeflam. Read her blog at philly.com/evolution. | <urn:uuid:5bfc9aa1-ce6f-4520-9f6d-60031a90c542> | {
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It is a depressing commentary on our times that even in the waning years of the 20th century, a majority of the Earth`s nations still feel compelled to imprison, torture and kill citizens who speak out against them.
Amnesty International, the human rights group that documents mistreatment of political prisoners, has released its annual report. It is another chronicle of human misery, pain and injustice that spares few governments from indictment.
No less than 135 nations were accused of abusing human rights in 1987 -- the most since Amnesty was founded in 1961. At least 760 political prisoners in 39 countries were executed, but the report said the number probably was much higher because of secret executions.
``In at least half the countries of the world,`` the report said, ``people are locked away for speaking their minds, often after trials that are no more than a sham. In at least a third of the world`s nations, men, women and even children are tortured. In scores of countries, governments pursue their goals by kidnapping and murdering their own citizens.``
While the report singled out the Middle East as the region where political imprisonment and torture was most prevalent, it also pointed a finger at the United States for the Louisiana execution of a mentally retarded man who had raped and murdered a child.
No region was exempt from condemnation. The Soviet Union, which released 259 political prisoners, received no praise in the report because they had been unjustly arrested in the first place.
China, Haiti, Iraq, Iran, South Africa and Israel came in for special censure. Even Great Britain, which suppressed the findings of a police inquiry into the killing of six unarmed Irish guerrillas, was cited by the report.
But Amnesty International, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, did find some reason for hope. It noted that more than 1,000 groups committed to human rights recently have sprung up around the world. It also cited a proliferation of new laws to protect the rights of prisoners.
By shining its spotlight of worldwide publicity on human rights abuses by governments, Amnesty International serves as a kind of global conscience.
That its spotlight is required at all is a sad admission that despite centuries of cultural and technological accomplishments, mankind has not yet progressed far beyond Dark-Ages barbarism in its treatment of disagreeable people. | <urn:uuid:f066562f-adab-466e-aeac-769c2ff4b2da> | {
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[ A.K.A SEKMINËS – Seventh Sunday after Easter
In Lithuania and in neighboring countries, traditions of Pentecost are
related with the end of sowing and the start of summer labors. This is
a spring gathering and shepherds' holiday. The most distinctive feature
of Pentecost is nature worship. The power of nature was attributed to young,
green birch trees. It was believed that the birch tree can pass her vitality
to the soil, to animals, protect from illness and all evils. On the eve
of Pentecost, village girls dispersed in fields and woods in search of
flowers and greenery that were used to make wreaths. Young men picked branches
off birch trees, which they placed around doors, gates, inside porches
and in living rooms. Wreaths and bunches of flowers decorated the entire
house. Tables were covered with linen tablecloths, garden paths were sprinkled
with sand and greens. It was believed that the souls of the dead, while
visiting homes on Pentecost, rested on birch tree branches. Shepherds decorated
cows with birch wreaths, to keep them calm and together, be good milkers
and to please the mistress of the house so she would be kind and generous
throughout the year.
The writer, B.Buraèas described this tradition of decorating
the herds in his writings, saying that on the night before Pentecost, shepherds
returning home with the herd dressed the animals with birch and marsh marigold
wreaths. They even tied birch branches to cattle horns.
In some regions women placed a piece of bread in a white linen kerchief,
tied it with three double birch branches and tied this kerchief to their
apron sash believing this to be a protection from snake bites. Whipping
with bathing birch- rods in bathhouses was believed to chase all ailments
out of the body. On Pentecost morning, the master of the house whipped
his cows to make them more active while grazing in the fields.
When Christianity came to Lithuania, churches began blessing grasses.
Then on this holiday, churches were decorated with birch trees and other
greenery. People arrived in church carrying bunches of greenery , which
were blessed. These blessed greens were set on fire and their smoke was
used to incense dying persons, new buildings and storm clouds. It was believed
that smoke from Pentecost greens had the power to chase away evil spirits,
protect buildings and send storm clouds away. Wayside crosses and ritual
tables were also decorated with Pentecost greenery.
J.Balys wrote in " Lithuanian Calendar Holidays" how plants are used
in charmings. First of all, many wreaths were twined and each one was given
a man's name. The largest wreath was given the name of the girl who wanted
to know the name chosen name. The wreaths are thrown into the well or into
the pond in the evening, so as not to be seen by anyone. Early in the morning
the girl went to see if her wreath was beside the largest wreath. If it
was, she would marry him.
Before Pentecost one must twine a large wreath of cornflowers with
three branches of rue in it. Before evening this wreath is placed on the
girl's head and fastened to the hair so it would not fall off. He, who
in a dream removes this wreath, will be the one too take away her virginity.
N.Gimbutas in " Baltic Mythology" , wrote that there was tradition
to go to the woods on Pentecost. A birch tree was picked out, decorated
and taken into the village. About hundred years ago this was an important
ritual which involved the entire community.
On this holiday there are fire and water glorification rituals. The
church on Pentecost blessed fire and water. In many regions holy water
was sprinkled on grain seeds, so that they would sprout fast and that birds
would not peck at the grain. Sprinkling with holy water was meant to keep
insects away from the crops and keep ponds and rivers safe from drownings.
To keep horses well and give them shinny coats, their food was also sprinkled
with holy water.
After Pentecost, according to the folk calendar, it was safe to swim
in rivers and lakes, especially if these bodies of water were close to
churches, they were blessed by the priests to protect the swimmers from
drownings. Country folk poured holy water into their wells and ponds for
Pentecost is one bright day in the shepherds' year. This day was begun
by the blare of the herdsman's trumpet before sunrise, awakening the shepherds.
That day, every shepherd planned to take his herd out at the earliest and
play his small horn. Each shepherd made his own small horn for Pentecost
from osier or alder wood and added a hollow cow's horn to give it a better
As the animals were leaving the barn, they were incensed with burning,
dried herbs by the mistress of the house. The herd grazed until noon, then
the shepherds decorated the entire herd and themselves and returned to
the village singing and playing their horns. Then the feasting began, hosted
by the head herdsman.
Shepherds' outings were organized on Pentecost, called shepherds' omelet,
[ a.k.a. pautienë ]. In some regions shepherds stopped at homesteads
in the morning to pick up prepared foods, while in others they asked for
eggs, flour, butter, milk and salt so that they could bake their own omelet.
In Dzûkija the following greeting was voiced, " happy Pentecost,
spent happily and peacefully with horses neighing and cows mooing. I was
sent to you by the oxen for bread, for milk by the cows, by sheep for flour,
by hogs for bacon and fat, by the motley hens for eggs, by the rooster
for pancakes and by the shepherds for money". If some households gave nothing,
the returning herd was decorated with nettle wreaths and brooms tied to
the cows' horns, so that everyone would know about the stinginess of that
household.. However, most homeowners were generous because they knew that
by not giving the cows' milk would be decreased.
After collecting all he goodies, the shepherds went to feast, picnic
in the woods. After the omelet was baked, the shepherds went into the forest,
climbed a tree and called out to wolves and bears to come and have breakfast
with them, saying, " if you do not come out now, you will never come out
during the coming year". This is an ancient prayer, an incantation.
In some regions of the Highlands [ a.k.a. Aukðtaitija ], shepherds
were allowed to sleep in while the herding in the morning was carried out
by girls. They herded out very early, before the larks awakened. Hearing
the larks, village lads came out playing reed and pan pipes. They also
brought food, lit bonfires. The important ritual was made up of a game
called " Arrange a Wedding". The prettiest girl was chosen to play the
bride and a lad was chosen to play the groom, while other girls dressed
as bridesmaids. After the wedding rites, the newlyweds were taken to bed
in a granary, a tent made of tree branches. After that came their awakening
and the end of the wedding ritual games. People in ancient times believed
that peoples' sexual love and fertility stimulate earth's productivity.
On the second day of Pentecost, the hired hands together with the owner's
sons carried on in the same manner as the shepherds. They provided drinks
and music while maidens prepared the food. The maidens walked along fields
of grain, singing songs with magical meanings:
You osier, clover,
Green bush, clover,
How tall you grew, clover,
At the first gate, clover,
The sun rose, clover,
At the second gate, clover,
The moon trundled, clover,
At the third gate, clover,
The maiden walked, clover.
Entire families visited the rye fields. Checked both theirs' and neighbors'
fields and shared farming advice. In some regions, hired hands brewed beer
before Pentecost so that they could treat the owners after their walks
in the grain fields. Everyone gathers to eat and drink , while the young
people sing and dance.
Girls had separate amusements. They sat in a nice spot on a hill, twined
wreaths, cast lots, told tales, sang and walked around grain fields.
When Christianity spread throughout Lithuania, priests turned these
ancient walkings around grain fields into blessings of the grain fields.
People gathered in one farmstead upon the priests' arrival and went together
to bless the grain fields. Feasting took place after the blessing.
This tradition disappeared at the beginning of 20th
century, when villages broke up into individual farms. | <urn:uuid:3a16fd44-7721-48a6-a5a5-3373efd12ec3> | {
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There has been a fair amount written recently about the use of capacitors to "drop" the mains voltage down to values suitable for transistor circuitry. I was recently asked to explain some aspects of such circuitry and looking through my references, was taken by the fact that one of the circuits described looked remarkably familiar.
Above are shown two circuits. Only the bare essentials are shown, things like surge limiting resistors are omitted......... Their similarities are self evident.
Now, if we wish to analyze Fig. 1. in terms of current available, it is natural to think in terms of impedance.
The reactance ( impedance ) of a capacitor is given by the formula ( 1 ) Xc = 1/2p fC where f is the frequency in Hz and C is the capacitance in Farads. We can now apply Ohms Law to this and we find that, in a circuit where there is capacitance only, ( 2 ) I = 2 p fCE where I is the AC current and E is the RMS value of the AC supply. As D1 is a half wave regulator, ( 3 ) Idc = p fCE.
Let us see what a bit of simple arithmetic produces; Iím going to ignore things like voltage drop across diodes :- If we give C1 a value of 470 nf and an AC voltage of 230, equation (2) above gives us :-
2X p X 50 X 4.7 X 10-7 X 230 = an AC current value of 34 ma. If we use half wave rectification, as in Fig. 1, we should divide this by 2, i.e. 17ma.
Taking Fig. 2, we would normally analyze it in terms of charge, it is after all, a charge pump, so we use classic capacitance theory, i.e. Q = CV = IT. ( Charge = Capacitance X Voltage = Current X Time ) or
I = CV/T. As T = 1/f we can write this as Idc = CVf.
If we were to apply the mains to such a circuit we could assume that, because the mains has "unlimited capacity", C1 charges up to twice the mains peak voltage ( i.e. 2(Ö 2 X 230 ) = 650 ), we then get :-
Idc = 2 Ö 2( fCE ) or 2 x Ö 2 x 50 x 4.7 X 10-9 X 2.3 X 102 . This gives us a current of 15 ma.
Now this isnít too much of a discrepancy but it bothers me. The two figures should be the same !
Where is my simple arithmetic going wrong ?
David Ledgard suggested that, if we want to find out why the answers are different, we put the two formulae side by side and cancel out the common factors, So :-
p fCE - - - - 2Ö 2( fCE )
( p x 50 x 470 x 10-9 x 230 ) - - - - ( 2 x Ö 2 x 50 x 470 x 10-9 x 230 )
The result is :- ( p ) - - - - ( 2Ö 2 ) Now, p does not equal 2Ö 2 so this explains why the results are different but does illustrate that we will always get answers in that ratio, no matter what values are used for frequency, capacitance or voltage. The charge formula always gives a current value which is 10% below that calculated using the impedance formula.
Which is correct ? It doesnít really matter ! The tolerances of capacitors are such that there can be a 10% variation anyway !
Nevertheless, I remain puzzled. The two formulae are well established. You might even say that they are pillars of the Electronic Establishment. They should be equally valid and if so the answers should be the sameÖÖ
We have at least a couple of hundred folk in the B.A.E.C. and some of them must be smarter than me.
Come on chaps ! Tell me the answer. | <urn:uuid:8f861f3c-ec11-42dd-86c4-40778d0be476> | {
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Henry Craik, ed. English Prose. 1916. Vol. IV. Eighteenth Century
Character of Pitt
By Horace Walpole (17171797)
From Memoirs of the Reign of King George II.
PITT had roused us from this ignoble lethargy: he had asserted that our resources were still prodigioushe found them so in the intrepidity of our troops and naviesbut he went further, and perhaps too far. He staked our revenues with as little management as he played with the lives of the subjects; and as if we could never have another war to wage, or as if he meant, which was impracticable, that his administration should decide which alone should exist as a nation, Britain or France, he lavished the last treasures of this country with a prodigality beyond example and beyond excuse; yet even that profusion was not so blameable as his negligence. Ignorant of the whole circle of finance, and consequently averse from corresponding with financiers, a plain set of men who are never to be paid with words instead of figures, he kept aloof from all details, drew magnificent plans and left others to find the magnificent means. Disdaining, too, to descend into the operations of an office which he did not fill, he affected to throw on the treasury the execution of measures which he dictated, but for which he thus held himself not responsible. The conduct was artful, new, and grand; and to him proved most advantageous. Secluded from all eyes, his orders were received as oracles; and their success, of consequence, was imputed to his inspiration. Misfortunes and miscarriages fell to the account of the more human agents; corruption and waste were charged on the subordinate priests. They indeed were charmed with this dispensation.
As Mr. Pitt neither granted suits nor received them, Newcastle revelled in a boundless power of appointing agents, commissaries, victuallers, and the whole train of leeches, and even paid his court to Pitt by heaping extravagance on extravagance; for the more money was thrown away, the greater idea Pitt conceived of his systems grandeur. But none flattered this ostentatious prodigality like the Germans. From the King of Prussia and Prince Ferdinand to the lowest victualler in the camp, all made advantage of English easiness and dissipation. As the minister was proud of such pensioners they were not coy in begging his alms. Fox, too, was not wanting to himself during this harvest, to which his office of paymaster opened so commodious an inlet. Depressed, annihilated as a statesman, he sat silent, indemnifying himself by every opportunity of gain which his rivals want of economy threw in his way. The larger and more numerous are subsidies, the more troops are in commission, the more are on service abroad, the ampler means has the paymaster of enriching himself. An unfortunate campaign, or an unpopular peace might shake the ministers establishment; but till this vision of expensive glory should be dissipated, Fox was determined to take no part. But thence, from that inattention on one hand, and rapacity on the other, started up those prodigious private fortunes which we have seen suddenly come forthand thence we remained with a debt of an hundred and forty millions!
The admirers of Mr. Pitt extol the reverberation he gave to our councils, the despondence he banished, the spirit he infused, the conquests he made, the security he affixed to our trade and plantations, the humiliation of France, the glory of Britain, carried under his administration to a pitch at which it never had arrivedand all this is exactly true. When they add, that all this could not be purchased too dearly, and that there was no option between this conduct and tame submission to the yoke of Franceeven this is just in a degree; but a material objection still remains, not depreciating a grain from this bill of merits, which must be gratefully acknowledged by whoever calls himself an Englishmanyet very derogatory from Mr. Pitts character, as virtually trusted with the revenues, the property of his country. A few plain words will explain my meaning, and comprehend the force of the question. All this was donebut might have been done for many millions lessthe next war will state this objection more fully.
Posterity, this is an impartial picture. I am neither dazzled by the blaze of the times in which I have lived, nor if there are spots in the sun, do I deny that I have seen them. It is a man I am describing, and one whose greatness will bear to have his blemishes fairly delivered to younot from a love of censure in me, but of truth; and because it is history I am writing, not romance. I pursue my subject. | <urn:uuid:d241e9f2-85f5-414c-8fc9-a1dd6fdb9e37> | {
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CAMBRIDGE, JOHN, land agent and businessman; b. 13 Dec. 1748 in England; m. 16 Jan. 1775 Mary Winchester, and they had ten children, only four of whom reached maturity; d. 26 Dec. 1831 in Bristol, England.
Before his arrival on St John’s (Prince Edward) Island in 1784, John Cambridge remains a shadowy figure in historical records. A Privy Council report of 1791 identifies him as being “formerly an obscure chairmaker in St. Martin’s Lane” but there are indications that as early as 1777 he was associated with a group of merchants who planned to trade with and promote settlement on St John’s Island. One of this group was the Quaker colonizer Robert Clark* and it may have been the religious link that brought the two men together. Cambridge was known on the Island as a Quaker, and he refused to take oaths in court on religious principles. Nevertheless, he was not connected with the Society of Friends. Indeed, he wrote in 1793 that although “in full belief of Friends principles” he was not “united to the Society.” It is probable that he became a member after returning to England, for he was buried a Quaker.
Cambridge was named Clark’s agent in 1783 and took up the appointment the following spring when he came out with his family to the Island. He was called upon in 1786 to defend his employer’s interests against the Island establishment following an attempt to confirm Governor Walter Patterson*’s seizure in 1781 of part of Clark’s property for non-payment of quitrents. In doing so Cambridge alienated some Island officials; the alienation was later to develop into bitterness and litigation.
John Cambridge was not content to act simply as Clark’s agent. In 1785, with the backing of merchants in London, including his brother-in-law William Winchester, he began commercial activities of his own. He acquired property in the Murray Harbour district in the southeast part of the Island and four years later was able to report that he had built two large brigs, both of which were on trading voyages, one to the West Indies and the other to Portugal. The shipping registers indicate that he was also the owner of a number of smaller vessels. These craft, mostly schooners, kept up a trade with Newfoundland. He built a large sawmill at Murray Harbour and had houses there and in Charlottetown.
By 1788 Cambridge had formed a partnership with William Bowley, another Island resident. Bowley had purchased debts owed by Clark, and Cambridge in turn had a large bill for his wages and expenses as Clark’s agent. Together they sued Clark and the court case, begun in 1789, developed into protracted litigation, with countersuits and appeals dragging the matter out until the end of the century. Even before the conclusion of the court battle Cambridge was able to gain control of Clark’s assets and land, establishing himself as a substantial merchant.
His relations with members of the colonial administration were not good, however. He had supported Lieutenant Governor Edmund Fanning* against the doomed Patterson faction on Fanning’s arrival in 1786 but this support, predicated on a quick resolution of the problem caused by Patterson’s illegal expropriations, did not last long. Of lesser officials Cambridge became excessively intolerant. He was a strong-willed individual who, when he considered himself slighted, took full measures to obtain what he considered justice. In 1787 he carried a complaint against Isaac Swan, a petty Patterson supporter, to the governor and Council; in another incident two years later he was able to persuade that body to dismiss high sheriff Walter Berry for irregularities. He was less successful when he brought charges against the attorney general, Joseph Aplin* – a poor move, since Aplin was usually successful in the courts whatever the law. As a sharp merchant Cambridge was especially conscious of any apparent favour extended to his competitors and, when he learned that collector of customs William Townshend* was allowing use of the Îles de la Madeleine for the evasion of customs duties, he was quick to publicize the fact. In doing so he precipitated a struggle because Townshend retaliated by seizing several of Cambridge and Bowley’s vessels for smuggling. The latter case dragged on for three years with Cambridge complaining that he could not obtain justice in the Island courts. It was not until 1791 that the case was settled, but by then Cambridge’s complaints had been broadened to include almost the entire government of the colony.
In concert with John Hill*, another Island merchant, Cambridge and Bowley in 1791 brought charges of malfeasance before the Privy Council in London against Townshend, Fanning, Aplin, and Chief Justice Peter Stewart*. Cambridge carried the complaints to England in a petition that he persuaded a number of the Island’s absentee proprietors to sign. The general charge was that the officials had formed an illegal combination to rule the Island and oppress all who opposed them. A collection of lesser grievances, some going back to Patterson’s time, included partiality in the courts, election irregularities, and petty harassment. Hill later stated that in presenting the charges Cambridge spent time on the politics of the colony and none on the facts of the case. Much of Cambridge’s difficulty arose because 12 of the 18 signatories, including Bowley, withdrew their names before the charges were presented. Cambridge and Hill were the only resident proprietors whose names appeared on the document and both seemed prosperous in spite of their lack of favour with the officials. The shaky presentation was rebutted by Fanning’s personal emissary, Robert Gray, and the case was dismissed the following year.
By October 1792 word of the outcome had reached the Island and Cambridge’s troubles began in earnest. The notice from London was made public and his support and credibility sank. He was summoned before the House of Assembly to explain allegations he had made concerning members of that body, and after an investigation the house ordered that “the false and malicious words . . . be burnt under the gallows by the sergeant-at-arms.” The same year suits totalling £55,000 were launched against him and Bowley by the four officials on charges of malicious prosecution. Cambridge attempted to have the suits tried in Nova Scotia owing to the partiality of the Island courts. He received the lieutenant governor’s permission to do so, but he was unable to raise the necessary securities in case the decision should go against him. The trials were therefore held on the Island before judges who had a financial interest in the outcome. After verdicts were found for Aplin and Townshend in 1793, Cambridge agreed to settle out of court for Fanning’s and Stewart’s expenses. Total damages recovered amounted to £2,480, and Cambridge later reported that with his own expenses the complaints to London had cost him more that £10,000. He was forced to spend a short time in jail before he could convince the four officials of his ability to pay.
Because making the settlement would quickly exhaust Cambridge’s assets, the officials, who were more interested in payment than in revenge, agreed to assist him in recovering funds from Hill and Bowley. The latter were each asked to contribute one-third of the settlement, and when they refused legal action was brought against them. In 1793 suits prepared by Aplin were successful and resulted in executions against their property on the Island. Within days the property of Hill, who was absent from the Island, and the valuable Greenwich estate, belonging to Bowley and his children, were sold at auction by the sheriff and passed into Cambridge’s hands; Bowley himself was forced to flee under cover of darkness to avoid imprisonment. Attempts at appeal were refused by the courts and the governor in council in 1794, and Bowley was forced to appeal to the king in council in 1796 to have the case reopened on the Island. Hill, too, had to bring an action in London against his former associate and was successful, but before he could move against Cambridge the latter’s assets were placed in the hands of a trustee. Hill appears to have given up at this point but Bowley’s action was not settled for almost 50 years. In length and complexity the case Bowley v. Cambridge rivalled the celebrated Jarndyce case in Charles Dickens’s novel Bleak house, which was ended only when the total assets of the estate were swallowed up in legal fees.
Cambridge’s legal problems were exacerbated by business reverses. In 1794 he lost the support of his backers in England and his few remaining assets were seized by creditors. His schooner Endeavour was taken that year by the French on a voyage to the West Indies and he was left with no capital to rebuild his business. The loss of his London backers was the low point of his career. Faced with a report that even William Winchester, his brother-in-law, had joined the creditors, he considered leaving the colony and going to the United States. However, on learning that Winchester had stood by him and that it had been the other partners who had taken the action, he and his wife resolved to stay on the Island. The lieutenant governor and principal officers gave him encouragement. In a letter to Alexander Ellice*, a Montreal merchant for whom Cambridge was agent, he reported that “the People in the Island in General are much attached to us, and lament our failure, and hope we shall get into business again.” That he was able to do so was the result of a fortunate precaution. It appears that Cambridge had placed his affairs in the hands of a trustee “as the property of a bankrupt,” but he may not have declared bankruptcy. At any rate the move was sufficient to relieve the pressure on his finances and he was able to begin again. He kept the secure base at Murray Harbour and returned to the shipping of lumber and livestock to Newfoundland.
The key factor in Cambridge’s ability to rebuild lay in the fact that he retained control of several large parcels of property, much of which he had obtained through lawsuits. He seems to have made an effort to bring settlers to his lands and thereby avoid the attacks of those who would escheat for non-payment of quitrents. With this base he was able to continue efforts at settlement and the lumber trade. His mills processed timber from his own land which he then sent to Newfoundland in his own ships. By 1801 he had won back the contract to supply the garrison with fuel and had a new vessel on the ways, the first in ten years. It was launched the following year and Cambridge wrote to his wife that the ship, after proceeding to Liverpool with a timber cargo, was to sail to Ireland for a load of Irish Protestants “in order to preserve our lands from forfeiture.” Perhaps it was the renewed threat of escheat that prompted him in 1805 to sign with Charles Worrell* and William Townshend a memorial to Lieutenant Governor Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres citing the efforts of himself and other proprietors, including John MacDonald* of Glenaladale and Lord Selkirk [Douglas*], in settling people on their lands and contributing to the Island’s prosperity. In 1806 Cambridge was commended by the assembly for his efforts in this regard.
It was the timber trade that brought Cambridge fortune, and this prosperity he shared with the rest of the colony. Initially the trade was part of the Gulf of St Lawrence commerce and most cargoes went to Newfoundland. Shipping to Britain was too expensive and there was often a long search for a return cargo. From 1803 until 1807 only about two cargoes a year went across the Atlantic from the Island as a whole. The situation began to change in 1807 when the Napoleonic blockade of ports on the Baltic Sea opened the British North American timber trade. The Island was well suited to fill the demand: because it had many small harbours where trees grew close to the water’s edge, timber could be easily moved and loaded. In 1808, 41 vessels left the Island with shipments for Britain and the following year the number swelled to 78 despite what Cambridge termed “an uncommon bad season” with timber left behind because of deep snow. The trade brought manpower shortages to the colony and high prices. Oxen, usually raised for food, were employed in the woods and the provisioning of ships left food scarce. Sales to Newfoundland fell off dramatically.
Ships were a necessary element of the Cambridge operation and John lost no time building and acquiring them. From 1808 there was rarely a year when a new Cambridge vessel did not appear on the register and often there were several. When the timber trade stabilized after 1817 Cambridge remained successful by entering a new form of commerce, later followed by James Yeo*, which combined the exporting of timber with the building and marketing of vessels. In 1824 four ships were registered and twice that number in the following year. Many of these vessels were large, fully rigged ships in excess of 300 tons; the Cambridge (536 tons), launched in 1826, was one of the largest built on the Island. In his will, made in 1829, Cambridge instructed his sons that he had “found the most effectual way of getting my debts remitted . . . to be by building a ship annually and by loading her with timber” and disposing of both in the United Kingdom. Family correspondence reveals that in spite of prosperity the firm was never far from a financial crisis as dependence on credit was a necessary part of long-distance trade.
Other operations of the Cambridge firm also seemed to do well. In 1808 he boasted that his mill at Murray Harbour was perhaps the first in North America equipped with an 18-unit gang saw cutting 7,000 feet of deals a day. A new venture was the construction of a brewery at the Bird Island (Wrights) Creek mills near Charlottetown. Unfortunately it was not a success, in part because food shortages had raised the price of barley on the Island.
In 1808 Cambridge, whose family figured in all his business affairs, formed a partnership with his son Lemuel and his son-in-law George Wright*, son of Thomas Wright*, the surveyor general. Wright did not have the business sense of other members of the Cambridge family and the partnership was dissolved in 1813 when John took his other son, Artemas, into the company, now termed Cambridge and Sons. In the next few years control of the firm passed more and more to the sons, who were described by Lieutenant Governor Charles Douglass Smith* as “very fine young men & of the very best reputation.”
With some stability in business and his sons in charge of the Island operation, Cambridge, at the urging of his wife, who had run the business whenever her husband was in England, decided to conduct the British end of the firm’s transatlantic commerce. He apparently moved to Bristol in 1814 and did not return to the Island in his later years. By the time of his departure he seems to have made his peace with the colonial administration. He was nominated high sheriff in 1809 but declined, citing his Quaker beliefs, and his son Lemuel served instead. By 1813 he was noted as being an intimate friend of Chief Justice Cæsar Colclough.
When he died in 1831 at age 83 Cambridge held 102,000 acres on the Island, almost one-tenth of the total. In addition he and his family owned extensive mills, shipbuilding facilities, and stores, and the Cambridge estate was the home of at least 5,000 people, many of whom were tenants. There is no doubt that Cambridge was the greatest Island landowner of his day but his empire, like many others, was built on credit. The lands had been heavily mortgaged to provide capital for shipbuilding and expansion. Seven years after Cambridge’s death Samuel Cunard* and others purchased the mortgage for £12,000 sterling and in 1841 gained possession of the entire estate. In the same year the Island’s Court of Chancery finally decided Bowley v. Cambridge. After twice reaching the king in council, and following the death of both litigants, the case was resolved when the court divided Bowley’s estate equally between the claimants.
John Cambridge was hardly a typical merchant of his time. His religious beliefs in great measure governed his actions even in commercial dealings. After losing the case brought by the four government officials he wrote in 1793, “It has been my diligent study to keep a Continual Void of offence towards God first and to give no just grounds of offence towards my fellow men.” Yet he was a sharp merchant who used the courts as a weapon against all who dared oppose him, including attorneys who failed to win his cases. He exhibited tenacity in the face of odds that caused others to give up and return to England. The reports we have of him are mostly assessments made by his enemies and they exhibit a bitterness coming from close and protracted conflict. However, when his own letters and his actions are examined, Cambridge emerges as a man of principle in a society which had little regard for that quality.
[John Cambridge is the author of A description of the Island of St. John, in the Gulf of St. Laurence, North America . . . by a person many years resident there (London, [1798?]) (see PRO, T 1/4144: 17–26); a copy of a subsequent edition, A description of Prince Edward Island . . . by a person many years resident there (London, 1805), is available at PANS.
Few of Cambridge’s business papers survive, but those that do throw valuable light on business operations in the early nineteenth century. The PAPEI possesses two letter-books covering the period 1793–1801 and 1808–9, at Acc. 2984/4 and RG 6, Supreme Court, case papers, 1808–9, respectively. The former provides details of Cambridge’s struggle with the colonial officers and the ensuing court battles; the latter is extremely useful for details of the timber trade on Prince Edward Island. A letter-book of Cambridge’s wife, Mary, covering the period 1811–12 is found on pp.17–114 of a collection of Charles Wright papers owned by Mrs J. T. McIntyre of Calgary; photocopies are available at PAC, MG 24, B133. Additional letters from Cambridge to Alexander Ellice are found in the Ellice papers at the NLS, Dept. of mss, mss 15113–26, available on microfilm at the PAC, MG 24, A2.
Cambridge’s affairs appear frequently in Colonial Office correspondence, with the following references being most useful: PRO, CO 226/9: 176; 226/10: 29, 135–37, 234, 238, 252–93; 226/11: 17; 226/12: 12, 27; 226/13: 21–45, 207, 218–19, 280–82, 377–78; 226/14; 226/15: 172; 226/16: 186 et seq., 248; 226/17: 107–48; 226/18: 162–206; 226/19: 72–74, 204 et seq., 233, 347, 352; 226/20: 106–8, 142; 226/21: 110; 226/23: 65–74; 226/27: 78–83; 226/28: 53, 220–22; 226/29: 67–71, 115; 226/30: 177–80; 226/34: 391–99; 226/39: 49–54, 260, 416–22; 226/42: 132; 226/47: 166. Minutes of the Island’s Executive Council, found in PAPEI, RG 5, have references to Cambridge on the following dates: 12 April 1787; 15 Dec. 1788; 12, 16, 19–20, 23–24 March, 6, 27 April, 5 May 1789; 26 April, 17 July 1790; 7, 30 Oct. 1792; 23 Feb. 1793; 25 Oct. 1796; 6 Aug. 1799.
Details of ship ownership by members of the Cambridge family are found in PAC, RG 42, E1, 1658; PAPEI, RG 9, 2; and the Prince Edward Island Register, 3 Jan. 1826, 16 Jan. 1827, 29 Jan. 1828, 13 Jan. 1829, and 9 Feb. 1830. A significant amount of information concerning Cambridge is found in the Prince Edward Island court records (PAPEI, RG 6), which were examined for the entire period. This source is especially detailed for Bowley v. Cambridge, 1793–1841 (RG 6, Court of Chancery papers, box 1). Material regarding the Privy Council appeals in the case is at PRO, PC 1/64/B.30; 1/65/B.33, 35, and 38; and 1/66/B.40. These collections shed much light on Cambridge’s litigious nature. Information concerning his land holdings is scattered throughout PAPEI, RG 16, land registry records. Cambridge’s will is located in the Estates Division of the Supreme Court of P.E.I. (Charlottetown), liber 2: f.198.
Secondary sources which proved useful include: Canada’s smallest prov. (Bolger), pp.37–94; Warburton, Hist. of P.E.I., 255–65; and W. S. MacNutt, “Fanning’s regime on Prince Edward Island,” Acadiensis (Fredericton), 1 (1971–72), no.1: 37–53. h.t.h.]
PAPEI, Acc. 2984/4, Cambridge to [Flowden?], 28 Sept. 1793; Cambridge to B [William Winchester], [c. 1793]; Cambridge to Alexander Ellice, 26 Nov. 1794; RG 3, journals, 18 Dec. 1806; RG 6, Supreme Court, case papers, 1789, Cambridge, Bowley & Co. v. Clark; 1790, Townshend v. the Adventure; 1790, Townshend v. the Elizabeth; minutes; RG 16, land registry records, conveyance reg., liber 8: f.94; liber 49: f.203. Private arch., George Wright (Charlottetown), Cambridge family Bible. Bristol Gazette, and Public Advertiser (Bristol, Eng.), 29 Dec. 1831. Bristol Mirror, 31 Dec. 1831. Felix Farley’s Bristol Journal, 31 Dec. 1831. Royal Gazette (Charlottetown), 28 Feb. 1832. | <urn:uuid:e2cda49a-f74e-4c73-9650-0df271c0f1c5> | {
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|Community-Scale Biomass Energy: The Facts|
Download a pdf of this article
When community-scale biomass energy systems are well-designed, well-run, and sustainably supplied, it is a positive, proven, renewable energy option that can be practical and safe, can strengthen our economy and security, and can help ease the urgent strain on our planet’s ecosystem. And, in regions throughout the United States with abundant forest resources, it is available now.
Community-scale biomass energy systems burn biological material—most often wood from low-quality trees—in highly efficient, high-temperature combustion systems to produce heat. Sometimes, these systems also produce a certain amount of electric power (this is called CHP, combined heat and power). But the most efficient use of biomass for energy is to provide space heating and domestic hot water. Community-scale systems typically provide this to single buildings, such as schools and hospitals, or to groups of buildings such as college campuses, industrial parks, or whole towns or cities through “district heating” systems.
Community-scale biomass systems that produce heat or CHP are different from electric power plants, which are generally much larger and mainly produce electricity for broad distribution. Biomass-fueled technology is only about 20-25 percent efficient at producing electric power; at producing heat, it is 70-90 percent efficient. Power plants sometimes (though this is rare) sell the excess heat they generate, where it is economically feasible and if there is an appropriate user nearby; this is only 40-45 percent efficient. Technology is also being developed that can use biomass to produce liquid biofuels. Community-scale thermal applications are the most efficient biomass energy technologies—they do the best job of turning biomass fuel into energy, with the least waste.
Systems of this type have been in use since the early 1980s, and have built a track record of safety and reliability. Today, a growing number of community-scale systems, most fueled with woodchips and some with wood pellets, are delivering heat and hot water to schools, businesses, colleges, hospitals, city centers, and whole communities across the northern United States, Canada, and north and central Europe.
Biomass fuel can be used in a wide range of technologies, from home woodstoves to power plants. Because community-scale thermal systems combine high-efficiency combustion with sophisticated emission controls, this technology meets and exceeds all emission-safety standards, while providing heat energy at relatively stable fuel prices from a local fuel source.
When wood fuel is harvested responsibly from well-managed forests, community-scale biomass energy is a sustainable whole system. It keeps energy dollars circulating in the local and regional economy, by using a renewable fuel that is harvested nearby—and its carbon emissions are re-captured as the forests that supply the fuel continue to grow. In contrast, fossil-fuel systems extract carbon that is buried underground in geological deposits, then add it to the atmosphere over time.
Finally, by developing a reliable, local market for low-quality wood, biomass energy can create a new financial incentive for forestland owners to manage their forests for long-term productive health, lessening the pressure to “high-grade” (cut only the most valuable trees and leave the rest). The revenue stream for biomass fuel can help landowners make ends meet, also relieving the pressure to sell woodland for development.
Benefits of Using Biomass at the Community Scale
Modern Community-Scale Biomass Energy Systems Use Sophisticated Emission Controls
Biomass energy systems emit 1/6 of the sulfur oxides, which contribute to acid rain, than do oil-fired systems. Nitrogen oxide emissions are about the same as oil.
When Their Fuel Is Harvested Responsibly from Sustainably Managed Forests, Biomass Systems Can Be Low-Carbon, or Carbon Neutral Over Time
Good forest management is essential to realizing the carbon benefits of biomass energy. Key factors include: where trees are harvested, how they are harvested, how this plays out over the landscape and over time, and whether management practices support long-term forest health. It is also important that biomass energy systems be well-designed and efficiently run. When these positive factors are in place, converting from oil- or gas-fired energy to biomass can reduce net CO2 emissions by 75-90 percent.
A Well-Managed Biomass Fuel Industry, Coupled with Sustainable Growth in Demand, Creates New Incentives to Protect and Preserve the Working Forest Landscape
Image Captions (from top to bottom)
A typical below-grade woodchip storage bin at a public school.
Woodchips being conveyed from the storage bin to to the boiler room.
The 2010 installation of Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont exemplifies a community-scale biomass application.
Woodchips burning inside the combustion chamber of a biomass boiler.
The chipping of low-grade wood from harvesting operations in the forest. | <urn:uuid:a906d319-cb20-4de8-b92e-cdac6c1b9921> | {
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“…the most miserable place in the world.”
“Early reports from Houston said that when people came out on any given morning you could find as many as four bodies lying dead in the streets, victims of the previous night’s mayhem.”
You’d be forgiven if you thought this was the Houston of today. But actually this is Houston in the 1830s.
Houston Arts and Media has produced a new, feature-length documentary that looks at the early days of the city and its time as the capital of the Republic of Texas.
Hosted by author and historian Stephen Hardin, Houston: A Nation’s Capitol features interviews with other historians, snippets of contemporary journals, photographs and maps that detail early life here.
The nonprofit’s hope is that this will be part of a series of videos that explore the birth of Texas. More information on how to purchase the DVD can be found here. (Full disclosure: I am a Houston Arts and Media board member.) | <urn:uuid:322e0a38-c131-4447-8aa2-398b10ea21a6> | {
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Baby Humor Development
It is during this time in a child’s life that they begin to closely watch their parent’s expressions. This is when they start to understand how to interpret when something is funny.
The study was conducted in the U.S. where researchers studied a group of 30 babies in their own homes on two separate occasions. The first occasion was when the babies were 6 months old and the second was when they were one year old.
The babies were studied initially while they watched their parents react to two ordinary events and later to two unordinary events. For the ordinary event the researcher read a picture book and showed a red ball to the babies. For the unordinary event the researcher bounced the picture book on her head and put the red ball on her nose.
When the unordinary event occurred the parents were told to either point and laugh at the researcher or to stare without making an expression.
At 6 months of age, during the absurd events, the babies watched their parents closely as they laughed and stared for a longer time than when the normal events took place. However, there was no distinct correlation between the babies’ reactions and their parents’ reactions.
At 1 year of age, when the same events took place, the babies showed they had already developed a sense of humor by laughing when the absurd events took place even when their parents remained expressionless.
Researchers suggest, “The combination of paying close attention to absurd events and to others laughing at those events when they are 6 months old may explain how babies develop the sense of humor they have when they’re a year old”.
The study was presented at the British Psychological Society meeting in Glasgow, Scotland this September where researchers explained how humor is an important vehicle for understanding infant development.
The study revealed that social referencing is a key ingredient to infant development; particularly in relation to emotional advice received by parents.
The author of the study, Gina Mireault of Johnson State College, claims, “Our findings suggest that 6-month-olds are starting to see parents as a source of emotional information, and this is likely to be an important step on the way to being able to obtain emotional advice from parents when this is needed, which we know infants do at 8 months. By 12 months, infants seem to have had just enough life experience to make up their own minds — at least about what is absurdly funny.” | <urn:uuid:03eb6829-ebc9-484d-a13f-4e36f17a3417> | {
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The presence of a large multi-burner gas range at the heart of the cooking line is about as fundamental as it gets in any restaurant. That iron and stainless steel behemoth uses a lot of energy, throws a lot of heat, and requires a dedicated ventilation system just to keep the cooks from getting overwhelmed.
For decades no proper chef would have it any other way. That’s beginning to change, and the catalyst of that change is the induction range. Induction cooking works in a completely different manner than traditional gas or electric ranges. Instead of using a superhot medium like burning gas or an electrically heated element, induction ranges use the energy created by two opposing magnetic fields driven by an electric current to make the metal in the cookware itself become hot.
Sound a little geeky? It is, in a cool science project kind of way. For professional chefs, the most interesting thing about induction cooking are the practical advantages it can bring to the process, including:
Precision temperature control. While there is certainly a steep learning curve in the beginning, once a chef gets an induction range dialed in based upon the numbers on the knob, you can be sure you’ll get consistent, perfectly even heat every time. This is especially beneficial for low temperature and simmering applications, because an induction range can maintain a much lower heat than a traditional gas or electric range.
Speed. You’ve never seen a pot boil faster or oil heat up quicker than on an induction range. Because the metal of the pot or pan sitting on the burner becomes the heating agent instead of the medium, induction is by far the fastest way to heat whatever you’re cooking.
Efficiency. An induction range uses a fraction of the energy used by a traditional range. There’s also almost zero energy waste since the energy used to heat food is created in the metal of the cookware instead of below it. This energy is also created by a relatively weak electrical current, which can be much more inexpensive than natural gas.
Safety. An induction burner that’s turned on to full heat is still cool to the touch. As it heats metal cookware it will become hot, but the burner itself creates no heat. This makes induction much safer than traditional ranges. Some induction ranges even have automatic detectors that shut off the burner when there is no pan present, when the pan is empty, or when foreign objects fall onto the surface of the range.
Ventilation. Because induction ranges don’t burn fuel like a gas range, minimal ventilation is needed, and much less heat is created, even if you’re running induction all day on a busy line. This can save any restaurant a boatload of money on the ventilation and cooling costs normally associated with a traditional gas range. Make sure you consult the local regulations in your community when deciding how much ventilation you need to install for an induction range. In general, however, the requirements should be a fraction of those for a gas range.
Induction cooking isn’t for every restaurant. Some chefs don’t like the fact that cookware cools off rapidly when it’s not in contact with the burner – a distinct disadvantage for techniques that call for using the pan to flip or sautee ingredients as they cook. Induction also supports only certain types of cookware – usually stainless steel or cast iron – which means your aluminum cookware will be useless on an induction range.
If you are interested in induction cooking, Vollrath has been a pioneer in developing induction ranges, countertop burners, and even chafers for the food service industry. So far another factor slowing the widespread adoption of induction technology in restaurants has been the cost of equipment. As energy prices, especially natural gas, continue to rise and the cost of quality induction equipment comes down, however, induction cooking starts to make more and more sense.
Check out a full inventory of Vollrath induction equipment here. | <urn:uuid:ad74fc9d-3b11-4b5e-9c86-714e0c0bc22b> | {
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I’m working on an ebook titled “6 Powerful Mechanisms Behind Personal Change”. This post is a part of the chapter about positive attitude. I will show you what attitude is and how you can use it to be proactive.
The Nature of Attitude
Daniel D. Droba claims he was the first to define the attitude concept and he did so in his article The Nature of Attitude from 1933.
Droba based his study on 55 books on sociology and psychology and he concluded that attitude is a state of preparation to action.
“Attitude is a state of preparation to action”
Carl Jung’s definition of attitude
I’m surprised that Droba only used American sources and studies because the attitude concept has a central role in Carl Jung’s Psychological Types published in 1923.
Jung’s work is used today in personality tests and development of organisations.
In his work “Psychological Types” (pp. 526-30) Jung gave his definition of attitude:
“Attitude is a readiness of the psyche to act or react in a certain direction.”
Jung places great emphasis on the attitude concept because it is a powerful mechanism that is based on experience:
“To have a certain attitude means to be ready for something definite […] having an attitude is synonymous with an a priori direction towards a definite thing.”
Jung believes that we have both a conscious and an unconscious attitude. I you want to act in a certain direction you have to be conscious about it; for that you need attitude.
“Active apperception is impossible without an attitude.”
Jung has identified certain types of attitudes that are based on habits.
“When a function habitually predominates, a typical attitude is thereby produced.”
This means, that habits can develop both consciously and unconsciously; these habits will produce some kind of attitude.
If you want to change something you need the right attitude to do so. That is why you can combine habits and attitudes and thereby create personal change.
Experience → Attitude → Action
It’s raining. Rain is wet and cold. → Rain is bad → Cancel date
Habits → Attitude → Action
Bad habit → Negative attitude → Negative projection to other people
Unhealthy diet → feeling of guilt → healthy people are patronising
You can use this mechanism to create change. Changing a habit is difficult and it takes time, but you can choose to adopt a certain attitude, e.g. a positive attitude, and thereby change your action.
Another type of action will lead to a new experience. That new experience is your resource to the attitude you desire.
Your attitude is not predetermined. You can choose to take responsibility for your actions and adopt an attitude that will help you to personal change. This is being proactive.
Make your choice:
I choose to be reactive and let my bad habits control my life and actions I choose to be proactive and take charge of my life and actions
Is it that simple? – Yes, it is that simple! The difficult part is to make the decision about being reactive or proactive. If you chose to be reactive then you don’t have to read anymore – just carry on with your life as usual.
Did you choose to be proactive? What are you going to do to be proactive?
Maybe you are already in charge of your personal development, please share how you did in the comments. | <urn:uuid:45c71363-4e5f-4ae9-9119-82785136491d> | {
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There seems to be a lot of confusion out there as to the best sources of
omega-3 fatty acids. This article will break down the major sources of omega-3’s
and give you the information you need to make educated choices.
First, there are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids: DHA, EPA and ALA.
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) are found in fish and
ALA (alpha-linolenic acid ) is found in plants like flaxseed. When you choose an
omega-3 source, we suggest that you select a healthy balance of all fatty acids,
but make sure you are getting enough EPA and DHA, as these fatty acids are
responsible for the majority of the health benefits of omega-3’s.
This is important to remember: if a food or supplement states it is high in
omega-3, it does not necessarily mean it is high in EPA and DHA. For example,
although flaxseed oil is six times richer than most fish oils in omega-3’s,
flaxseed oil contains mainly ALA, not DHA and EPA. Unfortunately, our bodies can
only convert ALA into DHA and EPA in very small amounts. Scientific studies have
revealed that fatty acids from fish or fish oil, but not flaxseed oil, benefited
patients with cardiovascular disease and ADHD. More... | <urn:uuid:82b38e36-bd38-498b-91e2-62814b756eda> | {
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Earth Day is arriving next week--and guess what? Children fear that soon we won't be celebrating any additional Earth Days. In a survey commissioned by HabitatHeroes.com, more than half believe the earth will not be a good place to live when they grow up. One in three fear the demise of the planet.
Sharon Lowe, mother of three, environmental activist, and creator of HabitatHeroes.com, offers these tips to help parents allay their kid's fears about the environment:
-Communication is key. Parents need to be open and honest with their children.
