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What role do the plebeians play in the play? And how do the contribute toward the over all deveopment of the plot? Do they really have any role in the play?
Please answer this.
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They are easily swayed, veering from supporting one character to the next after Caesar's murder. After the death of Caesar, for example they hail Brutus as a hero. Then Antony's speech, while ostensibly only done to "bury Caesar," persuades them to support him, and they run riot in the city, chasing the conspirators into exile. So they are the force behind the actions of these men, and they are very easily harnessed in support of one man or another. A bit of a cynical view of urban crowds, but it does leave us asking who is supposed to be the "good guy" in the play, which is one of its many qualities.
Thank you very much ^-^
The plebeians act as the audience for the histrionics of Julius Caesar in Act I and for the persuasive rhetoric of Brutus and of Marc Antony in Act III. Swayed dramatically by Antony, they rush into the streets, rioting. As a result, a civil war begins, a war that devastated Rome. Thus, Antony proves himself a hypocrite in declaring love for Rome. This mark upon his character is later underscored by his treatment of his nephew, whose life he gladly trades in Act IV.
Shakespeare needed a group of extras for the pivotal scene in which Antony turns the mob against Brutus, Cassius and the other assassins. Since Shakespeare had to pay these extras, he probably wrote in a couple of additional scenes in which he could make additional use of them. So in the opening scene he has a group of plebeians wandering rather aimlessly about the streets of Rome until they are confronted by the two tribunes. Then after the mob riots there is a scene in which some of them encounter Cinna the poet and ultimately tear him to pieces under the misapprehension that he is the Cinna who is one of the conspirators. Both of these scenes would probably not have been included in the play if Shakespeare had not needed a fairly large group of extras to serve as the audience at the speech made by Brutus explaining the reasons for Caesar's assassination and then as the audience at Antony's famous funeral oration and the rioters they became under his influence.
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In 2007-2008, the biggest international economic and financial crisis since 1929 broke out. Were it not for the massive and concerted intervention of public authorities in coming to the rescue of thieving bankers, the present crisis would already have reached more ample proportions. Here too, the interdependency is striking. Between 31st December 2007 and the 18th October 2008, all the world’s stock exchanges fell dramatically, by 30 to 40%, sometimes more, for the stock exchanges of the industrialized countries, 45% for Turkey, Argentina, Brazil and India, 60% for Russia and China. The colossal build-up of private debts, which is entirely created from fictitious capital, has finally exploded in the industrialized countries starting with the United States, the most heavily indebted economy of the planet. Indeed, in 2008, the sum of public and private debt in the United States amounted to 50 000 billion dollars i.e. 350% of GDP. This economic and financial crisis, which has already spread to the entire planet, will affect the developing countries more and more, even those which still believe themselves safe. Capitalist globalisation has not delinked or disconnected economies. On the contrary, countries like China, Brazil, India or Russia have not been able to protect themselves from this crisis, and this is only the beginning.
The food crisis.
In 2007-2008, the standard of living of more than half of the world population dropped dramatically when the price of food soared. There were massive demonstrations in at least fifteen countries in the first half of 2008. Tens of millions of people more than before faced hunger, and hundreds of millions had to reduce their food consumption (and consequently, their access to other essential goods and services).
All of this was the result of decisions made by a handful of companies in the agro-industry and the financial sector (the institutional investors who contribute to doping the prices of agricultural products) with the backup of the US administration and the European Commission. In fact, the percentage of exports in the world production of food remains small. Only a small part of the rice, wheat or corn produced in the world is exported, while by far the greater amount is consumed in the country of production. However, the price on the export market determines the price on the local market. The export market price is fixed in the United States, mainly in three stock exchanges (Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City). Consequently, the price of rice, wheat or corn in Timbuctu, Mexico, Nairobi, and Islamabad is directly affected by the evolution of the prices of these cereals on the United States stock markets.
In 2008, under pressure and to avoid being overthrown by the rioting at the four corners of the earth, the authorities in the developing countries had to take measures to guarantee their citizens access to staple foods.
This state of affairs resulted from several decades of governments gradually withdrawing their support from local cereal producers – who are mainly small producers – and following the neoliberal requirements imposed by institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF as part of the Structural Adjustment Programmes and programmes to reduce poverty. In the name of the “fight against poverty” the institutions have convinced governments to carry out policies which have reproduced or even reinforced poverty. Furthermore, during the last few years, many governments have signed bilateral treaties (especially free trade treaties) which made the situation worse. The WTO Doha round of trade negotiations also had dire consequences.
The developing countries gave up the trade barriers which protected the local producers from competition from foreign agricultural producers, mainly North American and European large agro-exportation companies. These then swamped local markets with agricultural products sold for less than it cost local farmers to produce them. This bankrupted local producers, many of whom migrated to the big cities of their own countries or the industrialized countries.
According to the WTO, subsidies paid out by the governments of the North to their big agricultural firms on the domestic market are not in breach of anti-dumping regulations. As Jacques Berthelot wrote, “whereas, for the man in the street, dumping means exporting at a price lower than the average production cost of the exporting country, for the WTO, it cannot be called dumping as long as exports are at the domestic price. Even if that is less than the average production cost.”
In short, the countries of the European Union, the United States or other exporting countries may swamp the markets of others with agricultural products benefiting from heavy domestic subsidies. The corn exported to Mexico by the United States is a typical case in hand.
Because of the free trade agreement (FTA) signed by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the latter has abandoned its trade barriers regarding its northern neighbours. Corn exports from the United States to Mexico increased nine fold between 1993 (the last year before enforcement of the FTA) and 2006. Hundreds of thousands of Mexican families have had to stop producing corn as theirs cost more than corn coming from the United States, produced with industrial technology and heavy subsidies. Not only was that an economic disaster, but it also undermined their cultural identity as corn is the symbol of life in Mexican culture, particularly for people of Maya origin. Many corn growers abandoned their fields and went to look for work in the industrial towns of Mexico or the United States.
Mexico, which has thus became dependant on US corn to feed its population, was confronted with a sharp price rise of the cereal caused partly by speculation on the stock exchanges of Chicago, Kansas City, and Minneapolis and partly by the production of ethanol from corn by the northern neighbour.
The Mexican corn producers were no longer there to satisfy domestic demand and Mexicans were confronted with a soar in the prices of their staple food tortilla, the cornmeal pancake which replaces the bread or the bowl of rice of other parts of the world. In 2007 enormous riots shook Mexico.
In specific conditions, the same causes have produced almost exactly the same effects. The interdependency of food markets on a global scale was pushed to a level never reached before.
The global food crisis lays bare the workings of our capitalist society: the pursuit of maximum private profit in the short term. Capitalists see food as nothing more than a merchandise to be sold for the highest possible profit. Food, an essential element of survival for human beings, is transformed into an instrument of pure profit. This sinister logic must be brought to its knees.
It is time to abolish the control of capital over large-scale production and marketing and give priority to policies of food sovereignty.
The climate crisis. The effects of climate change have temporarily disappeared from the headlines, supplanted by the financial crisis. Nevertheless, the process is underway on a global scale and here too, interdependency is obvious. Indeed the populations of the “poor” countries will be much more affected than those of the “rich” countries, but no one will come out of it unscathed.
The convergence of these three crises shows populations the need to free themselves from capitalist society and its productivist model. The interdependency of capitalist crises highlights the need for an anti-capitalist and revolutionary programme on global scale. Only international and systemic solutions can make for a favorable outcome for the populations and the environment. Humanity cannot be fobbed off with half measures.
Translated by Elizabeth Anne in collaboration with Vicki Briault
ERIC TOUSSAINT, president of the Committee for the Abolition of Third World Debt CADTM-Belgium www.cadtm.org, author of The World Bank: Critical Primer, Pluto Press / Between the lines / David Philip Publisher, London – Toronto – Cape Town, 2008; World Bank: A Never-Ending Coup d’Etat Editorial VAK (Mumbai-India), 2007.
See The Economist, 18th October 2008
In the face of soaring food prices, poor households have cut down on health and education as well as accommodation.
See Damien Millet and ERIC TOUSSAINT “Retour sur les causes de la crise alimentaire mondiale”, August 2008 and ERIC TOUSSAINT “Une fois encore sur les causes de la crise alimentaire”, Octo 2008
Jacques Berthelot “Démêler le vrai du faux dans la flambée des prix agricoles mondiaux”, 15 July 2008, p.47 | <urn:uuid:a92f725b-df29-4dc0-90eb-193e515b3b78> | {
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It’s no surprise really that it’s the United States leading this charge. They love their taxes, and now they’re trying to tax the internet. So, what does it mean to tax the internet and how might it affect you, should this pass through legislation and expand as the norm across the globe?
There are many different types of internet taxation, so it’s important to be clear on the definition of each one:
- Internet Access Tax
This tax relates to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the charges they levy on their users.
- Telecommunications Tax
This is dependent on how you access the internet, whether by phone, ISDN, DSL, cable, wireless or satellite.
- Bit Tax
Taxation based on internet usage by volume.
- Email Tax
Estimated to raise $70 billion a year if implemented globally, this tax is based on the volume of email sent and or received.
As of right now, the majority of these taxes are banned by the U.S. Internet Tax Freedom Act, but the fact that all of this may be up for debate again means we may have to reconsider our internet usage. But for now, the only internet tax up for debate is one seeking to equalize the playing field between bricks-and-mortar shop tax regulations and online shop tax regulations. Currently, online retailers don’t collect sales tax at checkout, giving them an unfair competitive advantage over other stores that do have to charge sales tax. In March, Senators voted to endorse internet sales taxes onto the Democratic budget bill, with opponents shouting that the idea is antibusiness; all we can do now is to wait for more updates.
Have you heard rumblings in your area about internet tax? What are your thoughts? | <urn:uuid:220718cf-e2f6-457d-8d93-dba7ea56d1b6> | {
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Our Kids Matter - Common Household Cleaners Linked to Obesity in Kids!
New study finds common household cleaners may be linked to obesity in young children!
A new University of Alberta study suggests frequent use of household cleaners likely increases the risk of obesity in young children.
The researchers found infants at three to four months of age living in homes where disinfectants were used at least once a week were twice as likely to have higher levels of the bacteria called Lachnospiraceae, which would eventually result in a higher risk of being overweight.
Anita Kozyrskyj, pediatrics professor and SyMBIOTA project principal investigator said that gut microbiome enriched with Lachnospiraceae is more than just associated with children becoming overweight or obese but “directly responsible.”
More than 80 per cent of households use multi-surface cleaners with disinfectants at least once a week and infant exposure likely occurs through contact with aerosols or cleansed surfaces.
“At three years of age, those same children had a higher body mass index than children who were not exposed to frequent home use of disinfectants as infants. Based on our study’s finding, we recommend against frequent use of disinfectant cleaners in households with infants and suggest that parents consider alternative cleaning products,” she said.
Why put our health at risk? Why put our kids at risk?
Check out this article for even MORE EVIDENCE:
STUDY REVEALS Cleaning products as bad for lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes a day!!
I invite you to learn how to swap out toxic products AFFORDABLY with a company that GUARANTEES that they will NEVER use any harsh, harmful or toxic ingredients in ANY of their products.
Click on the LEARN MORE button!
Our Live Well Journey is a movement to educate and help women to Live Well, Love Well and Lead Well!
Want to stay updated with our Live Well Journey? | <urn:uuid:ccde9e7c-cae0-46d1-bb2d-e392e606aab0> | {
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What is a Pacemaker?
A pacemaker is a device that is implanted under the skin to help control an individual’s heartbeat (or pulse rate). This device helps patients who are suffering from a slow heart beat resulting in dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain or exercise intolerance. A pacemaker sends signals to the heart that prevent it from beating too slowly.
Why do you need a Pacemaker?
A pacemaker may relieve the following symptoms:
● Unexplained Fainting
● Trouble Breathing
● Dizziness or lightheadedness
● Dazed, confused, or tiredness
● Feeling of heart pounding
How do they work?
In general one (single chamber) or two (dual chamber) wires called leads are placed into the heart from a vein near the shoulder. The leads are then attached to a pacemaker (about the size of a large silver dollar) that is permanently placed under the skin. The leads and pacemaker work together to monitor your heart rate all the time. If your heart rate becomes too slow, the pacemaker will send an electrical impulse to your heart to make it beat faster. These electrical impulses are painless and unnoticeable. This should relieve your symptoms.
You must have been fasting that day, and Dr. Ahuja will review pre-operative instructions and medications with you prior to the procedure. The pacemaker procedure is performed in the hospital in a sterile room called an electrophysiology lab (EP lab). The room is similar to an operating room. Nurses and anesthesiology will introduce themselves, and prep you for the procedure. After your shoulder area is prepared and cleaned under sterile conditions, mild conscious sedation and local anesthesia will be given near the shoulder.
A small incision is then made near the shoulder so Dr. Ahuja can find the vein through which the pacemaker leads will be inserted. The leads are then attached to a pacemaker, which will be placed under the skin and soft tissue. The position of the leads and pacemaker are checked in real time through an X-ray machine. The procedure takes a little less than an hour. Sutures are used that self- dissolve (nothing to remove later) and a mild glue is used on the superficial skin.
Recovery from surgery is relatively quick. Almost all patients are discharged home the next morning after spending one night in the hospital for observation and antibiotics. All post-operative instructions and appointments will be reviewed by Dr. Ahuja after the procedure. The pacemaker will then have to be checked periodically in the office 2-3 times per year.
Schedule a consultation
If you or someone you know suffers from an irregular heartbeat, contact Premier Cardiology Consultants at 516-437- 5600 to schedule a consultation with our electrophysiologist Dr. Ahuja. | <urn:uuid:af4d09c6-b80b-496a-9748-fef24bc02487> | {
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Buyerarchy of Needs: Using what you have, borrowing and swapping
The Buyerarchy of Needs can provide reminders on how to save money through the different levels of obtaining wants or needs.
If you have ever taken a psychology class, you may have heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which looks at the structure of needs that influence our choices and behaviors. A newly imagined hierarchy of buying behavior needs has been created by Canadian illustrator Sarah Lazarovic. This “Buyerarchy” looks at buying as the last level after all other areas have been tried. This image is a great way to look at the choices made in buying and to focus on going up the pyramid in how items are obtained that we need or want. The goal in utilizing the “Buyerarchy of Needs” is to save money and keep it for future purchases where buying is the only option. Michigan State University Extension recommends using this as an opportunity to discuss money management.
This article will explore the bottom three behaviors: using what you have, borrowing and swapping. A future article will look at the top level rows of thrifting, making and buying.
Using what you have
While it might seem obvious, this base-level buyerarchy need looks at making good use of what you already have. Stop and think: do I already have the item or tool to achieve this goal or purpose? Being organized with your current items helps with this. If you can find the items you have, you can use them. It is also important to keep your belongings in good order. Don’t use and abuse your possessions. Take care of things so they will last a long time and make good use of your purchases. Use the food and supplies you already have before getting more.
Another way to make your money last is by using an item temporarily and then returning it. Consider if there is a place or person from whom you can borrow this item. Libraries are great for borrowing books, movies, music and sometimes even kits or tools. Friends or family might have a piece of equipment, interview clothes or a cooking supply that you can borrow instead of spending the money to use for a limited purpose.
This is a near cousin to borrow. Ask yourself if there is something you can trade to obtain this item. Do you know someone who might have the item you are looking for and might be willing to swap with something you have? Trade a video game that you are done playing with a friend for a new game or movie. Finished with a purse or clothing accessory? Someone you know also has an accessory that they can swap with you to enhance each of your wardrobes without spending money. Use freecycle.org to share your old items or swap for someone else’s items as part of a community of sharing, or consider hosting a swapping event with your friends. Keep in mind, your “traded” item could be a service. Help your cousin with moving and ask if you can have their old desk.
Print out the Buyerarchy of Needs and keep it on your wall or in your wallet. It can serve as a reminder to you when you find a want and need to explore the levels before making a purchase.
MSU Extension 4-H Youth Development has many resources to help youth with money management decisions and information. MiMoneyHealth also provides helpful tools to support a journey towards sound financial practices.
Other articles in this series | <urn:uuid:c1e041fb-0ad7-499f-8d4f-4449c84ade5b> | {
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This exhibition for Today Art Museum’s third Documents aims to explore the process of global economic, social and cultural transformations that the boom of emerging market economies has introduced. It will try to examine various ways in which art has participated in or reacted to some of the transitions involved, and to their effects on culture, society and the individual.
The French expression bric-à-brac is broadly employed to mean jumble, odds and ends, or an uneven group of things, with a certain undertone of confusion. The first word of this idiom coincides by chance with the acronym BRIC – Brazil (7th world economy), Russia (13th), India (6th) and China (2nd) –, launched in 2001 by economist Jim O'Neill to discuss the major global economic role played by these four countries. Despite their current slowdown, the BRICs are the largest emerging market economies in the world, and account for more than 25% of the world's land area and more than 40% of its population. The acronym has come into widespread use to epitomize a historic process that is taking place: the dramatic increase of global economic power of the developing world, which has come to play a leading international role in the post-Cold War era.
This shift is a decisive outcome of globalization that is reshaping the world and therefore having a planetary impact not only in economy, but also in politics, society, the environment, culture and life. It is changing the way in which modernity and colonialism have structured the world. Traditional divisions between First and Third Worlds have exploded, giving way to a mixed, more decentralized distribution of roles. The new situation not only involves the BRIC countries, but many other emerging economies in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Even though some of these economies are suffering the general constraints in today’s world economy, they have changed the global status quo – and its chart of power – forever, and continue to transform it.
Large market economies are emerging from critical situations of underdevelopment in countries that have undergone economic growth accompanied by fast, uneven modernizations. The classical historical scheme of enlightenment, development and modernization has not been the route for the former Third World to grow: it experiences unorthodox processes full of contrasts of every kind. Many of these societies are postcolonial ones that have been already dealing with inequalities, ambiguities and hybridizations inherent to the postcolonial condition.
While macro-economies grow, infrastructures are build, modernization and internationalization advance, massive irregular urbanization spreads (two thirds of the world’s urban population live now in emerging and underdeveloped countries), and global power relations change, sharp contrasts prevail in society. Serious income discrepancies in many of these nations aggravate their low per-capita income levels, in spite of PIB’s growth. All these processes amount for drastic social inequalities that foster crime and political instability. Such problems add to the coexistence of different historical times (concomitance of modern, feudal and even tribal stages), frictions between swiftly imposed modernization and traditional life, metamorphic cultural mutations entailed in massive demographic displacements from traditional rural environments to cities, use of high-tech facilities within pre-modern contexts, as well as many other contrasts.
However, a very fruitful rise in the size of the middle class is taking place. Even if still low, personal income has increased over previous averages, improving the life standards of millions of people, although critical poverty remains. Environmental degradation and pollution have accompanied vertiginous industrialization and unregulated, wild capitalism. Lack of modern infrastructures and widespread corruption are also affecting a more systematic growth in many of these countries. Simultaneously, some effects of modernization have brought new possibilities and are being instrumental for the new transformations. People have massive access to the Internet, mobile telephony and real time communication, something that has opened previously unthinkable possibilities for broad information and knowledge. The large populations of the BRICs and related countries have now more money to spend and have configured a gigantic market, with all the pros and cons that this conveys. Education and health are improving, and a new energy has aroused among people, especially in Asia, while emerging countries are playing an increasingly powerful role in global politics. To summarize, a bric-à-brac of disparate situations and processes manifests in very vibrant societies and cultures going through economic mutations based on quantity more than in quality and social coherence.
Following the pun in its title, the show looks into the “BRIC” (and not only into the BRIC countries) as epitome of huge quantitative transformations that are changing the world, focusing on the “à-brac” of the qualitative complexities that economic growth have unchained in the “living” society of emerging countries. Art has the power to delve in depth into social and cultural matters by virtue of its particular tropological approach, which allows artworks to deal with the intricacies of society. Art is able to present, in a lively and enlightening manner, the human aspects, the subjectivities, the cultural predicaments that macro-economy’s numbers cannot reveal.
My curation will explore the economic, social and cultural contrasts and contradictions inherent to the general processes outlined above. I am proposing artists who do not address these issues in a direct or sociological way, but who react to, express, or discuss them using the tropological power of art, creating profound insights to these contemporary problems. The selection includes well-known artists together with up-and-coming ones, since the criteria for choosing them was mainly based on how their works respond to the theme in a critical and provocative way, as well as their excellence and contemporary character.
My selection gathers not only artists who directly refer to the contrasts of swift modernization in the new rising market economies, but also others who create metaphors that can be applied to illuminate these contemporary problems that affect us all around the world. Therefore, it includes artists from the BRIC and other emerging countries, and artists from any other country that can create or have created works that contribute to the show’s goals. The selection looks equally for artists who tackle social problems and for others who are more oriented toward subjectivities, or who connote the exhibition’s general theme in an indirect way. The intention is not to curate an exhibition of straight social comment but a subtle one, which can express and illuminate the complexities involved with great artistic and aesthetic impact.
Huang Du,Gerardo Mosquera
AES+F, Chot Delat, Cinthia Marcelle, Cristina Lucas, Donna Conlon & Jonathan Harker, Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Francesco Clemente,Gonzalo Díaz Cuevas, Jamal Penjweny, Kendell Geers, Marcela Armas, Marcos Ramirez Erre, Marepe, Meiro Koizumi, Mounir Fatmi, Praneet Soi, Sascha Phole, Simryn Gill, Subodh Gupta, Tony Brown, Thomas Hirschhorn, Wilfredo Prieto, Wim Delvoye, Young-hae Chang Heavy Industry
Link to exhibition | <urn:uuid:6a28f14c-1b75-4ef5-818b-011b32bb37b3> | {
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Questioning authority is still essential By DIANE ROBERTS © St. Petersburg Times nothing we should be prouder of than our right to question authority. Questioning Authority Questioning Authority Bishop the art of questioning authority by an authority in bishop the art of questioning authority by. Questioning Authority: Essays in Psychoanalysis 1970-1996. Stanley A. Leavy. Victoria, British Columbia: Trafford, 2005. 223 pp. $20.00 (pb). When is political authority legitimate? This is one of the fundamental questions of political philosophy. Depending on how one understands political authority this. Persuasive Essay Outline Stem Cell Research Chiddingstone Kent Sch Uk Homework Religion Buddhism Polythene. sat essay does questioning authority make a. Read this essay on Questioning Authority. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and. QUESTIONING AUTHORITY: JUSTICE AND THE CRIMINAL LAW. By David L. Bazelon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Judge David Bazelon: Questioning Authority (Review Essay.
An essay has been defined in a variety of ways. One definition is a "prose composition with a focused subject of discussion" or a "long, systematic discourse". It is. A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Questioning Authority 6 6 thoughts on “ A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Questioning. Personal Essay and. The Expository Essay Form and the Future of Newer Electronic Forms of Academic Expression. / Reynolds, Thomas J. Questioning Authority: Stories Told in School. Sample Essay Questions. Writing an effective essay examination requires two important abilities: recalling information and organizing the information in order to draw. The Well-being Of Society And Questioning Authority - With A Free Essay Review - Free Essay Reviews. I believe in questioning authority. The bumper sticker slogan of the 1970’s, “Question Authority” is sometimes attributed to the controversial counterculture. Get access to Questioning Authority Essays only from Anti Essays. Listed Results 1 - 30. Get studying today and get the grades you want. Only at.
Legitimizes Authority Essay Examples. 180 total results. Differing Views on the Nature of Authority and Power. What Legitimizes Authority? What is authority. Authority Essay. Only available on StudyMode. Topic: Human rights But sometimes GenMe takes the questioning of authority a little too far.". Essay on questioning authority. The thoughtful critic is simply the expression montaigne essays of experience summary of popular understanding). Please Grade this Essay. albertnov29 Registered User Posts: 2 New Member Questioning authority can have a major effect on society, and can change it for the. Essays - largest database of quality sample essays and research papers on Respect Authority Essay. It is definitely important to question authority. Specific authorities (the government, namely) won't be around forever - they are only in power because they have power.
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Questioning Authority excerpted from the book Trust Us, We're Experts! by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber Jeremy P. Tarcher / Putnam Publisher, 2001, paper. GMAT Sample Essay Understand the world by questioning authority Topic 592: "With the increasing emphasis on a global economy and international cooperation, people. Essay on Questioning Authority. Sign Up & Access. Hi I just wanted to know how Im doing for in my essay practice for the SAT in a month Please let me know. Mba Essay Long Term Career Goals What Is A Good Writing Topic For An Essay Controversial Issue Research. Sat Essay Does Questioning Authority Make A. English Essays: Is It Important to Question the Ideas and Decisions of People in Position of Authority. Questioning authority should be about showing the world that the perspective on an idea like these that the authority is currently upholding is flawed. "Question authority" is a popular slogan often used on bumper stickers, T-shirts and as graffiti. The slogan was popularized by controversial psychologist Timothy.
Always Question Authority One of the beginnings of human emancipation is the ability to laugh at authority. ~ Hitchens. Search. Main menu. Skip to primary content. The Catcher in the Rye study guide contains a biography of J.D. Salinger, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. In my previous post, Mastering the SAT Essay – Part 1, we talked about the importance of planning what you’re going to write before you begin your essay. GRE Issue Essay: The Well-being Of A Society Is Enhanced When Many Of Its People Question Authority - With A Free Essay Review - Free Essay Reviews. This free English Literature essay on Essay: Animal Farm by George Orwell is perfect for English Literature students to use as an example. Patriotism Demands Questioning Authority. November 11 In his essay "On Liberty," John Stuart Mill wrote that even if one and only one person.
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When street artist Banksy's pictures mysteriously appeared on the West Bank "partition wall" in 2005, they drew the world's attention to the barrier in ways that dozens of protests and op-ed pieces could not.
Proposed in 1992 by former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, the concrete and razor-wire wall was originally planned to follow the 350-kilometer Green Line (the 1949 armistice line from the Arab-Israeli war). Currently, the barrier runs over 600 kilometers as it winds to encapsulate Israeli settlements in the West Bank. For the Israelis, the wall represents increased security from terrorist attacks, as well as a way to consolidate the legitimacy of settlements. For the Palestinians, the wall symbolizes apartheid and economic oppression, separating thousands of West Bank residents from their workplaces, their schools, and their former farmlands. To the rest of the world, the wall represents a geopolitical impasse in the heart of the Middle East.
Banksy returned to the West Bank in December 2007, leaving six new drawings on the wall near Bethlehem. In the same month, Dutch activist group Sendamessage invited people from around the world to leave their own mark: for a fee of €30, Sendamessage commissions locals to spray-paint requested messages on the wall, sending snapshots of the finished text via email.
This publicity comes at a critical time. The disastrous war in Lebanon left Israel in a fragile position, its myth of invincibility shattered and the credibility of its leaders deeply undermined. The seven-year silence between Israel and Palestine was finally broken by peace talks in Annapolis last year. And in January, President Bush made his strongest public statement yet pushing Israel to give up land for an independent Palestine.
Timing is key. The wall is only two years from completion. Already, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced that Israel's borders will be expanded and redrawn around the partition wall in 2010, jeopardizing what little hope remains for peace. Artists and activists around the world are putting a spotlight on the barrier to prevent this from taking place. Whether it be stencil drawings or a graffiti scrawl, their message is the same: "Tear this wall down!" | <urn:uuid:03580b4b-d4d5-422b-9c8f-95f64ef74109> | {
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are in the MOST Phase I website (1994-2003).
The MOST Phase II website is available at: www.unesco.org/shs/most.
Management Of Social Transformations - MOST
© UNESCO 1995
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANNEX I - Activities on the Cultural Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within UNESCO´s Fields of Competence
ANNEX II - Selective list of UNESCO's Normative Instruments in the field of Cultural Rights
This paper is about coping with the management of ethnic and cultural diversity through policies which promote ethnic and cultural minority groups' participation in, and access to the resources of society, while maintaining the unity of the country. That diversity characterizes the great majority of the countries in the world, and that with the end of the cold war and bilateral international order, identitarian claims of ethnic, religious and cultural varieties are becoming stronger, are well-known facts. Such developments, which sometimes lead to conflictual situations and tragedies such as in Bosnia and Rwanda, seriously challenge the States, which respond to it through different policies, which range from assimilationism and integrationism, to differentialism. The latter, not always intentionally conceived, involves indirect exclusion, implicit in cultural and institutional practices and active exclusion, which may go as far as apartheid and even genocide [Gamson, 1995]. Multiculturalism lies in between, is one policy response for coping with diversity in society. The analysis offered here takes an indepth look at multiculturalist policies and assesses the benefits and limitations of such an approach.
Multiculturalism, as a systematic and comprehensive response to cultural and ethnic diversity, with educational, linguistic, economic and social components and specific institutional mechanisms, has been adopted by Australia and Canada. The Australian multicultural policy is given special attention here for two reasons: firstly, it constitutes an extensive effort to cope democratically with diversity, developed in the very short time-span of two decades, against the earlier, long-standing assimiliationist, and later integrationist, tradition. Secondly, this policy is founded on a civic and contractual definition of citizenship, rather than on ethnic and cultural communitarianism, a feature which is crucial for avoiding conflicts and reconciling diversity with societal cohesion. This means that while ethnic and cultural specificities are respected, they are to be subsumed under the Constitution, the democratic system, the use of a national language (two in the case of Canada) and certain norms, such as individual rights, social equity and gender equality, which prevail in the country. It is only natural that Canada, as the society which devised the term multiculturalism, is also given special attention. Understandably, multiculturalism as one model of a democratic policy response to cultural and ethnic diversity is of interest to UNESCO, in so far as it corresponds to the ideal of a culture of peace, based on respect of diversity, as well as universally shared values and norms. As regards the latter, the Preamble of the Constitution of UNESCO accords a high value to "the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind", as the basis for domestic and international peace. On diversity, the following words of the French anthropologist, Claude Lévi-Strauss (1952), epitomize the spirit of UNESCO's approach:
" The diversity of cultures is behind us, before us and all around us. The only demand we can make of it .... is that it take forms that each make a contribution to the utmost generosity of other people."
This paper, prepared in the framework of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme on the occasion of the "1995 Global Cultural Diversity Conference", 26-28 April 1995, and the "MOST Pacific Sub-Regional Consultation" 28-29 April 1995, both in Sydney, Australia, benefited from several valuable contributions. We are particularly indebted to Michael Banton, Christine Inglis, Atieno Odhiambo and William Safran, who provided us with their analyses and views in texts especially written on this occasion. Another source of information and analyses was a paper, previously presented in a UNESCO meeting by Nestor Garcia Canclini. Additionally, we are grateful to Stephen Castles for his thoughtful comments. We also drew on additional expertise available at UNESCO, especially from the education and communication programmes, but final responsibility for the text, and for any shortcomings, is ours. Furthermore, the analyses proposed here do not commit the Organization.
The MOST Programme Secretariat
Paris, April 1995
" It is precisely because of the cultural diversity of
Aung San Suu Kyi
Cultural and ethnic diversity is not a new phenomenon and, indeed, social theorists have developed many schema illustrating different contact situations and/or explanations for the presence or absence of conflict between different ethnic groups (Banton 1967; Blalock 1967; van den Berghe 1967; Schermerhorn 1970). Multiculturalism in less than three decades has become a word immediately recognised by policy makers, social commentators, academics and the general public in certain countries. The term, however does not necessarily enjoy such immediate recognition in all parts of the world and furthermore, even where it is recognised, its connotations are not necessarily shared. The reasons for the differential recognition and understanding of the term are critical to the attempt to assess the significance, operation and future of " multiculturalism ". This text examines multiculturalism as an official policy response to coping with diversity.
Western Canadians devised the term multiculturalism to protest continuing hegemonic ambition by the anglophones and francophones of Central Canada. The subsequent federal government policy of multiculturalism and official bilingualism established in Canada set off two decades of political change, leading to a new Constitution, a charter of rights and a referendum on separation (Foster, L. and D. Stockley, 1989).
Broadly speaking, national approaches to the management of cultural or ethnic diversity can be grouped into three categories, which themselves have variants in the models they comprise. A first approach is well illustrated by France which, calling upon Article 2 of its Constitution (which makes no reference to cultural identity), avoids to recognize the existence of national or linguistic minorities within its borders. This approach is characterized by nationality based on jus soli and a civic concept of citizenship. French citizens, whatever their ethnic origin, enjoy equal civic, cultural and linguistic rights as individuals, but not collectively, as minority groups. This integrationist response to diversity assumes that the non-recognition of minority groups is a way of preserving State unity and societal cohesion. It is also a model based on the strict separation of the private from the public space (Birnbaum, 1995). This division is legally elaborated through the Law of 1901 concerning associations (Giordan, 1992) which approves associations as a vehicule permitting citizens (regardless of their origin) to organize the development of the minority cultures and languages to which they are attached. This law is being frequently used by minority groups in France, but the institutional frameworks guaranteeing the real practice of this recognized right are lacking. Nonetheless, on the whole, France has been integrating quite successfully its immigrant populations. However, at present, with increasing immigrant populations, a sizeable number of whom obtain French nationality (about 100,000 a year) the French Republic is struggling to cope democratically with diversity. The educational system has become a prominent arena for these difficulties with repeated rulings against girls wearing the Islamic scarf in public schools. Another current dilemma facing State authorities is the request for granting Jewish pupils in public schools a particular status for the Shabbat.
In contrast to the individualistic French approach, the model illustrated by Germany, Japan or Singapore is founded upon the principle of jus sanguinis, as opposed to jus soli. Citizenship in these countries is based on " blood "or ethnic origin. Concretely, this means, for example, that German citizenship can only be granted to those individuals of German ancestry. Consequently, this prevents, for example, the third generation Turks born in Germany and whose native language is German, from obtaining the nationality, whereas a German from the former Soviet Union, who has never been in Germany before and hardly speaks German can quickly obtain a German passport. A similar conception of citizenship in Japan excludes from Japanese citizenship Japanese-born Koreans and other ethnic minorities who have long been living in the country.
Finally, a third category, of which Australia and Canada are the foremost examples, is accomodation of identitarian claims through the adoption of a model of multiculturalism as an official policy response. Although Australia and Canada have adopted this approach, it is important to point out that not all groups in the two societies were favourable to this decision. Additionally, a major difference between them which affects the evolution of multiculturalism is that Australia is composed of one indigenous population - the Aborigines - one founding population - English - and was later populated by waves of immigrant populations. Canada, however, has several indigenous or First Nation populations, and two " founding populations ": one English, one French (with the French having arrived about 100 years before the English). This split between the French population, concentrated in Quebec and the English population, dispersed among the other provinces, has had enormous political implications in the discourse on multiculturalism in Canada. In particular, the phrase multiculturalism was seen in the late 1960s and 1970s by the French-speaking population as an English majority tactic for reducing the " founding status " of the French to the same political significance as that of late immigrant settler populations, such as the Ukranian settlers.
Linked to these three approaches are three interrelated, but nevertheless distinctive, referents of " multiculturalism " and its related adjective " multicultural " : the demographic-descriptive, the ideological-normative and the programmatic-political. The term " multiculturalism " gained currency after it was recommended in the 1965 Report of Canada´s Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism to replace the bicultural policy based on the British and French Charter groups in terms of which ethnic diversity in Canadian society had been conceptualised for over a century. Since then, its usage has spread rapidly to encompass the " demographic-descriptive " and the " ideological-normative " connotation.
The demographic-descriptive usage occurs where the word " multicultural " refers to the existence of linguistically, culturally and ethnically diverse segments in the population of a society or State. It represents a perception that such distinctiveness has some social significance-primarily because of perceived cultural differences though these are frequently associated with forms of structural differentiation. The precise ethnic groupings which exist in a State, the significance of ethnicity for social participation in societal institutions and the processes through which ethnic differentiation is constructed and maintained may vary considerably between individual States, and over time.
The ideological-normative usage of multiculturalism generates the greatest level of debate since it constitutes a slogan and basis for political action. Furthermore it is one where the limited implementation of explicit multicultural programs and policies means that there is a limited range of empirical evidence available on their operation and outcome. The ideological-normative usage of " multiculturalism " constitutes a specific focus towards the management and organisation of governmental responses to ethnic diversity. Put in simplified terms, these alternatives constitute a continuum from assimilationism to differencialism, the extreme forms of which are exclusion, apartheid, " ethnic cleansing" and genocide. While assimilationism views the significance of ethnic or cultural differences as transitory and disappearing over time as a result of full political, cultural and social incorporation of minority groups into the nation, differentialism does not envisage or consider possible such an incorporation.
As an alternative to assimilationism and differentialism, multiculturalism emphasizes that acknowledging the existence of ethnic diversity and ensuring the rights of individuals to retain their culture should go hand in hand with enjoying full access to, participation in, and adhesion to, constitutional principles and commonly shared values prevailing in the society. By acknowledging the rights of individuals and groups and ensuring their equitable access to society, advocates of multiculturalism also maintain that such a policy benefits both individuals and the larger society by reducing pressures for social conflicts based on disadvantage and inequality. They also argue that multiculturalism is an enrichment for the society as a whole. In Australia, there is the further contention that cultural diversity actually provides an important national resource for foreign economic, political and cultural relations. This benign view corresponds to a definition of " multiculturalism " as " the theory that it is beneficial to a society to maintain more than one culture within its structure " (Macquarie 1985, p.1125).
