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Is it an allergy?
Drug allergies can be a confusing area for parents because an adverse reaction to a medication does not necessarily mean that the child is allergic to that medicine.
In fact most drug-related symptoms will not be caused by an allergic reaction. Nevertheless, whether it’s an allergic or a non-allergic reaction, all adverse drug events should be checked out by a doctor, as they can be very serious, even life-threatening.
What are the symptoms of allergic reactions?
Most allergic reactions occur fairly soon after taking a medicine, however, it is possible to develop an allergic reaction after several weeks on a drug, or during subsequent use of medicine.
The most common symptoms of an allergy include:
- Skin rash
- Facial swelling
- Shortness of breath
And it’s worth noting that many of these are also the symptoms of a non-allergic reaction.
What is anaphylaxis?
While rare, it is the most serious allergic drug reaction and is a medical emergency. Anaphylaxis symptoms usually start within minutes of exposure to a drug. Symptoms of a possible anaphylactic reaction include:
- Tightening (constriction) of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, causing trouble breathing
- Shock, with a severe drop in blood pressure
- Weak, rapid pulse
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- Dizziness, light-headedness or loss of consciousness
It's possible to have an allergic response to a drug that caused no problem in the past.
Common drug allergies
This is the most common drug allergy, with penicillins, cephalosporins and sulfonamides (those containing sulpher) the main culprits. Antibiotics can also cause non-allergic side effects such as a skin rash and digestive problems.
Allergic reactions can occur, but rarely, after a vaccination. Usually an allergic reaction is triggered by other ingredients in the vaccine such as egg or neomycin, rather than the vaccine itself. Non-allergic reactions to vaccines are common, but in most cases they aren't severe and symptoms improve quickly.
What are non-allergic reactions?
An allergy involves the body’s immune system identifying a chemical or substance as harmful and creating antibodies to attack it. In most cases, what appears to be an allergy is actually a reaction that doesn't involve the immune system.
Some drug reactions that are similar to, but may not be an allergic reaction include:
- Breathing difficulties: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including aspirin and ibuprofen can cause asthma-like symptoms in some people so it's understandable why these can be confused with an allergy.
- Skin rashes: medicines can affect the skin in many different way, for example, sulfonamides may cause cause a rash by making the skin burn more easily in the sun.
- Stomach problems: nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are common side effects with antibiotics.
- Dizziness or light-headedness: many medicines can cause this by lowering blood pressure or by affecting the central nervous system.
- Swelling of the face, lips, tonuge or other parts of the body: some medicines for high blood pressure and heart conditions can cause these symptoms directly without involving the immune system.
Who’s at risk?
Anyone can have an allergic reaction to a medicine but there are some factors that can suggest an increase in your risk, such as:
- Having a past allergic reaction to the same drug or another drug. If past reactions have been mild, you could be at risk of a more severe reaction.
- Taking a drug similar to one that caused a reaction in the past.
- Having a health condition that weakens your immune system.
- Having hay fever or another allergy.
When to seek medical help
Inform your doctor of any reactions as it can influence whether you can be prescribed the same medicine again. If possible, see your doctor when the allergic reaction is occurring. This will help identify the cause and make sure you get treatment if it's needed.
Obviously if there are any severe symptoms or signs of anaphylaxis, seek urgent medical attention.
Related allergy articles
This article was written by Fiona Baker for Kidspot, Australia’s best family health resource. Sources include NPS MedicineWise.
Last revised: Tuesday, 15 February 2011
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
- Do I have postnatal depression?
- Are your kids getting enough green time?
- 6 ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer today
- Being friendly with your breasts could save your life
- Sunscreen shock: Just how safe is sunscreen for our kids?
- Why mums need breakfast too
- Digestive distress: How to manage bloating, wind and cramping
- Phthalates in plastics: how safe are they?
- In a lather over sodium lauryl sulfate
- What's the fuss about parabens? | <urn:uuid:5abb8c50-b957-463c-9f10-75a2eb01b735> | {
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- School Stuff
Christmas is the Christian holiday that celebrates the day when Christ was born. Today, December 25th has taken on a bit of a different spin, with Jolly Ol' St. Nick bringing toys to all the girls and boys of the world on this December holiday.
It takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round. Some people actually like Paris Hilton and others race snow shovels. Go figure!
Don't be surprised if you see a lot of peeps sporting red ribbons December 1st. It's World AIDS Day. Find out more about it here.
Snow isn't that mysterious. It's white and cold, right? But do you even know what snowflakes are made out of? Find out here.
Have you ever wondered where some Christmas traditions started? Get the 411 on the annual festivities here!
Winter solstice is the first day of winter. Check out all the celebrations that take place on the shortest day of the year!
Kwanzaa and Boxing Day fall on the same day. Find out all about both holidays in one handy story.
Do you know what the largest gift was? How about how tall the largest Christmas angel ornament was? Or the most expensive toy? You'd never guess what it is. Keep reading to find out...
Skeleton racers need strength, agility and, most importantly, guts. Learn about this dangerous sport.
The best part about being a sports fan is cheering on your favorite team when they win and booing and taunting them when they lose. | <urn:uuid:8620570d-bda1-4ea5-8783-c7d90d7c9a19> | {
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SEATTLE -- A Seattle nuclear watchdog group is accusing the federal government of failing to keep the public informed of radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
In the days following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the U.S. began monitoring radiation from Japan's leaking nuclear power plants.
Most of the public attention went to the air monitoring which showed little or no radiation coming our way. But things were different on the rain water side.
"The level that was detected on March 24 was 41 times the drinking water standard," said Gerry Pollet from Heart of America Northwest. He reviewed Iodine 131 numbers released by the Environmental Protection Agency last spring.
"Our government said no health levels, no health levels were exceeded.When in fact the rain water in the Northwest is reaching levels 130 times the drinking water standards," said Pollet.
Elevated rain water samples were collected in Portland, Olympia and Boise, which had the highest.
But EPA officials say the data was there for anyone to read on their website. A spokesman sent this statement, in part:
"Since Iodine 131 has a very short half-life of approximately eight days, the levels seen in rainwater were expected to be relatively short in duration."
State health agencies added that they constantly monitored public drinking water sources and never found levels even approaching the unhealthy range.
Even the watchdog group admits, watering plants with water exposed only briefly to those levels is unlikely to cause health problems.
But they say it's information the public deserves to know about.
The EPA points out this was a brief period of elevated radiation in rainwater, and says safe drinking water standards are based on chronic exposure to radiation over a lifetime. | <urn:uuid:d1a5a2b5-782f-4168-b403-b4f21ecab9a9> | {
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Hyperactivity, also referred to as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD (A-D-H-D), is a condition that occurs when excessive levels of impulsiveness, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity characterize a child's behavior. Although children can be diagnosed as having attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, most experts agree that inattention and hyperactivity generally go hand and hand. Hyperactivity is far from rare, and it occurs in boys more often than in girls. The condition is usually first noticed by teachers, because the child's activity and restlessness tend to impair schoolwork. Hyperactive children refuse to sit still, and often fidget or squirm in their seats during class. They're prone to outbursts of temper, find it difficult to follow instructions, and have trouble remembering their assignments. They typically disrupt class, are involved in fights, have a poor self-image, and have a hard time making friends. One unfortunate aspect of the condition is that parents and teachers sometimes blame the child's problems in school on lack of effort, and this only complicates matters. Fortunately, hyperactive children generally respond extremely well to treatment, which may consist of counseling, special education programs, or medication. For more information, consult a local health care professional. | <urn:uuid:e55d72fb-21dc-41e8-9e36-284114ec3689> | {
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In the late 1940s, Knoxville's black community faced various challenges and experiences. They ranged from a Ku Klux Klan cross-burning on Lay Avenue to student demonstrations at Knoxville College for the firing of a popular professor. There were discussions about closing the Ethel Beck Home for Colored Orphans. And there were sometimes controversial efforts to improve Carl Cowan Park in West Knox County.
The News Sentinel of June 18, 1946, reported that city detectives believed that the KKK was responsible for the burning of a cross in the 2600 block of Lay Avenue the night before. "Detectives Floyd Raley and Henry Morris investigated, and the former said he was told that the demonstration was the result of a Negro's planning to build a group of houses in the vicinity. The cross, about 10 feet tall and wrapped in soaked flammable rags, was burned near the former Booker T. Washington Park," the item stated.
At the time, it was reported that the Knoxville Klavern of the KKK had a membership of 500 to 600. A former exalted cyclops, J.T. Lewis, said he got out of the organization in November 1945 because of trouble over membership. "I had a man thrown out of the organization because he had caused trouble in the name of the Klan," he said.
The Knoxville Council of Community Agencies on June 21, 1947, recommended that the Ethel Beck Home be discontinued and that "its work be absorbed by the Negro unit of John Tarleton Institute." At the time, the Beck Home, which had been established in 1919, had 14 children.
The three-member Knox County Commission and the Knox County Parks Board wrangled over who had the authority to let a contract for the digging of a well "at the Lowe's Ferry Pike Negro Park area" in January 1949. It seems that the matter was "settled peaceably after Squires Bob Knott and Harley Bittle spoke strongly about the board getting the 'runaround' on the matter."
Almost a year later, the Knoxville Journal of Dec. 21, 1949, reported that the "U.S. Army Engineers' district office in Nashville is considering County Park Board's request for construction of a breakwater and float at Carl Cowan Park near Lowe's Ferry. The float will accommodate fishing and recreational boats, and the 200-foot breakwater will protect the cove from wave action." Meanwhile, things were a bit more turbulent at Knoxville College. The News Sentinel of May 19, 1949, reported that classes were "suspended indefinitely — authorities act as students protest firing of teacher." Vice President John M. Frazier said the student unrest began with the firing of popular professor the Rev. E.A. Paul, a middle-aged teacher of religion.
Quoted students said, "President J. Reed Miller asked Paul to resign. The only reason given for that request is that Mr. Paul is not a graduate of Xenia Seminary in Pittsburgh." Although Paul was reluctant to discuss the situation, he confirmed that, adding that he "is a graduate of Knoxville College, Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta and Northwestern University."
The 250-plus student body met in the college chapel and voted to hold demonstrations. They painted signs on the school buildings reading "We want Paul" and "We want Paul; Frazier can go." The paint was washed from the buildings, but students vowed to continue their protests. Classes were discontinued on orders from the executive committee of the Board of Trustees in Pittsburgh. "Classes will be resumed as soon as the demonstrations cease completely," they said.
Robert J. Booker is a freelance writer and former executive director of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center. He may be reached at 546-1576. | <urn:uuid:58a8b22b-5ec0-413f-879c-b6e900d75534> | {
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Future foods: what will we be eating in 20 years’ time?
August 6, 2012
Volatile food prices and a growing population mean we have to rethink what we eat, say food futurologists. So what might we be serving up in 20 years’ time, asks BBC News?
- Insects will become a staple of our diet: a great source of protein, cost less to raise than cattle, consume less water and do not have much of a carbon footprint.
- Sonic-enhanced food: certain sounds could make things taste sweeter or more bitter.
- Lab-grown meat: a more efficient and environmentally friendly way of putting meat on our plates.
- Algae can be grown in the ocean, a big bonus with land and fresh water in increasingly short supply, and the biofuel derived from algae could help reduce the need for fossil fuels. | <urn:uuid:b0283221-94ee-4c5e-ad64-9844f4aeaa1e> | {
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Teen Texting Impact
Study finds teens are losing sleep to texting.
When it's lights out for teens their cell phones light up.
They're sending texts when they should be sleeping.
Dr. Peter Polos of JFK Medical Center in New Jersey surveyed 40 kids and teens.
It was a small sample of students, but they revealed late-night texting has the potential to translate into big problems during the day.
In addition to general fatigue kids who texted or surfed the internet late into the night were more likely to say they suffered from anxiety, depression, ADHD and learning difficulties.
"The impact of this over time is cumulative sleep debt, which is very difficult to pay back," says Dr. Polos.
More than three-quarters said they had trouble getting to sleep at night and many said they were awakened by texts in the middle of the night.
Experts recommend taking cell phones and computers out of kids' bedrooms so they can concentrate on getting a good night's sleep.
None of the 40 kids and teens surveyed was found to have healthy sleep habits. | <urn:uuid:707b8b76-b2db-4580-b8fe-6178bc0194dd> | {
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Options when a disk does not unmount
"Eject Failed" appears when attempting to unmount a drive.
There can be a variety of causes for this behavior. A clue about the origin is in the error message that appears. If the wording is: "The disk could not be unmounted. Make sure that all applications and files are closed on this disk." The cause is likely an open program, a file transfer, or an additional user on the machine using the disk.
If the wording "Resource Busy" is added to the error, close all open programs, and try again. If the message continues to appear, reboot the computer. There is usually a crashed program that can not be closed, or a cabling/power supply problem. Determining the origin can be done by using the Terminal program (located in Applications --> Utilities.)
Type the command:
Where the command says "drive", put the name of the LaCie drive that will not eject. In the example below, the drive is called "LaCie".
The listing underneath the word "COMMAND" shows the program occupying the drive. In this case, it's the "mds" process (Spotlight indexing) that is causing the problem. Usually, an Internet search will find the program responsible for the problematic command causing the error message. | <urn:uuid:ae5787a0-e124-4977-9e6b-ccc59c09b535> | {
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Why we are the Lasers...
From our earliest beginnings in the nineteenth century when the lamp of knowledge was emblazoned on our College seal, to the one hundred and fifty years of Torchlight Parades, light has been a part of Lasell's rich history. It is in this tradition of light, and the pursuit of knowledge and excellence, that our athletes bear the name LASERS. Lasers are by definition a source of intense energy. Therefore, like a laser, our athletes are fast, focused and intense on the fields and courts of athletic endeavor.
It all began with the light. Legend has it that in the spring of 1851, a group of individuals gathered together and as the sun rose in the sky, illuminating Bragdon Hill, these individuals with a laser-like focus, made the decision to found a new school. As the founders, known as boomers, put shovels into the rocky New England soil, sparks flew and the flame of knowledge was ignited for a new generation of students. The lamp of knowledge was emblazoned into the college seal. Early in the history of Lasell College, the tradition of the Torchlight Parade took hold, with seniors marching through the campus, proudly holding high their burning torches, illuminating the academic path for future students as they passed on these symbols of light to the students who would succeed them ... and the flame of knowledge continues to burn brightly here at Lasell, where being "Ignorant of Defeat" is the way we live.
With the intensity of a laser, Lasell's growth and prominence has continued its boom for over 157 years, and in all that time, our torch has never dimmed -- our flame of knowledge has never stopped burning brightly -- and our seniors continue to pass the torch to those they leave behind, as through their actions and deeds they bring light to the world wherever they go.
It is time to shine the light on the Lasers. Now is our boom-time. Never before have we had more reason to hold high the Lasell torch, lighting the way for the world to see. Who will lead us? Who will carry the torch the highest? Who will bring the light, and guide the Lasers to victory? Who will take the burning intensity of the Lasers and make it come alive? It will be our TORCHBEARER ... it will be our symbol of the LIGHT ... it will be our SPARK to victory ...
It will be BOOMER! BOOMER will lead us; BOOMER will light our path; BOOMER will burn bright; BOOMER will inspire the Lasers; BOOMER will ignite us; BOOMER will BEAR THE TORCH and show us the way! | <urn:uuid:67824045-fc24-4b67-aebd-53dd866fa94b> | {
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Definition from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary
A court order allowing a motion or other legal matter to be set at a time shorter than provided by law or court rules. Shortening time is usually granted when the time for trial or some other court action is approaching and a hearing must be heard promptly by the judge. Example: Local rules require that a party give the other side ten days' notice before a hearing. If the trial is set to begin in nine days, a court might shorten the time to schedule a hearing to five days, provided the notice is served within 24 hours.
Definition provided by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary.
August 19, 2010, 5:24 pm | <urn:uuid:b09efd92-7a75-493d-b59f-aff4c7390034> | {
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History of Western Political Tradition A brief overview of the development of political philosohpy from Socrates to Marx by John A. Sterling
Biblical origins of American Political philosophy by John A. Sterling. A look at the biblical and philosophical origins of self-government.
Christianity as an Influence on the Founders A look at some of the best-known founding fathers and what they said about Christianity and the Bible. Also, what their contemporaries said about them and their faith. By John A. Sterling
Scroll down the page for Documents and quotes that demonstrate the ideological basis of American Self-Government
1. Magna Carta
2. The Mayflower Compact
3.Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms.
4. The Declaration of Independence
5. The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights
6. The Federalist Papers This hyperlink takes you to the THOMAS information site maintained by the U.S. Government. To return to the Law & Liberty Foundation, use the BACK button on your browser.
7. Davy Crockett's speech on the Floor of Congress 1830
8. Madison Veto of Public Works Law March 3, 1817
9. Sermon by Samuel West on the right to rebel against governors, 1789
10. Offenses Against God by Sir William Blackstone11. Discourse on Civil Liberty by Nathaniel Niles, legislator, judge, & preacher, (1741-1821)
12. Civil Disobedience: A duty to disobey by Jonathan Mayhew, (1720-1766)
Sites on the Web where you can find many more historical documentsLINKS The Constitution Society
Articles on Religion and America's Founding | <urn:uuid:bbf32d6a-77ab-4b8c-b384-05931d4b8a43> | {
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The Heart Catheterization Procedure
A heart catheterization involves placing a catheter (a long thin tube) into the heart to measure pressures, inject dye and take X-rays. This procedure normally takes less than an hour.
Providing Excellent Cardiovascular Health Care
Our staff of medical professionals has vast experience in cardiovascular health care and diagnostic procedures. Based on years of practical and specialized training, our cardiovascular team provides our patients with the finest care available in South Carolina.
Assessing Your Cardiac and Vascular Health
To properly evaluate your cardiac and vascular health condition, your physician may recommend a cardiac catheterization (a “heart cath”), a diagnostic procedure used to evaluate problems with the heart and its blood supply. Cardiac catheterization provides information about:
- blood flow through the heart and coronary arteries (blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle) or other major blood vessels that carry blood to and from the heart;
- pressure within the heart chambers;
- the detailed structure of various parts of the heart and vascular (blood vessel) system; and the heart's pumping ability. | <urn:uuid:bab62ef7-e9d7-4042-aad5-b746e8abe76c> | {
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No Categories available for this record.
War & Locale: World War II -- European Theater
Date of Birth:
By Claudia Farias
Nicanor Aguilar is something of a renaissance man, both as a musician and, at an age when most people would be slowing down, an athlete.
But Aguilar’s proudest accomplishment involves his efforts to end discrimination in his West Texas hometown after returning from the war.
Born Jan. 10, 1917, in Grand Falls in rural Texas, he spent most of his time helping his father, a tenant cotton farmer. The family of three brothers and two sisters helped pick cotton on 100 acres of land.
In 1930, a schoolhouse was finally built for Mexican American children next to a group of mesquite trees, but he left after one year to work with his father. No schools existed for Mexican American children after elementary; entry into the "Anglo" schools was banned. Aguilar learned most of his English from the Anglo children with whom he played in town.
One of his younger sisters, Maria, was prevented from attending junior high. But then along came Laura Francis Murphy, a teacher who was an advocate for teaching disenfranchised Latino students.
"[Ms. Murphy] did a lot for the Mexicans," Aguilar said.
His sister, Maria, ultimately became the first Hispanic to attend Grand Falls High School in 1942, thanks largely to Ms. Murphy.
Maria, an accomplished trumpet player with the family's orchestra, also won band competitions.
The entire Aguilar family was musically inclined. In 1927, at age 10, Aguilar began playing with his father and, later, his brothers.
"We were bad, but we played good music," Aguilar said, referring to his family's Grand Falls Orchestra ensemble.
The Aguilars played both Mexican and "American" music, including classics such as "Stardust." Each family member was paid $1 an hour to perform at weddings and other dances.
Aguilar started playing drums, but didn't like it because he would have to read the music simultaneously and miss watching the people dancing on the dance floor. So his father put him on the violin instead, and he was able to focus on his dual interests.
"I didn't like the violin too well, but there I was. At least I could see the people," he said, laughing. He would go on to play the clarinet, saxophone and piano for the next 50 years.
Aguilar proudly displayed a framed article from a 1946 edition of a regional newspaper headlined, "Aguilar's Brought 'Big Band Sound' To West Texas," and featuring a photo of the family playing.
This family bond helped inspire him to join the U.S. Army; younger brother Isabino Aguilar, had already enlisted. Aguilar received basic training at Camp Hood, Texas, and later Fort Ord, Calif. He was intent on fighting in Europe for his country and joining his kid brother in Germany. Aguilar ultimately shipped out to Italy and fought with the 36th Infantry Division on the European front.
Like many veterans, Aguilar is reticent in recalling war stories. In his interview, he focuses instead on the social battles he fought stateside. After the war, he found discrimination hadn’t disappeared in his hometown.
"There was the same discrimination in Grand Falls, if not worse," Aguilar recalled. "First, we'd work for a dollar a day. After the war, they raised it to $2 [for] 10 hours. And the whites would get $18 (a day) in the petroleum [field]."
Virtually none of the town's petroleum jobs were available to Latinos. Aguilar managed to maintain employment for one year with a small petroleum company, but only through a friend's assistance.
He felt he had to act to end his town's discriminatory climate.
"It wasn't right," he said. "I started calling other veterans and I told them, 'We have to do something good.'" Toward that end, they secured assistance from a League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) associate.
"We would investigate. For example . . . I would see [signs that read] 'No Mexicans, whites only.' There was only one [restaurant] that would serve us. We would write reports so they could give us the reasons. Some would answer us well; others, not so well. I brought those reports to El Paso and gave them to a LULAC associate. I don't know what he did with them after that. Once, a more powerful LULAC associate came to see me from San Antonio and congratulated me."
Gradually, the oppressive signs began coming down from diner windows.
In 1948, Aguilar moved to El Paso after a drought in Grand Falls, still continuing his work for LULAC. Today, he’s a LULAC Member At Large. He married Mercedes Borunda and the couple had four sons: Nick Jr., Pete, Paul and Joe.
Aguilar knows it was the efforts of many people like him that led to changes.
"You don't know the sacrifices we made," he said.
In addition to his civil rights efforts, Aguilar started competing in the Senior Olympics when he was 65, participating in running, bicycling and other events.
Today, he displays his mounted awards. In later correspondence, Aguilar noted that, all told, he has 67 awards, most of them gold or first place. And he added that 14 of those were earned at the age of 85.
In further post-interview correspondence, Aguilar writes extensively about the discrimination of his youth, seemingly as vivid a memory as the war. Perhaps he’d internalized much of that personal history earlier, preferring instead to record his thoughts at a more leisurely pace that would accommodate intermittent waves of emotion upon remembrance.
In the makeshift building -- the one next to the mesquite trees - he soaked up whatever learning he could, he wrote.
"We had scraps of education in old abandoned houses with teachers perhaps not qualified," he said. "I was kept three years in the seventh grade because the state could not afford any more books. I had one choice: Stay 'til I grew a beard or quit ..."
But he didn’t quit. And today his story of growing resonates powerfully and speaks volumes.
Mr. Aguilar was interviewed in El Paso, Texas, on December 29, 2001, by Maggie Rivas Rodriguez. | <urn:uuid:35fe1315-a508-4829-a6fe-77afb2779e94> | {
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Bushy Tail – The Gray SquirrelFall 2010
by Bill Banaszewski
Every year, my wife’s extended family comes to our place for a holiday celebration. The younger members of the tribe quickly get bored with the indoor festivities and convince good ol’ Uncle Bill to head outside for some winter fun. For the past several years, however, the weather has been anything but winter-like. So, instead of snowball fights, we have hiked into the woods for a wildlife adventure.
Two years ago, after I promised we could see all kinds of animals, we returned from our adventure, and Sam – then 3 years old – was asked what he saw. He emphatically replied, “Nothin’!”
This past year, I was determined to produce. However, with youngsters ranging in age from 4 to 10, we sounded like a herd of elephants tromping through the woods, even though I stressed the importance of walking quietly “like Indians.” After 15 minutes, the questions started: “Where are the fox, turkey and deer, Uncle Bill?”
Just as I was about to offer a litany of excuses, I enthusiastically pointed to a gray squirrel that scurried across the trail in front of us. My buddy, Sam – then 4 – looked at me and rather incredulously said, “We got a million of those things in our yard,” as he stomped back to the house.
Sam’s exaggeration was only minor; gray squirrels are indeed abundant. Originally, the Finger Lakes Region was a hardwood forest wilderness, teeming with gray squirrels. Millions were believed to inhabit the forests of New York in the early 1800s. They were an absolute plague to pioneers who had established farmsteads in forest clearings – only to have the squirrels destroy their corn and other food crops. Because they were so destructive and abundant, bounties were established, and hunters easily harvested a hundred squirrels a day.
Sixty-six different members of the squirrel family live across the United States. Here in the Finger Lakes they include gray, red and flying squirrels; chipmunks; and – to the surprise of many people – woodchucks. Although they are fairly common, flying squirrels are seldom seen because they are nocturnal. By the way, they don’t fly but glide from tree to tree.
Gray squirrels are so named for obvious reasons. However, their color ranges from gray with yellow to reddish brown tints, to white (albino) and black. Distinct populations of black squirrels can be found across the region, which some mistake for a different species. They are simply gray squirrels with two recessive genes that give them their black coats.
Gray squirrels feed on insects, occasionally bird eggs, and a wide variety of seeds and tree buds. In the spring, I’ve watched them nip the buds of maple trees and then, in apparent pleasure, lap up the sweet sap. Their main source of food is acorns, walnuts and hickory nuts. In autumn, they carry fallen acorns and nuts quite a distance and then bury them in the ground for their winter food supply. Studies have determined that although they find and consume 75 percent of the cached nuts, those that are not found germinate in the spring, thus, regenerating the forest. Some have suggested that gray squirrels planted almost every hickory tree in America today. (However, even Sam might say that’s an exaggeration.)
Not only a problem to pioneer farmers, gray squirrels remain the subject of much complaint because they dominate bird feeders, dig up flower bulbs, and nip off the new growth of vegetables in backyard gardens.
Bushy tails, another name for gray squirrels, typically produce litters of three or four young in the spring and again late summer. During their winter courtship, I have observed several wild mating chases. On one occasion, nine males pursued a single female as she scrambled up and down and back and forth between two hickory trees. When she reached the end of a branch with no escape, she turned to face the onslaught, bared her teeth and screamed like a hawk. A dominant male joined the wild scramble and chased off the other would-be suitors.
Even when not engaged in mating chases, gray squirrels can be quite mouthy. When alarmed, their call is a rapid chucking sound, which is often accompanied by a fore and aft waving and fluttering of their tail. Once I watched a gray squirrel bark at a red fox that was walking through the forest, and later, it hysterically scolded a hawk that was perched in a nearby tree.
Fox prey on squirrels, but they must catch them on the ground, and that is quite a feat. Red tail hawks, sometimes called squirrel hawks, are more successful. Nesting red tails effectively hunt squirrels as a team. The squirrel I observed staring down and scolding the red tail was unaware of the hawk’s mate as it quietly flew in undetected, and captured the mouthy squirrel.
After observing that encounter between predator and prey, I remembered my father’s warning when I was young and mouthy, “If you keep jibber-jabbering all the time, you’re eventually going to get yourself into trouble.” So too, it must be with squirrels. | <urn:uuid:f86516e4-503f-4004-b0d2-bd5faf38a041> | {
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A packet filtering firewall, designed to regulate incoming and outgoing packets from a network or an operating system, is akin to security personnel guarding the entrance to a commercial or residential property. Such a system has very little authority, unless given additional powers, in what applications inside the operating system or network are able to do.
That is where an application “firewall” comes into play. It is designed to ensure that applications in an operating system (or in some instances, a network) adhere to access control rules that govern their “activities.” It should be noted that an application firewall, like a stateful packet filter, is not a one-shot security solution. It merely adds an extra layer of security to a system, complementing other security protocols and systems in place. That idea also formed the main point of why your computer needs a firewall enabled.
This crude sketch shows applications in an operating system when there is no application firewall to regulated their actions. They are free to wander as they please.
And here is what it looks like with an application firewall activated. By the way, this screen shot and the one above, were taken from Tomoyo’s website, an application firewall featured in this article:
There are three such applications built into the Linux kernel, and they are available as loadable modules. While they tend to be described using slightly different terminologies, and may even differ in how to operate, once activated, they have the same effect – intelligently enforcing access rights for applications they are configured to monitor. In alphabetical order, the three application firewalls are:
An effective and easy-to-use Linux application security system. AppArmor proactively protects the operating system and applications from external or internal threats, even zero-day attacks, by enforcing good behavior and preventing even unknown application flaws from being exploited. AppArmor security policies completely define what system resources individual applications can access, and with what privileges. A number of default policies are included with AppArmor, and using a combination of advanced static analysis and learning-based tools, AppArmor policies for even very complex applications can be deployed successfully in a matter of hours.
SELinux, or Security-Enhanced Linux, was contributed to the Linux kernel by the National Security Agency. It is the application firewall activated by default in Fedora, and it has a reputation as being a bit more difficult to manage and configure than the others. The following is a brief description of SELinux from its Fedora project page.
Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) adds Mandatory Access Control (MAC) to the Linux kernel, and is enabled by default in Fedora. A general purpose MAC architecture needs the ability to enforce an administratively-set security policy over all processes and files in the system, basing decisions on labels containing a variety of security-relevant information. When properly implemented, it enables a system to adequately defend itself and offers critical support for application security by protecting against the tampering with, and bypassing of, secured applications.
MAC provides strong separation of applications that permits the safe execution of untrustworthy applications. Its ability to limit the privileges associated with executing processes limits the scope of potential damage that can result from the exploitation of vulnerabilities in applications and system services. MAC enables information to be protected from legitimate users with limited authorization as well as from authorized users who have unwittingly executed malicious applications.
Tomoyo was launched in 2003 and its development is sponsored by Japan’s NTT DATA Corporation. It is, as far as I know, the only one that is not used by default on any Linux distribution. However, that should change when the next edition of Chakra Edn is released. According to the official description, Tomoyo is a:
Mandatory Access Control (MAC) implementation for Linux that can be used to increase the security of a system, while also being useful purely as a system analysis tool.
TOMOYO Linux focuses on the behaviour of a system. Every process is created to achieve a purpose, and like an immigration officer, TOMOYO Linux allows each process to declare behaviours and resources needed to achieve their purpose. When protection is enabled, TOMOYO Linux acts like an operation watchdog, restricting each process to only the behaviours and resources allowed by the administrator.
Most distributions have one of these applications activated by default. If yours does not, talk to the developer(s) about it. Sometimes, all you need to do is install the userland utilities for managing it. | <urn:uuid:ddd8cd7b-20a3-4f90-bb2c-420089c933da> | {
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I got this idea from No Time for Flash Cards
All you do is:
- Cut out a pumpkin or 2 with orange paper.
- Add a stem.
- Laminate it, or put it in a sheet protector.
- And draw different pumpkin faces on it with a dry-erase marker!
So easy and a lot of fun. It's also a good way to practice drawing shapes. You could even make a game of it where you roll a dice and draw that shape for the eyes, another for the nose, etc. | <urn:uuid:8752d96a-ed9c-4d71-9fb4-c4e699d3198b> | {
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Early Embryo's Odd Behavior Reveals Chances of Miscarriage
Time-lapse images of human embryos in the first two days of development.
CREDIT: Kevin E. Loewke
Amazing time-lapse videos of embryos in the very earliest stages of development could help fertility doctors prevent miscarriage, new research suggests.
By watching the timing of the cells' development, doctors could determine which cells are genetically healthy, and which have abnormal numbers of chromosomes, finds the study published today (Dec. 4) in the journal Nature Communications.
"What we've shown is that by watching, you can detect some differences in the movements in the cell cycle of those [embryos] that are carrying errors from those that are more likely to survive," said study researcher Renee Reijo Pera, who studies stem cells and early embryo development at Stanford University.
Chromosomes are coiled packets of DNA. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, but genetic accidents can alter that number, a condition called aneuploidy. Some aneuploidies cause disorders such as Down syndrome, which occurs when there are three chromosomes on what should be the 21st pair. Other aneuploidies are incompatible with life, causing early miscarriage or later stillbirth.
Extra or missing chromosomes are shockingly common, affecting up to 75 percent of all embryos, studies find. This may be why as many as 50 to 75 percent of pregnancies are so-called "chemical pregnancies," meaning that an embryo spontaneously aborts right after implantation in the uterus. Many women with chemical pregnancies may not even realize they were ever pregnant.
There's little to be done about these early miscarriages in typical pregnancies. For in vitro fertilization (IVF), however, it's important to choose embryos with the best chance of life to prevent miscarrying.
Pera and her colleagues have already found that abnormal embryos show strange behaviors in the first four days of development. For example, the length of time it takes an abnormal embryo to complete its very first division from one cell body to two differs from the time it takes for a normal embryo to do the same.
Abnormal embryos also show more fragmentation, Pera told LiveScience. Fragmentation occurs when one cell in an embryo experiences a problem. In most situations, a cell with a problem simply dies. In embryos, however, these cells seem to break apart instead. Often, DNA-containing cell fragments will fuse with other cells in the embryo, transferring extra chromosomes to those cells.
The researchers wanted to know whether they could use these odd behaviors to reliably distinguish a healthy embryo from a doomed one. They took 75 human embryos that had been frozen at the single-cell phase and cultured them in Petri dishes for two days, taking a microscopic snapshot of each embryo every five minutes. [See Video of the Developing Embryos]
These snapshots were then strung together into time-lapse movies, which the researchers analyzed for the timing of various cell-division phases.
Of the 75 original cells, 53 survived four days, which represents the zygote stage of embryonic development. Of those, 45 were usable for genetic analysis. About 75 percent, or 34 of the 45 cells surviving to the zygote stage, had the wrong number of chromosomes.
The abnormal cells showed more variations in their cell-division cycles than normal cells, the researchers found. While normal cells all developed at similar paces, abnormal cells lagged behind or sped ahead in the divisions of the first, second and third cells.
Combining data about the abnormal timing with other signs that something has gone wrong (such as fragmented DNA and asymmetrical cell sizes within a developing embryo) could reliably show which cells have the right number of chromosomes and which don't, the researchers report.
The findings offer some insight into why early human development is so likely to go wrong, Pera said. Other animals don't have so many problems, she said. Mice, for example, make mistakes in embryo development only about 1 percent of the time.
Researchers have long thought that perhaps humans have so many problems because women's eggs degrade with age, Pera said. But in the current study, only 20 percent of the embryos showed these kind of errors. Much more frequent were so-called mitotic errors, which occur later in development, after sperm and cell fuse and the embryo begins to divide.
"That so many errors are being made after the egg and the sperm come together, that appears to be kind of special to humans," Pera said.
A California-based biotech company has now licensed the embryo-watching technology and is going to begin testing it in fertility clinics, Pera said. The hope is that doctors can use the technique as a way to non-invasively watch embryos before implanting them in women, ensuring that they pick the cell clusters most likely to survive to birth.
Editor's Note: This article was updated at 4pm EST to add comments from the researcher.
MORE FROM LiveScience.com | <urn:uuid:acd351b2-b52c-4fa6-a724-acb7c5d82a29> | {
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Eric Lomax, as a young Royal Signals officer, had the misfortune to get caught up, with a third of a million others, in what has been called a 'logistic imperative', an enterprise more vulgarly known as the Death Railway, planned and carried through by the Japanese Imperial Army. At any point in history a logistic imperative is something to be avoided at all costs, whether it involves cutting the Americas in two or building St Petersburg in a freezing swamp. It is familiar lore that on the labour-expendable rail route from Siam to Burma each sleeper represented a human life. More than twelve thousand of Lomax's fellow prisoners of war died of disease and vile treatment, as did an estimated one hundred thousand 'coolies' from neighbouring lands. Lomax, for breaking his captors' rules, had both his arms broken in a flogging to which was added water torture; his punishment was roughly equivalent to the old-time treatment for an obstinate sailor - the cat-o'-nine-tails and a keel-hauling. Mercifully, if surprisingly, no flashbacks portraying these events were shown in the lightly fictionalised television film Prisoners in Time, which was based on The Railway Man. Given what was done in the film The Bridge over the River Kwai, that stirring symphony of false notes, it can hardly have been an easy decision for Lomax to allow his life to be re-scripted and interpreted by others. Millions will have seen Prisoners in Time, but this well-written and well-judged book is the superior article.