-Allow your children to ask questions. Acknowledge their fears as real, no matter how big or small. Explain in a manner they can relate to. Show them pictures.
Visit websites like Habitat Heroes and engage in child friendly games and activities to help explain the issues in a way that is not scary.
Habitat Heroes offers printable activity sheets and lesson plans which can help reinforce your conversations. You can also find out if your child's class is being educated about topics that they are fearful of. Many schools are taking the initiative to teach students about these environmental and social issues and how to cope.
As with anything parents should always lead by example. Here are some simple ways to educate kids about being green.
1) Add more clothing before adding more heat.
2) Take off a layer of clothing before turning up the air conditioning.
3) Replace light bulbs with energy efficient ones. Make it an activity with the kids.
4) Turn off electrical appliances at the powerpoint, not just the switch.
5) Turn off the TV when you leave the room.
6) Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
7) Open up curtains and enjoy natural light.
8) Take recycled / hemp shopping bags with you instead of using plastic bags.
9) Place food scraps into a compost bin for your garden. You can turn that into a fun activity for the kids. They will love watching the worms!
10) Recycle plastics, glass and paper in the appropriate places. Check if your municipality or local stores recycle electronic goods and furniture.
For more information check out Habitat Heores | <urn:uuid:bd166fc7-b715-4928-b410-29117f78ab45> | {
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At statehood, the federal government promised all states that it would transfer title for all public lands within the states. The U.S. Supreme Court has called these promises “solemn compacts,” “bilateral (two-way) agreements,” and “solemn trusts” that must be performed “in a timely fashion.”
With the vote of 35-15, SB1332 was changed from requiring that Washington turn over “public lands” to a demand that they do so. If it passes the Senate, it will place Arizona Governor Jan Brewer in the position that Utah Gov. Gary Herbert found himself in when he signed similar legislation last month, do they join the Western land war: 5 states fight D.C. for control of federal areas.
The fight centers on the millions of acres of lands that were never turned over to the western states after they were admitted to the union. These lands are being held in “trust” for the “public” but they hold valuable resources that the states feel they have a right too. The following list shows what these states see as unequal treatment by the federal government. The percentage of land that is under the control of the feds west of the Mississippi is staggering and they want it turned over as promised in the Enabling Acts that brought these states into existence .
- Nevada 84.5%
- Alaska 69.1%
- Utah 57.4%
- Oregon 53.1%
- Idaho 50.2%
- Arizona 48.1%
- California 45.3%
- Wyoming 42.3%
- New Mexico 41.8%
- Colorado 36.6%
Now compare that to other states and you will be able to understand why the western states feel that they must demand respect for their sovereignty and their lands as promised.
- Connecticut 0.4%
- Rhode Island 0.4%
- Iowa 0.8%
- New York 0.8%
- Maine 1.1%
- Kansas 1.2%
- Nebraska 1.4%
- Alabama 1.6%
- Ohio 1.7%
- Illinois 1.8%
The argument has been the definition of a “timely manner” for turning over these lands but as you can see by the dates of admittance to the union these states have been more than patient with Washington’s failure to keep its promises.
- Nevada Oct 31, 1864
- Alaska Jan 3, 1959
- Utah Jan 4, 1896
- Oregon Feb 14, 1859
- Idaho Jul 3, 1890
- Arizona Feb 14, 1912
- California Sep 9, 1850
- Wyoming Jul 10, 1890
- New Mexico Jan 6, 1912
- Colorado Aug 1, 1876
“The bill’s chief supporter said environmental constraints put on mining, logging and other resource industries limit how federally controlled public land can be used in the West, to the detriment of states’ economic prosperity.”
“This will take the shackles off of us and allow us to prosper,” Sen. Al Melvin, R-Tucson, said during a March committee hearing on the bill. “This will be a major game-changer.”
“The Utah law and the Arizona bill both call for formation of a state commission to decide details of how the transfers of control of public land would work.”
For State Sovereignty to mean anything then these western states must gain control over the lands within their borders.
If you live in Arizona – act NOW. Not tomorrow or next week. Today, not tomorrow – right now.
1. Visit the link below for contact information for your Senator:
2. Click on your senator’s name and get their email address and TWO phone numbers – capitol and district offices.
3. CALL them. Best option – respectfully, yet firmly urge them to pass this bill. Let them know that you want them to stand up for the Constitution of the United States AND the Constitution of Arizona – they took an oath to both.
4. EMAIL them – even if call, you can still email too. Alternatively, just send them a firm but courteous email urging them to vote yes on this bill.
5. Do the same for the Governor’s office – 602) 542-4331 or (520) 628-6580 http://www.azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp
6. Report Back – when you get responses, let us know! We want people to be informed of what their delegates are saying and doing. | <urn:uuid:55363097-9e26-41c7-abf2-59daa52db4a9> | {
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Q: I have a plant that looks like a cattail, but it has a plume on top instead of a catkin. What is it?
Mike – Cottonwood, AZ
A: It sounds like you’ve got phragmites. Also known as “common reed,” certain invasive varieties of this plant have taken root on the East Coast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest – and, apparently, in your pond! To identify the species of phragmite in your pond, check out Cornell University’s “Morphological Differences” website here.
Generally speaking, phragmite is a perennial wetland grass that can grow to 6 to 15 feet in height. Its stems, which are erect, smooth and hollow, measure nearly 1 inch in diameter and are topped with 12-inch-long dense panicles, or purple-brown pyramid-shaped plumes of flowers, that emerge between July and September. The leaves that arise from the stem are 10 to 20 inches long and up to 2 inches wide.
The plants propagate mainly via an extensive network of underground rhizomes, or horizontal stems, that produce roots and shoots that grow as deep as 39 inches, with their root systems growing down another 3 feet. They’re hardy – and unfortunately, they can be tough to control.
A Substantial Threat
These invasive, non-native bad guys can do some serious damage to your lake or pond. Not only do they create tall, dense stands that crowd out native plants and animals, but they also block your shoreline views, create fire hazards from dry plant material, and reduce areas for swimming, fishing and hunting. They’re definitely not something you want on your property.
Once phragmites has taken root in your lake or pond, you’ll need to develop a long-term management plan to control them. Unfortunately, because the plants spread through their rhizomes, they could be difficult to eradicate entirely. That’s where chemical and mechanical control can help.
- Chemical control: First, you can spray an EPA-registered herbicide and surfactant product, like Kraken™ & Cide-Kick™ Combo, in the late summer or early fall. Mix the herbicide with 2 gallons of water, pour it into pond sprayer and spray on the plants with your Airmax® Pressurized Pond Sprayer, completely wetting the surface of the leaves. Allow the mixture to absorb into the plant and the root system – the most difficult part of the plant to kill – for two weeks.
- Mechanical control: Once the herbicide has had a chance to soak into the phragmites’ root system and kill the plants, use a weed cutting and removal tool, like the Pond Logic® Pond Rake and Weed Cutter, to slice at the base of the plants and remove them. If you can control your pond’s or lake’s water line, you can also cut the phragmites 2 to 3 inches below the water surface to cut off the plant’s supply of oxygen and drown the plant.
- Destroy what you’ve removed: To prevent the accidental spread of the plant, collect the cut material and bag it before disposing of it. In extreme cases, prescribed burning after herbicide treatment can provide additional control.
Before you begin, check with your local environmental agency to see if a permit is required for the treatments of these buggers. Plan to repeat this routine several years in a row. Patches may emerge even after regular treatments, but once you’ve wiped out the majority of the phragmites, the plant will be much easier to control. Just remember: early detection is key!
Pond Talk: How do you control phragmites in your lake or pond? | <urn:uuid:e6e84176-9a7a-4160-9234-7daedb20cf26> | {
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Although much of Henry Wellcome’s collection was devoted to instruments and materials of healing, some of the objects found in it have a more sinister purpose. Elizabeth Baddeley looks at a tradition of punishment rooted in the fear of female autonomy.
When visitors peer into our cabinet of masks in Medicine Man they are, almost without fail, drawn first to the bright, colourful disease masks from Sri Lanka; to the exaggerated features of the ritual mask from Bhutan; to the almost eerily realistic grinning false face Iroquois mask from North America. It seems almost as an afterthought that they turn to our object here: the matt grey, iron mask of the scold’s bridle. It seems clunky and dull next to the lively features of the more geographically exotic specimens it is displayed alongside. Surprisingly, the history, use and legacy of this and similar objects are a much underexplored subject.
This object is between 200 and 450 years old and is from Belgium, but could be from any part of Northern Europe from the late medieval or early modern period. It is made from heavy iron, and has the caricatured ears of an ass, exaggerated facial features and twisted, cruel-looking horns. It is a scold’s bridle.
The offence of scolding means little to nothing to us today, but in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was an acute insult. It was a uniquely female misdemeanour, and as such it is often compared to that other contemporary, and uniquely female, crime of being a whore. Both were often punished with a round on the ‘cucking stool’ – a mechanism where the accused was dunked into a river or pond while secured to a seat – and both are often viewed as female crime in a male-dominated legal system. A scold was, after all, ‘a troublesome and angry woman, who by her brawling and wrangling amongst her Neighbours, doth break the publick Peace, and beget, cherish and increase publick Discord’ according to William Sheppard in 1675.
The gendered nature of this crime has led to historians discussing whether it was a male way of limiting women’s powers of expression and activity. Indeed, the prevalence of accusations against scolds seems to have peaked between the mid-16th and 17th centuries, and in Britain has been linked to the wider social upheaval surrounding the English Civil War. Punishment with a bridle like this one, or ‘branks’ as they were also known, is less well recorded, but we know that it was done, as with the cucking stool, to ridicule and expose the women in front of her neighbours. It could also be painful. The woman would be made to wear the device for a stated time, and it would be heavy, the iron would be very cold (especially in winter), and the strut of metal that went into her mouth to hold down her tongue from further nagging (which has unfortunately broken off this example) would become increasingly uncomfortable. Indeed, on some bridles this was not just a piece of metal but a spike, designed to cause pain.
The idea of punishing a woman for stepping out of her place is not uniquely British: as mentioned above, scold’s bridles have been found across Europe. This crime of being a scold is represented in the mocking ‘world turned upside down’ rituals of French charivari and Italian carnivals. Men dressed as women, children played bishops and bishops dressed as paupers during the festival; this reversal and ridiculing of traditional norms was used to reinforce the correctness and normality of those norms in everyday life. This was true especially in relation to gender roles: alongside the punishing of scolds was the ridiculing of what cultural historian Natalie Davies calls the ‘woman on top’: domineering wives, especially young brides of elderly husbands or women who abused their husbands. Also linked is the enduring idea that witches were female, often wise old spinsters or midwives. Statistically, we know that a huge number of men were also accused and punished for witchcraft, but the concept of witches and the description of them in contemporary sources is usually purely female and contributes to the general fear of women stepping out of their place. The contemporary fear of powerful women has in the past been linked to a high number of young, unmarried but wage-earning women living away from home as servants and the measure of power and freedom this gave them.
One idea that connects the scold’s bridle, accusations of witchcraft and the ‘woman on top’ is the belief that women were particularly prone to bouts of irrational behaviour, prone to communicating with the devil as they did not have the rational power to stay away, and inclined to scold and nag about unimportant matters. According to early modern medical ideas of the four humours, a theory about the body existent since ancient Greece and changed little by the 16th century, women were cold and damp with little blood. Indeed, this small amount of blood would linger around their uterus, instead of spreading throughout the body and into the brain. The Greeks even wrote of how the uterus would ‘wander around’ the body if it had too little blood. As such, women were often seen as being ‘led’ by their uterus, a dangerous organ, making them prone to irrational behaviour. Nor was this idea soon forgotten, for the very Victorian illness of hysteria takes its name from the Greek ‘hystera’, meaning uterus. This may seem odd to a modern audience, more used to hearing of men being led by their nether regions than women.
Elizabeth Baddeley is a Visitor Services Assistant at Wellcome Collection. | <urn:uuid:f41c2cb9-f1d3-46c3-b63c-85a766e8abcd> | {
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This winter I’m taking a course on urban education. Our first topic: segregation and desegregation in schools.
Firstly, what do we mean by segregation? As a working definition, I’ll offer that segregation is the spatial pattern of people across some attribute. So we could talk about segregation by race, by income, or by favorite ice cream flavor. Once we pick something to measure against, we find that every city is segregated according to this definition. What matters is in what way the segregation manifests and the consequences on the populace the pattern has. Segregation patterns can be uniform, with all groups distributed more or less evenly within a region, or clustered. Likewise, we could also calculate the extent to which subpopulations are isolated from each other—which also gives a rough estimation of how often members of one group is likely to run into someone outside of their group. I think when we talk about ‘segregated’ groups, we typically mean highly clustered populations that are isolated from the other groups in the city.
I don’t think that clustered, isolated groups are necessarily bad on their own. I love visiting the North End and Chinatown. Because they’re both T-accessible, it’s easy for me to get there. (Though, both neighborhoods have had rough pasts.) And Harvard Square is the nicest place I’ve ever lived. Score one for segregation!
Moral judgments aside, self-selection can have a big influence on patterns of segregation, at least it can in models. The positive feedback loops reinforce small, individual choice to generate large-scale patterning. Schelling’s model of segregation is a classic, good first example of what I mean. In this model individuals exhibit only a slight preference to have neighbors that are similar to them. The individuals in this model are not racist. (Or maybe they are. I don’t have a good functional definition of racism yet.) When individuals find themselves in a neighborhood that is too unlike themselves, they move somewhere else at random, possibly to a neighborhood more dissimilar from themselves than the last. Even with this mild, partially blind behavior, a totally segregated structure emerges.
In more relaxed models that completely ignore race, even more realistic patterns of segregation form. In this class of model, individuals simply choose to live in the nicest area they can afford. As if by magic, isolated poor and rich neighborhoods form. Depending on the details of the model, wealthy suburbs appear spontaneously. If we use socioeconomic status as a proxy for race, it’s the same old story. Except this time, we have a systems-level mechanism that generates isolated, poor communities that lack the power to advocate for equitable resources and very rich communities with disproportionately high share of public goods insulated by a buffer of middle class individuals. Race was not the cause; money was.
When was ask whether it’s morally justified for a white family to send their kid to a predominantly white school, I think it’s important to know what about the school is so attractive. Do all parents value differentiated cultural and social understanding across many kinds of experience? Are they likely to value it more than a pretty campus or reputation of success by its graduates? Sure, in some cases the choice may be motivated largely by racism. But I’d expect that in many cases, it’s mostly a matter of ensuring access to the most and best resources possible for their child. It just so happens that low-resource groups aggregate, even in the absence of race.
I believe that diversity (of background, experience, perspective, and the like) is important in schools because, as has been mentioned a few times by others, students learn how to navigate social situations outside of school from the people they meet in school. But when we talk about diversity, do we really mean racial diversity? As an example, imagine that an elite, wealthy, mostly white college in the Northeast has recently been chastised for admitting a student body that is not sufficient diverse. Consequently, the school begins recruiting wealthy black students from Africa, some of whom attended the same boarding schools as students already enrolled in the college. In time, the student body comes to be half white, half black with an even mix in all classes and housing situations. In what sense, if any, has the college increased diversity on campus? Do you think the college has produced the diversity they were previously lacking?
While I think that racial segregation is a problem, I don’t think race is necessarily the capital-C cause. In a world without racism, economic segregation will still exist. But I’m willing to bet that in a world with no financial disparity, a lot of the troubles we associate with racism would evaporate. And so, I think race will play a secondary part in the solution to segregation. In fact, I think that race may even obscure the issue of access to equitable education for all. (I’m not sure if that’s what we’re really trying to achieve, but I think it’s a good start.) Instead, I believe that the struggle of the American education system is one of power and status. As such, I think we should talk about resource allocation (including strategies that move students to resources as well as bringing more resources to students), causes and effects of socioeconomic segregation, and cultural and pedagogical practices that systematically discourage/motivate students to learn the skills required to become an informed and capable citizens. | <urn:uuid:0c456e27-f35e-4844-8554-27f1e20d4465> | {
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July 18, 2012
Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean acidity has risen by 30 percent as a direct result of fossil-fuel burning and deforestation. And within the last 50 years, human industry has caused the world’s oceans to experience a sharp increase in acidity that rivals levels seen when ancient carbon cycles triggered mass extinctions, which took out more than 90 percent of the oceans’ species and more than 75 percent of terrestrial species.
Rising ocean acidity is now considered to be just as much of a formidable threat to the health of Earth’s environment as the atmospheric climate changes brought on by pumping out greenhouse gases. Scientists are now trying to understand what that means for the future survival of marine and terrestrial organisms.
In June, ScienceNOW reported that out of the 35 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide released annually through fossil fuel use, one-third of those emissions diffuse into the surface layer of the ocean. The effects those emissions will have on the biosphere is sobering, as rising ocean acidity will completely upset the balance of marine life in the world’s oceans and will subsequently affect humans and animals who benefit from the oceans’ food resources.
The damage to marine life is due in large part to the fact that higher acidity dissolves naturally-occurring calcium carbonate that many marine species–including plankton, sea urchins, shellfish and coral–use to construct their shells and external skeletons. Studies conducted off Arctic regions have shown that the combination of melting sea ice, atmospheric carbon dioxide and subsequently hotter, CO2-saturated surface waters has led to the undersaturation of calcium carbonate in ocean waters. The reduction in the amount of calcium carbonate in the ocean spells out disaster for the organisms that rely on those nutrients to build their protective shells and body structures.
The link between ocean acidity and calcium carbonate is a directly inverse relationship, which allows scientists to use the oceans’ calcium carbonate saturation levels to measure just how acidic the waters are. In a study by the University of Hawaii at Manoa published earlier this year, researchers calculated that the level of calcium carbonate saturation in the world’s oceans has fallen faster in the last 200 years than has been seen in the last 21,000 years–signaling an extraordinary rise in ocean acidity to levels higher than would ever occur naturally.
The authors of the study continued on to say that currently only 50 percent of the world’s ocean waters are saturated with enough calcium carbonate to support coral reef growth and maintenance, but by 2100, that proportion is expected to drop to a mere five percent, putting most of the world’s beautiful and diverse coral reef habitats in danger.
In the face of so much mounting and discouraging evidence that the oceans are on a trajectory toward irreparable marine life damage, a new study offers hope that certain species may be able to adapt quick enough to keep pace with the changing make-up of Earth’s waters.
In a study published last week in the journal Nature Climate Change, researchers from the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies found that baby clownfish (Amphiprion melanopus) are able to cope with increased acidity if their parents also lived in higher acidic water, a remarkable finding after a study conducted last year on another clownfish species (Amphiprion percula) suggested acidic waters reduced the fish’s sense of smell, making it likely for the fish to mistakenly swim toward predators.
But the new study will require further research to determine whether or not the adaptive abilities of the clownfish are also present in more environmentally-sensitive marine species.
While the news that at least some baby fish may be able to adapt to changes provides optimism, there is still much to learn about the process. It is unclear through what mechanism clownfish are able to pass along this trait to their offspring so quickly, evolutionarily speaking. Organisms capable of generation-to-generation adaptations could have an advantage in the coming decades, as anthropogenic emissions push Earth to non-natural extremes and place new stresses on the biosphere.
Sign up for our free email newsletter and receive the best stories from Smithsonian.com each week. | <urn:uuid:d5fc8f97-1ffe-4404-b9ee-d359c5162435> | {
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Radiation from Japanese nuclear plant found in Colorado: Health dept. says no need to panic
Last week, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment tried to counter media-fueled fears about radiation from the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan creating health risks here. Today, that job just got more difficult. The CDPHE confirms that "minuscule" amounts of radiation from the accident have been detected in Colorado.
In a release on view below, the department stresses that the risk of harm from the current radiation is far less than the damage that could be done by unnecessarily gobbling potassium iodide pills, no matter what panicky talking heads might suggest. Here's the CDPHE's take:
Colorado detects radioactive isotope
Minuscule detection level - no risk to public health
Colorado has joined other states now reporting detection of minuscule levels of radiation coming from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Preliminary sampling from a Colorado monitor has detected a radioactive isotope, iodine-131. The Colorado sampling data is being sent to EPA for further analysis.
"Levels detected in Colorado are minuscule and represent no risk to human health," said Dr. Chris Urbina, chief medical officer and executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "Radiation can be detected at levels millions of times lower than the level that would cause health impacts. Radiation levels detected in Colorado are consistent with those reported for other states."
According to an EPA news release, "In a typical day, Americans receive doses of radiation from natural sources like rocks, bricks and the sun that are about 100,000 times higher than what we have detected coming from Japan. For example, the levels we're seeing coming from Japan are 100,000 times lower than what you get from taking a roundtrip international flight."
Four days ago, California first reported detection of radiation from a state monitor. The New York Times reported Monday, "officials have tracked the radioactive plume as it has drifted eastward on prevailing winds from Japan -- first to the West Coast and now over the East Coast and the Atlantic, moving toward Europe." As reported nationally, the plume's radiation has been diluted enormously in its journey of thousands of miles and -- at least for now, with concentrations so low -- its presence will have no health consequences in the United States.
Dr. Urbina added, "There is no need for people to seek potassium iodide, as there is no risk to public health from the trace amounts of radiation being reported in the United States. Potassium iodide may have side effects. Using potassium iodide when it is unnecessary could cause intestinal upset (vomiting, nausea and diarrhea), rashes, allergic reactions, soreness of teeth and gums, and inflammation of the salivary glands. Pregnant women and the developing fetus are particularly sensitive to the health risks of taking potassium iodide."
Colorado's monitor is part of EPA's RadNet, a national network of monitoring stations that regularly collect samples for analysis of radioactivity. The RadNet network has stations in each state and has been used to track environmental releases of radioactivity from nuclear weapons tests and nuclear accidents. Nationwide RadNet reports can be found at its website: http://www.epa.gov/japan2011/rert/radnet-data.html#states.
For information about radiation, please call COHELP at 877-462-2911.
More from our News archive: "TSA machines may irradiate your junk unless you've got Rocky Flats Gear (PHOTOS, VIDEO)." | <urn:uuid:b75c9eb5-4546-471b-a17b-be4af99acb48> | {
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The creation of dead zones begins when nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers used on land, and from raw or poorly treated sewage, wash into streams, into rivers, and to the sea. Thus fertilized, single celled drifting algae in the sea reproduce – bloom — until they reach abnormal densities.
The algae subsequently die and fall to the ocean floor, where they spark an explosion of bacteria that decompose them. The bacteria deplete the oxygen in the sea water to levels so low that little else can survive. Thus, a dead zone is created.
Fish can sometimes swim away from these dead zones, or algae blooms, but other sea life like clams and crabs cannot.
3 things you can do to help shrink dead zones:
1. Consider using organic compost or other natural fertilizers instead of commercial products on your lawn and garden
2. Buy locally grown food to support small-scale, regional farmers.
3. Get involved in local efforts to reduce commercial fertilizer use.
Other great ways you can make a difference.
LINKS & VIDEOS
Dr. Nancy Rabalais
The rise of global dead zones.
Dead zones, from fertilizer, cause fish die-offs. | <urn:uuid:750e5233-52be-419b-a471-8e420e040d32> | {
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Why the Oceans?
Simple: the ocean supports life on this planet.
It feeds us, produces the oxygen we breathe, maintains our climate, cycles vital nutrients through countless ecosystems and provides food and medicines.
The ocean provides jobs, food, energy, and recreation.
As if that weren’t enough, the ocean is beautiful and inspiring.
And that would be enough.
People are drawn to where water meets land, because it is there we find a primeval, vital connection that goes deep into the human psyche. We feel it.
Put simply, the oceans give us life. Let’s return the favor.
3 ways you can to save the oceans:
1. Go to the beach & get inspired.
2. Share your love of the ocean.
3. Eat sustainable seafood.
More great ways to Make A Difference.
LINKS & VIDEOS
The Value of Our Oceans, World Wildlife Fund
In the Same Net: Ocean Life, Ethics, and the Human Spirit, Carl Safina, You Tube
Cod: The Fish That Made New England, You Tube
Knowledge and Devotion, Carl’s Blog
Deep Ocean Mysteries and Wonder, TED Talk, You Tube
World Oceans Day, Wikipedia
Value of Ecosystem Services, World Research Institute
Ecosystem Services, Wikipedia
Hawaii Ocean Waves, You Tube
What is the Ocean Worth to You? Carl’s Blog
Valuing Oceans: The $2 Trillion Question, Economist
Cod: The Fish That Made New England, Pew Oceans
Nothing tells a story like the eyewitnesses who were there. Old-timers in New England’s commercial cod fishery don’t want us to forget how we arrived where we are today.
In the Same Net: Ocean Life, Ethics, and the Human Spirit, Carl Safina
Prominent ecologist, marine conservationist, and author Carl Safina keynoted Earthstock 2010 with his lecture exploring our changing oceans, and what those changes mean for wildlife and for people. His talk, which was part autobiography, part science lecture, and part book reading, told the story of his global journey from fisherman to scientist and touched upon the scientific dimensions as well as moral and social implications of our relationship with nature.
In the deepest, darkest parts of the oceans are ecosystems with more diversity than a tropical rainforest. Taking us on a voyage into the ocean — from the deepest trenches to the remains of the Titanic — marine biologist David Gallo explores the wonder and beauty of marine life.
Enjoy this relaxing video from Hawaii. You can see Hawaiian sea turtles, honu, swimming underwater. They surface very briefly in the beginning and ending of this video. I hope this will help you to relax wherever you are in the world. Mahalo | <urn:uuid:d51155b6-c47d-4941-8551-1563f4a53852> | {
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Question about Statistics - Regression Model
A. develop a regression model that could be used to predict the final average
in the course based on the first test grade.
b. predict the final average of a student who made an 83 on the first test.
c. give the values of r and r2 for this model. Interpret the value of r2 in the content of this problem.
A Complete, Neat and Step-by-step Solution is provided in the attached file.
This answer includes:
- Plain text
- Cited sources when necessary
- Attached file(s)
- Student Roll No.doc | <urn:uuid:f6e4bc95-ee37-481c-afa0-7c43761ecd3f> | {
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Concerns that the US economy can no longer innovate seem to be trickling into the cultural realm. According to Grant McCracken at the Harvard Business Review, some music critics are worried that “innovation in popular music is in decline,” and that, “If this is true, a big cultural change is upon us — the end of popular music as the great lab bench for our culture, as the defining innovator of our time.”
But McCracken recognizes the nostalgia that underlies such fears, and puts forth five ways in which youth culture and pop music are actually changing the boundaries of what those cultural concepts mean today:
1. Contemporary musical forms like mashups are not a “barren genre.” They are merely a new grammar, invented by cultural innovators to express a new culture.
2. Originality is not so much in decline as being revalued.
3. Young consumers are interested in music produced by previous generations, but they are using this music for their own purposes.
4. The new forms of music are expressive of new forms of self and group.
5. If music matters less to the way young consumers define themselves it’s because they have found other, more useful media to do the job. Music doesn’t have to be the innovative media it was for Reynolds’ and other generations. That it worked especially well for earlier generations is due to historical chance and happenstance. Music matters to Reynolds for the same reason books matter to Boomer academics: it just happens to be the form that ideas assumed in the world they grew up in.
McCracken’s conclusion echoes Breakthrough Journal writer Dan Krewson, who wrote of punk’s enduring, if unconventional, legacy in “Punk and Possibility”:
In many ways, punk’s legacy is such that it is now a mark of sophistication among artists to draw from a constellation of influences, just as it was once stylish for prog rockers to draw upon classical music.
Consider Top 40 rapper KiD CuDi. Born in 1984, CuDi unapologetically channels Pink Floyd over Grandmaster Flash. He rhymes about outer space instead of the ghetto and samples Lady Gaga rather than James Brown. He combines orchestral strings with turntable scratching. He references Facebook, Carl Jung, and insomnia, embracing big pop hooks that helped his record debut at number four on the Billboard 200. Asked about his wide-ranging sound and influences, CuDi said, “I did want to make something that would baffle the critics, as far as putting it in a certain genre; I wanted them to have a hard time doin’ it.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Purves via Wikimedia Commons | <urn:uuid:4def6650-67fe-4743-b02c-1544caad5dd1> | {
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Like Brussels and Luxembourg, Strasbourg is mainly known as headquarters of the institutions European Union. But this French city has so much more to offer.
Strasbourg has a magnificent old town, which is completely enclosed by water. The most striking building is the Notre-Dame Cathedral. This magnificent Gothic cathedral was mainly built between the 11th and 15th centuries. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is 103 metres long and has the shape of a Latin cross. The most important attraction in the cathedral is the Astronomic Clock.
A number of European Union institutions are based in Strasbourg. If you follow the “Palais de l’Europe” arrows, you can view the buildings of the European Union from the outside. You can only visit the debating chambers and the hemicycle on the invitation of a Member of the European Parliament. In the vicinity of this complex of EU buildings, there is also a new building devoted to human rights, the Palais des Droits de l’Homme, which is an architectural marvel. | <urn:uuid:10e30345-dc6b-4764-8ee3-03f59a0d5ea5> | {
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In the run up to the international climate change talks in Cancun last year, you took action to demand more information for the world’s poorest. You called on UK Chancellor George Osborne to push the EU to open up about the money pledged to help poor countries cope with climate change.
You asked four simple questions.
- Where will the money come from for climate finance?
- What will it be spent on?
- Will the money be in the form of grants or loans?
- Who will be responsible for spending the money?”
So how did they do?
Thanks to your efforts, the EU opened up with a new annual report, the ‘Fast Start Finance Report’. During the Cancun talks, they published the first of these reports, which gave extra details about the €2.2 billion the EU mobilised to combat climate change throughout 2010. This forms part of the €7.2 billion they pledged they would give (in the years up to 2012) during the Copenhagen talks. They also released more detailed information from individual EU member states on spending by country and on specific climate projects. The level of detail was a huge improvement on previous reports but questions still remain.
Where the money will come from
The €7.2 billion was promised to be ‘new and additional’ but as the EU did not report on where the money was coming and whether it was coming out of existing aid budgets, developing countries have serious fears that climate finance is being recycled from money already allocated for development.
The UK itself has been transparent that climate finance is being taken from overseas aid budgets, but justifies this by saying that the aid budget is increasing. However, the agreed level of UK aid was set in 1970, when there was little recognition or understanding of climate change. Climate change is a new issue and an added burden to countries already trying to address poverty and therefore should not come out of existing budgets.
What the money will be spent on
The report released important information on what projects the money will be spent on. However, the vast majority of climate finance to date is being spent on mitigation (reducing emissions), with only a third going to helping poor people adapt to the effects of climate change. Whilst bringing down reductions is crucial, we need to ensure an equal amount of money is dedicated to helping address the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.
How the money will be given
The report also included information about the source of the finance. According to the EU, over half the money given this year was awarded as loans or other forms of finance, rather than grants. It is unfair to expect poor countries to accumulate new debts to deal with a problem that they did not cause.
Who will be responsible for spending the money?
The annex to the report provided oversight into who will govern the fast start finance. This is positive as it shows who to hold to account. However, most of the UK money is going through multilateral funds such as the World Bank where developing countries remain unrepresented. For long term finance, leaders agreed to set up a Climate Fund that is under the authority of the UN and has equal representation from the world’s regions. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this positive first step.
Maintaining the momentum
Thank you to everyone who took action calling on the EU to open up. Now we have the crucial questions answered, we can begin to lobby our government to ensure the promised money reaches the poorest and most vulnerable to climate change. We’ll keep you posted on ways you can act in the run up to the climate change talks in South Africa later this year. | <urn:uuid:f116e0d7-66f8-4e5f-8f28-caca07b38096> | {
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Genetic Variations: Drug Metabolism SNPs
When a person takes medication, many proteins in his or her body interact with the drug as it is transported throughout the body, absorbed into tissues, metabolized into more active forms or toxic byproducts, and excreted. If an individual has SNPs in any one or more of these proteins, they may alter the time the body is exposed to active forms of a drug or to any of its toxic byproducts.
Researchers now have the tools to study how genetic variations can influence an individual person's response to a drug. They can even capture information on metabolism-related genetic variations that occur among different genders or ethnic groups. The data they are collecting should help to explain why certain persons within a population may have different side effects in response to the same drug or some may respond to therapy better or worse than others. | <urn:uuid:a265ad62-d1d6-4980-b52d-7932964807eb> | {
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It's that time of year again. Although it was chilly this morning in Canton, the birds are singing, the daffodils are sending up their thick green leaves, and it's time to change the clocks again.
That's right, Spring Forward tonight, it's Daylight Saving Time. Although it doesn't really save us anything, and can actually cause our electric and heating bills to go up for the first few weeks. According to a 2008 study that examined billing data in Indiana before and after that state adopted DST in 2006, "DST increased overall residential electricity consumption between 1 and 4 percent, due mostly to extra afternoon cooling and extra morning heating; the main increases came in the fall. The overall annual cost of DST to Indiana households was estimated to be $9 million, with an additional $1.7–5.5 million for social costs due to increased pollution.
According to a Huffington Post article:
This time change is much trickier for our bodies to handle than when we "fall back" in November. That's because so many of us aren't getting enough shut-eye to begin with, and being robbed of an additional hour can put us over the edge. In fact, as many as 47 million people are sleep deprived and 43 percent of Americans say they rarely or never get a good night's sleep during the week.
"It's hard to get up an hour earlier," Dr. Sam J. Sugar, director of sleep services at the Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa, a wellness spa and weight-loss program in Miami, Fla told The Huffington Post. "When we do, since most of us don't sleep the recommended seven or eight hours anyhow, another hour less is not good for us, and we wind up fatigued and tired during the next day."
Much like traveling between time zones, the changing of the clocks requires our bodies to adjust to a new sleep and wake schedule that feels similar to jet lag. "Our internal clocks, which run on a more or less 24-hour cycle -- that clock is suddenly confused," Sugar said.
And, just like traveling east is more difficult to adjust to than traveling west, so too is "springing forward" compared to "falling back" explains Dr. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, a laboratory of sorts that examines the impact that environment, behavior and sleep equipment have on sleep quality. Because our normal circadian rhythm is slightly longer than 24 hours, it's easier on us to extend the day, like we do in the fall, rather than cut the day short by an hour as we do this weekend, he said.
While adjusting to this slightly-altered cycle can take up to a week, for most people, it will only take a few days, said Sugar. "Our brains are incredibly good at adjusting to anything we throw at them, and for almost everybody it isn't a problem," he said.
While only about 1 percent of drivers crash because of drowsiness each year, that equals a total of 1.9 million drivers, according to the National Sleep Foundation. More than half of all drivers have driven at least once in the past year while feeling sleepy, and 28 percent do at least once a month.
In the days after the shift, heart attacks are also more common. The effects of sleep deprivation on the heart are well-documented: Skimping on zzz's can promote the buildup in arteries that leads to heart attacks and strokes, as well as increase the risk of high blood pressure and inflammation. Plus, the most sleep-deprived people often weigh more, increasing their risk for heart problems even before the time change.
Workers also report more injuries on the job the Monday after the beginning of daylight saving time. And while it might do more harm to our employers than to our own bodies, the day is also witness to a dramatic increase in what's come to be known as "cyberloafing" -- or wasting time on the Internet, according to a recent study that examines the link between lack of sleep and decreased productivity.
So, don't forget, 2 a.m. becomes 3 a.m. tonight. | <urn:uuid:f35b1e2d-c24c-4fcd-8189-9b9b4d22250a> | {
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One of the most specialized branches of the healing arts, chiropractic care is used to treat problems such as: lower back pain, stress-related headaches, and neck pain. It is also effective in controlling pain associated with arthritis.
The chiropractor's tool is the spinal adjustment. It is not a massage. The adjustments reset the alignment of the spine to restore normal nerve function. The method dates back to ancient Greece and Hypocrites, the Father of Medicine.
Established in 1895, the first chiropractic license in the US was issued in 1913. Today, every state and territory licenses chiropractic, as do all provinces in Canada, and many countries worldwide. Doctors of Chiropractic are recognized as primary care doctors in all 50 states giving more than 200 million treatments each year in the US Workers Compensation programs often call upon chiropractic health care to treat injured employees, as do most insurance companies. All American citizens are entitled to chiropractic care under the Medicare programs.
It takes at least seven years of college to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. The chiropractic student is required to study human anatomy, spinal anatomy, neuro anatomy, chemistry, diagnosis and x-ray. Like medical doctors, the DC must obtain a basic science background in a college or university and then attend a four-year accredited College of Chiropractic. The focus of the education is in maintaining health with a specialty in spinal care. | <urn:uuid:5bf7ada4-42d9-4ffd-ab86-98f713e624aa> | {
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According to Christopher Clark and Nancy Hewitt, “Both failures and successes were inherent in the task of rebuilding the nation following the Civil War: vigilante violence, often fatal conflict over the right of African American men to vote, courageous African American insistence on self-determination and participation in the political process, and federal intervention in the South to help assure freedpeople’s rights. The Union victory in 1865 had settled two major debates but left everything else in doubt. The United States of America was preserved; slavery was dead, and African Americans were now free. But who would hold and exercise economic and political power in the postwar South? What kind of labor system would replace slavery? Who would lead the South politically? What would freedom mean for the four million former slaves? Answers to these questions were widely contested and would emerge only after two decades of intense political and social struggle, a struggle that contemporaries hopefully called Reconstruction.
Racial conflicts in the former Confederacy continued to disrupt efforts at reunification, and a protracted financial crisis dashed hopes for a quick economic recovery. In response, northern political and business leaders focused their efforts on revitalizing the economy through reconciliation between North and South rather than protecting racial advancement in either region. Thus… the old planter aristocracy – under the protection of a revived Democratic Party – returned to power, controlling a nonslave but still exploitative system of agricultural labor.
The failure of Reconstruction to transform southern race relations shaped the nation as a whole. Still, it was freedpeople who paid the highest price. Outgunned, both figuratively and literally, they were left with few alternatives. Yet they did not give up. Those who remained in the South established a dense network of autonomous community-based institutions, including black schools, churches, and businesses, to keep their democratic hopes alive within an oppressive and racist system.”
(From Clark, Christopher and Nancy A. Hewitt. Who Built America, Volume I, pages 589-590.)
The 1869 Virginia Constitution, unlike previous state charters, mandated public education. Virginia’s position on public education – let alone its position on educating blacks – had been tenuous at best. The state had long resisted a system of free schools, despite the efforts of some of its more famous citizens. Thomas Jefferson’s unsuccessful campaign for free schools had yielded little more than a literary fund for indigent children. All of that changed when Congress passed the Reconstruction Act of March 2, 1867 demanding that southern states ratify new constitutions guaranteeing black suffrage. Once these constitutions met with congressional approval and after the state approved the Fourteenth Amendment, Congress promised re-admittance into the Union.
Responding to the Reconstruction Act, Virginians registered voters and called an election to decide if the state would call a convention to revise the state’s constitution. In 1867 226 Fairfax County blacks registered to vote – voting unanimously in favor of a constitutional convention. In 1869, they returned to the polls and voted for adoption of the Constitution.
At the 1867-1868 Constitutional Convention, education proved to be one of the most hotly debated topics, (the state’s war debt was the other top issue). Though delegates largely consisted of northern immigrants and freedmen easily approved a public school system, they were strongly divided over the question of integration. Many northern immigrants viewed public schools as the foundation of a democratic society and a key to reconstruction of the South. The question broke along racial lines. Black members introduced resolutions ensuring equal access to education “without distinction of color.” White delegates never took these suggestions seriously. Even radicals who supported desegregation voted against such resolutions. Mindful of widespread sentiment against mixed schools, they did not want to risk ratification. In the end, while most assumed public schools would be segregated, no language could be agreed upon and the question was not resolved until the legislature revisited the issue in 1870.
While blacks lost their campaign for mixed schools, they still passed a milestone in gaining access to public education. However, as a result of poor political and financial support, Virginia’s first public schools for both blacks and whites were grossly inadequate. Many did not have heat or toilets, schools were small and scattered; also the average term was less than the five months mandated by the Virginia Constitution, and attendance, which was not required was sparse. Despite these conditions – and those for black children were considerably worse than those for whites – still there were now public schools in which both black and white children learned.
The William Jasper family, 1808-1870 [Talking Points]
• William Jasper, an African American, was probably born in 1808 not far from George Washington’s plantation in Mount Vernon. He was born a slave on the plantation of William Hayward Foote’s Hayfield plantation. Foote was one of the richest men in Fairfax County—when he died he owned 50 slaves.
• Jasper worked on a plantation that grew wheat and corn, and raised horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. Slaves at Hayfield, including Jasper, are likely to have had skills as farmers, blacksmiths, and carpenters.
• Jasper and his family were not sold south to booming cotton and sugar plantations, as were many other slaves.
• According to his will, Foote decided to free his slaves on or soon after his death in 1846. At this time Jasper, in his thirties, was valued by appraisers to be worth $350. Foote’s will also freed Jasper’s wife Sara, in her mid-twenties, and their two daughters who were six and four. They were actually freed in the early 1850’s.
• It is important to note that the Jaspers were free blacks in Virginia before the Civil War. But even as free blacks they faced numerous obstacles. They could not: own a gun, obtain an education, vote, conduct business freely, worship in religious services unless supervised by whites. Also they might be captured by slave traders and sold back into slavery.
• The Jaspers wanted to stay in Virginia near friends and family, so in 1853 and 1858 they chose to register as free blacks in Fairfax County to prove that they were free. This meant they could travel and gain employment.
• In 1860 William Jasper purchased 13 acres of land near the Hayfield Plantation. It is likely that he put together the $200 to pay a white farmer and slave owner for the land from his work as a farmer.
• The Jaspers probably did not stay on their newly bought land during the Civil War -- and it is also likely that what they had on this land, including buildings, animals and crops, was lost during the war. | <urn:uuid:0cc5ff5c-6254-4f35-a389-46a369304d9b> | {
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On September 9, 2010, an explosion of an 30-inch natural gas pipeline rocked a residential neighborhood in San Bruno, California. The tremendous blast and following blaze killed at least seven people and destroyed 53 homes. Firefighters overwhelmed by the intense heat from the 60-foot inferno could only try to keep flames from spreading to other homes until utility workers managed to shut down the gas main an hour and a half later. It is unclear what caused the explosion, although residents reported smelling gas prior to the blast. An investigation into the cause of the explosion may take up to a year.
Natural gas is an important part of America’s energy infrastructure, and deadly explosions such as this are uncommon. In this week’s online current events activity you will learn more about natural gas, how we collect and distribute it, and how we use it.
All About Natural Gas
It’s easy to confuse the term “natural gas” with our short form of the word gasoline. In fact, they are very different. To learn what natural gas is, where it comes from, and how we use it, visit NaturalGas.org, an educational web site covering a variety of topics about the natural gas industry.
The best place to begin any learning activity is usually the overview. First, read the Background section of the site, which explains what natural gas is, gives its chemical composition, and explains how natural gas is formed. What are some of the characteristics of natural gas? What is the primary component in natural gas? Why is mercaptan added to natural gas? What is the difference between “dry” and “wet” natural gas? Where is natural gas typically found in the earth?
Next, learn about the History of natural gas as a fuel source. How did ancient civilizations discover natural gas, and what did they do with it? What was the first country to use natural gas commercially, and how did they produce it? Who was the first American to dig a natural gas well? Who was Robert Bunsen and what did he invent?
Natural gas is a fossil fuel, not a renewable energy resource. How much natural gas is left in North America? Find out by reading the Resources section. Why is it difficult to estimate the amount of natural gas in the ground? Give one estimate for the total number of cubic feet available. In what areas of the United States is natural gas plentiful?
Finally, learn about the Uses of Natural Gas which, according to the Energy Information Administration, accounts for 24 percent of total energy consumed in the United States. Read about Residential and Commercial uses of natural gas, such as water heating, space heating, and cooking. Learn how natural gas is increasingly used in the Transportation industry, and it is a cleaner burning fuel than gasoline or diesel. Also read how natural gas is used for Electric Generation. For which of these uses do you think natural gas utilization is likely to increase in the near future?
Natural Gas Distribution
Let us focus now on the distribution of natural gas—how it gets from the well to our homes and businesses. For that, visit California’s Energy Story web site and read Chapter 9: Natural Gas Distribution System. This page describes a network of pipes, from larger pipes (like the one that exploded in San Bruno, California) to smaller pipes that reach residential homes. What do people use for gas who live in rural areas outside the gas pipe networks?
How many miles of pipeline are there in America? Find out at Pipeline101. What is the difference between a gathering line and a transmission line? Are gathering lines used offshore, or only on land?
Natural gas pipelines are part of America’s energy infrastructure in populated areas. The nation’s electric grid, the highway system, fiber optic data, wireless telephone networks, water pipelines, and even local sewage pipes are other examples of the infrastructure that delivers a high standard of living. It is easy to take these services for granted. In a current or recent issue of the e-edition, look for stories and articles about local utilities and infrastructure. You may find notices about maintenance and repair work, or you may find news about infrastructure failures of one kind or another. Collect several of these stories over the course of a week, then write an essay explaining what your life would be like if water, electricity, mobile communications, natural gas, or any other type of utility or service because unavailable for a whole month. What aspects of your daily routine would change? | <urn:uuid:328e060b-ab72-423c-a579-1b42fa7dc8d4> | {
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Article posted April 11, 2013 at 08:30 PM GMT •
comment (1) • Reads 4267
We ended our Sound Unit by making Recycled Instruments. Each student was taped while he/she presented their instrument to the class. The students also wrote a paragraph about the instrument and took a photo of it using an iPad. The students created a Glog (an interactive poster) incorporating all of the components. Click on the Glogster image below to see all of the Recycled Instrument Glogs. The slideshow gives you a front row seat to the "3H Jam Session." Enjoy!
Article posted March 8, 2013 at 08:19 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 1427
This is it, the last set of clues. The clock is ticking and we need to figure out where these landmarks are! It's research time 3H Crew! Good luck!
Landmark Primary Clues 2013 - Week 3
(1A) Abanskaya School (World Explorers) Aban, Russia
1. The head of all Landmarks
2. The oldest in the city
3. Northern hemisphere
4. Named in honor of the builder
5. There is the legend about a thing in it
6. Lighting of this place change in December
7. Chinese room
8. about 122.3 longitude
9. opened on The Independence day
(2A) Abanskaya School 3 (Team Kazakova) Aban, Russia
1. Tatar burial mound
2. Metal, metal
3. Black snow, no grass
4. The leader lies at it
5. 40- 50 N
6. The bloodiest battle
7. World War II
8. Was the largest when it was built
9. The woman on the top
(3A) Abanskaya School 3 (Team Vinokurova) Aban, Russia
1. It was founded in a cave.
2. There is a museum there.
3. There was a big fire in 1718
4. 500 people were killed there by the Nazi soldiers.
5. It is one of 7 wonders of its country.
6. It is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
7. Northern hemisphere
8. You can find this landmark between 29 and 31 degrees east longitude.
9. Its area is 2,533,825 sq ft
(4A) Aginskaya Secondary 2 (Siberian Experts) Krasnoyarsk, Russia
1. It is a unique place in the world
2. It is situated in the Eastern Siberia
3. It was founded in 1925
4. It is a nice place for animals to live, for plants to grow, for citizens to have rest and for alpinists to climb rocks. If you visited this place at least once you will never forget your impressions.