The third, programmatic-political, usage of " multiculturalism " refers to the specific policies developed to respond to, and manage ethnic diversity. Originally coined in Canada, mainly as a response to English/French divide, the concept was subsequently endorsed by Australia in a statement called " A multicultural society for the future ", launched in 1973. Despite adopting this approach, there is still a question today as to how the policy relates to the indigenous populations of these two countries, and indeed in New Zealand, where the indigenous Maori people resist the the notion of an official multicultural policy. Elsewhere, although multiculturalism may not have been officially adopted as national policy, at various sub-national levels or in non-governmental agencies, multicultural approaches addressing issues of ethnic and cultural diversity are put into practice in various ways.
An examination of " multicultural " policies indicates that while there may be certain very general shared objectives (based on the ideological-normative view of multiculturalism) the actual practices underlying such policies vary considerably between States and have changed over time within each State. As a programmatic response to diversity, multiculturalism must be seen as located within a very specific historical context, both nationally and internationally.
Diversity in patterns of ethnic identities and relations are today a hallmark of the great majority of societies in all regions. Only 10 to 15% of countries can be reasonably qualified as ethnically homogenous (Väyrinen, 1994; Connor, 1994). Linguistic and religious diversity further compounds diversity associated with life styles which draw on traditional cultural forms, even if Western cultural forms become ever more present throughout the world. Ethnic identities relate not only to culture but also, in different ways, to national identities and nationalism. Social science research monitors and analyzes such developments and a considerable number of recent books and articles, building upon limited earlier studies add to our understanding of issues linked to multicultural and multiethnic societies (Krüger, 1993; Smith, 1991 and 1986; Hobsbaum, 1990; McNeil, 1986; Gellner, 1983; Anderson, 1988).
In many ways, ethnicity may be seen as a phenomenon of self perception: an ethnic community is the one which believes it has a common ethnic origin, and shares certain cultural traits, a common ancestry, history and mythology. Nonetheless, beyond its cultural and historical basis, ethnicity is also a political occurrence, at least partly elaborated by the elites and often leads to claims for political sovereignty and State-building.
The understanding of the relationship between ethnicity, nation and nationalism is of central importance. National identity and nationalism have been defined as a modern phenomenon, linked to, and even forged by, the modern State, even if its definition refers also to collective cultural characteristics and occasionally to an ethnic component (Gellner, 1983). Another view, developed by Anthony D. Smith (1986) is that national identity and nationalism have old historical roots, and that in many cases they spring from a pre-existing ethnic group. To the " political " nation is thus opposed the " ethnic " nation. The former view was summarized by the 19th century French philosopher and historian Ernest Renan: " The existence of a nation .... is an everyday plebiscite " (1882, 1992). In contrast to such an individualistic and contractual outlook, the ethnic national identity is a collective one; it is " received " from the past by the whole community and does not involve a voluntary act of adhesion.
These two types of national identity do not exist in pure forms. The political one has historical and cultural roots while the ethnic one, as we have seen, has a politicial dimension. The significant factor is the relative weight of these two components. In any given national identity, when the weight of ethnic component is excessive, it may become an obstacle to the peaceful management of diversity in a society, threaten societal cohesion and lead to violent conflicts. Greater weight of the political component, as compared to the ethnic component of the national identity, facilitates democratic multicultural policies, which respect identitarian claims and permit a degree of autonomy to ethnic communities, while also promoting their full participation in, and access to, the wider constitutional order. A dominant ethnic component in nationality is likely to lead to conflictual situations.
In many countries in the Asia-Pacific, African and Latin American regions, sources of ethnic diversity range historically from population movements linked to the building of empires, spread of religions and patterns of trade, to colonisation, labour migration accompanying rapid economic growth, and refugee populations fleeing from civil disturbances. Somewhat different patterns underlie ethnic relations in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, as well as the USA. As regards the first three countries, established as settler colonies of Britain (and France in the case of Canada), they achieved their independence nearly a century ago, with Canada achieving independence over 100 years ago. While British settlers (and for Canada, British and French settlers) formed the core of their populations, displacing their indigenous populations, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have continued since independence to make extensive use of immigration as a way of meeting perceived needs for economic development and political security. The USA, a former British colony which became independent more than two centuries ago, also displaced, and to a great extent eliminated the indigenous populations, and until recent times remained a country of immigration. In Latin America, the Spanish and Portuguese, settler colonies also possessing indigenous populations that were largely or totally displaced and eliminated are to varying degrees immigration countries, from Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, as major countries of continuing immigration have had to address the issues of national identity and nation-building. While the decision to make citizenship easily available to all new settlers partly resolved the issue of how to incorporate the new settlers from non-British backgrounds, it still left problematic other aspects of their incorporation. This was nevertheless a more liberal approach than the one related to the indigenous population. For example, the Australian Aborigines, effectively received full-citizenship rights only in 1967. In the case of indigenous populations, the specific socio-economic, cultural and territorial problems continue to pose different problems, in Canada, New Zealand, USA, Russia, Scandinavia and Latin America.
The question of indigenous, or First Nation peoples, is of foremost significance in analyses of diversity. Such populations have specificities which differentiate them from the general category of minorities. Over the past twenty years, indigenous populations across the world have undergone a remarkable rise in self-assertion and in many ways have " united " to voice their grievances and assert their claims. The Governments of Canada and Australia have undertaken policies to " restitute " or restore historical justice to these populations. In Canada a large zone of the Northwest territories was recently recognized as an autonomous, self-governing unit. In Australia recent changes in the legal system have recognized Aboriginal rights over land.
These national policy decisions have been influenced in part by mounting international pressure channelled by indigenous groups through the United Nations System. The international political arena has offered a forum for indigenous peoples to voice their claims and in this framework a series of normative instruments and agreements have been developed. It is over the past decade that the international struggle has been of particular importance and has resulted in a World Audience at the United Nations for the rights of indigenous peoples. This framework has allowed also Indigenous peoples declare that they are not " ethnic minorities ". Such claims are based upon their rights as the original occupants of the territory, consequently, their representatives maintain that the relations with the immigrant peoples are inter-nation relations that should be regulated by treaties between parties of equal status.
Among the most prominent international actions are the Task Force on Indigenous Peoples, the proposed Declaration of the United Nations on Indigenous People, the adoption of 1993 as the International Year of the World´s Indigenous People and recently the proclamation by the UN General Assembly the International Decade of the World´s Indigenous People, as of December 1994. On the international arena, UNESCO considerably contributed toward bringing about the awareness of the real situation of indigenous peoples and of the need for them to be recognized as full partners in the policy formulation process. This was clear from the meetings held, in conjunction with the Mexican authorities, in Oaxaca, in March 1993 on Education, Work and Cultural Pluralism and at Campeche, the following month, on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Context of New Relations. The statements adopted by these meetings were part of the contribution made by the indigenous peoples of the America's to the World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna, in June 1993 (UNESCO, 1994).
A rough typology of language policies can be used to classify responses to cultural diversity at given points in a country´s history. The first category, the smallest one in an increasingly intermixing world, includes countries which are essentially monolingual and favour monolingual language policies, including in education.
The second category of countries are those which hold a monolingual national language policy and a monolingual educational policy, with limited recognition of their multilingual nature, derived from regional languages and immigrant populations. France is a good example of this category. Since the French Revolution, it has perceived a monolingual approach as essential to nation-building, but also in terms of maintaining a centralized approach to education. At the same time, the teaching of regional languages are allowed. The children of immigrant populations born in France have also a chance to learn the language of their parents; this is achieved through bilateral manpower agreements between partner governments. The learning arrangements almost exclusively take place outside school hours at the expense of the country of origin. The possibility of learning the language of origin at secondary level depends exclusively on the presence of that language in the programme of the school or by special arrangements negotiated on a case by case basis in which students can make use of distance education, for example, to study the languages of their parents to high school examination level.
A third category of countries is somewhat similar to the French case. Here the language of the majority is the dominant one, but it has no constitutional or official status and there is some scope within the school system for bilingual education on a transitional basis (i.e. use of the mother tongue in order to better accede to the dominant language at a later stage). The United States is an interesting example in this category, in that there is no official status to English, although it is unquestionably the dominant language. Attempts by States of this federal system to render English official and restrict use of minority languages in public services, including education have been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, as impinging on the civil rights of citizens. Thus, the point of entry for respect for linguistic diversity in the U.S. is respect for civil rights rather than an outright policy to promote linguistic diversity. A large debate continues to take place around what is called " official English ". Generally speaking, virtually all intervention to promote transitional bilingual education is geared to assisting non-English speakers to obtain equal educational opportunity and accede to English as the major language of instruction.
A fourth category of countries includes Nation-States which give some institutional recognition to their multilingual character without truly promoting diversity. Indeed, these countries, also federal in nature, have argued that national unity depends on strict respect for linguistic diversity, but only in terms of specific territorial boundaries. This category includes, inter alia, Belgium and Switzerland, where language boundaries coincide with distinct populations, and triple and even quadruple administrations exist to respect that diversity. Nonetheless, in Belgium for instance, there is no strict obligation for French-speaking Wallons to become fluent in Flemish, or vice-versa, within their territorial jurisdictions. Immigrant populations are also in a similar situation to those described in France. The interesting aspect of this policy response to diversity is that some form of institutionalized recognition of linguistic diversity is considered as essential to national unity.
Canada represents the fifth category, as a country which has two official languages but which recognizes the possibility of schooling in other languages including native languages. The Canadian case is particularly complex with certain provinces possessing specific provincial language requirements. Quebec´s Bill 101, for example, requires that the children of immigrants to Quebec go to French language schools. To further illustrate the complexity of language and education, in 1988 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Quebec linguistic policy of limiting access to public schooling in English to only the original English Quebec minority, was against the Canadian Charter of Rights and Liberties. The Quebec legislation had been devoted to protect the francophone community in the Province from a strong anglophone immigration which could eventually assimilate the French and reverse the power relationship between the two linguistic communities in the province. The guarantee of the linguistic rights of the anglophones, the minority in Quebec but the majority outside the Province, could represent a serious threat to the tiny francophone community.
A sixth category which has had a precarious history includes those federal States which have attempted to develop linguistic diversity as well as promote the use of a single language of wider communication. The ex-Soviet Union and the ex-Yugoslavia have been outstanding examples of the use of the generous policies regarding linguistic diversity and the most fragile in times of social crisis. Initially, to convey the new ideas of the revolution, the early Soviet policy included the creation of some 50 alphabets to give written form to languages some of which were on the verge of extinction. The mass literacy campaigns which took place first in the Soviet Union and later served as models elsewhere, were based on the assumption that socialization to the new revolutionary ideas depended primarily on education in the mother tongues and, at a later stage, the learning of Russian as the language of national cohesion. Similarly, the ex-Yugoslavia developed educational models with a high degree of respect for diversity within individual territories, including that of language minorities. Since the breakdown of these States, conflicts arose, which appear to be based on various forms of particularisms, which may have been repressed, or ill-addressed, in the preceding period.
Decisions regarding linguistic diversity are closely linked to prevailing political priorities. During the International Literacy Year, in 1990, countries such as Australia and Canada were the scene of interesting stages of advocacy in this respect. While international years declared by the United Nations are essentially used to promote awareness of certain issues, they can also serve to highlight specific groups or nation´s priorities at that time. It is interesting to note that the Australian approach at that particular period was to promote a form of multilingual recognition, which went under the policy position of " English guaranteed for all ", rather than the earlier move towards institutional recognition of linguistic diversity. At the same time, Canada, officially bilingual English-French, produced major parliamentary recognition of linguistic diversity to promote equality of opportunity, notably for First Nations, or indigenous people (UNESCO, 1993). At the same time, the Northwest Territories of Canada declared six other languages official, beyond the first two languages of wider communication. In both countries, it was considered timely, expedient and appropriate to take these different stances. The impact of these policies today, in the face of global diversity concerns, would need to be measured in terms of actual resources applied to promoting bilingual or multilingual education in the case of Canada, and improvements in the quality of education offered to non-native English speakers in the case of Australia.
In much of the developing world, the issues are similar. In the African continent, linguistic diversity may mean more than 80 languages within the territory of a State. While a number of African States have opted for one or the other of the various categories discussed above, others are experimenting with use of local languages as essential building-blocks to effective learning, with a transition to languages of wider communication at higher stages of education. The debate concerning nation-building is even more complex to the extent that language groups cross national boundaries, and political instability and economic crisis have an overriding impact on attemps to develop a coherent social policy and promote general well-being, let alone respect for diversity.
UNESCO's position over some forty-five years has been to promote wherever possible, the right to learn in one´s mother tongue, as well as the right to access to languages of wider communication. An increasingly-interdependent world characterized by diversity makes this goal an essential priority. There is no lasting democracy or social justice, let alone peace, without such respect and understanding (McAll, 1990).
The relationship of religion to ethnicity and to pluralism remains one of the most controversial matters. There are numerous examples of ethnocultures based on, or buttressed by, religion, such as the Armenian, Jewish, Tamil, Sikh and Serb,-Croat and Bosnian cases. But it is unclear what happens to an ethnic culture when faced with modernisation (i.e. the process of secularisation). On the one hand, it can be argued that the ethnic culture disintegrates, as the religious matrix on which it is based weakens; on the other, as religion weakens, an ethnic identity focus, a kind of secular religion, serves as a substitute cement of collective consciousness of the minority group. Moreover, where religion maintains itself, the communities based on it tend to become less " primordial " more permeable, and less distinguishable from " functional " communities. In fact, religious and ethnic minority communities in industrial societies are not so inclusive, as is sometimes argued by Jacobin intellectuals. This is particularly the case where several religious communities coexist and where such coexistence is sanctioned either by a formal separation of religion and state (as in the United States and France) or by an official " co-legitimation" of several religions (as in Germany and Great-Britain). Such contexts often contribute to the transformation of ethno-religious communities from monistically to pluralistically oriented ones, as in the case of various religions in the Netherlands, and the United States.
In many cases, the importance and impact of religion on politics has not decreased with modernization, despite the hypothesis that science and technology would increase access to education, and mobility would diminish the socio-political importance of religion. In fact, social transformations, which have led to the spread of a Western culture (that nevertheless in many cases may only be skin deep), have also led to a loss of identity. Migrants from developing to developed countries, or from rural to urban areas are particularly influenced by the transformation process, undergo a loss of values and are particularly open to political calls based on religious precepts.
The mass media generally is a critical force in shaping society value systems, as well as individual and collective behaviour. The mimetic factor of mass media, difficult to measure empirically, does have effects on society, whether it be in fashion, music, tastes for the " good life ", status symbols, hero worship, to the extent of shaping opinions and changing or reinforcing one´s attitudes and values - for better or for worse. Such an influence of the media was not exercized to the same extent just a generation ago. In the early 1960s, when the transistor revolution began to spread radio throughout the world, radio receivers were owned by less than 25% of households in the developing countries; television was mainly an urban phenomena, as yet non-existent in many of the developing countries. Today, radio has saturated practically the entire world, while television reaches more than 65% saturation in many developing countries of Asia and Latin America. The prime battles for people´s minds and hearts are waged in front of a television screen or for many others, in front of a radio receiver. Immediacy of information and opinion forming through the electronic media is a characteristic specific to the present generation.
There are several levels on which the media might influence audiences, in relation to issues of cultural diversity: firstly, through the portrayal of stereotyped, biased, or otherwise unfounded images of other people, such that they result in misrepresenting the authentic character and socio-cultural values of these people. Often these images are presented unwittingly, but the result can often be a casting of other peoples in a certain mold from which it is difficult to remove oneself. Media can have such a lasting judgemental effect that writers, presenters and producers must be very careful to avoid falling into the lapses of " buzzwords ", stereotypes and generalizations.
Secondly, there is the portrayal of violence which acts as a " softener " to inhibitions. While it is difficult to substantiate a causal relationship between violence on television and violence in reality, empirical evidence from many studies seems to indicate that repeated exposure to televised violence can de-sensitize one´s inhibitions against violence. Violent TV programmes and video films that portray the " other " as the villain, be it another national, ethnic or linguistic group, or even people from the outer space in science fiction stories - and there are hundreds of them available - may reinforce or encourage racism or ethnic hatred.
As explained in the Guidelines for the Portrayal of Violence on BBC Programmes (1993), while the relationship between the violence on the screen and violence in real life is extremely complicated, and may not be that of direct cause-and-effect, it must be borne in mind that violence in programmes may be imitated.
Finally, there is the deliberate instigation against an ethnic group or nation. This is the case of media being used by authorities in power to actively provoke hatred and call for murder against another ethnic or cultural group of people. The best known recent case, is that of " Radio Mille Collines ", in Rwanda. In 1995, radio broadcasts were used to openly and aggressively provoke listeners to commit outright genocide, against another ethnic group of the same country, in an overall programme of ethnic cleansing. A comparable use of the media is made by the leaders of the Bosnian Serbs, against other Bosnian communities.
On the positive side, communication can contribute to improving the understanding among peoples and the appreciation of other cultures. The mass media, radio, television, and the printed press, are formidable means for exchanging ideas, opinions, and inter-cultural understanding.
In countries that have several ethnic communities within the national fold, it is often necessary to exercize utmost care in news stories, to ensure that they reflect reality with objectivity, accuracy and fairness. In certain countries, press institutes regularly convene journalists to discuss fair ways of reporting events concerning ethnic or cultural groups. Some press institutes and research organizations have published manuals for journalists on ethnic reporting, with a view to encouraging objective and fair portrayal of the issues. But this work must be continued on a larger scale and the experiences shared more widely.
Mass media are for exchanging ideas and opinions, even in zones of conflict. Radio and television particularly could be used to air public debates on the issues that separate peoples: territorial lines, religious beliefs, cultural mores, social behaviour, aspirations for development and social betterment. Such media fora could contribute to consolidating peace where basic accords have been reached and could support efforts towards solidifying such accords in countries where conflicts still hold sway.
The emergence of multiculturalism as prominent term in Western discourse concerning ethnic diversity, conflict and management coincides with increasing awareness in the Western industrial societies, especially over the last two decades, that ethnic groups had not lost their saliency in the lives of large numbers of people. Their earlier perceptions about such a loss of saliency coincides with the 19th century emergence of modern-industrial states, where social theorists such as Durkheim, Weber and Marx, theorised that status based social differentiation was replaced by the social class as the driving force in society. Ethnicity and racial differences were viewed as surviving anachronisms, dating from pre-modern, traditional societies. This analysis was shared by social commentators and policy-makers who operated with an often implicit view that assimilation of minority groups had either occurred, or was in progress. The trend towards global cultural homogenisation, typified by the metaphore of the " global village ", presaged a quickening of this type of development. Even in those industrial nations such as Australia, Canada or the USA which continued to receive large numbers of immigrants, assimilation was viewed as the inevitable process.
By the 1960s, the ethnic rights movement and unrest in a number of the Western industrial countries led to increased questioning of assumptions that ethnic differences were of declining significance. The re-emergence of major ethnic divisions within the former USSR and Eastern Europe has coincided with a major growth of international population movements as a response to economic changes as much as political unrest or demographic pressures (Castles & Miller 1993;Kritz et al 1992; Stahl et al 1993). Together these changes have meant that in the last decade of the 20th century the assumptions of the 19th century writers about the demise of ethnicity as a socially significant force are no longer tenable. Outside the Western industrial societies there was never the illusion that ethnic and racial differences were unimportant or non-existent. Often they constituted the fabric of everyday life and, especially for newly independent states, an important dimension of " nation-building " involved managing the issue of ethnic and cultural diversity. The proliferation of new States following decolonisation has not resulted in the disappearance of multi-ethnic/multi-cultural populations within the new States. In fact, the colonial legacy of departing powers left the new rulers with the dilemma of building a nation through the incorporation of diverse ethnic groups.
In a number of countries, the significance of ethnic diversity has ensured the development of government policies designed to directly address issues of diversity. The circumstances of their formulation, their assumptions and objectives interact to influence their content. For example, contrary to Australia and Canada, New Zealand, despite its shared British heritage and structures, has not adopted multiculturalism as an overall policy. This different practice is indicative of important differences in the situation of the indigenous minorities, as compared to Australia and Canada. Under the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, the New Zealand Maori population was assured that its rights would be recognised. While this undertaking was often ignored, it has provided a basis upon which the resurgent Maori movement has been able to effectively argue that they have a legal-political status very different to that of immigrant ethnic groups. Any attempt to extend multicultural policies beyond the latter would be viewed as a major threat to Maori rights. This reaction is very similar to that of the francophone Quebec community in the 60s and 70s, when multiculturalism was proposed by the English majority, as a solution to the struggle between the two linguistic groups.
Multiculturalism, as Australia's official policy towards ethnic diversity is only two decades old. It replaced earlier policies of assimilation and, briefly, integration. The latter betokened a policy which envisaged that while individuals might retain cultural traditions in their private lives, they would in other respects accommodate to the national culture and public institutions of Australia. The Anglo-centric assimilation policies of the 1940s, 50s and 60s were first critized by Al Granby, the frist Minister for Immigration of Prime Minister Whitlam´s Governments (K. Patterson, 1990). This Government is also known for having established the EA ethnic radio in June 1975. The incoming Fraser Liberal Government (1975-1983) continued promoting Australia as a multicultural society through a number of policy initiatives, including the establishment of the Special Broadcasting Service in 1978, designed to oversee EA ethnic radio and later multicultural television introduced in 1980. According to R. Patterson (1990), Australia has a main body of ethnic press comprising 80 ethnic newspapers and periodicals appearing at least monthly in at least 25 languages. The readership attains approximately 500,000 people. All ethnic press is privately owned.
Since its establishment, the EA radio has been plagued with uncertainty about its future. Much of this is linked to the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and is due to the tension between the rights of ethnic communities in the management of this service and the appropriate role of Governments. The Government imposed restrictions on SBS granting ultimate control of the sources to the Minister and imposed guidelines governing the content of the broadcasting, particularly in avoidance of political partnership. The guidelines were discontinued in 1985.
Multiculturalism in Australia has evolved through several phases, in the short period of two decades. A characteristic of all the phases was that it necessitated a far more pro-active governmental response than required by earlier policies where it was assumed that, while there might be a few delays and disruptions along the way, ultimately, ethnic homogeneity would ensue so that no specific institutional change was required. A major impetus for the changes in policy was the emergence of an ethnic rights movement including articulate and politically active immigrants from non-English speaking backgrounds and grass roots workers in a range of welfare areas, education, health and social services, concerned about the disadvantages faced by many non-English speaking background immigrants. The 1972 elections of a non-conservative reformist government committed to social welfare provisions and overcoming social disadvantage was responsive to changes addressing class related disadvantage and the potential contribution of ethnicity.
In the first major phase of Australian policy, when the target group were newly arrived immigrants of non-English speaking background, the main focus was on the provision of linguistically and culturally appropriate services with the longer term acceptance that cultural maintenance, especially involving language diversity, should be supported. Funding of the nationwide Telephone Interpreter Service, and of welfare and health services for specific ethnic groups were a major initiative which continues. Other major initiatives in this period included the development of " community " language programs and, to a much lesser extent, bilingual education in schools as well as government funding of after-hours ethnic community language schools and the setting up of government radio and television networks broadcasting in languages other than English.
In the second phase of the policy the focus of concern shifted from cultural maintenance to concerns about inequity and social disadvantage and, subsequently, to community relations and racism. Contributing to this shift was the perception that cultural maintenance and cultural pluralism were insufficient to overcome structural inequities confronting many of those of non-English speaking backgrounds, even if not themselves immigrants. The response was not, however, to set up parallel institutional structures but to move towards deep change in the major institutions, especially those bureaucratic institutions associated with the delivery of government services. The term " mainstreaming " was used to refer to the strategies involved in changing the essentially monocultural bureaucracies. Programmatic-political multiculturalism had already resulted in a variety of Federal and State agencies to oversee policy development and implementation, but the shift now was towards changing the way general government agencies operated. These changes intended to remove structural barriers to social participation and were enunciated in the 1989 National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia. They were part of the government's broader agenda for promoting social justice and ensuring equitable access to government programs and services for a range of groups perceived as disadvantaged, including Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, the disabled and women as well as those of non-English speaking background.
Practical outcomes of the National Agenda included improvement of the procedures for recognising overseas qualifications; a campaign to improve community relations; a strengthening of the government's access and equity strategy; extension and improvement of multicultural broadcasting; extension of English language teaching programs and support programs; a commitment for continued support for second language learning and reviews of law and administrative decision-making.
The Australian National Agenda is significant for the way in which it heralded the shift from multiculturalism as a policy for specific targeted groups to being a broader policy for " all Australians ". In this way, the programmatic -political definition of multiculturalism shifted from an " ethnic group " model to what has been described as a " social-democratic concept of citizenship for an ethnically diverse nation " (Castles 1991, p.196). The National Agenda identified three dimensions of multiculturalism for all Australians. These were the right to cultural identity, the right to social justice and the need for economic efficiency which involved the effective development and utilisation of the talents and skills of all Australians. These dimensions were seen as exercised within limits which included a primary commitment to Australia; an acceptance of the basic structures and principles of Australian society including the Constitution and rule of law, tolerance and equality, parliamentary democracy, freedom of speech and religion, English as the national language and equality of the sexes, and the obligation to accept the rights of others to express their views and values.
An important innovation in the specification of the dimensions of multiculturalism is the inclusion of " economic efficiency " which gives Australian programmatic-political multiculturalism a unique orientation. Specifically, it is the key to the argument that multiculturalism is for " all Australians ", since it specifies how cultural diversity is in the interests of all, through its contribution to the economic development of Australia. " Economic productivity " which follows from this dimension involves utilising the cultural skills and talents of Australians from diverse cultural backgrounds to extend Australian economic initiatives both locally and internationally. The use of economic advantage as a basis for achieving legitimation and national acceptance of multiculturalism is not fortuitous. The changes heralded in the National Agenda articulate with broader changes involving economic restructuring of the labour market and the industrial relations system designed to ensure a more flexible workforce where specific job competencies and skills were to replace reliance on formal paper qualifications. As part of the restructuring of the economy there was also a refocussing towards a highly skilled workforce which was to be achieved through major reforms of the education and training institutions.
The changes in Australian multiculturalism policy over the last two decades are the outcome of a variety of factors, including changing awareness of the limitations and outcomes of earlier stages of the policy (as with supplementing cultural pluralism and maintenance initiatives with efforts to reduce disadvantage by removing structural barriers), changes in the policy objectives of different elected governments and the changing outcome of the interplay of interest groups affected by multicultural policies. An underlying factor of considerable importance is the emergence of a generation of Australians who have grown up under the policy of multiculturalism and accept the changes it has produced in Australian society. These include a much more inclusive approach to the attributes of Australian identity and a remarkably high level of tolerance. This is indicated by an absence of extensive inter-group conflict involving either those from the Anglo-Celtic majority as well as that between groups such as those from the former Yugoslavia who outside Australia have become embroiled in extensive and violent conflict. High levels of inter-generational mobility have also contributed to acceptance of the policy among those of non-English speaking background.
There is little to suggest that the multiculturalism policy has reached an end point in its evolution. Australian society has continued and will continue, to change. In addition to economic restructuring, the fiscal crisis of the last decade has resulted in major reductions in the commitment by governments to provide, and their ability to pay for, the range of welfare activities which were common when multiculturalism commenced. Inevitably, this puts pressure on expenditure associated with multicultural, as well as other, programs. This is especially critical given that the existence of such support services, especially for newly arrived immigrants, has been viewed as contributing to successful settlement in Australia and the absence of an emerging ethnic underclass. The composition of new arrivals has also shifted to now include substantial numbers of Asians, often skilled professionals, technicians and managers. Their relationship to those of other ethnic backgrounds and their response to multiculturalism has yet to be clarified.
In addition to these changes, there are also unresolved tensions within the policy which could well produce further change. These include the balance between policy provisions for specific ethnic groups and more general provisions for diversity within existing institutional structures; the balance between maintenance of cultural diversity or pluralism and the attainment of equity; and the acceptance of a national identity based on a concept not of unity but on diversity of cultures, a far more abstract notion, the symbols of which may not always be easily identified. A considerable level of pragmatism has characterised the policy responses adopted by government in Australia to multiculturalism and, within fairly broad limits, they have been successful in avoiding the highly emotive critiques and opposition based on a politics of identity (Castles 1992; Dorais, Foster & Stockley 1994). This is not to suggest that multiculturalism is necessarily seen as an enduring policy by Australian governments. As a background to this consideration and the examination of programmatic-political multiculturalism internationally, a brief comparison of Australian policies with those of Singapore and Canada may provide an additional perspective from which to examine these broader issues.
On the surface, there are many similarities between Singapore and Australia in the emphasis they place on diversity. Singaporean tourist advertisements makes much of the country as a microcosm of various parts of Asia, while Australia too highlights its diversity as one of its tourist attractions. Singapore has gone further than Australia in basing its national identity on the constituent ethnic communities, although in contrast to the still evolving Australian national identity, the extent of interchange between them appears more limited. A closer examination suggests that there are certain important differences between the two approaches, over and above the failure of Singapore to describe its policies as " multicultural ", although it describes itself as " multilingual " and " multiracial " (Clammer 1985 p.135; Inglis 1985). In Singapore, the structural differentiation between the constituent ethnic groups is more marked than in the case of Australia. This appears to be the result of the State policy being very much based on the older model of ethnic separatism in Singapore. In continuation of the colonial tradition of indirect rule, the government plays an important role in the maintenance of institutional and structural pluralism. Much of the stated reason for this is the contribution which maintenance of traditional Asian values can make to economic development which has, of course, been substantial in Singapore. There has, in recent years, been an indication that such an economically rationalist approach is being supplemented by a perceived need to avoid the alienation, which is seen as a threat associated with Westernisation and loss of cultural roots (Clammer 1985). The potential for such alienation to create political instability, even in a situation of relative affluence, may also be noted. Alienation of this type has never been such a concern within Australian policy debate. Indeed the concern is almost the reverse, i.e. that attachment to the ethnic group and the excessive prevalence of the communitarian interests over the autonomy and rights of the individual may generate potential social conflict. The Australian policy considers multiculturalism as a means of improving democracy and respect of individual rights, whereas Singaporian policies favour the community over the individual, and practice a differentialist " multiracialism ", as a means of furthering a strict social and political discipline.
Canada is frequently bracketed with Australia as an example of programmatic-political multiculturalism. Again, there are many superficial similarities but so, too, are there major differences. While some pertain to the different nature of the governmental and administrative systems as indicated by the existence of a Multicultural Act in Canada and a National Agenda in Australia a key difference is the origin of the policies. In Canada, multiculturalism was proposed as a means of giving representation to those groups which belonged to neither the British nor the French Charter groups upon whom the Canadian nation was based. In Australia, the situation was somewhat simpler in that there was no question about the dominant role of the Anglo-Celtic majority. This continuing significance in Canada of the British-French dualism for national identity, especially given major regional variations in the settlement of the various groups, has been, until recently, a less significant focus both in Australian policy development and in the discourse on multiculturalism. In Australia, the role of education in cultural maintenance has been supplemented by attempts to minimise the extent of structural disadvantage and the structural barriers to equity in a manner which appears to have been developed less extensively in Canada where education has been a major area for change. In areas of cultural pluralism such as the media Australia's commitment to multiculturalism has differed from the Canadian where the provisions for French and English broadcasting have taken priority. While in both countries there is a tendency to perceive multiculturalism as being under threat from its opponents who refer to such matters as its potential for divisiveness, in Canada, the far greater potential for divisiveness tends to be seen as resulting not from the newer multiculturalism, but, instead, from strains associated with the older French-English dualism (Abu-Laban & Stasiulus 1992; Dorais, Foster & Stockley 1994). In such circumstances, concerns about national cohesion and identity based on the dualism inevitably take precedence.
Although multiculturalism as a description of demographic diversity is a global phenomena, it has led to the existence of programmatic-political multiculturalism at the national or sub-national levels only in a few countries. There is no inevitable link between description and political response. The dynamics of ethnic diversity is more important in the Asia-Pacific region than anywhere else in the world. The links between ethnic relations policy, national identity and social cohesion in States of this region awaits further specification, but certain linkages between national identity and multiculturalism clearly are discernible. The few nations in the region which have national identity based on homogeneity such as Japan and Korea, have effectively excluded ethnic diversity from consideration and policy initiatives. In Japan the cultural diversity advocated is the one associated with external countries and societies, rather than internal diversity as linked to ethnic minorities. Familiarity and incorporation of foreign cultures has been a hallmark of Japanese society since well before the Meiji restoration, and the present policy accords with this tradition of selective borrowing. This is very different from the acceptance of internal diversity.
The majority of former colonial states seeking to build national unity out of the diversity resulting from colonial experience have had to directly address and seek to manage ethnic diversity, often in a highly conflictual form. Their policies in key areas such as education have often had to make provision for diversity while also establishing a unifying set of cultural symbols, including especially, language. While diversity is often an important part of their national ideologies, the objective of minimal assimilation to key values coexists with a pattern of often considerable structural and institutional pluralism. To view conflicts springing from these intense ethnic divides as evidence of the inevitable failure of multicultural policies is to confuse demographic-descriptive multiculturalism with the programmatic-political form. Indeed, it is more accurate to view such conflicts as a reflection of policies which have pursued an ethnic group model over a lengthy period and in which a certain level of cultural homogeneity veils extensive structural pluralism and differentiation. Change is certainly possible in patterns of ethnic relations as the changed situation of Chinese communities in many countries demonstrates, but the mechanisms contributing to this have been complex and are often only indirectly the result of specific policies addressing issues of diversity.
The experience of Australia and New Zealand are, yet again, different and clearly an outcome of a situation where national identity has been newly constructed, although not under the immediate threat of dissolution so prominent elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region. In the Australian case the earlier formulation of the Australian identity was partially developed as a reaction against the perceived inadequacies of the European societies from which the settlers came (albeit located on a dominant British linguistic and institutional foundation which also had a strong pro-European racist element). The most recent reconsideration of national identity has been the consequence of earlier initiatives in programmatic-political multiculturalism. The task of changing the national identity is certainly contested, but, at a level very different to that encountered elsewhere. This in part is because of the relatively weak form of Australian nationalism (Castles et al 1988) which had as one of its institutional elements a rejection of the strong nationalism evident in 19th century Europe a society which many early settlers had left to seek a better life.
Given the significance of historical factors in ethnic relations, Australian multiculturalism should be viewed as somewhat unique. Certainly there are differences when compared with Canada. This highlights the need to consider the transferability of policies to manage cultural diversity from one state to another. While there is always the possibility of transferring specific practices or programs from one society to another, the outcomes in the new location may differ from that in their home environment, not least because of the importance of the socio-political context in shaping the society.
Nevertheless, the Australian example is instructive because it does counter many of the now common critiques of ideological-normative multiculturalism. These critiques tend to emphasise the volatility and irrationality of the politics of identity which the critics associate multiculturalism. They also highlight the inevitability of political differences resulting not from the pluralism which has underlain much of liberal democratic social theory but, rather, from the conflict which Furnivall (1939) predicted would happen in the colonial plural societies on the departure of the colonial administration. In doing so, they overlook how these divisions in plural society were not merely cultural but were also based on deep-seated differences in economic structures. The differences thus, much more closely represent the earlier forms of ethnic conflict where " class " factors and power differences overlap with cultural differences.
Assertions by such authors as Schlesinger (1992), who criticize certain exaggerations of the ideology of multiculturalism in the USA and claim that it is leading to the disuniting of America, have ignored both the marked absence of programmatic-political multiculturalism in USA and much of Europe, and the presence of strongly ethnic based forms of political representation, within which debate has occurred. The situation which critics claim is the result of the changes involved in multiculturalism is rather the result of somewhat different strategies of managing ethnic diversity, which focus on cultural pluralism while ignoring its structural elements, especially as these involve social inequalities.
While the extremely diverse and relatively small individual ethnic groups in Australia has clearly set the parameters within which policies are developed, it must also be acknowledge that Australia has managed and implemented programmatic-political multiculturalism in a manner which has produced considerable cohesion, rather than opposition. Those of non-English speaking background have not been fused into a unified opposition such as happened with the very diverse groups comprising Aboriginal Australian society. That even the latter are now considering their place within a multicultural Australia, albeit within the framework of specific policies of self-determination and self-management attests to a growing acceptance of the potentially more diverse model of Australian national identity.The tensions which exist within multiculturalism should not be ignored but that they can be resolved within broad limits is evident from the Australian experience.
Increasing changes associated with globalisation and the dynamic changes involving population movements will inevitably produce newer forms of ethnic contact and dynamic pressures for internal changes. The potential for ethnic conflict to remain a major social phenomenon is unlikely to end. One issue which will need to be monitored further is the actual extent to which states retain their ability to formulate domestic policies without reference to larger international imperatives.
Strictly understood, multiculturalism can be workable as a basis for social cohesion and integration. However, it may not be the only way in which social cohesion associated with ethnic diversity is produced. The Australian experience has highlighted how (despite being under close local examination and critique), in the absence of extensive power differentials and despite recession, it has been very resilient as a specific set of policies and programs.
Any effort to formulate policies of managing ethnically and culturally diverse societies needs to consider not only the specific programs and practices but also the social context and the objectives of the State and its citizens. Successful management of multiculturalism and multiethnic societies requires not only a democratic polity, but the struggle against social inequalities and exclusion.