LRB 5 October 1995 | PDF Download | <urn:uuid:d7f133f5-79df-4057-9a2f-86ccdcf85543> | {
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The introduction of steam power into factories from the beginning of the nineteenth century meant that goods could be made more cheaply and easily than by hand. Steamships brought raw materials and foodstuffs to Europe in larger quantities and more reliably than before. Here we look first at how shops changed and were themselves mechanised in order to sell larger quantities of manufactured goods to an increasingly prosperous public.
A new cultural industry arose as steam power was also applied to the printing press. Books became cheaper and more plentiful. Newspapers sold by the million and became brighter and more readable. The inexpensive mass-audience magazine was born, and with it came new forms of advertising aimed directly at the consumer.
The electric telegraph connected distant places by wire, but by the 1890s telegraphy without wires, or radio communication, had been discovered. From this came broadcasting, which was to become part of almost every home in Britain within 15 years. Television went from a theory propounded in a scientific journal in 1912 to an established fact in 1936. Although television itself did not become a mass medium until the 1960s, many of the elements of the consumer world we know today were in place by 1940. | <urn:uuid:70b9a498-1dfd-4109-9521-f136dfd5e9a0> | {
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Volume 9, Issue 2
Tricks of the Trade
In and Out
Download This Issue
Learning about Differential Equations from Their Symmetries
Application of MathSym to Analyzing an Ordinary Differential Equation
In the previous section we used a scaling symmetry to help understand the solutions of a pair of differential equations. In each case, the scaling symmetry was found by inspection. Here I present the computation of the complete set of point symmetries for two additional differential equations. Our third example is a nonlinear ordinary differential that we analyze using its two symmetries. The final example is the partial differential equation known as the cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation .
Example three is the ordinary differential equation
that arises in the study of nonlinear water wave equations. I also show that we can use its two symmetries to begin to learn something about the structure of its solutions.
MathSym returns a system of equations, the determining equations, whose solutions generate the symmetries of equation (8). Internally, the MathSym package denotes all independent variables in an equation as and dependent variables as . This way it can be run on systems of equations with arbitrary numbers of independent and dependent variables without needing to know how to treat different variable names. Furthermore, constants are represented as internally and printed as . With this notation, constants are treated correctly by Mathematica's differentiation routine Dt. MathSym's output is the following list of determining equations.
With the output from MathSym we can continue our analysis of equation (8). First, we solve the determining equations:
The functions and determine two symmetries that can be used to convert equation (8) into two integrals. The reader is directed to similar computations for the Blasius boundary layer equation which appear on pages 118-120 of .
We begin by considering the symmetry that occurs because of the term. Setting and produces a transformation and . We next look for two quantities that do not change under this transformation. Obvious choices are and . If we assume that is a function of and write the differential equation for that arises by insisting that satisfy equation (8), we find
This is a standard reduction of order for autonomous equations that may be found in a sophomore differential equations text such as .
This equation in and has a symmetry that is generated by the constant appearing in equations (9) and (10). From this symmetry we can derive new variables and and consider as a function of . In terms of and , equation (11) becomes
We have now converted the problem of solving the original equation into two integrations. First we find as a function of giving us a solution of equation (12) and hence of equation (11). Then we return to the original variables and have implicitly as a function of . Integrating again gives a relationship between and .
We can make Mathematica carry out some of these computations. First we will ask that it determine a solution to equation (12) by integrating both sides of the equation.
In the equation for we can return to the original variables and .
What results is an implicit relationship between and and while MathSym has been successful in generating the symmetries of equation (8), it still is a challenge to solve this equation.
About Mathematica | Download Mathematica Player
Copyright © 2004 Wolfram Media, Inc. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:621b4b37-387c-4787-9931-0da8ab590a19> | {
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Digestive Diseases: Food Poisoning
Food poisoning is a common, yet distressing and sometimes life-threatening problem for millions of people in the U.S., and throughout the world. People infected with foodborne organisms may be symptom-free or may have symptoms ranging from mild intestinal discomfort to severe dehydration and bloody diarrhea. Depending on the type of infection, people can even die as a result of food poisoning.
More than 250 different diseases can cause food poisoning. Some of the most common diseases are infections caused by bacteria, such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria, and botulism.
What Is Campylobacter Infection?
Campylobacter is a bacterium that causes acute diarrhea. Transmission usually occurs through ingestion of contaminated food, water, or unpasteurized milk, or through contact with infected infants, pets or wild animals.
Is Campylobacter Infection a Serious Health Concern?
It can be, especially in those with weakened immune systems. In rare cases, Campylobacter infection can cause additional problems such as arthritis or brain and nerve problems. Occasionally, these problems occur after the diarrhea has stopped.
How Is Campylobacter Infection Diagnosed and Treated?
If you think you may have been exposed to the infection, see your doctor. By testing a sample of your stool, the bacteria can be identified.
If you are found to have the infection, you will likely recover on your own without treatment within 2-5 days. Drink plenty of fluids to prevent becoming dehydrated.
In more severe cases, antibiotics (such as Cipro), if given early in the illness, can be used to shorten the length of time you are sick.
What Is Salmonella?
Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can be passed on to humans from domestic and wild animals, including poultry, pigs, cattle, and pets. But most often, it is caused by drinking unpasteurized milk or by eating undercooked poultry and poultry products such as eggs. Any food prepared on surfaces contaminated by raw chicken or turkey can also become tainted with salmonella. Less often, the illness may stem from food contaminated by a food worker.
Salmonella can escape from the intestine and go into the blood and travel to other organs. It may become a chronic infection in some people, who can be symptom-free yet capable of spreading the disease to others.
Salmonella infections occur worldwide, but it is most extensively reported in North America and Europe.
Symptoms include acute onset of:
Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE! | <urn:uuid:ce5bab26-4de3-4e73-8b22-5a1cfabc2cd8> | {
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Definition of Immunization
Immunization: Vaccination. Immunizations work by stimulating the immune system, the natural disease-fighting system of the body. The healthy immune system is able to recognize invading bacteria and viruses and produce substances (antibodies) to destroy or disable them. Immunizations prepare the immune system to ward off a disease. To immunize against viral diseases, the virus used in the vaccine has been weakened or killed. To immunize against bacterial diseases, it is generally possible to use only a small portion of the dead bacteria to stimulate the formation of antibodies against the whole bacteria. In addition to the initial immunization process, it has been found that the effectiveness of immunizations can be improved by periodic repeat injections or "boosters." Also see Immunizations (in the plural) and Immunization of a specific type (such Immunization, Polio).
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM
Back to MedTerms online medical dictionary A-Z List
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Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE! | <urn:uuid:1e47594d-2072-4421-859f-6739b561f944> | {
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Written by adam on Mar 16, 2006
Food Dictionary: Chop, Mince, Dice, Grate
To chop or not to chop, that is the question. Whether 'tis mincing or dicing in the mind to chiffonade the basil to outrageous perfection. To grate, perchance to shred - aye, there's the rub. Oh fair Henckel's -- Knife on my block. Be all my ingredients remembered.
Epicurious and Hamlet, bring us this latest batch of food words .... words .... words .... words that tell us how we are cutting our ingredients. Do we chop, grate, mince, dice, or shred?
Chop: cutting food into small, bite-sized pieces
Mince: to cut food into very small pieces. Note: minced food is smaller than chopped food
Dice: to cut food into tiny cubes
Grate: To reduce a large piece of food to small particles or thin shreds by rubbing it against a coarse, serrated surface,
Shred: to cut food into narrow strips by hand or by grater or food processer.
Interesting. So you can grate with a grater and you can also shred with a grater. | <urn:uuid:57b72616-117b-4174-861a-1d61cba11798> | {
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There is much a pregnant woman can do to take care of herself during pregnancy. If she has any questions about diet, the use of drugs or nutritional supplements, physical activity, and sexual intercourse during pregnancy, she can talk with her doctor.
Diet and Weight:
During pregnancy, the woman's diet should be adequate and nutritious. If she does not consume enough nutrients for herself and the fetus, nutrients first go to nourish the fetus. However, adding about 250 calories to the daily diet is usually enough to provide nourishment for both. Most of the extra calories should be protein. The diet should be well balanced and include fresh fruits, grains, and vegetables. Cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar are a good choice.
In the United States, most women get enough salt in their diet, without adding salt to their food at the table. Commercially prepared foods often contain excessive amounts of salt and should be consumed sparingly.
Dieting to lose weight during pregnancy is not recommended, even for obese women, because some weight gain is essential for the fetus to develop normally. Dieting reduces the supply of nutrients to the fetus.
An average-size woman should gain about 25 to 30 pounds during pregnancy. Gaining more than 30 to 35 pounds puts fat on the woman and the fetus. Because controlling weight gain is more difficult later in pregnancy, a woman should try to avoid gaining too much weight during the first months. On the other hand, not gaining weight can hinder the growth and development of the fetus. A woman should try to gain between 2 and 3 pounds each month during early pregnancy.
Sometimes a pregnant woman gains weight because she is retaining fluid. Fluid may be retained because when she lies flat, the enlarging uterus interferes with blood flow from the legs back to the heart. Lying on one side, preferably the left side, for 30 to 45 minutes 2 or 3 times a day may relieve this problem. Wearing elastic support stockings may also help.
Drugs and Dietary Supplements:
Generally, avoiding drugs during pregnancy is best. However, drugs must sometimes be used (see Drug Use During Pregnancy). A pregnant woman should check with her doctor before taking any drug—including nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs, such as aspirin, or medicinal herbs—particularly during the first 3 months.
Pregnancy doubles the amount of iron needed. Most pregnant women need an iron supplement because the average woman does not absorb enough iron from food to meet the requirements of pregnancy. If a woman has anemia or develops anemia during pregnancy, she may need to take a larger dose of iron than other pregnant women. Iron supplements may cause mild stomach upset and constipation.
All pregnant women should take a folate (folic acid) supplement (usually included in prenatal vitamins) daily. Ideally, the folate supplement is begun before pregnancy. A deficiency of folate increases the risk of having a baby with a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord, such as spina bifida. Women who have had a baby with spina bifida should start taking a high dose of folate before they become pregnant. For some other women who may have a folate deficiency, the amount of folate in a standard prenatal vitamin is sufficient, even if the risk is somewhat increased. For example, women who are exposed to excessive ultraviolet (UV) light, particularly fair-skinned women, may have decreased folate levels. Also, women who have taken oral contraceptives within several months before conception are more likely to develop a folate deficiency, but there is no proof that they are more likely to have a baby with spina bifida.
If the diet is adequate, other vitamin supplements may not be needed, although most doctors recommend that pregnant women take a prenatal multivitamin containing iron and folate daily.
Many pregnant women are concerned about moderating their activities. However, most women can continue their usual activities and exercises throughout pregnancy. Mildly strenuous sports, such as swimming and brisk walking, are good choices. Vigorous activities, such as running and horseback riding, are also possible if done cautiously, to avoid injury, particularly to the abdomen. Contact sports should be avoided.
Sexual desire may increase or decrease during pregnancy. Sexual intercourse is safe throughout pregnancy unless a woman has vaginal bleeding, pain, leakage of amniotic fluid, or uterine contractions. In such cases, sexual intercourse should be avoided.
Preparing for Breastfeeding:
Women who are planning to breastfeed do not need to do anything to prepare their nipples for breastfeeding during pregnancy (see Newborns and Infants: Breastfeeding). Expressing fluids from the breast manually before delivery may lead to an infection of the breast (mastitis) or even early labor. The body prepares the areola and nipple for breastfeeding by secreting a lubricant to protect the surface. This lubricant should not be rubbed off. Observing and talking with women who have breastfed successfully may be instructive and encouraging.
Travel During Pregnancy:
The safest time to travel during pregnancy is between 14 and 28 weeks. Travel time should not exceed 6 hours a day. Women can obtain useful tips and information about travel from their doctor, so discussing their travel plans with the doctor is a good idea.
When traveling in a car, airplane, or other vehicle, pregnant women should always wear a seat belt. Placing the lap belt across the hips and under the expanding abdomen and placing the shoulder belt between the breasts can help make wearing seat belts more comfortable. The belts should be snug but not uncomfortably tight.
During any kind of travel, pregnant women should stretch and straighten their legs and ankles periodically. Travel on airplanes is safe until about 36 weeks. The primary reason for this restriction at 36 weeks is the risk of labor and delivery in an unfamiliar environment.
Last full review/revision November 2007 by Haywood L. Brown, MD | <urn:uuid:16da280e-b29d-4e07-aae6-511a32a7a9e1> | {
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Added: 06/17/2009 This site is an animation of the light dependent (oxygen generating) reactions of photosynthesis. Note that the mechanism depicted is for prokaryotes and differs somewhat from what occurs in eukaryotes.
Added: 06/17/2009 This site provides an excellent presentation on this difficult topic. In topic 1, students look at the components of chemiosmosis in the bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans in which they step through animations of electron transport, proton gradient, and A
Added: 06/17/2009 This site is an excellent introduction to thermodynamics as it applies to living organisms. In topic 1, students make decisions for a paramecium living in a Petri dish that will determine if it will have enough energy to survive and reproduce. Students wi
Added: 06/17/2009 These learning materials address the dynamic processes of photosynthesis that are found in the chloroplast. They include the light reactions (cyclic and non-cyclic of Photosystems I & II) and the non-light limited reactions of the Calvin Cycle. Structure of the chloroplast is included and the many images and flash movies are provided as downloadable files.
Added: 06/17/2009 This Website covers cell biology all in animation. Cell structure with descriptions of each part, DNA structure, an animated overview of water chemistry, the light and dark reactions of photosynthesis are all presented in this Website. You are also able to see cells broken apart and explained, molecules in structural form, and the pH scale describing acidic and basic.
Added: 06/17/2009 Tutorials on energy conversions, cellular respiration, photosynthesis, proteins, DNA, RNA, DNA replication, protein synthesis, and mutation. Complete with illustrations and animations.
Added: 06/17/2009 This Website includes interactive learning with animation, movies, and tutorial links. It is created to help in teaching and the learning of science. Topics include basic chemistry, mitosis, meiosis, photosynthesis, and virology.
Added: 06/17/2009 Interactive animated tutorial that demonstrates photosynthesis, develops understanding of the organelles and compounds at work, describes the light and dark reactions and photorespiration.
Added: 06/17/2009 These problem sets are part of the University of Arizona Biology Project. They are located in the Biochemistry section. Each problem set gives a multiple choice question; incorrect answers take student to a tutorial. These self-grading problems are a good learning tool. | <urn:uuid:ec91c1f6-976e-4c5a-8602-67f0e629bdaf> | {
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Preceded by calendrical dates, both these monuments depict snakes with their maws wide open, out of which emerge humans. The other three sides of the stelae are covered with what some scholars maintain is a writing system.
Stelae 1 and 3
Late Classic (600-900 A.D.)
Xochicalco, State of Morelos
Originally, approximately 1.50 m.
National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico.
Photo © Jorge Pérez de Lara | <urn:uuid:384b7eac-6bee-4f0c-8a46-b1ee5e207f9a> | {
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This lavishly illustrated volume describes the 1594 triumphal entry of Archduke Ernst of Austria into Belgium. The description was written by Jan Boch, the scholarly town clerk of Antwerp, and the images were engraved by Pieter van der Borcht. Van der Borcht is best known for his engraved depictions of boisterous peasant scenes, but he also had a career producing mythological scenes and recording historical events, as demonstrated here. This book was printed by Plantin Press, one of the great Dutch printing houses of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By the time the "Descriptio publicae gratulationis" was published, the firm was run by Christophe Plantin's widow, Jeanne Rivière, and his son-in-law and heir, Jan Moretus.
Illustrated: p. 113, "Schema Elephanti" | <urn:uuid:f8e3297c-8cf4-4d63-a3a2-e772bb75fae9> | {
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While a young architectural apprentice, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the son of a Glasgow policeman, attended evening classes at the Glasgow School of Art, where he met Herbert MacNair, Frances Macdonald, and her sister Margaret Macdonald (who would later become Mackintosh's wife). Together they formed "The Four," producing watercolors, poster designs, and small decorative objects that were published in "The Studio." In 1889 Mackintosh was hired as a draftsman at the architectural firm of Honeyman and Keppie, where he would remain until 1914. It was there that he developed a unique design idiom based on the forms and materials of traditional Scottish architecture. Mackintosh undertook all aspects of a design commission, providing every element, from an architectural setting to small decorative objects and textiles. His best-known commissions include a building for the Glasgow School of Art (built in two phases, 1897–99 and 1907–09) and Hill House (1902–04), the Walter Blackie residence in the Glasgow suburb of Helensburgh.
Perhaps frustrated by a lack of success at Honeyman and Keppie, Mackintosh left Glasgow in 1914, and by 1920 he had completely abandoned his architectural career. He increasingly turned to watercolor, a medium he continued to explore until his death.
Mackintosh designed this washstand as part of the furnishings for the Blue Bedroom in Hous'hill, an eighteenth-century residence in a suburb of Glasgow he remodeled for Kate Cranston (Mrs. Cochrane) and her husband. Miss Cranston, one of Mackintosh's most important clients, was the proprietress of a group of highly successful tearooms in Glasgow, many of which she had Mackintosh design. With its uncompromising shape and brilliant abstract panel of glass, the washstand shows the architect/designer at the height of his creative powers. | <urn:uuid:c0d73a67-2280-496c-87d5-01c37e90ba61> | {
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* (Under Construction)
Ninety Five Theses and the Revolution that followed
by Thomas Leckwold
Martin Luther's Ninety Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences was
nailed to the castle church in Wittenberg, in now modern day Germany, on October
31, 1517. This document was a protest that strongly criticized the practice of selling
indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church, known here after as the Church. The document
was a challenge to church authority that set forth events that permanently changed
the religious, political, and social factors of central Europe, and led to a series
of wars using the pretext of faith, and the role of the Church in the political
structure of Western Europe. Luther's document was not meant to be a call to revolution,
but the social conditions, and economic factors, along with religious convictions
did set in motion a revolution and subsequent conflicts in central Europe.
Cairo’s Fortress on the Mountain
by David W. Tschanz
Cairo residents call it the Qal'at al-Jabal, the Fortress on the Mountain, or just al-Qal'ah, the Fortress. The rest of the world simply calls it “The Citadel.” For nearly a millennium it has stood as a silent sentinel, residence, and symbol of power.
Standing on its battlements, and looking westwards provides a view of over 4500 years of architectural marvels from the mosque of Sultan Hasan, just below to the Pyramids of Giza across the Nile. From atop this fortress the awesome sweep of history is a vivid reality. It is a view that must have given even the sultans who ruled from here, cause to reflect.
Member Article: Armenian Warriors, Japanese Samurai
by Dr. Armen Ayvazyan
Armenian historiography contains considerable information about ancient and medieval Armenian military ideology.
In the works of fifth century historians Pavstos Buzand and Movses Khorenatzi, the commands and legacy of the Armenian
sparapets (commanders in chief) to their successors articulate in detail the obligations and responsibilities of
Armenian warriors. Their norms of conduct share striking similarities with the system of values of the Japanese samurai
codified during the 16th to 18th centuries, as well as with later medieval West European chivalry of the eight to 14th
“Fight and offer your life for the Armenian World just as your brave forefathers did, consciously sacrificing their lives for this Homeland…”
Member Article: Byzantine Military Pragmatism vs. Imperial Prejudice: Possible Reasons for Omitting the Armenians from the List of Hostiles in Maurice’s
by by Dr. Armen Ayvazyan
The problem of the various images of the Armenians in Byzantium has already become the subject of numerous, if sketchy, historical investigations and remarks. As a rule, students of this subject have focused on the images of those Armenians who resided beyond Armenia proper in the Byzantine capital and peripheral provinces as either newly-arrived immigrants or old-established inhabitants. Consequently, the shaping of the images of the Armenians in Byzantine Empire was appropriately sought and analyzed in such spheres as ecclesiastical differences between Armenian and Greek Churches, the ethnic peculiarities of everyday life as well as the rivalry in the imperial court between the Armenians and Greeks, the two major ethnic components of Byzantine elite. In contrast, this essay aims to analyze the Byzantines’ image of the Armenians of Armenia, that is, those who continued to live in and exercise military and political authority over their homeland. Accordingly, this study focuses on the geopolitical determinant in the construction of Armenian images in the imperial strata of Byzantine society.
Member Article: Lusty Stukeley: Deceiver of Princes
by Comer Plummer
The day was Monday, August 4, 1578. Sir Thomas Stukeley stood in his armor on the plain of Ksar el-Kebir, in the heart of the Kingdom of Fez, with the hosts assembling for battle around him. He had collected himself by then, having shed the ordeal of the previous night, with its discomforts and frustrations. He would have been calm and reflective, as only experienced soldiers could be at such times. Thomas probably knew that he was playing his final card. In a life of twists and turns the climactic moment had at last arrived. There was no maneuvering out of it. He was adrift among forces beyond his control. At last, on this battlefield, his destiny would be decided.
Member Article: Constantinople - The Citadel at the Gate
by Comer Plummer, III
The art of fortification is a clear reflection of our past. It bears witness to our roots as a race of mutually hostile
societies, and impresses upon us the determination of a people to defend themselves.
It has existed ever since man first came to realize the value of natural obstacles to his common defense, and evolved
as he sought to invoke his own methods to fully exploit this advantage. The building of barriers rapidly evolved from
the simple mud parapets and mountain top abodes of the Neolithic Age to the construction of linear and point stone
obstacles of the Bronze Age, best represented by the Hittite capital of Hattusas.
Member Article: The Battle of Poyang Lake
by Joshua Gilbert
In late August 1363 AD the two main contenders for control of China,
Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang, faced off on Poyang (also called Boyang)
Lake, the largest freshwater body of water in China.
In the end Zhu Yuanzhang would win the battle and go on to found one of
China’s greatest dynasties: the Ming.
Member Article: Apocalypse Then: The
Battle of the Three Kings
by Comer Plummer
Don Sebastian, the twenty-four-year-old King of Portugal, rose early on the
morning of August 4, 1578. He was restless as they dressed him under the silken
tent in new armor, over which was applied a leather tunic to guard against the
heat of the Sun. Outside, the din of the camp was building as the army too
girded for battle. On the hills facing them, the Moroccan army was also
Member Article: The Emergence of Seapower in the Yuan Dynasty
by John J. Trombetta and Steven C. Ippolito
John Keegan views the Mongolian war-making polity as a fusion of the "horse
and human ruthlessness[.]" The great khans, Chinggis, Ogodei, Mongke, and
Khublai Khan, gathered the martial energies of the steppe nomad in the quest
for Empire, and released them like so many dogs of war upon Asia, Europe,
China, Korea, the Middle East of Persians and Arabs, and Japan. Results were
startling: extraordinary political changes that reworked the map of the
thirteenth century Asia, and a transformation of war in the Asian steppe
"making it for the first time," in the view of Keegan, "'a thing in
Member Article: The Hundred Years War: An Analysis of the Causes and Conduct of the Longest
by Patrick J. Shrier
The Hundred Years War between England and France from 1337-1453 is best viewed
as a series of interconnected wars with the same basic objective instead of as
one long war. There was not continuous fighting during the period nor did
England and France keep armies constantly in the field, rather it was almost a
game between the two countries with clearly defined rules as to when to fight
and when to rest. The period was marked by many truces some for just a season
and some lasting years. The most striking thing when one studies the wars of
the period is how the English army was almost invariably superior to the French
in capabilities yet somehow the English managed to lose the war.
Member Article: The Muslim Horde's Easy Invasion of Iberia
by Robert C. Daniels
After a short foray in July of 710 AD, Muslim forces from North Africa invaded
the Christian Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain and Portugal) in the spring
of 711, and within two years, with the exception of the extreme northwestern
portion of the peninsula, had successfully overpowered and conquered the
Visigothic Christian realms of Iberia. Not only did it take the Frankish
forces under Charles Martel to stop the Muslim horde at the battle of Poitiers
in 732 from further intrusions into Western Europe, it would take nearly eight
centuries for the Iberian Christians to re-take the peninsula from the Muslims.
Member Article: The Orin War
by Joshua Gilbert
The Onin War, (so called because it occurred in the regnal year Onin 1), was
the catalyst that sparked the century long period of Japanese history known as
the Sengoku Jidai, the "Age of the Country at War". What began originally as a
dispute between a father and his son-in-law, became an eleven year war that
trashed the once great city of Kyoto and sparked an era of bloodshed that
remains famous to this day.
The Onin War began because of the weakness of one Shogun. In 1464, Ashikaga
Yoshimasa, the 8th member of the Ashikaga clan to hold the title
Seii-Taishogun, and a man renowned for his focus on tea parties and poetry,
wanted to retire but had no son. He decided to instead make his younger
brother, Yoshimi, his heir. However Yoshimi was a Buddhist monk, so the Shogun
had to first drag his brother out of the monastery in order to make him his
Member Article: The Battle of Shrewsbury
by John Barratt
By the beginning of the 15th century, the English longbowman was one of the
most effective killing machines in Western Europe. For over half a century he
had dominated the battlefields of France and Northern Spain, winning for
England’s Plantagenet monarchy an extensive continental domain. The battle of
Shrewsbury, described by a contemporary writer as “the sorry bataille of
Schrvesbury between Englysshmen and Englysshmen”, witnessed the dawn of a new
and more terrible era in English warfare, when, for the first time in a major
engagement, the English longbowman turned their deadly power against each
other. It was a foretaste of the bloodbath which would follow half a century
later in the Wars of the Roses, and would also provide William Shakespeare with
the inspiration for one of his greatest plays - King Henry IV Part One. | <urn:uuid:6f23f9de-9029-4184-ad13-8f6bb0a8ab5c> | {
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7. Praxeological Prediction
Praxeological knowledge makes it possible to predict with apodictic certainty the outcome of various modes of action. But, of course, such prediction can never imply anything regarding quantitative matters. Quantitative problems are in the field of human action open [p. 118] to no other elucidation than that by understanding.
We can predict, as will be shown later, that?--other things being equal?--a fall in the demand for a will result in a drop in the price of a. But we cannot predict the extent of this drop. This question can be answered only by understanding.
The fundamental deficiency implied in every quantitative approach to economic problems consists in the neglect of the fact that there are no constant relations between what are called economic dimensions. There is neither constancy nor continuity in the valuations and in the formation of exchange ratios between various commodities. Every new datum brings about a reshuffling of the whole price structure. Understanding, by trying to grasp what is going on in the minds of the men concerned, can approach the problem of forecasting future conditions. We may call its methods unsatisfactory and the positivists may arrogantly scorn it. But such arbitrary judgments must not and cannot obscure the fact that understanding is the only appropriate method of dealing with the uncertainty of future conditions.[p. 119] | <urn:uuid:f5ced0ba-8711-4a4b-ba7b-34f0380249eb> | {
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NASS Dairy Products Prices; how does that work?
Over the years some confusion surrounding the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Dairy Products Prices (DPP) program and the use of these data in the class price formulas.
Why are NASS’s DPP reports used in the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) class price formulas? How are the NASS reports compiled? Is there a magic formula used to generate the NASS DPP reports? What prevents manufacturing plants from misreporting or manipulating the prices?
Prior to the 1996 Farm Bill, USDA’s AMS used the Basic Formula Price (BFP) to determine Federal Order minimum Class III milk prices. Price differentials were added to the BFP to establish minimum prices for Class I and Class II milk. The BFP was based on a monthly survey of prices paid for manufacturing grade (Grade B) milk in Minnesota and Wisconsin which established a Base Month Price. The BFP was then calculated by adjusting the preceding month’s Base Month Price by a formula to reflect the most recent changes in cheddar cheese prices.
In 1996, due to concerns regarding the cheddar cheese price data from the now closed National Cheese Exchange, AMS asked NASS to implement a survey to provide accurate and timely information on cheddar cheese prices. NASS began collecting weekly data on cheddar cheese sales, volumes and prices, and published the first set of numbers for the week ending March 7, 1997. The NASS cheddar cheese prices were then used by AMS as an input for computation of the BFP, until the 1996 Farm Bill became law. The bill changed language in the USDA’s FMMO Reform Final Rule to include the following statement, “commodity prices (cheddar cheese, butter, dry whey, and nonfat dry milk) determined by surveys conducted by USDA’s NASS will be used in the formulas that replace the BFP.” NASS published the first set of data on butter, nonfat dry milk, and dry whey for week ending September 5, 1998.
NASS continues to collect and publish this information under contract for AMS.
Each week, NASS statisticians receive data from all plants in the U.S. that produce and sell more than 1 million pounds annually of any of the qualifying products (Cheddar 40 blocks, Cheddar 500 barrels, butter, nonfat dry milk, and dry whey) according to AMS’s reporting criteria. There are several reporting criteria for each individual product. For example, all sales priced more than 30 days in advance are excluded from reporting.
Products of interest must meet strict grade standards (Grade AA butter, Extra Grade dry whey, etc) along with several other strict pricing criteria that ensure prices represent the weekly wholesale commodity price for initial product sale. Each product must adhere to strict product specifications for example cheddar cheese; prices are only collected for 40 pound blocks and 500 barrels, eliminating price differentials for product sizes.
Manufacturers must also exclude specialty types of cheddar like organic, aged, or faith-based products.
Every Wednesday, manufacturers are required by law to submit, no later than noon, their qualifying total sales volume and total dollars received for the previous 7-day period ending on Saturday. All reports received from manufacturers are summed together for total volume and total dollars then divided to calculate regional and national average prices.
Once each year, statisticians from NASS sit down with each reporter to ensure they understand all program requirements, products specifications, and misreporting penalties. Each reporter also indicates their understanding of the product specifications weekly. AMS conducts on-site report verifications of all reporting plants; they audit plants under authority from the mandatory reporting law. All plants have been through a least two verifications, with some plants experiencing as many as seven since the verification program was established. Discrepancies are issued, tracked, and addressed to prevent continued misreporting. AMS has broader regulatory authority if misreporting persists.
Prices that NASS publishes each Friday at 8:30am ET represent wholesale commodity sales completed in the previous week. Based on the reporting requirements and AMS’s verification program, the value of the dairy products prices used in the Federal Market Order pricing formulas are accurate. Whether we agree or disagree with the current pricing process, dairymen should be confident NASS is generating the most accurate components possible, based on the current laws guiding the program. | <urn:uuid:0ab05fd3-e969-422b-b8a7-8f2b32867d28> | {
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Researchers studied nearly 7,400 British people for a decade and for those aged 45-49, it was discovered their ability to reason declined 3.6 percent in the time they were studied.
The decline sped up for people aged 65-70: men experienced a 9.6 percent decline in ability to reason, and a 7.4 percent decline for women.
Other mental abilities that faded included memory, and so-called verbal fluency, which measures a person's ability to quickly say words in a particular category. However, people's vocabulary didn't change.The BMJ report says that it was previously widely accepted that cognitive decline did not occur until age 60.
The researchers say that with increasing life expectancy, understanding cognitive aging will be a challenge of this century. | <urn:uuid:2341c846-1020-430f-b2d3-659ddfb8d79b> | {
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Sexuality refers to one's capacity for sexual feelings, experiences and responses. The "Circles of Sexuality" model describes it as comprising five broad, interconnected areas: sensuality, intimacy, sexual identity, sexual health and reproduction. Sexuality is a complex blend of many biological phenomena and varies greatly from person to person.
Sexuality in humans typically begins developing in the early teenage years, during the biological process called puberty. Humans are among the few animals to engage in both reproductive and nonreproductive sex, and sexuality becomes a fundamental aspect of our personalities and social lives. It is often the driving force behind our strong emotional feelings toward others, as well as a motivator for many of our decisions and actions.
While it is ever-present in our lives, some aspects of sexuality still have societal taboos and stigmas attached to them. The historical taboos against homosexuality and the LGBTQ community, however, have begun to erode in recent years due to growing societal acceptance. (Photo: Shutterstock) | <urn:uuid:c7846184-3ba1-4004-a1b5-630465bb9d09> | {
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- At Home
As the days get warmer and longer, the last report cards are passed out and our kids start trading in their back packs for beach bags, the signs become inevitable â€" summer is upon us. As parents, it’s important that we help our children continue to learn during the summer months to ensure they don’t forget everything they’ve learned during the school year. According to the National Summer Learning Association, when kids take an absolute break from education during the summer months â€" whether by circumstance or design â€" they can lose up to two month’s worth of grade-level skills. Two months! | <urn:uuid:55c3c8f0-0fb2-49aa-a128-1e175d5ede70> | {
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One of the questions we asked top sports dietitians and nutrition experts during our month-long special blog series on sports nutrition was what they thought of nutritional supplements. Not surprisingly, most thought that athletes should meet their nutritional needs by eating whole, minimally processed foods, with most saying a multi-vitamin is okay to fill nutritional gaps. Here's what each had to say on the subject of supplements (to go read their full blogs, click on their name):
I think the most important item is FOOD! Food provides energy, as well as vitamins, mineral and nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate and fat. That being said, some athletes may need iron, or Vitamin D, or calcium, or sometimes a protein isolate, BUT never in place of food.
I think kids should take a safe, quality multivitamin to fill the nutrient gaps in their diet. No one eats perfectly all the time, and this is a simple way to ensure certain nutrient needs are met. The type, amount and timing of meals are particularly critical throughout puberty, when nutrition can make its greatest contribution to a youth athlete's future overall physical stature as an adult, and getting the optimal amounts of key nutrients is extremely important.
I also believe that youth athletes benefit from consuming a carbohydrate- and protein-containing meal replacement shakes/smoothies before and after exercise, since research shows doing so helps to (1) top off muscle fuel stores needed during activity, (2) replenish muscle stores after activity, and (3) support muscle repair and growth. The liquid form allows the nutrients to be rapidly absorbed and digested, which is important pre- and post-exercise. The body has a certain window of opportunity approximately an hour after exercise during which nutrient uptake is optimal, so timing is also key.
Most kids do not eat a balanced diet; convenience foods are popular, fruits and vegetables are not. Many kids have suboptimal levels of iron, copper, zinc, vitamin A, C, D, calcium, fiber and potassium. Intense exercise boosts the needs for some of these nutrients even higher. I suggest these supplements:
- Multivitamin/mineral (MVI) to ensure the basic micronutrients are met (teenage girls who do not eat red meat should consider a MVI with iron)
- Omega 3 fish oil helps support focus, reduce inflammation and much much more
- Calcium with magnesium, Vitamin D, boron, Vitamin K supports growth and strength for bones
- Greens: drink to reduce the oxidation associated with exercise, increase nutrients similar to vegetable intake
If athletes are meeting their energy needs through whole foods, additional supplements are not needed. The only supplement I may recommend to young athletes is a standard multivitamin containing 1000 IU vitamin D, and possibly omega-3's. However, the multivitamin only serves as nutritional "insurance" and complement but cannnot make up for a lack of a solid nutrition foundation of a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and dairy foods.
The supplement industry is a scary one, as it's currently not regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Many can make health claims without any scientific evidence; as a recent report from the FDA pointed out, 20 percent included prohibited disease claims on their labels which were unsubstantiated, and others may not actually contain the ingredients (or contain more ingredients) than listed on the supplement facts panel.
The other frightening fact is that the supplement industry is among the fastest growing industries in the country. According to the Supplement Business Report, the dietary supplements industry surpassed $30 billion in 2011 sales, growing 7% annually in a return to performance levels not seen since before the economic downturn. Adulterated supplements are common, and you won't know for sure if a supplement is true to the label unless it has been third-party tested by a reputable company (e.g. NSF Certified for Sport). The bottom line is a fully-nourished body is a strong and powerful body! Food first, always.