5. The taiga flora includes dark green fir, pine-tree, Siberian cedar, white birches, mountain ash, bird cherry tree, larch, …. You can meet taiga animals (sable, musk deer, hazel hen) and forest-steppe gopher, polecat and roe deer.
6. It is situated between the Mana and Bazaikha Rivers
7. The square of it is about 47hectares
8. There are more than 100 of syenite rocks
9. You can find there very interesting names of rocks: D’ed (grandfather) and Perya (feathers).
(5A) American Community School (Team 5A) Beirut, Lebanon
1. Located in the Northern Hemisphere around 35N.
2. Important to at least seven (7) ancient civilizations.
3. Gilgamesh is said to have ventured here.
4. Sometimes thought to be a dwelling of the Gods, but humans said to enter the area 4,700 years ago.
5. One of the most prized building materials in ancient times.
6. Described as the oldest of its kind in the world.
7. Began to disappear in the early 6thcentury.
8. Once named an “imperial domain” and destruction was halted.
9. Can be up to 40 m (130 ft.) high.
(6A) American Community School (Team 5B) Beirut, Lebanon
1. Sculpted by erosion.
2. This landmark has had five (5) previous names.
3. Open Air Museum
4. Made of volcanic rock.
5. Not located in the southern hemisphere.
6. Added to the World Heritage List in 1985.
7. Has had a population exchange between Greece.
8. The name of a place within it relates to fairies.
9. Can be found at about 40 N.
(7A) American Community School (Team 5C) Beirut, Lebanon
1. Many legends, but the most popular gives the landmark this name.
2. The site is featured in films (Hitman, The World is Not Enough).
3. Red or white flash every 3 seconds.
4. Featured on the back of the host country’s bank note.
5. From 1829 was used as a quarantine station.
6. Today, there is a restaurant on the 1st floor and a café at the top.
7. Octagonal prism with a cupola.
8. Located in the Eastern Hemisphere at about 30E.
9. Part of the structure was destroyed in an earthquake in 1509.
(8A) American Community School (Team 5D) Beirut, Lebanon
1. Location of several military campaigns
2. Not in the Southern Hemisphere
3. Once a center of community life; now a war memorial
4. Sickness, especially malaria, was rampant
5. At least seventy-five miles (121km) in length
6. Built over a 25-year period, but begun in the 1940s
7. Latitude is about 10N
8. Free-strike zone
9. Helped achieve ultimate military success.
(9A) Alexander Doniphan Elem. (Team Campbell) Liberty, MO
1. Our landmark is in the northern hemisphere
2. Our landmark is between 25 degrees and 45 degrees north latitude.
3. Nicknames for our landmark include Bear’s Lair, Bear’s house, and Bear’s Lodge.
4. Our landmark is columnar.
5. Spend your time hiking at our landmark-there are 13+ miles of trails.
6. 1906 is an important year for our landmark.
7. Our landmark is 865 feet or 264 meters in height.
8. It is sacred.
9. Our landmark made its movie debut in 1977.
(10A) Alexander Doniphan Elem. (Team Kesner) Liberty, MO
1. Our landmark is in the Northern hemisphere.
2. Our landmark is between 40 and 60 degrees north latitude.
3. Approximately 5000 people a day and 6 to 7 million a year visit our landmark.
4. Our landmark is made of iron.
5. Our landmark is 1050 feet high.
6. At one time, our landmark was the tallest in the world.
7. Our landmark shares the same name as his builder.
8. The idea for our landmark was conceived in 1884.
9. Our landmark was in danger of being destroyed 20 years after its construction.
(11A) Barnveld School Ryan World Whizzes) Barnveld, WI
1. It is very colorful, but don't bring your camera
2. If you live there, you go in one way. If you don’t, you go in the other
3. About 1000 people could fit inside.
4. Although it is millions of years old, it was only rediscovered in the 1940's.
5. It is in the northern hemisphere
6. It is about 30 degrees north
7. It was once used as an emergency shelter and hospital area during a war.
8. It has a palace, and a dragon and Santa Claus
9. It is named for a plant
(12A) Bolshesosnovskaya School, (Salnikova) Bolshaya Sosnova, Russia
1. Some parts of the landmark look like ruins of Pompeii but there wasn’t any volcano eruption.
2. It is neither in Europe nor in Asia.
3. There are about 70 lakes.
4. There is a "Big Ring" and a "Small Ring" there.
5. The legend says if a young girl falls down on one of its ways it will get married soon.
6. Its length is about 5.7 km.
7. You can find this landmark between 57 and 58 degrees east longitude.
8. Its first plan appeared 310 years ago.
9. It is called "Ice Queen".
(13A) Cathedral St. Raymond's School (Team Kabellis307) Joliet,IL
2. Designed by winning sculptor
3. Cultural events
4. Controversy was created over its building
5. Not in the Southern Hemisphere
6. The building was started in 1948 and still in progress
7. Sacred ground
8. 43 degrees N
9. A million visitors a year
(14A) Cathedral St. Raymond's School (Team Kabellis308) Joliet,IL
2. Took almost 200 years to build
3. Gothic architecture
4. Started in 1163
5. It is not in the Western Hemisphere
6. 48 degrees N
7. Crown of thorns
9. 5 bells
(15A) Comprehensive Lyceum #3 (Team Yenisey) Krasnoyarsk, Russia
1 It's in a picturesque place in Russia.
2 There is fog everywhere, because there is a lot of water.
3 It's 1065 meters long.
4 It is manmade but it doesn't pollute the air.
5 Almost 6 million tones of concrete was used to build it.
6 It started working before it was finished.
7 It sometimes looks like a waterfall.
8 There is a big lake but it's fake.
9 There is a ship's lift there.
(16A) Eugene Field Elem. (Team Huseman) Hannibal, MO
1. Readers Digest
2. Built in 2001
3. Not in the Southern Hemisphere
4. Weighs 5 tons
5. 24 feet high, 40 feet long
6. Guinness Book of World Records
7. North 40 degrees
8. "Get your kicks on Route 66"
9. Exit #126
(17A) Eugene Field Elem. (Team McGuire) Hannibal, MO
1. Third part of seven
2. 786 square feet atop 45,000 pounds
3. Inspiration came from 1888
4. Part of a project
5. 101 degrees West
6. Began in 2000
7. Northern Hemisphere
8. Completed in 2001
9. Has connection with Canada and Australia
(18A) Fithian Tatem Elem (Tatem Tigers) Haddonfield, NJ
1. The creator of this landmark was born in Iran.
2. This landmark involves Beethoven.
3. It is in the same hemisphere as the Eiffel Tower.
4. The inspiration of this landmark was originally made from the stomach of a sheep or a goat.
5. It cost more than $1,000,000 to build.
6. You can only visit this landmark during daylight hours.
7. The landmark involves something that you put on your food.
8. This landmark was dedicated in 1986.
9. Its location is about 3.6 degrees off of Area 51's latitude.
(19A) Gimnazia 3 (Explorers of the World) Krasnoyarsk, Russia
1. It is situated on the left bank of the river Yenissey in the city of Krasnoyarsk.
2. It is a part of a big building. This building has got a lot of rooms.
3. It is 90 metres high.
4. It has a very famous nickname.
5. People can listen to its sound twice an hour.
6. It looks like a well-known English sight.
7. It took 31 years to build it, because the city didn't have enough money.
8. Finally it was opened to the public in 2001.
9. This landmark won the competition "Gold Rouble" in 2002.
(20A) Gymnazia 2 (Siberian Balls) Krasnoyarsk, Russia
1. This River is situated in Siberia and devides it into Eastern and Western Siberia
2. It's the full flowing River in Russia
3. The length of this River is 3487 Km
4. Krasnoyarsk, Abakan and Divnogorsk are situated on the banks of this River
5. Very often the Russians call this River "batyushka" ("father - River")
6. 36 Fish species live in this River, you can find most of them only in it
7. In some areas: the width of this River is about 40 Km
8. Because of Hydropower the river has stopped freezing over
9. The greatest Russian artist Vasiliy Surikov and a modern Russian writer Victor Astafyev were born on the banks of this River
(21A) Gymnasia 1 (Team 5A) Kalachinsk, Omsk, Russia
1. It is a church.
2. It is on the main square
3. It was repaired many times
4. North hemisphere
5. You can find this landmark between 40 and 60 degrees North latitude
6. It has nine domes
7. It was founded in 1516
8. There is a monument next to it
9. It is UNESCO World Heritage Site
(22A) Gymnasia 1 (Team 6B) Kalachinsk, Omsk, Russia
1. It is on the water
2. It is the most photographed building in the world
3. The doors were opened by Queen Elisabeth II
4. It is 185 meters in length
5. You can find this landmark between 30 and 50 degrees South latitude
6. South hemisphere
7. More than 100,000,000 was spent to build it
8. It was founded in 1973
9. It was built by Danish architect.
(23A) Gymnasia 1 (Team 7A) Kalachinsk, Omsk, Russia
1.It is an ideal place for picnics
2.It depends on water and rains
3.Its height is 9 meters
4.It is in the park
5.You can find this landmark between 30 and 50 degrees North latitude
6.It is in the western hemisphere
7.It is under natural gas leak
8.You should use a footpath to get there
9.This is a fire by itself.
(24A) Gymnasia 1 (Team 8A) Kalachinsk, Omsk, Russia
1.It was reconstructed several times
2.It is situated on the bank of the river
3.It was a prison
4.You can find this landmark between 30 and 50 degrees North latitude
5.It is in the Northern hemisphere
6.It is nearly 2000 years old
7.There was only the one person who managed to escape from it
8.It was founded as a mausoleum
9.It was a place of refuge of Clement VIII in 1527
(25A) Gymnazium Dr. A. Hrdlicky (Team Tercie) Czech Republic
1. I am man-made.
2. I am situated in a country which lies in the both hemispheres.
3. I have not been finished yet.
4. I am financed by the donations and charity.
5. I hope I will be completed at the 100th anniversary of the death my creator.
6. I could be visited by the winners of the Summer Olympic Games.
7. I was born in 1882.
8. My creator was a vegetarian.
9. The best football player in the world plays home matches near me.
(26A) Kalachinsk-Gym1 (Team Phoenix) Kalachinsk, Russia
1. Our landmark is in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. It is in the city of great museums.
3. A famous artist lived next door to the landmark.
4. Nearby there is Madame Tussaud’s Museum.
5. 55 degrees north.
6. The landmark is closed for visitors but you can see it from the swimming cafes.
7. It has a famous broken clock.
8. It was built exactly three centuries before the battle of Borodino.
9. Its nick-name is the ‘Local Tower of Pisa.’
(27A) Kalachinsk-Gym1 (Team Cross) Kalachinsk, Russia
1. It is in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. The landmark is made of three kinds of materials.
3. It is one of the most photographed landmarks.
4. It is used as an entrance to the building.
5. It is about 10 meters high.
6. 40 degrees N.
7. There was an unusual wedding ceremony in 2010.
8. There is a symbol of a famous company in the landmark.
9. Opposite of this landmark there is a building which appeared in the film "Home Alone".
(28A) Kalachinsk-Gym1 (Hand in Hand) Kalachinsk, Russia
1. Many copies
2. Northern Hemisphere
5. 40 degrees N
8. It was damaged
9. 17 meters
(29A) Manor Hill Elem. (Team Green 5) Liberty, MO
1. Many people come to this landmark to get married.
2. It was finished in the same year as a series of bomb attacks in London.
3. It's frame is made of concrete and steel.
4. It lights up in different colors.
5. It is found in the northern hemisphere.
6. You can find black cabs in this country.
7. It can be found at 50 degrees north latitude.
8. It receives over 600,000 visitors yearly.
9. You can view the sights from 3 different decks.
(30A) Oberthur Primary (Searchers) Bull Creek, W. Australia,
1. not always part of same country
2. hollowed sides
3. birds nest
4. Southern Hemisphere
7. attempted invasion
8. close to 10 degrees latitude
9. migration wonder
(31A) St. Oswald Primary (Sizzling Sausages) Burneside, UK
1.It's in the northern hemisphere
2. Anagram of EBYAB WRENTTIMESS
3. Begun by Henry III
4. It's the final resting place of 17 monarchs
5. An architectural masterpiece developed from the 13th to 16th century
6. Started building in 12 45
7. 60,000 sandbags used to protect the tombs in the World War II
8. Over 600 people buried here
9. Longitude 0.1275 West
(32A) Secondary School5 (Siberian Stars) Krasnoyarsk, Russia
1. I am located in the same hemisphere as the Arctic.
2. I am between 40 and 60 degrees North latitude.
3. You can also find me between 75 and 100 degrees East longitude.
4. I am part of a big family.
5. I have two heads.
6. The biggest one is about 14,784 feet high.
7. In the 1990s I was included to UNESCO World Heritage list.
8. I am a sacred centre for spiritual travellers.
9. Nicholai Roerich, the mystic Russian artist, found the entrance of the mystical Shambhala.
(33A) Voyager Academy (Voyager Blue) Durham, North Carolina
1. It was built with an automatic flushing system which was something new for that time.
2. In the summer, it has 6000 visitors a day.
3.I t has an artificial cave.
4. It is located in the Northern Hemisphere.
5. It is a symbol of romantic architecture.
6. It was built in 1869.
7. It is one of the most frequently photographed things in its country.
8. There was a room in gold and blue in the Byzantine style.
9. It is located at 10.7 degrees E Longitude.
(34A) Voyager Academy (Voyager Green) Durham, North Carolina
1. It is made of concrete.
2. It is home to a large instrument.
3. It is named after a poet.
4. The object in front of it was a gift from another country.
5. You can see mountains from an observation area.
6. It is over 240 feet tall.
7. Construction began in 1945.
8. It is in the northern hemisphere.
9. Located at 64 degrees N Latitude
Article posted March 8, 2013 at 08:19 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 1427
Article posted February 27, 2013 at 08:17 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 592
Here is a video by Kristina Schenck about Similes and Metaphors. Can you think of a way to include similes and metaphors in your writing? I'd be as happy as a clam to see at least one in the next story you write!
Article posted February 27, 2013 at 08:17 PM GMT •
comment • Reads 592 | <urn:uuid:2ad44195-5247-4d13-9999-38cb75044d7b> | {
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Mr. Gonzalez's Science Classes
We have three 6th grade Science classes and two 8th grade Science classes blogging here from the Pacific Northwest in Chimacum, WA! Sixth graders are learning a bit about Mt Saint Helens, environmental science through fresh water ecology, and physical science this year. Eighth graders are learning about life science this year. Please join us as we learn Science by exploring our world.
Mr. G's Blog Mr. G's Class Facebook Page
Here's what the creator of this graph wrote, "I tried to come up with the reason for the daylight saving time change by just looking at the data for sunset and sunrise times. The figure represents sunset and sunrise times thought the year. It shows that the daylight saving time change marked by the lines (DLS) is keeping the sunrise time pretty much constant throughout the whole year, while making the sunset time change a lot. The spread of sunrise times as measured by the standard deviation is 42 minutes, which means that the sunrise time changes within that range the whole year, while the standard deviation for the sunset times is 1:30 hours. Whatever the argument for doing this is, it's pretty clear that reason is to keep the sunrise time constant."
Article posted January 31, 2013 at 07:27 AM GMT-8 •
comment (4) • Reads 85400
"The acoustic levitator uses two small speakers to generate sound waves at frequencies slightly above the audible range – roughly 22 kilohertz. When the top and bottom speakers are precisely aligned, they create two sets of sound waves that perfectly interfere with each other, setting up a phenomenon known as a standing wave.
At certain points along a standing wave, known as nodes, there is no net transfer of energy at all. Because the acoustic pressure from the sound waves is sufficient to cancel the effect of gravity, light objects are able to levitate when placed at the nodes."
About the Blogger
I started my teaching career in South Central Los Angeles teaching in modified to full bilingual 4th and 5th grade classes. Then I moved to WA State where I have taught mainly 6th through 8th grade. I have enjoyed the culture clash but notice that kids are the same everywhere :o)
My areas of interest are science and technology but I also love studying ancient cultures and learning about different peoples and cultures. | <urn:uuid:fb13e858-5e5f-48bb-b6a5-12a5ffb7c2bd> | {
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Tornadoes and Climate Change: Huge Stakes, Huge Unknowns
Posted: 12:05 PM EDT on May 23, 2013
We currently do not know how tornadoes and severe thunderstorms may be changing due to climate change, nor is there hope that we will be able to do so in the foreseeable future. It does not appear that there has been an increase in U.S. tornadoes stronger than EF-0 in recent decades, but climate change appears to be causing more extreme years--both high and low--of late. We may see an increase in the number of severe thunderstorms over the U.S. by late this century.
Read This Blog Entry
Other Featured Blogs:
Did you know that...
Large golf ball-sized hail was produced from thunderstorms over the eastern United States on this date in 1988. Also, in 1990, a cloudburst washed topsoil and large rocks into the town of Culdesac, Idaho.
More Weather Education Resources | <urn:uuid:e7908a91-7b74-42c2-ab95-59e1ffdccb6a> | {
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What is Chiropractic
Chiropractic health care:
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.
Doctors of Chiropractic – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.
The nerves in the spine can become irritated or pinched and can cause pain and dysfunction in any part of the body as the following chart shows.
The most common therapeutic procedure performed by doctors of chiropractic is known as “spinal manipulation”, also called “chiropractic adjustment”. The purpose of manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypo mobile – or restricted in their movement – as a result of a tissue injury. Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for the sufferer. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, and allowing tissues to heal.
Each muscle, tissue and organ in your body has a nerve supply, just like it has a blood supply. If there is interference in the nervous system it can affect the function of the organs, just as if there is a decreased blood supply, the organs can not be fully functional and healthy. Dysfunction leads to illness.
Chiropractic is not a cure all, but a system of health care that helps the body to heal itself by helping to balance the autonomic nervous system. Not every condition can be helped on every patient. Not every patient is accepted for treatment, only those whose examination shows their condition is likely to respond to our treatment protocols.
Our office treats the following conditions on a daily basis.
Low back pain
Muscle pain and spasms
Strain, sprain injuries
TMJ jaw problems
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Headaches of all types
The chart below shows the correlation between spinal segmental dysfunction and nerve irritation that can be related to the following symptoms.
” The nervous system controls and coordinates all organs and structures of the human body.”
Grays Anatomy, 29th edition, page 4.
For more information call our office in Clemson, S.C. at | <urn:uuid:4c8445ad-bec3-4a81-9f6f-949586db9451> | {
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Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
Description of the Examination
The Analyzing and Interpreting Literature examination covers material usually taught in a general two-semester undergraduate course in literature. Although the examination does not require familiarity with specific works, it does assume that candidates have read widely and perceptively in poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction. The questions are based on passages supplied in the test. These passages have been selected so that no previous experience with them is required to answer the questions. The passages are taken primarily from American and British literature.
The examination contains approximately 80 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of these are pretest questions that will not be scored. Any time candidates spend taking tutorials and providing personal information is additional to actual testing time.
Because writing about literary texts is central to the study of literature, some colleges may require candidates to take an optional essay section in addition to the multiple-choice section. The essay section is 90 minutes long and is made up of two 45-minute questions. One question asks candidates to analyze a short poem, the other asks them to apply a given generalization about literature (such as the function of a theme or a technique) to a novel, short story, or play that they have read. The essay section is still administered in a paper-and-pencil format; the essay responses are graded by the institution, not by the College Board.
Knowledge and Skills Required
Questions on the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature examination require candidates to demonstrate the following abilities.
- Ability to read prose, poetry, and drama with understanding
- Ability to analyze the elements of a literary passage and to respond to nuances of meaning, tone, imagery, and style
- Ability to interpret metaphors, to recognize rhetorical and stylistic devices, to perceive relationships between parts and wholes, and to grasp a speaker's or author's attitudes
- Knowledge of the means by which literary effects are achieved
- Familiarity with the basic terminology used to discuss literary texts
The examination emphasizes comprehension, interpretation, and analysis of literary works. A specific knowledge of historical context (authors and movements) is not required, but a broad knowledge of literature gained through reading widely and a familiarity with basic literary terminology is assumed. The following outline indicates the relative emphasis given to the various types of literature and the periods from which the passages are taken. The approximate percentage of exam questions per classification is noted within each main category.
35%–45% Prose (fiction and nonfiction)
50%–65% British Literature
30%–45% American Literature
5%–15% Works in translation
3%–7% Classical and pre-Renaissance
20%–30% Renaissance and 17th Century
35%–45% 18th and 19th Centuries
25%–35% 20th and 21st Centuries
CLEP® Analyzing and Interpreting Literature Examination Guide
[PDF Download] The Analyzing and Interpreting Literature exam includes questions on passages taken from American and British literature.
Want to get a feel for the tests? Try out sample questions from actual CLEP exams in the subject of your choice.
Find out if your institution accepts CLEP. | <urn:uuid:bd7d99e2-36f6-4928-a0e9-0d82947794a0> | {
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The purpose was to determine if waist placement of the pedometer affected accuracy in normal, overweight, and obese children, when attaching the pedometer to the waistband or a belt. Methods: Seventy-seven children (ages 10-12 years) wore 5 pedometers on the waistband of their pants and a belt at the following placements: navel (NV), anterior midline of the right thigh (AMT), right side (RS), posterior midline of the right thigh (PMT), and middle of the back (MB). Participants walked 100 steps on a treadmill at 80 m · min–1. Results: The RS, PMT, and MB sites on the waistband and the AMT and RS sites on the belt produced the least error. Conclusions: Of these sites, the RS placement is recommended because of the ease of reading the pedometer during activity. Using a belt did not significantly improve accuracy except for normal weight groups at the NV placement site. | <urn:uuid:581848ba-dae1-46bc-ae9e-035b15ddb638> | {
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Running in the woods twice as good as running in a gym for mental health
The study showed that the positive effect on people's mental health was 50 per cent more than they might expect from going to the gym. The researchers at Glasgow University found that being around trees and grass lowered brain stress levels.
The study, led by Prof Richard Mitchell, polled nearly 2000 physically active people. In an interview, Prof Mitchell said he was "surprised" by the scale of the results, adding: "There was around a 50 per cent improvement in people’s mental health if they were physically active in the natural environment, compared to those who weren't. These aren't serious mental health issues, more struggles in general life, things like mild depression, not being able to sleep, high stress levels or just feelings of not being able to cope. It seems that woodland and forest seem to have the biggest effect on helping to lower mental health problems. That makes sense with what we thought we knew. That is, the brain likes to be in the natural environment and it reacts to being there by turning down our stress response.
Being in areas that have lots of trees and grassy areas help to calm us down, and obviously a forest has this. I wasn't surprised by the findings that exercise in natural environments is good for your mental health, but I was surprised by just how much better it is for your mental health to exercise in a green place like a forest, than in other places like the gym. The message to doctors, planners and policy makers is that these places need protecting and promoting."
He added that taking a decision to exercise in a natural environment once a week could be enough to gain some benefit, and any additional use could have a bigger effect.
Posted by John Desmond at Tuesday, June 26, 2012 | <urn:uuid:f9c38eae-f34b-466d-b112-7a6aa54d56cd> | {
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Productivity depends on your workers being at their sharpest.
Such factors result in fatigue, which is a potential workplace epidemic.
Sleep habits suffer, physical activity is often pushed aside, and too many hours at work take a toll on overall wellness. All of these factors may lead to burnout and worse. Depression and anxiety can spring from an overload of stress.
Fatigue is multifaceted, and whether your employees are dealing with the physical kind or the mental incarnation, their ability to bring their best performance to work will be limited to some degree.
Your efforts to promote wellness are your best defense against fatigue’s worst effects, stress overload, burnout, and other productivity killers.
Finding out what’s the biggest drain at your office is the first step in solving the problem and improving your workers’ ability to focus and perform, as well as avoiding accidents, injuries, and costly mistakes.
WebMD offers these common causes of fatigue and tips for fighting them:
Tags: a culture of wellness, company wellness programs, coping with stress, corporate health and wellness, corporate wellness initiatives, creating a culture of wellness, depression, employee health promotion programs, employee health wellness, employees health programs, health and wellness in the workplace, healthy behavior, how to increase employee productivity, improve productivity, improve workplace health, improve workplace productivity, information, job stress, mental health in the workplace, mental health in workplace, mental health issues in the workplace, productivity at the workplace, productivity strategy, tips, wellness health | <urn:uuid:5108b90b-b36f-4277-bbc6-406f3f9e9477> | {
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The struggle for emancipation in the Civil War produced some memorable cartoons. One such example appeared in Harper’s Weekly in its issue of August 16, 1862.
The caption for the cartoon reads, “DROWNING GENTLEMAN. ‘Take that Rope away, you darned Nigger! What decent White Man, do you suppose, is going to allow himself to be saved by a confounded Nig — ‘ (Goes down, consistent to the last.)”
Of course, the point of the cartoon was to criticize people in the North that opposed letting African Americans get more directly involved in the war, especially as soldiers. By late summer 1862, it was increasingly clear that the Union could not win the war if it did make war on slavery and enlist the slaves themselves in the fight. While this idea still faced considerable opposition, its opponents increasingly looked as ridiculous as the drowning man in this cartoon. | <urn:uuid:8159c3fd-ade9-4fb6-bdfb-846df0505728> | {
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Over the last ten thousand years, virtually every aspect of human culture has changed. The food we eat, the homes and shelters we live in, the clothes we wear, our language, music, stories, science, technology, social organization have all changed in fundamental ways that make modern cultures unrecognizably different from hunter-gatherer cultures. One aspect of human culture has remained unchanged over the last ten thousand years – all humans have retained a basic ability to recognize and interpret footprints on a beach.
When you look at footprints on a beach, what you see and the way you interpret them is essentially exactly what a hunter-gatherer would have seen and interpreted a hundred thousand years ago. We still use the same reasoning to understand what we are looking at. The hunter-gatherer may have been a more sophisticated tracker, but looking at human footprints on a beach may be one of the few aspects, perhaps the only aspect, of human culture that links us with hunter-gatherer cultures more than a hundred thousand years ago.
The art of tracking is the one aspect of hunter-gatherer culture that can be applied in a modern context. It is also the one aspect of hunter-gatherer culture that all modern humans can identify with. Not only can traditional trackers benefit by working as trackers in a modern economy. By sharing their tracking expertise, people from other modern cultures can benefit by learning more about the roots of science.
The implications for community participation in science are far-reaching. Imagine communities throughout the world gathering data... from remote villages in the Kalahari, the Congo, Australia and Mongolia,... to school children in New York's Central Park, to London, Paris, Tokyo, New Delhi and Beijing... citizens gathering data on birds, animals, plants... millions of people all over the world sharing their data on the Internet (the Cloud), creating a worldwide network to monitor the global ecosystem in real time.
The Origin of Science looks at practical applications of the art of tracking in a modern context. These examples demonstrate continuity between "indigenous knowledge" and modern Western science. It demonstrates the ease with which traditional trackers, who cannot read or write, can adopt and take ownership of modern computer technology. These examples break down barriers between conventional notions of "science" and "indigenous knowledge" and between literate and pre-literate cultures. Breaking down these barriers challenges us to redefine the boundaries of science. | <urn:uuid:47a93669-a699-41f2-b470-03db9b9bd9e4> | {
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Proceedings of the 2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference
KPLU (NPR): Marine Conference
SEATTLE, WA (2005-03-30) The Puget Sound is in trouble and hundreds of scientists are gathering this week in Seattle to discuss why and what can be done to fix the problem. KPLU environment reporter Steve Krueger has this preview of what lies ahead.
Also posted on:
By Peggy Andersen
SEATTLE - During the great annual gray whale migrations between feeding grounds in the north Pacific and breeding spots off Mexico, about 200 individuals apparently take up "seasonal residence" in the Pacific Northwest, scientists say.
Six gray whales, for example, have been spotted around Whidbey Island nearly every spring since 1991, says biologist John Calambokidis of Olympia-based Cascadia Research. Other small groups of gray whales return annually to preferred spots along the coasts of Oregon and British Columbia.
"In recent years, we've done a much better job identifying these seasonal resident animals," Calambokidis said. In some cases, "we have evidence they don't go to Alaska. They migrate south to the breeding grounds but seem to make this their primary feeding area."
Also, he said, unusually high numbers of beached grays reported in the spring of 1999 and 2000 apparently did not mark the start of a population decline for gray whales.
"The mortality since then has been very low," he said.
Calambokidis presented recent research about grays as the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference got under way Tuesday at the downtown Washington State Convention Center. The three-day session, featuring scores of scientists on a range of topics, is sponsored by the state's Puget Sound Action Team and Environment Canada.
In a brief luncheon address, Gov. Christine Gregoire said she's making "real science" a priority in making decisions about the environment. There need not be a conflict between business and the environment, she said - businesses are drawn to the region for its quality of life.
Historically, Calambokidis said, gray whales that ventured inland were likely more vulnerable to shore-based hunters than those that swam farther offshore, churning all the way north to the Bering and Beaufort seas of Alaska and the Chukchi Sea off Siberia.
A gray whale calf emerges to be touched by tourists in Ojo de Liebre lagoon in Baja California Sur, Mexico, in March 1999 during the great annual gray whale migration between feeding grounds in the North Pacific and breeding spots off Mexico.
(Associated Press file photo)
The ones that stop in the Northwest tend to not have as many young as the larger population, he said. Determining the gender of the seasonal residents is a work in progress, but females with calves tend to start the migration late and inland stops "may not be advantageous" for them, Calambokidis said.
Some of the returnees move on in early summer and may in fact head north, he said. Some only drop in once or twice. Grays seen farther inland, in central and south Puget Sound, tend to be stragglers foraging for food - sometimes desperately - that rejoin the migration if they can.
There was a surge in reports of dead, beached gray whales five years ago, when population estimates peaked at about 27,000 and the Makah Indian Tribe moved to reaffirm its whaling rights under an 1855 treaty.
While most whale deaths occur in the ocean, the 50 carcasses found on Washington state shores alone in 1999-2000 may have marked a converging of two extremes, Calambokidis said: The whale population reaching its maximum carrying capacity and a natural downturn in the cyclical availability of food and prey.
Many researchers believe both the high population number and the big die-off were "blips," Calambokidis said.
"That's why there was a dramatic event, instead of a gradual tapering off." Records from around the Northwest indicate that the "major mortality event" was a very isolated incident, he said.
On average, Washington state has four gray whale beachings a year, based on reports from the regional stranding network that has been in place since the 1970s, Calambokidis said.
"We haven't really changed our response to strandings," he said. A beached whale carcass as long as 40 feet is hard to miss in a populated area, while dead whales on remote stretches of beach may go unnoticed.
Gray whales, the first creature listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act, were decimated by commercial whaling that peaked in the late 19th century.
Recent gray whale counts conducted along the migration route suggest the population may have settled at about 17,000 animals - roughly the pre-whaling total, Calambokidis said.
The grays' removal from the Endangered Species List in 1994 prompted the Makah to reclaim whaling rights after 70 years. The issue has been bogged down in federal court appeals since the tribe killed a single whale in May 1999.
Antiwhaling activists characterized "resident" gray whales as a separate population that warranted special protection. Some definitions of Makah whaling grounds limited the tribe to offshore whales, while others allowed whaling some distance into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the waterway that divides the United States and Canada before making a sharp right into Puget Sound.
"Now that we have accurate evidence of their abundance ... it would allow someone to make estimates of what level of kills could come from that group," Calambokidis said. "We have a much more solid basis of information for either side in that debate."
On the Net:
By SUSAN GORDON
Gov. Christine Gregoire promised Monday to take action to protect and restore Puget Sound.
She told a gathering of 600 environmental scientists and others at a U.S.-Canadian research conference that the Sound's health is both central to Washington's future prosperity and a legacy important to future generations.
"Only if we redouble our efforts will we succeed," she said.
Gregoire wants to boost spending on what she described as scientifically based solutions to problems such as pollution and environmental degradation.
She proposes to spend $31.5 million over the next two years to clean up mercury contamination, control the spread of toxic flame retardants, restore polluted shellfish beds and remove spartina, an invasive beach grass, among other things.
Her proposal includes $7.5 million for continuing scientific monitoring.
"We are going to invest and we are going to deliver," she said.
Gregoire has already proposed spending $5 million on the Hood Canal, where pollution has been blamed for an oxygen imbalance that has killed fish.
Gregoire's pledge to save the Sound came during luncheon speech at the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference, a three-day event at the Washington State Trade & Convention Center in Seattle.
The annual conference brings together U.S. and Canadian scientists who present new scientific findings on some of the most pressing environmental problems facing the region.
Kathy Fletcher, executive director of the environmental group People for Puget Sound, was in the audience.
"It's music to my ears," she said of Gregoire's promise of action. "She's been around this issue long enough to know we need to do a lot more than studies and research."
The governor described the state's continuing population boom as a threat.
"We have met the enemy and the enemy is us," Gregoire said. "Our robust population leads directly to the health problems of the Sound,"
Over the past decade, Washington's population has grown by about 1 million, a 20 percent increase that means more sewage, more road runoff and more pressure on sensitive resources, she said.
Perhaps anticipating objections from the business community, Gregoire underscored the value of Washington's quality of life as a lure to enterprise.
She praised the work of scientists who have focused on both problems and solutions.
"Real science has got to be the key to our decisions with respect to the environment," she said. "Every time we make decisions based on science, the environment is always the winner."
Also Monday, she announced the reappointment of Brad Ack as director of the Puget Sound Action Team, which sets the state's environmental protection priorities for Puget Sound.
During her speech, she endorsed the team's seven-point plan for 2005-2007, which was released last December.
Gregoire told the Seattle audience her first brush with international environmental controversy came in 1988 when she was in charge of the state Department of Ecology. The barge "Nestucca" spilled 230,000 gallons of fuel oil that contaminated beaches from Grays Harbor County to Vancouver Island.
The oil spill roused the state's attention to the damage associated with the risks of oil transport. It also affected Gregoire's family, she said.
The governor recalled bringing her daughter Michelle, now 20, along when she visited a bird rescue operation.
It was "heart-wrenching," Gregoire said.
But the grim scene also influenced Michelle, who is now a college student majoring in environmental science.
What the plan would do
To view the strategy endorsed by Gov. Christine Gregoire to restore and conserve Puget Sound, go to www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/priorities_05/ Priorities_05_review.htm.
Gregoire made a commitment Monday to fund a two-year, seven-point action plan developed last year by the Puget Sound Action Team.
The team was created in 1996 to set priorities for Puget Sound environmental protection.
Susan Gordon: 253-597-8756
By Christopher Dunagan, Sun Staff
SEATTLE-- With science as a guiding light, political leaders must "redouble" their efforts to reverse a dangerous decline in the Puget Sound ecosystem, Gov. Christine Gregoire said Tuesday.
Gregoire expressed concerns about the deadly low-oxygen conditions that plague Hood Canal, and she said similar "dead zones" could develop in southern Puget Sound if people don't take appropriate action."
"We can do better," the governor said, addressing the Puget Sound and Georgia Strait Research Conference. "My friends, we have no choice. We have to do a lot better. It is not too late - but only if we redouble our efforts."
More than 700 scientists, policy makers and concerned individuals attended the first day of a three-day conference addressing scientific issues in Puget Sound and Canada's Georgia Strait. Close to 200 separate research topics are on tap for discussion at the event, which takes place every two years.
Gov. Christine Gregoire says pollution will create more 'dead zones' in Puget Sound unless action is taken now.
(AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Gregoire, former director of the Washington Department of Ecology, said Washington state residents are engaged in a fight against pollution, habitat destruction and declining fish and wildlife populations. But it simply isn't enough. Over the past 20 years, the state's own studies show that for every environmental success, there are new or growing problems for Puget Sound.
"We have a million more people putting demands on that fragile ecosystem," she said, "... and we will add a million more people."
Business owners want to come to Washington because they love the quality of life here, she said. But the challenge is for everyone to work together to improve the environment and leave things better for the next generation.
Gregoire told the scientists that research is essential. Because of dedicated scientific work, "we have a grasp today of the problems and some of the solutions."
She has called on the Legislature to create a new Washington Academy of Sciences to bring together the best minds in the state to provide answers to vexing questions.
"There were bright people who preceded me," she said, "and they couldn't solve the problem. We need new thinking ... When we make our decisions based on science, the environment is always the winner."
But Gregoire does not want to wait for the scientists to answer all the questions - which is why she demanded that the "action plan" for Hood Canal include projects for reducing nitrogen, believed to be at the heart of the problem.
The research conference, held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, has been one of the few venues to bring together a cross-section of the scientific community studying Puget Sound. Issues range from killer whale behavior to the chemistry of sewage.
One group of researchers at Tuesday's session described an intensive effort to characterize the existing ecosystem in the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula. It will be important, they said, to study the changes after two dams on the river are removed in 2007.
One thing the research has revealed, said Jonathan Warrick of the U.S. Geological Survey, is that the river above the dams is starved for nutrients, essential to the entire food chain. In rivers without blockages, adult salmon carry nutrients in their bodies from the ocean to the upper watershed.
When salmon die, they feed organisms from the bottom of the food chain, as well as eagles and bears that then distribute the nutrients over a broader area.
Other sessions on Tuesday included a discussion of how climate change could alter salmon populations, a talk about gray whales and humpback whales visiting Puget Sound in recent years, and a presentation about an advanced computer model used to describe the movement of pollutants in Bremerton's Sinclair Inlet.
Reach Christopher Dunagan at (360) 792-9207 or e-mail [email protected].
Copyright 2005, kitsapsun.com. All Rights Reserved.
By Larry Pynn
The shared waters of the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound are home to 63 marine species at risk, with over-harvesting, habitat loss, and pollution rated as the biggest threats, according to a research study being released at an international conference starting today.
The study by Joseph Gaydos and Nicholas Brown also finds that the four jurisdictions responsible for protecting marine species -- B.C., Washington state, and the Canadian and U.S. governments -- cannot reach consensus on the level of threat facing all of those 63 species.
Of the 63 species, Washington officially considered 73 per cent of them at risk, B.C. 50 per cent, the Canadian government 36 per cent, and the U.S. government 31 per cent.
As an example, B.C. lists 12 seabirds that neighbouring Washington state does not list, even though it is common for various species to fly back and forth across the international boundary.
The high number of species at risk in the region's marine waters are evidence of "ecosystem decay," the report's authors conclude, and reflect the need for the various levels of governments to work harder on conservation and to adopt an international ecosystem approach.
Gaydos and Brown are with the SeaDoc Society, a marine ecosystem health program administered through the University of California, Davis, Wildlife Health Centre, and based in Washington's San Juan Islands.
As of September 2004, the 63 species at risk consisted of 27 fish, 23 birds, nine mammals (including the grey whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, and killer whale), three invertebrates, and one reptile.
Within the Puget Sound-Georgia Basin marine ecosystem, the number of invertebrate species is much greater than vertebrate species, yet only three invertebrates are listed at risk -- Newcomb's littorine snail, Olympic oyster, and northern abalone -- suggesting the category is not receiving as much attention as it should.
The results of the study are being presented at the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference running today through Thursday in Seattle and co-sponsored by Environment Canada.
Commenting on the study, Tony Pitcher, a professor at the University of B.C. Fisheries Centre, said in Vancouver that governments have been slow to adopt an ecosystem approach to marine management.
And while states and provinces can have different mandates, he agreed that the international border poses a political obstacle to good management of marine species, not just between B.C. and Washington, but between B.C. and Alaska on our north coast.
Pitcher also agreed that more research is needed on invertebrate species such as crabs, squid and octopus, and the roles they play in the greater ecosystem.
He added that despite the need for more work by Canadian and American authorities to reverse a decline in the health of our marine ecosystem, local waters are still in relatively good shape compared with other coastal areas in the Pacific Rim, including China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
RISK TO SPECIES BY JURISDICTION:
The shared waters of Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia are home to 63 marine species that are at risk, with overharvesting, habitat loss and pollution rated as the biggest threats, according to a study being released at an international conference today.
The results show "ecosystem decay" and reflect the need for B.C., Washington state, Canada and the U.S. to work together to adopt an international, cooperative ecosystem approach. The statistics below show the differing levels of risk to some species, assigned by just two of those jurisdictions.
Source: The SeaDoc Society, The Vancouver Sun FISH, REPTILES, BIRDS AND MAMMALS ON THE AT-RISK LIST:
Also posted on:
March 24, 2005
Tacoma, WA, Mar. 24 (UPI) -- Concentrations of the banned chemical PCB are at least three times higher in Puget Sound chinook salmon than in that from other areas, a report says.
That finding, from Sandie O'Neill, a scientist with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, measured chinook salmon from Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, coastal Washington and the Columbia River.
Her report prompted the state to begin its own research. Officials say there is no immediate cause for alarm, the Tacoma News-Tribune said Thursday.
O'Neill presented preliminary data to the state Fish & Wildlife Commission last October and plans to unveil more comprehensive research at the 2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference next week in Seattle.
"The food chain in Puget Sound is significantly contaminated with PCBs and flame retardants," said Jim West, another state scientist.
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are banned industrial compounds that build up in the food chain and can cause developmental and behavioral problems in children.
SUSAN GORDON; The News Tribune
Concentrations of banned chemicals that are particularly threatening to children are at least three times higher in Puget Sound chinook salmon than in chinook from other areas.
In light of that finding by a state Department of Fish and Wildlife scientist, state Health Department officials are conducting their own research. While they say there is no cause for alarm, health officials acknowledge they might revise fish consumption warnings in a few months.
"I don't think the data is clear enough yet," said Rob Duff, the Health Department's environmental health director.
Sandie O'Neill, a state Department of Fish and Wildlife scientist, has found PCB concentrations in Puget Sound chinook are three times higher than what others have measured in chinook salmon from Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, coastal Washington and the Columbia River.
O'Neill has studied PCBs in salmon since 1992. But comparable data from other researchers weren't available until recently, she said.
She first presented preliminary data to the state Fish & Wildlife Commission last October and plans to unveil more comprehensive research at the 2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference next week in Seattle.
O'Neill's results underscore the persistence of dangerous contaminants in Puget Sound.
"The food chain in Puget Sound is significantly contaminated with PCBs and flame retardants," said Jim West, another state Fish and Wildlife Department scientist.
He recently discovered both pollutants in herring, a key component of the salmon diet.
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are banned industrial compounds found worldwide that build up in the food chain and can cause developmental and behavioral problems in children.
Testing store-bought fish
Although PCBs are found in meat and dairy products, some health experts believe humans are most at risk from eating contaminated fish.
However, because fish are nutritious and contain fatty acids that lower cholesterol, many experts are reluctant to suggest consumption limits based on PCBs.
"These contaminants are in every fish and every person on the planet," Duff said.
Current state Health Department advisories warn about contaminated fish or shellfish in eight tainted locations around Puget Sound, including Tacoma's Commencement Bay.
But that advice, which doesn't mention salmon, is complicated and might not be sufficient, Duff said.
So Health Department researchers are testing store-bought fish for PCBs, mercury and flame retardants. The sampling list includes chinook salmon, catfish, pollack, red snapper, halibut, cod and flounder, Duff said.
After that analysis, due in about three months, state health officials could revise statewide fish consumption recommendations, Duff said.
PCBs, which cause cancer, are highly toxic compounds that can be transferred from mothers to children through breast milk. Once used to cool and insulate transformers and other electrical equipment, PCBs have been banned in the United States since 1977.
Because PCBs don't break down over time, they persist in air, water and soil. The PCBs also build up in the food chain, so top predators harbor high concentrations. Because of PCBs, orca whales are some of the world's most contaminated marine mammals.
In Puget Sound chinook, O'Neill measured average PCB concentrations of 53 parts per billion. That's like a spoonful of poison in a railroad tanker car full of water, but scientists believe the toxicity of the compound makes it notable.
In Puget Sound coho, O'Neill measured average PCB concentrations of 31 parts per billion.
"These are not screamingly high levels," Duff said.
Concentrations found in Great Lakes salmon have been many times higher.
But Puget Sound chinook, also known as king salmon, are far more contaminated than other types of salmon, such as pinks, sockeye and chum, O'Neill said. That might be because young chinook spend more time in the estuaries than other young salmon, which also feed lower on the food web.
Also, O'Neill said concentrations of PCBs in Puget Sound chinook are comparable to what others have measured in farmed Atlantic salmon from Norway and Scotland.
For years, scientists have known about excessive concentrations of PCBs in bottom-dwelling Puget Sound fish, particularly those inhabiting polluted industrial areas such as Commencement Bay in Tacoma and the Seattle waterfront.
For example, state researchers have found PCBs in concentrations of 121 parts per billion in rockfish and 62 parts per billion in English sole. Both were caught in Seattle.
Harbor seals also are contaminated.
The new research suggests that efforts to confine contaminated sediments in polluted areas such as Commencement Bay might not prevent PCBs from recycling through plankton and fish, said West, O'Neill's colleague at the Fish and Wildlife Department.
"We need to better understand the dynamic between contaminants trapped in sediments and those entrained in the (salmon) food web," O'Neill said.
Bill Sullivan, environmental director for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, said he wouldn't be surprised if contaminants leak out of disposal sites.
"Obviously, we have something very wrong in the interior Puget Sound," he said.
If state officials revamp fish consumption recommendations, Duff said special outreach efforts will be made to tribes and immigrant groups of Asians and Pacific Islanders. They often eat lots of fish and might be more vulnerable to injury than the mainstream population, he said.
Most Washington residents eat no more than two fish meals a week, and that's probably not enough to cause harm, he said.
On the net:
For state Health Department fish consumption recommendations, visit www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/EHA_fish_adv.htm.
Susan Gordon: 253-597-8756
March. 23-29, 2005
Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference: Literally hundreds of scientists and scholars converge on the Washington Convention and Trade Center for this environmental confab. The Wednesday evening forum, led by a panel of researchers and policymakers, is open to the public. 800 Convention Pl., 206-694-5000. Free. 7-9 p.m. Wed., March 30.
By Warren Cornwall
A prolific and potentially toxic fire retardant is showing up in Puget Sound marine life ranging from tiny herring to massive killer whales, raising alarms among scientists who warn it could become the next big toxic threat to underwater animals.
"We've got fireproof killer whales," said Peter Ross, a research scientist with the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Canada and an expert in toxic chemicals in marine animals. "We're concerned about this."
The problem appears greatest in south and central Puget Sound - where fish, seals and whales had higher levels of chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.
Since the early 1980s, levels of those chemicals in southern Puget Sound harbor seals have soared, a sign of an emerging threat to local killer whales that also feed on fish, Ross said. The whales are on the verge of being listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.
"I'm surprised at the rate of increase [of contamination]," said Sandie O'Neill, a research scientist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. "This is definitely an increasing concern, and that's what's getting everybody's attention."
Scientists are unsure how the chemicals are affecting marine life, or what threat is posed to people who eat contaminated fish. The state Department of Health hasn't established safety thresholds for food containing PBDEs.