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UNESCO 144 EX/15 Item 4.4.1 " Protection and Promotion of the Cultural Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities within UNESCO´s fields of Competence ", UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, April 1994
Van den Berghe, P. 1967 Race and Racism, New York: Wiley
Väyrinen, Raimo, 1994, " Towards a Theory of Ethnic Conflicts and their Resolution ", Occasional Paper No. 6 of the Kroc Institute, Notre Dame University, Notre Dame, Ind.
Wang Gungwu 1988, " The Study of Chinese Identities in Southeast Asia " pp 1-22 in J Cushman & Wang, G eds Changing Identities of the Southeast Asian Chinese since World War II Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press
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Activities on the Cultural Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within UNESCO´s Fields of Competence*
The question of how to define 'minority' was on the agenda of the United Nations Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, established in 1947, from the very first days of its existence. Since then, numerous atempts have been made to reach an agreement on this question.
Although no definition of a minority was universally recognized and not one of the normative instruments dealing with the rights of persons belonging to minorities adopted by the United Nations or UNESCO contains any formulation in this respect, nevertheless one can observe that draft definitions, despite concrete formulations, repeat certain elements:
(a) a group numerically inferior;
(b) in a non-dominant position;
(c) having certain characteristics (identity), culture (ethnic, religious, linguistic) which distinguish them from the rest of the population;
(d) with a sense of solidarity or will to safeguard their characteristics.
However, some of these elements are subjective and, as such, open to various interpretations and understandings, as the various studies carried out by the United nations on this question show.
As is the case with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1992), normative instruments may regulate questions of the rights of persons belonging to minorities without containing any definition of this notion. The notion of 'minority', as implied by normative instruments, is a restrictive one and it applies only to national, ethnic, religious, linguistic groups and is not related to other disadvantage groups (women, children, aged, etc.), neither does it cover indigenous people.
Two definitions are used in the international context. One is to be found in an international law instrument and the other is a 'working' definition which is used as an 'operational' definition in the elaboration of an instrument that is international in character.
The first definition is found in the ILO Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (Convention Nº169 of 1989).
In Article I.1(b) of Convention Nº169, it is stated that this instrument appllies to:
'Peoples in independent countries who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the populations which inhabited the country, or a geographical region to which the country belongs, at the time of conquest or colonization or the establishment of present State boundaries and who, irrespective of their legal status, retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions'.
The second definition is found in the conclusion of the Study on the Problem of Discrimination against Indigenous Populations. The definition reads as follows: 'Indigenous communities, peoples and nations are those which, having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories, consider themselves distinct from other sectors of the societies now prevailing in those territories, or parts of them. They form at present non-dominant sectors of society and are determined to preserve, develop and transmit to future generations their ancestral territories, and their ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as peoples, in accordance with their own cultural patterns, social institutions and legal systems. This historical continuity may consist of the continuation, for an extended period reaching into the present, of one or more of the following factors: (a) occupation of ancestral lands, or at least part of them; (b) common ancestry with the original occupants of these lands; (c) culture in general, or in specific manifestations (such as religion, living under a tribal system, membership of an indigenous community, dress, means of livelihood, life-style, etc.); (d) language (whether used as the only language, as mother tongue, as the habitual means of communication at home or in the family, or as the main, preferred, habitual, general or normal language); (e) residence in certain parts of the country, or in certain regions of the world; (f) other relevant factors' (paras. 379-380).
This definition is supplemented as follows: 'On an individual basis, an indigenous person is one who belongs to these indigenous populations through self-identification as indigenous (group consciousness) and is recognized and accepted by these populations as one of its members (acceptance by the group). This preserves for these communties the sovereign right and power to decide who belongs to them, without external interference' (para.381).
This definition was accepted as an 'operational definition' by the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
I. THE NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK CONCERNING MINORITIES
UNITED NATIONS STANDARD-SETTING INSTRUMENTS ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS BELONGING TO MINORITIES
(i) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966, is of particular importance as Article 27 states:
'In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities should not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language'.
If the conditions laid down by the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are fulfilled, this provision gives individuals the possibility of presenting communications to the Human Rights Committee concerning the violation of their rights.
Iii) The Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
On 18 December 1992, the General Assembly, by resolution 47/135, adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The Declaration is the first comprehensive, universal standard-setting instrument dealing with the rights of persons belonging to minorities and will influence the State practice and national legislation.
Article 9 of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities provides that: 'The Specialized Agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system shall contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles set forth in this Declaration, within their respective fields of competence'. This provision, in unequivocal terms, impses an obligation on UNESCO to contribute to the full realization of the Declaration within its fields of competence: through education, science, culture and communcation and by appropriate forms of action.
Among the rights of persons belonging to minorities, the Declaration lists: the right to enjoy their own culture; to profess and practise their own religion; to use their own language; to participate effectively in cultural, religious, social, economic and public life, as well as in the decision-making process concerning the minority to which they belong; to establish and monitor their own associations; to establish and maintain, without any discrimination, free and peaceful contacts with other members of their group or other citizens of other States to whom they are related by national or ethnic, religious or linguistic ties. To eliminate any misinterpretation, it provides expressis verbis that nothing in its text may be construed as permitting any activity contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations, including the sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of States.
Iiii) The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted on 25 June 1993 by the World Conference on Human Rights (II.B, paras. 25, 26 and 27), urges States and the international community to promote and protect the rights of persons belonging to minorities as set out in the aforementioned Declaration. Measures to be taken should include facilitation of their full participation in all aspects of the political, economic, social, religious and cultural life of society and in the economic progress and development in their country. The World Conference on Human Rights confirmed once again that persons belonging to minorities '... have the right to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion and to use their own language in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination' (I, para. 19).
(iv) Other United Nations instruments relevant to the non-discrimination of persons belonging to minorities
It must also be recalled that several United Nations normative instruments, though they do not speak expressly about the rights of persons belonging to minorities, have a direct bearing on the guarantee of non-discrimination and equality of treatment. They are:
the International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966);
the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948);
the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965);
the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979);
the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief (1981);
the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
UNESCO NORMATIVE INSTRUMENTS CONCERNING THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS BELONGING TO MINORITIES
(i) UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education
The first international convention adopted after 1945 which contains provisions expressis verbis relating to the rights of persons belonging to minorities is the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960). The States Parties to the Convention agreed in ARticle 5, subparagraph 1(c): '... it is essential to recognize the right of members of national minorities to carry on their own educational activities, including the maintenance of schools and, depending on the educational policy of each State, the use or the teaching of their own language, provided however:
(a) that this right is not exercised in a manner which prevents the members of these minorities from understanding the culture and language of the community as a whole and from participating in its activities, or which prejudices national sovereignty;
(b) that the standard of education is not lower than the general standard laid down or approved by the competent authorities; and
(c) that attendance at such schools is optional'.
In Article 7, the Convention imposes on States Parties an obligation to give, in periodic reports submitted to the General Conference, information on the legislative and administrative provisions which they have adopted and any other action which they have taken for its application.
(ii) UNESCO declarations
It is worth noting that, among UNESCO declarations, two are of special importance for the recognition of rights of persons belonging to minorities: the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice (1978) which provides that: 'All individuals and groups have the right to be different, to consider themselves as different and to be regarded as such', and the Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Co-operation (1966) stipulating that:
' 1. Each culture has a dignity and value which must be respected and preserved;
2. Every people has the right and duty to develop its culture '.
Similarly, the Recommendation concerning Education for International Undersanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1974) declares: 'Member States should promote, at various stages and in various types of education, study of different cultures, their reciprocal influences, their perspectives and ways of life, in order to encourage mutual appreciation of the differences between them. Such study should, among other things, give due importance to the teaching of foreign languages, civilizations and cultural heritage as a means of promoting international and intercultural understanding' (Article 17).
(iv) Development and promotion of cultural rights
The Organization has worked out a number of standard-setting instruments with a view to implementing, developing and classifying the rights formulated by Articles 13 to 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966:
(a) the right to education (1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education, and others);
(b) the right to participate in cultural life (1976 Recommendation on Participation by the People at Large in Cultural Life);
(c) the right to participate in scientific progress (1974 Recommendations on the Status of Scientific Researchers);
(d) the right to information (19958 Convention on the Exchange of Official Publications, and others);
(e) the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any literary or artistic production (Universal Copyright Convention of 1952 as revised in 1971);
(f) the right to international cultural co-operation (1966 Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Co-operation).
UNESCO's normative instruments added other rights to the list contained in Article 15 of the Covenant:
(a) the right to cultural identity (Recommendation on Cultural Identity adopted during the World Conference on Cultural Policies, Mexico City, 1982);
(b) the right to the protection of national and international cultural property and heritage (1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and others).
Analysis of the UNESCO standard-setting instruments concerning cultural rights leads to the conclusion that the list of subjects is fairly comprehensive and embraces individuals, regions, groups, peoples, nation-States and evn humankind in general. Recognizing that States should first of all create conditions and provide guarantees for the implementation of cultural rights, not only to eliminate discrimination but also to undertake affirmative action, UNESCO's normative instruments also stress that this responsibility should be shared with other social actors.
(v) UNESCO and communications relating to human rights
In 104 EX/Decision 3.3, the Executive Board of UNESCO laid down the procedures for the examination of cases and questions submitted to UNESCO concerning the exercise of human rights in its fields of competence. As the rights that ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities are acknowledge to have under ARticle 27 of the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights are an integral part of the system for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, these procedures can be followed when those persons are the presumed victimes, individually or collectively, of a violation of one of the human rights in UNESCO's fields of competence in education, science, culture and information.
II. THE NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK CONCERNING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
UNITED NATIONS INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS CONCERNING THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
The Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities does not refer to indigenous peoples. The nature and the acuteness of the problems faced by indigenous communities in areas such as human rights, the environment, development, education and health, have led the United Nations to take the initiative in developing specific international standards concerning the rights of indigenous peoples.
(i) The draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples
Further to the initiatives taken by the International Labour Organisation (Convention 107 concerning the Protection and Integration of Indigenous and other Tribal and Semi-Tribal Populations in Independent Countries; Convention 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries), the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities recommended, in 1971, a comprehensive study on discriminiation against indigenous peoples. The predominantly positive response to the study encouraged the United Nations Economic and Social Council to create a working group on indigenous populations. From it svery inception, this working group started to prepare a draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. In its efforts to establish durable and mutually acceptable international standards, the working group paid close attention to a number of sensitive issues (self-determination, collective rights to territories and the significance of treaties between States and indigenous peoples), as well as to the cultural rights of indigenous peoples, among others.
Significant progress has been made towards finalization of a draft declaration. The working group concluded its work in 1993 and it is foreseen that the draft declaration could be submitted for consideration and adoption to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-first session, in 1995.
(ii) The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action includes very important recommendations concerning indigenous people. In paragraph 31, it urged States to ensure the full and free participation of indigenous people in all aspects of society, in particular in matters of concern to them; and in paragraph 32 it recommended that the General Assembly proclaim an International Decade of the World's Indigenous People.
(iii) The Interantional Decade of the World's Indigenous People
On the basis of this recommendation, the United Nations General Assembly, in December 1993, adopted resolution 48/163 proclaiming the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, commencing in December 1994, the period from 1 January to 9 December 1994 to be set aside for the planning for the Decade in partnership with indigenous people (see Annex III).
III. UNESCO PROGRAMMES ON MINORITIES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Within the framework of the standard-setting machinery described above and in co-operation with the Member States and intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations concerned, UNESCO has for several years been carrying out many activities for persons belonging to minorities and for indigenous peoples.
The Organization's action in this field has been guided by the following three principles:
1. The right to culture is firstly the right of everyone to participate freely in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits (see Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), and secondly the right of everyone to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he or she is the author. Cultural rights therefore concern all members of a community and all creative workers in the artistic, intellectual and scientific fields. They represent the possibility for individuals, groups and peoples to maintain, enrich and express their distinctive cultural features.
2. The main objective is to safeguard diversity while seeking to strengthen the foundation of the common interests of majority and minority groups, States and indigenous peoples. The diversity of cultural identities - national or ethnic, religious or linguistic - must be considered as a source of enrichment for the international community. The protection and promotion of the different cultural identities that make up a multi-ethnic, multinational or multicultural community are the sine qua non for the prevention of 'cultural' conflicts.
3. Domocracty is the only institutional framework in which satisfactory solutions can be found to guarantee the rights of persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples. Respect for democratic values and human rights is the basic condition for the develoment of all individuals in tolerance and pluralism, non-discrimination and equality of rights. It is nevertheless necessary to go beyond traditional democracy and apply the principles of a modern, refined democracy that takes into account the requirements of a culture and of an ethical code that are sensitive to injustices that have long gone unnoticed and cannot be content just with the rule of the majority.
(i) Struggle against discrimination
UNESCO is obliged under its Constitution to contribute to the struggle against discrimination, including discrimination against persons belonging to minorities, in all its fields of competence. It does so within the framework of the standard-setting instruments mentioned in Part I of this document. Among these, the Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education are of special interest since they provide for the periodical collection of information on the steps taken in Member States to secure their implementation.
So far, five consultations on the implementation of both instruments have been organized. The fifth questionnaires on the implementation of the Convention and Recommendation contained a number of questions addressing directly the issue of minorities:
' 8. To what extent does your government give effect to the right of members of national minorities to carry on their own education activities, including the maintenance of schools, as set forth in Article 5.1(c) of the Convention (Section V.C of the Recommendation)?
8.1 Are languages of national minorities used or taught in such educational activities?
8.2 Is the standard of education of such activities equivalent to the general standards laid down or approved by the competent authorities?
8.3 Is participation in such activities or attendance at such schools optional?
Of the 172 States consulted by questionnaire, 71, or 42 per cent, replied (including 46 States party to the Convention and 25 States reporting on their implementation of the Recommendation). With regard to legislation, the general picture that emerges is that there are appropriate provisions at prsent in the 71 States to prevent discrimination in education, including discrimination against persons belonging to minorities - the Convention and Recommendation having played a decisive role in this regard.
In 1994-1995, the focus of the sixth consultation on the implementation of the Convention and Recommendation against Discrimination in Education, in conformity with 27 C/Resolution 1.9, is on four population groups: (i) women and girls; (ii) persons belonging to miorities; (iii) refugees; (iv) indigenous people. It is essential that a maximum number of Member States should answer the consultation so that the Secretariat can benefit from a vast array of information that will allow it in the near future to identify new needs and forms of action in this field.
This is all the more important because parties in conflict are calling more and more on the Organization to mediate in order to reduce animosity between ethnic, cultural or religious communities, some of which allege violations of human rights in UNESCO's fields of competence, especially education. This is a new role that the Organization has to play, for which it must prepare itself. It is in this context for example that the Director-General has appointed a high-level adviser in order to report on the situation of Albanians in Kosovo (about 90 per cent of the population), and to elaborate proposals for concrete UNESCO action. The Adviser has led two missions to Kosovo (in 1993 and 1994) and held extensive consultations with the Federal Yugoslav authorities, representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the President of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Mr Ibrahim Rugova.
In addition, it goes without saying that under the procedures laid down by the Executive Board in 104 EX/Decision 3.3, communications may be submitted to the Organization on the exercise of human rights in its fields of competence, whether they relate to specific individual cases or cases of massive and systematic violations.
Celebration of the International Year for Tolerance (1995) provides the Organization an opportunity to expand what it is doing to make people aware of discrimination and incite them to combat it. Special efforts will be undertaken to make the content of the interantional standard-setting instruments against discrimination widely known, with special emphasis on discrimination in the fields of education and culture. A report on the implementation by Member States of the UNESCO 1978 Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice will be prepared, while workshops devoted to the prevention of discrimination will be organized in different regions, as well as an international meeting on the sources and prevention of extreme nationalism, xenophobia and racism.
(ii) Policy research on the management of multicultural and multi-ethnic societies
The Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme is developing interdisciplinary comparative and policy-relevant projects on various aspects of multi-cultural and multi-ethnic societies.
A nine-country study in the Asian region is being launched on the long-term social and political consequences of growing ethnic diversity coming from increased migration within the region. The study is led by Australia and will provide guidance for the planning, content and implementation of public policy in the region. Similar large-scale projects on related issues are being developed in Africa, Latin America, Europe and North America. Regional MOST meetings, covering all regions are being held in 1994-95, to establish priority research and policy issues.
(iii) Gathering, exchange and circulation of information
In the context of action taken by UNESCO to develop and promote cultural rights, various studies have been carried out to improve knowledge of the situation of minorities in different regions of the world. Three studies have thus been carried out on ethnic group relations in Africa, Latin America and in Asia and Oceania, as well as a special study on the cultural evolution of countries with diverse ethnical and national groups. In 1992, three supplementary studies were carried out on the legal protection of the cultural rights and identities of minorities in Asia, Africa and Europe.
UNESCO has also given encouragement to current activities aiming at the further definition of cultural rights, their content and the means of applying them. The most outstanding activities conducted in that connection include: four meetings of experts held in Athens (Greece) and San José (Costa Rica) in 1981, Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in 1982 and Karasjok (Norway) in 1983 to study the rights of ethnic minorities in different regions of the world; an international seminar on human rights and cultural rights, held in Recife (Brazil) in 1987, at which the 'Declaration of Recife' on the linguistic rights of individuals and peoples was drafted; and a seminar on the cultural rights of peoples in Europe, held in Girona in 1991 by the UNESCO Centre of Catalonia (Barcelona) in co-operation with UNESCO.
These activities will be continued in 1994-1995 with a series of studies on the content of cultural rights, with emphasis on the protection and promotion of cultural identities and linguistic rights. The copilation of measures taken in different countries and regions concerning cultural rights of persons belonging to minorities, which was started in 1993, will be continued with a view to their publication.
(iv) Raising public awareness
For many years now, UNESCO has been endeavouring to preserve and to make known the most representative expressions of minority cultures. In addition to the inventory, study and archiving of elements of the intangible heritable (languages, oral traditions, music, dance, performing arts, etc.), various initiatives have been taken or encouraged in order to make the general public aware of the ways of life and forms of expression of these minorities and of action taken on their behalf. The recent initiatives taken include a special issue of The UNESCO Courier (June 1993) on minorities; the very recent UNESCO Collection of video recordings on minority cultures (titles in 1994-1995 are devoted to China and the countries of the former Soviet Union); and the project on The Red Book on Endangered Languages, carried out by ICPHS in collaboration with UNESCO, under which an international information and data base centre on the endangered languages of minorities has just been set up.
(v) Education for human rights and intercultural understanding
The World Plan of Action on Education for Human Rights and Democracy stresses the need for appropriate informatin and education to be extended to people in difficult situations whose rights may be particularly threatened, including minorities. This will be one of the priority tasks of the Advisory Committee established in order to follow up the implementation of the Montreal Plan of Action and to identify strategies to meet the specific needs of these priority groups. As part of the follow-up to the World Plan of Action, too, but within the framework of the Associated Schools Project, model curricula and materials dealing with the problems relating to the consolidation of democracy in multicultural societies will be prepared through a series of pilot projects and teacher-training workshops organized in all regions.
It is also to be noted that the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-First Century will take up issues concerning education and minorities during one of its plenary sessions during 1994-1995.
(vi) Strengthening of endogenous capacities
Various activities (studies, research, publications, meetings) have been undertaken in the last few years to identify more successfully the educational needs of certain minorities and the specific measures that would enable each group concerned to overcome the obstacles hindering its inclusion in socio-cultural and economic life. Studies done by several countries (China, Philippines and Malaysia) in co-operation with UNESCO's Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific are an example of this.
Under the communication programme, UNESCO has also supported a number of radio and audio-visual productions made by and for cultural minorities and marginalized groups in close co-operation with non-governmental an dprofessional organizations. These include the Institute for Latin America (IPAL), the VIDEORED group in Lima, Peru, the World Assocation of Community Radio Broadcasters (ARMARC) and Mahaweli Community Radio in Sri Lanka.
Under the culture programme, in addition to emergency action taken to safeguard the endangered heritage of minorities, mention should be made of action to revive the oral and written traditions of minority peoples or nomads and action to strengthen pluralism by encouraging the cultural expression of minorities and intercultural dialogue.
In 1994-1995, two target groups have been singled out for a series of pilot projects: the gypsies in Europe and the minorities of Viet Nam.
The gypsies are today one of the most vulnerable minorities in Europe, due, in particular, to their nomadic way of life that does not allow for traditional forms of integration, especially in the field of education. On the basis of the results of the pilot education/literacy project for gypsies in Greece (Salonika region) and Spain (Catalonia), carried out in 1993-94, an international symposium reviewed the most appropriate strategies for securing the social and educational integration of gypsies.
Support is also given to the International Centre for Studies on Minorities and Intercultural Relations (Bulgaria) for the implementation of cultural development projects for gypsies, particularly in South Eastern Europe. An information kit on the creative dynamic of the gypsies will also be prepared, on the basis of a compilation of their cultural expressions in the fields of art and social representations. It is hoped that the wide dissemination of this kit will help towards a better understanding of gypsy populations to culture and to the progressive elimination of many stereotyped representations of their way of life.
The Goverment of Viet Nam has decided to establish a global policy for the 53 minorities of the country, with particular emphasis on the safeguarding of their intangible cultural heritage. An international meeting of experts was held in Hanoi from 15 to 18 March 1994 to draw up a national plan for the safeguarding and promotion of this heritage. The projects scheduled, to be funded from extra-budgetary sources, include: the establishment of a training centre on the collection of the intangible heritage; the establishment, in different provinces, of five cultural centres for minorities; the establishment of an institute for the study of minorities and an inventory of the crafts of minority groups. The main potential sources of funds are Japan and France. Experience gained in drawing up the national plan for the safeguarding and promotion of the intangible heritage of minorities in Viet Nam will be of great value in responding to similar needs in neightbouring countries.
In the past, UNESCO's activities for indigenous peoples focused primarily on education. As examples, mention can be made of the activities carried out by the Regional Office for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (OREALC) in conjunction with the Regional Network for Training Personnel and providing Specific Support for Literacy and Adult Education Programmes (REDALF). A workshop on literacy and intercultural bilingual education in the Andean countries was thus held in 1990 in Ecuador under the auspices of OREALC and UNICEF. Its objectives were to prepare a survey of action taken in literacy, post-literacy and bilingual education, assess its achievements and the obstacles encountered, and decide on priority activities. Also in 1990, INEA (National Institute of Adult Education) in Mexico, with the support of OREALC, organized a training programme on the production of bilingual and intercultural educational materials. Teachers from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala took part.
The commemoration of the Five-Hundredth Anniversary of the Encounter between Two Worlds (1992) and the International Year of the World's Indigenous People (1993) afforded UNESCO an opportunity to strengthen and expand its activities in this field. In 1992-1993, these activities focused primarily on peooples in the Americas, with the prime objective of creating a new area of dialogue among indigenous peoples and between them and government experts or representatives.
In 1991, UNESCO thus brought together in Ottawa 800 representatives of indigenous peoples from all the Americas to discuss 'Strengthening the spiritual - beyond 500 years'. This first major indigenous meeting threw new light on subjects such as inter-ethnic relations, cultural pluralism, modernity, etc.
The meeting on Amerindia towards the Third Millennium, held in June 1991 at San Cristobal de la Casas, in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, enabled a dialogue to be initiated between indigenous representatives, intellectuals and government representatives. The declaration adopted by the participants referred to 'the conditions of extreme poverty and political marginality faced by the majority of the continent's indigenous people' and invited political leaders 'to listen to the many voices clamouring for dignity, justice and solidarity for all the peoples of the continent'. This appeal was echoed in the Guadalajara Declaration, adopted by the first Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government held one month later, which states 'We acknowledge the immense contribution of indigenous peoples to the development and plurality of our societies and we renew our commitment to their economic and social well-being, and the obligation to respect their rights and cultural identity'.
UNESCO has thus made a considerable contribution to bringing about an awareness of the real situation of indigenous peoples and of the need for them to be recognized as full partners. This was clear from the meetings held, in conjunction with the Mexican authorities, in Oaxaca in March 1993 on Education, Work and Cultural Pluralism, and at Campeche the following month on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Context of New Relations. The statements adopted at the end of these meetings - just like the Chiimaltenango Statement approved at the first World Summit on Indigenous Peoples organized by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu, to which UNESCO contributed - were all part of the contribution made by the indigenous peoples of the Americas to the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993).
The Organization has also supported various initiatives taken to develop the endogenous capacities of indigenous peoples and to facilitate their participation in socio-cultural life. In addition to the technical support provided by the UNESCO Office in Bolivia for drawing up projects for submission to the Fund for the Development of Indigenous People, mention can be made of an international seminar, organized jointly with the Ministry of Culture of Guatemala, held at Chichicastenango in March 1993 on Plans and Prospects for Sustainable Development in the Maya Region. This seminar, attended by experts and representatives from many international governmental and non-governmental organizations, highlighted the extreme diversity of the environmental, social, cultural, political and economic problems facing the Maya people and the need to strengthen their endogenous capacities to enable them to devise and carry out their own development projects.
An operation plan for the development of the Mayas (as part of the project on the Maya World) has just been prepared along these lines, in close consultation with organizations representing the Mayas in Guatemala. This plan provides for UNESCO's active support for the organization of the first National Congress on Maya Education; the establishment of an association of Maya craftworkers; an inventory of work on Maya linguistics; and cirulation of the Maya Forest Plan. On the basis of the results of activities carried out in 1994, a major project consisting of many components, the nature and objectives of which will be established by the leaders of Maya organizations, will be implemented with UNESCO's assistance as from 1995.
Within the framework of the Latin America-Caribbean 2000 project, the Organization will also provide support to help indigenous peoples to acquire the abilities needed in various fields that constitute key factors in their development:
Crafts: training and further training courses for indigenous craftworkers on management and the marketing of their products will be organized in several Latin American countries.
Languages: increased aid will be provided for the preparation of glossaries, dictionaires and grammars of indigenous languages in several countries in the Latin America region, in conjunction with the National Commissions.
In addition, the Organization will implement a series of educational and cultural projects to facilitate the integration of migrant indigenous people into life in the cities and to promote their cultural expression. These projects, planned and implemented in co-operation with organizations of indigenous peoples, will concentrate initially on Lima, Mexico City and the border area between Mexico and the United States.
Lastly, UNESCO will contribute to the organization of courses and the granting of fellowships to assist the training of indigenous leaders able to represent their communities in discussions with national and international institutions.
The proclamation by the United Nations of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People - as of 10 December 1994 - should give new impetus to these efforts. A plan of action embracing all the Organization's fields of competence is being drawn up. This plan will, of course, include public information and awareness-raising activities to improve knowledge of the cultures, ways of life and wishes of indigenous peoples. A teachers' manual entitled 'A new partnership: Indigenous peoples and the United Nations system' has recently been prepared under the Associated Schools Project.
UNESCO's contribution will also include support to enable organizations representing indigenous peoples to take part in meetings of international bodies and to participate directly in the planning and implementation of Decade activities.
In 1994-1995, the focus of UNESCO's activities is on Latin America since it is already engaged in this region in different action-oriented projects and because regional initiatives relating to indigenous people have been taken at the highest level with the support of UNESCO (in particular the creation of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous People, with whose establishment UNESCO has been associated from the very beginning).
The Organization is also developing a number of pilot actions which were begun in Africa during the last biennium. On the basis of the pilot education/literacy project for pygmies in the frontier region of the Congo and the Central African Republic, pilot projects on functional education will be identified and prepared for pygmies in Central Africa. Two feasibility studies will also be carried out concerning pilot projects for nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples in the Sahel.
In the following years, UNESCO's action will extend to other regions (Arctic peoples, Asia and the Pacific, etc.) in accordance with the planning for the International Decade of Indigenous People.
Selective list of UNESCO's Normative Instruments in the field of Cultural Rights
Agreement for Facilitating the International Circulation of Visual and Auditory Materials of an Educational, Scientific and Cultural Character, with Protocol of signature and model form of certificate provided for in Article IV of the above-mentioned agreement (the "Beirut Agreement"), 10 December 1949
Universal Copyright Convention, with Appendix Declaration relating to Article XVII and Resolution concerning Article XI; Protocol 1 annexed; Protocol 2 annexed; Protocol 3 annexed, 6 September 1952
Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (the "Hague Convention") with Regulations for the Execution of the Convention as well as the Protocol to the Convention and the Conference Resolutions, 14 May 1954
Convention concerning the International Exchange of Publications, 3 December 1958
Convention concerning the Exchange of Official Publications and Government Documents between States, 3 December 1958
Convention against Discrimination in Education, 14 December 1960, and Protocol Instituting a Conciliation and Good Offices Commission to be Responsible for Seeking the Settlement of any Disputes which may Arise between States Parties to the Convention against Discrimination in Education, 10 December 1962
Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, 14 November 1970
Universal Copyright Convention as revised at Paris on 24 July 1971, with Appendix Declaration relating to Article XVII and Resolution concerning Article XI; Protocol 1 annexed; Protocol 2 annexed, 24 July 1971
Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 16 November 1972
Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials, with Annexes A to E and Protocol annexed (the "Florence Agreement"), 17 June 1950, and Protocol to the Agreement and with Annexes A to H, 26 November 1976
Recommendation concerning the Most Effective Means of Rendering Museums Accessible to Everyone, 14 December 1960
Recommendations against Discrimination in Education, 14 December 1950
Recommendation on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Export, Import and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, 19 November 1964
Recommendation concerning the Protection, at National Level, of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, 16 November 1972
Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental freedoms, 19 November 1974
Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers, 20 November 1974
Recommendation concerning the Safeguarding and Contemporary Role of Historic Areas, 26 November 1976
Recommendation on Participation by the People at Large in Cultural Life and their Contribution to it, 26 November 1976
Recommendation for the Protection of Movable Cultural Property, 28 November 1978
Recommendation on Cultural Identity, 1986 adopted at the World Conference on Cultural Policies, Mexico City)
Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Co-operation, 4 November 1966
Declaration of Guiding Principles on the Use of Satellite Broadcasting for the Free Flow of Information, the Spread of Education and Greater Cultural Exchange, 15 November 1972
Declaration on Fundamental Principles concerning the Contribution of the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and International Understanding, to the Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, Apartheid and Incitement to War, 28 November 1978
Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice, 27 November 1978
To MOST Clearing House Homepage | <urn:uuid:6400ec4d-deed-4bfd-931f-34ac67e94501> | {
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One of the most well known results from long term smoking is lung cancer. However, there are other causes for developing this cancer that develops in the lungs in addition to smokers who are in the highest risk category for developing this form of cancer.
The symptoms for this type of cancer can vary from person to person, however, there are several symptoms that are common in those individuals that develop lung cancer. It goes without saying that one of the first steps you ought to take if you feel that you have some of these symptoms is to visit your doctor for a plan of action and treatment.
1Ongoing and Endless Cough
We’ve all heard hacking, dry coughs. If you have an ongoing cough for more than a week without other medical issues such as a cold or a respiratory infection, it is possible that the cough is due to lung cancer. One of the earliest signs of lung cancer is a prolonged cough. This cough develops because there is a tumor obstructing or irritating the airway. So if you have this symptom and it continues for several weeks without further illness symptoms for a cold or flu, get checked out by a medical professional.
A Pain in The Chest
One of the early symptoms of lung cancer is felt as a sensation of a pain in the chest area. This might be feel like it is in the chest or also could be in the shoulder or the back area. An aching feeling that may be dull feeling, and is not associated with coughing is how many describe it.
You want to take some time and figure out where the pain is located as well as if you can determine any known or potential cause for this symptom showing up. For any pain of this nature without a known cause, ask your doctor to check things out for you to be safe. | <urn:uuid:e0c0ad54-34ae-4908-88a2-fb4fdef1881b> | {
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I’m not quite sure what forum to post this in - I didn’t see one that really aligned well to “catechesis” (sorry if I missed it!).
Can anyone point me to a good commentary/explanation on how to explain mortal sin to 10-11 year olds? Aside from the 3 requirements of a mortal sin, I’m looking for examples of mortal sins, what sins could a 10-11 year old commit that would be mortal (a frequent question), etc. that I can share with a teacher who is struggling in this area. This teacher is telling her children that she can’t think of a sin a child their age could commit that would be mortal, and for adults it all depends on the situation - there are no clear-cut mortal sins. | <urn:uuid:58730bdd-202f-410a-befa-1a7d6cafecb5> | {
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Property Ownership: Present and Future Estates
Two or more people may share ownership of the same property at the same time. Two or more people also may own the same property at different times, with one person owning the right to possess for a time, then another person having the right to possess, and so on.
Ownership of property may be divided up over time. The duration of a person’s ownership is called an estate. In other words, an estate is ownership of property for a period of time. A present estate is an estate that entitles the owner to possession in the present. A future estate, on the other hand, is an estate that entitles the owner to take possession sometime in the future.
States today generally recognize three types of present estates:
Fee simple: The fee simple is the estate that continues indefinitely. Even when the owner of the fee simple dies, the estate doesn’t end; it passes to her devisees by will or to her heirs by intestate succession.
Life estate: The life estate is a present estate that lasts only until the owner of the estate — or someone else specified in the instrument creating the life estate — dies. If the life estate is for the life of the owner of the life estate, then her estate ends at her death, and she obviously has no more estate to give away by will when she dies.
Leasehold: The leasehold is a present estate that lasts for a definite period of time, for recurring periods, or until either the landlord or the tenant chooses to terminate it.
When a life estate or leasehold ends, someone else owns the right to take possession of the property. Because that person owns the right to possess in the future, her right is called a future estate.
If the grantor of the life estate or leasehold retains for herself the right to take possession when the life estate or leasehold ends, the grantor’s future estate is called a reversion. If instead the grant gives the future estate to someone else, the future estate that follows the life estate or leasehold is called a remainder.
Any of these present estates may be further limited in time by imposing conditions that will terminate the estate. For example, a grant may give property to person A as long as she uses the property for residential purposes. When such conditions limit the duration of an estate, the estate is called defeasible. An estate may be defeasible in the following three ways:
Determinable: If the estate lasts only as long as a certain condition doesn’t happen and then automatically goes back to the grantor if it does occur, the estate is determinable. The grantor’s future estate — that is, the right to possession if and when the condition occurs — is called a possibility of reverter.
On condition subsequent: Similarly, an estate on condition subsequent is an estate that the grantor may terminate if the specified condition occurs. Unlike a determinable estate, the estate doesn’t automatically end when the condition occurs. The grantor (or her successors) has a right of entry or power of termination, which is the right to choose to take the property back.
Subject to executory limitation: An estate subject to executory limitation ends automatically when the condition occurs, but instead of reverting to the grantor, the right of possession goes to someone else. The future estate of the third party who has the subsequent right of possession is called an executory interest. | <urn:uuid:93cc954e-3ddb-4f76-a2b1-64f96fd63e38> | {
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Unfortunately for fearful and aggressive dogs, the manner in which most people introduce themselves to dogs can be threatening to them. While a well socialized dog may tolerate and even enjoy a hand reaching out to them, a face looming over them or eye to eye contact, the scared dog often cannot.
The Dog Gone Safe website has great information for helping anyone learn more about how to greet and interact with dogs.
The Liam J. Perk Foundation was created to help share information about the importance of understanding dog behavior, especially in relation to interactions with children.
It is best not to assume that any dog you encounter is a dog that is comfortable greeting a stranger. Even the most stable dog can be stressed in some situations and prefer to be left alone. Unless you consider yourself an expert on dog body language it’s best to let a dog initiate an interaction with you, rather than you moving toward them. Even a dog that approaches you for a sniff may not be saying, ‘hi! pet me!’ My own scared dog will frequently move toward people to get a sniff but will bolt away should they move or look at him. He is trying to see what he’s dealing with, not trying to deal with it.
Children are often taught to put their hand out for a dog to sniff. Again, not a problem for a ‘happy to see you’ kind of dog, but for a fearful dog that hand can be scary and for a dog that is aggressive, biting that hand may seem like the thing they need to do to protect themselves from it.
I’m sorry to say that the people who consider themselves to ‘good with dogs’ or people who would say that ‘dogs like them’ are often the worst when it comes to dealing with fearful dogs. They just cannot accept or believe that a dog would not warm up to them or enjoy their company. A fearful dog’s behavior should not be taken personally. Sunny is an equal opportunity fearful dog, as are many dogs like him.
Below are a few guidelines to follow when meeting new dogs.
- Do not approach a dog, especially if it is tied up or on leash.
- Ask the owner if it is ok for you to interact with their dog before you do it.
- Stand still if a dog approaches you for a sniff, leave your hands by your side and glance away from the dog.
- Squat down instead of bending over to talk to or pet a dog. Avoid staring at them, putting your face near theirs or hugging them.
- Do not reach over a dog’s head to pet it, instead offer chin scratches or chest rubs.
- Do not touch a dog that has rolled over.
- Ignore a dog that shows any indication of being timid or upset. Baby talk, reaching out with treats, or any attempt to connect with the dog can backfire and cause the dog to react fearfully or aggressively.
- Do not feel like every dog you meet needs to be handled. Watch a dog’s behavior and body language carefully. Learn about calming signals and other ways that dogs communicate their feelings. A dog that is not obviously happy to see you (open mouth, waggy tail and body) is telling you a lot about how they feel. If a dog is not inviting you to handle or interact with them, don’t.