I am not a fan of supplementing high school athletes' diets with manufactured or engineered ‘nutrition supplements.' I think there is way too much we don't know about these products. For every claim out there by the marketers of these products, as clinicians we see studies that show harm with supplements. In addition, of the supplements available for purchase, more than a quarter of them are illegally labeled or don't contain what is listed. I recommend to my Olympic, professional and college athletes that they start with the basics - good hydration and sleep, and not skipping meals. They can find the nutrition they need to perform at an extremely high level through natural products. There is no need for them to look for lightning in a bottle or a pill.
Yes, youth & high school athletes need "compliments" to their healthy diet. I recommend a good multi-vitamin, especially containing adequate amounts of Vitamin D, C and zinc. Yes, vitamins are a "supplement." Make sure the products are SAFE and can be properly absorbed. Many supplements & vitamins are cheap and ineffective because the formulations do not allow the body to break them down and absorb them properly. Parents should do their research on these items and not purchase based on price alone.
I do not think high school athletes need supplements. Everything they need can be found in food, it just requires some forethought and planning. In fact, research in the area of youth sports and supplements, such as amino acids and creatine, is limited; the American Academy of Pediatrics advises no ergogenic (muscle-building, performance-enhancing) supplements for youth athletes due to their unknown side effects.
For young athletes who have a documented iron deficiency or a limited vitamin D or calcium intake (due to food allergy or other), micronutrient supplements may be indicated, but this should be reviewed with a health care provider first.
NSF Certified For Sport Multi-Vitamin and protein source for smoothies (preferably, a blend of whey, soy and casein).
No, I never recommend supplements to kids at all, especially those 18 years or younger. Kids are still growing during their teens and adding a supplement is not going to make an athlete gain weight or be a better athlete any faster. Protein powders, creatine, etc, is absolutely not necessary for youth athletes. Most kids are lacking from a simple dietary intake standpoint, so supplements are just a waste of money for parents. Ask your child what he/she eats in a day and how often and that will be your answer to improving performance or weight gain, not a supplement. A simple children's multi-vitamin is quite all right, however.
Youth and high school athletes need wholesome foods, not supplements. Within the range of 1,200 to 1,500 calories, a student-athlete can consume all the vitamins, minerals and protein they need to meet their nutritional needs. Most student athletes consume 2,000 to 3,000 and more calories, so have the opportunity to consume a LOT of vitamins. Kids need to learn to be responsible with their food choices because no amount of supplements will compensate for a lousy sports diet.
Posted November 20, 2012 | <urn:uuid:7b6c02ff-9bd3-43a5-b3e5-34bd2a38e575> | {
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Tip of the Week
Making home a safe, secure environment is a priority for any parent. It's why we have smoke alarms and deadbolts, secure screens on second-floor windows and set the temperature of our hot water heaters to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. But what about unexpected sources of danger in our homes? While it's impossible to anticipate and guard against every eventuality, it still pays to think about some dangers that are often overlooked. Here are some accident risks that are statistically worth worrying about when you're working on making your home as safe as possible for your children.
- Tipping TVs: TVs keep getting bigger, and more of us have multiple sets in our homes. Unfortunately, many of those TVs will end up on dressers, coffee tables and folding tray tables that were never intended to hold a television. Even TVs placed on a stand made for displaying a set can tip over if not properly secured. There were an estimated 20,000 injuries related to TV tip-overs in the United States in 2010, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission data. Fortunately, it's easy to reduce the risk of a TV tipping or falling. Never place any TV atop a dresser, bureau, bench, box or folding tray table. Using a TV wall mount can help minimize the chance of a TV falling on and injuring a child or adult.
- The laundry room: You may think of this room as one of the most harmless and useful rooms in the house, but the laundry room holds hidden dangers for children. Since 2005, at least two children have died and many more have been injured in washing machine-related accidents, U.S. News and World Report recently reported. In fact, CPSC data indicates that tens of thousands of injuries are attributed to washing machines and clothes dryers every year. Injuries may range from burns from hot dryer elements and limb injuries from spinning parts to accidental drowning if a child becomes submerged in a filled washer tub.
- Exercise equipment: Many Americans rely on home exercise equipment to stay in shape, but some of those machines can pose a safety risk to children. A CPSC study estimated that over an eight-year period, more than 46,000 exercise equipment-related injuries sent children 4 and younger to hospital emergency rooms. Treadmills, elliptical machines and other home fitness devices can cause a range of injuries, including cuts, fractures, dislocations, burns and even amputations. The study recommended parents be aware of the risks and take steps to reduce children's exposure to home exercise equipment.
Family Movie Night
"Wreck-It Ralph," in theaters
Length: 101 minutes
Violence/scary rating: 2.5
Sexual-content rating: 1.5
Profanity rating: 2
Drugs/alcohol rating: 1.5
Family Time rating: 2. This is a decent movie for families, with some video-game style violence the only thing to be aware of.
(Ratings are judged on a five-point scale, with 5 being "bad for kids" and 1 being "fine for kids.")
"Ten Tiny Toes," by Todd Tarpley and Marc Brown (illustrator)
Synopsis: Into the world came ten tiny toes, a hundred times sweeter than one could suppose. … There's nothing sweeter in the world than a baby's 10 tiny toes. From tiny feet nuzzled and tickled in the crib to bath time, playtime and those very first big steps, here is a wonderful way to commemorate the unforgettable moments in a young child's life. Marc Brown's adorable collage illustrations bring Todd Tarpley's rhythmic text to life in this tender read-aloud. It is a joyous celebration of the unbreakable bond of love that guides a child through each exciting milestone and beyond. - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Did You Know
According to a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, kids who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear likely to benefit from just 20 minutes of exercise.
GateHouse News Service | <urn:uuid:9b95f3c4-f752-4c62-ade1-9070080083b3> | {
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The Central Coast Maritime Museum Association preserves and interprets the maritime history of California and beyond. Our mission is to provide an easily accessible educational venue for maritime history, science and technology.
Restoration of the Alma is Under Way!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Hind Foundation, the conservation, and stabilization of the historic vessel Alma is under way.
The Alma is an important part of California’s maritime history and we are very fortunate to be able restore her for future display in Morro Bay. Consultation with experts indicates that the Alma is eligible for listing on the US Department of Interior's National Register of Historic Places.
Built at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf in 1927, the Alma gained notoriety on the morning of December 23, 1941, when under the command of the late Merle Molinari of Cayucos, she headed north toward Piedras Blancas and rescued crewmembers of the Union Oil Tanker Montebello which had been torpedoed and sunk earlier that morning by a Japanese Submarine. After the Montebello incident, the Alma assisted the war effort by patrolling local waters and towing targets for the military. In the post-war years, the Alma worked the waters of Estero Bay as a harbor tug and became an iconic figure of the working Morro Bay waterfront.
A 46’ tug, Alma is a surviving example of a "gas boat," utilitarian workboat common to California harbors in the early 20th century.
The work currently underway will replace and repair decks, bulwarks, wheelhouse exterior and some interior structural members. Future work will repair cracks in the ferro cement hull coating, paint exterior, fabricate display cradle, create interpretive signage, move the vessel to a display location.
The costs for the project have been reduced by generous donations of time and effort from local volunteers and businesses. If you are interested in supporting the effort to restore the Alma please contact us. | <urn:uuid:90eb4f11-d0af-4ef4-b9dd-b61675392ee7> | {
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Tuvalu Runs Dry
The Telegraph reports that Tuvalu's state of emergency was declared after existing desalination plants broke, exacerbating an already dire drought:
The Tuvalu Red Cross said it had not rained properly in the country for more than six months. Meteorologists have forecast a lack of run until December. Typically it gets between 200mm to 400mm [~8 to 16 inches] of rainfall per month... [New Zealand] was working with the Red Cross to deliver aid workers and supplies as quickly as possible.
I wrote about the troubles facing Tuvalu's nine tiny islands in my 2003 Mother Jones article All the Disappearing Islands. At that time Tuvalu was threatening to sue Earth's gassiest nations for emitting enough CO2 to sink Tuvalu for good:
Tuvalu is among the smallest and most remote countries on Earth, with a total land mass comprising only 10 square miles/26 square kilometers, less than half the size of Manhattan and scattered over 347,400 square miles/899,000 sq km of ocean—an area larger than California, Oregon, and Washington combined... At no point is the sandy island of Funafuti higher than 13 feet above sea level, as is the case throughout the nine coral atolls of this South Pacific nation of Tuvalu. Surrounded by the sea, the people here have been shaped by it as few others on earth. Every afternoon, rain or shine, Tuvaluan children romp in its unsupervised playground... Inescapably, this is a nation of waterfront property; even the plywood and corrugated-tin houses standing 'inland' a block or two enjoy the ambiance of the ocean. No one here has ever lived a moment without hearing the thunder of surf.
Now Tuvalu's freshwater aquifers may be contaminated, reports the BBC:
Secretary General Tataua Pefe advised people against drinking water from wells. "It's not safe for consumption," he told Radio Australia. "Some animals have died recently and we think it's because of subterranean water."
Floods and rogue waves raise the saltwater table underlying the atolls, poisoning the Tuvaluans' staple crops. Already some farmers have been forced to grow their [crops] in tin containers, and already some of the smaller motus [islands] have lost their coconut palms to saltwater intrusion. Nor are storms a prerequisite for disaster. "Last August," Prime Minister Saufatu Sopoanga tells me, "on a clear, calm day, a sudden wave surge rolled in from the sea and washed across Funafuti into the lagoon, flooding houses." There was no apparent reason for it, and during my stay on the atoll, I find the sensation of threat to be ever present—the sea on both sides, the constant drumroll of surf, a thin strip of land between—like living on a liquid fault line.
Meanwhile 3 News New Zealand reports the drought is affecting other Pacific islands too, notably Tokelau—a New Zealand territory of fewer than 1,500 people living on three coral atolls in the central Pacific—which has also declared a state of emergency.
At the same time The Taiwan News reports a possible cholera outbreak in Tuvalu.
Inundated by ills from afar, more and more Tuvaluans are leaving their home islands—and not because they want to. From All the Disappearing Islands:
Within the coming decades, the atolls of Tuvalu and elsewhere will almost certainly revert to sandbars and then nothing. Although the people themselves will not go extinct, without their home islands to anchor them, their beliefs and identity probably will, scattered person by person across the rising waters... until, like Atlantis, the name of Tuvalu fades into myth. | <urn:uuid:6f46ce5d-c3d5-4b13-8660-e84a511bdebb> | {
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New research from the Environmental Working Group shows that the animal products you eat have remarkably different affects on the environment .
The research shows that Lamb, beef and cheese have the highest emissions. In part this is because they come from ruminant animals that constantly generate methane through their digestive process. Methane (CH4) – a greenhouse gas 25 times more (CH4) potent than carbon dioxide (CO2), accounts for nearly half the emissions generated in this study’s Nebraska beef production model (see chart below). Pound for pound, ruminants also require significantly more energy-intensive feed and generate more manure than pork or chicken (see figure 2).
- Lamb has the greatest impact, generating 39.3 kg (86.4 lbs) of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) for each kilo eaten – about 50 percent more than beef. While beef and lamb generate comparable amounts of methane and require similar quantities of feed, lamb generates more emissions per kilo in part because it produces less edible meat relative to the sheep’s live weight. Since just one percent of the meat consumed by Americans is lamb, however, it contributes very little to overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
- Beef has the second-highest emissions, generating 27.1 kilos (59.6 lbs) of CO2e per kilo consumed. That’s more than twice the emissions of pork, nearly four times that of chicken and more than 13 times that of vegetable proteins such as beans, lentils and tofu. About 30 percent of the meat consumed in America is beef.
- Cheese generates the third-highest emissions, 13.5 kilos (29.7 lbs) of CO2e per kilo eaten, so vegetarians who eat a lot of dairy aren’t off the hook. Less dense cheese (such as cottage) results in fewer greenhouse gases since it takes less milk to produce it. It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese.
Full Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Common Proteins and Vegetables
The EWG are calling for us all to forgo meat and cheese one day a week, environmentally it would be the same as the country driving 91 billion fewer miles a year.
The call joins a growing movement advocating once-a-week meat-free meals, from an International Meatless Monday campaign and a European Veggie Days movement to decisions by some Catholic bishops to suggest a return to the no-meat Fridays of old.
The EWG report is the most recent in a long list calculating the greenhouse gases emitted in food production.
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Lockheed’s Missile and Space Division designed the YO-3A as a nearly silent observation aircraft. The United States Army used the plane to spot nighttime enemy activity and direct artillery fire during the war in Vietnam. A downward-facing periscope equipped with night vision and infrared (heat sensing) capabilities allowed the aircraft’s forward observer to spot activity on the jungle floor, even in nearly complete darkness.
The YO-3A and it's prototype, the QT-2 represent represented the first use of aerial stealth technology in combat. Unlike the stealth aircraft we know today, the QT-2 and YO-3A were not designed to hide from radar, but to hide from human detection. The plane’s muffler-equipped engine drove a special slow propeller that eliminated the buzzing sound typical of propeller aircraft. This let the YO-3A operate almost unheard by people on the ground. Lockheed project manager, Stanley Hall described the aircraft’s noise as “the gentle rushing sound of the ocean surf”.
The Museum’s aircraft, 69-18005, was the sixth of just 11 aircraft constructed. It served in Vietnam from 1970–1972 before it was sold to an aviation school. The Museum acquired the aircraft in 2010 from Mr. Bruce Elliot of La Connor, WA.
The YO-3A exhibit tells the story of this highly unique aircraft and looks at the sources of airplane noise and ongoing efforts to quiet them down. | <urn:uuid:3f7099c4-1ea6-4360-8909-7e25f2f81926> | {
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Creativity and Innovation. Students can be encouraged to identify interesting heroes and produce creative stories, short films, and artwork to honor them that can then be shared through the MY HERO website.
Communication and Collaboration. Since MY HERO includes participants and an audience from around the world, students embark on the path of creating clear and compelling content when they create their work for publication. Teachers have commented on student awareness of the impact of their work and the widespread reactions they receive.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making. Students employ online and offline critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making tools as they evaluate their research and decide on heroes to feature in their stories, artwork, or short film.
Digital Citizenship. As responsible global citizens, students consider heroic attributes that contribute positively to our world, and choose stories of heroism to share through their contributions to the MY HERO website.
Technology Operations and Concepts. Students consider, identify, and employ a range of software and hardware as they develop their MY HERO artwork, short film, or story.
By evaluating the level of understanding and competency students already have with regard to the use of technology tools, teachers can provide them with next steps and deeper challenges to encourage their mastery of NETS through MY HERO projects.
Technology operations and concepts. As teachers develop their lessons for students to develop stories, artwork, or short films for the MY HERO project, they practice what they will be asking their students to do, thus demonstrating and improving their own technology expertise.
Planning and designing learning environments and experiences. For over ten years, the MY HERO Project has collected student and adult stories focused on heroes in a variety of categories. Through an online tool, eCreate, teachers can build a page of hero stories on a particular curricular theme or interdisciplinary topics, or a page of their own students’ work and make them available to students. The opportunities for creating rich learning situations for students abound.
Teaching, learning, and the curriculum. Including MY HERO content in lessons and challenging students to research and write hero stories for inclusion on the site constitute fine examples of using technology in a meaningful way to maximize student learning.
Assessment and evaluation. To evaluate student work, teachers may require students to word process their stories, email them to the teacher, edit their work electronically, and upload their stories to the MY HERO site. Teachers can assess through observation, note taking on a laptop, or applying a rubric to online submissions.
Productivity and professional practice. As teachers share their MY HERO assignments with their colleagues via email, listservs, or forums, they can refine and improve the assignments they give their students.
Social, ethical, legal, and human issues. By allowing all students to explore the MY HERO project website and contribute stories, teachers address issues of equitable access, and support the idea of the power of diverse talents and experiences as students read a range of inspiring hero stories.
While administrators may not be directly involved with students and teachers as they engage in developing content for the classroom and the MY HERO website, administrators can make a powerful statement by encouraging teachers to develop curriculum that includes using and contributing to the MY HERO project.
Leadership and vision. Administrators, through their example, inspire good work. By becoming familiar with the many features of the MY HERO project, and allowing time for teachers to do the same, administrators provide a strong model for teachers who are working hard to integrate technology in a meaningful way in their classrooms.
Learning and teaching. Through inspiring stories of real people, students find their place in the world, and begin to see the potential each of us has to contribute to our world. The MY HERO project focuses attention on good work and positive contributions, while making it easy for students and teachers to use technology tools to add more curricular-based stories to the Y HERO global database.
Productivity and professional use. The MY HERO project includes a number of tools for teachers, such as eCreate, that are easy to use and allow teachers to develop personalized hero web pages for classroom use. Administrators can facilitate teacher and student improvement in employing technology by encouraging the use of projects such as MY HERO that utilize technology tools and resources embedded in curriculum. Administrators can be asked to contribute a hero story to a class project!
Support, management, and operations. A carefully monitored project such as MY HERO meets the guidelines set by most schools that direct online technology use. Because of the ease with which teachers from a variety of disciplines can develop a MY HERO project that meets their curricular goals, administrators can support this model for technology integration into curriculum.
Assessment and evaluation. Administrators can assess some levels of student and teacher fluency with technology by viewing her/his school’s contributions to the MY HERO project.
Social, legal, and ethical issues. By promoting online projects that pay attention to the good works of the world’s citizens, require research and citing sources, and provide an environment for a global exchange of ideas among students and teachers such as the MY HERO project, administrators model support for the best uses of technology in education.
The MY HERO project offers many opportunities for students, teachers, and administrators to practice and perfect technology standards identified by ISTE’s NETS project. At the same time, solid curricular goals and interesting content mark MY HERO stories, artwork, and short films. All this in a global context makes the MY HERO project a powerful addition to any school’s teaching and learning practices.
Common Core State Standards : Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.
The Common Core Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects Standards are specifically for 6-12 and begin at grade 6; standards for K–5 reading in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are integrated into the K–5 Reading standards. These standards in literacy work in tandem to define college and career readiness expectations—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity.
Common Core - Media Standards
The Common Core Standards are a nationwide effort to define the knowledge and skills that U.S. students should have within their K-12 education careers, so that they will graduate high school able to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs.
The following is a collection of The Standards in English Language Arts that relate specifically to students' use of media in different grade levels. As you will see, the term "media" can refer to online, film/tv-related or artistic materials that can be utilized as sources in the course of research projects. Media can also refer to multi-media and/or artistic content that students create for class projects and presentations.
One of the goals of the CCS is that students will leave their schooling with a firm grasp of 21st-century media and technology skills. In calling for students to develop skills in both the critical analysis and production of media, the CCS recognizes the increasing importance of media literacy in the modern world. MY HERO shares this view, and our Media Arts curricula provide teachers with the tools they need to develop their students' mastery of media and technology.
In a time when so many schools and districts have cut their fine arts programs, a project that ties art to curriculum is a welcome idea. The MY HERO Project provides opportunities for students to create artwork on the hero theme, and produce short films on the topic as well.
The National Visual Arts Standards consist of six items and are discussed in three grade levels—K-4, 5-8, and 9-12—that promote developmentally appropriate student work and understanding of concepts. The six standards are as follows:
Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes.
Using knowledge of structures and functions.
Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas.
Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.
Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines. | <urn:uuid:6d1477bb-d6e5-46eb-b973-44371ddc472f> | {
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Dietary carbs are currently regarded as the culprit for most modern human diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, numerous studies demonstrate the association between over consumption of carbs and a high percentage of blood sugar problems, obesity and cognitive impairments among modern humans from all age groups.
Consequently, carb-bashing today is at an all-time high. Many people develop carb phobia and low or no carb diets are now the darling of the media. So it seems, the two most popular dietary methods are currently carb or calorie restriction. Most, if not all diets are based on either one or both methods.
Yet, in spite of the growing awareness of the hazards of over consumption of carbs and calories, the rate of weight gain, obesity and blood sugar related diseases is still accelerating. To make matters worse, people who follow extreme low calorie or low carb diets often face unpleasant symptoms including mental and physical fatigue, chronic cravings for carbs (in particular sweets), loss of libido and severe mood swings. Bodybuilders, who try to slim down via low calorie low carb diets, often face similar adverse symptoms in addition to loss of muscle mass and strength.
Obviously, something must be wrong with the assumption that chronic carb and calorie restriction is the practical solution for most of modern disease. Even though the idea of carb and calorie restriction may very well work theoretically, in practical terms (in vivo) it fails.
The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the critical role of dietary carbs in human metabolism as well as to challenge the notion that carbs aren't essential for human survival. Finally, conclusions are presented together with some practical methods as to how to take advantage of dietary carbs for reaching a desired metabolic potential to build lean tissue (including muscles), burn fat and increase energy production.
Maximum oxygenation is a biological term that describes maximum energy production from metabolic processes that require oxygen. Active individuals, including athletes and bodybuilders, should note that maximum oxygenation is a principal key to maximum performance. The upcoming paragraph may be somewhat technical. Nevertheless, understanding this topic could mean the difference between average and superior capability to build muscles and ignite energy.
Living organisms derive most of their energy from oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions, which involve the transfer of electrons to the respiratory chain complex (an aerobic energy-yielding metabolic process that involves interaction between hydrogen protons and oxygen). Aerobic energy production requires oxygen and yields most of the energy needed for survival. In fact, the electron transfer system (oxidative phosphorylation) yields ten times more energy than the Krebs cycle itself.
Dr. Otto Warburg, one of the world's foremost leading biochemists, won a Nobel Prize for his basic work with respiratory enzymes and cellular energy production. He discovered and characterized certain nucleotide compounds and proteins, which are necessary for the actions of the respiratory chain, which, as noted, yields most of the energy needed to maintain an optimum metabolic state.
Dr. Warburg suggested that energy released in the oxidation of foodstuff may be conserved and transferred via a special mechanism for use in synthesis and growth. On the other hand, anaerobic respiration (an energy yielding metabolic process that does not require oxygen) may adversely catabolize and damage healthy tissues. Dr. Warburg and other researchers showed that there is indeed a relationship between anaerobic respiration, tissue destruction and cancer. Dr. Abram Hoffer and Dr. Morton Walker, in their book Smart Nutrition (Avery 1994), suggested that anaerobic respiration is the most primitive energy producing method compared to aerobic respiration which is a later development in the evolution of life from unicellular to multicellular organisms. It is likely that multicellular organisms did not develop until cells became aerobic.
According to this theory, the switch back from aerobic to anaerobic respiration brings the cell back to a primitive condition that may cause uncontrolled cell division and a resultant catastrophic damage to the whole organism. As you're about to see, aerobic respiration clearly depends on dietary carb utilization and the production of substrates and enzymes that serve as energy molecules. All energy molecules are, in fact, made from nucleotides. Most important, all nucleotide material, including all energy molecules, are derived from glucose that is then predominantly derived from dietary carbs.
The Essential Role of Carbs
It is commonly assumed that carbs serve as fuel and nothing more. This assumption is wrong and quite misleading since it fails to recognize the main biological functions of carbs, which go far beyond being just a sheer substrate for energy. Evidently, optimum carb utilization from food is critically necessary in order to afford full activation of two vitally important metabolic pathways, which are bound together: i) the pentose phosphate pathway and ii) the uronic acid pathway.
As you'll soon see, these pathways play essential roles in facilitating DNA, RNA and nucleotides synthesis as well as steroid hormones production, enhancing immunity and generation of energy. As such, these pathways regulate hormonal actions, rate of tissue regeneration as well as protection against DNA damage and disease. Most important, both pathways' actions depend upon dietary carb consumption and utilization.
The Pentose Phosphate Pathway
The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is an anabolic process that is derived from glucose metabolism and occurs mostly (but not exclusively) in the liver. It utilizes pentose (a five-carbon sugar) from and glucose (a six-carbon sugar).
The pentose phosphate pathway's primary functions are:
- To generate the energy molecule NADPH for biosynthesis reaction in the cells
- To provide ribose-5 phosphate for the synthesis of nucleotides and nucleic acid including DNA and RNA
- To metabolize dietary pentose from the digestion of nucleic acid
- To biosynthesize steroid hormones and fatty acids (by utilizing in NADPH)
- To regenerate the most powerful antioxidant glutathione enzyme and thereby protect cells and mitochondrial DNA from oxidative stress and aging
- To support the production of UDP glucuronic acid, that is essentially important for overall detoxification. Hormonal transport production of proteoglycan and glycoproteins and the synthesis of sphingolipids (lipids that are necessary for detox and neural protection)
The Adverse Effects of Low Calorie and Low Carb Diets
As you can see, the pentose phosphate pathway controls critical metabolic functions. However, in times of a desperate need for energy, such as during prolonged fasting or due to low calorie diets, the pentose phosphate pathway may shut down its main functions and instead switch into sheer energy production. It is likely that energy demand is a top priority for the body and therefore, in times of desperate need for energy, the body would suppress certain important metabolic pathways to accelerate immediate energy production. In fact, 30 percent of liver glucose oxidation can occur via the pentose phosphate pathway.
Consequently, dietary carb utilization is a factor that can significantly influence the pentose phosphate pathway's actions. Since the synthesis of glucose from protein or fat (gluconeogenesis) is in fact a limited metabolic process that occurs mostly in the liver (muscle can't produce glucose), it is reasonable to conclude that severe low carb diets, for active individuals in particular, which chronically over-restrict dietary carb consumption (under 100g of carbs per day), may adversely affect the pentose phosphate pathway due to insufficient glucose supply and increased energy demand.
The pentose phosphate pathway's actions also decreases with age, a fact that may contribute to the decline in steroid hormone production, muscle waste, increased vulnerability to disease and reduced energy production. Finally, it's important to note that insulin sensitivity is necessary for optimum glucose utilization and the activation of the pentose phosphate pathway.
Glucuronic Acid Pathway (or Uronic Acid Pathway)
The glucuronic acid pathway, or as it is called, uronic acid pathway, is also derived from glucose metabolism, mostly in the liver. Its active compound UDP glucuronic acid is a co-enzyme responsible for binding with toxins to facilitate their elimination. In that respect, UDP glucuronate conjugates with endotoxins such as bilrubine (a toxin metabolite of hemoglobin and dietary meat) as well as sulphoric acid and thereby protects the body from endotoxicity and exposure to carcinogens.
SIDEBAR: Meat Eaters and Coffee Drinkers
Meat eaters and coffee drinkers should be aware of the important role that glucuronate plays in overall detox, in particular with regard to the digestion and assimilation of animal protein and the neutralization of coffee acid toxin compounds.
The Uronic Acid Pathway is a primal evolutionary metabolic process that initially synthesizes Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in mammals, except in primates including humans. Nevertheless, UDP glucuronic acid's primal actions include:
- The transport of fat soluble hormones and substances to target tissues for subsequent release
- The production of proteoglycans and glycoconjugated compounds such as glucosamine glycan and glycoproteins, which perform critical immune and hormonal signaling functions on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. Some proteoglycans serve as growth factor receptors.
The uronic acid pathway also regulates the production of sphingolipids (lipids which are based on a lipophilic amino alcohol backbone rather than glycerol). Sphingolipids play an important role in transduction signals, protection against toxins, viruses and bacteria, activation of cell receptors and neuroprotective actions. The glucuronic acid pathway functions depend on the pentose phosphate pathway and therefore depends on overall glucose metabolism. Evidently, both pathways' optimal actions requires sufficient dietary carb utilization.
In summary, dietary carbs and glucose utilization go far beyond just sheer energy production. Chronic carb or calorie over restrictions may help one lose fat in the short run. However, in the long run, such dietary methods may diminish the essentially important pentose phosphate pathway with its related UDP glucuronic acid functions and thereby adversely affect critical metabolic processes including steroid hormone synthesis, nucleic acid and nucleotides production, tissue repair, removal of toxins and overall generation of energy.
Bodybuilders and athletes should never overlook the important role of carb utilization in muscular development and overall performance. Nonetheless, the question remains - how can one practically consume carbs in order to maximize all the beneficial effects without causing insulin resistance or fat gain?
How To Take Advantage of Dietary Carbs for Building Lean Tissue, Removing Toxins, Burning Fat and Igniting Maximum Energy
- Avoid prolonged low calorie or crash diets to grant sufficient energy supply necessary for optimum function of the pentose phosphate pathway and the related uronic acid pathway
- Avoid chronic carb over restriction due to prolonged very low or no carb diets. Insufficient carb utilization may adversely affect the pentose phosphate pathway and its related UDP glucuronic acid functions.
- Limit your carb consumption to one meal per day, preferably at night. That way you may be able to keep high insulin sensitivity toward the end of the day and thereby afford optimum carb utilization.
- You can opt to cycle between days of low carbs and days of moderate to high carbs. This method could be highly effective in protecting against insulin resistance and preventing fat gain, while maximizing carb utilization for overall regeneration of tissue and ignition of energy. For instance, you can incorporate a high carb day followed by two days of low carbs (high fat), followed by a moderate carb day, followed by a low carb high protein day, and so on.
- Minimize simple carb consumption. Prioritize your dietary carb intake. Always choose complex carbs with low a glycemic index and those that are naturally high in fiber. The best choices for carb food are legumes, roots, squashes, barley, oats, wild rice and quinoa. Whole complex carb food releases glucose at a slower rate than simple carb food and therefore may afford better glucose utilization with a decreased risk of insulin and blood sugar fluctuation.
- Do not eat carbs alone, in particular grains or roots. Always combine these carbs with protein or fat to decrease their glycemic effect. Carbs alone may provoke an insulin spike and a consequent low blood sugar with symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, irritability, headaches and a craving for sweets. Bodybuilders and athletes should carefully design their pre-workout recovery meals to contain a high ratio of protein to carbs.
- Eating low glycemic whole fruits such as apples, berries or kiwis on an empty stomach is ok. Nonetheless, it is highly recommended to squeeze lime or lemon juice on the top. Acid slows the rate of carb absorption. The fiber in whole fruits significantly reduces the sugar impact and effectively enhances overall detox.
- Take multivitamin and multimineral supplements as well as EFAs to facilitate optimum assimilation of all essential nutrients. A lack of even one essential nutrient may lead to severe metabolic impairment and compromise the ability of the body to utilize glucose and energy. B vitamins, in particular, are precursors to co-enzymes, which are vitally important for glucose and energy utilization. Antioxidants are necessary for protection against oxidative free radicals and overall detox. Note that active individuals, including bodybuilders and athletes, need to increase essential nutrients and antioxidant intake due to higher food consumption and increased oxygenation with their respective waste and toxin metabolites.
Dietary carbs should be regarded as a double edge sword. Nonetheless, in times of so much confusion as to what to eat and how much, it's important to present another way of looking at food, including carbohydrate-rich foods.
Food should be regarded as a source of complete nourishment and as
such, it should satisfy three requirements:
- Food should supply all essential and conditionally essential nutrients
- Food should be clean of chemical toxins. It should smell and taste well and be fully digestible.
- Food should supply an optimal amount of energy substrates (including glucose) to satisfy the body's metabolic needs. Optimum means: the right amount needed - no less, no more!
Dietary carbs are a most viable source of conditionally essential glucose as well as fiber, minerals, oils and phytonutrients. Carbs add unique taste, smell and aroma to food and are considered the cleanest and most digestible fuel. One should never dismiss the importance of smell, taste and overall satiety from food. Hunger and satiety mark the presence of most powerful neuropeptides that aside from regulating feeding cycles, also regulate hormonal secretion, sleep-awake cycles, aggression and relaxation, regeneration of tissues (growth), overall energy expenditure and rate of fat burning.
From that aspect, both sensation of hunger and satisfaction from food are necessary for maximum nourishment. Food works as a source of nutrients and also as a neurocatalyst for other numerous critical metabolic functions that regulate the rate of growth, fat burning and energy production. Chronically over restricting or eliminating dietary carbs from one's diet may lead to severe consequences including hormonal and neural impairments, stunted growth, sluggish metabolism and advanced aging, notwithstanding chronic hunger, in particular craving for sweets, mood swings, depression and fatigue.
Saying all that, carbs should always be treated as the fastest to assimilate and most aggressive component of food. As noted, they should never be consumed too often during the day to avoid insulin resistance and blood sugar fluctuation.
Finally, use your instincts and common sense. Through trial and error, you can find the right amount of carbs that your body needs. Using old dietary methods such as carb depletion followed by carb the loading will enable you to periodically consume a large amount of carbs without gaining fat. Remember, what you see is what you get, and in a related matter, what looks good, smells good and tastes good is generally good.
Regardless of what many low carb advocates say, our human body is well preprogrammed to ingest and utilize carbs. Therefore, chronically over restricting or avoiding carbs may be biologically perceived by the body as a suppression of a primal need. When you go against your true nature, your body may come back with a vengeance to reclaim what was taken away from it, and it will do so by inducing an excruciating hunger with a chronic cravings for sweets, that often leads to compulsive binging on carbs and undesirable fat gain. Do not deny your body from its primal need to eat carbs. Do not tempt to fool your body with carb substitutes and artificial sweeteners. Nothing can take the place of real dietary carbs and their critical function in your body.
NOTE: People suffering from diabetes and blood sugar related problems should consult their physician or health professional before adopting any dietary regimen.
||Ori Hofmekler is a modern renaissance man whose formative military experience prompted a life interest in survival science. Defense Nutrition's mission is to help people defend themselves against industrial and natural substances known for causing weight gain, hormonal disorders and cancer. Find out more at www.DefenseNutrition.com | <urn:uuid:5caed47f-54d6-4e71-9d18-6f1bba4ee1bf> | {
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National Alliance on Mental Illness
page printed from http://www.nami.org/
(800) 950-NAMI; [email protected]
Using Virtual Reality to Treat PTSD
Dr. Robert McLay with some of the virtual reality equipment used for treatment. Courtesy of Johns Hopkins University Press
By Taylor Poor, NAMI Education Program Coordinator
Dr. Robert N. McLay’s recent book, At War with PTSD: Battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Virtual Reality (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012), offers a valuable lesson about treating people rather than diseases. After all, as the author says, “doing mental health is not just about biology.”
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder associated with the direct or indirect experience of a traumatic event, and often involves memory disturbances, emotional detachment, hypervigilance (abnormally increased arousal) or insomnia. Though soldiers have endured the psychological consequences of armed combat for millennia, PTSD has gained credence only recently as a biological disease with a potentially measurable impact on the brain, a disease that can occur at any age, following any type of traumatic experience, from assault or rape to war or a natural disaster. But the increase of PTSD’s validity as a clinical diagnosis does not protect service members and veterans from the shame of the stigma they face from comrades-in-arms—and from the civilian population once they return home.
At War with PTSD: Battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Virtual Reality
By Robert N. McLay
Dr. McLay emphasizes the importance of looking at where patients are coming from before starting treatment, whether that’s the battlefield, a prison, or a home with domestic abuse. He draws from countless individual testimonies (“psychiatric fables”) to illustrate the diversity of patients who are looking for different solutions and who require different approaches. Maybe the same basic treatment techniques will find success with both service members and non-service members experiencing PTSD, but for those service members, the idea that “somebody else gets it” is important; it’s helpful to talk to a military psychiatrist rather than a civilian doctor.
However, the distinction between combat PTSD and other types of PTSD isn’t necessarily clinical. Dr. McLay explains that combat PTSD is typically a version of “complex PTSD,” involving multiple, compounded traumatic incidents; unlike “simple PTSD,” which involves a single incident. However, the unique components of combat trauma, combined with the military atmosphere (“no problem marines can’t solve by more yelling”), demand a fine-tuned and circumspect treatment approach.
Dr. McLay always intended to join the military as a scientist, but “put it on the back burner” while at work on his B.A., M.A., Ph.D. and M.D. When the Navy offered him a job, he found the perfect arena for his psychiatric expertise: directing development programs for new technology to assist service members experiencing the stress of deployment. In 2008, he took a virtual reality machine with him on deployment to Camp Fallujah, Iraq, where he tested the effectiveness of virtual reality therapy on soldiers living with PTSD in the field. From the service members he treated, he learned about the values of confronting traumatic experiences head-on, through reconstructed combat landscapes, as well as the limitations of any form of treatment in the face of stigma and skepticism.
At the end of his book, Dr. McLay talks about the future of PTSD treatment for service members. He asks about two components of this future: reduction in stigma and scientific improvements in treatment.
