text
stringlengths 198
630k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| metadata
dict |
|---|---|---|
Wetlands continues to be lost and degraded in South Asia. This makes the region food, water and climate insecure. The existence of diverse life forms which depend on wetlands for sustenance is also threatened.
We are deeply concerned about the impact wetland loss has on nature and the diverse range of nature’s contribution to people. We believe that loss and degradation of wetlands can be halted and reversed if the wide-ranging contributions of these wetlands are recognized and integrated within sectoral policies and programmes.
A world where wetlands are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide.
To sustain and restore wetlands, their resources and biodiversity.
Our Global Strategic Intent (2015-2025) sets out how we work as an organisation.
The South Asia Regional Strategy sets out our targets and priorities in the region.
Wetlands International South Asia Strategy 2015-2025.pdfdownload | <urn:uuid:077cd920-213b-4733-8848-c5c3f3bbf2d1> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:05:46",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9040201306343079,
"score": 3.0625,
"token_count": 189,
"url": "https://south-asia.wetlands.org/about-us/vision-and-mission/"
} |
The two main types of groups that may be found within an organization are formal and informal groups. Formal organizations are those formed for official purposes and mostly within the organization structure. Conversely, the informal groups comprise of individuals who come together as acquaintances or friends.
During his learning of the subject, he has touched on numerous aspects, theories, fundamentals and processes of leadership. He has also contrasted them with his personal experience which proved to be a lot helpful for his exposure into the managerial field. He has come to view the strategic leadership in businesses as a dynamic process.
Hire a pro to write a paper under your requirements!
Win a special DISCOUNT!
Put in your e-mail and click the button with your lucky finger
Fossil fuels are diminishing at an increasing rate and have become scarce (Steger, 2005). Due the scarcity, conservation and efficient utilization of various forms of energy have been of concern. Conservation of energy and efficient utilization of energy has tremendous potential, self employment opportunities (Taylor and Parish, 2008).
This paper is going to delve into the similarities and differences of the ideas and principles that have been expressed by the author in both books with those of other authors. The Invisible Balance Sheet versus Human Capital and the Balance Sheet The ‘Invisible Balance Sheet’ quotes the organization as being largely dependent on the human capital which it describes as the professionals, the revenue people, the expert employees or the billable or chargeable employees.
The issue of profit maximization is the main concern of any business entity like a company. In order to realize good profits, companies are pursuing strategies like tactical advertisement, fair competition, proper human resource management and corporate communication among others.
One of the key themes adapted by classical writers was based upon the formal structure of a purpose driven organization. They view organizations having formal structures having technical requirements based on extensive planning of work.
Tourism and economy are inter-related; one is dependent on another. This is true for any economy. The recent economic recession has impacted the global tourism sector and Australia too has not escaped the impact of the recession. Domestic tourism is important to the Australian economy as it contributed $33 billion in GDP in 2004/05 and the domestic households contributing 63% of total tourism consumption (Tourism Research Australia, 2007).
MNC, global, transnational, international, near-sourcing, and near-shoring are the different terminologies that are used to describe international business. The Coca-Cola Company is an example of companies that have a well-defined niche internationally. This essay will therefore analyse international business in relation to the Coca-Cola Company.
In essence, organizational structure refers to the framework that determines the reporting structure and the hierarchy in a given organization, common as the organization chart. In other words, an organizational structure is a detailed plan showing the systematic work arrangement and organization of work.
Organisational culture has an important role to play in not only attracting talented people but in retaining them as well (Denison, 1990). Positive organisational culture encourages employees to give their best and they are able to work at their optimum level.
In this case, both the offeree and the offeror are held responsible for breach of contract. For example: In Hochster v De la Tour case, the party that filed the lawsuit, did so on the bases that he was to provide services to the defendant as a courier for three months starting from 1st June 1852.
The Gilbert Company requires necessary modifications with respect to the optical instruments and, consequently, the sellers, as they are required to do so, find it difficult to estimate a quote for the same due to not having an idea about the information regarding the exact costs.
The implementation of this innovation technique may serve two purposes, one, to make the most of the marketing advantages that are not expected by the organization’s competitors, and, two, to help clients and employees during the process of buying and selling.
In terms of pricing, product and place, the business also seems to excel by staying true to the consumer attitude and emotions with this target market audience of youth buyers. Nothing in the translation would seem to provide any perceptions to customers that Volkswagen is trying to cheapen the brand and thus it can retain a blend of sophistication and also value pricing positioning without having to emphasize pricing issues to customers.
The organization moves from a reactive to a stable proactive environment. The volatile conditions in the market force organizations to introduce changes as a way of maintaining their competitive advantage and delivering on their strategic plan. Managers, CEOs, and directors are change agents in an organization.
The use of cosmetics started in around 4000 BC in Egypt. Modern day cosmetics comprise of various ingredients like Talc, Carmine, Bismuth Oxychloride, Paraben Preservatives, Mica, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide etc. Many of these ingredients are harmful in one or more ways.
5 pages (1250 words)
, Download 1
, Research Paper
Policymakers often face challenges that require their resolutions within the shortest time. At other times, a policymaker may have the luxury of resolving an issue within longer timeframes. Nonetheless, it is incumbent upon policymakers to ensure that they resolved policy issues using an approach that was effective.
In regards to decision making in our organization, we can apply the rational model (Towler, 2010), which involves six critical steps including problem identification, generation of alternatives, evaluation of alternatives, choosing of an alternative, implementation of the decision, and evaluation of decision’s effectiveness.
7 pages (1750 words)
, Download 1
, Research Paper
Research indicates that the overall air transport in the region has improved significantly. Though this may be seen as a strategy for attracting many customers, it can also be observed as a threat. This positive growth means that there is a positive growth within the region. Moreover, more airline companies are emerging in the market.
What Is So-Called Asian Business Model? How Well Does The Indian Business System Fit That Model?
The business environment in Asia is quite different than other western nations. The size of Asian economy is huge, and it is characterized by diverse assortment of markets.
After an interview with the entrepreneur, I came up with features that have led to his outstanding success in entrepreneurship. What are the reasons as to why you chose to be an entrepreneur instead of being employed? To begin with, I like being my own boss.
This essay is primarily based on addressing and contemplating the most significant and most talked about issues, paradoxes, and concerns which are encountered by an organization quite frequently in the process of engineering myriad smart strategies and establishing relationships with critically valuable stakeholders.
In order to understand the impact of migration on business, it is necessary to check the role of migration in social and economic life. Through the literature, it is made clear that the expansion of migration worldwide has been quite rapid so that it has been quite difficult for local societies to be prepared for facing the specific phenomenon.
The company’s overall performance is good but some changes need to be made to help the company to improve in this area. This can only be done through the efforts of other stakeholders involved in the project. Basically, a stakeholder is an individual person or group of people that is directly or indirectly affected by the activities of a certain project or these people may have a considerable stake or interest in the particular project (Schulzt, 2003).
Business environments may serve to enhance the performance and competence of the corporation as well as causing a diminishing level of performance, in direct response to the application of the environmental factors. The competitive and general factors are salient components of the external environment.
Prior this period, the U.S. housing market seemed a blooming and many borrowers believed that they would leap good fortunes in the future, and that refinancing would not be a problem. Far from that, the tempo of the housing market started cooling down. Very many borrowers could not refinance their mortgages that had gone up due to Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM).
This piece of the paper has outlined a newer business idea and has presented an ideal business model for converting the idea into a realistic business model. The ‘Fresher’ will be a unique logistic business for that it has identified a highly rewarding business opportunity and has found a successful way to grab this opportunity.
The disaster was a big blow to all stakeholders that included the space center control, the spacecraft Communicator, and NASA. After the accident, a commission comprising of the then secretary of state was established to look into the causes of the disaster and the communication breakdown between the crew and NASA.
Unemployment may be attributed to adverse economic conditions making it quite difficult for a large proportion of college graduates to secure a job. Additionally, majority of college graduates do not have skills and experience required by employers. This means that, despite having readily available jobs, most of the fresh graduates may not be in a position to get job leading to frictional unemployment (Carol, paras 5-22).
Each of the companies manages some prestigious brands. The group was formed due to the merger in between the producer of champagne- Moet et Chandon and Hennessy which happens to be one of the leading manufacturers of cognac. The merged company again merged with fashion major Louis Vuitton to form the current group.
A study from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization on the reshaping of cities for sustainable futures has predicted that if cities in Australia continue growing in their current urban sprawl, air pollution in the cities would go up by almost 70% in comparison to levels, in 1990.
This innovation transport network started with a six kilometre line connecting Paddington to Baker Street and, further, to mainline stations above the ground in the city of London. Currently, LU comprises or more than 400 kilometres of railway track, serving 275 main stations, while traversing across 12 lines.
The author states that in the IKEA Company everyone is involved in ensuring that the company produces the best products available. This means that from management, everyone in the company is motivated to do their best in their department to ensure that the company produces the best products possible.
It can be defined as the purchasing of commodities from a domestic economy by a foreign entity or an investment from an overseas enterprise into another in a distant business or economy. Regardless of the development of commodities and trade with India and China, Sub Saharan Africa’s (SSA’s) economic performance has been quite poor in comparison with East Asia or South East where FDI has played significant role in economic development (Bartels, Kratzsch, and Eicher, 2008, p.1).
Business Case Study-Google Name Institution Instructor Date Most corporations today are striving to create mechanisms that will promote the culture of self -empowerment and innovation among employees, hence their motivation. However many big companies still embrace the legacy way of management where employees are stuck in cubicles, crowded offices, riddled in old school micromanagement techniques and hence low production.
Once the McDonald’s customer base gets redeveloped, customers need to be retained and their comeback has to be guaranteed. They can use bounce back coups. For instance, bring five friends and get one meal for free, if a customer eats twice in a week at your outlet, he gets one meal free. This could contribute to a rise in average sales.
Intel is at the forefront of the computer chip manufacturing industry. Intel’s leadership and influence have set standards for similar companies for the betterment of the environment. Free Geek describes itself in the company’s mission statement as an organization that firmly believes that recycling is best done through “reuse”.
7 pages (1750 words)
, Download 3
, Literature review
This literature review on the derivates will cover on various aspects relating to the financial instrument such as types of derivatives, types of derivative contracts, the use of derivatives, and even the contribution of the derivative market to the economic function within a country. The evolution of the market led to the development of various financial instruments.
Workplace Industry: The Challenges of ‘Women in Mining” Name Course Name Instructor Name The challenges encountered by ‘women in mining’ The workplace is probably the most common environment where various cultures, personalities, and policies come together to form a team for the betterment of the organization.
3 pages (750 words)
, Download 2
, Literature review
REVIEWING THE PROCESS AND PURPOSE OF THE SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION. The concept of sustainable innovation is not friendly among most business leaders. Most corporate leaders are convinced that taking care of resources or engaging in sustainable development activities add extra cost to their business.
The countries with the highest GDP among these countries are Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia and Uganda. Although these countries have depicted high GDP growth over the period of fifty-two years, there is considerable fluctuation in the data. This shows that these countries have not grown consistently over the period.
Strategies are the plan of the company to position its products positively in the markets to stay ahead of the competitors. Sony Corporation made different strategies for the different markets so that they can position their products to the customers. Their corporate strategy is to lead as the global provider of electronics and entertainment.
Decision making in this case is mainly concerned with the function of deciding on the best alternative. According to Alain Decrop, most markets perceive consumer decisions as being based on rational thought processes as well as the importance of being risk averse (Decrop 2005).
7 pages (1750 words)
, Download 2
, Research Paper
University leavers are facing the toughest job market especially after the depths of financial crisis shock most businesses. Those in the field of finance are amongst the most affected since they deal directly with economic activities.
This is because according to Mentzer and Moon (2004), forecasting is an important mechanism for matching demand and supply and could therefore be used to undertake sales and operations planning for businesses. Meanwhile, demand and supply matching has been said to be an important element in planning and decision making for businesses (Mentzer and Moon, 2004).
It is quite apparent that the company i.e. Netflix has strengths along with weaknesses that impose extensive impact upon its operational activities. Contextually, certain recommendations will be presented for the company so that they would be able to enhance positive facets and reduce the negative ones.
The global connectivity has increasingly helped in connecting the markets around the world and has successfully converted the globe into a single and well-connected entity. It is of high importance to mention that the better levels of technology-powered connectivity are resulting in the successful diffusion of various global trends.
PEST analysis is a tool that measures the various business external environments. This report analyses the essence of this tool of business environment analysis, highlighting its purposes and the benefits it presents to a business. SWOT analysis examines the internal environment of a business and the manner in which these affects the position of the organisation.
8 pages (2000 words)
, Download 3
, Research Proposal
Data collection and sampling is a critical part of the research process. This study will involve the collection of data from both secondary and primary sources (Burns, 2000). The secondary data will be collected from various sources which are mainly consisting of books, online databases, journal articles and authentic websites.
The dilemmas facing the new CEO of Maersk Line include dealing with issues related to a sluggish economy that affects the container rates. The new CEO further has to deal with the problem of ever-increasing fuel prices and rectifying trade routes that impact negatively in terms of the company meeting the cost required to introduce the large and costly container ships. | <urn:uuid:6fdb36e3-a8dc-4e4e-959f-656564070d56> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:58:58",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9541678428649902,
"score": 2.75,
"token_count": 3235,
"url": "https://studentshare.org/business/page/424"
} |
This year’s Singapore Budget has garnered accolades for its focus on lower-income groups and the so-called Pioneer generation. One glaring omission, however, is in efforts to redistribute wealth. That is a missed opportunity; Singapore needs to address its drastic wealth inequality in order to, among other things, reduce social tensions, improve social mobility and maintain its commitment to building a fair and just society.
The distinction between income and wealth inequalities is important. In Singapore, a person can have immense wealth—inherited property, for example—with very little traditional income. This creates the somewhat perverse situation where some very wealthy people also own HDB flats and qualify for huge healthcare subsidies while simultaneously investing in stocks and second properties, furthering their wealth advantage over the poor. In order to properly address social inequities, both inequalities—income and wealth—have to be reduced. | <urn:uuid:051aed6c-b1db-4367-be67-1d423bd2325a> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:01:09",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.959486722946167,
"score": 2.515625,
"token_count": 178,
"url": "https://sudhirtv.com/tag/capital-gains/"
} |
At first glance it is difficult to reconcile the public library values of freedom of expression and providing safe spaces. But on closer examination both of these may be accommodated if we ask questions such as: what does safe space mean?; who decides what it means? and safe for who? There is no absolute guarantee of safe spaces in public libraries. They are public buildings and we cannot and should not screen who enters them. An attempt to do this at Regina Public Library led to accusations of racial profiling. The public library is open to all and so anyone can come in to them and start doing and saying things that other people – staff and patrons – do not regard as safe. But everyone has their own moral universe and scale of what is acceptable. At one time any indication of intoxication would get someone banned from a public library, partly on safety grounds. Today the focus is not so much on the intoxication but on the behavior of the patron; if the behaviour is not problematic, then neither is the intoxication.
As Emily Crockett has pointed out, safe spaces mean different things to different people: ‘For people in marginalized groups, psychological safety and physical safety are closely related and not easy to separate. That’s where the concept of safe spaces is rooted in the first place, and that’s why the need to have them is so powerful for so many.’
This statement is in fact true for everyone, including mainstream society. In a library context for example, a homeless person might make a staff member feel unsafe but, at the same time, for that homeless person the library might be the safest space in town. It is possible for both the staff member and the homeless person to feel safe in the same space if they are willing and able to understand each other’s story.
Safe spaces cannot be about literal physical safety from violence; they’re a refuge, a place to relax. This is highlighted by shootings at places of worship as just one example. Libraries are a similar societal asset, open to all, a refuge and symbol of intellectual freedom and acceptance. Public libraries can be made into places that guarantee absolute freedom of expression so long as library staff and patrons are prepared to engage in conversations with people who have different views and moral universes to their own.
Inside or outside of safe spaces, the real problem is usually a failure of empathy, and the real solution is treating others with humility, respect, and compassion and being willing to learn from our own mistakes. It is possible for both the staff member and the homeless person to feel safe in the same physical space if they are willing and able to understand each other’s story in a shared psychological space.
This is particularly relevant when it comes to cultural safety. The public library provides free democratic public space in which all cultures should be valued and respected.
John Pateman – www.tbpl.ca. If you have a comment about today’s column, we would love to hear from you. Please comment below! | <urn:uuid:39d70bbb-0367-464a-bc4b-7d9f6db28e28> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:31:58",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9576549530029297,
"score": 3.234375,
"token_count": 612,
"url": "https://tbplofftheshelf.com/2020/01/06/free-democratic-public-space/"
} |
There are whole courses devoted to this topic, but you can relax. I am going to focus on two issues: the current controversy regarding phonics instruction and the type of phonics instruction that is best suited to students with reading disabilities. If your deductive powers are at work, you already know where I stand on this issue.
Is phonics a bad word? In some groups, it certainly is. The conflict over phonics instruction goes back at least to the 1950’s and has continued to this day. The last decade has seen heightened rhetoric about what works for kids, especially after the National Reading Panel concluded that phonics was one of five key components of effective reading instruction. And educational research has been used to substantiate both sides of the debate. In actual practice, there are teachers who will not allow kids to sound out words, even preventing those little fingers from tapping out sounds. Phonics instruction becomes a subversive activity, only allowed behind closed doors. (I personally haven’t seen the other extreme, but perhaps someone in my audience has.)
Many teachers are convinced that phonics instruction rules out the use of good literature, is a skill that can only be applied to words in isolation, and is primarily taught through tedious “drill and kill” routines. Another concern is that those assessments which are correlated to reading success (such as fluency in decoding nonsense words) are creating havoc, forcing teachers to abandon authentic assessment and instruction.
First, it is possible to use good literature to teach phonics. And it is also true that many decodable books (see below) are lousy literature. Use both. Second, the whole purpose in teaching phonics is its application to authentic reading. Good readers are fluent and don’t labor over words, so they can engage with text at more abstract levels. Phonics helps dyslexic kids achieve that fluency through practice. By definition, a child with a special education label is intervention-resistant. This simply means that these kids need something more than regular instruction. It does take practice, but that practice can be meaningful and engaging. No question, it’s a struggle for those smart kids whose brains are hard-wired differently. And those fluency assessments? They measure a sub-skill of reading, but one that acts as a closed door to literacy if students don’t learn the alphabetic code.
What type of phonics instruction is best for students with reading disabilities?
Systematic. That means phonics is taught by following a scope and sequence of skills. Each child should start at the point in that sequence which is appropriate for his or her ability level. Incidental or embedded phonics instruction occurs when a teacher selects reading material and then points out or teaches a phonics rule. This random approach does not work effectively for kids with disabilities.
Explicit. Phonics instruction is not learned by taping a poster of letter sounds on a wall. Teacher instruction, modeling, and guidance in applying rules to text are all needed. Students must be taught letter-sound associations and specific rules. They learn a skill and practice it. This practice often involves reading decodable texts, but other books work as well.
Early. Dyslexic kids who receive early intervention are more likely to avoid a cycle of reading failure in which they fall farther behind their peers while their self-esteem takes major body blows. Early intervention (that is, teaching the alphabetic code) can support ALL kids, whether or not they are at risk for reading failure. True, many kids come to school already equipped with some phonics skills. But those kindergarteners who aren’t even aware that words are made of individual sounds are already behind the curve.
Reading instruction shouldn’t be narrowed to a debate of “phonics” versus “meaning.” Phonics instruction encompasses more than isolated skills and gives kids the ability to access literature. Meaning-based instruction fosters higher level thinking but can’t occur in a letter-correspondence vacuum. Enough said? Want to share your perspectives? | <urn:uuid:e778e73f-187c-46bf-9974-33c43d5545db> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:52:32",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9635727405548096,
"score": 3.234375,
"token_count": 837,
"url": "https://teachezwell.me/tag/remediation/"
} |
Lesson:Noah's Ark personality test
Personality tests generally appeal to the ego of an individual, however they have a number of uses for the language classroom such as to practise reading and listening skills, provide a stimulus for conversation, to teach vocabulary and to act as a warmer, cooler or filler.
Animal adjective personality test
- To develop students` knowledge of personality adjectives in a controlled activity.
- To practise listening skills
- To allow free speaking practise
Students will need paper and a pen and will benefit from having a list containing plenty of adjectives of personality to refer to. The teacher may want to go over (their version of) the guided visualization narrative before they tell it in class.
(To shortern this activity, simply skip the guided visualisation)
T: Guided visualization
Explain to the students that they are going on a journey and that they should close their eyes and listen carefully. Once all the class have their eyes closed, tell them the following narrative, filling in details where necessary:
- You are in time machine
- Travel back in time
- Get out and rain is pouring
- See nothing except huge ship
- Go to ship and walk on board
- Meet a man called Noah and explain time travel visit
- He takes you around ship - each deck has different creatures
- Fish below, amphibians next, mammals above, insects then bacteria and birds and reptiles - all in ship
- Noah asks you to choose favourite 3 creatures, whether or not you know their names
(pause for 30 seconds to allow students to choose)
- Noah sees you off ship in the rain
- Run back to the time machine through deepening water
- Get in and travel back to the present day
- Get out and open your eyes
Ss: Draw favourite 3 creatures
Ask the learners to draw their three (favourite) creatures, numbering them in order of preference and thinking of the names afterwards (you can monitor and help with this).
Ss: Describe creatures with adjectives
Ask the students to use their list of personality adjectives to give each creature 3-5 which accurately describe their nature e.g. "aggressive, patient, sly, lazy & quick" for a crocodile.
T: Explain personality test key
Announce that they have just done a personality test with the following interpretation:
- Animal 1 (their most favourite creature) is how they see themselves
- Creature 2 represents how others see them
- Creature 3 represents how they really are
Ss: Mingle and compare
Allow students to mingle and compare their results! | <urn:uuid:18de9f03-918d-49a7-a41b-ecb698f4a34d> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:22:04",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.917946457862854,
"score": 4.09375,
"token_count": 540,
"url": "https://teflpedia.com/Lesson:Noah%27s_Ark_personality_test"
} |
The following originally appeared on The Upshot (copyright 2018, The New York Times Company).
We know it can be hard to persuade physicians to do some things that have proven benefits, such as monitor blood pressure or keep patients on anticoagulants. But it might be even harder to get them to stop doing things.
In May, a systematic review in JAMA Pediatrics looked at the medical literature related to overuse in pediatric care published in 2016. The articles were ranked by the quality of methods; the magnitude of potential harm to patients from overuse; and the potential number of children that might be harmed.
In 2016 alone, studies were published that showed that we still recommend that children consume commercial rehydration drinks (like Pedialyte), which cost more, when their drink of choice would do. We give antidepressants to children too often. We induce deliveries too early, instead of waiting for labor to kick in naturally, which is associated with developmental issues in children born that way. We get X-rays of ankles looking for injuries we almost never find. And although there’s almost no evidence that hydrolyzed formulas do anything to prevent allergic or autoimmune disease, they’re still recommended in many guidelines.
Those researchers had reviewed the literature on overuse in children before, looking at all the studies from a year earlier. They modeled the work on a set of papers in JAMA Internal Medicine that looked at overuse in adults through a review of the literature published in 2015, 2014 and 2013.
Overuse is rampant. And it can harm patients.
By the end of the 20th century, for example, research seemed to indicate that we wanted to keep patients in the intensive care unit in a tight range of blood glucose levels. The evidence base for these recommendations came from observational studies that showed that patients with such tight control seemed less likely to develop adverse outcomes like infections or hyperglycemia, and they seemed more likely to survive.
Researchers tested this recommendation prospectively in a randomized controlled trial in a surgical intensive care unit. The results, published in 2001, appeared to confirm the prior findings, that tight glycemic control saved lives.
The study wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t blinded, for instance, and there were downsides to the recommendations. About 5 percent of those who received the intensive therapy had severe hypoglycemia at least once. The mortality in the control group was higher than what might be expected. Finally, this was a study of mostly post-cardiac surgery patients, and it wasn’t clear how widely the findings could be generalized.
Nevertheless, this was a huge benefit, and given the severity of the population being treated (intensive care patients are usually very, very ill), many experts called for changes in treatment while further research was done.
That larger work was published in 2009. The study randomly assigned more than 6,000 patients admitted to an intensive care unit for more than three days — to either tight or traditional glucose control. This time, there was a significantly higher rate of death in the tight control group (27.5 percent vs. 24.9 percent), as well as a much higher rate of severe hypoglycemia (6.8 percent vs. 0.5 percent). These findings applied to patients over all and to subgroups (like surgical versus medical patients).
In light of this, guidelines changed again. Physicians were asked to stop the widespread tight glycemic control.
In 2015, some enterprising researchers set out to look at how this knowledge changed physician behavior. Beginning in 2001, they looked at how physicians adopted the recommendations to use tight glycemic control in patients admitted to intensive care units. Starting in 2009, they looked at how physicians absorbed new information telling them to stop.
From 2001 through 2012, they analyzed data on more than 377,000 admissions to 113 intensive care units in 56 hospitals. Before the first trial was published, in 2001, 17 percent of admissions used tight glycemic control. Beginning in that year, however, there was a slow but steady increase in its use. About 1.7 percent more patients were being treated with recommended practice each quarter.
It’s hard to change behavior, but over time, physicians did. By 2009, the use of tight glycemic control had increased to about 23 percent. Many might have hoped for more, but at least there was progress.
Starting in 2009, however, the reverse was recommended. Doctors were asked to stop. Tight glycemic control was associated not only with higher mortality, but also with more adverse events.
That didn’t happen. From 2009 through 2012, there was no decrease in tight glycemic control. The authors argued that “there is an urgent need to understand and promote the de-adoption of ineffective clinical practices.”
That is, of course, an understatement.
Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, is entirely focused on the identification of care that physicians routinely recommend but shouldn’t. Almost 600 different tests, procedures or treatments, collected over the last six years, are currently listed on their website. Almost all the recommendations basically say “don’t do” them.
This overuse doesn’t provide a benefit. It can lead to harms. It can also cost a lot of money.
The public shares some culpability. Americans often seem to prefer more care than less. But a lot of it still comes from physicians, and from our inability to stop when the evidence tells us to. Professional organizations and others that issue such guidelines also seem better at telling physicians about new practices than about abandoning old ones.
I asked Daniel Niven, the lead author of the 2015 study, why it’s so hard to persuade doctors to discontinue certain practices. He said physicians have a hard time unlearning what they have learned, even when there’s newer and better science available. He said, “Even if the new contradictory science is accepted, providers often struggle applying this information in their daily clinical practice, not because they don’t want to, but rather, because they work within a system that doesn’t adapt well to changing evidence.”
He also said doctors might need to be more thoughtful about prevention: “We need to take a more cautious approach to technology adoption, and learn from mistakes of early adoption of health care technologies based on little or low-quality clinical evidence. This way we can prevent the need to ‘break up’ with the practice when the high-quality evidence shows that it is ineffective.”
Overuse represents a significant problem. As policymakers look for ways to save money without harming quality in the health care system, reducing overuse seems as if it should be a top option. | <urn:uuid:8c96672a-ec40-4073-a406-2f130a3c1d35> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:12:37",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9653440713882446,
"score": 2.671875,
"token_count": 1393,
"url": "https://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/its-hard-for-doctors-to-unlearn-things-thats-costly-for-all-of-us/"
} |
i Characteristics of the regulations on private monopolisation and unfair business practices
The Japanese regulations on dominance and monopolies come in two forms: prohibition on private monopolisation and prohibition on unfair business practices.2
The concept of 'private monopolisation' is derived from Article 2 of the US Sherman Act, and was enacted at the time of the establishment of the Antimonopoly Act (AMA) in 1947, which is based on US judicial precedents on monopolisation. Two types of conduct are prescribed – 'exclusionary conduct' and 'controlling conduct', with 'controlling conduct' being unique to Japanese competition law. There are also regulations on such conduct being committed by multiple enterprises simultaneously, although there are few actual examples of this. Private monopolisation is defined in the provisions of the AMA as follows:
The term 'private monopolisation' as used in this Act means such business activities by which any enterprise, individually or by combination, in conspiracy with other enterprises, or by any other manner, excludes or controls the business activities of other enterprises, thereby causing, contrary to the public interest, a substantial restraint of competition in any particular field of trade.3
In actual practice, the provisions against controlling-type conduct are rarely applied, and five of the six private monopolisation cases that have taken place since 2000 have been exclusionary-type cases. While the title 'private monopolisation' is used, there is in fact no need for the subject of the relevant conduct to be a private company, so nowadays this expression is essentially meaningless. There is also no requirement for the subject of the conduct to be monopolising the market in the economic sense of the term (that is, having only one seller or one buyer).
Unfair business practices
While 'unfair business practice' means a conduct that has a likelihood of impeding fair competition, and is derived from Article 5 of the US Federal Trade Commission Act, a notable feature of the provisions on such practices is that they prescribe various types of conduct.4 Essentially, while an unfair business practice is the same as private monopolisation in that the AMA regulates against anticompetitive conduct impeding the function of competition in the relevant market, it differs from private monopolisation in that the AMA also prohibits unfair business practices that have a 'likelihood' of having such an effect. There are debates over what constitutes such a likelihood, as described below.5
While with private monopolisation there are no provisions imposing requirements on a company's market share, under the Guidelines for Exclusionary Private Monopolisation under the Antimonopoly Act6 enacted by the JFTC (Private Monopolisation Guidelines), companies with a share of roughly over 50 per cent are subject to the regulations, and in actual cases to which private monopolisation has applied, the share of companies in the relevant market has been high.
For instance, from a general overview of cases since 2000, we see examples including a share of approximately 85 per cent in NIPRO,7 70 per cent and above in NTT East8 (NTT's share of fibre-optic lines in the east Japan region), 72 per cent in USEN Corporation9 (up from 68 per cent owing to an implementation of exclusionary conduct), 89 per cent in Intel 10 (up from 76 per cent, again owing to the implementation of exclusionary conduct) and approximately 99 per cent in JASRAC (managing operator for music copyright). These cases are described in more detail in Sections II and IV.
In this way, all cases of private monopolisation since 2000 have identified exclusionary conduct by companies with a market share of over 50 per cent as a violation of the prohibitions thereon. However, even companies that do not have a market share of 50 per cent or more are regulated by the rules against unfair business practices.
Exclusionary conduct and controlling conduct
In recent years, there have been a series of important Supreme Court judgments concerning exclusionary conduct, in which the concept of 'excluding the business activities of other enterprises' was defined as 'causing a clear obstruction to the business activities of a competitor, or significantly making it difficult for a competitor to enter the market, in each case through practices of an artificial nature that deviate from normal competitive methods'.11 While this definition has become generally accepted, views are divided when it comes to the actual finding of exclusionary conduct. However, there is no disputing the fact that there is no need for a company to completely expel a competitor from the market, or to bar it completely from entering it, for such conduct to be considered exclusionary. In addition, in the same judgment, a 'substantial restraint of competition' is defined as 'creating, maintaining or strengthening market power', and so is consistent with actual practice to date.
On the other hand, controlling conduct is generally defined (albeit not in a Supreme Court judgment) as 'conduct which imposes restrictions on another enterprise's decision-making concerning their business activities, and so causes them to comply with one's own wishes'.
While a company that creates market power is essentially free to raise prices, discriminatory price raises, etc., of a kind that prevent competitors from entering the market may be caught by the regulations on private monopolisation.
There are provisions that enable measures to be taken where a market is in a situation whereby it is monopolised by a large company,12 to remove such a situation; however, these have not actually been used in practice, and it is extremely unlikely that they will be in the future, either.
ii Relationship between private monopolisation and unfair business practices
It might be difficult for readers in countries that do not have a system of dual regulations to understand the relationship between private monopolisation and unfair business practices. While the enactment of regulations on unfair business practices was (as previously mentioned) influenced by the US Federal Trade Commission Act,13 the AMA is distinct from this Act in that it has provisions on a diverse range of different types of conduct, such as:
- concerted refusal to supply;14
- discriminatory price;15
- unjust low prices;16
- resale price maintenance (RPM);17 and
- abuse of superior bargaining position.18
Except for RPM, the conducts above are dually regulated in the AMA and JFTC General Designations (GD), with slight differences between the regulations.19 The main types of conduct, dealt with only in the GD and often applied by the JFTC, are as follows:
- refusal to deal;20
- tie-in sales;21
- trading on exclusive terms;22
- trading on restrictive terms;23 and
- interferences with a competitor's transaction.24
The major difference from private monopolisation is in the extent to which there is an anticompetitive effect on the market, and for private monopolisation to be realised, there must be a 'substantial restraint of competition' in the 'relevant market'.
On the other hand, it is enough for there to be a 'likelihood of impeding fair competition' for unfair business practices. The question of to what extent a 'likelihood' there should be to satisfy this requirement is, in some cases, the most contested issue. While it also depends on the case in question, the JFTC often sets a low bar in cases to ensure that it wins, while on the other hand companies tend to set a high bar in a way that is substantially the same as a 'substantial restraint of competition'.
On this point, while the JFTC ruled in the administrative hearing decision for the Microsoft case25 that 'the quantitative or substantive effect on competition of the relevant conduct should be determined on a case-by-case basis', this became the largest point of argument in the actual case.
In many cases, if private monopolisation applies, it will also constitute one of the types of unfair business practice. On the other hand, the relationship between them is such that conduct does not necessarily constitute private monopolisation just because it is an unfair business practice.
II Year in Review
As the JFTC has tended to enforce the regulations on private monopolisation in waves, it is worth looking back at previous events to understand the current situation in Japan. There were no such cases between 1972 and 1996, and prior to 1972, there were only a few. During this period, conduct that met the requirements for private monopolisation was regulated as an unfair business practice, as they were generally understood to be at the time, for which the evidential burden was low.
From 1996 to 2009, private monopolisation was actively enforced, with one case a year on average. However, the JFTC lost the JASRAC case. JASRAC, which was the monopolistic managing operator for music copyright in Japan, was initially determined by the JFTC in 200926 to have committed a violation of private monopolisation by adopting a blanket collection method for broadcaster licensing fees, whereby it charged a fee by applying its prescribed rate to broadcasters' broadcasting business revenue as a comprehensive licence for all music managed by JASRAC, regardless of the number of times that music was actually used.
JASRAC contested the cease-and-desist order in the hearing procedure27 held by the JFTC, which resulted in the JFTC taking the highly unusual step of revoking its own cease-and-desist order of violation.28
While it seemed the matter would then be concluded, an action for revocation of administrative disposition was subsequently brought against the JFTC by JASRAC's competitor, e-License, which claimed that it was excluded by JASRAC. The Tokyo High Court and the Supreme Court both determined that exclusionary conduct had taken place, and the case was referred back to the JFTC.29
In 2016, the case finally came to a close, with the withdrawal of JASRAC's petition for redress, and during the period from 2009 to 2016, shackled as it was by its ongoing conflict with JASRAC, the JFTC did not expose any cases of private monopolisation, with the exception of one small and local case of a controlling-type private monopolisation. However, in recent years, the JFTC has become more active again. It has exposed a string of cases that are fascinating from a competition law standpoint, each described later.
On 12 December 2017, the Supreme Court, albeit in an international cartel case, indicated that even where cartel agreements are reached outside Japan, the AMA will apply where these infringe Japan's free competitive economic order. Although this is self-evident in actual practice, it makes sense that this was made explicitly clear, and it is surmised that this is also applicable to private monopolisation and unfair business practices.
On 15 March 2018, according to press reports, the JFTC conducted an on-site inspection (dawn raid) of Amazon Japan's offices on suspicion of the unfair business practice, 'abuse of superior bargaining position'. It seems that the investigation will look into Amazon Japan's conduct in demanding that its supplier companies pay the cost of a discount provided to consumers as a form of support money.
On 22 May 2018, according to press reports, the JFTC conducted an on-site inspection of Mainami Kuko Service, a company providing aviation refuelling services, on suspicion of private monopolisation (of the exclusionary type). It seems that the investigation will look into Mainami's conduct of allegedly trying to restrict the entry of competitors into the market by asking airlines it has long-term partnerships with not to use refuelling facilities provided by competitors.
On 13 June 2018, according to press reports, the JFTC conducted an on-site inspection of Nihon Medi-Physics Co, a dominant company providing cancer examination test drugs for positron emission tomography, which is effective in early detection of cancer, on suspicion of private monopolisation (of the exclusionary type). Nihon Medi-Physics Co is suspected of disrupting the entry of new entrants into the market by putting pressure on the administration developer and manufacture not to use competitors' test drugs.
On 11 July 2018, the JFTC announced it closed the investigation against Apple on the suspected violation of the AMA regarding its agreement with mobile operators. See Section IV.
On 30 December 2018, in accordance with the enactment of the Act on the Development of Related Legislation Following the Conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a scheme to resolve suspected violations against the AMA voluntarily by consent between the JFTC and the enterprise (commitment procedures) has been introduced into the AMA. See Section V.
On 12 March 2019, the cabinet passed the bill to amend the AMA, which aimed to incorporate the partially discretionary leniency system, which exempts or reduces the surcharge based on the degree of cooperation of the leniency applicant and abolishes the upper limit of the number for leniency applicants, which is currently limited to five (after dawn raids, this is limited to three). These amendments are very important, but apply only to cartels and bid riggings, not to unilateral conduct.
On 15 March 2019, after hearing procedures that took almost 10 years, the JFTC revoked its own 'cease-and-desist order' of violation against Qualcomm, which was issued in 2009. This was a highly unusual step, as in the JASRAC case mentioned above. On 28 September 2009, Qualcomm was determined by the JFTC to have committed violation of unfair business practices (trading on restrictive terms) by forcing a 'royalty-free clause' and 'non-assertion provisions clause' to mobile terminal manufacturers in the licence agreements of code-division multiple access (CDMA) intellectual property rights it owned. The JFTC evaluated in its 'cease-and-desist order' in 2009, that the manufacturers would, as a result of these clauses, lose the desire to research and develop technologies related to CDMA, etc., and, accordingly, their positions would be weakened; while on the other hand, Qualcomm would strengthen its position. However, the JFTC hearing examiner ruled that the clauses had a property similar to cross-licence agreements, and finally found that the claimants had failed to show evidence to support the existence of violation. The JFTC commissioners approved the hearing decision.
On 10 April 2019, according to press reports, the JFTC conducted on-site inspections of Rakten Travel Co, Booking.com Japan and Expedia Japan, companies providing online hotel booking websites, on suspicion of unfair business practices (forcing most-favoured nation (MFN) clauses on hotels).
On 10 April 2019, according to press reports, Amazon Japan made public that it would withdraw its measure of service point reduction system returning to consumers over 1 per cent of the purchase amount of all items at the seller's expense. After Amazon Japan initially made this measure public in February 2019, the JFTC started investigations on suspicion of abuse of superior bargaining position.
iii Market definition and market power
i Market definition
A market is defined in terms of its product scope and geographical scope. However, markets are sometimes defined very narrowly when compared to merger control, such as in terms of specific areas, services or customers.
The most noteworthy case regarding market definition is NTT East. The JFTC defined the market somewhat narrowly as 'FTTH [fibre to the home] services for detached residential properties in the East Japan region'. While the company naturally countered that the market should be defined as the broadband services market (including asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) services), the Supreme Court affirmed the JFTC's decision.30
Markets have been defined as:
- 'the field of supply for glass tubes in the West Japan region for which the consumers are ampoule processing companies with headquarters in the same region and the suppliers are NIPRO and processing companies', in the later NIPRO case;
- the 'transmission of music to retail shops in Japan' in the USEN Corporation case;
- 'the market for the sale of CPUs to computer manufacturers in Japan' in the Intel case; and
- 'the Molybdenum-99 market in Japan' in the Nordion case.
There is also debate as to whether market definition is required for unfair business practices, and the JFTC's position is to define markets as necessary on a case-by-case basis. That is to say, its basic position is that this is not necessary. However, in Microsoft, the JFTC did not shy away from defining the market, but instead defined it as the computer audiovisual technology trading market. Even for unfair business practices, it is not possible to consider the anticompetitive effect if the market is not defined, and so there are many situations where companies and the JFTC contest the point.
ii Market power
As mentioned previously, under the Private Monopolisation Guidelines a company is required to have a share of over 50 per cent in the relevant market for private monopolisation to apply.
Private monopolisation is established where such companies 'create, maintain or strengthen their market power' through either exclusionary conduct or controlling conduct. There are many cases where private monopolisation is committed by companies that already have market power, and in doing so maintain or strengthen that power. While in this sense it is rare for such companies to create market power, there are cases where, for instance, an enterprise that already has market power in another market uses that position to create new market power in another separate market; that is to say it makes use of its leverage.
In the case of unfair business practices, there is no need for the company committing the conduct to have market power, and it is enough for them to have a strong position within that market. The Guidelines Concerning Distribution Systems and Business Practices under the Antimonopoly Act31 contain safe harbour provisions whereby an enterprise is not considered to have a strong position where it has a share of 20 per cent or less in respect of some types of conduct. Whether the safe harbour provisions apply varies depending on the type of conduct that is alleged to be an unfair business practice, and the aforementioned Guidelines should be consulted accordingly.
For instance, safe harbour provisions are not available in the case of restrictions on resale prices or abuse of a superior bargaining position, and so may be violated even where the JFTC considers the company in question to have a market share of only 10 per cent. Further, the market share is dependent on the market definition, so it is important to be mindful of the fact that a company's relative market share will increase where the market is narrowly defined.
While conduct constituting private monopolisation may be either exclusionary conduct or controlling conduct, the former is at the heart of such conduct, and one should also be mindful of the following: it is highly likely that the JFTC makes its decisions regarding private monopolisation not only by paying attention to the anticompetitive nature of each such conduct, but also by considering overall the strength and weakness of factors such as: (1) the company's power in the market; (2) the anticompetitive nature of the conduct in question; and (3) the effect on the relevant market, as well as the causal relationship between the three, and further, taking into account the existence or absence of any pro-competitive effects, and the extent thereof.
For point (1), the JFTC takes into account not only the company's market share itself, but also the characteristics of the market, the difference in share between the company and the player ranking second in the market, and, where necessary, the extent of excess profits, the existence of potential new entrants, brand strength and so on.
Concerning point (2), while the Supreme Court has proposed 'practices of an artificial nature which deviate from methods of normal competition', this can simply be taken to mean anticompetitiveness. The extent of the anticompetitive nature of a conduct can be taken instead to mean the extent of the deviation from normal competition based on price and quality, that is to say from competition on the merits of the relevant products or services.
The effect on the relevant market (point (3)) refers to effects such as competitors failing to enter or being delayed in entering a market, withdrawing therefrom, experiencing fluctuations in their share, or increases or decreases in customer trading.
Because points (1) to (3) act on each other, if an anticompetitive effect is quantitatively assessed and given a numerical value, the anticompetitive effect is likely determined not through a summing up of such values, but by multiplying them and subtracting any pro-competitive effects instead. Once this is understood, the following examples become easier to comprehend.
In the Private Monopolisation Guidelines, four typical examples of exclusionary conduct constituting private monopolisation are given:
- predatory pricing;
- exclusive dealing;
- tie-in arrangements; and
- refusal to deal or discriminatory conduct.
While this is a simple way to classify such conduct, a much more broad and diverse range of types of conduct can be given. Additionally, the following classification of conduct is based on the JFTC's law applied to actual cases; however, this is fluid, and dependent on the details of each case. In many cases, if private monopolisation applies, this also constitutes a type of unfair business practice. However, the converse is not true.
i Exclusionary conduct (private monopolisation)
According to the Private Monopolisation Guidelines, a price is highly likely to constitute exclusionary conduct where it is lower than the 'costs required to supply the product', which is a similar concept to average variable costs. On the other hand, where the price is lower than the total costs required to supply a product, but greater than the 'costs which does not arise if the product is not supplied', and there are no special circumstances such as that the product is being supplied over a long period of time and in high volume, there is a low possibility of such pricing constituting exclusionary conduct.
The USEN Corporation case32 is a typical example of this. USEN Corporation, which had a market-leading share in cable music broadcasting to retail offices (68 per cent, rising to 72 per cent as a result of exclusionary conduct), lowered the monthly listening fee that it charged to customers of its largest rival, Cansystem (26 per cent, decreasing to 20 per cent as a result of USEN's exclusionary conduct) as a condition of the customers switching to use its own service, and also extended its promotional campaign to those customers (whereby those monthly fees were made free) from the standard three months to six, and so was determined to have engaged in exclusionary conduct.
Margin squeeze means conduct whereby a company that does business in both an upstream market and a downstream market tries to bring the price of an upstream product close to that of a downstream product. In some cases, it is regulated as a refusal to deal.
The Supreme Court's judgment in NTT East is a typical example of this. When providing new communication services using fibre optics to detached residential properties, NTT East, which owns more than 70 per cent of the fibre-optic lines in the east Japan region, provided users with such communication services under a system whereby one person used a single fibre-optic line (central wire direct connection system). However, the fact that the usage fee for this was less than the connection fee for other communications providers, when using the same central wire direct connection system, was treated as them being excluded. While the monthly usage fee was ¥5,800, the monthly connection fee was ¥6,328.33
In Nordion, the Canadian company Nordion, that held the majority of global production volume and a large part of the sales for Molybdenum 99 (a substance used in radiation therapy) and 100 per cent of the market share in Japan, required its Japanese business partners to purchase all of the products they required from it over the course of 10 years, and accordingly, was found to have excluded its competitors.34 This is an exclusive purchasing obligation, which is one type of exclusive dealing.
The Private Monopolisation Guidelines attempt to draw a line under whether conduct is illegal by listing a diverse range of factors, including loyalty rebates, but are unsuccessful in doing so. As such, analysis of exclusionary conduct is at a developing stage, whereby factors such as the discount aspect of rebates and pro-competitive effects are also taken into account.
A representative example of this is Intel.35 Intel, which has a larger share of the market for central processing units (CPUs) installed in computers (rising from 76 to 89 per cent as a result of exclusionary conduct), provided its business partner computer manufacturers with rebates, etcetera, on the condition that they would use Intel CPUs for 90 to 100 per cent of their computers, and would not use CPUs from Intel's competitor, AMD (with a share of 22 per cent falling to 10 per cent as a result of Intel's exclusionary conduct), for those computers that had a high production volume. Intel's conduct in causing them not to adopt the CPUs of its competitor was deemed to be exclusionary.
There are some situations in which various different types of exclusionary conduct are mixed together, or combine to form a consecutive series.
NIPRO 36 is a typical example of mixed conduct. In this case, NAIGAI Group, a business partner of NIPRO that produces and sells glass tubes for use in ampoules (and has a share of 85 per cent), began dealing in non-Japanese made glass tubes, which were competitor products to NIPRO's. To restrain the expansion of NAIGAI's dealing in such glass tubes, and with the intention of imposing sanctions on it, NIPRO raised the sale price for glass tubes to NAIGAI Group only (price discrimination); refused to accept orders placed by NAIGAI Group (refusal to deal); and required NAIGAI Group alone to provide security or to settle invoices with cash payments (abuse of superior bargaining position).
The JFTC decided that exclusionary conduct had taken place after taking into account a series of conduct by NIPRO over some four years. While NIPRO was the first case of private monopolisation in which the JFTC's findings were contested, it also alleged in the course of the hearing as a preliminary claim that NIPRO's same series of conduct also constituted unfair business practices.37
As NAIGAI Group had not decreased its dealings in imported glass tubes despite such course of conduct, NIPRO was able to exclude the imported tubes, but only slightly, and accordingly, the JFTC added an allegation of unfair business practices, which have a low evidential burden and for which it is sufficient to show that there was a 'likelihood of impeding fair competition'. Finally, the JFTC returned to its claim of private monopolisation and won its case.
Hokkaido Shimbun38 is also an interesting example of a mixed conduct case. The Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper covered the entire Hokkaido area, and had a dominant position even within newspaper sales in the Hakodate region (which is located within the Hokkaido area). Given that Hakodate Shimbun was established in the same region with the aim of publishing an evening paper, Hokkaido Shimbun both filed a trademark on title lettering that the new market entrant, Hakodate Shimbun newspaper, was likely to use, and also greatly reduced its newspaper advertising fees in the same region and put pressure on the press agency not to broadcast news to Hakodate Shimbun. It further demanded that the TV stations would not broadcast its commercials. This conduct was treated as Hakodate Shimbun being excluded.
Other examples of mixed conduct are outlined below. While these types of conduct are difficult to typify under the Private Monopolisation Guidelines, they are clear examples of exclusionary conduct.
In Japan Medical Foods Association, the Association, which exclusively carried out inspection work on medical food products (that is, it had a share of 100 per cent) through the public inspections system, colluded with Nisshin Healthcare Food Service Co, Ltd, a primary seller of food products for medical use, to construct a production and sale system that made it clearly difficult for new players to enter the market, such as requiring registration for medical food products and certification for production plants, and so was deemed to have excluded new market participants from producing and selling medical food products.39
In Pachinko machine production patent pool, 10 pachinko machine producers that held key patents on the manufacturing of such machines (and together held approximately 90 per cent of the pachinko machine market), and that had gathered their patents together and were managing them as a patent 'pool', were deemed to have committed exclusionary conduct for not granting new participants licence rights to those patents.40
In Paramount Bed, Paramount Bed placed pressure on the person at the Tokyo metropolitan government in charge of placing orders for medical-use beds (Paramount had an almost 100 per cent share of this market) to enable delivery only of beds for which Paramount Bed had utility model rights, so that competing providers could not supply other beds, and accordingly was found to have committed exclusionary conduct.41
ii Controlling conduct (private monopolisation)
There are few cases concerning controlling-type conduct; nor are there any guidelines thereon from the JFTC. An example that constitutes controlling is a company using a given investment in another company to restrict its sales areas against its wishes, and to prohibit the establishment of new factories.42Also, while there are very few examples of this (just five cases to date), cases such as the Japan Medical Foods case and the Paramount Bed case involved both exclusionary conduct and controlling conduct. Since the Toyo Seikan case, there has been only one case of controlling conduct alone – the 2015 Fukui Agricultural Cooperative case.
While Fukui Agricultural Cooperative 43 is a controlling-type case, the scale thereof was small and it was extremely local in nature.
iii Unfair business practices
In Hokkaido Electric Power, the company set different fees for returning consumers that were higher than those for new consumers, and accordingly the JFTC issued a warning on suspicion of price discrimination.44
While Japanese electric power companies once tended to dominate certain areas for long periods of time, the regulations were gradually eased to accommodate new market entrants. In particular, in recent years a liberalisation of retail electricity has begun, starting with the super-high voltage field (such as for large-scale power plants), then office buildings, and finally low-voltage family retail electricity as of April 2016, with the result that the Japanese electricity retail market has become completely liberalised. The case of Hokkaido Electric Power can be positioned as occurring in the midst of the retail electricity market's shift to a competitive market.
The JFTC has made it clear to the energy industry (such as electricity and gas) that it will proactively investigate the situation going forward.
Microsoft Japan licensed its word processing software, Word, to computer manufacturers together with Excel (the spreadsheet software for which it has the leading market share) at the same time as licensing the latter, and accordingly was deemed to have engaged in 'tying'.45 Following this, Ichitaro, competitor word processing software, suffered a notable reduction in its market share.
Non-assertion provisions clause
The Microsoft case is a typical example of this. Microsoft US was found to have created an anticompetitive effect in the computer audiovisual technology market by including in its contracts for licensing Windows (its core software for PCs), original equipment manufacturer (OEM) sales provisions whereby the OEM providers entering into those contracts promised not to sue Microsoft or other OEM providers for breaches of patent infringement by Windows (non-assertion provisions), and so this conduct was found to constitute trading subject to restrictive conditions.46
In the decision, it was determined that the non-assertion provisions were extremely unreasonable given that it enabled the OEM providers' worldwide patents to be incorporated into the Windows series for free, and accordingly that there was a high probability of OEM providers losing the desire to research and develop new computer audiovisual technology.
In addition, given that the OEM providers and Microsoft are competitors in the computer audiovisual technology market, the OEM providers would, as a result of the non-assertion provisions, lose the desire to research and develop computer audiovisual technology if they had such powerful technology in their possession, and accordingly, their position would be weakened, while on the other hand, Microsoft could rapidly and widely distribute its computer audiovisual technology on a global scale by installing it within the Windows series.
Accordingly, it was determined that the non-assertion provisions had a likelihood of excluding competition in the computer audiovisual market, or causing it to stagnate, and so there was a high probability of an anticompetitive effect being extended to that market.
Breach of fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms
One-Blue, LLC manages and operates the patent pool for the standard essential patents for Blu-ray disc standards. Despite declaring that it would license these under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) conditions, it did not reach an agreement with Imation Corporation, which wished to receive a licence under the FRAND conditions, and furthermore told its business partners that the Blu-ray discs produced and sold by Imation would infringe One-Blue, LLC's patent rights. Accordingly, this conduct was determined to constitute unfair interference with a competitor's transactions.47
Most-favoured nation clause
Amazon Japan was found to have included in its seller display contracts for Amazon Marketplace (its electronic shopping mall) an MFN clause that required sellers to set prices and terms and conditions for products sold by them on Amazon Marketplace at whichever were the most favourable prices and terms and conditions of the same product as sold by other sales routes, and accordingly was investigated by the JFTC on suspicion of trading subject to restrictive conditions.48 However, as Amazon Japan made a petition to the effect that it would take voluntary measures itself, and those measures, including deleting MFN clauses from the contracts and not introducing the clauses in new contracts, dispelled the suspicion, the JFTC broke off its investigation.49 It could be said that Amazon took commitment procedures in advance. In March 2018, the JFTC raided Amazon Japan on suspicion of abusing superior bargaining power, which is discussed in Section II. The case is ongoing.
Unfair interference with a competitor's transactions
DeNA is an online game platform that uses mobile phone and social network services (SNS), was ranked top in sales of SNS game software and was also in hot pursuit of its rival, Gree. DeNA planned to disrupt SNS game developers from providing software to Gree by eliminating their links to the DeNA platform when they provided software to Gree. DeNA was determined to have engaged in unfair interference with a competitor's transactions.50
Exploitative abuse (abuse of superior bargaining position)
The provisions on unfair business practices contain prohibitions on abuse of superior bargaining position that are unique to Japan. One aspect to these provisions is the traditional Japanese industrial policy of protecting small and medium-sized companies, and, while they are somewhat hard to understand in terms of pure competition law theory, the JFTC makes frequent use of these provisions, therefore making them a key part of the regulations against unfair business practices.51 It is enough for a company to have a superior bargaining position relative to its suppliers, and there is neither any need for the relevant company to have market power nor to have a strong position in the relevant market. Of course, if such elements exist, the possibility of the company being targeted by the JFTC will increase.
As such, the company is an important trading partner for suppliers; if they have a relationship with such company whereby they must accept any demand made by the company, no matter how unreasonable, the company in question will be deemed to have a superior bargaining position. Theoretically, the key factor in finding a superior bargaining position is the degree of dependence by the supplier on the transaction with the company, and the degree of dependence is generally evaluated by dividing the supplier's volume of sales to the company by the supplier's total amount of sales. However, in practice, the JFTC often finds dependency, even if the ratio is less than 5 per cent.