Here is a short video of Sunny offering me lots of appeasement behaviors (i.e., grins, body curls, lowered head) when he greets me. | <urn:uuid:f3b16e3b-4785-4771-85cf-63668ede1870> | {
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Reading Wonders: Literacy Centers: Vocabulary Development
Reading Wonders: Live and Learn Unit 4 Week 2
Our Life/Our World: Earth Changes
Game Board Vocabulary Review with 3 Worksheets
1 Center Response Sheet for those teachers using the Composition Book Center Management System (See Jackie Hurley's Unit 4 Week 1 Alaska Literacy Centers for instructions) A Center Response Sheet will be included for each center in all future literacy centers for Reading Wonders projects.
This game board has each of the vocabulary words from this weeks reading lesson. You can print the game cards in color or in black on colored paper or cardstock. The game board is printed on 2 sheets of paper and assembled on an 11X17 sheet of poster board and fits on a student desk. They store easily in a paper box standing on their edge for filing. I like to make 5 or 6 game boards for each week depending on the number of students in a small group and use them for a literacy center. They will last for the lifetime of your reading adoption if you laminate them.
I have included 3 worksheets in the product.
There is also a Center Response Sheet and KEY for those students that are using a composition book for accountability during center time.
If you have questions or concerns please email me at: | <urn:uuid:0f7ebe25-74cd-432d-b95f-d59bbc07f4a9> | {
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Financial speculation was a significant cause of the Wall Street meltdown of 2007 that is still leaving more than 9% of Americans unable to find work.
Hedge Funds are important vehicles of speculation. We can get some sense of what hedge funds do by looking at the early versions of these investment vehicles.
Originally called "hedged funds," they were first invented in the 1920s. They may have had something to do with the disastrous market crash of 1929 that plunged the whole world into a protracted depression that did not end until the coming of World War II.
The goal of these hedged funds was to hedge against losses in the market. The favorite technique is "selling short." This involves selling shares one does not actually own but has borrowed from someone else for a price. Suppose you hold $1000 worth of stock in a company which you suspect is going to lose market value. You borrow an additional thousand dollars worth of stock and sell that for $1000. As expected, the stock loses value and is down to $900 the next day. You then buy the stocks back which you just sold, at now only $900 and return them to the people you borrowed them from. They get what they lent you. But you made $100 – just the amount that your own personal stocks lost. Your losses are now reduced to the fee you paid the people from whom you borrowed the stock. The market goes down; you lose something but not as much as you might have.
Obviously you gambled. Had you been mistaken and the stock you borrowed had gone up, instead of going down, you would have lost a lot of money.
Gambling is what hedge funds do. In 2007 they lost big. We are still paying for those losses.
In the meantime, gambling continues unabated on Wall Street. According to recent reports, big banks – the ones the government bailed out – made 35% of their profits from hedge funds, in other words, from gambling. Since hedge funds are private and not open to the public, they are not regulated by the government. The gamblers can go and do whatever their gambling addiction demands.
While all this is happening in New York and other big commercial centers, the state of Massachusetts has gone through a deep process of soul-searching about allowing gambling casinos. The state is short of money. The promoters of these casino have promised $1 billion of new revenue for the state. But Massachusetts began life as a Puritan state. Besides for some people gambling is a dangerous addiction that ruins the gambler and their families. In addition, there are many semi-legal operations at the edge of gambling casinos. They attract, we think, undesirable sorts of persons. Gambling often involves people who are skating on thin legal ice.
It has taken Massachusetts legislators five years of consulting their conscience and a major financial crisis to finally give in to the to casino promoters. But there still is a great deal of handwringing and worrying about casinos and gambling. In New York, by contrast, gamblers are in command. They have the ear of the government. As likely as not some of them are friends of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Besides, unlike the gamblers in Massachusetts who may bankrupt themselves and their families, the Wall Street gamblers have the government on their side. When they face bankruptcy Uncle Sam will come to the rescue.
The parallel between the agonizing over gambling in Massachusetts and the national government's total, unquestioning acceptance of gambling on Wall Street is really startling.
The people of Massachusetts are correct. Gambling is dangerous. It is a fool's game as we saw in 2007. Sooner or later gamblers lose everything. Sooner or later ordinary taxpayers like you and I will be asked to foot the bill for the foolishness and recklessness at Goldman, Sachs and other speculative businesses.
Hedge funds should either be made illegal or, at least, be regulated very strictly. But as long as the Wall Street gambling hedge funds practically run the government, we have no prospects that these funds will be reined in or regulated.
Unless the Occupy Wall Street heroes remain in the street. | <urn:uuid:fdbdaa79-50c3-4a4e-bcd7-858205dc47eb> | {
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By Dr. Trevor Hancock
Among the most essential determinants of our health is food. Only air and water are more vital.
At a bare minimum, we need enough food to ensure we don’t starve, and we also need enough of all the right components (protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) to keep us healthy. Starvation and malnutrition, it goes without saying, are bad for our health.
In Canada, it is almost unheard of to starve and even severe malnutrition is rare. But while we might not see starvation, Canada is not immune to hunger and malnutrition. We have plenty of both, and the long-term impacts on health and societal well-being are considerable.
But the extent of food insecurity in Canada and its health and social costs are not always fully appreciated. Food security is defined by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization as “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
Canada is not immune to hunger and malnutrition. We have plenty of both, and the long-term impacts on health and societal well-being are considerable.
Conversely, “food insecurity occurs when food quality and/or quantity are compromised,” according to Statistics Canada, which measures food insecurity routinely. In the most recent assessment, for 2011-12, it reported that one in 12 households — more than one million Canadian households — experienced food insecurity, with one in 40 households experiencing severe food insecurity.
Parents protect their children from food insecurity, but nonetheless, almost one in 20 households with children — nearly 200,000 households — experienced food insecurity.
But this is the average. It is much worse among lone-parent households (one in every 20 households), with almost one in four such households experiencing food insecurity, and one in 15 experiencing severe food insecurity, which means “reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns.” The proportions in B.C. are much the same, with almost 20,000 lone-parent households experiencing food insecurity.
Statistics Canada recognizes that food insecurity is “associated with a range of poor physical and mental-health outcomes.” In children, hunger is causally associated with poorer health and the development of several chronic health conditions.
Food is not only a necessity, it is a right under the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and several other international conventions that Canada has signed.
The impacts are wider than health effects alone and are particularly troubling for children.
In a 2013 report on food security, the Conference Board of Canada noted: “Diet-deprived children are less able to concentrate and perform well at school, thus threatening their opportunity to gain an education and vital skills for life.” That means they will find it harder to find a job and stay out of poverty, and so the cycle of poverty and all its health and economic costs continues.
Food is not only a necessity, it is a right under the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and several other international conventions that Canada has signed. Yet since the first food bank in B.C. opened more than 30 years ago, they have become a permanent fixture. Which means that hunger and malnutrition have become accepted as a permanent feature of Canadian society and we have established an institutionalized charitable response.
Photo by Emily Carlin
The UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, in his 2013 report on Canada to the UN Human Rights Council, noted that while “Canada has a duty to respect, protect and fulfil the right to food … Canada does not currently afford constitutional or legal protection of the right to food.” In such a rich country and province, this is embarrassing.
What can we do about it? It’s not rocket science. In the area of homelessness, we have recognized that the answer to homelessness is … housing, and we have adopted a Housing First strategy. Well, the answer to hunger and food insecurity is food. We need a Food First strategy.
The answer to hunger and food insecurity is food. We need a Food First strategy.
When B.C. finally joins all the other provinces in adopting a poverty-reduction strategy, it might want to take a leaf from the Housing First approach and become the first province to proclaim food to be a fundamental human right and adopt a Food First strategy, guaranteeing the right to food security, particularly for children.
The societal benefits in improved health and well-being, improved levels of learning and human development and improved economic productivity would be significant.
Dr. Trevor Hancock is a public-health physician and a professor and senior scholar at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria.
Note: Dr. Hancock retains copyright to this column.
Want to Keep Reading?
Food in the equation: 5 Conversations for 2015 - "We know food is much more than a transactional item — it’s a source of physical and mental health, a holder of culture, a way to nurture the planet, and a means to connect with each other. Over a good meal, we can plan and mobilize for a better future."
Green carts in NYC - Bringing good things to the people: Green Carts is an upstream initiative with the goal of bringing fresh produce to low-income neighbourhoods. | <urn:uuid:4f2a56a3-af75-492a-bcaf-0e6ef2114258> | {
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When a person is depressed, they may have problems with sleep, moods, general outlook on life or even their ability to have social interaction with others. Depression affects millions of people, and many times the signs and symptoms of depression can be clear, especially in children or adults. Unfortunately, these same symptoms can be seen in the elderly, but are often mistaken as symptoms of other physical issues or medications taken, due to the age of the patient.
Depression can be a life-long battle, situational, or anywhere in-between. For an elder, the loss of independence, mobility, health, career, or a loved one can bring on, or exacerbate depression. The problem with many of these issues is that the physical health of the individual takes precedence over the emotional in many situations, leaving the person to battle their own sadness or ignore their own emotions and possibly making it harder for them to control their physical illnesses. Isolation is another factor that can add to depression, especially when the senior is only social with a few friends battling similar physical issues, a Geriatric Nurse or other family members. With mobility issues, seniors have a hard time finding places to go or even getting there, which can lead to feelings of hopelessness and abandonment.
The National Institutes of Health reports that out of the 35 million Americans age 65 or older, close to 2 million suffer from full-blown depression, while another 5 million report less severe forms of the illness. Seniors who face depression may not even recognize the problem in their own lives. Fatigue and general malaise are often overlooked as a product of age, and while that may be the case with many elderly men and women, depression can also explain these issues. Being properly diagnosed and treated for such a medical issue can make a big difference in the quality of life of our elder generation. | <urn:uuid:96d9180a-c167-4f10-8708-3b964c1e2d18> | {
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“The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ (NASB)
As our Lord Jesus indicated, it is important to know whether any event or institution is of God or of man. Many believe that the Israeli monarchy was of human origin and that God did not intend for Israel to have kings. It is the purpose of this article to demonstrate that it was the direct will of God that Israel would have kings. This purpose was partially fulfilled in the inauguration of:
- David and his lineage, and is ultimately fulfilled in David’s descendant, the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
- Those who deny the validity of the monarchy point to the episode in which the leaders of Israel asked Samuel to anoint a king.
1 Samuel 8:5
And they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” (NASB)
Samuel was greatly disappointed over their request, and went to the Lord with the people’s desire to have a king. God also was displeased with the request, said they were rejecting Him and His rule over them, and warned against the dangers of having a king. Nevertheless, He appointed Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, to be their king.
1 Samuel 8:6-10
6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. 8 “Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day– in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods– so they are doing to you also. 9 “Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.” 10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who had asked of him a king. (NASB)
The people of Israel were dissatisfied with having Judges. They wanted a king so that they would have stability like the other nations, and a standing army that could deal with their enemies that beset them on every side. When they came to Samuel about this he asked the Lord and the Lord replied that they were not only rejecting Samuel but also Himself as king. He furthermore warned them that having a king brought many onerous problems, such as taxes and conscripted service in the king’s army and service in the court. They might well in time regret having ever asked for a king.
From this episode many have assumed that the Israelite monarchy was of man and that God was opposed to Israel having a monarchy. Furthermore, many of them think that the whole idea of Israel having a future Messianic kingdom would be unthinkable as well.
However, whose Idea was it that Israel should have a monarchy in the first place? The Lord Himself is the first to broach the idea of Israel having kings, as he promised kings to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Judah.
And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. (NASB)
God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you. (NASB)
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (NASB)
Not only does God promise kings to Israel, He even designates Judah as the tribe through whom the kings and King Messiah (Shiloh) would come. Therefore, we must pay close attention to the tribe of Judah. After this prophecy about Judah, some 400 years pass before God was ready to bring Israel out of Egypt through a deliverer. Who was that deliverer and where did that deliverer come from. Of course, it was Moses and Moses was from Levi, not from Judah. What happened to the promise to Judah?
The next leader and successor to Moses was Joshua, who would lead Israel in the conquest of the Promised Land. However, he also was not from Judah, but from the tribe of Ephraim. Why not a leader from the tribe of Judah?
In Judges, the first Judge was Othniel (the brother of Caleb), who was of the tribe of Judah, and he defeated the Mesopotamian king, He then served as Judge for 40 years. He is the only Judge from the tribe of Judah, and there is no indication that he ruled over the 12 tribes or wielded a scepter over Israel.
All the rest of the Judges were from various other tribes, and the writer laments that there was no king in Israel, and that every man did what was right in his own eyes. Judah is not prominent during this 400 year period. The absence of the prominence of the tribe of Judah all during the hundreds of years after the death of the patriarch Judah is problematical. Judah was prophesied to be the ruling tribe, the tribe from whom the Messiah was to come. Yet no enduring leadership arose during the Egyptian exile, the Exodus, the Wilderness Journey, the Conquest of Canaan or the period of the Judges. Why was Judah essentially passed over for some 700 years?
To find the answer to this, we must first look at the life of the founder of the tribe of Judah, Judah himself. In Genesis 38, we find the unusual story of Judah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar. As it turns out, they had an incestuous relationship that had enormous ramifications for centuries to come.
Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, and “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 And Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again. (NASB)
Genesis 38:27 – 30
And it came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. 28 Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez. 30 And afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah. (NASB)
Thus it was that Perez became the first born son of Judah and Tamar. We would expect the line of Perez to have the leadership role and the line of kings for the 12 tribes of Israel. But, as mentioned above, when the time came for choosing the deliverer to bring the nation out of Egypt, the chosen deliverer was not from Judah, but from the tribe of Levi, Moses.
Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. (NASB)
It was Moses who was miraculously spared and became the recipient of all the wisdom of Egypt in the house of Pharaoh, not a member of the tribe of Judah. He was thus prepared to later lead his people out of Egypt, and to bring Israel to the entrance to the Land of Canaan.
As Moses was about to die on Mount Nebo, he appointed Joshua to be the one to lead Israel in the conquest of Canaan. Where was Joshua from? Not the tribe of Judah, but Ephraim.
1 Chronicles 7:20-27
26 And the sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah and Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son . . 27Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Nun his son, and Joshua his son. (NASB)
Again, the question arises: Why was Judah passed over when it came time to choose the leader who would bring the Chosen People into the Promised Land? The tribe of Ephraim led the people through Joshua to conquer the Land.
Next comes the 400 difficult years of the Judges. Among the Judges only Othniel was from the tribe of Judah, and he was not a descendant of Perez the royal line. Members of almost every other tribe were chosen to be Judges throughout that period. Many of them did not lead all twelve tribes. Gideon only led 300 into battle, and Samson was a one man army. Judah was not prominent, and there was certainly no king in Israel.
Some interpreters think that the Judge system was ideal, but the writer of Judges did not think so. In fact, on several occasions the writer deplored the fact that there was no king reigning in Israel.
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best. (NASB)
Samuel acceded to the wishes of the people, and anointed Saul as king. The Lord actually selected Saul and gave Him the blessing of the Holy Spirit, at least temporarily. God even gave King Saul significant victories, and he had the allegiance of the 12 tribes, but eventually Saul was disobedient to the Lord, so Samuel announced that the kingdom was removed from him.
1 Samuel 15:26-28
26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 And as Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. (NASB)
Saul continued to rule after the Lord had taken the kingdom from him, and Samuel went home and mourned for the national condition. But the Lord remonstrated with him and told him He had work for him to do.
1 Samuel 16:1-3
1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.” 2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 “And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you.” (NASB)
God was now taking the initiative, not the people, and He was moving quickly to anoint a new king for Israel. Jesse brought before Samuel 6 sons beginning with the eldest, but none of them qualified as the Lord’s next king. Who, then would receive the throne? Samuel asks Jesse his host.
1 Samuel 16:11-13
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. (NASB)
It was the 7th son, David, the youngest, who was chosen by the Lord and anointed by Samuel to be king. It was some seven hundred years since the promise was made to Judah that his would be the royal tribe, and yet no member of the tribe of Judah assumed leadership over the twelve tribe of Israel. Why did it take so long, from Judah to David, 700 years, for the tribe to produce a king? Perhaps part of the answer is found in the Law of Moses.
The Lord Himself declared in the Law a strong penalty against promiscuity and the producing of illegitimate children. No illegitimate child could enter the assembly of the Lord for 10 generations.
“No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD. 3 “No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, (NASB)
What does it mean that one could not enter the assembly of the Lord? It certainly meant that they could not join in the public worship of the people, especially the occasions that involved in the worship in the Tabernacle or later in the Temple. Furthermore, it probably precluded them from public position of leadership. The problem was, of course, that the sons of Judah and Tamar were illegitimate children because of the incestuous relationship between Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Thus, Perez, the first born of the couple, could not enter into the congregation of the Lord, if this law applies to him. Actually, this law was not pronounced for several hundred years after Perez was born, during the time of Moses. It appears that the Lord bound Himself and the line of Judah to a law that He would later convey to the people of Israel.
The fact that the law applied to the line of Judah becomes clear with the story in the Book of Ruth. This beautiful love story that culminates in the marriage of Ruth and Boaz ends with the genealogy of David. Strangely enough, it did not begin with Abraham, or even Judah, but with the illegitimate son Perez.
17 And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, 19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David. (NASB)
Fully ten generations passed from Perez to David. David’s generation was the first generation that was able to enter into the congregation of the Lord. Indeed, his was the first generation that could assume leadership over the 12 tribes of Israel. By His own law, God waited ten generations, some 700 years from Perez to David to bring forth a king from the tribe of Judah.
Yet, just being 10 generations from Perez was not the only qualification for the new king of Israel. David had six brothers, all of whom met that qualification, but they were not chosen. God was looking for a man after His own heart. David, the seventh and last son of Jesse, was that man. He was the one the Spirit of God designated, and Samuel anointed him. He was the king of Israel, holding the scepter of the Tribe of Judah.
Once David was established as king, God did far more for the man who was a man after His own heart, He promised him an eternal dynasty, in what is known as the Davidic Covenant. This Covenant is the foundation of the royal majesty of the Messiah. The prophet Gad pronounced it to David when after he informed the king that he would not himself build the Lord a Temple, but it would be built by David’s son.
2 Samuel 7:12-17
12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”‘” 17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. (NASB)
The Davidic dynasty plays a large role in the New Testament, which begins with the declaration of the fact that Jesus Christ is the descendant of David, which is an essential requirement of the Messiah.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (NASB)
When the angel appeared to Mary, he stressed the fact that the One who would be born to her would be not only the Son of God, but also the son of David, and would sit upon the throne of David, ruling over Israel forever.
29 But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.” (NASB)
Years later, when the Apostle Paul spoke in the synagogue in Antioch in Asia Minor, he mentioned that Christ was the recipient of the sure blessings of David, which included the promise that He would be raised from the dead.
34 “And as for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no more to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 “Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘Thou wilt not allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.’ 36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers, and underwent decay; 37 but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. (NASB)
Then when Paul began the letter to the Romans, he proclaimed that Jesus was the son of David according to the flesh, and the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name’s sake, (NASB)
In one of the letters to the seven churches, Christ describes Himself as the One who has the key of David.
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: (NASB)
Next, as the Book of Revelation continues, Jesus is referred to as the Lion of Judah and the Root of David.
5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals. (NASB)
Finally, at the end of Revelation, the next to the last thing that Christ says to the churches is that He is the root and the offspring of David. The root produces the plant, while the offspring is the fruit of the plant. Thus, as God, Jesus produced David, while as the offspring; He is the son of David.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.” (NASB)
Surely the Israelite monarchy was in the promised and planned will of God. The plan was lengthy because of the sin of Judah, who committed incest with Tamar and produced the illegitimate son Perez. This required 10 generations to pass before Judah’s descendant would be eligible to take the throne over Israel. Thus any of Jesse’s sons would have fit that requirement, but that was not enough. He must also be a “man after God’s own heart.” The other seven brothers fit the first requirement, but only David fit the second. Thus he was anointed as king by the Prophet Samuel. After he ascended to the throne, then he made Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and God gave him the Davidic Covenant, the promise of an eternal dynasty, extending forever through his descendant, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The people of Israel who asked Samuel for a king were wrong on two counts: their motive was wrong because they did not ask for a king according to God’s promise, but because they wanted to be like the Gentile nations; and their timing was wrong. They were a generation too early. They did not wait for Perez’ tenth generation to come to arrive. Nevertheless, the Lord brought about His divine plan for a Messianic dynasty, so that when Christ returns to the earth He may take His rightful place over Israel and the World as the Redeemer King of Kings and Lord of Lords. | <urn:uuid:17b26bb6-3801-4c1e-b897-b85f34f71984> | {
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In the early 1750s, France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley repeatedly brought the country into armed conflict with the British colonies. In 1756, the British formally declared war against France.
In the first year of the war, the British suffered a series of defeats at the hands of the French and their broad network of Native American alliances. However, in 1757, British Prime Minister William Pitt (the older) recognized the potential of imperial expansion that would come out of victory against the French and borrowed heavily to fund an expanded war effort. Pitt financed Prussia’s struggle against France and her allies in Europe and reimbursed the colonies for the raising of armies in North America. By 1760, the French had been expelled from Canada, and by 1763 all of France’s allies in Europe had either made a separate peace with Prussia or had been defeated. In addition, Spanish attempts to aid France in the Americas had failed, and France also suffered defeats against British forces in India.
The Seven Years’ War ended with the signing of the treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris in February 1763. In the Treaty of Paris, France lost all claims to Canada and gave Louisiana to Spain, while Britain received Spanish Florida, Upper Canada, and various French holdings overseas. The treaty ensured the colonial and maritime supremacy of Britain and strengthened the 13 American colonies by removing their European rivals to the north and the south. Fifteen years later, French bitterness over the loss of most of their colonial empire contributed to their intervention in the American Revolution on the side of the Patriots. | <urn:uuid:f2a273d5-e585-4270-9142-e05f1d5e0256> | {
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The recently approved National Nutrition Mission provides an opportunity to integrate water, sanitation and hygiene interventions for improved nutritional outcomes for children and women.
The Government of India’s commitment to improve nutritional status of children and women is receiving unprecedented support. Recently, the Cabinet approved the launch of the National Nutrition Mission with financial support of Rs 9046.17 crore. Perhaps the most promising feature of this Mission is the explicit recognition of the need for convergence among various schemes addressing nutrition along with instituting robust monitoring mechanisms and engendering community participation.
While the Mission does not elucidate the role of other sectors in improving nutritional outcomes, the emphasis on convergence underscores the involvement of allied sectors in tackling malnutrition in the country.
Stunting, a major manifestation of undernutrition where children are short for their age, results from severe and persistent undernutrition. While the lack of nutritious food certainly and significantly contributes to undernutrition, the World Health Organization estimates that half of all undernutrition is associated with diarrhoea and infections resulting from unsafe water and sanitation, and unhealthy hygiene behaviour. Repeated diarrhoea in the first two years of life directly contributes to a quarter of all cases of stunting, with WASH responsible for about 88% of all diarrhoea cases. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) contributes to diarrhoea through several key routes. The lack of basic sanitation results in faecal matter polluting water sources used for drinking, cooking, and washing purposes. Limited access to safe drinking water puts people at risk. And lastly, low levels of awareness about handwashing and the unavailability of soap and water results in poor hand hygiene practices, leading to the ingestion of faecal pathogens through dirty hands.
Inadequate WASH makes children vulnerable to diarrhoea, intestinal worm, and other infections. These conditions prevent a child’s intestines from absorbing whatever nutrients the child gets, inhibiting their physical and cognitive growth. Research suggests that a child can become stunted if they experience five or more cases of diarrhoea before their second birthday. Furthermore, stunting is believed to have long-lasting adverse impacts in terms of educational performance, health, and future potential.
The need for an inter-sectoral approach to nutrition was highlighted by a landmark article in the Lancet in 2013, which found that direct nutrition interventions, while essential, can reduce stunting only by 20% in the worst affected countries. If we are to reduce the remaining 80% of stunting, nutrition-sensitive interventions that tackle the underlying drivers of nutrition such as WASH, among others, are critical.
The National Nutrition Mission provides this platform. The Swachh Bharat Mission already focuses its energies on eliminating a critical route of disease transmission by promoting latrine use and encouraging sustained use. Efforts are also ongoing to improve access to safe drinking water, and to encourage handwashing with soap and water. Convergence, however, requires meaningful integration of nutrition and WASH interventions, and not just well-intentioned, but parallel efforts. Integration can be brought about, and there are several ways to do this. At the very minimum, nutrition and WASH interventions can co-target nutritionally vulnerable groups (such as children under five, pregnant women and mothers, adolescent girls), and co-locate nutrition and WASH interventions in the same geographies (ideally focused on marginalized rural and urban populations). Moving a step further, the WASH interventions can be made nutrition-sensitive through, for instance, concerted hygiene promotion and a focus on child risk factors and behaviours. An ideal scenario will be integrated and joint programming, where hygiene promotion and WASH security are entrenched components of nutrition programs, or WASH programs serve as a delivery platform for nutrition-specific interventions. Encouragingly, India does have examples of nutrition programs that incorporate WASH and vice versa to varying extents, providing insights, strategies, and opportunities for more impactful integration.
The National Nutrition Mission can indeed reduce stunting from 38.4% to 25% by 2022 through a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach. By strategically incorporating nutrition sensitive interventions such as WASH, the Mission can help India’s children thrive and realize their potential.
Arundati Muralidharan is Manager – Policy (WASH in Health & Nutrition, WASH in Schools) at WaterAid India.Arundati Muralidharan is Manager - Policy (WASH in Health & Nutrition, WASH in Schools) at WaterAid India. She Tweets as @@arundati_md | <urn:uuid:fbbe7147-9d35-445e-b3a7-11adb19ebd84> | {
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Old Drug, New Use (Again)
Malaria is one of the nastier scourges confronting humankind. The lowly mosquito carries and spreads the protozoan responsible for the disease; each year over two hundred million new infections occur worldwide, killing over three quarters of a million people. There are useful treatments, principally drug combinations based around artemisinin. Severe malaria is responsive to quinine, but lest you think you can get your dose via imbibing gin and tonics, the preferred route is intravenous or intramuscular.
The grand challenge for treating malaria, as it is with all infectious diseases, is drug resistance. A recent paper by a high-powered collaboration between the NIH and Columbia University rises to this challenge. The authors took a chemical library of 2816 compounds approved for treating all manner of human diseases, and screened them against 61 parasite cell lines. Thirty-two drugs emerged that were highly active against at least 45 parasite lines. Some were known to have anti-infective capacities, but surprisingly, many were not – including drugs used to treat cardiovascular, hypertensive, and neurologic diseases.
The scientists then examined the cell lines’ entire genomes to see which genes varied among the parasite that might explain drug sensitivity. Again surprisingly, just three genes accounted for much of the way in which antimicrobials influence parasites. The result suggests that combinations of drugs that separately target these different gene products may provide a route to slowing the emergence of drug resistance.
This study links chemistry with molecular biology in a novel way that provides new avenues for developing treatments for malaria. And like all good science, the approach is extensible in principle to other infections and thus offers some considerable optimism for future antimicrobial drug development.
Tom Tritton is President and CEO of CHF.
Old Drug, New Use [Periodic Tabloid]
Bad Air [Chemical Heritage] | <urn:uuid:ffcb6aa0-6769-42f9-9d2e-010916b0a4a1> | {
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It’s a typical Thursday afternoon. You’ve been working and answering emails all day, until one comes through with a link from a coworker. You click it – suddenly your computer starts acting funny. You can’t use any more functions on the machine, and suddenly a message pops up: “To unlock this machine will cost $1,000, payable in Bitcoin. If not paid in 48 hours, we’ll wipe the drive.”
No, this isn’t a scene from a bad cybersecurity movie – it’s a ransomware attack, and they happen every day to unsuspecting victims in business and in their personal lives. Keep reading to learn more about this cyber threats and how to avoid them.
What Is a Ransomware Attack?
Ransomware attacks can be some of the most devastating and memorable attacks to happen to an organization. While malware or a trojan may create a backdoor that quietly sneaks data away without your knowledge, ransomware attacks take a different approach. They come out all-guns-blazing, and take over computers or networks and lock them, often with a ransom or demand in order to unlock the attack.
It seems like every week there’s another story about a ransomware attack in the news, and the ransom requests keep going up.
Ransomware attacks may occur on single devices, or across entire organizations – but neither should be taken lightly. The other issue is, since you’re already dealing with a cybercriminal, there’s no guarantee if you do pay the fine, you’ll get your data back or your machine unlocked – so you might be out cash and all the sensitive data you had locked away.
How Do Ransomware Attacks Occur?
Human error is often the main cause of a ransomware attack, because many are originally spread through phishing schemes that target unsuspecting employees. Often it’s a link in an email that gets through, in many cases passed around in a traditional phishing scheme structure.
In other situations, ransomware is passed on through drive-by downloading, which is the infection of malware from infected sites through the downloading of files without the user’s knowledge. Of the two, this is the more dangerous way of being infected, since it can happen even if I user doesn’t click on a suspicious link or attachment.
Who Causes Ransomware Attacks?
In short, hackers. However, the reason for a ransomware attack could be one of a million reasons. Perhaps it’s to hold your accounts ransom for money, or politically motivated – but regardless, they’re not something to trifle with.
As with many cybercrimes, as technology becomes more integrated in society and attacks growing in popularity, they also grow in cleverness and complexity. However, as the rate of cybercrime continues to grow, it’s only inevitable that ransomware attacks will continue to grow too.
What Are My Options?
Well, the first step you should take is to improve cybersecurity practices within your organization. A little bit of education can a long way towards avoiding human error in ransomware attacks, and getting your employees trained should be step one.
The next step, however, is to improve your cybersecurity systems – or worse yet, try and handle a preexisting ransomware attacks. That’s where the professionals come into play.
Partnering with a local IT consultancy is the best way to ensure your cybersecurity initiatives are handled with the best care possible. Our security experts at NENS can do just that – and more.
From preventing ransomware attacks to removing trojans and malware, to teaching your employees how to spot potential threats coming in from the web and email, our team of experts is the best option for your organization to stay safe from ransomware in 2019. Give us a call today to learn more about our services and what we can do for you. | <urn:uuid:51027963-8d2e-4dfd-ad87-6611fbf0690d> | {
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Area air scent dog Briefing and debriefing Find out who in your area has authority for search and rescue and what their responsibilities are. Discuss this with your counselor, and explain the official duties of a search and rescue team. Print out the certificate of completion and show it to your counselor. Identify four types of search and rescue teams and discuss their use or role with your counselor.
However, once the basic operation of the camera is mastered, one needs to direct their attention to seeing and composing effective images. Effective images are those that command attention and communicate some feeling to an audience. Capturing a "feeling" and your viewers' attention is a demanding task that requires practice, experimentation and study.
Studying the basic elements of visual design and understanding how they work will help new photographers improve their composition, but simply following rules does not guarantee success.
Furthermore, how an audience responds to an image depends on their past experiences memoryinterests, and what it is that they are looking for.
This is why the same picture often receives a variety of responses from different viewers.
To create effective images a photographer must understand the way people respond to various kinds of visual organization. This involves learning the vocabulary of design, viewing examples of artwork that utilize effective design elements, and actively implementing components of design into the process of photography.
Line A line represents a "path" between two points. A line can be straight, curved, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or zigzag. Lines imply motion and suggest direction or orientation. A line can also be implied, that is filled in by the mind when several points are positioned geometrically within a frame.
Placing four dots on a page in the shape of a square can imply the points are linked as the mind searches for recognizable patterns. The direction and orientation of a line can also imply certain feelings. Horizontal lines imply tranquility and rest, whereas vertical lines imply power and strength.
Oblique lines imply movement, action and change.
Curved lines or S shaped lines imply quiet, calm and sensual feelings. Lines that converge imply depth, scale and distance - a fence or roadway converges into the distance provides the illusion that a flat two-dimensional image has three-dimensional depth.
A line is an effective element of design because it can lead the viewer's eye. To create more effective photographs actively look for lines and arrange them within your viewfinder to invoke specific feelings.
Shape Shapes are the result of closed lines. However shapes can be visible without lines when an artist establishes a color area or an arrangement of objects within the camera's viewfinder.
Some primary shapes include circles, squares, triangles and hexagons all of which appear in nature in some form or another. Space is defined and determined by shapes and forms. Positive space is where shapes and forms exist; negative space is the empty space around shapes and forms.
For images to have a sense of balance positive and negative space can be used to counter balance each other. When light from a single direction e.
Light and dark areas within an image provide contrast that can suggest volume. Factors that can affect our feelings towards an image include the direction of the light source, from above or below, and the gentleness or abruptness of the half tones. Light coming from behind a subject can form a silhouette resulting in object that is completely black against a lighter colored background.
Silhouettes appear as two-dimensional shapes lacking form. The absence of color often enhances our perception of form for instance in black and white photographs.
Light emitted from above and to the side when applied to portraits creates what is often referred to as "Rembrandt lighting". This form of lighting emphasizes edges and depth.
In landscape photography oblique lighting occurs early and late in the day where it enhances the natural texture of the landscape and is often accompanied by warm or cool color casts.
Color There has been a tremendous amount of research on how color affects human beings and some of this research suggests that men and women may respond to colors differently. Color affects us emotionally, with different colors evoking different emotions.
In short color has the capacity to affect the human nervous system.Seems to be a collection of topics in modern mathematical areas (eg. vectors, matrices). Seems fairly readable, with the caveat that a background in discreet math would be good to know first.
Furthermore, how an audience responds to an image depends on their past experiences (memory), interests, and what it is that they are looking for.
This is why the same picture often receives a variety of responses from different viewers. [ Back to main "What We Know" page] [ Back to Squire Office Home Page] What current research says about effective assessment: 1) Multiple assessments are needed for an accurate portrait of the academic achievement of all students.
Andrade, H. & Valtcheva, A. (). Dear Twitpic Community - thank you for all the wonderful photos you have taken over the years. We have now placed Twitpic in an archived state. Don’t ignore the dead, marked or dying flower.
Sometimes carcasses of flowers can present you with wonderful subject matter. While the perfect flower is the one you’ll probably be drawn to first sometimes the more interesting shot is the ‘ugly duckling’ beside it. Interdisciplinary Minor - The Designed World. Agnieszka Whelan, Department of Art, Coordinator.
This interdisciplinary minor explores the interwoven historical, cultural, aesthetic, perceptual, and technical domains of the designed world. | <urn:uuid:6044150a-a8ad-4a10-94e6-dc55a0b4e431> | {
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An Evolution of God
“Religion is the state of being grasped by an ultimate concern, a concern which qualifies all other concerns as preliminary and which itself contains the answer to the question of a meaning of our life.”
“The redemptive future shines already into the present…all that has happened in the past culminate(s) in the present, in the moment of perception.”
“In the holy Quran, God completes His evolution in Muhammad: It gives us all that God permits us, or is essential for us to know about His attributes. It offers arguments and evidence. It addresses itself to the opposing schools and carries attacks with spiritual substantiation. It speaks to the rational mind and alerts the intelligence. It sets out the order in the universe, the principles and lively scrutiny of them, so the mind can be sure of the validity of its claims and message,” writes Dr. Omar Mahmoud (co-author of The Keys to Paradise) in Muhammad: An Evolution of God. The ideas he presents can be favorably compared to the existential theological Christian works of Paul Tillich and to the theological Jewish works of mute theologian/philosopher, Franz Rosenzweig. The three authors, Tillich, Rosenzweig, and Mahmoud, obviously differ in their opinion of how to achieve salvation, but each takes his own personal leap of faith. From within their individual faith they make similar attempts to answer the questions that arise from an ontological examination of the human condition without separating the physical essence and intellect from the metaphysical. They allow empirical observation and belief in a Supreme Being to compliment and reinforce each other to bring forth a spiritual message.
Mahmoud strongly supports man’s endeavor to explore his surroundings through science and technology, but he wants to disperse any doubt that the divine hand of Allah is the creator of the universe and Muhammad is his messenger. Mahmoud writes, “Some Islamic scholars stated that before the Almighty God created anything, He first created a block of light…He named the block of light—Muhammad. The block of light recited Subhannallahi (glory be to Allah) for seventy thousand years before heavens and earths were created: indeed, before anything was created.”
Mahmoud cites the Quran and the Gospel of Barnabas (not to be confused with the Epistle of Barnabas) as his main sources. His book removes the barriers of incomprehension and media-induced xenophobia that most westerners seem to maintain about Muslims and Islam. Misconceptions, fallacies, and fear are defused by his non-threatening, succinct prose that exposes the differences and uncanny similarities between world religions. If the reader can overlook moments of awkward syntax, misspelled words, words used out of context, and grammatical errors, Mahmoud’s book is an insightful and respectable abridgement of the life and teachings of Muhammad the Holy Prophet of Allah and founder of Islam.
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The author of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have his/her book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Review make no guarantee that the author will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. | <urn:uuid:1e8d1b59-71f5-4c26-ad8e-8f2625326a0e> | {
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In a research study it is not always possible to measure an entire representing a specific demographic. (Some examples of demographics are students who attend a specific college, people who live in a specific city , state or neighborhood, people of a certain age range etc.). As a result measurements are taken from a sample of that population. The subjects from a sample population surveyed need to be randomly selected from a specific population of a specific demographic in order to be represented in an accurate manner.
Random Sampling- in the simplest terms means that each subject eligible to be in the study has an equal chance of being selected to be in the population under study. In this way the researcher can be more confident that the people in their sample are representative of the entire population of interest.
why would a researcher use another version of random sampling---stratified random sampling as opposed to simple random sampling?