A bromine-industry spokesman questioned whether the presence of PBDEs was cause for concern.
Production of some versions of the chemicals ended in 2004 because of health concerns. The most widespread version now is considered far less toxic, or not toxic at all, said John Kyte, executive director of the industry-backed Bromine Science and Environmental Forum.
"To simply say, 'We've found PBDEs' ... it's hard to make any meaningful judgment about whether this means anything."
But marine biologists worry the chemicals, used to fireproof everything from computers to mattresses, could interfere with neurological development or throw off an animal's hormones or immune system. PBDEs can linger in the environment for years, increasing the risk they will travel up the food chain as one animal eats another.
Toxic chemicals are considered one of the chief threats to the southern orcas. Their numbers have fallen from 99 in 1999 to 85 in 2004.
New research suggests those orcas may absorb much of the chemicals through the chinook salmon they eat. Puget Sound chinook had between three and five times higher levels of PBDEs and PCBs, a longstanding contaminant, compared with chinook from elsewhere, O'Neill said. This Puget Sound hot spot affects a number of marine creatures, according to studies by state, federal and Canadian agencies discussed yesterday at the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference, a Seattle meeting of scientists studying the waters shared by Washington and British Columbia.
The fire retardant may wind up in Puget Sound through storm-water runoff; or after floating into the air and then falling into the water, where they can be absorbed by animals scouring the sediment for food; or by plankton, O'Neill said. PBDEs also have been found in house dust and in women's breast milk.
The state Department of Ecology last year called for a ban on PBDEs, except in cases where no replacement flame retardant is available. But the ban proposal has stalled in the state Legislature this year.
Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or [email protected]
Scientists find high concentrations of harmful flame retardants in Puget Sound fish and marine mammals. They say action is needed now.
SUSAN GORDON; The News Tribune
U.S. and Canadian scientists have found abnormal levels of harmful flame retardants in Puget Sound fish and marine mammals, including orca whales.
Scientists who presented their findings at the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference in Seattle on Wednesday said the results confirm the region's vulnerability to contamination from the unstable but increasingly common chemical compounds.
The findings also underscore the need for a safe substitute for the flame retardants frequently used in consumer electronics, upholstery and carpeting, they said.
The problem is polybrominated diphenyl ethers, also known as PBDEs. The chemicals cause learning and behavioral problems in laboratory rats and mice and might have a similar effect on people, health officials say.
Peter Ross, a Canadian marine mammal toxicologist, and Sandie O'Neill, a Washington fish biologist, said new research highlights the need for government action. O'Neill and Ross compared flame retardants to polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, a banned industrial compound that poses similar health threats.
Similar research, first reported last week by The News Tribune, will be presented today at the conference that shows unusually high concentrations of PCBs in Puget Sound chinook salmon.
"It's a no-brainer. We banned PCBs and it's time to do something about PBDEs. If we wait to see health effects on fish, whales or people, it'll be too late," O'Neill said after her presentation. "We've got to turn off the tap now."
PBDEs break down over time, don't stick to the products in which they are used, attach to dust particles and wind up in foods such as fish and meat.
Ross, for his part, commended Washington state's effort to reduce the risks, saying action is necessary to protect the health of the region's dwindling population of orca whales, already heavily contaminated by PCBs.
Last year, then-Gov. Gary Locke ordered the state Department of Ecology to work with health experts to reduce the threat of harm from flame retardants.
Recently, state lawmakers introduced bills to ban PBDEs, but the measures have failed to move beyond legislative committees.
Earl Tower, a lobbyist for a coalition of chemical manufactures, said the two most controversial forms of the chemical - Penta and Octa - are no longer manufactured. The third, Deca-BDE, is used in the casings for computers, TVs and wiring. It is required by federal law to be used in airplanes and automobiles.
"Deca is not toxic. It's not bioaccumulative. There are no cases noted of any ill effects related to Deca," said Tower, who represents the industry-funded Bromine Science and Environmental Forum.
The proposal to ban Deca is "based on the precautionary principle that we don't know if it's a problem but it might be," Tower said, adding, "It's the most understood and most tested flame retardant."
O'Neill and Ross on Wednesday shared new evidence of abnormal levels of PBDEs in Puget Sound harbor seals, English sole, rockfish, herring, coho and chinook salmon.
O'Neill said she didn't find excessive amounts of the chemical in chum or pink salmon, which spend more time in the open ocean than in the Sound.
Ross presented results of research on harbor seals done in conjunction with Steven Jeffries, a state Fish and Wildlife Department marine mammal expert. Harbor seal pups captured on Gertrude Island, near Tacoma, also show higher levels of PBDE contamination than samples collected from other groups of seals in the north Puget Sound and British Columbia, Ross said.
Ross and O'Neill said their PBDE findings are consistent with a pattern of bioaccumulation high in the food chain previously seen in research on PCBs.
The United States banned PCBs almost 30 years ago because of the health risks.
Flame retardants are troublesome in part because they are unstable, said Denise Laflamme, a state Department of Health toxicologist who also spoke at the conference.
Flame retardants accumulate in fat, have been found in human breast milk and can be passed from mothers to their babies.
Since Locke's call for action in January 2004, Ecology Department officials have proposed a PBDE ban, but have not put it into place.
One lingering question is what would substitute for PBDEs now on the market, said Cheri Peele, an Ecology Department official working on the problem.
Flame retardant-to-human path unclear
Human health experts believe people are not exposed to the same high levels of flame retardants as have been proved to harm laboratory mice and rats, said Denise Laflamme, a state Department of Health toxicologist. But toxicologists also haven't figured out how the chemicals get into people, she said.
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, known as PBDEs, are present in many consumer products. Because flame retardants easily bind to dust, good housekeeping can reduce exposure, Laflamme said.
While fish is the most likely dietary source of flame retardants, they also have been found in meat and dairy products, she said. And despite the presence of flame retardants in breast milk, health officials still recommend breast feeding.
Health officials are studying the presence of flame retardants and other chemicals in fish and say they might change their advisories about fish consumption in the next few months.
On the Net
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In simpler words, parallax is a visual effect you experience when moving. Objects closer to you appear to move past more quickly than objects that are farther away. For example, when riding in a car, if you look out the side window, a tree by the side of the road will move through your field of vision much faster than a barn in the distance behind it. This effect is utilized within software to convey a sense of depth.
The most recent incarnation of the Foursquare iPhone App employs a parallax effect in which information on the screen scrolls on a plane above the map.
This GIFF doesn’t do it justice, of course, but a still image wouldn’t convey it at all. The effect is purely aesthetic, but it feels good. It’s an enjoyable microinteraction. | <urn:uuid:3af4a23c-189a-4817-86b7-4fa1544a7ece> | {
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- active driver
A device driver that implements advanced power management tasks, such as determining device idleness and performing pre-shutdown tasks. See also passive driver
- base class
In C++, the class from which another class (a subclass) inherits. It can also be used to specify a class from which all classes in a hierarchy ultimately derive (also known as a root class).
Berkeley Software Distribution. Formerly known as the Berkeley version of UNIX, BSD is now simply called the BSD operating system. The BSD portion of Darwin is based on 4.4BSD Lite 2 and FreeBSD, a flavor of 4.4BSD.
A directory in the file system that typically stores executable code and the software resources related to that code. (A bundle can store only resources.) Applications, plug-ins, frameworks, and kernel extensions are types of bundles. Except for frameworks, bundles are file packages, presented by the Finder as a single file instead of a folder. See also kernel extension
A transmission path on which signals can be dropped off or picked up by devices attached to it. Only devices addressed by the signals pay attention to them; the others discard the signals. Buses both exist within the CPU and connect it to physical memory and peripheral devices. Examples of I/O buses on Darwin are PCI, SCSI, USB, and FireWire.
- bus master
A program, usually in a separate I/O controller, that directs traffic on the computer bus or input/output paths. The bus master actually controls the bus paths on which the address and control signals flow. DMA is a simple form of bus mastering where the bus master controls I/O transfers between a device and system memory and then signals to the CPU when it has done so. See also DMA
A driver object that consumes services of some kind supplied by its provider. In a driver stack, the client in a provider/client relationship is farther away from the Platform Expert. See also provider
- command gate
A mechanism that controls access to the lock of a work loop, thereby serializing access to the data involved in I/O requests. A command gate does not require a thread context switch to ensure single-threaded access. IOCommandGate event-source objects represent command gates in the I/O Kit.
Another name for the OS X core operating system, or kernel environment. The Darwin kernel environment is equivalent to the OS X kernel plus the BSD libraries and commands essential to the BSD Commands environment. Darwin is Open Source technology.
(Direct Memory Access) A capability of some bus architectures that enables a bus controller to transfer data directly between a device (such as a disk drive) and a device with physically addressable memory, such as that on a computer's motherboard. The microprocessor is freed from involvement with the data transfer, thus speeding up overall computer operation. See also bus master
Computer hardware, typically excluding the CPU and system memory, which can be controlled and can send and receive data. Examples of devices include monitors, disk drives, buses, and keyboards.
- device driver
A component of an operating system that deals with getting data to and from a device, as well as the control of that device. A driver written with the I/O Kit is an object that implements the appropriate I/O Kit abstractions for controlling hardware.
- device file
In BSD, a device file is a special file located in
/devthat represents a block or character device such as a terminal, disk drive, or printer. If a program knows the name of a device file, it can use POSIX functions to access and control the associated device. The program can obtain the device name (which is not persistent across reboots or device removal) from the I/O Kit.
- device interface
In the I/O Kit, a mechanism that uses a plug-in architecture to allow a program in user space to communicate with a nub in the kernel that is appropriate to the type of device the program wishes to control. Through the nub the program gains access to I/O Kit services and to the device itself. From the perspective of the kernel, the device interface appears as a driver object called a user client.
- device matching
In the I/O Kit, a process by which an application finds an appropriate device interface to load. The application calls a special I/O Kit function that uses a “matching dictionary” to search the I/O Registry. The function returns one or more matching driver objects that the application can then use to load an appropriate device interface. Also referred to as device discovery.
See device driver
- driver matching
In the I/O Kit, a process in which a nub, after discovering a specific hardware device, searches for the driver or drivers most suited to drive that device. Matching requires that a driver have one or more personalities that specify whether it is a candidate for a particular device. Driver matching is a subtractive process involving three phases: class matching, passive matching, and active matching. See also personality
- driver stack
In an I/O connection, the series of driver objects (drivers and nubs) in client/provider relationships with each other. A driver stack often refers to the entire collection of software between a device and its client application (or applications).
- event source
An I/O object that corresponds to a type of event that a device driver can be expected to handle; there are currently event sources for hardware interrupts, timer events, and I/O commands. The I/O Kit defines a class for each of these event types, respectively IOInterruptEventSource, IOTimerEventSource, and IOCommandGate.
A collection of software abstractions that are common to all devices of a particular category. Families provide functionality and services to drivers. Examples of families include protocol families (such as SCSI, USB, and Firewire), storage families (disk drives), network families, and families that describe human interface devices (mouse and keyboard).
In the virtual-memory system, faults are the mechanism for initiating page-in activity. They are interrupts that occur when code tries to access data at a virtual address that is not mapped to physical memory. See also page; virtual memory
A type of bundle that packages a dynamic shared library with the resources that the library requires, including header files and reference documentation.
Note that the Kernel framework (which contains the I/O Kit headers) contains no dynamic shared library. All library-type linking for the Kernel framework is done using the
mach_kernelfile itself and kernel extensions. This linking is actually static (with vtable patch-ups) in implementation
- idle sleep
A sleep state that occurs when there has been no device or system activity for the period of time the user specifies in the Energy Saver pane of System Preferences. See also system sleep
- information property list
A property list that contains essential configuration information for bundles such as kernel extensions. A file named
Info.plist(or a platform-specific variant of that filename) contains the information property list and is packaged inside the bundle.
An asynchronous event that suspends the currently scheduled process and temporarily diverts the flow of control through an interrupt handler routine. Interrupts can be caused by both hardware (I/O, timer, machine check) and software (supervisor, system call, or trap instruction).
- interrupt handler
A routine executed when an interrupt occurs. Interrupt handlers typically deal with low-level events in the hardware of a computer system, such as a character arriving at a serial port or a tick of a real-time clock.
- I/O Catalog
A dynamic database that maintains entries for all available drivers on a Darwin system. Driver matching searches the I/O Catalog to produce an initial list of candidate drivers.
- I/O Kit
A kernel-resident, object-oriented environment in Darwin that provides a model of system hardware. Each type of service or device is represented by one or more C++ classes in a family; each available service or device is represented by an instance (object) of that class.
- I/O Kit framework
The framework that includes IOKitLib and makes the I/O Registry, user client plug-ins, and other I/O Kit services available from user space. It lets applications and other user processes access common I/O Kit object types and services. See also framework
- I/O Registry
A dynamic database that describes a collection of driver objects, each of which represents an I/O Kit entity. As hardware is added to or removed from the system, the I/O Registry changes to accommodate the addition or removal.
The complete OS X core operating-system environment, which includes Mach, BSD, the I/O Kit, drivers, file systems, and networking components. The kernel resides in its own protected memory partition. The kernel includes all code executed in the kernel task, which consists of the file
mach_kernel(at file-system root) and all loaded kernel extensions. Also called the kernel environment.
- kernel extension
(KEXT) A dynamically loaded bundle that extends the functionality of the kernel. A KEXT can contain zero or one kernel modules as well as other (sub) KEXTs, each of which can contain zero or one kernel modules. The I/O Kit, file system, and networking components of Darwin can be extended by KEXTs. See also kernel module
- kernel module
(KMOD) A binary in Mach-O format that is packaged in a kernel extension. A KMOD is the minimum unit of code that can be loaded into the kernel. See also kernel extension
A data structure used to synchronize access to a shared resource. The most common use for a lock is in multithreaded programs where multiple threads need access to global data. Only one thread can hold the lock at a time; by convention, this thread is the only one that can modify the data during this period. See also mutex
A central component of the kernel that provides such basic services and abstractions as threads, tasks, ports, interprocess communication (IPC), scheduling, physical and virtual address space management, virtual memory, and timers.
To translate a range of memory in one address space (physical or virtual) to a range in another address space. The virtual-memory manager accomplishes this by adjusting its VM tables for the kernel and user processes.
- memory cursor
An object that lays out the buffer ranges in a memory descriptor in physical memory, generating a scatter/gather list suitable for a particular device or DMA engine. The object is derived from the IOMemoryCursor class. See also DMA; memory descriptor
- memory descriptor
An object that describes how a stream of data, depending on direction, should either be laid into memory or extracted from memory. It represents a segment of memory holding the data involved in an I/O transfer and is specified as one or more physical or virtual address ranges. The object is derived from the IOMemoryDescriptor class. See also DMA; memory cursor
- memory protection
A system of memory management in which programs are prevented from being able to modify or corrupt the memory partition of another program. Although OS X has memory protection, Mac OS 8 and 9 do not.
A mutual-exclusion locking object that allows multiple threads to synchronize access to shared resources. A mutex has two states: locked and unlocked. Once a mutex has been locked by a thread, other threads attempting to lock it will block. When the locking thread unlocks (releases) the mutex, one of the blocked threads (if any) acquires (locks) it and uses the resource. The thread that locks the mutex must be the one that unlocks it. The work-loop lock (which is used by a command gate) is based on a mutex. See also lock; work loop
A programmatic mechanism for alerting interested recipients (sometimes called observers) that an event has occurred.
An I/O Kit object that represents a detected, controllable entity such as a device or logical service. A nub may represent a bus, disk, graphics adaptor, or any number of similar entities. A nub supports dynamic configuration by providing a bridge between two drivers (and, by extension, between two families). See also device; driver
(1) The smallest unit (in bytes) of information that the virtual memory system can transfer between physical memory and backing store. In Darwin, a page is currently 4 kilobytes. (2) As a verb, page refers to the transfer of pages between physical memory and backing store. Refer to
Kernel.framework/Headers/mach/machine/vm_params.hfor specifics. See also fault; virtual memory
- passive driver
A device driver that performs only basic power-management tasks, such as joining the power plane and changing the device’s power state. See also active driver
A set of properties specifying the kinds of devices a driver can support. This information is stored in an XML matching dictionary defined in the information property list (
Info.plist) file in the driver’s KEXT bundle. A single driver may present one or more personalities for matching; each personality specifies a class to instantiate. Such instances are passed a reference to the personality dictionary at initialization.
- physical memory
Electronic circuitry contained in random-access memory (RAM) chips, used to temporarily hold information at execution time. Addresses in a process’s virtual memory are mapped to addresses in physical memory. See also virtual memory
(Programmed Input/Output) A way to move data between a device and system memory in which each byte is transferred under control of the host processor. See also DMA
A subset of driver (or service) objects in the I/O Registry that have a certain type of provider/client relationship connecting them. The most general plane is the Service plane, which displays the objects in the same hierarchy in which they are attached during Registry construction. There are also the Audio, Power, Device Tree, FireWire, and USB planes.
- Platform Expert
A driver object for a particular motherboard that knows the type of platform the system is running on. The Platform Expert serves as the root of the I/O Registry tree.
A module that can be dynamically added to a running system or application. Core Foundation Plug-in Services uses the basic code-loading facility of Core Foundation Bundle Services to provide a standard plug-in architecture, known as the CFPlugIn architecture, for Mac apps. A kernel extension is a type of kernel plug-in.
A heavily overloaded term which in Darwin has two particular meanings: (1) In Mach, a secure unidirectional channel for communication between tasks running on a single system; (2) In IP transport protocols, an integer identifier used to select a receiver for an incoming packet or to specify the sender of an outgoing packet.
The Portable Operating System Interface. An operating-system interface standardization effort supported by ISO/IEC, IEEE, and The Open Group.
- power child
- power parent
- preemptive multitasking
A type of multitasking in which the operating system can interrupt a currently running program in order to run another program, as needed.
A phase of active matching in which a candidate driver communicates with a device and verifies whether it can drive it. The driver’s
probemember function is invoked to kick off this phase. The driver returns a probe score that reflects its ability to drive the device. See also driver matching
A BSD abstraction for a running program. A process’ resources include a virtual address space, threads, and file descriptors. In OS X, a process is based on one Mach task and one or more Mach threads.
A driver object that provides services of some kind to its client. In a driver stack, the provider in a provider/client relationship is closer to the Platform Expert. See also client
Decrementing the reference count of an object. When an object’s reference count reaches zero, it is freed. When your code no longer needs to reference a retained object, it should release it. Some APIs automatically execute a release on the caller’s behalf, particularly in cases where the object in question is being “handed off.” Retains and releases must be carefully balanced; too many releases can cause panics and other unexpected failures due to accesses of freed memory. See also retain
Incrementing the reference count of an object. An object with a positive reference count is not freed. (A newly created object has a reference count of one.) Drivers can ensure the persistence of an object beyond the present scope by retaining it. Many APIs automatically execute a retain on the caller’s behalf, particularly APIs used to create or gain access to objects. Retains and releases must be carefully balanced; too many retains will result in wired memory leak. See also release
A service is an I/O Kit entity, based on a subclass of IOService, that has been published with the
registerServicemethod and provides certain capabilities to other I/O Kit objects. In the I/O Kit’s layered architecture, each layer is a client of the layer below it and a provider of services to the layer above it. A service type is identified by a matching dictionary that describes properties of the service. A nub or driver can provide services to other I/O Kit objects.
In BSD-derived systems such as Darwin, a socket refers to different entities in user and kernel operations. For a user process, a socket is a file descriptor that has been allocated using
socket(2). For the kernel, a socket is the data structure that is allocated when the kernel’s implementation of the
socket(2)call is made.
- system sleep
A sleep state that occurs when the user chooses Sleep from the Apple menu or closes the lid of a laptop computer. See also idle sleep
In Mach, the unit of CPU utilization. A thread consists of a program counter, a set of registers, and a stack pointer. See also task
A kernel resource that triggers an event at a specified interval. The event can occur only once or can be recurring. Timers are one of the event sources for work loops.
- user client
An interface provided by an I/O Kit family, that enables a user process (which can’t call a kernel-resident driver or other service directly) to access hardware. In the kernel, this interface appears as a driver object called a user client; in user space, it is called a device interface and is implemented as a Core Foundation Plug-in Services (CFPlugin) object. See also device interface
- user space
Virtual memory outside the protected partition in which the kernel resides. Applications, plug-ins, and other types of modules typically run in user space.
- virtual address
A memory address that is usable by software. Each task has its own range of virtual addresses, which begins at address zero. The Mach operating system makes the CPU hardware map these addresses onto physical memory only when necessary, using disk memory at other times.
- virtual memory
The use of a disk partition or a file on disk to provide the same facilities usually provided by RAM. The virtual-memory manager in OS X provides 32-bit (minimum) protected address space for each task and facilitates efficient sharing of that address space.
- wired memory
A range of memory that the virtual-memory system will not page out or move. The memory involved in an I/O transfer must be wired down to prevent the physical relocation of data being accessed by hardware. In the I/O Kit memory is wired when the memory descriptor describing the memory prepares the memory for I/O (which happens when its
preparemethod is invoked).
- work loop
A gating mechanism that ensures single-threaded access to the data structures and hardware registers used by a driver. Specifically, it is a mutex lock associated with a thread. A work loop typically has several event sources attached to it; they use the work loop to ensure a protected, gated context for processing events. See also event source
© 2001, 2007 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Last updated: 2007-05-17) | <urn:uuid:623d2e8d-3749-4e06-86a1-86049d5916e7> | {
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|leading light (ˈliːdɪŋ)|
|1.||an important or outstanding person, esp in an organization or cause|
|2.||nautical a less common term for range light|
|a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.|
|an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.|
An important or influential individual, as in Jim was a leading light in his community. This expression, alluding to moral guidance, dates from about 1870, but terms such as a shining light have been used for an outstanding person since the first half of the 1500s. | <urn:uuid:5368b248-4ad1-41d3-adc2-d0069a812054> | {
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Capital punishment has been the law in Oklahoma since 1804 when Congress made the criminal laws of the United States applicable in the Louisiana Purchase, which included present Oklahoma. These legal codes included the crime of "willful murder," carrying the death penalty. Through the years Congress found other offenses, including rape, that merited capital punishment as well.
Until Oklahoma 1907 statehood, capital crimes committed in Indian Territory were tried in the federal courts for Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas. However, the U.S. Federal District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, presided over by notorious Judge Isaac C. Parker, was Indian Territory's most famous criminal venue, with seventy-nine men going to the gallows under sentence of his court.
In 1889 Congress established a U.S. district court at Muskogee, the first federal court resident in Indian Territory. However, the court did not have jurisdiction of capital offenses, which continued to be tried in the federal courts for Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas. In 1890 aterritorial government, with its own judicial structure, was established for Oklahoma Territory. Until statehood, capital crimes committed in Oklahoma Territory were prosecuted in the territorial courts.
In 1895 Congress gave the Muskogee court, as of September 1, 1896, exclusive jurisdiction of all offenses committed against the laws of the United States in Indian Territory and repealed the jurisdiction of the Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas federal courts. One man was hanged under sentence of the Oklahoma Territory courts, and nine men and one woman went to the gallows under sentence of the Indian Territory court. From statehood until 19l5 executions were by hanging in the county of conviction. The records are not perfect, but the number of people hanged between statehood and 1915 is probably six, all men accused of murder. The fact that the number was not higher is because of Lee Cruce, Oklahoma's second governor.
Cruce was an inveterate foe of the death penalty. The best information is that only one person was executed during his term in office (1911-15), while at least twenty-two murderers escaped the hangman's noose. Cruce's successor, Robert L. Williams, did not share Cruce's view on capital punishment, and executions began again when Williams took office. The first year of Williams's term also saw Oklahoma change from hanging to electrocution as a method of execution.
In 1915 Henry Bookman, convicted in McIntosh County for murder, was the first person to be electrocuted in Oklahoma. The first execution for an offense other than homicide occurred in 1930. James Edward Forrest was put to death for rape, and subsequently there were executions for robbery with firearms and for kidnapping. In the late 1920s and during the 1930s there were as many as three on the same day. In 1972, when the U.S. Supreme Court declared the death penalty, as then administered, unconstitutional, eighty-two persons, all male, had died in Oklahoma's electric chair.
After the Supreme Court's ruling, states began attempting to enact constitutional death penalty statutes. Gov. David Boren convened a special session of the legislature in July 1976 to restore the capital punishment in Oklahoma. The legislators overwhelmingly voted in favor, 45 to1 in the senate, and 93 to 5 in the house. The first execution under the new law occurred in 1990. From 1915 to March 2004, Oklahoma had executed 156 individuals, including three women. Between 1915 and 1966 eighty-two died by electrocution, and one was hanged. Seventy-three died from lethal injection between September 1990 and March 2004.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ruth Fisk Bowman, "Death By Hanging: The Crimes and Execution of Arthur Gooch," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 62 (Summer 1984). "Capital Punishment," Vertical File, Oklahoma Room, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. "Capital Punishment, Oklahoma," Vertical File, Jan Eric Cartwright Memorial Library, Capitol Building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Louis Coleman, "'We Are Making History': The Execution of William Going," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 76 (1998). Von Russell Creel, "Capital Punishment and the United States Court for the Indian Territory," The Chronicles of Oklahoma 81 (Summer 2003). Bob Gregory, "They Died For Their Sins," Oklahoma Monthly (December 1976).
Von Russell Creel
© Oklahoma Historical Society | <urn:uuid:c07aac65-75d2-4240-9751-39d4f164db72> | {
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Date: October 24, 2012
Creator: Lawrence, Samantha
Description: This poster introduces the faculty lecture series UNT Speaks Out on the Food We Eat. This series features Dr. Dornith Doherty, professor in the College of Arts and Design, Dr. Pankaj Jain, assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Public Affairs and Community Service, and Jennifer Jensen Wallach, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Dornith Doherty talks about her project, Archiving Eden, involving photographs of seed bank collections around the world. Dr. Pankaj Jain discusses Hinduism, Jainism, and the 2000 years of vegetarianism in South Asia. Dr. Jennifer Wallach, whose book, How America Eats: A Social History of U.S. Food and Culture, is coming out in early December, will focus on food and race.
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Ecological burns at Jocassee Gorges to restore habitat, improve safety
Many species and ecosystems require fire periodically to ensure their survival, and that’s why prescribed burns will again be a part of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ management of the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges in 2008.
"The objective of the controlled burns, which will likely begin in January, is to maintain the ecological integrity of these lands," said Mark Hall, S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife biologist and forest planner, "and to provide for human safety by reducing the amount of fuel on the natural area, thereby reducing the chance of catastrophic wildfire. For many of these ecosystems, it’s not a matter of 'if' they will burn, but rather 'when.' We like to choose the 'when.'"
Burning will be done when the weather is suitable to allow for a safe burn, including the rapid rising and dispersal of smoke, Hall said. Once weather conditions are right for the burn, it should take four to eight hours for the active burning to be completed, although scattered stumps, logs and dead trees may smolder slowly through the night. Fires will be surrounded by fire breaks, which include existing preserve roads, streams, plowed fire breaks and breaks put in with hand tools in sensitive areas.
"Through the centuries, many native plants, animals and habitats in the southeastern United States have adapted to the presence of recurring fire," Hall said. "Many species and ecosystems are now rare because of fire suppression, and they actually need fire to ensure their survival. We’ve burned more than 1,500 acres in the last three years to help restore natural process in the system."
Hall emphasized that since controlled burning requires careful timing and a thorough knowledge of weather and fire behavior, highly trained fire personnel with the DNR and S.C. Forestry Commission will manage and conduct all aspects of the controlled burns.
"Besides the ecological benefits of prescribed fire, it also has the added benefit of reducing fuel on the forest floor and lessening the chances of a catastrophic fire, which can threaten homes and people," Hall said. "Because fire has been suppressed for so long in some places, you get dangerous buildups of fuel and increase the chances for a wildfire that can destroy property and lives. The wildfires we’ve seen across the United States in the last 15 years, due in large part to past fire suppression, underscore the need for prescribed fire."
By using a controlled burn—when wind, temperature and humidity conditions are appropriate to remove some of the forest fuel like leaves, pine needles and twigs—fire managers can greatly reduce the chances of a catastrophic wildfire. After controlled burns are completed, the homes and properties close to Jocassee Gorges will be much less likely to be in the path of a wildfire, because the fuel is reduced or eliminated.
Optimal weather conditions will be chosen for smoke dispersal, but Hall advised that during these controlled burns nearby residents will certainly see and smell smoke. The smoke usually disappears by the end of the day.
"People become upset when there is smoke in the air if they don’t know the reason for the fire," Hall said. "That’s why we’re trying to get the word out about prescribed fire. If we carefully plan and conduct a burn when weather conditions favor smoke dispersal, this reduces smoke-related problems. Dealing with a little bit of smoke now is infinitely better than trying to control a raging wildfire later."
Waterfalls, green salamanders, black bear, uncommon plants such as Oconee bells and many long-range vistas are just a few of the natural wonders that may be found in the 33,000-acre Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges in Pickens and Oconee counties. More information on the Jocassee Gorges may be obtained by calling the Clemson DNR office at (864) 654-1671, extension 22.
DNR protects and manages South Carolina’s natural resources by making wise and balanced decisions for the benefit of the state’s natural resources and its people. | <urn:uuid:4b6f241a-4d96-4672-b310-6a17546b2dcd> | {
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Reading this tutorial has probably reinforced your interest in using Python -- you should be eager to apply Python to solve your real-world problems. Now what should you do?
You should read, or at least page through, the Python Library Reference, which gives complete (though terse) reference material about types, functions, and modules that can save you a lot of time when writing Python programs. The standard Python distribution includes a lot of code in both C and Python; there are modules to read Unix mailboxes, retrieve documents via HTTP, generate random numbers, parse command-line options, write CGI programs, compress data, and a lot more; skimming through the Library Reference will give you an idea of what's available.
The major Python Web site is http://www.python.org/; it contains code, documentation, and pointers to Python-related pages around the Web. This Web site is mirrored in various places around the world, such as Europe, Japan, and Australia; a mirror may be faster than the main site, depending on your geographical location. A more informal site is http://starship.python.net/, which contains a bunch of Python-related personal home pages; many people have downloadable software there. Many more user-created Python modules can be found in the Python Package Index (PyPI).
For Python-related questions and problem reports, you can post to the newsgroup comp.lang.python, or send them to the mailing list at [email protected]. The newsgroup and mailing list are gatewayed, so messages posted to one will automatically be forwarded to the other. There are around 120 postings a day (with peaks up to several hundred), asking (and answering) questions, suggesting new features, and announcing new modules. Before posting, be sure to check the list of Frequently Asked Questions (also called the FAQ), or look for it in the Misc/ directory of the Python source distribution. Mailing list archives are available at http://www.python.org/pipermail/. The FAQ answers many of the questions that come up again and again, and may already contain the solution for your problem.
See About this document... for information on suggesting changes. | <urn:uuid:38f062ba-9102-4f56-a7fd-1c3d0fed3eab> | {
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The cerebrum, the largest part of the brain, is separated into the right and left hemispheres. The right hemisphere is in charge of the functions on the left-side of the body, as well as many cognitive functions.
A right-side stroke happens when the brain’s blood supply is interrupted in this area. Without oxygen and nutrients from blood, the brain tissue quickly dies. A stroke is a serious condition. It requires emergency care.
There are two main types of stroke:
An ischemic stroke (the more common form) is caused by a sudden decrease in blood flow to a region of the brain, which may be due to:
- A clot that forms in another part of the body (eg, heart or neck) breaking off and blocking the flow in a blood vessel supplying the brain (embolus)
- A clot that forms in an artery that supplies blood to the brain (thrombus)
- A tear in an artery supplying blood to the brain (arterial dissection)
A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a burst blood vessel that results in bleeding in the brain.
Examples of risk factors that you can control or treat include:
Certain conditions, such as:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- High levels of the amino acid homocysteine (may result in the formation of blood clots)
- Atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries due to build-up of plaque)
- Atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm)
- Metabolic syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Medicines (eg, long-term use of birth control pills )
- Lifestyle factors (eg, smoking , physical inactivity, diet)
Risk factors that you cannot control include:
- History of having a stroke, heart attack , or other type of cardiovascular disease
- History of having a transient ischemic attack (TIA)—With a TIA, stroke-like symptoms often resolve within minutes (always in 24 hours). They may signal a very high risk of having a stroke in the future.
- Age: 60 or older
- Family members who have had a stroke
- Gender: males
- Race: Black, Asian, Hispanic
- Blood disorder that increases clotting
- Heart valve disease (eg, mitral stenosis )
The immediate symptoms of a right-side stroke come on suddenly and may include:
- Weakness or numbness of face, arm, or leg, especially on the left side of the body
- Loss of balance, coordination problems
- Vision problems, especially on the left-side of vision in both eyes
- Difficulty swallowing
If you or someone you know has any of these symptoms, call 911 right away. A stroke needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Longer-lasting effects of the stroke may include problems with:
- Left-sided weakness and/or sensory problems
- Speaking and swallowing
- Vision (eg, inability for the brain to take in information from the left visual field)
- Perception and spatial relations
- Attention span, comprehension, problem solving, judgment
- Interactions with other people
- Activities of daily living (eg, going to the bathroom)
- Mental health (eg, depression , frustration, impulsivity)
The doctor will make a diagnosis as quickly as possible. Tests may include:
- Exam of nervous system
- Computed tomography (CT) scan —a type of x-ray that uses a computer to make pictures of the brain
- CT angiogram—a type of CT scan which evaluates the blood vessels in the brain and/or neck
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan —a test that uses magnetic waves to make pictures of the brain
- Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scan —a type of MRI scan which evaluates the blood vessels in the brain and/or neck
- Angiogram —a test that uses a catheter (tube) and x-ray machine to assess the heart and its blood supply
- Heart function tests (eg, electrocardiogram , echocardiogram )
- Doppler ultrasound —a test that uses sound waves to examine the blood vessels
- Blood tests
- Tests to check the level of oxygen in the blood
- Kidney function tests
- Tests to evaluate the ability to swallow
Immediate treatment is needed to potentially:
- Dissolve a clot causing an ischemic stroke
- Stop the bleeding during a hemorrhagic stroke
In some cases, oxygen therapy is needed.
Medicines may be given right away for an ischemic stroke to:
- Dissolve clots and prevent new ones from forming
- Thin blood
- Control blood pressure
- Reduce brain swelling
- Treat an irregular heart rate
Cholesterol medicines called statins may also be given.
For a hemorrhagic stroke, the doctor may give medicines to:
- Work against any blood-thinning drugs that you may regularly take
- Reduce how your brain reacts to bleeding
- Control blood pressure
- Prevent seizures
For an ischemic stroke, procedures may be done to:
- Reroute blood supply around a blocked artery
- Remove the clot or deliver clot-dissolving medicine (embolectomy)
- Remove fatty deposits from a carotid artery (major arteries in the neck that lead to the brain) ( carotid artery endarterectomy )
- Widen carotid artery and add a mesh tube to keep it open ( angioplasty and stenting )
For a hemorrhagic stroke, the doctor may:
- Remove a piece of the skull ( craniotomy ) to relieve pressure on the brain and remove blood clot
- Place a clip on or a tiny coil in the aneurysm to stop it from bleeding
A rehabilitation program focuses on:
- Physical therapy—to regain as much movement as possible
- Occupational therapy—to assist in everyday tasks and self-care
- Speech therapy—to improve swallowing and speech challenges
- Psychological therapy—to help adjust to life after the stroke
To help reduce your chance of having a stroke, take the following steps:
- Exercise regularly .
- Eat a healthy diet that includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and fish.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- If you drink alcohol , drink only in moderation (1-2 drinks per day).
- If you smoke, quit .
- If you have a chronic condition, like high blood pressure or diabetes, get proper treatment.
- If recommended by your doctor, take a low-dose aspirin every day.
- If you are at risk for having a stroke, talk to your doctor about taking statin medicines .
- Reviewer: Rimas Lukas, MD
- Review Date: 06/2012 -
- Update Date: 00/61/2012 - | <urn:uuid:6f093826-dc99-4b9c-9f16-033ec6f1ac6f> | {
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The thick durable sea ice that routinely cloaked much of the Arctic Ocean in colder decades in the 20th century is increasingly relegated to a few clotted places along northern Canada and Greenland, according to the latest satellite analysis of the warming region.
The following video gives you a fascinating view of one patch of sea ice through 90 days, provided by a webcam left behind by researchers who annually set up camp near the North Pole to check ocean and ice conditions up close.
The new analysis, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on Tuesday, is the latest of many findings supporting the idea that the region has shifted to a new state in which seasonal ice, which forms in winter and melts in the summer, dominates. This is the main reason biologists have concerns for the long-term welfare of polar bears, which have a harder time sustaining their weight and reproducing when summertime ice is thin. At the same time, the shift bodes well for shippers, like the German company Beluga, that have plans to start sending goods from Asia to northern Europe through the fabled, but long impassible, Northern Sea Route over Russia.
The study, conducted by scientists from NASA, the University of Washington and the California Institute of Technology estimated changes from 2003 to 2008 in the total volume and thickness of what’s called multi-year ice, the yards-thick floes that can persist through a summer (here’s some video I shot while standing on a mix of old and thinner ice in 2003), and seasonal ice, which can grow to 6 feet in thickness in winter but vanishes in summer.
For a look at how this summer’s Arctic sea-ice season may unfold, visit Sea Ice Outlook 2009, where more than a dozen groups of ice researchers are posting experimental forecasts of how the ice is likely to fare. There’s a strong consensus that the season will see much less sea ice than the average for the period monitored by satellites (from 1979 onward), but is unlikely to see the extent of open water measured in 2007.
To get a sense of how the views of Arctic experts have coalesced around a rising human influence on the region’s climate, you can scan previous stories from 2001, 2005, and 2007 on ice trends and possible causes. | <urn:uuid:4e953074-259f-4363-a1d9-ec3bbe891cc4> | {
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Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.
Dragons don’t communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.
Striped dragons come in a dazzling array of colors complemented by an intricate pattern of stripes. These bright colors and patterns help attract their favorite food, insects. Because their prey is so tiny, striped dragons must spend a large portion of their day eating. The color of the offspring is usually determined by the dragon’s mate. | <urn:uuid:cc0031f0-f607-4c57-989a-b3a50ed01f7b> | {
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As a graduate student working for LIGO (the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory), one of my responsibilities was maintaining date-time code, including accounting for leap seconds, and calculating dates and time thousands of years in the past.
What is a leap second? Well, the Earth's rotation rate is slowing down. So, as time goes on the length of the day is longer. This rate is very slow. Every few years, the added length must be taken into account, much like the leap day takes into account that the orbital period of the Earth around the Sun is not exactly 365 days. When a leap second must be inserted is not predictable. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service is tasked with making observations of the Earth, and producing a twice-yearly report on whether a leap second is due to be added. This comes out by email, and on their website. The report gives a 6-month or so lead time before the leap second is inserted, at midnight on Jan 1 and on Jul 1.
So, apparently, a leap second was inserted last night: all standard atomic clocks around the world paused for a second. This caused all sorts of havoc with computers and networking devices, causing lots of sites to go down. Notably, Google was prepared. | <urn:uuid:4eaa9fc8-8c68-4ecb-87a7-c58a5ccddbef> | {
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Richards, M. P. and Schulting, R. J. and Hedges, R. E. M. (2003) 'Sharp shift in diet at onset of Neolithic.', Nature., 425 (6956). p. 366.
The introduction of domesticated plants and animals into Britain during the Neolithic cultural period between 5,200 and 4,500 years ago is viewed either as a rapid event1 or as a gradual process that lasted for more than a millennium2. Here we measure stable carbon isotopes present in bone to investigate the dietary habits of Britons over the Neolithic period and the preceding 3,800 years (the Mesolithic period). We find that there was a rapid and complete change from a marine- to a terrestrial-based diet among both coastal and inland dwellers at the onset of the Neolithic period, which coincided with the first appearance of domesticates. As well as arguing against a slow, gradual adoption of agriculture and animal husbandry by Mesolithic societies, our results indicate that the attraction of the new farming lifestyle must have been strong enough to persuade even coastal dwellers to abandon their successful fishing practices.
|Full text:||Full text not available from this repository.|
|Publisher Web site:||http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/425366a|
|Record Created:||07 Apr 2009|
|Last Modified:||21 Jul 2010 16:58|
|Social bookmarking:||Export: EndNote, Zotero | BibTex|
|Usage statistics||Look up in GoogleScholar | Find in a UK Library| | <urn:uuid:8e7c4d25-8688-4906-add3-9ac4cd57cdd3> | {
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A few weeks ago, I traveled to Israel with my ten-year-old daughter Sage, to participate in the olive harvest. This was my long-awaited opportunity to do hands-on research for a picture book I’m writing and illustrating about an ancient olive tree. I couldn’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get out in the olive grove.
There’s something special about hands-on research. In this age of unprecedented convenience, we have the technological ability to access information from all over the world in a matter of seconds. But information obtained this way can lack authenticity, and often appears out of context. Rarely do I have the opportunity to physically experience what I’m drawing or writing about. But there’s no substitute for direct experience when it
comes to bringing a story to life.
The morning after we arrived at Kibbutz Gezer, a half a dozen olive pickers gathered by the side of the road that encircles the kibbutz. Inside the circle, the homes for approximately 400 people are clustered together. Outside the circle are grassy meadows; a baseball field; swimming pool; a field of eggplants; a tel – an ancient town filled in over the centuries by debris until it becomes a flat-topped, man-made hill, now the site of an archeological excavation – and of course, the olive groves. Hundreds of trees of approximately 30 years of age stood in grassy rows. Most were heavy with fruit, their branches drooping under the weight of colorful clusters of olives.
The harvest technique is simple: we spread black plastic tarps under the trees, and used small hand-held rakes to “comb” the olives from the branches. Most of the fruit could be reached either from the ground or by climbing a few steps up the trunk. The trees are pruned to stay low, and the limbs are encouraged to spread out like a basket, so that every part of the tree receives maximum sunlight. It is said that if an olive tree is pruned properly, there’s enough space between the branches to allow a bird to fly through. Olive trees are uniquely dependent upon humans for this pruning – they cannot thrive without it. An olive tree that is well-pruned can continue to regenerate from its roots virtually indefinitely, with a lifespan of two thousand years or even longer. Thus the olive tree has been a symbol of renewal for millennia.
Olive fruits are firm and smooth, with a chalky skin that turns shiny when you rub it. Each fruit is a unique blend of color ranging from pale yellow-green to soft mauve to dark purple-grey. Some are faintly spotted. When they fall to the ground, they slowly turn to charcoal blue as the fruit begins to dry and wrinkle under the hot sun. I dared myself to bite into one, with the anticipated bitter results. Olives must be soaked and cured before they become edible.
During our breaks we picnicked on fresh bread dipped in hummus, olive oil, homemade tzchug and za’ater; pickled green olives; oil-cured black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a cultured yogurt-like cheese. We tried to make up olive songs and olive jokes – but none are worth repeating here.
The olive grove is a peaceful place. Each tree is uniquely-shaped, and has its own special character. The soft branches wave in the breeze like hair, causing the tree to change color slightly as each leaf reveals its silvery-white underside. The blend of colors in an olive tree is a painter’s challenge – for this artist at least. Flocks of doves rose from the trees and turned as one into the sunshine. The air in the grove is sweet, as if the trees have cleansed the air of all impurities. Olive leaves are known for their powerful healing properties. According to Wikipedia, olive leaf and olive leaf extracts (OLE), are now marketed as anti-aging, immunostimular, and antibiotic agents. Other reference books claim olive leaf extract is effective against viral infections, parasites, fungi, and even “super-infections” that resist antibiotics.
How ironic, in this peaceful place among young trees that promise to live for so long, to hear the concussions of rockets in the distance – for even as we harvested the fruit of the tree that symbolizes peace, hundreds of rockets from Gaza were being fired at the nearby cities of Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, and Rishon Letzion. And Israel was retaliating with “Operation Pillar of Cloud”, a targeted defensive operation that took place the week we were there. Truly, Israel is a land of paradox – of cultural, artistic and spiritual riches; unparalleled innovations in education, medicine, agriculture, technology, and energy conservation – not to mention wonderful people – yet Israel is also a troubled place, with internal rifts, economic problems, and seemingly-intractable conflicts with its Arab neighbors. Traveling in Israel, it is not unusual to feel conflicting emotions. Even as we worked in such a bucolic place as the olive grove, we were all aware of the location of the closest bomb shelter, which had been unlocked that week for rapid entry.
And we all knew that beyond the “green line” (the disputed border between Israel and the West Bank), Palestinians were harvesting olive trees just like ours. This is not the first century, or even the first millennium, in which olive trees have been implicated in matters of territorial conflict. For the olive tree is native to a region that is rife with inescapable complexities. Rooted in a shifting tapestry of peoples and conquests, the olive tree stands constant as a living organism of renewal and peace.
I loved the olive grove, and got into a groove with my yellow rake. The conversation was lively: there were kibbutz members who had come to help, along with dogs of all shapes and sizes. There were friends from Jerusalem, a traveling post-grad student from the U.S., and visitors from Norway. Everyone was in good spirits as we gathered up the tarps and poured the fruit into crates. These would be taken to the olive press at nearby Latroun. An olive press is a huge industrial machine that is necessarily communal; no one can own their own olive press. At Latroun, we saw Jews and Arabs alike waiting for the yield of their harvest, chatting in English, Hebrew, and Arabic as the olives were pressed, separated by centrifuge into pomace and oil, and finally decanted into containers.
The leftover “mash” of fiber and pits is sometimes pressed into dry cakes to be burned as fuel – a great idea!
Hours after the picking was done, at the end of the day I returned to the olive grove to sketch. I did pencil drawings and brush drawings, trying to capture the shapes of the trees, the texture of the leaves. I tested a few colors, and tried to catch the contour of the land. Birds twittered from opposite sides of the grove, calling to each other. Dogs barked in the distance as the sun went down, mingled with the sound of a child’s laughter.
In the hush that followed, the peace of the olive grove was palpable. My daughter sat beside me with her own drawing book, both of us sitting on torn pieces of cardboard on the ground while we sketched. She drew a twisted olive trunk, then switched to fashion designs. I hope when she grows up, she’ll remember that day.
In addition to the jug of fresh olive oil I brought home, I also harvested something else: photos, sketches, notes, and memories. These impressions from my week of picking olives will be gathered and pressed, spun and separated into the many components of a book. This book has taken its time to ripen and grow, but I hope in the end it will be worth it. The more I learn about olives, the more there is to know – from cultivation techniques to nutritional and medicinal benefits, from historical facts to political implications. And the more I learn about olives, the more I love them.
Special thanks to Dani Livney and all the wonderful folks at Kibbutz Gezer for making this trip possible. We hope to return next year to pick olives again!
חג החנוכה שמח!
We are about to celebrate Chanukah, the festival of light that remembers each year the miracle of oil – olive oil – in a story that is rooted a mere bike ride’s distance from Gezer. The Maccabean graves in nearby Modi’in is where the Hasmoneans, who ruled a Jewish dynasty in Israel, have been buried in the ground for more than 2,100 years. Some of the olive trees that lived then are still alive today.