The rules primarily regulate against large companies, such as mass electronics retailers, supermarkets, department stores, home and convenience stores, demanding cooperation fees from their suppliers, requiring them to dispatch their employees on secondment without charge, and returning products or reducing payments therefor without due cause.
However, there are no restrictions on the types of industry that may be targeted, and in the past, there have also been cases where banks were investigated. In Mitsui Sumitomo Bank, the JFTC found that Mitsui Sumitomo Bank forcing borrowers to purchase financial products was unlawful.52
The JFTC has been investigating Apple Inc (Apple), the ultimate parent company of Apple Japan GK (Apple Japan), in accordance with the provisions of the AMA,53 since October 2016. Apple Japan has, based on its agreements with NTT Docomo KK, KDDI KK and SoftBank KK54 (collectively, three mobile network operators (3 MNOs)), been suspected of restricting the business activities of 3 MNOs regarding the following:
- quantities of iPhones that 3 MNOs order from Apple Japan;
- telecommunication service plans that 3 MNOs offer iPhone users;
- iPhones that users traded in to 3 MNOs; and
- subsidies that 3 MNOs and others offer users purchasing iPhones.
During the investigation, Apple reported to the JFTC that it would amend a part of the agreements. The JFTC reviewed these amendments. Consequently, on 11 July 2018, the JFTC decided to close the investigation, concluding that the amendments would eliminate the suspicion of the violation mentioned above. The JFTC's evaluations are as follows.55
Apple Japan concluded iPhone agreements with, and sold iPhones to, 3 MNOs. The iPhone agreements include provisions regarding 3 MNOs' purchase and sale of iPhone products, iPhone service and support provided to users purchasing iPhones, and telecommunication services provided to users purchasing iPhones. The JFTC investigated the following provisions in the iPhone agreements.
Provisions regarding iPhone order quantities
It was seen that Apple Japan obligating an MNO to order a specific order quantity of iPhones could be a problem under the AMA if, for example, it reduces the sales opportunities of other smartphone makers. However, considering the fact that a specific order quantity was not set out in the iPhone agreements except for during a limited time period and a stipulated order quantity did not appear to oblige an MNO to order the quantity, as well as other facts, it was not recognised that Apple Japan restricted an MNO's business activities.
Apple reported to the JFTC that, when concluding a new iPhone agreement with the MNO, it would stipulate that an order quantity would be a target for the MNO and that a failure to meet an order quantity would not be a breach of contract.
Provisions regarding iPhone plans
It was seen that Apple Japan obligating an MNO to offer an iPhone plan only could be a problem under the AMA if, for example, it lessens competition on service plans among MNOs. However, considering the fact that it was possible for other service plans to be offered under the iPhone agreements and a stipulated iPhone plan had not been offered, as well as other facts, it was not recognised that Apple Japan restricted an MNO's business activities.
Apple reported to the JFTC that it would amend the iPhone agreements and abolish the provisions regarding iPhone plans.
Provisions regarding traded-in iPhones
It was seen that Apple Japan restricting an MNO of its sales of traded-in iPhones within Japan could be a problem under the AMA, if, for example, it maintains or enhances the status of Apple Japan in the smartphone market, or it maintains the sales prices of iPhones, by promoting Apple Japan's sales of iPhones. Also, it is concerned that such restriction could hinder competition between MNOs and mobile network virtual operators, which offer telecommunication services to users who possess used handsets or that sell used handsets. However, considering the fact that the provisions regarding traded-in iPhones only defined the purpose of use within Japan of traded-in iPhones for one of the 3 MNOs, as well as other facts, it was not recognised that Apple Japan restricted the domestic distribution of traded-in iPhones.
Provisions on subsidy
Subsidies provided to users purchasing smartphones is considered to lessen the substantial costs to users in purchasing smartphones and to have promoted the wide use of smartphones. However, Apple Japan obligating an MNO to provide a certain amount of subsidy could be a problem under the AMA if, for example, it lessens competition among mobile telecommunication businesses through the smooth offering of low-price and diverse service plans, by constraining the price reduction of telecommunication services and the price combination of smartphones and telecommunication services under the current situation where MNOs bundle smartphones and telecommunication services to many users.
Apple proposed, to the JFTC, to amend the iPhone agreements with 3 MNOs so that they may offer (even if users purchasing iPhones subscribed to a term contract), service plans without subsidies (alternate plans), on the condition that 3 MNOs provide clear, fair and informed choices to users in their selection of either service plans with subsidies (standard plans) or alternate plans and other conditions. Apple agreed on such amendments with 3 MNOs and then reported them to the JFTC.
Even after the implementation of the above amendments, 3 MNOs' obligation to provide subsidies to users purchasing iPhones will still partly remain. However, it will become possible for 3 MNOs to offer alternate plans to users, which will not breach the iPhone agreements with Apple Japan. However, as long as 3 MNOs' sales promotion activities of alternate plans are not hindered, it is considered that such marketing will provide users with the optimal service plan choice, promoting competition among telecommunication businesses. Considering these points, it is recognised that the amendments will eliminate the suspicion of the violation of the AMA.
Investigations conducted by the JFTC consist of either an on-site investigation (dawn raid) or an order to report. While an on-site investigation is the method normally employed where there is strong suspicion of a violation, in recent years some investigations have been commenced through an order to report instead. Although at the time of commencing an investigation the JFTC gives a written notice of the suspected facts, it is common for the JFTC to describe both grounds for private monopolisation and unfair business practices, thereby investigating with the aim of finding both and proving at least one of the two, and for the applicable law to be determined mid-way through an investigation or indeed at the end thereof.
When the JFTC reaches a firm position, it will send the enterprise in question a draft of the measures to be taken, and provide the enterprise with an opportunity to refuse the allegations and view or copy evidence held by the JFTC. Formal measures, cease-and-desist orders, are then issued once this process is completed. The JFTC have broad discretion to order types of measures, which include an enterprise's resolution not to repeat the same violation, informing its customers of the violation, implementing a compliance programme, etc.56
Even where the violation has already been extinguished, the JFTC may, where it deems particularly necessary, order the enterprise, for a period of five years after the extinguishment thereof, to take such measures as are required to ensure that the relevant conduct is removed, such as disseminating notices to the effect that the offending conduct is no longer taking place.57 While there is debate over whether the JFTC can order enterprises to take structural measures such as a company split, there has been no case so far of such an order being given. Where the enterprise in question objects to measures, it may dispute them through an action for revocation of administrative order made to the Tokyo District Court.
When the JFTC cannot prove a violation, it may issue informal administrative measures in the form of a warning or alert. The JFTC also can conduct sector or industry inquiries, most of which are done with the company's voluntary cooperation. However, the JFTC have the power to order any person to appear before the JFTC, or require them to submit necessary reports, information, materials or documents for their inquiries. This power was used in 2017 in an inquiry on liquid natural gas.
The revision of the AMA in 2005 led to administrative surcharges also being levied for controlling a private monopolisation. The JFTC does not have discretion over the amount thereof, but rather surcharges are charged at a maximum of 10 per cent of the consolidated annual sales affected by the conduct for the past three years.58 Further, with the 2009 revision of the AMA, administrative surcharges came to be imposed on exclusionary private monopolisation as well. These are charged at a maximum of 6 per cent of the consolidated annual sales affected by the conduct for the past three years.59 However, to date there has been no case of an administrative surcharge being levied for private monopolisation. In addition, while criminal charges are also prescribed in respect of private monopolisation, there is no example of these having actually been imposed.
With the 2009 revision of the AMA, administrative surcharges also came to be imposed for certain types of unfair business practices (certain types enacted only in the AMA, not in the GD). The basic rate for these is 3 per cent (but 1 per cent in the case of abuse of superior bargaining position). Administrative surcharges have only been imposed for unfair business practices in the case of abuses of a superior bargaining position. While such surcharges are imposed in respect of the first instance of the conduct in violation of the prohibition on abuse of superior bargaining position, for other unfair business practices they are imposed in respect of the second instance of the offending conduct where it is repeated, within 10 years of its first violation.
In addition to this formal enforcement, the JFTC may advise on business plans when consulted by the parties. This consultation system plays a very important role in practice.60
ii Commitment procedures
The purpose of commitment procedures is to ensure the transparency of the application, as well as predictability for businesses, of the law related to commitment procedures by clarifying the policies concerning commitment procedures as much as possible.
Subjects of commitment procedures
The JFTC applies commitment procedures to the suspected violation when the JFTC recognises that it is necessary for promotion of free and fair competition. On the other hand, the following cases are not subject to commitment procedures: (1) suspected violations, such as bid rigging or price-fixing cartels (hardcore cartels); (2) cases in which an enterprise has violated the same provisions within a 10-year period; and (3) cases recognised as constituting vicious and serious suspected violations that are considered to deserve a criminal sanction.
In order to ensure the restoration of competition order or that the act will not be repeated in the future, the commitment measures shall satisfy the following requirements: (1) they are sufficient for excluding the suspected violation or to confirm that the suspected violation has been excluded; and (2) they are expected to be reliably conducted.
Typical examples of commitment measures are cessation of the suspected violation, confirmation that it has ceased, notification to trading partners and others or publicising information to users and others, development of a compliance programme, amendments of contracts, transfer of business, etc., recovery of monetary value provided by trading partners and others and reporting on the state of implementation.
Other key points
If the JFTC finds that it needs to invite opinions of third parties for commitment plans, it requests public comments regarding an overview of such.
After the approval of a commitment plan, the JFTC shall publicly announce a summary of the approved commitment plan, a summary of the suspected violation and other matters as necessary.
Exercise of investigatory authority after migration to commitment procedures
After the issuance of a notification of commitment procedures, the JFTC shall not, in principle, conduct any investigation, such as an on-site inspection, report order or seeking testimony of the notified enterprise.
VI Private Enforcement
i Claims for damages
A person who suffers damage as a result of private monopolisation or unfair business practices may make a claim for compensation against the offending person pursuant to Article 25 of the AMA or Article 709 of the Civil Code. In Japan, there is no system of punitive compensation for damages or triple damages, so it will only ever be possible to claim the actual amount of loss suffered.
Claims for compensation made pursuant to Article 25 of the AMA cannot be made unless the JFTC's order has been finalised,61 and in the first instance, the Tokyo District Court has exclusive jurisdiction.62 Negligence is not required to establish liability, so the party engaging in the relevant conduct cannot avoid liability on the basis that it did not act wilfully or negligently.63
On the other hand, claims for compensation made pursuant to Article 709 of the Civil Code are made based on unlawful conduct in general, and so a claim can be made regardless of whether the JFTC has made an order or not.
These two rights of claim are separate from each other, and while it is in practice unusual, it is lawful to both bring a lawsuit pursuant to Article 25 of the AMA and at the same time another pursuant to Article 709 of the Civil Code, and provided the statute of limitations has not taken effect, it is also lawful for a claimant to bring a lawsuit pursuant to Article 25 of the AMA after losing a lawsuit brought under Article 709 of the Civil Code. While the limitation period is three years in either case, the starting point for calculating that period for lawsuits brought under Article 25 of the AMA is from the time at which the JFTC's order is finalised,64 whereas for lawsuits brought under Article 709 of the Civil Code, it is 'the point in time at which the loss and the party causing that loss are known'.65
While at first sight, lawsuits brought pursuant to Article 25 of the AMA, which do not require negligence to establish liability, may seem more advantageous to the affected party, these claims are restricted to violating conduct that is identified by the JFTC, and accordingly it may not necessarily be advantageous to the affected party, inter alia, where the actual violating conduct lasts longer than as identified by the JFTC. For this reason, when one excludes cases that have been statute-barred, affected parties, as often as not, choose to make a claim for compensation pursuant to Article 709 of the Civil Code.
ii Claims for injunction
Injunction lawsuits by private persons were first introduced in 2001. In Article 24 of the AMA, it is prescribed that a person whose interests are harmed owing to unfair business practices, or that are at risk of being harmed thereby, and who clearly suffers loss as a result thereof or is likely to do so, may make a claim against the enterprise or trade association that is harming or at risk of harming its interests to have that infringement stopped or prevented. This system means that the party claiming does not have to wait for the JFTC to take enforcement measures, but can make an injunction claim in its own capacity as the harmed party. In the case of private monopolisation, the harmed party is not specified, and while this is a flaw of the legal system, as mentioned previously, in many cases private monopolisation also constitutes one of the forms of unfair business practices, so if one adjusts the legal configuration, it is in practice possible for a party harmed by private monopolisation to make an injunction claim.
While many lawsuits have been brought since the introduction of the system, there were, for a long time, no successful cases brought by claimants, with the first such case occurring 10 years after the system was introduced.
This was a case in which an enterprise that had an extremely powerful position in the dry ice market (the leading player with a share of 49 per cent) slandered its competitors to the effect that they were breaching their non-compete obligations, or repeatedly made allegations to stir up its exaggerated claim that they were not reliable suppliers, and in doing so weakened their position in the dry ice market, or tried to prevent them from entering the market altogether. In this case, it was deemed that there was 'a likelihood of impeding fair competition'.66
Following this was a case of a successful claim in the taxi industry.67
Situations where a person's interests are 'clearly harmed' include 'situations where damage arises due to conduct in violation of the Antimonopoly Act that is difficult to recover from, or where financial compensation is insufficient to remedy the situation, such as where the relevant enterprise is at risk of being expelled from the market or is being prevented from entering it as a new participant'.68
Going forward, it is expected that private court actions will become more common.
VII Future developments
Following the adoption of the commitment procedure system, after lengthy discussions, in December 2018, more flexibility for resolving cases through negotiation with the JFTC has become available. Private monopolisation and unfair business practices are subject to the commitment procedure, although cartels and bid rigging are not within the scope of the commitment.
Additionally, the term of chairman Kazuyuki Sugimoto, which was renewed in March 2018, will expire in September 2020, and it is foreseen that the JFTC will make a dash for big cases before this date.
1 Yusuke Kashiwagi is a partner at Koike & Kashiwagi Law Office.
2 While the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) translates the Japanese term fukōsei na torihiki hōhō as 'unfair trade practices', the term 'business' suits the reality of what is being referred to, and accordingly this translation is used in the chapter.
3 AMA, Article 2, Paragraph 5. While 'any particular field of trade' is the JFTC's English translation, this has the same meaning as the term 'relevant market', which is generally used globally.
4 Conduct is designated as unfair business practices by the AMA or the JFTC (AMA, Article 2, Paragraph 9, Items 1–6; JFTC General Designations (GD), Paragraphs 1–16)). The JFTC is authorised to designate additional prohibited practices by the AMA and there are two types of JFTC designations; one is a general designation, which is applicable across sectors; the other is a specific designation, which is applied to a specific sector. Three specific designations, applicable to newspapers, freight transportation and retail businesses, are enacted currently.
5 A likelihood of impeding fair competition was theoretically categorised as three 'forms' in the 1982 AMA study group report: (1) lessening free competition; (2) use of unfair methods of competition; or (3) infringing the foundation of free competition. Form 1 is a core impediment, since it has essentially the same meaning as impeding the function of competition in the relevant market; form 2 relates to a substantially special act of the AMA (the Act against unjustifiable premiums and misleading representations, which is enforced by the Consumer Affairs Agency. The Consumer Affairs Agency and the JFTC sometimes cooperate in handling misleading cases); and form 3 only relates to abuse of superior bargaining position (exploitative abuse). Additionally, the JFTC considers that the use of unfair methods of competition (form 2) must be prevalent to find a likelihood of impeding fair competition.
7 JFTC hearing decision, 5 June 2006.
8 Supreme Court judgment, 17 December 2010.
9 JFTC recommendation decision, 13 October 2004.
10 JFTC recommendation decision, 13 April 2005.
11 Judgment of the Supreme Court in the NTT East case: Supreme Court decision, 17 December 2010, Minshu Vol. 64, No. 8, p. 2,067.
12 AMA, Article 8-4.
13 Although in Japan, the only enforcing body is the JFTC.
14 AMA, Article 2(9)(i); GD, Paragraph 1.
15 AMA, Article 2(9)(ii); GD, Paragraph 3.
16 AMA, Article 2(9)(iii); GD, Paragraph 6.
17 AMA, Article 2(9)(iv).
18 AMA, Article 2(9)(v); GD, Paragraph 13.
19 For example, 'unjust low price' is defined in Article 2(9)(iii) of the AMA as follows: 'without justifiable grounds, continuously supplying goods or services at a price far below the cost incurred to supply them, thereby tending to cause difficulties to the business activities of other enterprises.' On the other hand, it is defined in Paragraph 6 of the GD as follows: 'in addition to any act falling under the provisions of Article 2, Paragraph (9), Item (iii) of the Act, unjustly supplying goods or services for a low consideration, thereby tending to cause difficulties to the business activities of other entrepreneurs.'
20 GD, Paragraph 2.
21 GD, Paragraph 10.
22 GD, Paragraph 11.
23 GD, Paragraph 12.
24 GD, Paragraph 14.
25 16 September 2008.
26 JFTC case-and-desist order, 27 February 2009.
27 The practice of which has since been abolished.
28 JFTC hearing decision, 12 June 2012.
29 Supreme Court decision, 28 April 2015, Minshu, Vol. 69, No. 3, p. 518. The ruling was as follows:
A collection method which does not take into account the amount of broadcast usage when calculating broadcasting licence fees will cause the overall amount of music usage fees borne by broadcasters to increase where they are paying music usage fees to other managing operators. Accordingly, coupled with the fact that the broadcasting usage of music is essentially interchangeable in nature, this has the effect of suppressing the usage by broadcasters of music which is managed by other managing operators, and when one takes into account that the scope of such suppression extends to almost all broadcasters, and that the continuation period thereof extends over a considerably long period of time, one should say that this method clearly has the effect of making it difficult for other managing operators to enter this market.
30 The Court stated that:
given it is clear that there actually existed consumers who prefer FTTH services in terms of the communications side, etc., regardless of the price difference with other broadband services such as ADSL, and so it can be understood that for such persons there was almost no demand substitutability as regards other broadband services, so the FTTH services market can be assessed independently as being the 'relevant market' for the purposes of Article 2, Paragraph 5 of the AMA.
32 See footnote 9.
33 The Supreme Court ruled as follows:
in the case of the conduct concerned, NTT East directly provided subscriber fibre optic equipment installed by it to its subscribers, and at the same time, when providing this equipment to other telecommunications providers with which it competed for connection purposes, made use of its position as effectively the sole supplier in the equipment connectivity market for subscriber fibre optics to set and present them with connectivity terms and conditions which those providers could not accept as reasonable in economic terms. This unilateral and one-sided act of refusal to deal and predatory pricing has an artificial nature which deviates from normal competitive methods, as seen in terms of them creating, maintaining or strengthening their own market power, and as it can be said that this had the effect of significantly making it difficult for those competitors to enter the market, this should be considered as constituting exclusionary conduct in that same market.
34 Nordion, JFTC recommendation decision, 3 September 1998.
35 See footnote 10.
36 See footnote 7.
37 Trading subject to restrictive conditions, GD, Paragraph 12.
38 JFTC recommendation decision, 28 February 2000.
39 Japan Medical Foods Association, JFTC recommendation decision, 8 May 1996.
40 Pachinko machine production patent pool, JFTC recommendation decision, 6 August 1997.
41 Paramount Bed, JFTC recommendation decision, 3 September 1998.
42 Toyo Seikan, JFTC recommendation decision, 18 September 1972.
43 16 January 2015.
44 JFTC warning, 30 June 2017.
45 GD, Paragraph 10; JFTC recommendation decision, 14 December 1998.
46 GD, Paragraph 12; JFTC hearing decision, 16 September 2008.
47 GD, Paragraph 14; JFTC press release, 18 November 2016.
48 GD, Paragraph 12.
49 JFTC press release, 1 June 2017.
50 JFTC cease-and desist order, 9 June 2011.
51 The regulation on abuse of superior bargaining position is also implemented by the Subcontract Act, the special act of the AMA. The Act applies to subcontract transactions related to the commission of manufacturing, repairing or making information-based products or providing services and only where the capital falls under the criteria in the Act. When the JFTC find a violation of the Subcontract Act, it firstly issues a recommendation. If the company does not comply, the JFTC issues a cease-and-desist order after evaluating the conduct in light of abuse of superior bargaining position.
52 JFTC recommendation decision, 26 December 2005.
53 The suspected violation of trading on restrictive terms, GD, Paragraph 12.
54 In Japan, the possession of smartphones is increasing trend, with over 60 per cent of consumers owning a smartphone. The number of smartphone shipments exceeds 30 million units per year, out of which the recent share of iPhones shipped by Apple Japan is approximately 50 per cent. SoftBank, KDDI and NTT Docomo launched the sales of iPhones in July 2008, October 2011 and September 2013, respectively.
56 The JFTC may plead to the Tokyo High Court for an emergency interim order when immediate action is necessary. The most recent plea was made in 2004.
57 Article 7, Paragraph 2 of the AMA.
58 Article 7-2, Paragraph 2 of the AMA.
59 Article 7-2, Paragraph 4 of the AMA.
60 Prior consultation system for activities of businesses, etc.; www.jftc.go.jp/en/legislation_gls/imonopoly_guidelines_files/priorconsultationsystem.pdf.
61 Article 26, Paragraph 1 of the AMA.
62 Article 85-2 of the AMA.
63 Article 25, Paragraph 2 of the AMA.
64 Article 26, Paragraph 2 of the AMA.
65 Article 724 of the Civil Code.
66 Tokyo District Court judgment. 30 March 2011.
67 Shintetsu taxi, Osaka High Court judgment, 31 October 2014, Decisions, Vol. 61, p. 260.
68 Yamato transport postal service, Tokyo High Court judgment, 29 November 2007, Decisions, Vol. 24, p. 699. | <urn:uuid:1b3dd919-1df4-4857-9af4-7c63df979d24> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:25:18",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9582457542419434,
"score": 3.28125,
"token_count": 13099,
"url": "https://thelawreviews.co.uk/edition/the-dominance-and-monopolies-review-edition-7/1195754/japan"
} |
Since 1789, the United States of America has had 45 men serving as President. Historians and political scientists have constructed rankings based on the history of success of the individuals who served as President. The rankings were focused on leadership qualities and presidential achievements
Let’s look at some of the most amazing Presidents of the United States of America based on the above criteria:
- Barack Hussein Obama
He served as the 44th President and First African American of the United States between January 2009 and January 2017. During his time in office, he signed many landmark pieces of legislation notably the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care), The Consumer Protection Act, the Budget Control and American Tax Payer Reliefs Act among others. Obama reduced nuclear weapons within the USA – Russia Treaty. He ordered the military operation that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden and suspected AL – Qaeda operatives. He promoted inclusiveness of the LGBT Community. He has a very high global approval rating. He is one of the best orators to ever ascend to the highest office.
- Abraham Lincoln
He served as the President between March 1861 and April 1865 during the American Civil War. He led the Union through the four years of conflict and got rid of slavery using the Emancipation Proclamation. At the end of the war, he laid the reconciliation foundation with the south that had been defeated. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in Washington DC just a few weeks before the Civil War ended.
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
He served between March 1933 and April 1945 making him the longest-serving President. He took office during the Great Depression. During his tenure, the federal government’s role was expanded to the bureaucracy it enshrines today. Federal programs that were birthed during the Great Depression era like Social Security are still in existence up to date. Social Security provides the nation’s most vulnerable with necessary financial protection. After World War II, the United States became a prominent feature in global affairs.
- Thomas Jefferson
He played a crucial role in the birth of America. He drafted the Declaration of Independence and also served as the first US secretary of state. During his Presidency, he organized the Louisiana Purchase that was responsible for nation’s westward expansion. While he was in office between March 1801 and March 1809, the United States fought its first foreign war that was dubbed the First Barbary War in the Mediterranean that led to a brief invasion of present-day Libya. His vice president Aaron BURR was tried for treason in his second term.
- Theodore Roosevelt
He served as the President between September 1901 and March 1909. He was the youngest man to take office at the age of 42. He implemented significant regulations to curb the power of huge corporations like Standard Oil and the nation’s railroads. He pursued a strong domestic and foreign policy.
Theodore increased consumer protection when he enacted the Food and Drug Administration and created the first ever national parks. Roosevelt mediated the end of the Russo – Japanese War and then developed the Panama Canal in the pursuit of his aggressive foreign policy
- Harry Truman
He ascended to the highest office in August 1945 having been Franklin Roosevelt’s Vice President in his second term. Truman led the US in the final months of World War II, especially the decision to apply the new atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
Under his stewardship the U.S launched the Berlin Airlift that combated a Soviet blockade of the German Capital, thereby creating the multi-billion dollar Marshall Plan that rebuilt war-torn Europe.
- James K. Polk
He only served for a term between March 1845 and March 1849. He increased the size of the U.S through the acquisition of California and New Mexico which resulted in the Mexican – American War. He settled the nation’s dispute with Great Britain over the northwest border, giving the U.S Washington and Oregon and Canada getting British Columbia. The foundation of the Washington Monument was, and the first postage stamp was issued during his presidency.
- George Washington
He is mostly known by his moniker – The Father of the Nation. He became the first president of the United States and served between April 1789 and March 1797. He first served as the commander in chief during the American Revolution and later on presided over the Constitution Convention of 1787. He was selected by members of the Electoral College to become the nation’s first leader.
He established most of the traditions of the office of the President. During his reign, the US established regulations for federal funding. Normalized relations with its Great Britain and laid the foundation for the future capital of Washington DC.
It is during his time that he insisted on being referred to as Mr. President instead of Your Excellency to withdraw the perception of the presidency being associated as a monarch.
In conclusion, there are a few more that would get honorable mentions on the list of amazing presidents of the United States of America. | <urn:uuid:04d8f77e-db52-4880-ab9c-93f1c35793d5> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:32:40",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9806369543075562,
"score": 3.140625,
"token_count": 1012,
"url": "https://thereyougoagain.org/2018/10/list-of-the-most-amazing-presidents-of-us/"
} |
As a Vegan, you get pretty used to people constantly asking you, “where do you get your protein”? And most meat eaters assume that their main source of protein, is more complete and simply… BETTER than yours! I also think, that although most Vegans know that plant based protein is just as adequate as animal protein, I wonder how many Vegans realize how the two protein sources really stack up! I also wonder how many meat eaters & Vegans realize how much protein we actually need, compared to how much protein the average American gets. Most Americans get around twice as much protein as they need. And keep in mind…. you CAN get too much protein! And too much protein has been linked to certain cancers, including liver cancer. So pay attention……
Recommended Protein Intake for the “average adult” is 0.9 g protein per kg body weight
To figure out your weight in kg, take your weight and divide it by 2.2
Ex. A 135 lb person would be 61.2 kg
To figure out your daily need of protein, take you weight in kg and multiple it by 0.9
So a person weighing 61.2 kg would require about 55 g of protein per day.
Take note, that special populations such as children, athletes and certain other people, do require higher protein intake.
Plants Protein Sources: Animal Protein Sources:
1 cup of raw bean sprouts- 3.2 grams of protein 1/2 cup of cows milk- 4 grams of protein
1 cup of chickpeas- 14.5 grams of protein 1 medium egg- 5.5 grams of protein
1 cup of lentils- 17.9 grams of protein 2 oz of roasted chicken- 15.3 grams of protein
1 cup of soybeans- 28.6 grams of protein 2 oz of ground beef- 10.6 grams of protein
1/2 cup of tofu-19.9 grams of protein 3/4 oz of cheddar cheese- 5.3 grams of protein
1/4 cup of almonds-7.4 grams of protein 2 oz broiled or baked cod- 12.9 grams of protein
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds- 8 grams of protein 2 oz baked or broiled salmon- 15.5 grams of protein
1/2 cup of brown rice- 4.5 grams of protein
Anyone find it amazing that beef contains less than half the protein of soybeans?!?!
And the BEST part….. there is NO cholesterol is plant food…. NONE!! Dietary cholesterol ONLY comes from animal products!
So next time you are asked the question… “where do you get your protein”? Answer…. where DON’T I get it!!! Other than animals that is….. 🙂
Also take note, that a “well planned” plant based diet, does offer us all 9 of the essential amino acids that must be supplied by our diet. | <urn:uuid:c5fcd82a-733e-4208-8751-b2a8b312d267> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:59:28",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9455628991127014,
"score": 2.578125,
"token_count": 605,
"url": "https://theveganmom.com/2010/02/22/but-where-do-you-get-your-protein/"
} |
We left off last time discussing the likely hood of each scenario in the Threat Probability Matrix.
Individual – Localized – Large Scale – National Scale – Global
So where exactly does commonality come into play with these various levels of threats and disasters? Let’s take a look at what we all us humans need to survive and to have relative comfort in our day-to-day lives. Afterwards we will try to explain how the commonalities between these factor into our preparedness plans.
The basic human needs for survival / preparedness and to have relative comfort are:
- Knowledge, knowing what to do with the things you have.
- Water that’s clean and drinkable
- Shelter, could be your home, a tent, or proper clothing for your area.
- Food, canned goods, freezer stocked up, garden growing or freeze dried.
- Energy, be it heat to cook your food or warm your shelter or electricity for lights & radios.
- Security / Self Defense
- Low or No Debt
- Trade Currency, i.e. cash (or Barter items), to acquire the things you need from others.
Knowledge is something that takes time to acquire just like skills and abilities, they will need to be taught and learned. Hopefully you will spend your entire life learning new things and skills.
For instance, how to hammer a nail is a basic skill, but the knowledge is what size hammer and what size nail should you use for a specific job. If you are lucky enough to have parents, relatives or friends that can teach you things like cooking, gardening, carpentry, appliance repair, hunting, fishing, the list goes on, you should take full advantage of what they can offer.
Today, as I write this, there are skilled instructors all around us that specialize in areas that we can learn from and be able to gain the knowledge and tools we may lack. Some instruction is free for the asking, other may have a small cost and others may cost several hundred dollars. There are also books, DVD’s and the Internet for research and you should have a library card if you live close to a public library where knowledge is stored the old fashion way. Once a disaster happens, those resources might not be available so time’s a wasting, start getting the knowledge while you still can.
For modern preppers, as we are sometimes referred to, there are some basic things you need to know that are common to all levels of the threat matrix. If you already have a plan A for numbers 2 through 6 in case the current systems fail and have a back up plan B if there is a problem with A, you are in pretty good shape. If you don’t, then those are the first basic skills you need to somehow invest the time attending a class, reading and learning.
Consider what could go wrong with your water supply. We have lived in places where the city water supply became contaminated from floodwaters and chemical spills. (Greater New Orleans area, they get their drinking water from the Mississippi River). Having some sort of a way to filter, boil or chemically treat water to make it safe for drinking is a must have. With out clean water you will die and if you drink contaminated water you might only get sick or you might die. If you are on a well and you lose power, do you have back up power source or a hand pump? There are a number of ways to clean water, do you know one or more if you had to make your water safe to drink? How about keeping some amount of stored water on hand for a short-term interruption. There are containers from clean 1 liter soda bottles to 5 gallon jugs to hundreds of gallon tanks available from lots of different suppliers and sources.
Regarding your shelter and wherever it is you live now, a house, apartment or bug out cabin in the deep woods, we can address that next. If your primary plan is to shelter in place, there are a number of things you can have on hand to maintain the structure. If there is a bad storm and it damages your roof or knocks out a window what would you do? Having a couple of a blue tarps, several rolls of heavy mil plastic, some duct tape and a staple gun with a good supply of staples gives you the basics to make some temporary repairs after the weather clears. In hurricane prone areas we’ve all probably seen on the TV people boarding up windows with plywood to protect them from breakage. In flood prone areas, sand bags might be what you need to have a supply of. If your house has a basement and a pump to keep water out like some parts of the country do, back up electric power is needed. In areas where tornados are common, either a reinforced safe room or a storm shelter maybe worth investing in. | <urn:uuid:6a236427-384a-4ae6-a89c-4ed6670e326e> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:39:29",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9500522613525391,
"score": 2.84375,
"token_count": 990,
"url": "https://tntacticalsupply.com/commonality-in-prepping-for-disaster-events-part-2/"
} |
A new study shows how Zika virus infects the placenta and gets passed through to the fetuses. Scientists have discovered that the deadly virus can infect and imitate immune cells found in the placenta. The clinical research can shed light on how Zika gets transferred from an infected pregnant woman to the developing brain cells of her unborn.
The study showing how Zika virus infects the placenta was conducted by Mehul Suthar, Ph.D., at Emory University School of Medicine. The research was conducted on full-term placentae obtained from non-infected volunteers who delivered the babies by C-section. The virus strain used in the study came from Puerto Rico, and it is similar to the one currently circulating in Brazil.
Suthar and his team of researchers discovered that the virus can infect placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells) in cell culture. Hofbauer cells were believed to be less sensitive to invasions than other types of immune cells. However, researchers found signs of inflammatory and antiviral responses in placental macrophages. The discovery raised questions whether receptor allowed the virus to enter the cells or did they change their immune status over time.
Zika can also infect cytotrophoblasts, which are another type of placental cells, but with a few days delay. The syncytiotrophoblasts, however, are resistant to the infection.
The study can lead to a better understanding as to why the first and second trimesters of pregnancy show the highest risk for infection.
Other viruses related to Zika, such as West Nile virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus, rarely transmit the disease from the mother to the fetus. It is believed to be because of the placenta’s protective role, separating the circulatory systems of the mothers and the fetuses.
Zika, however, might be unique in its ability to cross the placental barrier.
The findings also proved that not all pregnant women infected by Zika give birth to babies with defects caused by the deadly virus. A number of genetic and non-viral factors can influence infectivity. It is crucial to understand these factors because they might help in the development of more-effective treatments and preventive measures against the mosquito-borne virus.
The findings of the study demonstrating how Zika virus infects the placenta were published on May 27 in Cell Host & Microbe journal.
IMAGE SOURCE: sbs.com.au | <urn:uuid:354776af-1005-4a4a-b57c-aceac4410dd3> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:10:11",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9542567729949951,
"score": 3.453125,
"token_count": 510,
"url": "https://todaysglobalnews.net/zika-virus-infects-the-placenta/"
} |
A welding torch is a hand device used in soldering. It supplies warmth to melt solder so that it can stream into the joint in between 2 workpieces.
A soldering iron is composed of a warmed metal idea and also a shielded deal with. Heating is commonly attained electrically, by passing an electric existing (supplied via an electrical cable or booster cable) with a resisting home heating aspect. Cordless irons can be heated by the burning of gas saved in a little container, commonly making use of a catalytic heating system instead of a flame. Easy irons less typically made use of today than in the past were merely a large copper little bit on a take care of, heated in a flame.
Soldering irons are most often used for setup, repair services, as well as restricted manufacturing job in electronic devices setting up. High-volume manufacturing lines make use of other soldering techniques. Big irons might be utilized for soldering joints in sheet steel objects. | <urn:uuid:87b98693-aeb8-4b61-93d4-64792fa2aeff> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:49:11",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9646287560462952,
"score": 2.953125,
"token_count": 200,
"url": "https://toolsandaccessories.co.uk/product-category/professional-tools/professional-tools-electrical-soldering-tools/professional-tools-electrical-soldering-tools-solder-irons/"
} |
Horn of the Carmel, the monastery of the “place of burning” is the second largest site on the Carmel ridge and hovers at 497 meters above sea level. Here, an old monastery is situated belonging to the Carmelite Order, whose members arrived in the Holy Land from Europe in the 17th century. Map.
According to Jewish, Christian, Druze and Muslim belief, it is on this summit that the dramatic battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal took place. Amid this struggle, the fire that rained down from the sky fell in this exact location.
The battle’s horrific end is described in 1 Kings 18:38-40: “Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that [was] in the trench. And when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he [is] the God; the LORD, he [is] the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.”
The names for this area originated in this biblical account. Mount Carmel was called “Jebel Mar Elyas,” which in Arabic is the mountain of holy Elijah; the eastern peak was named “el Muhraka,” which derives from the words “scorching” or “burning.”
The Kishon River that flows at the foot of the mountain was named “el-Mukta,” which stems from the words “disjointing” or “amputation.”
According to Christian tradition, the Baal prophets were slaughtered near a small hill on the banks of the Kishon River and thus it was named “Tel-Kasis,” or the Priests’ Mound.
From the bible browser:
First Kings draws on another source for these dramatic stories that relate the battle between Yahweh, the God of Israel, and the Canaanite god Baal.
Omri was followed by his son, Ahab. Ahab’s queen, Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Tyre (a city in modern Lebanon), tried to introduce the worship of Tyrian Baal as the state religion of Israel and violently dealt with any prophetic opposition. The confrontation between Jezebel and her lord, Baal, and Elijah and his lord, Yahweh, will occupy the closing chapters of 1 Kings and the first third of 2 Kings. Chapters 17-19 form a self-contained triptych of Elijah: the first panel presents Elijah’s call (17:1-24), the second his success as Yahweh’s prophet (18:1-19:1), and the third his dismissal (19:2-21).
In chapter 17, Elijah bursts upon the scene with the declaration that there “will be neither dew nor rain these three years, except by my word” (v. 1, emphasis added). Usually the word of the Lord precedes the prophetic announcement; since it now follows in verse 2, Elijah’s outburst is shown to be premature. He must learn what prophets are all about. At the Wadi Cherith (vv. 3-6) he is sustained by ravens and learns to obey (“went and did according to the word of the LORD” v. 5). When the wadi dries up he moves to Zarephath (vv. 7-16) where he learns to minister to a widow who, in turn, sustains him and obeys the word of Elijah (v. 15a). Finally (vv. 17-24), Elijah learns to pray in an intercessory fashion and God obeys Elijah by restoring life to the widow’s son (v. 22). The widow now recognizes that Elijah is a prophet (as does the reader) when she says, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (v. 24).
In chapter 18, the actual contest between Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal is engaged on Mount Carmel. Each side erects an altar and prepares a bull for sacrifice, but no fire is kindled. The contest consists in seeing which god will send fire for the sacrifice; that god will be the true god and worthy of worship. The prophets of Baal pray, dance, and even slash themselves with swords in an endeavor to invoke Baal’s aid, all with no success. After taunting the prophets and ridiculing their ineffective measures and nonresponsive god, Elijah douses his altar with twelve jars of water (where this water came from in the midst of a three-year drought is a mystery) and calls upon the name of the Lord, who responds immediately with a bolt of lightning (“fire of the LORD”) that laps up the water, consumes the bull and (to the utter joy of the “high-place-hating” Deuteronomistic editors) the altar itself. The prophets of Baal are then destroyed in accordance with Deuteronomy 13:13-15. This middle panel of the triptych exalts Elijah as Israel’s true prophet even as it displays Yahweh as the true God.
In chapter 19, the scene shifts to Mount Horeb (Sinai) where Elijah, depicted as Moses, cowers before the wrath and death threat of Jezebel. When asked what he is doing so far from the battle against Baal, the prophet offers a long lament about the futility of the cause (v. 10). God responds with a non-theophany of wind, earthquake, and fire, again recalling the theophany to Moses at this very spot (vv. 11-12; compare Exodus 19:18; Deuteronomy 4:12). But when God again asks what Elijah is doing, Elijah responds with the same pitiful lament (1 Kings 19:13-14). As a result, God has no other option than to gently dismiss the “burned out prophet” from his duties and prepare the way for the next line of defense in the battle with Baal: Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu, emphasizing that it is God who battles Baal, not the prophets. When the prophets are willing, God will use them; when they are not, God will find others.
1 Kings 17:1-19:21
Elijah Predicts a Drought
17Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe* in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’ 2The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3‘Go from here and turn eastwards, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.’ 5So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. 7But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
The Widow of Zarephath
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9‘Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.’ 10So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.’ 11As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, ‘Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.’ 12But she said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.’ 13Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ 15She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
Elijah Revives the Widow’s Son
17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18She then said to Elijah, ‘What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!’ 19But he said to her, ‘Give me your son.’ He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. 20He cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?’ 21Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, ‘O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.’ 22The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, ‘See, your son is alive.’ 24So the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.’
Elijah’s Message to Ahab
18After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought,* saying, ‘Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth.’ 2So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. 3Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; 4when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) 5Then Ahab said to Obadiah, ‘Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.’ 6So they divided the land between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.
7 As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him; Obadiah recognized him, fell on his face, and said, ‘Is it you, my lord Elijah?’ 8He answered him, ‘It is I. Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.’ 9And he said, ‘How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me? 10As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, “He is not here”, he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. 11But now you say, “Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.” 12As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the Lord from my youth. 13Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water? 14Yet now you say, “Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here”; he will surely kill me.’ 15Elijah said, ‘As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.’ 16So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ 18He answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel, with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.’
Elijah’s Triumph over the Priests of Baal
20 So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ The people did not answer him a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred and fifty. 23Let two bulls be given to us; let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it; I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. 24Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God.’ All the people answered, ‘Well spoken!’ 25Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many; then call on the name of your god, but put no fire to it.’ 26So they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, crying, ‘O Baal, answer us!’ But there was no voice, and no answer. They limped about the altar that they had made. 27At noon Elijah mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud! Surely he is a god; either he is meditating, or he has wandered away, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ 28Then they cried aloud and, as was their custom, they cut themselves with swords and lances until the blood gushed out over them. 29As midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice, no answer, and no response.
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come closer to me’; and all the people came closer to him. First he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; 31Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name’; 32with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. Then he made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed. 33Next he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, ‘Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt-offering and on the wood.’ 34Then he said, ‘Do it a second time’; and they did it a second time. Again he said, ‘Do it a third time’; and they did it a third time, 35so that the water ran all round the altar, and filled the trench also with water.
36 At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. 37Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’ 38Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt-offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and even licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God.’ 40Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.’ Then they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon, and killed them there.
The Drought Ends
41 Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of rushing rain.’ 42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; there he bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees. 43He said to his servant, ‘Go up now, look towards the sea.’ He went up and looked, and said, ‘There is nothing.’ Then he said, ‘Go again seven times.’ 44At the seventh time he said, ‘Look, a little cloud no bigger than a person’s hand is rising out of the sea.’ Then he said, ‘Go and say to Ahab, “Harness your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” ’ 45In a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind; there was heavy rain. Ahab rode off and went to Jezreel. 46But the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
19Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ 3Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’ 5Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ 6He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ 8He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 10He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’
Elijah Meets God at Horeb
11 He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 14He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’ 15Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’
Elisha Becomes Elijah’s Disciple
19 So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was ploughing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, ‘Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’ Then Elijah* said to him, ‘Go back again; for what have I done to you?’ 21He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant. | <urn:uuid:36313e2e-0dc1-46d2-b7aa-eb09df9e04fd> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:48:49",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9752826690673828,
"score": 3.453125,
"token_count": 5071,
"url": "https://touristsinisrael.com/2019/09/05/muhraka-battle-by-elijah/"
} |
As the discipline of history continues to expand beyond the powerful few, historians face the challenges that come with trying to uncover and illuminate the experiences of the powerless. The great upheavals of the twentieth century affected millions of people around the globe, but history’s traditional tools seem insufficient in the face of so many tangled stories. Addressing this problem requires a re-examination of the role of place, people, and power in the telling of history.
In What You Did Not Tell: A Russian Past and the Journey Home (New York: Other Press, 2017), Mark Mazower, Professor of History at Columbia University, delves into the history of his own family, exploring his father’s and grandfather’s paths through the turbulent twentieth century. In the course of this exploration, Mazower touches on questions of identity and place, expanding on similar themes developed in his work on the history of Greece, Europe, and the world in the twentieth century.
Here, Mark Mazower discusses the experience of telling a personal narrative in a historical context, the struggles and opportunities presented by writing history with a focus on nations and people outside of the immediate center of power, and the importance of revisiting early twentieth-century political discussions in our current moment.
–Natalie Behrends (New York University)
NATALIE BEHRENDS: What place do you think that personal or semi-personal narratives have in the writing of history? What You Did Not Tell is obviously a very personal story, but the rest of your work not so much. Do you feel the personal narratives expressed in What You Did Not Tell have affected your other, less explicitly personal work?
MARK MAZOWER: That’s an interesting question. You know, I was taught at school to avoid the first-person singular, and in a sense we all teach people to do that, and I think with some reason. But as soon as you start reflecting on what you write, you start to see your own personal story in what you write whether it’s evident to other people or not. And whether you like it or not, it’s stronger than you are. Hopefully, what you write in the serious history is more than just an expression of your personal life circumstances, otherwise everybody could be a historian. But it’s there. Now, the book that I wrote about my father’s family, I didn’t see that in the same way as what I do for my day job. The impulse for that was really quite different. The impulse for the books that I write professionally is to be part of a public conversation, and to be part of an intellectual and an academic conversation, and they’re written for that audience, and to appeal to that audience, or different bits of that audience. But this was really just written for my family in the first instance. Yes, there was a hope that if it was written well enough it might interest other people. But it remains a slight mystery to me that anybody else should really be interested in it—a delightful mystery. Having said that, it’s a personal narrative of somebody who happens to be a historian, and that probably gives it a certain quality.
BEHRENDS: Something that struck me about the book is the way that identities—Jewishness, Englishness, Bundism, family ties—seem extremely flexible, extremely mutable. You describe Max Mazower’s transition from Russian Bundist to English businessman, and you have this juxtaposition with your father’s half-brother shedding his identity as a Jewish émigré. What part did these questions of identity play when you were constructing the story, and did your understanding of them change as you were writing the book?
MAZOWER: I certainly felt by the end of the book that our professional way of handling these concepts is unbelievably clunky. Once you try to apply them to all the subtleties of your own family, they start seeming really ill-shapen. But I think even more than most books, this was not a book that was written to answer some abstract questions. It was written with some pretty primal impulses in mind. One was to explain to my children the family that they’d come from on my father’s side, and the reason for doing that was that in many ways—let’s bring moral judgement into it—I thought this was a rather admirable family, and I thought my father was an admirable man. And, more than that, I thought he was fundamentally a contented man. That gets you into more interesting terrain, because it takes you out of the contemporary obsession with families as the product and expression and continuation of traumas, and overcoming suffering, into a much older literature about the sources of human happiness. That’s a literature that has a very venerable history. It concerned the Greeks and the Romans, for instance, a great deal. For weird reasons, it doesn’t seem to concern the literary public today in the same way, but it interested me. In order to answer that question–why he was happy, if indeed he was happy–you need to understand the family dynamics. Because, as in most families, he popped out the product of all kinds of pressures and reactions and counter-reactions to all the other people he was rubbing up against as a kid, so that to tell his story was to tell the story of his siblings and to tell the story of his parents, which was both a historical and a personal, psychological story. Now, retrospectively you could try to fit all that into an argument about identity, but that would be after the fact. As it happens, they were obsessed with labels and had to be for the reason we are: we live in an age obsessed with labels. But you’re coming at it from this other angle, you see. I don’t know if that makes any sense.
BEHRENDS: So you see this project as part of an older literary tradition than perhaps the rest of your work?
MAZOWER: The question was an old question, it was a question that Aristotle would ask, that the Greeks would ask: what makes a happy man? And then the historian’s question is, how does living through this century of unbelievable turbulence create the possibility for contentment? Happiness is a very strong term, and perhaps contentment is a better term because it suggests a kind of equilibrium, and not everybody in his family could achieve that, or wanted to achieve that. But I think he did. And I think that the elements were in place by the time he was twenty or twenty-five. In a way, it was a story about his pre-history as well, really, not even so much about him, certainly not about him after that age.
BEHRENDS: You mentioned that we also live in an age that’s obsessed with labels. Do you feel that your father and grandfather lived in a different age than we do now?
MAZOWER: Well, in some ways they lived in an age of possibility, and political possibility – that was a big subtheme through this – and so to be a political actor and to be a citizen was something in their reach. That’s an open question today. In fact, I think we mostly feel on the other side of that. So absolutely, theirs was an age in which it was possible to feel optimistic about the role of the state, an age in which you could be shocked by things that no longer shock us, which is not even to mention the obvious differences – in communications, in the technological aspects of existence. But then it was also pretty useful to be reminded that it wasn’t so different in some interesting ways: how fast you could communicate with people. Not as fast as today, but a lot faster than you’d think. I think in the important ways, in the political ways, in ways of constructing forms of social mobility, it was pretty different, yes. And I suppose the reason that I wanted to write this was that I had grown up at the very tail end of that, and it was not foreign to me, but that anybody born in the new century would have great difficulty figuring out what it had all been about.
BEHRENDS: That reminds me of something you wrote in your 1997 Daedalus article on minorities and the League of Nations, that thinking on minority rights had to start from scratch in the 1990s. With the refugee crisis, migration crises, the way the world has changed since 1997, do you still think that’s true?
MAZOWER: I think that it’s true in the sense that after the wars in Yugoslavia erupted and the world woke up to the problem of minority rights, they had completely lost touch with the discourse. But the fact is that there had been this very searching earlier debate and actually one of the places it started was in the Bund. So the book became a way of saying, look back into some of those early internal Marxist debates, and how the combination of the theorizing and the practical experience around the First World War produced people in the twenties and thirties who had massive insights into these questions, against the backdrop of the League and its minority concerns. And then everybody sort of forgot about it after the Second World War. Well, it’s worth taking another look, I think.
BEHRENDS: In Governing the World (New York: Penguin Random House, 2013), you talked about a similar historical moment but through a very different lens, the history of an idea versus the history of a family. Do you think that the books have anything to say to each other? Does What You Did Not Tell challenge or expand on anything from Governing the World?
MAZOWER: I think the thing I felt I had been very interested for a long time were the issues that were raised in the Governing the World book, and that’s partially a result of my own personal professional story, which is that very early on, before I really had much experience teaching history, I spent some years teaching International Relations. And so how you reconcile the two, and the two sets of concerns, has interested me since then. That set of questions–taking international institutions and taking the international seriously–had concerned me for a really long time and yet although it was fascinating, it can also start to feel very disembodied, and very de-territorialized. And I think it’s an issue for even the most interesting work that’s being done now in international history, that you can sort of flit from conference to conference and international body to international body, and you never land anywhere. And how this actually plays out on the ground, and how much of what actually plays out on the ground was actually the product of all this other stuff up there in the clouds, is never really resolved. The Governing the World book left me with the feeling that I wanted to do something that was rooted in place, and allowed you to think historically about place. That was the way that the book about my family reacted and came out of the other one.
BEHRENDS: That sense of place is something that I got a very strong sense of in What You Did Not Tell: your descriptions of your family house, different cities, even of places like Vilna. This is also a theme in some of your other works Salonica, the Danube island of Ada Kaleh. What role do you think place has in these broad international histories?
MAZOWER: I started off and I continue to be basically a historian of modern Greece. I really do think that you can’t understand modern Europe seriously–and no doubt the rest of the world, but I’ll speak for Europe–unless you know about a particular place in some detail. Unless you speak the language, unless you’ve been there, unless you’ve walked it a bit. Unless you have the aspiration to do that. Because place matters to people. And there are things that you can know about a place that, you know, life is too short to know about ten places, but you can know in some depth about one. This was one of the reasons I’ve always returned to writing about Greece when I can, because of that. On the other hand, in writing about Greece one has to constantly ask oneself—who the hell cares about Greece, most of the time? Outside the country, almost nobody. If you’re teaching in a history department they want to know about European history and not about modern Greece, and as a result when you specialise in a very small country you get used to teaching general surveys at a much larger level. And actually, then to think about those larger issues and have in your mind the perspective of the small place turns out to be really helpful. I think when you do international history and you come at it having come out of the experience of writing about Greece, or writing about Egypt, or writing about Hungary, it’s a completely different thing from when you come at it from having written the history of the United States or Germany, right? There is no possibility of your mistaking the part for the whole.
BEHRENDS: So it’s about drawing out a broad story from a very specific place?
MAZOWER: Well, it makes you aware of powerlessness, for one thing. And that’s a pretty important consideration to bear in mind when you’re telling larger stories. And it makes you aware of the arbitrariness of categories. Historians of Greece have been wrestling forever with the idea of whether there really ever was any class system in Greece whereas by and large the German or American historian started with the assumption that there were, and then let it run. You could never make that assumption in a country where the social composition was so different from the start, where there was never much in the way of manufacturing. The result of this is that you would interrogate categories from the start. In those ways writing the history of small, insignificant countries is much better discipline than starting out writing the history of big ones.
BEHRENDS: It’s a question of tools.
MAZOWER: Yes, and there are people who do this brilliantly, I mean, Holly Case at Cornell, she’s just a brilliant example of how you make the small country predicament your subject, actually.
BEHRENDS: What are you reading currently?
MAZOWER: I just finished the memoir The Hare With the Amber Eyes, by Edmund De Waal, which I enjoyed a lot. He’s a very interesting writer, I think. You know, everybody writing this kind of book wrestles with the question of contextualization. You have the family and you have the context. Do you use the family to illuminate the context, or do you contextualize the family story? And I’ve given a lot of thought to this, and I gave a lot of thought to it in that book, and wanted very much not to do whole swathes of background context. De Waal approaches it in a very interesting way as well–from a very different social perspective, because his characters are elite, at the heart of things and when your characters are at the heart of things, then it allows you to contextualize fairly smoothly. So you’re on the building on the Ring in Vienna that’s owned by the family and you see the parade walking past–you don’t have to pretend you’re at the center of Vienna, the whole chapter is at the center of Vienna, you see what I mean? The character in the first part of the book who’s a friend and patron of Proust, he just is, so you’re right there in the middle of it. But he does it very adroitly.
BEHRENDS: Do you feel that it presented a particular challenge for you to draw out the story of people who weren’t at the center of things?
MAZOWER: It requires you to think about the context problem in a different way. I didn’t want it to suddenly look as though the people I was writing about were at the center of things. This was all about not being at the center, about life in a suburb, about life in exile, about trying to fit in, it was all about that. It was all about second and third and fourth-tier individuals, if you’re going to think about it from an intellectual point, who nevertheless have their own kind of fascination. It was also a lot more than I realized it would be about serendipity. Who would have thought that X knew Y knew Z in that godforsaken little bit of north London? Conveying the sheer fascination and delight of uncovering these networks was important, because they allow you to think, well, what other networks might there be? I’ve been quite interested since then in the idea of mapping émigré communities. You might follow the Menshevik emigration to London, Paris, and New York, you might follow the Bundist emigration. Well, where actually did they live? And who was round the block from whom? And then you would start to understand a lot about the present, because a lot of these networks survived in extraordinary ways up until now, without anybody realizing that that’s what they were.
BEHRENDS: Why do you think networks like this have gone unexplored for so long?