A random sample would be ideal in order to protect the researcher against biases that will skew the data. For example, if you have a large population, and take a random sample of people, then you would hope that within your sample you would get a nice mix of people with different characteristics that would balance each other out.
Now, if you are just randomly selecting people, chances are you will get a nice mix of individuals. However, if you ...
Examples given to illustrate the points. | <urn:uuid:5ab82631-f8e7-4e44-a4ff-47faca8fc17e> | {
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| Cross Reference Bible|
World English Bible
|See commentary, Getting Ready to Meet Messiah, Matthew 23-25 | See Bible Dictionary|
Christ foretells the destruction of the temple;
24:1 Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple.
24:2 But he answered them,“You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”
what and how great calamities shall be before it;
24:3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying,“Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”
24:4 Jesus answered them,“Be careful that no one leads you astray.
24:5 For many will come in my name, saying,‘I am the Christ,’and will lead many astray.
24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.
24:7 For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom;
and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places.
24:8 But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.
24:9 Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.
24:10 Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another.
24:11 Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray.
24:12 Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
24:13 But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved.
24:14 This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations,
and then the end will come.
24:15 “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, * which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
24:16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
24:17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house.
24:18 Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.
24:19 But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!
24:20 Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,
24:21 for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. *
24:22 Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.
24:23 “Then if any man tells you,‘Behold, here is the Christ,’or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it.
24:24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
24:25 “Behold, I have told you beforehand.
24:26 If therefore they tell you,‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’don’t go out;‘Behold, he is in the inner chambers,’don’t believe it.
24:27 For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
24:28 For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together. *
the signs of his coming to judgment.
24:29 But immediately after the oppression of those days,
the sun will be darkened,
the moon will not give its light,
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; * - *
24:30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky.
Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
24:31 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
24:32 “Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near.
24:33 Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
24:34 Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished.
24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
And because that day and hour are unknown,
24:36 But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven,* but my Father only.
24:37 “As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
24:38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship,
24:39 and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
24:40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left;
24:41 two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left.
we ought to watch like good servants, expecting every moment our Master's coming.
24:42 Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes.
24:43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
24:44 Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.
24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
24:46 Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes.
24:47 Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has.
24:48 But if that evil servant should say in his heart,‘My lord is delaying his coming,’
24:49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards,
24:50 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it,
24:51 and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be. | <urn:uuid:68349ff3-6f6d-4a72-8ee8-2d32b5d49381> | {
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This paper argues that Africa is poorly equipped to adapt to current and future climate change and therefore the international commitment to support African nations in coping with climate change is justified.
It reviews the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol agreement and examines how the G8 group of industrial nations and the European Union are working together to promote international action to tackle climate change. It notes that the commitments made have not been delivered so far - a limited number of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects have been implemented and the funds set up to support adaptation activities in developing countries are yet to become operational. The paper also highlights that the current Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds have stalled at only a fraction of poor countries’ estimated investment needs.
Tag This Document | <urn:uuid:09af7371-0552-4940-a6c2-a96816ec6d18> | {
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With some farmers gaining interest in using cover crops, there are questions about possible pests that may develop with introducing new plants on the farm.
Consider these insect-related issues when planting crops in the fall.
Hessian fly is a potentially destructive pest in winter wheat; however, cultural control can minimize the potential damage and economic loss.
The Hessian fly has two generations per year in Iowa. They overwinter as resting pupae, often referred to as a “flaxseeds”. Adults emerge as volunteer spring wheat and early-seeded winter wheat start to grow. Females lay about 300 eggs in four days.
Although wheat is the preferred host plant, they will also deposit eggs in barley and rye. The eggs are reddish and very small, usually laid end-to-end in small groups on the upper leaf surface. Larvae (maggots) prefer to feed within the grooves of the wheat leaf sheath and stem until they pupate before harvest. Hessian flies spend the summer as flaxseeds in wheat stubble, and the second generation emerges in the fall to feed on emerging winter wheat.
Larvae cause injury to wheat by feeding on leaves, tillers and stems. Hessian flies are considered an economic pest in the fall because they can cause significant damage that can stunt or kill plants. As seed heads begin to fill, heavily infested plants can lodge. High humidity is needed for a significant infestation to develop.
Evaluating Hessian fly activity and severity is the first step to understanding future management. Discouraging females from laying eggs in wheat is an important cultural control strategy. Start scouting for larvae and flaxseeds in mid-September and October. Check areas of the field with poor stands or stunted plants and examine the base of the plant (first and second nodes) by pulling the leaf sheath away from the stem. Foliar insecticides will not make contact with larvae inside the plant, but follow these guidelines to protect yield:
1. Destroy volunteer wheat, especially during wet years, to minimize favorable host plants. Mated females will have difficulty finding suitable hosts for their eggs and further reduce the overwintering population if all the volunteer wheat is removed.
2. Plant a resistant wheat variety to discourage females from depositing eggs. Typically, resistant wheat varieties provide sufficient protection against the Hessian fly and growers do not have to adjust planting dates. Take into consideration that Hessian fly-resistant wheat may not have the same yield potential as susceptible varieties.
3. Plant after the fly-free date to reduce the risk of Hessian fly infestations (Fig. 1). Adults are short-lived, and so planting after recommended historical dates can improve the overwintering stand conditions. Planting after the fly-free date will not always prevent Hessian fly infestations, but it will lower the risk. Mild fall and winter temperatures have reduced the effectiveness of the fly-free date in the U.S. because some adults can still be active until frost begins. It should be noted that planting too late may prevent good plant establishment. Very late-planted wheat will be attractive to egg-laying females the following spring.
Hessian fly is a relatively rare pest in Iowa because small grains are not abundantly grown. Although a historical fly-free date has been established, it is based on studies from almost 90 years ago. It provides a planting guideline for those farmers planting small grains on a regular basis and have experienced Hessian fly damage. This strategy is more effective when implemented on a large scale. Also take into consideration the cooler spring and summer temperatures with the development of most insects; the fly-free date might actually be 7-10 days behind the estimations on the map.
If a cover crop is established this fall primarily for minimizing soil erosion, select a planting date best suited for good root establishment rather than based on the fly-free date. Also consider planting a non-host cover crop, like oats, to discourage females from laying eggs.
4. Avoid overuse of nitrogen fertilizers so that wheat plants will not overproduce vegetative growth.
5. Practice crop rotation because the adults are weak fliers and they have a limited host range.
6. Use insecticidal seed treatments to suppress Hessian fly larvae for up to 30 days after planting. The use of a seed treatment may only be warranted in areas with persistent larval injury. | <urn:uuid:05756426-277b-4811-97f9-91070e51164b> | {
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Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy. This is an operation to remove the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
A process in which fluid build up, as a result of ovarian cancer is drained from the chest cavity by inserting a needle.
Thrombocytopenia Decreased number of platelets that can lead to bleeding.
Transvaginal ultrasound scan An ultrasound examination where a small instrument is inserted into the vagina to give a clear picture of the inside of the uterus and the ovaries.
Tumour markers, e.g. CA125
Substances produced by some cancers that can be found in the blood. These can be used to screen for a cancer, to see if treatment is successful or to see if the disease comes back. The marker for ovarian cancer is CA125.
Tumour suppressor gene
A gene encoding a protein that normally limits cell growth and can suppress or block the development of cancer. Loss of function of these genes is believed to be a necessary prerequisite for tumour development. BRCA1 and p53 are well-known tumour suppressor genes. | <urn:uuid:60bd3fdc-7548-42a0-983b-48a82b4cd09d> | {
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CHROMagar (Rambach Agar)
The first chromogenic culture medium for detection of E. coli was invented and patented by Dr. A. Rambach in 1979. This technology is color-based differentiation method. It is based on soluble colorless molecules (called chromogens), composed of a substrate (targeting a specific enzymatic activity) and a chromophore. When the target organism’s enzyme cleaves the colorless chromogenic conjugate, the chromophore is released. In its unconjugated form, the chromophore exhibits its distinctive color and, due to reduced solubility, forms a precipitate. The result is very specific and clearly distinguishable with the naked eye under normal lighting conditions. With this technique, colonies of specific microorganisms can be recognized by their color at a glance. Rambach Agar eliminates most of those false positives and allows technicians to focus on the real contaminated samples.
Composition of Rambach Agar
pH 7.4 ± 0.2 at 25°C
Principle of Rambach Agar
The nutritive substrates in the Rambach Agar enable Enterobacteriaceae to multiply readily. Sodium deoxycholate inhibits the accompanying Gram-positive flora. Rambach Agar enables species of Salmonella to be differentiated unambiguously from other bacteria which is made possible by adding propylene glycol to the culture medium. Salmonellae form acid with propylene glycol which in combination with a pH indicator gives the characteristic red color to the colonies. Peptone supplies nitrogen and vitamins for the growth of the organism. Sodium chloride maintains osmotic equilibrium thereby maintaining the integrity of cells. For the differentiation of coliforms from Salmonellae, the medium contains a chromogen indicating the presence of β-galactosidase splitting, a characteristic for coliforms. Lactose-fermenting (ß-galactosidase producing) bacteria yield blue-violet colored colony. Salmonellae produce acid from propylene glycol and on combining with the pH indicator gives typical pink-red colonies. Other enteric gram-negative bacteria form colorless-yellowish colonies. Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis produce pink to red colonies.
Preparation of Medium of Rambach Agar
- Add components to distilled/deionized water and bring volume to 1.0 L.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Heat in a boiling water bath or in a current of steam, while shaking from time to time.
- The medium is totally suspended if no visual particles stick to the glass wall.
- The medium should not be heat treated further.
- Complete dissolution with shaking in 5-min sequences is approximately 35–40 minutes.
- Do not autoclave. Do not overheat.
- Cool as fast as possible to 45°–50°C while gently shaking from time to time.
- Pour into sterile Petri dishes.
- To prevent any precipitate or clotting of the chromogenic mix in the plates, place Petri dishes during pouring procedure on a cool (max. 25°C) surface.
- The plates are opaque and pink.
Result Interpretation on Rambach Agar
Salmonella → red/intense mauve
Many Coliforms → blue-green or blue-violet
Proteus, Pseudomonas → colorless-yellowish colonies
Uses of Rambach Agar
- To differentiate organisms on the basis of the specific color colonies.
- It is a differential-diagnostic culture medium for identifying types of organisms in foodstuffs and clinical samples.
- Rambach agar has potential as a supplementary agar in testing foods for Salmonella
- Rapid detections of Clostridium perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus are additional applications of enzyme detection methods in food and water microbiology by chromogenic agar medium.
- Becton, Dickinson Company
- Hardy Diagnostic
- Ronald M. Atlas and James W. Snyder. Handbook of media for clinical and public health microbiology. CRC Press. 2014 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. | <urn:uuid:3a7ce4be-650b-4fad-98f9-a78d740e33fa> | {
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established, we may anticipate that more special ones can be alleged only as probable.
Happily, however, as we shall eventually see, those general conclusions admitting of positive establishment are the conclusions of most value for guidance.
|THE SUN'S HEAT.|
OF PRINCETON, N. J.
THERE has been a prevailing idea for many years, founded upon Brewster's fallacious experiments, that thermal, luminous, and chemical rays are fundamentally different, though coexistent in the sunbeams. This is erroneous: it is true, indeed, that rays whose vibrations are too slow to be seen produce powerful heating effects, and that those which are invisible because they are too rapid have a strong influence in determining certain chemical and physical reactions; but it is also true that the visible rays are capable of producing the same effects to a greater or less degree, and there is some reason for thinking that certain animals can see by rays to which the human retina is insensible. There is absolutely no philosophical basis for distinction between the visible and invisible radiations of the sun, except in the one point of vibration-frequency—their pitch, to use the analogy of sound. The expressions thermal, luminous, and chemical rays are apt to be misleading. All the waves of solar radiation are carriers of energy, and when intercepted do work, producing heat, or vision, or chemical action, according to circumstances.
If the amount of solar light is enormous as compared with terrestrial standards, the same thing is still more true of the solar heat, which admits of somewhat more accurate measurement, since we are no longer dependent on a so unsatisfactory unit as the "candle-power," and can substitute thermometers and balances for the human eye.
It is possible to intercept a beam of sunshine of known dimensions, and make it give up its radiant energy to a weighed mass of water or other substance, to measure accurately the rise of temperature produced in a given time, and from these data to calculate the whole amount of heat given off by the sun in a minute or a day.
Pouillet and Sir John Herschel seem to have been the first fairly to grasp the nature of the problem, and to investigate upon the subject in a rational manner.
Herschel's experiments were made in 1838 at the Cape of Good Hope, where he was then engaged in his astronomical work. He proceeded in this way: A small tin vessel, containing about half a pint | <urn:uuid:3eb19bea-2e45-4fc1-8656-ca14b354833b> | {
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• Sources of energy are unevenly distributed across the continent and as a result are underexploited, leading to a major portion of the biomass available to be used as energy.
• With wood as the main source of energy or fuel for a significant percent of the African population, biomass burning will have a large, significant and negative effect on the environment, on the impacts of climate change and unfortunately the African people.
• In the world of of oil & gas, there are several challenges faced and limitations that have been brought upon. The continent has limited refining capability, specifically, Africa represented only 4.1% of the world’s refining capacity in 2007, despite the significant amount of oil & gas reserves that we have available. This is a result of several issues in the industry that include but are not limited to, corruption, inadequate maintenance, theft and problems within operations. However, there is some good news, the refining capacity is currently expanding in countries like Algeria, Nigeria and others with the development of new projects that will lead to long-term growth in the sector. Hopefully this will lead to a stable balance within the crude and refined production in African oil & gas.
Subsidies for trade also present problems, in some nations these breaks provide producers to sell to international buyers rather than locals, this harms the local oil and gas economies.
The hydrocarbon economy of some of the African nations are not linked to other economic sectors, this lack of diversification poses a threat to the progress of growth of social and energy sectors. The dependence on a singular or primary resource is dangerous, affecting employment the proper distribution of clean and sustainable basic social amenities such as water, electricity and of course, energy.
• So what about alternative energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and even nuclear? There is no doubt there is large potential, especially with solar, as Africa is the hottest continent on the planet. However, proper legislation in partner with appropriate financial incentives and backed with scientiific innovation will make room for the successful application of non-biomass based energy resources in Africa.
Les Editions du Jaguar of the Africa Atlas published in 2011. | <urn:uuid:dc5afc3b-28e2-4ae8-b278-59da17b2f5e3> | {
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August 16, 2001: These NASA Hubble Space Telescope snapshots reveal dramatic activities within the core of the galaxy NGC 3079, where a lumpy bubble of hot gas is rising from a cauldron of glowing matter. The picture at left shows the bubble in the center of the galaxy's disk. The structure is more than 3,000 light-years wide and rises 3,500 light-years above the galaxy's disk. The smaller photo at right is a close-up view of the bubble. Astronomers suspect that the bubble is being blown by "winds" (high-speed streams of particles) released during a burst of star formation. Gaseous filaments at the top of the bubble are whirling around in a vortex and are being expelled into space. Eventually, this gas will rain down upon the galaxy's disk where it may collide with gas clouds, compress them, and form a new generation of stars. The two white dots just above the bubble are probably stars in the galaxy.See the rest:
According to theoretical models, the bubble formed when ongoing winds from hot stars mixed with small bubbles of very hot gas from supernova explosions. Observations of the core's structure by radio telescopes indicate that those processes are still active. The models suggest that this outflow began about a million years ago. They occur about every 10 million years. Eventually, all the hot stars will die, and the bubble's energy source will fade away.
Credits: NASA, Gerald Cecil (University of North Carolina), Sylvain Veilleux (University of Maryland), Joss Bland-Hawthorn (Anglo- Australian Observatory), and Alex Filippenko (University of California at Berkeley). | <urn:uuid:cf41e6b7-c664-446c-bb51-a7f4d72b90fc> | {
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In the far-flung region of Northeastern Spain lies an autonomous community comparable in size to the state of Maryland. Catalonia is an economic powerhouse, boasting impressive performance and growth in a country that is on the brink of default. Notwithstanding the region’s economic might, Catalonia’s turbulent past has been ridden with war and been subject to strained relations with Spain. Their cry: independence. Their threat: secession.
Catalonia’s separatist movement has been belittled and dismissed as highly implausible by scholars and politicians alike. But after the vote passed on the Cataloania self-determination referendum on Monday, Nov. 9, Catalonia was granted its first formal step towards independence. Separatists consider that their independence is, more than ever, a reality. Despite this small victory in the fight for independence, Catalan secession could prove to be incredibly detrimental for Catalonia, Spain, and Europe as a whole. The Catalan people would benefit from pushing for larger political autonomy within Spain rather than dealing with the repercussions of full independence.
Barcelona, fútbol, sunshine, tapas and Gaudi are just a few of the region’s enticing trademarks. Catalonia’s culture is one of the richest and most distinctive of Spain. It has its own language which is spoken by more than ten million people not only in Catalonia, but also in the adjacent regions of Spain, and parts of Italy and France. Catalan literature, art, and music are vibrant and rich, and the cuisine unique. This autonomous community is under the jurisdictional authority of its own Parliament and executive branch – together known as the “Generalitat,” – boasting extensive autonomy. Despite said autonomy, Pro-Independence activists still argue for full independence. According to Artur Mas, president of Catalonia, “The Fundamental problem is not the lack of Catalonia’s will to ‘fit in,’ but rather the evident inability of the Spanish state to accept a Catalonia with its own personality, its own identity, and its own project.” The Pro-Independence movement heightened four years ago at the peak of Spain’s economic crisis. Since then, secessionist parties have called for action, attesting that “Catalonia could do better on its own.”
Today, Catalonia is central to Spain’s crippling economy. It maintains formidable growth in its industrial sector, and it has the largest tourism sector of Spain. Catalonia accounts for 27 percent of Spain’s total exports and more than 30 percent of Spain’s total export firms. It is comprised of sprawling metropolitan areas such as Barcelona, Catalonia’s capital, which is the fourth largest in Europe. Despite its vibrant economy, activists in favor of secession argue that Catalonia is burdened by the uncertainty of the economic situation in Spain. They especially criticize the heavy taxes that the Spanish government imposes on the region. Granted, the Catalan fiscal balance in Spain is estimated to be unfair – Catalonia has one of the highest fiscal imbalances in any region of the European Union, paying considerable taxes to the federal government and getting little in return. However, would a better economic situation be realizable for an independent Catalonia? And, at what cost?
On Monday Nov. 9, Catalan separatist lawmakers approved a resolution which outlines a plan for the region to separate from Spain, including the creation of tax agencies and social security systems. A BBC report adds, “The two-page document states that because the pro-independence parties won the elections, while campaigning purely on the issue of independence, the process of creating a new Catalan state has now begun.” The separatist resolution was passed by 72 to 63 votes.
Artur Mas, president of Catalonia, has been leading the movement and has promised full independence by 2017. He is head of the Convergencia Party – a separatist party whose platform is predicated upon gaining independent sovereignty. In his speech last Monday, Mas said, “Historic opportunity has come for us to build a new country, better than the one we have.” The Spanish government condemned Monday’s action, maintaining that a Catalan referendum towards secession is illegal and that Catalan independence is a violation of the constitution. The President of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, responded to the events: “Catalonia is not going to disconnect from anywhere, and there is going to be no breakup.” In an effort to confront these separatist ambitions, President Rajoy has been working recently with other national party leaders.
With an increasingly less Unified Europe, Catalonia’s fight for secession could send ripples across the EU, endangering European unification. In fact, the situation in Catalonia is evocative of Scotland’s failed referendum, September 2014, in which their appeal for independence was defeated. Manuel Muniz, a Spanish public policy fellow at Oxford University, explores the implications of the Catalan independent sentiment. He says, “Europe is essentially the largest political project of diversity in the world. The narrative provided by the Catalans, the language of particularism, and the sense that we need these small political entities, goes radically against what Europe stands for, and it is a dangerous argument. If this movement were successful and were to spur similar movements, it would essentially be the end of European integration.” Catalonia’s potential secession could galvanize other nationalist causes throughout the EU to follow suit. The result? An even more divided Europe, dominated by weakening micro states and clearly defined demarcations. Politically, Catalonia’s independence could have devastating consequences on the continent augmented by detrimental economic repercussions.
While Catalonia’s economy has not stagnated, unlike the rest of Spain, there is no guarantee that it will continue to be resilient as an independent state. Should Catalonia acquire full independence from Spain, the new nation would have to evaluate its economy, gain international recognition and secure a currency. Catalonia would be faced with two options: either retain the Euro or create its own currency. The first option would, by far, be the most favorable for Catalonia. It would ensure a safe transition, everyone’s currency would remain the same in Catalan banks, and it would make the newly emerging Catalonia an attractive investment destination. In fact, President Mas insists that an independent Catalonia would remain part of the Euro.
However, members outside Mas’s party “Convergencia Uno Party” suggest otherwise. Catalonia would have to go through lengthy negotiations in order to accede to the European Union – there isn’t even a guarantee of readmission. According to Luis Maria Linde, head of the Bank of Spain, “The exit from the Euro is automatic, the exit from the European Union is implied.” Catalan banks would no longer have access to the European Central Bank’s facilities which would severe any ties between the financial system and the Eurozone. Even if Catalonia were to split and accede to the European Union, they would have to meet certain prerequisite conditions like a national debt of 60 percent of Gross National product – a catastrophic scenario for an emerging nation. The second option entails coining a new currency. The imposition of a new currency could have detrimental effects on the fledging economy. Its new currency would plummet immediately, the price of imported goods would rise, and the cost of living would rise exponentially. Catalonia’s reality is bleak: the economic outcome of a secession creates an outcome in which everyone loses.
In examining the economic reasons for Catalan separatism, it becomes clear that this isn’t the only motivation behind their cause. A significant factor that comes into play is regional pride and their adherence to their local culture which has been historically threatened by a homogenized Spain. Before the Spanish Civil War, Catalonia practiced self-rule, however, when the Spanish dictator Franco came to power in 1939, Catalonia’s bid for independence would be cast aside and a deadly period of oppression would consume the region for decades. The people of Catalonia were forbidden from using the Catalan language, and punished for expressing their Catalan identity. Nevertheless, Catalan culture endured the dark years of Franco’s regime. After the dictator’s death in 1975, fascism came crashing down giving way to democracy. Due to their tremulous yet celebrated past, securing and perpetuating a singular identity is of the utmost importance for the Catalan people.
This begs the question: Must Catalonia truly separate itself completely from Spain in order to continue to preserve its culture and identity? Perhaps not. Although some of Spain’s policies on Catalonia are not entirely just, its identity is not being actively eschewed. The era of Franco and oppressive, dictatorial regimes is long-gone in Spain. Catalonia enjoys one of the highest levels of autonomy that it’s had as a Spanish state in decades, and Catalan cultural expression is legal by all regards. Spain is a nation which prides itself of a cultural diversity where each region has much more to offer than “Flamenco and Toros,” and perhaps it’s time for Catalonia to embrace the duality of its commonalities with Spain and the uniqueness of its own Catalan identity.
While some may argue that an independent Catalonia would guarantee the elimination of fiscal imbalance, a smaller, more efficient public administration or access to international markets, the possibility that Catalonia would even be recognized as a state by the EU or the UN is highly implausible. Seceding from Spain would most likely exacerbate their current economic constraints. The Catalans would be better economically suited by negotiating a more fair fiscal deal with Spain and more autonomy rather than facing the impending doom brought forth by a full-blown secession.
Catalan independence could even be perceived as self-interested nationalism since it is not only at their own expense, but at that of Spain and Europe. In the wake of the current refugee crises, Greece’s economic collapse, and the recent terror attacks threatening the continent, Europe is battered and virtually uninterested in Catalonia’s small cry for separatism. The Spanish government and F.C. Barcelona fans alike can rejoice: Catalonia will remain a part of Spain; that is for now at least. | <urn:uuid:30be8079-27b6-493d-b33b-c4aeb6bf4133> | {
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Chapter 9: Civic Participation in America
In this chapter, the ways in which Americans participate in politics and in their society are compared to those in other affluent Western democracies. After reading and reviewing the material in this chapter, you should be able to do each of the following:
- Explain why Americans vote at a lower rate than most other Western populations.
- Describe Robert Putnam’s “bowling alone” thesis, including the evidence on which it is based.
- Compare charitable giving in the United States and other Western societies.
- Discuss the relationship between class, race, and ethnicity and various forms of political engagement.
- Explain the role played by religion and religious organizations when it comes to civic engagement in the United States.
- Make an argument concerning what the chapter calls “rites of civism and community” and whether they perform mainly positive or negative functions from the standpoint of promoting democratic values. | <urn:uuid:5a47a963-177c-4c62-b3ab-d923d0e6ad22> | {
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It’s been said, though we’re not sure by whom, that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. But sometimes we’ve got to open our mouths so use this handy guide to make sure, at the very least, you’re saying the words right.
Don’t worry, I won’t waste your time with the elementary school lessons about how to accurately pronounce “library,” “February,” or “arctic”… although I will take this opportunity to note that if you’re discussing a library and still dropping the first ‘R’, there’s a very good chance that your friends and/or colleagues are laughing at you behind your back.
I won’t trouble you with a lecture covering how some of the words you use actually aren’t words at all. If you’re using words like “snuck,” “brang,” or “irregardless,” (no, none of those are real words) a magazine article – much less one written by me – is not going to solve your problems.
What I will do is offer up a rudimentary form of help, in terms of how to properly pronounce relatively common words that are bound to show up in your daily life. These tips will not seal the deal in a job interview or on a date (I can especially vouch for the “date” scenario) but if pronunciation continues to be a potential chink in your armor, your problems will soon be solved.
Thus, behold, People of the Internet… the ten most important words you should learn to pronounce, if you would like to appear reasonably knowledgeable about your own language.
Incorrect pronunciation: ath – a – leet
Correct pronunciation: ath – leet
This may have been more helpful before the media blitz that was the Summer Olympics but it is a very valuable lesson to have for the future. It applies to “athlete” and any derivative (biathlon, triathlon, decathlon, etc.) and, honestly, I’m sad that I even have to point this out: there is no vowel between the ‘H’ and the ‘L’ in any of these words. There never has been. Let the dream die.
ESCAPE / ESPRESSO / ET CETERA
Incorrect pronunciation: ex – cape / ex – presso / ex – set – err – uh
Correct pronunciation: ess – cape / ess – presso / ett – set – err – uh
Yes, a three-for-one deal, but only because this one is dually very common and very simple to fix. For some reason, we of the English tongue have an obsession with changing any ‘S’ to an ‘X’, if it follows an ‘E’ sound; call it the Exxon Indoctrination. These words are spelled phonetically… let’s try to respect that.
Also: the yuppie kids will really respect you, if you master “espresso” and “et cetera” – what more motivation do you need?
Incorrect pronunciation: nuke – you – lerr
Correct pronunciation: new – clee – err
I’m going to try to get through this one without a President Bush joke. All right, so, despite the fact that it’s 2008, this is a word with which we’re somehow still struggling. Like most of the words on this list, “nuclear” is spelled EXACTLY AS IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE PRONOUNCED and yet, people continue to screw it up worse than the War in Iraq… oh, dammit.
PRESCRIPTION / PREROGATIVE
Incorrect pronunciation: purr – scrip – shun / purr – ogg – uh – tiv
Correct pronunciation: pre – scrip – shun / pre – rogg – uh – tiv
Overlooking the fact that many people also seem to have precisely no idea as to the latter word’s true definition (I’ve had several conversations where people bizarrely substitute “prerogative” for words like “agenda”), this is another problem that can be attributed to ignorance in the arena of “Sound It Out, You Lummox.” The ‘R’ comes before the ‘E’ in both of these words. Please ercognize this erality. Sorry.
Incorrect pronunciation: up – most
Correct pronunciation: utt – most
In a bizarre twist, people actually became so certain of this word’s meaning that they alter its pronunciation to reflect that definition. Yes, “utmost” is an adjective synonymous with “greatest” (a term that immediately calls to mind some tangible Mount Olympus-type of vertical hierarchy and the word “upper”) but that second letter? It’s still a ‘T’.
Incorrect pronunciation: can – uh – dett
Correct pronunciation: can – da – dett
Mastering this word will help you at least sound educated in your excruciating political debates as we approach November 3. I cannot explain it any more simply than my second grade teacher once did: “You always want to have a good candidate for your CANDY DATE.” Candy date. It’s sweet and simple.
Incorrect pronunciation: sherr – berrt
Correct pronunciation: sherr – bet
This is one of those words that ultimately had to abandon its crusade for righteousness and now has been corrupted to the point where dictionaries may list the incorrect pronunciation as acceptable because of just how rampant the ignorance grew to be. But there’s only one ‘R’ in “sherbet,” America… no matter how awesome the rainbow flavor is, there’s still only one ‘R’.
Incorrect pronunciation: aww – ree
Correct pronunciation: uh – rye
Up until very recently, I could not even conceive a situation where someone would mispronounce this word; it always seemed very simple, to me. However, I have heard three different people – in the world of talk radio, no less – pronounce it inaccurately in the last few months. It’s like… it’s like the mechanism that allows people to speak in an educated fashion went awry (see what I did there?).
FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES
Incorrect pronunciation: “for all intensive purposes”
Correct pronunciation: “for all intents and purposes”
All right, yes, I cheated a little bit here (for posterity’s sake, I should note that a phrase and a word are not the same thing) but this is still a very popular pronunciation mistake and one that I really feel must be addressed in a public forum. While “intensive” is absolutely a word, the clichéd saying that most people are trying to channel is all about intent. As for the rumor that I, as a younger man, frequently employed the incorrect pronunciation… no comment.
Incorrect pronunciation: off – ten
Correct pronunciation: off – en
If there is a bigger red flag for “I am misinformed about how to pronounce something” in our language, I have yet to encounter it. This word and its evolutionary course in American vernacular could be a cultural study unto itself.
For a while, nobody was aware that the ‘T’ was silent; this sneaky caveat had to be beaten into our brains for years and years in school. But then – in what can best be described as the greatest grammatical epiphany since someone decided that we needed a contraction to turn “I am” into a single word – people seemed to universally scream out “We get it! A silent ‘T’!”. It was a glorious day.
However, this euphoria was ultimately fleeting. At some point, the rational people of Earth decided to flip over the Buffet Table of Reason at the Banquet for Intellectual Hope and thought it best to, once again, simply start pronouncing the ‘T’ in “often.” I do not know whether this was brought on by an innate human desire to flout the rules of our world or just a collective hatred for all things associated with the establishment but it is now arguably the most frequent linguistic speed bump in the history of hyperbole. And I would like to lead the charge to restore balance. | <urn:uuid:3c96036f-32fa-4b14-9ff2-858085443011> | {
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Via Treehugger.com comes the news that sprinkling a bit of salmon DNA nanofibers on the internals of an LED light can allow researchers to create a long lasting white LED's that can be tuned to other colors.
Fluorescent dyes (two different ones, spaced between 2 and 10 nanometers from each other) are added to the DNA molecules, which are then spun into nanofibers. These are very durable because DNA is a particularly strong polymer (it has to be!) (they should last 50 times longer than acrylic, for example).
Any of your salmon anglers ever have glowing hands after catching a big buck? | <urn:uuid:cfaf334f-2154-41a8-851c-98c7c616c3b3> | {
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New research shows that melanoma can recur decades after initial treatment in roughly 9 percent of patients.
The findings show that people who have had melanoma require lifelong follow-up, the study authors said.
The investigators looked at over 4,700 melanoma patients and found that recurrence occurred in 408 patients who had been disease-free for 10 or more years. The recurrence rates were nearly 7 percent after 15 years and 11 percent after 25 years, according to the study in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons
Editor’s Note: Get Dr. Fuhrman’s Super Immunity for Only $4.95. Click here.
But the researchers also found that patients whose melanoma recurred 10 or more years later were less likely to die than those whose melanoma recurred within three years of treatment.
Those with late recurrence were about 40 percent less likely to die of melanoma than those with early recurrence, and those with late recurrence also had a better overall survival rate.
Patients whose melanoma did not come back until at least 10 years after treatment were younger on average than those with early recurrence (age 41 versus 51).
Also, patients with a later recurrence tended to have had an original melanoma with less dangerous characteristics, the researchers noted. They also found that men accounted for 66 percent of patients with early recurrence, compared with 57 percent of those with late recurrence.
"For patients with melanoma, survival beyond 10 years without a recurrence has been considered nearly synonymous with a cure," lead investigator Dr. Mark Faries, a professor of surgery at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., said in a journal news release. "However, most studies do not follow-up patients longer than 10 years. Our study found that late melanoma recurrence is not rare and that it occurs more frequently in certain patient groups," he noted.
"It appears the risk of melanoma recurrence is never completely gone," Faries said. "One change that should result from our study is that people need to be followed-up for life with a physician after a diagnosis of melanoma," he pointed out.
"Fortunately, the vast majority of melanoma patients who remain disease-free longer than 10 years will not have a recurrence," Faries added. "However, patients should be aware that persistent or unexplained symptoms anywhere in the body might indicate a recurrence of their melanoma, and they should return to their physician to make sure the symptoms are not related."
Editor's Note:Knowing these 5 cancer-causing signs is crucial to remaining cancer-free for life
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Every glance at a row of cypress trees or slash pines reminds Sandra Kokernoot of happy moments at her childhood home in Fort Lauderdale.
"When I was growing up in Fort Lauderdale we were at the western outskirts of the county," said Kokernoot, coordinator of the Environmental Coalition of Broward County. "These kinds of habitats were common. Children today don't have that green space to enjoy."
Kokernoot says Broward's precious natural areas are disappearing every day. Just two months after publishing a survey that identified 6,423 acres that should be preserved from development, several of those acres have been lost.
"While we were doing the study we were losing areas and erasing them from our map," Kokernoot said.
Environmentalists are particularly concerned about the loss of slash pine, one of the most endangered tree species in Broward.
While wetland areas in the county theoretically are protected from development, vegetation that grows on higher ground in central Broward is not, Kokernoot said.
Financed through a $20,000 grant from a Boston-based foundation that promotes environmental projects in Florida, the study recommends 14 ways governments can preserve endangered vegetation.
The suggestions include granting tax exemptions to landowners who protect sensitive land, a method used in Dade County, and allowing property owners to give up the use of their land in exchange for money or tax reductions.
About 100 copies of the study have been distributed to city and county legislators and planning departments through the coalition's Fort Lauderdale office. But a large number of developers also have requested copies of the report.
"We don't want to give the impression that all developers are bad guys," Kokernoot said. "A lot of developers are concerned about developing with the environment in mind."
The 6,423 acres identified as environmentally sensitive include everything from 150 acres of cypress within the Inverrary community in Lauderhill to 15 acres of oak trees near John Williams Park in Hollywood.
The Hollywood city commissioner that park is named after said he hopes the study will make neighboring communities aware of their open space and how it can be preserved.
"I'm thankful that there are few battles left in Hollywood for the preservation of open space," John Williams said.
Realizing that large land purchases are unrealistic for most local governments, members of the Environmental Coalition suggest other ways to preserve environmentally sensitive land.
Included in the recommendations is a suggestion that cities beef up their zoning regulations and requirements on developers for donating park land.
One developer who worked closely with environmentalists on the study said the warnings offered in the report are perceived in two ways among his peers.
"The developer who is nervous can look at it as a threat," said Roy Rogers, vice president of Arvida Southern. "But you can take what appears to be negative and turn it into a tremendous positive.
"A wildlife preserve can be made into the hub of interest for a development," Rogers said.
Many prospective buyers are interested in homes that are adjacent to a historic or environmentally sensitive area, Rogers said.
An environmental planner with Broward County said the study has assisted county officials in planning for the future.
"To me, I was surprised there was that much forest land left," said county planner Don Stone, who worked on a similar survey 10 years ago. "Just like any resource, we need to know how much is there. That's our balance."
County parks officials will use the information to locate potential park sites, especially forest areas containing slash pines.
"The parks department has already thanked us for the work we've done," Kokernoot said. She hopes developers and legislators will not be far behind. | <urn:uuid:a3076db2-1b13-49a8-9752-973e2f92910c> | {
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I published these weblog “Think-Abouts” a while back in an online class. I think they are worth repeating, especially for those educators who are just beginning to think about creating a weblog.
- THINK ABOUT what you want to do with your weblog.
What kind of weblog do you want to create? What purpose will it serve?
Do you want to create a reflective weblog to blog about your personal teaching experiences or discuss your ideas about teaching in general?
Do you want to present a number of your favorite teaching techniques or ideas for using technology in language learning? Do you have clever ways to teach vocabulary or ideas for using poetry that you want to spotlight?
Maybe you want to create a blog with links to useful learning resources for your students?
Will it be a class weblog to use with a class you are teaching right now? What kinds of information and learning tasks will you provided for your students and what will you ask them to do? Will you focus on one particular skill such as reading or writing? How would you like to involve your students?
These are decisions that need to be made before you start your weblog. To help you make these decisions, in my next post I will post a more detailed list of ways that educators and students can use weblogs.
- THINK ABOUT what you want to name your weblog.
Once you have decided what kind of weblog you want, you w¡ll need to think of a name for it. When you create your weblog, no matter which blogging software you decide to use, you’ll be asked to name your weblog first. You may find it difficult to think of a name on the spot. So, it’s a good idea to come up with a name you like before you start the process. Strive to choose a clever name that somehow reflects the purpose of your weblog.