Regarding stigma, the current landscape remains bleak: the world of psychiatric treatment for military veterans is a murky swamp of “perverse incentives”, Dr. McLay explained on the phone at the end of October. On the one hand, he believes initiatives to officially grant service members with PTSD eligibility for prestigious honors such as the Purple Heart (an unsuccessful political cause since World War I, and one NAMI supports) are well-intentioned efforts to reward bravery and to recognize that PTSD represents a real war wound, thereby reducing stigma.
However, Dr. McLay also believes that the difficulties of separating valid PTSD cases from “malingering”—faking illness to avoid duty—mean awarding the Purple Heart for PTSD could in fact worsen stigma as an unintended consequence. Meanwhile, service members who face discrimination when they apply for disability benefits without a visible wound are unlikely to then seek treatment, and thus possibly lose those hard-won benefits.
On the other hand, continuing advances in research and technology paint a brighter picture. Dr. McLay has cautiously gained confidence in virtual reality treatments since his return to the U.S., but is “convinced VR is not going to solve all our problems.” Other promising possibilities include: stellate ganglion block, or an anesthetic injection to a spinal nerve cluster that alleviates pain and some other PTSD symptoms; transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which involves producing weak electric currents in the brain; and “third location”, or staged, decompression, where instead of being transported straight back into civilian society, service members returning from duty can spend a period of time in a non-combat zone outside of their home country. All of these techniques serve to widen the array of treatment options that can be personalized to reflect an individual patient’s hopes and priorities.
The reason Dr. McLay’s book doesn’t feel like the typical treatise on a controversial mental health diagnosis is his unassuming tone. There is no pedagogy about symptomatology or the complexities of PTSD: he seems to be simply taking the reader along for the ride as he figures out the answers—or some possible answers, at least—to the very questions he’s just asked in the text. His final message, which he reiterates on the phone, is similarly simple: the only way to reduce stigma is “to get the word out” about mental illness, and particularly PTSD. With the help of accessible, informative and compelling books like At War With PTSD, that goal seems more reachable than ever. | <urn:uuid:7566d068-ecba-48f5-82b3-5baad7f408b5> | {
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NAMI’s Position (Summarized from the NAMI Policy Platform)
Treatment, not punishment:
NAMI believes that persons who have committed offenses due to states of mind or behavior caused by a brain disorder require treatment, not punishment. NAMI believes that a prison or jail is never an optimal therapeutic setting. NAMI believes that mental health systems have an obligation to develop and implement systems of appropriate care for individuals whose untreated brain disorders may cause them to engage in inappropriate or criminal behaviors.
Treatment while in correctional settings:
NAMI believes that states and communities have legal and ethical obligations to provide people with brain disorders humane and effective treatment while in correctional settings.
Training and education:
NAMI believes that education about brain disorders at all levels of judicial and legal systems is crucial to the appropriate disposition of cases involving offenders with brain disorders. Judges, lawyers, police officers, correctional officers, parole and probation officers, law enforcement personnel, court officers, and emergency medical transport and service personnel should be required to complete at least 20 hours of training about these disorders. Consumers and family members should be a part of this educational process.
NAMI believes that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, dangerous or violent acts committed by persons with brain disorders are the result of neglect or inappropriate or inadequate treatment of their illness.
NAMI supports the retention of the "insanity defense" and favors the two-prong test that includes the volitional as well as the cognitive standard. NAMI opposes the adoption of "guilty but mentally ill" statutes. NAMI supports systems that provide comprehensive, long-term care and supervision in hospitals and in the community to individuals found "not guilty by reason of insanity," "guilty except for insanity, or any other similar terminology used in state statutes pertaining to the insanity defense.
Parole and probation, transitional services:
NAMI believes that states must adopt systems for assisting individuals with serious brain disorders who have served sentences and are eligible for release on parole with appropriate treatment and services to aid their transition back into the community.
NAMI opposes the death penalty for persons with brain disorders.
The "Criminalization" Trend Is Today Worse Than Ever
In 1992, NAMI and Public Citizen’s Health Research Group released a report, entitled Criminalizing the Seriously Mentally Ill: The Abuse of Jails as Mental Hospitals, which revealed alarmingly high numbers of people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illnesses incarcerated in jails across the country. Most of these people had not committed major crimes, but either had been charged with misdemeanors or minor felonies directly related to the symptoms of their untreated mental illnesses, or had been charged with no crimes at all. Unfortunately, the problems described in that report have worsened in the ensuing years.
A report issued by the United States Department of Justice in 1999 revealed that 16 percent of all inmates in state and federal jails and prisons have schizophrenia, manic depressive illness (bipolar disorder), major depression, or another severe mental illness. This means that on any given day, there are roughly 283,000 persons with severe mental illnesses incarcerated in federal and state jails and prisons. In contrast, there are approximately 70,000 persons with severe mental illnesses in public psychiatric hospitals, and 30 percent of them are forensic patients. Additionally, police are increasingly becoming front-line respondents to people with severe mental illnesses experiencing crises in the community.
Conditions in jails and prisons are often terrifying for people with severe mental illnesses. These settings are not conducive to effectively treating people with these brain disorders. Many correctional facilities do not have qualified mental health professionals on staff to recognize and respond to the needs of inmates experiencing severe psychiatric symptoms. Correctional facilities frequently respond to psychotic inmates by punishing them or placing them in physical restraints or administrative segregation (isolation), responses that may exacerbate rather than alleviate their symptoms. Inmates with severe mental illnesses usually do not have access to newer, state-of-the-art, atypical antipsychotic drugs because of the costs of these medications. Federal and state prisons generally do not have adequate rehabilitative services available for inmates with severe mental illnesses to aid them in their transition back into communities.
These alarming trends are directly related to the inadequacies of community mental health systems and services. The widespread adoption of systems with proven effectiveness in addressing the needs of people with the most severe mental illnesses, such as assertive community treatment programs, would sharply decrease the numbers of people with severe mental illnesses involved in criminal justice systems. However, since these programs are available only sporadically throughout the country, NAMI’s strategies for reducing criminalization focuses both on improving community mental health services and on addressing the treatment and support needs of people with severe mental illnesses in criminal justice systems.
Strategies for Reducing the Criminalization of People with Severe Mental Illnesses:
NAMI is pursuing the following strategies for reducing the criminalization of people with severe mental illnesses:
Adopting programs such as the Memphis Police Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program to train police officers who come into contact with people with severe mental illnesses in the community to recognize the signs and symptoms of these illnesses and to respond effectively and appropriately to people who are experiencing psychiatric crises.
Creating authority in state criminal codes for judges to divert non-violent offenders with severe mental illnesses away from incarceration into appropriate treatment. This includes authority for judges to defer entries of judgment pending completion of treatment programs and to dismiss charges and expunge the records of individuals who successfully complete treatment programs.
Establishing specialty "mental health courts" to hear all cases involving individuals with severe mental illnesses charged with misdemeanors or non-violent felonies, with the purpose of diverting as many of these cases as possible away from criminal incarceration into appropriate mental health treatment and services. In 2000, Congress enacted and President Clinton signed into law S. 1865, a bill authorizing grants to communities to establish demonstration mental health courts. However, the bill was enacted too late in the legislative cycle to obtain funding for these courts. Therefore, one of NAMI’s priorities for the year 2001 is to ensure that Congress appropriates funds for the implementation of S. 1865.
Training probate, civil, and criminal court judges and personnel about severe mental illnesses and legal issues affecting people with these illnesses.
Creating specialized divisions or units within departments of parole and probation with specific responsibility for coordinating and administering services for people with severe mental illnesses who are on probation.
Providing specialized training to parole officers about severe mental illnesses, the needs of people with these illnesses on probation, and treatment resources and benefits available to these individuals.
For more information about NAMI’s activities on this issue or other policy areas, please call Ron Honberg at 703/516-7972. All media representatives, please call NAMI’s communications staff at 703/516-7961. | <urn:uuid:f046bac7-e9d1-4ba2-918b-e9ecd16db990> | {
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Joined: 16 Mar 2004
|Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 11:36 am Post subject: Assembly lines for nanotechnology.
|24 August 2007 RSC Publishing - Chemical Technology
Nano production lines
Researchers in Switzerland have built nanoscale cargo loading stations and shuttles, an important step towards assembly lines for nanotechnology.
Drawing of a nano conveyor belt
Biological assembly lines consist of kinesin proteins which carry cargo, like organelles or vesicles, and literally walk along microtubules. However, as far as man-made systems go, 'nothing comparable to a macroscopic assembly line exists at the nanoscale,' according to Viola Vogel of the Department of Materials at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. 'Imagine if you wanted to build a car by fabricating all of its components, putting them in a glass full of water and hoping that they would self-assemble spontaneously into the finished car.'
The challenge is to tune the interactions in the system so that the cargo remains stuck to the station when not needed, but can be picked up easily by the shuttle. As a test of principle, Vogel and colleagues used gold nanoparticles coated in anti-biotin antibodies as cargo, and compared loading stations made of biotin-tipped DNA with biotin-tipped polyethylene glycol. Biotinylated microtubules, powered by kinesin motors, act as shuttles rather than conveyor belts, as they do in cells.
Vogel and team then tracked the fate of the gold nanoparticles with scanning electron microscopy. They found that the shuttles did indeed pick up the nanoparticles and that they held on to them, with a loss rate of about 28% over 12 minutes. They also found that DNA stations are more effective than polymer ones.
'Future challenges will be to combine the main components of a transport system: pick-up of cargo from defined locations, guided transport, and controlled discharge of the load at the final destination,' commented Vogel. She went on to caution: 'The problems are always in the details of working through the engineering challenges of interfacing biological molecules with synthetic devices.'
Story posted: 24th August 2007 | <urn:uuid:21df35ea-b78d-400a-9ded-412d6c7d5521> | {
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Another Tropical Cyclone Developing
Hurricane Season 2012: Tropical System 92E (Eastern Pacific Ocean)
While Tropical storm Aletta is forecast to weaken and dissipate another tropical cyclone appears to be forming in the eastern Pacific south of Acapulco, Mexico. The TRMM satellite passed above this tropical disturbance (92E) on 18 May 2012 at 0957 UTC. Data captured with this pass by TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments were used in the rainfall analysis shown. This analysis indicates that this area contained very heavy rainfall in the northeastern quadrant of the disturbance. Some storms were producing rainfall at a rate of over 50 mm/hr (~2 inches).
A 3-D image from TRMM PR shows that a few of these strong convective storms reached heights of about 15km (~9.3 miles). Radar reflectivity values of over 50 dBz found by TRMM PR in this stormy area provided more evidence that heavy rainfall was occurring. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) assigned this disturbed area a 40% probability of becoming a tropical cyclone within the 48 hours. It would be named Bud.
SSAI/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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Materials Science Research Rack Heats Up For Valuable Space Station Science
Have you ever wondered how we develop new materials or find out what properties we can change in existing materials to improve them? Scientists and researchers at NASA are doing just that through materials science research using the Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR
) aboard the International Space Station
Materials science research is the applied study of the properties of matter and substances. This type of research in space benefits from the microgravity environment, and it allows researchers to isolate chemical and thermal properties of materials from the effects of gravity.
The MSRR is about the size of a large refrigerator and contains two furnace inserts that can heat materials to temperatures of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Cartridges are placed inside the furnace insert one at a time for processing. Once a cartridge is in place, the experiment can be run from the ground. Processed samples are returned to Earth as soon as possible for evaluation and comparison of their properties to samples from similarly processed cartridges on the ground. Researchers have used the rack to process 16 samples of different materials since the facility launched to the space station in 2009.
In late 2011, there was a loss of communications between the MSRR and the computer that controls it. The automatic safety procedures on the rack caused it to shut down as designed; but, in doing so, it also caused the temperatures inside the furnace to exceed their normal limits. These higher temperatures caused some of the material inside the furnace to become bonded to the furnace itself. This required the station crew to clean the furnace and remove the materials.
To prevent such an event from happening again, Shawn Reagan, manager of the MSRR project at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and his team worked with Marshall engineers to design a software upgrade for the MSRR. This update will prevent this scenario from occurring in the future, allowing the facility to begin processing samples again.
"The MSRR has been a great tool in understanding how different materials like ceramics or metals react when heat is applied to them in space," said Reagan. "The original design of the software that controls the MSRR called for it to shut down within 30 seconds of losing communications from the main computer that controls it. Through our experience over the last several years on how the MSRR operates, we were able to design a much more efficient software program that will allow the furnace to stay operating for up to three hours after losing communications. This will give researchers enough time to troubleshoot any problems and prevent any contamination of the furnace due to overheating of materials."
Getting the MSRR back online is important because applied materials science is essential for the development of new, safer, stronger and more durable materials for use throughout everyday life. One of the goals of performing research in space is to gain a better understanding of the role of gravity in the microstructural development during solidification.
One of the first experiments
performed on the MSRR melted and solidified an aluminum and silicon alloy. This type of processing typically is used for producing commercially important products such as high temperature turbine blades.
The MSRR was fired up on Jan. 23 and began its work processing the first of 11 new samples that will be tested over the next several months.
"Everything looks great and the first sample was processed successfully," said Reagan. "We are really proud of our team for working through these issues with the MSRR and designing this software to make it work even better. This is what science is all about -- working through challenges and coming out of those with an even better product."
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Talking Points on the Environment #14
Checklist for Endangered Species Act Reform
Congress will soon take up the issue of Endangered Species Act reform.
Before Congress can devise a species protection plan that will work for all
species -- both humans and wildlife -- it must first:
- Realize that the American people want genuine species protection and that
an incentive-based plan must be devised. While most Americans would object to
the excesses of the current Endangered Species Act -- excessive protections
afforded the Flat-Spired Snail, for example -- most favor some form of
protection for the most valued species. The best way to protect these species
while protecting individual liberty is through a voluntary, incentive-based
- Recognize that the current Endangered Species Act has failed. Some 900
plants and animals are currently listed as either "endangered" or "threatened"
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and nearly 4,000 other species are
either candidates for future listing or are in the process of being listed.
Since the ESA's inception 21 years ago, only 27 species have managed to get off
the "endangered" list. Of these, seven were delisted due to
extinction. The remaining delistings were due to "data error"
(meaning the species was wrongly listed in the first place), court orders, or
species improvement unrelated to the ESA. The ESA has failed at its central
mission -- protecting and recovering endangered and threatened species.
- Understand why the Endangered Species Act has failed. The ESA has failed
because it creates perverse incentives that actually encourage the destruction
of species habitat. Under the ESA, private landowners can be barred from
engaging in activities such as farming if their property is identified as
potential habitat for an endangered species. Since the government offers no
compensation for either the revenue or property value losses that result,
landowners have an incentive to make sure their land will not attract species.
They also have an incentive to harvest whatever natural resources their land
possesses quickly while they still have access to them, damaging habitat in the
- Accept that a goal of reform is to eliminate injustice, not simply to
limit that injustice to a relative few. The ESA is fundamentally flawed and
should be replaced. Piecemeal reforms -- those that simply tinker with
existing law -- will do little to protect endangered species and little to help
those who have been forced to foot the bill for what is essentially a public
good. A species protection plan that protects both species and individuals'
constitutionally-guaranteed private property rights is possible. But
protection of property rights must be absolute: Reforms that solve some of the
ESA's problems while continuing to place an unjust burden on small numbers of
politically-powerless Americans is unethical and doomed to failure.
Recommendations developed based on information from David Ridenour of The
National Center for Public Policy Research; Myron Ebell, formerly of the
American Land Rights Association; John Shanahan of The Heritage Foundation; "Perverse
Incentives and Endangered Species," by Brian Seasholes of the Competitive
Enterprise Institute, The Washington Times, April 6, 1995; and NWI Resource ,
Issue Date: April 12, 1995
Talking Points on the Economy: Environment #14, published by The National
Center for Public Policy Research, 501 Capitol Ct NE, Washington, D.C.
20002 Tel. (202) 543-4110, Fax (202)543-5975, [email protected],
http://www.nationalcenter/inter.net. For more information about Talking Points
on the Economy: Environment #14 contact Bob Adams at 202/543-4110 or
<<< Return to the Science and Environment
<<< Return to the Talking Points on the
Environment Cards Page
<<< Return to the NCPPR Home Page | <urn:uuid:9000c275-8c63-4699-8513-2532ed985c4f> | {
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When James III was killed at Sauchieburn, his fifteen-year-old son James IV succeeded him. He had been the rebels? assumed figurehead, and for his indirect role in his father?s death James decided to wear a heavy iron belt for the rest of his life. A highly intelligent man, James IV proved an effective ruler. He spoke many languages and took an interest in literature, science and law. Determined to establish strong central leadership he suppressed the Lordship of the Isles and created a powerful navy. In 1503 he married the English king?s daughter, Margaret Tudor, in an attempt to create peace between the two countries. However, when England invaded France, James felt obliged to assist his old ally. He confronted the English army in 1513 but was killed in the disastrous battle of Flodden. | <urn:uuid:9cb1251a-6c02-43e6-93ea-3ebedad82bc7> | {
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by William Wasden Jr.
Introduction by Cle–alls (Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelly)
The potlatch is the traditional way that North America's northwest Aboriginal people have always celebrated important events. Potlatches are the gatherings at which communities install chiefs, adopt new family members, make peace and more. These lavish affairs include feasting, speeches, gift–giving, songs and dances. But, between 1884 and 1951, the Canadian government outlawed our potlatches. Since then, slowly, very slowly, we have begun anew to openly conduct these crucial celebrations and all that goes with them.
Non–Aboriginal authorities also attempted to nullify our ability to identify ourselves in our own words. Now, many of us are reviving our traditional names, both individuals and entire nations. As a Haida, my Taas Laanaagaas clan (Sandy Beach People) gave me the name of my grandfather, the Rev. Minister Peter Kelly: Cle–alls (Fireweed, or the Orator). That name is an immense honour. But it is an equally immense responsibility. I use Cle–alls daily now and prefer it to my English name. A growing number of people in our region do the same.
Years ago, the great Professor Franz Boas (1858–1942) and his eminent disciples laboured long and hard to document our languages and cultures. I, for one, appreciate their efforts. However, even those well–meaning people made mistakes. For example, Professor Boas called one First Nation the Kwaguił. But, the proper name that covers all those people is Kwakwaka'wakw.
Also, see how I have spelled Kwagu'ł? The "ł" symbol refers to a special sound that is like a breathy 't' and 'l' combined into one. But, it does not occur in English, so Professor Boas chose to write the ł as "tl". It is as close as an English–only keyboard can get.
The ł sound suggests an important truth: Northwest coastal Aboriginal languages, dances, songs, stories, sounds, words and meanings belong solely to our peoples. We treat them as heirlooms, as other North Americans regard gold, silver, or diamonds. Northwest cultures are unique to the Kwakwaka'wakw nation and its neighbors, the Salish, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Nisga'a and my own people, the Haida.
That is one reason why not only we but the entire world must do everything possible to keep these languages, songs, dances and stories alive. If they die, our people and our children – and the human race – will lose something that no one can ever recover. Our languages, celebrations and traditions define who we are, and they keep our heritages alive.
They are our lifeblood.
How'a and How'a sta,
Cle–alls (Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelly)
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(NaturalNews) Contamination of water supplies and illegal use of veterinary drugs has led to the severe contamination of Chinese fish farms, with potentially serious health consequences for those who eat the fish.
China produces 70 percent of the world's farmed fish, and since the 1980s has become the biggest seafood exporter in the world. Yet this growth has only exacerbated the pollution problems already facing China's water sources. The high density of fish farms in regions like the Fuqing Province in the south has led to the discharge of huge quantities of wastewater into already compromised rivers.
"Our waters here are filthy," said Ye Chao, an eel and shrimp farmer from Fuqing. "There are simply too many aquaculture farms in this area. They're all discharging water here, fouling up other farms."
The Chinese government has declared more than half of the rivers in the country too polluted to drink from. Many sections of Fuqing's major waterway, the Long River, have been declared too toxic for any use.
Pollution of river and coastal waters comes from rapidly growing industries that are discharging pesticides, oil, mercury, lead, copper and agricultural runoff. This pollution has caused massive die-offs at fish farms, leading farmers to illegally mix veterinary drugs into their ponds to try and keep their fish alive. According to farmers who eventually abandoned such practices, not using drugs led to an immediate 30 percent increase in fish mortality.
Beyond the health risks to the fish
themselves, pollution causes the accumulation of toxic substances in the bodies of the fish, which poses a health risk to people who eat them.
"There are heavy metals, mercury and flame retardants in fish samples we've tested," said Ming Hung Wong, a biology at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Wang Wu, a professor from the Shanghai Fisheries University, attributes the problem to unbridled growth. "For 50 years, we've blindly emphasized economic growth," he said. "The only pursuit has been GDP, and now we can see that the water turns dirty and the seafood gets dangerous."
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
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National Scenic Riverway
Wisconsin & Minnesota
Free flowing and unpolluted, the Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers flow through some of the most scenic and least developed country in the Upper Midwest. Today 405 kilometers (252 miles) of these rivers are preserved as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, which includes the Namekagon, was established in 1968 as one of the original eight rivers under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway was added to the system in 1972. Together they form a Riverway that offers outdoor enthusiasts achance to enjoy a wilderness-like experience and a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities within easy reach of a major metropolitan area. On the upper St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers rapids challenge the canoeist, although none of the Riverway's waters are classified as whitewater. At the lower end, where the river widens out as Lake St. Croix, power and sail boating are popular. Campers, picnickers, swimmers, and birdwatchers enjoy its variety of scenes throughout. Anglers are attracted by the variety of fish lurking in the rivers, from trout and bass to muskellunge and sturgeon. The Riverway is managed through the cooperative efforts of
- the National Park Service,
- the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, and
- the Northern States Power Company.
Upper St. Croix and Namekagon
The upper St. Croix and Namekagon part of the Riverway offers varied canoe environments on 322 kilometers (200 miles) of rivers. The Namekagon River begins at Namekagon Lake dam. It lies entirely in Wisconsin, flowing 158 kilometers (98 miles) south and west to join the St. Croix River near Danbury. The Namekagon begins as a narrow trout stream closed in by forest and meanders through a wide valley for much of its length. The river occasionally widens into marshy or swamp-like areas popular for waterfowl watching. The lower Namekagon passes through an area of high sandy banks with many sharp bends. This stretch offers canoeists a wilderness-like experience because there is no development visible from the river. At four areas, dams form lake-like stretches called flowages. You can end canoe trips above these flowages, to avoid the slack water, or sort below the dams, to avoid having to portage.
The St. Croix River is designated as the St. Croix River National Scenic Riverway starting at a dam near Gordon, Wisconsin. It flows southerly for 164 kilometers (102 miles) to the dam at St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. It lies in Wisconsin for its first 40 kilometers (25 miles) and then becomes the border river between Minnesota and Wisconsin until it flows into the Mississippi River. The St. Croix begins as a small spring. It is narrow and shallow until joined by its major tributary, the Namekagon, 32 kilometers (20 miles) downstream. It then becomes wider, deeper, and slower. For most of its length it flows through a wide valley with low banks, formed by the glacial activity that shaped both rivers' watersheds. The St. Croix passes two Minnesota State Parks that provide developed camping areas. (The Namekagon and upper St. Croix offer primitive sites). The upper Riverway’s last 16 kilometers (10 miles) are the Indianhead Flowage created by the 18-meter-(60-foot) high St. Croix Falls hydroelectric dam. Most canoeists take out upstream of the flowage to avoid the slack water. Small powerboat activities such as water skiing and deeper-water fishing take place on this flowage.
Many low and medium hazard rapids and a few high hazard rapids exist on the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers, but they are not considered whitewater rivers. Recreation here includes fishing, hunting, inner tubing, picnicking, and canoeing, with small powerboating on the flowages. Most camping is at canoe-access primitive sites. Recreational vehicle camping areas can be found within the state parks or private campgrounds located near the Riverway.
Lower St. Croix
The Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway covers a narrow river and shoreline corridor for 84 kilometers (52 miles) from St. Croix Falls dam to Prescott, Wisconsin, where the river joins the Mississippi. The lower St. Croix is wider, deeper, and slower than the upper, its flow controlled by the hydroelectric dam at its upstream end. Downstream of the dam are the high cliffs of the Dalles, which formed as meltwaters from retreating glaciers cut a deep, vertical-walled gorge through bedrock. For about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) here the St. Croix, in places 21-30 meters (70-100 feet) deep, flows its fastest. The Dalles mostly lie within two Interstate State Parks. Both offer short hiking trails to geologic features, and developed campgrounds, swimming beaches, picnic areas, and boat launch ramps. On the Minnesota side you can rent a canoe or take a boat tour to see the scenic Dalles from the best vantage point, right on the water.
As it leaves the Dalles, the river becomes wider and shallower and passes between high banks for the next 32 kilometers (20 miles). Although development is visible from the water for 24 kilometers (15 miles) on this stretch, it is popular with canoeists. The shallower water, lack of rapids, and absence of large powerboat waves make it suitable for beginning canoeists.
About 35 kilometers (22 miles) below the dam the Apple River flows into the St. Croix, creating a large sandbar. Near here the river becomes deeper and slower-moving. Large powerboating becomes the major use. Forty-three kilometers (27 miles) downstream the valley widens still more and, for the last 40 kilometers (25 miles) of Riverway, the river is known as Lake St. Croix. Here you enter the state-administered area. From near Stillwater, Minnesota, the Riverway's largest city, south to Afton, Minnesota, shoreline development is more visible and the area is classified recreational. Near Hudson, Wisconsin, south of Stillwater, the river reaches its maximum width, 2,255 meters (7,400 feet) and sail-boating predominates. Further south the river passes two developing state parks, one on either side.
The General park map handed out at the visitor center is available on the park's map webpage.For information about topographic maps, geologic maps, and geologic data sets, please see the geologic maps page.
A geology photo album has not been prepared for this park.For information on other photo collections featuring National Park geology, please see the Image Sources page.
Currently, we do not have a listing for a park-specific geoscience book. The park's geology may be described in regional or state geology texts.
Parks and Plates: The Geology of Our National Parks, Monuments & Seashores.
Lillie, Robert J., 2005.
W.W. Norton and Company.
9" x 10.75", paperback, 550 pages, full color throughout
The spectacular geology in our national parks provides the answers to many questions about the Earth. The answers can be appreciated through plate tectonics, an exciting way to understand the ongoing natural processes that sculpt our landscape. Parks and Plates is a visual and scientific voyage of discovery!
Ordering from your National Park Cooperative Associations' bookstores helps to support programs in the parks. Please visit the bookstore locator for park books and much more.
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway still has much to learn about the Riverway and the species that inhabit it. Park staff and researchers set up studies to establish baseline inventories and monitor population trends. Inventories are a snapshot in time of a particular population. Monitoring looks at those populations and track how they change over time.
Information about the park's research program is available on the park's research webpage.
For information about permits that are required for conducting geologic research activities in National Parks, see the Permits Information page.
The NPS maintains a searchable data base of research needs that have been identified by parks.
A bibliography of geologic references is being prepared for each park through the Geologic Resources Evaluation Program (GRE). Please see the GRE website for more information and contacts.
NPS Geology and Soils PartnersAssociation of American State Geologists
Geological Society of America
Natural Resource Conservation Service - Soils
U.S. Geological Survey
General information about the park's education and intrepretive programs is available on the park's education webpage.For resources and information on teaching geology using National Park examples, see the Students & Teachers pages. | <urn:uuid:8e35b852-36a3-4ac1-96f2-2d5ca80b4088> | {
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EVEN a material 10 billion times as strong as steel has a breaking point. It seems neutron stars may shatter under extreme forces, explaining puzzling X-ray flares.
Neutron stars are dense remnants of stars gone supernova, packing the mass of the sun into a sphere the size of a city. Their cores may be fluid, but their outer surfaces are solid and extremely tough - making graphene, the strongest material on Earth, look like tissue paper by comparison.
These shells may shatter, though, in the final few seconds before a pair of neutron stars merges to form a black hole - a union thought to generate explosions known as short gamma-ray bursts.
David Tsang of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and colleagues have calculated how the mutual gravitational pull of such stars will distort their shape, creating moving tidal bulges. As the stars spiral towards each other, orbiting ever faster, they squeeze and stretch each other ever faster too.
A few seconds before the stars merge, the frequency of this squeezing and stretching matches the frequency at which one of the stars vibrates most easily. This creates a resonance that boosts the vibrations dramatically, causing the star's crust to crack in many places - just as a wine glass may shatter when a certain note is sung, the team says (Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.108.011102).
The star's gravity is too powerful to let the pieces fly away, but the sudden movement can disturb its magnetic field, accelerating electrons and leading to a powerful X-ray flare. That could explain observations by NASA's Swift satellite in which a blast of X-rays preceded some short gamma-ray bursts by a few seconds.
Combining observations of X-ray flares with those of gravitational waves emitted by the stars as they spiral together could fix the exact frequency at which the shattering occurs, which would reveal more about the stars' mysterious interiors, says Tsang.
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Have your say
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article | <urn:uuid:dde9296d-febe-4cf0-8ed1-a0f99cdc6029> | {
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HOW TO LEARN 5000 WORDS
1. Choose your level for easy English news.
2. Read every news article in your level once.
3. Look at all new words in the dictionary.
4. Read the article again.
5. If there is audio or video under the article, listen to it. Listen to it many times. Stop only when you understand perfectly all the words.
6. Listen to old articles and check if you still understand them.
If you read and listen to one article every day, your reading and listening skills can be better fast. You will learn very fast and after some time you will not have to translate into your own language. You will simply understand. Why?
When you learn English, you have to learn in the whole sentences and in context. You have to learn how to understand with no translations. When you listen to people in your native language, you don't translate. You simply understand. The same has to be in English.
Students who translate English texts, do exercises and do tests are very good at translating, doing exercises and doing tests, but they have usually a big problem with English listening and understanding fast in real life. In real life, nobody waits for your translation. People usually use simple and basic English when they speak but they use it fast. You have to understand with no translation like in your native language. If not, you cannot be part of communication because you are slow. These words are maybe hard but they are true.
You also have to hear every new word 5 to 10 times if you want to remember it. That's why we use the same words in one level. If you read and hear the same words again and again, you will understand them and remember them. If you know words from one level perfectly well, you can go to a higher level and learn new words. It is important to go step by step, and read and listen to words which are used in English often. This is what we do. In our short news, we use words which are used in English often. Level 1 has 1000 most important words. Level 2 has 3000 words and in Level 3 we use 5000 most important words.
So, if you want to understand English fast and learn fast, read one article or more a day. You can improve your reading and listening fast. We are trying to do everything possible to help you learn English fast and understand it. That's why we prepare easy English news for you. When you use this website every day, you can learn 5000 words which you need for communication with anybody. | <urn:uuid:372c31db-bfab-48cd-affe-1b7be08ca7fb> | {
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The social studies curriculum builds a strong understanding of history, geography, civics, current events, economics, and world cultures. Students learn about United States and world history including eras, themes, and significant events that are central to understanding the experiences of other times and other nations. The study of economics and current events help students understand the forces that shape both the world and their personal lives. Understanding civics and government allow students to see their responsibilities as citizens, and the shows how the interactions of different kinds of governments play out on the world stage. The development of geographic principles allows students to comprehend and analyze current events on a national and international level. Additionally, the curriculum examines world cultures, allowing students to compare the aspects of American life with other societies of modern times and the past. | <urn:uuid:bda18e9a-f00a-46f7-a107-0680c6780bcb> | {
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Xanthoma is a skin condition in which certain fats build up under the surface of the skin.
Xanthomas are common, particularly among older adults and people with high blood lipids.
Xanthomas vary in size. Some are very small, while others are bigger than 3 inches in diameter. They may appear anywhere on the body, but are most often seen on the elbows, joints, tendons, knees, hands, feet, or buttocks.
They may be a sign of a medical condition that involves an increase in blood lipids. Such conditions include:
Xanthelasma palpebra, a common type of xanthoma that appears on the eyelids and may occur without any underlying medical condition, is not necessarily associated with elevated cholesterol or lipids.
A xanthoma looks like a sore or bump under the skin. It's usually flat, soft to the touch, and yellow in color. It has sharp, distinct edges.
Your health care provider will examine the skin. Usually, a diagnose of xanthoma can be made by looking at your skin. A biopsy of the growth will show a fatty deposit.
You may have blood tests done to check lipid levels, liver function, and for diabetes.
If you have a disease that causes increased blood lipids, treating the condition may help reduce the development of xanthomas.
If the growth bothers you, your doctor may remove it. However, xanthomas may come back after surgery.
The growth is non-cancerous and painless, but may be a sign of another medical condition.
The growth may cause a change in how you look. This is called cosmetic disfiguring.
Call your health care provider if xanthomas develop. They may indicate an underlying disorder that needs treatment.
Control of blood lipids, including triglycerides and cholesterol levels, may help to reduce development of xanthomas.
Skin growths - fatty; Xanthelasma
Errors in Metabolism. James WD, Berger TG, Elston DM, eds. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2005: chap 26.
Massengale WT, Nesbitt LT Jr. Xanthomas. In: Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL, Rapini RP, eds.: Dermatology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2008: chap 91.
Semenkovich CF. Disorders of Lipid Metabolism. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier. 2007: chap 217.
Updated by: Kevin Berman, MD, PhD, Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Disease, Atlanta, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2013, A.D.A.M., Inc. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions. | <urn:uuid:cfa054ee-2824-4970-a823-e1bdcd5d8994> | {
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We have been chatting about lowercase ls a lot around here lately because my son recently gained a new sight word FIRE (it’s always all in caps on extinguishers, fire doors etc..) – and the uppercase i throws him off sometimes. So we had a brief discussion about fonts ( using your computer to show all the silly different ways to make the same letter is a great way to play with that idea), and decided since we were talking so much about this letter we’d use it for this week’s craft.
- Gather your materials. You will need a full sheet of blue construction paper, some white, yellow and red as well. Glue, blue markers , scissors and sea life stickers.
- Write a lowercase l on some white paper.
- Start by having your child draw waves on the paper. I was so surprised that this was my son’s favorite part, he was so into it, carefully drawing squiggly lines.
- Next add sea life to the ocean. This is not a must do step but I think it’s important to reinforce some learning about the sea. We took time to talk about the different animals on the stickers ( crabs, sea horses, fish and starfish) and peeling those little stickers off is great fine motor practice.
- While they are working on their ocean, cut out the red roof and yellow ray of light.
- Hand them the lowercase l, ask them what letter it is, sounds it makes and why you are making it into a lighthouse.
- My son insisted on making red stripes on it , so I grabbed him a crayon. ( Mental note where is my red marker?? Can’t find it anywhere.)
- Cut the l out.
- Add glue to your ocean
- Add your lighthouse, my son’s was way to the right only because he didn’t want to cover any of his stickers. Place yours wherever as long as it’s vertical .
- Add the roof
- Add the ray of light and let dry.
Over the Irish Sea
When I was 1 I sucked my thumb
and then I went to sea
I climbed aboard a pirate ship
and the captain said to me
“Let’s go this way , and that way.
backwards and forwards,
over the Irish sea!”
* Continue counting with rhyming words like 2 and shoe, 3 and knee etc
Books About The Sea!
Stanley at Sea by Linda Bailey made me giggle . The story is about 4 dogs that go out to sea unintentionally when they are searching for food. While out there they start wondering when outside will end because the sea is so wide and they are so far from land. One dog suggest that outside will end when then hit a fence. Sure enough they hit what they think is a fence, what readers know is a tanker and are rescued and fed steak and sausages they can eat before being returned to their owners. Doggie nirvana for sure. I love that the book is presented through the dog’s perspective, it gives young kids a chance to laugh and correct the dogs ideas about the things they encounter.
My Very Own Lighthouse by Francisco Cunha is a book about what it’s like to watch a parent go out to sea while you wait at home for their safe return. The little girl in this book is worried about her dad who is a fisherman so her mom explains to her why there are lighthouses. She decides to make her very own so that she can keep her daddy safe. I love the authors deep understanding of childhood anxiety, and how he has her gain some control by making her very own lighthouse with toys and a star. It’s not realism ( using a star as the light) , but any child will relate to the shift in power from being afraid and having nightmares to feeling as though she is actively helping keep her dad safe.