MAZOWER: Well, they are the detritus, the aftermath of great events and not necessarily the originators of them. So you have to be interested in fallout. There are lots of good reasons to be interested in this, above all because it might allow you to make connections between things that you never thought might be connected. To give you an example from the book: a family called the Broidos. Who would have thought that the first serious historian of pop music [Vera Broido’s son] was connected to the first serious study of millenarianism [her husband], and was connected not only to Menshevism but also to Raoul Hausmann [her lover], and Dada and the Surrealists? Once you see the connections in this network, actually it makes a weird kind of sense. And lots of things that you never thought were of interest to historians turn out to be kind of interesting, like the intellectual origins of the history of rock music, about which I’ve never seen anybody write. It was following that network that raised that as a subject.
BEHRENDS: The stories that you’ve told seem to lead in very spidery directions.
MAZOWER: They do. | <urn:uuid:99c5f77d-d899-4a15-a8dc-ee6d47fc89b1> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:06:00",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9785976409912109,
"score": 2.671875,
"token_count": 3892,
"url": "https://toynbeeprize.org/interviews/mark-mazower/"
} |
Stan Smith, OSU Extension Program Assistant, Fairfield County
Over the better part of at least the past 15 years, Ohio livestock producers have increasingly experienced problems with black vultures. Unlike its red headed cousin the turkey vulture that feeds only on the carcasses of dead animals, black vultures are an aggressive bird that will, on occasion, kill other animals for food. It’s not an uncommon occurrence for a black vulture to attack a cow or ewe in the pasture while in labor in an effort to prey on the newly-born offspring even while still in the birth canal.
While black vultures and turkey vultures are often seen together, they are actually different species. Turkey vultures are recognizable by their red heads. The black vulture has a black head and appears smaller than the turkey vulture with shorter wings. The undersides of their wings have white tips which can be seen while in flight.
Black vultures are considered to be migratory birds and are thus protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Simply put, this makes it unlawful to take, capture or kill the birds without a Migratory Bird Depredation Permit. Typically a permit would cost $100, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is presently waiving this application fee for livestock producers who are applying for their first permit. To initiate the permitting process livestock producers experiencing problems with aggressive black vultures should call the Ohio USFWS office at (866) 487-3297 or (614) 993-3444. The entire permitting process requires only about a day or two.
Permits to take black vultures are good only for one calendar year and then must be re-applied for. If producers have a history of black vulture problems, Ohio’s Wildlife Services officials suggest that producers make application for the permit at the first of the year or prior to the commencement of calving season. During the permitting process the number of birds that may be killed will be specified.
After a permit has been obtained and a bird has been acquired, it can be used as an effigy to keep other vultures away. Perhaps remarkably, vultures will not go within eyesight of another dead vulture. In instances of highly variable and hilly terrain within a calving pasture, multiple effigies may need to be utilized in order that one is visible regardless where the animals may be located in the pasture at any given time.
While permits can allow multiple vultures to be taken, if long term placement or multiple usages are required, it may be a consideration to have the bird prepared by a taxidermist and then treated with a spray on preservative such as Scotch Guard for leather. When mounted, the posture of the prepared bird should resemble that of a dead bird hung by its feet with one or both wings hanging down in an outstretched manner. For short term placement (up to 3 months, depending on weather conditions) and if odor is not a concern, then an intact carcass can be used. It’s recommended that producers follow the USDA-APHIS “Guidelines for Using Effigies to Disperse Nuisance Vulture Roosts”. | <urn:uuid:3066e6df-a4a1-43f4-9bfb-09d979ced67f> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:36:11",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9394640326499939,
"score": 2.65625,
"token_count": 675,
"url": "https://u.osu.edu/sheep/2018/01/02/request-a-depredation-permit-before-black-vultures-attack/"
} |
Count, how many times vowels occurred.
x='string the MaTLaBiAn' then the answer will be 6.
x='coUnt the vowEl' then it will produce 5
Reverse the vector
Back to basics 17 - white space
letter yes yes & letter no no
Reindex a vector
Switch matrix to a column vector
Diagonal & Anti-Diagonal Matrix: Easy
Put Two 1D matrices into one 1D matrix
factor to number
Choose a web site to get translated content where available and see local events and offers. Based on your location, we recommend that you select: .
You can also select a web site from the following list:
Select the China site (in Chinese or English) for best site performance. Other MathWorks country sites are not optimized for visits from your location.
Contact your local office | <urn:uuid:a4ab3c59-640b-42b6-9994-59a9108c4067> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:23:12",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.7424775958061218,
"score": 3.265625,
"token_count": 180,
"url": "https://uk.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/cody/problems/1559-count-vowel"
} |
AFRICAN HISTORY AND POLITICS
The course aims to provide an overview of contemporary African history, covering a wide array of political, socia and economic themes. The lessons will be mainly focused on the colonial and postcolonial period, with the aim of highlighting long-term processes of continuity as well as ruptures and historical turns. The course will cover both Sub-Saharan and North Africa, placing Africa in a broad context of trans-regional and global interactions, since the XVth century slave-trade up to the present-day globalized world system. Some of the themes covered by the lessons will be: the colonial scramble for Africa; the birth and development of African nationalist movements; the origin and unresolved issues of the African independent state; the challenge of economic and human development; authoritarianism and democracy in Africa; civil wars and political violence; Africa in the era of globalization.
GIORGIO MUSSO (President) | <urn:uuid:1cd4c380-66eb-4556-9f63-ef03952e1970> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:51:51",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9031391739845276,
"score": 2.609375,
"token_count": 189,
"url": "https://unige.it/en/off.f/2018/ins/31327.html"
} |
Successful collaboration allows partners or students, to connect, work, and learn together by:
- Using systematic approaches for online, on-ground, or hybrid collaboration;
- Designing workflow and communications for collaborative projects or communities;
- Training to build collaborative attitudes and skills; or
- Evaluating collaborative processes.
What does “learning to collaborate, collaborating to learn” mean?
This book is based on four premises:
- Collaboration is synthesis of multiple processes that involve both individual and group efforts. While collaboration is widely discussed, existing resources often refer to it in a simplistic way and make overly broad distinctions between collaborative versus individual work. “Learning to collaborate, collaborating to learn” approaches recognize the role of individual reflection and sensemaking as essential to collaboration in an educational context.
- There are many types and degrees of collaboration. Collaborative partners need to agree about what they intend to produce together, and the most appropriate approach to use to address the problem or complete the assignment.
- Successful collaboration requires thoughtful plans, communication and conflict resolution, work arrangements and management. When some or all of these interactions occur online, collaborative partners need to agree on the technologies and strategies they will use when they work synchronously or asynchronously.
- Specific knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with these premises can be learned when academic or work assignments, goals and assessments, are designed to address them.
Design, plan, facilitate, and assess activities that invite students and participants to learn to collaborate and collaborate to learn!
Use the Taxonomy of Collaboration as a conceptual framework and visual language for developing and using collaborative learning activities. See the book website to download a copy of the Taxonomy and the icons you can use to visualize and map collaborative projects.
Related Blog Posts
Design, conduct and assess collaborative learning in academic and professional settings. You can purchase a print or e-book version of Learning to Collaborate, Collaborating to Learn. Find it on the Stylus website, and don't forget to download the Taxonomy of...read more
Do you teach courses or training for professionals on these topics? social, group, team, and/or collaborative learning developing teams and partnerships teaching and learning theories instructional design learning activity, project, or assignment design mapping for...read more
Getting along with others is foundational to success in personal and professional life. In an increasingly diverse and complex world, we need to overcome distance and tight schedules to achieve shared goals. But how do we learn to work together if our learning...read more
I am conducting a virtual book tour to introduce Learning to Collaborate, Collaborating to Learn. Contact me to arrange an online visit to your group or class.read more
Visit SAGE MethodSpace to read: Collaborating on Research for Social Good, a post about working within or across groups.read more | <urn:uuid:57923f08-bf53-412a-aa0c-93c2caa4fc09> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:13:33",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9256170988082886,
"score": 3.421875,
"token_count": 582,
"url": "https://vision2lead.com/collaboration/"
} |
I’ve written before about pawnbrokers but they were such an integral part of life for the Victorian working classes that I thought they deserved another post. Colloquially known as ‘Uncle’, the pawnbroker offered a vital service for people living close to the bread-line who were in regular, yet poorly paid work. He was always there in times of need and provided loans secured on domestic items as diverse as clothing, shoes and jewellery through to flat irons and occupational tools.
For the majority of the working classes, pawning was simply a way of life. The only way to make ends meet was to pledge their belongings to raise cash for the week ahead. When in work, they used their clothing, especially their Sunday best, as capital. This was why Saturdays and Mondays were the pawnbrokers’ busiest days. Clothing was frequently pledged on a Monday and redeemed on a Saturday after the breadwinner of the family had been paid. It was worn to chapel or church on a Sunday, and pledged again the next day. This cycle of pledging and redeeming, week in, week out, might continue for years, and pawnbrokers made their profits on the interest charged.
Pawnshops, with their distinctive symbol of three golden balls, were an urban phenomenon and the number of pawnbrokers increased dramatically with the rising population; some streets even had more pawnbrokers than public houses. In Sketches by Boz, Charles Dickens described a pawnshop near Drury Lane, London as being situated at the corner of a court, ‘which affords a side entrance for the accommodation of such customers as may be desirous of avoiding the observation of the passers-by, or the chance of recognition in the public street’. The door of the ‘low, dirty-looking, dusty shop’ always stood halfway open, ‘half inviting, half repelling the hesitating visitor, who, if he be as yet uninitiated, examines one of the old garnet brooches in the window for a minute or two with affected eagerness, as if he contemplated making a purchase; and then cautiously looking round to ascertain that no one watches him, hastily slinks in…’
The entrance to a pawnbroker’s shop was usually up a side street. Pledging could be done at an open counter or in separate compartments known as ‘boxes’, which offered some privacy to those ashamed of their predicament. It was not just the working classes who went to ‘Uncle’ for help; any member of the middle or upper classes who had experienced a change in fortunes might find themselves needing to pledge personal belongings for instant cash. The pawnbroker would carefully examine the item to be pledged, offer a sum and if accepted, he would give the pledger a pawn ticket.
From 1872, for loans of ten shillings or less, the interest rate was one halfpenny per calendar month on each two shillings or part of two shillings lent. After the first calendar month, any time not exceeding fourteen days was to be reckoned as half a month only. The pawnbroker could also charge a halfpenny for the ticket, although for very small sums, he might waive this fee. Under the previous legislation, there was no charge for the ticket if the pledge was under five shillings. On loans of between ten and forty shillings, a penny was charged for the ticket, and the interest was one halfpenny per two shillings per calendar month. Loans of more than forty shillings and less than ten pounds attracted interest of a halfpenny on every two and a half shillings per month, and a penny for the ticket. There was also an optional one penny fee for special storage, such as hanging boots and clothes to prevent creases.
On redemption days, usually Saturdays, pawnshops were extremely noisy with hundreds of people redeeming their belongings. ‘Pawnbroking London’ in Living London (1901) described one such day: “It is a strangely animated scene, with nearly all the characters played by women. It is a rarity to see a man among them… They betray no sense of shame if they feel it. They talk and gossip while waiting for their bundles, and are wonderfully polite to the perspiring assistants behind the counter.” An average of 2,000 bundles were redeemed each Saturday at this particular shop.
Despite the high interest rates, pawnbrokers provided a vital service to the working classes. The writer of the article in Living London pointed out: “They mean food for the wife and children when cupboard and pocket are empty – a little money to keep things going till next pay-day; they mean to thousands shelter, warmth, and something to eat; and although many consider the pawnbroker’s shop an encouragement to improvidence and unthriftiness, every philanthropist who would abolish it admits that he would have to substitute some municipal or charitable pawnshop in its place.”
The pawnshops’ dusty window displays featured unredeemed items pledged for less than ten shillings, which the pawnbroker was entitled to keep and sell after the redemption period of one year and seven days. According to Dickens, this sad collection of once-cherished belongings included ‘several sets of chessmen, two or three flutes, a few fiddles…some gaudily-bound prayer books and testaments, two rows of silver watches…numerous old-fashioned table and tea spoons….cards of rings and brooches….cheap silver penholders and snuff-boxes…silk and cotton handkerchiefs, and wearing apparel of every description…’ Unredeemed pledges of more than ten shillings did not automatically become the pawnbroker’s property; these items had to be sold at a public auction, although he could set a reserve to avoid making a loss. | <urn:uuid:dbe72294-3124-4eb4-adee-1b325ae25b94> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:22:45",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9743356108665466,
"score": 2.71875,
"token_count": 1242,
"url": "https://visitvictorianengland.com/2019/05/24/victorian-pawnbrokers/"
} |
Evapotranspiration – A Driving Force in Landscape Sustainability
This is must reading if you really want to understand the dynamics of climate. No, this is not another piece on fossil fuel emissions! Jan Pokorny and his colleagues are leaders in presenting to all of us the vital interactions of water vapor, plants, and solar energy in creating and maintaining a livable climate.
Abstract (or Excerpt):
To comprehend how the changes in evapotranspiration impact landscape sustainability it is necessary to take a holistic view of landscape functioning and gain understanding of the underlying natural processes. The Earth’s surface has been shaped by water – in interaction with geological processes – for billions of years. Water and the water cycle – along with living organisms – have been instrumental in the development of the Earth’s atmosphere; free oxygen in the atmosphere is the result of the activity of autotrophic, photosynthetic organisms (stromatolites) that evolved in seawater some 3.5 billion years ago. This was the beginning of aerobic metabolism and enabled the evolution of higher organisms, including higher plants. | <urn:uuid:566cc36f-498c-488d-a980-77c89531867d> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:54:07",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9199749231338501,
"score": 2.921875,
"token_count": 227,
"url": "https://vow4climate.org/evapotranspiration-a-driving-force-in-landscape-sustainability/"
} |
What is a VPN?
VPN is an acronym popularly used among computer professionals and enthusiasts alike. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN encrypts the data your personal computer is transmitting before it leaves your PC. The encrypted data then travels to the virtual private network, passes through the VPNs server before proceeding to your web destination. The beauty of a virtual private network is that the web destination views your encrypted data as a product of the VPN location, IP address, and server. That way, your IP address and location is hidden and safe.
Initially, VPN was created to allow corporate bodies to share sensitive information and other data with branches in different parts of the world. Data is shared by global organizations through secure channels with VPN users using unique authentication methods such as passwords and tokens to gain access to the network. Over the past couple of years, VPNs have become popular among personal users. Keep reading to see how VPNs have become useful to PC users like you.
What are the Advantages of Using a VPN with your PC?
Using a VPN with your PC is helpful in many ways and provides a whole lot of security and functionality for you and your computer. It is now commonplace to see a regular computer user surfing the Internet in conjunction with a Virtual Private Network. Here is why:
It is highly unlikely that you would walk around in public with your personal information in full view. However, this is what you are doing every time you connect to a public network without the protection of a VPN. The amount of personal information that can be gleaned from your web footprints is surprising to most computer users. Using a VPN while surfing the web reduces the chances of your personal information being obtained and unwilling used. With a virtual private network, information such as your IP address can be hidden, affording you an anonymous presence on the internet.
We all know that PCs are the most commonly hacked computers, with more virus written for a PC than any other machine. Therefore its critical that you for the best VPN for your PC. If your personal information can be obtained from your web traffic, you are only one step away from being extorted on the web. Hackers, scammers, and spammers use data from public networks to carry out fraud and extortion online. In fact, any public WiFi you use can be set up by someone looking to make use of your information. With the encryption provided by a virtual private network, you lock-down your devices and add a layer of protection, that is in most cases military grade.
Blocking adverts and tracking
Advertisements are a necessary evil on the Internet. However, they are also the bane of a smooth browsing experience. Some VPNs have ad-blockers built into them. VPNs also help to stop your Internet address from being tracked while preventing attacks from malware. With the right virtual private network on your PC, your browsing experience will be interrupted by fewer ads in general, especially targeted ads.
Circumventing Geo-Restricted Content
Have you ever wanted to watch a video only to be disappointed by a message informing you that it isn’t available in your country? This is the work of geofilters. Geographical borders also exist in the online world. With a VPN, geofilters are a thing of the past. With the range of servers around the globe, all you need to do is connect your VPN to a server in the right country. The right country here refers to a country where the information you are trying to view is made available.
Features to Look Out For when Selecting a VPN for PC
- Number of Servers.
- Location of Servers.
- Documentation of logs.
- Type of Encryption.
- VPN Connection speed.
- Compatibility with your devices.
- User Interface.
- if they offer a free VPN for PC trial.
ExpressVPN for PC
Express VPN is one of the best VPNs out there for personal computers especially those with Windows operating systems. Express VPN is as secure as they come. The connections it provides you with are secured with 256-bit encryption. Of course, you do have the privilege of changing encryption protocols with a simple and easy-to-use user interface. ExpressVPN has servers in ninety-four different countries around the globe including the United States of America. This means that you can circumvent geo filters and blockers for any region in the world.
Impregnable security is a big part of the reason most users subscribe to VPN services. ExpressVPN excels in that regard. ExpressVPN does not document usage logs that can be traced back to you. Subsequently, the connection logs which the company keeps track of are lumped together. This means that it is impossible for information to be traced back to a single subscriber. ExpressVPN ensures that you are entirely and unequivocally safe. Using ExpressVPN on your PC will keep your internet activity private and secure even on public WiFi networks.
Additionally, ExpressVPN has super fast connection speeds. The VPN service also allows peer-to-peer network for BitTorrent. This permanently cements ExpressVPN’s status as one of the best VPNs for data-intensive computer operations. Best of all, you can stream videos in high-definition with Express VPN. ExpressVPN on your PC makes your internet experience as convenient as possible. The service has a 24/7 customer care system that is on hand to help you with any issue at all. ExpressVPN is so versatile that the same subscription can be run on three different devices at the same time.
True to its commitment to staying anonymous, ExpressVPN accepts payments in the form of credit cards, PayPal and even Bitcoin.
NordVPN for PC
NordVPN boasts one of the most secure encryptions on the VPN market. This virtual private network system uses military grade encryption. Connections on its OpenVPN are secured with AES 256-Bit encryption, RSA-2048 key encryption, and HMAC SHA1 authentication. That’s a whole lot of secure “jargons” for the layman. In addition to its OpenVPN, NordVPN also offers users a special double VPN alternative. This feature makes use of “double VPN” in principle to link different servers to each other. This means that information from your PC is passed along multiple servers before it reaches its destination. Your data is also re-encrypted every time it exits a server giving you an extra layer of security. NordVPN is perhaps the definition of security.
NordVPN is based in Panama; a fact that draws users to its service. NordVPN doesn’t keep logs of any kinds. The service automatically discards user logs and connection logs without any backups.
NordVPN also offers impressive speed performances. Although its speed levels may be reduced by using its double VPN feature, NordVPN more than makes up for the slight lag with its effective security. NordVPN affords you the privilege to use torrents and works with streaming services like Netflix. With servers in over 60 countries around the globe, NordVPN allows you to essentially wriggle free of geo-blocking on the internet.
Using NordVPN on your PC allows you to conduct online research without revealing their locations. This enables you to carry out important market research to gain insights. NordVPN comes outfitted with a couple of extra features. These features include a fully functional DNS service, YouTube proxy, a free web proxy and an entirely free list of proxies. NordVPN can also be used on up to six different devices including Android and iPhone devices.
CyberGhost for PC
You are essentially impervious to geo-blocking with CyberGhost VPN. This impressive VPN server makes use of more than a thousand servers in 60 different countries. With the dexterity of its servers, your information is made secure and inaccessible.
Highly rated by most PC users, CyberGhost VPN comes stocked with a barrage of extra features designed to make your browsing experience as seamless and private as possible. CyberGhost VPN also has additional features such as automated HTTPS direct, data compression, ad blocking, extra internet speed and online tracking to make your browsing experience as smooth as possible.
Lastly, CyberGhost VPN can be used on up to five different devices including Android, Windows, iOS, and Mac at the same time. You can also pay for your subscription to CyberGhost VPN via credit card, BitPay, and PayPal. An added advantage that CyberGhost holds for users is the presence of a dashboard that indicates server location, time connected and your replacement address. | <urn:uuid:07efd875-823a-442f-962f-16845bc2ba99> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:46:35",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9376815557479858,
"score": 2.78125,
"token_count": 1739,
"url": "https://vpnexplained.com/device/vpn-for-pc/"
} |
Graphical representation of flood inundation for NWS flood categories are based on steady state hydraulic modeling of water surface elevations for incremented discharges. Map shows approximate inundation areas for given water surface elevations and should not be used for navigation or permitting or other legal purposes, but strictly as a planning reference tool.
The purpose of a flood forecast inundation map is to communicate flood risk based on best available information at the time of map development. This flood forecast inundation map has been compiled using the best information available and is believed to be accurate; however, its preparation required many assumptions. Actual conditions during a flood event may vary from those modeled in the map. The limits of flooding shown should only be used as a guideline for emergency planning and response actions. Actual areas inundated will depend on specific flooding conditions.
The risk of flooding behind flood risk management (FRM) structures (such as levees, floodwalls, closures, etc.) depends on many factors that cannot be entirely predicted in advance. These factors include whether the FRM structure overtops, length of time the structure overtops, and whether the overtopping leads to breach formation.
The mapping is based on the PASDA ground elevation data from 2006-2008.
Flood Risk Management Structures (red lines) – Includes Sunbury FRM project. Area behind the FRM structures is not shown as being flooded until the structure is over-topped.
Flood Risk Management Risk Area (yellow shaded area) - Shows the area with flood risk reduced by documented flood risk management structures
The detailed project report can be found here
If you have questions related to the flood risk management/levee projects in Northumberland County, contact Keith Ayers, Northumberland County, [email protected], phone: 570-988-4294. | <urn:uuid:3c399c18-f7f4-4a3f-ba6f-fe0a18b26578> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:18:29",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9011620879173279,
"score": 2.609375,
"token_count": 377,
"url": "https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/inundation/index.php?gage=SBYP1"
} |
This is the first workshop on MATLAB and Simulink for Robotics and Computer Vision education and research. This will be a full day (9:00-17:30) event held on Thursday June 5, 2014. test
- Peter Corke, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, QUT, Brisbane
- Yanliang Zhang, The MathWorks Inc., 3 Apple Hill Dr, Natick, MA
- Giampiero Campa, The MathWorks Inc., 3 Apple Hill Dr, Natick, MA
MATLAB is a powerful environment for prototyping algorithms that provides a powerful object-oriented programming language, rich graphics, portability across platforms and an effective code development environment. It also supports interactive computation using the interactive interpreter, which also allows for incremental software development. MATLAB supports a rich ecosystem of Toolboxes which extend the basic environment for application specific domains such as control or signal processing. MATLAB is also widely used in undergraduate education around the world, particularly for engineering.
Simulink is a block diagram environment for multi-domain simulation. It supports simulation, automatic code generation, and continuous test and verification of embedded systems. Simulink provides a graphical editor, customizable block libraries, and solvers for modeling and simulating dynamic systems. It is integrated with MATLAB, enabling the user to incorporate MATLAB algorithms into models and export simulation results to MATLAB for further analysis.
There is a long history of MATLAB/Simulink use in robotics, and many contemporary texts (Craig 2004, Siciliano 2010 and Corke 2011). MATLAB/Simulink forms the basis of tutorials and laboratories for many robotics courses around the world. In more recent times there has been interest in using MATLAB/Simulink for robotics problems beyond the classical arm-manipulator kinematics, dynamics and control - for example computer vision, path planning and connecting the MATLAB environment to real-world robots.
Supported by the RAS Technical Committee on Education.
The objectives of the workshop are to demonstrate, and share knowledge about, how MATLAB/Simulink is used for:
- Teaching fundamental principles such as robot manipulator kinematics, dynamics and control; and mobile robot control, localization and planning.
- Developing sensor processing algorithms such as SLAM, face detection, etc., for robotics applications
- Deploying algorithms to popular platforms such as Raspberry Pi-based robot
- Connecting MATLAB to real robots
The intended audience is a broad cross section of those attending ICRA 2014 and would include academics involved in teaching robotics at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as graduate research students interested in effective tools to facilitate their research.
We have a great and diverse program with the following confirmed participants.
Title: Teaching Forward and Inverse Kinematics of Robotic Manipulators Via MATLAB
Denise Wong, Philip Dames, and Katherine J. Kuchenbecker
Bio: Denise Wong received the B.S. and M.Eng. degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in 2009. She is currently working towards the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania under the supervision of Dr. Vijay Kumar. Her research focuses are in micro bio robotics - combining cell biology for sensing and actuation of microscale robots.
Bio: Philip Dames received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University in 2010. Currently he is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania working under the supervision of Prof. Vijay Kumar. Philip works on information-based control strategies for small teams of robots to cooperatively seek out and localize multiple sources of information in an environment.
Philip and Denise were teaching assistants for MEAM 520 in the fall semester of 2012 under the supervision of Prof. Katherine Kuchenbecker.
Abstract: Introduction to Robotics (MEAM 520) at the University of Pennsylvania is a graduate-level course on robotic manipulators currently taught by Professor Katherine Kuchenbecker. We present three MATLAB projects that give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real robotic systems. The first two projects use a PUMA 260 manipulator with a spherical wrist. We created a MATLAB simulator, based on the Robotics Toolbox, that allows students to run the same code on either a virtual version of the robot or the real robot in the lab. In the robotic dancing project, students generated joint-space trajectories to choreograph thirty-second-long dances performed in time with music. In the robotic light painting project, the PUMA end-effector was fitted with a tri-color LED, and a long-exposure camera system captured the movement of the robot in the dark. Each team solved the full inverse kinematics of the PUMA and used this to draw an image of their choice. The third project used a SensAble Phantom Premium to let the students feel several haptic virtual environments created in MATLAB: a box, a sphere, and a damping field. This presentation includes many examples of student work as well as real-time MATLAB demonstrations of the PUMA simulator.
Title: Robotics Toolbox Code Generation Module
Jörn Malzahn (TU Dortmund)
Abstract: The open source Robotics Toolbox for MATLAB by Peter Corke is looking back on a history of almost two decades in providing generic algorithms for the numerical simulation and visualization of spatial transforms, the kinematics and dynamics of serial chain robot arms. This contribution presents the CodeGenerator module added in release 9.8. The module provides commands for the automated generation of symbolic model equations as well as robot specific source code. In education, the symbolic equations provide global structural insights into the arm models, where the generic numerical algorithms only provide output values for individual operating points. Thereby the module improves the value for students seeking to foster and check their understanding of kinematics and dynamics modeling of robot arms. In research, the symbolic equations serve as a basis for model based controllers, sensitivity analyses and system identification. The module relieves the researcher from the error prone and time consuming derivation. The automated code generation functionality comprises robot specific m-code, real-time compatible Simulink blocks, ready-to-use C- and MEX-functions. The C-functions can be interfaced within other software projects. The robot specific MEX-files substantially speed up execution times in MATLAB. The contribution presents application examples from education as well as research and includes a live demo at the workshop.
Title: MATLABArduino.org: Real-time Sensor Data Analytics Education
Pramod Abichandani, Vaishali Parikh, Christopher Berry, William Fligor
Bio: Pramod Abichandani serves as the Director of the Second Year Engineering Curriculum at Drexel University. He is a Senior Researcher and an Assistant Teaching Professor at the College of Engineering at Drexel University. He received his Bachelors of Engineering (B.E.) degree in 2005 from Nirma Institute of Technology, Gujarat University, India, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Drexel University in 2007 and 2011 respectively. His research interests are centered around optimal, multi-dimensional, data-driven decision-making, through the use of techniques from mathematical programming, linear and nonlinear systems theory, statistics, and machine learning. Specific technical areas include optimal decision-making for multi-robot systems under communication constraints, sensor fusion for naval ship monitoring, cognitive bias effects in handwriting forensics, and embedded systems design for data acquisition and control. Sponsors of his research include the National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Naval Research (ONR), Mathworks, Drexel ExCITe Center, and Drexel University's College of Engineering.
Abstract: In this talk, we report on the use of this website to create blended learning strategies and flipped classrooms for over 2000 Drexel University students in 2013-2014. The website is being used in an introductory computational problem solving and programming course where 1200+ first year engineering students are asked to utilize MATLAB to perform mathematical modeling and simulations with 2D and 3D animations. Additionally, the website forms the back-bone of an engineering data analytics class for 800+ second year engineering students where they use a 3-axis accelerometer interfaced through the Arduino board to create MATLAB Apps. These applications feature the ability to procure the 3-axis accelerometer data in real-time, filter noise out the data, and apply appropriate signal processing techniques to perform data-driven decision-making and create feature rich 2D and 3D visualizations. Using the Arduino and Accelerometer hardware, we will demonstrate Apps that students have designed in this class.
Title: Interfacing Matlab/Simulink with V-REP for an Easy Development of Sensor-Based Control Algorithms for Robotic Platforms
Paolo Robuffo Giordano, Riccardo Spica, Giovanni Claudio, Fabien Spindler
Bio: Paolo Robuffo Giordano TBA
Bio: Riccardo Spica was born in Rome, Italy in 1987. He received the M.Sc. degree in Electronic Engineering from "La Sapienza" - Università di Roma, Rome, Italy in 2012. He worked first as a Master's Student and later as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tuebingen, Germany for one year between 2012 and 2013. In December 2013 he started a Ph.D. in Signal Processing at the Univérsité de Rennes I, Rennes, France within the Lagadic group of Irisa/Inria. His research interests are in planning and control for robotics applications. In particular his current research is in visual servoing and active structure from motion.
Abstract: This presentation will focus on how to interface the matlab/simulink environment with V-REP using the ROS communication libraries (the publisher/subscriber paradigm) for fast prototyping of robot control algorithms. We will first show how to embed ROS nodes in simulink by including custom C S-Functions representing ROS topics to be listened/published. This will make it possible for Simulink to exchange data with V-REP in real-time for obtaining the robot data and computing the needed control actions. Then, we will demonstrate our architecture in two simulated scenarios: (i) visual control of a quadrotor UAV and (ii) visual control of an industrial manipulator. The first scenario will involve a quadrotor UAV equipped with a IMU and a down-looking camera meant to control its pose w.r.t. a ground target by means of a visual servoing law. The second scenario will consider the same situation for a fixed manipulator with an eye-in-hand camera performing a classical visual servoing task.
Title: An Open-source Recipe for Teaching (and Learning) Robotics with a Simulator
Renaud Detry (U Liege)
Bio: Renaud Detry is a senior researcher at the University of Liège, Belgium (Systems and Modeling Group), and a visiting researcher at KTH, Sweden (Computer Vision and Active Perception lab). He earned an engineering degree at the University of Liège in 2006, and a PhD on robot learning from the same university in 2010. From 2010 to 2012, he was a postdoctoral researcher with Danica Kragic at KTH, Sweden. His research interest are in robot grasping, machine learning, and computer vision.
Abstract: We present a cross-platform robot development and simulation environment that can be installed in five minutes and that allows students to write control, navigation, vision or manipulation algorithms in a hundred lines of Matlab or Python code. The environment relies on the V-REP robot simulator, and on the Matlab Robotics Toolbox (RTB). The key feature of this combination is its ease of use. This environment can be used by students to quickly start implementing and testing robot algorithms, and by teachers to organize a master-level robotics project.
A Simulink Library for the Natural Motion Initiative in Robotics
Kamilo Melo, Manolo Garabini, Giorgio Grioli, Manuel Catalano, Lorenzo Malagia and Antonio Bicchi
Bio: Dr. Kamilo Melo, received the B.S. degree in Electronics Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia, in 2004. The M.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá D.C., Colombia, in 2005 and the Ph.D. (Dr. Eng.) magna cum laude degree in Engineering (Robotics) from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota D.C., Colombia, in 2013. He worked as a research intern under the supervision of Prof. Raja Chatila at ISIR (Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique) in the Pierre et Marie Curie University UPMC, Paris, France, in 2012 and as a postdoctoral associate under supervision of Prof. Antonio Bicchi in the Centro di Ricerca "E. Piaggio" in the Universita di Pisa, Pisa, Italy, in 2013-2014. Dr. Melo is CEO/CTO in KM-RoBoTa s.a.s., a R+D+i institution in Bogotá D.C., Colombia, focused in the design and fabrication of Rescue Robot Systems, particularly Modular Snake Robots Platforms.
Abstract: The Natural Motion Initiative (NMI) is an open-source community aiming at the diffusion of technologies that will propel the next generation of robots. NMI fosters the use of new actuation technologies for robotics research and educative purposes. One of the main foci of NMI is on a new generation of actuators called Variable Stiffness Actuators (VSA). To contribute to NMI, we use the "qbmoves" as example of VSA technology. A Matlab/SImulink library has been developed for control the qbmoves, which includes a detailed Simulink model of the main components (mechanical, electronics, communication and control) and allows Matlab users to interconnect qbmoves in arbitrary structures and seamlessly interface with the real hardware through a USB connection. For this workshop, we want to share a case of use of this Matlab/Simulink library in the Master on robotics engineering and automation at the University of Pisa in the course Robot Control (Hardware in the Loop session). Moreover, as a further contribution to the workshop, we will demonstrate the use of the Simulink block to move and change the stiffness of a qbmove at runtime and show how this library is scalable to drive simultaneously a multi-dof robot (Robotic Snake). As an example, we will use the snake robot made out of qbmoves using Simulink to control its gaits.
What Is the Best Way to implement algorithms in Simulink?
Bio: Dr Campa received both his Laurea degree in Electrical Engineering (1996) and his Ph.D. degree in Robotics and Automation (2000), from the University of Pisa, Italy. He has also worked at the Industrial Control Centre, Strathclyde University, UK, (1995) and at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA (1999). From 2000 to 2008 he has served as faculty in the Flight Control Group at the Department of Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University. His research at WVU involved system identification, adaptive and nonlinear control, fault tolerant systems, machine vision, and sensor fusion, especially applied to UAVs (sponsors included NASA, AFOSR, ONR, and local commercial companies). During his stay at WVU Dr. Campa has published around 30 peer-reviewed articles in international journals, about 60 research papers for international conferences, and a couple of book chapters. Since January 2009 he works for MathWorks, where he is currently responsible for the educational sector for southern California as well as for devising strategic activities in the areas of robotics and mechatronics.
There are currently many possible ways of implementing algorithms in Simulink. Apart from the obvious possibility of creating a subsystem by assembling basic and lower-level Simulink blocks, (or Stateflow charts), there are also many options for creating Simulink blocks that rely on MATLAB and/or C code, such as hand-written S-Functions (both in MATLAB and C), the S-Function builder, the Legacy Code Tool, MATLAB Functions, and System Objects. This presentation will describe the main features, advantages and disadvantages of each method. Specifically, using the implementation of an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for attitude estimation using data from both GPS and IMU sensors as a case study, all the previously mentioned methods of creating Simulink blocks will then be compared, so that relative strengths and weaknesses can be highlighted. General guidelines will then be given to enable users to choose the method that better suits their need.
Title: MATLAB ROS Interface
Bio: Yanliang is robotics product and marketing manager at MathWorks. Before joining MathWorks, he did his post-doc in robotics at The Advanced Micro and Nanosystems Laboratory (AMNL) at University of Toronto. Yanliang received his Ph.D. in robotics from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Yanliang serves as a distinguished visiting professor at Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Science, and as an adjunct professor at Shanghai Normal University and Xiangtan University, China. Yanliang is also the sole creator of the most popular Chinese MATLAB forum (www.iLoveMATLAB.cn) with ~800,000 registered members. As the sole founder, Yanliang started two spin-off business entities based on his research work in China and Singapore.
Abstract: With ROS support from MATLAB, you can interact with robots and simulators that provide a ROS interface. You can also create a self-contained ROS network directly in MATLAB. These features allow you to develop your robotics algorithms in MATLAB, while giving you the ability to exchange messages with other nodes on the ROS network. This support extends the rosjava API. It includes a new API for creating ROS nodes inside MATLAB based on the same ROS publisher/subscriber mechanism.
Key features allow you to:
Create ROS nodes, publishers, and subscribers directly from MATLAB
- Create and send ROS messages from MATLAB
- Enable publishers to publish MATLAB data to their advertised topics
- Enable subscribers to execute arbitrary user-defined MATLAB functions
- Enable launching of ROS masters on the local host from MATLAB
In this workshop, we will demonstrate to you how to use this interface.
Title: WBI Toolbox (WBI-T): A Simulink Wrapper for Robot Whole Body Control
Jorhabib Eljaik Gomez, Andrea del Prete, Silvio Traversaro, Marco Randazzo and Francesco Nori
Bio: Jorhabib Eljaik Gomez was born on November 1st, 1988 in Barranquilla, Colombia where he received his B.Sc. degree on Electronics Engineering from Universidad del Norte in 2009. Subsequently, he was awarded an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for the EMARO program (European Masters on Advanced Robotics), through which in 2011 he obtained a dual M.Sc. degree from Warsaw University of Technology (Poland) and Universit_a degli Studidi Genova (Italy). He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Robotics, Cognition and Interaction Technologies with the department of Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences. His current research interests are stabilization strategies in humanoid robots with stiff and compliant actuators and whole-body control.
Abstract: This toolbox was born within the context of the European project CoDyCo (Whole Body Compliant Dynamical Contacts in Cognitive Humanoids), which deals with whole-body motion control of humanoid robots in multiple contacts with the environment. In order to validate the theoretical advances in real-world scenarios, we use the humanoid robotic platform iCub along with the Gazebo simulator. Both the real platform and the simulator use YARP as middleware allowing a seamless transfer of what is done in simulation to the real robot. Nonetheless, YARP is not an iCub-speci_c middleware and can in principle be used with any robotic platform to interface with its sensors, processors and actuators. This being said, our toolbox consists of Simulink blocks wrapping a YARP-based implementation of the Whole-Body Interface (WBI) C++ library. WBI acts as an abstraction layer for any interaction with the robot, making code robot-independent. Moreover, it promotes code reusability and exchange between different teams.
Hapkit: Open Hardware and Software for Haptics Integrated with MATLAB Title:
Allison M. Okamura
Bio: Allison M. Okamura received the BS degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1994, and the MS and PhD degrees from Stanford University in 1996 and 2000, respectively, all in mechanical engineering. She is currently Associate Professor in the mechanical engineering department at Stanford University. She was previously Professor and Vice Chair of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. She has been an associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Haptics, an editor of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation Conference Editorial Board, and co-chair of the IEEE Haptics Symposium. Her awards include the 2009 IEEE Technical Committee on Haptics Early Career Award, the 2005 IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Early Academic Career Award, and the 2004 NSF CAREER Award. She is an IEEE Fellow. Her academic interests include haptics, teleoperation, virtual environments and simulators, medical robotics, neuromechanics and rehabilitation, prosthetics, and engineering education. Outside academia, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, running, and playing ice hockey. For more information, please see the CHARM Lab website: http://charm.stanford.edu.
Abstract: We present a low-cost, open-hardware device, called Hapkit, designed to provide a hands-on experience in environments where traditional laboratories are challenging, particularly online courses and space- and funding-constrained schools. Hapkit is a one-degree-of-freedom kinesthetic haptic robot that allows users to input motions and feel programmed forces. The CAD files, parts list and costs, assembly instructions, and sample software are posted at http://hapkit.stanford.edu so the public can both recreate Hapkit and modify its design. In Autumn 2013, we piloted Hapkit in a 5-week online haptics course with videos, quizzes, and hands-on labs. Each student received all the parts needed to assemble and program his or her own Hapkit. In Winter 2014, we used Hapkit to render controllers designed in MATLAB/Simulink in an introductory controls course. This was an engaging, inexpensive, and portable way to provide hands-on control laboratories. We will demonstrate Hapkit with MATLAB/Simulink.
Title: Development of the Flight Control Computer using Embedded Coder of MATLAB/Simulink
Hyon Lim, Chulwoo Park, and Kyunghyun Lee
Bio: Hyon Lim
Hyon Lim (born Oct 8, 1985) is a Ph.D. candidate in School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea (http://icsl.snu.ac.kr/~hyonlim). His research includes aerial robotics, visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM) and control of dynamic systems.
Abstract: In this presentation, we consider an Embdded Coder which is a MATLAB/Simulink toolbox that generates C-code for our custom-designed flight controller (including Ti C2000 DSP) using existing Simulink model, for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) control. We demonstrate two types of vehicle: quadrotor and fixed-wing aircraft. The detailed methodology is explained step-by-step with flight demonstration.
Title: Robot Control using MATLAB/SIMULINK
Bio: Leon Žlajpah received the B.Sc. degree in automatics from the University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1982. From the same University he received in 1985 the M. Sc. degree and in 1989 the Ph.D. degree in electrical science. In 1981 he started as a researcher at the "Jožef Stefan" Institute in Ljubljana, working in different fields of robotics. Since 1998 he is a Senior Researcher at the "Jožef Stefan" Institute. Between 2005 and 2014 he was the Head of the Department for Automation, Biocybernetics and Robotics at the "Jožef Stefan" Institute. Basic research interests of L. Žlajpah include modelling and simulation of robot systems and advanced control systems for robots. His contributions are in the field of control of redundant robots, compliant robot control, sensor systems, applications of robots, and recently control of robots interacting with humans. For his research work in robotics and applications he was awarded several awards. Among them is the National award for research excellence in the field of robotics. Dr. Žlajpah is vice-president of Slovenian Society for Simulation and Modelling, member of Automatics Society of Slovenia and IEEE member.
Abstract: Over 20 years we have been using different simulation tools and many of them have been developed in our lab. In the last decade we have been using MATLAB/Simulink based integrated environment for the control design.The main capabilities supported by our simulation environment are: the simulation of the kinematics and dynamics of manipulators, the integration of different sensor systems, scenarios for complex robot tasks, the visualization of robots and their environment and the integration of real robots in the simulation loop. The advantage of our system is the simplicity which allows easy integration of different robots, sensors and other devices. Due to good experiences with MATLAB/Simulink product family and our Toolboxes, we use this environment as the principal tool for the design of robot control systems. We present special blocks for modeling the robot manipulators, interfaces, sensors and kinematic transformations, etc. The presented control design environment has proved to be a very useful and effective tool for fast and safe development and testing of advanced control schemes and task planning algorithms, including force control and visual feedback. The software can be very easily extended and adapted to different requirements and applied to any types of robotic manipulators.
Title: Drake: A Planning, Control, and Analysis Toolbox for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems
Russ Tedrake and Scott Kuindersma
Bio: Russ Tedrake TBA
Bio: Scott Kuindersma is a Postdoc in the Robot Locomotion Group at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab at MIT. He completed his PhD in Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2012. His mission is to make robots move fluidly and dynamically by advancing the state of the art in optimization-based control. He has had the pleasure of working with a variety of amazing robots including the UMass uBot, Robonaut 2, and Boston Dynamics' Atlas. Currently, he is the planning and control lead for the MIT DARPA Robotics Challenge team, where his research is focused on developing robust and efficient control algorithms for dynamic locomotion and whole-body manipulation.
Abstract: Drake is a toolbox written by the Robot Locomotion Group at MIT CSAIL. It is a collection of tools for analyzing the dynamics of our robots and building control systems for them in MATLAB. It deals with general nonlinear systems (including hybrid systems), but also contains specialized tools for multi-link rigid-body dynamics with contact. You might want to use Drake in your own research in order to analyze the stability of systems, design nonlinear feedback controllers for complicated dynamical systems, perform trajectory and feedback-motion planning, or compute invariant ``funnels'' along trajectories. Drake also contains supporting methods for visualization, identification, estimation, and even hardware interfaces. Drake is implemented using a hierarchy of MATLAB classes which are designed to expose and exploit available structure in input-output dynamical systems. While some algorithms are available for general nonlinear systems, specialized algorithms are available for polynomial dynamical systems, linear dynamical systems, etc.; many of those algorithms operate symbolically on the governing equations. The toolbox also provides a parser for URDF files that makes it easy to define and start working with rigid-body dynamical systems. It has been used by the Robot Locomotion Group, the MIT DARPA Robotics Challenge Team, and a handful of collaborators, but we are now attempting to open up the code to the broader community.
Title: SLAM, SAM, and SFM at Your Fingertips:GTSAM from MATLAB
Vadim Indelman and Frank Dellaert
Bio: Dr. Vadim Indelman has been a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM) at Georgia Institute of Technology since 2012. Starting from summer 2014 he will be assuming the position of an assistant professor in the faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he also completed his PhD. Dr. Indelman received B.A. and B.Sc. degrees in Computer Science and Aerospace Engineering, respectively, from the Technion in 2002. His research interests include distributed multi-agent systems, SLAM, bundle adjustment and structure from motion, cooperative navigation and tracking, distributed perception, planning under uncertainty and graphical model based inference.
Bio: Frank Dellaert TBA
Abstract: This presentation will describe the Georgia Tech’s Smoothing and Mapping library, GTSAM, and demonstrate rapid algorithm prototyping via its Matlab interface. GTSAM uses factor graphs and Bayes networks to perform computationally efficient inference in large scale Structure from Motion (SfM) and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) problems, as well as other commonly encountered problems in robotics and computer vision. The objective of this tutorial is to introduce the basic components of GTSAM and to present the automatic Matlab wrapping capability, that makes GTSAM functionality directly accessible from Matlab, and can also be used to easily wrap user-implemented new C++ code to maintain computational efficiency. This Matlab interface will be demonstrated in three recently developed approaches: Multi-robot data association and localization from unknown initial poses; A unified estimation and control framework with factor graphs; and Incremental light bundle adjustment.
Title: SynGrasp: a MATLAB Toolbox for Human and Robot Hands with Synergies, Underactuation and Compliance
Bio: Domenico Prattichizzo received the M.S. degree in Electronics Engineering and the Ph.D. degree in Robotics and Automation from the University of Pisa in 1991 and 1995, respectively. Since 2002 Associate Professor of Robotics at the University of Siena. Since 2009 Scientific Consultant at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy. In 1994, Visiting Scientist at the MIT AI Lab. Co-author of the Grasping chapter of Handbook of Robotics Springer, 2008, awarded with two PROSE Awards presented by the American Association of Publishers. Since 2007 Associate Editor in Chief of the IEEE Trans. on Haptics. From 2003 to 2007, Associate Editor of the IEEE Trans. on Robotics and IEEE Trans. on Control Systems Technologies. Vice-chair for Special Issues of the IEEE Technical Committee on Haptics (2006-2010). Chair of the Italian Chapter of the IEEE RAS (2006-2010), awarded with the IEEE 2009 Chapter of the Year Award.Co-editor of two books by STAR, Springer Tracks in Advanced Robotics, Springer (2003, 2005). Research interests are in haptics, grasping, visual servoing, mobile robotics and geometric control. Author of more than 200 papers in these fields.
Abstract: SynGrasp is a MATLAB toolbox developed for the analysis of grasping, suitable both for robotic and human hands. It includes functions for the definition of hand kinematic structure and of the contact points with a grasped object. The coupling between joints induced by an underactuated control can be modeled. The hand modeling allows to define compliance at the contact, joint and actuator levels. The provided analysis functions can be used to investigate the main grasp properties: controllable forces and object displacement, manipulability analysis, grasp quality measures. Functions for the graphical representation of the hand, the object and the main analysis results are provided.
The SynGrasp toolbox has been developed in the context of the EU Project “THE - The Hand Embodied” that aims to study how the embodied characteristics of the human hand and its sensors, the sensorimotor transformations, and the very constraints they impose, affect and determine the learning and control strategies we use for such fundamental cognitive functions as exploring, grasping and manipulating. For this reason, the toolbox provides several functions for human and robot grasping evaluation including specific functions for human hand synergies evaluation.
Title: The Surface Patch Library (SPL)
Dimitrios Kanoulas and Marsette Vona
Bio: Dimitrios Kanoulas is a Ph.D. student at the College of Computer and Information Science at Northeastern University, working with Prof. Marsette Vona in the Geometric and Physical Computing Lab. His research focuses on 3D perception for robotics, in particular for uncertain natural environments. Prior to that he was member of the Algorithms and Theory group at Northeastern University working on algorithmic aspects of Game Theory.
Abstract: The Surface Patch Library (SPL) is an open-source Matlab toolbox for prototyping 3D rough terrain perception algorithms. It includes models of 10 types of curved surface patches, an algorithm to fit patches to potentially noisy range sensor data, and an algorithm to perceptually validate patches. Uncertainty is quantified throughout using covariance matrices. The patches are designed to model local contact regions both in the environment (e.g. on rocky surfaces) and on a robot (e.g. foot pads).
Three different live demos will be given. The first demo starts with a set of 3D points sampled from a simulated elliptic paraboloid. These data are taken with noise simulated according to a Kinect range error model. A paraboloid patch with ellipse boundary is automatically fit by our algorithm. Similarly we will show the results for all 10 patch types. In the next two demos we will present both an interactive and an automatic segmentation of patches from real data taken with a Kinect, with each patch automatically fit by our algorithm.
Title: The MuJoCo Physics Engine, with Applications
Bio: Yuval Tassa recived his PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2011. In the last several years hehas been a postdoc with Emo Todorov at the University of Washington, Seattle. In the summer of 2014 he will be joining Google Deepmind.
Abstract: I will describe the physics engine MuJoCo (www.mujoco.org) which stands for Multi-Joint dynamics with Contact. It aims to facilitate research and development in robotics, biomechanics, graphics and animation, and other areas where fast and accurate simulation of complex dynamical systems is needed. MuJoCo is available as a C/C++ library and also accessible from Matlab through a Mex package which provides access to the core features, demos and a tutorial.
Notable features of MuJoCo are:
- Generalized coordinates combined with impulse contact dynamics
- Convex, differentiable and analytically-invertible impulse dynamics
- Tendon geometry
- General actuation model
- Reconfigurable computation pipeline
- Informative visualization
- Interactive simulation | <urn:uuid:b54e84bd-04d6-4a34-9033-13050fea7322> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:03:53",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9081699848175049,
"score": 2.65625,
"token_count": 7521,
"url": "https://wiki.qut.edu.au/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=173981546"
} |
The concept of gender roles is not cast as a biological phenomenon, but rather a psychological and socially constructed set of ideas that are malleable to change (Levant & Wilmer, 2011)
Toxic masculinity is a socialised behaviour that upholds patriarchy by teaching boys to innate empathy and vulnerability for destructive behaviours like sexual domination, excessive risk taking; and not asking for help. This is not a subjective term for “bad men”.
However, in psychology, toxic masculinity refers to traditional cultural masculine norms that can be harmful to men, women and society overall. The concept is not intended to demonize men or male attributes. Patriarchy, is a form of social system in which males have the privilege of dominance over females and has continued to exist over centuries and we all still live under it which is a rigid dichotomy of gender roles. Traditionally, men are supposed to be strong and feel independent, unemotional, logical and confident; whereas women are supposed to be expressive, nurturant, weak and dependent. Today, young boys grow up believing that anger, empty aggression, and emotional unavailablity are what makes them a “strong” man. While teenage females faces restrictions to guard their modesty by not indulging in any sort of sexual intimacy , teenage males on the other hand are encouraged for their sexuality.
We live in a society which is under intensified pressure to display gender appropriate behaviours according to the ideal sex codes. Men strives to achieve their desired masculinity through any means, without spotting some of their actions as immoral, disgusting and unhealthy. This desire often leads to obsession. Increase in the number of rape cases, honour killing, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, overly sexualised attitudes and behaviours are all products of toxic masculinity. A survey held which tells us that, young men who conform to traditional definitions of manhood are more likely to suffer harm to themselves, as a barrier to mental health. Biologically men are stronger than women, they are stronger physically than women; but this fact does not allow men to channelise their power into something that isn’t healthy or might cause harm to women and society. This harm is violence. Physical violence does not solve any of our problem, instead it creates one. | <urn:uuid:654b257a-3162-4c9d-b661-f09411f1859b> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:13:56",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9483880400657654,
"score": 3.59375,
"token_count": 457,
"url": "https://wrytin.com/meenanezami/toxic-masculinity-jww131p0"
} |
NAM volunteers Rod Cooper and Chris Ward embarked on a project to collate the letters and photographs from First World War soldier Captain Maurice Asprey into a learning resource. Here Rod shares snippets of Captain Asprey’s story.
Fellow volunteer Chris Ward and myself had the pleasure of researching the story of Captain Asprey in order to create a learning resource that would enable teachers to share his experiences in the classroom. We digitised around 80 letters, as well as a small collection of his photographs, which cover the period from his embarkation in September 1914 to his death in northern France in the summer of 1916.
Transcribing the letters was not an easy task. Asprey had written on whatever came to hand: sometimes on proper notepaper, occasionally on Army forms, and also on postcards.
The style and legibility of the handwriting varied too, possibly because he was tired and exhausted, or was writing in the dim light of a dug-out. Similarly, he may have had to write in a hurry to catch the post, or maybe his hand was frozen in the cold.
At first glance, his letters appear fairly mundane, with not much going on. He sends requests for food, items of clothing, newspapers and magazines. However, on closer inspection, Asprey provides some remarkable insights.
There was the condition of the trenches: the mud, the rats and the mice. He commented on rodents leaping out of his sack of porridge oats in spite of it being tied to a post. ‘One can’t keep them out of anything,’ he complained. ‘Twice last night I was woken up by them running over me.’
Also notable was his changing perception of the War and its possible duration. In a letter written in late 1914, he speculated on a postponement of hostilities for the War’s first winter. However, in a subsequent letter, written in October 1915, he wrote of the marked improvements in his dug-out’s facilities – ‘proper bed, boarded floor, shelves, etc’ – and offered a rare look into the future: ‘Next year I suppose they will be papered and furnished by someone like Liberty’s.’
The sarcasm suggests that by this stage he saw little prospect of a quick end to the War.
In one remarkable passage he wrote graphically, and at some length, about the effects of a gas attack during the Second Battle of Ypres (April – May 1915). Writing to his mother, he describes a man being ‘temporarily off his head’ and the impact of gas upon its victims’ lungs and their prospects for survival.
We can well imagine his mother’s horror on receiving this description. And yet he finishes his account with a turn of phrase and mood we found utterly out of place: ‘We are having topping weather here.’
As time passed, these revelatory passages appeared more frequently, leading to a greater appreciation of his situation. Perhaps he was simply being more guarded in his earlier letters home. He may not have wished to upset his parents with the realities of war. But the real purpose was a practical, personal and psychological one for the immediate moment.
His final letter is dated 6 July 1916, five days after the commencement of the Battle of the Somme. In this last letter to his mother, Asprey concludes: ‘Must end now, as postman is waiting.’
Captain Maurice Asprey was killed on 12 August 1916.
Find out more about Captain Maurice Asprey and his personal experiences in the First World War with our fascinating learning resource. | <urn:uuid:0164316e-6671-412e-860f-8fc175dba6a6> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:43:47",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9845567941665649,
"score": 2.734375,
"token_count": 761,
"url": "https://ww1.nam.ac.uk/1562/news/captain-maurice-asprey/"
} |
Protecting the Enemy:
How a Nepalese herder befriended the snow leopard
Growing up in a herding community in the Nepalese mountains, Ghana S. Gurung knew two things about snow leopards. They killed his family’s livestock. And they needed to be killed in return.