- THINK ABOUT specific content.
What kind of content do you want to post on your weblog? How much information do you want to include, and how will you organize and present this information. You need to have an overall view and a long term plan on how this weblog will unfold.
There are many aspects to consider. If, for instance, you are using it as a class weblog, how often do you plan to use it with your students? What types of information do you want to include? Will you include assignments, events, announcements, links to resources? Will you assign tasks or publish student writing? How many different types of sections do you want to include, and how will you incorporate use of the weblog into your class schedule?
If you are writing about your teaching experiences in a particular class, do you want to blog daily, or only occasionally? Do you want to focus on everyday activities and how students’ learning evolves over time, or do you want to comment only on special events and activities? Will you focus on student progress, insights you gain while teaching, or on what worked well or not in the classroom?
Will you include photos? Will you invite comments from readers? Will linking to other websites be an important part of your weblog?
- THINK ABOUT your potential readers (your audience) and your own writing voice.
Who will read or use your weblog? Your students? Other teachers? Colleagues in other teaching institutions? Will you seek an international audience? It’s important to keep this audience in mind, both now as you plan your weblog and later when you have it running online. By doing so, you’ll soon become conscious of your own writing voice and writing style. | <urn:uuid:366991b9-6cf5-4302-920c-d5974f5b2fd1> | {
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It has become increasingly common for vitamins to be added to feed in agricultural settings. Depending upon the type of vitamin, the role of its addition can vary on a case-by-case basis. One of the most popular vitamins to add to feed is vitamin C and vitamin E. Depending upon how the vitamins are delivered their overall efficacy and utility can range from significant to nonexistent.
Many animals produce a form of vitamin C naturally. For example, poultry is synthesized in chickens by the kidneys. Unfortunately, environmental factors can dramatically affect whether or not these animals are actually getting enough vitamin C to remain healthy. As a result, adding vitamins to feed are not inherently useful however can be important based upon the environmental settings surrounding agricultural production.
A lack of vitamin C in livestock can create a myriad of problems. For example, during heat stress, chickens do not produce enough vitamin C to meet the verge requirements. As a result, they suffer from poor immunity, reduced fertility, increased mortality rate, diminished speed intake, and weight loss. The only way to ensure these birds have enough vitamin C to function properly is by adding it to their feed.
In most cases, additional vitamins do not need to be added to feed and less the animals find themselves in one of a number of stress conditions. Commonly accepted stress conditions include vaccination, deworming, transportation, climatic disturbances, disease, and regular handling. Over the course of regular livestock maintenance, and animal will likely deal with all of these stress conditions multiple times throughout their life. Vitamins can also be added to feed as a performance booster although this should be done sporadically rather than on a daily basis. By increasing vitamin intake, livestock can see improved health, a boost and immunity, increase growth, and improved body weight.
Along with traditional livestock, vitamin C and vitamin E have proven to be equally beneficial for aquaculture animals such as fish and shrimp. Numerous studies have shown that vitamin E can significantly boost the immune mechanisms in shrimp and fish.
When choosing vitamins for agriculture or aquaculture use it is important to select a product which offers stable vitamins with an antioxidant activity that can be maintained over 12 months. This will make it easier to use on a large scale agricultural site. It also has shown to provide faster efficacy than other commercially available vitamin C products. Only with a high level of stability in digestive organs can vitamin C become useful for animals. | <urn:uuid:06b3aecb-3a64-4a49-9b80-c5ab3e8b0365> | {
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In a capitalist economy, competition in business is a good thing. The basic theory is that competition helps create jobs and keep prices fair. Competition can be brutal, however, and some businesses cannot keep up. In some cases, the choice could be either to close shop or merge with an existing company. During a merger and acquisition, two businesses combine to create one entity. The entity created during the merger may keep the name of one of the businesses or take on an entirely new identity.
Horizontal mergers occur when two competitors merge or become one entity. An example would be if Kroger and Meijer, two grocery store chains, joined together. Horizontal mergers may result in a monopoly, however, which is generally prohibited by federal laws. Interested parties can attempt to block the merger if they believe it will violate anti-trust laws. For example, in August 2011, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block a proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile, two of the companies largest cellular phone companies.
Vertical mergers occur when one company merges with or acquires another company in the same industry, but with a different role in the production cycle. According to the FreeDictionary.com, one business typically absorbs either a customer or supplier. For example, vertical merger occurs if Widgets Inc. sells materials that Weevils Inc. uses in its products, and Weevils Inc. buys Widgets Inc. The issue here is whether the acquisition by Weevils Inc. would prevent its competition from acquiring the same materials. Interested parties could attempt to block this type of acquisition if it would result in unfair competition and violate anti-trust laws.
Employee and Stock Issues
A merger is unsettling, especially for the merging company. Employees may wonder whether their jobs are safe or what will happen and shareholders may wonder what will happen to their stocks. The answer depends on the circumstances. The company acquiring the merging-company may initiate layoffs, keep the staff or offer severance packages, for example. An employee’s job could remain the same, or the new boss may add or subtract job duties. With regard to stocks, often, the new company may simply buyout the old shares or exchange the old shares for new ones based on a prescribed formula.
The specifics of the merger depend heavily on individual facts and circumstances. There are other types of mergers, as well. A conglomerate merger, for example, involves the merge of two companies who have nothing in common, but choose to collaborate and form one entity. To avoid confusion and answer questions, it may be helpful to provide employees with a newsletter explaining the process and the ramifications. Readers who are unsure of what will happen and want to protect their legal rights should speak to an attorney in their area for independent advice.
- Meeting Merger Arrows image by Scott Maxwell from Fotolia.com | <urn:uuid:761fa2b9-091c-41ee-85b7-a5b380fb27fe> | {
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Lists of Conquered Kings. 1These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites conquered and whose lands they occupied, east of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern section of the Arabah: 2a First, Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon. His domain extended from Aroer, which is on the bank of the Wadi Arnon, to include the wadi itself, and the land northward through half of Gilead to the Wadi Jabbok at the border with the Ammonites, 3as well as the Arabah from the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth, as far south as the eastern side of the Salt Sea of the Arabah in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth,b southward under the slopes of Pisgah. 4Secondly, the border of Og, king of Bashan, a survivor of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and Edrei.c 5He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, and all Bashan as far as the boundary of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and over half of Gilead as far as the territory of Sihon, king of Heshbon. 6It was Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites who conquered them; Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave possession of their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.d
7This is a list of the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites conquered west of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Lebanon valley to Mount Halak which rises toward Seir; Joshua apportioned their land and gave possession of it to the tribes of Israel; 8it included the mountain regions and Shephelah, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negeb, belonging to the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites: 9The king of Jericho, one;e the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one; 10the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; 11the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;f 12the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;g 13the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;h 14the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; 15the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;i 16the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;j 17the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;k 18the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;l 19the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;m 20the king of Shimron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;n 21the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;o 22the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam, at Carmel, one;p 23the king of Dor, in Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goyim at Gilgal, one;q 24and the king of Tirzah, one—thirty-one kings in all.
* [12:1–24] This chapter, inserted between the two principal parts of the book (chaps. 1–11 and 13–21), resembles the lists of conquered cities which are inscribed on monuments of Egyptian and Assyrian rulers. Perhaps this list was copied here from some such public Israelite record.
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By Charles Armstrong, Special to CNN
Editor’s note: Charles Armstrong is the director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University. The views expressed are his own.
North Korea has done it again. For the second time in less than nine months, Pyongyang has fired a long-range missile, this time apparently succeeding in sending a satellite into orbit. What North Korea calls a “peaceful rocket launch,” much of the rest of the world has condemned as a military provocation and a brazen act of defiance against international sanctions. Yet despite tough talk from the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries, there is little the international community can do to punish North Korea or prevent further such acts. While North Korea’s technological capacity progresses, the policy of sanctions has demonstrably failed. It’s time to take a new approach to North Korea.
It’s important to keep in mind that North Korea has done this primarily for domestic reasons, not to send a “signal” to the world (although there is an element of signaling as well). The timing of the launch is significant. First, it comes just before the first anniversary of former leader Kim Jong Il’s death, and North Korean state media has declared that commemorating the elder Kim’s passing was one reason for the launch. Second, North Korea had declared that 2012 would be the year when the country became a “Powerful and Prosperous Nation,” and a satellite launch was to be a key demonstration of North Korea’s technological progress and power.
The failure of North Korea’s earlier rocket launch in April, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of founding leader Kim Il Sung’s birth, made it even more urgent to have a successful launch before the end of the year. Of course, succeeding in sending a satellite into orbit hardly puts North Korea into the forefront of global technology. At best, North Korea is at the level of the United States and the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. But as we’ve seen with Chinese euphoria over that country’s recent astronaut program, “conquering space” can be a source of great national pride, even if other countries have been there before.
More from CNN: Rocket program timeline
Primarily, then, North Korea fired a rocket to impress its own people with the country’s technological achievement under the new leadership of Kim Jong Un, and thereby to legitimate and consolidate Kim Jong Un’s rule. But it was also probably intended to show the U.S. and other countries that North Korea has the capacity to launch a long-rage missile, possibly even one that can reach the U.S. mainland, and is therefore capable of defending itself against attack. North Korea has already successfully tested a nuclear device twice, and may do so again soon. From the regime’s point of view, missile and nuclear capacity combined offer a powerful deterrent to any military threat. The rocket launch may also have been timed to coincide with the South Korean election, scheduled for December 19. North Korea is telling the next South Korean president that it needs to be taken seriously.
North Korea claims that, like any other country, it has the right under international law to test its missiles and to launch satellites into orbit for peaceful purposes. In a narrow legal sense that may be true, but North Korea is not any other country. Following North Korea’s first nuclear test in October 2006, the country has been under United Nations sanctions designed to deter both its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. U.N. sanctions were reinforced and broadened in 2009, after North Korea’s second nuclear test. Now, North Korea has defied these restrictions by launching its Unha-3 rocket, testing missile technology that clearly falls under the U.N. sanctions regime.
More from GPS: North Korea hits its mark
The United States has led the calls for tough, punitive sanctions after North Korea’s latest act. But it is not clear that new sanctions will be any more successful than previous ones. North Korea is already one of the most economically isolated countries in the world. Unlike Iran, North Korea does not have oil exports or significant overseas assets that can be blocked by Western countries. Most important, China has not enforced U.N. sanctions strongly, if at all, and is the main conduit for North Korea’s trade and investment. Despite officially supporting sanctions against Pyongyang, China does not want sanctions to debilitate, much less destabilize, a regime that it sees as an important buffer state on its periphery. The Chinese government has criticized North Korea’s rocket launch, but much less strongly than the U.S., Japan or South Korea. Without a strong Chinese commitment – something we’re unlikely to see in any near-term future – sanctions will not work.
At the moment, then, there is little the world can do to punish North Korea for its missile launch or prevent North Korea from testing its nuclear technology, which may be the next thing coming. But once the excitement over the rocket launch has died down in the coming weeks and months, the United States and its partners in East Asia and in the U.N. will want to take a more pro-active and coordinated approach to North Korea than we’ve seen in the last few years of relative neglect.
New administrations are coming into office in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo. Together, they need to convince the young regime of Kim Jong Un that its interest are better served by diplomatic dialogue and economic engagement than firing rockets and testing weapons.
I'm sorry, but I do not understand why we should be able to stop someones intellectual development. Building such a rocket requires enormous fundamental understanding of so much engineering that basically it is a good adventure for a country to under go.
Obviously, consequences would/should be swift if they acted agressively
My heart goes to the people of N.K. By all reports they are living just above the starvation level set by even the poorest nation in Africa. But they spend time and resources on this.
And yes we have hungry people here in the U.S. but when you really look children go hungry here because their parents who want go to the nearest food bank and pickup something to eat. We provide morning and noon meals to these children in their schools, W.I.C. program for those to young for school and finely food stamps “CARDs” to buy their food.
Why because it takes away from their drug use or soap opera time or just to darn lazy. The people of N.K. do not have a food bank to go to.
NK is not getting on the UN's good side any time soon. If there is something that North Korea and China share indefinitely, it is their eastern collectivist culture; the sum of the parts are only significant to that of the whole. The UN was founded by western countries, including the members of the EU, thus places a huge ethical boundary between these parties. On the eastern side, NK wants to show what they are made of. On the western side, the UN wants to see healthy children, safe schools, and a sound defense against internal threats.
East vs. West
What do you think?
North Korean leaders are more intrested in developing the economy internally on their own terms based on their war experience with the western support for the South and protecting its interest with the necessary tools of the 21st century is a major component when it deems it fit to open up just like China did. If it continues like this, one should expect a strong and economically viable NK in the next 2 decades leaving behind many African nations that can not determine their left from the right.
China wasn't amused by North Korea's rocket launch, but it didn't join the chorus of international condemnation. Beijing sees Pyongyang as an unruly teenager, but it doesn't want to be harsh on the leadership. It needs North Korea as a buffer zone against America's allies in the region. A reunited Korea is one thing Beijing doesn't want.
International sanctions have proven to be a complete failure. Even if China starts applying more pressure on North Korea it would not significantly alter their agenda, as the article said North Korea is "one of the most economically isolated countries in the world. The international community cannot take any thing from North Korea, because it has few assets outside of the country.
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Starting out a career does not necessarily mean going through a traditional college program. If you want to start working after you graduate from high school or with a two-year degree, then finding a career with growth will set the foundation for your future success. Although certain careers with a high amount of growth require a higher education, some of the positions with the most growth potential do not require more than a high school diploma.
If you are interested in working in the healthcare industry, then a pharmacy technician is a great career opportunity. A pharmacy technician is a professional who helps pharmacists, but pharmacy tech school does not require an extensive education, states Penn Foster.
Although programs are available to provide training, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that you can start working with a high school diploma or an equivalent degree. The work provides a reasonable salary of roughly $28,400 per year.
Working as a pharmacy technician not only provides the opportunity to get started after obtaining a high school degree, but it also offers opportunities for growth in your field. Between 2010 and 2020, pharmacy technician jobs are expected to grow at a rate of 32 percent, which is much faster than the average growth of careers.
If you want to work in an office setting, then an office clerk position might meet your career goals. The expected rate of growth for office clerks between 2010 and 2020 is 16.6 percent, states the Washington Post. It is within the top 20 jobs in the nation for growth opportunities.
An office clerk must have a high school education, but is not required to obtain a higher education in a traditional college. The average salary for a clerk is roughly $26,610 per year.
If you enjoy traveling, then working as a truck driver might provide the career opportunity that meets your goals and needs. Truck drivers have a higher-than-average growth rate when compared to other industries, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The expected growth between 2010 and 2020 is 21 percent, which provides opportunities to get into a career.
Although a truck driver is expected to have a high school diploma or an equivalent degree, additional education is not required. Drivers are given on-the-job training, states the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the average income is roughly $37,770 per year.
Working directly with patients in the healthcare industry may seem like a career that requires a higher education, but it is possible to become a registered nurse with an Associate’s Degree. An Associate’s Degree takes roughly two years to complete and will provide the opportunity to work in a medical facility with doctors.
The field of nursing is growing at a much faster than average rate of 26 percent (BLS). The average income for a licensed registered nurse is $64,690 per year.
A traditional four-year education is not necessary if you want to start a lucrative and exciting career. Opportunities in growing fields are available if you have a high school degree or an Associate’s Degree. | <urn:uuid:25742ac4-a157-4f79-b676-6e5e5012b03a> | {
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NASA and Obama's budget: the politics and ideals of human space exploration
Negative reaction to the president's initial plan for NASA has forced him to backpedal a bit and offer a schedule for human spaceflights to Mars and an asteroid. He now needs to work more closely with Congress to set long-term, deep-space missions.
Too many Americans and lawmakers reacted negatively to the initial White House plan for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They still see human exploration to specific destinations in space as a compelling frontier – not just for the nation but humanity, too. They weren’t ready to live only vague promises of deep-space missions, as Mr. Obama made. Nor do they want the space agency more focused on earthly tasks such as climate-change monitoring, as Obama would prefer, over scientific discovery in outer space.
The public reaction pushed the president on Thursday to set a timetable for the first Mars trip – by the mid-2030s – as well as a schedule to land on an asteroid (near 2025). He also had to set 2015 for starting construction of a heavy-lift launcher based on new innovative technology.
But Obama only partially backed down on his proposal to cancel a Bush-era program called Constellation. That project, now over budget, would return Americans to the moon to do more research and to tap that body’s frozen water for making fuel for lunar launches to Mars and beyond. While he still wants to stop production of the Ares rockets for the moon mission, Obama did backpedal a bit by offering to keep the planned Orion crew-ship – but only as an emergency vehicle to escape the International Space Station.
Even Neil Armstrong, the first human on the moon, opposes an end to the moon project, partly because other nations, especially China, are gearing up to land there in the years ahead. America’s leadership in space would be in jeopardy.
The political battle over funding the moon project will play out in Congress over coming months. Some compromise may be possible. This debate will likely have little of the polarizing partisan tones of other issues on Capitol Hill. Rather, it pits key political states with many space-related jobs – Florida, Texas, California, and Colorado – against other states.
To his credit, the president would raise NASA’s overall budget by about $6 billion over five years – despite his call for cuts during his 2008 campaign. And he wants to support the fledgling private space agency to take over many of the government’s goals for low-orbit projects, such as reaching the space station. He also would extend the space station’s life by four years.
Finding a political middle that can support NASA’s program through many presidencies would be Obama’s biggest legacy in space. The agency and the private contractors can keep suffering financial whiplash every few years, as they did once again when Obama laid out his goals last January.
One of those potential middle positions was articulated well by Obama on Thursday: “Our goal is the capacity for people to work and learn, operate and live safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time.”
The president erred by not working more closely with Congress before setting forth his budget plan for NASA. He also may be counting too much on the commercial space-launch industry to mature soon enough to take over key NASA functions and fill the gap – to be temporarily filled by Russian rockets – caused by the end of the space shuttle program this fall.
He’s on course, however, when he clearly lines himself up with America’s strong tradition in spaceflight, as he did Thursday in speaking at the Kennedy Space Center:
“Space exploration is not a luxury, not an afterthought in America’s brighter future, [but] an essential part of that quest.... For pennies on the dollar, the space program has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy, and inspired generations.” | <urn:uuid:c3abd914-e89f-45ad-bdab-b49a301240d5> | {
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Education in American public schools has undergone remarkable change in the past two decades. Advances in technology have played a major role in this evolution. For example, graphing calculators have modified how mathematics is taught. The focus is not on memorizing multi-step calculations but on using a calculator to solve complex problems. Computers have created instant access to information. Thus libraries and textbooks are no longer the absolute source of knowledge.
In a networking society, the focus is sharing. Public schools must now teach students to be team members, maximizing the contributions of each individual. One student helping another may have been “cheating” in an earlier age, whereas the same action is now “teamwork.”
Because the advance of technology has transformed entertainment, students and their parents are no longer content with an educational system of “sit and get.” Today’s teachers must be more creative, providing students with opportunities to satisfy curiosity, pursue issues of interest, and seek meaningful solutions. | <urn:uuid:f392fd26-d2e8-434e-8f90-e3dcf618f6dd> | {
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On 27 October 2006, orphan designation (EU/3/06/410) was granted by the European Commission to GP-Pharm S.A., Spain, for doxorubicin hydrochloride (liposomal) for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.
- What is soft tissue sarcoma?
Soft tissue sarcomas are cancers of the supporting tissues of the body. They can occur in muscle, fat, blood vessels or in any of the other tissues that support, surround and protect the organs of the body. There are many types of soft tissue sarcoma. The cause of soft tissue sarcoma is largely unknown. Soft tissue sarcoma is a serious condition, potentially debilitating and life-threatening.
- What is the estimated number of patients affected by the condition?
At the time of designation soft tissue sarcoma affected approximately 2.5 in 10,000 people in the European Union (EU)*. This is equivalent to a total of around 115,000 people, and is below the threshold for orphan designation, which is 5 people in 10,000. This is based on the information provided by the sponsor and knowledge of the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP).
*Disclaimer: For the purpose of the designation, the number of patients affected by the condition is estimated and assessed on the basis of data from the European Union (EU 27), Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This represents a population of 459,700,000 (Eurostat 2004).
- What treatments are available?
Surgery is currently the main choice of therapy for early stage soft tissue sarcomas. For larger sarcomas, and where it is thought there is a possibility of cancer cells being left behind, after a surgical intervention, radiotherapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells) and chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells) are usually used. Several products for treatment of soft tissue sarcoma were authorised for the condition in some countries in the Community at the time of submission of the application for orphan drug designation.
Satisfactory argumentation has been submitted by the sponsor to justify the assumption that doxorubicin hydrochloride (liposomal) might be of potential significant benefit for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma mainly because it might improve the long-term outcome of the patients. This assumption will have to be confirmed at the time of marketing authorisation. This will be necessary to maintain the orphan status.
- How is this medicine expected to work?
Doxorubicin is a drug to treat tumours. Doxorubicin interferes with the production of genetic material and can kill rapidly dividing cells such as tumour cells. In the designated product, doxorubicin is located in the wall of a liposome (a microscopic particle made out of the same material as a cell membrane that can be filled with drugs). This allows the liposomes to circulate for prolonged periods in the blood stream and thus might maintain a longer effect.
- What is the stage of development of this medicine?
The effects of doxorubicin hydrochloride (liposomal) were evaluated in experimental models.
At the time of submission of the application for orphan designation, no clinical trials in patients with soft tissue sarcoma were initiated.
Doxorubicin hydrochloride (liposomal) was not authorised anywhere worldwide for soft tissue sarcoma or designated as orphan medicinal product elsewhere for this condition, at the time of submission.
According to Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 of 16 December 1999, the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) adopted on 6 September 2006 a positive opinion recommending the grant of the above-mentioned designation.
- Opinions on orphan medicinal product designations are based on the following three criteria:
- the seriousness of the condition;
- the existence of alternative methods of diagnosis, prevention or treatment;
- either the rarity of the condition (affecting not more than 5 in 10,000 people in the Community) or insufficient returns on investment.
Designated orphan medicinal products are products that are still under investigation and are considered for orphan designation on the basis of potential activity. An orphan designation is not a marketing authorisation. As a consequence, demonstration of quality, safety and efficacy is necessary before a product can be granted a marketing authorisation.
|Name||Language||First published||Last updated|
|EU/3/06/410: Public summary of positive opinion for orphan designation of doxorubicin hydrochloride (liposomal) for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma||(English only)||02/04/2009|
|Active substance||Doxorubicin hydrochloride (liposomal)|
|Disease/condition||Treatment of soft tissue sarcoma|
|Date of decision||27/10/2006|
|Orphan decision number||EU/3/06/410|
Review of designation
Sponsor’s contact details:
Pol. Ind. Els Vinyets els Fogars 2
Carretera Comarcal 244, km 22
08777 St Quintí de Mediona
Telephone: +34 93 819 22 00
Telefax: +34 93 638 93 93
Patients’ associations contact points:
Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
14 Rue Corvisart
Telephone: +33 1 53 55 24 00
Telefax: +33 1 43 36 91 10
Deutsche Krebshilfe e. V.
Telephone: +49 2 28 729 900
Telefax: +49 2 287 299 011
Macmillan Cancer Support (merged with CancerBACUP)
3 Bath Place
London EC2A 3JR
Telephone: +44 20 7696 9003
Switchboard open during office hours, Mon–Fri, 09:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 –16:45.
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LUDHIANA: The experts of department of entomology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), on Friday revealed that all India coordinated research project on pesticide residues had found that 60 per cent of different food commodities were contaminated.
The study noted that 14 per cent of commodities exceeded that maximum residue limit (MRL). As per a press note issued here, MRL's have been prescribed for 71 pesticides out of the 185 registered for use in the country by the Central Committee for Food Standards.
The prescription is covered under Food Adulteration Act, 1954. It was said the commodities bearing pesticide residues above the legally permitted levels could be rejected by the importing countries, leading to considerable financial losses.
The experts also suggested the use of insecticides as per recommendations of PAU and the state agriculture department. The efficient spray technology and economic threshold levels could help in reducing the pesticide load vis-a-vis toxic residues, they said. The experts added that integrated pest management approach, adoption of precautions while applying pesticides and checking industrial effluents from entering water bodies could help in reducing these residues.
They also advised washing of fruits and vegetables, removing their skin and pressure coooking to mitigate the pesticide problem. | <urn:uuid:07136169-cb49-4ac8-a45d-81cee836cd29> | {
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|My Flipped Lesson Introducing Fractions|
We all know a lot of four letter explicatives. In fact, one of my students not-so comically used one today when expressing his frustration. Teachers have some of these four letter words, too, except in other contexts, they do not quite take on the negative connotation that this word, specifically, does when talking instruction and the school day. This word, my friends, is time.
The dirty four-letter word can strike fear into the souls of teachers and administrators alike. It can be one of our best friends when we are able to buy some more, but it can be one of our worst enemies when we are running out of it. In fact, it seems that there will never, truly, be enough hours in the day to cover the breadth of our curriculum.
In an effort to cover all of the ground necessary, teachers come up with ways to save time. Some cut out unimportant lessons; others might rearrange their schedules or try integrating more of the curricula to kill as many birds with the least amount of stones necessary. While these are all great tactics for time-saving, I’ve recently tried “flipping” my lessons, not only in an effort to save instructional time during the day, but also to help me differentiate my instruction and maximize each of my student’s time.
Flipping is definitely a difficult concept to comprehend at first. Some might think that kids already have enough homework, but when you think about homework, is it really beneficial? While some practice worksheets and written responses can provide extra practice, this practice only provides reinforcement of the skill if it is proficient practice. For this, we can offer flipped homework, which refers to students watching videos that teach them the content that is expected to be mastered in class. This sometimes, as well, can be accompanied by a worksheet or activity that mirrors the video lesson. What are the benefits of this, you ask? Here are a few:
Number One – Time Saving
Oftentimes, many of our students already have a base in the concepts we are teaching. After all, if we are teaching well, we are building on our students’ background knowledge and making connections to previously learned concepts. By offering flipped lessons, students are able to review these prerequisite skills at home and channel their background knowledge in order to comprehend the next step in the progression of learning. In class, this helps us save time because we are spending more time giving guided practice, and less time providing them with knowledge they could have received from watching a video of us saying and modeling the same exact thing! No one will debate that modeling the skill is important, but it can be done in ways more conducive to saving time, like flipping.
Number Two – Differentiation Opportunities
Guilt eats away at me during many of my math classes. The fact is, I have a wide variety of skill sets in my classroom, and these skill sets are not consistent when we change the domains in which we are learning. For instance, Johnny might be skilled with fractions and Theresa might be low in fractions, but when it comes time to compute multi-digit multiplication problems, their proficiencies are completely reversed. This makes it very difficult to do any sort of “guided math,” as abilities may change, not only depending on the unit, but sometimes even depending on the lesson. By flipping the lessons, I am able to provide a short entry slip upon arrival in the classroom. From here, I am able to split my students into two groups instantly after seeing their entry assessment: One group will spend time with me receiving more guided practice and maybe even reteaching, and the other will spend time on their own or with a small group working through the activity for the day. Additionally, students who finish the activity early can work through enrichment activities (coupled with instructional videos) so that they may either work through the unit at their own pace or receive enrichment (i.e., higher-level skills or problems). By flipping my lessons, I’ve been able to provide an appropriately challenging experience to all my students in a rather efficient manner.
Number Three – Review
Sometimes we need to reteach or review concepts, and we struggle to find the time (pardon my French) to do so. In some cases, reteaching can be as simple as saying the exact same thing we said the week before in order to review the concept. By flipping lessons, we automatically have a record of our lessons, and they can be posted on the world wide web for 24/7 access. Using these videos for review or reinforcement provides opportunities for differentiated review and reteaching at the click of a button.
Flipping instruction is the catalyst for change in education. It helps teachers work smarter, and not necessarily harder. It’s engaging for our kids and even helps our kids’ parents see what and how they are currently learning. But most of all, it turns that evil four letter word, time, into a friendly ally that we are able to maximize and use in our favor. | <urn:uuid:b8b203f7-4fa3-410f-b1a6-c75a951c7501> | {
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European Union nations are working to reach 1 billion euros ($1.27 billion) in aid by the end of the week to fight Ebola in West Africa and are seeking a common approach to the crisis.EU foreign ministers began a week of talks Monday so their 28 leaders can agree by Friday on better measures to fight Ebola, anything from financial aid to common repatriation procedures, more Ebola treatment facilities and better training for health workers.
Researchers may soon have a better idea of how tiny particles of pollution are formed in the...
Yale Univ. associate professor of electrical engineering Minjoo Larry Lee has been awarded $2,...
Groundbreaking contracts worth $6.8 billion were issued Tuesday to Boeing and SpaceX to transport U.S. crews to and from the space station using their CST-100 and Crew Dragon spacecraft, respectively. NASA’s awards to United States spacecraft will meet a goal of ending the nation’s sole reliance on Russia in 2017.
The American strategy on Ebola is two-pronged: step up desperately needed aid to West Africa and, in an unusual step, train U.S. doctors and nurses for volunteer duty in the outbreak zone. At home, the goal is to speed up medical research and put hospitals on alert should an infected traveler arrive.
A new $1.9 million study at the Univ. of Michigan seeks to make low-dose computed tomography scans a viable screening technique by speeding up the image reconstruction from half an hour or more to just five minutes. The advance could be particularly important for fighting lung cancers, as symptoms often appear too late for effective treatment.
A $1.1 million National Science Foundation grant to two Rice Univ. computer science groups will allow them to build cloud computing tools to help analyze evolutionary patterns. With the three-year grant, Christopher Jermaine and Luay Nakhleh, both associate professors of computer science, will develop parallel processing tools that track the evolution of genes and genomes across species.
Three major experiments aimed at detecting elusive dark matter particles believed to make up most of the matter in the universe have gotten a financial shot in the arm. Two of the projects are at large national laboratories; the other is at the Univ. of Washington (UW). The selection will bring greater intensity to the UW research, with more equipment and scientists involved in the work.
Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory and the Illinois Institute of Technology were awarded $2 million over the course of two years to fund studies on hybrid fuel cells from the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy. The research seeks to create a fuel cell that would both produce electricity and convert methane gas to ethane or ethylene that could then be converted to a liquid fuel or valuable chemicals.
The Government Accountability Office issued a report Wednesday saying NASA's Space Launch System is at "high risk of missing" its planned December 2017 initial test flight. The agency doesn't have enough money to get its new, $12 billion rocket system, the largest ever built, off the ground.
New York state is teaming with General Electric Co. and other companies on a $500 million initiative to spur high-tech manufacturing of miniature electronics, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt announced Tuesday. The state will invest $135 million for the collaborative program, which will be based out of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany.
Hawaii's Board of Land and Natural Resources has approved a sublease for a $1.3 billion telescope that would be one of the world's largest, but the approval is on hold until the board hears objections in a separate review process. The board met Friday to discuss issues raised previously about a plan to build the Thirty Meter Telescope on the summit of the Mauna Kea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island.
A research center at Purdue Univ.'s Discovery Park has been awarded a $12 million, four-year grant as part of a $100 million U.S. Dept. of Energy initiative to accelerate scientific breakthroughs needed to build the 21st century energy economy. The Purdue-led C3Bio will use the additional funding to advance methods for converting plant lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and other bio-based products.
More than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, the affliction that erodes memory and other mental capacities, but no drugs targeting the disease have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration since 2003. Now a paper by an Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor suggests that a revamped way of financing Alzheimer’s research could spur the development of useful new drugs for the illness.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently received $5.6 million from DARPA to develop an implantable neural interface with the ability to record and stimulate neurons within the brain for treating neuropsychiatric disorders. The technology will help doctors to better understand and treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), chronic pain and other conditions.
A committee of experts told the federal government Thursday that the U.S. should build a billion-dollar project to beam ghostlike subatomic particles 800 miles underground from Chicago to South Dakota. The proposed invisible neutrino beam, which would shed light on the behavior of these particles, would be the biggest U.S. particle physics projects in many years, but still much smaller than Europe's Large Hadron Collider.
The National Institutes of Health held a scientific symposium and a dedication ceremony March 31 to April 1, 2014, to celebrate the completion of the John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center. This state of the art facility brings together neuroscientists from 10 institutes and centers across the NIH in an effort to spur new advances in our understanding of the nervous system in health and disease.
Funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Rutgers Univ. has unveiled two microscopy suites, together valued at more than $5.2 million. These instruments, which include a high-end scanning transmission electron microscope, are among the best in the world at producing nanoscale images that will hopefully impact scientific developments.
The Center for Electrochemical Engineering at Ohio Univ. has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) award to establish a new industry university cooperative research center in Athens, Ohio, with partner site Washington Univ.-St. Louis. The new center will focus on electrochemical alternatives to conventional chemical and biological processes, with the goal of enhancing advanced production capabilities.
The Higher Education Research and Development Survey, successor to the Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges, is the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities. The survey collects information on R&D expenditures by field of research and source of funds and also gathers information on types of research and expenses and headcounts of R&D personnel.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have modeled actinide-based alloys, such as spent nuclear fuel, in an effort to predict the impact of evolving fuel chemistry on material performance. This work could have direct implications for the use of spent nuclear fuel as another source of energy.
Industry-sponsored academic research leads to innovative patents and licenses, says a new analysis led by Brian Wright, Univ. of California, Berkeley prof. of agricultural and resource economics. The finding calls into question assumptions that corporate support skews science toward inventions that are less accessible and less useful to others than those funded by the government or non-profit organizations.
Science and Engineering Indicators (SEI) is first and foremost a volume of record comprising the major high-quality quantitative data on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. SEI is factual and policy neutral. It doesn’t offer policy options, and it doesn’t make policy recommendations.
According to a recently published biennial report from the National Science Board, the United States’ predominance in science and technology eroded further during the last decade, as several Asian nations, particularly China and South Korea, rapidly increased their innovation capacities. The study shows that while U.S. R&D rebounded from the 2008-09 recession, the traditional R&D leaders no longer monopolize global R&D.
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies will join Stanford Univ. in leading a new Center of Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics, created through a $40 million award by California's stem cell agency. The center will bring together experts and investigators from seven major California institutions to focus on bridging the fields of genomics with cutting-edge stem cell research and ultimately find new therapies.
Local Motors Inc. and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have signed a new partnership to develop and deliver technology to produce the world’s first production 3-D printed vehicle. The CRADA between Local Motors and ORNL will explore making vehicle construction more efficient, including lower production time, costs and part count, coupled with higher standards of control, safety, aesthetics and mechanical flexibility.
Congress sent President Barack Obama a $1.1 trillion government-wide spending bill Thursday, The huge bill funds every agency of government, pairing increases for NASA, the Dept. of Energy and the National Institutes of Health with cuts to the Internal Revenue Service and foreign aid. Among the things, the budget increase at NASA will allow the International Space Station to operate to at least 2024.
New data collected by the National Science Foundation have resulted in an upward revision in the previously published 2011 U.S. R&D performance total, and further expansion of U.S. R&D performance is indicated for 2012. These new data put U.S. R&D expenditures at $428.2 billion in 2011, an increase of $20.5 billion over 2010. The preliminary estimate of the 2012 U.S. total for R&D is $452.6 billion.
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It is known that the atomic mass of an element/compound is not the mass of one atom or molecule of the said element/compound because they occur as a mixture of isotopes. As the atomic and molecular masses are expressed on a relative scale based on a mass of 12C atom, all atomic and molecular masses are in fact the weighted average of the mass of these isotopes. Thus, atomic mass of an element is defined as the average relative mass of an atom of an element as compared to the mass of an atom of carbon (12C ) taken as 12.
For example, chlorine occurs in nature in the form of two isotopes with atomic mass 35 and 37 in the ratio of 3:1. Therefore,
Thus, an atom of chlorine is 35.5 times heavier that 1/12th of the mass of a 12C atom.Gram-Atomic-Mass">
Gram Atomic Mass
The quantity of an element whose mass in grams is numerically equal to its atomic mass. In simple terms, atomic mass of an element expressed in grams is the gram atomic mass or gram atom.For example, the atomic mass of oxygen = 16 amu
Therefore gram atomic mass of oxygen = 16 gThe gram atom should not be confused with the mass of one atom of the element in grams, which is the actual mass of the atom.Molecular-Mass">
Molecular mass of a substance is defined as the average relative mass of its molecule as compared to the mass of an atom of 12C taken as 12. It expresses as to how many times the molecule of a substance is heavier than 1/12th of the mass of an atom of carbon.For example, a molecule of carbon dioxide is 44 times heavier than 1/12th of the mass of an atom of carbon. Therefore the molecular mass of CO2 is 44 amu.Gram-Molecular-Mass">
Gram Molecular Mass
A quantity of substance whose mass in grams is numerically equal to its molecular mass is called gram molecular mass. In simple terms, molecular mass of a substance expressed in grams is called gram molecular mass.For e.g., the molecular mass of oxygen = 32 amu
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By Byron Spires,
(Editor’s Note: Because of the length of this article it will be published in two editions.)
In light of the recent Rural Summit on school safety and tragedies such as Sandy Hook the following story is about the worst school disaster in American history.
The story is told both from a historical point of view and recollections of Lillian Anderson Swartz, a local woman who lost relatives in the disaster.
From this event one man would start a broadcasting career, a safety measure that is still used today was initiated, and a world leader would send a sympathy card.