Happy Holidays to all – | <urn:uuid:edfee856-4424-4397-a9d3-677721fee0e1> | {
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What is fracking? It’s not the latest teenage slang word; it describes a mining process that is polluting our earth and making people sick. Food & Water Watch explains:
To frack an oil or gas well, a massive volume of water, sand, and chemicals is injected underground at high pressure to break up rock formations, allowing oil or gas to flow up the well.
Fracking threatens the air we breathe, the water we drink, the communities we love, and the climate on which we depend.
Mothers are rallying against this horrible practice! In fact, they are outraged the practice is considered for use around schools, let alone their homes. Food & Water Watch explains and asks you to take action!
Mothers in the community of Erie, Colorado, are working desperately to stop a giant oil and gas company from fracking next to their kids’ elementary school. They’ve asked Encana, a giant oil and gas company, to abandon this one well and protect their children, but the company refuses.
Fracking is associated with increased truck traffic, dangerous chemicals as well as air and water contamination. It’s hard to believe Encana would even consider fracking near an elementary school – worse, its hard to believe that regulatory systems in Colorado have failed to prevent this from happening. And yet, Encana has gone through all of the proper channels and has the green light to start fracking on May 26th.
I have heard so many people express support of oil and shale gas mining on American soil who do not understand the issue of fracking. They believe the false job promises of domestic oil production not realizing how their very water and air are being dangerously contaminated.
Fracking is one of the biggest environmental crises facing this country!
It’s poisoning our drinking water, even making it flammable! Propublica explains:
For the first time, a scientific study has linked natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing with a pattern of drinking water contamination so severe that some faucets can be lit on fire…
“This study provides eye-opening scientific evidence about methane contamination and the risks that irresponsible natural gas drilling poses for drinking water supplies,” said Congressman Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y. “It provides yet another reason why more study of the environmental and health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing is needed.”
Hinchey is one of several Democratic members of Congress who recently re-introduced the FRAC Act, which calls for public disclosure of the chemicals used underground. The bill, which is currently languishing in the House, would remove an exemption in federal law that prohibits the EPA from regulating hydraulic fracturing.
Such lack of federal oversight has forced states to individually look at fracking to protect its citizens. Vermont has banned it; California is looking at regulating it. The Los Angeles Times reports:
California lawmakers on Wednesday took preliminary steps to increase the size of the state’s oil and gas agency — with the condition that regulators draft rules for hydraulic fracturing, a controversial form of oil extraction that some say can pose a hazard to drinking water.
The lack of “fracking” regulations has been a sore point for legislators who have said that rules are long overdue for California, the fourth-largest oil-producing state and the birthplace of the modern environmental movement.
With the federal government doing very little, and states waffling, mothers are stepping up to ensure their children are protected from fracking. Please support the mothers in Erie, Colorado! | <urn:uuid:92bb2698-36b0-40b3-a6c9-9a415925b747> | {
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Handbook of Engaged Learning Projects
Subject/Content Area: Science, Language Arts, Math, and Social
Target Audience: This multigrade level unit will involve third and
sixth grade students. This is an interactive, interdisciplinary, thematic
project. This is appropriate for students at all ability levels. Program
requires hardware/software for Internet access.
Project Goal: When posed with the problem of destruction of the
rainforest, students will develop interpersonal skills, research skills,
content objectives, technical skills, and higher order thinking skills.
Learner Outcomes: Through cooperative activities, students will
be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to collect data using various technologies
(Internet, CD ROM, computer software/hardware, and e-mail).
- Analyze the impact of specific human activities on the destruction
of tropical rainforests.
- Organize and analyze collected information gained through interaction
- Explain the important biological, social, and aesthetic values of the
tropical rainforest to their environment.
Alignment with Standards (National
- Science Standards: 7, 15, 18
- Language Arts: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
- Math: 4, 6
- Geography: 1, 2, 4, 8, 14, 16, 18
Assessment of Students: Students' performance will be assessed
formatively through teacher observations. Students and teachers will cooperatively
develop a rubric for the final product. Summative evaluation will include
self-evaluation and teacher evaluation.
Author: Patti Furlano, Joyce Nelson, Teri Rakes and Amy
Willis, Braceville Elementary
School, Braceville, IL.
of Engaged Learning Projects sponsored by Fermi
National Accelerator Laboratory Education
Office and Friends of
Fermilab. Funded by the North Central
Regional Technology in Education Consortium based at the North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL).
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(CNN) -- Michael Jackson was on to something when he sang that "A-B-C" is "simple as 'Do Re Mi.'" Music helps kids remember basic facts such as the order of letters in the alphabet, partly because songs tap into fundamental systems in our brains that are sensitive to melody and beat.
That's not all: when you play music, you are exercising your brain in a unique way.
"I think there's enough evidence to say that musical experience, musical exposure, musical training, all of those things change your brain," says Dr. Charles Limb, associate professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Johns Hopkins University. "It allows you to think in a way that you used to not think, and it also trains a lot of other cognitive facilities that have nothing to do with music."
The connection between music and the brain is the subject of a symposium at the Association for Psychological Science conference in Chicago this weekend, featuring prominent scientists and Grammy-winning bassist Victor Wooten. They will discuss the remarkable ways our brains enable us to appreciate, remember and play music, and how we can harness those abilities in new ways.
There are more facets to the mind-music connection than there are notes in a major scale, but it's fascinating to zoom in on a few to see the extraordinary affects music can have on your brain.
Whether it's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" or "Somebody That I Used to Know," or even "Bad Romance" or "Bohemian Rhapsody," it's easy to get part of a song stuck in your head, perhaps even a part that you don't particularly like. It plays over and over on repeat, as if the "loop" button got stuck on your music player.
Scientists think of these annoying sound segments as "ear worms." They don't yet know much about why they happen, but research is making headway on what's going on.
The songs that get stuck in people's heads tend to be melodically and rhythmically simple, says Daniel Levitin, a psychologist who studies the neuroscience of music at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. It's usually just a segment of the song, not the entire thing from beginning to end. A common method of getting rid of an ear worm is to listen to a different song -- except, of course, that song might plant itself in your thoughts for awhile.
"What we think is going on is that the neural circuits get stuck in a repeating loop and they play this thing over and over again," Levitin said.
In rare cases, ear worms can actually be detrimental to people's everyday functioning, Levitin said. There are people who can't work, sleep or concentrate because of songs that won't leave their heads. They may even need to take the same anti-anxiety medications given to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, drugs that relax the neural circuits that are stuck in an infinite loop.
How we evolved to remember music
Given how easily song snippets get stuck in our heads, music must be linked to some sort of evolutionary adaptation that helped our ancestors.
Bone flutes have been dated to about 40,000 to 80,000 years ago, so people were at least playing music. Experts assume that people were probably singing before they went to the trouble of fashioning this instrument, Levitin said. In Judaism, the Torah was set to music as a way to remember it before it was written down.
"The structures that respond to music in the brain evolved earlier than the structures that respond to language," Levitin said.
Levitin points out that many of our ancestors, before there was writing, used music to help them remember things, such as how to prepare foods or the way to get to a water source. These procedural tasks would have been easier to remember as songs. Today, we still use songs to teach children things in school, like the 50 states.
What about remembering how to play music?
When you sit down at the piano and learn how to play a song, your brain has to execute what's known as a "motor-action plan." It means that a sequence of events must unfold in a particular order, your fingers must hit a precise pattern of notes in order. And you rehearse those motor movements over and over, strengthening the neural circuits the more you practice.
But musicians who memorize how to play music often find they can't just begin a remembered piece at any point in the song. The brain has a certain number of entry nodes in the motor-action plan, so you can only access the information from particular points in the song.
"Even though it feels like it's in your fingers, it's not," Levitin said. "It's in the finger representation in your head."
Music and pleasure
Music is strongly associated with the brain's reward system. It's the part of the brain that tells us if things are valuable, or important or relevant to survival, said Robert Zatorre, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Montreal Neurological Institute.
One brain structure in particular, called the striatum, releases a chemical called dopamine in response to pleasure-related stimuli. Imaging of the brain can reveal this process is similar to what happens in your brain in response to food or sex.
But unlike those activities, music doesn't have a direct biological survival value. "It's not obvious that it should engage that same system," Zatorre said.
Musicians can't see inside their own brains, but they're aware of moments of tension and release in pieces, and that's what arrangers of music do.
Zatorre and colleagues did an experiment where they used whatever music participants said gave them pleasure to examine this dopamine release. They excluded music with words in order to focus on the music itself rather than lyrics -- the melodic structure, for example.
At the point in a piece of music when people experience peak pleasure, part of the brain called the ventral striatum releases dopamine. But here's something even more interesting: Dopamine is released from a different brain area (the dorsal striatum) about 10 to 15 seconds before the moment of peak pleasure.
Why would we have this reaction before the most pleasurable part of the piece of music? The brain likes to investigate its environment and figure out what's coming next, Zatorre explains.
"As you're anticipating a moment of pleasure, you're making predictions about what you're hearing and what you're about to hear," he said. "Part of the pleasure we derive from it is being able to make predictions."
So if you're getting such a strong dopamine rush from music -- it could even be comparable to methamphetamines, Zatorre said -- why not make drug addicts listen to music? It's not quite that simple.
Neuroscientists believe there's basically one pleasure mechanism, and music is one route into it. Drugs are another. But different stimuli have different properties. And it's no easier to tell someone to replace drugs with music than to suggest eating instead of having sex -- these are all pleasurable activities with important differences.
Rocking to the beat
Did you know that monkeys can't tap their feet to songs, or recognize beats?
It appears that humans are the only primates who move to the beat of music. Aniruddh Patel at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California, speculates that this is because our brains are organized in a different way than our close species relatives. Grooving to a beat may be related to the fact that no other primates can mimic complex sounds.
Curiously, some birds can mimic what they hear and move to beats. Patel's research with a cockatoo suggests the beat responses may have originated as a byproduct of vocal mimicry, but also play a role in social bonding, Patel said. Armies train by marching to a beat, for instance. Group dancing is a social activity. There also are studies showing that when people move together to a beat, they're more likely to cooperate with each other in nonmusical tasks than if they're not in synch.
"Some people have theorized that that was the original function of this behavior in evolution: It was a way of bonding people emotionally together in groups, through shared movement and shared experience," Patel said.
Another exciting arena of research: Music with a beat seems to help people with motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease walk better than in the absence of music -- patients actually synchronize their movements to a beat, Patel said.
"That's a very powerful circuit in the brain," he said. "It can actually help people that have these serious neurological diseases."
There's also some evidence to suggest that music can help Alzheimer's patients remember things better, and that learning new skills such as musical instruments might even stave off dementia.
There still needs to be more research in these areas to confirm, but Limb is hopeful about the prospect of musical engagement as a way to prevent, or at least delay, dementia.
"That's a pretty amazing thing that, from sound, you can stimulate the entire brain," Limb said. "If you think about dementia as the opposite trend, of the brain atrophying, I think there's a lot of basis to it."
Music and emotions
You may associate particular songs with events in your life -- Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" might remind you of your graduation day, if you had a graduation in the 1990s or 2000s, for example.
Despite variation in any given person's life experience, studies have shown that music listeners largely agree with one another when it comes to the emotions presented in a song. This may be independent of lyrics; musical sounds themselves may carry emotional meaning, writes Cornell University psychologist Carol Krumhansl in Current Directions in Psychological Science.
Educational shows such as "Sesame Street" have been tapping into the power of music to help youngsters remember things for decades. Even babies have been shown to be sensitive to beats and can recognize a piece of music that they've already heard.
Advertisers exploit music in many commercials to make you excited about products. As a result, you may associate songs with particular cars, for instance.
Here's one way you might not already be using music: Making a deliberate effort to use music to alter mood. Listen to something that makes you energetic at the beginning of the day, and listen to a soothing song after an argument, Levitin says.
Music as a language
Victor Wooten of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones isn't a scientist, but he has thought a lot about the process of learning to play music. For him, introducing a child to music shouldn't be different from the way a child begins speaking.
"I just approach music as a language, because it is," Wooten said. "It serves the same purpose. It's a form of expression. A way for me to express myself, convey feelings, and sometimes it actually works better than a written or verbal language."
Traditionally, a child learns to play music by being taught how an instrument works, and learning to play easy pieces that they practice over and over. They might also play music with other beginners. All the rules come first -- notes, chords, notation -- before they play.
But with language, young children never know that they're beginners, Wooten said. No one makes them feel bad when they say a word incorrectly, and they're not told to practice that word dozens of times. Why should it be different with music?
"If you think about trying to teach a toddler how to read, and the alphabet, and all that stuff, before they can speak, we'd realize how silly that really is," Wooten said. "Kids most of the time quit, because they didn't come there to learn that. They came to learn to play."
He remembers learning to play music in an immersive way, rather than in a formulaic sequence of lessons. When he was born, his four older brothers were already playing music and knew they needed a bass player to complete the band. "My brothers never said, 'This is what you're going to do,'" he said.
Wooten took this philosophy and created summer camps to get kids excited about music in a more natural way.
"It's rare that I ever meet a musician who doesn't agree that music is a language. But it's very rare to meet a musician that really treats it like one."
There you have it: Music that gets stuck in your head can be annoying, but it also serves a multitude of other purposes that benefit you. If you treat it like a language, as Wooten suggests, you might learn new skills and reap some of the brain health benefits that neurologists are exploring.
It's more complicated than "A, B, C," but that's how amazing the mind can be. | <urn:uuid:b153c379-46b3-4df6-bbcc-36fb51da3254> | {
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ECE497 Project Ideas
We have both mini projects and projects in ECE497.
Mini projects involved finding something interested in the Beagle world and installing it to your beagle and demoing it to the class. You would also create a wiki page documenting what you did to get it installed. Often you may find multiple efforts do to something, for example there are a few efforts to port Android on the Beagle. Your task is to figure out which one should be used. Generally mini projects won't require you to write new code; however they are the background work that may lead to a full project. You should do a couple mini projects for the class. Generally they are done alone, but working in pairs is OK. These will be about 1/3 of your grade and should be done in the first 5 weeks or so.
Only one full project is done for the class and it's done with a team of 3 or 4. These projects can take a mini project (or a whole new idea) and add to it. The goal is to have your work contribute to the open source world. Any code is generated will be kept on github and a bitbake receipt will be created to automatically download and create the object files.
What follows are
- Places to look for project ideas
- Feel free to add your own suggestions.
- Mini Project ideas
- Add your own suggestions, and do some of them. Mark the ones you've done.
- Full Project ideas
Sources for Project Ideas
Here are some links where you'll find ideas for your project.
- ETechDays Community Lightning Talks, this is a one-day web-based conference where many project ideas are presented. One of our 2009-2010 senior design projects was found here.
- Official list of Beagle Projects, there are many Beagle specific projects listed here. Many are inactive. List your project here once it running.
- Augmented Reality Project, here's an idea that I think we can do on the Beagle. Rather than using augmented reality glasses, I'd suggest we use a TI DLP pico projector. Here's AR running on the Beagle.
- Android, this is one of a couple of efforts to port Google's Android OS to the Beagle.
- BeagleBoard/Ideas-2009 Google summer code ideas 2009.
Mini Project Ideas
|Mark A. Yoder||Jack Ma||Work up an example of controlling the PWM registers from the shell.||PWM via the shell|
|Mark A. Yoder||Weather Station||Ultrasonic weather|
|Mark A. Yoder||Mike Yuhas||Interface the BeagleBoard with an SRF08 Ultrasonic Ranger over I2C||Ultrasonic Ranger|
|Mark A. Yoder||Compile the PowerVR examples||PowerVR Insider SDK Downloads|
|Mark A. Yoder||Work up some GStreamer PS EYE Demos||GStreamer PS EYE Demos and RidgeRun|
|Mark A. Yoder||Douglas Selby||Get TI' embedded speech recognizer installed and demo the examples.||TI Embedded Speech Recognizer|
|Mark A. Yoder||David Zitnik||Demo last year's TI speech project. I have a microphone amplifier and mike you can use.||ECE597 Project pyWikiReader|
|Mark A. Yoder||Stephen Mayhew||Find who is doing what with Kinect on the Beagle and install and run it.||Google - beagleboard kinect|
|Mark A. Yoder||Greg Harrison||I have several Sony PlayStation Eye web cams and I have examples of how to pull video from them via V4L2 (ECE497 DaVinci Workshop Labs). The Eye also has a 4 microphone array. I don't know how to get audio from it. Figure out how. This may expand to a full project if there is no solution out there.||Google - beagleboard playstation eye microphone array|
|Mark A. Yoder||Find some examples of how to use cmem. CMEM is an API and library for managing one or more blocks of physically contiguous memory. It also provides address translation services (e.g. virtual to physical translation) and user-mode cache management APIs. It's used for managing the shared memory between the ARM and the DSP on the processor. I've been unable to find examples of how to use it.||CMEM Overview|
|Mike Lester||Connect to your beagleboard using ethernet over USB. This allows your beagleboard to share the host computer's internet connection and allow you to connect via VNC/ssh without the need for an external router/switch. This should make development much easier.||VNC|
|Brian Hulette||Experiment with audio synthesis and/or sampling/processing. You could either synthesize and play a few tones to generate a song, or have the Beagle sample an audio signal then process and output it to create a sort of effects pedal.|
|David McGinnis||David McGinnis||Look into connecting the beagleboard to a phone or headphones using bluetooth. This could involve either outputting audio and taking in audio from a bluetooth headset, allowing you to have audio I/O with the beagleboard, or could involve connecting with phones automatically as they come into range of the beagleboard, allowing for an automatic attendence registration system, among other things.|
|David Bliss||David Bliss||Get a video stream from a PS Eye, and identify the relevant device files.||PlayStation_Eye#cite_note-Linux_support-32|
|William Gerth||William Gerth||Explore the possibility of implementing OpenAOS on the Beagle, to make a portable media player and etc.||http://www.openaos.org/|
|Joel Carlson||Lacking a serial port and don't have a USB-serial converter? Why not find a way to make the BeagleBoard boot over a USB console connection?||BeagleBoard XM U-boot without Serial|
|Joel Carlson||Joel Carlson||Depending on what one is working on, it might be useful to mount the BeagleBoard root filesystem over NFS. The link to the right does that using a USB-Ethernet connection, but one that just runs over an Ethernet cable would be nice.|| Mount BeagleBoard Root Filesystem over NFS via USB
Here's an example of mounting dfs/afs on the Beagle
|Lei Liu||Lei Liu||Build communication with FPGA via USB port.|
|Aaron Bamberger||Aaron Bamberger||Play around with the BeagleBoard's various SPI and I2C ports, and get it to talk to some simple SPI and I2C peripherals, such as a 7-Segment display driver or small LCD panel|
|Jay Dial||Jay Dial||Look into the parallel computing possibilities of the BeagleBoard. See how difficult it would be to get two BeagleBoards to communicate properly for parallel computing.||How to make a BeagleBoard Elastic R Beowulf Cluster|
|Randy Billingsley||Randy Billingsley||Configure wlan on the beagle board using a wireless usb adapter|
|Mike Fuson||Mike Fuson||Get XBMC working on the beagle.||XBMC wiki page|
|Sam Allen||Port Android to beagle||It's done. Check out this.|
|Mark A. Yoder||Yifei Li||Change the splash screen to a Rose logo when the Beagle starts up||How to Change Angstrom Boot logo in beagleboard|
|Mark A. Yoder||Ziyi Zhang||Do remote debugging with Eclipse. My page needs updating.||ECE497 Installing the Eclipse IDE|
|Mark A. Yoder||Investigate Eigen. Eigen is a C++ template library for linear algebra: matrices, vectors, numerical solvers, and related algorithms. Explicit vectorization is performed for SSE 2/3/4, ARM NEON, and AltiVec instruction sets, with graceful fallback to non-vectorized code. This means it should run fast on the Beagle. How fast does it run? Has anyone used it on the Beagle?||eigen.tuxfamily.org|
|Mark A. Yoder||Find what libraries are available for the DSP side of the DM 3730 and write some examples that use them.||C64x+ DSP Library (DSPLIB)|
|Mark A. Yoder||Convert the OSS labs to use the new ALSA drivers||ALSA Tutorials|
|Mark A. Yoder||Dig into the DSS drivers. The OMAP display subsystem supports rotation and mirroring, but the mirror and rotate files in /sys/devices/platform/omapdss/display X don't work. Find the code that implements them see if you can figure out what's wrong.||dss2|
|Jack Ma||Install an RT kernel on beagleboard. If successful, this could turn into a full project for exploring RT system and application.|
|Jack Ma||Interface beagleboard with a GPS device to read location information. If successful, see if it's possible build a (small) app that downloads appropriate map from google map and shows the beagleboard's location.|
|Jack Ma||Install a VPN server on beagleboard.|
|Guanqun Wang||Run beagle board with a small LCD display|
|Yifei Li||Demo a BeagleLight program that could synchronize LEDs with music.||http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/BeagleLight|
|Mona Yan||Mona Yan||Display BeagleBoard orientation by using accelerometer and opengl.|
|Team Members||Project Title||Description|
|Mark A. Yoder||3D Structured Light using DLP® Technology||Create 3D maps using a DLP pico and the Beagle.|
|Mark A. Yoder||Beagle Midi||Make the Beagle synthesize midi files.|
|Mark A. Yoder||Beagle Power Management||Work up some power management demos.|
Edit this page to add projects you would like to do. If you aren't in the class, add ideas you would like to see done by class members.
|Team Members||Project Title||Description|
|Mark A. Yoder||TI Embedded Speech Recognizer||Port TI's fixed-point speech recognizer to the DSP. It currently runs on the ARM.|
|Mark A. Yoder||Kinect||Here and here are some interesting things people are doing with Kinects. Maybe we could port it to the Beagle.|
|Mike Lester||Accelerometer-based auto-leveled projection||Several projects have been started to add accelerometer support to the BeagleBoard. This project would involve getting an accelerometer installed and working, perhaps using a trainer board, as well the TI Pico Projector. The orientation data from the accelerometer would be used to rotate, skew, keystone the projected image in order to keep it level and normalized.|
|Aaron Bamberger||Kinect Based 3d Scanner||Build some sort of motorized gantry that allows the Kinect to be rotated around (and possibly from top to bottom) of an arbitrary object. The motors would be controlled using the BeagleBoard's I2C or SPI interfaces. Use libfreenect to capture depth information from every side of the object as the Kinect rotates around the object. Use this data and OpenGL to build a 3d model of the scanned object|
|Mark A. Yoder||Port winDSK6 to the Beagle||winDSK6 is a Windows program that talks to a TI 'C6711 DSK and performs many interesting audio effects. This project would implement the code running on the Windows side on the ARM. The ARM could capture a frame of audio and send it to the DSP for processing. The ARM could then send the processed audio to the speakers. c6run would be used to interact with the DSP.|
|David Bliss||Automated Die Tester||Make a device that can roll a die, and keep statistics on how random the die is. The build can either be very complex, or very simple, depending on how you define "rolling a die". The software doesn't necessarily have to know what the numbers mean, it just has to be able to uniquely identify the sides.|
|Stephen Mayhew||Set-Playing System||Set is a relatively simple card game that lends itself nicely to image recognition and computer play. The layout is not very structured, and the game play is pretty simple. This project would incorporate image recognition, projection of possible moves (using the pico projector), and maybe even speech synthesis, and recognition. For example, if someone didn't know how to play Set, then the board could take them through a tutorial, asking questions of the user as it went along ("If I have these 2 cards, what 3rd card would make a set?"). This would make for an interesting demo at conferences.|
| Michael Fuson
|Spectrum Analyzer||Create a real-time audio Spectrum analyzer on the BeagleBoard. Project Page|
|Team Members||Project Title||Description|
|Yannick Polius||pyWikiReader||This project is mostly software, with the hardware element being the use of the dsp. The idea is to tie together three technologies: speech recognition, speech synthesis, and internet access in order to create an interface capable of orating information to the user based on a vocal command. The implementation I have in mind is to use the Pocket Sphinx speech recognition engine to first understand what the user wants through speech, such as "Rose-Hulman". Once the speech is translated, the software can execute a Wikipedia search to pull said item's page. Most of the important info is contained within the introductory paragraph, so the software will take only that chunk and feed it into the Flite speech synthesis engine. The end result is a simple machine with "mother box" like usability, that is, no interaction besides what is natural to the user (speaking) should be necessary to retrieve the information.|
| Paul Morrison
|3D Chess with Networking||This project would simulate a hand-held chess game, and the game would allow two player games using two beagleboards over a network connection. The graphics would use the beagle's PowerVR SGX for hardware accelerated graphics by using OpenGL. In addition to 3D graphics and networking, a third portion of the project would be to optimize the boot time because a chess computer should start up quickly.|
| Tom Most
|Sumo Robot||The goal of this project is to create a robot capable of competing in the 3.0 kg weight class of a sumo competition (an example). This would have minor hardware and electronics elements, but would focus on communication with sensors using the BeagleBoard and the Linux kernel. At minimum, this involves sensors to detect the edge of the ring and the opposing robot. This would likely be implemented using Sharp IR rangefinders, a ultrasonic rangefinders, and ideally a camera. Sumo rules.|
|ECE597 Network based MP3 player||Network based mp3 player. The Beagle will be programmed using a custom, protocol for transferring files from a network based server (x86 pc) to a Beagle. Speakers will be attached to the Beagle, where the file will be played back. Possible extensions are a LCD for displaying id3 tag information, and buttons for user interaction (next track, previous track, etc.) on the GPIO interface.|
| Chris Routh
J. Cody Collins
Greg Jackson Keqiong Xin
|ECE597: Auto HUD||Use the beagle board to run image recognition on a camera feed located inside a car, and then signaling to the driver via a pico projector various objects of interest.|
| Adam Jesionowski
|Adding Sense to Beagle (See BeagleBoard/GSoC/Ideas)||Sensory aware applications are becoming more mainstream with the release of the Apple iPhone. This project would combine both HW and SW to add sensory awareness to beagle. First, additional modules such as GPS, 3-axis accelerometers, Gyroscopes, Temperature Sensors, Humidity Sensors, Pressure Sensors, etc, would be added to beagle to compliment the microphone input in order to allow sensing of the real world environment. Then SW APIs would need to be layered on top to allow easy access to the sensory data for use by applications.|
| Mitch Garvin
|Interactive Pong||Run classic pong, projecting the screen and using a camera to track user's hands for input.| | <urn:uuid:0a799a04-b94d-4da2-b71d-36c18af82bea> | {
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RPi Tutorial EGHS:12V relay driver
- GPIO Protection Circuits
- Basic Circuits: LED output - DC motor - Switch Input - Analogue Sensor
- Intermediate Circuits: Shift Registers - Analogue to Digital - Driving Circuit - Alpha-Numeric Display
- Advanced Circuits: Control Hardware Over The Internet
This page is part of a work in progress.
While most of these circuits may interface directly to the RPi, the use of a buffered interface (such as the one supplied by the Gertboard) is recommended which will help protect against damage. Alternatively, experiment with one of the Alternative Test Platforms.
Extreme caution should be exercised when interfacing hardware at a low level, you may damage your RPi, your equipment and potentially yourself and others. Doing so is at your own risk!
Note: The 12V relay driver circuit has been tested with real RPi device and was working properly.
The 12V relay driver circuit combines protection circuits described in GPIO Protection Circuits. Design was done with respect to maximize GPIO protection and minimize GPIO current withdraw. | <urn:uuid:081c8792-9b7b-4ba5-80bb-125e5034ae45> | {
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The Fahai Temple (Chinese: 法海寺; pinyin: Fǎhǎi Sì) is Ming Dynasty Buddhist temple located at the foot of Cuiwei Mountain, about two kilometers to the north-east of Moshikou, Shijingshan District, Beijing, China.
Construction of the Fahai Temple started in the 4th year of reign of the Ming Emperor Zhengtong (1439 A.D.) and was completed in the 8th year of his reign (1443).
The most distinguishing part of Fahai Temple is the Ming Dynasty frescoes. The total area of the frescoes is 236.7 square meters. Comparing with other famous frescoes in China, such as the Yongle Palace frescoes and the Dunhuang frescoes, Fahai Temple's well-preserved frescoes are also notable in the depiction of figures, subtlety of patterns and the craft methods.
Cultural Relics
- Bronze Bell
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Before her enlistment as an SS auxiliary, she worked at an office in Berlin. On January 31, 1941, Margot Dreschel arrived at Ravensbrück concentration camp to receive guard training. At first she was an Aufseherin, a lower-ranking female guard at Ravensbrück camp in charge of interned women. She trained under Oberaufseherin (Senior Overseer) Johanna Langefeld in 1941, and quickly became an SS-Rapportführerin (Report Overseer), a higher-ranked guard.
On April 27, 1942, Dreschel was selected for transfer to the newly opened Auschwitz II – Birkenau concentration camp in occupied Poland. Dreschel began her duties at Birkenau in August 1942 as soon as the women's camp was established there, with women transferred from Auschwitz to Birkenau during expansion. She served under Maria Mandel and worked as an associate of Dr Mengele. Dreschel was also head of all camp offices in Auschwitz. Dreschel's appearance was reportedly repellent, as one female Auschwitz prisoner recounted: "camp leader Dreschel was there, her buck teeth sticking out, even when her mouth is closed." Inmates described her as vulgar, thin and ugly. After the war, many survivors testified of her notoriously brutal beatings. She carried out indoor selections wearing a white coat and white gloves, disguised as a doctor.
Once Mrs Drechaler [Dreschler] came, with her huge bloodhound, undressed everybody, took away even our shoes, and we had to stand for hours completely naked, none of us were thinking of life any more, the gas chamber seemed unavoidable.—War Crimes Trials. Protocol 3309, SS Female Overseers in Auschwitz
She regularly moved between the Auschwitz I camp and Birkenau, and involved herself in selections of women and children to be sent to the gas chambers. On November 1, 1944, she went to Flossenbürg concentration camp as an Oberaufseherin-and as trainer of enlisted overseers. In January 1945, she was moved back to the Ravensbruck subcamp at Neustadt-Glewe, and fled from there in April 1945 as Nazi Germany surrendered.
In May 1945, several former Auschwitz prisoners recognized her on a road from Pirna to Bautzen in the Russian zone, and took her to the Russian Military Police. The Soviets condemned her to death and executed her in May or June 1945 by hanging in Bautzen.
- "SS Female Overseers in Auschwitz". Recollections on the Holocaust. National Committee for Attending Deportees DEGOB (Hungarian Jewish relief). Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- "Margot Dreschel". Notorious Female SS Nazi Guards. Sadako Review. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- "Auschwitz Concentration Camp". Female Nazi war criminals. Capital Punishment UK.org. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- Margot Drexler (1908-1945) Bio-sketch (German).
- Brown, D. P.: The Camp Women: The Female Auxiliaries Who Assisted the SS in Running the Nazi Concentration Camp System; Schiffer Publishing 2002; ISBN 0-7643-1444-0.
- Matthaus, Juergen. Approaching an Auschwitz Survivor: Holocaust History and its Transformations Oxford University Press, 2009; ISBN 0-19-538915-8. | <urn:uuid:9b20f3ba-c178-41a1-a77f-e163e5d2479a> | {
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Novgorod First Chronicle
||This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. (September 2011)|
The Novgorod First Chronicle (Russian: Новгородская первая летопись) or The Chronicle of Novgorod, 1016-1471 is the most ancient extant chronicle of the Novgorod Republic. It reflects a tradition different from the Kievan Primary Chronicle. As was first demonstrated by Aleksey Shakhmatov, the later editions of the chronicle reflect the lost Primary Kievan Code (Начальный Киевский свод) of the late 11th century, which contained much valuable data suppressed in the later Primary Chronicle.
The earliest extant copy of the chronicle is the so-called Synod Scroll, dated to the second half of the 13th century, first printed in 1841 and currently preserved in the State Historical Museum. It is the earliest known manuscript of a major East Slavic chronicle, predating the Laurentian Codex of the Primary Chronicle by almost a century. In the 14th century, the Synod Scroll was continued by the monks of the Yuriev Monastery in Novgorod.
Other important copies of the Novgorod First Chronicle include the Academic Scroll (241 lists, 1444), Commission Scroll (320 lists, mid-15th century), Trinity Scroll (1563), and Tolstoy Scroll (208 lists, 1720s). | <urn:uuid:907acf4a-3779-4758-af91-d5895bd6b8cb> | {
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||This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2011)|
Nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. However, it has been defined to mean the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor, and is in common usage a reference to the core's either complete or partial collapse. "Core melt accident" and "partial core melt" are the analogous technical terms for a meltdown.
A core melt accident occurs when the heat generated by a nuclear reactor exceeds the heat removed by the cooling systems to the point where at least one nuclear fuel element exceeds its melting point. This differs from a fuel element failure, which is not caused by high temperatures. A meltdown may be caused by a loss of coolant, loss of coolant pressure, or low coolant flow rate or be the result of a criticality excursion in which the reactor is operated at a power level that exceeds its design limits. Alternately, in a reactor plant such as the RBMK-1000, an external fire may endanger the core, leading to a meltdown.
Once the fuel elements of a reactor begin to melt, the fuel cladding has been breached, and the nuclear fuel (such as uranium, plutonium, or thorium) and fission products (such as cesium-137, krypton-88, or iodine-131) within the fuel elements can leach out into the coolant. Subsequent failures can permit these radioisotopes to breach further layers of containment. Superheated steam and hot metal inside the core can lead to fuel-coolant interactions, hydrogen explosions, or water hammer, any of which could destroy parts of the containment. A meltdown is considered very serious because of the potential, however remote, that radioactive materials could breach all containment and escape (or be released) into the environment, resulting in radioactive contamination and fallout, and potentially leading to radiation poisoning of people and animals nearby.
Nuclear power plants generate electricity by heating fluid via a nuclear reaction to run a generator. If the heat from that reaction is not removed adequately, the fuel assemblies in a reactor core can melt. A core damage incident can occur even after a reactor is shut down because the fuel continues to produce decay heat.
A core damage accident is caused by the loss of sufficient cooling for the nuclear fuel within the reactor core. The reason may be one of several factors, including a loss-of-pressure-control accident, a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), an uncontrolled power excursion or, in reactors without a pressure vessel, a fire within the reactor core. Failures in control systems may cause a series of events resulting in loss of cooling. Contemporary safety principles of defense in depth ensure that multiple layers of safety systems are always present to make such accidents unlikely.
The containment building is the last of several safeguards that prevent the release of radioactivity to the environment. Many commercial reactors are contained within a 1.2-to-2.4-metre (3.9 to 7.9 ft) thick pre-stressed, steel-reinforced, air-tight concrete structure that can withstand hurricane-force winds and severe earthquakes.
- In a loss-of-coolant accident, either the physical loss of coolant (which is typically deionized water, an inert gas, NaK, or liquid sodium) or the loss of a method to ensure a sufficient flow rate of the coolant occurs. A loss-of-coolant accident and a loss-of-pressure-control accident are closely related in some reactors. In a pressurized water reactor, a LOCA can also cause a "steam bubble" to form in the core due to excessive heating of stalled coolant or by the subsequent loss-of-pressure-control accident caused by a rapid loss of coolant. In a loss-of-forced-circulation accident, a gas cooled reactor's circulators (generally motor or steam driven turbines) fail to circulate the gas coolant within the core, and heat transfer is impeded by this loss of forced circulation, though natural circulation through convection will keep the fuel cool as long as the reactor is not depressurized.
- In a loss-of-pressure-control accident, the pressure of the confined coolant falls below specification without the means to restore it. In some cases this may reduce the heat transfer efficiency (when using an inert gas as a coolant) and in others may form an insulating "bubble" of steam surrounding the fuel assemblies (for pressurized water reactors). In the latter case, due to localized heating of the "steam bubble" due to decay heat, the pressure required to collapse the "steam bubble" may exceed reactor design specifications until the reactor has had time to cool down. (This event is less likely to occur in boiling water reactors, where the core may be deliberately depressurized so that the Emergency Core Cooling System may be turned on). In a depressurization fault, a gas-cooled reactor loses gas pressure within the core, reducing heat transfer efficiency and posing a challenge to the cooling of fuel; however, as long as at least one gas circulator is available, the fuel will be kept cool.
- In an uncontrolled power excursion accident, a sudden power spike in the reactor exceeds reactor design specifications due to a sudden increase in reactor reactivity. An uncontrolled power excursion occurs due to significantly altering a parameter that affects the neutron multiplication rate of a chain reaction (examples include ejecting a control rod or significantly altering the nuclear characteristics of the moderator, such as by rapid cooling). In extreme cases the reactor may proceed to a condition known as prompt critical. This is especially a problem in reactors that have a positive void coefficient of reactivity, a positive temperature coefficient, are overmoderated, or can trap excess quantities of deleterious fission products within their fuel or moderators. Many of these characteristics are present in the RBMK design, and the Chernobyl disaster was caused by such deficiencies as well as by severe operator negligence. Western light water reactors are not subject to very large uncontrolled power excursions because loss of coolant decreases, rather than increases, core reactivity (a negative void coefficient of reactivity); "transients," as the minor power fluctuations within Western light water reactors are called, are limited to momentary increases in reactivity that will rapidly decrease with time (approximately 200% - 250% of maximum neutronic power for a few seconds in the event of a complete rapid shutdown failure combined with a transient).
- Core-based fires endanger the core and can cause the fuel assemblies to melt. A fire may be caused by air entering a graphite moderated reactor, or a liquid-sodium cooled reactor. Graphite is also subject to accumulation of Wigner energy, which can overheat the graphite (as happened at the Windscale fire). Light water reactors do not have flammable cores or moderators and are not subject to core fires. Gas-cooled civilian reactors, such as the Magnox, UNGG, and AGCR type reactors, keep their cores blanketed with non reactive carbon dioxide gas, which cannot support a fire. Modern gas-cooled civilian reactors use helium, which cannot burn, and have fuel that can withstand high temperatures without melting (such as the High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor and the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor).
- Byzantine faults and cascading failures within instrumentation and control systems may cause severe problems in reactor operation, potentially leading to core damage if not mitigated. For example, the Browns Ferry fire damaged control cables and required the plant operators to manually activate cooling systems. The Three Mile Island accident was caused by a stuck-open pilot-operated pressure relief valve combined with a deceptive water level gauge that misled reactor operators, which resulted in core damage.
Light water reactors (LWRs)
Before the core of a light water nuclear reactor can be damaged, two precursor events must have already occurred:
- A limiting fault (or a set of compounded emergency conditions) that leads to the failure of heat removal within the core (the loss of cooling). Low water level uncovers the core, allowing it to heat up.
- Failure of the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS). The ECCS is designed to rapidly cool the core and make it safe in the event of the maximum fault (the design basis accident) that nuclear regulators and plant engineers could imagine. There are at least two copies of the ECCS built for every reactor. Each division (copy) of the ECCS is capable, by itself, of responding to the design basis accident. The latest reactors have as many as four divisions of the ECCS. This is the principle of redundancy, or duplication. As long as at least one ECCS division functions, no core damage can occur. Each of the several divisions of the ECCS has several internal "trains" of components. Thus the ECCS divisions themselves have internal redundancy – and can withstand failures of components within them.
The Three Mile Island accident was a compounded group of emergencies that led to core damage. What led to this was an erroneous decision by operators to shut down the ECCS during an emergency condition due to gauge readings that were either incorrect or misinterpreted; this caused another emergency condition that, several hours after the fact, led to core exposure and a core damage incident. If the ECCS had been allowed to function, it would have prevented both exposure and core damage. During the Fukushima incident the emergency cooling system had also been manually shut down several minutes after it started.
If such a limiting fault were to occur, and a complete failure of all ECCS divisions were to occur, both Kuan, et al and Haskin, et al describe six stages between the start of the limiting fault (the loss of cooling) and the potential escape of molten corium into the containment (a so-called "full meltdown"):
- Uncovering of the Core – In the event of a transient, upset, emergency, or limiting fault, LWRs are designed to automatically SCRAM (a SCRAM being the immediate and full insertion of all control rods) and spin up the ECCS. This greatly reduces reactor thermal power (but does not remove it completely); this delays core becoming uncovered, which is defined as the point when the fuel rods are no longer covered by coolant and can begin to heat up. As Kuan states: "In a small-break LOCA with no emergency core coolant injection, core uncovery [sic] generally begins approximately an hour after the initiation of the break. If the reactor coolant pumps are not running, the upper part of the core will be exposed to a steam environment and heatup of the core will begin. However, if the coolant pumps are running, the core will be cooled by a two-phase mixture of steam and water, and heatup of the fuel rods will be delayed until almost all of the water in the two-phase mixture is vaporized. The TMI-2 accident showed that operation of reactor coolant pumps may be sustained for up to approximately two hours to deliver a two phase mixture that can prevent core heatup."
- Pre-damage heat up – "In the absence of a two-phase mixture going through the core or of water addition to the core to compensate water boiloff, the fuel rods in a steam environment will heat up at a rate between 0.3 °C/s (0.5 °F/s) and 1 °C/s (1.8 °F/s) (3)."
- Fuel ballooning and bursting – "In less than half an hour, the peak core temperature would reach 1,100 K (1,520 °F). At this temperature the zircaloy cladding of the fuel rods may balloon and burst. This is the first stage of core damage. Cladding ballooning may block a substantial portion of the flow area of the core and restrict the flow of coolant. However complete blockage of the core is unlikely because not all fuel rods balloon at the same axial location. In this case, sufficient water addition can cool the core and stop core damage progression."
- Rapid oxidation – "The next stage of core damage, beginning at approximately 1,500 K (2,240 °F), is the rapid oxidation of the Zircaloy by steam. In the oxidation process, hydrogen is produced and a large amount of heat is released. Above 1,500 K (2,240 °F), the power from oxidation exceeds that from decay heat (4,5) unless the oxidation rate is limited by the supply of either zircaloy or steam."
- Debris bed formation – "When the temperature in the core reaches about 1,700 K (2,600 °F), molten control materials [1,6] will flow to and solidify in the space between the lower parts of the fuel rods where the temperature is comparatively low. Above 1,700 K (2,600 °F), the core temperature may escalate in a few minutes to the melting point of zircaloy [2,150 K (3,410 °F)] due to increased oxidation rate. When the oxidized cladding breaks, the molten zircaloy, along with dissolved UO2 [1,7] would flow downward and freeze in the cooler, lower region of the core. Together with solidified control materials from earlier down-flows, the relocated zircaloy and UO2 would form the lower crust of a developing cohesive debris bed."
- (Corium) Relocation to the lower plenum – "In scenarios of small-break LOCAs, there is generally a pool of water in the lower plenum of the vessel at the time of core relocation. Release of molten core materials into water always generates large amounts of steam. If the molten stream of core materials breaks up rapidly in water, there is also a possibility of a steam explosion. During relocation, any unoxidized zirconium in the molten material may also be oxidized by steam, and in the process hydrogen is produced. Recriticality also may be a concern if the control materials are left behind in the core and the relocated material breaks up in unborated water in the lower plenum."
At the point at which the corium relocates to the lower plenum, Haskin, et al relate that the possibility exists for an incident called a fuel-coolant interaction (FCI) to substantially stress or breach the primary pressure boundary when the corium relocates to the lower plenum of the reactor pressure vessel ("RPV"). This is because the lower plenum of the RPV may have a substantial quantity of water - the reactor coolant - in it, and, assuming the primary system has not been depressurized, the water will likely be in the liquid phase, and consequently dense, and at a vastly lower temperature than the corium. Since corium is a liquid metal-ceramic eutectic at temperatures of 2,200 to 3,200 K (3,500 to 5,300 °F), its fall into liquid water at 550 to 600 K (530 to 620 °F) may cause an extremely rapid evolution of steam that could cause a sudden extreme overpressure and consequent gross structural failure of the primary system or RPV. Though most modern studies hold that it is physically infeasible, or at least extraordinarily unlikely, Haskin, et al state that that there exists a remote possibility of an extremely violent FCI leading to something referred to as an alpha-mode failure, or the gross failure of the RPV itself, and subsequent ejection of the upper plenum of the RPV as a missile against the inside of the containment, which would likely lead to the failure of the containment and release of the fission products of the core to the outside environment without any substantial decay having taken place.
Breach of the Primary Pressure Boundary
There are several possibilities as to how the primary pressure boundary could be breached by corium.
- Steam Explosion
As previously described, FCI could lead to an overpressure event leading to RPV fail, and thus, primary pressure boundary fail. Haskin, et al. report that in the event of a steam explosion, failure of the lower plenum is far more likely than ejection of the upper plenum in the alpha-mode. In the even of lower plenum failure, debris at varied temperatures can be expected to be projected into the cavity below the core. The containment may be subject to overpressure, though this is not likely to fail the containment. The alpha-mode failure will lead to the consequences previously discussed.
- Pressurized Melt Ejection (PME)
It is quite possible, especially in pressurized water reactors, that the primary loop will remain pressurized following corium relocation to the lower plenum. As such, pressure stresses on the RPV will be present in addition to the weight stress that the molten corium places on the lower plenum of the RPV; when the metal of the RPV weakens sufficiently due to the heat of the molten corium, it is likely that the liquid corium will be discharged under pressure out of the bottom of the RPV in a pressurized stream, together with entrained gases. This mode of corium ejection may lead to direct containment heating (DCH).
Severe Accident Ex-Vessel Interactions and Challenges to Containment
Haskin, et al identify six modes by which the containment could be credibly challenged; some of these modes are not applicable to core melt accidents.
- Dynamic pressure (shockwaves)
- Internal missiles
- External missiles (not applicable to core melt accidents)
Standard failure modes
If the melted core penetrates the pressure vessel, there are theories and speculations as to what may then occur.
In modern Russian plants, there is a "core catching device" in the bottom of the containment building, the melted core is supposed to hit a thick layer of a "sacrificial metal" which would melt, dilute the core and increase the heat conductivity, and finally the diluted core can be cooled down by water circulating in the floor. However there has never been any full-scale testing of this device.
In Western plants there is an airtight containment building. Though radiation would be at a high level within the containment, doses outside of it would be lower. Containment buildings are designed for the orderly release of pressure without releasing radionuclides, through a pressure release valve and filters. Hydrogen/oxygen recombiners also are installed within the containment to prevent gas explosions.
In a melting event, one spot or area on the RPV will become hotter than other areas, and will eventually melt. When it melts, corium will pour into the cavity under the reactor. Though the cavity is designed to remain dry, several NUREG-class documents advise operators to flood the cavity in the event of a fuel melt incident. This water will become steam and pressurize the containment. Automatic water sprays will pump large quantities of water into the steamy environment to keep the pressure down. Catalytic recombiners will rapidly convert the hydrogen and oxygen back into water. One positive effect of the corium falling into water is that it is cooled and returns to a solid state.
Extensive water spray systems within the containment along with the ECCS, when it is reactivated, will allow operators to spray water within the containment to cool the core on the floor and reduce it to a low temperature.