Ghana spent his childhood summers in the upper Mustang region with his grandfather, herding his family’s goats, sheep and yaks. They were their main source of livelihood. But they were also easy prey for snow leopards.
“During that time, snow leopards used to attack my goats, sheep and little yaks – killing seven, eight, and even ten in one go,” said Ghana. “It made me angry.”
For people like Ghana and a community that relied so heavily on their livestock, snow leopards were not beautiful creatures that needed protecting. They were a direct threat that had to be eliminated.
“I saw traps being laid out for them, poison being prepared and snow leopards being killed,” said Ghana.
It was the same story in many parts of the snow leopard range in Asia’s High Mountains – herding communities killing snow leopards in retaliation for attacks on their livestock. This conflict was one of the main reasons for the 20 percent decline in snow leopards over the past twenty years.
It is estimated that as few as 4,000 of the critically endangered big cats now survive in the wild. And human-snow leopard conflict remains a major threat to the survival of the species.
But nowadays, Ghana is doing everything he can to end this conflict – for the benefit of herding families and snow leopards. And his work is paying off.
For Ghana, the turning point was when he started working in conservation after graduating from Lincoln University in New Zealand. Seeing snow leopards through a different lens, he realized how important it was to protect them and also how rarely they were being seen.
In 1998, when he joined WWF, there were no snow leopard sightings in Kangchenjunga and hardly any signs at all there of the beautiful “ghosts of the mountains.”
However, 14 years later, a survey identified 23 snow leopards in Kangchenjunga, including two that had been radio collared.
The reason? Years of dedicated work with local communities by Ghana and others to change their attitude towards snow leopards. The result? There had not been a single retaliatory killing of a snow leopard in the area for eight years.
Ghana believes that a conservation success of this magnitude is only possible when you believe in the local communities, when you trust them and make them responsible for the future of the snow leopard.
This was critical to the success of the snow leopard insurance scheme that Ghana started. This innovative initiative compensated herders for any livestock that they lose to snow leopards, providing them with the financial support they need to cope with their losses and a reason not to kill a snow leopard in retaliation.
The insurance scheme is just one part of WWF’s extensive community-based snow leopard conservation programme. The programme also involves raising awareness about the importance of snow leopards, training citizen scientists to monitor snow leopards and their prey, developing community-led institutions for snow leopard conservation, and providing alternative livelihood options such as tourism.
“When you are a herder you do not know how important or endangered the snow leopard is. It is a threat to your livelihood, and you do not want to see it around – that’s it,” said Ghana. “But when you understand its importance and know how endangered it is, then you have an immediate empathy toward it.”
After working closely together, the communities eventually took on ownership of the efforts to protect snow leopards, especially after they were provided with ways to prevent snow leopards from attacking their livestock or with compensation when they do.
“Having once felt that anger myself, I know the root cause of it,” added Ghana. “I still see that anger in people and unless we address the cause we cannot conserve snow leopards.”
Thankfully, Ghana and his colleagues from WWF-Nepal and the government are doing just that and the result is communities and snow leopards living in increasing harmony together. | <urn:uuid:e86f986b-30c5-4169-a817-af1fd131d8ac> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:26:45",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.972488284111023,
"score": 3.109375,
"token_count": 925,
"url": "https://wwf.panda.org/our_ambition/wwf_together_possible/making_friends_with_the_enemy/"
} |
Symptoms of hypothermia
Early signs of hypothermia include:
- cold and pale skin
- slurred speech
- fast breathing
These are symptoms of mild hypothermia, where someone's body temperature is between 32C and 35C.
If their temperature drops to 32C or lower, they'll usually stop shivering completely and may pass out.
This is a sign that their condition is getting worse and emergency medical help is needed.
Hypothermia in babies
Babies with hypothermia may look healthy, but their skin will feel cold.
They may also be limp, unusually quiet and refuse to feed.
You should call 999 and then give first aid if you think someone has hypothermia.
First aid for hypothermia
To warm the person up:
- Move them indoors.
- Remove any wet clothing and dry them.
- Wrap them in blankets.
- Give them a warm non-alcoholic drink, but only if they can swallow normally.
- Give energy food that contains sugar, such as a chocolate bar, but only if they can swallow normally.
If the person cannot be moved indoors, find something for them to rest on to protect them from the cold ground, like a towel or a blanket.
If they do not appear to be breathing – and you know how to do it – give them CPR, but you must continue this until professional help arrives in the form of the ambulance service or a medical team.
Things to avoid
Some things can make hypothermia worse:
- do not put the person into a hot bath
- do not massage their limbs
- do not use heating lamps
- do not give them alcohol to drink
These actions can cause the heart to suddenly stop beating (cardiac arrest).
Causes of hypothermia
Hypothermia happens when your body gets too cold and your temperature drops below 35C.
Hypothermia can be caused by:
- inadequate clothing in cold weather
- falling into cold water
- getting cold in wet clothes
- living in a cold house
- being very tired and cold
Who's at risk?
Some groups of people are more vulnerable to hypothermia.
- babies and children – they lose heat faster than adults
- older people who are inactive and do not eat well
- heavy alcohol and drug users – their bodies lose heat faster
To stay warm indoors in cold weather:
- keep your home at a temperature of at least 18C
- a baby's room should be 16 to 20C
- keep windows and internal doors shut
- wear warm clothes
- use a room thermometer
Check in on an elderly neighbour regularly during cold weather to make sure their home is warm.
The government offers a winter fuel payment for older people to help them pay their heating bills.
To stay warm outdoors:
- plan your activity
- plan for the unexpected
- dress for the weather conditions
- bring extra layers in case the weather changes
- change out of wet or sweaty clothes as soon as possible
- have non-alcoholic warm drinks
- make sure you're never too far away from help | <urn:uuid:0a0551ec-3931-493d-b2a7-61b12936e558> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:15:01",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9444854259490967,
"score": 3.359375,
"token_count": 654,
"url": "https://www.abbeymedical.scot.nhs.uk/index.php?id=nhs-health-az&category=G&linked_from=burns-and-scalds/treatment&condition=hypothermia"
} |
Definition of Control Account
The control account keeps the general ledger free of details, but still has the correct balance for preparing the company's financial statements.
Example of Control Accounts
A common example of a control account is the general ledger account entitled Accounts Receivable. When it is used as a control account, it will contain only summary amounts, such as total credit sales for a day, total collections from customers for a day, total returns and allowances for a day, and the total amount owed by all customers.
Hence, if you want to find the amount that a specific customer still owes for its purchases on credit, it will not be shown in the control account. To find the amount that a specific customer owes, its recent payments, and its recent purchases on credit, you will quickly get that information from the Accounts Receivable Subsidiary Ledger.
Control accounts could also be used for accounts payable, equipment, and inventory. | <urn:uuid:11fe78a1-1886-4157-8b61-b06063a61873> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:12:25",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9341142773628235,
"score": 2.78125,
"token_count": 190,
"url": "https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/accounts-receivable-control-account-subsidiary-ledger"
} |
The term “infinite loop” comes from the field of computer science and refers to a programming error that leads to the perpetual and unsuccessful recapitulation of an algorithm, or problem-solving procedure. In my book Adult Children of Alcoholics: The Struggle for Self and intimacy in Adult Life, I used this concept as a metaphor for the way in which many adult children seem irresistibly drawn to an “alcoholic lifestyle”. The alcoholic lifestyle can include compulsive drinking and drugging, ongoing destructive involvements with addicted or enabling parents, and the acquisition of new life partners who reprise important psychic themes of the childhood home, including instability, exploitation, dishonesty, and betrayal.
In recent posts, I’ve talked about genetics, trauma, and substance-related changes in the brain as the “usual suspects” behind many addictive problems. They are also frequently the culprits when adult children–even those who avoid substance abuse and dependence–remain ensnared in the destructive and painful relational dynamics they experienced as children. It is well-known that genetics affect temperament as well as risk for mental illness and substance abuse and addiction. But environmental factors such as stress and trauma are also powerful factors that influence the development and maintenance of an alcoholic lifestyle. This is the first in a series of posts aimed at helping ACOA’s with an alcoholic lifestyle to exit their infinite loop, and it explains how trauma-related changes to the brain predispose them to become mired in it.
It is important to know that many adults who grew up with addicted and codependent parents, whether or not they abuse substances themselves, manifest brain anomalies that can predispose them to a variety of psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and compulsive involvement with substances, activities and destructive partners. These changes occur as a result of chronic and severe levels of stress that so often occur in families where parents are preoccupied and propelled by the disease of addiction. The neurological impact of the physical and verbal abuse and neglect that are common in alcoholic families can be seen when imaging studies of the brain are performed, and they occur in some of the same areas of the brain that are affected by drug and alcohol abuse. For a good discussion of how adverse childhood events (ACEs) affect the brain, see this article: /healthland.time.com/2012/02/15/how-child-abuse-primes-the-brain-for-future-mental-illness/
Like drugs and alcohol, adverse childhood events cause changes in the hippocampus, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. Neuroscientists think that glucocorticoids that are released when children are subjected to maltreatment attack nerve cells in the hippocampus, causing dendrites there to shrivel and cells to shrink. This kind of damage has been associated with memory loss and depression. In the amygdala, which is the brain’s emotional center, these hormones exert the opposite effect–more dendrites are grown from the neurons. The proliferation of cells in the amygdala has been linked to overwhelming emotions, and vulnerability to anxiety disorders. Finally, MRI studies of people who were highly stressed as children indicate that connections between the amygdala, the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, the three regions of the brain that are involved in interpreting and responding to fear, are weakened by repeated exposure to adverse events.
Dr. Ryan Herringa is a psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin and an author of an important study about childhood maltreatment and fear circuitry in the brain. When he was interviewed by NPR last November about how child maltreatment can leave “scars in the brain“, he explained how the hippocampus, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex are supposed to work together. He said:
“…messages from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortex are often balanced by input from a third area, the hippocampus, which helps decide whether something is truly dangerous. “So, for example, if you’re at home watching a scary movie at night, the hippocampus can tell the prefrontal cortex that you’re at home, this is just a movie, that’s no reason to go into a full fight or flight response or freak out” (http://goo.gl/VEl0ez)
But Herringa noted that for children with anxiety and depression and a history of maltreatment, the weakened connections between these critical brain regions lead to a situation in which, “ kids seem to be afraid everywhere...like they’ve lost the ability to put a contextual limit on when they’re going to be afraid and when they’re not.”
Other researchers who study the impact of adverse childhood events have also found that people who endure a great deal of toxic stress spend much of their lives in fight, flight or fright. As theACEs Too High Newsletter explained in October 2012:
“They respond to the world as a place of constant danger. With their brains overloaded with stress hormones and unable to function appropriately, they can’t focus on learning. They fall behind in school or fail to develop healthy relationships with peers or create problems with teachers and principals because they are unable to trust adults. Some kids do all three. With despair, guilt and frustration pecking away at their psyches, they often find solace in food, alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamines, inappropriate sex, high-risk sports, and/or work and over-achievement. They don’t regard these coping methods as problems. Consciously or unconsciously, they use them as solutions to escape from depression, anxiety, anger, fear and shame. (http://goo.gl/VEl0ez)
This certainly sounds like a description of the alcoholic lifestyle to me: Instability, lack of trust, an intolerance or incapacity for emotional engagement with healthy partners and disconnection from a tortured self through compulsive, risky behaviors.
So changes in the hippocampus, the amygdala and a weakening of connections to the prefrontal cortex constitute an important part of the brain chemistry that underlies the infinite loop. Of course, once depression, anxiety and compulsive involvement with substances, processes and dysfunctional partners take hold, they cause further changes to the structure and function of the brain. This additional damage reinforces the loop and makes it even more difficult to find a way out. This is the way neuroscientists look at it. Psychologists explain the problem in a different way and have important things to say about the way in which trauma shapes people’s feelings about themselves, their expectations about how they will be treated in the world, and their ability to form secure and rewarding attachments to other people. Some psychologists also believe that there is a powerful, unconscious drive to repeat traumatic events. These ideas are also important to consider as we try to understand the phenomenon of the infinite loop. They will be the subject of my post next week.
Do you feel that you are caught in an infinite loop?
Read more about recovery for adult children of alcoholics in Dr. Wood’s book, The Struggle for Self and Intimacy in Adult Life. | <urn:uuid:5cd819ad-39d3-433c-a513-9bfcc9d4856c> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:04:23",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9501261115074158,
"score": 2.671875,
"token_count": 1458,
"url": "https://www.addictionland.com/index.php/blogs/entry/adult-children-of-alcoholics-caught-in-an-infinite-loop-part-1"
} |
Yungay is located in the Callejón de Huaylas on Río Santa at an elevation of approximately 2,500 meters. To com here you need to drive about 450 km north of Lima. East of the small town are the mountain ridges of snow-covered Cordillera Blanca, with one of Peru’s highest mountains named Huascarán.
Yungay is the capital of Yungay Province, as well as the main town in the Yungay District. While the town counts about 10,000 inhabitants, Yungay Province has a population of 60,000 people. The Province of Yungay occupies part of the Callejón de Huaylas, the Conchucos Valley (Yanama), the coast of Ancash (Quillo) and the Huascarán National Park.
The “Restoration” army, a Chilean-Peruvian army during the War of the Confederation, defeated the army of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation during the Battle of Yungay on January 20, 1839, marking the dissolution of the short-lived confederacy.
A remarkable event of the history of Peru happened in Yungay, where in the Guitarrero Cave US archeologist Thomas F. Lynch (Cornell University, 1969) discovered cultural vestiges from c. 10,000 BC, making this place “one of the great testimonies of the origin of agriculture in América”.
The Ancash earthquake
On May 31rd, 1970, the Ancash earthquake caused a substantial part of the north side of a mountain, Nevado Huascarán, to collapse and an unstable mass of glacial ice about 800 meters across at the top of Nevado Huascarán to fall. This caused a debris avalanche, burying the town of Yungay and killing 20,000 people. More than 50 million cubic meters of debris slid approximately 15 kilometers downhill at an angle of about 14 degrees. Speeds between 340 mph to 620 mph were achieved. Most of the survivors were in the cemetery and stadium at the time of the earthquake, as these zones were the highest in town.
The Peruvian government has forbidden excavation in the area where the old town of Yungay is buried, declaring it as national cemetery. The current new town was rebuilt one mile north of the destroyed old city.
The old cemetery
In 1962 two American scientists, David Bernays and Charles Sawyer, had reported seeing a massive vertical slab of rock being undermined by a glacier, which threatened to fall and cause the obliteration of Yungay. According to Sawyer, when this was reported in the Espreso newspaper (27th September 1962), the government ordered them to retract or face prison, and they fled the country. Citizens were forcibly prevented from speaking of an impending disaster. Eight years later the prediction came true.
Please contact us to get the price of this tour.
Daily departures at a time we go to arrange with you.
Depends on your schedule. | <urn:uuid:34ed8b11-8ed6-46ce-ad98-36e5be194e2b> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:22:55",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9555892944335938,
"score": 3,
"token_count": 620,
"url": "https://www.alemape-tours.com/tours/yungay-national-historic-cemetery/"
} |
Pacific side of Mexico
Insects, small lizards, frogs and mice. The tarantula injects venom to paralyse the prey and then it sucks up its proteins and fats.
Lives in ground burrows, in rocky areas, usually in scrubland or desert. The ends of the legs can detect vibrations, smells and tastes, to help the tarantula locate prey and the opposite sex. It also has eight eyes on the top of the carapace. After mating the female may try to kill and eat the male. Males live up to 5 years, females up to 25 to 30 years old.
Venomous. When threatened, it kicks hairs off the abdomen with its hind legs, which cause blindness if they hit the eyes of a predator and can also cause a rash on the skin.
Up to 15cm. | <urn:uuid:22d8959a-8405-46f1-8251-e6f013e16a50> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:28:54",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9104911684989929,
"score": 2.984375,
"token_count": 173,
"url": "https://www.atticapark.com/en/animals/mexican-redknee-tarantula.667.html"
} |
When experiencing symptoms, such as runny nose, headaches and nasal congestion, it is safe to assume that you are suffering from a cold. However, the common cold and sinusitis often share the same symptoms. It is important to know which condition is giving you trouble, so that you can consult a physician about treatment options. So, how do you differentiate between the two conditions?
The Link Between Sinusitis and the Common Cold
The reason it is so hard to tell the difference between sinusitis and the common cold is because the two conditions are related. Viral infections, like the common cold, are most often the cause of acute sinusitis. This version of the disorder is known to last up to four weeks.
There are two ways to tell if your condition has developed into chronic sinusitis. The first is when over-the-counter medication are not effective in relieving your sinus issues. The second is when your symptoms, such as facial pain and pressure, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, runny nose, and headaches, persist for more than four weeks.
While the common cold is the most frequent infectious disease in humans, the average cold usually last up for three to seven days, or in some rare cases, up to two weeks. If your condition reaches this point, then you should visit your physician to confirm.
Sinusitis is already a discomforting disorder, and there is no reason that its treatment should be discomforting as well. When seeking treatment options, we suggest that you ask your doctor about balloon sinuplasty. This breakthrough procedure is minimally-invasive, meaning the risks are low. Here are the benefits of the procedure:
- There is no cutting of bone or tissue during the procedure. A balloon attached to wire catheter expands the sinuses, restoring a normal flow of nasal drainage.
- The procedure lasts approximately 1 hour, and no general anesthesia is needed. You can return home the same day the procedure is performed.
- Recovery times can last 1 to 2 days. Unlike other sinus surgeries, you can return to work or normal activities within the week. | <urn:uuid:59fae194-0aed-41d3-a7d9-1423b574dee8> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:01:59",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9591190218925476,
"score": 2.703125,
"token_count": 435,
"url": "https://www.balloonsinuplastysurgery.com/blog/index.php/2016/09/09/difference-sinusitis-common-cold/"
} |
Hookah History and origins
Last Updated on
Hookah History Overview
A hookah, also known as pipe, narghile, and many more names, is a device that is used for smoking tobacco, flavored tobacco or in rare occasions cannabis. The smoke is firstly passed through water and gets vaporized before the user inhales it.
During its emerge hookah was a rather primitive version of what is known to be today, The base was made out of coconut shell and instead of a hose, that is mainly used on hookahs today, they had a long tube that was connected to the hookah.
There are two debatable theories when it comes to the hookah history
Where hookahs first appeared?
- The first theory is that Hookahs firstly appeared in India during the Mughal Empire (1526-1857)
- The second option of the theory is that Hookahs originated in Safavid dynasty of Persia and then spread to the east into South Asia and became popular.
During the 17th century, it became widely popular in Turkey. During the period of its popularity in Turkey, the design of the hookah changed on what we now know it. The hookah stayed very popular until the 20th century when cigarettes were invented.
Shishas in 19th and 20th Century
During the 19th and 20th century, Hookah became extremely popular to the women. It was somewhat of a fashion statement to be photographed with! It also became very popular at parties that people gathered just to live the hookah experience. Shishas appeared a lot in literature during this time. Most notably appearing in Sherlock Holmes and Alice in Wonderland.
After disappearing when Cigarettes invented during 1865, Hookahs became popular again about 100 years later around 1960. In the USA, smoking the pipe was very popular for students.
Hookahs are built by combining multiple parts:
- The Base, which is often Glass and it contains the water that is being used to vaporize the smoke
- Rubber air seals that are being used to avoid any leakage of the tasteful flavor of the tobacco
- The second base that features the air plug and the hose(s) connectors
- The hose that is connected to the hose connector and it is being used to allow the users of the hookah to inhale the vapor
- The pipe stem
- The charcoal Tray
- The head base
- The Rubber spacer/seal
- And the bowl for charcoal
The reason for Shisha’s multiple names
The most common names are Shisha, and Hookah, however, there are at least 10 more names for Hookah. Some of them Being:
- Water Pipe
Why do you think that a simple device that is being used to smoke Tobacco has so many names? First of all, Hookah is not just a simple device and second is because of the lack of the language vocabulary during translation.
Different cultures had to pick a name for the lovely Hookah. That’s the reason that Hookah has so many different names!
Today, classic hookahs can still be located, however, there is a trend growing around “Modern Hookahs”. Modern hookahs are styled in a non-traditional way and design. Also, the modern version is easier to assemble, clean, disassembly rather than the original traditional Shisha. Also, Modern Shishas often provide a more tasteful flavor due to the features that may have such as ice packs in the hose. | <urn:uuid:94834d3b-e10f-42da-bb34-4395d72f191e> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:22:02",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9753939509391785,
"score": 3.09375,
"token_count": 724,
"url": "https://www.besthookahsguide.com/hookah-history/"
} |
The fear of God is not the fear of punishment, which is upon the unrepentant, but the awe of redemption, which is received by the repentant.
At the end of chapter 7 Israel was left with the prophetic words describing the devastation and desolation that was soon to consume the entire land. Chapter 8 adds to that prophecy by instructing Isaiah with the words, “Take a large tablet/mirror and write on it using a human engraving tool concerning hurried spoil, hastening robbery…”
The writings of the prophet Isaiah have a redemptive rhythm that conveys the meta-narrative of God’s redemptive plan and purpose for Israel and subsequently unto the nations. It is therefore unfortunate that the traditional Christian chapter division of Isaiah 8 and 9 does not take the Hebraic formula into account. The traditional Christian division of the text places the last verse of Isaiah 8 in the position of the first verse of Isaiah 9 and thus reduces the impact of the redemptive rhythm of the prophet’s words. For the purposes of my commentary I have included the complete contents of chapter 8 as correctly discerned and ordered by our rabbis.
Isa 8:1 And HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) said to me, “Take a great gilayon tablet/mirror, and write on it using a common human (enosh) engraving tool (cheret), concerning Le-Maheir (Hurry) shalal (Spoil) chash (Hasten) baz (Robbery).”
What HaShem says here to Isaiah is an addition to the prophecy of the previous chapter, thus, “And”. Isaiah (Salvation of YHVH) is instructed to take a large tablet or mirror, and engrave upon it the warning, “Hurried spoil, hastening robbery”. At this point in the prophecy the Hebrew phrase that was to become the name of Isaiah’s son is simply a statement of warning and not used as a proper noun.
The Hebrew gilayon refers to a tablet of wood, stone or polished metal, and is thus also used to describe ancient mirrors which give a reflection, albeit a murky one. Tablets were used to record the written word by engraving or chiselling out the text. There are many archaeological examples of this ancient practice attributed to the period. Scrolls made from kosher animal skin were also used for recording purposes during this period of Israel’s history. The word cheret describes an iron engraving stylus and the Hebrew enosh, meaning man or human, infers common use.
The Hebrew gilayon is significant because it reflects the dual meaning of both a written warning and a mirrored indictment. Judah is being both warned and given an opportunity to look in the mirror. Judah’s actions have hurried spoil and hastened robbery (The people of Judah had taken what little spoil the poor had [Isaiah 3:5, 15; 5:8], and Achaz their king had effectively robbed HaShem’s Har Beit (Mountain House) by giving the Temple silver and gold to the king of Assyria [Ashur] in payment for his help against Ephraim and Aram [2 Kings 16:7-8]).
The hastening of Judah’s destruction and the hurrying of her captivity is a direct response to her mocking words recorded in Isaiah 5:19, “They say, ‘Let Him hurry and hasten His work that we may see it…”
Isa 8:2 And I took to myself trusted witnesses, Uriyah (My light is YHVH) the cohen priest, and Zechar’yahu (YHVH Remembers) the son of Ye’varekhyahu (YHVH Blesses).
With regard to the two witnesses the Torah itself is the best commentary:
“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any perversity or any sin, in any sin that he sins, upon the mouth of two witnesses or upon the mouth of three witnesses will a word (d’var) rise up (yakum), be established, stand.” –Deuteronomy 19:15
There are at least two possibilities here regarding the phrase, “trusted witnesses”:
1.) Uriah the priest is not the same man as is mentioned sinning against God by becoming an accomplice in Achaz’s building of a pagan altar [2 Kings 16].
2.) Uriah is the same priest mentioned in 2 Kings 16, and the phrase “trusted witnesses” refers to their being trusted by the people of Judah rather than being a description of their personal moral character.
Regardless of the moral character of the witnesses, their names reflect God’s grace and love toward His disobedient people: HaShem (Mercy) is my light, HaShem (Mercy) remembers, HaShem (Mercy) blesses. It is interesting to note that this section of Isaiah ends with a promise of “Heavy Glory/Light” because HaShem “Remembers” His people and “Blesses” them because of His character and not because of their character (8:23 [9:1]).
Isa 8:3 And I went in to ha-naviyah the prophetess; and she conceived, and gave birth to a son. Then said HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) to me, “Kera Proclaim his name Maheir (Hurry)-shalal (Spoil)-chash(Hasten)-baz (Robbery).”
Isaiah was not instructed to simply name his son “Maheir-shalal-chash-baz” but to proclaim his name, that is, in the hearing of the people of Judah on a public occasion. Thus he has now written a warning from HaShem on a tablet, reflected that message, seeded a son who would bear the same message and shouted out the message, making it both a warning and a living proper noun. Judah and Ephraim have been justly warned.
Isa 8:4 For before this boy will know how to cry, “Avi My father”, and “Imi My mother”, the riches of Damesek (Silent sackcloth weaver) and the spoil of Shomeron (Watch Mountain) shall be taken away before the king of Ashur (A step).
This prophecy was spoken in late 733 BCE/BC and its literal fulfilment began less than a year later in 732 BCE/BC when Damascus (Damesek) was captured by the Assyrians (Ashur) and Samaria (Shomeron) subsequently ceased to be a kingdom in 722 BCE/BC.
Isa 8:5 Yosef Adding, HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) dabeir spoke to me continually (going round, circuit), saying, Isa 8:6 For as much as this people refuses the waters of Shiloach (To walk) that go softly, and rejoice in Retzin (Firm) and Remalyahu's (Protected by YHVH) son;
It is interesting to note the correlation between the perpetual or circuit-like words of HaShem to Isaiah and the subsequent outcome prophesied in 8:23 [9:1].
The people have refused the mayim waters (life) of shiloach my walking or sent one (Living out God’s instruction, given by His prophet [sent one]), and have instead rejoiced in the Assyrian king and the strength of human beings.
Shiloach (Siloam), meaning “sent one” or “of me walking”, is the same pool at which Yeshua ministered to a blind man (John 9:1-12). It is the pool whose wall was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah during the time of Nehemiah the prophet (Nehemiah 3:15 [444 BCE/BC]). It is also the pool from which water was drawn for the water ceremony of Sukkot (Booths, dwellings). Thus the symbolism is both poignant and clear. God has sent this living water for the healing and cleansing of the people. It is easily accessed at the foot of Mount Zion and is available to all the people, existing as a physical symbol of God’s provision of spiritual vision given to the sightless, and yet they have refused this gift of living water from HaShem and have instead hastened to seek their own desolation by investing their hope in the king of Assyria. A king who will one day soon rule over them and make them captive to his empire.
Isa 8:7 Hinei Now therefore, behold, Adonai brings up upon them the waters of the river (Euphrates), strong and many, even the king of Ashur (A step), and all his kevodo glory: and he shall overflow all his channels, and overflow all his banks: Isa 8:8 And he shall pass through Yehudah (Praise); he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of your land, imanu (Be with us) El (God).
The waters that Judah have chosen to trust in will overflow and consume them. The waters of Shiloach were soft and flowed gently, offering healing and renewal. On the other hand the waters of the river (Euphrates), which symbolizes the Assyrians, will rush upon them like a tidal wave, instantaneously and violently drowning the people. These flood waters being the result of Judah’s reliance on the river of the king of Assyria. They will reach the neck, meaning that if it were not for HaShem’s protection of the Davidic Dynasty, they would have consumed even the head. However, HaShem will stop them at the neck so that the head (Davidic Dynasty producing the Messiah) is not cut off.
In the face of this prophecy Isaiah is emotionally torn in two. He is tasked with speaking the truth and with warning his people but at the same time he is of Yehudah (Judah), he is one of them, albeit a righteous one. In his desperation over his own people’s coming destruction he cries out to HaShem as if to remind himself that “Imanu (with us), El (is God, the Judge).” The use of the phrase Imanu-El is also a cry for help, calling on the son of the virgin whose birth was yet future.
Isa 8:9 Wicked peoples, be broken in pieces; and give ear, all you of far off lands: equip yourselves, and you will be broken in pieces; encompass yourselves (with protection), and you will be shattered.
In light of the horrifying revelation concerning Judah’s destruction at the hands of her supposed allies, Isaiah now turns his attention to Israel’s enemies. He speaks to warn the nations against gloating over Israel’s temporary desolation (Which is a disciplining and not an annihilation). Paul (Rav Shaul) the Shaliach (Sent one [writing in approx. 60-70 AD/CE]) speaks in a similar way when he warns arrogant Gentile Christians not to despise unbelieving ethnic Israel (Romans 11).
“Do not be arrogant toward these branches (Ethno-religious Israel). If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” –Romans 11:18
Isaiah explains to the nations who are to come against Israel that God will not allow them to trust in human strength either. All their efforts to protect and strengthen themselves will be brought down and shattered.
Isa 8:10 Take counsel together, and it will come to nothing; speak the word, and it will not stand: for imanu (with us) El (is God).
Isaiah now alludes to the reason for the destruction of the nations who come against Israel, “With us is God”, which infers that God is not with the nations who attack Israel. God is for all humanity but He is with Israel and those who honour her through His Son, the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). Again “Imanu-El” is both a phrase and a description of the Messiah’s character.
Isa 8:11 For HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) has spoken to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Isa 8:12 “Don’t call, ‘Conspiracy’, all that this people call, ‘Conspiracy’; neither are you to fear what they fear, nor be afraid.”
Isaiah shares a warning with those in Judah who have remained faithful to God. They are warned not to buy into the popular conspiracies and political intrigues of their time. They are not to adopt the prejudices and worries of the secular community. They are not to fear the naysaying words of their superstitious false prophets and mediums, rather they are to be in awe of God and tremble before His judgement.
This same warning is levelled at the observant Jews, Messianic Jews and Christians of today. Too many (so called) Gentile Messianics (Christians) pursue internet Bible teachers and foolish spiritual conspiracy theories that are not of God. Many of these theories come from pseudo learned teachers who have little or no true understanding of the Hebrew view of Scripture. Some of these conspiracies include but are not limited to: Two House Theology (A Satanic Heresy), Kabbalistic Gematria (Occult), accusing every Democratic US President of being the anti-Christ, Misapplying to the Church Scripture pertaining specifically to ethnic Israel, the teaching that spiritual beings have mated with human beings, and the list goes on. Ironically, many of these spiritual conspiracy theories have more in common with Darwinian conjecture and political gossip than they do with authentic spirituality.
Let me echo to you the words of God spoken to Judah through the prophet Isaiah:
“Do not call, ‘Conspiracy’, all that this people call, ‘Conspiracy’; neither are you to fear what they fear, nor be afraid.”
Notice that the righteous are instructed not to fear what the wicked fear. This is because the wicked fear that which cannot redeem them. In other words, by being afraid of conspiracies and false spiritual power they unwittingly become servants of those same entities and enter into a bondage of destruction. The righteous on the other hand are to fear God. In doing so the righteous come under His protection and receive His redemption through the soft flowing waters of Shiloach (Sent one), which is Imanu-El God with us, the Messiah Yeshua.
“Do not fear those who kill the fallen flesh but are unable to kill the nefesh (Soul being): rather, fear Him Who is able to destroy both nefesh (soul unrepentant) and fallen flesh in Gehinnom (place of continual torment).” –Matthew 10:28
Isa 8:13 Only HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) Tzevaot (Of heaven’s armies, going to war) Himself will you Sanctify; and let Him be your morah (awe, reverence, fear), and let Him be your aratz (trembling, dread).
The righteous are instructed to continually walk in the sanctification of the Holy One HaShem and make Him the sole subject of their devotion, awe and trembling. The fear of God is not the fear of punishment, which is upon the unrepentant, but the awe of redemption, which is received by the repentant.
Isa 8:14 And He will be for a le’mikdash sanctuary; le’even to be a stone striking (a fatal blow and for a u-le’tzur rock of michshol stumbling to both the houses of Yisrael (Judah and Ephraim), for a snare and for a ulmokeish baited lure to those who dwell in Yerushalayim.
Isaiah has repeatedly proclaimed and called upon Imanu-El, God’s intimate closeness and presence with His people. Thus Isaiah now reminds the faithful that Hashem Himself has promised to be manifest in the sign of the virgin birth and to cause the son of that virgin to be a stone which strikes a fatal blow to the unrepentant and a rock (Cliff face) of stumbling that brings the wicked in Israel to their knees (with the view to see them repent and be saved).
God Himself will be the Sanctuary and the stone and rock. Isaiah 28:16 makes the connection between Hashem Who is the Sanctuary and the Stone. Meaning that the Messiah Who is to be the Stone (Even) will also be God and therefore Imanu-El with us, God. Paul (Rav Shaul) the Shaliach (Sent One) applies the words of Isaiah 28:16 to Yeshua:
“Behold, I lay in Tzion (Parched land)
a (even even) stone, stone of testing
and a precious corner foundation (rock) a sure foundation,
and whoever believes in Him shall not act quickly (rashly) [or: shall not be put to shame].”
–Isaiah 28:16 (Romans 9:33)
Isa 8:15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
Those taken, as in the case of Matthew 24:38-46, are the wicked, like those taken in the flood and like Lot’s wife (Luke 17:28-36) [neither text alludes to the false theological construct called “Rapture”].
Isa 8:16 Bind up te’udah the testimony, seal the Torah (Books of Moses, Instruction) in my be’limuday disciples.
The testimony is the Word of the prophets and the righteous ones of God in every generation and the Torah is the foundation of the written word, the books of Moses. Isaiah and the righteous of his time are to bind the actions of the living Word to themselves and keep spiritual truth that might be misused away from the mouths of the unfaithful. They are to seal, protect, make accurate copies of and maintain the unbroken transmission of the written Torah and not allow it to be compromised by the wicked in Israel or by the wicked nations that will come to punish her according to God’s temporary disciplining of her.
This text also tells us that Isaiah, like Yeshua, had disciples who adhered to the Word he taught and diligently followed him walking in the ways of Hashem. This is because Isaiah is both a pre-figure of and a prophetic voice concerning the Messiah Yeshua. Perhaps Isaiah had 12 disciples?
Isa 8:17 And I will wait for HaShem (YHVH: Mercy), Who hides His face from the house of Yaakov (Jacob: Judah & Ephraim-Israel), and I will look for Him.
Isaiah waits upon the Lord. The true prophet understands that the future redemption he sees in the spiritual may not be made manifest in his lifetime. Thus he ultimately places trust in Hashem rather than in what he can see with his physical sight. The true prophet accepts that the promises of Hashem are eternal and that the prophet will yet rise at the last day to behold what he has faithful prophesied within time and space.
The phrase, “Hides His face from” means that HaShem has intentionally withheld His manifest countenance from wrestling Jacob (Israel united: prior to her redemption). However, although Hashem’s face is hidden from the one who denies Him, the prophet will seek Him out.
Isa 8:18 Hinei, Now, Behold, I and the children whom HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) has given me are for le’otot signs and for ul’mofetiym wonders in Yisrael from HaShem (YHVH: Mercy) Tzevaot (Of heaven’s armies, going to war), Who dwells in mount Tziyon (Parched land).
Isaiah proclaims his family’s identity as living representations of God’s Word to His people. Yeshua proclaims the same concerning those who have become His followers and therefore Sons of the Living God. We are to be living examples of God’s Word to the world we live in.
Isa 8:19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who consult the dead and those that have familiar spirits, who whisper, moan and growl: shouldn’t a people seek out their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?
Again the prophet rebukes the superstitious people of Judah and their failure to seek God for direction and counsel. Instead they have sought after those who practice witchcraft and are seeking counsel from the dead (Who cannot communicate to the living). This is in direct rebellion toward the Torah and the testimony of the prophets. The Rhetorical question of the prophet is thickened with incredulity.
Isa 8:20 Le’Torah to the Torah and to ve’le’te’udah the testimony! If they don’t speak according to ka’daveir this Word, there is no dawn in them.
Isaiah gives the people of Judah the solution to their predicament, knowing that they will not listen. It is to the Torah they must turn and to the testimony of the prophets. If they fail to do this there will be no dawn (no resurrection) for them. This is a hard word and is as relevant today as it was then. Those who refuse the Living Word (Yeshua) of God and His written Word (Bible/Torah), and who ignore the testimony of His followers, will have no hope of resurrection unto life (dawn). In order to be resurrected unto life the dawn (Yeshua: firstborn from the dead) of God must dwell within us. Imanu-El, with us is God!
Isa 8:21 And they will alienate it, suffering severe hunger: and it has come to pass, that when they will be hungry, they will fret themselves, and curse in their king and uveilohay their God, gods, judges, and turn their gaze upward (Highest part).
The people will alienate God’s Torah and His testimony through the prophets, thus they will invite their own starvation and oppression. As a result they will curse the weakness of their human king who could not save them and curse the false judges and gods who were unable to guide them. They will gaze up toward God in the highest heavens and find no relief because the unrepentant receive silence. No one can come to god without humility.
Isa 8:22 And they will look to the land (of Israel); and Hinei, now, behold distress and darkness, gloom and anguish; and calamity thrust upon them.
Finding no salvation from God because of their unbelief, they will turn their gaze back to the earth only to find that it is filled with calamity, gloom, distress and anguish. This destruction which has been of their own making will come quickly.
Isa 8:23 (Isaiah 9:1) Nevertheless there will be no lasting gloom on her in her anguish, the first will be light affliction on the land of Ze-vu-lun (Exalted) and the land of Naphtali (Wrestling) and afterward heavy glory by way of Ha-yam the body of water beyond ha-Yardein (Descender) Jordan, Geliyl (Circuit, turning) Galilee ha-Goyim of the nations.
Sadly, the reader of the traditional Christian canon will end chapter 8 here in misery and hopelessness. Thank God the rabbis of rabbinical Judaism chose to divide the chapters according to the redemptive rhythm of Isaiah’s words. For the purposes of my commentary I have followed the rabbinical division of chapters and included verse 23 (9:1 in the traditional Christian division of the book).
The majority of commentators suggest that the body of water in this verse refers to the Mediterranean Ocean and that the second clause of verse 23 is therefore describing the trade root that extends from Egypt up via Akko (Acre: costal city north of Haifa) and then across to the Galilee and Jordan River. Thus it makes a type of circuit (Galilee) of trade of the nations (Goyim).
However, a plain reading of the Hebrew text from the context of Isaiah’s view from Jerusalem would seem to indicate that the prophet is speaking in regard to the Galilee itself when he says Ha-yam (The body of water: yam being the Hebrew referring to a body of water and not necessarily an ocean) beyond the Jordan (meaning beyond that place where the Jordan river flows out of lake Galilee*, as perceived from the prophet’s position in Jerusalem). Then he concludes by naming the area of the Galilee that was at times in Israel’s history, and would come to be in her future (Decapolis: 10 towns of foreigners [goyim] First century CE/AD), a location where people of other nations would dwell (East bank of the Galilee and extending down toward Pella). Thus both Israel and the nations will behold the heavy glory that will be manifest in the Galilee region. The glory of the Messiah.
This glorious hope concludes chapter 8 and illuminates the beginning of chapter 9. Of course, the scroll of Isaiah has no such chapter divisions and the rhythm remains intact for the reader who is devoid of the ordered divisions of scholarly interference.
The message of the prophet is clear and redemptive, “Turn from your sins and be saved by the Imanu-el God with us, the light is dawning!”
"Now when Yeshua heard that Yochanan had been handed over, He withdrew to Yam Kinneret (the Galilee). Leaving Natzeret, He came and settled in Kfar Nachum (village of comfort: Capernaum), which is by the yam (Body of water) in the regions of Zevulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfil what was spoken through Yishaiyahu (Isaiah) the prophet, saying,
'Land of Zevulun and land of Naphtali, the way of the lake, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations—the people sitting in darkness have seen a great light, and those sitting in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.'
From then on, Yeshua began to proclaim, 'Turn away from your sins, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'”
–Matthew 4:12-17 (Isaiah 8:23-9:1[9:1-2])
*Lake Galilee is called Yam Kinneret in Hebrew. The Hebrew Kinneret meaning Harp, the lake being shaped like a Harp.
© Yaakov Brown 2017 | <urn:uuid:501c7f01-a916-48c0-aca4-fbc9107beb8d> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:30:36",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9515557289123535,
"score": 2.59375,
"token_count": 5805,
"url": "https://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-commentary---15081497151214931513-1497150615111489/category/isaiah-8"
} |
Wednesday 20th - 15:00 to 17:00
This course provides an introduction to natural language work based on the spaCy framework in Python.
We will cover the basics of using spaCy 2.x including how to parse text documents, identifying part-of-speech, lemmatization, etc.
We will show how to extract text from HTML using Beautiful Soup, and from PDF documents using PDFx, along with how to handle character encoding, e.g., for work with multiple languages.
More advanced topics include document similarity and named entity resolution, along with means for visualizing parsed and annotated text.
Then we will review the new advancements since 2018 in the embedded models, also called transformers. Looking at projects such as ELMo, BERT, GPT-2, DistilBERT, etc., we will explore how these approaches have changed the field of natural language so dramatically through use of deep learning and especially transfer learning.
Additionally, we'll discuss how to assess fairness and bias in the data, interpretability and visualization of models, along with the implications of how novel hardware is evolving rapidly, and discuss the issues of extreme energy use and policy regarding environmental concerns.
There are more additional notebooks for extra material than we will have time to run during the course -- for example, some of the deep learning examples take a long time to run (up to an hour). For these, we will review during the training, then people can run the notebooks later as a deep-dive into specific topics.
- Each person taking the course should have some hands-on experience coding in Python, plus some familiarity with machine learning.
- Please bring a laptop. You will need to have a Google account (Gmail) and it helps to have a GitHub account too.
- We will use Jupyter notebooks running on Google Colab via GitHub, so there is no need to install or configure anything specially for the exercises.
- You are a Python programmer and need to learn how to use available packages for NLP and deep learning.
- You are a data scientist with some Python experience and need to leverage NLP, text mining, and deep learning.
- You are interested in deep learning, knowledge graphs, and related AI work, and want to understand the basics for preparing text data for those kinds of use cases. | <urn:uuid:9c87105f-7a4c-4bfa-bdf2-a94786626616> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:23:51",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9217507243156433,
"score": 2.953125,
"token_count": 482,
"url": "https://www.bigthingsconference.com/2019/workshops/spacy-tutorial-natural-language-work"
} |
UNCOVERING THE WHY BEHIND THE 26 MILES A MARATHON!
Traveling Back in Time!
If you are interested in history, in general, you’d know the story.
We, Cairo Runners, are interested in the history of Marathon specifically, so we are unfolding the story of the marathon today.
Back in 490 B.C., the Athenians had defeated the invading Persians.
After the great defeat, they sent a messenger from the city of Marathon to Athens to announce the victory.
Care to venture a guess about the distance? Correct!
Roughly 26 MILES RUN.
The Legendary Run In Commemoration!
The first modern games during the 1896 Olympics introduced the first Marathon in history in commemoration of the legendary run.
Since then the world has followed! And that was when the word “Marathon” originated.
If you are a marathoner you know how it feels to defeat all the odds and run those 26 miles!
It takes a warrior to get to the finish line and what a warrior was Pheidippides! In commemoration of this legend, the world is bringing the myth into reality and the spirit of victory to our streets with every marathon being run!
Thank you Pheidippides because of you we see victory down the finish line! | <urn:uuid:f28e0ba0-7956-4494-afd3-2402bccabcc0> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:09:48",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9398123025894165,
"score": 3.03125,
"token_count": 277,
"url": "https://www.cairorunners.com/26miles"
} |
ME/CFS in Children: Fact Sheet for Education Professionals
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) can affect a child’s experience at school. This fact sheet provides information for education professionals such as teachers, guidance counselors, and other school staff about supporting students with ME/CFS and other chronic conditions in the school environment. For the purposes of this fact sheet, adolescents are defined as children between 11 and 18 years old and “parent” refers to adults who are either parents or guardians.
Helping Students Who Have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
When teaching adolescents or younger children with ME/CFS, it can be helpful to understand more about the problems faced by these students. A key to helping students with ME/CFS is to work as a team with their teachers, parents, administrators, other education professionals, and healthcare professionals. This team approach can provide flexibility with educational plans and school resources that are customized to target and reflect the student’s needs.
ME/CFS affects each student differently. Each child may experience different symptoms and the duration of their symptoms may differ as well. Symptoms can fluctuate from day to day and week to week, affecting a young person’s ability to attend school regularly and perform consistently.
ME/CFS can affect children and adolescents in many ways, including their:
- Ability to participate both inside and outside of the classroom
- Relationships with peers
- Ability to complete assignments
- Overall school success
Understand How ME/CFS Affects Students Inside and Outside the Classroom
Teachers and administrators who are not familiar with ME/CFS could mistake a child’s illness and fatigue for laziness or avoidance of social interaction. Below are a few examples of how ME/CFS can affect students:
- School performance or attendance can be affected by a student’s ME/CFS symptoms, such as memory or concentration problems, unrefreshing sleep, and headaches.
- Adolescents and younger children with ME/CFS can experience problems when trying to do several things at once—for example, doing their homework and keeping track of time.
- Many children with ME/CFS experience more severe symptoms in the morning hours and may have trouble getting to school on time or staying alert in the morning at school.
- Children with ME/CFS can have problems with attention, response time, information processing speed, and delayed recall of verbal and visual information.
- Teachers may notice that students with symptoms mentioned above may be able to complete grade-level tasks, but might require more time to do so.
Tips for Teachers and Administrators*
Because ME/CFS is a complex disorder that affects how students learn and participate in school, teachers and administrators may want to be creative in developing strategies to foster an encouraging learning environment for their students with ME/CFS. Teachers and administrators may want to:
- Help students with note taking.
- Give them extended time on exams and assignments.
- Schedule rest periods during class or throughout the day.
- Avoid information overload.
- Be open to combining school and home tutoring.
- Permit students to attend school in shorter periods rather than a full day, as necessary.
- If advised by the student’s doctor, allow students to participate in modified physical education classes, or exempt them from class, if needed.
- Give students an extra set of books to use at home.
- Offer and encourage the use of organizers, schedulers, and other tools for time management.
*NOTE: The list above is not exhaustive. Teachers and administrators may need to explore other strategies to accommodate the particular needs of each individual student with ME/CFS. | <urn:uuid:e379cb80-c942-44b0-8539-754f3472819f> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:04:52",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9412474632263184,
"score": 3.359375,
"token_count": 795,
"url": "https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/me-cfs-children/factsheet-educational-professional.html"
} |
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the human needs have five distinct levels. One must first satisfy the needs in the bottom of the pyramid before being able to deal with the needs on the next tier. Studies group clothing amongst the most basic physiological needs, but if you take a closer look, clothing transcends all these levels to some extent.
- Physiological — we need clothing to prevent us from getting too cold or too hot.
- Safety — for when we use clothing as protection like in helmets, or neon and translucent clothes for hunting.
- Love and Belonging — we use clothes to fit-in to a group as in wearing a uniform, or conforming to the current trends.
- Esteem — clothing are also used to assert ourselves. Many people get their confidence from the clothes that they are wearing.
- Self-actualization — lastly, clothing is in the top of the hierarchy to fulfill the need to express one’s self by using fashion.
With this in mind, it’s no wonder that the fashion industry makes up 2% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to Fashion United, the total value of the industry globally exceeded 3 trillion U.S. Dollars in 2017 alone.
Fashion has been evolving since the time of Queens and Kings. Men and women have always followed trends. From corsets, top hats, and petticoats from the 19th century to the ripped jeans and cropped tops of the 21st century. To keep up with the fashion hunger, mass production of clothes have begun along with the rise of capitalism. Clothes were being produced without the need for fitting. This marked the beginning of fast fashion. Mass production of clothes has paved the way for a major drop in price. And with the low price, comes the feeling of disposability. When you buy something that costs cheap, you think that you can easily throw away and replace it. You are bombarded with advertisements and promotions that make you think that you need these things to be happy and entice you with ridiculously low prices.
Clothing manufacturers took advantage of this created need by releasing season after season of new trends. From twice each year, these fashion giants now have up to 52 seasons per year, releasing new set of clothes and trends every week. But do you really believe that that top only cost $10? Is that pair of boots really a steal at $20? Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe, the money that you pay is not the actual cost of the clothes you wear?
The True Cost
In the documentary “The True Cost” by Andrew Morgan, he travelled the world to expose the ways the fashion industry exploits people. The trillion-dollar industry has negative impacts on such a massive scale. If the almost slave labor and unbearable, sometimes deadly, condition of the manufacturing sweatshops did not deter you from hoarding clothes, maybe knowing the toll it puts on our environment is what it will take.
The Environmental Impact of Textile Production and Treatment
Cotton is still one of the main raw materials required to make textile but cotton farming is very demanding. Did you know that it takes 2,700 liters of water to grow enough cotton to make one single cotton t-shirt? That’s enough drinking water supply for one person for three years. Cotton needs so much water to grow that it has dried up the Aral Sea in Central Asia. The government prioritized agriculture in 1950. They diverted the two rivers it feeds from to cotton farmlands in the surrounding desert. It used to be the fourth largest inland saline lake in the world but is now only around 10% of its original size.
Another way cotton farming harms the environment is because it accounts for 24% of the world’s insecticide use. These chemicals then make their way into the soil, causing irreversible damage to its composition and the living things on the land – humans included.
Growing cotton is not the only step in the clothing production that needs a lot of water. To dye one ton of fabric, an estimated 200 tons of freshwater is required. In developing countries where most of these processes are outsourced, like in Dhaka, Bangladesh, they use freshwater from rivers or canals. After the process, they are left with wastewater laden with chemicals that they then discharge into the waterways, untreated. Natural bodies of water are so polluted that the communities started developing more illnesses in recent years. It is also eliminating the other industries that rely on freshwater like farming and fishing.
Excess Stock and the Clothes You Don’t Want
You may think that the old clothes you donate go through organizations and to the underprivileged people. In a sense, that is correct. Traditionally, discarded clothes are sold at bargain in flea markets in poorer nations. But even the market for this is in decline in recent years according to BBC. It has even led to some nations in Africa to push for a ban on used-clothing imports because it has negatively affected the apparel production and their economy.
For big fashion brands, they will never sell their full inventory so what happens to the excess products? This waste stock goes through different processes as per company policy. Some companies donate their clothes to NGOs, while some destroy their excess stock to protect their brand.The rest that do not go reused or recycled end up in our landfills and our oceans. Some of the fibers like polyester will take hundreds of years to disintegrate.
What Can We Do?
Patagonia, a company who makes sporting apparel, started manufacturing clothes from soda in 1993. Today, they not only use soda bottles but also manufacturing waste and worn-out garments even from their own. There are also fair-trade business that not only look after the welfare of workers, but also on the sustainability of the entire life cycle of their products. These small producers make up a very small portion of this trillion dollar industry. The biggest change must come from the mass producers. These big brands must start looking into the sustainability of their production process and the welfare of the people in the countries they outsource their it to. Something as big as a change in the business model may be required to touch the surface of the problem they have created.
You, as a shopper, can take small steps to ensure that you minimize your contribution to this problem. You may start looking into the materials used for things that you buy. There are manufacturers that use organic cotton which were farmed without the use of insecticides and pesticides. Buy clothes with the intent of making them last. Read the care instructions and take care of them so you do not have to buy more unnecessarily. Even something as simple as thinking twice before you purchase will go a long way if each and every one will do the same. | <urn:uuid:d31db88c-ea4e-4280-a077-537b22f0f9cf> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:51:03",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9625628590583801,
"score": 2.5625,
"token_count": 1397,
"url": "https://www.cloudland.net/the-environment-and-mankinds-hunger-for-fashion/"
} |
General InformationCountry: Italy
On October 19, 1922, by Royal Decree No. 1439, is enshrined in the birth of the Municipality of Riccione.
Silvio Lombardini is the first mayor to lead our city, then, since 1925, Riccione is led by the mayor. During this period the city began to take its first steps as a tourist destination. The birth of the first family-run pensions and other activities related to the summer season. There are also many children from the city, which in the warmer months come to our colonies in order to benefit of the salutary effects of the beach and sea.
During the Second World War, with the passage of the front in September 1944, Riccione suffered serious destruction. After the conflict began the slow and laborious reconstruction.
The first democratic elections take place April 7, 1946 with the appointment of the first democratically elected mayor, Giovanni Quondamatteo which will be followed by Augusto Saponi (f.f.), Giulia Galli, Nicola Casali, Tommaso Enio Della Rosa, Dante Tosi, Giovanni Petrucciani, Biagio Cenni, Terzo Pierani, Massimo Masini, Daniele Imola e Massimo Pironi, current mayor took office in June 2009.
Source: "I politici locali. Consiglieri, assessori e sindaci del Riminese 1946-2001" by Paolo Zaghini and Gianluca Calbucci - Capitani Editore
The development of Riccione has been steady and gradual, in 1955 there are 15,000 inhabitants. Will be 28,770 in 1981, 34,248 in 2001, from 35,813 to 31 December 2010. | <urn:uuid:f41eb3d5-a897-4e6a-b8b7-043bbde6d984> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:25:20",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9310296177864075,
"score": 2.65625,
"token_count": 371,
"url": "https://www.comune.riccione.rn.it/In-Comune/organizzazione-ente-riccione/vittorio-foschi"
} |
While no one can say yet that stress is definitely a cause of infertility, researchers have shown that it can actually be a problem for couples trying to conceive. Opinions are divided because there are some who argue, that women can conceive under far more stressful situations than what we understand by everyday stresses, generated by modern life’s chaotic rhythm or the desperate efforts some couple make in order to conceive. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
It is true that women in countries affected by famine and social disputes have no troubles conceiving because of stress, but it is also true that high stress levels affects a woman’s ovulation, often delaying it or making women anovulatory.
So, even if it is not 100% sure that stress is what is keeping you from getting pregnant, there are strong possibilities that stress has something to do with your infertility, especially if you do not suffer from any biological condition that causes infertility.
High levels of stress affect the functioning of your hypothalamus, the area of the brain responsible with sending and receiving signals from your reproductive system. Since your menstrual cycle is a complex system of communications between your ovaries and your brain, stressors on your brain can affect your fertility cycle. This is how stress can delay your ovulation or in severe cases, prevent you from ovulating at all.
Some studies point out the fact that women who were constantly stressed and anxious about their in-vitro fertilization had 20% fewer eggs that they could fertilize. Furthermore, the same studies showed that women who were highly concerned about missing work had 30% fewer eggs available to be fertilized.
Stress is managed differently by each woman, so the set of reactions that stress generates in one woman may not be the same with the set of reactions it generates in another. Think about gaining or losing weight because of stress. While some persons gain a lot of weight in stressful periods of time, others lose weight significantly when faced with the same circumstances. One thing is for sure: stress is not healthy, especially for a future mom.