A Sea-Wishing Day by Robert Heidbreder is a wonderful tale of adventure, pirates, mermaids and treasure! The best part the little boy and his canine companion never really leave his backyard in the city , instead the adventure is all in their imagination. Anyone with a preschooler will appreciate this book, playing pretend is a huge part of most 3-5 year old’s playtime, and it should be. This book encourages, as well as celebrates that as this little boy discovers adventures on the high sea.
You May Also Like:
Boat b !
When I presented my son with 4 different b themes to choose from his choice was clear, “Boat bbbb boat, boat let’s make a boat!” so we did. I have been enjoying watching him trace the letters now instead of scribbling on them randomly like he used to. It’s clear his ability to write is naturally emerging and I am tickled to see it come out like this. What new development have you seen your child do recently? Leave a comment and share!
- Gather your materials. You will need 3 full sheets of construction paper, and one smaller blue piece for waves, glue, scissors and markers. The letter stickers are optional .
- Start by writing a large lowercase b on one sheet of construction paper.
- Have your child decorate it as they see fit. Mine like I said is big into tracing, which is very interesting since I have never once done a letter tracing work sheet with him.
- While they do that draw 2 sails and a boat on another sheet, as well as some waves on the smaller blue piece.
- Have them color the sail and boat with markers when they are done with the b.
- My son insisted on cutting out the waves himself. So I grabbed his scissors too. I cut out the boat and sails while he was doing this.
- Glue the waves on the remaining full sheet of paper.
- Glue the b on and add the glue for the boat and sails.
- Add the sails.
- Add the boat.
- Give the boat a name- using the letter stickers and let dry.
Sail Away by Donald Crews was a huge hit. I can’t say I am surprised at all my son loves this author and it’s easy to understand why. The text is simple, as is the premise of the book. Readers don’t get deeply invested in the characters, they are faceless people on a sail boat, instead the focus is on the boat istself. Where it goes, how the weather affects it and how it gets beck to where it started from. I have always enjoyed the use of light in Donald Crews books, you don’t have to explain to your child that a storm is coming or that time has passed because the light in the illustrations does the explaining for you. Great boat book!
Toy Boat by Randall de Seve is a story that will pull at your heart as well as make you cheer, well it made my 3 year old cheer anyway! A little boy makes his very own toy boat and plays with it, in the tub and even sleeps with it. One day when he is at the beach it floats off into the open ocean. It’s turbulent, scary and well anxious to see this tiny boat made of household things fight the waves. My son was visibly shaken by it’s unintentional freedom. With a little help from a friendly fishing boat the toy boat returns home and both boat and boy rejoice. This is a common theme for boat books- but the illustrations by Loren Long really help this one stand out above the others. My son cheered every time we read the part when they are reunited!
More Boat Crafts & Books
Pretend play activities that combine imaginative play with crafts are our favorite things to do lately. Also our supplies are made up of many recycled and reusable materials. This can be done with boxes, wagons pretty much anything your child can sit in! When they are pretending go along with their suggestions and let them lead. It’s your turn to ask “Why?” and follow along. Most of all have fun.
- Gather your materials. We are using a laundry basket, some party streamers, a wrapping paper tube, some painters tape, pipe cleaners, a paper grocery bag, sticky back foam, markers and scissors.
- Start by having your child decorate the mast of the sail ( aka the wrapping paper tube) with markers and foam.
- While they are doing that , draw a sail on the inside of the grocery bag.
- Fold and cut two layers ( so the inside is facing out ) of sail.
- Decorate the sail with markers and foam.
- Tape the sail to the mast. I am using painters tape because my son likes the blue. Any tape will work.
- Decorate the boat. We weaved the party streamers in and out of the little holes on the sides of our basket. I didn’t want anything sticky in the basket since my laundry does sometimes get put in it.
- Attach the mast. I am using pipe cleaners wrapped around the tube and tied to the basket. Like I said above I didn’t want sticky tape residue on my basket. If you are using a box no biggie but this worked for us. I covered the sharp edges with painters tape which also won’t leave a residue.
- All Aboard! We played ferry boat, and the drink you see was part of our pretend play. I had to be the lady in the ferry cafeteria and make him a drink before he got back in his Honda and we docked. Hey it got some banana into him too !
- Gather your materials. You will need construction paper, a blue marker, scissors and glue.
- Give your child the marker and a piece of construction paper to draw the water and waves.
- While they are drawing the turbulent sea, cut out a semi circle, a long thin rectangle, two triangles and 3 small circles.
- When they are done break out the glue! Add the glue for the boat first.
- Add the semi circle boat.
- Next add the glue for the mast and the rectangle.
- Time to add the triangles
- Dot on three dots of glue for the port holes.
- Add the little circles.
- Sail Away !
“The Seaside Switch” by Kathleen V. Kudlinski is a book packed with information about tides and creatures in the sea. As a child I found nothing more fascinating than a tide pool and all the scurrying crabs and this book captures that. It’s main story is how the tide changes throughout the day and brings with it different animals. The book is too long for most toddlers but my son enjoyed pointing out the animals in the book.
” Busy Boats” by Tony Mitton is a fun little book packed full of good information about boats. The text is short , rhymes and matches the illustrations perfectly. It’s hard to find non fiction books that small ones will sit for and listen to, the cartoon characters in this book will grab and keep your child’s attention , I also like how small the books are, perfect for car rides and longer travel!
Boats are big deals around our house, I hope you like our creation!
- Gather your materials. You will need A paper towel roll, the top of an egg carton, some tissue paper, glue, paint scissors and tape.
- Paint the egg carton. We used the dot a art paint, because it goes on with very little mess and had a playdate shortly after art time but any paint will do, just keep it thin so it doesn’t saturate the carton.
- Next up the paper towel roll mast!
- While your child is painting, cut the tissue paper into a sail.
- Glue onto the mast.
- Add a layer of tape on top to keep the sail in place. You don’t have to do this but I find tissue paper is so flimsy that I did 3 layers and needed glue on the bottom and tape on top.
- Glue the mast onto the boat, I poured a ton of glue and stuck the roll into it. Let dry.
- Voila , your boat is beautiful and environmentally responsible!
” An Island in the Soup “ by Mirelle Levert is an award winning book , and it’s easy to see why. The story follows a little boy who refusing to eat imagines a fantasy world in his bowl of soup, it rains peas and carrots and he encounters a bad fairy but in the end he eats his delicious soup. The illustrations are perfect although the bad fairy’s unibrow is very very frightening!
” Busy Boats” by Tony Mitton is s cute little book that uses cartoony characters to help explain all about boats and how they work. This is a perfect book for children who’s attention isn’t held by a non fiction book, but wants to know more about boats! | <urn:uuid:4c81573f-9ba7-49a3-a4a4-7f4943771a44> | {
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Internet Citizen Science Databases
Salamander Study: This project has students collect data on the proximity of salamanders to a stream. During the field portion, students check under "wood cookies" for salamander locations. What are the abiotic conditions when salamanders are found further from the stream? Explore our data to find out.
Ozone Bio-monitoring Study: Ground-level ozone creates visible symptoms on sensitive plants that are exposed to this invisible air pollutant. Students collect data on the percent of ozone damage covering leaves on plants growing in our monitoring garden. Explore the data to find out what the symptom looks like, how quickly it progresses and how you might be able to monitor in your schoolyard.
Terrestrial Invertebrate Study: Changes in climate can result in subtle shifts in phenology (life cycle events such as when an insect emerges or when a plant blooms). Students collect data on insect orders found living in decaying leaves in our study plot. Explore the data to find out if the appearance of certain insects is shifting over time.
Water Quality Study: All streams in the Smokies originate in the park but even they are not pristine because of acid deposition and recreational activities in the park. Compare data collected by students in the park with a stream near your schoolyard. How does the pH differ, which location gets the most Stonefly larvae?
Lichen Monitoring: Lichens absorb nutrients from the air when they are wet which makes them sensitivie to acid deposition. Data is collected on the perecentage of coverage of three different lichen growth forms on selected trees throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Are sensitive lichen growth forms being replaced by more tolerant groups?Using the databases, students can compare changes over time and geography.
Hands on History: Search photos, transcribed interviews and other first hand personal accounts of life in the region before Great Smoky Mountains became a National Park. There is also a database containing information from every cemetery and every gravestone located in the Smokies. Check out the teacher resource section for classroom activities.
How to Participate
Click any of the database links to explore our student citizen science research projects.
Are you doing a similar study in your own schoolyard? Add your location to the Hands on the Land database to track your own research findings. Just become a member of the Hands on the Land network of educators.
- Grade Levels:
- Third Grade-Graduate Level (Masters, PhD)
- Anthropology, Aquatic Studies, Biodiversity, Biology: Animals, Biology: Plants, Botany, Chemistry, Climate, Climate Change, Conservation, Earth Science, Ecology, Education, Environment, History, Hydrology, Science and Technology | <urn:uuid:837a3f45-f842-48a8-b409-b53804ae4774> | {
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE06-07
to Conduct Aerial Survey of Deer in Kensico Basin
Commissioner Emily Lloyd of the New York City Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today that within the
next two weeks the DEP is going to conduct an aerial survey of
the deer population in the area surrounding the Kensico Reservoir
The survey will use an infrared camera mounted on
a single engine Cessna airplane, and will be conducted at night
from an altitude of approximately 1000 feet. The study will
map the deer population within a 4-mile by 6-mile area of Westchester
covering the Kensico drainage basin.
“Deer can have a detrimental effect on watershed
areas by reducing or eliminating forest regeneration,” said
Commissioner Lloyd. “Damage to the forests can lead
to loose or unstable soil, which then increases the amount of soil
that runs off into the water system during and after a rainfall
or snow melt. More data are needed if officials are to develop
an effective strategy for managing the deer herd in the county.”
A healthy, vigorously growing forest consumes more
nutrients, reducing the amount of nutrients in watercourses and
reservoirs and thereby aiding in water quality protection. A
resilient forest with various sizes of trees is also able to recover
faster from various events, such as damage from weather.
DEP has worked extensively with Westchester County
and Pace University on the effects of whitetail deer. A conference
on deer management was held at Pace in November 2005, which led
to the decision by DEP to conduct the deer survey.
Survey work will be done by Vision Air Research
of Boise, Idaho, using a red and white Cessna. The flight
will be coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration so
as to not interfere with operations at Westchester County Airport. | <urn:uuid:6540a680-0e4e-4d37-be6d-9e6462c3533c> | {
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US Youth Soccer has recently adopted a sports concussion protocol. Everyone should develop an awareness and watch for this type of injury.
US Youth Soccer Concussion Resources
US Youth Soccer Concussion Procedure and Protocol
US Youth Soccer Concussion Notification Form
Crucial Concussion Evaluation Info for Coaches
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.
How should a coach evaluate a young athlete for a possible concussion?
The key word in that first sentence is “possible,” meaning that a coach who is not medically trained should not make the definitive diagnosis of a concussion. Your job is to assess the athlete and determine whether you suspect a concussion, remove that athlete from play, and send the athlete for evaluation by a medical professional trained in sports concussion management.
I highly recommend the Pocket SCAT2 concussion assessment tool, which you can download HERE <http://www.sportconcussionlibrary.com/content/concussion-information-coaches-and-first-responders-trainerstherapists> , under the heading "Assessment Tools."
If your athlete has taken contact and has any one of the features noted on the card you should suspect a concussion and remove the athlete from play:
* Loss of consciousness
* Seizure or convulsion
* “Pressure in head”
* Neck Pain
* Nausea or vomiting
* Blurred vision
* Balance problems
* Sensitivity to light
* Sensitivity to noise
* Feeling slowed down
* Feeling like “in a fog“
* “Don’t feel right”
* Difficulty concentrating
* Difficulty remembering
* Fatigue or low energy
* More emotional
* Nervous or anxious
The downloads available at the Sports Concussion Library <http://www.sportconcussionlibrary.com/content/concussion-information-coaches-and-first-responders-trainerstherapists> offer more detailed information, and should be studied by coaches.
If the athlete is unconscious, do not move, shake, or attempt to rouse the athlete. Call for emergency medical transportation immediately. Stay with the athlete until help arrives. If the athlete is unconscious it is a medical emergency.
As our knowledge about concussion has improved it’s clear to us that the definition of concussion needs to change. Long gone are the days when an athlete needed to be knocked unconscious or close to unconscious before it was deemed a concussion.
We know now that even a headache that happens after contact to the player’s head, player’s body, or by the ground to the player’s body can be an early indicator of a concussion. Essentially, the definition of concussion is quite a bit broader than it once was.
What that means for the coach is that there are going to be a lot more suspected concussions. It means that you’ll likely deal with situations where you’ll ask yourself questions such as “it’s just a headache, do I really have to hold this player out after something like that?”
My advice to you: yes, you need to hold that player out of practice or competition and the player should seek medical attention urgently.
Use your best judgment and be overly cautious.
The final phrasing on the SCAT2 card says what you need very clearly:
“Any athlete with a suspected concussion should be IMMEDIATELY REMOVED FROM PLAY, urgently assessed medically, should not be left alone and should not drive a motor vehicle.”
(Dr. Dev K. Mishra is the creator of the SidelineSportsDoc.com <http://sidelinesportsdoc.com/> injury management program for coaches. He is an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Burlingame, Calif. He is a member of the team physician pool with the U.S. Soccer Federation and has served as team physician at the University of California, Berkeley. This article first appeared on SidelineSportsDoc.com <http://blog.sidelinesportsdoc.com/> .) | <urn:uuid:97f0aefc-c975-423f-b949-9816e056d167> | {
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Research Help Tutorial:
Using Academic Search Premier
When you have a paper or project assignment that requires scholarly research, you’ll probably want to use a library article database. One of the largest databases available at our library is Academic Search Premier.
Finding Academic Search Premier
First go to the library webpage. Then click on Articles and Databases. Academic Search Premier is at the top of the list of databases. Click on the words Academic Search Premier.
Using Academic Search Premier
Now that you’re in the database, please note that the title of the database is listed just above the basic search box. You may think that the database is called “Ebsco” or “EbscoHost” but that’s the name of the company that provides the database. You may need to know that “Academic Search Premier” is the title of this database when you are documenting your sources in your paper.
On the basic search page, you’ll see many options for searching. Two of the most important ones are on the lower left. If you click Full Text you’ll limit your search to only articles available online, and you’ll miss out on many articles that actually available in other databases. If you click Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals you’ll narrow your search to only scholarly journals. The term “peer-reviewed” means that experts have evaluated the article before publishing it.
Type a keyword or two in the basic search box, and click Search. You’ll see a list of results and the number of results will be reported at the top of the left hand column. Each result will be numbered and start with the title of the article, followed by the authors, journal title, as well as volumes, dates, and pages. Below the information about the article will be a number of subject terms, which are like tags for each article. They may give you some ideas for alternate keyword searches.
On the same results page, you’ll see on the left, several options for narrowing your search, such as subject terms and geographic areas.
If you find an article on the results list that sounds interesting, you can hover your mouse over the magnifying glass icon (at the end of the article title) and read the abstract or summary in a pop-up box.
If you are ready to read the article, you can click on PDF full text to pull up the article. From the PDF page, you can use the print and save functions at the top of the page to print the article or to save it to your computer or flash drive.
Emailing and Citing Articles
If you click on the title of the article, you’ll see a list of options on the right. One of the options is email. Click on the email icon, and enter your email address. You can use any email address. Click Send at the bottom left.
Another option, under the email icon, is cite. When you click on cite, you’ll see a pop-up window which lists the article in five or six different citation styles. You can copy and paste the citation you need into your paper. Your instructor will tell you which style to use, such as MLA.
Remember that you may need to narrow your search, using keyword phrases or more specific terms, such as “teenage online risks.” Alternately, you may need to broaden your search, such as “privacy.” Try several combinations of keywords and synonyms. You may need to use the “advanced search” button (which is found under the basic search box at the top) to do a more precise search or to search for a specific author or journal title.
Need More Help?
If you need more help, go back to the library webpage and click on Ask a Librarian. You’ll find the chat widget, the phone number, and the email address for the Reference Librarians. We’ll be glad to offer more help! | <urn:uuid:4e991973-f492-49e0-b4e1-2b54fb057e9f> | {
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Cain's Classroom Rules
Work only on English while you are here
Come prepared ( notebook, paper, pens/pencils, book--Every Day)
Respect others and their work
Be on Time with your ID in your hand/around your neck
Leave backpacks at the front of the room; take only the materials you need to your seat
Have a positive attitude
Abide by the student handbook
Take care of your personal groomin, hygiene, etc. BEFORE you come to my class.
**These rules are clearly posted in the classroom and are explained on the first day of school. EVERY student is expected to abide by them :). | <urn:uuid:66d9899e-0d66-45d7-9712-fbae3275dc63> | {
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The R Project for Statistical Computing is an open source language and programming environment that provides a wide variety of data manipulation, statistical analysis, and data visualization capabilities. R is a successor to the S software originally developed at Bell Laboratories. R is a GNU project and is freely available under the terms of the GNU General Public License. The software runs on Windows, Mac OS, and a wide variety of Unix platforms.
Even for people who aren't expert statisticians, the power of R is alluring. Working interactively or using an R script, with just a few lines of code a user can perform complex analyses of large data sets, produce graphics depicting the features and structure of the data, and perform statistical analyses that can quickly answer questions about the data. This article introduces R and demonstrates a small slice of its capabilities, using data from the stock market and real estate industry as input.
I developed and ran the demonstrations in this article on a Vision Computers PC running Debian Linux (Sarge version, "stable"). I installed R Version 2.1 using the standard Debian Advanced Package Tool (APT) utility.
To run R interactively, open a terminal window, create a work directory, enter the directory, and execute R:
Figure 1. The R command window
R's command language takes some getting used to, but knowing just a few commands provides enough knowledge to perform basic statistical analyses and generate plots for any data set that can be formatted into a one-, two-, or three-dimensional rectangular grid.
R commands can be lengthy, because most functions have many optional settings parameters. So it's very convenient that the up and down arrow keys in the R command window recall previous command-line entries, which you can then edit. This lets you work toward your data analysis goal incrementally by modifying and extending previously entered command lines.
A simple starting point is a vector or array of numbers. I downloaded historical Standard and Poor's (S&P) 500 stock index data and wrote a Perl program to convert the data into a simple two-column table. Figure 2 shows a snippet of the start of the file.
Figure 2. The SP500.txt file format
read.table() function reads an external file into an R data frame variable. To read the S&P 500 data file and make a simple plot of the close price over time, enter the following commands at the R prompt (
> dv <- read.table("./SP500.txt", header=1) > sp500value = dv[,2] > plot(sp500value, type="l")
The first line reads the file SP500.txt into the data frame variable
header=1 setting identifies that the file has a one-line header consisting of nondata text, which R must ignore. The data frame
dv is a two-dimensional array. The first index identifies the row number (starting with 1), and the second identifies the column number (starting with 1).
The second command line tells R to assign variable
sp500index to the values in the second column of the data frame. The third line tells R to plot the index data using a line (
type="l") to connect the data points. The result appears in a new window (Figure 3).
Figure 3. The S&P 500 close price plot
When you pass only one vector of data to the R
plot() function, it makes an x/y plot using the point index as the x value and the specified data vector points as the y value. Because the data file lists the data in historical order, the plot shows the value of the S&P 500 index over time.
That's not bad for three lines of code! However, you can make a prettier, better annotated plot easily by using the
plot() function's optional arguments. For example, to add a title, a subtitle, and axis labels, enter:
> plot(sp500value, type="l", main="S&P 500", sub="[3-Jan-1995 thru 29-Jul-2005]", xlab="Day", ylab="Value")
This produces the plot shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4. An annotated S&P 500 close price plot
Proceeding further, you could use R's
axis classes to produce an x-axis that uses the dates stored in column 1 of the data frame for labels. See the R documentation for details.
After generating a plot, R provides options for adding new data. The 90-day moving average is plotted on stock index graphs published in the Wall Street Journal. A moving average is the average value of the preceding n data items. How about displaying the moving average of the S&P 500 over the preceding 90 days?
In R's nomenclature, a "moving average" is a "filter" (an equation) applied to a "time series" (the S&P 500 index values). R's
filter() function is complex, providing many different data processing options. Fortunately, the actual commands for creating a 90-day moving average data set are tiny compared with what standard programming languages might require:
> coef90 = 1/90 > ma90 = filter(sp500value, rep(coef90, 90), sides=1)
The first line defines a weighting factor for the data in the filter: each day's S&P 500 value will represent 1/90 of the moving average. The second line creates the moving average data set. The
rep() function "repeats" the 1/90 coefficient 90 times (including 90 days of S&P 500 data in the moving average). The
sides=1 parameter specifies to include only the trailing data points in the moving average (which is how financial moving averages are always calculated, because we cannot foresee the future).
Add the moving average data (variable
ma90) to the existing plot as green line using the R
> lines(ma90, col="green")
Figure 5 shows the result.
Figure 5. S&P 500 close price and 90-day moving average
Histograms are plots that show the distribution of a set of values. It's easy to use R to look at the distribution of daily gains (and losses) for the S&P 500 in the sample data set.
First, you must calculate the daily percent change for each day. You can't do this for the first day in the data set, so the size of the percent gains array will be one unit less than the size of the sp500value array. Here's one method for directing R to create the daily percent gain array, based on knowledge (gained using a Unix
wc command) that the data set consists of 2,664 total points:
> yesterday = sp500value[1:2663] > today = sp500value[2:2664] > changePercent = 100 * (today / yesterday - 1.0)
Here, the new variable
yesterday is the set of S&P 500 values (excluding the last day), and the new variable
today is the set of S&P 500 values offset by one day (excluding the first day). Hence, the two variables are aligned such that
today[i] represent yesterday's and today's S&P 500 price. This allows application of an equation using yesterday's and today's prices, which is in the third line: the calculation of the percent that the S&P 500 index changed from yesterday to today.
Now you can plot the histogram (Figure 6):
> hist(changePercent, breaks=10, main="S&P 500 Daily Percent Change")
Figure 6. The S&P 500 daily percent change
breaks parameter tells R approximately how many bins to create while sorting the data. In this case, I asked for 10 bins, but R produced a plot with 13 bins spaced 1 percent apart. R uses the suggested value as a guideline, but in its default mode chooses a bin spacing and number of bins that yields a plot that is easy to comprehend based on the input data. In this case, the data was such that a bin spacing of 1 percent produced bins with divisions on the whole numbers, and the 13 required bins was close to the requested 10 bins, so R produced its plot accordingly. Experiment with different
break values to see how this works.
For cases where you require a specific set of bin break points, specify a list of values for the
breaks parameter. In this case, R will produce bins bounded precisely at the specified values.
Looking at the histogram plot, you can see that in the past 10 years, on most days the S&P 500 either rose or declined by less than 1 percent; but it rose on more days than it declined.
An interesting question: does a correlation exist between the stock market's movement one day and its performance the next day? In other words, if the stock market rose yesterday, is it likely to rise today? To gain some insight on these questions, analyze the daily percent change data further using the following R commands:
> changePercentYesterday = changePercent[1:2662] > changePercentToday = changePercent[2:2663] > myDf <- data.frame(x=changePercentYesterday, y=changePercentToday) > myFm <- lm(y~x, data=myDf) > plot(changePercentYesterday, changePercentToday, main="Daily Change Correlation") > abline(coef(myFm), col="red") > summary(myFm)
This looks complicated, but it also illustrates how much work just a few lines of R code can do. The first two lines create
today percent change variables such that
changePercentYesterday[i] is aligned with
changePercentToday[i], permitting calculations and plotting using yesterday's change and today's change. The third line creates a new data frame (
myDf) that has as its
x data the values stored in
changePercentYesterday and as its
y data the values stored in
changePercentToday. The fourth line uses R's
lm() "linear model" statistical function to perform a linear fit of the data in
myDf. Next, it plots the raw data (yesterday's change versus today's change) using
plot(), with yesterday's percent change plotted as the X value and today's percent change plotted as the Y value. The
abline() function adds a red "best fit" line to the graph based on the y-intercept and slope coefficients calculated by the
lm() function, yielding the plot in Figure 7.
Figure 7. The S&P 500 daily change correlation
Finally, the command
summary(myFm) produces a text summary of the linear regression analysis performed by
Call: lm(formula = y ~ x, data = myDf) Residuals: Min 1Q Median 3Q Max -6.92396 -0.59826 0.01474 0.59522 5.64824 Coefficients: Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|) (Intercept) 0.04402 0.02185 2.015 0.044 * x -0.01498 0.01939 -0.772 0.440 --- Signif. codes: 0 '***' 0.001 '**' 0.01 '*' 0.05 '.' 0.1 ' ' 1 Residual standard error: 1.127 on 2660 degrees of freedom Multiple R-Squared: 0.0002243, Adjusted R-squared: -0.0001516 F-statistic: 0.5967 on 1 and 2660 DF, p-value: 0.4399
You probably need a background in statistics to interpret all of this accurately, but looking at the graph, there does not appear to be a strong correlation between the S&P 500's yesterday and today change. What the market did yesterday doesn't seem to strongly affect what happens today--though the correlation is nonzero. The negative slope of the best fit line suggests that the market had a slight tendency to reverse, or correct, a portion of the previous day's movement, over the 10-year data period.
R provides several options for graphical presentation of three-dimensional data, including 3-D perspective plots, color-coded images, and contour maps. To demonstrate R's 3-D capabilities, I downloaded United States house price index data published by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). The data set used for the analysis is the percent that house prices have increased over the past five years in the nine regions the OFHEO defines for the United States. The OFHEO presents its data in a table. However, a table doesn't clearly depict the geographical distribution of the "housing bubble."
To produce a 3-D representation of the five-year house price index data, I created a 51-by-30-element grid that approximates the geographical size and position of the nine OFHEO regions. Then, using a Perl script, I created an input data set for R that assigns the price index for the region to each grid point. Hence, the R input file consists of 51 x 30 = 1,530 data points. For areas on the grid that are not part of the United States (for example, the ocean), the data values are NA, which tells R not to display data for that position in the 3-D plot.
The R commands that produce an image representation of the house price data are:
> dv <- read.table("./ofheo5yr.gridFine", header=FALSE) > z <- dv[,1] > attr(z, "dim") = c(51,30) > image(z, col=topo.colors(50), axes=FALSE)
The first line reads the 1,530-point data file. The second line assigns the values read to variable
z. Next, the
attr() function alters the dimension ("
dim") attribute of the
z variable to arrange its data in the form of a two-dimensional array with 51 rows, each containing 30 data values. Finally, the
image() function generates an image of the
z data, using 50 colors in the
topo color scale to represent the varying
z values. Figure 8 shows the results.
Figure 8. The plot of five-year regional house price changes
topo color scale assigns violet to low values, with blue, green, yellow, orange, and pink assigned to successively higher values. The image shows that the change in housing prices is not at all evenly distributed across the United States geographically.
persp() function provides another view of the same data:
This code tells R to generate a 3-D perspective image of the
z data, viewing the image with no rotation (
theta=0) and tilted 60 degrees from the horizontal (
phi=60), with no box around the image, coloring the mesh yellow. Figure 9 shows the plot.
Figure 9. The perspective plot of five-year regional house price changes
Perhaps more clearly, the perspective plot shows that the large increases in house prices in the past five years have occurred on the West Coast and in the Northeast, while the middle of the United States hasn't seen significant home price increases overall. This backs up Alan Greenspan's assertions that there is not a national housing "bubble," but there appear to be "signs of froth in some local markets."
R provides several options for saving your work. First, when you execute the
q() function to quit your session, R asks:
Save workspace image? [y/n/c]:
y to save your current R session state (so that next time you run R in that same directory, your starting status will be identical to that of the current session). Enter
n to exit without saving the current session state, or
c to continue the current session.
R provides a capability to plot directly to PNG, JPEG, and PDF files through its display setting options. To plot to a file instead of to the R graphics window, execute the
pdf() function prior to any R plotting function. For example:
> png("myImage.png") > persp(z,theta=0,phi=60,box=FALSE,col="yellow")
You can also invoke R by using scripts. This permits the integration of R into automated data analysis processes. Here's an R script that reads the S&P 500 data file and produces a PNG image of the data:
dv <- read.table("./SP500.txt", header=FALSE) png("SP500.png") plot(dv[,2], type="l") q()
The command line to execute the script (named gspc.scr) is:
R --no-save <gspc.scr > gspc.log
--no-save flag tells R not to save the script's session. The text output produced by the script is sent to file gspc.log.
R is a powerful, mature, and very well documented GNU open source project. Though the language syntax is a bit unusual, knowing just a few commands lets you quickly generate quite impressive data products.
R's base documentation consists of six manuals, the PDF versions of which comprise 1,700 total pages. The documents are included with the Windows R executable installation download, but they must be downloaded separately for Linux/Unix and MacOS platforms. "An Introduction to R" is the best choice for those who are just starting out. More specialized and detailed references are also available. The R FAQ answers basic introductory questions about R and discusses licensing and usage policy.
To download R, visit The R Project for Statistical Computing (R-Project.org) site. Click on CRAN to access the Comprehensive R Archive Network of mirrored servers. Documentation is available using the Manuals link. Section 5.6 in the R FAQ provides information about contributing to the R project (reporting bugs, coding new extensions, porting additional features from S, and so on).
Kevin Farnham is the owner of Lyra Technical Systems, Inc, a small consulting and publishing company.
Return to ONLamp.com.
Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc. | <urn:uuid:d3c20870-c351-40c4-83af-cb9968d6ca34> | {
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The world economy is being reshaped by new technologies, services, and trading relationships. Much of this dynamism is fuelled by ambitious developing-world nation-states like Brazil, India and South Africa. As governments, businesses and regional blocs in the global south expand their horizons, they increasingly bypass rich northern states. But is this south-south cooperation any more progressive or less selfish than the more familiar and hegemonic north-south relationship?
The idea of south-south cooperation started to influence the field of development studies in the late 1990s. It was fuelled by a growing realisation that poor nations might find appropriate, low-cost and sustainable solutions to their problems in other developing countries rather than in the rich north. It drew on clear examples of existing waste and alternative opportunity; for example, if African farmers need boreholes to access water, it surely makes more sense to access Indias huge pool of expertise than to send expensive European water engineers.
The concept quickly spread from the seminar room to the policy chamber. By 1997, Britains new department for international development (DfID) explicitly aimed under its first minister, Clare Short to withdraw from its aid programmes any requirement to use British service providers. The intention was to encourage recipient governments to spend the aid more effectively especially on solutions sourced from other developing nations.
By the early 2000s, some forward-thinking developing nations themselves were incorporating this altruistic principle into their foreign policies. Luís Ignácio Lula da Silvas Brazil is just beginning to make Africa part of its wider effort to build the countrys global profile; recently it granted fellow-Lusophone Mozambique a project to install and staff its own factory producing anti-retroviral HIV drugs, thus reducing its reliance on expensive imports.
China and Africa
An even more potent example of south-south cooperation is the Peoples Republic of China. Chinas presence in Africa goes back centuries: archaeologists digging in the ruins of Africas great medieval trading states at Timbuktu and Great Zimbabwe have found fine porcelain and other evidence of a trading network that spanned half the world. After the PRC was founded in 1949, the new state based its relations with the developing world on a defined doctrine, the five principles of peaceful coexistence; it also used its own legacy of colonial aggression and experience of liberation to forge links with the African nation-states emerging from colonial rule. China in the 1960s lacked the resources of the cold-war superpowers, but still invested significant energies in support of independent Africa. The PRC, driven by perceived ideological, anti-imperialist affinities, dispatched Chinese technicians to nominally leftist states to provide military training, modest economic aid and infrastructural monuments to socialist solidarity. The era of liberation wars in the 1970s saw China choose sides and patronise its favoured forces, as in Angola. This interest receded in the 1980s as Chinese development efforts were diverted inwards. But the post-Tiananmen period gave earlier ideological bonds a fresh twist: the hostility of many African leaders to democratic pressures and (especially) western, hegemonic conceptions of human rights chimed with Chinas own preconceptions. Throughout the 1990s, China increased its aid to African governments and resumed its earlier rhetoric of mutual respect and concern for diversity a discourse that resounded strongly in a continent highly attuned to the perceived neo-colonial reflexes of the former ruling powers. In return, Beijing received recognition of its sovereignty over Taiwan, indifference to its human-rights abuses, and support in international organisations. In 2000, a new China-Africa cooperation forum agreed a joint economic and social programme, one that lent a developmental and commercial slant to the five principles. China has subsequently been well in advance of the G8 by cancelling $10 billion of the debt it is owed by African states; at the second Sino-Africa business conference in December 2003, China offered further debt relief to thirty-one African countries, as well as opening the prospect of zero-tariff trade.
The tensions in what might be called Chinas developmental evangelism in Africa are evident. The ideological underpinnings retain some potency and the principle of non-interference in domestic politics persists. But as Chinese commercial interests dominate the relationship, the strain of avoiding entanglement in ethically and politically complex questions increases. For China, insensitivity to human-rights abuses can be finessed as respecting cultural diversity, but this gets harder in a more open, regulated trading environment.
Rapid economic growth in China in the last decade, coupled with oil exploration and economic diversification in west-central Africa, has created new links. More than 60% of African timber exports are now destined for east Asia; 25% of Chinas oil supplies are now sourced in the gulf of Guinea region.
China-Zimbabwe: a special relationship
But China is moving beyond merely securing essential inputs to acquiring stakes in potentially productive African enterprises. Zimbabwe is a prime example of the kind of place where China likes to do business. In return for bailing out Robert Mugabes regime with injections of cash, machinery, equipment and military supplies, Chinese state-owned enterprises have assembled a portfolio of shares in some of Zimbabwes prize assets.
In buying a 70% stake in the Zimbabwes only electricity generation facilities at Hwange and Kariba, and stakes in the national railway, the Chinese have stepped in where other developing nations (even Libya) have feared to tread. And on a micro-level, Chinese entrepreneurs are quickly supplanting small-scale retailers and local manufactures on Harares streets.
Zimbabwes deteriorating political situation and asset-hungry officials may deter most private investors, but the Chinese government can instruct managers of state enterprises to take the risk, rely on good intergovernmental relations to guarantee investment flow, and depend on state coffers to absorb any loss in the last resort.
Chinas lack of domestic political criticism, meanwhile, frees its government and companies from reputational risks and pressures that can leave western-based companies exposed. Informed, responsible shareholders might be cautious about backing state-led projects in Sudan or Mauritania which rely on a brutally-enforced stability; such issues have little visibility to the Chinese public.
Chinas new hard-nosed Africa policy gives it a strong incentive to circumvent the kind of multilateral aid and investment agendas promoted by Britains Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at the G8 summit, with their inconvenient governance concerns and transparency provisions. As China moves towards becoming the third-largest investor in Africa, its unilateralism will impact on the internal continental map.
The South African alternative
Amidst the dynamism of the east Asian economies, it is tempting to forget that the continent itself is generating an economic powerhouse. South Africa, freed of its apartheid-era isolationist shackles, has become an interested and aggressive explorer of the rest of the continent. The South African model is mixed: private companies led the charge into the new mobile telecommunications sphere, household names like Shoprite followed across the continent, while para-statals (state-owned enterprises) are also active.
Thabo Mbekis economically liberal instincts have been contained by the job-loss fears of his leftist coalition partners, and he has commercialised rather than fully privatised key state enterprises such as the power utility Eskom. This entity has reinforced Mbekis peace plan for the Democratic Republic of Congo by committing its own $500-million investment to the Inga dam, the 3,500-megawatt hydroelectric facility on the Congo river. This project would undoubtedly light up the DRCs cities but Eskoms greatest benefit is probably tying the potentially huge electricity resource into a regional grid which would feed much-needed power supplies to South Africas industrial zones.