Lillian heard the stories all of her life about the New London, Texas school explosion that left nearly 300 students and teachers dead.
Two of her aunts, Allene, 13, and Lillian Anderson, 15, were among the students that perished inside the school building at the time of the explosion.
It was written later that the explosion was equivalent to 70 pounds of explosives per square foot of floor space.
Another of Lillian’s aunts, Billie Anderson, who was in the first grade, happened to be on the playground at the time of the explosion, playing Jacks with another child.
Her uncle, William Anderson, was home from school on that particular day. Another aunt, Edith, was too young for school and was still at home.
Lillian’s mother, Sandra Anderson, was born after the tragedy.
Her maternal grandmother, Lola, worked in the cafeteria and was unharmed
In her family it is a monumental event, which she and her relatives still talk about today.
Lillian said it was often referred to as the “day the angels left.”
At the root of those discussions is the 24 hours that her grandfather searched for his daughters first in the rubble of the school, then the hospitals and morgues set up in nearby towns around New London.
He would finally find them, his precious children, in a makeshift morgue set up in a nearby city.
Lillian remembers as a child going to the graveyard to visit relatives’ graves with her grandmother and seeing the sadness on her face when she stood by the graves of her two young daughters.
She knew that those two young girls had had their lives cut short and would never know the happiness of marriage, children and grandchildren, and it always saddened her.
New London is located in northwest Rusk County and in 1937 it sat in the middle of the booming East Texas oilfields. The school district was one of the richest in the country at the time.
The following was written about the day of the explosion on the New London Museum web page:
On March 18 (Thursday), students were preparing for the next day's inter-scholastic meet in Henderson.
At the gymnasium, the PTA met.
At 3:17 P.M. Lemmie R. Butler, instructor of manual training, turned on a sanding machine in an area which, unknown to him, was filled with a mixture of gas and air.
The switch ignited the mixture and carried the flame into a nearly closed space beneath the building, 253 feet long and fifty-six feet wide.
Immediately the building seemed to lift in the air and then smashed to the ground.
Walls collapsed. The roof fell in and buried its victims in a mass of brick, steel, and concrete debris.
The explosion was heard four miles away, and it hurled a two-ton concrete slab 200 feet away, where it crushed a 1936 Chevrolet.
It would take only fifteen minutes for the news of the explosion to be relayed over telephone and Western Union lines across the neighboring farms and towns.
Lillian remembers her mother saying that parents from across the school district were soon on the way to the school.
People from the community and roughnecks from the oilfield were soon at the building digging through the rubble for the survivors.
Within an hour of the explosion Governor James Allred had sent the Texas Rangers and highway patrol to aid the victims.
It started to rain, but rescue operations continued through the night.
Within seventeen hours all victims and debris had been taken from the site.
Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler canceled dedication ceremonies for their new 60-bed hospital to take care of the injured.
The Texas Funeral Directors sent twenty-five embalmers, the website states.
An article from a Tyler, Texas newspaper wrote the next day that there were 3,000 men on the ground removing debris and searching for bodies.
Practically every company operating in the East Texas oilfield had equipment at the scene. The telephone company had temporary lines set up at the school. Two local radio stations carried on a constant broadcast throughout the night to help with identifying the dead, the article stated.
Here is an excerpt from the website about two brothers. One would live, but the other would die in the explosion:
Toward the end of the school day, Dalton's teacher allowed the children in her class to swap seats and visit with their friends. Dalton swapped with his girlfriend to sit in her desk located on the last row.
When the explosion occurred, his girlfriend was killed. Dalton managed to step over a friend's head and crawl out of the debris through a narrow slit of a window.
He ran home, terrified and bleeding from his head and arms. When he ran into the house, he noticed the two hot cups of hot chocolate waiting for him and his big brother.
But his mother and little brother were no where to be found; his mother had grabbed Talmage (the youngest of the family) and ran toward the school to look for her two children.
Boyd had been blown from one building to another with some parts of his limbs lying along the way. It was reported that he called out to his mother before he died, although, it was decided to tell his mother that he died instantly.
Horror stories abound about the incident. One family lost all three children; one mother could positively identify her ten-year-old's body only because the little girl while playing dress-up the night before, had used a crayon to color her toenails red.
Locals still refer to the tragedy as “The Day a Whole Generation Would Die.”
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The “Soyuz Epoch” continues to go badly. Shortly after the space shuttle program came to a conclusion the Russian “partners” on the International Space Station (ISS) project announced that this was the era of the Soyuz spacecraft. One should never tempt fate. Shortly after this bit of cosmic bragging, an unmanned Progress spacecraft did a face plant into the ground. Now? Problems with the manned version of this craft are being discovered.
Soyuz spacecraft are tested to see if they can withstand the various pressures placed upon them when they are sent into the hard vacuum of space and upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. To see if each of these spacecraft can handle these stresses they are placed in a pressure chamber to look for any potential issues. The Soyuz TMA-04M that was to ferry the next crew to the ISS – failed these tests.
This means that, at a minimum, the descent stage of this craft will have to be replaced. In all likelihood this will push the next crewed flight to the ISS to around mid-April and it could also see other flights moved back as well. Officials with the Russian space agency are attempting to downplay this failure, stating that it should not impact the launch schedule. Given that the discovery of this problem comes shortly after the Progress launch failure, and the loss of its estimated three tons of food, fuel and supplies –red flags should be being raised within NASA.
Luckily, the crew currently on-station arrived at the orbiting laboratory some two months later than scheduled and can easily have their stay on the ISS extended.
As it stands right now, NASA is incapable of launching astronauts on its own and is forced to pay Russia $63 million per seat on the current iteration of the spacecraft that was first launched in 1967. The White House scrapped all plans for the successor program to the space shuttle, Constellation, and placed its hopes that emerging commercial space firms could handle the business of launching cargo and crews to low-Earth-orbit.
In 2010, this seemed to be a very savvy move; Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) launched two of its Falcon 9 rockets within a six-month time span. The second flight of the Falcon 9 carried a test version of the company’s Dragon spacecraft to orbit and after circling the Earth twice – the spacecraft safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. This made SpaceX the first private company in history to accomplish this feat.
With a single demonstration flight under its belt, SpaceX requested, and NASA tentatively agreed, to combine the next two demonstration flights of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services or “COTS” contract into one. SpaceX has not launched since December of 2010 and the combined COTS 2/COTS 3 mission has slipped from Feb. 7 to sometime this March.
Other established and relatively new aerospace companies such as Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation and Blue Origin are all working on spacecraft to fill the gap left by the space shuttle. This could see NASA with a variety of spacecraft at its disposal and allow the space agency a level of security it has never had before. To date, NASA has only ever had one active human-rated spacecraft in service at any given time. Whenever an accident occurred, NASA would be unable to launch crews to orbit for a period of years (a span of two years elapsed between both the Challenger and Columbia disasters). If efforts to support commercial access to space are successful, NASA could potentially see this problem disappear. If an issue with one type of spacecraft arises the agency can simply opt to fly crews on a different spacecraft.
While NASA is pinning its hopes that these companies can handle missions to low-Earth-orbit – it is focusing on launching the Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle or Orion MPCV. A test flight of this spacecraft is slated to lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV in 2014. The Orion MPCV is one of the elements that survived the cancellation of the Constellation Program. Its development was slowed dramatically however due to political wrangling.
Until the Dragon spacecraft begins regular trips to-and-from orbit and other vehicles come into service, however, NASA is stuck with flying astronauts on the Russian Soyuz. Given that the cost to fly U.S. astronauts on the Soyuz is constantly increasing and that safety issues are becoming more frequent, it is in NASA’s best interests to get safe, U.S.- built spacecraft into the sky as soon as possible.Missions » ISS » COTS » Missions » ISS » | <urn:uuid:d2a1bd8f-4c62-40f2-94b2-23f69d4c1540> | {
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We take every opportunity across our curriculum (and through extra curricular activities) to enhance our students’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development.
The following explains each important element of SMSC and how we examine, discuss and apply ourselves to them in the life of our school.
Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect. Explored in depth, particularly through teaching of subjects such as: religious studies, philosophy and ethics, sociology, psychology, health and social care, sciences, critical thinking, english, geography, history, art and design. Additionally, our students actively participate in PSHE Days held regularly throughout the year and in tutor group discussions on topical issues raised each day.
Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views. Again, through our curriculum, these moral issues are regularly discussed on PSHE days. Also, through our debating society, the english speaking union and philosophy club, our students are encouraged to discuss, present their own balanced views and importantly, listen to those of others. Our school is renowned for its stance on behaviour for learning. Consistency of behaviour management is achieved through a clearly defined merit system and administered by our Behaviour Management, Pastoral Care and E-Safety staff.
Investigate and moral issues; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the fundamental values of British democracy. A great example of our engagement with British democracy were our morning discussions around Democracy Day and a hustings we staged at The Cotswold School. At that event, 5 local parliamentary candidates representing the countries’ main political parties faced an audience of some 400 sixth formers from our own school and from other local sixth form colleges who were invited to take part. The politicians had the opportunity to present their party to the audience of young voters which was followed by a Q&A with students asking questions they had submitted prior to the event. We were delighted that the local candidates engaged with our young people in this way and our Sixth Formers were keen to engage in the process also – an indication that they will not be regarded amongst the widely publicised statistics that state young people are disinterested in politics. We will do our best to ensure tomorrow’s voters will exercise their right to vote in the General Election. Our students engage with both local and national charities raising funds for a number of charitable organisations. For example, each year our choir performs the Spirit of Christmas concert at Gloucester Cathedral, raising thousands of pounds for Muscular Dystrophy. Our Sixth Formers coordinate and manage our annual Charity Fashion Show which regularly raises substantial sums for charities selected by the students. These have included cancer research charities and a foundation fighting domestic abuse. Year 8 stage a charity fair each year with groups of pupils coordinating fundraising activities on a specific day to benefit their selected charity. As well as charitable fundraising we engage with our community. Our choir felt honoured to recently perform at Citizenship Ceremonies at Gloucester welcoming new citizens to this country. Our musicians also perform at local care homes and each Christmas, Year 11 provide an afternoon of festive food and entertainment for local senior citizens. The students decorate the hall, rehearse entertainment, prepare food, meet and greet their guests, source raffle prizes, serve the refreshments and spend time with the senior members of our community. This tradition has been running at The Cotswold School since December 1996 with sometimes more than 100 attending.
Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity. We were delighted to have Lord Dear come and speak to our students about the parliamentary system last year and were even more delighted that he concluded that our young people had asked him the most challenging, mature questions he had ever had posed at a school. While we recognise that our catchment area might not be as culturally diverse as many in Gloucestershire, we celebrate the cultural differences and diversity that is in our school and we are pleased to have International School status in recognition of our work with schools from around the world, as well as for the many curriculum projects that enable our pupils to learn more about different cultures, people and languages. In so doing, our students acquire an appreciation and respect for other cultural traditions as well as their own. | <urn:uuid:d9184353-845b-487c-836d-e671727e472b> | {
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A STORY FROM PYARA IMAM NI PYARI WATO
By Sairab Abuturabi and Jaferali Bhalwani
English rendition by Sakar H. Datoo
Please remember the name, Farazdaq. It is a name well-worth remembering. You may ask, “why?” It is because he was the poet of the descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) and the off-spring of Hazrat Ali (a.s.). The praise of the descendants of Ali flowed freely from his speech and pen. This tale belongs to ages past. It goes back to the era of Hazrat Imam Zainul Abideen (a.s.), our third Imam, from whose veins was to ensue the Divine Line of the Imams. He was the Imam who, on the battlefield of Karbala, received the nass of Imamat from his father, Hazrat Imam Hussain (a.s.) with the blessing: “Through you the line of Imamat will continue till the Day of Judgment.”
Once, during the days of Hajj, Imam Zainul Abideen was at Mecca. At that time the Hajjis accorded him great respect. To be sure, for the believers he was everything, but even others revered him deeply. Should he happen to pass through a crowd of people, they would silently, and reverently move to make way for him. Quite a few of them expressed their reverence for the descendant of the Prophet by reciting salwaat. In those days, the Arabs of Syria had somehow been misled in the comprehension of the significance of the royal “dynasty of the prophet”, the Imamat. The Bani Umayyah had settled there as governors and caliphs and had misled the Syrians that they were the nearest relations of the Holy Prophet. The Syrians followed the people of Yazid and Muawiya. They did not seem to have a grain of belief or devotion for Hazrat Ali, Bibi Fatima, Hazrat Hassan or Hazrat Hussein. Among the Bani Umayyah (sons of Umayyah), the Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan had also come to perform the pilgrimage of Hajj. With him were some Syrian citizens. Seeing Hazrat Mawlana Zainul Abideen being accorded such great respect, the Syrian pilgrim who did not recognize him were puzzled, while Hisham and his companions who knew the Imam burnt in the fire of envy.
Finally, a Syrian asked Hisham: “Who is this person (meaning Hazrat Zainul Abideen)? He seems to be commanding such respect from the Hajjis.” Hisham thought if he revealed the true identity of the Holy Personage, their claim would suffer. Therefore, pretending not to know, he replied curtly: “Who knows who he is. He appears to be some magnate from Mecca or Medina.”
The foregoing remarks fell on the ears of the poet Farazdaq, who was standing near at that time. He could not bear to hear such undue comments, and putting his hand on the shoulder of the Syrian who had asked the question, and looking at him, he said: “Brother, instead of asking this man, ask me who he is.”
So saying, in fluent Arabic, he let loose beautiful poetry from his mouth. The poetry in Mawla’s praise began to flow like a stream from his mouth. The following felicitous and beautiful words began to echo through all the corners from the mouth of the poet:
“The Holy Mecca and the land of Kaaba know too well the holy feet of Saheb.
“He is the prince of the Imam of all of Allah’s creation. Indeed! The Divine Messenger with whose grace Allah’s Mercy descends in my pen and speech, is his grandfather.
“The most excellent of all women, Bibi Fatima Zahra Khatoon-e-janaat is his mother and he, Hazrat Ali, the dispeller of all troubles, with whose sword the foes of faith can be destroyed, is his father.
“He is the grandson of him whose greatness has been acknowledged by the very greatness of all the Prophets. The greatness of his people has been accepted by all people, and he is the one who has played in the lap of the Jewel of all Prophets.
“He reigns supreme on the peak of dignity and respect, the peak which is insurmountable. The entire creation remains under his obligation. It is with the sunny rays of his great mercy that ignorance, sins, vanity and terror are annihilated.”
Then, addressing Hisham, he spoke:
“Oh Hisham, don’t you really know him? How unfortunate can you be? But know him now, recognize him that he is the descendant of the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him), to whose allegiance he is committed.
“In his veins flows the blood of the great Prophet. He is full of the good qualities, beauty, truth and love for Allah.
“And then you ask who he is ? Or that you don’t know him ? Such words from you cannot affect him.
“For listen, his friendship, his closeness, his love should be the religion of every man, and enmity with him is fatal for a human being. He is the very incarnation of nearness.
“Oh Hisham and oh Syrian inquirer! From whom have you derived the wealth of the religion of Islam? Have you forgotten that you have got it from his holy grandfather, from his holy father ? He is the symbol our Holy Prophet Muhammad.
“He is a peerless leader. For all these reasons who can be as unfortunate as not to take pride in being even the servant of his house?”
Thus, the poet recited to the present pilgrim his rich poetry laden with lavish praise.
Hisham’s anger knew no bounds. It reached the extreme limit. He said to Farazdaq:
“Oh Farazdaq: so much praise for Hazrat Zainul Abideen? And not even half of such praise for us, the leaders of the Umayyah? You have been receiving annual stipends from the Umayyad Caliphs, and you have been composing poetry, but you have never sung any praise to this extent for us.”
The poet replied:
“What? Was I singing the praises of the Imam? Who am I, and do I deserve to sing divine praises? Indeed, His praises shine in the very lanterns of the Universe. Look at this wall of Baitullah! At the time of the birth of his great-grandfather, these walls had burst, and we are but mere human beings. Should our hearts therefore not burn with the love for the Imam? He whose heart burns not with the love of Ali (Asadullah – the Lion of God) such a heart is like an abode void of light.”
Following this, Farazdaq followed with a forceful question:
“At the time of the riots in Medina when your grandfather Marwan’s life was in danger, in whose house had you sought shelter?”
And then folding his hands in humility, he went on:
“You were saved when you had shelter under the wing of Hazrat Zainul Abideen. What, have you forgotten that so soon? And your praises? What a comparison? Oh Hisham, was your father like his father? Was your grandfather like his grandfather? Does your grandmother command the same respect which his grandmother does? Your grandfather like his grandfather? Tell me, show me that he was and I shall sing his praises.
“But glory be to Allah, the Creator of the Universe, that none has hitherto been like the Imam, his ancestors nor any one shall ever be.”
During this encounter between Farazdaq and Caliph Marwan, Mawlana Zainul Abideen was not present physically, but he was informed of it after some time. He was further informed that the Umayyad Caliph had withheld Farazdaq’s stipend, and that he had been imprisoned in the prison of Asfan between Mecca and Medina.
The Imam sent him a generous gift of 12,000 dirham to the poet. The poet, returning the gift, humbly submitted to Mawlana Zainul Abideen:
“Oh Mawla ! I did not praise thee and thy ancestors for the sake of money but only to have Allah and His Prophet pleased with me!”
In reply, Hazrat Imam Zainul Abideen sent the gift back to Farazdaq with the message:
“We who are Ahl-e-Bayt do not accept back the gift already bestowed.”
Therefore, Farazdaq, accepted the gift.
Thereafter, having lost the stipend of 1000 dirham from the Umayyad Caliph, he began to receive a stipend of 2000 dirham from the Imam. Even when the Umayyads deported the poet to Basra, he still continued to receive the stipend and for the rest of his life, he became the fortunate recipient of the Imam’s grace for his spiritual and worldly barakah and well-being.
Such is the Imam of the Time, Magnanimous and Merciful who takes care of the believers at all times.
Let us conclude with the following:
Believers, run and partake of Heavenly water,
Quench your thirst, believers,
Behold the Saqi of the Heavenly water,
Standing at the spring of Kausar
This is the House of Magnanimity whence none departs disappointed,
The long-awaited morn has dawned,
Mustafa’s children are the incarnation of belief;
Refreshed we are by Fatima’s son.
Date originally posted: September 1, 2012.
Baitullah – the House of God, the Kaaba.
Saqi – one who is the cupbearer or one who pours drinks to the thirsty.
Kausar – sacred fountain of heaven.
In Ismaili tradition, Hazrat Ali or the Imam of the Time — since each Imam in essence is the bearer of the same Nur (light) — is called Saqi-e-Kausar (the cupbearer of the fountain of Paradise).
About the authors and translator: Sairab Turabi and Jaferali Bhalwani were the authors of the Gujarati work Pyara Imam ni Pyari Wato which contained anecdotes from the lives of Ismaili Imams. Sakar H. Datoo renditioned into English several stories from the famed work for the Ismailia Association for Tanzania’s weekly magazine Ismaili Crescent. Ms. Datoo served as an educator with the Aga Khan educational institutions around the world for many years. She was the principal of the Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, from 1967-1976.
We welcome feedback/letters from our readers. Please use the LEAVE A REPLY box which appears below. Your feedback may be edited for length and brevity, and is subject to moderation. We are unable to acknowledge unpublished letters. Please visit the Simerg Home page for links to articles posted most recently. For links to articles posted on this Web site since its launch in March 2009, please click What’s New. | <urn:uuid:5e467ad1-e8a8-4fcf-9158-02eda0a7685b> | {
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|HOME | SPORTS | NEWS|
|June 23, 2001||
Ask any Indian tennis player, and he will tell you that just being at the hallowed grounds at the Wimbledon, is more important than actually doing well. This however does not mean that the Indians have not fared well at the Championships, still considered the world's most wanted title.
The tournament first began 124 years ago, in 1877, but it was only in 1884, foreign players started participating here. The Indians meanwhile, took some time to be a part of history at the Wimbledon Championships.
Let us take a look at these Indians, who over the years, not only just participated in the event, but have fared with some distinction at the Wimbledon. This is their story.
* In 1905, one B Nehru entered as a participant in the tournament, but for reasons not known, he did not actually play - he gave a walkover to his opponent.
* However, the distinction of playing a match at the Wimbledon, goes to Sardar Nihal Singh. He lost in the first round in 1908 and 1909 but managed to reach the third round in 1910.
* British based brothers from Bombay AA Fyzee and Dr AH Fyzee appeared from 1910 and then after a hiatus of nearly ten years, made a re-appearance in the Championship in the early twenties. The latter, in fact, made the last 16 stage in 1923 and 1925. * SM Jacob, appeared in 1921 (reached the last 16 stage), in 1924 (last 16) and in 1925 (the quarter-final stage). India born Sydney Jacob, was stationed at Lahore as a Deputy Commissioner, and has the distinction of leading the Indian team in its first Davis Cup tie in 1921. He is also credited to be the first player representing India to reach the quarterfinal stage at Wimbledon in 1925.
* Mohammad Sleem, a lawyer from Lahore, then India's number one player during the twenties, reached the last 16 in 1921. He won the Wimbledon Plate title in 1928 (this tournament is played between players who lose in the first and second rounds) when he beat local player JB Gilbert 6-3, 6-3. He thus became the first Indian player to win a title, albeit a minor one at the Wimbledon, until 1954.
* Another Indian born Britisher, who appeared for India in the Davis Cup, Lewis Deane was the mixed doubles runner-up with Mrs Shepherd Barron of Britain in 1923. A British civil servant with the finance department, he became the first Indian to appear in a Wimbledon final.
* Jagat Mohan Lal, from Punjab, who represented India in the Davis Cup in 1925, joined Jacob and AH Fyzee to become the third Indian to reach the last 16 in 1925 - the only time three Indians went so far in the same tournament.
* India's number one tennis player during the thirties and forties Ghaus Mohammad Khan reached the quarter-final in 1939 to become the first Indian to do so. He lost to the champion American Bobby Riggs.
* Jimmy Mehta and Sumant Misra represented India at the Championships after the War. They reached the doubles quarter-finals in 1947 and 1948.
* Dilip Bose who was the first Indian to be seeded in 1950 (no 15), reached the 16 stage (4th round) in 1948.
* A Punjab University champion from Lahore, Narendra Nath appeared for several years during the 1940s and 1950s. Reached the third round in 1948 and 1950 and was a mixed doubles quarter-finalist in 1951.
* Ramanathan Krishnan, the touch artist from Madras had already made his Davis Cup debut in 1953 as a 16-year old. The same year he lost the junior final to Britain's William Knight.
However in his second attempt in 1954 he won the junior title - to become the first Indian to do so. He beat Australian Ashley Cooper (6-2, 7-5), who later in 1958 became the men's singles champion. During the fifties Krishnan was a regular at the Championships and by the early sixties, he was ranked in the top-ten in the world.
So it comes as no surprise that he was twice semi-finalists in 1960 (lost to Neil Fraser 6-3, 6-2, 6-2) and 1961 (lost to Rod Laver 6-2, 8-6, 6-2) - still the only Indian to reach so far in the men's singles.
In 1962, he was seeded no 4 - the highest ever seeding achieved by an Indian, but had to retire during the third round match due to an ankle injury. He has also reached the doubles quarter-finals four times in 1955 (with Naresh Kumar), in 1959 (with L Ayala), 1965 (with RN Howe) and 1967 (with Jaideep Mukherjea).
* Naresh Kumar reached the round 16 stage (4th round) in 1955 and also the doubles quarter-final stage with Ramanathan Krishnan the same year.
* In 1958, Premjit Lall became the second Indian to reach the final in the junior section. He lost to American Earl Bucholtz, who in the same year became the first to win the junior Grand Slam. Four years later, he reached the third round of the men's singles in 1962 and 1965 and was twice doubles quarterfinalists in 1966 and 1973 with Jaideep Mukherjea. Lall, incidentally, was involved in one of the longest tie-breakers against Sweden's Bjorn Borg, who prevailed at 20-18 (38 points) in the third set of the first round of 1973. The scores were: 6-3, 6-4, 9-8.
* Jaideep Mukherjea in 1960 was the junior runner-up, when he had lost to South African Rodney Mandelstam. He reached the doubles quarter-finals on three occasions - in 1967 with Ramanathan Krishnan and in 1966 and 1973 with Premjit Lall. Has also reached the last 16 stage in the singles four times - in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1973.
* The immensely talented Vijay Amritraj from Madras has been a regular to the Wimbledon since 1969. Even today he participates in the senior event at the Wimbledon, although he is now a television commentator at these Championships. In his first proper Wimbledon Championships in 1972 he reached the second round.
However, in his second year, he had the distinction of reaching the quarter-final stage in 1973 and then again in 1981. In 1973, he was twice on match point when he lost to Czech Jan Kodes, the eventual champion. The scores: 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Had he won this match he could have won the title as he would have had easier opponents to face. Most of the top players had boycotted the event due to the Nikki Pilic affair. Vijay, from 1974 to 1979 regularly lost in the second round, while in 1980 he lost in the first round.
But in 1981, he reached the quarter-final stage for the only second time in his career, but lost to American Jimmy Connors in a close five-setter: 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 2-6. He had earlier beaten the 1973 champion Kodes in the first round. In 1982, he lost in the third round, but then lost in the opening rounds in 1983 and 1984, but managed to the fourth round in 1985.
He also appeared in 1986 (first round) & 1987 (second round). But the nearest he got to winning a title was when he reached the doubles semi-final in 1976 with elder brother Anand Amritraj, They however lost 6-3, 7-5, 8-6 to the eventual champion pair of Brian Gottfried (USA) and Raul Ramirez (Mexico). Anand, more a doubles player appeared quite a number of times at the Championships, but without success.
* India's Davis Cupper and number three Shashi Menon appeared in few matches during the early eighties but was always an early round casualty. In 1980, he beat a British player Robin Drysdale in a five-setter but lost the next round to fourth seeded American Vitas Gerulaitis in four sets.
* Younger brother of Anand and Vijay, Ashok Amritraj in 1974 was the junior runner-up. He lost to American Billy Martin, who had won the title the previous year too. Ashok, later appeared in mixed doubles matches.
* Ramesh Krishnan, emulated his father, Ramanathan by winning the junior title in 1979. He beat American Don Siegler 6-0, 6-2. Ramesh, by then, was the number one junior player in the world. In 1985, he reached the third round of the men's single where he lost to third seed Connors in four sets. Then the next year, he reached the quarter-final stage but lost to the big serving Yugoslavian Slobodan Zivojinovic.
* Leander Paes from Calcutta, became the third Indian to win the junior title in 1990. Seeded 11, Paes defeated South African Marcus Ondruska, seeded two - 7-5, 2-6, 6-4. Paes has been appearing in the men's singles event from 1996, but has never gone past the first round. However in 1999, top seeds Paes and his partner Mahesh Bhupathi created history by becoming the first Indians to win a major title at the Wimbledon, when they beat Dutchman Paul Haarhuis and American Jared Palmer 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 in the doubles final.
Paes, then added another title to his kitty, when he won the mixed doubles title with American Lisa Raymond. The pair, who was the top seed, beat Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) and Anna Kournikova (Russia) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Although both Paes and Bhupathi have been a regular first-round casualty in the singles, the former has managed to reach the main draw in 2001.
Mail Sports Editor
ASTROLOGY | BROADBAND | CONTESTS | E-CARDS | ROMANCE | WOMEN | WEDDING
SHOPPING | BOOKS | MUSIC | HOMEPAGES | FREE EMAIL| MESSENGER | FEEDBACK | <urn:uuid:705f8aa3-7828-4639-950e-1aebddd70861> | {
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One of the most influential books I have read about poverty, possibly because I read it at a relatively young age, was The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty by one of my favourite philosophers, Peter Singer. Singer wrote The Life You Can Save (first published in 2009) to address our current response to the issue of world poverty, demonstrating that we are not doing enough as individuals, which is ethically indefensible. I have always been interested in issues relating to poverty, and from a young age have wondered what my obligations towards those living in poverty are as a privileged individual living in Australia.
Singer, a renowned utilitarian, presents his argument in the first chapters of the book for why we are in fact morally obligated to help the worlds poor. He uses the example of a child drowning in a pond, and asserts that if you saw a child drowning in a lake and you were in a position to save them, you should do so. According to Singer, if you are in a position to save a life without sacrificing something equally as important, you are morally obligated to do so, and a child halfway across the world is no different (to a child dying in front of you), just because you can’t see them. Here is a breakdown of Singer’s argument:
Premise 1: It is bad that people should suffer from a lack of clean drinkable water, basic healthcare, food security, and shelter.
Premise 2: If you are in a position to prevent something bad from happening without having to sacrifice something equally as important, it is wrong not to do so.
Premise 3: By giving money to humanitarian aid agencies you can prevent the suffering and death of someone from lack of clean drinkable water, basic healthcare, food security, and shelter, without having to sacrifice something equally important.
Conclusion: Therefore if you do not give anything to humanitarian aid agencies you are doing something ethically bad.
This video by PBS Crash Course does a great job of explaining Singer’s argument, and a popular objection to it by Garrett Hardin:
COMMON OBJECTIONS TO OUR OBLIGATION TO THE WORLD’S POOR
You aren’t well-off enough to give your money to the world’s poor: This is a very common objection to the notion that we are morally obligated to give to the world’s poor: you aren’t rich enough to have heaps of money to donate to the world’s poor. But as Singer so eloquently puts it in his book: if you have the money to buy yourself a bottle of water, a juice or a soda, when you have access to free, clean drinkable water from the tap, then you do have at least some money that you could be giving to the world’s poor.
We should help the struggling people in our own communities before helping others: Yes, it is true that pretty much every developed society still has people in their own communities who are struggling in some way. Something that I really don’t like to do is compare the struggles of people who are in completely different situations, but I feel as though when it comes to this argument we can still constructively compare the two situations and establish which situation should be addressed first without devaluing the struggles of the other. While Singer states in his book that there are 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty (what the UN defines as living on less than $1.25US a day) and these are the people who should be helped first, I prefer to refer to Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs. Maslow’s hierarchy is a 5 tier pyramid that describes the 5 levels of psychological need for humans, and each level can’t be achieved until the level below has been first. The first tier describes physiological needs such as shelter, food, and water, and the second tier is the need for security and safety, whether it be financial, from natural disasters, the military, etc. By comparing the needs of the world’s poor with those in our own societies and seeing where they fit in Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, we can then establish who ought to be be helped first. Regardless of where people come from, whether it be our own community or a community half way across the world, the people who don’t even have their physiological needs fulfilled are the ones we ought to help first.
Objections to the benefit of humanitarian aid: It is fair to believe that humanitarian aid is not the best way to go about alleviating world poverty, when disadvantaged communities and developing countries should instead focus on building a stable economy through things like trade, and developing more stable governments and social systems. While this is a very important point, this doesn’t devalue the importance of humanitarian aid in the fight to alleviate poverty, since humanitarian aid saves lives. While it is important to build stable economies, governments, and societies, it is equally as important to save lives while this is happening.
It’s Not Fair: Why should you give some of your hard earned money to the world’s poor when there are people far better off than you are who won’t do the same, that isn’t fair? While it may not be fair, morality isn’t about fairness. You are responsible for your own actions, and just because other people aren’t willing to save a life, that doesn’t mean it’s okay for you not to save a life either.
Why should I have to sacrifice things that bring me joy: It can seem unfair that you might have to sacrifice small luxuries that bring you joy and add value to your life, especially when you’ve worked hard to earn them. It might be easy for you to say “I’d rather buy new shoes than give my money to the poor,” but we shouldn’t think of aid as just giving our money away, we should think of humanitarian aid as saving a life. Could you still justify saying “I’d rather buy new shoes than save someone’s life.”
THE LIFE YOU CAN SAVE
The book itself goes further into giving to the worlds poor than just our moral obligations. Singer also addresses other philosophical considerations, he describes the practical obstacles to giving, and discusses problems associated with giving to certain charities. Singer also offers a plan for readers to figure out how much and how best to give to different charities. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about what we can do as individuals to act now to end world poverty.
In a recent youtube video, I shared my thoughts on the book, how it (amongst other things) influenced my passion for sustainable development, and give a little insight into the things I do as an activist for Campaign for Australian Aid; campaigning for cross-party commitment for Australia to increase its foreign aid budget. | <urn:uuid:8df785c9-4dec-4b13-bf49-dd2e2be5eb99> | {
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A power of attorney is a legal document where one person gives another person
the power and authority to act on his or her behalf.
The person giving the power is called the donor; the person receiving it is
called the "donee" or "agent".
A power of attorney typically refers to the power to make financial and
property decisions. Typically a different legal document is used for
decisions about personal care, although in some provinces such as New
Brunswick, personal care and financial matters can be in the same
There are several different types of powers of attorney in Canada.
Each province uses slightly different language, and very importantly, each has
different laws for making and relying on these powerful documents.
However powers of attorney can be divided into two broad
categories; a) those that start immediately and b) those that start or continue
even if the person becomes mentally incapable.
- general power of attorney -the other person has the power to manage
your finances and property only while you are mentally capable. It starts
- specific or special power of attorney -the other person has the
power to manage your finances and property only for a specific transaction
(sell this car) or a limited time (while you are out of the country)
- continuing or enduring powers of attorney -are in effect before the
donor becomes mentally incapable and continue afterwards and
- springing powers of attorney - first come into effect only once a
donor become mentally incapable and continue afterwards.
Western Canada Law Reform Agencies (2008)
Enduring Power of Attorney Areas for
Reform. Also available at:
Continuing Power of Attorney for Property
- Description: This pamphlet explains what a continuing power of attorney
for property is, reasons to make one, and what can happen if the person does
not have a continuing power of attorney. Written by the Advocacy Centre for
the Elderly and CLEO.
of Attorney for Personal Care (2008) 24 pages
- Description: This pamphlet explains what a Power of Attorney for Personal
Care is, reasons to make one, and what can happen if you do not. Topics
include how to make a Power of Attorney for Personal Care, when an attorney
can make decisions, the types of decisions they can make, and where to get
forms, legal information, and help. Written by the Advocacy Centre for the
Elderly and CLEO.
Oaknet (Older Adult Knowledge Network)
Public Legal Association of Saskatchewan.
Power of Attorney.
- Description: This pamphlet explains what a Power of Attorney is, who can
make one, types, duties of the person given the power of attorney;
explains the different between personal power of attorney and power of
attorney for property.
Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia
Power of Attorney December 2005
- Description: This pamphlet explains what a Power of Attorney is, types, how of power of attorney ends, the risks of a power of attorney,
and what can be done if the power is misused.
Public Legal Education and Information Society of New Brunswick.
- Description: This pamphlet explains what a Power of Attorney is, the
various types (for property and personal care), changing an existing power of
attorney into an enduring power of attorney, duties of the person given the
authority, revoking a power of attorney.
given in anticipation of incapacity Prepared by Éducaloi.
- Description: In this Infosheet, Éducaloi explains mandates given in
anticipation of incapacity: what they are, the forms they can take and the
steps to follow.
Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
Advance Care Planning-Definitions 2008
- Description: describes advance planning and advance care
directives; identifies the terms used for care directives within each
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AAC refers to any communication strategy used to compensate for the loss of speech. These strategies range from gestures and picture boards to computers, eye-gaze technologies and speech generating devices, and can be used by any person who cannot communicate effectively. There are many reasons why some children never develop speech, such as Autism, cerebral palsy, medical conditions, hearing loss etc, and an adult may lose their speech as a result of a head injury, a stroke or a degenerative condition. The ability to express oneself (have a voice) from early childhood forms the foundation for early language development and communication. AAC need not replace or hinder the potential for future speech or language development such as sign language but rather enhance it.
The decision to use AAC is a significant one and takes commitment. The way in which people use AAC will also change throughout the period of use and is dependent on their needs at a particular time. AAC assessment therefore is ongoing and must include the AAC user, their family and other regular communication partners. Interface KZN offers professional screening and evaluation for potential AAC users and their families. | <urn:uuid:5d18e0ba-d764-40ab-a076-27cb429346a6> | {
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WITH AIR POWER
TIME ALLOTMENT:One 1 hour lesson and 1 field trip
SUBJECT MATTER: Physical Science; Flight
From the National
Science Education Standards, Content Standards: K-4
PREP FOR TEACHER
Preview the video, know where your pause points are located. Know how to make the glider.
Copy the FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION page (Glider Worksheet) , the copy of the glider design, the distance investigation worksheet sand the 4 forces diagram.
Make an overhead of the vocabulary that you will use as you discuss the terms and one of a diagram of the 4 forces acting on a glider.
Step 1: To introduce the topic, read Jack Prelutsky’s poem, “ I am Flying!” Ask if they can predict what the lesson will be about. Discuss the answers. Ask, “Can you see the air or the wind? How do you know it’s there?” Discuss.
Ask how students think a bird flies and how the wings help. Students will write their ideas on the glider worksheet then they will discuss them. Explain the purpose for the lesson, “Today we are going to learn about gliders and flight mechanics. We’ll watch a Newton’s Apple show about gliders.”
Ask what they know about gliders or if anyone has had any experience with them? Gliders are the perfect tools to study flight mechanics because they have no engines.
Ask what characteristics they think might affect glider flight? Let them roll a piece of paper into a ball and Let it drop and watch how it falls. Smooth the paper out and watch how it falls.