Figuring out when you ovulate might help you deal with stress and might increase your chances of getting pregnant, as it will give you back some control of your fertility cycle. Sometimes you have to try for several months in a row before getting pregnant.
Keep in mind that you only have a few fertile days during a cycle, so there is no need to stress out the whole month. If your fertile window has passed and you were unable to conceive, wait for it to come again the next month. Meanwhile, try some relaxation techniques instead of staying awake at night wondering what is wrong with you. You never know what a powerful mind can do.
Stay calm, cool & collected. And remember that 90% of couples with no underlying infertility issues will successfully fall pregnant within 18 months of trying. So let that reassuring statistic tame the stress demon. | <urn:uuid:32b8edbe-27f0-43e8-9b54-defdf0aea31a> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:24:00",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9652097225189209,
"score": 2.78125,
"token_count": 592,
"url": "https://www.conceiveeasy.com/get-pregnant/how-stress-affects-your-fertility/"
} |
Otolaryngology (pronounced oh/toe/lair / in/goll/oh / jee) is the earliest medical specialized area in the United States. Otolaryngologists are doctors trained in the surgical as well as medical management and treatment of clients with illness and conditions of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and allergies. They are typically referred to as ENT physicians.
Their unique abilities consist of diagnosing and handling illness of the sinuses, larynx (voice box), elements within oral cavity, and upper throat (mouth and throat). Otolaryngologists detect, deal with, and handle specialty-specific ailments in addition to lots of primary care problems in both children and adults. | <urn:uuid:ef14d175-b5b6-454c-9b0d-fe206b88f034> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:51:31",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.962983250617981,
"score": 3.21875,
"token_count": 149,
"url": "https://www.drpeskind.com/blog/2013/05/28/"
} |
August 2, 2016 -- Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health with collaborators at the Federal University of Sao Paulo studied the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and patterns of substance use among high school students in Brazil and found that respondents with clinically significant scores on a behavioral screening questionnaire were more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana in the past month compared to those without symptoms. The study is among the first to highlight the link between psychiatric symptoms and substance use among teenagers in a middle-income country with high levels of social inequalities. The paper is published online in The American Journal on Addictions.
Results were based on data collected from 4,034 high school students in the 10th to 12th grades at 128 public and private schools in São Paulo between September 2013 and December 2013. The students, who were between the ages of 15 and 18, self-reported on alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana substance use patterns in the prior month. Most of the students were female and from public schools. The researchers controlled for gender and socio-economic status.
The findings showed that 44 percent of the students had no psychiatric symptoms, 8 percent showed some symptoms and 49 percent reported clinically significant symptoms. Past-month alcohol use was reported at 38 percent; only 2 percent of students used alcohol frequently. Tobacco use rates were 9 percent and 2 percent, for past-month and frequent use, respectively. Among marijuana users in the past month, the rate was 7 percent, and 2 percent for frequent users.
Respondents with a clinically significant score on the behavioral survey, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for young children and adolescents, or SDQ, were more likely to be past-month alcohol users, past-month tobacco users, and past-month marijuana users as compared to those without symptoms. Substance use varied by psychiatric symptoms; researchers looked at emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationships, and positive social behavior.
"Studies to determine which specific mental health symptoms are associated with substance use among adolescents in different settings are crucial," noted Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology. "In developing countries such as Brazil where a wide gap of social inequalities is observed, this is particularly important. Mental health policies should focus on these populations, especially since providing early treatment for psychiatric symptoms may have a direct impact on mental health prevalence and its costs among adults."
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse (R01DA037866 and R01DA039454), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD-R01HD060072), Columbia University President's Global Innovation Fund, and the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP Grant 12/04614-0).
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Founded in 1922, Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health pursues an agenda of research, education, and service to address the critical and complex public health issues affecting New Yorkers, the nation and the world. The Mailman School is the third largest recipient of NIH grants among schools of public health. Its over 450 multi-disciplinary faculty members work in more than 100 countries around the world, addressing such issues as preventing infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health, maternal and child health, health policy, climate change & health, and public health preparedness. It is a leader in public health education with over 1,300 graduate students from more than 40 nations pursuing a variety of master's and doctoral degree programs. The Mailman School is also home to numerous world-renowned research centers including ICAP (formerly the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs) and the Center for Infection and Immunity. For more information, please visit http://www. | <urn:uuid:c4c24e09-a532-47bf-b30a-deb8e406e186> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:44:51",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9515711069107056,
"score": 2.65625,
"token_count": 777,
"url": "https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-08/cums-hsw080216.php"
} |
Officially declared extinct in Malaysia back in 2015, it seems we may have to bid farewell to the Sumatran Rhino in Malaysian borders for good. With the last news of the only two surviving rhino reportedly being sickly early last year and no news since, it is truly saddening to think that these gentle forest-dwellers have ceased to exist right before our eyes.
Among the megadiverse collection of animals found all across Malaysia, Johor comes in second for having the largest area designated as a national forest reserve. The Endau-Rompin National Park is home to most of Peninsular Malaysia’s animals, with many endemic to rainforest area and its surrounding waters.
The Northern Sumatran Rhino
The two-horned Asian rhino was known to make the Johor rainforest its primary habitat, although little clusters have been spotted further up north right into Thailand, and others found on the Indonesian island regions of Borneo and Sumatra. They are the world’s smallest known sub-species of rhinoceros, and are the most endangered of the continent. While they may be small compared to their African relatives, the Sumatran subspecies is actually the closest relative of the prehistoric Woolly Rhinoceros, a giant of the Ice Age. Their most distinctive features pertaining to this are their shaggy exteriors, hairy ears and tail, and their two horns.
Too Elusive For Their Own Good
The Sumatran Rhino are highly solitary creatures, preferring isolation rather than a herd. This has made them extremely hard to track, so much to the point that experts have deemed them to be extinct on Asia’s mainland.
The existing little population of under 80 rhinoceri known to live on the islands of Southeast Asia, specifically in the dense jungles of Borneo and scatterings across Sumatera, have also been rather difficult to monitor even amongst themselves due to the large expanse of rainforest, and a frightening rate of deforestation cutting across their territories.
The only method we have for the documentation of these secretive animals is via camera traps, as these shy and rare beings tend to hide too well in the foliage.
Declaration of Extinction
Even when Endau-Rompin was known to be one of the very few areas in Malaysia to have the largest population of Northern Sumatran Rhino on Peninsular Malaysia, several hard-hitting issues contributed significantly to their alarming decline.
Like the African white and black rhinoceros, poaching was the main cause of the Sumatran Rhino’s decimation. No modern medical and scientific evidence has proven any benefits to the usage of rhino horn, not for curing cancer nor acne. Yet, many Asian human populations still covet the ivory in the faith that its exclusivity propagates almost magical properties, and its value defeats even gold.
Separation also had its terrible effects on the rhinoceri. What few females that have been found and tagged by the active conservationists were found to have uterine fibroids – tumours in the uterus that prevented lifetime pregnancy. This condition was noted to occur when the animals were not able to mate or breed for extended periods.
Today, what remaining researchers specialising in and dedicated to the Sumatran Rhino have focused their efforts in the far reaches of Borneo, working with rehabilitation centres to conserve the surviving rhino in Indonesian zones.
Why They Can Never Return to Johor
They might have once been one among the many of Johor’s collection of rare animals, but too much has happened to the land. They have nothing to come back to, literally. Deforestation is rampant, legal and illegal. Despite many areas being designated as protected, these territories are also facing degazzetting by government and industrial powers in favour of highways and prime construction.
These introverted beasts thrive in dense jungle, where their feeding habits of browsing for low-growing shrubbery and wild fruit can commence uninterrupted. The dry, barren conditions left behind by heavy transport and landscape stripping ruins the entire ecological chain. With the added threat of habitat loss, it isn’t just the rhinos that face accelerated extinction.
The Desperate Remaining
The surviving animals still have a long way to go to make their conservation more than just a notion. Johor still is host to a plethora of wildlife not found anywhere else in Malaysia. The dugongs of Pulau Sibu have a conservation dedicated to them and their delicate source of food – the seagrass, but massive development projects like the Forest City coastal reclamation are a huge threat.
Many mangrove inhabitants such as the Milky Stork and the Betta Persephone have also fallen to critically endangered levels.
The pride and joy of Malaysia, the Malayan Tiger who has been known to inhabit certain parts of Endau-Rompin, still is in danger of poaching and human-wildlife conflict. Pangolins are infamously and unjustifiably hunted like they are purposely being exterminated.
A Shred of Hope?
We have failed the Sumatran Rhino, but not all is completely lost. There have been instances where acts of preservation has been successful in Johor, like the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park in Mersing. With heavily monitored and restricted diving activities as well as continuous efforts in rehabilitating the coral reefs, the ecological system of that region noticeably healed and even improved.
This victory was achieved through the declaration of the area as sultanate land by the Johor royalty, enabling higher protection status due to its importance beyond state government regulations. Sustainability and environmental conservation may seem like a simply an added bonus during talks of development, not something many take into high consideration, but with initiatives from the higher powers themselves, we can only hope to distance our flora and fauna from the too-close future of extinction.
*This article first appeared in our Expat Magazine March 2019 edition. | <urn:uuid:846fea70-5e9f-4cb4-b16a-232623241a06> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:36:03",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9633920788764954,
"score": 3.25,
"token_count": 1229,
"url": "https://www.expatgo.com/my/2019/03/11/in-memory-of-the-northern-sumatran-rhino/"
} |
Did you know that half of all businesses in Indiana are small businesses? These companies are the economic drivers of the local economy. Typically, these same companies employ fewer than 10 employees. If you scan the horizon of your community, you will see a variety of them in the following industry sectors: construction, transportation, service, retail, agriculture, finance, wholesale, mining and manufacturing.
Economic development efforts, historically labeled as “smoke stack chasers”, used to be focused on attraction and retention while neglecting to focus on the companies that called the community home. In the 21st Century the approach changed, and the growth of local companies was necessary for rural and urban communities. Economic development efforts recognized a need and developed strategies for addressing needs and responses of the micro businesses on the Main Streets and outskirts.
Creating an entrepreneurial community is a multi-pronged approach, much like adding the ingredients of a recipe. Just like in anything, you must have effective and supportive leadership, from the top down and bottom up. This applies to both elected and non-elected positions. You will find that communities have influential people that do not have a political title but are essential to moving projects and action items forward in the community. They have influence over specific individuals in some capacity or another.
The first step In creating an entrepreneurial community is to align your leadership. Next is assessing and inventorying the businesses. How many businesses do you have in your community? What size are they? Where are they located? How many employees? What year were they established? Type of organization and industry? In addition, provide a needs analysis or gap analysis. What are the challenges in the market place or the community? This will require trust and a conversation.
The final step involves matching resources. Assess what is available in your county, region and state to work with business owners. How do they access it? Do not take a no for an answer. Many businesses may need an ombudsman to navigate the system. Creating an entrepreneurial community is exciting, and it’s a culture to celebrate. | <urn:uuid:a46151c7-65a2-4d9a-b57f-cceaf15e7da1> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:35:18",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9641265869140625,
"score": 2.609375,
"token_count": 421,
"url": "https://www.extension.purdue.edu/dearborn/article/25215"
} |
When the first industrial robot, Unimate, appeared on a General Motors assembly in 1961, it was a modern marvel. The job it performed, transporting die-castings and welding them onto car bodies was not only onerous, but dangerous to human workers, who faced both the risk of injury and being exposed to toxic fumes.
Over the last 50 years, robotic machinery has been vastly improved. Due to more sensitive motors and actuators, they’ve become incredibly precise, which enables them to work with small components, often with far more accuracy than a human can achieve. That’s what’s has allowed robots to move from making Buicks to smartphones.
Yet the future lies not in greater precision and accuracy, but the ability for robots to collaborate effectively with humans. Rethink Robotics is one of the companies at the forefront of this revolution, so I spent some talking to Jim Lawton, the company’s Chief Product and Marketing Officer, to learn more about what we can expect the future of robotics to look like.
From Work-In-Progress To Just-In-Time
For a long time, manufacturing facilities set up to produce in large batches. Once a product was engineered and designed, factories would churn out thousands of identical items without stopping. This was an effective way to produce goods cheaply, but it also resulted in a huge amount of work-in-progress inventory. | <urn:uuid:2d36cd2f-bb33-47db-acb9-4d0bf9b001c4> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:48:43",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9609127044677734,
"score": 2.828125,
"token_count": 287,
"url": "https://www.fablabconnect.com/rethink-robotics-sees-future-collaborative-robots/"
} |
Child sexual abuse is commonly associated with an adult abusing a child, yet, a staggering one in four (24%) cases actually involve one child abusing another. Sadly, this type of abuse is increasing.
Often undetected by parents, children can display problematic sexual behaviours from as early as two years old. Problematic sexual behaviours are not just direct sexual abuse acts but are also behaviours that fall outside of general curiosity and natural exploration between children.
New research commissioned by Act for Kids reveals that while three quarters (78%) of Australians blame problematic sexual behaviours on access to online content, worryingly, parents are not taking the necessary precautions to protect their children online.
Program Manager at Act for Kids, Miranda Bain said the findings are both surprising and scary, "There is a lack of knowledge amongst parents of what constitutes problematic sexual behaviours in children and how these behaviours have the potential to lead to more harmful peer on peer abuse.
"While there are a number of places children might learn problematic behaviours, easy access to age-inappropriate content is a major factor in influencing these young minds." says Miranda.
The research finds that two-thirds (63%) of parents fail to secure their devices with passwords and one in two (55%) allow their children unsupervised access online.
As technology is evolving at such a fast pace, those responsible for protecting children are struggling to keep up. As a result, the 98% of children under 10 who already use devices, are left exposed to pornographic and violent content.
Concerningly, two-thirds (67%) of parents to children under 12 feel they need more education on how to protect their kids from accessing inappropriate content.
National Abuse Lawyer, Lisa Flynn, has extensive experience assisting those who have been sexually abused.
"Once a person has been sexually abused the emotional scars left can be debilitating. As a community we need to be doing everything we can to stop this alarming increase in the incidence of peer on peer abuse.
"We need to know how to identify where the risk exists, how to respond to it when it happens and how best to support all children involved to minimise the long-term effects of the abuse," says Lisa.
Miranda says, "It's important for parents to remember children show their needs and wants through their behaviour. So, understanding the reason behind their child's sexual behaviour is important.
"When children do not have the language, experience or ability to seek help, adults must look carefully at the behaviour to interpret it. Unfortunately, while there isn't a one size fits all solution, reviewing the behaviour will help parents understand what is going on," says Miranda.
This Child Protection Week (1-7 September), Act for Kids is urging parents to take the necessary steps to protect their children online and learn more about the warning signs of problematic sexual behaviours.
The research was conducted by PureProfile on a representative sample of 2002 Australians 18 years and older. The survey was conducted on behalf of Act for Kids in July 2019.
Question: Where you surprised to hear that a quarter of all abuse cases involve another child?
Sabine: Being familiar with the legal system, I have heard similar statistics raised in the past whenever a particularly unsavoury case comes before the courts, however people seldom acknowledge a statistic until they become one.
Question: Can you tell us about online issues you've had with your seven-year-old son?
Sabine: Raising children who are "technology natives" is difficult without the added complexity of having to support their development with constant vigilance and increased scrutiny. These days I almost need a device to monitor the device my child is using. I was astounded to discover the level of resourcefulness my son has in accessing online content, downloading apps, making in-app purchases, typing in search fields, and having the know-how to navigate and change device settings. I discovered his ingenuity by way of an app store bill in the tune of $350. I was also unsettled over downloads of a shooting game, the kinds of games I had not banked on my son discovering until he was at least in his teens.
Question: How have you secured your child's devices?
Sabine: Following the apple account bill, I have restricted in-app purchases, restricted app downloads, and applied age restrictions to the phone so that my son will only be able to access content that is G rated.
Question: Where do you find education for protecting your child, online?
Sabine: Act for Kids is a good resource for protecting kids and on matters that affect children.
Question: How have you learnt to discuss these issues, with your seven-year-old son?
Sabine: Investing sometime in early education and an open, transparent discussion on the ability to identify inappropriate content and deal effectively with the situation to eliminate the content or alert an adult.
Question: What message would you like to spread to parents during Child Protection Week?
Sabine: This child protection week, I'd like to urge parents to do what they can to protect their kids online. I think it's vital that, as parents, we model appropriate behaviour and communicate the importance of online safety to help keep kids safe. It's time we start a conversation about the material our kids might be accessing, or that someone else might be showing them. Parents can learn how to protect their kids online by visiting www.actforkids.com.au.
Interview by Brooke Hunter | <urn:uuid:acf1d90c-862b-4deb-a323-3ff44834d17c> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:48:19",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9641726613044739,
"score": 2.921875,
"token_count": 1113,
"url": "https://www.female.com.au/sabine-child-protection-week-interview.htm"
} |
Four Excellent Special Needs Parenting Books On Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disabilities
Every day our paths cross those of people with autism, developmental disabilities, ADHD, and other challenges. These special needs parenting books are not only for this group of parents but are great resources for all to help us understand the wide range of people we teach, work with or work for.
If we want society to embrace people who are differently-abled and who learn differently, it is important that our teaching establishments and communities be kind and inclusive. The following books, written by experts in their field and by parents who have raised children with special needs to adulthood, will help to achieve this goal.
By Dr. Temple Grandin and Sean Barron
This is a very interesting book written by and about two autistic individuals. In the first two parts, the authors share not just their thoughts, but their ways of thinking. We learn how this affects their social behavior and why some aspects of their lives have been so difficult. You will learn the differences between visual vs verbal thinkers.
Temple’s logical mind controlled her social behavior. She interacted with many adults and other children, experiencing varied social situations. Logic informed her decision to obey social rules and avoid unpleasant consequences. Sean’s emotions controlled his social behavior. Baffled by social rules, he was often isolated and friendless.
In PART THREE, titled The Ten Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, the authors have settled on 10 basic social rules autistics should be taught. The last 300 pages of this 425 page book explain how these rules can be taught and why they have been singled out as being important. How they are taught will vary with each individual based on their thinking pattern and the other brain and body challenges present in the person.
Find a copy of this very interesting book to learn how Temple Grandin and Sean Barron became successful adults. Many with autism or their caregivers will be able to “find themselves” in either of these two very different ways autism plays out. Their powerful stories will enthrall readers and the lessons they learned will enlighten you.
By Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.
This book is a wealth of information and parenting tips for ALL parents. However, from the 400 books we have reviewed, this book that has left me “sitting on the fence.” Why? As a teacher with thirty years teaching in our French elementary classrooms and as a grandmother of a teen with ADD, I have seen first-hand how helpful medications can be for students with ADHD. On the other hand, yes, probably many students could also be helped by the, “101 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion,” as described in Thomas Armstrong’s book.
The detailed Table of Contents makes it very easy to locate sections you want to reread or direct a friend to read if they do not have the time to read a book of over 350 pages.
In The Myth of the ADHD Child, Dr. Armstrong discusses:
- The overmedication issue: what the studies show regarding the dangers of psychoactive medication use with children.
- The school environment issue: there is a link between school accountability/school pressure to achieve and the rising rates of ADHD, as well as a correlation between being the youngest child in a class and the higher risk of being labeled ADHD, and consequently medicated.
- The gender issue: what used to pass for normal boyhood behavior is now pathologized as ADHD, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, etc.
- The late bloomer issue: rather than letting our kids grow at their own rate in a supportive and enriching environment, we’re medicating late bloomers for not immediately meeting milestones.
Almost every chapter ends with a section titled “FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.” Here readers will find links, contact information, names of resources, associations, speakers, etc. that parents will appreciate greatly.
By Cindy Rasmussen
The book charts the difficult but inspiring course Cindy Rasmussen’s family navigated in their search to find the support and services their autistic son needed all the while raising two other sons.
It is an engaging and emotional story as you read about Steven and follow his life from birth to his autistic diagnosis at age 3 to the present as a man in his early 40’s. Cindy Rasmussen’s inspiring book is an honest portrayal of what it is like to live with autism on a daily basis.
Cindy explains Steven’s early tantrums and other challenging, dangerous behaviors. Like many autistic individuals, Steven had two fascinations: swimming pools and elevators. He also could not tolerate transitions from routine. His teen years brought on other problems.
Steven’s father and two brothers have written each a chapter and they share personal and heartfelt accounts of their experience living with an autistic member in their family.
“If you are the parent of an autistic child, I want to share our story with you so you will know you are not alone,” Cindy Rasmussen wrote in her introduction to the book. “Our story does not have a ‘happily ever after’ ending but it is a story of hope and encouragement.”
By Linda Atwell
Congratulations to the team behind Loving Lindsey as it is an Award Finalist in the, “Parenting & Family,” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.
Parents also raising a teen or young adult with special needs will be able to relate to the chapters dealing with getting a job, birth control, moving in with a partner, living on their own or in a group home, and knowing who is a true friend compared to someone who wants to take advantage of them. Lindsey’s parents hoped their life raising two children was going to be like a merry-go-round ride; however, it turned out to be a roller coaster ride with many loop-de-loops. Atwell is honest about the challenges of raising a child with intellectual disabilities to adulthood and doesn’t throw any silliness at us about how-this-was-really-a-blessing.
Linda writes in a conversational tone. Reading her book, you will feel you are sitting with a friend chatting over coffee. Other times you feel like a fly on the wall witnessing the complicated relationship between mother and daughter who is an adult and legally able to make her own decisions and yet she will stay a forever-child. You will rejoice with her parents when Lindsey makes another step towards being independent or makes a good decision. You will feel sad and angry when Lindsey’s life goes sideways.
We highly recommend you read this book to understand and appreciate the love and devotion, perseverance and determination it takes for parents to get what their children with special needs require to reach their potential. And all this hard work and worrying does not finish with the end of high school. The next phase of their lives just gets scarier and more challenging! ‘Little Kids, Little Problems, Big Kids, Big Problems’ is so true in most cases. | <urn:uuid:10815423-a517-4ca1-b2eb-f005df81d127> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:12:49",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9642964005470276,
"score": 3.078125,
"token_count": 1470,
"url": "https://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2018/01/11/four-excellent-special-needs-parenting-books-autism-adhd-intellectual-disabilities/"
} |
Two words any smart phone user fears: Low Battery. But what if each time we powered up our smart phones, the power of a child who helped to make our devices was taken away? That is the sacrifice that children such as 4-year-old Monica make in the Cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she searches for minerals used to create Lithium-ion batteries.
Exposure to sexual violence and dangerous working conditions are more than just side effects of the demand for smart devices, they reveal a public health crisis powered by international enterprise, armed conflict, and modern day slavery.
According to UNICEF, 40,000 children work in Cobalt mines in the southern Katanga province of the DRC. Unable to attend school, these child laborers are exposed to violence and little-known Cobalt Lung, a potentially fatal disease caused by inhaling hard metal debris.
But what if merely living near a mine increased a girl’s chances of being sexually assaulted? A recent study revealed, “In the Kivus and Maniema, the risk of experiencing non-partner sexual [violence] is particularly high for women that live close to a mine with the presence of an armed actor.” This is the cost of Cobalt.
While job responsibilities are clearly divided between girls and boys, with boys working deep in the mines and girls breaking rocks and sifting through minerals by hand, the rescue efforts that could save these children are gendered, too. It has been brought to the attention of the World Trade Organization “that girls are rarely rescued as they play the multiple roles of scouts, porters, sexual slaves and soldiers.”
You may be surprised to learn that one electric car requires approximately 10-20 pounds of Cobalt. In an effort to cut costs, some companies are shifting towards working with deregulated suppliers. Deregulated mining operations pose the greatest risks to children, as they do not enforce minimum standards or impose safety requirements.
However, with pressure mounting from International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), several tech companies have pledged to remove child labor from their supply chains. Companies’ responses to supply chain inquiries have been published by the Washington Post, so that we, as conscious consumers, can determine whether we stand behind their corporate ethics.
Discussions between the International Labor Organization and the Congolese government have yielded new commitments to upholding the minimum working age of 15, as outlined in ILO Convention No. 138. The next steps: implementation and ongoing enforcement of international law. Meanwhile, many NGOs and regional partners are continuing to develop comprehensive programs to provide education and vocational training to survivors.
What else can we do as smart device users?
- Use the hashtag #NotInMyPhone to support Amnesty International’s campaign and ongoing investigations into Cobalt mining practices.
- Host a screening of the free documentary Maisha: A New Life Outside the Mines | <urn:uuid:39509f4c-fcdc-452b-9f93-d9f7a46884f2> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:44:02",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9495559930801392,
"score": 3.203125,
"token_count": 598,
"url": "https://www.girlsglobe.org/tag/sub-saharan-africa/?doing_wp_cron=1579801441.7626090049743652343750"
} |
If there’s a teenager in your family, they’re probably enjoying their summer vacation right now; relaxation is the only thing on their minds. However, summer could also be an excellent opportunity to have their wisdom teeth removed. This procedure is usually necessary to avoid a lot of pain and oral health complications. Here’s why you should take advantage of the break from school to schedule wisdom tooth extractions for the teens in your family.
Why are Wisdom Tooth Extractions Important?
Wisdom teeth – also called third molars – come in around the ages of 15 to 20, long after all the other permanent teeth have already erupted. In many cases, there simply isn’t enough room in the mouth to accommodate the new molars. The other teeth are pushed out of place, leading to misalignment – not only is this very painful, but it could also erase years of previous orthodontic work.
Oftentimes, wisdom teeth won’t even erupt at all, instead becoming impacted. This can lead to several issues, including:
- Constant mouth pain
- An increased risk of infection in the second molar
- Cysts that can damage the jawbone, teeth and nerves
Wisdom teeth may also only partially erupt, making them difficult to clean effectively; this means you’re more likely to suffer from cavities and gum disease in that area.
To avoid these issues, an extraction is usually recommended. Roughly 85% of patients with wisdom teeth need to have them removed.
Why Should Wisdom Teeth Be Extracted During the Summer?
It can be difficult for teens or young adults to have a wisdom tooth extraction while attending high school or college; this is because in addition to the actual surgery itself, some time off for recovery is also usually required. By having the procedure done in summer, your teen won’t have to stress about making up missed classes or catching up on homework. They also won’t need to miss out on other school activities such as sports.
Furthermore, summer tends to be a good time for relaxation in general after oral surgery. You can sit outside in the fresh air or enjoy cool, soft foods such as smoothies or ice cream. And since teens tend to be more relaxed during their breaks from school, they may also have a better attitude overall about the recovery process, making it more pleasant overall for everyone.
Of course, an extraction is only really necessary at a certain point; in fact, some people never develop any wisdom teeth at all. That’s one reason why it’s important to make sure your teen is keeping up with their regular dental appointments. During these visits, impacted wisdom teeth and other potential oral problems can be detected quickly so that the right steps can be taken to protect your teen’s beautiful smile.
About the Practice
At Glisten Dental, we want to make sure your entire family enjoys dazzling, healthy teeth. We offer wisdom tooth extractions for young people to help them avoid the associated discomfort and health problems; we can also remove teeth that are too damaged to be saved. To schedule a regular appointment or a tooth extraction at our Tulsa practice, visit our website or call (918) 254-8686. | <urn:uuid:a55c35af-9e46-469b-8884-7ce92b364e00> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:19:13",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9641136527061462,
"score": 2.515625,
"token_count": 667,
"url": "https://www.glistendental.com/blog/summer-wisdom-tooth-extractions/"
} |
The property includes five aflaj irrigation systems and is representative of some 3,000 such systems still in use in Oman. The origins of this system of irrigation may date back to AD 500, but archaeological evidence suggests that irrigation systems existed in this extremely arid area as early as 2500 BC. Using gravity, water is channelled from underground sources or springs to support agriculture and domestic use. The fair and effective management and sharing of water in villages and towns is still underpinned by mutual dependence and communal values and guided by astronomical observations. Numerous watchtowers built to defend the water systems form part of the site reflecting the historic dependence of communities on the aflaj system. Threatened by falling level of the underground water table, the aflaj represent an exceptionally well-preserved form of land use.
- The Aflaj irrigation channels are part of a water management system called qanāt used to provide a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates in present day Iran.
- The Persians were using water clocks in 328 BC to ensure a just and exact distribution of water from qanats to their shareholders for agricultural irrigation. The water clocks used in Iran were one of the most practical ancient tools for timing the yearly calendar.
Year of Inscription: 2006
Add world heritage to your travel plans – plan to visit Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman! Sign up on GoUNESCO to get travel advice, tips, partners and help with traveling to Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman.https://www.gounesco.com/heritage/sites/aflaj-irrigation-systems-of-oman/
Travel Info for Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman
- •New Year´s Day – 1 January •Epiphany Eve – 6th January •Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday – March/April •Walpurgus Night – April 30 •Labour Day – 1st May Swedish National Day – 6th June •Whit Monday, Midsummer´s Eve – June •All Saint’s Eve – October/November •Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - December 24 – 25 •New Year´s Eve – December 31
- Miss Havisham
- Rupert Campbell-Black
- Julien SorelWilliam BrownWilliam BrownWilliam BrownWilliam BrownWilliam BrownWilliam BrownWilliam Brown
- No holidays other then the winters when the sea cannot be traveled
- Nigel Molesworth
- Harriet M Welsch
- Oskar Schell
- Elinor Dashwood
Sorry, we don't have curated information here yet.
Have you been to Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman? Share your travel stories
Photos and Proofs from Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman
No photos here yet. Have you been to Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman?share your photos
Travelers Who Have Visited Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman
Have you been to Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman? Share travel photos
Recommendations for Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman
Sorry, we do not have any traveller recommendations here yet.
Have you been to Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman? Share Recommendations
Trivia from Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman
Sorry, we do not have any trivia for here yet.
Have you been to Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman?
Events at or near Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman
Know any events coming up at Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman?List an event | <urn:uuid:0ec17951-11c6-4eaa-8406-c3b4c37ef851> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:24:44",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9054177403450012,
"score": 3.296875,
"token_count": 759,
"url": "https://www.gounesco.com/heritage/sites/aflaj-irrigation-systems-of-oman/"
} |
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 137,373 pages of information and 220,926 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
The G.W.K. was a British car made in Home Works, Datchet between 1911 and 1931.
The prototype was made in a stable in Beckenham, Kent, and used a Coventry-Simplex engine, rear mounted. The drive system involved the engine, which was mounted across the chassis, turning a disc on which a wheel could be moved from the periphery to the centre. Top speed was with the driven wheel furthest from the centre and reverse was obtained by moving it past the centre.
1911 The first car was a two-cylinder 8 h.p. friction-driven light car
1912 G.W.K. cars were advertised by distributors Cyril Patterson, Wilberforce and Co of Caterham.
1912 A few examples were sold before the company moved to Datchet, Buckinghamshire
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices see the 1917 Red Book
Proper production now started still using a water cooled, Coventry-Simplex twin cylinder engine of 1,045 cc and 1,069 two seat cars were made before the outbreak of World War 1 and a move to war work.
1914 Moved to the larger Cordwalles Works in Maidenhead
WWI During the war the company was run by Grice as his partners were in the army.
1917 October. Details of a new four-cylinder car.
GWK's greatest days were before World War 1 and after 1918 financial success eluded them.
1919 G.W.K. (1919) Ltd. was incorporated - motor car manufacturers, of Cordwalles Works, Maidenhead. Share prospectus for £300,000. Directors in addition to the three founders were Henry Newton Knights, Horace Ambrose Francis and George Edward Read Adair. Orders on hand for more then 5,000 cars.
Grice left the company in 1920 to start the unsuccessful Unit Car Co leaving Wood and Keiller in charge.
They re-introduced the pre-war model, now called the Type E, and a further 82 were made largely from left over parts. A new model, the Type F was introduced in 1919 and was front engined with a 1,368 cc four cylinder engine, still by Coventry-Simplex, with shaft drive to the friction disc at the rear. It was not a good seller partly because of the noise from the transmission. The Type H overcame most of the drive line problems but suffered from the reputation of its predecessor. About 1,700 of the Types F and H were made between 1919 and 1926.
1922 Employees: 300-350. Directors: Tom Norton, H. Newton Knights, M.P., G. E. R. Adair, J. T. Wood, C. M. Keiller, J. G. Raphael. Products: G.W.K. 2 and 4-seater 4-cylinder light car, G.W.K. light commercial van.
The company had not given up on the rear-engined idea and a new car, the Type J, appeared in 1922 but only a few were sold. It had a bonnet and radiator very similar to the front engined cars.
They went into temporary liquidation in 1922 and Wood and Keiller left but Grice returned in 1923.
1923 Concessionaires were W. G. Nicholl and Co
GWK also sold an imported Belgian Imperia car between 1924 and 1928 as the British Imperia. There were plans to build the Imperia at Maidenhead but these came to nothing.
No cars seem to have been made between 1926 and 1930.
From 1927 Streamline Cars used the Maidenhead factory
The final car, the type G of 1930 was also rear engined, with the engine behind the rear axle, only a few were made. | <urn:uuid:8ed2e2b6-48c2-4aed-9e9c-3611e0f1ef8e> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:57:33",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9796212911605835,
"score": 2.53125,
"token_count": 844,
"url": "https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/GWK"
} |
Recently, the Census Bureau released its annual report on poverty. The report showed that the official rate of poverty in 2015 was 13.5%, down 1.2 percentage points from 2014. Using the Current Population Survey March Supplement, the data used for the Census poverty report, we update our recent analysis to describe the characteristics of the poor in 2015 and changes in these characteristics over the last year.
The characteristics of individuals living in poverty did not change substantially from 2014 to 2015. Children still comprise more than a third of those living below poverty and students an additional 7 percent. A quarter of those living below the poverty threshold are in the labor force, either working or searching for work. Senior citizens, early retirees, the disabled, and caregivers constitute the remaining thirty percent of those living in poverty. Only 3 percent of those living in poverty fall outside of the groups just mentioned.
There were small shifts in the composition of who is poor from 2014 to 2015. Children (+0.3 percentage points), students (+0.3 percentage points), and the disabled (+0.4 percentage points) saw small increases in their shares of those living in poverty while working-age adults in the labor force (-0.4 percentage points), caregivers (-0.3 percentage points), and early retirees (-0.4 percentage points) saw slight declines.
Next we examine the characteristics of working-age adults living in poverty. Just over 11.5 percent of working-age adults living in poverty are working full-time year-round, a 1.2 percentage point decrease in the share from 2014 to 2015. As detailed in last week’s poverty report, earnings rose for those working full-time year-round, helping to raise many out of poverty. There were also decreases in the share of working-age adults seeking employment (-0.9 percentage points), caregivers (-0.5 percentage points), and early retirees (-0.6 percentage points). There were increases in the share of working-age adults living in poverty who were employed less than full-time year-round (+1.7 percentage points), the share who were students (+0.5 percentage points), and the share who were disabled (+0.8 percentage points). Only five percent of working-age adults in poverty were not members of the groups just mentioned.
Finally, we look at the characteristics of working-age adults living in poverty who reported usually working part-time in 2015 and were still working part-time in March 2016. The largest increase in the share of part-time workers living in poverty was among students, which saw just over a one-and-a-half percentage point increase. By contrast, we see an almost four percentage point decrease in the share of adults working part-time involuntarily, though this group still represents more than a third of those living in poverty and working part-time. This decrease reflects the ongoing strengthening in the labor market, which resulted in a sharp drop from 2014 to 2015 in the overall number of those working part-time who would have preferred full-time employment.
In order to address poverty, we must know who is poor and how the composition of who is poor is changing. This analysis describes who was living in poverty in 2015 and how that changed from the prior year. As with our analysis of poverty in 2014, this update suggests that when poor working-age adults are not employed full-time, they are often disabled, receiving education, or engaged in caregiving. | <urn:uuid:e0179835-966f-460f-a9a3-1412462f37f1> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:58:18",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9669477939605713,
"score": 2.90625,
"token_count": 701,
"url": "https://www.hamiltonproject.org/blog/an_update_on_who_is_poor_in_the_united_states1"
} |
EnginSoft shows essential advantages of sand casting as one of the fastest and most cost-effective casting methods adopted in the production of metal prototypes.
Sand Casting is an excellent solution for low to medium runs of parts that do not require precise shape repeatability, as well as being the only solution for very large objects which cannot be produced with other mass production casting techniques.
Sand is an excellent low cost cast material because it is refractory and chemically inert. Sand casting is also ideal for the production of very complex components requiring sand cores (cold box or shell sand) for the most intricate details and having internal areas with variations in thickness.
Green sand, which is new or regenerated sand mixed with natural or synthetic binders, is the most commonly used material for making aluminum expendable molds. Green sand molds get their name from the fact that they are still moist when the molten metal is poured into them. The process of aluminum sand casting using green sand and the gravity filling method can be summarized as follows:
Aluminum sand casting defects to look out for are residual oxide film, inclusion, core erosion, gas holes and shrinkage porosity.
Sand cast aluminum components are widely used in the automotive and transportation industries including aerospace. Parts commonly produced with sand casting include the power-train, supports, suspensions, casings, gears and many others.
A simulation model that optimizes the process and layout of sand casting requires a complete fluid-dynamics simulation, including the change of a laminar flow of molten metal to an undesired turbulent flow. The model should also account for the natural air permeability of the mold, allowing gases and steam created by the casting process to easily escape, thanks to the good permeability of sand molds and cores. Some typical process parameters and their corresponding outcomes to be included in the model are:
Using engineering simulation to optimize the sand casting process for aluminum and light alloys, we can lead foundries to “zero defect” manufacturing resulting in the dimensional conformity of the objects produced.
Post time: Jun-28-2019 | <urn:uuid:f5635630-aa80-4a5c-b8a3-498ee11c0c31> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:23:46",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9344419240951538,
"score": 2.515625,
"token_count": 424,
"url": "https://www.hanye-plastic.com/news/using-engineering-simulation-to-optimize-the-sand-casting-process-for-aluminum-and-light-alloys-we-can-lead-foundries-to-zero-defect-manufacturing-resulting-in-the-dimensional-confo"
} |
Most people do not know what the bite of a horse fly feels like until they get attacked. When this happens, they get to understand how different the bite of this fly is from that of other biting insects. In reality, it would not be bad if you referred to this fly as a vampire fly. It feeds voraciously and being attacked by females in swarms can cause you to lose up to 2 cups of blood within 24 hours. Just like the mosquito, horseflies need an area where there is water to breed. Then again, a female horse fly will have to get access to a blood meal which is a necessity for reproduce.
Bodies of water, as well as mammals, usually exist near each other. This causes a horse fly to mostly access breeding grounds where they can find both. Its behavior happens to be the reason that it is given this name.
A horse fly may appear small in size but its mandibles happen to be very ferocious. Unlike with other insects that insert there sucking straws for food, horseflies usually rip the skin apart with the use of giant Jaws. The blood is lapped up from the victim, not sucked.
It is for this reason that the bite from a horse fly comes with a lot of pain. They are also seen to be vectors for a wide range of infections which include swamp fever.
Preventing horse fly bites
A lot of biting insects can be said to be fragile. All you have to do is just swat them to get them killed. When it comes to the horse fly, the case is different. This insect is actually robust and hardy. When it spots a prey, it will continue to chase it incessantly until she has enough blood.
In general, hungry flies are usually very persistent. Sometimes, using a horse fly repellent may not be as effective depending on how persistent the insect is. You could also use a horse fly spray to apply directly to your horse, as well as a wide range of fly control products for pastures and barns.
There are some other ways to prevent horse fly bites. One of such ways is staying indoors, not really an option if you own a horse or any other animals. Horseflies love outdoor environments and will avoid shaded or dark areas. Another way is to put on heavy clothing as well as protective hats. This will reduce your chances of being bitten by Horseflies. Wearing light colors will also reduce your attractiveness to the horse fly.
One method which is considered to be the most effective if you are looking to prevent being bitten by horse flies is to try and reduce their breeding areas.
Control with Professional Horse Fly Control Products
Get in touch with a horse fly control specialist, such as the experts at HappyHorse.com, we can help you apply an integrated approach to ensure that you stay protected from horse flies. The specialists know the best horse fly control products and methods to use to keep your environment free of houseflies and to stop them from coming into your area. | <urn:uuid:bc5d0897-b28d-4bcb-b2ee-06fd975a8683> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:59:49",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9673528075218201,
"score": 2.59375,
"token_count": 613,
"url": "https://www.happyhorse.com/how-to-prevent-horse-fly-bites/"
} |
You can help restore the bee population by having one or two hives in your backyard! Learn everything you need to know to get started including hive assembly, honey bee biology, colony management, pest management, and honey production. Discover what protective bee equipment is needed. Diagnose the signs and symptoms of viruses and colony collapse disorder and how to prevent it. Opportunity to join a beekeeping club at the Cedar Valley Arboretum and textbook included. This class meets every other week.
View complete course and registration information
- continuing education
- continuing education life and leisure | <urn:uuid:cacf8533-44ad-4b06-9c26-79558f2d529e> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:12:46",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9218790531158447,
"score": 2.703125,
"token_count": 115,
"url": "https://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/calendars/continuing-education/beekeeping-for-beginners-1-15-2020"
} |
Metastatic carcinoid tumors (MCTs) are difficult not only to diagnose, but also to fully understand. Get the information you need from your primary care physician and gastroenterologist by asking these five questions.
1. What caused my MCT?
Doctors don’t know what causes carcinoid tumors. This means as far as researchers can conclude, nothing you did or didn’t do caused the tumor to grow. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), research suggests that smoking may be a risk factor, but this hasn’t been definitively proven.
Some people are known to be at greater risk for developing a carcinoid tumor. This includes those with a family history of certain genetic disorders, such as:
- multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I
- neurofibromatosis type I
- tuberous sclerosis complex
- von Hippel Lindau disease
However, for a larger number of people with MCT, the cause is considered sporadic. This means changes in a person’s body that occurred after they were born led to the tumor growing. So a genetic disorder isn’t the cause.
2. How long could I have had the tumor?
Carcinoid tumors are very rare. Their symptoms can go misdiagnosed as other abdominal-related conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), for many years before a doctor correctly diagnoses the condition.
Carcinoid tumors make up less than
A carcinoid tumor is a type of a neuroendocrine tumor: It secretes compounds found in your neurologic and endocrine systems that can impact other functions of your body. An example compound is serotonin, an excess of which can lead to diarrhea.
When an MCT first grows, it secretes these compounds, but they empty into your liver. The liver breaks up the compounds just as it does other wastes in your body, so you don’t have any symptoms. If the tumor grows much larger or spreads to your liver, your liver can’t break down the compounds as effectively. At this point, you’ll experience additional symptoms.
On average, a person may have nonspecific symptoms for about
3. What types of medical specialists treat carcinoid tumors?
When you’re diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor, it’s possible you’ll see several types of medical specialists. They’ll work as a team to determine recommended treatments as well as monitor your condition. Here are some of the specialists who may treat your condition:
- Endocrinologist: Because MCTs secrete endocrine compounds, you may see an endocrinologist. These doctors specialize in treating hormonal imbalances.
- Gastroenterologist: This doctor specializes in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as MCT. You may have seen a gastroenterologist when your symptoms of diarrhea first began.
- Interventional radiologist: An interventional radiologist uses minimally invasive, image-guided procedures to treat medical conditions. This doctor can perform a procedure called a hepatic artery embolization. It cuts off blood flow to parts of your liver so an MCT can’t continue to grow.
- Oncologist: Oncologists are specialists in treating cancers, including MCTs. They can help to identify and track the progress of your tumor as well as guide appropriate treatments.
- Surgeon: If your tumor can be safely removed, a surgeon will be the specialist to do so. Some surgeons specialize in removing tumors, such as an oncological surgeon.
The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation maintains a list of medical specialists and centers in the United States that specialize in treating carcinoid tumors.
4. How often do people get carcinoid tumors, and who’s more at risk?
According to the ACS, doctors diagnose about 8,000 new cases of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors in the United States each year. While the tumors are most commonly diagnosed in the gastrointestinal tract, it’s also possible to have a lung carcinoid tumor. Doctors diagnose about 4,000 new cases of lung carcinoid tumors in the United States each year, reports the ACS. This is about 1 to 2 percent of all lung cancers.
Most people diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor are in their 60s. The tumors are more common in African-Americans and women.
5. Are there new treatments on the horizon for carcinoid tumors?
Researchers are conducting studies every day on treatments for carcinoid tumors. In March 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug telotristat ethyl (Xermelo) to treat carcinoid syndrome. The medication is intended to be taken with somatostatin therapy, such as octreotide (Sandostatin). The medication can help people who haven’t responded well to octreotide alone to experience less chronic diarrhea.
Telotristat ethyl is a pill that you can take three times a day. It lessens the amount of serotonin a carcinoid tumor produces. This can help to reduce the amount of diarrhea you experience related to a carcinoid tumor. According to the
Your doctor should know the latest developments in the field of MCT research. Next time you visit your doctor, ask about what other medications might be on the horizon for treating MCTs. | <urn:uuid:0712bd91-dea8-42fd-9783-b0815e12810f> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:20:44",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9431387782096863,
"score": 2.734375,
"token_count": 1109,
"url": "https://www.healthline.com/health/carcinoid-syndrome/questions-to-ask"
} |
There is a new study which indicates that a specific category of carbohydrate could have an essential role in improving the humans’ blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. If that is true, it means that blood pressure medicine can be enhanced to help people better. The research, conducted by scientists from the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet, appeared in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Cardiovascular diseases – a consequence of fluctuating blood pressure
Lasse Holst Hansen, a Ph.D. student, discovered a specific type of carbohydrate on a particular protein hormone in the human body. Carrying out experiments on lab rats, together with other researchers from the two institutions, Hansen realized that the protein hormone that has that specific type of sugar (carbohydrate) could improve blood pressure conditions. “It may be an excellent bet for a modern way to treat hypertension without side effects, such as syncope,” declared Jens Peter Gøtze, professor at Rigshospilatet.
Hypertension and hypotension are conditions that affect the human body and can lead to cardiovascular diseases, but not only. Untreated, they can cause a loss of vision, kidney diseases, dehydration, shock, etc.
In Denmark, one in five people suffers from high blood pressure, and one in four dies because of complications. All over the world, more than 50% of the hypertensive people are unaware of their condition, and this leads to their death.
When carbohydrates and proteins join hands
Glycosylation is the result of carbohydrates attaching proteins to command the action and balance of proteins. The research explains the method the carbohydrate decorates the ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide), a protein produced by the heart to help the flow of the blood in the body. If the two work together, there are signs of changes in the pressure of the blood, but if the sugar does not attach to a protein, the peptide hormone acts differently.
Researchers plan to explore the new information further to find out whether this peculiarity happens to all people or to those that are more likely to suffer from a cardiovascular affliction. | <urn:uuid:60e91d5c-ec84-4abb-8bbf-4ade92e867a3> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:06:57",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9213333129882812,
"score": 3.34375,
"token_count": 436,
"url": "https://www.healththoroughfare.com/diet/carbohydrates-can-benefit-patients-with-cardiovascular-diseases/17494"
} |
Soursop and Graviola are two different names for the same fruit, namely the fruit of Annona muricata.
It is known all over the world, with different names.
In French this fruit is called Corossol (or Corossole), it is called Graviola in Italian and Portuguese / Brazilian, and Guanàbana in Spanish. In South-East Asia it is known as Mang Cau in Vietnamese, Thuriankhaek in Thai, Sapadille in the Island La Réunion, Sirsak (from Dutch Zuurzak) or Nangka Belanda (“Dutch Jackfruit”) in Indonesia.
The active ingredients are to be found mainly in the leaves and in the stems of the plants, and not in the fruits themselves.
The fruits and their pulp and juice contain sugars, which are some of the triggering elements for the development of cancer. It is therefore advisable to cut the sugar intake; this will help prevent any future cancer formation.
It is often possible to buy Soursop products in Asian food shops or specialized stores.
- All Herbal D-Tox products come from our analysis and production laboratories located in Thailand.
- All production is controlled before shipping by government veterinary services issuing Phytosanitary Certificates. These certificates also serve as Origin Certificate and Conformity Certificate.
The mechanism of the acetogenin (1) cytotoxic action (2) is the inhibition of the mitochondrial complex I (3) (Lannuzel et al., 2003), and the inhibition of ubiquinone-linked NADH oxidase (4) in the plasma membranes of cancerous cells causing apoptosis (5) (Alali et al., 1999). Torres et al. (2012) demonstrated that A. muricata extracts suppressed phosphorylation of the key molecules (6) involved in the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the phosphatidylinositol 3’kinase (PI3 K/Akt) pathway which play a crucial role in the proliferation and survival of pancreatic cancer cells. Also, plant extract inhibited the expression of glucose transporter (7) and glycolytic enzymes, all of which lead to the reduction of glucose uptake and ATP production by PC cells (Torres et al., 2012).
1) Cytotoxicity: is the property of a chemical or biological agent to be toxic to cells, possibly to destroy them. (2) acetogenins: bioactive agents primarily in the leaves and bark of Annona muricata (soursop). (3) Inhibition of mitochondrial complex prevention of respiratory chain. (4) ubiquinone oxidase: often called coenzyme Q10, is a molecule involved in the respiratory chain. (5) Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is the process by which cells trigger their self-destruction in response to a signal. (6) Phosphorylation of molecules: allows among others the energy transfer. (7) Glucose is the main source of energy in the body.
Summary: The active agents present in Soursop leaves, can cause cell death by depriving them of oxygen, energy and sugar (sugar, the main engine of cancer cells).
No, Soursop is not a medicinal product, but a plant that grows mainly in the Amazon and Southeast Asia.
However, it is used in traditional medicine in many countries, particularly in South America and Southeast Asia.
The capsules are made only and entirely of micro pulverized Soursop leaves. No additives, no preservatives.
Please keep in mind that it is not a commonly dried fruit product, easily available in shops or online, but a compound made of leaves and parts of the stem of the Soursop plant, carefully selected and micro pulverized.
The capsule’s coating is 100% plant-based and contains neither preservatives nor chemical products.
You have 2 options to use the leaves, either hot or in cold decoction:
- The principle of cold infusion:
We use the term infusion because it is nicer than the correct term which is * maceration.
The result of the cold infusion provides a delicately flavored drink, which is not too heavy in taste. The principle is simply to put Soursop leaves (leaves in strips or pieces) in water (tap water, filtered water or spring water) at room temperature. Use the same quantities as for hot decoction, either 7 to 9 leaves cut into strips for 6 dl water.
• Infuse in refrigerator 6 to 8 hours (overnight).
• Filter your tea, and keep refrigerated in a closed glass bottle.
• It is not necessary to sweeten once filtered, and it is advisable to drink the cold tea within 12 hours.
• Do not keep for over 24h.
- Hot decoction:
• Place between 7 and 9 (depending on size) Soursop leaves that you have previously shredded in 60 cl of cold water (3 glasses of 20 cl).
• Bring to a boil.
• Allow to boil for 30 minutes.
• Your decoction is ready.
• Repeat the process every day.
The method is an extraction method very similar to that of the infusion but it is longer. It consists of allowing the plants to rest in a liquid, water, alcohol, oil or vinegar, in order to extract the active ingredients.
Herbal D-Tox sells Soursop leaves naturally dried in the open air. They are not heated as they would lose their beneficial properties. Soursop leaves are packed after going through a selection and drying in the open air, under a canopy.
Soursop Liquid Extract is a concentrate of active ingredients. The extract is obtained through distillation in an alembic, to get the pure essence. Only a part of the Soursop (leaves and bark) are used to extract the concentrated active ingredients. This allows to capture the most subtle molecules produced by the plant.
Leaves are used for the preparation of tea.
Capsules are meant for those who do not have time to make a tea or a brew. A tea can be replaced by capsules in the following proportion: 4 capsules to a cup of tea, to be taken before meals.
The Tea is made of chopped leaves and it is ready to use in the form of tea bags.
Each product sold in Herbal D-Tox website has its own recommendations of use, according to the type of situation and product efficiency. For example, with Soursop Liquid extract you will see results faster than with Soursop Capsules.
You can find this information in the “suggested use” section at the bottom of each product’s page.
Anyone can drink a Soursop (Annona muricata) infusion. Soursop boosts the immune system and protects against illnesses like the flu, cough, cold, fever, etc....
When Soursop is taken as a treatment for a specific ailment, we recommend to do cycles of 3 months with a break of at least 1 week. Then repeat it for 3 more months.
Soursop leaves contain the active ingredient Acetogenin, which has exhibited antitumor efficacy both in animal models and in a limited number of clinical studies. For more information about scientific studies check the section REVIEW.
Soursop is an excellent complement to chemotherapy treatments. Moreover, it can also help reducing the symptoms related to chemotherapy sessions, especially weight loss, hair loss, vomiting, dizziness, and nausea.
It is strictly not advised to stop or replace your conventional treatment with Soursop treatment. We kindly remind you to consult your doctor always before taking any dietary supplement.
Pregnant women should avoid the consumption of Soursop.
Soursop is hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), a vasodilator (widens blood vessels), and can causes cardiovascular depression (decreased heart rate and contractility).
Do not use more often or differently than indicated in the recommendations of use.
Keep out of reach of children.
People with allergies to any of the components should not use this product.
Allergens: allergen-free, GMO-free, gluten-free, no additives, no colorants, no preservatives.
Soursop has many benefits if the dosage is correctly followed. However, it is advisable to suspend its use from time to time because extended consumption, and in large doses, could lead to loss of some of the digestive tract’s beneficial bacteria. This may cause nausea and vomiting.
Soursop may potentiate antidepressant drugs and interfere with MAO-A inhibitors. Products should never replace the advice of a doctor or specialist.
Extracts and products derived from soursop (Annona muricata) may cause drowsiness and sedation.
Soursop is an exotic fruit from South America and it’s a concentrate of antioxidants.
Its leaves contain the sedative alkaloids liriodenine and atherospermin, minerals, amino acids, vitamins C, B1 and B2.
Here is a long list of therapeutic properties attributed to all parts of the Soursop tree:
• antibacterial, anti-cancer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti-diarrheal, anti-dysentery, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antineoplastic, antiparasitic (dewormer), antispasmodic, anti-tumor, antiviral, astringent, carminative, blood cleanser, febrifuge, hypotensive, insecticide, sedative, diaphoretic, vasodilator
Soursop has very little side effects. But, its consumption is not recommended for pregnant women.
The whole plant is usable: leaves, fruits, flowers, stems, roots and bark. None of them clashes with other medications.
At the early stages of treatment, occasional episodes of diarrhoea may occur. This could mean that your body needs to “adjust” to the powerful active ingredients of Soursop, so we suggest to do the following: reduce the dosage to the minimum, then increase it little by little every day, until you reach the recommended dosage.
A link between the consumption of Annonaceae and the occurrence of atypical parkinsonian syndromes was suggested by the team of the CHU of Pointe-à-Pitre, in Guadeloupe.
However, on the basis of available experimental data, it is not possible to assert that cases of atypical parkinsonian syndromes observed in Guadeloupe are necessarily linked to the consumption of Annonaceae such as Annona muricata L.