This project aptly sums up the dual nature of developing-world investment in Africa. Is such investment, as Mbeki would have it, good for all involved or is it simply a new wave of economic colonisation which will leave most of Africa with as few benefits as in the past? As the developing nations themselves come to rival the investment presence of the G8 and former colonial powers in Africa, it is salutary to recall that south-south cooperation may be more efficient and less wasteful than the wests grand gestures but it is no less self-interested. | <urn:uuid:0cf1c4ac-c078-4872-b063-38459d65e7e6> | {
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Imagine having to walk for five or six kilometres to get water, only to find it's contaminated when you get there. Not only is it soul destroying, it's a waste of time for, usually, women who could be carrying out other vital tasks. Over one billion people worldwide have no access to safe drinking water and, according to the World Health Organisation, around 80% of all sickness and disease is caused by inadequate water and bad sanitation. We must put a stop to this.
Orphans in Need runs programmes to install water pumps in vulnerable areas to eradicate this problem. Just one pump could benefit around 600 people on a daily basis and dramatically improve daily life.
We also want to educate communities on the links between safe water, sanitation, diseases and unsafe hygiene practices.
Simply teaching children, as well as adults, to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating, could lead to a dramatic reduction in water-borne diseases. With these facilities readily to hand, orphans everywhere could lead far more fulfilling lives, which could also be enhanced by a donation from you today. | <urn:uuid:4609770f-0f73-4c67-995c-903d53aa5243> | {
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A tsunami is a series of waves most commonly caused by violent movement of the sea floor. In some ways, it resembles the ripples radiating outward from the spot where stone has been thrown into the water, but a tsunami can occur on an enormous scale. Tsunamis are generated by any large, impulsive displacement of the sea bed level. The movement at the sea floor leading to tsunami can be produced by earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions.
Most tsunamis, including almost all of those traveling across entire ocean basins with destructive force, are caused by submarine faulting associated with large earthquakes. These are produced when a block of the ocean floor is thrust upward, or suddenly drops, or when an inclined area of the seafloor is thrust upward or suddenly thrust sideways. In any event, a huge mass of water is displaced, producing tsunami. Such fault movements are accompanied by earthquakes, which are sometimes referred to as “tsunamigenic earthquakes”. Most tsunamigenic earthquakes take place at the great ocean trenches, where the tectonic plates that make up the earth’s surface collide and are forced under each other. When the plates move gradually or in small thrust, only small earthquakes are produced; however, periodically in certain areas, the plates catch. The overall motion of the plates does not stop; only the motion beneath the trench becomes hung up. Such areas where the plates are hung up are known as “seismic gaps” for their lack of earthquakes. The forces in these gaps continue to build until finally they overcome the strength of the rocks holding back the plate motion. The built-up tension (or comprehension) is released in one large earthquake, instead of many smaller quakes, and these often generate large deadly tsunamis. If the sea floor movement is horizontal, a tsunami is not generated. Earthquakes of magnitude larger than M 6.5 are critical for tsunami generation.
Tsunamis produced by landslides:
Probably the second most common cause of tsunami is landslide. A tsunami may be generated by a landslide starting out above the sea level and then plunging into the sea, or by a landslide entirely occurring underwater. Landslides occur when slopes or deposits of sediment become too steep and the material falls under the pull of gravity. Once unstable conditions are present, slope failure can be caused by storms, earthquakes, rain, or merely continued deposit of material on the slope. Certain environments are particularly susceptible to the production of landslide-generated earthquakes. River deltas and steep underwater slopes above sub-marine canyons, for instance, are likely sites for landslide-generated earthquakes.
Tsunami produced by Volcanoes:
The violent geologic activity associated with volcanic eruptions can also generate devastating tsunamis. Although volcanic tsunamis are much less frequent, they are often highly destructive. These may be due to submarine explosions, pyroclastic flows and collapse of volcanic caldera.
(1) Submarine volcanic explosions occur when cool seawater encounters hot volcanic magma. It often reacts violently, producing stream explosions. Underwater eruptions at depths of less than 1500 feet are capable of disturbing the water all the way to the surface and producing tsunamis.
(2) Pyroclastic flows are incandescent, ground-hugging clouds, driven by gravity and fluidized by hot gases. These flows can move rapidly off an island and into the ocean, their impact displacing sea water and producing a tsunami.
(3) The collapse of a volcanic caldera can generate tsunami. This may happen when the magma beneath a volcano is withdrawn back deeper into the earth, and the sudden subsidence of the volcanic edifice displaces water and produces tsunami waves. The large masses of rock that accumulate on the sides of the volcanoes may suddenly slide down slope into the sea, causing tsunamis. Such landslides may be triggered by earthquakes or simple gravitational collapse. A catastrophic volcanic eruption and its ensuing tsunami waves may actually be behind the legend of the lost island civilization of Atlantis. The largest volcanic tsunami in historical times and the most famous historically documented volcanic eruption took lace in the East Indies-the eruption of Krakatau in 1883.
Tsunami waves :
A tsunami has a much smaller amplitude (wave height) offshore, and a very long wavelength (often hundreds of kilometers long), which is why they generally pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a passing "hump" in the ocean. Tsunamis have been historically referred to tidal waves because as they approach land, they take on the characteristics of a violent onrushing tide rather than the sort of cresting waves that are formed by wind action upon the ocean (with which people are more familiar). Since they are not actually related to tides the term is considered misleading and its usage is discouraged by oceanographers.
These waves are different from other wind-generated ocean waves, which rarely extend below a dept of 500 feet even in large storms. Tsunami waves, on the contrary, involvement of water all the way to the sea floor, and as a result their speed is controlled by the depth of the sea. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as 500 miles per hour or more in deep waters of an ocean basin. Yet these fast waves may be only a foot of two high in deep water. These waves have greater wavelengths having long 100 miles between crests. With a height of 2 to 3 feet spread over 100 miles, the slope of even the most powerful tsunamis would be impossible to see from a ship or airplane. A tsunami may consist of 10 or more waves forming a ‘tsunami wave train’. The individual waves follow one behind the other anywhere from 5 to 90 minutes apart.
As the waves near shore, they travel progressively more slowly, but the energy lost from decreasing velocity is transformed into increased wavelength. A tsunami wave that was 2 feet high at sea may become a 30-feet giant at the shoreline. Tsunami velocity is dependent on the depth of water through which it travels (velocity equals the square root of water depth h times the gravitational acceleration g, that is (V=√gh). The tsunami will travel approximately at a velocity of 700 kmph in 4000 m depth of sea water. In 10 m, of water depth the velocity drops to about 35 kmph. Even on shore tsunami speed is 35 to 40 km/h, hence much faster than a person can run.It is commonly believed that the water recedes before the first wave of a tsunami crashes ashore. In fact, the first sign of a tsunami is just as likely to be a rise in the water level. Whether the water rises or falls depends on what part of the tsunami wave train first reaches the coast. A wave crest will cause a rise in the water level and a wave trough causes a water recession.
Seiche (pronounced as ‘saysh’) is another wave phenomenon that may be produced when a tsunami strikes. The water in any basin will tend to slosh back and forth in a certain period of time determined by the physical size and shape of the basin. This sloshing is known as the seiche. The greater the length of the body, the longer the period of oscillation. The depth of the body also controls the period of oscillations, with greater water depths producing shorter periods. A tsunami wave may set off seiche and if the following tsunami wave arrives with the next natural oscillation of the seiche, water may even reach greater heights than it would have from the tsunami waves alone. Much of the great height of tsunami waves in bays may be explained by this constructive combination of a seiche wave and a tsunami wave arriving simultaneously. Once the water in the bay is set in motion, the resonance may further increase the size of the waves. The dying of the oscillations, or damping, occurs slowly as gravity gradually flattens the surface of the water and as friction turns the back and forth sloshing motion into turbulence. Bodies of water with steep, rocky sides are often the most seiche-prone, but any bay or harbour that is connected to offshore waters can be perturbed to form seiche, as can shelf waters that are directly exposed to the open sea.
The presence of a well developed fringing or barrier of coral reef off a shoreline also appears to have a strong effect on tsunami waves. A reef may serve to absorb a significant amount of the wave energy, reducing the height and intensity of the wave impact on the shoreline itself.
The popular image of a tsunami wave approaching shore is that of a nearly vertical wall of water, similar to the front of a breaking wave in the surf. Actually, most tsunamis probably don’t form such wave fronts; the water surface instead is very close to the horizontal, and the surface itself moves up and down. However, under certain circumstances an arriving tsunami wave can develop an abrupt steep front that will move inland at high speeds. This phenomenon is known as a bore. In general, the way a bore is created is related to the velocity of the shallow water waves. As waves move into progressively shallower water, the wave in front will be traveling more slowly than the wave behind it .This phenomenon causes the waves to begin “catching up” with each other, decreasing their distance apart i.e. shrinking the wavelength. If the wavelength decreases, but the height does not, then waves must become steeper. Furthermore, because the crest of each wave is in deeper water than the adjacent trough, the crest begins to overtake the trough in front and the wave gets steeper yet. Ultimately the crest may begin to break into the trough and a bore formed. A tsunami can cause a bore to move up a river that does not normally have one. Bores are particularly common late in the tsunami sequence, when return flow from one wave slows the next incoming wave. Though some tsunami waves do, in deed, form bores, and the impact of a moving wall of water is certainly impressive, more often the waves arrive like a very rapidly rising tide that just keeps coming and coming. The normal wind waves and swells may actually ride on top of the tsunami, causing yet more turbulence and bringing the water level to even greater heights. | <urn:uuid:87a817df-e201-474d-b964-dcde3f8d1a17> | {
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Introduction: the enigma of sexual size dimorphism
This introductory chapter opens by describing general patterns of variation in sexual size dimorphism (SSD), with emphasis on several taxa (plants, fishes, and aquatic invertebrates) not included in the survey chapters that follow. It also highlights recently documented examples of extreme SSD, such as Lamprologus callipterus, a shell-brooding cichlid fish, where males are >12 times heavier than females, and the blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceous), where females can be 40,000 times larger than the dwarf males. The chapter then develops the two major integrative themes of the book: discovering the adaptive significance of SSD and determining the importance of genetic constraints in shaping its evolution. After briefly summarizing the contributions of the chapters to these themes, the chapter closes by discussing methodological difficulties associated with estimating adult body size and SSD in natural populations.
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. | <urn:uuid:920041e0-bf9a-4402-be36-52743e13121b> | {
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued action plans to address the potential health risks of two chemicals used in making polyurethane polymers, adhesives, sealants and coatings.
Both plans focus on “the potential health effects that may result from exposures to the consumer or self-employed worker while using products containing uncured (unreacted) diisocyanates (e.g., spray-applied foam sealants, adhesives, and coatings)” and from incidental exposures to the general population.
The plans identify a range of actions the agency is considering under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
“There has been an increase in recent years in promoting the use of foams and sealants by do-it-yourself energy-conscious homeowners, and many people may now be unknowingly exposed to risks from these chemicals,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
|OSHA regulates workplace exposure to diisocyanate compounds.|
The two new plans are the latest in EPA’s program of Chemical Action Plans
launched in 2009. EPA is also currently crafting an Action Plan for siloxanes.
Uncured Compounds at Issue
Diisocyanates are used to make polyurethane polymers. Most polyurethane products, such as foam mattresses or bowling balls, are fully reacted (cured) and not of concern. Adhesives, coatings, spray foam and other products, however, continue to react while in use and may contain "uncured" diisocyanates to which people may be exposed, according to EPA.
Diisocyanates are known to cause severe skin and breathing responses in workers who have been repeatedly exposed to them. The chemicals have been documented as a leading cause of work-related asthma, and in severe cases, fatal reactions have occurred, EPA says.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration currently regulates workplace exposures through Permissible Exposure Limits. EPA plans to consider the potential risks from consumer exposure to these chemicals.
The spray foam industry notes that “persons developing sensitivity to isocyanates may have dangerous systemic reactions to extremely small exposures, including respiratory failure.” In a report on respiratory protection, it notes: “MDI should be not be heated or sprayed except with strict engineering controls and personal protective equipment.”
Possible actions to address concerns associated with TDI, MDI and related compounds include:
- Issuing rules to gather data on significant adverse effects;
- Obtaining unpublished health and safety data from industry sources;
- Requiring exposure monitoring studies for consumer products; and
- Banning or restricting consumer products containing uncured MDI or TDI.
EPA said it would work “with other federal agencies, the polyurethanes industry, and others to ensure improved labeling and provide comprehensive product safety information for polyurethane products containing uncured compounds, especially in consumer products.” | <urn:uuid:c5674089-9d98-475c-9e00-73f296f3dfb0> | {
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Pali Proper Names - I -
- Icchā Sutta.-Wishes it is which hold the world prisoner; by
subjugating them, liberty is gained. S.i.40.
- Icchānangala Sutta
- Idagalissara.-A village in South India where Kulasekhara had an
encampment in his fight with the Sinhalese forces (Cv.lxxvi.149).
- Iddhi Sutta
- Iddhikathā.-The second division of the Paññāvagga of the
- Iddhipāda Samyutta.-The fifty-first division of the Samyutta Nikāya
(S.v.254-93), consisting of eight chapters. It is the seventh section of the
- Iddhipāda Sutta/Vagga
- Iddhivaddhana.-One of the palaces, occupied during his lay-life by
Sumana Buddha. BuA.125; Bu.v.22 gives other names for his palaces.
- Iddhiya.-See Itthiya.
- Idhalokika Sutta
- Ilanga.-See Sena Ilanga and
- Illisa Jātaka (No. 78)
- Ina Sutta.-Deals at length with the disadvantages, both material
and moral, of poverty and consequent indebtedness. A.iii.351-4.
- Inandapada.-A Damila chieftain whom Kulasekhara enlisted as his
ally. He was a troop leader in Uccankuttha. Cv.lxxvii.74ff.
- Indadvāra.-One of the fourteen gates of Pulatthipura built by
Parakkamabāhu I. (Cv.lxxiii.160).
- Indaka (Sutta)
- Indakhīla Sutta.-Like a tuft of cotton-wool or a ball of
thistledown, wafted by every wind, are recluses and Brahmins who do not
understand, as they really are, the facts of Ill; like an indakhīla,
unshakable, unquakable, are those who do so understand. (S.v.443-5).
- Indakūta.-A peak near Rājagaha, the abode of the yakkha Indaka. The
Buddha once lived there. (S.i.206).
- Indapatta (Indapattana, Indapattha)
- Indasama.-A king of thirteen kappas ago; a previous birth of
Setuccha Thera (ThagA.i.207), also called Khajjakadāyaka (Ap.i.182).
- Indasamānagotta Jātaka
- Indavarī.-Chief among the lay-women who supported Nārada Buddha
- Indranagarī.-The capital of Indra (Cv.lxxxviii.121), evidently
another name for Amarāvatī.
- Indriya Jātaka (No. 423)
- Indriya Sutta
- Indriyabhāvanā Sutta
- Indriyagocara Sutta
- Indriyakathā.-The fourth division of the Mahāvagga of the
Patisambhidāmagga (ii., pp.1-35).
- Indriyāni Sutta.-There are four indriyas: saddhā, viriya, sati and
- Ingirīsi.-The Pāli name for the English. E.g., Cv.ci.29.
- īsādantā.-A class of elephants mentioned with Hemavatas and others
(Vv.xx.9). They have trunks like the poles of a carriage, slightly curved
- Isayo Araññakā (or Gandha) Sutta
- Isayo Samuddakā (or Sambara) Sutta
- Isibhatta Thera.-Brother of Isidāsa.
- Isibhūmangana.-A spot in Anurādhapura where half the relics of
Mahinda were buried by King Uttiya (Mhv.xx.46). The Dīpavamsa (xvii.109) calls
- Isidāsī Therī
- Isidatta Sutta
- Isigana.-Perhaps the name of a Pacceka Buddha, whom the Bodhisatta
once reviled. The reading is, however, very uncertain. Ap.i.299; see footnote.
- Isigili Sutta
- Isindā.-A tribe mentioned in a list of various tribes. Ap.ii.359.
- Isisinga.-A hermit, the son of the
Bodhisatta and a doe. His story is related in the
Alambusā Jātaka and in the
- Issā Sutta.-The nun who is possessed of five qualities, including
envy, goes to hell without any doubt (A.iii.140).
- Issāpakata-itthi Vatthu
- Issara Sutta
- Issariya.-A Damila general whom Dutthagāmani subdued at Hālakola
- Issatta Sutta
- Issukī Sutta.-A woman who is faithless, shameless, unscrupulous,
envious and of weak wisdom is reborn in purgatory (S.iv.241).
- Itthā Sutta
- Itthi Vagga.-The seventh section of the Eka Nipāta of the
- Ittiya.-See Itthiya. | <urn:uuid:8e4e8394-28c1-417a-84a3-3efb20113838> | {
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When I heard the news that I was selected to be the new hire for the Payson Fire Department a few years back, I was, to say the least, excited and unknowing. I had envisioned the flashing lights, red flames and as we have all seen on television, a chance to pull the lost child from that burning building.
Well much to my surprise 75 to 80 percent of all emergencies we encounter are actually medically related. So with that in mind, I have decided to digress from my normal articles that discuss fire and injury prevention, and discuss what we encounter and do the most. I would like to discuss over the next few months, topics that involve medical emergencies, their warning signs, emergency treatment procedures, and what to do in the first few minutes. I chose to discuss stroke as my first topic for no rhyme or reason other than it came to mind first.
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die.
About 780,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. That means, on average, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds.
Stroke kills more than 150,000 people a year. That's about one of every 16 deaths. It's the No. 3 cause of deathehind diseases of the heart and cancer.
On average,very 3 to 4inutes someone dies of stroke.
Of every five deaths from stroke, two occur inen and threen women.
Americans will pay about $65.5 billion in 2008 for stroke-related medical costs and disability.
Some stroke risk factors are hereditary.Others are a function of natural processes.Still others result from a person's lifestyle.You can't change factors related to heredity or natural processes, but those resulting from lifestyle or environment can be modified with the help of a health care professional.
If you notice one or more of these signs, don't wait. Stroke is a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 or your emergency medical services. Get to a hospital right away!
Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; and sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Be prepared for an emergency
Keep a list of medications and allergies in your pocketbook, wallet or purse. The Payson Fire Department's "Vial of Life" is great for this.
Include phone numbers for relatives, friends, and physicians.
Not all the warning signs occur in every stroke. Don't ignore signs of stroke, even if they go away.
Check the time. When did the first warning sign or symptom start? You'll be asked this important question later.
If you have one or more stroke symptoms that last more than a few minutes, don't delay. Immediately call 9-1-1 so emergency personnel can quickly be sent for you.
If you're with someone who may be having stroke symptoms, expect the person to protest-enial is common. Don't take "no" for an answer. Insist on taking prompt action.
Therapy used on ischemic strokes can be effective within three hours of onset to slow or stop damage. In June 1996 the FDA approved tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) as the first treatment for strokes caused by arterial blockages. This "clotbuster" is inserted into the femoral artery near the groin and then threaded up into the brain to directly dissolve the blood clot, thereby limiting or stopping the damage to the brain cells.
New research studies show that women may have traditional symptoms less often than men do, and they may be more likely to experience and report an alternative symptom first. This discrepancy may cause women to delay seeking help.
Don't wait. A woman coming into the emergency department with facial weakness is quickly sent off for brain imaging, but when the main complaint is shortness of breath or fainting, it may be that neither the woman nor even emergency room personnel suspect a stroke.
In addition to or instead of the traditional stroke signs, women may also experience loss of consciousness or fainting; shortness of breath; falls or accidents; sudden pain in the face, chest, arms or legs; seizure; sudden hiccups; sudden nausea; sudden tiredness; sudden pounding or racing heartbeat (palpitations).
For further information on the prevention, causes and treatment of stroke call the American Stroke Association at 1-888-4-STROKE orisit their Web site: www.strokeassociation.org.
Until next time be "Fired Up" about stroke prevention and treatment in your life. | <urn:uuid:939d2fa4-b3e7-4310-b2ad-7f55f85e8518> | {
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Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees
The memory controller is a digital circuit which manages the flow of data going to and from the main memory . It can be a separate chip or integrated into another chip, such as on the die of a microprocessor .
Diagram of the computer memory hierarchy The term memory hierarchy is used in computer architecture when discussing performance issues in computer architectural design, algorithm predictions, and the lower level programming constructs such as involving locality of reference .
Why memory must be managed
Table of Contents , Show Frames , No Frames The memory management subsystem is one of the most important parts of the operating system.
Beginner's Guide: Overview | Allocation techniques | Recycling techniques Memory management is a complex field of computer science and there are many techniques being developed to make it more efficient.
Memory management is the act of managing computer memory . | <urn:uuid:019dbec9-1c6f-4a73-baac-212b9549ad6d> | {
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Cycling Terminology for the Amgen Tour of California
Riders: In professional cycling the racers are generally called riders as opposed to racers or cyclists.
Route map: The course or path the riders will take from start to finish. Some stages will have laps where riders will repeat the same few blocks within the stage. Stage 8 has 5 laps before the finish.
Stage profile: Maps the ascents and descents along a stage. It is often fun for fans to see the riders on a climb where the rider's speed slows slightly (or coming around a corner).
Rolling neutral start: Riders begin at a start line but do not begin racing until a few blocks or miles into the route (the distance varies). A neutral start is used if the start area conditions are narrow, crowded, or unsafe for race conditions. A neutral start is also sometimes used as a show of respect. Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 all have neutral starts this year.
KOM (King of Mountain): First rider to the top of a designated climb on the race route. Riders receive points, the rider with the most points wins the King of the Mountain (KOM) (climber's) jersey. The jersey transfers each day to the rider with the most points overall. There may be more than one KOM point in a stage, Stage 4 has 6 KOMs.
Sprint: First rider to a designated sprint line on the race route. Riders receive points, the rider with the most points wins the sprint (green) jersey. The jersey transfers each day to the rider with the most points overall. There may be more than one KOM point in a stage, Stage 2 has 3 SPRINTS.
Leader: There will be a current leader out on course while the race is taking place, but the overall Leader (yellow jersey) is the rider with the lowest (fastest) overall time for all stages. The winner of each day's stage is called the Stage Winner, not the Leader.
Feed zone: A designated area on the route where team staff must pass out food bags (musettes) to the riders containing food. Water may be handed to riders through team cars throughout the stage.
Breakaway: 1 to a few riders who are leading the race and ahead of the main peloton
Peloton: The main pack of riders chasing the lead breakaway.
Podium girls: A tradition in professional cycling to have 2 beautiful women present the awards to the riders at the finish of every stage.
Podium: Each day the top three riders finishing the stage are awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes on the podium. Then the 6 overall Classification jerseys are awarded.
Classification Jerseys: Awards for best type of rider in a field. This year the Tour of California will feature 6 classifications: Leader (fastest overall time, yellow jersey), Most Courageous (by vote, white jersey), Mountain (climber, red polka dot jersey), Sprint (fastest sprinter, green jersey), Best Young rider (under the age of 23, orange jersey), Most Aggressive (most combative/competitive, black jersey). As the stage race progresses the overall classification winner is presented with his jersey after each stage and will wear the jersey at the start of the next day's stage. View the Official 2012 Jerseys.
Stage Race: a cycling race consisting of more than one day of racing, where points and time is tallied every day to determine an overall winner at the end of the race. The 2012 Amgen Tour of California will have 8 stages.
Bib Number or Dossard: please read an earlier Pedal Dancer post: Word of the Day: Dossard | <urn:uuid:c4f4d74e-8c91-45e0-9072-96c00f410d30> | {
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Quarks are completely confined within protons and neutrons: a phenomenon that we do not completely understand. The artist's view below represents the two interlinked phenomena that drive confinement: the long-range correlations in the physical vacuum that surround the proton and excludes the color-field emanating from quarks and the extremely strong gluon-fields between the quarks.
To make progress on confinement we need to separate these two effects and study each individually. One way to do this is to make a much larger system of quarks and gluons where the role of the vacuum at the surface of the larger system is much reduced. Such a large system can be produced by compressing or heating nuclear matter so that the neutrons and protons begin to overlap. As the boundaries between each neutron and proton disappear, a large volume of a new state of matter should be formed - the quark gluon plasma (QGP). The strong interactions between quarks and gluons dominate the properties of the QGP, and because of the larger volume of the system, the influence of the correlated vacuum is much reduced.
Collisions between two heavy nuclei take place at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Our first results from PHENIX indicate that the plasma may be formed in these reactions. Leading the evidence for the QGP is the reduced yield of particles at high transverse momenta (pt). These particles predominantly come from rare, high-momentum collisions between quarks and gluons (partons) that occur in the hot, early stage of the reaction. As high momentum partons travel through the forming plasma, they are predicted to lose a considerable fraction of their energy. Outside the collision zone high-momentum partons fragment into hadrons, and any energy-loss in the plasma softens the hadronic spectrum, i.e. lowers the measured yield of hadrons at high-pt.
The first high-pt spectra from Au+Au collisions measured by PHENIX at RHIC were published in 2001 with the key observation that the high-pt spectra are softer in central than in peripheral collisions.
Because a central reaction would produce a larger volume of QGP, this result is consistent with the hard-scattered parton losing energy in a QGP.
The overall caution remains that a heavy-ion reaction is a very complex, challenging environment. A strong case for the existence and properties of the QGP must rely on a broad range of observations. To extend our repertoire of probes, our group is currently analyzing data on J/psi suppression in Au+Au collisions.
Looking forward to the future, at ISU we are leading a major upgrades for PHENIX : a new Si vertex detector to quantitatively probe the early, highest energy-density phase of the matter formed in a heavy-ion reaction by measuring the yield and spectra of heavy-flavored mesons. Measuring the spectra of charm and beauty-mesons requires a tracking resolution of less than 100 mm to measure the decay of mesons displaced from the collision point. | <urn:uuid:995b15b9-4599-4630-b3ea-780e20ab3f77> | {
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Penn Physics Professor Finds Light under the Sea
Penn Physics and Astronomy Assistant Professor Alison Sweeney's research on undersea biooptics may have implications for solar energy and the development of biofuels. As reported on the SASFrontiers website, Sweeney's research indicates that proteins in mollusc shells, called reflectins, help propagate solar energy underwater to optimize photosynthesis in algae colonies. Reflectins also enable squids to change their own reflective qualities, and enable them to camouflage themselves in brighter or darker waters.
You cna read about Dr. Sweeney's research in SASFrontiers.
Earlier: Alison Sweeney wins Bartholomew Award. | <urn:uuid:4ef20d98-c749-446b-af61-0df21c103cc5> | {
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Sheet Music - Purpose and use
Sheet music can be used as a record of, a guide to, or a means to perform, a piece of music. Although it does not take the place of the sound of a performed work, sheet music can be studied to create a performance and to elucidate aspects of the music that may not be obvious from mere listening. Authoritative musical information about a piece can be gained by studying the written sketches and early versions of compositions that the composer might have retained, as well as the final autograph score and personal markings on proofs and printed scores.
Comprehending sheet music requires a special form of literacy: the ability to read musical notation. Nevertheless, an ability to read or write music is not a requirement to compose music. Many composers have been capable of producing music in printed form without the capacity themselves to read or write in musical notation—as long as an amanuensis of some sort is available. Examples include the blind 18th-century composer John Stanley and the 20th-century composers and lyricists Lionel Bart, Irving Berlin and Paul McCartney.
The skill of sight reading is the ability of a musician to perform an unfamiliar work of music upon viewing the sheet music for the first time. Sight reading ability is expected of professional musicians and serious amateurs who play classical music and related forms. An even more refined skill is the ability to look at a new piece of music and hear most or all of the sounds (melodies, harmonies, timbres, etc.) in one's head without having to play the piece.
With the exception of solo performances, where memorization is expected, classical musicians ordinarily have the sheet music at hand when performing. In jazz music, which is mostly improvised, sheet music—called a lead sheet in this context—is used to give basic indications of melodies, chord changes, and arrangements.
Handwritten or printed music is less important in other traditions of musical practice, however. Although much popular music is published in notation of some sort, it is quite common for people to learn a piece by ear. This is also the case in most forms of western folk music, where songs and dances are passed down by oral—and aural—tradition. Music of other cultures, both folk and classical, is often transmitted orally, though some non-western cultures developed their own forms of musical notation and sheet music as well.
Although sheet music is often thought of as being a platform for new music and an aid to composition (i.e., the composer writes the music down), it can also serve as a visual record of music that already exists. Scholars and others have made transcriptions of western and non-western musics so as to render them in readable form for study, analysis, and re-creative performance. This has been done not only with folk or traditional music (e.g., Bartók's volumes of Magyar and Romanian folk music), but also with sound recordings of improvisations by musicians (e.g., jazz piano) and performances that may only partially be based on notation. An exhaustive example of the latter in recent times is the collection The Beatles: Complete Scores (London: Wise Publications, c1993), which seeks to transcribe into staves and tablature all the songs as recorded by the Beatles in instrumental and vocal detail. (More...) | <urn:uuid:0482eb3d-9bf0-4aa5-933e-578c2615ccdc> | {
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- SPECIAL REPORTS
- THE MAGAZINE
Mount Everest is located in southern Asia's Great Himalayan mountain range, straddling the border of Tibet and Nepal. Global positioning indicates the mountain continues to grow a few fractions of an inch each year and to move slightly to the northeast due to the shifting of tectonic plates.
Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth. Satellite-based technology pinpointed its height at 29,035 feet in 1999. Everest's upper slopes are so high that the atmosphere there contains just one-third of the breathable oxygen found at sea level. At 28,250 feet, Mount K-2 in Kashmir is the world's second-highest peak.
Mount Everest was named after Sir George Everest, a British surveyor who spent 25 years of his life mapping the Indian subcontinent. Everest most likely never saw the mountain himself, but his triangulation theories allowed successors to locate its summit in 1852. In Tibet, the mountain's name is Chomolungma, or ``Goddess Mother of the World.'' In Nepal, the mountain's name is Sagarmatha, or ``Goddess of the Sky.''
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first recorded climbers to scale Everest in 1953. Nepalese guide Appa Sherpa holds the record for most successful ascents at 17. New Zealand mountaineer Mark Inglis became the first double amputee to reach the summit in 2006. In May, 71-year-old Katsusuke Yanagisawa reportedly became the oldest man ever to climb the mountain. About 200 climbers have died while making attempts on Everest, including several this year.
Sources: Kalamazoo Gazette, May 31, 2007. | <urn:uuid:be9e2b28-266d-4ec1-9c62-706df74fb165> | {
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The uncanny valley appears pretty frequently in these pages, at least in presentation — like the disembodied baby head above, for instance, or the wonderfully horrible Telenoid. These robots and others represent the gulf in our robot affinity that gapes open when machines approach a certain level of human likeness.
Masahiro Mori described this phenomenon 42 years ago, when he was a robotics professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. His paper was largely unnoticed for decades, but more recently it has become a touchstone for robotics, especially as they become more lifelike. But the paper was never published in English in its entirety, for whatever reason. Now here it is, in a new translation approved by Mori and appearing in IEEE Spectrum.Mori notes the eerie sensation that arises when we are tricked into thinking an artificial limb is real, and then realize it’s not — it “becomes uncanny,” and we lose our affinity for it. He expresses this phenomenon in a graph.
“I have noticed that, in climbing toward the goal of making robots appear human, our affinity for them increases until we come to a valley, which I call the uncanny valley,” the new translation reads.
He also charts our affinities and lack thereof for still and moving objects, noting that our affinity is pretty high for a stuffed animal or a humanoid robot. But movement is key to our affinity — a humanoid robot would not move like a human, so it would be incredibly creepy, he says. “Imagine a craftsman being awakened suddenly in the dead of night. He searches downstairs for something among a crowd of mannequins in his workshop. If the mannequins started to move, it would be like a horror story,” he writes.
A still corpse is also down in the valley. At the deepest point: Zombies.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more. | <urn:uuid:c801bdac-aa80-4e1f-b826-906d926e8444> | {
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by Laura Whitehorn
A new discovery may finally skin staph
Scientists are cracking the code of staph (Staphylococcus aureus), a
bacterial skin infection harder on HIVers than on neggies. They’ve
found that the stuff that gives the bug its distinctive gold surface
(aureus means golden) also shields it from the immune system.
Pinpointing this defense mechanism could spur better meds—for the
drug-resistant kind, too. Until then, here are some steps for stopping
- Get clean: Wash with soap and water, especially after skin-to-skin contact.
- Get covered: Wrap cuts or abrasions with clean bandages.
- Get your own: Don’t share razors or towels.
- Get culture: Testing suspected staph tells your Doc which anti-biotics to prescribe. | <urn:uuid:c7686e7b-dfe0-4bcd-927d-7ee995c6b132> | {
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"Green" Energy, It's ALL GREEN...So it's CLEAN!
Public Power's "GREEN" ENERGY - Why Choose "Green" Energy?
Public Power is now offering 100% "Green" Energy. "Green" programs are helping America become energy independent.
Public Power offers 100% Green Energy, whereas our standard rate provides only 20% Green Energy. Customers who enroll with our "Green" Energy program will receive a certificate from Public Power acknowledging their contribution to America's future.
If you had a choice?...
What is "Green" energy?
In the United States, most of our electricity is generated by pollution sources like coal-fired plants, which pollute our environment with millions of tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
People can now power their homes a cleaner way; with "Green" Energy, 100% of a home's monthly electric will be generated from alternative renewable energy sources that have a zero imprint on our environment. Green Energy is produced in a way that has less of a negative environmental impact than conventional sources such as the burning of fossil fuels. Examples of Green Energy include solar, wind, geothermal and hydro. The use of Green Energy reduces negative impacts to the environment and decreases harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
We all contribute to the release of harmful greenhouse gases; the good news is that it's not too late to make a difference and reduce the harmful effects of common daily activities such as driving our cars, air travel, and cooling and heating our homes.
A Higher Standard
Public Power is promoting Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in order to get an increased usage of renewable energy and the development of renewable products. An RPS is a statewide benchmark for the percentage of electricity that must come from green, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal. Continued development of renewable resources is largely driven by the adoption of these standards. By purchasing our "Green" Energy product you would be helping promote Renewable Portfolio Standards. Public Power is a proud supporter of RPS with our commitment to offer up to 16% renewable energy in all of our markets.
How does "Green" Energy work?
Green Energy is derived from naturally-occurring sources. This energy can be replenished as wind, solar, and hydroelelectric power. To help spread the sale of Green Energy, a system was established that separates Green Energy into separate parts. Green Energy is separated by: the electricity produced by a renewable generator and the renewable "attributes" of that generation. These renewable attributes are sold separately as renewable energy certificates (RECs). One REC is issued for each megawatt-hour (MWh) unit of renewable electricity produced. RECs provide buyers flexibility in procuring green power across a diverse geographical area and in applying the renewable attributes to the electricity use at a facility of choice. Buying RECs helps build a market for renewable electricity and contributes to environmental sustainability. As the global demand for energy increases, Green Energy has become an increasingly important focus around the world, as relying on non-renewable energy sources is an unsustainable practice in the long run. | <urn:uuid:00904d06-f75d-4c78-9b64-df6de5b09f6c> | {
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Experimental Fusion Research
PPPL fusion research centers on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), which is undergoing a $94 million upgrade that will make it the most powerful experimental fusion facility, or tokamak, of its type in the world when work is completed in 2014. Experiments will test the ability of the upgraded spherical facility to maintain a high-performance plasma under conditions of extreme heat and power. Results could strongly influence the design of future fusion reactors.
The Laboratory develops components and scientific data for ITER, which represents the largest step to date toward the development of a commercial fusion reactor. ITER, whose name is Latin for “the way,” is being built in Cadarache, France, by the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, Korea and Russia. The facility is designed to produce 500 million watts of fusion power for at least 400 seconds by the late 2020s to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a source of energy.
PPPL conducts research on the use of liquid lithium to help keep fusion reactions hot. The Laboratory’s Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX) is the world’s first experimental fusion facility to have liquid lithium covering all its walls to absorb plasma particles that escape from magnetic confinement. The shiny metal keeps the particles from re-entering the plasma as a cold gas, retains impurities that can cool the plasma and halt fusion reactions, and prevents damage to the plasma-facing walls. Included in this research are experiments led by Princeton University engineer Bruce Koel on the behavior of lithium and other wall materials. | <urn:uuid:64d593c2-67d9-4e90-8ee9-cb440376d58c> | {
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Almost as soon as moving pictures began telling stories, they drew upon literature for ideas—popular poems, Shakespeare’s plays, and later novels and short stories provided the basis for many films, and continue to do so to this day. Finding in-depth criticism about these films, and the works that inspired them, can be challenging—until now. This guide will help you find critical essays on movies, their literary sources, and the art of film adaptation.