These procedures are intended to prevent release of radiation. In the Three Mile Island event in 1979, a theoretical person standing at the plant property line during the entire event would have received a dose of approximately 2 millisieverts (200 millirem), between a chest X-ray's and a CT scan's worth of radiation. This was due to outgassing by an uncontrolled system that, today, would have been backfitted with activated carbon and HEPA filters to prevent radionuclide release.
However in case of Fukushima incident this design also at least partially failed: large amounts of highly radioactive water were produced and nuclear fuel has possibly melted through the base of the pressure vessels.
Cooling will take quite a while, until the natural decay heat of the corium reduces to the point where natural convection and conduction of heat to the containment walls and re-radiation of heat from the containment allows for water spray systems to be shut down and the reactor put into safe storage. The containment can be sealed with release of extremely limited offsite radioactivity and release of pressure within the containment. After a number of years for fission products to decay - probably around a decade - the containment can be reopened for decontamination and demolition.
Unexpected failure modes
Another scenario sees a buildup of hydrogen, which may lead to a detonation event, as happened for three reactors during Fukushima incident. Catalytic hydrogen recombiners located within containment are designed to prevent this from occurring; however, prior to the installation of these recombiners in the 1980s, the Three Mile Island containment (in 1979) suffered a massive hydrogen explosion event in the accident there. The containment withstood the pressure and no radioactivity was released. However, in Fukushima recombiners did not work due the absence of power and hydrogen detonation breached the containment.
Speculative failure modes
One scenario consists of the reactor pressure vessel failing all at once, with the entire mass of corium dropping into a pool of water (for example, coolant or moderator) and causing extremely rapid generation of steam. The pressure rise within the containment could threaten integrity if rupture disks could not relieve the stress. Exposed flammable substances could burn, but there are few, if any, flammable substances within the containment.
Another theory called an 'alpha mode' failure by the 1975 Rasmussen (WASH-1400) study asserted steam could produce enough pressure to blow the head off the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). The containment could be threatened if the RPV head collided with it. (The WASH-1400 report was replaced by better-based[original research?] newer studies, and now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has disavowed them all and is preparing the overarching State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analyses [SOARCA] study - see the Disclaimer in NUREG-1150.)
It has not been determined to what extent a molten mass can melt through a structure (although that was tested in the Loss-of-Fluid-Test Reactor described in Test Area North's fact sheet). The Three Mile Island accident provided some real-life experience, with an actual molten core within an actual structure; the molten corium failed to melt through the Reactor Pressure Vessel after over six hours of exposure, due to dilution of the melt by the control rods and other reactor internals, validating the emphasis on defense in depth against core damage incidents. Some believe a molten reactor core could actually penetrate the reactor pressure vessel and containment structure and burn downwards into the earth beneath, to the level of the groundwater.
By 1970, there were doubts about the ability of the emergency cooling systems of a nuclear reactor to prevent a loss of coolant accident and the consequent meltdown of the fuel core; the subject proved popular in the technical and the popular presses. In 1971, in the article Thoughts on Nuclear Plumbing, former Manhattan Project (1942–1946) nuclear physicist Ralph Lapp used the term "China syndrome" to describe a possible burn-through, after a loss of coolant accident, of the nuclear fuel rods and core components melting the containment structures, and the subsequent escape of radioactive material(s) into the atmosphere and environment; the hypothesis derived from a 1967 report by a group of nuclear physicists, headed by W. K. Ergen.
The geographic, planet-piercing concept of the China syndrome derives from the misperception that China is the antipode of the United States; to many Americans, it is the “the other side of the world”. Moreover, the hypothetical transit of a meltdown product to the other side of the Earth (i.e. China) ignores the fact that the Earth's gravity tends to pull all masses towards its center. Assuming a meltdown product could persist in a mobile molten form for long enough to reach the center of the Earth; gravity would prevent it continuing to the other side.
Other reactor types
Other types of reactors have different capabilities and safety profiles than the LWR does. Advanced varieties of several of these reactors have the potential to be inherently safe.
CANDU reactors
CANDU reactors, Canadian-invented deuterium-uranium design, are designed with at least one, and generally two, large low-temperature and low-pressure water reservoirs around their fuel/coolant channels. The first is the bulk heavy-water moderator (a separate system from the coolant), and the second is the light-water-filled shield tank. These backup heat sinks are sufficient to prevent either the fuel meltdown in the first place (using the moderator heat sink), or the breaching of the core vessel should the moderator eventually boil off (using the shield tank heat sink). Other failure modes aside from fuel melt will probably occur in a CANDU rather than a meltdown, such as deformation of the calandria into a non-critical configuration. All CANDU reactors are located within standard Western containments as well.
Gas-cooled reactors
One type of Western reactor, known as the advanced gas-cooled reactor (or AGCR), built by the United Kingdom, is not very vulnerable to loss-of-cooling accidents or to core damage except in the most extreme of circumstances. By virtue of the relatively inert coolant (carbon dioxide), the large volume and high pressure of the coolant, and the relatively high heat transfer efficiency of the reactor, the time frame for core damage in the event of a limiting fault is measured in days. Restoration of some means of coolant flow will prevent core damage from occurring.
Other types of highly advanced gas cooled reactors, generally known as high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) such as the Japanese High Temperature Test Reactor and the United States' Very High Temperature Reactor, are inherently safe, meaning that meltdown or other forms of core damage are physically impossible, due to the structure of the core, which consists of hexagonal prismatic blocks of silicon carbide reinforced graphite infused with TRISO or QUADRISO pellets of uranium, thorium, or mixed oxide buried underground in a helium-filled steel pressure vessel within a concrete containment. Though this type of reactor is not susceptible to meltdown, additional capabilities of heat removal are provided by using regular atmospheric airflow as a means of backup heat removal, by having it pass through a heat exchanger and rising into the atmosphere due to convection, achieving full residual heat removal. The VHTR is scheduled to be prototyped and tested at Idaho National Laboratory within the next decade (as of 2009) as the design selected for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant by the US Department of Energy. This reactor will use a gas as a coolant, which can then be used for process heat (such as in hydrogen production) or for the driving of gas turbines and the generation of electricity.
A similar highly advanced gas cooled reactor originally designed by West Germany (the AVR reactor) and now developed by South Africa is known as the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor. It is an inherently safe design, meaning that core damage is physically impossible, due to the design of the fuel (spherical graphite "pebbles" arranged in a bed within a metal RPV and filled with TRISO (or QUADRISO) pellets of uranium, thorium, or mixed oxide within). A prototype of a very similar type of reactor has been built by the Chinese, HTR-10, and has worked beyond researchers' expectations, leading the Chinese to announce plans to build a pair of follow-on, full-scale 250 MWe, inherently safe, power production reactors based on the same concept. (See Nuclear power in the People's Republic of China for more information.)
Experimental or conceptual designs
Some design concepts for nuclear reactors emphasize resistance to meltdown and operating safety.
The PIUS (process inherent ultimate safety) designs, originally engineered by the Swedes in the late 1970s and early 1980s, are LWRs that by virtue of their design are resistant to core damage. No units have ever been built.
Power reactors, including the Deployable Electrical Energy Reactor, a larger-scale mobile version of the TRIGA for power generation in disaster areas and on military missions, and the TRIGA Power System, a small power plant and heat source for small and remote community use, have been put forward by interested engineers, and share the safety characteristics of the TRIGA due to the uranium zirconium hydride fuel used.
The Hydrogen Moderated Self-regulating Nuclear Power Module, a reactor that uses uranium hydride as a moderator and fuel, similar in chemistry and safety to the TRIGA, also possesses these extreme safety and stability characteristics, and has attracted a good deal of interest in recent times.
The liquid fluoride thermal reactor is designed to naturally have its core in a molten state, as a eutectic mix of thorium and fluorine salts. As such, a molten core is reflective of the normal and safe state of operation of this reactor type. In the event the core overheats, a metal plug will melt, and the molten salt core will drain into tanks where it will cool in a non-critical configuration. Since the core is liquid, and already melted, it cannot be damaged.
Advanced liquid metal reactors, such as the U.S. Integral Fast Reactor and the Russian BN-350, BN-600, and BN-800, all have a coolant with very high heat capacity, sodium metal. As such, they can withstand a loss of cooling without SCRAM and a loss of heat sink without SCRAM, qualifying them as inherently safe.
Soviet Union-designed reactors
Soviet designed RBMKs, found only in Russia and the CIS and now shut down everywhere except Russia, do not have containment buildings, are naturally unstable (tending to dangerous power fluctuations), and also have ECCS systems that are considered grossly inadequate by Western safety standards. The reactor from the Chernobyl Disaster was a RBMK reactor.
RBMK ECCS systems only have one division and have less than sufficient redundancy within that division. Though the large core size of the RBMK makes it less energy-dense than the Western LWR core, it makes it harder to cool. The RBMK is moderated by graphite. In the presence of both steam and oxygen, at high temperatures, graphite forms synthesis gas and with the water gas shift reaction the resultant hydrogen burns explosively. If oxygen contacts hot graphite, it will burn. The RBMK tends towards dangerous power fluctuations. Control rods used to be tipped with graphite, a material that slows neutrons and thus speeds up the chain reaction. Water is used as a coolant, but not a moderator. If the water boils away, cooling is lost, but moderation continues. This is termed a positive void coefficient of reactivity.
Control rods can become stuck if the reactor suddenly heats up and they are moving. Xenon-135, a neutron absorbent fission product, has a tendency to build up in the core and burn off unpredictably in the event of low power operation. This can lead to inaccurate neutronic and thermal power ratings.
The RBMK does not have any containment above the core. The only substantial solid barrier above the fuel is the upper part of the core, called the upper biological shield, which is a piece of concrete interpenetrated with control rods and with access holes for refueling while online. Other parts of the RBMK were shielded better than the core itself. Rapid shutdown (SCRAM) takes 10 to 15 seconds. Western reactors take 1 - 2.5 seconds.
Western aid has been given to provide certain real-time safety monitoring capacities to the human staff. Whether this extends to automatic initiation of emergency cooling is not known. Training has been provided in safety assessment from Western sources, and Russian reactors have evolved in result to the weaknesses that were in the RBMK. However, numerous RBMKs still operate.
It is safe to say that it might be possible to stop a loss-of-coolant event prior to core damage occurring, but that any core damage incidents will probably assure massive release of radioactive materials. Further, dangerous power fluctuations are natural to the design.
Lithuania joined the EU recently, and upon acceding, it has been required to shut the two RBMKs that it has at Ignalina NPP, as such reactors are totally incompatible with the nuclear safety standards of Europe. It will be replacing them with some safer form of reactor.
The MKER is a modern Russian-engineered channel type reactor that is a distant descendant of the RBMK. It approaches the concept from a different and superior direction, optimizing the benefits, and fixing the flaws of the original RBMK design.
There are several unique features of the MKER's design that make it a credible and interesting option: One unique benefit of the MKER's design is that in the event of a challenge to cooling within the core - a pipe break of a channel, the channel can be isolated from the plenums supplying water, decreasing the potential for common-mode failures.
The lower power density of the core greatly enhances thermal regulation. Graphite moderation enhances neutronic characteristics beyond light water ranges. The passive emergency cooling system provides a high level of protection by using natural phenomena to cool the core rather than depending on motor-driven pumps. The containment structure is modern and designed to withstand a very high level of punishment.
Refueling is accomplished while online, ensuring that outages are for maintenance only and are very few and far between. 97-99% uptime is a definite possibility. Lower enrichment fuels can be used, and high burnup can be achieved due to the moderator design. Neutronics characteristics have been revamped to optimize for purely civilian fuel fertilization and recycling.
Due to the enhanced quality control of parts, advanced computer controls, comprehensive passive emergency core cooling system, and very strong containment structure, along with a negative void coefficient and a fast acting rapid shutdown system, the MKER's safety can generally be regarded as being in the range of the Western Generation III reactors, and the unique benefits of the design may enhance its competitiveness in countries considering full fuel-cycle options for nuclear development.
The VVER is a pressurized light water reactor that is far more stable and safe than the RBMK. This is because it uses light water as a moderator (rather than graphite), has well understood operating characteristics, and has a negative void coefficient of reactivity. In addition, some have been built with more than marginal containments, some have quality ECCS systems, and some have been upgraded to international standards of control and instrumentation. Present generations of VVERs (the VVER-1000) are built to Western-equivalent levels of instrumentation, control, and containment systems.
However, even with these positive developments, certain older VVER models raise a high level of concern, especially the VVER-440 V230.
The VVER-440 V230 has no containment building, but only has a structure capable of confining steam surrounding the RPV. This is a volume of thin steel, perhaps an inch or two in thickness, grossly insufficient by Western standards.
- Has no ECCS. Can survive at most one 4 inch pipe break (there are many pipes greater than 4 inches within the design).
- Has six steam generator loops, adding unnecessary complexity.
- However, apparently steam generator loops can be isolated, in the event that a break occurs in one of these loops. The plant can remain operating with one isolated loop - a feature found in few Western reactors.
The interior of the pressure vessel is plain alloy steel, exposed to water. This can lead to rust, if the reactor is exposed to water. One point of distinction in which the VVER surpasses the West is the reactor water cleanup facility - built, no doubt, to deal with the enormous volume of rust within the primary coolant loop - the product of the slow corrosion of the RPV. This model is viewed as having inadequate process control systems.
Bulgaria had a number of VVER-440 V230 models, but they opted to shut them down upon joining the EU rather than backfit them, and are instead building new VVER-1000 models. Many non-EU states maintain V230 models, including Russia and the CIS. Many of these states - rather than abandoning the reactors entirely - have opted to install an ECCS, develop standard procedures, and install proper instrumentation and control systems. Though confinements cannot be transformed into containments, the risk of a limiting fault resulting in core damage can be greatly reduced.
The VVER-440 V213 model was built to the first set of Soviet nuclear safety standards. It possesses a modest containment building, and the ECCS systems, though not completely to Western standards, are reasonably comprehensive. Many VVER-440 V213 models possessed by former Soviet bloc countries have been upgraded to fully automated Western-style instrumentation and control systems, improving safety to Western levels for accident prevention - but not for accident containment, which is of a modest level compared to Western plants. These reactors are regarded as "safe enough" by Western standards to continue operation without major modifications, though most owners have performed major modifications to bring them up to generally equivalent levels of nuclear safety.
During the 1970s, Finland built two VVER-440 V213 models to Western standards with a large-volume full containment and world-class instrumentation, control standards and an ECCS with multiply redundant and diversified components. In addition, passive safety features such as 900-tonne ice condensers have been installed, making these two units safety-wise the most advanced VVER-440's in the world.
The VVER-1000 type has a definitely adequate Western-style containment, the ECCS is sufficient by Western standards, and instrumentation and control has been markedly improved to Western 1970s-era levels.
Chernobyl disaster
In the Chernobyl disaster the fuel became non-critical when it melted and flowed away from the graphite moderator - however, it took considerable time to cool. The molten core of Chernobyl (that part that did not vaporize in the fire) flowed in a channel created by the structure of its reactor building and froze in place before a core-concrete interaction could happen. In the basement of the reactor at Chernobyl, a large "elephant's foot" of congealed core material was found. Time delay, and prevention of direct emission to the atmosphere, would have reduced the radiological release. If the basement of the reactor building had been penetrated, the groundwater would be severely contaminated, and its flow could carry the contamination far afield.
The Chernobyl reactor was an RBMK type. The disaster was caused by a power excursion that led to a meltdown and extensive offsite consequences. Operator error and a faulty shutdown system led to a sudden, massive spike in the neutron multiplication rate, a sudden decrease in the neutron period, and a consequent increase in neutron population; thus, core heat flux very rapidly increased to unsafe levels. This caused the water coolant to flash to steam, causing a sudden overpressure within the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), leading to granulation of the upper portion of the core and the ejection of the upper plenum of said pressure vessel along with core debris from the reactor building in a widely dispersed pattern. The lower portion of the reactor remained somewhat intact; the graphite neutron moderator was exposed to oxygen containing air; heat from the power excursion in addition to residual heat flux from the remaining fuel rods left without coolant induced oxidation in the moderator; this in turn evolved more heat and contributed to the melting of the fuel rods and the outgassing of the fission products contained therein. The liquefied remains of the fuel rods flowed through a drainage pipe into the basement of the reactor building and solidified in a mass later dubbed corium, though the primary threat to the public safety was the dispersed core ejecta and the gasses evolved from the oxidation of the moderator.
Although the Chernobyl accident had dire off-site effects, much of the radioactivity remained within the building. If the building were to fail and dust was to be released into the environment then the release of a given mass of fission products which have aged for twenty years would have a smaller effect than the release of the same mass of fission products (in the same chemical and physical form) which had only undergone a short cooling time (such as one hour) after the nuclear reaction has been terminated. However, if a nuclear reaction was to occur again within the Chernobyl plant (for instance if rainwater was to collect and act as a moderator) then the new fission products would have a higher specific activity and thus pose a greater threat if they were released. To prevent a post-accident nuclear reaction, steps have been taken, such as adding neutron poisons to key parts of the basement.
The effects of a nuclear meltdown depend on the safety features designed into a reactor. A modern reactor is designed both to make a meltdown unlikely, and to contain one should it occur.
In a modern reactor, a nuclear meltdown, whether partial or total, should be contained inside the reactor's containment structure. Thus (assuming that no other major disasters occur) while the meltdown will severely damage the reactor itself, possibly contaminating the whole structure with highly radioactive material, a meltdown alone should not lead to significant radiation release or danger to the public.
In practice, however, a nuclear meltdown is often part of a larger chain of disasters (although there have been so few meltdowns in the history of nuclear power that there is not a large pool of statistical information from which to draw a credible conclusion as to what "often" happens in such circumstances). For example, in the Chernobyl accident, by the time the core melted, there had already been a large steam explosion and graphite fire and major release of radioactive contamination (as with almost all Soviet reactors, there was no containment structure at Chernobyl). Also, before a possible meltdown occurs, pressure can already be rising in the reactor, and to prevent a meltdown by restoring the cooling of the core, operators are allowed to reduce the pressure in the reactor by releasing (radioactive) steam into the environment. This enables them to inject additional cooling water into the reactor again.
Reactor design
Although pressurized water reactors are more susceptible to nuclear meltdown in the absence of active safety measures, this is not a universal feature of civilian nuclear reactors. Much of the research in civilian nuclear reactors is for designs with passive nuclear safety features that may be less susceptible to meltdown, even if all emergency systems failed. For example, pebble bed reactors are designed so that complete loss of coolant for an indefinite period does not result in the reactor overheating. The General Electric ESBWR and Westinghouse AP1000 have passively activated safety systems. The CANDU reactor has two low-temperature and low-pressure water systems surrounding the fuel (i.e. moderator and shield tank) that act as back-up heat sinks and preclude meltdowns and core-breaching scenarios.
Fast breeder reactors are more susceptible to meltdown than other reactor types, due to the larger quantity of fissile material and the higher neutron flux inside the reactor core, which makes it more difficult to control the reaction.
Accidental fires are widely acknowledged to be risk factors that can contribute to a nuclear meltdown.
United States
There have been at least eight meltdowns in the history of the United States. All are widely called "partial meltdowns."
- BORAX-I was a test reactor designed to explore criticality excursions and observe if a reactor would self limit. In the final test, it was deliberately destroyed and revealed that the reactor reached much higher temperatures than were predicted at the time.
- The reactor at EBR-I suffered a partial meltdown during a coolant flow test on November 29, 1955.
- The Sodium Reactor Experiment in Santa Susana Field Laboratory was an experimental nuclear reactor which operated from 1957 to 1964 and was the first commercial power plant in the world to experience a core meltdown in July 1959.
- Stationary Low-Power Reactor Number One (SL-1) was a United States Army experimental nuclear power reactor which underwent a criticality excursion, a steam explosion, and a meltdown on January 3, 1961, killing three operators.
- The SNAP8ER reactor at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory experienced damage to 80% of its fuel in an accident in 1964.
- The partial meltdown at the Fermi 1 experimental fast breeder reactor, in 1966, required the reactor to be repaired, though it never achieved full operation afterward.
- The SNAP8DR reactor at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory experienced damage to approximately a third of its fuel in an accident in 1969.
- The Three Mile Island accident, in 1979, referred to in the press as a "partial core melt," led to the permanent shutdown of that reactor.
Soviet Union
In the most serious example, the Chernobyl disaster, design flaws and operator negligence led to a power excursion that subsequently caused a meltdown. According to a report released by the Chernobyl Forum (consisting of numerous United Nations agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization; the World Bank; and the Governments of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia) the disaster killed twenty-eight people due to acute radiation syndrome, could possibly result in up to four thousand fatal cancers at an unknown time in the future and required the permanent evacuation of an exclusion zone around the reactor.
During the Fukushima I nuclear accidents, three of the power plant's six reactors reportedly suffered meltdowns. Most of the fuel in the reactor No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant melted. TEPCO believes No.2 and No.3 reactors were similarly affected. On May 24, 2011, TEPCO reported that all three reactors melted down.
Meltdown incidents
- There was also a fatal core meltdown at SL-1, an experimental U.S. military reactor in Idaho.
Large-scale nuclear meltdowns at civilian nuclear power plants include:
- the Lucens reactor, Switzerland, in 1969.
- the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., in 1979.
- the Chernobyl disaster at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine, USSR, in 1986.
- the Fukushima I nuclear accidents following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, March 2011.
Other core meltdowns have occurred at:
- NRX (military), Ontario, Canada, in 1952
- BORAX-I (experimental), Idaho, U.S.A., in 1954
- EBR-I (military), Idaho, U.S.A., in 1955
- Windscale (military), Sellafield, England, in 1957 (see Windscale fire)
- Sodium Reactor Experiment, (civilian), California, U.S.A., in 1959
- Fermi 1 (civilian), Michigan, U.S.A., in 1966
- Chapelcross nuclear power station (civilian), Scotland, in 1967
- Saint-Laurent Nuclear Power Plant (civilian), France, in 1969
- A1 plant, (civilian) at Jaslovské Bohunice, Czechoslovakia, in 1977
- Saint-Laurent Nuclear Power Plant (civilian), France, in 1980
China Syndrome
The China syndrome (loss-of-coolant accident) is a fictional nuclear reactor operations accident characterized by the severe meltdown of the core components of the reactor, which then burn through the containment vessel and the housing building, then notionally through the crust and body of the Earth until reaching the other side, which in the United States is jokingly referred to as being China.
The system design of the nuclear power plants built in the late 1960s raised questions of operational safety, and raised the concern that a severe reactor accident could release large quantities of radioactive materials into the atmosphere and environment. By 1970, there were doubts about the ability of the emergency cooling systems of a nuclear reactor to prevent a loss of coolant accident and the consequent meltdown of the fuel core; the subject proved popular in the technical and the popular presses. In 1971, in the article Thoughts on Nuclear Plumbing, former Manhattan Project (1942–1946) nuclear physicist Ralph Lapp used the term "China syndrome" to describe a possible burn-through, after a loss of coolant accident, of the nuclear fuel rods and core components melting the containment structures, and the subsequent escape of radioactive material(s) into the atmosphere and environment; the hypothesis derived from a 1967 report by a group of nuclear physicists, headed by W. K. Ergen. In the event, Lapp’s hypothetical nuclear accident was cinematically adapted as The China Syndrome (1979).
The geographic, planet-piercing concept of the China syndrome derives from the misperception that China is the antipode of the United States; to many Americans, it is the “the other side of the world”. Moreover, the hypothetical transit of a meltdown product to the other side of the Earth (i.e. China) ignores the fact that the Earth's gravity tends to pull all masses towards its center. Assuming a meltdown product could persist in a mobile molten form for long enough to reach the center of the Earth; momentum loss due to friction (fluid viscosity) would prevent it continuing to the other side.
See also
- Behavior of nuclear fuel during a reactor accident
- Chernobyl compared to other radioactivity releases
- Chernobyl disaster effects
- High-level radioactive waste management
- International Nuclear Event Scale
- List of civilian nuclear accidents
- Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents
- Nuclear fuel response to reactor accidents
- Nuclear safety
- Nuclear power
- Nuclear power debate
- Martin Fackler (June 1, 2011). "Report Finds Japan Underestimated Tsunami Danger". New York Times.
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (2007). IAEA Safety Glossary: Terminology Used in Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (2007edition ed.). Vienna, Austria: International Atomic Energy Agency. ISBN 92-0-100707-8. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) (2009-09-14). "Glossary". Website. Rockville, Maryland, USA: Federal Government of the United States. pp. See Entries for Letter M and Entries for Letter N. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
- Reactor safety study: an assessment of accident risks in U.S. commercial nuclear power plants, Volume 1
- Hewitt, Geoffrey Frederick; Collier, John Gordon (2000). "4.6.1 Design Basis Accident for the AGR: Depressurization Fault". Introduction to nuclear power (in Technical English). London, UK: Taylor & Francis. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-56032-454-6. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
- "Earthquake Report No. 91". JAIF. May 25, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- Kuan, P.; Hanson, D. J., Odar, F. (1991). Managing water addition to a degraded core. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
- Haskin, F.E.; Camp, A.L. (1994). Perspectives on Reactor Safety (NUREG/CR-6042) (Reactor Safety Course R-800), 1st Edition. Beltsville, MD: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. p. 3.1–5. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- Haskin, F.E.; Camp, A.L. (1994). Perspectives on Reactor Safety (NUREG/CR-6042) (Reactor Safety Course R-800), 1st Edition. Beltsville, MD: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. pp. 3.5–1 to 3.5–4. Retrieved 2010-12-24.
- Haskin, F.E.; Camp, A.L. (1994). Perspectives on Reactor Safety (NUREG/CR-6042) (Reactor Safety Course R-800), 1st Edition. Beltsville, MD: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. pp. 3.5–4 to 3.5–5. Retrieved 2010-12-24.
- ANS : Public Information : Resources : Special Topics : History at Three Mile Island : What Happened and What Didn't in the TMI-2 Accident
- Nuclear Industry in Russia Sells Safety, Taught by Chernobyl
- 'Melt-through' at Fukushima? / Govt. suggests situation worse than meltdown http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110607005367.htm
- Test Area North
- Walker, J. Samuel (2004). Three Mile Island: A Nuclear Crisis in Historical Perspective (Berkeley: University of California Press), p. 11.
- Lapp, Ralph E. "Thoughts on nuclear plumbing." The New York Times, 12 December 1971, pg. E11.
- "China Syndrome". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
- Presenter: Martha Raddatz (15 March 2011). "ABC World News". ABC.
- Allen, P.J.; J.Q. Howieson, H.S. Shapiro, J.T. Rogers, P. Mostert and R.W. van Otterloo (April–June 1990). "Summary of CANDU 6 Probabilistic Safety Assessment Study Results". Nuclear Safety 31 (2): 202–214.
- http://www.insc.anl.gov/neisb/neisb4/NEISB_1.1.html INL VVER Sourcebook
- Partial Fuel Meltdown Events
- ANL-W Reactor History: BORAX I
- Wald, Matthew L. (2011-03-11). "Japan Expands Evacuation Around Nuclear Plant". The New York Times.
- The Chernobyl Forum: 2003-2005 (2006-04). "Chernobyl’s Legacy: Health, Environmental and Socio-economic Impacts". International Atomic Energy Agency. p. 14. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- The Chernobyl Forum: 2003-2005 (2006-04). "Chernobyl’s Legacy: Health, Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts". International Atomic Energy Agency. p. 16. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- Hiroko Tabuchi (May 24, 2011). "Company Believes 3 Reactors Melted Down in Japan". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-05-25. | <urn:uuid:593ff668-f2a3-43a3-a234-69537b1789d6> | {
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Roman siege engines
|This article is part of the series on:
Military of ancient Rome (portal)
753 BC – AD erals
|Roman navy (fleets, admirals)|
|Lists of wars and battles|
|Decorations and punishments|
|Military engineering (castra, siege engines, arches, roads)|
|Strategy and tactics|
|Frontiers and fortifications (limes, Hadrian's Wall)|
Roman siege engines were, for the most part, adapted from Hellenistic siege technology. Relatively small efforts were made to develop the technology; however, the Romans brought an unrelentingly aggressive style to siege warfare that brought them repeated success. Up to the 1st century BC the Romans utilized siege weapons only as required and relied for the most part on ladders, towers and rams to assault a fortified town. Ballistae were also employed, but held no permanent place within a legion's roster, until later in the Republic, and were used sparingly. Julius Caesar took great interest in the integration of advanced siege engines, organizing their use for optimal battlefield efficiency.
Army engineering corps
To facilitate this organization and the army’s self-sufficiency, an engineering corps was developed. An officer of engineers, or praefectus fabrum, is referenced in armies of the Late Republic, but this post is not verifiable in all accounts and may have simply been a military advisor on the personal staff of a commanding officer. There were legion architects (whose rank is yet unknown) who were responsible for the construction of war machines who would also assure that all artillery constructions in the field were level. Ensuring that constructions were level was the job of the libratores, who would also launch missiles and other projectiles (on occasion) during battle (Le Bohec 1994: 52). The engineering corps was in charge of massive production, frequently prefabricating artillery and siege equipment to facilitate its transportation.
Roman artillery was very efficient at that time, and during a siege the Romans would attack the weakest area of their enemy’s defenses and attempt to breach the walls at that point. To support this effort, artillery fire would commence, with three main objectives: to cause damage to defenses, casualties among the opposing army, and loss of enemy morale. It would also provide cover fire for troops building siege ramps or those in siege towers. There were machines called tormenta , which would launch (sometimes incendiary) projectiles such as javelins, arrows, rocks, or beams. These devices were on wheeled platforms to follow the line’s advance. All were “predicated on a principle of physics: a lever was inserted into a skein of twisted horsehair to increase torsion, and when the arm was released, a considerable amount of energy was thus freed”. It was later stated that sinew, instead of twisted hair, provided a better “spring.” These weapons were high-maintenance devices and vulnerable to having their leather, sinew, or hemp skeins affected by wet or even damp, which would cause them to slacken and lose tension, rendering the engine useless.
It is somewhat difficult to clearly define and describe Roman artillery, as names are easily confused and historians still do not agree on all definitions. Perhaps best known are the ballista, the onager, and the scorpio.
After the absorption of the Ancient Greek City states into the Roman Republic in 146 BC, some advanced Greek technology began to spread across many areas of Roman influence. This included the hugely advantageous military advances the Greeks had made (most notably by Dionysus of Syracuse), as well as all the scientific, mathematical, political and artistic developments.
The Romans 'inherited' the torsion powered Ballistae which had by now spread to several cities around the Mediterranean, all of which became Roman spoils of war in time, including one from Pergamum, which was depicted among a pile of 'trophy' weapons in relief on a balustrade.
The torsion ballista, developed by Alexander, was a far more complicated weapon than its predecessor, and the Romans developed it even further.
Every century (group of 60-100 men) in the Roman army had a ballista by the 1st century AD. It was the command of the chief of the ballista, under whom were the artillery experts, or doctores ballistarum and finally, the artillerymen, or ballistarii. Ballistae were heavy missile weapons, hurling large rocks great distances to damage rampart walls. They resembled large crossbows, rather than catapults. They were powered by two horizontal like arms, which were inserted into two vertical and tightly wound "skein" springs contained in a rectangular frame structure making up the head or principal part of the weapon. The arms were drawn rearward with a winch lever to further twist the skeins and thus gain the torsion power to cast a projectile. It has been said that the whirring sound of a ballista-fired stone struck fear and dread into the hearts of those inside the walls of besieged cities. The stones chosen to be used in the ballista had to be a particular sort. According to Vegetius river stones were best, since they are round, smooth, and dense. Ballista stones found at the site of Masada were chiseled to make them as round as possible.
Early Roman ballista
The early Roman ballistae were made of wood, and held together with iron plates around the frames and iron nails in the stand. The main stand had a slider on the top, into which were loaded the bolts or stone 'shot'. Attached to this, at the back, was a pair of winches and a claw, used to ratchet the bowstring back to the armed firing position. A slider passed through the field frames of the weapon, in which were located the torsion springs (rope made of animal sinew), which were twisted around the bow arms, which in turn were attached to the bowstring.
Drawing the bowstring back with the winches twisted the already taut springs, storing the energy to fire the projectiles.
The ballista was a highly accurate weapon (there are many accounts right from its early history of single soldiers being picked off by the operators), but some design aspects meant it could compromise its accuracy for range. The lightweight bolts could not gain the high momentum of the stones over the same distance as those thrown by the later onagers, trebuchets, or mangonels; these could be as heavy as 90-135 kg (200-300 pounds).
The Romans continued the development of the Ballista, and it became a highly-prized and valued weapon in the army of the Roman Empire.
It was used, just before the start of the Empire, by Julius Caesar during his conquest of Gaul and on both of his expeditions to Britain. Both attempted invasions of Britain and the siege of Alesia are recorded in his own Commentarii (journal), The Gallic Wars (De Bello Gallico). It was also used in the Roman siege of Masada.
First invasion of Britain
The first invasion of Britain took place in 55 BC, after a rapid and successful initial conquest of Gaul, in part as an exploratory expedition, and more practically to try and put an end to the re-enforcements sent by the native Britons to fight the Romans in Gaul.
A total of eighty transports, carrying two legions attempted to land on the British shore, only to be driven back by the many British warriors assembled along the shoreline. The ships had to unload their troops on the beach, as it was the only one suitable for many kilometers, yet the massed ranks of British charioteers and javeliners were making it impossible.
Seeing this, Caesar ordered the warships – which were swifter and easier to handle than the transports, and likely to impress the natives more by their unfamiliar appearance – to be removed a short distance from the others, and then be rowed hard and run ashore on the enemy’s right flank, from which position the slings, bows and artillery could be used by men on deck to drive them back. This manoeuvre was highly successful.
Scared by the strange shape of the warships, the motion of the oars, and the unfamiliar machines, the natives halted and then retreated a little. (Caesar, The Conquest of Gaul, p. 99)
Siege of Alesia
In Gaul, the stronghold of Alesia was under a Roman siege in 52 BC, and surrounded by Roman fortifications. As was standard siege technique at the time, ballistae were placed up in the towers with other soldiers armed with either bows or slings.
The Onager
The onager was a post-classical Roman siege engine, which derived its name from the kicking action of the machine, similar to that of an onager (wild ass). It is a type of catapult that uses torsional pressure, generally from twisted rope, to store energy for the shot.
The onager consisted of a frame placed on the ground to whose front end a vertical frame of solid timber was rigidly fixed; through the vertical frame ran an axle, which had a single stout spoke. On the extremity of the spoke was a sling used to launch a projectile.
In action the spoke was forced down, against the tension of twisted ropes or other springs, by a windlass, and then suddenly released. The spoke thus kicked the crosspiece of the vertical frame, and the projectile at its extreme end was shot forward.
The onagers of the Roman Empire were mainly used for besieging forts or settlements. They would often be loaded with large stones or rocks that could be covered with a flammable substance and set alight.
In the Middle Ages (recorded from around 1200 C.E.) a less powerful version of the onager was used that employed a fixed bowl rather than a sling, so that many small projectiles could be thrown, as opposed to a single large one. This engine was sometimes called the mangonel, although the same name may have been used for a variety of siege engines.
The scorpio was a crossbow-like device that fired smaller arrows with deadly accuracy used both in the field and in sieges. They were so-named for their deadly, armor-piercing sting and could be operated by just one or two men. Scorpions were meant to kill and injure enemy troops, rather than break down enemy fortifications. Thanks to their smaller size, they could be mounted on or in siege towers. During the Siege of Amida, a scorpion-fired arrow killed the son of Grumbate, king of the Chionitae, when he was approaching the city to surrender.
There has been some research done into the existence of the self-loading, serial-fire scorpio or polybolos. Legionaries either side would continuously keep turning cranks which turned a chain, which operated the various mechanisms to load and fire the catapult. All that was needed was for another soldier to keep feeding in more arrows.
Breaking the walls
Battering rams
Roman battering rams, or aries, were an effective weapon for breaking down an enemy’s walls, as well as their morale. Under Roman law, any defenders who failed to surrender before the first ram touched their wall were denied any rights. The moment they heard the ram hit the wall, those inside the city knew that the siege proper had begun and there was no turning back.
It is an immense beam, similar to a ship’s mast, with one end covered with iron shaped into a ram’s head; hence its name. It is suspended from another beam like a balance arm by cables around its middle, and this in turn is supported at both ends by posts fixed in the ground. It is drawn back by a huge number of men who then push it forward in unison with all their might so that it hits the wall with its iron head. There is no tower strong enough nor any wall thick enough to withstand repeated blows of this kind, and many cannot resist the first shock.
For protection, a battering ram was suspended in a mobile shelter called a tortoise, or testudo. According to Vegetius, it was given this name because the ram would swing out of the shelter much like a tortoise’s head comes out of its shell. Such shelters would provide the men within protection against missiles and incendiary devices. They were constructed from a framework of strong timbers with planks and wicker hurdles on the sides. The entire shelter would then be covered with a fireproof material such as uncured hides. According to Apollodorus of Damascus, the shelter should be fixed to the ground while the ram was being used to both prevent skidding and strain on the axles from the weight of the moving apparatus. This would also increase the strength of the impact on the walls.
Siege towers
According to Josephus, the Roman siege towers at Jotapata were 50 feet high and iron-plated to protect them from fire; those at Masada were reported to be 75 feet high. It was possible to have many different devices on siege towers, such as artillery, draw bridges and rams. Those at the top of the tower were to keep defenders off the walls while those below them attempted to breach the wall using ramps. Following a basic design, details of tower construction varied from siege to siege and there is no known treatise which specifies at which level siege equipment should be placed. Vegetius noted that, “besiegers sometimes built a tower with another turret inside it that could suddenly be raised by ropes and pulleys to over-top the wall”.
Mines could be dug under city walls as a means of entering a city secretly and capturing it but were more frequently constructed to weaken city walls. Once dug, sappers would underpin the walls with wood and cause the walls to collapse by firing the supports with resin, sulfur and other incendiary materials.
- Goldsworthy 2000: 144
- Keppie 1984: 99
- Le Bohec 1994: 138
- Catapulta at LegionXXIV
- Le Bohec 1994: p. 138
- Le Bohec 1994: p. 49
- Garrison 1997.
- Goldsworthy 2000: 191
- Siege weapons at roman-empire.net
- Goldsworthy 2000: p. 145
- Gilliver 1999: p. 140
- Le Bohec 1994: p. 139
- Gilliver 1999: pp. 134-135
- Gilliver 1999: p. 138
- Gilliver 1999: pp. 136-137.
- Gilliver 1999: 138
- Gilliver 1999: 140
- James V. Garrison (1997). "Casting stones: ballista, stones as weapons, and death by stoning". Brigham Young University Studies 36 (3): 351–352.
- Gilliver, C.M. (1999). The Roman Art of War. Charleston, SC: Tempus. ISBN 0-7524-1939-0.
- Goldsworthy, Adrian (2000). Roman Warfare. London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-35265-9.
- Keppie, Lawrence (1984). The Making of the Roman Army from Empire to Republic. Totowa, NJ: Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN 0-389-20447-1.
- Le Bohec, Yann (1994). The Imperial Roman Army. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0-7134-7166-2.
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July 24, 2011
The photo above shows a lovely group of mushrooms nestled against the trunk of a eucalyptus tree. The association between the fungi and the tree however is no accident. This is a mutualistic relationship, where the two species assist each other, and in fact probably would be poorer without each other. Mutualism is any relationship between two species of organisms that benefits both species. Up to a quarter of the mushrooms you see while walking through the woods actually make their living through a mutualistic relationship with the trees in the forest. Remember of course that the mushroom is just the reproductive structure of a far more extensive organism consisting of a highly intertwined mass of fine white threads called a mycelium.
The word mycorrhiza is derived from the Classical Greek words for "mushroom" and "root." In a mycorrhizal association, the fungal hyphae of an underground mycelium are in contact with plant roots but without the fungus parasitizing the plant. While it's clear that the majority of plants form mycorrhizas, the exact percentage is uncertain, but it's likely to lie somewhere between 80 and 90 percent. When the fungus’ mycelium envelopes the roots of the tree the effect is to greatly increase the soil area covered by the tree’s root system. This essentially extends the plant’s reach to water and nutrients, allowing it to utilize more of the soil’s resources. This mutualistic association provides the fungus with a relatively constant and direct access to carbohydrates, such as glucose and sucrose, supplied by the plant. In return the plant gains the benefits of the mycelium's higher absorptive capacity for water and mineral nutrients (due to comparatively large surface area of mycelium-to-root ratio), thus improving the plant's mineral absorption capabilities. Photo taken on May 7, 2011.
Photo details: Camera Maker: Canon; Camera Model: Canon EOS 50D; Focal Length: 70.0mm; Aperture: f/10.0; Exposure Time: 0.013 s (1/80); ISO equiv: 1250; Exposure Bias: -1.00 EV; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto); White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No (enforced); Orientation: Normal; Color Space: sRGB. | <urn:uuid:8821cc54-1a17-46f7-9c23-b857acf0dd8d> | {
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Part 2: Prefurbia Incorporates Flow
- By Rick Harrison
- Oct 01, 2010
For the past four decades, the automotive industry has invested billions in fuel efficiency and reducing drag and, at the same time, significantly added to the average engine horsepower. While government has focused on the vehicle, no steps have been taken to make neighborhood streets more efficient.
The management of a new era of design dedicated to reducing time and energy while transiting through a neighborhood is called "flow." In Prefurbia, flow is essential to neighborhood sustainability.
Getting a vehicle in motion (Phase 1), cruising (Phase 2) and stopping or slowing (Phase 3) are the three phases of a “segment cycle.” A segment begins upon entry to a street and ends when a driver stops or slows down to turn or enter another street. Phase 1 involves the time and energy needed to get a one- to two-ton (or more) vehicle moving from a stop to a target residential speed. In some areas, this could be from 20 miles per hour to 30 mph. Phase 1 consumes the most energy and typically the most time. Phase 2 uses the least time and less energy than Phase 1. Phase 3 consumes almost as much time as Phase 1, but with new braking technology, this phase can actually generate energy. Reducing the number of Phase 1 segments lowers the amount of energy consumed. Similarly, reducing the number of Phase 1 and 3 segments also shortens the time needed to travel.
At 30 mph, the distance needed to accelerate and then stop comfortably is about 400 feet.
In traditional planning processes, designers give little (if any) attention to the flow of traffic. Very few homes are located on an entry street, requiring 90 percent of the residents to travel a minimum of two segment cycles. About half the residents have to use three segment cycles to reach their homes. In Prefurbia, most residents can get home with just one segment cycle, and only a few others have two segment cycles.
The length of Phase 2 is critical. In the conventional subdivision, for the most part, the distance along each segment cycle is quite short with some so small that Phase 2 is never reached. This design may be so inconvenient from a flow standpoint that the driver is "encouraged" to accelerate to make up for the time. Segment cycles within the Prefurbia neighborhood are long, enabling a driver more time in Phase 2.
Note the cul-de-sac on the right in Figure 3. Why didn't the designer reverse the street to loop the cul-de-sac the other way, reducing the segment length from the entry to the end of the cul-de-sac? Prefurbia is a balance of economics, environment, and existence so the designer must weigh each benefit and derive a design that serves each of the three “Es” well. In this case, the geometry of the area better achieves efficiency with the current configuration. Also, having an intersection serving 30 homes as soon as a driver enters the neighborhood is not the best for safety. On the other side of the site, there is such an intersection but it serves fewer lots. Finally, the cul-de-sac provides a nice entrance void of street intersections. The homes pulled away from the street give the impression of low density. If a street was placed at this point, entering the neighborhood would not have this welcome feel.
In Prefurbia, designers use [www.performanceplanningsystem.com/trafficdiffuers] traffic diffusers, which maintain flow on the primary traffic street while providing the functionality of a roundabout.
From a pollution standpoint – addressing the auto industry without addressing planning is like requiring frosting to have no calories yet use the frosting on a high fat, sugar laden cake
Reducing environmental impacts
Prefurbia reduces waste and employs more efficient forms of design. The method represents a reversal of how technology in land development is used, replacing lots per minute (LPM) automation with the art of neighborhood design. It’s time for technology to be used to construct great neighborhoods for families to thrive. By exceeding the minimums, designers can deliver economic and environmental advantages.
There are only a few situations in which a tight grid pattern designed to minimums is the optimum solution from a geometric perspective. Such a site must closely conform to the dimensions needed to stack lots, with a fairly flat topography and long blocks that have few cross streets.
Here are a few examples that demonstrate better efficiency gains through design.
Figure 1 shows two cul-de-sac’s side by side. Both use the following minimums:
- 25-foot front yard setback,
- 5-foot side yard setback,
- 80-foot lot width at the setback, and
- 60-foot cul-de-sac minimum radii.
The conventional subdivision (left) has four premium lots with larger rear yards. The lots are set along a street void of traffic, which are the two main features that make a typical cul-de-sac lot demand premiums. The distance between home fronts is a minimum of 170 feet face to face, providing a feel of very low density.
With 8,500 square feet of paving, serving very few lots, standard cul-de-sacs are terrible for the environment and very inefficient. Four 80-foot-wide standard lots facing each other would need only 4,800 square feet (160 x 30) of street paving. The conventional cul-de-sac in this case is 44 percent less efficient, requiring that much more in paving costs and environmental impacts. Snow removal for those that live in the north and municipal costs to maintain those premium lots are both 44 percent greater.
Exceeding minimums can seem magical. The second cul-de-sac (right) exceeds the minimums. The end circle is greater with a 160-foot (versus 120 foot) diameter, and the homes are set back further than the minimum. The lot width at the front setback line remains at the 80-foot minimum. The street along the cul-de-sac is different, now a one-way street because that is how people drive along a cul-de-sac and a larger radius justifies a one-way lane with a central landscaped park.
Instead of 8,500 square feet of paving, this cul-de-sac has 7,400 square feet (13 percent less) serving eight instead of four premium lots. Eight standard lots along a street facing each other would require 9,600 square feet of paving. By exceeding the minimums, the designer increased efficiency by 23 percent over standard rectangular lots. The central island can be used for a neighborhood park or for rain gardens, or a combination to further add character and reduce environmental impacts. When the island is used to filter stormwater, there would be no mountable curbs to pay for, reducing costs even more.
A wide walk extends through the neighborhood. The driveways become longer, but they are tapered and use the Prefurbia method of sculpting with organic lanes, so they consume similar surface area to a standard driveway, even though they are longer.
Density is a function of how many lots a designer can fit along the front setback line. In order to stretch the front setback length to gain density (when the minimum setback guarantees the front of the home is exactly parallel to the curb), the designer also must stretch the street. To gain density, the designer consumes the site with street, which is a poor choice for the environment and economics.
The cul-de-sac example increases the setback depth, which is still somewhat concentric to the traffic circle. With Prefurbia, designers can totally separate the relationship between front setback and street where road paving, walks, and homes all form their own organized sculpted shapes.