Atypical Parkinsonian syndromes may be due to a high concentration of aluminium in the soil. Several studies have discarded the Soursop as being responsible.
In 2010, Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (French Agency for Food Safety) concluded that, based on research results, "it is not possible to confirm that the observed cases of atypical Parkinson's syndrome [ ...] are related to the consumption of annona muricata ", and called for further studies on the potential risks to human health.
More info on the topic can be found here:
Herbal D-tox exclusively sells its products online to keep the distribution costs at bay and to make Soursop available to everyone at the best price.
We have staff and offices in several countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.
We manage the whole production chain from those offices, from selecting hand-picked leaves to shipping products.
All our products are prepared and packed in our laboratories in Thailand. We maintain a strict quality control at every stage, from the leaves' selection to the shipment, in order to ensure a level of impeccable quality.
We are firmly committed to a responsible and sustainable approach both in terms of ethics towards our collaboration with our producers and partners, and in terms of our natural and sustainable agriculture.
Our products are stored in our facilities in Europe and sent from there.
If you forgot your password, simply go to the login page:
Then click on Password Reset
An email will be sent to you to choose a new password.
Here are the steps of the ordering process:
Register on the Herbal D- Tox website
Select product quantity,
Select the type of delivery: Standard, Fast, or Express,
Choose payment method: credit card, interbank transfer, PayPal or Western Union (depends on your country)
- You will receive a confirmation email on the email address that was provided in step 1.
When you choose to pay by credit card, you must fill in 4 fields:
Your credit card number
MM: expiration month
AAAA: expiration year
CVC: the confidential 3-digit code on the back of your credit card
- Click on PAY
When you pay on the Herbal D-tox website, the transaction is completely safe. A small padlock is displayed at the top in your browser address bar to indicate that. The bank information you provide is encrypted and will never be available on the Internet unencrypted.
Your card number will never be stored, and when you enter the secure payment area, the information goes directly and exclusively to our banking partner Checkout, well recognized for its reliability.
SSL = Secure Socket Layer
It is a system for exchanging information between two computers safely. SSL provides three things:
• Privacy: It is impossible to infiltrate the information exchanged.
• Integrity: It is impossible to rig the information exchanged.
• Authentication: It ensures the identity of the program, person or company with whom we communicate.
If you had chosen to pay with a check or by bank transfer, but now you want to pay by credit card instead, to speed up the buying process, here’s how you can do it:
Simply log into your Herbal D-tox account with your username and password, click on your name at the top right, and then edit your order in the next page,
You will then be able to choose credit card payment and finalize the payment process.
If you choose to pay by check or bank transfer:
The bank details and shipping address will be sent to you by email at the end of your ordering process.
After you made your choice: "Payment by check" or "bank transfer", depending on the case.
Do not forget to check the junk/spam mail folder of your mailbox.
There are two ways of payment online with a debit/credit card on the website Herbal D-Tox:
1.Choose card payment: then click on the "PAY" button
2.Choose PayPal payment (even if you do not have a PayPal account):
- Choose PayPal and click "click here to pay"
- Choose and click "Pay with my debit or credit card"
Fill in the fields and click at the bottom of the page on "Pay"
- The following screen will confirm the validation of the transaction.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Herbal D-Tox offers its customers a package tracking service. You will receive the tracking number in the order confirmation email. This helps you keep track of where your parcel is in the world. You can connect to the respective carrier's website:
TNT for Express shipping
GLS Flex for fast delivery
GLS post does not offer a tracking service.
Herbal D-Tox offers 2 delivery methods (either to your home or to a pick-up location) according to your choice:
- Express Delivery: Delivery in 1 business day (TNT Express)
- Standard Delivery: free delivery within 2/3 working days: (GLS Flex)
These deadlines apply to the continental Europe;
Add 1 to 2 days for French islands, Belgium, Luxembourg and other European countries.
Add 5 to 6 days for the Maghreb area and other more distant European countries. | <urn:uuid:62d6e642-bedb-4ab5-95aa-f553e0e643a9> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:23:23",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9237285256385803,
"score": 2.578125,
"token_count": 3356,
"url": "https://www.herbal-d-tox.com/faq"
} |
Many hospitals and health facilities are working hard to reduce waste, energy and water, and are reaping the financial, environmental and public relations benefits of doing so.
They are overcoming perceived cost barriers because they have proven the overall cost-effectiveness of saving energy, water and reducing waste more than compensates for first-cost expenses.
So, why are many other hospitals and health care facilities still struggling with getting started or realizing the benefits of a fully functioning, integrated sustainability program?
A motivated staff
Not all sustainability programs require significant behavioral change. Some energy or water-efficiency measures, like installing energy-efficient equipment or low-flow water fixtures, do not require staff to do anything different from what they have always done. Waste-reduction programs, however, are a different story.
Successful waste-minimization programs require motivated staff. Some staff members are motivated from the heart. They want to help save the environment and believe recycling is the right thing to do. Others are motivated by the mind. They want to use fewer materials and generate less waste because it is cost-effective. Successful programs need to appeal to both groups.
Regardless of the motivation, sustainable change happens when it becomes second nature. Staff members do not think twice about placing the right waste into the right containers, for example, because the behavioral change is now second nature.
Asking busy staff to do things differently isn't easy, but lasting change happens only when people adopt new ways of accomplishing tasks. If facility professionals ask for too much too soon, they may fail. Rather, they must start with small steps and design their systems to encourage participation. For example, asking staff to walk down a hall to reach a recycling bin might not be the best way to encourage participation.
Understanding where and how to start can seem daunting, but there are systematic and effective ways to reduce waste and save materials and money. What's required are integrated systems that include setting a clear path, having effective implementers and managers, and informing and motivating staff. Only when these three are in concert can a sustainable, organizational culture shift begin to happen.
Setting the path
In planning this change, facility professionals need to know their starting point and destination. A successful waste-management program begins with a thorough understanding of a facility's waste streams. Available resources should be inventoried and short- and long-term goals should be drafted against a reasonable timeline. The following questions should be answered:
- How much waste in each stream category is being thrown away?
- How much money and time is being spent in each category?
- What waste-related policies, procedures and educational programs are in place?
- Which, if any, dedicated resources are available?
Only with this level of understanding can facility professionals set the path and point to the destination, setting reasonable and achievable action plans along the way. Otherwise, they might choose a destination that is unreachable. Facility professionals could set a 50 percent recycling goal. But without understanding that they're currently recycling only 5 percent and they have no infrastructure in place to get to that number they are sure to fail. Maybe 50 percent is a visionary, long-term strategic goal, but a short-term destination goal of 20 percent might be better.
With the destination in mind, facility professionals then need to define the critical steps to motivate staff. The question is, how?
Drivers and barriers
A health care organization's leadership may be motivated to reduce waste by any number of drivers: the imperative to save money; a response to internal and external community pressures; improving regulatory compliance; and addressing climate change.
Understanding the drivers will help professionals design programs so that the outcomes will be in alignment with the drivers. For example, replacing Styrofoam in the cafeteria, which is a break-even proposition at best, may not be among the priority projects if the driver is saving money. (If the driver is responding to staff pressure to replace Styrofoam, the project makes more sense.)
Ideally, leadership flows down from the C-suite, bottom up from every department's front-line staff, and from a designated staff person in the middle with clear accountability and focused attention.
Assigning the right person with the skills and passion to do the job is a smart investment. If facility professionals want their strategy to succeed, they should not assign waste reduction and management to someone who already has a full plate.
Adding a sustainability coordinator to the organizational chart pays for itself. This person can be the change agent when combined with an informed team and a motivated organization. Better resource management and waste-reduction opportunities abound, but it takes a leader to set the path, define the action plans and motivate that action.
Support staff members are the backbone of a waste-management program. They should be asked what they are seeing on the patient floors, in administrative areas, in the pharmacy and laboratories. They should be used to inform the strategy, educate others and rally change. When facility professionals build the team and set the path, they must reach out to support staff to take advantage of their knowledge and suggestions.
Motivating and informing staff
Well-intentioned and even well-organized programs will fail if staff are not informed. For waste management, for example, there are many choices to make about which recycling waste goes where. Understanding why it's important that staff make the right choices provides the motivation to do it right.
From the first day on the job and once a year thereafter, staff members should have access to a waste dashboard that provides such performance improvement data as: increases in the recycling rate; decreases in the regulated medical waste-generation rate; money saved; whether current goals have been met; and progress toward future goals.
Coordinated training and educational materials can be targeted to three levels. The first is tactical; for instance, all containers should be properly color-coded and clearly labeled. The second is educational; for example, waste handling guidelines should be posted in utility rooms and break areas. Finally, motivational or visionary posters speak to the mission and commitment of the organization. All three should communicate the change staff members are being asked to make, and the difference it is making toward the organization's environmental and financial goals.
Setting the path also means defining goals and action plans. Three goals might include launching an expanded recycling program, starting a donation and reuse program, and reducing a single-source of waste such as paper.
Assess the current recycling program and then set a reasonable goal. For example, a facility might have blue recycling bins left over from a failed recycling program being used as regular trash receptacles throughout the facility. This requires changing up the situation; simply sending out an e-mail announcing the program and asking staff to use the current blue bins may not be enough to rally change.
To be successful, health facility professionals would need to start a movement — a "take back the blue bin" campaign. This could include relabeling them and moving them around, monitoring how they are used, and communicating how the program is doing via newsletters, e-mail and even patient menus.
It is also important for facility professionals to understand their current disposal practices for furniture, equipment and supplies. Most of these materials can be reused in-house or donated to local or international charities. For in-house reallocation of materials like furniture and office supplies, facilities can create an internal eBay-like program for a relatively small investment of time and money. This allows staff to swap furniture and other materials, drastically reducing the amount of waste the health care facility sends to the landfill, and filling a need for departments looking for furniture or supplies. For other usable materials that cannot be reallocated in-house, facility professionals can create a list of local organizations to which they can donate.
Additionally, there are many opportunities for source reduction, which means reducing the amount and kinds of materials that are purchased and used just once in many cases. Paper reduction is a great example. An easy way for facility professionals to use less paper is to ask IT departments and copier contractors to set printer and copier defaults for double-sided copies.
Then, survey every department that prints and distributes reports (e.g., admitting, lab, medical records) to ensure they are being utilized effectively, and discontinue distributing them if they are not. Making reports available online can help, but there are still many paper reports being generated, perhaps unnecessarily.
Whatever the goal and action plan, facility professionals should articulate the mission clearly, create movement by providing the right motivational education material, and inspire action by communicating the change.
A main pillar
Waste management is one of the main pillars of a health care facility's sustainability program, and for good reasons. It communicates a public commitment, it makes a difference for the environment and it saves money. The most forward-thinking facilities have expanded their waste minimization and recycling programs to reducing waste before it's created, right at the source.
Regardless of where a facility is on this spectrum, developing and implementing an effective waste-management plan can help facility professionals start to capitalize on dozens of opportunities that exist today for waste and cost reductions - and move toward greater efficiency and a reduced impact on the planet. HFM
Laura Brannen is senior environmental performance consultant for Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch (M+NLB), a mechanical, electrical, plumbing, technology engineering and environmental performance consulting and design firm headquartered in San Francisco. She can be reached at [email protected].
|Sidebar - Assessing the waste stream|
The best place to start a detailed waste-stream assessment is by creating a list of all materials that are leaving the facility — even reusable or donated materials. One such list can be found on the Sustainability Roadmap website at www.sustainabilityroadmap.org, which was launched by the American Hospital Association's American Society for Healthcare Engineering, Association for the Healthcare Environment and the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management.
For each item on the list, collect the following information:
Waste management is complex not only because there is so much of it, but also because it tends to be decentralized in most health care facilities. Moreover, because there are big differences in the implications of managing highly regulated, hazardous chemical and medical wastes and recyclable waste, recyclable waste may get short shrift.
Without a coordinated effort among all health facility staff, opportunities easily can be overlooked. Spending the time and resources to do the trip planning right, however, will provide the critical information needed to plan the journey adequately and define the destination.
|Sidebar - Selling it to the C-suite|
Dr. Gus Kious, president of Huron Hospital, a Cleveland Clinic hospital in East Cleveland, Ohio, presented a bold goal to his staff: Reduce waste by 50 percent.
Kious was motivated by the amount and types of waste he saw in the hospital's trash cans and he knew his organization could do better. Today, Huron is a leader with a growing waste-reduction rate of about 40 percent.
The positive results have overflowed into the hospital's improving other systems, processes and outcomes in hospital length of stay, supply costs, quality core measures and many other operational, financial and sustainability goals.
The success of a sustainability program may not hinge on the CEO's personal commitment, but there are ways to make the business case to C-level executives and the board of trustees about the benefits of better waste management — from potential cost savings by purchasing less wasteful material, to more cost-effective disposal and environmental benefits from landfill and incineration diversion, to climate change and energy-saving improvements.
A vibrant recycling and waste minimization program is an opportunity to let staff, patients and the local community know about the facility's commitments. Exemplifying hospital leaders' commitment to reduce waste is a great opportunity for staff members to identify with their organization. It can even be a recruiting tool.
Many hospitals have issued "sustainability statements" that declare the organizational commitments and objectives to environmental and related community health values. Some are even endorsed by the organization's trustees. If a hospital has such a statement, linking the waste management goals to this document may be key to persuading management to support the effort.
If the organization doesn't have a sustainability statement, samples can be found on the Sustainability Roadmap website at www.sustainabilityroadmap.org, which was launched by the American Hospital Association's American Society for Healthcare Engineering, Association for the Healthcare Environment and the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management. | <urn:uuid:3033499b-9c07-4136-addd-4f98b1e055f8> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:08:28",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9442422986030579,
"score": 2.875,
"token_count": 2572,
"url": "https://www.hfmmagazine.com/articles/671-path-to-sustainability"
} |
Chalk Hill Figures
by Ellen Castelow
White horse and hill figures are among the most interesting features of the chalk downlands in southern England. Some of these figures can trace their roots back to the Celts.
The Celts first came to Britain in 500BC bringing with them their style of pagan worship. The Celts thought of their gods as giants and portrayed them as such. On many grassy hills in Britain can still be seen these huge figures of men and horses.
The most famous of these is the Cerne Abbas Giant cut into the hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas near Dorchester in Dorset. The figure is over 180 feet high and his ‘ virility’ is very obvious! During Roman times he was identified as Hercules and associated with a fertility cult, or Priapus Worship, revived by Emperor Commodus in the late 2nd century AD.
Until 1635 a maypole was set up near the giant and today ‘courting couples’ still make night-time pilgrimages up to the giant to make sure that their marriage will be blessed with children! Women it seems are supposed to roll over the giant’s ‘male appendage’ to make sure that their fertility will be enhanced!!
A similar figure in Sussex is known as the Long Man of Wilmington cut into the chalk on Windover Hill on the South Downs. He is 226 feet tall. The origin of theLong Man of Wilmington is obscure but may have been associated with the nearby priory of Wilmington which was dissolved in 1414.
The Bedlow and Whiteleaf Crosses on the Chiltern Hills are also of ancient construction.
The Celts also worshipped horses and one of the most famous is the rather strange creature on the hill above Uffington in Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire). It is the thought to have been made by the Belgic tribe in southeast England between 50BC and 50AD. It is 374 feet long and 130 feet high and probably represents a Celtic God. It has a strange ‘beaked’ muzzle and the limbs are disjointed. This horse is one of the oldest. A similar ‘horse’ is featured on old Celtic coins from 150BC.
One cut at Westbury in Wiltshire, The White Horse, was altered and re-cut in conventional form in 1778.
At Tysoe in Warwickshire can be seen the Great Red Horse cut into Sun Rising Hill. At one time there were 3 horses between Lower and Middle Tysoe, one reputedly to be 300 feet long and 210 feet high and gave it’s name to the Red Horse Vale.
It is not known how many of these horses have disappeared, the grass slowly encroaching on them, but it is believed that they were numerous at the time of the Celts.
White horses have been considered lucky, as have horseshoes. The horseshoe is a lunar symbol which perhaps explains the crescent on the tail of the Westbury horse. | <urn:uuid:88a59bd5-bc68-4bd9-89de-afb50872d8af> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:32:36",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9800243377685547,
"score": 3.4375,
"token_count": 624,
"url": "https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Chalk-Hill-Figures/"
} |
Hiccups are an annoying, if ultimately harmless, facet of life.* (At least, they are most of the time, for most people – but more on that later.)
These involuntary bursts of respiratory action tend to take place after we’ve rushed down a meal or gulped down a drink too hastily and usually disappear of their own accord within a few minutes or hours.
As WebMD explains, the actual mechanism behind hiccups starts in your diaphragm, a muscle located between the lungs and the stomach. When we breathe in or inhale, the diaphragm pulls down, allowing air to enter the lungs. When we breathe out or exhale, it relaxes so that the air exits the lungs and then the body through the nose and mouth. Only when we hiccup, an irritation has caused the diaphragm to spasm. This forces the larynx (or voice box) to contract, which in turn closes the glottis (or vocal cords), creating that distinctive "hic" sound.
The actual trigger, however, may be one of several things, including stress, nervousness, some medications, sudden changes in air temperature, and air swallowing (whether that is from chewing gum, drinking carbonated beverages, or inhaling your dinner).
While often the easiest thing to do is to wait it out, holding your breath or breathing into a paper bag may help stop hiccups. This is because of a build-up of CO2 in the lungs, which calms the diaphragm. Unfortunately, while old wives' tales will have you attempting to drink water backwards or jump scare your friends, there's no solid scientific proof to show that either of these two techniques work. That said, if you find you have a cure that works for you, it works for you – so, keep going.
Tyler Cymet, head of medical education at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, spent five-years studying 54 hiccuping hospital patients but found no foolproof way to "cure" the hiccups.
"I think the jury is in that nothing works: It starts and stops on its own, and that's about it," he told the Guardian. Though this hasn't stopped people experimenting with rectal massages and male ejaculation.
However, if you find you have been hiccuping for more than 48 hours straight, it might be a good time to book an appointment with the doctor. While most bouts of hiccups are totally harmless, it is possible that it is a symptom of a far more serious problem. For example, meningitis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, or a tumor.
There is also such a thing as a chronic hiccup, a rare but awful-sounding disease involving weeks, years, or even decades-worth of non-stop hiccupping. Probably the worst case on record is the 68-year-old bout suffered by Charles Osborne (1894-1991), who reportedly started hiccuping in 1922 when he was weighing a hog. It didn't stop until 1990 and he died a year later.
So next time you start hiccuping, be glad this isn't you.
*Unless you are this guy. Then, your persistent hiccups are the result of an undiagnosed tumor. Moral of the story – if your hiccups don’t disappear on their own, get them checked out. | <urn:uuid:e5c8ab5e-7f29-44ab-ac90-53d672a52aa6> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:29:31",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9579730033874512,
"score": 2.515625,
"token_count": 718,
"url": "https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/why-do-we-hiccup-0/"
} |
SpaceX has stated that a “bug” in its system prevented operators from changing the course of one of its Starlink satellites after experts attempted to communicate a potential collision with another satellite, resulting in the European Space Agency (ESA) conducting the first-ever “collision avoidance maneuver” with a satellite from the new breed of "mega-constellation" satellites.
In a slew of tweets, the space agency confirms that its Aeolus Earth observation satellite fired its thrusters in order to avoid a collision with the SpaceX satellite in their Starlink constellation, a mega-constellation of 60 satellites launched earlier this year in hopes of providing ultrafast Internet access.
“Experts in our space debris team calculated the risk of collision between these two active satellites, determining the safest option for Aeolus would be to increase its altitude and pass over the SpaceX satellite,” wrote ESA in a tweet.
The maneuver took place about a half an orbit before the collision would have happened. Shortly after, Aeolus sent science data back indicating the maneuver was a success. The agency notes that “it is very rare to perform collision avoidance maneuvers with active satellites. The vast majority of ESA avoidance maneuvers are the result of dead satellites or fragments from previous collisions.”
In a statement seen by Jonathan O'Callaghan reporting for Forbes, SpaceX said that their last communication with the Aeolus operations team was on August 28 when the probability of collision was “well below the industry standard threshold” at which point both SpaceX and ESA determined that a maneuver was not necessary. In the days that followed, the US Air Force updates increased the risk of collision to 1-in-10,000 but a “bug” in SpaceX's paging system prevented the Starlink operator from “seeing the follow-on correspondence on this probability increase.”
“SpaceX is still investigating the issue and will implement corrective actions,” SpaceX said. “However, had the Starlink operator seen the correspondence, we would have coordinated with ESA to determine [the] best approach with their continuing with their maneuver or our performing a maneuver.”
Last year, 28 collision avoidance maneuvers were conducted by ESA, but experts warn that as the number of satellites in orbit increases, hundreds or even thousands of satellites may be compromised. Such maneuvers are currently conducted manually and take a good deal of preparation, but the agency says that it is preparing to automate the process using artificial intelligence. Current estimates suggest that all the debris in Earth’s orbit weighs more than 8,400 tonnes. | <urn:uuid:677bfa21-b27b-4a77-945f-08c567ac643d> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:00:10",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9421849250793457,
"score": 2.71875,
"token_count": 529,
"url": "https://www.iflscience.com/space/esa-confirms-collision-avoidance-maneuver-to-avoid-runin-with-spacexs-starlink-satellite/"
} |
November 8, 2018
Three sexes, four cases - and then all those adjectives! German is known to be a difficult language. Just how complicated the grammar in particular is can also be felt by the students of the English-medium Jacobs University, who come from more than 100 countries. German courses are obligatory for them. One of their instructuors, who teaches the language and tells them about German culture, is 50-year-old Dr. Stefan Baumgarten.
Born in Braunschweig, Germany, Baumgarten has been teaching German at Jacobs University for a year now. He has taught at various universities in Great Britain for 20 years of his life. In two regional studies courses entitled "German Politics and Culture" and "Contemporary Germany", he teaches his students interesting facts about German culture, politics and society. "The aim is to enable students to communicate in German, to have simple conversations and to gain a deeper understanding of their host country through the language," says Baumgarten.
Language skills are the key to integration and Jacobs University's German and regional studies courses create the necessary prerequisite for its success. Two 75-minute courses per week are compulsory for both Bachelor's and Master's students. The level of the courses is based on the European Framework of Reference for Languages. They start at level A1, which is about understanding and using everyday expressions and very simple sentences, and end at C1 for the most eager language students. Those who have reached this level have developed a very good understanding of the language and can express themselves comprehensively.
Learning the language is not only a way for students to gain a deeper insight into German culture and establish contacts - the language skills they have acquired also serve as an additional qualification to round off their CV. Many consider staying in Germany after their studies, and in order to achieve this, good language skills are usually indispensable. For Baumgarten, teaching is not a one-way street. "The contact with students from so many nations is extremely enriching. There are great people there. The diversity can also be continued in class."
The lecturer has been dealing with language for many years. Baumgarten studied translation sciences and earned his doctorate at Aston University in Birmingham, Great Britain, with a thesis on the various translations and their history from Hitler's "Mein Kampf" into English. Recently his book "Translation and Global Spaces of Power" was published by Multilingual Matters, which he edited together with a colleague. Among other things, it deals with the dominance of English-speaking cultures. According to Baumgarten, this dominance is often associated with a loss of cultural diversity. Most literary translations into English are oriented towards the linguistic and cultural mainstream - an adaptation to mass taste, which is also and to a large extent attributable to economic factors.
But Baumgarten is currently dealing with other topics. The range of German courses at Jacobs University, currently designed for more than 700 students, is to be expanded and refined. This also includes creating more opportunities for students to apply their language skills, for example by forming tandems consisting of a native and a foreign language speaker.
This text is part of the series "Faces of Jacobs", in which Jacobs University is featuring students, alumni, professors and employees. For more stories, please have a look at www.jacobs-university.de/faces | <urn:uuid:17c8b00b-6661-4db0-ae02-e23d5797186f> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:53:25",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.97323077917099,
"score": 2.5625,
"token_count": 693,
"url": "https://www.jacobs-university.de/news/more-just-grammar-german-students-jacobs-university-bremen"
} |
The British plan to settle Australia was a high-risk venture. We now take it for granted that the first colony was the basis of one of the most successful nations in the world today. But in truth, the New World of the 18th century was dotted with failed colonies, and New South Wales nearly joined them.
The motley crew of unruly marines and bedraggled convicts who arrived at Botany Bay in 1788 in leaky boats nearly starved to death. They could easily have been murdered by hostile locals, been overwhelmed by an attack from French or Spanish expeditions, or brought undone by the Castle Hill uprising of 1804. Yet through fortunate decisions, a few remarkably good leaders, and most of all good luck, Sydney survived and thrived.
Bestselling historian David Hill tells the story of the first three decades of Britain’s earliest colony in Australia in a fresh and compelling way. | <urn:uuid:32b6982e-bac8-4c35-87e2-26af520661c0> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:15:26",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9745500087738037,
"score": 3.046875,
"token_count": 186,
"url": "https://www.kinokuniya.com.au/books/non-fiction/convict-colony-9781760528669/"
} |
|Date||1 January 2008|
|Magazine||Science for Democratic Action, Takoma Park, USA|
|Number of pages||3|
|Tags:||WASTE GENERAL - |
IMPORTANCE NUCLEAR IN TOTAL ENERGYPRODUCTION - interest in total production (by country; see otherwise GLOBAL IMPORTANCE OF NUCLEAR POWER).
CONTAMINATION - Radioactive contamination
FRANCE - France
GNEP - Global Nuclear Energy Partnership
LA HAGUE, FRANCE - reprocessing; see also LA MANCHE; Waste is close
DISCHARGES WATER - radioact. discharges and pollution of sea and surface water
MOX - Mixed oxide fuel, commonly referred to as MOX fuel, is nuclear fuel that contains more than one oxide of fissile material, usually consisting of plutonium blended with natural uranium, reprocessed uranium, or depleted uranium.
OPINION POLLS - Polls
PLUTONIUM - environment, use, production, discussion transuranic
POLICY - or combine with LAND COMPANY NAME
URANIUM GENERAL - raw matwerial, isotopes, toxicity, etc.
This article is available in Laka's library. Request a copy or a scan by mail.« previous article - next article » | <urn:uuid:94b98e3b-9d93-4927-8f5f-fbb1e507f1e8> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:49:34",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.7368045449256897,
"score": 3.046875,
"token_count": 278,
"url": "https://www.laka.org/docu/catalogue/adder/sda/2008/01/frances-nuclear-fix-35172"
} |
While digging through a looter's tunnel in the ancient Maya city of Holmul, archaeologists exposed an amazingly well-preserved façade on the outside of a 1,400-year-old building. They are studying the artwork and inscriptions on the frieze to learn more about ancient Maya politics and religion. This part of the monumental carving shows an ancestral deity holding "first tamal" sign with feathered serpent.
The frieze decorates the outside of a building that is mostly buried under rubble; archaeologists have only been able to explore part of the structure. This is a virtual reconstruction of building with the frieze.
Archaeologist Francisco Estrada-Belli with newly found Holmul frieze (AD 600).
Last year, the archaeologists found a tomb near the site where they found the frieze.
Archaeologist Anya Shetler cleans an inscription below a glyph on the huge Maya frieze found in Holmul.
The name of Ajwosaj, one of the greatest Naranjo rulers, was expressed in this glyph inscribed into the frieze.
This image of the 26-foot-long (8 meters) and 6.5-foot-high (2 m) Holmul frieze is a mosaic of photos. | <urn:uuid:1048855f-99f4-4de8-93b9-ba0e7c1c7f93> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:10:05",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9118677377700806,
"score": 2.828125,
"token_count": 272,
"url": "https://www.livescience.com/38792-ancient-maya-carvings-exposed-photos.html"
} |
Mysterious "ghost apes" may have interbred with the great apes known as bonobos just as modern humans repeatedly had sex with now-extinct human lineages, a new study finds.
Bonobos are, with chimpanzees, humanity's closest living relatives. Together, bonobos and chimps are part of the group Pan, just as modern humans and extinct lineages of humans make up the group Homo.
Recently, geneticists discovered that ancestors of modern humans often interbred with extinct human lineages such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. The DNA from such trysts continues to influence modern humans, from potential immune boosts to increased risk for depression, obesity, heart attacks and nicotine addiction. [In Photos: Bones from a Denisovan-Neanderthal Hybrid]
Previous research suggested that bonobos and chimps may have interbred as well. For example, prior work found genes likely flowed from bonobos to chimpanzees more than 200,000 years ago.
By analyzing the genomes from 10 bonobos and 59 chimpanzeess for signs of genes from unknown ancient groups, scientists have now uncovered evidence that bonobos also had sex with a now-extinct ape lineage.
"We know humans have interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovans and probably other archaic human populations, and it's interesting to see that happened with our closest living relatives as well," said study lead author Martin Kuhlwilm, a population geneticist at the Biomedical Research Park of Barcelona, Spain.
The researchers looked for unusual patterns in the ape genomes that suggested ancient interbreeding with other lineages. This included a hunt for long haplotypes, or sets of DNA sequences, that were seen in one species but not the other. The reasoning is that short haplotypes are potentially explained by a few chance mutations within these species, but comparatively long haplotypes are instead likely inherited from a significantly different lineage.
Although these genetic contributions from interbreeding dwindle over time, remnants would still exist as shorter, unusual fragments. By looking at the length of these odd haplotypes, scientists can estimate how far back the interbreeding occurred.
By isolating the DNA from this "ghost ape," the researchers said they could reconstruct up to 4.8% of its genome. They said genes in these archaic fragments may have consequences on the workings of the brain, kidneys and immune system of bonobos. [8 Human-Like Behaviors of Primates]
Previous research suggested the ancestors of bonobos and chimps diverged from one another at most about 2 million years ago, likely separating after the Congo River grew. In contrast, the scientists estimated this ghost ape diverged from the common ancestor of bonobos and chimps about 3.3 million years ago.
"It's an extinct branch of the Pan family tree," Kuhlwilm said.
The researchers suggested the rendezvouses between bonobos and the ghost apes happened sometime between 377,000 and 637,000 years ago. In contrast, they detected no signs that chimpanzees ever interbred with any now-extinct lineages, perhaps because the Congo River cut off chimpanzees from other groups, Kuhlwilm said.
In the future, the researchers would like to look for signs of interbreeding within other great apes, Kuhlwilm said. Analyzing great ape genomes could shed light on extinct lineages in a way the fossil record likely cannot.
"We have absolutely nothing in terms of bonobo fossils," Kuhlwilm said. "There is one chimp fossil that's been unearthed that's maybe 400,000 years old, but that's basically it for African great apes. By analyzing living apes, we can get information on extinct ape populations that we can't get from ancient DNA, since there are almost no ancient ape fossils."
Bonobos are a species well-known for its promiscuity. "We can speculate if that might have facilitated these interactions," Kuhlwilm said.
The scientists detailed their findings online today (April 29) in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
- Denisovan Gallery: Tracing the Genetics of Human Ancestors
- Image Gallery: Our Closest Human Ancestor
- Image Gallery: 3-Year-Old Human Ancestor Revealed
Originally published on Live Science. | <urn:uuid:d217b84e-d339-4628-af50-311f8e572c9e> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:13:32",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9455159902572632,
"score": 3.375,
"token_count": 880,
"url": "https://www.livescience.com/65352-bonobos-interbred-ghost-apes.html"
} |
Today’s turbulent world is an indication of the differences that exist between cultures and communities. Sometimes, these conflicts are uncomfortable but tolerable. Other times, the disputes are so egregious or offensive that governments elect to sanction the official bodies responsible for the challenges. When the U.S. government imposes sanctions on a foreign entity, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is the department tasked with overseeing and enforcing those penalties.
What Is the OFAC?
The OFAC is a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and its job is to administer and enforce both economic and trade sanctions imposed on foreign countries due to activities that either originate within their borders or are under the control of their operatives. Sometimes, the OFAC imposes penalties due to criminal activities, such as international money laundering or terrorist activities. Other times, they impose penalties because foreign policies threaten U.S. national security or economics. The sanctions are multilateral in many cases, and they involve close cooperation with allied and partner governments.
In emergency situations, the OFAC gets its authority from the national emergency powers aspect of the Federal government’s executive branch. In non-emergency cases, the OFAC is authorized by specific laws and legislation. Both authorities grant the OFAC broad capacities to control the activities of foreign citizens.
What Does the OFAC Do?
When foreign governments act in ways that threaten the safety and security of the United States, the U.S. government often uses economic and trade sanctions to punish the activity and compel the foreign entity to change its ways. In these cases, the OFAC is responsible for implementing the penalty and enforcing it over time.
For example, in 1959, Fidel Castro took over control of Cuba along with virtually all of its businesses and industry, regardless of who owned those enterprises. As a consequence, and in an attempt to compel Castro to return control of those businesses to their rightful owners, the U.S. issued an embargo on Cuba and prohibited export to the island nation of almost all goods except for medicines and non-subsidized foods, while also prohibiting Americans from travelling to the country. The OFAC has been in charge of enforcing that embargo for more than 57 years.
Additionally, the OFAC also oversees sanctions against groups of people, such as identified terrorist groups and criminal gang networks. The Office’s “Specially Designated Nationals” (SDN) list identifies foreign citizens with known criminal backgrounds, and the agency then posts those names on publicized lists. American citizens are not allowed to do business with persons on the SDN list, and the OFAC will come after them if they do.
Why Does America Need the OFAC?
The need for an OFAC became apparent during the War of 1812 when the fledgling country imposed sanctions against Great Britain for harassing its sailors. In all wars since then, America has imposed some form of penalty on its enemies, including protecting threatened Ally assets from the Nazis while waging war against them in World War II. Since its official launch as the “OFAC” in 1950, the agency has policed and enforced penalties against individuals, groups, and nations that threaten American assets and citizens, including tracking sanctions evaders, checking the activities of unsavory foreign financial institutions, and shielding the assets of persons blocked from engaging with America because of their criminal or terrorist activities.
The United States is an important player in maintaining global stability. The Office of Foreign Assets Control is just one of the tools it uses to ensure that American assets and citizens are protected from foreign-based corruption and crime. Are you ready to ensure OFAC compliance? Contact us today! | <urn:uuid:ccf2bba4-9de1-466c-b9a4-4834ff0684e5> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:04:34",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.955280601978302,
"score": 3.03125,
"token_count": 744,
"url": "https://www.lyonslive.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-ofac/"
} |
While we're seeing the heavy cost of our reliance on dirty fossil fuels in the Gulf of Mexico and the Senate give up on climate change legislation, there is still much that the federal government can and should be doing to promote clean energy. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in particular has a golden opportunity to help consumers save energy and save money to boot.
This opportunity lies within a small bright yellow sticker found on many appliances on store shelves. This sticker is the EnergyGuide label, created by the FTC to inform consumers of the energy usage of appliances. This EnergyGuide label — found on a host of energy-intensive appliances including clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, and air conditioners — allows consumers to compare each model’s energy usage with others on the market. In doing so, it helps consumers make smart purchases that can save them hundreds of dollars in utility bills and help to curb air pollution that threatens our communities and our planet.
Right now the FTC is for the first time creating an EnergyGuide label for televisions. TVs in this country use more than 50 billion kilowatt hours of electricity a year – that’s enough to power all the homes in New York state for an entire year. And by the end of this year, 37 million TVs will have been shipped to the U.S. for sale in 2010 alone.
As it is now, we are unable to walk into a store or shop online and easily compare the efficiency – or inefficiency - of different models of televisions. Yet the differences in energy usage are stark. Among different models of similar sizes and types of TVs, there can be as much as a three-fold difference in energy consumption. These differences can translate to hundreds of dollars in wasted energy bills over the life of the product. While the well-known “Energy Star” label helps us identify sets that are somewhat better than average, there are still major disparities hidden from the public eye. For some TV sizes, the least efficient EnergyStar-compliant model uses over 85 percent more energy than the most efficient model of the same size and type. We need EnergyGuide labels for TVs to show how each model’s efficiency stacks up against others of the same general size and type.
Unfortunately, the labels being proposed by FTC simply aren’t big enough to be read by the average shopper. Several of the options would allow labels only a little larger than a business card, with most of the print smaller than what you see in the newspaper. Consumers simply won’t be able to read these tiny labels on display models mounted high on walls, as is often the case in big box stores. And FTC is not proposing to require labeling of the TV boxes, so the consumer won’t be able to get the information there either.
The miniscule labels are in response to industry complaints that labels shouldn’t cover up any part of the screen on display models. That is the wrong stance to take when a recent survey of American consumers found that 89 percent ranked energy efficiency as a top consideration for their next TV purchase. Placing a readable efficiency label on the screen will hardly prevent consumers from getting a good view of picture quality; there will still be plenty of room left.
FTC should also reject industry claims that it’s too much trouble to put efficiency labels on the boxes that TVs are packaged in. TV-makers seem to have no problem putting the “EnergyStar” label on those boxes, so why not give us the more useful EnergyGuide label as well?
While they’re at it, the FTC commissioners need to require retailers to make sure that display models have the energy efficiency label properly shown at all times. A 2007 government investigation found that half of appliances viewed in a sample of retail stores were not properly labeled. Some had no EnergyGuide labels at all, while others had labels that weren’t in an easily viewable location.
And FTC needs to require Internet dealers to provide efficiency information as well. Many people shop online for TVs, but the proposed rule does not require web sites to provide the same comparative efficiency information required for products sold in stores.
Providing consumers with more information — information that can save all Americans money and lead to a cleaner energy economy — and allowing them to make smart choices should be a no-brainer for an agency charged with protecting the public interest.
David Baron is the managing attorney of the Washington, D.C., office of Earthjustice, a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment.
This article was written for Earthjustice and was reprinted with permission. | <urn:uuid:8ee9532e-f718-4063-8a79-4c3293d8e472> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:28:46",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9401320219039917,
"score": 3.046875,
"token_count": 975,
"url": "https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/tvs-and-a-little-yellow-sticker-an-easy-and-cheap-way-to-save-energy"
} |
Working with Childminders
“A mind when stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions” – Anonymous
In December 2013 Montessori Centre International launched a new online course, Montessori for Childminders renamed Introducing the Montessori Approach to Childminders (IMAC). The course enables registered childminders to build on their current qualifications and provides professional development by exploring the inspirational Montessori approach to education.
The online course consists of six modules. It starts with an explanation of Montessori background and context and then covers:
- The Child
- The Environment
- The Montessori Childminder
- Important Principles of Montessori
- Montessori and Contemporary Research
An experienced Montessori mentor is on hand to support the learning process and there are self-assessment activities to enhance study.
Further information on the childminding course or how to enrol onto the IMAC course can be found here.
If you are a registered Childminder and would like to join the childminder network, further details can be found in the Childminder Network section of this website. | <urn:uuid:df580d8b-348b-4163-ad51-2f001574f69a> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:15:59",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8913943767547607,
"score": 2.78125,
"token_count": 236,
"url": "https://www.montessori.org.uk/msn-charity/msn-projects/working-with-childminders"
} |
Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
7 Validating Prehistoric and Current Social Phenomena upon the Landscape of the Peten, Guatemala Thomas L. Sever Remotely sensed data from airborne and satellite sensors have been used to identify archeological features, such as roadways, temples, cisterns, and agricul- tural areas. This information is critical in research on the Maya to help answer questions regarding subsistence, settlement patterns, population densities, soci- etal structure, communication, and transportation. These issues in turn may well relate to perhaps the most intriguing question of all: the reason for the Mayan collapse. From the perspective of space we can also view the effects of human activity upon the landscape. Satellite images of the Peten region of Guatemala allow us to see where, when, and how rapidly that landscape is changing. Satellite data can be used to provide quantifiable evidence for depletion rates and trends of deforestation, identify potential points of conflict, and create predictive models for the future. The data can also be combined with ground-truth information to help us better understand the social issues involved and develop an effective strategy for balancing the challenges of population increase, sustainability, and conservation. Because of unanticipated preliminary results, this project evolved from a small-scale study to a regional analysis. Originally, the project was to conduct an archeological and environmental analysis of a 1 x 1 degree study area along the Usumacinta river valley between Guatemala and Mexico. This work was to be performed in response to potential hydroelectrical projects and large-scale oil explorations that threatened the area. When the first Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery of the area was processed, it revealed the contrast between the tilled landscape of Mexico and the standing rainforest of Guatemala (Plate 7-1, 145
146 Mexico 100 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PEIEN, GUATEMALA Guatemala am_ ,,~ ~_/ = Scale Belize FIGURE 7-1 Location of the Maya Biosphere Reserve and buffer zone in the Peten district of northern Guatemala. after page 150~. This image received national and international attention with its appearance in the October 1989 issue of National Geographic magazine. It was also taken before the Guatemala Congress by President Vinicio Cerezo, which resulted in the establishment and protection of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) in 1990. This image also led to an agreement between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Central American Commission on Environ- ment and Development (CCAD) to conduct joint research as part of the Mission to Planet Earth Program. As a result of these developments, the original study area was expanded to include both the Peten region of Northern Guatemala and the MBR, the protected area within the Peten's boundaries (see Figure 7-1~. Initially, the primary focus of this investigation was on the use of remote sensing technology for the identification of unrecorded archeological features. However, the utility of the remote sensing data for monitoring of current defores- tation activities was also apparent to conservationists, scientists, managers, and
THOMAS L. SEVER 147 politicians. Consequently, two avenues of research archeological inventory and deforestation have proceeded in parallel throughout the course of the project. These two areas of research are discussed separately here, although both are related to the social sciences. Using airborne and satellite remote sensing data, the project has identified prehistoric archeological features, such as roadways, temples, and agricultural areas, as well as documented a time-lapse sequence of deforestation from 1986 to the present (Seder et al., 19961. The clearing of tropical forests is one of the primary global environmental issues. Deforestation leads to three unintended impacts: loss of cultural diversity, loss of biodiversity, and loss of carbon storage capacity. Satellite imagery has proven to be one of the best techniques for monitoring forest clearing, shifting cultivation, and land-use conversion patterns (Seder, 1995; Sader et al., 1994~. While remotely sensed data provide quantifi- able information about forest and land-cover changes, they do not explain the anthropogenic causes for those changes. Hence ground-truth information is re- quired both to validate the satellite imagery and to supplement it with information from local harvesters, farmers, and ranchers regarding the criteria they employ for land-use conversion. Our research team consists of James Nations, an anthropologist and ecologist at Conservation International; Santiago Billy, a Guatemalan national and conser- vationist for Conservation International; Frank Miller, a forester at Mississippi State University; Daniel Lee, a geographic information system (GIS) expert at GeoTek; and the author, a remote sensing specialist and archeologist at NASA. This interdisciplinary team has been conducting field research in the Peten for 10 years to verify the results of our computer analysis. The primary focus of our research is environmental inventory and the detection of archeological features within the Peten. During the course of our work we have collaborated with many other researchers, particularly Steven Sader, University of Maine, in deforesta- tion studies and Patrick Culbert, University of Arizona, in archeological research. BACKGROUND The Peten, in northern Guatemala, covers 36,000 km2 a third of Guatemala's land mass. The wetlands and intact tropical forest of the Peten represent one of the world's richest areas of biological diversity. The ecosystem contains over 800 species of trees; 500 species of birds; and large populations of mammals, including monkeys, jaguars, and tapirs. The area also contains some of the most prehistorically significant Mayan archeological sites in Latin America. Since deforestation activities also include the destruction of archeological sites, conservation of these ruins is synonymous with forest protection. Only a few indigenous Mayan descendants still live in the Peten, although the population of inhabitants is increasing rapidly as a result of migration and settlement. Until 1970, nearly 90 percent of the Peten remained forested. Today over half of the
48 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PRIER, GUATEMALA forest has been cut, and if deforestation continues at its present rate, only 2 percent of the Peten's forest will remain by the year 2010 (Cameo, 1996~. The MBR lies within the Peten and covers 1.6 million hectares (ha), nearly 40 percent of the Peten and 14 percent of Guatemala. It is the largest protected area in of the Maya Tropical Forest, which stretches from Eastern Mexico to Belize, and as such is critical to regional conservation efforts. Deforestation rates in the area are accelerating as a result of increasing human migration. Over the past 20 years, the human population in the Peten has increased from 20,000 to more than 300,000 (Stuart, 1991~. Today, the Peten has a human population density of 26 inhabitants per square mile (J. Nations, personal communication); this figure contrasts significantly with the ancient Mayan population densities of 2,600 persons per square mile in the center and 500-1,300 per square mile in the more rural areas (Rice, 1991). New roads and pipelines being constructed in the Peten by logging and petroleum companies serve as conduits for human migration (Plate 7-2, after page 150~. Peasant farmers follow these corridors to clear the forest and establish maize-based agricultural plots (milpas). Slash-and-burn cultivation remains the predominant agricultural system in the Peten today. Soil fertility declines after 2 or 3 years of cultivation, and the milpas are abandoned (Lundell, 1937) as the farmers move to new areas. In addition, a major expansion of the Q'eqchi' Maya population has occurred in the southern Peten. The Q'eqchi', numbering over 400,000, show remarkable abilities in adapting to new environments and learning new technologies (Cahuec and Richards, 1994~. Cattle pastures are becoming increasingly present in the Peten, although they are not yet dominant as in other regions of Central America. The ancient Maya far outgrew the carrying capacity of slash-and-burn agri- culture, which is only 200-250 persons per square mile in this region (Rice, 1991~. The environmental effects of the current deforestation and settlement in the area are not known at this time. What is known is that monocultivation and cattle ranching are replacing the traditional adaptive system of the past. The forests of the Peten were nearly destroyed 1000 years ago by the ancient Maya, who, after centuries of successful adaptation, had finally overused their resources. Current inhabitants are threatening to do the same thing today in a shorter time period with a lesser population. ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH The Classic Mayan period of the southern lowlands lasted from 250 to 900 A.D., when it collapsed in unparalleled fashion. That some disaster had befallen the Classic Maya became clear in the early days of Mayan studies when it was learned that the dating and inscription of monuments had ceased during the ninth century. The seventh and eighth centuries were a golden age for the Maya. A population of millions achieved new peaks in construction. Stone monuments
THOMAS L. SEVER 149 proclaimed the glory of the rulers in decorative masterpieces. Between 830 and 930 A.D., however, populations of both elites and commoners in the Mayan lowlands declined by two-thirds. By the Postclassic Period (after 930 A.D.), only a few scattered houses remained (Culbert, 1993~. The Mayan collapse may well be the greatest demographic disaster in human history. It occurred in the region of the Mayan lowlands. There was no exodus outward because the peripheral populations remained stable. What caused this disaster is not known. Potential explanations include internal conflict and war- fare, disease, climatic change, overpopulation, outside invasion, peasant rebel- lion, soil nutrient depletion, and failure of the agricultural system (Culbert, 1974, 1993; Hammond, 1990~. Rather than having a single explanation, however, the cataclysm may have had multiple causes. What is known is that most of the trees in the region had been cut down by the ninth century. Although there is recent evidence for a drought beginning around 800 A.D. (Sabloff, 1995; Curtis et al., 1996), the question emerges of why the Maya had survived previous droughts, not to mention other setbacks. Understanding how the Maya managed the land- scape so successfully for centuries and what the eventual effect was, if any, of their deforestation activities may provide an important lesson for the future of today's inhabitants. TM imagery reveals Mayan causeways that often cannot be seen from ground level. As part of the theoretical framework of landscape archeology, roadways reflect the interplay among technology, environment, social structure, and the values of a culture (Trombold, l991~. In this case, the causeways are the tangible evidence of the Maya's structural organization across geographic space. The Mayan causeways are formal routes. Formal routes reflect elements of planning and purposeful construction, including labor in construction, engineering, main- tenance, and an organizational structure that oversees the system. They tend to be straight in nature and are engineered to overcome natural obstacles in order to improve transportation and communication. They contrast with informal routes, such as paths, which show little if any evidence of construction, are irregular in design, and tend to avoid natural obstacles. From a remote sensing perspective, the Mayan roadways tell us how the cities were connected and to some degree suggest the level of sophistication of the city responsible for their construction and maintenance. Several analytical techniques have been employed to identify Mayan cause- ways in the TM imagery. Laplacian and Gaussian filtering techniques were used to isolate linear and curvilinear features in the imagery. These techniques have been employed successfully to detect Anasazi roads in New Mexico (Sever, 1990) and prehistoric footpaths in Costa Rica (Sheets and Sever, 1988~. In addition, a number of different ratios and other transformations, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), principal component analysis, and a modified version of the Kauth-Thomas (KT) transformation (MKT) were used to isolate the causeway features. MKT was derived as follows:
150 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PETEN, GUATEMALA . The KT tasseled cap transformation was performed using standard coeffi cients. · Bands 1 and 2 of the KT transformation were ratioed using Band 1 - (Band 2/Band 1 + Band 2~. In this format, the central processing unit (CPU) order of operations is to perform the division first and then subtract, yielding a different value from that of the NDVI calculation. These values are assigned to the red video color gun. · Bands 4 and 5 were ratioed as 5/4 and assigned to the green video gun. · Bands 5 and 7 were ratioed as 5/7 and assigned to the blue video gun. The combination of these techniques made it possible to identify various roadway segments. For instance, as the roads cross the seasonally flooded swamps (bajos), they support a more lush vegetation than the surrounding plant community. Since the TM data are collected near the end of the dry season (April-May), the dryness of the roads in the elevated areas can be detected, as can the wetness in some of the lower areas. The most distinguishing characteristic, however, is the straightness or linearity of these features. The karst topography of the landscape also reveals linear geologic faults, fractures, and drainages that can be confused with causeways. Ground-truth reconnaissance can often resolve this issue visually. In some cases, a ground survey is not sufficient, and excava- tion must be used to distinguish the features conclusively. It should be mentioned that some of the techniques used to identify roadways also reveal temple struc- tures and man-made water storage areas (see Figure 7-2~. The 30-m resolution of the satellite imagery precludes detection of canals, but airborne 5-m Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) and Calibrated Airborne Multispectral Scanner (CAMS) data, as well as simultaneously acquired color infrared (CIR) photographs, have been used to identify potential canals and field systems. A1- though these features have not been verified to date, their existence is supported by the discovery of canal features in nearby study areas. The problem is that the 5-m data were not acquired in the specific bajo areas where the canals were discovered through excavation. As discussed below, the detection of these canals will provide insight into the use of the bajos by the Maya. The CIR photography was also used to confirm Mayan causeways (Figure 7-3~. One of the leading debates in Mayan archeology concerns whether the low- land wetlands (bajos) of the Peten were or could be used for agriculture (Pope and Dahlin, 1989, 1993; Adams et al., 1990; Turner, 1993~. The bajos represent 40 percent of the land surface of the Peten, and it seems reasonable to assume that these areas were farmed by the ancient Maya. As noted earlier, slash-and-burn technology, still used by the inhabitants today, can support only 200-250 persons per square mile in the region. This level had been reached by the Maya by 300 A.D., far before their population peak in the Late Classic period (600-830 A.D.), when population densities ranged from 500 to 2,600 persons per square mile (Rice, 1991~.
THOMAS L. SEVER 151 FIGURE 7-2 Thematic Mapper satellite image created by ratioing Band 4 with Band 3. The light spots represent ancient Mayan temple structures beneath the forest canopy at the archeological site of Mirador, while the dark lines represent Mayan causeways and natu- ral geological features. Ground reconnaissance and sometimes excavation are required to separate the cultural from the natural features. Currently, our research team has joined forces with Patrick Culbert of the University of Arizona to address this issue. Both supervised and unsupervised classification techniques (Kelley, 1983) have been used to classify satellite im- ages and identify the bajo areas (Plate 7-3, on facing page). Three different types of bajos have been identified, in addition to seven additional land-cover classes, such as high forest, transition forest, and water. Local informants in the Peten, however, have identified to Culbert seven different types of bajos, each with
152 ;^ Ct Ct = . Ct o o ~ .= .= Cal s°- ;^ Cal so o Cal ·_. ~ .~ . _ Cal o ~ ~ _. ~ o Or, _. .= o A, . ~ Cal Ct Cal ·0 Hi_ Ct sly sol .0 o o ~ o o Cal Cd sly Or, L Cal =. ~ ~ Ct sly 5 o o ~ ·_. o Cal ;^ Ct · _. o ;^ Cal ~ Ct o
THOMAS L. SEVER 153 distinctive characteristics. Of these seven types, two or three remain sufficiently moist in the dry season to sustain agriculture. This information is pertinent today, and may provide insight into early Mayan farming practices. Currently, we are applying supervised classification techniques using information from two transects as the training samples. The transect data come from field data col- lected by Culbert and his research team during their May 1995 field season. They conducted two transects in the Bajo la Justa, Peten one a trail of approximately 7 km, the other along a road of approximately 17 km. They were assisted in the vegetation survey by a native (Don Felipe Lanza) employed by the Forestry Division of the Tikal National Park. During this field reconnaissance they learned that there are two primary classifications of bajo associations: palm and scrub. Within each of these two major types are "sections characterized by a predominance of particular species which provide subtypes such as 'escobal', 'coronal', and 'botonal' within the palm bajo, and 'jimbal', 'tintal', 'navajuelal' and 'huechal' within the scrub bajo" (Culbert et al., 1995:3~. Additionally, there are three distinctions that relate to ground-surface characteristics and inundation: "bajo piano," which has a flat surface and no noticeable slope; "bajo borbolal," which has an undulating sur- face; and "bajo inundable," which is at an elevation where seasonal flooding occurs and seems to be characterized by scrub vegetation. Lanza also informed Culbert and his team that palm bajo is excellent for milpa and is one of the environments of choice among native Peteneros. Along both transects the team recorded vegetation according to Lanza's classification and gathered Global Po- sitioning System (GPS) readings. This ground-truth information has been overlaid on the TM satellite data, and various classifications have been developed. In addition, we will acquire standard-beam (30-m) Radarsat C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, which will then be merged with the TM data. This merging of TM/SAR data should provide the best opportunity for distinguishing class types. The various classification schemes will be tested during the 1998 field season to determine which technique is the most accurate. In the process of searching for the best satellite band combinations, ratios, and other transformations for discriminating sacbes and bajos, it was noted that these techniques also discriminated elevated "islands" of upland within the bajos. The best technique for discriminating such islands employed the MKT using TM bands 3, 4, and 5. Culbert's 1995 field season led to key findings with regard to these islands: A very important fact about the location of Maya sites in relation to bajos has become clear...our work suggests that there was occupation on almost every area of slightly higher land where patches of high forests occur as "islands" within bajo. We call these areas of occupation "bajo communities" and they will be one of the foci of our future project in the Bajo la Justa (Culbert et al., 1995:4~.