The first step is finding films that have been adapted from literary works. The following resources are an excellent place to start:
Based on the Book This site, from the Mid-Continent Public Library, allows you to look up novel/film combinations. You can search by author, book title, movie title, or the year the film was released.
Movie Adaptation Database From the University of California at Berkeley, a searchable database for movie and book titles.
The Literary Filmography: 6,200 Adaptations of Books, Short Stories and Other Nondramatic Works. Leonard Mustazza.
Entries are listed alphabetically by title of the original work and include the author, year of first publication, literary prizes, and a brief synopsis, followed by film title, credits, and availability on VHS or DVD. Sources include books, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, and poems. Covers English-language works only.
There are two approaches to finding criticism about a particular book or author:
Check the library catalog. Doing a subject search on the author’s name (last, first) will bring up books about the writer’s life and works.
See the Humanities Department research guide Literary Criticism for High School and College Students to find online and print resources, as well as helpful information about writing a research paper.
Adaptations: From short story to big screen. Stephanie Harrison.
Do a title search to pull up information about a particular film. Under the heading “Awards & Reviews,” click on the link for “external reviews” for links to different reviewers.
A gateway to reviews of movies past and present. The reviews come from a variety of media outlets, including The New York Times and Roger Ebert, and occasionally include foreign press sources.
This online version annually indexes 150 film and television periodicals from 30 countries cover-to-cover and 200 other periodicals selectively for articles on film and television. The periodicals range from the scholarly to the popular. Contains citations to articles, film reviews and book reviews published between 1976-2001.
Found a good citation in the indexes above, and want to get hold of the actual journal? See the Periodicals Department’s list of Film Magazines and Journals at the Pratt Library. Or, search the archives of the following online film journals:
If you would like to know more about our film and literature resources, e-mail us through our Ask-A-Librarian service, call us at (410) 396-5487 or mail your question to:
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore MD 21201 | <urn:uuid:be2028af-c1ae-4f67-8454-f57b686094b2> | {
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Right now, the accelerator is stopped for the annual maintenance shutdown. This is the opportunity to fix all problems that occurred during the past year both on the accelerator and the experiments. The detectors are opened and all accessible malfunctioning equipment is being repaired or replaced.
In the 27-km long LHC tunnel, surveyors are busy getting everything realigned to a high precision, while various repairs and maintenance operations are on their way. By early March, all magnets will have been cooled down again and prepared for operation.
The experimentalists are not only working on their detectors but also improving all aspects of their software: the detector simulations, event reconstruction algorithms, particle identification schemes and analysis techniques are all being revised.
By late March, the LHC will resume colliding protons with the goal of delivering about 16 inverse femtobarns of data, compared to 5 inverse femtobarns in 2011. This will enable the experiments to improve the precision of all measurements achieved so far, push all searches for new phenomena slightly further and explore areas not yet tackled. The hope is to discover particles associated with new physics revealing the existence of new phenomena. The CMS and ATLAS physicists are looking for dozens of hypothetical particles, the Higgs boson being the most publicized but only one of many.
When protons collide in the LHC accelerator, the energy released materializes in the form of massive but unstable particles. This is a consequence of the well-known equation E=mc2, which simply states that energy (represented by E) and mass (m) are equivalent, each one can change into the other. The symbol c2 represents the speed of light squared and acts like a conversion factor. This is why in particle physics we measure particle masses in units of energy like GeV (giga electronvolt) or TeV (tera electronvolt). One electronvolt is the energy acquired by an electron through a potential difference of one volt.
It is therefore easier to create lighter particles since less energy is required. Over the past few decades, we have already observed the lighter particles countless times in various experiments. So we know fairly well how many events containing them we should observe. We can tell when new particles are created when we see more events of a certain topology than what we expect from those well-known phenomena, which we refer to as the background.
We can claim that something additional and new is also occurring when we see an excess of events. Of course, the bigger the excess, the easier it is to claim something new is happening. This is the reason why we accumulate so many events, each one being a snap-shots of the debris coming out of a proton-proton collisions. We want to be sure the excess cannot be due to some random fluctuation.
Some of the particles we are looking for are expected to have a mass in the order of a few hundred GeV. This is the case for the Higgs boson and we already saw possible signs of its presence last year. If the observed excess continues to grow as we collect more data in 2012, it will be enough to claim the Higgs boson discovery beyond any doubt in 2012 or rule it out forever.
Other hypothetical particles may have masses as large as a few thousand GeV or equivalently, a few TeV. In 2011, the accelerator provided 7 TeV of energy at the collision point. The more energy the accelerator has, the higher the reach in masses, just like one cannot buy a 7000 CHF car with 5000 CHF. So to create a pair of particles with a mass of 3.5 TeV (or 3500 GeV), one needs to provide at least 7 TeV to produce them. But since some of the energy is shared among many particles, the effective limit is lower than the accelerator energy.
There are ongoing discussions right now to decide if the LHC will be operating at 8 TeV this year instead of 7 TeV as in 2011. The decision will be made in early February.
If CERN decides to operate at 8 TeV, the chances of finding very heavy particles will slightly increase, thanks to the extra energy available. This will be the case for searches for particles like the W’ or Z’, a heavier version of the well-known W and Z bosons. For these, collecting more data in 2012 will probably not be enough to push the current limits much farther. We will need to wait until the LHC reaches full energy at 13 or 14 TeV in 2015 to push these searches higher than in 2011 where limits have already been placed around 1 TeV.
For LHCb and ALICE, the main goal is not to find new particles. LHCb aims at making extremely precise measurements to see if there are any weak points in the current theoretical model, the Standard Model of particle physics. For this, more data will make a whole difference. Already in 2011, they saw the first signs of CP-violation involving charm quarks and hope to confirm this observation. This measurement could shed light on why matter overtook antimatter as the universe expanded after the Big Bang when matter and antimatter must have been created in equal amounts. They will also investigate new techniques and new channels.
Meanwhile, ALICE has just started analyzing the 2011 data taken in November with lead ion collisions. The hope is to better understand how the quark-gluon plasma formed right after the Big Bang. This year, a special run involving collisions of protons and lead ions should bring a new twist in this investigation.
Exploring new corners, testing new ideas, improving the errors on all measurements and most likely the final answer on the Higgs, that is what we are in with the LHC for in 2012. Let’s hope that in 2012 the oriental dragon, symbol of perseverance and success, will see our efforts bear fruit.
To be alerted of new postings, follow me on Twitter: @GagnonPauline or sign-up on this mailing list to receive and e-mail notification. | <urn:uuid:f37ea100-b3b9-472e-bffa-c0ee6d515f58> | {
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This paper provides observations of physical fitness testing in Texas schools and physical education teachers' insights about large-scale testing using the FITNESSGRAM[R] assessment (Cooper Institute, 2007) as mandated by Texas Senate Bill 530. In the first study, undergraduate and graduate students who were trained to observe and assess student fitness testing in grades 3 through 12 provided observations. In the second study, physical education teachers responded to selected interview questions during a focus group discussion. From the observations and responses, specific themes emerged related to teachers knowledge and training about conducting fitness testing and managing data, students' knowledge and motivation, support and resources far conducting fitness assessments, and complexity of the fitness situation.
Key words: behaviors, perceptions, physical education teachers
Physical fitness and physical activity levels in children and adolescents have long been a topic of interest, especially to physical educators, exercise scientists, health agencies, and private organizations dealing with sport and fitness (Safrit, 1990). Knowledge that children and adolescents in the United States are more obese and possibly less physically fit than their counterparts in other developed nations has been highlighted for more than two decades (see DiNubile, 1993; Freedson, Cureton, & Heath, 2000; Seefeldt & Vogel, 1989). A number of nationwide youth fitness school-based physical education programs have been developed over the past 50 years, during which time several reports critically examined the strengths and weaknesses of the fitness batteries used in the programs (e.g., Freedson et al., 2000; Keating, 2003; Safrit, 1990; Safrit & Wood, 1995). Hence, examining physical education classes or fitness assessment protocols to improve the experiences of all those involved is not a new concept (e.g., Stewart, Boyce, Elliot, & Block, 2005). The beneficial impact of fitness testing programs, components, and certain test items has met with some skepticism due to the increased number of overweight children and adolescents and overweight, inactive adults (Keating, 2003; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2008). Findings from a few studies suggested that high physical fitness during childhood and young adulthood is related to a healthy risk factor profile later in life; however, youth physical activity levels do not necessarily influence cardiovascular disease in later life (Harris & Cale, 2006; Twisk, Kemper, & Van Mechelen, 2002a, 2002b).
Education, government, healthcare, and business institutions, as well as parents and families should share the responsibility for U.S. children's and adolescents' health and fitness (Austin, Fung, Cohen-Bearak, Wardle, & Cheung, 2006). Positive attempts to make large-scale changes include legislation such as Texas Senate Bill (SB) 19, requiring students in publicly funded elementary and middle schools to participate in physical activity; SB 42, that schools implement a coordinated health program; or SB 530, mandating fitness testing of grade 3-12 students (e.g., Kelder et al., 2009). However, there is limited information about the issues and barriers teachers and administrators face when making these changes (e.g., Green & Thurston, 2002). By documenting testing errors and best practices during large-scale fitness testing, a comprehensive understanding may guide future endeavors to ensure accountability and success. Thus, this paper reports on teachers' experiences during the Texas state-mandated physical fitness assessments conducted in the second year of implementation.
Through anecdotal reports, experiences, and observations from physical education teachers and trained college students who conducted the mandated fitness testing, we provide an understanding of the issues and barriers to conducting physical fitness assessments and maintaining annual statewide physical fitness data. This paper entails two separate studies, (a) the observations of undergraduate and graduate students trained to use the FITNESSGRAM[R]/ACTIVITYGRAM[R] assessment tools (Cooper Institute, 2007) and (b) physical education teachers' thoughts and opinions about the state-mandated fitness testing program and the FITNESSGRAM/ ACTIVITYGRAM assessment tools. The themes and the concerns that emerged from these investigations are presented here to aid future large-scale fitness testing.
Study 1: Testing Observations
The research team included one graduate student and eight undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation at the University of North Texas (Morrow, Martin, & Jackson, 2010). All were trained in FITNESSGRAM test administration, which included reading the training manual, watching an accompanying DVD demonstration, completing the online certification, hands-on training at The Cooper Institute and the University of North Texas, and practice testing at two local middle schools prior to beginning the study. In addition, team members were trained to use standardized testing forms that listed specific criteria for FITNESSGRAM test items (e.g., 15-m PACER [Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run], 20-m PACER, curl-up, pull-up, etc.). They also practiced observing and recording errors in the testing procedures.
Expertly trained testing teams of two to four people traveled to schools to either observe teachers administer the fitness test items twice within a 2-week period or observe teachers administer the fitness test items and then within 2 weeks re-administer the same test items (for additional information on the protocol see Morrow, Martin, & Jackson, 2010). Hence, at least two team members were present in each session to record observations of teacher-administered testing or to conduct the testing. They recorded daily observations journals and test results on the standardized FITNESSGRAM testing forms.
Recruiting and Scheduling Schools
Schools were recruited through telephone, email, fliers, and in-person meetings with teachers and district physical education representatives. Elementary school teachers showed the most interest in study participation and signed up quickly for the research. They were placed in one of two groups: the teacher-administered fitness group, or the teacher-administered followed by expert team-administered fitness group. Many elementary school physical education teachers already incorporated fitness testing elements into their curriculum and devoted entire units to teaching the FITNESSGRAM test battery; these factors provided an ideal opportunity for them to schedule time to participate in the study. Recruiting middle and high school teachers and their students was difficult due, in part, to the physical education and physical activity requirements defined in SB 530 (Morrow, Martin, & Jackson, 2010), which are different from those for elementary schools. The physical activity requirements for elementary school (first through fifth grades) are 30 min/day or 135 min/week (45 min three times per week) or 225 min over 2 weeks (45 min three times the first week, and 45 min twice the second week). Only four of six semesters of physical education were required in middle school (sixth through eighth grades), and the high school physical education requirement was 1.5 years. Not all students were required to enroll in physical education at the middle and 'high school levels. At some schools, nonphysical education students were released from other classes to complete the mandated physical education fitness testing. Conversely, other schools opted to test the entire school over 1 or 2 days and recruited teachers from other departments to help administer the test. Because secondary school physical education teachers were not necessarily those responsible for administering the test at their school, it was difficult to find those willing to take time away from their schedule to participate in the study.
The expert trained team observed 29 classes in 17 different … | <urn:uuid:a0cbd68d-9e19-48d9-b602-53fac93ba61a> | {
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For over ten years, Raising A Reader has been a leader in evidence-based literacy programming for young children. Outcome data demonstrate that Raising A Reader effectively develops family reading habits and, by doing so, helps young children enter school ready to learn. Raising A Reader Affiliates across the nation reflect the unique needs of their communities, enhance use of existing community services (particularly local libraries), and have a lasting impact on the lives of the children and families they touch.
- 75% increase in the number of parents who shared books with children five or more times per week (Norfolk, VA; 2004)
- Raising A Reader five-year-olds in Head Start scored 69% higher in pre-reading and 59% higher in book knowledge than other Head Start five-year-old or older children. (San Francisco County, CA; 2003)
- 350% increase in the percentage of Spanish-speaking parents taking their preschool children to the library at least once per month (Santa Clara County, CA; 2001)
“One of my greatest concerns is that very young, low income families often have nothing but a television as a means of receiving information and enjoyment. Often the reading/language skills assessed inchildren of these families are at the lower end of normal—RAR turns this around!” -- Educator, Multnomah County, OR
“One local mother told us that her 8 year-old could not read and that she herself did not graduate from High School, but that her 4 year-old was learning to read because of Raising A Reader. She also shared that because of Raising A Reader, she was learning to read and she had been inspired to go back to school to get her GED.” -- Sarah Bishop, United Way of Southampton Roads, Norfolk, VA
“A family who participated in the library event had NEVER taken their children to the library. The parents now have a library card and have returned to the library on their own.” -- Jeanne Chisena, Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency (NEMCSA), Alpena, MI
“Raising A Reader gives Spanish speaking parents the ability to practice reading basic English in the privacy of their home which begins to build confidence to read outside the home.” -- Dawn Ryan, Preschool Teacher, Aspen, CO
Raising A Reader does more than just give children books in the hopes they will be read. RAR helps families learn to share books so they can understand the delight that comes with reading (‘book cuddling’) and the power they have to help young children enter school ready to learn. | <urn:uuid:8fd614c5-b988-4124-83bf-afbafedd795c> | {
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Mapping Tutorial: Zoom and Navigation
The tools for moving around inside the map are in the first section, on the left-hand side of the toolbar.
Zoom: click-drag with the mouse to zoom in graphically. Click on the icon, then click-drag on the zone that you wish to enlarge. See also the navigation map section above.
If the mouse has a scroll wheel, this will allow you to zoom in and out.
Move map: click-drag with the mouse to move around inside the map. Click on the icon, then click-drag on the map to move in the desired direction. Using this button is optional; you can move around the map just with a click-and-drag.
Reframe: returns to the initial extent of the map. After zooming or moving around, click on the icon to return to the initial view of the map.
Search: locate a geographic unit by typing in its name or part of its name. Click on the icon, type in the name or part of the name of the geographic unit you wish to locate, and then click on Search. A list of geographic units containing the search term will appear. Choose the geographic unit that you wish to see on the map from this list.
See next: Selection »
See previous: « Views and Geographic Levels | <urn:uuid:89e37c41-6015-459d-a618-21e5352e9c5d> | {
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Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Author: Carolyn Wilhelm
Children find favorite words, phrases, and sentences from familiar stories. Working together, they combine their words and phrases to create a poem. The poem is then shared as performance poetry.
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Technical Help | Legal | International Reading Association | National Council of Teachers of English | <urn:uuid:b9407660-5cff-455b-8e5b-ebe0d9dae588> | {
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There has been a flurry of recent commentary concerning Amazon drought – some of it good, some of it not so good. The good stuff has revolved around a recently-completed interesting field experiment that was run out of the Woods Hole Research Center (not to be confused with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), where they have been examining rainforest responses to drought – basically by using a very large rainproof tent to divert precipitation at ground level (the trees don’t get covered up). As one might expect, a rainforest without rain does not do well! But exactly what happens when and how the biosphere responds are poorly understood. This 6 year long field experiment may provide a lot of good new data on plant strategies for dealing with drought which will be used to improve the models and our understanding of the system.
The not-so-good part comes when this experiment is linked too directly to the ongoing drought in the southern Amazon. In the experiment, older tree mortality increased markedly after the third year of no rain at all (with around 1 in 10 trees dying). Since parts of the Amazon are now entering a second year of drought (possibly related to a persistent northward excursion of the ITCZ), the assumption in the Independent story (with the headline ‘One year to save the Amazon’) was that trees will start dying forest-wide next year should the drought continue.
This is incorrect for a number of reasons. Firstly, drought conditions are not the same as no rain at all – the rainfall deficit in the middle of the Amazon is significant, but not close to 100%! Secondly, the rainfall deficits are quite regionally variable, so a forest-wide response is highly unlikely. Also, the trees won’t all die in just one more year and could recover, depending on yearly variation in climate.
While this particular article is exaggerated, there are, however, some issues that should provoke genuine concern. Worries about the effects of the prolonged drought (and other natural and human-related disturbances) in the Amazon are indeed widespread and are partly related to the idea that there may be a ‘tipping point’ for the rainforest (see this recent article for some background). This idea is exemplified in a study last year (Hutrya et al, 2005) which looked at the sharp transition between forest and savannah and related that to the coupling of drought incidence and wild fires with the forest ecosystem. Modelling work has suggested that the Amazon may have two vegetation/regional climate equilibria due to vegetation and climate tending to reinforce each other if one is pushed in a particular direction (Oyama and Nobre, 2003). The two alternative states could be one rainforested and wet like today, the other mainly savannah and dry in the Eastern Amazon. Thus there is a fear that too much drought or disturbance could flip parts of the forest into a more savannah-like state. However, there is a great deal of uncertainty in where these thresholds may lie and how likely they are to be crossed, and the rate at which change will occur. Models go from predicting severe and rapid change (Cox et al, 2004), to relatively mild changes (Friedlingstein et al (2003)). Locally these responses can be dramatic, but of course, these changes also have big implications for total carbon cycle feedback and so have global consequences as well.
Part of that uncertainty is related to the very responses that are being monitored in the WHRC experiment and so while I would hesitate to make a direct link, indirectly these results may have big consequences for what we think may happen to the Amazon in the future.
Special thanks to Nancy Kiang for taking the time to discuss this with me.
Update: WHRC comments on the articles below. | <urn:uuid:34247e22-9bec-4ed3-b5e5-15b6d905fbaf> | {
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11 Things to Do with Teens in the Justice System
This week, I'm highlighting posts from our first year to help you focus on creative ways to help teens in the justice system and in recovery learn skills that will help them live crime-free and drug-free lives.
Here's 11 things you can do with teens in your justice system:
- Read books together. Don't scoff - this really works, even with kids who aren't great readers. The model I have in mind is Changing Lives through Literature. Find out why the chief juvenile probation officer in Bristol County, MA loves the program. On a related note, many teens also benefit from writing poetry.
- Reward teens when they do things right. A community-based prevention program in Canada and Maine, where police hand out "positive tickets" to kids caught doing things right, and not just when they break the law, has shown encouraging results. Can it be modified for your community -- or your juvenile program?
- Teach them to cook. Teens in a culinary program in a juvenile probation camp in L.A. County made a gourmet meal for area bigwigs.
- Give them cameras so they can tell their own stories. Teach them to use digital media -- who knows? They might end up making a powerful documentary film, as these inmates in a juvenile jail did.
- Teach them yoga. A program in Oakland, CA, offers 70 yoga classes per week to at-risk youth (follow the link and scroll down to the ninth bullet); they learn self-control and calm.
- Put them to work at a museum. A program in the U.K. hooked up youth in the justice system with a local vintage car museum.
- Connect them with a caring adult. Try the 4C Coalition at the Reclaiming Futures site in Seattle for a mentoring program that targets kids in the justice system -- similarly,or contact our Reclaiming Futures site in Dayton, Ohio, which has recruited over 100 "natural helpers" from the community to work with teens in trouble with the law.
- Put them to work reforming the juvenile justice system. For example, the Center for Court Innovation had youth in the system collect information from famlies, youth, and juvenile justice system professionals about why it is that so many teens and caregivers caught up in the system have no idea how it works. What they came up with wasn't child's play: their recommendations -- if followed -- could dramatically improve outcomes.
- Ask teens to map community resources. Organize teens to do something positive for their peers and their community by mapping positive activities for youth and other resources they need.
- Train youth to do anti-violence outreach. Don't think it can be done? That's exactly what Clemmie Greenlee has done in Nashville.
- Train them to support their peers in recovery. Connecticut Turning to Youth & Families is building networks of teens and young adults who help their peers be successful in recovery from drugs and alcohol. (And they're happy to consult with you.)
- Here's a good example of what *not* to do with teens in the justice system: Increase their exposure to the justice system, which increases their risk to recidivate. But that's exactly what A&E's new reality TV show, "Beyond 'Scared Straight,'" is doing. The show puts teens in contact with adult prison inmates in an attempt to terrify them into “going straight." Check out these facts about the program from the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ). | <urn:uuid:853e1a08-12fa-46cb-ba08-8658d9186e6e> | {
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Extreme Weather Map Shows 3,527 Monthly Weather Records Shattered in 2012
Top Ten States with Greatest Percentage of Locations with Record-Breaking Heat: TN, WI, MN, IL, IN, NV, WV, ME, CO, MD
NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In 2012, there were at least 3,527 monthly weather records for heat, rain and snow broken by extreme weather events that hit communities throughout the U.S., according to an updated interactive extreme weather mapping tool and year-end review released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The 2012 tally exceeds the 3,251 records smashed in 2011 and catalogues these record-breaking extreme events in all 50 states.
New this year, the interactive map at www.nrdc.org/extremeweather also ranks all 50 states for the percentage of weather stations reporting at least one monthly heat record broken in 2012. The ten states showing the highest percentage with new heat records are: Tennessee (36%), Wisconsin (31%), Minnesota (30%), Illinois (29%), Indiana (28%), Nevada (27%), West Virginia (26%), Maine (26%), Colorado (25%), and Maryland (24%). Especially hard-hit regions include the Upper Midwest, Northeast, northern Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain states.
“2012′s unparalleled record-setting heat demonstrates what climate change looks like,” said Kim Knowlton, NRDC Senior Scientist. “This extreme weather has awoken communities across the country to the need for preparedness and protection. We know how to reduce local risks, improve our lives and create more resilient communities. Now our leaders must act.”
Because these monthly weather records compete against prior records set over at least the last 30 years at each location, the 3,527 monthly records-broken highlight notable patterns of extreme weather in the U.S. And in fact, from 1980 through 2011, the frequency of weather-related extreme events in North America nearly quintupled, rising more rapidly than anywhere else in the world, according to international insurance giant MunichRe.
In 2012, Americans experienced the hottest March on record in the contiguous U.S., and July was the hottest single month ever recorded in the lower 48 states. As a whole, 2012 was the warmest year ever recorded in the U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) State of the Climate report released last week. NOAA has also estimated that 2012 will surpass 2011 in aggregate costs for U.S. annual billion-dollar disasters, and MunichRe also recently revealed that in 2012, more than 90 percent of the world’s insured disaster costs occurred in the U.S.
Some of 2012′s most significant weather disasters include:
- The summer of 2012 was the worst drought in 50 years across the nation’s breadbasket, with over 1,300 U.S. counties in 29 states declared drought disaster areas.
- Wildfires burned over 9.2 million acres in the U.S., and destroyed hundreds of homes. The average size of the fires set an all-time record of 165 acres per fire, exceeding the prior decade’s 2001-2010 average of approximately 90 acres per fire.
- Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge height, 13.88 feet, broke the all-time record in New York Harbor, and ravaged communities across New Jersey and New York with floodwaters and winds. The cost of Sandy reached an estimated $79 billion with at least 131 deaths reported.
There are proactive steps government decision-makers can take to minimize the impact on communities increasingly vulnerable to climate change. NRDC encourages all states to undertake the following key actions to protect public health:
- Enact plans to limit carbon emissions from power plants, vehicles and other major sources of heat-trapping pollution; coupled with increased investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
- Emergency planning must incorporate risks from climate change. States and local governments should develop, prioritize, support and implement comprehensive climate change mitigation plans to address climate risks.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must also prioritize addressing and preparing for climate change by providing guidance and resources to state and local governments.
For more information about 2012′s record-breaking extreme weather events, see:
- NRDC’s 2012 Extreme Weather Mapping Tool
- Kim Knowlton’s blog: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kknowlton/
- Frances Beinecke’s blog: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/fbeinecke/
- Rocky Kistner’s blog: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkistner/
- NRDC’s What Climate Change Looks Like
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.
SOURCE Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, D.C. | <urn:uuid:8887f5a7-30e7-4547-a28b-21b5a9068af8> | {
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China Starts Construction Of Panda Breeding Center
As early as next month, Chinese authorities will begin the construction of a new mega-breeding facility for giant pandas in the Wolong nature reserve, says the official Xinhua news agency.
The announcement came after last year’s 8.0-magnitude earthquake leveled much of their former habitat in a protected region of the southwestern Sichuan province where most of their captive pandas had previously been held.
The reserve’s Communist party boss Huang Jianhua revealed that the new base would be located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the former site and that the new site had been selected on account of its optimal environmental conditions.
“The pandas will be comfortable living here as it is not far from the former base,” explained Huang. “Safety is the priority,” he later added.
Estimated costs for the new center are currently at a whopping 1.6 billion yuan, (or 230 million US dollars), with national authorities in Hong Kong footing the majority of the bill, said Huang.
Last year’s quake killed five staff members and one panda, while an additional two pandas were seriously injured and one remains missing.
Following the May 12 disaster, most of the pandas were temporarily transported to a breeding nearby center in Ya’an City, while others were taken to various other zoos around the country. The report said that six of the young pandas remained behind in small houses on the reserve.
The Wolong facility first opened in 1980 as the largest panda breeding center in the world and a home for other endangered species. The reserve was home to 142 captive pandas ““ some 60 percent of the world’s total population.
Experts estimate that there are about 1,600 non-captive pandas living in the wild in China, the majority of them inhabiting the Sichuan province, as well as northern parts of the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. | <urn:uuid:a0201c46-c569-4ab5-9e5d-a7b8e08febe8> | {
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Kintu created the kingdom of Buganda by forcefully taking over the five clans that lived in the region. To signify his victory over a clan, he would sleep in the conquered leader's home; tradition says that Buganda was the name of the first house that he slept in after his victory over Bemba and his tribe. Buganda was later used to refer to the entire area he subdued.
Kintu Kato is not to be confused with Kintu, the first person on the earth according to Buganda legend. Kato Kintu gave himself the name Kintu, a name that he knew the Baganda associated with the father of all people. | <urn:uuid:cd7fbcfa-fe7f-4f0d-b96f-40d91a3493f8> | {
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Substance comparatively opaque to X-rays, which appears lighter on X-ray film and allows a body structure that does not normally contrast with its background to be seen clearly on the film. Common contrast media include barium sulfate and iodized organic compounds. They are given by the route that introduces them into the structure to be examined—swallowed or as an enema for the digestive tract, inhaled for the respiratory tract, or injected for blood vessels and for organs and tissues they supply. Serious reactions to contrast media are not infrequent. Seealso diagnostic imaging.
Learn more about contrast medium with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Iodine based contrast media such as urografin or Omnipaque is used most commonly in radiology, due to its relatively harmless interaction with the body. It is primarily used to visualise vessels, but can also be used for tests of the urinary tract, uterus and fallopian tubes.
|Ionic||Diatrizoate (Hypaque 50)||Ionic Monomer||300||1550||High Osmolar|
|Ionic||Metrizoate (Isopaque Coronar 370)||Ionic||370||2100||High Osmolar|
|Ionic||Ioxaglate (Hexabrix)||Ionic dimer||320||580||Low Osmolar|
|Non-Ionic||Iopamidol (Isovue 370)||Non-ionic monomer||370||796||Low Osmolar|
|Non-Ionic||Iohexol (Omnipaque 350)||Non-ionic||350||884||Low Osmolar|
|Non-Ionic||Ioxilan (Oxilan)||Non-ionic||Low Osmolar|
|Non-Ionic||Iodixanol (Visipaque 320)||Non-ionic dimer||320||290||Iso Osmolar|
These often appear in the form of barium sulfate. Barium is mainly used in the imaging of the digestion system.
Negative contrast always occurs in a gas, usually as one of the following:
Examples of the use of negative contrast medium are as follows:
Although rare, it is possible to be allergic to contrast media. Reactions can range from minor to severe, in the worst case scenario, resulting in death.
Mild (no treatment necessary)
Moderate (treatment necessary, but no intensive care)
Severe (life-threatening, intensive care necessary)
Contrast media is never given to a patient unless a doctor is present to assist should an allergic reaction occur. Patients are usually screened before being given contrast, by means of a series of questions. These typically include an allergy history and a history of any asthma and diabetes.
It has been recommended that metformin, an oral antidiabetic agent, be stopped for 48 hours following the intravascular administration of contrast media and that the use of metformin not be resumed until renal function has been shown to be normal. The reasoning is that if the contrast medium causes kidney failure (as happens rarely) and the person continues to take metformin (which is normally excreted by the kidneys), there may be a toxic accumulation of metformin, increasing the risk of lactic acidosis, a dangerous complication.
However, guidelines published by the Royal College of Radiologists suggest this is not as important for patients who receive <100mls of contrast media and have normal renal function. If renal impairment is found before administration of the contrast, metformin should be stopped 48 hours before and after the procedure..
Association of pancreatitis with administration of contrast medium and intravenous lipid emulsion in a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. (Case Report).
Jan 01, 2003; Abstract: Computed tomography is widely used to diagnose acute pancreatitis. Iodinated contrast medium lengthens the duration of...
Patent No. 7,477,929 Issued on Jan. 13, Assigned to Siemens for Living Body Contrast Medium Flow Forecasting Method (German Inventors)
Feb 26, 2009; ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 26 -- Ernst Klotz of Uttenreuth, Germany, and Annabella Rauscher of Erlangen, Germany, have developed a... | <urn:uuid:ca72e644-6526-4583-aaac-6f86491222c0> | {
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The Swedish Environmental Code
- Publication date:
- Ministry publications series
- Ministry of the Environment
The Swedish Environmental Code was adopted in 1998 and entered into force 1 January 1999. The rules contained within 15 acts have been amalgameted in the Code. As many similar rules in previous statutes have been replaced with common rules, the number of provisions has been reduced. The
Environmental Code is nonetheless a major piece of legislation. The Code contains 33 chapters comprising almost 500 sections. However, it is only the fundamental environmental rules that are included in the Environmental Code. More detailed provisions are laid down in ordinances made by the Government.
The translation takes account of amendments that have been
made since the Code entered into force up to 1 August 2000.
References to the laws adopting the amendments are given in
parantheses and show the reference number of the law in question. However, laws regulating transitional arrangements
or dates of entry into force have not been included.
The two annexes specifying the environmental classes of petrol and diesel fuels are not included in the translation.
The Ministry of Environment publishes the translation as a
service to interested persons but takes no legal responsibility for the translation or for any consequenses arising from its use. | <urn:uuid:9abe0263-ab82-4ecd-b07d-851fd223a365> | {
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The National Center for Atmospheric Research-Community Climate System Model (NCAR-CCSM) is used in a coupled atmosphere-ocean-sea-ice simulation of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, around 21,000 years ago) climate. In the tropics, the simulation shows a moderate cooling of 3 °C over land and 2 °C in the ocean in zonal average. This cooling is about 1 °C cooler than the CLIMAP sea surface temperatures (SSTs) but consistent with recent estimates of both land and sea surface temperature changes. Subtropical waters are cooled by 2-2.5 °C, also in agreement with recent estimates. The simulated oceanic thermohaline circulation at the LGM is not only shallower but also weaker than the modern with a migration of deep-water formation site in the North Atlantic as suggested by the paleoceanographic evidences. The simulated northward flow of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is enhanced. These deep circulation changes are attributable to the increased surface density flux in the Southern Ocean caused by sea-ice expansion at the LGM. Both the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio are intensified due to the overall increase of wind stress over the subtropical oceans. The intensified zonal wind stress and southward shift of its maximum in the Southern Ocean effectively enhances the transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) by more than 50%. Simulated SSTs are lowered by up to 8 °C in the midlatitudes. Simulated conditions in the North Atlantic are warmer and with less sea-ice than indicated by CLIMAP again, in agreement with more recent estimates. The increased meridional SST gradient at the LGM results in an enhanced Hadley Circulation and increased midlatitude storm track precipitation. The increased baroclinic storm activity also intensifies the meridional atmospheric heat transport. A sensitivity experiment shows that about half of the simulated tropical cooling at the LGM originates from reduced atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. | <urn:uuid:a6a6195b-abc3-4fca-87c9-daeaf460fe58> | {
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About a million years before her was "Ardi" (Ardipithecus ramidus), which had much more primitive feet, suggesting that although she might have been able to walk upright, she still was well adapted to life in the trees. So it came as quite a surprise last year when researchers described part of a fossil foot from 3.4 million years ago—close to Lucy’s age—that resembled the apelike foot of the much older Ardi.
I report on the latest thinking about what Ardi, the mysterious new fossil foot and other finds mean for understanding human origins in the February issue of Scientific American. In the video below Yohannes Haile-Selassie, of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, who led the project and research effort to describe the new find, explains why the primitive foot was such a shock.
The famous "Lucy" specimen (Australopithecus afarensis) is one of the earliest known human ancestors to have had a comfortably humanlike upright stride. Her kind lived some 3.6 million to 2.9 million years ago.continue to source article at scientificamerican.com | <urn:uuid:0d50ba64-bfe3-4a54-9e60-58f482953425> | {
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One of the drawbacks investors and utilities have found with solar and wind power is that they are “variable.” Simply put: they can’t generate electricity when the sun’s not shining or the wind isn’t blowing. That’s problematic because we’ve grown accustomed to getting energy whenever we want it. Flick a switch and the lights should go on, regardless of whether it’s sunny or windy outside.
In the past, utilities believed that they had to compensate for this variability by installing more traditional, fossil-fueled power plants. The more wind or solar power on the grid, the thinking went, the greater the need for backup generating facilities to be there when the wind or sun wasn’t.
Enter RMI’s Energy & Resources Team. Over the past year, Senior Consultant Lena Hansen has led a series of research projects to rethink the implications of wind and solar’s variability. In the process, she and her colleagues are re-evaluating the economics of putting more renewable energy on the grid. The key, according to Hansen, is for utility managers to think of all their wind and solar installations as a portfolio.
“No person would invest in just one stock,” says Hansen. In the financial markets, most people forego the huge risks and potentially large gains of owning shares of one company for the reduced risk and smaller rates of return of owning shares in multiple companies, she explains.
Hansen argues that the same should go for utilities investing in wind and solar. “By diversifying the portfolio of sites, you mitigate variability,” she says. “Put another way, the wind blows differently in different locations. So spread out your resource to reduce total variability.”
The trick is to balance risks and rewards. Very windy and very sunny sites produce more power than sites that are less windy or less sunny. But they also tend to be more variable. Ultimately, explains Hansen, utility managers have to make a tradeoff between variability and power output. However, by modeling a bunch of geographically spread-out sites, Hansen and her colleagues hypothesized, utilities can start to make educated guesses about the optimal portfolio—one that maximizes power generation and minimizes variability.
To test the hypothesis, Hansen and former RMI fellow Jonah Levine compiled hundreds of tables of meteorological data for a one-year period, then set about looking for overlaps in the times when the wind is blowing. As it turned out, 2004 data were the most complete, enough to model what would happen at 63 sites across the Great Plains.