Coving is the first organized planning method that separates the rigid parallel relationship between the front of the home and curb of the street. Efficiency varies, but a 25 percent gain in efficiency compared to conventional design is about the average. Imagine a world with 25 percent less construction costs and environmental impacts. An organic free-form design will almost always conform to the natural surface area much easier than a rigid pattern. With the gain in efficiency, monotony is a thing of the past, each lot takes on a unique shape making it virtually impossible to utilize a LPM technology. | <urn:uuid:cbc72303-f505-4e74-9978-a7dde64d0c9f> | {
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Peel-and-Stick Solar Cells Available in Near Future
The NREL and Stanford are teaming up to develop peel-and-stick solar cells, which could become devices to charge battery operated products, such as cell phones, in the future.
Peel-and-stick, or water-assisted transfer printing (WTP), technologies were developed by the Stanford group and have been used before for nanowire based electronics, but the Stanford-NREL (U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory) partnership has conducted the first successful demonstration using actual thin film solar cells.
The university and NREL showed that thin-film solar cells less than one-micron thick can be removed from a silicon substrate used for fabrication by dipping them in water at room temperature. Then, after exposure to heat of about 90°C for a few seconds, they can attach to almost any surface.
NREL’s cells could be made easily on Stanford’s peel off substrate. NREL’s amorphous silicon cells were fabricated on nickel-coated Si/SiO2 wafers. A thermal release tape attached to the top of the solar cell serves as a temporary transfer holder. An optional transparent protection layer is spin-casted in between the thermal tape and the solar cell to prevent contamination when the device is dipped in water. The result is a thin strip much like a bumper sticker: the user can peel off the handler and apply the solar cell directly to a surface.
The cells’ ability to adhere to a universal substrate is unusual; most thin-film cells must be affixed to a special substrate. The peel-and-stick approach allows the use of flexible polymer substrates and high processing temperatures. The resulting flexible, lightweight, and transparent devices then can be integrated onto curved surfaces such as military helmets and portable electronics, transistors and sensors. | <urn:uuid:5ef5b111-b65c-4393-8148-92fcd81b6486> | {
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United Arab Emirates
Morris, Mervyn J. (2009) United Arab Emirates. In Dana, Leo-Paul, Han, Mary, Ratten, Vanessa, & Welpe, Isabell (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Asian Entrepreneurship. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, pp. 361-367.
|Sample (PDF 1788Kb) |
Administrators only | Request a copy from author
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is part of the geographic region known as the Middle East. With a land mass of 82,000 square kilometres, predominantly desert and mountains it is bordered by Oman, Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf. The UAE is strategically located due to its proximity to other oil rich Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The UAE was formed from a federation of seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujuriah, and Um Al Quain) in December 1971 (Ras Al Khaimah did not join the federation until 1972) (Heard-bey, 2004, 370). Abu Dhabi is the political capital, and the richest emirate; while Dubai is the commercial centre. The majority of the population of the various Emirates live along the coast line as sources of fresh water often heavily influenced the site of different settlements. Unlike some near neighbours (Iran and Iraq) the UAE has not undergone any significant political instability since it was formed in 1971. Due to this early British influences the UAE has had very strong political and economic ties with first Britain, and, more recently, the United States of America (Rugh, 2007). Until the economic production of oil in the early 1960’s the different Emirates had survived on a mixture of primary industry (dates), farming (goats and camels), pearling and subsidies from Britain (Davidson 2005, 3; Hvit, 2007, 565) Along with near neighbours Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE is part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a trading bloc. (Hellyer, 2001, 166-168).
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These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science generally from 1980 onwards.
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|Item Type:||Book Chapter|
|Keywords:||Entrepreneurship , United Arab Emirates|
|Subjects:||Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > COMMERCE MANAGEMENT TOURISM AND SERVICES (150000) > BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (150300) > Entrepreneurship (150304)|
|Divisions:||Current > Research Centres > Australian Centre for Business Research|
Current > QUT Faculties and Divisions > QUT Business School
Current > Schools > School of Management
|Copyright Owner:||Copyright 2009 Edward Elgar Publishing|
|Deposited On:||28 Oct 2009 09:08|
|Last Modified:||10 Aug 2012 09:20|
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Thursday, April 26, 2012 - 15:21 in Paleontology & Archaeology
One of the most debated developments in human history is the transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies. Scientists have now shown that agriculture spread to Northern Europe via migration from Southern Europe.
- Genes shed light on spread of agriculture in Stone Age EuropeThu, 26 Apr 2012, 16:27:50 EDT
- Europe's first farmers replaced their Stone Age hunter-gatherer forerunnersThu, 3 Sep 2009, 16:18:12 EDT
- Northern hunters slowed down advance of Neolithic farmersThu, 3 Feb 2011, 9:33:40 EST
- Ancient cooking pots reveal gradual transition to agricultureMon, 24 Oct 2011, 17:35:00 EDT
- Jawbone found in England is from the earliest known modern human in northwestern EuropeWed, 2 Nov 2011, 17:38:40 EDT | <urn:uuid:8c181d52-c26d-4af6-9d8e-64ef483f86a2> | {
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From the World Heritage inscription:
Founded, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC, Rome was first the centre of the Roman Republic, then of the Roman Empire, and it became the capital of the Christian world in the 4th century. The World Heritage site, extended in 1990 to the walls of Urban VIII, includes some of the major monuments of antiquity such as the Forums, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, the Pantheon, Trajan’s Column and the Column of Marcus Aurelius, as well as the religious and public buildings of papal Rome.
The Historic Center of Rome is probably one of the most significant, historical, and impressive world heritage sites in the world. Like sites I’ve seen in Kyoto, Jerusalem or Angkor, there is a whole city of sites which could be world heritage sites on their own. The most significant and recognizable location in Rome is the Colosseum which was recently named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. | <urn:uuid:3512a769-71b7-49ff-bb08-574499bbd917> | {
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, on a low plateau
draining into the basins of the Bristol Channel
, the English Channel
, and the eastward-flowing Thames
. Oh, and home
. It is surrounded by the counties of Gloucestershire
Trowbridge is the administrative centre of Wiltshire for reasons that seem to escape pretty much all of the local inabitants. Trowbridge is, after all, a nasty little hole full of 1970s council buildings and a sausage factory. Surely Salisbury or even Swindon would have been a much better choice?
The administrative, geographic, and historic counties occupy slightly different areas. The administrative county of Wiltshire comprises four districts—Salisbury (in the south), West Wiltshire, Kennet in the east, named for the river Kennet and North Wiltshire. The geographic county encompasses the entire administrative county together with the unitary authority of Swindon. The historic county of Wiltshire is nearly the same as the geographic county but also includes a small area north of Sherston in the Cotswolds, and thus administratively controlled by Gloucestershire, but we'll get it back, damn their eyes.
Much of Wiltshire is made up of chalk hills. Salisbury Plain occupies central Wiltshire but not many people go near there since most of it is Crown Land and reserved for the Armed Forces to play soldiers on. North of the River Kennet are the Marlborough Downs, which make up one side of the Vale of the White Horse. Along the county's western border rise parts of the Cotswolds, a range of limestone hills. Between these two upland areas lie the clay valleys of Wardour and Pewsey. South of Trowbridge the valleys are fairly heavily forested in contrast to the open, rolling countryside of the uplands. Savernake Forest was the last known refuge of the English black bear for a very long time.
Parts of the Marlborough Downs, the Cotswolds, and the Vale of Pewsey have been designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Of course, in real terms all that this actually means is that building a bloody great housing estate there is more expensive than elsewhere, requiring one to own many more politicians and local councillors than one would need to in, for example, Melksham.
In prehistoric times the chalk uplands were the most heavily populated parts of England, and Wiltshire has many prehistoric monuments. Stonehenge, about 8 miles north of Salisbury, dates from the Neolithic Period and its use by prehistoric peoples has been a topic of much debate. The predominant local theory is that either it's a huge bong that no-one's found the mouthpiece from yet or that it was constructed on perfectly good arable land by neolithic Wiltshiremen in a (very successful) effort to irritate their decendants.
There are plenty of other important Neolithic monuments nearby, including those at Avebury and Windmill Hill. The latter is believed by those credulous fools from universities to have been a centre of ritual and of seasonal tribal fasting in the 4th millennium BC but these are the kind of people who say crop circles were made by aliens, so what can you expect? The former is a big stone circle with a pub in the middle and is therefore of at least some value. Long Neolithic burial mounds, or barrows, are all over the place as are round burial mounds from the Bronze Age. The ancient practise of building large mounds of earth over dead people is suspected locally to be a means of making certain that the buggers don't get out.
Durrington Walls, a large ditch-enclosed ceremonial earthwork, dates from the late 3rd millennium BC, apparently. These days it hosts the occassional rave. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. During the Iron Age, hill forts were constructed, such as those at Yarnbury Castle, near Berwick St. James, and at Old Sarum, outside Salisbury.
The county has played a role in national affairs in as much as any county can be said to have done so. There are Roman remains all over the place, and in the Middle Ages, sheep farming by Cistercian monks was probably the most important activity. Oliver Cromwell won a decisive battle against the Royalists just outside Devizes and King Alfred the Great soundly kicked the Danes' collective arse just outside of Chippenham.
Salisbury has long been the ecclesiastical centre of the county and is renowned for its 13th-century cathedral which apparently still has the tallest church spire in Britain. Salisbury is unusual in that the building of elegant crescents in the Georgian period never really caught on there, so the city is still faithfully Tudor in design.
In the Northwest of the county there a couple of places that visitors call "quaint" and think are authentic. Well, there's one born every minute, after all. The first is Lacock, an entire village owned by the National Trust. Lacock is steadfastly 16th Century apart from the Volvos and is regularly annexed by the BBC so they can do yet another interminable Jane Austen costume drama. It has three really good pubs, an abbey that was unabbeyfied during the Reformation and later served as home to the father of modern photography, William Henry Fox Talbot and tourists are available for shooting all year round.
Another is Castle Combe, a wool-village with a working mill and a manor house that stems from the same period but is even more picturesque. I know people who think heaven will look Castle Combe. It is noticeable for, among other things, the largest number of antique shops per capita of anywhere in the world.
The last that i shall mention is the village my family are from. It's a hamlet called Sandy Lane where all the houses are quaintly thatched and there's even a thatched, wooden church dating from the Norman Conquest - the only one of its kind remaining in the UK.
Finally, the one thing that may surprise you, is that Wiltshire is big. It comprises of just over 1,255 square miles. Not exactly Texan but for the South of England, that's pretty huge. In this size, there's room for a lot of cool stuff. Ignore my sarcasm, Wiltshire is well worth a visit. | <urn:uuid:57e11e9d-794a-4130-91ef-03de44569790> | {
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Should wellheads be above or below the ground surface?
Posted: June 2, 2010
Many private well owners in Pennsylvania have wellheads that are buried below the surface of the ground. This may be appealing to homeowners that don’t like looking at a pipe sticking up in the middle of their yard, but research studies have demonstrated a clear benefit to having an extended wellhead.
What problems can a buried well cause?
Wells that are buried below the ground can have numerous disadvantages to wells that are extended above the ground surface. The most obvious disadvantage is that the well is not easily accessible by the well driller in the event that it needs to be serviced. Often the homeowner is unaware of the wells exact location underground, which can lead to added expense if the driller needs to do some investigating.
Wells buried below the ground surface are also more susceptible to bacterial contamination. Research studies conducted at Penn State University have found that wells buried in pits are more likely to have the presence of coliform bacteria than wells that are extended above the earth’s surface.
What can you do to fix your buried well?
Fortunately, it is not usually difficult to extend a wellhead above the ground. A qualified water well driller should be able to weld or thread extra casing to your existing well and raise it above the ground. If the well was buried in a pit, it should be filled in with bentonite grout to the land surface. A sanitary or vermin-proof well cap should also be installed on the newly extended casing to ensure that surface contamination can not enter the well. As an added protection, the ground should be sloped away from your wellhead in all directions to prevent any surface water from ponding around the well.
After having the well extended, it would be a wise to take a sample of your drinking water to a state certified water testing lab for analysis. If the water tests positive for coliform bacteria then steps should be taken to disinfect the well. Information on coliform bacteria can be found at the link below.
How high should the well casing be extended above the ground?
Any distance is better than having it buried below ground, but it is ideal to extend the well casing at least 12 inches above the ground surface. | <urn:uuid:52f967b7-5cfb-4bd7-81bf-5d88bddf8dcc> | {
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A. There is an instant at which the string is completely straight.
B. When the two pulses interfere, the energy of the pulses is momentarily zero.
C. There is a point on the string that does not move up or down.
D. There are several points on the string that do not move up or down.
E. A and C are both true.
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There was a great piece in The New York Times last week on vegetable consumption in the U.S. The article was prompted by a recent CDC study, which found that only 26% of Americans eat three or more servings of vegetables per day; disappointing news but hardly a surprise.
Most of those interviewed in the article take a pessimistic tone when responding to the study’s findings. Here are a couple illustrative quotes:
“Eating vegetables is a lot less fun than eating flavor-blasted Doritos,” said Marcia Mogelonsly, a senior analyst for Mintel, a global marketing firm. “You will always have to fight that.”
“There is nothing you can say that will get people to eat more veggies,” said Harry Balzer, the chief industry analyst for the NPD Group, a market research company. …“Before we want health, we want taste, we want convenience and we want low cost.”
Despite the article’s generally dour tone, it did provide strong academic support for a key component of a better food system – edible gardens that are integrated into school curriculum:
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, spent three years examining the difference between children who participated in the Berkeley Unified School District’s “edible schoolyard” program, in which gardening and cooking are woven into the school day, and children who didn’t.
The students who gardened ate one and half servings more of fruits and vegetables a day than those who weren’t in the program.
What better way to make vegetables exciting than to establish a personal connection with the growing process. Plus, I’m going to wager that the fresh tomatoes from those edible schoolyards taste a whole lot better than the canned alternatives.
Produce photo from Flickr user Mckaysavage, accessed 10/4/10. Creative Commons. | <urn:uuid:fee83fa7-c96a-4f00-8412-f3505013a317> | {
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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Chalchiuhtotolin’ tag.
In our ongoing exploration of underworld gods, we have come across all sorts of animal divinities. The ultra-modern Japanese still venerate Namazu a vast chthonic catfish god. Contemporary Inuits worship Sedna, walrus/cetacean goddess of the cold depths. The rational Greeks imagined a great three-headed dog guarding Tartarus. There are so many giant serpents from different cultures that they create an entire subset of underworld gods: some of these snake beings are bigger than the world and longer than the oceans. They range from kind creators like Nuwa to monsters like the Midgard serpent to indescribable cosmic forces like the rainbow serpent. There are dark swans and mystery animals, but where in this worldwide pantheon/bestiary are my favorite birds? Where are the turkey gods?
Well, turkeys are from the Americas, they were sacred to the original inhabitants (and have been discovered buried alongside humans with ceremonial pomp–or even by themselves on altars). However the Americas were swept by a great wave of diseases which was followed by waves of European colonizers. When the Native Americans were killed by plague or assimilated by Europeans, many of their deities vanished. The Spaniards were delighted to find domesticated turkeys in the ruins of the Aztec empire and they shipped them off to Spain as farm animals (whereas it seems they may have been originally domesticated for their feathers).
However even now we know a little bit about important Aztec turkey deities. Chalchiuhtotolin, “Precious Night Turkey” was a god of plague who ruled thirteen days of the Aztec calendar from 1 Water to 13 Crocodile (the thirteen preceding days were in fact ruled by Xolotl, hapless god of misfortune, who was instrumental in the creation of humankind). Little is known concerning Chalchiuhtotolin, except that he was magnificent and terrible to behold. As a plague god he holds a somewhat ironic place in Aztec cosmology (since the Aztecs were defeated and destroyed more directly by smallpox then by Cortes). It is theorized that Chalchiuhtotolin was an animal aspect of Tezcatlipoca, one of the central gods of Aztec mythology (who was more famous in his ferocious manifestation as a jaguar). Tezcatlipoca was one of the four cardinal gods of direction, ruling the North (which was a realm of darkness and sorcery to the Mesoamericans). Tezcatlipoca was based on earlier Mayan and Olmec divinities. One of his legs was missing, since he sacrificed it to the crocodilian earthmonster called Cipactli in order to fashion the world. A god of night, wind, obsidian, warriors, and slaves, Tezcatlipoca was eternally opposed by the Mayan hero god Quetzalcoatl, “the Feathered Serpent”, a sky god, and lord of the West. A great deal of Aztec mythology including the story of the creation of this world (not to mention the creation and destruction of many others) involves the fractious push-and-pull rivalry between Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl. | <urn:uuid:9b776965-bfce-419d-b354-4bcf543ca4ca> | {
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Imager shows cross-sections of everyday objects – analog version
GE shows how their body imaging technology can take detailed pictures of insides without cutting, using fruit, a baseball, engine motor, and violin to demonstrate.
Many body imaging devices follow a principle called tomography (the 'T' in CT, PET and SPECT systems), which take images of body "slices" using everything from projection data to powerful magnets. But have you ever wondered how such routine procedures can help clinicians see things that used to require a sharp knife? Watch how GE's body imaging technology can paint a bigger picture of what’s happening beneath our skin.
Update: I wasn't paying close enough attention, and it turns out that these are actual, physical sliced objects. Like, with a saw. Now I'm left wondering what the point is. | <urn:uuid:2fdfb192-2806-4d6f-9c1f-f532c9487de9> | {
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Just recently it was reported that biologists from the University of Nevada at Reno have been routinely observing unusually large goldfish in the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe in Northern California. This phenomenon has caught the attention of the California State Fish and Game Department who have instituted routine patrols to seek out what they consider to be a dangerous invasive species.
The scientists speculate that the giant goldfish were introduced in the Lake Tahoe by so-called “aquarium dumpers,” well-meaning people who when they were no longer able to care for their pet fish, decided to abandon them in Lake Tahoe where they believed they would live out their lives in a safe and pleasant environment in the company of many other species of fish and crustaceans.
Some experts questioned whether a goldfish could survive the frigid winters that characterize this deep, high-mountain lake. However, reality proved to be stranger than fiction when the goldfish not only survived, but thrived in the harsh Alpine climate. Thanks to the nutrient-rich effluent making its way into Lake Tahoe, the goldfish not only thrived but were also genetically transformed as a consequence of the metabolites of psychotropic pharmaceuticals that were present in the sewage emanating from affluent neighborhoods along the lakeshore. They adapted splendidly and in no time at all they quickly blended into the local culture and adopted the habits and customs of the local residents. Now the goldfish are regularly seen enjoying the recreational facilities throughout the area, although they curiously prefer to avoid being seen at restaurants and tackle shops.
This is not by any means the first time giant goldfish have been seen in freshwater lakes. This trophy giant goldfish was caught by Raphaël Biagini, a legendary French “Carpiste,” who reeled in the monster “poisson rouge” from the waters of Lac de St. Cassien, a man-made reservoir in southern France. This is the same lake where a 75-pound world record carp was caught some 25 years ago. It is not clear how a tiny fish that normally graces home aquariums grew to such gargantuan size. Some locals familiar with the story attribute the fish’s extraordinary size with an incident that occurred a few years back when a barge laden with Camembert cheese capsized during a squall and sank with its cargo into the depths of Lake St. Cassien. The nutrient-rich cheese provided a source of food for several stray goldfish that, like Nemo, had been flushed down the toilet and somehow survived their transit through the sewage treatment plant. The discarded goldfish soon happened upon the sunken cache of cheese and began to feed on it. It appears that the Camembert rind that they devoured is coated with Penicillium candidum mold, which had the effect of strengthening their natural immunity and allowed them to grow to a colossal size that rendered them invulnerable to natural predators (except M. Biagini).
Illustration by Kim Harris
Story by Don Rudisuhle | <urn:uuid:e33d8858-319d-4e7a-aa16-a383fe516d5e> | {
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Fills the space
between two objects, generally to prevent leakage between the two
objects while under compression. Gasket material saves money by allowing less
precise mating surfaces on machine parts which can use gasket
fill irregularities. Gaskets are commonly produced by cutting from
sheet gasket materials, such as gasket paper (beater addition), Non-asbestos,
Rubber, EPDM, Nitrile, Buna, Neoprene, Flexible Graphite, Grafoil, Aflas, Kalrez, Viton, Silicone, Metal,
Mica, Felt or a plastic polymer such as PTFE, Peek, Urethane, or Ethylene Propylene (EP). In the
past, the gasket material selected for specific applications may contain have contained
Today's sealing products manufacturer's in the United
States no longer produce or offer any asbestos containing products.
Gasket materials containing asbestos have been claimed to have
caused Asbestosis. Of course it would take the grinding of gasket
material to release the fibers and then the breathing in of those
fibers....possible but in the real world this would be rare. Wetting
or oiling a gasket before grinding for removal greatly reduces any
risk (not grinding is even better). Asbestos gasket material
is still used in most of the rest of the world and is a very
effective low cost material.
It is usually desirable that the gasket be made from a
material that is compressible such that it tightly
fills the space it is designed for, including any slight
irregularities. The most common misconception when selecting a
gasket materials thickness is to choose a gasket material that is
too thick. The thicker the material the more likely the material
being contained can weep through the pores of the gasket material
itself. This is a greater issue with some materials than others.
A rule of thumb is to have the material thick enough to compensate
for any surface face irregularities and to permit some compression.
The required compression for your gasket material will depend many
2)Pressure being sealed
3)Size of bolts (assuming bolts are being used)
4)Number of bolts
5)Condition of the bolts
6)Lubrication on the bolts
All must be considered when determining torque. Torque data
must be determined using all of the above and should be provided by
an engineer. In most cases unless your gasket is a standard
ANSI or API flange using Ring or Full Face gaskets torque data will
be difficult to come by (due to staffing and the fear of law suits). In most cases the old tighten it
tight enough to stop any leaks but not too tight as to completely
crush the gasket is generally accepted.
Over compression removes the ability to recover. This is also true of expanded PTFE (Teflon
®), once over compressed it will
have no recovery and therefore will not longer adapt to maintain a
seal. The common strategy of "The more compressive load
exerted on the gasket, the longer it will last" is generally true of
elastomeric materials since elastomers (rubbers) are not
compressible but deflect compression. Many materials such as
non-asbestos compressed gasket materials and beater addition (ie;
Armstrong) materials contain elastomers in the mix of material they
are produced from, making them difficult to over compress.
One of the more desirable properties of an effective gasket
industrial applications is the ability to withstand
high compressive loads. Most industrial gasket applications involve
bolts exerting compression well into the 14 MPa (2000 psi) range or higher.
This is why Non-asbestos gasket materials are so widely used in industrial
gasket material applications.
Call American Seal
& Packing for your gasket material requirements.
Teflon® is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates and is used in relation to products manufactured with Dupont’s fluoropolymer resins. | <urn:uuid:32f31747-00c6-4e9e-9f69-5aa54979518b> | {
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What is an Advance Directive?
None of us, but especially seniors, is immune to serious illness or injury. When these conditions are so severe that death is imminent, it is important that doctors, family, and friends know your wishes in those situations. One way to share your wishes is through an advance directive.
Advance directives are a legally binding document that expresses your wishes in the event of serious illness or injury. These documents can be quite detailed or quite general. One detail is what you want done in each specific medical possibility. For example:
- What do you want done if you stop breathing?
- What do you want done if you develop inoperable cancer? What about tumors?
- Do you want breathing machines or feeding tubes used?
These documents empower someone to make decisions about your medical care if you are unable to make these decisions yourself.
It makes sense to speak with the people you appoint. Let them know your wishes. Only appoint people who are willing to accept the responsibility of making medical decisions for you when are no longer able to make them for yourself. Also be sure and discuss your wishes with those close to you such as your family or friends.
Such documents must follow the laws in your state in order to be legally binding. It is best to have one or two people witness and sign the document. In order for these documents to be effective, your doctor and hospital must have copies.
Do I Need One?
It is important for senior citizens to prepare these documents. However, any of us at any age may encounter a life threatening illness or injury. If you have strong feelings about what you want done in these situations, you need to have these wishes written down in a legally binding document.
What is a Living Will?
A living will is a type of advance directive. It is a document outlining explicit instructions regarding medical treatment and life-sustaining procedures if you are permanently unconscious or terminally ill. Usually, a doctor (or even two) will have to certify that you are in either of these states before the living will comes into effect. Since modern medicine now has the ability to prolong life indefinitely, it is necessary to prepare a living will when you are still healthy in body and mind.
What is a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
A durable power of attorney for health care names someone to manage your health care and make all medical treatment decisions for you when you are not able to. This person is usually called a “healthcare proxy” or a healthcare agent.”
Your chosen representative can make decisions such as consenting or refusing treatment, choosing doctors, selecting medical care facilities, and accessing medical records. This durable power of attorney usually does not give explicit instructions to the healthcare agent. This is another reason why it’s important to have an advance directive that provides this person with your wishes.
What is a Do Not Resuscitate Order?
Do not resuscitate orders or DNRs tell doctors and hospitals what you want done should your breathing or heart stop functioning. Examples of treatment that you can decline include CPR, artificial respiration, medicine to keep your heart functioning, artificial nutrition, or specific surgeries.
If you fill out a DNR, your doctor should put the order in your medical records. Without a DNR order, hospitals will typically do what they can to resuscitate someone whose heart has stopped. DNR orders are especially important for seniors with a heart condition.
Resources for Preparing an Advance Directive
Sometimes your medical facility will have these forms on hand for you to express your wishes. You will sign the document and have it witnessed right there in the hospital, long term care facility, or doctor’s office. The doctors and nurses caring for you want to make sure that your decisions are honored.
Another option is to contact your state bar association or state government office for the proper forms.
You can also hire an attorney who is knowledgeable in health care directives. Working with an attorney helps ensure that your directive meets the state legal requirements. It does no good to prepare a health care directive if it is not legally recognized.
Another option for obtaining a health care directive is purchasing software that allows you to fill in your information and print the document. By searching online you can find online services that will guide you through preparing the directive.
It may be unpleasant to think of serious illness and death. Detailing your wishes in advance will relieve some stress from you and your family in these situations.
What’s A Caregiver?
A caregiver or home health aide is an individual that gives personal care to patients in a large variety of settings, although their role may vary greatly from one setting to another. Caregiving often takes place in the patient’s home, but may also be available in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and even hospitals. Often the patient is elderly, but sometimes an illness necessitates the need for a paid companion in the home to assist an adult or care for a child.
What Does A Caregiver Do In The Home?
Essentially, the main purpose of a home care helper is the responsibility they shoulder for assisting their patients with their physical and cognitive health. The variety of duties performed by the caregiver depends on the needs of the patient.
Some of the more common duties in the home environment include:
- Grooming assistance for brushing teeth, bathing, shaving, nail care and toileting as required.
- Monitoring medications and reminding patients to take medications.
- Assisting the patient with exercise, which may include simply providing help with walking around the house or moving in place.
- Helping the patient maintain their memory.
- Deciding the number of meals that are required to meet the patient’s nutritional needs.
- Preparing meals, then, cleaning up the items related to the meals.
- Performing necessary grocery shopping or errands with or without the patient.
- Check foods in the patient’s pantry for expiration dates.
- Providing conversation and companionship.
- Light housekeeping duties, such as dusting and vacuuming, making beds, doing laundry, and maintaining sanitation.
- Accompanying the patient to doctor appointments as necessary.
- Notifying doctors of any significant change in the patient’s condition.
More serious home situations may be supervised by a Senior Helper RN, who should complete a customized plan of care and supervise the home health aide.
Approximately 90 percent of dependent patients use the services of a home health care service or a family member to keep the patient at home, rather than in a nursing home. Patients who have mild to moderate cognitive impairment still want to be involved in decisions concerning their care and their life. A physician will often set the boundaries to ensure the responsibility for medical decisions do not fall on the shoulders of the home companion.
When is Caregiving Needed?
There are some simple ways to assess when a loved one might need to have in-home care. Does the person:
- Have trouble with their normal movement around the house such as getting from the bedroom to bathroom?
- Need medical assistance such as cleaning wounds or administering insulin?
- Need help with normal daily activities such as bathing and getting dressed?
Obviously, a person affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s disease needs help in the home. Changes in eating habits, personal hygiene, social habits and any safety issues that might occur in the home all need to be evaluated.
Hiring a personal companion for your loved one can also help relieve the stress on family members, and it assures the family members that their loved one is receiving proper care. This help can be critical if the family member doesn’t live near the loved one.
Is Caregiving Available Outside the Home?
Most seniors would like to have caregiving take place in their own home. There are situations, however, when the person who is ill will receive more appropriate care in an institution.
Caregivers working in an assisted living facility or nursing home, like home caregivers, assist patients with their activities of daily living. The health aide can also play an important role in helping patients experience meaningful leisure activities, which helps keep the patient’s mind active. Demonstrating compassion for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is essential. Often the companion works with pets, particularly dogs, cats or birds, as these pets can provide a great deal of pleasure for the patient. Sometimes caregiver working hours in these facilities can be irregular and include weekends or holidays.
Caregiving can be difficult work, whether the patient is a senior citizen, a parent, a spouse or a child with special needs. Family members are often caregivers, which can be quite stressful as they are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In these cases good caregiver resources may involve support groups, which can be quite helpful.
Caregiver resources should include information on the role of Medicare for patients. Specific classes that can provide useful training are often available to empower the companion or home care helper.
Resources are available at the following sites:
http://caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp Family Caregiver Alliance home page
http://www.caregiving.com/ A community of family caregivers sharing stories, support and solutions
http://www.caregiverresource.net/ Caregiver Resources.
http://www.caregiverslibrary.org/home.aspx National Caregivers Library full of useful information in all areas of caregiving
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/homecareservices.html U.S. Government resources about Home Care Services
http://www.medicare.gov/campaigns/caregiver/caregiver.html Information about caregiving from Medicare
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/caregiver-stress.cfm#c Specific information about caregiver stress | <urn:uuid:3764b5c0-be64-4132-a47b-ea9311b0b318> | {
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A Java Runtime Environment (JRE), version greater than 1.6, is required to run Jython and GeoScript. Chances are your system already has a JRE installed on it. A quick way to test is to execute the following from the command line:
% java -version java version "1.6.0_26" Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_26-b03-384-10M3425) Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.1-b02-384, mixed mode)
If the command is not found or the Java version is less than 1.6 you must install a new JRE. Otherwise you can continue to the next step.
A JRE can be downloaded from Sun Microsystems.
It is possible to run GeoScript with a different non Sun JRE. However the Sun JRE is recommended as it has been thoroughly tested.
Jython version greater than 2.5.1 is required for GeoScript. The current version can be downloaded from http://www.jython.org/. After install ensure that the Jython bin directory is on the path:
Where <JYTHON_DIR> is the root Jython installation directory.
Run ez_setup.py with Jython:
Some newer features are only avaialble in the latest 1.3 build, which is still considered experimental.
Unpack the GeoScript archive:
Change directory into the root of the unpacked archive and execute setup.py:
cd geoscript-1.2 jython setup.py install
Depending on your setup the install may require root privileges.
That’s it. GeoScript should now be installed on the system. To verify the install execute the geoscript command:
% geoscript Jython 2.5.1 (Release_2_5_1:6813, Sep 26 2009, 13:47:54) [Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (Apple Inc.)] on java1.5.0_20 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import geoscript >>>
If you do not get an import error congratulations! GeoScript is installed on the system. | <urn:uuid:ed373a01-f120-466b-bb33-95b45314fad3> | {
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Swaziland is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. It is bordered to the north, west, and south by South Africa and to the east by Mozambique. Swaziland has a varied geography from mountains along the Mozambique border to savannas and rainforests. The government system is a monarchy. The chief of state is the King and the head of government is the Prime Minister. Swaziland has a traditional economy in which a majority of the population engages in subsistence agriculture. Swaziland is a member of the African Union (AU), African Economic Community (AEC), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). | <urn:uuid:85c0cadf-0bf2-40ca-8bc4-8c0ec5f01310> | {
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Books, Maps & Other Resources
Newfoundland and Labrador
Genealogy & History
BOOK - A History of Newfoundland
By Judge D.W. Prowse
Originally published by MacMillan and Company, London, 1895
This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2002, 2nd Edition 2010
A History of Newfoundland by Judge D.W. Prowse, is widely recognized as one of the finest histories written about Newfoundland and Labrador. An essential resource for everyone with an interest in the history of Newfoundland.
ISBN 1-894378-65-2 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Soe longe as there comes noe Women: Origins of English Settlement in Newfoundland
By W. Gordon Handcock.
Making available previously unknown and untapped sources of information, Hancock's book is a treasure trove for those intent on the study of Newfoundland's heritage, and it's founding families.
ISBN 1-894378-49-0 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Two Outports: A History of Dildo - New Harbour
By Willis P. Martin
Published by Flanker Press Ltd, St. John's, 2006
The Dildo–New Harbour area of Trinity Bay has a rich history, beginning with the Maritime Archaic Indians, who inhabited Dildo Island about 4,000 years ago. This book celebrates the unique outport heritage of Newfoundland through the shared experiences of the people of these two proud communities.
ISBN 978-1894463904 (Softcover) More information
BOOK - Finding your Ancestors in Newfoundland and Labrador
By B. Crant
Published by Heritage Productions, Toronto
Find everything you need to conduct efficient and successful family history research for ancestors from Newfoundland and Labrador.
ISBN 1-894018-99-0 More information
BOOK - A History of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic to 1818
By Shannon Ryan
Published by Flanker Press Ltd, St. John's, 2012
The successful English-Newfoundland migratory fishery of the seventeenth century evolved into an exclusively shore-based, but still migratory, fishery that led to the formation of a formal colony by 1818. Shannon Ryan offers this general history as an introduction to early Newfoundland. The economy and social, military, and political issues are dealt with in a straightforward narrative that will appeal to general readers as well as students of Newfoundland and Labrador history.
ISBN 978-1-77117-016-1 More information
BOOK - Historic Barr'd Islands: From English Roots [Newfoundland]
By Eric R. Witcher
Published by Flanker Press Ltd, St. John's, 2011
Barr’d Islands: From English Roots is a history of early English settlement in Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland, with a focus on Barr’d Islands, a small fishing community on Fogo Island. Explore the day-to-day lives of a charitable, community-minded people whose hardships were many in a time when survival from year to year was uncertain: living under the iron fist of merchant firms, subsistence farming, poverty. Also, learn of these early settlers’ faith, richness of virtue, hard-work ethic, and games and amusements shared by all in the community. Finally, this book is a genealogical treasure trove that traces many well-known Newfoundland family trees back to their English roots in the 1600s. "A genealogist's dream, with an extensive listing of just about everyone who has ever lived in Barr'd Islands."
ISBN 978-1-926881-09-6 More information
BOOK - Historic Bell Island: Dawn of First Light [Newfoundland]
By N. W. Sheppard
Published by Flanker Press Ltd, St. John's, 2011
The history of Bell Island, Newfoundland, is an amazing one of a strong and courageous people who overcame the challenge of creating a community exposed to the mighty North Atlantic Ocean. Bell Island: Dawn of First Light covers the first permanent European settlers who were attracted to the rich soil of the island and to the fish in the surrounding waters. It outlines the accidental discovery of iron ore, the growth of the mining operations to become the largest submarine mine in the Commonwealth, labour unrest and the formation of a union, the factors that led to the mine’s closure, and the tragic impact this would have on the residents. This is also the story of the equally determined women who fashioned the family home in both good and bad economic times.
ISBN 978-1-926881-36-2 More information
BOOK - Historic Bay Roberts: Not Your Typical Small Town [Newfoundland]
By Michael F. Flynn
Published by Flanker Press Ltd, St. John's, 2011
The story of Bay Roberts is one of an ordinary people who lived through a turbulent and extraordinary past. Adventure, murder, religious strife, inventions, successful local newspapers, and enterprise make up the collective history of a community thriving in Newfoundland today. The town has hosted tragedies, unprecedented commercial prosperity (and failure), famous sea captains, buried treasure, ancient tombstones, and intriguing grave markers. Stories of eccentric characters, war heroes, and horrible shipwrecks fill these pages. The town has a fascinating link to the Titanic tragedy, was a central hub in communications and international connections for government leaders during World War II, and is the home and birthplace of many famous poets, novelists, businessmen, and politicians.
ISBN 978-1-926881-11-9 More information
BOOK - Ferryland: The Colony of Avalonia [Newfoundland]
By B. D. Fardy
Published by Flanker Press Ltd, St. John's, 2005
Ferryland is one of the oldest settlements in Newfoundland and Labrador. Established in 1620 as Newfoundland’s second successful colony by Sir George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore, Ferryland was first recorded on maps as early as 1550 with the French name Forillon, meaning cape or point. Both the French and Portuguese used its safe harbour as a fishing station until the early seventeenth century, when the English became dominant in the fishery off the east coast of Newfoundland and Lord Baltimore established his Colony of Avalonia there.
ISBN 978-1-894463-78-2 More information
BOOK - North America's Maritime Funnel: The Ships that Brought the Irish, 1749-1852
By Terrence M. Punch
Published by Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 2012
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island were a convenient destination for tens of thousands of Irish immigrants between 1749 and 1852. Functioning as the narrow end of a funnel through which thousands dispersed widely across the North American continent, the Maritimes offered easy access and cheap fares, beckoning emigrants from Ireland’s catchment areas along the waterways of Dublin, Londonderry, and Cork. In all, there is documentation on about 1,050 voyages between Ireland and the Maritimes.
ISBN 978080631965 More Information
BOOK - Seafaring Labour, The Merchant Marine of Atlantic Canada, 1820-1914
By Eric W. Sager
Published by McGill-Queen's Universtiy Press, Montreal, 1989 (HC), 1996 (SC)
Seafaring Labour, The Merchant Marine of Atlantic Canada, 1820-1914, a compassionate look at the effect of industrialization on the individual lives of sailors is once again available in paperback form. Sager argues that sailors were not misfits or outcasts but were divorced from society only by virtue of their occupation. The wooden ships were small communities at sea, fragments of normal society where workers lived, struggled, and often died. With the coming of the age of steam, the sailor became part of a new division of labour and a new social hierarchy at sea. Sager shows that the sailor was as integral to the transition to industrial capitalism as any land worker.
ISBN 9780773515239 (Softcover) More information
BOOK - Some Early Scots in Maritime Canada - Vol 1, 2 & 3
By Terrence M. Punch, CM, FIGRS
Published by Genealogical Publishing Co, Baltimore, 2011
The Maritime Provinces of Canada consist of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Prior to the 1770s the area was inhabited by French Acadians and native peoples, and only after 1770 did it begin to attract Scots settlers, mainly but not exclusively from the Scottish Highlands. More information
Volume Two: Like the first volume in the series, this collection of records is based on materials found in the Nova Scotia Archives and the Public Archives of New Brunswick, among others, and it draws together a unique collection of miscellaneous records pertaining to Scottish immigrants to the Maritime Provinces, naming several thousand people in the context of major life events such as birth, marriage, and death. In records ranging from newspaper announcements of marriages and deaths to cemetery records and censuses, and from ships’ passenger lists to land records, it provides a tableau of source material which is as unique as it is indispensable. Thousands are named who would otherwise be undetectable in traditional record sources.
Volume Three: This final volume of Some Early Scots in Maritime Canada identifies thousands of Scots who immigrated to Maritime Canada in the years between the 1770s and the 1870s--most of them located by the author in a variety of obscure and out-of-the-way records. In fact, the variety of source records consulted is one of the volume’s strengths. From shipping records to passenger lists, from land petitions to census records, then from newspaper columns, vital records, church registers, and a host of fugitive sources, the sources utilized provide a rich trove of genealogical data. This volume differs from the previous volumes in the series in that explanatory material and brief essays accompany many of the articles. As a convenient reference point, the book opens with maps of Ayrshire, Dumfries-shire, and Perthshire, the three Scottish shires that contributed significantly to Scots immigration into Maritime Canada. Next there is a comprehensive list of the 1,200 ships that are known to have sailed from Scotland to the Maritimes between 1770 and 1852. If a passenger list has been published for any of these voyages, it is indicated in the footnotes, but otherwise the ports of departure and arrival and the dates of the voyage provide significant clues to an immigrant’s place of origin in Scotland and place of settlement in Canada. Names that suddenly make their appearance in Canadian records can then be matched with shipping records.
BOOK - Planters, Paupers, and Pioneers: English Settlers in Atlantic Canada
By Lucille H. Campey
Lucille Campey studies evidence of early English settlement in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. Beginning with the Planters and Loyalists of English descent who arrived from the United States in the second half of the 18th century, she goes on to consider the growing influx directly from England after 1815 and ends with the assisted emigration schemes of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including those that involved destitute children. Detailed information relating to ship crossings and settlement locations is distilled to provide new insights on how, why, and when the four Atlantic provinces came to acquire their English settlers. What attracted them? Was the rapid industrialization taking place in England a major push factor? How did trade links influence settlement locations?
ISBN 978-1-55488-748-4 (Softcover) More information
BOOK - Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada 1761-1863, Four Volumes.
By Terrence M. Punch, FRSAI. Despite the flow of Irish through Atlantic Canada, the early records of these immigrants are fewer and less informative than those of New England and New York from the same period. Erin’s Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada series of books goes a long way toward rectifying this problem. Author Terrence M. Punch has combed through a wide-ranging and disparate group of sources—including newspaper articles and advertisements, local government documents and census records, church records, burial records, land records, military records, passenger lists, and more—to identify as many of these pioneers as possible and disclose where they came from in the Old Country. These sources often contain details that cannot be found in Irish records, where few census returns survived from before 1901, and where Catholic records began a generation or more after their counterparts in Atlantic Canada. More information
Pages: 208 pp.; Size: 8½" x 11"; Softcover - perfectbound; Index - Surnames; Index - Ships; Bibliogaphy; Lists; Published: 2008.
Pages: 191 pp.; Size: 8½" x 11"; Softcover - perfectbound; Index - Surnames; Index - Ships; Bibliogaphy; Lists; Published: 2009.
Pages: 192 pp.; Size: 8½" x 11"; Softcover - perfectbound; Index - Surnames; Index - Ships; Bibliogaphy; Lists; Published: 2009.
Pages: 180 pp.; Size: 8½" x 11"; Softcover - perfectbound; Index - Surnames; Index - Ships; Bibliogaphy; Lists; Published: Aug 2010.
BOOK - Starting Out in Genealogy - Second Edition
By Ruth Burkholder
Building a family tree looks like a daunting taste to the unititiated, however it's easier than you think! Family history research is not complicated as long as you know which records are available, where to find those records, and how to organize the information that you gather. Though this guide is designed for beginners, it will also be of considerable help to those who have already started researching and recording family history, but want to improve their skills and results.
ISBN 9781926797441 More information
BOOK - Canadian Records of Birth, Marriage and Death: A Guide
By Fawne Stratford-Devai
This popular guide provides a province-by-province description of where to access provincial vital records, complete with contact information including postal addresses, telephone numbers (most are toll-free), fax, email addresses and websites. The categories addressed for each province and territory include: Modern Records; Historic Records; Additional Links and Sources. Several helpful maps are included.
ISBN 1894571894 More information
BOOK - Routes To Routes
By Ryan Taylor
A wide range of genealogical and research topics assist family historians with their quest to uncover their roots. Included is an essay describing how to effectively use libraries for family history research and how to best utilize the skills and training of professional librarians. The book is an entertaining read, however, before you know it, you will accumulate many sound research ideas from the vast experience of Mr. Taylor.
ISBN 0-9682524-0-0 More information
BOOK - The Sash Canada Wore - A Historical Geography of The Orange Order in Canada
By Cecil J. Houston and William J. Smith
Originally published by Universtiy of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1980
This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 1999 [CD 2011]
Significant migration of Protestant Irish to Canada in the early 19th century brought with it the establishment of the Orange Order in Canada. This work explores the role of the Orange Order in the unfolding settlement geography of Canada. Protestant Irish soldiers and emigrants, largely Ulster-born, introduced the organization into New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario within the first decade of the nineteenth century. At its zenith, he movement had a membership of as many as one in three Canadians.
ISBN 978-1-894378-31-4 (Hardcover Edition) More information
BOOK - Cyclopaedia Of Methodism In Canada
By Rev. George H. Cornish
Originally published by Methodist Book and Publishing House, Toronto, 1881
This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2001 (CD 2009)
Originally published in 1880, this high quality reprint provides historical, educational and statistical information regarding the Methodist Church in Canada, dating from the "beginning of the Work" (1765) in the several provinces of the Dominion Of Canada and extending to 1880. Includes information about all of those who served as ministers and circuit riders, complete with a record of where and when they served.
ISBN 1-894378-16-4 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - The First Century of Methodism in Canada, 1775-1883. Two Volumes In One
By J. E. Sanderson
Originally published by William Briggs, 1908 (vol. 1) & 1910 (vol. 2)
This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2008 (CD 2011)
Sanderson's fine history of the early years of Methodism in Canada has served as an essential resource for more than a century. Being out of print for over one hundred years, this new edition has been pubished to provide access for today's researchers. This editon is a facsimile reprint of both of the original volumes, bound into a single book.
ISBN 978-1-897446-34-8 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Getting From Here To There, Identifying the Origins of Immigrants to Canada Revised and Expanded Edition
By: Fawne Stratford-Devai
Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2005
One of the more difficult things to do in a family history research project is to identify where your original immigrant ancestor came from. Sometimes we know the country they came from, but not the specific place within that country. In order to find records in the "old-country" it is very helpful to know which town, parish, county etc that the person came from. This book identifies a long list of potential sources in Canada, where you may find that critical piece of information.
ISBN 1-897210-80-9 More information
BOOK - Canadian Family History in the 21st Century, Lessons, Links & ResourcesSecond Edition 2005
By Fawne Stratford-Devai
This newly updated and expanded second edition offers readers valuable lessons, links and recommended resources that will help you keep you family history research project on-track, saving time, effort and expense. The author is a popular genealogical lecturer, educator and author/co-author of more than 50 important genealogical and historical books.
ISBN 1-897210-68-X More information
BOOK - Lovell's 1873 Gazetteer of British North America
By John Lovell and Son, Montreal, 1873
Originally published by John Lovell and Son, Montreal, 1873
This facsimile reprint by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 1998 (CD 2010)
This facsimile reprint of The volume contains over six thousand descriptions and historical facts about cities, towns and villages across Canada, as they were known in 1873. Also included is a listing of over fifteen hundred lakes and rivers with their location, size and general information. A table showing the railway and steamboat routes within British North America in 1873, which will assist researchers in understanding the routes that their ancestors may have migrated over. The table lists the distance that each place in British North America is to the nearest railway station or port.
ISBN 0-9682524-5-1 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - True Stories of New England Captives Carried to Canada During the Old French and Indian Wars
By C. Alice Baker
Originally published by E. A. Hall & Co., Cambridge, 1897
This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2006 (CD 2010)
This thoughtfully written book provides the reader with the gripping history of Indian attacks in Maine; New Hampshire; and Massachusetts. Events leading up to the attacks and the attacks themselves are described in considerable detail with an emphasis on how those engagements affected specific people, especially those who were captured and removed to Canada.
ISBN 1-897210-98-1 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - The Canadian Almanac of 1862
Originally published by W. C. Chewett & Co. 1862.