154 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PETEN, GUATEMALA The discovery of these occupied islands within the bajo system raises many research questions related to chronology, settlement patterns, and artifactual as- semblages. Do these islands represent a long-term occupation, or are they the result of a sudden, brief occupation? Are the bajo communities similar to or different from other communities, and do they operate under a similar or different organizational structure? The answers to these questions are critical in under- standing the full adaptation of the Maya to their rainforest environment, and mapping these islands is the first step toward finding these answers. Recently, our research team participated in the identification of an unre- corded site that may prove to be Site Q (for ''que?''L''which?''l). The potential existence of this Mayan site has been based on relief sculptures found in various collections and museums, as first identified by Peter Mathews in the late 1970s. The location of Site Q. signified by a snake-head emblem glyph, has been a source of debate among scholars, with some postulating that the site has not yet been found and others claiming that it is the known site Calakmul in Mexico (Schuster, 1997~. The preeminence of Site Q in the Classic Maya world is evidenced by the fact that the snake-head emblem glyph has been found in inscriptions at sites in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. While Calakmul is a strong candidate for Site Q. the fact remains that there are a number of large Mayan sites in the area where little or no research has been conducted, not to mention potential sites that have not yet been found. While studying scarlet macaw routes, team member Santiago Billy came across an unrecorded site in April 1996. His GPS measurements of this location were compared with TM satellite imagery in which potential causeway linea- ments could be seen by the author. Our team conducted an initial reconnaissance mission in July 1996. Pyramids, walls, plazas, structures, and hieroglyphic monu- ments could be seen. The research team reported this information to Ian Graham and David Stuart at the Harvard Peabody Museum. In May 1997, our research team met Graham and Stuart at the site, which has been named "La Carona." As they mapped the site and recorded the hieroglyphs, we surveyed the site perimeter, finding many additional but smaller structures. To date, sufficient analysis has been conducted to determine that if this location is not Site Q itself, it is nearby (Graham, 1997~. Our remote sensing imagery suggests that there are other archeological sites in the area that we intend to visit in the course of our research. (The difficulties of conducting ground-truth recon- naissance in these areas are discussed later in this chapter.) DEFORESTATION Central America has one of the highest rates of deforestation, on a percent- age basis, in the world (Food and Agriculture Organization, 1991~. Satellite imagery provides the primary source of quantifiable data about forest and land- cover changes. The remote sensing and GIS techniques used for deforestation
THOMAS L. SEVER 155 and vegetation mapping are well established (Fearnside, 1986; Sader and Joyce, 1988; Sader et al., 1990; Skole and Tucker, 1993~. These analytical techniques have been applied to present evidence of the current deforestation threat to the Peten region. As noted earlier, the ancient Maya had substantially deforested the region by the time of their collapse in the ninth century, while the current tropical forest, no more than 1,000 years old, is being destroyed at an alarming rate in the wake of human migration and settlement. Schwartz (1990) documents the social and political driving forces that have affected the people and the forest of the region. Until recently, the Peten enjoyed a largely stable sociocultural system dating back to the 1720s. From colonial times it had been a sparsely populated region, with one writer commenting, "After all, the Peten was then (1895) and is now (1940) a region almost unoccupied, little developed, and of small promise" (Jones, 1940, quoted in Schwartz [1990:2411~. The region remained sparsely populated until the 1960s, when the national government opened the Peten to colonization. Unequal land distribution, decreasing access to land, extensive deforestation, in- creasing economic inequality, and political unrest subsequently led to revolution. By the late 1970s and early 1980s revolutionary guerrilla forces had estab- lished a wide base of insurgency support against the national government in both the Peten and the Guatemala highlands. The conflict had reached a peak by the mid-1980s, but the struggle continued until the signing of a peace treaty between the rebels and the government in January 1997. Between 1960 and 1986, the Peten experienced a population increase from 26,000 to over 300,000 an in- crease of 1,100 percent in 25 years (Schwartz, 1990:256-257~. As will be seen, our satellite imagery demonstrates that between 1986 and 1995, human migration and deforestation continued to accelerate. Tropical rainforest deforestation results from complex combinations of so- cial, economic, and biological causes. It affects the flora and fauna and the lifestyles of indigenous populations (Nations, 1988~. Currently, cattle ranching and slash-and-burn agriculture are the most serious threats to the Peten. Others include road building, oil exploration, selective logging of mahogany, the taking of endangered species of animals and birds, and the looting of archeological treasures. Since the late 1970s, marijuana has also become an important though illegal export crop (Schwartz, 1990:260~. These practices stand in contrast to economic activities that have a negligible environmental impact, such as tourism and the harvesting of chicle, xate, and pimienta. Four Landsat TM satellite scenes were purchased for April 1986, April 1990, May 1993, and March 1995. As with many tropical regions, it is difficult to acquire cloud-free data over the Peten, and these satellite scenes represent the best data available. Image processing was conducted using Earth Resources Laboratory Applications Software (ELAS) (Graham et al., 1985) and ERDAS (1990) software. Data processing and analysis were conducted jointly under the direction of Steven Sader, University of Maine, and the author. A channel 3, 4,
156 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PETEN, GUATEMALA and 5 subset was extracted from the seven-channel TM data. Atmospheric haze was reduced by subtracting the minimum values located in deep water (Lago Peten Itza) from the visible red (channel 3) and reflective near infrared (channel 4~. The NDVI was computed for all four dates. The equation for NDVI is: NDVI = (near infrared - visible red)/(near infrared + visible red) NDVI information correlates with measures of vegetation "greenness" (Tucker, 1979; Sellers, 1985) and can easily distinguish roads, water, and sparse vegetation from high biomass forests (Seder et al., 1991~. Change detection was performed by subtracting the 1990, 1993, and 1995 NDVI from the 1986 NDVI. The data were compared with false color composite images. The composites were made by loading TM bands 4, 5, and 3 onto the red, green, and blue image planes of the computer screen (Jensen, 1986~. In this way a time-sequence of change from 1986 can be identified and quantified. The results are alarming for the MBR, an area generally thought of as being protected. Increased forest clearing can be identified throughout various parts of the MBR. Comparison of the satellite images for the above four dates indicates that the greatest deforestation of primary forest occurred during 1990-1993, although the Belize-Guatemala border area saw the greatest increase during 1993-1995. Interior roadless regions within the MBR show little or no regrowth or clearing activity. There is a strong relationship between roads and distance to forest, with over 90 percent of the clear cutting being conducted within 2 km of roads. What is certain is that the ratio of clear-cutting to mature forest has been increasing since 1986. Results indicate a general 12:1 ratio (12 ha cut to 1 ha regrown) during 1986-1990. During 1990-1993, some areas experienced even higher ra- tios. We are currently completing our analysis for 1993-1995, but the same pattern of increasing deforestation is apparent as the forested landscape with scattered agricultural fields yields to an agricultural landscape with a fragmented forest. Forest-clearing ratios appear to be highest in frontier areas where there are new roads and an influx of settlers. These areas include the Sierra del Lacandon and the Mexico-Guatemala border region in the west. Forest clearing is less severe near lower, more stable resident populations, as in Carmelita in the central Peten, where more traditional farming techniques are practiced. Forest clearing is also less severe in areas where there are guards on duty, such as Tikal. It is not simply the ratios of deforestation that are alarming, but also the pattern of deforestation. Forest-clearing activities have created "vegetation is- lands" of primary forest surrounded by cleared areas. These vegetation islands are becoming more pronounced in response to new settlers and the construction of new roads and an oil pipeline in the area (apparent in the 1995 TM image). The extent to which this increasing deforestation is affecting the ecology of the
THOMAS L. SEVER region, in particular the m time. 157 . igration routes of birds and animals, is unknown at this What is known is that the increasing human migration into the area is adding to the social stress as the competition for land and resources increases. Satellite change-detection images can be used to identify potential areas of conflict as the forces of expansion meet protected land. The peace treaty of 1997 provides for the resettlement within the MBR of refugees who fled the area during the con- flict. The resulting impact on the forest will be seen in future satellite images. Between March and May 1997, there were two serious incidents inside the MBR, in which government and nongovernmental organization (NGO) hostages were captured at gunpoint, and a biological station was burned to the ground by a force of 60 armed men. Eventually, the release of the hostages was negotiated, and an agreement was made with the perpetrators to rebuild the biological station in exchange for logging, farming, and hunting concessions within the reserve. In May 1997, Carlos Catalan, a Guatemalan spokesman for conservation, was mur- dered at gunpoint in the village of Carmelita. In June 1997, archeologist Peter Mathews and his five-man research team were captured and beaten along the Usumacinta River as they attempted to remove a Mayan altar to a local museum. Although Matthews had the necessary government and local permissions, the captives told him that "they don't respect any authority" (Associated Press, 1997~. These recent incidents illustrate the reality of the situation and suggest the likeli- hood that similar incidents will occur in the future unless an effective land-tenure and migration policy can be established and enforced. RESEARCH CHALLENGES: COLLECTING GROUND-TRUTH INFORMATION The gathering of ground-truth information, often referred to as "reference data," involves collecting measurements or observations about objects, areas, or phenomena that are being remotely sensed (Lillesand and Kiefer, 1994~. Social scientists can use ground-truth information in two ways: first, it can aid in the analysis, interpretation, and validation of the remotely sensed data; second, such information helps in understanding the socioeconomic forces behind land-cover modifications due to human activities. Ground truthing is expensive and time-consuming. While the price of com- puter hardware and software for remote sensing analysis has dropped dramati- cally in recent years, the costs associated with ground-truth activities have gener- ally increased. Airfare, lodging, vehicle rental, food, labor, and the like remain expensive elements of a research design, although it may be noted that recent advances in affordable, portable GPS receivers and digital field recorders give the field investigator greater flexibility in the sampling design. Our ground-truth activities require that we visit as many sites as possible in the remote and difficult terrain of the Peten in order to document as many study
158 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PETEN, GUATEMALA sites as possible. Consequently, we tend to break camp each day and move on to the next location. This feature of our research contrasts with the approach of those who remain at a village or site for an extended period of time. While we map and verify the existence of archeological features, we never excavate. Some of the challenges we have encountered while conducting fieldwork in the Peten include logistical problems, communication problems, equipment failure, inad- equate maps, physical stress, suspicion, danger, and unstable political environ- ments. In fact, our research team was captured and held at gunpoint by leftist guerrillas for several hours before being released at nightfall. Certain phenomena (such as prehistoric Mayan roadways) that appear in the nonvisible bandwidths of the remote sensing data are sometimes simply not visible from ground level and require clearing and/or excavation before being verified. This situation is related to the fact that certain features that cannot be seen in visible light can nevertheless be detected in the infrared or microwave portions of the spectrum by remote sensing instrumentation (Sever, 1990~. Field reconnaissance also provides us with other information not visible in the imag- ery, such as the selective cutting of mahogany trees. Generally, our interviews with local farmers and ranchers provide accurate information. Sometimes, how- ever, the respondents provide us with either information they think we want to hear or false information intended to mask illegal activity. Logistics are probably the major constraint on our field work. Often we are the first professionals to visit an unrecorded archeological site. We must sched- ule in advance the jeeps, boats, aircraft, mules, horses, and workers that will get us to our destination. Since many areas of the Peten do not have telephone service, a member of our team who lives in Guatemala must travel weeks and months in advance to arrange these rentals with the local villagers. The more inaccessible the location, the more difficult the arrangements are. Generally, our field missions last 2 to 3 weeks. As we travel and switch from jeeps to boats to horses and mules, it is critical that the dates, times, and locations for these ar- rangements be finalized in advance. Occasionally, we are met with suspicion regarding the true purpose of our research. We have successfully combatted this situation by taking the time to explain our research goals and objectives to the local residents. We always take a large number of satellite images and, after explaining how we are using the imagery, leave a copy of it with the personas) involved. Through years of expo- sure and word of mouth, we have gained acceptance and support for our data acquisition activities, as well as the confidence of the inhabitants. As the years have passed, many of the inhabitants have become better educated about satellite imagery and GPS units, so that when we stop in a village and present the images, they can often help us interpret some of the features and anomalies displayed. Having a Guatemalan national on the research team is also a positive benefit to our research activities. GPS measurements are a critical component of our field research. Initially,
THOMAS L. SEVER 159 in 1988, there were only a few satellites in orbit, and we often found ourselves climbing a temple at midnight to collect a position that would be available only between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m. Also, intense vegetation cover of the tropical forest limited the collection of GPS readings. Today there is a complete constellation of satellites, and readings can be gathered nearly around the clock. New GPS units with better software allow for the collection of more data with greater accuracy. A problem we often encounter is the inaccuracy of available maps. We consistently find that lakes, rivers, archeological sites, and cultural features are not located where the map indicates. Apart from the obvious in-field confusion, there is the major concern that if these inaccurate maps are digitized and incorpo- rated into a GIS, they will lead to false results for predictive models. We resolve this dilemma by constantly comparing our GPS measurements, imagery, and maps to eliminate as much confusion as possible. It should also be noted that the names on a map are not necessarily the names used by the local inhabitants. As we studied deforestation trends in the Peten over the last several years, we designed our ground-truth activities primarily to identify the difference between new forest clearings and regrowth. Now we are expanding our ground-truth activities to include information on the decision processes associated with land use and land conversion. Currently, the various socioeconomic factors associ- ated with deforestation are poorly understood. In addition, much of the current uncertainty involved in modeling the terrestrial carbon budget arises from inad- equate data on tropical deforestation rates and trends in land-use conversion. To address these scientific issues, we will acquire additional information as we interview local farmers and ranchers. Through these interviews, we will deter- mine such factors as the crop-to-fallow ratios, the decision process for converting land to pasture or to shifting agriculture, the forest fragmentation indices and spatial characteristics of cleared land, the associated socioeconomic factors, and how the driving forces differ by zones or management units. The results will be correlated over the time scale of our database, providing better analytical infor- mation for management decisions. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS The delicate ecosystem of the MBR in the Peten region of northern Guate- mala was managed successfully for centuries by the ancient Maya until their collapse in the ninth century A.D. The archeological evidence indicates, how- ever, that by the time of their collapse, the Maya had deforested most of the region. For the next 1,000 years the forest regenerated. Today, human migration and so-called "modern" subsistence techniques once again threaten the sustain- ability of the area. Through the use of remote sensing and GIS research, we are attempting to answer questions about the past in order to protect and manage the resources of the future. The protection of the tropical rainforest is also synonymous with the
160 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PETEN, GUATEMALA protection of archeological sites, for the cutting and burning of an area destroy not only the trees, but also archeological features and materials. In addition, the construction of modern roads and pipelines provides a conduit for the illegal looting of endangered animal species and archeological treasures. Remote sensing data have successfully located archeological features in the Peten region that are difficult to discern from traditional survey and analysis techniques. These features include ancient roadways, temples, cisterns, and agri- cultural areas. The detection and subsequent analysis of these features may help answer questions regarding ancient Mayan subsistence, transportation, and water management and the factors that led to the eventual abandonment of the area at the time of the Mayan collapse. At the same time, however, verification of archeological features detected in the remote sensing data is expensive, time- consuming, difficult, and dangerous because of the dense vegetation, remoteness, and hazards associated with the Peten landscape. After the ninth century, the Peten remained a sparsely populated area until the Guatemalan government opened the area to colonization in the 1960s. Since that time the forest has continued to be cut down at an accelerating rate as human migration and settlement have introduced nontraditional agricultural techniques. The driving forces behind deforestation activities in the region result from a complex combination of social, economic, and political issues. Change-detec- tion analysis using remote sensing imagery has been used to document and quan- tify the extent and rate of change during 1986-1995. Data analysis reveals that the ratio of clear-cutting to mature forest has been increasing over that time. The highest forest-cutting ratios are associated with the construction of new roads and increases in migrating settlers. Forest-clearing ratios are lowest near resident populations who practice traditional farming techniques. Cattle ranching and slash-and-burn agriculture are the greatest threats to the Peten, although road building, oil exploration, selective logging of mahogany, and illicit crops also adversely impact the ecology of the region. Increasing human migration and settlement in the next few years will only add to the deforestation and social stress as the competition for resources in- creases. According to current estimates, only 2 percent of the Peten's forest will survive by the year 2010. The use of aerial and satellite imagery can help identify areas of possible conflict, inventory natural and cultural resources, identify ille- gal practices, and monitor protected areas. It is hoped that the results of this interdisciplinary research will provide information that will help managers, sci- entists, and politicians responsible for the MBR and the Peten region in general make more informed decisions and thereby avoid the collapse that occurred in this area a little over 1,000 years ago.
THOMAS L. SEVER REFERENCES Adams, R.E.W., T.P. Culbert, W.E. Brown, P.D. Harrison, and L.J Levi 1990 Rebuttal to Pope and Dahlin. Journal of Field Archaeology 17:241-243. Associated Press 1997 Archeologists barely survive ambush in Mexican jungle. CON Interactive World News, July 1. Cahuec, E., and J. Richards 1994 La variacion sociolinguistica del Maya Q'eqchi. Boletin Linguistico 40 Guatemala. Canteo, C. 1996 Destruccion de Biosfera Maya avanza ano con ano. Siglo Veintinno (Guatemala), Novem- ber21. Culbert, T.P. 1993 Maya Civilization. Washington, D.C.: St. Remy Press and Smithsonian Institution. 1974 The Lost Civilization: The Story of the Classic Maya. New York: Harper and Row. Culbert, T.P., L. Levi, B. McKee, and J. Kunen 1995 Investigaciones Arqueologicas en el Bajo La Justa, Entre Yaxha y Nakun. Unpublished field report, Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona. Curtis, J.H., D.A. Hodell, and M. Brenner 1996 Climate variability on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) during the past 3500 years, and implications for Maya cultural evolution. Quaternary Research 46, Article No. 0042:37 47. ERDAS 1990 Field Guide, Version 7.4. ERDAS, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. Fearnside, P.M. 1986 Spatial concentration of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Ambio 15:74-81. Food and Agriculture Organization 1991 Second Interim Report on the State of Tropical Forests. Unpublished paper, Forest Re- sources Assessment 1990 Project, United Nations FAO, Rome, Italy. Graham, I. 1997 Mission to La Carona. Archaeology, September/October:46. Graham, M.H., B.G. Junkin, M.T. Kalcic, R.W. Pearson, and B.R. Seyfarth 1985 Earth Resources Laboratory Applications Software (ELAS), Revision 3. NASA-NSTL- Earth Resources Laboratory, Report No. 183, Stennis Space Center, Miss. Hammond, N. 1990 Ancient Maya Civilization. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. Jensen, J.R. 1986 Introductory Image Processing-A Remote Sensing Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Jones, C.L. 1940 Guatemala: Past and Present. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Kelley, P.S. 1983 Digital analysis in remote sensing: from data to information. Pp. 218-240 In Remote Sensing of the Environment, B.F. Richason, Jr. ed. Lillesand, T.M., and R. Kiefer 1994 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Lundell, C.L. 1937 The Vegetation of the Peten. Carnegie Institute Publication No. 478, Washington, D.C. Nations, J. 1988 Tropical Rainforest: Endangered Environment. New York: Franklin Watts. 161
62 VALIDATING SOCIAL PHENOMENA, PETEN, GUATEMALA Pope, K.D., and B.H. Dahlin 1989 Ancient Maya wetland agriculture: New insights from ecological and remote sensing. Journal of Field Archaeology 16:87-106. Radar detection and ecology of ancient Maya canal systems. Journal of Field Archaeol- ogy 20:379-383. Rice, D.S. 1991 Roots. Natural History February:10-14. Sabloff, J.A. 1995 Drought and decline. Nature 375: 357. Sader, S.A. 1995 Spatial characteristics of forest clearing and vegetation regrowth as detected by Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 61: 1145- 1151. Sader. S.A., and A.T. Joyce 1988 Deforestation rates and trends in Costa Rica, 1940-1983. Biotropica 20(1): 11-19. Sader, S.A., T.A. Stone, and A.T. Joyce 1990 Remote sensing of tropical forests: an overview of research and applications using non- photographic sensors. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 55(10):1343- 1351. Sader, S.A., G.V.N. Powell, and J.H. Rappole 1991 Migratory bird habitat monitoring through remote sensing. International Journal of Re mote Sensing 12(3):363-372. Sader, S.A., T. Sever, J.C. Smoot, and M. Richards 1994 Forest change estimates for the northern Peten region of Guatemala 1986 to 1990. Hu man Ecology 22(3):317-322. Sader, S.A., T. Sever, and J.C. Smoot 1996 Time series tropical forest change detection: A visual and quantitative approach. Interna- tional Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering and Instrumentation, Denver, Colo. SPIE, Volume 2818-2-12. Schuster, A.M.H. 1997 The search for Site Q. Archaeology September/October:42-45. Schwartz, N.B. 1990 Forest Society: A Social History of Peten, Guatemala. Philadelphia: University of Penn- sylvania Press. Sellers, P.J. 1985 Canopy reflectance, photosynthesis and transpiration. Sensing 6(8):1335-1372. International Journal of Remote Sever, T. 1990 Remote Sensing Applications in Archeological Research: Tracing Prehistoric Human Impact Upon the Environment. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Colorado, Boulder. Available: University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, MI. Sheets, P., and T. Sever 1988 High tech wizardry. Archaeology 41(6) Nov/Dec:28-35. Skole, D., and C. Tucker 1993 Tropical deforestation and habitat fragmentation in the Amazon: Satellite data from 1978 to 1988. Science 260: 1905-1910. Stuart, G.E. 1991 Maya heartland under siege. National Geographic 10:94-107. Trombold, C.D. 1991 Ancient Road Networks and Settlement Hierarchies in the New World. Cambridge, En- gland: Cambridge University Press.
THOMAS L. SEVER 163 Tucker, C.J. 1979 Red and photographic infrared linear combinations for monitoring vegetation. Remote Sensing Environment 8:127-150. Turner II, B.L. 1993 Rethinking the "new orthodoxy:" Interpreting ancient Maya agriculture. Pp. 57-88 In Culture, Form, and Place: Essays in Cultural and Historical Geography, K. Mathewson, ed. Geoscience and Man 32. Baton Rouge, La.: Louisiana State University. | <urn:uuid:7b620e91-f005-4196-bc56-5ea39c6df03f> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:58:53",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9318254590034485,
"score": 3.359375,
"token_count": 10210,
"url": "https://www.nap.edu/read/5963/chapter/8"
} |
Republicans often ask what Reagan would do, but it is hard to answer that question about our current budgetary situation. When Reagan won the presidency in 1980, the federal debt was a third of gross domestic product. Now it is approximately 100 percent. Even Reagan might not try a strategy of tax cuts before budget cutting today.
There is another Republican president whose example might be better suited to our times: Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge came to Washington in 1921, as vice president to Warren Harding, and became president upon Harding’s sudden death in August of 1923. Coolidge then won four years on his own in 1924, staying until March of 1929.
Reagan admired Coolidge enough to take Coolidge’s portrait out of storage and hang it in the cabinet room, but in areas that are highly relevant today — fiscal policy and leadership style — the two differed dramatically. Where Reagan sought growth through tax cuts, Coolidge put budget cuts first. And where Reagan took charismatic action, Coolidge fostered prosperity through determined inaction.
While researching a biography of Coolidge, I kept imagining the steps he might take if he were moving into the Oval Office in 2013. His world is not ours, but his moves were successful, and they so differ from today’s received wisdom that we may profit from a review of them.
Pass a new budget law. One of the troubles today is that Congress wields a disproportionate share of power when it comes to crafting the budget. It enjoyed similar power in Harding and Coolidge’s day. As a remedy, in 1921 Republicans passed the Budget and Accounting Act, which Harding signed into law shortly after taking office. The law gave the chief executive greater authority, including the power to hold back already-appropriated cash from departments in the executive branch when he decided they did not need their full appropriation.
Coolidge put the law to good use. When Harding died in 1923, Coolidge made it clear that the budget was his first priority. Together with his budget director, Brigadier General Herbert Mayhew Lord, he reviewed budgets each week and made cuts. Using a metaphor from his rural upbringing, he called this “cheese paring.” The White House either halted or managed to delay spending on some large items — including ships, to the fury of the military. But the Coolidge administration also made the tiniest of cuts; the Budget Bureau even withheld pencils from departments, and workers who did not use their pencils to the end were expected to return the stubs. “Our item of expense for pencils is materially less,” a Budget Office report boasted. The president hasn’t had this kind of authority since 1974, when Congress took back power in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. It’s time to go back.
Shame Washington bureaucrats into spending less. Twice a year, Coolidge and Lord summoned all the department heads and their staff to a session in Memorial Continental Hall — just to show Washington that Coolidge meant what he said. Acting more like a drill sergeant than a general, Lord harangued and exhorted his captive audience. The lectures had a chilling effect; no department wanted to be singled out as profligate.
Block new entitlements when you can. One of the large new entitlements sought in Coolidge’s day was a national pension plan for veterans known as the Bonus. Coolidge vetoed the legislation, because, as he put it, “the desire to do justice to pensioners . . . must be attended by some solicitude to do justice to taxpayers.” It was a bold move, since many men had served in World War I and a third had come back disabled in some way. The veto was all the more unpopular because Harding had let veterans down: A Veterans Bureau plan to construct hospitals for the vets had proven wildly corrupt, with members of the department accepting kickbacks from contractors. Congress overrode Coolidge’s veto, but popular support for the veto outside Washington had a good effect: Congress was afraid to override other Coolidge vetoes, on such matters as farm subsidies.
#page#Thousands of farms, and thousands of farmers’ banks, failed in the 1920s. Coolidge himself owned a farm, but he nonetheless twice vetoed legislation that would have driven crop prices or farm profits up. “Well, farmers never have made much money,” he told Robert Cooper of the Farm Loan Board at one of the many meetings on agriculture that took place in the White House over those years. “I don’t believe we can do much about it.”
Stand up to unions. While governor of Massachusetts, Coolidge faced a tough challenge. The Boston police had affiliated with a moderate union, the American Federation of Labor. The policemen were genuinely underpaid, but when they went on strike, riots ensued. The police commissioner fired the strikers, and Coolidge backed him up. Coolidge also called out the state guard, calmed the streets, and, most important, drew a line in the sand for public-sector unions with his statement that “there is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anytime, anywhere.” Coolidge’s tough handling of the situation calmed not only Boston but the country.
Veto all the time. In his term and a half as president, Coolidge issued 20 standard vetoes. He also “pocket vetoed” 30 bills, meaning he failed to sign them after Congress adjourned. His total of 50 vetoes compares with six for Harding.
Cut budgets before cutting taxes. Coolidge believed high taxes were wrong, but he believed that cutting taxes before cutting budgets trained citizens to believe that deficits did not matter. If the American voter was no longer concerned about deficits, lawmakers would not be concerned either, and they would expand programs that generated yet larger deficits. The Coolidge insistence on pairing tax cuts with budget cuts extended even to pet names: When a South African mayor sent the White House twin lion cubs, Coolidge named them “Tax Reduction” and “Budget Bureau.”
Once you have a surplus, cut taxes with a vengeance. Harding, like Woodrow Wilson before him, cut tax rates. But once they were relatively certain they could sustain a budget surplus, Coolidge and Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon launched an all-out anti-tax campaign. Over years, and with great effort, Coolidge and Mellon pushed the top marginal income-tax rate down from 58 percent to 25 percent — lower than the 28 percent of Ronald Reagan’s landmark 1986 law.
Delegate. Coolidge’s idea of practicing better government was to delegate religiously. When Labor Secretary James Davis once sought to run an idea by Coolidge, Coolidge said to a Secret Service man, “You tell ol’ man Davis I hired him as secretary of labor and if he can’t do the job I’ll get a new secretary of labor.” He delegated with greater consequence to Treasury Secretary Mellon and Secretary of State Frank Kellogg. Both men enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing major legislative efforts come to fruition: for Mellon, the tax laws, and for Kellogg, the Kellogg-Briand Pact.
Hide your light under a bushel. Coolidge believed that no news about himself was good news. He also preferred little or no news about his family, a desire for which his family paid in fun and freedom. When Grace Coolidge decided to take up riding — she looked good in riding clothes — Coolidge killed the idea, telling the first lady that “I think you will find you will get along in this job fully as well if you do not try anything new.”
#page#Coolidge’s extreme modesty struck everyone he met. Senator Selden Spencer of Missouri was once seeking to cheer up the often gloomy Coolidge as they walked around the White House grounds. Spencer raised his hand and pointed to the White House and asked: “Who lives there?”
“Nobody does,” replied Coolidge. “They just come and go.”
But Coolidge’s aversion to the limelight came not from ill humor but from conviction and experience. In the helplessness of the vice presidency, he had had to watch as Harding squandered political capital with behavior that kept the chief executive in the headlines — in particular, scandals such as the Veterans Bureau graft. There is no strong evidence that Harding benefited from the scandalous and illegal behavior of such graft. But Harding’s personnel choices for key posts were so sloppy they bordered on criminal neglect. The best example was his pick to head the Veterans Bureau, Charles Forbes. Forbes was later discovered to have doctored his résumé, and he and friends embezzled $250 million from Harding’s showcase bureau in a matter of years. Harding appointed too many cronies from his Ohio days, and undermined his own campaign for law and order by permitting heavy drinking and partying at the White House in the early years of Prohibition. This in turn made both him and the presidency appear unserious. As Alice Roosevelt put it, “Harding was a slob.”
Coolidge wanted to restore the status of the presidency by putting the office above the individual. He succeeded. He then decided not to run for reelection in 1928 because “the chances of having wise and faithful public service are increased by a change in the presidential office after a moderate length of time.”
Eschew change. Coolidge achieved by not achieving. “The White House is extremely sensitive to the first symptoms of any desire on the part of Congress or of the executive departments to do something,” wrote the journalist Walter Lippmann. “The skill with which Mr. Coolidge can apply a wet blanket to an enthusiast is technically marvelous.” My favorite line of Coolidge’s is one he wrote to his father in 1910: “It is better to block a bad law than to pass a good one.”
Don’t pretend you can run the economy. At this point in the discussion, many wll argue that it can’t be wise for Republicans to lionize a president whose administration was followed by a market crash and the Great Depression. The crash was a violent stock-market correction that Coolidge anticipated, as his personal investments of the period show. But Coolidge also believed that presidential intervention in the market does more damage than good over the long term. Herbert Hoover, the president who succeeded him, had a far more activist temperament and took steps Coolidge would not have taken, such as insisting employers sustain high wages and blaming those who shorted stocks on Wall Street for the downturn. The general uncertainty that resulted from Hoover’s activist posture, and the even more activist measures of Franklin Roosevelt, did much in turn to render the Depression long and Great.
An example of the kind of policy Coolidge deemed appropriate was the government’s response to the crash of the early 1920s. This was also a dramatic crash: The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by about half, from 119 in November 1919 to 64 in August 1921. Double-digit unemployment ensued. But the federal government made it clear it would not intervene except to raise interest rates, cut taxes, and reduce government. The economy recovered so quickly that the crash of the early 1920s is largely forgotten.
All of these principles were factors in Coolidge’s success. But as I wrote my biography of him, it was the importance of presidential temperament that most struck me. Hoover knew he should believe in markets, but his vanity and past record of success encouraged him to manage them. Harding planned a government that said no, but he was temperamentally disposed to say yes, and did. Coolidge not only said no but had the temperamentally disposed to say yes, and did. Coolidge not only said no but had the temperament to make “no” a reality. It is this temperament that we need more of today.
– Amity Shlaes is the author of the forthcoming book Coolidge (HarperCollins) and director of the Four Percent Growth Project at the Bush Center. | <urn:uuid:b612c9b8-b8f9-47bb-9352-826796815eb6> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:35:18",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9757687449455261,
"score": 3,
"token_count": 2518,
"url": "https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2012/08/13/calling-cal/"
} |
Written By Liz Oakes
The olive leaf extract benefits have been known about by the Mediterranean people for thousands of years. It has been used to treat a variety of health conditions.
This bitters herb is particularly helpful to aid fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue as it enhances energy production in the body.
It is excellent to fight infections, and viruses across a range of health conditions and inhibits the growth of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.
Scientists who investigated olive leaf extract in the 19th century, named its active ingredient oleuropein.
When in-depth research began in the 1960's, they discovered that it was able to help a large number of different health problems.
This is an anti viral herb, and helps a number of conditions including treating infections, pain and fever. As mentioned above, the active ingredient in olive leaf extract is known as oleuropein or elenolic acid.
This is one of a series of phytochemicals in the leaves called secoiridoids. Oleuropein has many powerful properties, including being antiviral, anti-fungal and antibacterial, as well as being a powerful cardiovascular aid.
Olive leaf is one of the bitter herbs, and it has a very large number of positive actions in the body, including being one of the wide-spectrum natural antibiotics.
Researchers in Holland found that this active ingredient inhibited the growth of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.
In addition, researchers discovered that due to the fact that the overuse of antibiotic drugs has resulted in resistant bacteria, this is a natural alternative that is a very effective anti-viral and antibacterial treatment.
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used olive oil to prevent health problems so the ancients knew that this tree has special properties. Natural herbal remedies based on the olive leaf extract are only fairly recent.
Olive trees have been growing in the Mediterranean countries for hundreds of years and so it is not surprising that the effectiveness of their leaves would have been discovered and utilized for healing.
It took researchers some time to develop remedies, but it is now known that this compound has powerful therapeutic benefits. When you look at the photo below and recognize the age of the trees, you may feel awed that these old trees are still producing.
These ancient olive trees possibly were grown for a variety of different reasons, as olive trees provide fruit, which may be eaten or made into olive oil.
These evergreen trees provided the people with oil that was not only used in their diet but also grown as an item for trading in ancient times. Olive oil is still produced by the people of these areas today.
It is known to be amongst the better natural remedies for colds and flu, and this immune boosting capability may be why. It is very effective to help influenza and viruses, emphysema, respiratory and lung conditions.
There are many olive leaf extract benefits that may be advantageous to you if you have chemical sensitivity, and it also helps those with chronic fatigue.
This is a problem suffered by many people who are sensitive to chemicals, who often feel exhausted or as some would say they seem to be always tired.
It is a natural remedy made from herbs that also has an effect to help hypoglycemia and generally aids in the management of blood sugar levels.
This remedy is known to produce heightened energy levels and a feeling of enhanced well-being.
This active ingredient oleuropein is of benefit to you if you have allergies. It is a powerful remedy to aid the immune system.
Researchers found that there were benefits of olive leaf extract to help the energy levels of those with epstein-barr, lupus, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
If you have any of these problems olive leaf extract may be helpful to you, so try this remedy to see if you may benefit from it.
As many people with severe candida often have intense sugar cravings associated with the problem, this natural health approach may be helpful to aid this.
Olive leaf extract is also excellent to aid systemic candidiasis, also known as thrush. Candida or yeast infections are often associated with those who have suffered chemical poisoning, and who have severe chemical sensitivity.
This is a highly beneficial remedy to help inflammation in the body, as it is one of the natural herbal anti inflammatories. It is known as a good remedy to aid recurrent cystitis, fungal and parasitic infections.
There are a number of olive leaf extract benefits to aid you to heal your leaky gut. You can now get this remedy mixed with probiotics this may help you if you have leaky gut syndrome.
There are many olive leaf extract benefits as it is a natural pain reliever. It is one of the more efficient anti-inflammatory herbs that may help you if you have been suffering from pain and it is also known to help toothache.
One of its major uses more recently is to help to lower high blood pressure. This has been researched widely, as researchers were looking for an agent that would enhance cardiovascular health, as well as high blood pressure natural remedies.
This research has led to it being known as one of the herbs that lower blood pressure. This herbal remedy is also known to be an excellent natural antioxidant, protecting the blood vessels from damage from free radicals.
They also found that it is one of the herbs to use for viruses that also works to stimulate the immune system to work more effectively and to fight off the invaders in your body.
It is now well known as one of the best herbs to boost your immune system, as a lot of research has been done on olive leaf extract benefits and its powerful action to kill viruses and bacteria.
Once you discover more information about using olive leaf extract and use it to aid your health, your energy levels will increase and you will feel much better.
Note that when you first use this remedy you may find that you get side effects from using it. This may include headaches, a side effect of killing off bad bacteria in your system.
This is a natural detox reaction that can be helped by increasing the amount of water you drink.
This is a good natural health idea as there are a large number of health benefits of drinking sufficient water every day, so this may benefit your health overall.
Start with small doses of the olive leaf extract and increase it gradually, spacing it out through the day if possible, and drink as much filtered water as possible between doses.
If you have difficulty drinking enough water check out my article, link below, which has a number of tips to help you to drink more water. There are so many olive leaf extract benefits that it is worth persevering with it.
When buying your Olive Leaf Extract ensure you get only standardized herbal olive leaf extract, as it contains the highest amount of the active ingredient oleuropein. | <urn:uuid:df292087-f153-43ed-a085-49f4b0794a0e> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:10:43",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9745867252349854,
"score": 2.859375,
"token_count": 1408,
"url": "https://www.natural-health-and-healing-4u.com/olive-leaf-extract-benefits.html"
} |
Paddy fields produce ecological services that improve environmental quality in urban areas, one of them was flood control through retaining rainwater and surface runoff within the embankment of paddy field. The ability to retain water is known as the buffering capacity (BC), which is the function of soil moisture, embankment height, water inundation and rice-plant interception during the growing periode. The intermitten system of water inundation applied by farmers resulted in changes of the BC on daily basis. The calculation of BC was divided into five categories for accuracy, which were : (1) BC during the Harvest; (2) BC with inundation at vegetative and generative phase (VGG); (3) BC with inundation during Land Preparation and Planting phase (OTTG); (4) BC without inundation during the vegetative and generative phase (VGTG); and (5) BC without inundation during the land preparation and planting phase (OTTTG). The purpose of this research was to measure potential buffering capacity of paddy field in Lowokwaru Subdistrictand to estimate amount of rainwater and surface runoff which could be accommodated within the buffering capacity. The average of daily BC in seven different villages were 1,650.81– 3,961.81 m3/ha and the total BC for 241 paddy field was about 823,156.36 m3.It was only a small percentage of average daily BC filled by rainwater (14.07-33.31%) and left the rest to be filled by surface runoff water. The paddy field of 241 ha in Lowokwaru Subdistrictis was capable to receive surface runoff from surrounding areas up to 1,698.66 ha. | <urn:uuid:12a01a92-3ce9-480a-91ae-774dcddf5177> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:29:32",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9646478891372681,
"score": 3.59375,
"token_count": 362,
"url": "https://www.neliti.com/id/publications/222804/buffering-capacity-of-paddy-field-as-the-reservoir-of-rainwater-and-surface-runo"
} |
Huge product rangeOver 140,000 books & equipment products
Rapid shippingUK & Worldwide
Pay in £, € or U.S.$By card, cheque, transfer, draft
Exceptional customer serviceGet specialist help and advice
Science is on the cusp of a revolutionary breakthrough. We now understand more about ageing – and how to prevent and reverse it – than ever before. Twenty years ago, there was still considerable debate of the nature of human ageing, with a variety of competing theories in play. But scientific consensus is forming around the telomere theory of ageing. The essence of this theory is that human ageing is the result of cellular ageing. Every time a cell reproduces, its telomeres (the tips of the chromosomes) shorten. With every shortening of the telomeres, the cell's ability to repair its molecules decreases. It ages. Human ageing is the result of the ageing of the body's trillions of cells. But some of our cells don't age. Sex cells and stem cells can reproduce indefinitely, without ageing, because they create telomerase. Telomerase re-lengthens the telomeres, keeping these cells young.In The Telomerase Revolution, Dr Michael Fossel, who has been at the forefront of ageing research for decades, provides startling insights into the nature of human ageing and describes how telomerase will soon be used as a powerful therapeutic tool, with the potential to dramatically extend life spans and even reverse ageing.
Telomere theory of aging timeline
1. Theories of aging
2. The telomere theory of aging
3. Why we age
4. The search for immortality
5. Direct aging: avalanche effects
6. Indirect aging: innocent bystanders
7. Slowing aging
8. Reversing aging
About the author
Dr. Michael Fossel earned both his PhD and MD from Stanford University, where he taught neurobiology and research methods. Winner of a National Science Foundation fellowship, he was a clinical professor of medicine for almost three decades, the executive director of the American Aging Association, and the founding editor of Rejuvenation Research. In 1996, he wrote the first book on the telomerase theory of ageing, Reversing Human Aging. He is also the author of Cells, Aging, and Human Disease and co-author of The Immortality Edge. He currently teaches The Biology of Aging at Grand Valley State University and is working to bring telomerase to human trials for Alzheimer's disease.
"A fascinating story that pulls together at last a single coherent theory of how and why growing old leads to so many different forms of illness. It also offers a tantalizing promise that we might soon know not only how to cure and prevent age-related diseases, but how to reset the aging process itself. Michael Fossel is a radical optimist."
– Matt Ridley, author of Genome and The Rational Optimist
"Telomerase Therapy breaks down centuries of human thought on aging and uproots outdated ideologies that have led to nothing but worthless snake oil products. Dr Fossel's exciting book is opening doors to extended healthspan that can change human history, and it's all grounded in solid scientific research."
– Noel Patton, founder and chairman of TA Sciences
"Michael Fossel's compelling argument for the telomere approach to reversing aging isn't just worth a look – it's like reading the words of Virgil as he leads us along the mysteries of aging."
– Alexey Olovnikov, PhD, Institute of Biochemical Physics and Russian Academy of Sciences | <urn:uuid:172e2e61-6da1-4b4c-9dfb-ee7f2e345005> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:40:15",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9311292171478271,
"score": 3.078125,
"token_count": 735,
"url": "https://www.nhbs.com/the-telomerase-revolution-book?bkfno=230741"
} |
Though rare, childhood glaucoma may be more prevalent than once thought, given the number of cases that are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Children may be born with the condition, or develop it later on. Approximately 80 percent of children with primary congenital glaucoma will present within their first year of life. Like glaucoma in adults, childhood glaucoma causes increased intraocular pressure within the eye, which, if not detected and treated, can cause significant and permanent optic nerve damage and vision loss.
What are the Types of Pediatric Glaucoma?
Glaucoma in children has several clinical names and different causes, including the following:
- Congenital glaucoma, which affects about 1 in 10,000 children at birth. It results from abnormal development of the eye’s drainage system, causing fluid build-up within the eye, elevation of the eye pressure, and damage to the optic nerve. Parents are often the first to notice this condition through warning signs like their child’s sensitivity to light, refusal to open the eyes, and excessive tearing. Other indicators are eyes that look bigger than average and corneas that appear hazy.
- Juvenile glaucoma, which develops in children between the ages of 4 and 10. Juvenile glaucoma may be associated with a secondary systemic condition, such as Sturge-Weber syndrome (children born with port wine stains on the forehead and upper eyelid), Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, and Peter’s anomaly. Symptoms that can alert parents and children themselves (particularly as they get older) to the disease include sensitivity to light, problems adjusting to the dark, excessive blinking, impaired vision, and consistently red eyes.
- Juvenile open-angle glaucoma (JOAG), which refers to the onset of open-angle glaucoma in people between the ages of 10 and 35. The disease is often silent until it has progressed to advanced stages. | <urn:uuid:a14902e2-f862-4064-9519-ee1a3c0feba2> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:15:02",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.944004476070404,
"score": 3.1875,
"token_count": 416,
"url": "https://www.nyee.edu/care/eye/glaucoma/pediatric"
} |
Answers & Help for Dogs or Cats with Mange Problems
Mange problems, whether dog or cat (or other companion pet), have the potential to become a serious health issue. Though different types, these are all parasite issues involving various varieties of MITES infecting or taking over the surface of the ‘host’ animal. The various types of these tiny bugs or ‘parasites’ can certainly create serious havoc within skin areas of your pet, and some types are much more common than others. Most can be highly contagious – with contact between animals. It should be noted that some types can be normally present but usually dormant and therefore basically harmless.
Since Mange problems are most often an indirect result or artifact of an under-performing immune system, NZYMES® products that help the body to restore immune function while assisting with its challenges have shown to be vital in the task of bringing a dog (or cat) back from a horrific case of mite infestation problems, like Mange. Further discussion of recommended NZYMES® products, and why, is found at the bottom of this page. Also, most forms of Mange can be highly contagious; see a related list at page bottom.
Demodectic Mange (Demodex)
This type of mange is caused by a mite that is on all dogs and is normally dormant unless the dog is stressed or has an underdeveloped or weakened immune system. Therefore, puppies are often susceptible. Mange mites can easily be identified under a microscope, so there should be no guesswork concerning a diagnosis. This problem is not genetic, nor is it contagious. The mites are on all animals at all times, and when the system is suppressed, the little critters have a field day and become active. Once the immune system is functioning, they go back to a state of dormancy.
Demodectic Mange is very common at 3 – 7 months of age. This is the worst time for puppies due to teething, growth, vaccines, hormones, wormers and cropping, training and being sent off to their new homes. There are holistic ways to handle demodectic mange. The most important aspect of this is to follow a well-rounded nutritional feed program, including the right immune supporting supplements.
This particular form of mange is also referred to as Canine Scabies; this is because it is caused by a parasite known as Sarcoptes scabiei. This tiny mite prefers to spend its short existence on Dogs, but will infect Cats, Ferrets, and some other pets; though, there are specific species of these mites for each type of being. Symptoms include hair loss and some fairly severe itching, but a vet should be able to detect them. The life span is short, 3-8 days, but they lay their larvae, so the infection is self-preserving if not dealt with. Proper treatments can control and eliminate these infections.
Notoedric mange (Cats Mange) – Notoedric Mange is closely related to Sarcoptic mange in dogs, but it is mange on cats. Both conditions typically begin with itchy crusts and scales on the ear margins. The mites may quickly move to the face and, if left untreated, can spread to your pet’s entire body.
Cat Mange mites are external parasites that burrow into the skin of your cat and cause damage to their skin and hair follicles. Notoedric mange or Cats Mange causes sores, lesions, and/or hair loss and is the only Mange on cats condition. Like Sarcoptic Mange, Notoedric Mange is also a highly Contagious Cat Mange Disease.
Cheyletiellosis is a mild skin condition caused by the Cheyletiella species of mites. This form has also known as “walking dandruff” because it resembles a bad case of dandruff and is typically seen on the neck and back. Cheyletiella are large mites that live on epidermal layers of dogs, cats, rabbits, humans, and other animals. They do not burrow into the skin but rather they live within the keratin level. Where they have taken up residence on a host, their 21-day life cycle is normally on that one host. Survival of this type of parasite, off a host, is typically no more than 10 days. But, it should be noted that the Cheyletiella form of mite can create a highly contagious mange condition, and it is typically transferred by direct contact with another affected animal. The condition can also exist without Mange symptoms or can exist with varying levels of symptoms – including intense itching, scaly skin and hair loss.
Resolving Various Types of Mange Problems
Restored Health is the Goal: See Success by Humane Society with NZYMES and Puppies
While you may find many “home remedies” for dog mange on the internet, most of them don’t work, and some may have potential to cause harm to your pet! This is not a condition to be taken lightly, and while proper treatment methodologies can help eradicate the surface infestation problems, the NZYMES® products can help restore the body and immune capabilities to a state that first helps speed the recovery process, then prevents re-occurrence. To increase your awareness in this realm, and find effective treatment options, please visit the Pets’ Best site by clicking the image below. There you can find answers, including understanding on why “home remedies” for mange should be avoided.
Since these Mange issues can be so horrible, so challenging to resolve, and difficult to keep from returning, we highly recommend one of two NZYMES® 3-PAK KITS as presented below. Also, our NEW Healthy Skin Shampoo can be used for Mange problems. The action of this shampoo is natural, enzymatic, and contains no pesticides. Simply bathe the pet as per normal, massaging the lather down to the skin. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes and rinse. Because this shampoo is mild, frequent bathing is no worry.
Beyond all that, it may be worth considering a high-quality food to give your dog the kind of nutrition needed during such a challenging time – and to also support a healthier lifestyle. To do so, please visit our list of Recommended Foods for pets enduring these tremendous challenges. Just for reference, here are the various Mange types, and warnings:
Products Recommended to Support Mange Recovery & Prevention | <urn:uuid:b9e8a938-12bf-406a-a4f7-6e0a45005460> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:46:25",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9390187859535217,
"score": 2.875,
"token_count": 1379,
"url": "https://www.nzymes.com/dog/skin-coat/mange-problems-in-dogs-or-cats/"
} |
Our country has beautiful lands and amazing creations made by Mother Nature alone. One such creation is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which has a very interesting, yet not widely promoted history. This monstrous cave system is like stepping into another world, and well worth a visit if you haven’t been there.
14. Mapping the labyrinth
The majority of the mapping at Mammoth Cave was done by slaves, including freed slave Stephen Bishop. He took the name of his previous master and continued working in the caves mapping out the passages. He and several other family members are buried near the cave entrance in the Old Guide’s Cemetery.
13. Old Guide’s Cemetery
The onsite cemetery holds not only the remains of the first guides to map Mammoth Cave, but also those of several Tuberculosis patients that passed there. For a short time, TB patients were housed in the caves in hopes that the environment would help to heal their lungs in the early 19th-century.
The most famous deaths in Mammoth Cave are that of the ancient Native mummies, and Floyd Collins from 1925. Floyd became trapped while mapping out and exploring a previously unexplored area. Several TB patients and slaves also passed away inside Mammoth Cave. The exact number of deaths is unknown, but Mammoth Cave is also considered one of the largest haunts in the world. Many have claimed to sense spirits and unexplained orbs show up in pictures frequently.
11. Ancient history
The cave system has been used for more than 4,000 years ago by the original occupants of Kentucky. The area was primarily used as a shelter during harsh weather while hunting. Mummified and skeletal remains have been found in different areas during exploration, along with pottery, primitive tools and other remnants of the past. The evidence collected over the decades leads explorers to believe the Natives only went about 20 miles into the caves. The image shown is a 2,100-year-old pictograph.
10. Longest cave system in the world
There are more than 400 miles of interlinking caves running under Kentucky, and that is just what has been “officially” mapped. The total depth is still unknown.
The formations are incredible and vary in size, color and size. The Drapery Room looks like pleated drapes in a pale limestone. The Snowball Room has the appearance of hundreds of snowballs, varying in size. Frozen Niagara looks like a waterfall, frozen in time. These are just a few of the unique formation waiting to be seen at Mammoth Cave. Each area seems to be a doorway into another new world of shapes, colors, sizes and creatures.
It is believed that public tourism started at Mammoth Cave in 1816. Slaves began leading those tours in 1830. Travelers would examine the inside of the cave with oil lamps and simple torches. Sometimes they used these torches to “smoke” their names into the limestone as shown in the image. These names were smoked into the stone back in the 1800s.
7. We're number 2!
Mammoth Cave is officially recognized as the second largest tourist attraction in the U.S., only falling short of the famed Niagara Falls. During peak seasons, more than 4,000 people visit and tour the caves daily.
6. International Biosphere Reserve
In 1990, this mysterious underground world was recognized as a natural site to be preserved forever. This decision will allow visitors from around the world to experience nature’s magical underground labyrinth.
5. Old Saltpeter mine site
The cave was useful to Europeans for more than shelter. Slaves were used to mine saltpeter from the sediment in the cave during the war of 1812. The saltpeter was used to create gunpowder to aid in the war efforts.
4. Unique species
The cave system is home to more than 12 unusual species, such as the rare Albino Shrimp, Kentucky Eyeless Cave Shrimp, Southern Cave Fish, and Indiana Eyeless Crayfish. There are also a variety of bats such as the Indiana Bat and the Eastern Pipistrelle Bat. The Kentucky Cave Shrimp, Indiana Bat and Gray Bat are all listed as endangered and limited numbers survive in the caves.
There are a variety of different tours available, all varying in sites, length and exertion. They range from 2 -6 hours in length, all offering an incredibly memorable experience. A few of the more popular tours are Frozen Niagara, Fat Man’s Misery and the Grand Avenue.
2. World Heritage Site
In 1981 Mammoth Cave was dubbed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, recognizing the labyrinth as a unique type of cave system incomparable to any other caves in the world. The closest comparisons are the Sistema Sac Actunand and Sistema Ox Bel Ha, both located in Mexico. However, both systems combined still do not come close to Mammoth Cave’s length.
1. One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the United States
According to SevenWonders.org and other sources, Mammoth Cave is listed as one of the natural wonders along with Crater Lake, Niagara Falls, Hawaii Volcano Natural Park, Devil’s Tower, Old Faithful and Death Valley.
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is a magical place to experience, filled with mystery, otherworldly formations and history. What do you find most amazing about Mammoth Cave? Is there another unique site you’d like to learn more about? | <urn:uuid:7e943c9f-5f4b-4ad9-90b8-3d6307ac409a> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:21:54",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9593119621276855,
"score": 3.21875,
"token_count": 1130,
"url": "https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/kentucky/14-fascinating-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-mammoth-cave-in-ky/"
} |
Those of us concerned with the purity of the foods we eat are careful to check product labels for undesirable additives such as brominated vegetable oil, trans fats, or artificial colors. We do our best to bring wholesome, nourishing, unadulterated foods into our homes to prepare for ourselves and our families. However, some cooking techniques can add harmful chemicals to that very same food we have so carefully selected at the market.
The following are three common cooking techniques to avoid (or at least use in moderation):
1. Microwaving in plastic containers
Using plastic wrap or plastic containers to cook or reheat food in the microwave can impart a long list of undesirable chemicals to your foods, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA), and bisphenol A (BPA). There are some FDA-approved “microwave safe” plastic wraps and containers. Of these approved products, some are only meant for single use (the materials degrade with multiple uses and may then leach contaminants into your food) so be sure to read the specifications on the label. Better choices for microwave cooking include glass and ceramic containers; wax paper or paper towels make great covers for foods that tend to splatter.
2. Cooking with damaged aluminum pots and pans
Aluminum cookware is popular due to its light weight, its ability to transfer heat easily, and relatively low cost. Coated and anodized aluminum cookware are fine choices for cooking and baking. However, once the surface is scratched or chipped, aluminum can easily leach into the food. Exposure to aluminum over time has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, kidney dysfunction, and may weaken bones due to its tendency to deplete the body of phosphorus and calcium.
If you cook with aluminum, take care to inspect your pots, pans, and bakeware regularly, and discontinue use if they are damaged. Other good options include cooking with stainless steel or cast iron cookware.
3. Grilling with charcoal
Grilling on the barbecue is a great way to spend a summer afternoon. However, one unwanted side effect of this type of cooking are the heterocyclic amines (HAs or HCAs) that form when grilling. HAs have been associated with a higher incidence of colorectal cancer and an increased risk of stomach, pancreatic, and breast cancers. Take the following steps to reduce your intake of HAs at your next cookout:
a. Choose leaner cuts of meat and remove the skin from poultry.
b. Grill vegetables and fish rather than red meats, poultry, or pork.
c. Grill protein-rich food at lower temperatures so as to not char or “blacken” it.
d. Offset the formation of HAs by using marinades containing ginger, rosemary, and turmeric.
e. Grill over a propane or gas burner rather than charcoal or wood. | <urn:uuid:9250f20e-37a2-4622-8f9c-2153eac74f10> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:18:38",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9407188296318054,
"score": 3.09375,
"token_count": 638,
"url": "https://www.personanutrition.com/blog/healthy-recipes-and-ways-to-cook-at-home/"
} |
At Alameda, We are Bucket Fillers!