“The basic idea,” explains Levine, “was to look for a complementary effect.” Simulating wind sites over a large geographic area should have decreased variability in the whole system without adversely affecting power output. The results were promising. Overall, Hansen and Levine noticed decreases in system variability for all the portfolios they studied.
Those findings spurred a second study, conducted earlier this year, that combined both wind and solar resources in one portfolio. The team’s hypothesis was that just as wind tends to blow differently in different places, the sun often shines when there is no wind. Using data from the National Renewable Energy Lab and Levine’s study, Hansen and ERT fellow Bryan Palmintier simulated 43 wind and solar sites throughout the Midwest. All 43 sites were within the Midwest Reliability Organization’s (MRO) area of responsibility regarding the grid. MRO is one of nine North American electric reliability regions, comprising Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, as well as portions of Montana, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and two Canadian provinces. After running the numbers, they found that variability in the whole system went down by 55 percent compared to the average of all sites studied. Surprisingly, those results bore out whether they looked at the entire study group, or as few as six optimally selected sites.
“If you look at the average wind or solar site alone, there’s a good amount of time each day that it’s not generating electricity,” explains Palmintier. “But if you combine all the wind and solar sites together, you find that 90 percent of the time you can get seven megawatts out” of facilities that at peak production might generate 100 megawatts.
That increase in electric output may sound small, but Palmintier contends that it’s substantial enough to get utilities to think differently about their investments, especially if paired with programs to help users better manage the times at which they draw power from the grid.
To bolster these findings, the RMI team then expanded their analysis, first over a longer time period and then over a larger geographic area.
For MRO, Hansen and her colleagues simulated what would happen if they took into account three years of data. The findings were essentially the same as those from the first simulation, meaning that under“normal” weather patterns, the “optimal” portfolio of sites still reduced variability by the same amount. Also, the composition of the optimal portfolio didn’t change much between the one-year and three-year simulations that the team did, explains Josh Traube, a fellow with the Energy & Resources Team. Three-quarters of the sites that were in the optimal one-year portfolio were also in the optimal three-year portfolio.
And even if the three-year simulation were constrained to the sites chosen by the one-year simulation, the electrical output and variability stayed relatively similar. This means utilities don’t necessarily have to gather multiple years of data to make an informed decision about where to site the wind or solar installations in their portfolios.
“At least in this example, if you were to do only a one-year analysis, you wouldn’t penalize yourself unnecessarily,” says Traube.
The next step was to expand the simulation to include most of the Great Plains. Using additional data from the Southwest Power Pool and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Traube and Hansen simulated the power output and variability for 63 sites. Their conclusions: increasing the size of the study area tends to decrease variability as well. Much like the previous simulation, these results could be obtained with an optimal portfolio of as few as eight sites.
For Hansen, this last finding is crucial. If you’re a utility, she explains, “you don’t have to spend all your money on a huge number of sites to get the really big benefit” of a diversified portfolio. Ultimately, the RMI team hopes its research will demonstrate to utilities how to put more solar and wind on the grid.
There’s a financial incentive to decrease wind and solar’s variability, says Hansen. If utilities can rely even a little more on power from these installations, they won’t have to make as large of capital expenditures on coal or natural gas plants. “The industry needs to properly understand the value (or conversely the cost) of variability,” she says.
During the spring, the team presented their findings at the Power-Gen Renewable Energy & Fuels conference, the American Solar Energy Society’s annual conference, and the American Wind Energy Association’s annual conference. By participating in these industry forums, Hansen says she and her colleagues hoped to “seed the conversation with these kind of strategies and help wind [and solar] developers think about how they can apply them” in their long-term planning.
There’s no panacea for moving away from fossil-fueled power generation. But Hansen and her colleagues’ leading-edge research on variability, together with new storage technologies, better methods for responding to electricity demand, and two-way communication on the grid can go a long way toward supplying electricity—when we want it—without emitting greenhouse gases.
--Published July 2008 | <urn:uuid:e16018f3-ce2c-4c2e-a4ea-2c5fb9b7ee69> | {
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This preparation describes the
production of a tertiary alcohol from a Grignard reagent and a ketone.
The reaction is performed in a
reflux apparatus which has a calcium chloride guard tube inserted in the top of
- Place a 250 cm3 three-necked round-bottomed flask, a
double-surface water condenser, a tap funnel and a guard tube containing
anhydrous calcium chloride in an oven at 120oC for an hour or
- What is a double-surface condenser, and why is it needed?
- A double-surface condenser has a water jacket both on the outside and
through the centre of the condensing tube. It is needed where, as here,
the condensed liquid is very volatile.
- What is the purpose of the guard tube?
- The guard tube prevents water vapour from entering the apparatus from
- Why is the apparatus and the reagents dried?
- Grignard reagents react easily with water. Any moisture present will
prevent the reaction from occurring.
- Allow the apparatus to cool, and assemble it as a refluxing apparatus
with the guard tube in the top of the condenser, a tap funnel in the
second neck of the flask and a mechanical stirrer in the third neck. The
apparatus should be clamped so as to leave room for the use of a cooling
bath of iced water around the flask if necessary.
- Why might the apparatus need to be cooled during the reaction?
- The reaction is exothermic.
- Place in the flask 6.2g of magnesium turnings (those for the
preparation of Grignard reagents) and 100 cm3 of dry ether.
Place 27 cm3 of dried 1-bromobutane in the tap funnel.
- Justify the quantities used.
- There is 0.25 mol of magnesium and 0.25 mol of 1-bromobutane (density
1.28 g cm-3), this being the 1:1 ratio in which the reactants
- What is used to dry the ethoxyethane?
- Sodium metal.
- What is used to dry the 1-bromobutane?
- Anhydrous potassium carbonate.
- Run in about half of the 1-bromobutane and stir briefly. When the
mixture has settled, drop in one or two small crystals of iodine so that
they rest on the surface of the magnesium - do not stir. The reaction
should begin within a few minutes; the reaction mixture should be allowed
to reflux gently with cooling as necessary using an ice-water bath. During
this time add the remaining 1-bromobutane in small portions.
- What is the purpose of the iodine crystals?
- The iodine initiates the reaction. (It is often said that it is
catalytic, but it cannot be recovered from the reaction mixture at the end
- it is chemically changed, so is not really catalytic.)
- When the preparation of the Grignard reagent is complete the liquid in
the flask will be cloudy and of a greyish colour. Place in the tap funnel
a solution of 18.5cm3 of dried propanone in 19 cm3
of dried ethoxyethane. Stir the mixture in the flask rapidly, and add the
propanone solution slowly, cooling the flask in ice if necessary. This
reaction is vigorous. When all the propanone has been added the mixture
should be allowed to stand overnight.
- Why is the propanone dried?
- Water (with which propanone is miscible in all proportions) would
decompose the Grignard reagent to give an alkane.
- Suggest a suitable drying agent for propanone.
- Anhydrous potassium carbonate or anhydrous calcium chloride.
- Decompose the product by pouring the reaction mixture on to 150g of
crushed ice, stirring well. Dissolve the precipitated magnesium compounds
by the addition of 10% aqueous hydrochloric acid with stirring until
the precipitate has disappeared. Transfer the mixture to a separating
funnel, and run off and keep the lower aqueous layer; transfer the
ethoxyethane layer to a suitable flask.
- What is the precipitated magnesium compound?
- Magnesium hydroxide.
- Which ions are present in the aqueous solution after treatment with
- Magnesium ions, and bromide and chloride ions.
- Return the aqueous layer to the funnel, and wash it with 15cm3
of ethoxyethane. Keep the aqueous layer as before, combining the
ethoxyethane solution with that separated earlier. Repeat the washing of
the aqueous layer with 15cm3 of ethoxyethane twice more,
combining all the washings with the original solution.
- Why is the aqueous layer washed with ethoxyethane?
- The product alcohol is significantly soluble in water, so the washing
with fresh ethoxyethane removes some of the dissolved alcohol.
- Why is the aqueous layer washed three times with 15 cm3
of ethoxyethane rather than with one 45 cm3 portion?
- The alcohol in the aqueous layer is in equilibrium with that in the
ethoxyethane layer. It can be shown that three washings are more efficient
at removing the alcohol rather than one washing with the same total volume
of ethoxyethane. This is a general principle in solvent extraction.
- Add some anhydrous potassium carbonate to the ethoxyethane solution,
and leave to stand until it is clear.
- What is the purpose of adding potassium carbonate?
- It is a drying agent.
- What is the significance of the liquid becoming clear?
- Wet organic liquids that are not water miscible are cloudy; the
clearness shows that the ethoxyethane solution is now dry.
- Transfer the ethoxyethane solution to a clean distilling flask, and
distil off the ethoxyethane using a warm water bath.
- Why is a warm water bath used to heat the flask?
- Ethoxyethane vapour is explosive in air, so no naked flames must ever
be used anywhere in a room where ethoxyethane is being used.
- When all the ethoxyethane has been removed, fractionally distil the
remaining liquid using an electric heating mantle, collecting the fraction
that boils between 137-141oC.
- Why is the range between 137-141oC chosen?
- The product alcohol boils at 139oC so distils over in this
- Why is an electric heating mantle used?
- A boiling water bath would be too cool, and although the ethoxyethane
has been distilled off there is still enough vapour around to make the use
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The hoary marmot (Marmota caligata), the Alaska marmot (M. broweri), and the woodchuck (M. monax) are the three species of marmots that live in Alaska. The hoary marmot can be found at the bases of active talus slopes in the mountains of central, southeastern, and southwestern Alaska. It also occurs down to sea level along some areas of the coast. The Alaska marmot lives in similar talus habitat throughout much of the Brooks Range. The woodchuck digs its den in loess (wind-deposited soils) along river valleys in the dry lowlands of eastcentral Alaska.
General description: Large relatives of the squirrel, the hoary and closely related Alaska marmots weigh 10 pounds (4.5 kg) or more and may exceed 24 inches (61 cm) in total length. The woodchuck weighs between 2 and 6 pounds (.4-2.7 kg). They may grow to be 20 inches (50.8 cm) long. The animals attain their maximum weight in late summer, when they accumulate thick layers of fat that will sustain them through winter hibernation. Body shape is similar in all three species: head short and broad, legs short, ears small, body thickset, tail densely furred, and front paws clawed for digging burrows. Hoary and Alaska marmots are predominantly gray with a darker lower back and face and a dark, reddish tail. The hoary marmot has a white patch above its nose and usually has dark brown feet, giving it the Latin name caligata, meaning “booted.” The Alaska marmot does not have a white face patch, its feet may be light or dark, and its fur is much softer than the stiff fur of the hoary marmot. A uniform reddish brown, the woodchuck has an unmarked brown face. The name woodchuck originated as a Cree Indian word used to describe a number of similar-sized animals and does not describe characteristics of the woodchuck's behavior or habitat preference.
Life history: In Alaska, all marmots mate in April or May. About a month later, two to six young are born hairless and blind. The young disperse two months after birth and may breed for the first time when they are 2 or 3 years old. Marmots may live to 5 years or more. They feed on grasses, flowering plants, berries, roots, mosses, and lichens.
Hoary and Alaska marmots make their summer homes on the bases of active talus slopes, where the rocks protect them from predators and provide lookout stations. Woodchuck dens may be up to 30 feet long, are dug in the loamy soils of river valleys in Interior Alaska, and end with a chamber containing a large grass nest. Most marmot dens have a main entrance with a mound of dirt near the hole and a number of concealed entrances. Marmots are social animals. Although each family has a separate burrow, these burrows are located near each other, forming a colony.
True hibernators, marmots enter a state of torpor in winter during which all bodily functions are reduced. Hoary marmots and woodchucks hibernate alone in the same burrows in which they spent the summer. To protect themselves from the cold, they plug the tunnel leading to the nest chamber with a mixture of dirt, vegetation, and feces. They emerge from their winter hibernation in April or early May to find food and mates. Adapted to the harsher winter climate of the Brooks Range, Alaska marmots create a special winter den which has a single entrance and is characteristically located on an exposed ridge that becomes snow-free in early spring. The entrance is plugged after all colony members are inside, and no animals can leave until the plug thaws in early May. Consequently, Alaska marmots mate before they emerge from their winter den. These dens are relatively permanent for each colony, and some are used for more than 20 years. Because hibernation begins in September, most marmots in Alaska spend two-thirds of each year locked in their winter dens.
Marmots are most active in early morning and late afternoon, although they may leave their burrows during other daylight hours. Marmots need wind to control mosquito levels and rarely venture out on calm days. The Alaska marmot marks its territory by rubbing its face and glands on rocks and along trails. The hoary marmot probably marks its territory in the same way.
The pelt colors of marmots help them blend with the lichen-colored rocks or rusty-brown soil of their surroundings. Nevertheless, marmots remain alert for predators including eagles, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and bears. When the Alaska marmot is alarmed, it produces a slurred, low-pitched warning call. The alarm call of both hoary marmot and the woodchuck is a loud whistle. They also hiss, squeal, growl, and yip. In areas where marmots are hunted by humans, they have learned to remain quiet when humans approach. Good climbers and swimmers, woodchucks may also take to trees or water to avoid predators.
Marmots often secondarily benefit other animals and plants. Abandoned marmot holes can become homes for small mammals. In moderation, their digging and defecation loosen, aerate, and improve the soil. Alaska Natives have long relished marmot meat and used its thick coat for warm clothing. Although these wary animals are difficult to approach closely, persistent observers are rewarded by the fascinating sight of a marmot community.
The northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus yukonensis) is a gliding (volplaning) mammal that is incapable of true flight like birds and bats. There are 25 subspecies across North America with Interior Alaska being the most northern and western limit of the species' range. The generic name, Glaucomys, is from the Greek glaukos (silver, gray) and mys (mouse). Sabrinus is derived from the latin word sabrina (river-nymph) and refers to the squirrel's habit of living near streams and rivers.
General description: Adult flying squirrels average 4.9 ounces (139 gm) in weight and 12 inches (30 cm) in total length. The tail is broad, flattened, and feather-like. A unique feature of the body is the lateral skin folds (patagia) on each side that stretch between front and hind legs and function as gliding membranes. This squirrel is nocturnal and has large eyes that are efficient on the darkest nights. Eye shine color is a distinctive reddish-orange. Flying squirrel pelage is silky and thick with the top of the body light brown to cinnamon, the sides grayish, and the belly whitish.
Habitat requirements: Flying squirrels require a forest mosaic that includes adequate denning and feeding areas. Den sites include tree cavities and witches' brooms. Tree cavities are most numerous in old forests where wood rot, frost cracking, woodpeckers, and carpenter ants have created or enlarged cavities. Witches' brooms, clumps of abnormal branches caused by tree rust diseases, are the most common denning sites of flying squirrels in Interior Alaska. About November or December, when temperatures begin to drop sharply, flying squirrels move out of cavities and into brooms. In the coldest periods of winter, they form aggregations of two or more individuals in the brooms and sleep in torpor.
Feeding areas preferred by flying squirrels contain fungi (mushrooms and truffles), berries, and tree lichens and may be in either young or old forests. Dried fungi cached in limbs by red squirrels are sometimes stolen by flying squirrels.
Flying squirrels probably get water from foods they eat and rain, dew, and snow. Constant sources of free water (lakes, ponds, and watercourses) do not appear to be a stringent habitat requirement.
In a year's time, a flying squirrel in Interior Alaska may use as many as 13 different den trees within 19.8 acres (8 ha). On a night foray, a squirrel may travel as far as 1.2 miles (2 km) in a circular route and be away from its den tree for up to 7 hours. It may change den trees at night and move to different ones more than 20 times over a year, staying in each for a varying numbers of days. Den trees with brooms are used more than twice as much as trees with cavities.
Fairly dense, old closed-canopy forests with logs and corridors of trees (especially conifers) that are spaced close enough to glide between are needed for cover from predators. High quality flying squirrel habitat can be a community mosaic of small stands of varying age classes in which there is a mix of tall conifers and hardwoods. Part of the mosaic must be old coniferous forest with den trees containing witches' brooms, woodpecker cavities, and natural cavities for nesting sites. Riparian zones provide excellent habitat in all coniferous forest associations.
Life history: Flying squirrels in Alaska may breed anytime from March to late June, depending on length and severity of the winter. The female can breed before 11 months of age and give birth at about 1 year of age. Gestation requires about 37 days, so the young are born from May to early July. One litter of two per year is probably the usual case for Alaska, but they are known to have litters ranging from one to six in other parts of their range. At birth, the young flying squirrel (nestling) is hairless, and its eyes and ears are closed. Development is slow in comparison with other mammals of similar size. Their eyes open at about 25 days, and they nurse for about 60 to 70 days. By day 240, the young are fully grown and cannot be distinguished from adults by body measurements and fur characteristics. Mortality rate for flying squirrels 1 and 2 years old is about 50 percent, and few live past 4 years of age. Complete population turnover can occur by the third year.
Individual flying squirrels nest in tree cavities, witches' brooms, and drays. In Interior Alaska, most brooms and cavity entrances have southerly exposures. Nests in cavities are usually located about 25 feet above the ground but may range between 5 and 45 feet. Flying squirrels excavate chambers in witches' brooms and line them with nesting materials. A dray nest is a ball-like mass of mosses, twigs, lichens, and leaves with shredded bark and lichens forming the lining of the chamber. Flying squirrels build drays entirely by themselves or modify the nests of other species (e.g., bird nests, red squirrel nests). The dray is usually positioned close to the trunk on a limb or whorl of branches with its entrance next to the trunk. Most drays in Alaska are probably conifers.
Food habits: The flying squirrel is omnivorous. While little is known about its diet in Alaska, the food it consumes in other parts of its range include mushrooms, truffles, lichens, fruits, green vegetation, nuts, seeds, tree buds, insects, and meat (fresh, dried, or rotted). Nestling birds and birds' eggs may also be eaten. Those observed foraging in the wild in Interior Alaska ate mushrooms (fresh and dried), truffles, berries, tree lichens, and the newly flushed growth tips on white spruce limbs. In spring, summer, and fall the diet is mostly fresh fungi. In winter it's mostly lichens. Flying squirrels are not known to cache fungi for winter in Alaska, but they are known to do so elsewhere in their range. Witches' brooms and tree cavities would be likely places to find their caches.
Predators and parasites: Owls, hawks, and carnivorous mammals prey on flying squirrels. Primary predators are probably the great horned owl, goshawk, and marten due to their common occurrence and widespread range in Alaska's forests. Three different flea species may infest a single squirrel.
Economic and ecological value: Flying squirrels are important to forest regeneration and timber production because they disperse spores of ectomycorrhizal fungi like truffles. Truffles are fruiting bodies of a special type of fungus that matures underground. They are dependent upon animals to smell them out, dig them up, consume them, and disperse their spores in fecal material where the animal travels. The animal serves to inoculate disturbed sites (e.g., clearcuts, burned areas) with mycorrhizae that join symbiotically with plant roots and enhance their ability to absorb nutrients and maintain health. The flying squirrel's ecological role in forest ecosystems, therefore, gives it economic value. In addition, they may be important prey for a variety of hawks, owls, small carnivores, and furbearers like marten, lynx, and red fox. Many Alaskans value flying squirrels just for their interesting habits and aesthetic qualities.
Management considerations: Logging for house logs, wood for fuel, and lumber can have devastating effects on flying squirrel populations if clearcut size is too large or if some scattered tall conifers in large cuts are not retained as cover and for travel across the open spaces. Management should include retention of other squirrel species in shared habitats. Snags with woodpecker holes or other natural cavities and coniferous trees with witches' brooms must also be maintained in managed forests in order to provide adequate habitat for flying squirrels.
The red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) makes itself quite conspicuous with its lively habits and noisy chatter. Cone cuttings on stumps or rocks are common and tracks in snow are numerous where this squirrel occurs. It can be found in spruce forests over most of Alaska and has a wide range in North America. It occupies a wide variety of forest habitat, occurring in the hardwood forests of eastern North America and the coniferous forests of the west and north.
General description: The active rodent averages 11 to 13 inches in length (28-33 cm), including tail, and is a rusty-olive color on the upper parts of its body with a whitish belly and underparts. In summer, a dark stripe on the side separates the upper rusty color from the white of the belly. The bushy tail is often a lighter orange or red with light tipped hairs.
Life history: Red squirrels are solitary but pair for mating in February and March. Females usually breed when they are 1 year old. Three to seven young are born after a gestation period of 36 to 40 days. The young are born blind and hairless, weighing about ¼ ounce at birth. They are weaned at about 5 weeks but remain with the female until almost adult size.
The young leave the female and are independent during their first winter. This means that they have to be successful at gathering and storing a winter's supply of food.
Behavior: Much of the red squirrel's time in the summer is spent cutting and storing green spruce cones. There may be several bushels of cones stored in a cache. Caches may attain a diameter of 15 to 18 feet and a depth of 3 feet. Red squirrels also cache mushrooms on tree branches. They eat seeds, berries, buds, fungi, and occasionally insects and birds' eggs. They are busy collecting and storing food from early morning until dusk and also on moonlit nights.
Nests may be a hole in a tree trunk or a tightly constructed mass of twigs, leaves, mosses, and lichens in the densest foliage of a tree (making the nest almost completely weatherproof). A loose mass of twigs and leafy debris in a high tree is used as a “fair weather” nest. Their ground burrows, also known as middens, are used mostly for food storage. There is usually one large active midden in each territory with perhaps an inactive or auxiliary midden.
The home range of red squirrels is about ½ to 1 acre, and each squirrel knows its territory well. Each squirrel has several nests in its territory and always seems to know which retreat is nearest. Territorial behavior seems to be most rigid during caching of food and relaxes somewhat in the spring.
The red squirrel is active all year but may remain in its nest during severe cold spells and inclement weather. They are agile climbers and, being extremely curious, will often attempt to enter buildings, upsetting anything they can move and gnawing on woodwork. Once in a house or cabin, they can be very destructive, tearing out insulation and mattress stuffing for use as nesting material and caching food stores in any available niche.
Predators: The main predators of red squirrels are hawks, owls, and marten. Other predators may occasionally take a squirrel but are not serious threats. Around populated areas, one of the predators is the domestic housecat.
Human use: The red squirrel is used to a limited extent by man for food and fur. Squirrels may be small but the meat is good eating. In parts of Canada and Alaska the pelts are sold for their fur. Red squirrels may damage trees, cutting off twigs by the bushel, but they are also helpful because they distribute and plant seeds of spruce and other trees.
The Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus Parryii) was named "tsik-tsik" by the Inupiat Eskimos on account of a call this little rodent makes when it is alarmed?
Tsik-tsiks are found in both arctic and alpine tundra. They fatten themselves on seeds, mushrooms and berries—almost doubling their body weight over the summer—in preparation for fall hibernation. Although they insulate their winter burrows with grasses and block the entrances with dirt, winter temperatures inside the burrows still fall well below 0° F.
During hibernation, the body temperature of the arctic ground squirrel drops from 98.6° F to 26.4° F—that's below the freezing point of water and is the lowest known body temperature of any living mammal. Most mammals, including people, would be frozen solid at that body temperature! Scientists aren't sure just how these diminutive rodents do it, but they apparently have developed a unique mechanism that allows their body fluids to become supercooled—to fall below the freezing point without crystallizing into ice and damaging cell tissue.
Periodically throughout the winter, the tsik-tsik will rouse itself, briefly raising its body temperature more than 70° F in four hours, before going back into hibernation. Not until late March or early April does the arctic ground squirrel finally emerge from its winter den to the light of another spring and six months of intense activity.
Arctic ground squirrels are the largest and most northern of the North American ground squirrels. This species is common in the ice-free mountainous regions of Denali. Permafrost and soil type are two of the most important factors limiting ground squirrel distribution in Denali.
Arctic ground squirrels are burrowing animals and they establish colonies in areas with well-drained soils and views of the surrounding landscape. Colonies often consist of multiple burrows and a maze of tunnels beneath the surface. Well-drained soils are important, as flooding of these burrows causes considerable problems for squirrels. Accordingly, squirrels usually avoid establishing colonies or excavating burrows where permafrost is close to the surface.
Like many other arctic animals, arctic ground squirrels have unique physiological adaptations that allow them to survive during winter. Arctic ground squirrels are obligate hibernators and spend 7 to 8 months in hibernation. Researchers at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks have shown that during hibernation, arctic ground squirrels adopt the lowest body temperature ever measured in a mammal. The body temperature of hibernating squirrels drops below freezing, a condition referred to as supercooling. At intervals of two to three weeks, still in a state of sleep, hibernating squirrels shiver and shake for 12 to 15 hours to create heat that warms them back to a normal body temperature of about 98 degrees Fahrenheit. When the shivering and shaking stops, body temperature drops back to the minimal temperature. This type of hibernation is rare among mammals and scientists are still studying this unique physiological behavior.
In Denali, ground squirrels are active from late April to early October, but the sexes and age-classes show some differences in their annual activity patterns. Adult males are usually the first to emerge from hibernation. They dig their way through the snow and stay relatively close to their burrows until the snow cover melts. Breeding occurs in May and a single litter of 5 to 10 pups is born in June. The young develop rapidly and usually emerge from their burrows in mid-July. By late summer, young abandon their natal burrow and occupy a neighboring, empty burrow or excavate a new one.
Adults start hibernating as soon as they have enough body fat to survive the winter, often in late August when plenty of foods are still available. It is probably safer to enter hibernation early, even when foods are accessible, than to remain on the surface vulnerable to predators. Youngsters, however, take much longer to find foods and put on body fat and they are often active until late September. This means that youngsters are more vulnerable to predation than adults.
The diet of arctic ground squirrels is diverse and opportunistic. They eat many types of vegetation including the leaves, seeds, fruits, stems, flowers, and roots of many species of grasses, forbs, and woody plants. They also eat mushrooms and meat from freshly killed animals (including ground squirrels). Because they are active only during the short subarctic summer, arctic ground squirrels must be efficient foragers. As summer progresses, they put on a tremendous amount of fat stores for the winter and often double their body weight by the time they enter hibernation in fall.
The social behavior of arctic ground squirrels is complex. This species is highly territorial and squirrels may kill other squirrels over territorial disputes. However, other related females in the colony often care for orphaned youngsters. Further, territorial behavior lessens during late summer, and male squirrels may move between colonies or establish colonies of their own.
So many different predators eat arctic ground squirrels that Adolph Murie called them the "staff of life" in Denali. They are one of the most important summer food sources for golden eagles, gyrfalcons, foxes, and grizzly bears. | <urn:uuid:d873cdc6-8d07-4cc3-bc37-832d9f00ff94> | {
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At Bryce Canyon National Park, erosion has shaped colorful Claron limestones, sandstones, and mudstones into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles, and mazes. Collectively called "hoodoos," these colorful and whimsical formations stand in horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters along the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in Southern Utah. Hoodoos formed over thousands of years by the same processes that form the features of surrounding parks. Water, ice (at varying intervals) and gravity are the forces that form Bryce Canyon.
Dolomite, limestone and siltstone are very hard and form the protective caprock on most of the spires. Frost wedging is the erosional force that breaks apart the harder rocks. Mudstone is the softest rock in a hoodoo and is easily identified because it forms the narrowest portion of the pinnacles. As mudstone moistens it erodes easily and will run down the sides forming a stucco or protective coating. Every time it rains the stucco is renewed. Eolian or wind forces erode at slow rates. If wind does not erode the stucco layer fast enough it will renew before eolian erosion affects the rock. For this reason wind has little to no affect on hoodoo formation or destruction.
Bryce Canyon National Park is named for pioneer Ebenezer Bryce who came to the Paria Valley with his family in 1875. He was sent by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because his skill as a carpenter would be useful in settling this area. Bryce built a road to the plateau top to retrieve firewood and timber. He also built an irrigation canal to raise crops and animals. Local people called the canyon with the strange rock formations near Ebenezer's home "Bryce's Canyon". The Bryces moved to Arizona in 1880, the name remained.
As southern Utah developed, Reuben and Minnie Syrett--who homesteaded just outside the present park boundaries--brought their friends to see the intricately eroded stone formations. By popular demand, they developed sleeping and eating facilities on the canyon rim. They called their establishment, "Tourist's Rest." When the area was set aside as a national monument in 1923, the Union Pacific Railroad bought out the Syrett's interests and began to construct Bryce Canyon Lodge intending to make the Bryce Canyon area part of their new "Loop Tour" of the southwest. The Syrett's then built "Ruby's Inn" on their own land just north of the park.
Click Here for information about the shuttle service for Bryce Canyon National Park | <urn:uuid:028b0164-b22d-4b70-ba8b-9069ef61d186> | {
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The Images of Back Children in Gwendolyn Brook's Poetry: A StudyBY: p.suresh kumar R.panneerselvam | Category: Education | Submitted: 2012-04-13 08:18:42
In between, her poetic achievement is marked by gradual and progressive ascent. She became the first African American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950, membership of the Academy if Arts and Letters un 1976, winning if two Guggenheim awards, poet laureateship of Illinois in 1968, the award by the National Endowment for Arts in 1989,JJeffrson lectureship by the National Endowments of the Humanities in 1994, the National Medals of Arts award in 1995, the "First Woman" award from the Federal Government in 1999, and more than fifty honorary decorates from various colleges and universities.
Brools's creative output extends over a period of six decades. Her poetry is distinctive not only in her handling of multiplicity of forms but also in her craftsmanship. She has committed herself to the ideals of social justice for her race and sex as well as ro the aesthetics of art. The issues of racism and an authentic identity have been the recurrent themes of African American Writers. Witnessing the growth of black literature by stages-form anger to defiance, to protest, to recognition, to search for identity, and to reconciliation, Brooks wrote poetry that was at once potent, provocative, poignant, and starling, a poetry that resisted racism, asserted black consciousness, and upheld the black values, a poetry that instilled a new faith in self-reliance and dignity, and a poetry that can be a source of inspiration of succeeding generations writers.
A study of Brooks's poetry will be incomplete without a study of her poetry for children, who also encounter the same kind of racial discrimination which the adult balcks are subjected to in the racially prejudiced America. Before 1967, Brooks published only one volume of poetry ofr children: Bronzeville Boys and Gorls(1956). The book consists of thirty-four poems, which are illustrated by Ronnai Solbert. All these poems portray the individual experiences of thirty-seven children, but Brooks is objective and detached in her portrayal of these boys and girls.
In poems written in couplets, the first line rhymes with the second, the third line rhymes with the foruth, and so on:
I have a secret place to go.
Not any one may know.
And sometimes when the wind is rough
I cannot get there fast enough
Brooks is sensitive to the prosodic features of language:
The loudness in the road
And laughs away from me.
It laughs a lovely whiteness,
And whitely whirs away,
Some other where,
Still white as milk or shirts.
So beautiful it hurts.
The compound image "flitter-twitter" defines the delicate motion of the snow. The onomatopoeic words "SUSHES" and "hushes" convey the power of the silent and quite snow to quell "the loudness in the road." "Loudness" suggests the traffic and noise, which stand in opposition to the silence of the world of nature. The irregular length of the lines suggests the irregular but the motion of the snow.
Further, Brooks's poems for children cannot be categorized as nonsense verses. On the contrary, they are sensible verses. Though they appeal to our imagination, the children in her poems do not live in a pastoral, romantic, or idealized world. They are always the poor black children living in the urban ghettos. They suffer poverty and entrapment. In Gwendolyn Brooks: Poetry and the Heroic voice, Melhem argues that Brooks" Acknowldges no cruel children but implies cruelty, the indifference that sanctions poverty and compels children to be prematurely involved in adult problems" (95).
Brooks's description of the bleak experience of children is an compiled protest against the socioeconomic injustices that they encounter. In "John, who is Poor," Brooks depicts the poverty of the black boy, John, who lives with his widowed mother. She request the children in the neighborhood to sympathize with him, and share their eatables with him:
Oh, little children, be good to John!-
Who lives so lone and alone.
Whose Mamma must hurry to toil all day.
Whose papa is dead and done.
Give him a berry, boys, when you may,
And Girls, some mint when you can. (1-6)
But the poet dies not know" when his hunger will end, No yet when it began" (7-8).Brooks makes it clear that racial oppression is the causes of the sufferings of the black children. But her criticism is not overt. Further, she is objective in her description of their poverty, In keeping with the mood of the 1940s and1950s, she beloved that the whites would help the blacks solve their problems. But it took about eleven years, for her, from the year of her publication of Bronzeville Boys and Girls (1956), to realize that the whites remained indifferent to the problems of the blacks.
After 1967, Brooks published three volumes of poetry for Children: Alones, The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves, and Children Coming Home. In Aloness (1971), A reflective poem of fifty-one lines, Brooks projects a child's experience of solitude. The drawings by Leroy Foster present an appealing little black boy. The nine postures of the boy are indicative of this none different moods. Unlike Bronzeville Boys and Girls, which is written in quatrains and couplets with rhyme, Aloneness is written in free verse without rhyme. It is written from the point of view of the black boy, who defines loneliness as the pain of being alone: "Loneliness means you want somebody./You have not planned to stand somewhere with other people gone./ Loneliness never has a brought color . Perhaps it is gray"1-3_). As the speaker is a child, the images are simple. The child imagines that the couloirs of loneliness are "gray." The implied idea is the child's association of the color of loneliness with the4 black people's collective loneliness in the racially oppressive America. The child defines aloneness/solitude as the pleasure of beings alone: "But aloneness is delicious" (9). He compares aloneness with" a red small apple" (12). Then he turns to the image of a pond. Aloneness is "like loving a pond in summer," a simile that graphs the child's experience of place and time (15). Nowhere does the poem mention about racial discrimination. But the poem is educational in tone. Brooks's aim is to develop a positive sense of identity among blacks.
While Aloneness is in free verse, The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves or What You are You are is rhymed like" Bronzeville Boys and Girls." The poem is illustrated by the drawings of Timothy Jones. It is a beast fable. Unlike Aloneness, Which is indirectly didactic, The Tiger is directly didactic, offering strategies for survival. The title implies human folly. The tiger wears white gloves to be fashionable, but his companions ridicule his strange behavior. The theme is self-acceptance and pride:
THAT TIGER FLOCK
AQND WISELY WEARING
WHAT'S FIERCR AS THE FACE.S
NOT WHITNESS AND LACE. (15-23)
The "tiger" represents the black people. "Whiteness" Represents the spurious standards of beauty established by the whites. As a metaphor, "gloves" represents phenomena like the black people's return to hair-straightening, which, for Brooks, means aping the white values. The idea is that black is that black people should develop their own attributes and esteem them.
As a realist, Brooks always portrays what the blacks experience in society. Despite her commitment to black consciousness, she has not forgotten the continuous bleak experiences of the black-adults as well as children. the volume children coming home!1991), Brooks's children do not live in a romantic or an idealized world. They encounter social and economic injustices. In the prefatory poem, "After School," Brooks delineates the odds against children:
* Not all of the children
* Come home to cookies and coca.
* One will be shot on his way home to warmth, wit and wisdom. [t/o]
* One teacher mutters"My God, they are gone,"[t/o]
* One is ripe to report Ten People to the Principal. [t/o]
*One whispers"The Little Black Bastards."
The poem attests to the simplicity of her poetry written after 1967. In this dramatic monologue, written in a child's voice, Brooks has abandoned lyricism and rhyme, and "deliberately abandoning the formal virtuosity that characterized her earlier work, Brooks represents children's voices through a seemingly simple, declarative method... (Flynnn494). The image of the innocent child exposes the evils of the social practices. Brooks's intention behind the exposition is to make the children" seek out their own strength" (495).
Brooks. Gwendolyn. Bronzeville Boys and Girals. New York: Harper, 1956.
---. Aloneness. Dotroit: Broadside, 1969.
---.The Near-Johannesburg Boy, and Other Poems. Chicago: David, 1987.
---.The tiger who wore white Gloves: Or You Are What You Are. Chicago: Third world. 1987.
---.Children Coming Home. cChicago:David,1991
Flynn, Richard. 'The Kindergarten of New Consciousness':
Cwendolyon Brooks and the Social Construction of Childhood."
African American Review 34.3(2000):483-99.
Melhem,D.H. Gwendolyn Brooks: Poetry and the Heroic Voice. Kentucky: Up of Kentucky, 1989.
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