Many family historians value a carefully compiled almanac. Almanac's assist genealogists, historians, social historians and geographers locate information and records that affected the inhabitants of the area being researched.
ISBN 1-897210-98-1 More information
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BOOK - The Talbot Regime - or the First Half Century Of The Talbot Settlement
By C.O. Ermatinger, K.C. - Junior Judge, County of Elgin.
Originally published in 1904
This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 1999
This rare volume illustrates early settlement and historical events of the southwestern portion of Upper Canada, which became the province of Ontario. Topics s include, Port Dover burned, rebellion of 1837, Muster Rolls to the War of 1812, Lists of persons plundered in Long Point Settlement, and much more.
ISBN 1-894378-10-5 More information
American Revolution / United Empire Loyalists:
By Brenda Dougall Merriman
Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton
There has long been a need for descendants to have a general guide to assist the tracing of Loyalist ancestors, not only for the beginner, but also for those who encounter stumbling blocks on their way. Brenda Dougall Merriman accomplishes this in spades. Merriman defines what a Loyalist is, then goes on to discuss the necessary sources and background information that is available to trace a specific Loyalist in Upper Canada (Ontario). An essential guide for everyone researching Loyalist heritage.
ISBN 1-897210-84-1 (Hardcover); ISBN 978-1897446-95-9 (Coil bound) More information
BOOK - The British Campaign of 1777, Volume One - The St. Leger Expedition: The Forces of Crown and Congress Second Edition
By Gavin Watt & James F. Morrison
Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2003 (CD 2010)
Loyalist ancestors? Patriot ancestors? This book is what you have been looking for... The authors produced a revised edition of their indispensible study of the Crown forces and native allies of St. Leger's expedition of 1777 and forces of Congress and the natives who opposed them. Filled with names of those who participated and detailed end notes and bibliographic information. For a list of names from the index, see "More Information".
ISBN 1894378695 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - The British Campaign of 1777, Volume Two - The Burgoyne Expedition: Burgoyne's Native and Loyalist Auxiliaries
By Gavin Watt. With research assistance of T.W. Braisted, and acknowledgement of Dr. P.L. Stevens' works
Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2013
This new book is a companion piece to Volume 1, The St. Leger Expedition. Similar to the first volume, the second will appeal to readers who enjoy the minutiae of the military campaigns of the American Revolution. While essentially a military work, many will find the book useful for genealogical research. The majority of accounts about military campaigns concentrate on the big-name personalities who directed operations or commanded large formations. In contrast, this book is primarily about the 'little' and 'littler' men. For a list of names from the index, see "More Information".
ISBN 978-1-926797-70-0 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - United Empire Loyalists, Evidence in the Canadian Claims - The Second Report of The Bureau of Archives for the Province of Ontario, 1904
By Alexander Fraser, Provincial Archivist
Originally published by L.K. Cameron - King's Printer, Toronto, 1905
This book on CD edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2010
The 1904 Bureau of Archives Report consisted of original accounts and evidence of United Empire Loyalist claims that were processed after the American Revolutionary War. Those claims were made in response to a British program that was designed to provide those Americans who had remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution, with land in Canada. After an informative history of the circumstances surrounding the movement of the Loyalists to Canada, and a preamble on the claim process, the bulk of the content of the 1904 Report includes evidence presented to establish that specific "Loyalists" qualified for "UE" status and the resulting benefits. 1436 pages.
ISBN: 978-1-926797-49-6 (eBook on CD) More information
BOOK - John Loney, United Empire Loyalist & Shoemaker to Sir William and Sir John Johnson
By Duncan (darby) MacDonald, UE
Published by Duncan (darby) MacDonald, Brockville, 1992 (expanded reprint/2nd edition 1993)
Book on CD version published by MacDonald Research, Milton, 2013
John Loney, United Empire Loyalist & Shoemaker to Sir William and Sir John Johnson is genealogy and history of John Loney, United Empire Loyalist compliled by Duncan (Darby) MacDonald "based on the excellent work of The Loney Research Team". It includes several collateral family lines within the genealogy section and the hand-made genealogy charts in the final section of the book. The elder John Loney, the eldest generation detailed in this text, was an Irishman who came to America just before or during the Seven Years War (1756-1763). His son, also John Loney (1748-1801 served in the King's Royal Regiment of New York and was previously the village shoemaker in Johnstown New York, the hometown of Sir John Johnson and his brother Sir William Johnson. The book details the life and connections of John Loney the shoemaker, his connections to the Loyalist cause during the American Revolution and a generation by generation genealogy of his descendants.
ISBN 0921133-53-7 (Softcover) ISBN 978-1-926797-72-4 (Book on CD) More information
BOOK - The History and Master Roll of the The King's Royal Regiment of New York, Revised and Expanded Edition.
By Gavin Watt
Published by Global Heritage Press
Gavin Watt has significantly updated and revised his original book that was published under the title The King's Royal Regiment of New York in 1984. This new volume provides much new content, including corrections, additions and newly discovered sources that have come to light during the 22 years of research since his earlier book. The history of the regiment, and of the men of The King's Royal Regiment have great significance to those with an interest in the American Revolutionary War and the subsequent resettlement of United Empire Loyalists and others, many of whom migrated to Canada.
ISBN 1-897210-83-3 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Orderly Book of the Three Battalions of Loyalists Commanded by Brigadier-General Oliver De Lancey, 1776-1778, To Which is Appended a List of New York Loyalists in the City of New York During the War of the Revolution
Compiled by: William Kelby
Originally published 1917
This facsimile reprint by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2006
This book is a military diary outlining the activities of three battalions of Loyalists that were raised for the defense of Long Island. The orderly book includes much detail including many names of specific individuals. An appendix listing 1500 Loyalists who resided in New York during the American Revolution follows the main content of the book.
ISBN 1-897446-93-4 (Softcover) More information
BOOK - Pioneer Life On The Bay Of Quinte
New Introduction by Brian Tackaberry (1999)
New Index (1999)
Originally published by Rolph and Clark, 1904
This edition published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 1999 (CD 2010)
This 1096 page tome is invaluable to those who are researcing Loyalist and other ancestry in the Bay of Quinte and south east central Ontario region. The region of settlement covered in this volume (Bay of Quinte region) extends from Kingston to Trenton and includes the counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Hastings and Prince Edward. Originally published in 1904, this edition contains a extensive new index, and a new introduction by Brian Tackaberry. 309 family histories and genealogies of early Loyalist, British and American families who settled in the region.
ISBN 1-894378-33-4 (Hardcover). More information
BOOK - The Settlement of the United Empire Loyalists on the Upper St. Lawrence and Bay of Quinte In 1784, A Documentary Record
By Brig. General E. A. Cruikshank
Originally published by Ontario Historical Society, Toronto, 1934
This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2007
The Settlement of the United Empire Loyalists on the Upper St. Lawrence and Bay of Quinte In 1784, A Documentary Record is a collection of letters and journal entries of the people who were most closely involved with planning and accomplishing Loyalist settlement along the St. Lawrence River and the Bay of Quinte area between May 1783 and November of 1784. Many references to specific settlers and their circumstances are included.
ISBN: 978-1-897466-03-4 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Loyalists in Arms 1775 - 1783
By: W. O. Raymond
This book contains a short History of the British Regiments that unsuccessfully attempted to contain the American revolution, with the Roll of their Officers. Loyalists in Arms 1775 - 1783 is an essential reference for those interested in those who fought on the side of the Crown in the American Revolutionary War. To see a list of which regiments are covered in this book, click on "More Information".
ISBN 1-897210-76-0 (Softcover) More information
BOOK - The Romance of The Palatine Millers, A Tale of Palatine Irish-Americans and United Empire Loyalists
By Rev. Bowman Tucker
Originally published by the author, Montreal, 1929
This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2005 (CD 2011)
More than a family history book, The Romance of The Palatine Millers, begins with an historical overview of the Palatines in the Rhine River valley (in present-day Germany), continues with the story of the Palatine migration overseas, with eventual settlement in Canada, and their American cousins who remained behind after the American Revolution.
ISBN 1-897210-76-0 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - To Their Heirs Forever, United Empire Loyalists, Camden Valley, New York, to Upper Canada
By Eula C. Lapp.
Originally published by Mika Publishing, Belleville, 1977
Subsequent printings by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2000, 2010 (CD 2010)
To Their Heirs Forever is the story of families who migrated from Europe to England in the 1700's, then to Ireland, finally settling in the Camden Valley, Charlotte County, of present day New York State. This story focuses on those families that were forced to seek a new life in Canada after the American Revolutionary War.
ISBN 1-894378-39-3 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Voyage Of A Different Kind - The Associated Loyalists of Kingston and Adolphustown [Ontario]
By Larry Turner.
Originally published by Mika Publishing, Belleville, 1984
This printing by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 1999
From the City of New York to the shores of Lake Ontario: Following a path of its own choosing, a small but significant group of Loyalist refugees opted for settlement in the western territory of the old Province of Quebec (present day Kingston and Adolphustown, Ontario) after the American Revolutionary War.
ISBN 1-894378-08-3 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia.
Compiled by Marion Gilroy under the direction of D. C. Harvey, Archivist
Originally published 1937 (This historical reprint by Global Heritage Press)
The list of United Empire Loyalists who appear in this book, was compiled from the land papers in the Public Archives of Nova Scotia and checked with the land papers in the Department of Lands and Forests of the province. The general purpose of this publication was to collect in as compact a form as possible all the information that has survived on Loyalist settlements in Nova Scotia and to make this accessible to the descendants who are interested.
ISBN 1-897210-95-7 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Kingston and the "Loyalists of the Spring Fleet" of 1783
By Walter Bates
Originally published by Barnes and Company, Saint John, 1889
This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2010
This book deals with the exodus of the Loyalists of the Spring Fleet from the United States to sanctuary in Atlantic Canada in 1783. The original title page includes a lengthy title and attribution, as was common when this history was written: Kingston and the "Loyalists of the Spring Fleet" of A.D. 1783. With Reminiscences of Early Days in Connecticut: A Narrative. By Walter Bates, ESQ., Sometime High Sheriff of the County of Kings. To Which is Appended a Diary Written by Sarah Frost on Her Voyage to St. John, N.B. with the Loyalists of 1783. Edited with Notes by W. O. Raymond, A.B. Rector of St. Mary's Church, St. John, N.B..
ISBN: 9781926797434 More information
BOOK - The Old United Empire Loyalists List, Originally Published as The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada 1784-1884
By The Centennial Committee, United Empire Loyalists
Originally published by Rose Publishing Co., Toronto, 1885.
This facsimile reprint by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2005 (CD 2010)
This book was originally compiled in 1885 for the "Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada". It contains the names of, and information about many of United Empire Loyalist settlers, and others who left the American colonies during and after the Revolutionary War and settled, first, in 1783, in what is now New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and then, in 1784, in Upper Canada, or what is now the Province of Ontario.
ISBN 1-897210-69-8 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - 7th Town Ameliasburgh Township Past & Present
By Seventh Town Historical Society
Originally published by 7th Town Historical Society, Ameliasburgh, 1984
This edition by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 1999, 2010 (CD 2010)
This revised edition contains a facsimile reprint of every page of the original book plus new material. Of great value is a new and extensive index. The index is a windfall for family historians because it guides readers to over six thousand names linked to many thousands of valuable references.
ISBN 1-894378-30-X (Hardcover) More Information
BOOK or CD ROM - The Ketcheson Family. By The Ketcheson Family Book Committee. Though this is one family's history/genealogy, the direct and collateral family lines are dominated by Loyalists and their descendants. The Ketcheson Family history is a genealogical study of twelve generations of the descendants of William and Sally Ayr Ketcheson. Thier son William Ketcheson, born in Yorkshire, England, was destined to become the progenitor of the widespread family largely responsible for a considerable share of the development of what later became the province of Ontario in the Dominion of Canada.
ISBN 1-894378-62-8 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - The Book of Names, Especially Relating to the Early Palatines and the First Settlers in the Mohawk Valley. By: Lou D. MacWethy. Palatines migrated across the continent with primary migration trails including to Canada and to the American west after the American Revolution. This long respected work was the earliest to to provide a published list of more than 20,000 names and genealogical information about the early Palatines of New York State, the original settlers of the Mohawk Valley.
ISBN 1-897210-73-6 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - The Queen's Rangers
By George H. Locke and Margaret Ray. The author discusses the history of the Queen's Rangers from the American Revolution until the mid-ninteenth century. A reprint of a paper presented by George H. Locke at the June, 1923 meeting of the Ontario Historical Society at Kingston. Includes several biographies plus an appendix item containing a list of members of the Queen's Rangers who were present at the Surrender of Yorktown in 1781.
ISBN 1-897210-77-9 More information
BOOK - The Hessians And The Other German Auxiliaries Of Great Britain In The Revolutionary War.
By Edward J. Lowell (This historical reprint by Global Heritage Press)
The history of the German auxiliaries, who fought for Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, has not received from American writers the amount of attention which its importance would seem to deserve. Much of the original source material used by the author in 1884 was lost due to bombing during the Second World War. This circumstance heightens the the importance of this early work.
ISBN 1-894378-83-0 (Hardcover) More information
BOOK - Sketches Illustrating The Early Settlement and History of Glengarry in Canada
By J. A. MacDonell.
J. A. MacDonell recognized that much had been written on the subject of United Empire Loyalist settlement in Ontario, the War of 1812-14, and the Rebellion of 1837-8, but expressed concern that there was little mention made of the part that the Highlanders of Glengarry played in those conflicts. He corrects that oversight within the 29 chapters that comprise this formitable text. This book is an fine source of information for those interested in early settlement of the Highlanders in Glengarry and surrounding counties, and the role that they played in the American Revolution, United Empire Loyalist migration and settlement, War of 1812, and the Rebellion of 1837-38.
ISBN 1-894378-80-6 (Hardcover) More information
USED & ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS: Newfoundland & Labrador:
By Michael Harris
Penguin Books, Toronto, 1993. 5-1/2 x 8-1/2. 407 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound. Some shelving wear. Some ink writing on fly leaf. Tight spine, chipped on edge of spine and a crack on back cover, in good condition. First published by Viking Penguin Books of Canada Limited, 1992. ISBN 0140231846. Click for image
USED BOOK - Rare Ambition, The Crosbies of Newfoundland.
By Michael Harris
Viking Penguin Group, Toronto, 1992. 6-1/4 x 9-3/8. 407 pages. Hardcover with dust cover, both in excellent condition. Some ink print of previous owner on front and back fly leaf and inside front and back cover. Some yellow highlighting throughout the book. ISBN 0670818569. Click for image
USED BOOK - Noble to our View: The Saga of Saint Bonaventure's College. St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, The first 150 Years, 1856 - 2006.
By Brother Joseph B. Darcy
Creative Publishers, St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador, 2007. 6 x 9. 199 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound. Tight spine, cracked cover however unused and in excellent condition. Surplus from Library and Archives Canada. ISBN 9781897174111. Click for image
USED BOOK - Place of Character, Observing the 50th Anniversary of the entry of Newfoundland into the Constitution, 1949-1999.
By Ron Ennis, editor of Robinson-Blachmore Newspaper
Robinson-Blackmore Printing and Publishing, Grand-Falls, NF, 1999. 12 x 9-1/2. 104 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound. Some shelving wear. Tight spine, in very good condition ISBN 0920884636. Click for image
USED BOOK - Newfoundland Schooner, Norma & Gladys, Her Story of Industry, Mutiny & Triumph.
By Garry Cranford
Flanker Press, St, John's, NFL, Canada, 1994. 5-1/2 x 8-3/8. 159 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound. Some shelving wear. Cover scratched however tight spine and this former library book is in very good condition. ISBN 096987670X. Click for image
USED BOOK - Newfoundland A History in Portraits Portfolio.
By J.M. Sullivan, Anna Marie Beckel, editor.
Jesperson Publishing, St.John's NFL, Canada, 2006. 6 x 9. 181 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound. Tight spine, this former library book is in like new condition. ISBN 1894377222. Click for image
USED BOOK - The Life of a Cottage Hospital, The Bonne Bay Experience.
By John K. Crellin
Flanker Press Ltd, St. John s, NL 2007. 6 x 9. 139 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound, tight spine, like new condition. ISBN 9781897317051. Click for image
Or.... Click here for NEW Books & eBooks for Newfoundland & Labrador
USED & ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS: Atlantic Canada: (Concerns more than one Atlantic Province)
By Thomas R. Millman, A.R. Kelley
Anglican Book Centre, Toronto, Canada, 1983. 5-1/4 x 8-1/4. 180 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound. Slight shelving wear, glossy cover yellowing, however in very good condition. ISBN 0919891004. Click for image
USED BOOK - The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation.
By E.R. Forbes and D.A. Muise, editors
University of Toronto Press, 1993. 6-3/8 x 9-3/8. 628 pages. Soft Cover, Perfect Bound, tight spine, shelving wear, some light stains on edges. Printed on acid-free paper. Some yellow highlighting and ink writing throughout the book. ISBN 0802068170. Click for image
USED BOOK - Highland Heritage & Freedom s Quest, Three centuries of MacCarmaics in Ireland, Scotland, Prince Edward Island and West Lake Ainslie, Nova Scotia
By John R. MacCormack
Kinloch Books, 1998. 5-3/8 x 8-1/2. 168 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound, in very good condition, tight spine. Some ink writing on title page, but very clean. ISBN 0968386008. Click for image
USED BOOK - Through Dirty Windows A Humorous account of shop and factory life in the incredible 1930s.
By Harry D. Smith
Lancelot Press, Nova Scotia 1976. 5-5/8 x 8-1/4. 84 pages. Paperback, Perfect Bound, in good condition, tight spine. Some discoloration on spine, but very clean, signed by author. ISBN 0889990506. Click for image
USED BOOK - Blacks, Peoples of the Maritimes [All Maritime Provinces]
By Bridglal Pachai.
Published by Nimbus Publishing, Halifax, N.S. 1997. 5.85 x 9.00. 96 pages. Black and White photos and illustrations. Bibliography, no index. ISBN 1-55109-187-9-X. Yellow card stock soft cover, perfect bound. Book is in excellent like new condition. Blacks in the Maritimes from late 1700's to 1812. Click for image
Or.... Click here for NEW Books & eBooks for Atlantic Canada
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"The Road Not Taken" Word Cloud
The Road Not Taken
"The Road Not Taken" is a poem by
Robert Frost, published in 1915 in the collection Mountain Interval,
it is the first poem in the volume and is printed in italics. The
title is often mistakenly given as "The Road Less Traveled", from
the penultimate line: "I took the one less traveled by".
Word cloud or tag cloud (or
weighted list in visual design) is a visual depiction of
user-generated tags, or simply the word content of a site, used
typically to describe the content of web sites. Tags are usually
single words and are typically listed alphabetically, and the
importance of a tag is shown with font size or color. Thus both
finding a tag by alphabet and by popularity is possible. The
tags are usually hyperlinks that lead to a collection of items
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Hong Kong is a unique city and there are plenty of interesting facts about Hong Kong. Below you’ll find Noel Coward and his noon day gun, as well as sardines and skyscrapers in our selection of facts about Hong Kong.
- Hong Kong’s official name is the tongue twisting Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or Hong Kong SAR. Find out more in What Country is Hong Kong in?
- The city’s name, Hong Kong means Fragrant Harbor
- Hong Kong is the most densely populated city in the world. The current sardine squeezing world record holder is the Mongkok district. Take our Tour of the Mongkok Ladies Market.
- The saying ‘Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the miday sun’ originated in Hong Kong. Noel Coward wrote the words referring to the Noon Day Gun in Causeway Bay fired every day at the stroke of midday since colonial times.
- Hong Kong has more Rolls Royce’s per person than any other city in the world.
- Hong Kong’s official languages are Chinese (Spoken Cantonese) and English. Find out more in our Do Hong Kongers Speak English article.
- Hong Kong has the most skyscrapers in the world. Classified as buildings with more than 14 floors, Hong Kong has around 8000, almost double that of New York its nearest rival. Take a look with our Picture Tour of Hong Kong’s Skyscrapers. | <urn:uuid:3c281c0b-ed31-4954-8e6d-a9a554c98de5> | {
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The oldest form of runic scripts, Elder Futhark is named for the first six runes in its alphabet, F, U, Th, A,R, and K. It was used in the North West of Europe from around the second to the eighth centuries AD and has been found on numerous artefacts ranging from jewellry and amulets to tools, weapons and the ever-popular runestone. From the sixth century, Younger Futhark began to develop out of the Elder form before it became prominent in scandinavia from the late eighth century. Later still the Anglo-Saxons and the Frisians developed it further into Anglo-Saxon Futhark. Unlike other forms of runes, the skill of reading Elder Futhark was lost overtime until it was rediscovered with its decipherment in 1865 by the Norwegian Sophus Bugge.
The Elder Futhark alphabet consists of twenty-four runes which are traditionally set out in three groups known as aett. The alphabetic order which gives the script its name is first attested from around 400 AD. The direction of the text tends to vary in the earliest inscriptions but it later appears to settle into running from left to right. There are no word divisions in the majority of inscriptions except in a few cases where a series of dots were used to separate words. The angular shapes that the runes are formed by are probably the result of the original incisions make by writing materials like those made by the reed implements to form cuneiform.
The alphabet itself is believed to be a derivation from Italic alphabets, possibly a form of Etruscan or Raetic or even Latin. There was a popular theory previously that the alphabet was derived from the Greek alphabet via the Gothic. However, the date of early inscriptions predates the Gothic communications with the Greeks and so this theory has been ruled out. It is believed that development of Elder Futhark was composed by a single person or group around the first century AD. The definite purpose for its invention is unknown but epigraphic purposes have been suggested alongside the magical, practical and the playful. Baeksted (1952) suggests use in graffiti.
The runes for F, A, G, T, M, and L appear to be identical to old Italic or Latin alphabetic forms. There is also some correspondence in the runes for U, R, K, H, S, B, and O. The rest of the runes are likely adaptations from other sources or original innovations with the creation of the scripts. The rune names are based on the sounds of the runes themselves but also have a basis in mythology, nature and the environment, daily life and the human condition.
As mentioned, inscriptions are found on a range of artefacts between the Carpathians and Lappland with the majority of examples hailing from Denmark. The oldest inscription found dates to 160 AD and is found on the Vimose Comb reading simply HARJA. The longest inscription found consists of 200 characters and dates to the eighth century Eggjum stone containing a stanza of Norse poetry.
Younger Futhark developed out of Elder Futhark in a transitional phase dating from around 650-800 AD. It is also known as Scandinavian runes and is referred to in the Book of Ballymore as the ‘Ogham of the Scandinavians’. It is a reduced form of Elder Futhark and is found in inscriptions from Scandinavia and Viking Age settlements. Younger Futhark is also known as the alphabet of the Norsemen and is believed to have been developed for use in trade and diplomatic contracts.
The alphabet consists of only sixteen characters which were in use from the ninth to the twelfth centuries. Its format consisted of distinct sounds and minimal pairs. One key rule in the younger Futhark texts is the avoidance of having the same rune twice in consecutive order.
Younger Futhark actual includes two scripts. The first is made up of long-branch runes which are believed to have been used for documentation on stone. The second script is made up of short-twig runes which were likely used for everyday uses, for private and official messages on wood. The short-twig forms include nine runes which appear as simplified variants of the long branch runes.
The Younger Futhark developed later into a range of additional scripts including Halsinge Runes, Middle Age Runes, and Latinised Dalecarlian Futhark.
Some Examples of Futhark Inscriptions:
Kalleby Runestone - The Kalleby Runestone dates to the Iron Age and includes a short text. It was found in Sweden in the region of Bohuslan and is believed to have been produced in the fifth century AD. It is an example of Period I Elder Futhark (150-550 AD). It reads:
þrawijan * haitinaz was
Yearning was imposed (on him). / Þrawija’s (monument). (I/he) was commanded/called. / (I/He) was promised to þrawija
Vadstena Bracteate - The Vadstena Bracteate is a gold C-bracteate found in Sweden dating to around 500AD. It consists of an image of a four-legged animals with a man’s head above it with a bird separated by a line. This image is commonly associated with the Norse God Odin. The inscription reads:
tuwatuwa; fuþarkgw; hnijïpzs; tbemlŋo[d]
The translation is highly debated
Skåäng Runestone- The Skåäng Runestone is an elaborate stone dating to around the sixth century. It hails from Sweden and contains two inscriptions. The first inscription consists of Younger Futhark while the second is of Elder Futhark. The inscriptions reads:
§A Harja, Leugaz
§B Skammhals ok Olof þau letu gæra mærki þausi æftiR Svæin, faður sinn. Guð hialpi salu hans
§A Harja, Leugaz
§B Skammhals and Ólôf, they had these landmarks made in memory of Sveinn, their father. May God help his soul
Istaby Runestone - The Istaby Runestone is found amoung the Rundata catalog (DR 359) and is a proto-Norse runestone found in Sweden dating to the Vendel era. It is currently located in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. It is an example of Period II Elder Futhark (550-700 AD). It reads:
AP Aftr Hariwulfa. Haþuwulfz HeruwulfizAQ Haþuwulfz Heruwulfiz aftr HariwulfaB wrait runaz þaiaz
AP In memory of Hariwulfar. Haþuwulfar, Heruwulfar’s son,AQ Haþuwulf(a)r, Heruwulfar’s son, in memory of HariwulfarB wrote these runes.
Spearhead of Kovel - The Spearhead of Kovel is the head of a lance found in 1858 in Ukraine. It dates to around the third century AD and measures 15.5cm. The inscription on its blade reads from right to left TILARIDS meaning ‘thither rider’, which is interpreted as either the name of a warrior or of the spear itself. It is believed to be Gothic in origin.
- Futhark, a Handbook of Rune Magic
- Elder Futhark
- Runes: An Introduction
- A practical guide to the runes: their uses in divination and magick
- Norwegian runes and runic inscriptions
- Runes and runic inscriptions: collected essays
- Runes and Germanic Linguistics
- The Magick of Runes (ankhafnakhonsu.net)
- The Language of Trees: Ogham (Archaic Irish Script) (graecomuse.wordpress.com)
- Runes in Christian Contexts (wolfslair88.wordpress.com)
- Swedish Runic Corpus On-line (scienceblogs.com)
- Surviving Material Evidence (wolfslair88.wordpress.com)
- Runes in Manuscripts (wolfslair88.wordpress.com)
Note that this website can be followed by pressing the ‘Follow by Email’ option on the right hand side of the screen | <urn:uuid:3985eaa0-9fc6-4fb9-8ec2-e92fa4f049d8> | {
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White Roofs or Green Roofs? By Ian Montangees
The Difference Between White Roofs and Green Roofs in Terms of Their Positive Contribution to Global Warming Reduction – by Ian Montangees
A number of people have asked about the difference between green roofs and white roofs in contributing to global warming reduction in a positive way. The short answer is that they are both good in their different ways and in any particular situation it depends on what you are wanting to achieve as both types produce positive outcomes.
Green roofs are roofs covered with vegetation planted in a bed of soil and growing media which may be 150 mm thick, and has a waterproof membrane underneath.
Green roofs help towards global warming reduction partly by increasing the insulation of a roof from the addition of a layer of soil and this reduces energy consumed by air conditioning in summer and to a lesser extent by heating in winter, which gives reductions in emissions from electricity power generation. In summer the plants can provide some additional cooling by shading and by evaporation of moisture, provided that the vegetation is thick enough and is kept alive.
- A planted roof can be visually attractive, a way of introducing green space into an urban environment, which can be softening and visually restful. For example, in some locations green roofs are used as recreational green space at ground level on top of a building underneath. A green roof can add value to a property.
- Green roofs even out storm water runoff from roofs during heavy rainfalls because the rain takes longer to percolate through the soil, easing the load on storm water drains. In this way green roofs perform similar to storm water detention tanks that are often required on new buildings to help even out peak rainfall runoffs.
However, green roofs are expensive to install and require buildings that are strong enough to take the extra load of the green roof soil.
White roofs help global warming reduction by:
- Directly reflecting sunlight back into space and help cool the planet mimicking way that the polar icecaps do.
- Reducing electricity use by air conditioning systems in summer, and typically producing an overall annual savings in both energy and emissions (summer cooling savings minus winter heating penalty equals overall savings) compared to a dark roof.
- Zero cost, often, when the choice to use white is made at the design stage or during regular maintenance
- Can be applied onto a wide range of roofs
- White paint is typically cheaper than dark paint
- It is a win-win solution that gives an effective action plan that many people can do themselves instead of waiting for others to take action.
I have written elsewhere in Happyzine about the science and benefits and simplicity of white roofs so I won’t repeat it in this article.
A couple of studies have compared both white roofs and green roofs with traditional dark roofs, such as one carried out at the University of Columbia’s Centre for Climate Systems Research in 2010, which was commissioned by Con Edison, one of the largest energy companies in the US. An earlier study was carried out by Walmart, the largest retailer in the US.
Thanks to the following environmentally responsible businesses for supporting Happyzine:
Nelson’s busy organic shop – healthy food, happy people, great service, caring for the environment. Corner Tasman & Grove Streets, Nelson. Ph 03 548 3650.
The Columbia study found that both white and green roofs perform equally well in preventing the heat island effect, which is the heat concentration found in many cities resulting from replacing vegetation with man-made buildings and roads that absorb sunlight and convert it into heat. The study was carried out on adjacent roofs of Con Edison. The green roof (using 21,000 plants), the white roof and the dark roof each had embedded sensors to measure heat flows through the roof structure. It was found that both white roofs and green roofs produced significant energy savings compared to a standard dark roof, that the green roof savings were greater than the white, which is to be expected considering the amount of insulation 150 mm of soil would provide.
Note that these studies did not include for the amount of global cooling produced by the white roofs directly reflecting sunlight back into space, which green roofs do not offer, and which has been found to be a very effective mechnism for global warming reduction in other studies with that focus. The emphasis of the Columbia study was more focused on energy savings that also put money in your pocket, and did not include for global cooling of the planet.
The goal of the study was to provide the best science to help these companies make choices and cost-benefit estimates in how they might achieve better energy efficiency. Which perhaps gives understanding to why companies like Con Edison and Walmart have embraced white roofs, with Con Edison having installed 25,000 square metre of white roof at the time this report was written, with at least a further 22,000 m2 planned by the end of 2010, and Walmart has had a policy of installing white roofs on all its new stores since 1999, and by 2010 more than 75 percent of the chain’s 4,268 outlets in the United States now have them.
So in summary, both white roofs and green roofs are good choices for helping reduce global warming, and in any particular situation it depends on what one is trying to achieve as both types produce different outcomes while also helping to save the many species threatened by our man-made climate change. So yea for white roofs! and yea for green roofs! We all have our parts to play. Never before has mankind been faced with such a stark choice in future outcomes. May we learn to quickly evolve to overcome our motivation based on self interest only, that seems to have lead us to this situation with global warming. May we learn to include along with self interest a motivation to also do what is b
est for the greater whole. May we come to know that we are all connected, part of one big family, whether we realise it or not (I can’t put petrol in my car without the emissions affecting someone’s weather in Africa), and come to know it is in our self interest to also do what is best for the greater good, for our economies and our civilisation are much more fragile than we might currently understand them to be, and their future survival depends on our present actions.
(As usual, my comments are offered to the best of my understanding at the time and are my opinion only.)
by Ian Montangees – www.whiteroofs.org.nz
LAUNCH YOUR GREEN DREAM: Check out our August Green Dream Launch Pad Courses – with Ted Speaker Majora Carter! | <urn:uuid:37fa81cd-de26-4ecd-9410-e18ef37d86b4> | {
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What GIS does
One common misconception is that a GIS is simply a computer package to make maps. While maps are one product of a GIS, there is much more
that a GIS can do. GIS has become recognized as a tool of unlimited potential.
At the most basic level, a GIS manages information about locations and their physical relationships to each other. It also looks at how
things move through space, whether they are animals, humans, or pollutants. A GIS then combines information about where things are with what things are.
This management of spatial information allows a GIS to create new knowledge about something.
A GIS is called a system, because rather than than just software, it is an integration of five basic components:
The most important component of a GIS. People make a GIS work. These include not just technical specialists to run the system, but planners, managers,
scientists, and engineers. People must develop procedures and define the tasks of a GIS
Data is a very important, and often the most expensive component of a GIS. Data includes any information that relates to geography and specialty fields.
This could include information about air and water quality, parcels, flood zones, or census data. The quality and accuracy of data is an important consideration, as is
information describing the data itself, or metadata.
Hardware is the computer system on which a GIS operates. GIS software runs on a wide range of hardware types.
GIS software provides the functions and tools needed to store, analyze, and display geographic information. It can include other non-GIS
software such as databases, drawing, and statistical software.
A successful GIS operates requires well-designed implementation plans and business rules describing how the technology is applied
GIS can be useful in discovering sources of environmental pollution.
By displaying potential contaminating sources in an area, you can quickly assess visual relationships that could help identify
possible pollution sources.
This map shows the waters off of Bellows Air Station and the locations of cesspools, septic tanks, streams and storm drains.
These sources may have contributed to elevated levels of
enterococcus bacteria at DOH monitoring stations in Waimanalo Bay.
Underground Injection Control Line
The Underground Injection Control (UIC) Line is a line that separates areas above drinking water and non-drinking water groundwater resources. It is meant to protect
Hawaii's precious aquifers from possible contamination by chemical, physical, radioactive, or biological material due to
injection well activity.
Well construction is permitted and regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Branch
's UIC Program based on the potential for contamination due to the siting of injection wells.
Click here for more information about the UIC
Program and UIC permits.
To use the map below, use the navigation tools to zoom to your area of interest. Click on the map to find the UIC Code for that location:
Code1 - BELOW (makai) UIC LINE
- Underlying aquifer not considered drinking water source
- Wider variety of wells allowed
- Injection wells need UIC Permit or Permit Exemption
- Permit limitations are imposed
Code100 - ABOVE (mauka) UIC LINE
- Underlying aquifer considered drinking water source
- Limited types of injection wells allowed
- Injection wells need UIC Permit or Permit Exemption
- Permit limitations are imposed and requirements are more stringent
View Larger Map
Using GIS to discover historic areas of contamination
The Department’s Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response (HEER) Office
has been investigating soil contamination from Historic sugar plantation sites
in Hawaii for a number of years. When a HEER staff member came across photos taken in 1914 showing a plantation worker standing amidst containers marked
“poison” at Kilauea, Kauai, efforts began to investigate the site.
The Kilauea Sugar Company had operated at this location from 1877 to 1971. After the
plantation had closed, the land was put up for sale and later developed into a residential community. The HEER Office obtained old fire insurance maps of
the site showing buildings that were formerly used for pesticide mixing and storage. Although these buildings had been torn down since, several other original
warehouse buildings in the area were surprisingly still standing.
The scanned maps were overlaid onto an aerial image of the area and georeferenced using
the warehouses as reference points.
Since the map image was now properly spatially located, it could be placed on a parcel
layer showing property boundaries. This allowed the property owners and addresses in the area to be identified.
HEER staff contacted property owners and conducted soil testing in the vicinity of the former pesticide mixing/storage facility. Soil samples showed
high levels of arsenic and moderate levels of
dioxin residues. These levels exceeded State and
Federal Environmental Action Levels (EALs) at two residential
properties and in a stormwater drainage ditch behind a commercial warehouse.
An extensive cleanup program began, resulting in the removal of 814 tons of contaminated soil in the area. Sampling of other
properties in the community showed that the surface and subsurface soils did not pose a health risk. The contaminated soils were removed and replaced with new
clean soil. The drainage ditch was capped with a concrete barrier to provide stormwater drainage while continuing to isolate any additional contaminated soils.
230 air samples were taken throughout the process and showed no detection of any contaminants being released by the work.
This project involved the cooperation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Hawaii Deparment of Health, the Kilauea Community, and the County
of Kauai. Cleanup activities were completed on September 17, 2012. The HEER Office will oversee implementation of
Environmental Hazard Management Plans to ensure long-term protectiveness of the remedies at the affected properties.
A story detailing the discovery of the Kilauea site and its resolution was recently published in the Hawaii Journal of Public Health. It can be found
If you have any questions, please contact:
Environmental Planning Office
919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 312
Honolulu, HI 96814
Back to Top of Page
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Definitions and Services
According to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 2004 Household Food Security Report, nearly 650,000 Missourians experience food insecurity – approximately a third of them also experience hunger. This means that their access to enough food is limited by a lack of money and other resources.
A 1997 study by the Midwest Assistance Program funded by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Solid Waste Management Program http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/index.html, found that food accounted for 18.7% or over 1,033,000 tons of waste disposed in Missouri landfills. http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2072.pdf
A study by the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project reports that most low-income families must receive food assistance from several sources, relying on Federal food assistance programs as well as emergency food programs. Even with Federal assistance and the work of charities and nonprofit organizations, nearly 20 percent of the requests for emergency food assistance go unmet.
In a study by the USDA for the period ending December 2002, it was reported that 34.9 million people in U.S. households were food insecure, with 13.1 million of them being children. The data showed that 11.1 percent of U.S. households reported that at some time during the year they were uncertain of having, or were unable to acquire, adequate food to meet their basic needs. Of these, about 3.8 million households were food insecure to the extent that one or more household members went hungry at least some time during the year.
Yet, it is estimated that approximately one-fourth of America's food goes to waste each year, with an estimated 96 billion pounds of food ending up in landfills. Millions of people could have benefited from those lost resources.
The four most common methods of food recovery are:
- Field Gleaning - The collection of crops from farmers' fields that have already been mechanically harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.
- Perishable Food Rescue or Salvage – The collection of perishable produce from wholesale and retail sources.
- Food Rescue - The collection of prepared foods from the food service industry.
- Nonperishable Food Collection - The collection of processed foods with long shelf lives.
- Food Banks provide food to other organizations like food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, or other food or feeding centers. Usually, food banks do not distribute food directly to individuals.
- Food Pantries distribute food to low-income and unemployed households to take home.
- Soup Kitchens provide meals to the needy and the homeless on a regular basis.
In addition to perishable and non-perishable commercial foods donated by retailers, manufacturers, food service establishments, etc., many of the agencies listed in this booklet distribute USDA commodities made available through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Under TEFAP, commodity foods are distributed to organizations (i.e., soup kitchens) in the state that use them in congregate feeding facilities for the needy, including the homeless, and to organizations (i.e., food pantries) that provide them to eligible households for home consumption.
To be eligible to take commodities home, households must meet established income requirements or participate in another government program such as Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI); Medicaid, or reside in public housing. There are many worthwhile organizations, not included in this booklet, that provide food assistance directly to the needy. Contact the local food bank to find the location of a food pantry or soup kitchen in your area. To obtain contact information go to the Second Harvest website and enter your Zip Code where it says "Find your local food bank or food rescue organization."
The operation of a good food recovery program is three-fold:
- Locate unsold or unmerchantable food and fresh produce.
- Coordinate its transportation and storage.
- Distribute it to the needy.
There are various ways to get involved in the fight against hunger and demonstrate commitment to the community.
Food Service Professionals
- Organize a food drive and donate food to a local food bank or pantry.
- Donate excess prepared food from restaurants, school cafeterias or catered events.
- Assist organizations in training their volunteers in safe food-handling practices.
- Work independently or with existing organizations to assist ongoing food recovery efforts.
- Support or develop a community or regional coalition against hunger.
- Develop a community financial fund to fight hunger.
- Plan tours of food recovery facilities or arrange for knowledgeable speakers to increase community awareness of hunger and poverty problems, and what people are doing to address them.
Youth Service Groups and Volunteer Organizations
- Work on their own or with existing organizations to assist on-going food recovery efforts.
- Organize essay, oratorical or art contests for school children to focus on a child's view of hunger and its consequences.
- Sponsor a community garden that gives a portion of the harvest to food banks, soup kitchens, and other food recovery programs.
- Supply gardening tools and harvesting equipment for local gardening and gleaning efforts.
- Volunteer at the food recovery program closest to you.
- Attend food safety training sessions so you are better prepared to volunteer in a soup kitchen or shelter.
- Suggest that organizations you belong to or businesses you work for sponsor food recovery programs.
- Join or form a community walk/run to benefit a food recovery program.
Businesses and Corporations
- Encourage, recognize, and reward employees and other individuals for volunteer service to the community. Increase employee awareness of local hunger and provide training to make employees more useful volunteers.
- Sponsor radio and television air time for community organizations that address hunger.
- Donate excess prepared and processed food from the employee cafeteria or from special events to local food recovery programs.
- Donate transportation, maintenance work, or computer service.
- Prepare legal information on donor considerations such as “Good Samaritan” laws and food safety and quality. | <urn:uuid:c06c69e4-40b1-4c50-a06a-ac750e728d4c> | {
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By Serena Gordon
MONDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric food allergies, which can sometimes be life-threatening, are increasing at a dramatic rate in the United States, new research shows.
But the study authors aren't sure if the rise in reports of food allergies reflects an increase in actual prevalence or if better awareness has led more people to seek treatment for their symptoms.
Whatever the cause, it's clear that the number of children with food allergies has gone up 18 percent and the number seeking treatment for food allergy at emergency departments or hospitals has tripled since 1993.
"People are more aware of food allergies today, and that could have something to do with it," said study author, Amy Branum, a health statistician for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "But, when we looked at health-care surveys filled out by parents and those from the health-care sector, we saw the increase across the surveys so this may be more than just increased awareness."
Results of the study were published online Nov. 16 and will appear in the December print issue of Pediatrics.
Although many people think of allergies as more of a nuisance than a serious health issue, food allergy in particular can be very serious, even life-threatening. The most common foods that people are allergic to include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, shellfish, fish and wheat, according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.
Symptoms often appear minutes after people eat a food that they're allergic to, but it can sometimes take several hours before a reaction begins, according to the network. Typical symptoms of a food allergy include a tingling sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, hives, stomach cramping, vomiting or diarrhea.
In the current study, the researchers used information from four different national data sources to assess the current rate of food allergies in the United States. The surveys included information from parents and from health-care providers, according to Branum.
The researchers found that between 1997 and 2007, the incidence of food allergy went up by 18 percent. Parents of almost 4 percent of U.S. children reported a food or digestive allergy in their child, the study authors noted.
There was also an increase in the rates of parent-reported skin allergy (eczema) during the same time period. Approximately 8.9 percent of U.S. children had experienced skin allergy in 2007, compared with 7.9 percent in 1997.
Health-care providers, on the other hand, reported that the number of children being treated for food allergies had tripled, the study found. Data from health-care providers was from 1993 to 2006.
Data included testing for immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibodies in the blood for various foodstuffs, which can indicate an allergy. The percentage of children who tested positive for IgE antibodies for peanut allergy was 9 percent; for egg allergy, 7 percent; milk, 12 percent; and shrimp, 5 percent, the study found.
Though IgE antibodies can indicate a potential food allergy, the test is often better at ruling out who does not have an allergy, Branum said. A positive test doesn't mean that someone definitely has a food allergy, but suggests that the potential is there.
The researchers also noted that Hispanic children had the lowest overall prevalence of food allergy but the greatest increases over time of parent-reported incidences of food allergy.
"People should be aware that food allergy may really be increasing," Branum said. "If small children have symptoms when they eat a particular food, have that child checked out, particularly if they have co-occurring conditions like asthma and eczema."
"Food allergies are real," said Dr. Jennifer Appleyard, chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. "And it appears that the prevalence is rising."
This will present various challenges, she noted. One is that there's already a shortage of allergy specialists in many areas, Appleyard said. Another is that schools will have to gear up to take care of additional children with food allergy to ensure their safety during the school day and on field trips, she said.
Parents who suspect their child has a food allergy should first talk with the child's primary care physician about symptoms. The problem could be a food intolerance rather than an allergy, she said, but the child might need to be tested by an allergy specialist to get a definitive diagnosis.
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network has more on food allergies.
Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:4d96b209-69f3-4f25-ae7c-19c6c36e05c2> | {
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By Madonna Behen
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The recently approved drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf) has been hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. But roughly one-quarter of patients who take the medication develop a troublesome side effect: secondary skin cancers called squamous cell carcinomas.
Now, a new study by researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues identifies the specific genetic mechanism that causes this side effect.
"What we found is that vemurafenib blocks the mutation that makes the melanoma grow, but when patients have skin cells with another mutation that's probably induced from sun exposure, there the drug has the exact opposite effect and causes these squamous cell cancers to grow," said Dr. Antoni Ribas, co-senior author of the study and an associate professor of hematology/oncology at UCLA.
What's more, the findings suggest that combining vemurafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, with a drug called an MEK inhibitor -- which blocks the other mutation -- may not only prevent this side effect, but may also lead to an even more effective melanoma treatment, Ribas said.
"It needs to be demonstrated in clinical trials, but the theory is that if we give these two medications together up front, we will be punching the melanoma where it really hurts twice, and also preventing the growth of secondary skin cancers," Ribas said.
For the study, which appears in the Jan. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Ribas and his colleagues analyzed cells from squamous cell lesions in patients treated with vemurafenib to look for specific genetic mutations.
In a set of 21 tumor samples, the researchers found 13 had what's known as an RAS mutation, which predisposes someone to develop squamous cell cancer. In a separate set of 14 samples, eight had RAS mutations.
"Our data suggest that about 60 percent of patients who develop skin squamous cell cancers while treated with a BRAF inhibitor have an RAS mutation," Ribas said.
In experiments in mice with the RAS mutation, the researchers showed that the combination of a BRAF inhibitor and an MEK inhibitor successfullyblocked the growth of squamous cell cancers.
This result may need replication in humans, since many findings in animals do not translate into effective treatments for people.
Ribas noted that the findings have implications beyond just melanoma, since RAS mutations are common in lung, pancreatic and colon cancer. "What this data also warns us is that we have to be very careful about using BRAF inhibitors in a setting where we don't know what other mutations may be driving [the cancer]," he said.
In an editorial accompanying the study, a cancer researcher at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia sounded a similar note. "Patients being given BRAF inhibitors should be tested to determine their RAS status, since the potential for secondary tumor development is of concern," wrote Ashani Weeraratna, an assistant professor in Wistar's Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program.
In an interview, she added, "While cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas are not usually life-threatening, a small portion are. And further, squamous cell carcinomas of other cell types can be very aggressive. So understanding how to solve this problem is critical."
Another skin cancer expert said that although the findings were important and timely, more studies were needed before making broad recommendations. "Patients need to be aware of the risk of development of squamous cell carcinomas, and dermatology exams need to be included as part of the care for these patients," said Dr. Iman Osman, an associate professor of dermatology and oncology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.
"I believe any other recommendation, such as adding a MEK inhibitor from the beginning, or doing biopsies of any squamous cell carcinoma for RAS mutation at the time of starting BRAF inhibition, will require more data," Osman said.
Other researchers who took part in the study included investigators from the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the pharmaceutical companies Roche and Plexxikon.
Visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute to learn about melanoma. | <urn:uuid:3822ffa9-7e8d-4122-8127-f00c12c19196> | {
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