Throughout the course of the school year Alameda students practice being Bucket Fillers! The concept of being a bucket filler comes from Carol McCloud’s Book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
The purpose of “Bucket Filling” is to improve social and emotional learning. It is based on a simple concept where we each have an invisible bucket with the singular purpose of holding good thoughts and feelings about ourselves. When we are happy and good to others, our buckets become full. When we are sad or unkind to others, our buckets become empty. Bucket Fillers fill both their own and others’ buckets. Conversely, if a person is unkind or hurtful, they are referred to as “Bucket Dippers.” Like Bucket Fillers, Bucket Dippers dip into both their own buckets when they choose to be mean or hurtful to others. Children quickly grasp this concept.
During the school year we encourage, remind, and recognize everyone’s efforts to be Bucket Fillers at home, at school, and everywhere they go. As parents, you can help reinforce this by discussing this further with your child and using some of the terminology (bucket fillers, bucket dippers) at home.
Thank you for your support! | <urn:uuid:b8192864-0128-4bd0-bb3d-9200431f09d4> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:02:00",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9487943053245544,
"score": 3.515625,
"token_count": 273,
"url": "https://www.pps.net/domain/2094"
} |
What Are the Best Statistics Project Ideas?
Wondering how to use information and data effectively. For such purpose, there exists statistics. It is a useful tool of knowledge that is used in the natural and social sciences for establishing those specific patterns that act in certain mass conditions. This is one of the forms of practical activity of people. Its purpose is in data collection, processing, and analysis.
Finally, it is various kinds of digital data, characterizing, for example, different aspects of life, state political relations, culture, population, production, etc.
Statistics is widely known and distributed in the fields of economics, sociology, politics, agriculture, etc. This term appeared around the middle of the 18th century. “State science” was of direct importance and was widely used in monasteries. In the future, science gained world significance, and in the natural sciences, statistics began to be called methods for assessing the conformity of general data from mass observation. Statistics shows a complete picture of the studied and investigated phenomena and indicators.
Statistics as a subject is rarely taught in universities under its original name. Usually, it is known as:
- math statistics;
- general theory of statistics;
- socioeconomic statistics;
- finance statistics;
- legal statistics;
- company statistics;
- industry statistics.
The discipline “Statistics” is presented in the form of a variety of tables, graphs, specific diagrams. Some obtained indicators are used in the subsequent analysis of the source object. Therefore, the subject of “Statistics” is a science that applies and uses a different number of effective methods and tools to achieve the correct results in the study of an object, subject, phenomenon, research process, and structuring. But in such a way that it is convenient for the subject to perceive, for example, in the form of texts, tables, graphs, charts with the subsequent analysis of the acquired data, and the obtained calculated data form a statistical vision of the situation or phenomenon, of which the analyzed object is an element.
Statistics Project Ideas High School — Unique Methodology of Learning
Elements of statistics are becoming an essential component of school education. As a result, students should have an idea of what statistics are, what they study, and how statistics project ideas are presented. Eighth graders will learn the basic statistical characteristics and acquire the skills to use them. In addition, students should learn what methods of presenting data exist and learn how to create tables, build charts and graphs using a computer and without it. All this can be studied sitting at a desk and not looking up from the textbook.
Don’t forget about the applied purpose of statistics. The uniqueness of this section of mathematics lies in the fact that we can apply the theory to almost any area of human life. At the middle school level, a drop in interest in the learning process in general and in mathematics, in particular, is noticeable. Students are increasingly asking, “Why do we need to learn this?” Project activities help solve this problem. Thanks to the design method, the connection of school disciplines between themselves and with reality is restored. Teachers have a unique opportunity to attract the attention of schoolchildren to academic subjects by using creative statistics project ideas high school. It reveals the possibility of the practical application of the theory under study to areas of knowledge that interest students.
Why Do We Need a Statistics Research Project?
Such projects are widely used in schools. In the course of work on the project, graduates repeat, generalize and systematize theoretical material, solve problems, improve their skills in searching, sorting, and selecting the necessary information. As a result of completing a statistics research project, students will gain experience in forming a holistic view of an object based on acquired knowledge, skills, abilities, and methods of activity. They will gain experience in diverse activities, experience in cognition, and self-knowledge.
After the project is completed, students can become more competent in the field of independent cognitive activity and gain skills in working with large volumes of information, develop critical thinking skills and teamwork skills, the ability to see a problem, and outline ways to solve it.
In addition, they will acquire high thinking skills:
- The ability to plan upcoming work in a group and individually. Adjust the plan during the formative assessment of work.
- The capability to evaluate existing knowledge and skills to identify the missing.
- The skills to find the necessary information in different sources, to distinguish the main from the secondary (analysis).
How to Complete a Statistics Project?
If you get a statistic research project in your school or college, don’t be afraid. Here is a plan of how to complete it consistently:
The Stage I — Preparatory
On this stage, you need to prepare the project action plan, then create research questions, select the information resources for the project, and, finally, create didactic materials (a plan for promoting the work on the project, a memo with an algorithm for conducting research in groups, assessment criteria, a list of recommended resources).
The Stage II — Main
In the second stage, you should formulate the problematic and particular issues of the project, research topics, then prepare the research planning (goals, methods). Research and identify possible sources of information, define the sequence and terms of work, create personal folders for the project, and, finally, find familiarity with the criteria for evaluating various jobs. Independent work on finding information on the project, conducting research.
Independent work includes the self-governing search for information on the Internet, work with printed sources, studying the materials proposed to the project by the teacher. Work on the design of the results of the project, planning presentations and booklets, and reporting research results in applications Microsoft Office PowerPoint, Microsoft Office Publisher.
The Stage III — Final
On the final stage, you will present your project to the other students and the teacher.
Do You Need a Statistics Project Help?
Two main branches of statistics can be distinguished — descriptive (calculus of indicators, collection of information, grouping, etc.) and explanatory (analysis of series, series of dynamics, the study of relationships, indices, etc.). In accordance with the type of task, you need to choose the method of its solution.
Many types of tasks cause difficulty in studying this subject (which indicator to calculate the average to choose? Which index will show the necessary information? Which model to choose for the regression, etc. — there are infinitely many questions). If you have any problems with completing tasks — be it a task or a course project on statistics, we are ready to help you. Trust in our many years of experience, and you will get your statistics project PDF done!
Helping in Writing a Business Statistics Project in Order
For many years, our consulting center has been engaged in the professional implementation of business projects on statistics. Our team employs the best specialists who provide services in the implementation of projects in statistics. Writing a project on statistics is very peculiar, interesting, but at the same time, difficult work.
The preparation of a project in statistics is a scrupulous scientific work that requires special attention and perseverance since a further analysis of the studied phenomenon and process depends on the calculated data. Writing a project with calculations includes many sections. Since it is known, before starting the analysis of statistical data, it is necessary to put the initial data in order, and for this, it is necessary to group the data, rank them, etc. After the initial data are put in order, begin the necessary calculations.
Project in Statistics Consists of the Following Sections:
- Theoretical part, which considers the analyzed phenomenon.
- Settlement part. It consists of such subsections, as the grouping of source data, calculation of absolute and relative indicators, elements of the statistical graph. Average indicators and indicators of variation, an analytical study of the relationship of socioeconomic phenomena (causality, regression, correlation). A statistical study of the dynamics of socioeconomic phenomena (the study of the series of dynamics, analysis methods), statistical analysis of the structure, indices (individual, consolidated, aggregate, constant and variable composition), selective observation (mechanical sampling, technical selection, etc.)
- The third part, which involves measures to improve the design phenomena and processes.
Therefore, the preparation and writing of a project on statistics with calculations is a difficult process. The methods of collecting, processing, and analyzing static data, which are the methodological basis of any analytical work, are the most demanded task for further research. Therefore, it is a fundamental basis for further action.
Practical examples and calculated indicators illustrate the graduate work on statistics, in most cases. When writing your first scientific work with large amounts of statistical information, application software is used that significantly speeds up and simplifies the work.
We can prepare custom-made term papers and dissertations in the following areas of statistics:
- Economic statistics
- Company statistics
- Product Statistics
- Fixed assets’ statistics
- Labor statistics
- Demographic statistics (population statistics)
- Financial statistics
- Legal statistics
Ordering material and completing a project in statistics in our company is the minimum cost and maximum result. There is no such topic on statistics that would present great difficulties for implementation for our author. Working for many years in higher statistical institutions, the specialists of our company have gained vast experience in writing similar student works and not only.
Writing College Statistics Projects on Order
Writing and preparing a collage project on statistics is not as large as a graduation project, but it also provides all the same calculations, the same formulas, etc. The plan is approximately the same in all colleges, but the requirements for its design are strong vary. Therefore, writing a project on statistics also requires special diligence, time, and a certain amount of knowledge.
Course and control work on statistics are performed in Word format, graphs, charts, and calculation tables are inserted from Excel. Our authors are high-level specialists, teachers of specialized universities will help you with the preparation of student work in the following areas:
- company statistics exchange rate,
- exchange rate economic statistics;
- exchange rate investment statistics;
- mathematical-statistics project;
- exchange rate population statistics;
- statistical and financial analysis course;
- exchange rate statistics of economic analysis;
- exchange rate labor statistics;
- investment statistics project;
- exchange rate product statistics;
- social statistics exchange rate;
- economic statistics coursework;
- population statistics coursework;
- production statistics project;
- socioeconomic statistics exchange rate;
- project social and economic statistics;
- statistics of transport services project;
- labor productivity statistics;
- labor statistics project;
- statistics of fixed assets exchange rate.
Do you have any idea about the topic of your college project? Don’t worry, here we go with our statistics project ideas for college students! We can offer you a list of topics, and then we will create a unique project on the chosen one.
What do you get when applying:
- A detailed plan, compliance with the requirements of the college;
- Information from the up to date sources;
- Quality guarantee (free improvements within the framework of the initial order if you or the teacher have comments and complaints, as well as answer all questions).
The project fee is determined individually depending on the volume (list), the term of the project, the complexity, such as development methods and requirements. We have been providing these services for more than ten years, and our author is an adult and respected people who understand all the responsibility to you, students.
We Can Help You with Your Statistics Problems
School and college students have difficulty studying the practical sections of this subject, that is, directly solving problems in statistics. Since acquiring static skills, it is not enough to study only theoretical material, and you need to be able to apply the acquired material in practice. This skill appears only in the process of solving problems.
We conclude that to be able to solve problems, they need to be solved as precise as possible. In addition, the solution of statistical problems cannot be attributed to an interesting pastime.
We propose to solve this issue easily and order help. We can also help you with answers to statistics tests. Our authors are teachers of specialized universities working with us, will help you in solving problems related to any section of statistics.
How to Order Work on Statistics Online?
The order process is simple: fill out an application (2-3 minutes), get an estimate of the cost (during the day), pay for the work (3-5 minutes), get the finished work by email (1 minute), and print (5 minutes). We will take care of the rest: the choice of professional, quality calculations and design, quality assurance and terms, answers to your questions! Do not postpone and rely on the professionals that know how to make your study process easier. | <urn:uuid:e266a871-bafa-487e-bbe7-9b46027ba821> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:11:49",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9318022727966309,
"score": 3.390625,
"token_count": 2648,
"url": "https://www.privatewriting.com/blog/statistics-project"
} |
Plot a Signed or Vector-Valued Measure
Plot a signed measure or vector-valued measure.
## S3 method for class 'msr': plot(x, \dots, add=FALSE, how=c("image", "contour", "imagecontour"), do.plot=TRUE)
- The signed or vector measure to be plotted.
An object of class
- Extra arguments passed to
Smooth.pppto control the interpolation of the continuous density component of
x, or passed to
- Logical flag; if
TRUE, the graphics are added to the existing plot. If
FALSE(the default) a new plot is initialised.
- String indicating how to display the continuous density component.
- Logical value determining whether to actually perform the plotting.
The discrete atomic component of
x is then superimposed on this
image by plotting the atoms as circles (for positive mass)
or squares (for negative mass) by
To smooth both the discrete and continuous components,
Use the argument
clipwin to restrict the plot to a subset
of the full data.
- (Invisible) colour map (object of class
"colourmap") for the colour image.
example(msr) plot(rp) plot(rs) plot(rs, how="contour") | <urn:uuid:796c1734-0182-4fa4-87ac-77a8e0bc92b6> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:58:17",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.7007169723510742,
"score": 2.953125,
"token_count": 283,
"url": "https://www.rdocumentation.org/packages/spatstat/versions/1.37-0/topics/plot.msr"
} |
By Hergit “Coco” Llenas
Let’s imagine it is 2050, and in the United States of America every child, rich or poor, has access to a high-quality education, and the parents have become accustomed to deciding what is the best environment for their little ones. The arbitrary lines that forced a child to go to a particular school is a concept long gone and forgotten. In fact, people remember those rules and laugh at the absurdity of it all.
While taking a tour inside a gray, prison-like building turned into a museum of an old school, a child asks:
“Mom, who lived in these cages?”
“I don’t know,” Mom says. “I just don’t know how human innovation and imagination was cultivated in between these rows of chairs lined up like an assembly line.”
“Well,” says the museum guide, as if he heard the group’s thoughts, “change may take forever if it does not come from the people. The people decide when it is time to crawl out of the sunken place and move into the light.”
If it is not serving you, my child, then GET OUT! That was the cry which inspired the ed-reformers. Those brave pioneers fought to provide a conduit for children trapped in schools that weren’t working for them, so they could flee to a new world in K-12 education, just like the underground railroad shifted slaves from captivity to freedom.
Finally, the system started to readjust, to accept the healthy co-existence of more and more school choices, until freedom of choice emerged as the new normal.
Change in public education came, just like change in other arenas, such as acceptance of biracial marriage, the right of women to vote, and the desegregation of schools. Oh, wait! …
Why is the achievement gap never closed? Why does the school-to-prison pipeline continue to be fed with dark-skinned youth? And why does the union fight so hard to stop progress from arriving?
The logic that supported the persistence of such a monolithic public school system would sound barbaric to the ears of the audience in 2050. Just like it sounds barbaric to us that in medieval times, doctors didn’t know about bacteria, and, as a result, went into surgery without ever washing their hands.
This Christmas, I have a wish: That we won’t have to wait 30 years to see that school choice has been on the right side of history all along.
School choice can be adopted across this land now. And then, finally, families could enjoy the right to choose any kind of high-quality school for their children as one of their many other rights, regardless of their socio-economic status or race.
Hergit “Coco” Llenas is Director of Latino Outreach for the American Federation for Children.
COMING WEDNESDAY: Step Up For Students President Doug Tuthill shares a bevy of education and criminal justice wishes. | <urn:uuid:8129cb25-4f33-4edf-8467-cdfc10c97fe6> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:38:34",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9624425172805786,
"score": 2.53125,
"token_count": 644,
"url": "https://www.redefinedonline.org/2018/12/wishing-all-families-had-school-choice-now/"
} |
Live Malaria map courtesy of the CDC
The CDC Malaria Map Application is an interactive map which provides information on malaria endemicity throughout the world. Users can search or browse by and get information about malaria in that particular location, and see recommended medications for malaria prevention for that area.
Assessments of malaria endemicity are based largely on national surveillance reports which usually do not contain city-level information. Therefore, the map displays assessments of the presence of malaria in most countries at only the national and provincial level. | <urn:uuid:37a7ce90-a2d3-47af-aef0-cebcee42571f> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:05:33",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8782480955123901,
"score": 2.984375,
"token_count": 104,
"url": "https://www.santhnet.co.za/index.php/resource-list/alerts-outbreaks/live-malaria-map.html"
} |
Early Years Physical Activity Audit
The Early Years Physical Activity Audit is an accredited physical activity audit that is designed to encourage settings to make their setting more active. The audit covers 5 core units:
- Setting Overview
- Physical Activity Provision
- Family Engagement
Each setting will be evaluated against each of these units. After a setting has reviewed the audit and self-assessed themselves a member of staff from SASP will arrange a suitable time to visit the setting and review the audit together. A successful audit will see settings:
1. Be able to achieve all of the criteria across all 5 units
2. Produce evidence when required against any of the criteria
3. Demonstrate how they as a setting value physical activity
Congratulations to the following settings that have completed the Early Years Physical Activity Audit:
Beehive Day Nursery
Ruishton Primary and Woodland Pre School
Willow Set Pre School
Physical Activity Audit Timeline:
For more information and to request an audit pack, please email [email protected]
For those setting that have received an application pack and are in the process of reviewing their setting and accumulating evidence or for settings that would like to know a little more of what the audit may entail, we have provided some supporting information below for each of the units.
Unit 1 - Setting Overview:
This unit focuses on how settings plan, review and govern the physical activity at their setting. One of the main elements of this unit is to develop a physical activity policy, this will hopefully provide settings with an opportunity of understanding what is important to them and the people involved with the setting when it comes to physical activity.
Examples of evidence:
- A clear physical activity policy has been developed by staff, families and children. This policy is free to view for everyone
- Physical activity is promoted through display boards and on the setting website
Unit 2 - Physical Activity Provision:
This unit looks into the provision for physical activity provided at the setting. Ranging from large outdoor equipment to smaller indoor equipment, it is all important to develop physical activity and aids in the physical development of children. The unit will also challenge how physical activity provisions are reviews by children families and staff.
- Examples of evidence:
- Indoor and outdoor areas are maximised to enable physical activity
- Equipment is stored safely and appropriately maintained.
- External agencies are engaged to provide or support physical activity in setting
- Staff provide interventions to encourage physical activity and physical development
Unit 3 - Workforce:
The workforces at settings are key to promoting a positive message for physical activity to children and families. However without the confidence or knowledge this can be a tricky scenario. This unit aims to look deeper into how the settings support staff. Although the physical activity audit encourages a dedicated physical activity lead it is the responsibility of the setting to show a holistic approach with the whole workforce promoting and understanding physical activity.
- Examples of evidence:
- Staff are positive role models, they engage with children whilst being active and model this in a positive way.
- A dedicated member of staff takes lead of physical activity throughout the setting and has a clear description of their role.
- Staff champion national campaigns themselves e.g. Change for life, This Girl Can, Race for Life, Sport Relief and other sponsored events.
- Settings can demonstrate how they provide CPD opportunities for staff.
Unit 4 - Family Engagement:
Families have an important part to play when it comes to physical activity, they can be great role models through the things they say and actions they do. Throughout this unit we look at what settings are doing to engage families and support them with information that will develop their knowledge.
- Examples of evidence:
- Settings can show how they encourage families to use active travel to and from setting
- Families are involved with physical activity session in and out of setting. Settings can quote that families have been encouraged to be more physically active and
- Families are involved in developing the physical activity provision across the setting
Unit 5 - Learning:
The learning unit aims to make sure that settings are developing the understanding of the whys and how's of physical activity. It is important to share this message with not just children but also workforce and families, making everyone aware of the benefits of physical activity.
- Examples of evidence
- Children's observations of physical activity and development are well annotated
Tapestry journals are kept up to date | <urn:uuid:83ef9126-3939-4e94-a3b3-9afbe2bd0c85> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:05:00",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9418400526046753,
"score": 2.59375,
"token_count": 908,
"url": "https://www.sasp.co.uk/early-years-physical-activity-au"
} |
State agencies in drought-afflicted California are trying to lead by example and reduce water use by the same 20 percent that residents have been asked to save.
While the cuts are not mandatory, some departments have proposed measures that should save billions of gallons.
The state Department of Transportation says it can save half of the irrigation water it uses, mostly on highway vegetation.
That translates into 6 billion gallons a year of savings - more than enough to fill a pool 10 feet deep, one mile wide and two miles long.
Other changes are largely symbolic.
Decorative fountains at some state properties have been drained. And state fire engines and cars will get washed only when rain cleans them - unless they need a scrub down for safety reasons. | <urn:uuid:43d48dcb-bd7c-47c3-97cd-c379c90d07ad> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T16:11:38",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9526394605636597,
"score": 2.703125,
"token_count": 151,
"url": "https://www.scpr.org/news/2014/02/07/42070/amid-drought-california-government-cuts-water-use/"
} |
In order to draw a comprehensive picture of the environment and landscape that formed the habitat of early humans and to identify environmental influences on their adaptation, bio-cultural development and expansions, the paleobotanical working group of the department takes advantage of a whole spectrum of fossil plant material and methods.
Fossil floras from Africa and Eurasia, from natural and archaeological archives, provide basic data to quantify spatial patterns of climate and vegetation. Profile data from natural archives in key regions are important sources to study the temporal development of climate and vegetation in high resolution and to quantify the amplitudes of observed changes. Archeobotanical material offers direct evidence on hominin interaction with vegetation. Ethnobotanical sources connect hominin environment with plant resource availability and exploitation. | <urn:uuid:2f0049fd-e758-40b4-8209-dd74c055100a> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:06:36",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.8898342251777649,
"score": 3.609375,
"token_count": 154,
"url": "https://www.senckenberg.de/en/institutes/senckenberg-research-institute-natural-history-museum-frankfurt/dept-palaeoanthropology/sekt-roceeh/roceeh-palaeobotany/"
} |
These days, there’s no way to avoid the tough issues facing our global community. Media from all angles and locations cover all the world’s problems; poverty, discrimination, mass shootings and political persecution are all being reported in vivid detail, and it’s hard to absorb and process all of it. And explaining it to children can be even tougher…you want to keep them aware, but don’t want them to feel scared or overwhelmed. Here’s a few tips to make social responsibility an attainable priority for your kids.
Scale It Down
While us adults realize the complex and underlying messages behind such broad terminologies as “Save the Rainforest”, “End World Hunger”, and “Black Lives Matter”, kids might not see it that way. These are examples of valid but far-reaching issues that affect people in different ways. Having children identify with these enormous topics can seem to be insurmountable, as in “How can I, one kid, end world hunger?”. It can be too much, and can quickly alter the young person’s ideal of their power and effectiveness in dealing with such a huge problem. One of the best ways to break these issues into digestible parts is to simplify them by focusing on a specific example of how this affects one family in a single part of the world. This can be in a spot across the globe, or in your own state or county, but it’s important for your child to be able to relate to a smaller, more personal problem.
Quite often, we don’t realize the problems well enough ourselves to be able to explain it. Child labor is still an enormous problem across the globe, yet it’s not prevalent in our neighborhood. Even issues that are in our neighborhood can pass below our radar, and learning more can make for easier discussions. This article might be too much for a child to understand, but its well-written and photographed content can be sampled and absorbed by even a casual reader, and gives a kid relatable information to help them understand. Whether you’re searching for data to keep yourself up to date or for child-friendly content that you can safely share with your kid, don’t stop seeking the truth. It can help all of you.
Here’s where you can really show children how they can make a difference, and this can happen in a number of ways. Some highlight some degree of sacrifice, like donating toys or clothing, or giving blood. As with all of these actions, make sure you give them concrete proof of how those small steps make a difference. If your kid gets some birthday or holiday money and expresses a desire to try to be helpful with it, consider a more immersive way for them to contribute. Organizations like Kiva give families a chance to evaluate and choose which cause to give to; lending is also an option, showing the power of microfinance and accountability in one fell swoop. Local efforts like fundraising and volunteering are great ways of showing love to the local community, even if the funds or work go towards a far away cause…getting other kids in on the effort can really add to the awareness. Finally, shop local and buy consciously. Make sure to involve your kids in the process of why this is important, as they’ll understand more than you think. Buying fair trade products ensures that workers are treated fairly, middlemen are cut out, and, if bought locally, that some proceeds benefit your neighborhood. Small conscious steps by adults will help kids realize the good they can do, and even being aware helps raise the collective consciousness…and that’s a good thing.
Have you had experience talking to kids about social responsibility? Any tips you’d suggest? We’d love to hear from you! | <urn:uuid:92e65caa-b9a5-4f0a-b456-4f8d4149caa5> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:15:03",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9487116932868958,
"score": 3.203125,
"token_count": 789,
"url": "https://www.shop-tri.com/blogs/the-tri-report/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-social-responsibility"
} |
No one likes the taste of fluoride but there’s no denying it helps your teeth! Fluoride-containing compounds like sodium fluoride are commonly used topically during dental cleanings. Fluoride therapy, the application of fluoride to the teeth, prevents tooth decay and protects teeth from cavities.
During your dental cleaning, fluoride is applied to your teeth either with a rinse, gel, foam, or varnish. Since fluoride is also added to most tap water, it’s often applied to our teeth without us even realizing it.
So, how exactly does fluoride help our teeth?
What Is Tooth Decay?
When the outer surface of the tooth becomes overly acidic, teeth can begin to decay. Acid is produced by bacteria-containing plaque. There is a reason the dentist warns you against sugar! When sugars interact with the bacteria in plaque they quickly become acidic.
While the acidic plaque will eventually be neutralized by saliva, plaque can hold acid for up to two hours. During this time, demineralisation of the teeth will occur: the calcium and phosphate minerals in our tooth enamel will dissolve into the plaque.
Once the acid in the plaque is neutralized, the minerals will travel back to the enamel, remineralising the teeth. This complicated process is called an “ionic see-saw”.
Remineralisation has its limits, and the teeth have a limited capacity for it. If sugars enter the mouth too frequently and too much mineral loss occurs, it will result in a cavity through which bacteria can reach the inner structure of the tooth. This decay can escalate and destroy the tooth, causing pain and in many cases, the formation of an abscess.
How Does Fluoride Fight Tooth Decay?
In children, there is a period of enamel development from the first tooth until about seven years of age. Fluoride application is especially important during this time as it is proven that fluoride actually alters the structure of the enamel, making it less vulnerable to acid.
In children and adults, fluoride encourages remineralisation and improves the quality of the enamel.
Fluoride also reduces the acid production of plaque bacteria. Overall, the application of fluoride both to the teeth of children and adults is instrumental in preventing cavities and tooth decay.
As always, fluoride should be part of an excellent oral hygiene routine which includes brushing and flossing daily, and regular visits to the dentist. And, of course, staying away from sugar! | <urn:uuid:41b895b7-89f1-4c1c-9a31-28d24f9b58ff> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:38:23",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9420235753059387,
"score": 3.46875,
"token_count": 514,
"url": "https://www.sierradental.ca/blog/dental-care/fluoride-help-teeth/"
} |
Battle With Breast Cancer In Todays Time
According to a recent survey, about 12 percent of women across the globe, are diagnosed with breast cancer. This makes for one in every eight women who has to undergo the trauma of dealing with cancer. Breast cancer also takes place in men but it is a very rare occurrence. In women, the risk of cancer increases with age. The tumour develops in the cells and then grows into surrounding tissues, eventually, in some cases, spreading to distant areas of the body.
With October being the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this is the perfect time to create awareness and discover more about this fatal disease. It is an annual international campaign organized to bring awareness and educate the women on the steps to take for early detection. These campaigns have shown promising results. The study on breast cancer has increased significantly, google searches have shown a rise especially in the month of October. A number of breast cancer charities have been able to raise funds for research into its origin, diagnoses, treatment, cure and prevention.
Creating awareness and spreading knowledge is one of the best ways to ensure that the number of deaths due to this disease is reduced. If women are familiar with the symptoms, causes and preventive measures for breast diseases, they would remain vigilant and get themselves checked at the earliest signs of any abnormality. Constant checks, mammograms, and genetic testing will allow early diagnoses and life-saving treatment options. Some of the ways through which women can reduce the risks are:
- Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle
- A wholesome diet including the essential vitamins.
- Staying away from tobacco consumption like cigarettes etc.
- Taking the right and instant steps in precancerous conditions.
Treatment and Developments
With the advancement of medical sciences and technology the treatment options for breast cancer have improved drastically. There are two main ways to go about the treatment for breast cancer: surgery and radiation or systemic treatments like chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
Chemotherapy is carried out either through intravenous cannulas or oral injection of the drugs. It has quite a few side effects but is the most effective way to treat cancer in today’s time. They not only eliminate the cancer but also prevent the formation of new tumours. Targeted drugs have shown to be effective in stopping the growth of certain tumours where even chemotherapy has failed.
Surgery seeks to remove the cancer through lumpectomy, mastectomy, and lymphadenectomy. Radiation therapy uses high energy rays to specifically target the cancer cells left after other treatments.
You can go for breast care products to maintain their health and hygiene. Though it is advised to ignore using these products in excess. You can find the best of them on Smart Medical Buyer, the leading online distributor of medical equipment and supplies such as breast pumps, bandages, thermometer etc.
This October, in the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, become a part of the worldwide movement. Educate those around you, man and woman, to recognize and deal with signs of breast cancer.
Latest posts by Kunal Sood (see all)
- Know The Signs of Hearing Loss in Children - 21st January 2020
- Understanding The Various Techniques Used For Suturing - 9th January 2020
- The Road To Recovery Post Sinus Surgery - 1st January 2020 | <urn:uuid:02bea79d-23a5-4baf-a20a-5ba40cd091bf> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:33:25",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.952086865901947,
"score": 2.875,
"token_count": 673,
"url": "https://www.smartmedicalbuyer.com/blog/2019/10/03/battle-with-breast-cancer-in-todays-time/"
} |
The first-ever analysis of the atmosphere of an alien planetclassified as a so-called "super-Earth" has revealed a distant worldthat is likely covered with either water vapor or a thick haze, scientistsannounced today (Dec. 1).
The exoplanetGJ 1214b, which orbits a star 40 light-years from Earth, offers astronomersa unique chance to study its atmosphere because it passes directly in front ofits parent star from Earth's line of sight. That means that once an orbit, thestar's light is filtered as it passes through the planet's atmosphere on itsway to Earth, taking with it an imprint from the chemicals there. [Illustrationof alien planet GJ 1214b]
"We're trying to get at: What's the main component ofthis planet's atmosphere?" said lead researcher Jacob Bean, an astronomerat the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass.
GJ 1214b is called a super-Earthbecause it is larger than our home planet but smaller than gas giants likeJupiter and Saturn. It was first discovered in 2009 and has been studied eversince.
A watery super-Earth?
Among our solar system's inhabitants, Neptune is the planetthat most closely resembles GJ 1214b, Bean said. The alien planet has a radius2.5 times the size of Earth's and has about 6.5 times the mass, researcherssaid.
Astronomers have discovered morethan 500 alien planets beyond our solar system so far, with hundredsmore expected to be confirmed in upcoming months.
Bean and his colleagues observed the system with the FORSinstrument on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope inChile. The instrument analyzes the spectrum of light from a target to determinethe object's composition.
Rather than find a signal crawling with interestingelements, the scientists discovered that GJ 1214b's atmosphere bears arelatively flat, featureless signature.
"That might seem a bit boring, but that's actually avery powerful constraint," Bean told SPACE.com.
It means, for example, that the exoplanet's atmosphere can'tcontain much hydrogen, which typically leaves a strong feature in the spectrumof light coming from a planet.
The astronomers concluded that the alien world's atmosphereis most likely dominated by water vapor or blanketed by a haze of clouds thatis blocking other chemicals underneath.
"This isn't a definitive result, but it's veryexciting," Bean said. "It points the way toward the future."
Gazing below alien planet's cloud
The scientists hope to follow up with more detailedobservations, particularly in the infrared range of light that might be able topenetrate the possible cloud cover. [Gallery:Strangest Alien Planets]
Although the prospect of water vapor may sound promising inthe search for extraterrestrial life, scientists said GJ 1214b is not acandidate for hosting life. That's because the planet is probably way too warmfor liquid water to exist in large quantities.
"This planet has basically no potentiality forhabitability, whether it has a puffy atmosphere or a cloud atmosphere,"Bean said.
Super-Earths are easier to detect than a relatively small,dim Earth-like planet would be, yet are more difficult to find than bright,large gas giants, so they represent the cutting edge in astronomers' ability tostudy planets beyond the solar system.
"Super-Earths are really at the frontier of exoplanetresearch right now," Bean said. "We've gotten to the point where wecan finally discover and characterize these planets. I think over the next fewyears there's really going to be an explosion of work done in this area."
The results of the study are detailed in tomorrow's (Dec. 2)issue of the journal Nature.
- Video:Super Earth Alien Exoplanet
- Gallery: Strangest Alien Planets
- How Do Astronomers Find Exoplanets?
You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Clara Moskowitz on Twitter @ClaraMoskowitz. | <urn:uuid:49bb1cc9-8b82-4ea6-9e9c-758e09ea3b41> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:22:55",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9221133589744568,
"score": 3.375,
"token_count": 848,
"url": "https://www.space.com/9624-atmosphere-alien-super-earth-revealed-time.html"
} |
Facts about the image, Schloss Frauenstein
This image taken on a bright winters day with snow on the ground captures the ruins of Schloss Frauenstein (Frauenstein Castle) in the German Erzgebirge.
The image has been captured looking across a valley from outside the town and shows the entire castle complex. The Erzgebirge, literally the ore mountains is an area of outstanding natural beauty in the eastern part of Germany which has a rich mining tradition but is also famous for its handcrafts particularly wooden toys and models. Taken on a bright winters day with a covering of snow on the ground this image shows the view enjoyed when driving from Dresden into the higher regions of the Erzgebirge.
Frauenstein is one of the first towns you will come across when driving from Dresden into the Erzgebirge, located on top of a hill it is almost guaranteed a sprinkling of snow every winter and is one of the towns you will see if you drive to most of the regions more well known locations such as the toy village at Seiffen of the bobsleigh track at Altenberg. Owing to its elevation and gently rolling hills the Erzgebirge has become a winter sport region as well as a destination for day hikers throughout the year. | <urn:uuid:67686681-6c1e-4cf5-8744-ec88de8d896c> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:17:39",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.962694525718689,
"score": 2.5625,
"token_count": 273,
"url": "https://www.stuartbrownprints.co.uk/product/schloss-frauenstein/"
} |
What Is A Short Story?
A short story is a story that is not quite as long as a novel, or even a novella. The length is usually less than 20,000 words. On the low end of the spectrum a short story floats around 1,000 words.
Short stories typically include:
- Fleshed out characters
- Developed stories with a solid beginning, middle, and conclusion
- Realized themes despite the short length
For children, a short story is an excellent way to get them excited about reading. Younger children who are new to the wonderful world of reading might not be ready to take on a full novel. Short stories can give children something to dive into without making them feel overwhelmed, especially if they do not finish it. Finishing a short story will give your kid a feeling of accomplishment that will only further his or her love for the written word. Consider a short story as a gateway into reading for your child.
Watch Their Minds Grow
When you hand your child a short story, whether as a standalone piece or one that is part of a larger collection, you are giving your kid the keys to creativity and imagination.
If your child is old enough to read without your assistance you can expect to see them develop reading skills and comprehension, become fluent with your language, and further understand how sounds are put together to form words and sentences. The act of reading has been shown to stimulate a child’s brain in ways that help them to grow into a smarter person.
A well-chosen short story will be rich in lessons, creativity, morals, and other important elements that all come together to give your child a well-rounded education. Watch as your child’s mind grows into something beautiful, unique, and individual as they pick up a short story.
A child who reads tends to do better in school than one who does not. This is vital if you wish for your child to succeed in school. Reading and language comprehension make up the foundation of scholarly pursuits. Keep that in mind!
Lead By Example
For those children who cannot read yet, it is important for you as a parent to set a good example. There are various steps you can take to ensure that your child gets the most from short stories.
- Read often, and make sure that you do so in front of your children. This places them in an intellectual environment and shows the importance of reading.
- Share with your child a short story from your book. This makes them feel connected to you, especially if the short story is not strictly for an adult. Be sure that the story has no adult themes or any other elements that you might not wish for your little one to hear!
- Read your child’s short story books to them. Reading aloud to your child stimulates their mind, brings you together, and gets them involved in reading.
- Visit the library as a family. Bringing your children to the library is an awesome way to explore the various short story collections. It will also get them more excited about reading.
No matter your child’s interests, there are plenty of ways you can get them into reading short stories. Use this as a way to jump start your child’s journey into becoming a rounded, formed, and intellectual little person. | <urn:uuid:23b3189e-3f16-427e-9fcd-44ddcf1037a7> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:34:38",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9629290103912354,
"score": 3.75,
"token_count": 676,
"url": "https://www.studentuk.com/category/short-stories/?tag=11-to-13-years-old"
} |
The old civilizations of America were truly one of the most advanced and thriving civilizations the world has ever come to see. There is no wander that the Spanish colonizers were amazed at what they were seeing. They did not have technologies as advanced as the ones that had been develop in Europe. However they did have an intricate architecture, superior buildings, and great cultivation methods. Therefore the civilizations of the old America were magnificent and advanced civilizations.
The Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations possessed great knowledge when it came to construction, which allowed them to make roads, pyramids, and irrigation systems that made their lifestyle much more sophisticated. Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés himself describes in document 3 how astonished he was by the magnificence of Tenochtitlán. Even without modern machinery these civilizations were able to construct things out of rock that weighted tons and were able to do this with precision and great structural beauty. The Aztec and Maya pyramids, like Tikal seen in document 1, have resisted all these years because their symmetric shape has great structural strength. It is now known that a pyramid has the least amount of material surface area possible to enclose a given volume of space when building with flat surfaces. They took advantage of this to make gigantic temples and homes that were perfectly carved and are true architectural beauty. Also the map we see in document 5 shows how the roads that Inca made were the most extensive and advanced transportation system ever seen before the Columbian South America. Extending for thousands of miles and having hundreds of branches the road system made the communication and transportation between the cities easier. The irrigation system is perhaps one of the most impressing of any of the ones ever seen. In document 4, Garcilazo de la Vega describes the cleverness of the Inca by building this system. He explains how it was a great way to...
Please join StudyMode to read the full document | <urn:uuid:987ea07b-51f2-4c48-b5bd-fc55e85bc2f0> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:26:05",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9791791439056396,
"score": 3.359375,
"token_count": 390,
"url": "https://www.studymode.com/essays/Civilization-Of-The-Americas-42776980.html"
} |
If you are involved in a judicial proceeding, whether as the defendant or a witness, you will be required to take an oath promising to tell the truth.
If it is later discovered that you did not tell the truth, you can be charged with perjury, a criminal offence that carries harsh penalties.
Listed under section 327 of the Crimes Act, perjury is defined as making a false statement in connection with a judicial proceeding.
Even if the judicial proceeding does not end up going ahead, if you have made a false statement under oath, you can still be charged with perjury.
What does the prosecution have to prove for a perjury charge?
There are a number of different factors the prosecution needs to be able to prove in order for you to be convicted of perjury. These include:
- That you were under oath when you made a statement
- That the statement related to judicial proceedings in some form
- That the statement was related to a matter important to the judicial proceedings
- That the statement was false, and that you knew or had reason to believe that it was not true
In addition, the prosecution also needs to prove that you were the person who committed the perjury offence.
It doesn’t matter what type of oath you were under at the time, if you agreed to be sworn in under that particular oath, it is considered binding for legal purposes.
It also doesn’t matter whether the statement in question was delivered orally, or in writing. Getting someone else to lie on your behalf is also a type of perjury.
What are the possible penalties if you are convicted of perjury?
Under section 327 of the Crimes Act, perjury is punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment if the offence contributed to the acquittal or conviction of someone charged over a serious crime.
The penalties for a conviction of perjury do vary, depending on whether the matter is heard in the local court or the district court.
For example, if the matter is heard in the local court, you may receive a more lenient penalty than if it is heard in the district, or supreme, court.
What are the defences to a charge of perjury?
There are a few defences that can help to increase your chances of a positive outcome in your perjury case.
If you have been charged with perjury, it is important that you seek legal representation to help you defend yourself.
Your criminal lawyer will be able to advise you on the most appropriate defence in your individual circumstances.
Some of the common defences to perjury include demonstrating that the statement you gave was not false in the literal sense, that you genuinely believed it to be true, or that you gave the wrong information because you did not fully understand the question.
If you told what you thought was the truth based on incorrect information provided to you by someone else, this is also a possible line of defence.
Perjury charges can be difficult to prove, as there are so many factors required for a successful conviction.
With the right criminal lawyers, you may be able to have the charges withdrawn, or avoid a conviction altogether. | <urn:uuid:51a149ba-3891-4930-966b-adee15768233> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:05:10",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9707628488540649,
"score": 2.5625,
"token_count": 626,
"url": "https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/telling-the-truth-in-court-penalties-under-the-crimes-act-for-perjury/"
} |
Spain may — or may not — have avoided a civil war today. Observers expected a full declaration of independence from the Catalan parliament, but its president decided to hold it in abeyance … for at least a few weeks. The parliament gave Carles Puigdemont a standing ovation when he announced that he would negotiate with Madrid for autonomy with the declaration in his back pocket:
Catalan president Carles Puigdemont says he has a mandate to declare independence for the northeastern region, but proposes waiting “a few weeks” in order to facilitate a dialogue.
Puigdemont tells the Catalan parliament that a landslide victory in the region’s disputed Oct. 1 referendum on independence gives his government grounds to implement its long-held desire to break century-old ties with Spain. But he is suggesting holding off.
Puigdemont’s speech was highly critical of the Spanish government’s response to the referendum, but he said Catalans have nothing against Spain or Spaniards, and that they want to understand each other better.
Madrid has a different take on Catalans — they still consider them Spaniards, too. The government announced that they will reject any claim of independence by the breakaway region, perhaps noting that they actually signed the declaration:
#BREAKING Madrid rejects Catalonia’s ‘tacit’ independence declaration says spokesman
— AFP news agency (@AFP) October 10, 2017
So what’s next? The problem for the Catalonians is twofold. First, the EU has lined up against the independence bid, no doubt in part as a message to potentially restive ethnic minorities in their own nations. Second, as CNN points out, the referendum that pushed Catalan’s parliament into this action isn’t entirely reliable anyway:
Madrid and the European Union had implored Puigdemont to step back from the brink. The Spanish government had warned Puigdemont not to take any “irreversible” action.
Spain was plunged into political uncertainty when a divisive and controversial referendum on October 1 found that 90% of Catalan voters in favor of independence. But the result was not as decisive it appeared — turnout was only 43% and many Catalans stayed at home.
The Spanish federal government has threatened to prorogue Catalan’s parliament and regional government entirely if it persists in demanding independence. They will have to act forcefully in order to prevent further fracturing of the Spanish state, perhaps most acutely in Basque country, with an ethnic enclave that has long agitated for independence. In fact, some expected any declaration from the Catalan parliament to be followed immediately by an Article 155 declaration from the Rajoy government in Madrid, which would have put the EU in a very tough position:
Experts were worried that a declaration of independence would compel Rajoy to go for the ‘nuclear option’ and invoke article 155 of the constitution. That would permit Madrid to take administrative control, effectively revoking the powers devolved to the region. Such a move “would further escalate the crisis,” Josef Janning, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told TIME. “[It] would create a case of undeclared civil war and there could be cases of civil disobedience.” …
Catalan’s push for independence comes at a time of widespread mistrust of delegated power on the continent. Experts think how events play out in Catalonia might fuel the fires of other seccession movements on the continent, in countries like Italy, Britain and Belgium.
“The owners of the E.U. are the member states” Janning says. “Member states don’t want the [E.U.] Commission to play a role in this because if the commission has a role in the Catalan question why should they not have a role on the Northern Ireland question, or on the Basque question, or on the Italian Lega Nord claims?”
The issue, at least is broad strokes, underscores the tension between self-determination and national identity in the post-imperial era after the Versailles Treaty. That has mostly manifested itself in the Sykes-Picot areas of the Middle East since the end of the Cold War, but also in Africa for the last several decades. It also fueled the Balkan wars, and provided the catalyst for the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. There are still more ethnic enclaves in Europe that could catch independence fever, and might make a united Europe all but impossible.
Interestingly, Pope Francis suggested a workable model for dealing with self-determination questions, although it seems doubtful that the Catalans will accept it:
Pope Francis is against the secession of the Spanish region known as Catalonia that is threatening to declare its independence next week. This claim comes from the Spanish ambassador to the Vatican, who had a private meeting with the pontiff on October 2. …
According to the weekly Catholic magazine Vida Nueva, the pope spoke to Bugallo about the “Holy See’s position against every self-determination process that is not justified by a process of decolonization.”
The piece was signed by Antonio Pelayo, the magazine’s correspondent in Rome, and ecclesial councilor of the embassy. He also wrote that the pope “manifested the rejection by the Church to every attitude that is not rooted in respect to the constituted legality.”
One could argue that this might still leave Northern Ireland an open question, but not Scotland, which agreed to form Great Britain with England and Wales in parallel acts of Union in the parliaments of both nations. And arguably it could apply to Catalonia too, which has been reincorporated into Spain on more than one occasion by force of arms — the final time being during Francisco Franco’s dictatorship. However, after Franco’s death in 1975, Catalonia voted for the Spanish Constitution in 1978 and a Statute of Autonomy in 1979, rather than independence for its region. At least at that time, they willingly agreed to the status quo arrangement.
At any rate, it’s clear that Spain has no intention of parting with Catalonia, and that its fellow EU members have no intention of playing along with this bout of self-determinism. Autonomy is one thing, but the fracturing of the post-Versailles order has gone on long enough to have the capitals of the West very concerned. They’re likely to overlook any use of force necessary to prevent it from spreading further. The Catalonians may wind up losing more liberty than they gain in this process. | <urn:uuid:e7c6d04d-8c4f-43a4-9c31-b7e9235eaa7d> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:51:31",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.966020405292511,
"score": 2.578125,
"token_count": 1369,
"url": "https://www.takingonissues.com/catalan-president-maybe-well-wait-a-few-weeks-before-declaring-independence/"
} |
When you turn on the laser pointer it seems that the beam appears instantly. However, in reality the photons are “shot” out of it about the same as it happens with the water running from the tap or from a hose, just move the light particles so fast that the human eye is unable to notice this movement. A group of scientists from the California Institute of technology (USA) and Quebec University (Canada) have created the world’s fastest camera, capable of capturing up to 10 trillion frames per second – enough to “freeze time” and capture the photons of a laser beam moving through space.
In recent years, innovations in nonlinear optics and imaging, opened doors to new and highly effective methods of microscopic analysis of dynamic phenomena in biology and physics. However, the use of the potential of these methods require a method of recording images in real time with very short time resolution in a single exposure.
With the use of modern imaging modalities, measurements conducted using ultrashort laser pulses must be repeated many times, which is suitable for certain types of inert samples, but not for others more fragile. For example, a laser engraved glass can carry only one laser pulse, leaving less PS to record the results. In this case, the rendering method should be able to fix the process in real time.
The starting point for creating an incredible camera that will allow you to do and about which scientists reported in the journal Light: Science & Applications has become a technology of compressed ultrafast photography (CUP). At 100 billion frames per second this method was close, but did not meet the specifications required for integration of femtosecond lasers. To jump to a new level of scientists have developed a new system T-CUP. In based on femtosecond strip camera, which also includes the type of data collection used in applications such as tomography.
“We knew that using only femtosecond bandpass camera, the image quality is limited,” says Lihong Wang, the head of the laboratory of optical imaging from the California Institute of technology.
“To improve this, we added another camera, which acquires a static image. In conjunction with the image obtained by the camera femtosecond strip, we can use the so-called Radon transform to get high-quality images while recording ten trillion frames per second”.
The visualization of real-time temporal focusing for femtosecond laser pulse with shooting speed 2.5 trillion frames per second
Setting a world speed record image real time camera T-CUP may be the basis of microscopes and a new generation of Biomedicine, materials science and other applications. This camera represents a fundamental shift that allows them to analyze interaction between light and matter with unprecedented temporal resolution.
Scientists don’t plan to stop there
“This is a big step forward, but we can already see the potential to increase the speed shooting at up to 1 quadrillion frames per second,” — added scientists.
To discuss the invention can in our Telegram chat. | <urn:uuid:33557f65-8eec-4dea-8bf8-5b330fff7c9a> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:43:57",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 4,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9217813611030579,
"score": 3.6875,
"token_count": 630,
"url": "https://www.tech-news.websawa.com/created-the-worlds-fastest-camera-able-to-freeze-time/"
} |
As Terry Fox approached the city of Thunder Bay in Ontario on Sept. 1, 1980, a strange pain took hold of his chest. The 22-year-old had been coughing for days, but it wasn’t until the pain made it hard for him to breathe that he stopped running and went to see a doctor.
At the hospital, Terry learned that the sarcoma that took his right leg three years earlier was not only back—it had now spread to his lungs. The next day, he flew home to BC for treatment, putting the Marathon of Hope on hold. His prognosis was grim – metastatic sarcomas are almost always fatal – and although he fought against the disease for months, on June 28, 1981, Terry passed away.
“Sadly, not much has changed in four decades and Terry’s case is still pretty typical when it comes to metastatic sarcomas,” explains Dr. Livia Garzia, a geneticist and pediatric cancer specialist at the Cancer Research Program of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. “We normally have good ways to attack the primary tumour, but if metastasis occurs we have very few treatment options.”
Approximately 200 children, adolescents and young adults in Canada are diagnosed with sarcomas every year. There are over 50 major types of sarcomas that are found in bones (like in Terry’s case) or soft tissues like fat, muscles or connective tissues. While primary tumours can normally be treated through a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy, in 30 to 40 per cent of cases, the cancer returns in other parts of the body, forming new tumours called metastases.
Metastatic sarcomas are almost always resistant to therapy, and very little is understood about them. This is partly because they can’t be surgically removed, meaning there are very few human samples of metastatic sarcomas.
Dr. Garzia is hoping to change this thanks to a recent New Investigator award from the Terry Fox Research Institute. This award will provide her with $450,000 over the next three years to study how and why certain sarcomas metastasize. While she will not be focusing on the exact type of sarcoma Terry Fox had, her hope is that by identifying early signs of metastatic dissemination she will be able to know what tumours are more at risk of becoming metastatic and find new treatments for children and young adults with these cancers.
“This funding will allow us to develop human sarcomas in mice models and study the genetic differences between the primary tumour and metastases, allowing us to understand how surgery and chemotherapy change the genetic landscape of these tumours and why they become resistant to treatment,” explains Dr. Garzia. “This will help us come up with clever ways to prevent that and identify pathways that could be used to design specific therapies against metastasis.”
The award will pair Dr. Garzia with a group of TFRI-funded researchers led by Dr. Sean Egan, a cell biologist at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto who leads the TFRI New Frontiers Program Project Grant in Killing the Hydra: Genetic dissection of actionable targets required for maintenance of metastatic disease. Dr. Egan’s team uses similar methods to study metastatic pathways in brain and breast cancers. With this mentorship and her new award, Dr. Garzia hopes to shed light on metastatic sarcomas and bring much-needed hope to patients with this deadly disease.
Mentor: Dr. Sean Egan | <urn:uuid:e3af7a98-726d-4b54-8c64-0a75847a0fce> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T17:55:28",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9582427144050598,
"score": 3.28125,
"token_count": 746,
"url": "https://www.tfri.ca/our-research/research-project/deciphering-metastasis-maintenance-events-in-adolescents-and-young-adults'-sarcoma"
} |
Boredom has, paradoxically, become quite interesting to academics lately. The International Interdisciplinary Boredom Conference gathered humanities scholars in Warsaw for the fifth time in April. In early May, its less scholarly forerunner, London’s Boring Conference, celebrated seven years of delighting in tedium. At this event, people flock to talks about toast, double yellow lines, sneezing, and vending-machine sounds, among other snooze-inducing topics.
What, exactly, is everybody studying? One widely accepted psychological definition of boredom is “the aversive experience of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying activity.” But how can you quantify a person’s boredom level and compare it with someone else’s? In 1986, psychologists introduced the Boredom Proneness Scale, designed to measure an individual’s overall propensity to feel bored (what’s known as “trait boredom”). By contrast, the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale, developed in 2008, measures a person’s feelings of boredom in a given situation (“state boredom”). A German-led team has since identified five types of state boredom: indifferent, calibrating, searching, reactant, and apathetic (indifferent boredom—characterized by low arousal—was the mellowest, least unpleasant kind; reactant—high arousal—was the most aggressive and unpleasant.) Boredom may be miserable, but let no one call it simple.
Boredom has been linked to behavior issues including bad driving, mindless snacking, binge-drinking, risky sex, and problem gambling. In fact, many of us would take pain over boredom. One team of psychologists discovered that two-thirds of men and a quarter of women would rather self-administer electric shocks than sit alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. Probing this phenomenon, another team asked volunteers to watch boring, sad, or neutral films, during which they could self-administer electric shocks. The bored volunteers shocked themselves more and harder than the sad or neutral ones did.
But boredom isn’t all bad. By encouraging contemplation and daydreaming, it can spur creativity. An early, much-cited study gave participants abundant time to complete problem-solving and word-association exer-cises. Once all the obvious answers were exhausted, participants gave more and more inventive answers to fend off boredom. A British study took these findings one step further, asking subjects to complete a creative challenge (coming up with a list of alternative uses for a household item). One group of subjects did a boring activity first, while the others went straight to the creative task. Those whose boredom pumps had been primed were more prolific.
In our always-connected world, boredom may be an elusive state, but it is a fertile one. Watch paint dry or water boil, or at least put away your smartphone for a while. You might unlock your next big idea.
Eastwood et al., “The Unengaged Mind” (Perspectives on Psychological Science, Sept. 2012)
Farmer and Sundberg, “Boredom Proneness” (Journal of Personality Assessment, Spring 1986)
Fahlman et al., “Development and Validation of the Multidimensional State Boredom Scale” (Assessment, Feb. 2013)
Goetz et al., “Types of Boredom” (Motivation and Emotion, June 2014)
Steinberger et al., “The Antecedents, Experience, and Coping Strategies of Driver Boredom in Young Adult Males” (Journal of Safety Research, Dec. 2016)
Havermans et al., “Eating and Inflicting Pain Out of Boredom” (Appetite, Feb. 2015)
Biolcati et al., “ ‘I Cannot Stand the Boredom’ ” (Addictive Behaviors Reports, June 2016)
Miller et al., “Was Bob Seger Right?” (Leisure Sciences, Jan. 2014)
Mercer and Eastwood, “Is Boredom Associated With Problem Gambling Behaviour?” (International Gambling Studies, April 2010)
Wilson et al., “Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind” (Science, July 2014)
Nederkoorn et al., “Self-Inflicted Pain Out of Boredom” (Psychiatry Research, March 2016)
Schubert, “Boredom as an Antagonist of Creativity” (Journal of Creative Behavior, Dec. 1977)
Mann and Cadman, “Does Being Bored Make Us More Creative?” (Creativity Research Journal, May 2014)
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:2e751455-0008-464f-bbda-3207efa4d19d> | {
"date": "2020-01-23T18:03:14",
"dump": "CC-MAIN-2020-05",
"file_path": "s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579250611127.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20200123160903-20200123185903-00496.warc.gz",
"int_score": 3,
"language": "en",
"language_score": 0.9169961214065552,
"score": 2.765625,
"token_count": 1047,
"url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/make-time-for-boredom/524514/?utm_source=feed"
} |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.