Ask the following questions: Based on your observations: Why did the flat paper float? Does the weight of the paper have any effect on whether the paper falls or floats? How about surface area? Explain surface area. They will answer these questions on the glider worksheet. Explain that the greater the amount of air hitting the bottom of the paper, the more "lift" the air can give it. The wings of birds are similar to those of gliders. Not only do they have a large surface area, but they also have a special shape that helps keep them afloat.
Step 2: Tell your students that at the end of this lesson they will become design engineers for their own gliders. They will explore and perhaps adjust a few properties that must be considered to make the perfect glider.
Step 3: Preview the rest of the glider worksheet so the students will know what to look for as they watch the video.
The Secrets of Animal Flight, by Nic Bishop, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 1997.
A site that
explores how different insects fly. http://hannover.park.org/Canada
This site has
many designs and instructions for paper planes with downloadable templates.
Inspiration – First Flight. A guide to the Wright Brothers’ first flight.
Step 1: Have the class preview the glider worksheet and explain that you will pause the video in several places in order for them to complete their worksheet. This sheet and your pauses will be their FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION. The video is 9 minutes long.
START the video at the beginning of Newton’s Apple Glider show #1506. PAUSE shortly after the introduction and the questions, “How can a glider fly?” and “What will it take to make the perfect glider? Discuss and predict the possibilities. PLAY until you see the winner of the kids’ contest. PAUSE Discuss the four forces and answer the worksheet questions together. PLAY until after the words “A glider uses only gravity and moving to power flight. PAUSE Define drag on the worksheet. Answer the next questions. PLAY until the discussion of the wing shape is complete. PAUSE Check for comprehension. Explain how the shape of the wing affects the force “lift”. (It has a flat bottom and a large curve on the front. As air moves over the top it picks up speed and makes a lower pressure behind. This change in air pressure makes lift.) PLAY until the two men climb into the glider. STOP
Review the two things that they have seen that affect a glider’s flight. (wing shape and glider weight) PLAY through the discussion about thermal updrafts. STOP Add the definition about thermal updrafts to the worksheet. Point out that you often see birds such as hawks, eagles and crows circling over a thermal updraft to gain altitude without using any energy.
Step 2: Complete the glider worksheet. Vocabulary definitions:
Step 3: Complete the 4 forces diagram.
POST VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Step 2: Assessment:
Show the students the scoring guide that they will use to assess their
performance. Students will evaluate their own glider by using the scoring
Step 3: Display the gliders.
Step 4: Arrange
a field trip to a wind tunnel. (check your local airport). Ask if the
students may fly their gliders in the tunnel. Have the students write
a summary of the events of the day.
Make different gliders, change variables in the same one or continue the investigation in other ways.
For additional lesson plans and ideas relating to this topic and many others try TeacherSource at PBS Online! You will find activities, lesson plans, teacher guides and links to other great educational web sites! Search the database by keyword, grade level or subject area! Mathline and Scienceline are also great resources for teachers seeking teaching tips, lesson plans, assessment methods, professional development, and much more!
Idaho 2001 National Teacher Training Institute is made possible through
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Hispanics lead drop in nation's birthrate
Updated 1:00 am, Tuesday, January 1, 2013
ORLANDO, Fla. - Hispanic women in the United States, who have generally had the highest fertility rates in the country, are choosing to have fewer children, new research indicates.
Both immigrant and native-born Latinas had steeper birthrate declines from 2007 to 2010 than other groups, including non-Hispanic whites, blacks and Asians, a drop some demographers and sociologists attribute to changes in the views of many Hispanic women about motherhood.
As a result, in 2011, the U.S. birthrate hit a record low, with 63 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, led by the decline in births to immigrant women. The national birthrate is now about half what it was during the baby boom years, when it peaked in 1957 at 122.7 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age.
The decline in birthrates was steepest among Mexican-American women and women who immigrated from Mexico, at 25.7 percent. This has reversed a trend in which immigrant mothers accounted for a rising share of births in the United States, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center. In 2010, birthrates among all Hispanics reached their lowest level in 20 years, the center found.
The sudden drop-off, which coincided with the onset of the recession, suggests that attitudes have changed since the days when older generations of Latinos prized large families and more closely followed Roman Catholic teachings, which forbid artificial contraception.
Interviews with young Latinas, as well as reproductive health experts, show that the reasons for deciding to have fewer children are many, involving greater access to information about contraceptives and women's health, as well as higher education. | <urn:uuid:900bc25d-173b-43e9-8577-73915586bf1a> | {
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Some organs superficially appear to be similar and perform the same function. For example, their wings allow butterflies and birds to fly; and both cats and beetles use their legs to walk. But these creatures have completely different genetic and anatomical structures. This kind of similarity is only superficial.20
The wings of a flying reptile, a bird, and a bat. There can be no evolutionary relationship among them, yet these wings all have similar structures.
Darwin stated that creatures with similar (so-called homologous) organs were related to one another by evolution, and that these organs must have been developed in some common ancestor. However, his assertion rests on no proof and was merely a supposition made on the basis of external similarities. From Darwin’s time until now, no solid evidence has been discovered to substantiate these assertions.
But many species among which evolutionists have been unable to establish an evolutionary connection do have similar (homologous) organs. The wing is the best known example. Bats, which are mammals, have wings and so do birds. Flies and many varieties of insects have wings, but evolutionists have not been able to establish any evolutionary connection or relationship among these various classes.
According to evolutionary theory, wings came to be by chance in four independent groups: in insects, flying reptiles, birds and bats. When evolutionists try to explain these four instances by the mechanisms of natural selection/mutation and assert a similarity of structure among them, biologists come up against a serious impasse.
Mammals are one of the most concrete examples that draw the evolutionary thesis into a blind alley. Modern biology accepts that all mammals are divided into two basic categories: those with placentas, and marsupials. Evolutionists suppose that this difference came into existence with the first mammals and that each category underwent a different evolutionary history, independently of the other. But it is interesting that in each of these two categories, there are almost two “identical pairs”. Wolves, cats, squirrels, anteaters, moles and mice with their similar features belong both to the category of mammals with placentas and marsupials.21 In other words, according to the theory of evolution, totally independent mutations must have produced these two categories of creatures by chance! Of course, this is impossible.
One of the interesting similarities between placental mammals and marsupials is that between the North American wolf and the Tasmanian wolf. The first is classed as a mammal with a placenta; the second as a marsupial. (It is supposed that contact between marsupials and placental was severed when Australia and its costal islands separated from the continent of Antarctica—and that there were no species of wolves at that time.)
But structurally, that the skeletons of the North American wolf and the Tasmanian wolf are almost identical. As the above illustration shows, their skulls match almost exactly.
Such similarities, which evolutionist biologists cannot accept as examples of homology, demonstrate that similar organs do not prove the thesis of evolution from a common ancestor.
The Tasmanian Wolf and a Similar Animal from North America
The existence of twin species between pouched and placental mammals is a serious blow to the homological claim. For example, the placental wolf from North America and the pouched Tasmanian wolf above bear an extraordinary resemblance to one another. To the side can be seen the two species’ very similar skulls. Such a close similarity between these two, for which no evolutionary relationship can be claimed, leaves the homological claim totally unfounded. | <urn:uuid:0f635c6c-e7c0-49f4-9b84-3b7312d1b8a2> | {
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Presentation on theme: "Approaches to Ancient History Week 3: evaluating theory."— Presentation transcript:
Approaches to Ancient History Week 3: evaluating theory
Evaluating theory 1 Focus not only on identifying general concepts and processes, but on evaluating their plausibility. Breadth of generalisation: how large a geographical area, how long a period of time, how many aspects of human activity does it purport to cover? Universal or historically specific?
Evaluating Theory 2 Status of generalisation: what sort of knowledge does it claim to provide? Invariable laws of human behaviour, or a sense of the range of possibilities in particular circumstances? Social science offers different sorts of models: deliberate simplification of reality in order to highlight key aspects.
Evaluating Theory 3 As with any historical account, need to consider plausibility of interpretation of evidence, compared with alternative interpretations. Which can explain the most and has to ignore the least? Problem: evidence can be interpreted in different ways according to prior assumptions. Incommensurability.
Evaluating Theory 4 Evaluate not only in respect to evidence, but also political and moral criteria. No neutral vantage point? Grand narrative ; some form of narrative structure indispensable? How far may the plausibility of an account depend on whether it tells the sort of story we want to hear? | <urn:uuid:c6f9cf73-33a4-43d4-8065-ea752254402b> | {
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Canine laryngeal paralysis, Part 2: Surgical treatment, aftercare, prognosis and complications
Last month, we looked the epidemiology, diagnosis and medical management of laryngeal paralysis in dogs. The most effective means of treating laryngeal paralysis is with surgery. However, the limitations and potential complications of surgery should be understood and carefully explained to the clients before commencing.
The ideal treatment for this disease would be to reverse the underlying neuropathy or myopathy that affects the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (CAD) muscles. At this time, no medical therapy accomplishes this, and surgery to achieve this goal entails grafting neuromuscular pedicle transfers from nearby functional muscles onto the CAD muscles. While elegant in principle, the technique for reproducible success with such surgery in dogs remains elusive. Hence, the operations that are currently offered are those that share the common goal of widening the glottal diameter.
It is important to stress that such surgery is not restoring normal function to the larynx. It is equally important to remember that this complex organ not only has evolved to open the glottis in response to needs for oxygen delivery and for phonation, but also to close, mostly as a way of protecting the airway during swallowing of food and liquids, since the pathways for air movement and swallowing evolved with an unfortunate crossing within the pharynx. The loss of this latter function helps explain the signs of dysphagia often noted before treatment and has major implications in the postoperative phase. It also means that dogs with megaesophagus are at much higher risk for aspiration pneumonia after surgery—a factor that might alter the client's decision.Surgical options
Widening of the glottal opening may be accomplished via partial laryngectomy, laryngoplasty or some combination of these.
Partial laryngectomy usually entails bilateral ventriculocordectomy and unilateral or bilateral partial arytenoidectomy, literally carving a bigger opening. Such surgery (especially arytenoidectomy) may induce severe bleeding and laryngeal edema and may cause quite a bit of discomfort for the patient. Dogs may require a temporary tracheotomy if swelling is severe, and hospitalization times may be prolonged and intensive.
Laryngoplasty techniques are those that strive to widen the glottis without removing tissue. Some are invasive into the laryngeal lumen (e.g., castellated laryngofissure), while others allow manipulations to remain extraluminal. In the latter category is the most widely used and recommended technique, the arytenoid lateralization laryngoplasty, commonly referred to as a tie back. With minor modifications based on the surgeon's preference for positioning, incision, suture material and location of the prosthetic suture or sutures, the shared goal is to place one or two sutures from the muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage (insertion point for the CAD muscle) to either the caudodorsal aspect of the cricoid cartilage (the natural origin of the CAD muscle) or the lamina of the thyroid cartilage. As these sutures are tied, they mimic the contraction of the CAD muscle and, thus, abduct the arytenoid. | <urn:uuid:6c1a6402-dab6-4491-bd18-94dc1e748759> | {
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IP addresses do not contain letters and spaces, its only contains digits and dots. Therefore, 192.168.l.l0 IP address is incorrect. If you have problems accessing the router management interface, make sure that the IP address you wrote is correct. The addresses that may be associated with this IP address are: 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
If you do not have access to the router management interface, or if you do not know your username or password even though you have typed the IP address correctly, click the "More Information" button. | <urn:uuid:7fd5efe2-3ba1-4b45-931b-65bcf95c3d88> | {
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Perceived facial expressions of emotion as motivational incentives: Evidence from a differential implicit learning
When the MIT researchers studied the behavior of animals learning different tasks, they found signs that different tasks might require either explicit or implicit learning
A potential explanation may be that novices initially rely on explicit, declarative knowledge when learning a complex task, but capacity for implicit learning
increases with familiarity of the task (Gobel et al.
In terms of explicit and implicit learning
, the Explicit Monitoring Theory suggests high-pressure situations cause the brain to revert to explicit skill functioning, and like the beginner, the body begins processing skills mechanicallv.
Coaches for the most part, base decisions on their own experiences as athletes or utilize intuitive approaches (Nash & Sproule, 2009), frequently overlooking effective evidence-based methods such as modeling, implicit learning
or deliberate practice that can be combined with traditional coaching methods.
It is assumed that by an analysis of the processes leading to implicit learning
in conventional digital games, the underlying principles can be made explicit and subsequently used for designing DLGs effective for curricular learning.
The researchers from Stanford, Northwestern and Stanford Research Institute have created a system which depends on implicit learning
, where you absorb new information without being aware that you've actually learnt anything, Extreme Tech explains.
Because the specific instructions provided to participants in the present study were to maintain focus on the task, evidence that stability was increased suggests an implicit learning
This study was conducted to determine the relationship of color, on implicit learning
in the classroom.
These data reveal the importance of informal and implicit learning
by workers in performing their jobs, which has the effect of transforming their abilities and modifying their jobs.
is linked to successful participation in social interaction (OECD, 2001b).
As implicit learning
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Scholastic’s What If You Had series by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Howard McWilliam, presents an irresistible combination of factual information and whimsical imagining in this series of engrossing nonfiction books.
I love that the specific science information sticks because readers get to relate it directly to their own lives. This is an important reading comprehension strategy that good readers use. (See reading comprehension strategies here.)
The illustrations show kids of color and kids in wheelchairs — yeah! The imaginative pictures show the silly, often laugh-out-loud, version of kids with the animal part. You’ll love them.
Even though these are short, 32-page non fiction books, the Lexile level is high (in the 900s) so I would recommend these books for read aloud, guided reading, or shared reading for kindergarten, first and second grades (ages 5, 6, and 7) and independent reading for grade three and up (ages 8+.)
What If You Had NonFiction Book Series
What If You Had an Animal Nose!?
Colorful, well-designed layout make this pleasing to read. First, you’ll read a page with color photographs and information about the animal’s unique nose. Then, the next page shows an illustration with a kid that has the animal nose instead of a human nose.
Learn how the Tapir has a handy nose made of muscle to bend and move which is called a proboscis. If you had a tapir’s nose, you could use it to catch a home-run ball.
Or read about the grizzly bear’s nose with lots of smell sensors for tracking down food. Imagine that if you had one, you could sniff out the best houses for treats on Halloween.
What other noses will you learn about? An elephant, cottontail rabbit, saiga, star-nosed mole, rhinoceros, giant anteater, Bourret’s horseshoe bat, and hammerhead shark.
The book concludes with information extolling the virtues of your human nose. Plus, how to take good care of it.
What If You Had Animal Hair!?
Can you imagine waking up to find you had hair like a . . . polar bear? (It would be easier to play outdoors in cold and wet weather!) Or how about a three-toed sloth? (You’d ever be alone since your hair is the home for many harmless insects.)
In the same structure as all of the What If You Had books, read about the animal’s hair then see how it would be for you to have it, too. Animals include: Arctic fox, giant pangolin, porcupine, zebra, and more.
Finish with information on how human hair grows then how to take care of it. Good stuff.
What If You Had Animal Teeth!?
Imagine you lost two front teeth. Instead of growing adult human front teeth, you grow animal teeth instead!
How about beaver teeth? They’re filled with iron, orange, and would help you gnaw tough stuff all day.
Great white shark teeth are sharp like a steak knife. Since their teeth are in layers, you’d never worry about gaps in your teeth since one would be already grown and waiting.
Or how about a narwhal? (My daughter’s favorite animal.) Your tusk / tooth would help you poke around for fish or fight enemies.
Read what it would be like to have the teeth of other animals like an elephant, rattlesnake, naked mole rat, vampire bat, hippopotamus, Bengal tiger, crocodile, and camel.
The illustrations in this book are wild and CRAZY. You’ll wince seeing the little girl smiling with a mouth filled with tons of sharp shark teeth. Or the boy in the dentist’s chair with crocodile front teeth that stick out over his lips. They’re all quite dramatic!
Other Books in the What If You Had Series: | <urn:uuid:56ade109-9ef6-4598-8f78-f7241fb88047> | {
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How many carbs you eat might be less important for your blood sugar than your food’s glycemic load….
That’s the conclusion of a new study of healthy adults, which questions the way people with Type 1 diabetes determine how much insulin they should take before meals.
In Type 1 diabetes, which affects about 3 million Americans, the pancreas doesn’t produce sufficient amounts of the hormone insulin, which helps ferry sugar from the blood into cells. So people with the disease are quickly overwhelmed when the sugar in their food hits the bloodstream.
To avoid the dangerous blood sugar surge, diabetics inject insulin before a meal — usually based on how many carbohydrates they will be downing.
But the new study at the University of Sydney in Australia, by Jiansong Bao and colleagues, hints the number of carbs alone might not be the best way to go.
Instead, the so-called glycemic load of a food, which also takes into account how quickly it makes the blood sugar rise, might work better. Foods with soluble fiber, such as apples and rolled oats, typically have a low glycemic index, one of the contributors to glycemic load.
The researchers took finger-prick blood samples from 10 healthy young people who ate a total of 120 different types of food — all with the same calorie content. They also had two groups of volunteers eat meals with various staples from the Western diet, such as cereal, bread, eggs and steak.
The glycemic load repeatedly trumped the carb count in predicting the blood sugar and insulin rise after a meal.
“It suggests that the methods used to assess carbs in persons with Type 1 diabetes might benefit from some rethinking,” said Dr. Edward J. Boyko, a diabetes expert at the University of Washington in Seattle who wasn’t involved in the study.
But he said it wasn’t certain the findings would hold up in people who aren’t completely healthy.
The glycemic load is calculated by multiplying the amount of carbs in grams per serving by the food’s glycemic index divided by 100.
Foods with a low glycemic index cause the blood sugar to rise slowly, and so put little pressure on the pancreas to produce insulin.
Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers say their findings also suggest that eating foods with high glycemic loads could be linked to chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes — which does not require insulin injections — and heart disease by raising blood sugar and insulin levels.
But that is not clear from the study, which only looked at blood sugar and insulin changes up to two hours after a meal, said Boyko. Also, “It would just be speculation whether a dietary change like this would help people with Type 2 diabetes.”
Long-term effects and other nutrients in the food might also be important for disease risk, for instance. And the most important problem remains pure and simple: overeating, according to Boyko.
“The excess weight is the main thing we ought to focus on,” he said. “The simplest message would be, eat less.”
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online February 16, 2011. | <urn:uuid:2c29079e-08d0-47dc-8c94-0fb16b857c6e> | {
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|This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)|
||It has been suggested that this article be merged into Spatial analysis. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2016.|
Geospatial analysis, or just spatial analysis, is an approach to applying statistical analysis and other analytic techniques to data which has a geographical or spatial aspect. Such analysis would typically employ software capable of rendering maps processing spatial data, and applying analytical methods to terrestrial or geographic datasets, including the use of geographic information systems and geomatics.
Geographical information system usage
Geographic information systems (GIS), which is a large domain that provides a variety of capabilities designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data, and utilizes geospatial analysis in a variety of contexts, operations and applications.
Geospatial analysis, using GIS, was developed for problems in the environmental and life sciences, in particular ecology, geology and epidemiology. It has extended to almost all industries including defense, intelligence, utilities, Natural Resources (i.e. Oil and Gas, Forestry ... etc.), social sciences, medicine and Public Safety (i.e. emergency management and criminology), disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), and climate change adaptation (CCA). Spatial statistics typically result primarily from observation rather than experimentation.
Vector-based GIS is typically related to operations such as map overlay (combining two or more maps or map layers according to predefined rules), simple buffering (identifying regions of a map within a specified distance of one or more features, such as towns, roads or rivers) and similar basic operations. This reflects (and is reflected in) the use of the term spatial analysis within the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) “simple feature specifications”. For raster-based GIS, widely used in the environmental sciences and remote sensing, this typically means a range of actions applied to the grid cells of one or more maps (or images) often involving filtering and/or algebraic operations (map algebra). These techniques involve processing one or more raster layers according to simple rules resulting in a new map layer, for example replacing each cell value with some combination of its neighbours’ values, or computing the sum or difference of specific attribute values for each grid cell in two matching raster datasets. Descriptive statistics, such as cell counts, means, variances, maxima, minima, cumulative values, frequencies and a number of other measures and distance computations are also often included in this generic term spatial analysis. Spatial analysis includes a large variety of statistical techniques (descriptive, exploratory, and explanatory statistics) that apply to data that vary spatially and which can vary over time. Some more advanced statistical techniques include Getis-ord Gi* or Anselin Local Moran's I which are used to determine clustering patterns of spatially referenced data.
Geospatial analysis goes beyond 2D and 3D mapping operations and spatial statistics. It includes:
- Surface analysis —in particular analysing the properties of physical surfaces, such as gradient, aspect and visibility, and analysing surface-like data “fields”;
- Network analysis — examining the properties of natural and man-made networks in order to understand the behaviour of flows within and around such networks; and locational analysis. GIS-based network analysis may be used to address a wide range of practical problems such as route selection and facility location (core topics in the field of operations research, and problems involving flows such as those found in hydrology and transportation research. In many instances location problems relate to networks and as such are addressed with tools designed for this purpose, but in others existing networks may have little or no relevance or may be impractical to incorporate within the modeling process. Problems that are not specifically network constrained, such as new road or pipeline routing, regional warehouse location, mobile phone mast positioning or the selection of rural community health care sites, may be effectively analysed (at least initially) without reference to existing physical networks. Locational analysis "in the plane" is also applicable where suitable network datasets are not available, or are too large or expensive to be utilised, or where the location algorithm is very complex or involves the examination or simulation of a very large number of alternative configurations.
- Geovisualization — the creation and manipulation of images, maps, diagrams, charts, 3D views and their associated tabular datasets. GIS packages increasingly provide a range of such tools, providing static or rotating views, draping images over 2.5D surface representations, providing animations and fly-throughs, dynamic linking and brushing and spatio-temporal visualisations. This latter class of tools is the least developed, reflecting in part the limited range of suitable compatible datasets and the limited set of analytical methods available, although this picture is changing rapidly. All these facilities augment the core tools utilised in spatial analysis throughout the analytical process (exploration of data, identification of patterns and relationships, construction of models, and communication of results)
Mobile Geospatial Computing
Traditionally geospatial computing has been performed primarily on personal computers (PCs) or servers. Due to the increasing capabilities of mobile devices, however, geospatial computing in mobile devices is a fast-growing trend. The portable nature of these devices, as well as the presence of useful sensors, such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and barometric pressure sensors, make them useful for capturing and processing geospatial information in the field. In addition to the local processing of geospatial information on mobile devices, another growing trend is cloud-based geospatial computing. In this architecture, data can be collected in the field using mobile devices and then transmitted to cloud-based servers for further processing and ultimate storage. In a similar manner, geospatial information can be made available to connected mobile devices via the cloud, allowing access to vast databases of geospatial information anywhere where a wireless data connection is available.
- "Graduate Program in Spatial Analysis". Ryerson University. Ryerson University. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- geospatial. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 11th Edition. Retrieved 5tth August 2012 from CollinsDictionary.com website: http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/geospatial
- Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon Copyright © 2003-2010 Dictionary.com, LLC http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/geospatial
- The geospatial web – blending physical and virtual spaces., Arno Scharl in receiver magazine, Autumn 2008
- Chen, Ruizhi; Guinness, Robert E. (2014). Geospatial Computing in Mobile Devices (1st ed.). Norwood, MA: Artech House. p. 228. ISBN 978-1-60807-565-2. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- Awange, Joseph; Paláncz, Béla (2016). Geospatial Algebraic Computations, Theory and Applications, Third Edition. New York: Springer. ISBN 978-3319254630.
||This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (August 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)|
- Rolta’s Geospatial Fusion™ Solution
- Cartography and Geographic Information Society - USA (CaGIS)
- Association of American Geographers (AAG), Spatial Analysis Special Interest Group
- Association for Geographic Information - UK (AGI)
- American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing (ASPRS)
- Cartography and Geographic Information Society
- Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA)
- Centre for Spatially Integrated Social Science (CSISS)
- STARS Entry-Level Geospatial Certification
- Centre for Computational Geography
- DGI - European Geospatial Intelligence Conference
- European Commission Joint Research Centre (CEC/JRC) Geostatistics Unit
- EURO Working Group on Locational Analysis
- Free GIS Organization – portal and mailing list
- Geospatial Information & Technology Association
- Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies (JB GIS)
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
- Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC):
- Open Source Geospatial Foundation:
- Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers: GIS in Teaching
- Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Thessaly, Greece
- SPLINT: Spatial Literacy in Teaching
- Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER): U.S. Census Bureau
- US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation
- Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) | <urn:uuid:4c45cc2f-3401-4555-b180-56d58e89c246> | {
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“Radio systems having a data rate of 1 terabit per second appear to be feasible.”
Extension of cable-based telecommunication networks requires high investments in both conurbations and rural areas. Broadband data transmission via radio relay links might help to cross rivers, motorways or nature protection areas at strategic node points, and to make network extension economically feasible. In the current issue of Nature Photonics, researchers present a method for wireless data transmission at a world-record rate of 100 gigabits per second (Gb/s).
In their record experiment, 100 gigabits of data per second were transmitted at a frequency of 237.5 GHz over a distance of 20 m in the laboratory. In previous field experiments under the “Millilink” project funded by the BMBF, rates of 40 gigabits per second and transmission distances of more than 1 km were reached. For their latest world record, the scientists applied a photonic method to generate the radio signals at the transmitter. After radio transmission, fully integrated electronic circuits were used in the receiver.
“Our project focused on integration of a broadband radio relay link into fiber-optical systems,” Professor Ingmar Kallfass says. He coordinated the “Millilink” project under a shared professorship funded by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Since early 2013, he has been conducting research at Stuttgart University. “For rural areas in particular, this technology represents an inexpensive and flexible alternative to optical fiber networks, whose extension can often not be justified from an economic point of view.” Kallfass also sees applications for private homes: “At a data rate of 100 gigabits per second, it would be possible to transmit the contents of a blue-ray disk or of five DVDs between two devices by radio within two seconds only.”
In the experiments, latest photonic and electronic technologies were combined: First, the radio signals are generated by means of an optical method. Several bits are combined by so-called data symbols and transmitted at the same time. Upon transmission, the radio signals are received by active integrated electronic circuits.
The transmitter generates the radio signals by means of an ultra-broadband so-called photon mixer made by the Japanese company NTT-NEL. For this, two optical laser signals of different frequencies are superimposed on a photodiode. An electrical signal results, the frequency of which equals the frequency difference of both optical signals, here, 237.5 GHz. The millimeter-wave electrical signal is then radiated via an antenna.
“It is a major advantage of the photonic method that data streams from fiber-optical systems can directly be converted into high-frequency radio signals,” Professor Jürg Leuthold says. He proposed the photonic extension that was realized in this project. The former head of the KIT Institute of Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ) is now affiliated with ETH Zurich. “This advantage makes the integration of radio relay links of high bit rates into optical fiber networks easier and more flexible.“ In contrast to a purely electronic transmitter, no intermediate electronic circuit is needed. “Due to the large bandwidth and the good linearity of the photon mixer, the method is excellently suited for transmission of advanced modulation formats with multiple amplitude and phase states. This will be a necessity in future fiber-optical systems,” Leuthold adds.
Reception of radio signals is based on electronic circuits. In the experiment, a semiconductor chip was employed that was produced by the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) within the framework of the “Millilink” project. The semiconductor technology is based on high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMT) enabling the fabrication of active, broadband receivers for the frequency range between 200 and 280 GHz. The integrated circuits have a chip size of a few square millimeters only. The receiver chip can also cope with advanced modulation formats. As a result, the radio link can be integrated into modern optical fiber networks in a bit-transparent way.
Already in May this year the team succeeded in transmitting a data rate of 40 gigabits per second over a long distance in the laboratory using a purely electronic system. In addition, data were transmitted successfully over a distance of one kilometer from one high-riser to another in the Karlsruhe City center. “The long transmission distances in “Millilink” were reached with conventional antennas that may be replaced by fully integrated miniaturized antenna designs in future compact systems for indoor use,” says Professor Thomas Zwick, Head of the KIT Institut für Hochfrequenztechnik und Elektronik (Institute of High-Frequency Technology and Electronics). The present data rate can be still increased. “By employing optical and electrical multiplexing techniques, i.e., by simultaneously transmitting multiple data streams, and by using multiple transmitting and receiving antennas, the data rate could be multiplied,” says Swen König from the KIT Institute of Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ), who conceived and conducted the recent world-record experiment. “Hence, radio systems having a data rate of 1 terabit per second appear to be feasible.”
The Latest on: Wireless Data Transmission
New TransferJet X standard achieves 10 Gbps of high rate, close proximity wireless communications
on June 20, 2018 at 10:07 pm
It is a point-to-point wireless personal area network ... is that in order to improve the transmission speed, the unlicensed 60GHz frequency band is adopted, and using 256 QAM, it can achieve a maximum data rate of 13.1 Gbps of SISO (single-input, single ... […]
Top US carriers promise to stop selling customer location data to third-party brokers
on June 20, 2018 at 9:02 am
The move comes after Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai last month asking the agency to investigate the “abusive and potentially unlawful practices of wireless ... "We ended all transmission of customer data to Securus ... […]
Smart Antenna Market to Grow Swiftly Owing to Rising Demand for Wireless Communication Till 2025 | Million Insights
on June 20, 2018 at 3:27 am
Rising demand for wireless communication and high speed communication ... however, MISO technology is mainly used to reduce the errors and advance the speed of data transmission and allows the customization of signals. The market may be categorized based ... […]
Wireless Gigabit Industry 2018: World Market Analysis, Trends and Size - Forecast to 2024 - ResearchAndMarkets.com
on June 19, 2018 at 3:18 pm
The benefits of wireless gigabit such as faster communication and rapid data transmission more than Wi-Fi technology drives the growth of wireless gigabit market. In addition, the wireless gigabit has potential to offer instantaneous synchronization and ... […]
Verizon and AT&T will stop selling your phone’s location to data brokers
on June 19, 2018 at 11:14 am
Under this approved use, "When a wireless customer receives a call from an ... "was never approved by T-Mobile and we quickly shut down any transmission of our customers' location data to Securus," T-Mobile wrote. But T-Mobile told Wyden that it will ... […]
via Google News and Bing News | <urn:uuid:923fb3f1-f123-44b0-be6d-54198b0a3866> | {
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Structure Causes Behavior
Systems thinkers have long adopted the iceberg analogy as a way to describe the events, patterns, and underlying structures that drive the behaviors that affect performance within a system.
The iceberg is a perfect metaphor because it depicts just how much of what is really going on lies beneath the surface—out of sight. For many, out of sight also means out of mind. That mindset limits an organization’s ability to improve, live up to its potential, and consistently accomplish its stated goals and objectives.
In this analogy, events are represented by the tip of the iceberg, or the small portion visible above the waterline. Events happen now. The midsection—the partially visible portion of the iceberg just beneath the waterline—represents repeatable behavioral patterns that play out over time. As events are strung together, they create these recognizable patterns or trends.
Even further below the surface lies the underlying structure. Think of the structure as the foundation that creates the patterns and events. It’s the causal driver of behaviors. The hardest-to-see portion of the structure is the most important because it gives us a deep knowledge of how things really function and helps us predict behavior. When we understand the underlying structure, we can take higher-leverage actions to create different behaviors that result in the outcomes we most desire.
Robert Fritz, the founder of Structural Thinking, has been examining the effects of structure on performance for over three decades. Structural Thinking is based on two main principles: the inescapable laws of structure and the path of least resistance. It’s part art and part science—a comprehensive set of tools, techniques, and methodologies used to examine an underlying structure then restructure it to promote individual, team, or organizational success.
Structural law states that energy follows the path of least resistance. Imagine a river flowing along—the riverbed is a good example of the path of least resistance. The underlying structure determines behavior—the spots where the river is raging or where it simply drifts along based on the formation of the underlying riverbed. You can change the underlying structure to form a new path of least resistance. Changes to the riverbed will affect the behavior—the direction or flow—of the river.
There are two types of structure. Structural tension leads to advancement, or a process of continual improvement. Structural conflict leads to oscillation, or a pattern of advancement followed by a setback. It’s the one-step forward, one-step back syndrome.
I recently attended Fritz’s Fundamentals of Structural Thinking workshop at his comfortable conference facility in southern Vermont. Robert and Rosalind Fritz guide participants deep beneath the surface to learn how to see underlying structure: the flows of people, resources, information, habits, and agreements that drive individual as well as organizational behaviors.
It’s a captivating process, as you develop the ability to recognize the forces at play, unravel the complexity, understand the influences, and see relationships. Little by little, you see the potential for creating a new structure that supports improved performance.
Structural Thinking is a straightforward, effective, and fun mental workout that takes practice. You need to retrain your mind to think in pictures and be willing to hang out in an “I don’t know the answer” state of mind. As you engage in the first few exercises, you are fully aware of the chatter in your head and your mind’s desire to problem solve.
You also notice the clarity of mind that happens when the process clicks, even though it may only last for a few seconds at first. As you gain experience, your mind starts to accept this new view, and a few seconds turn into a few minutes. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to clear your mind and focus.
We know that moving down the iceberg provides a deeper understanding of the structure and a clearer picture of the dynamics and complexity at work in a system. It also provides increased leverage for driving lasting change. Structural Thinking provides a key in analyzing the “why” behind existing behaviors and freeing yourself to create new structures that produce better results.
Mark Alpert is president of Pegasus Communications and is a special guest contributor to Rethinking Complexity. | <urn:uuid:5045bca5-21f6-46c7-bf2c-0535b7ef436b> | {
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By Marcela Jenney-Reyes
How does personal branding “translate” around the globe in other cultures?
Cross-cultural Public Speaking
Mastering the art of public speaking can be a difficult task for many. How is it that some people seem to capture and hold an audience so well, sometimes for even the most boring of subjects? While imagining that your listeners are all naked might work for you, there are much better tricks to remember when you want to give a captivating presentation. Keeping these tips in the forefront of your mind will help your speech every time, especially in the special situation where your audience is one of many backgrounds and, as a result, has varying expectations.
Things to remember when speaking publicly. The ultimate goal of your presentation is to share your information in a manner that your audience will understand and remember. To achieve this, it is important to keep your listeners interested in what you are saying so they will be totally absorbed in your words.
- Make your presentation a story. Everyone loves stories, which are by nature easy to remember. Incorporating a plot with characters and personalities will spice up your speech, especially if it´s related to your place of origin or upbringing in a different culture.
- Involve your audience. When speaking in front of a room of many cultures, or an audience whose background is different from your own, your words may be interpreted in ways other than you intended. By allowing room for feedback and incorporating the listener, you can measure how your message is being received and thus make appropriate adjustments.
- Stay genuine. Honesty is one of the most important virtues around the globe. It is a value that consistently cuts through cultural barriers. People are keen on dishonesty and, if they sense even the slightest bit of insincerity, you will lose all credibility and listener interest.
- Don’t impress. While this may seem counter-intuitive, the fact of the matter is that most people don’t care about your awards and certifications. Carefully choose your words and actions so that you aren’t implying that you are better than your audience in any way. Your listeners will only absorb your words if they feel that they are being respected, not contested.
There isn’t one perfect way to give a good presentation. Ultimately, what will define the success of your presentation is not necessarily how well you gave it. More important is how your audience interprets your message and what they choose to do with it. When all is said and done, the ultimate success of your presentation lies in your audience and the impact that your message has on them.
Marcela Jenney-Reyes is a global marketing expert, business coach and consultant with over 20 years of experience. Her clients include language service providers, entrepreneurs and business professionals from culturally diverse backgrounds. | <urn:uuid:30774a28-1215-48b0-84a6-744b62c8fd2a> | {
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Have you ever taken a course, or went to a lecture, where the content was presented so rapidly or in so complex a fashion that you learned next to nothing? If so, your working memory was most likely overloaded over and above its capacity.
Working memory and its limitations
We all process information in three steps: 1) sensory information is received, where it is 2) either dismissed or temporarily retained in working memory, and finally, 3) either discarded or stored in long-term memory.
The issue is, there is a limit to the quantity of information your working memory can hold. Imagine your working memory as an empty glass: you can fill it with water, but once full, additional water just pours out the side.
That’s why, if you’re talking to someone who’s preoccupied or on their smartphone, your words are just flowing out of their already filled working memory. So you have to repeat yourself, which they’ll comprehend only when they empty their cognitive cup, dedicating the mental resources necessary to understand your message.
Working memory and hearing loss
So what does this have to do with hearing loss? When it comes to speech comprehension, just about everything.
If you have hearing loss, especially high-frequency hearing loss (the most common), you probably have difficulty hearing the higher-pitched consonant sounds of speech. Because of this, it’s easy to misunderstand what is said or to miss out on words completely.
But that’s not all. In addition to not hearing some spoken words, you’re also straining your working memory as you attempt to comprehend speech using supplemental information like context and visual cues.
This continual processing of incomplete information burdens your working memory beyond its potential. And to make matters worse, as we get older, the volume of our working memory declines, exacerbating the consequences.
Working memory and hearing aids
Hearing loss taxes working memory, produces stress, and impedes communication. But what about hearing aids? Hearing aids are supposed to enhance hearing, so in theory hearing aids should free up working memory and improve speech comprehension, right?
That’s precisely what Jamie Desjardins, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Speech-Language Pathology Program at The University of Texas at El Paso, was about to find out.
DesJardins studied a group of men and women in their 50s and 60s with bilateral hearing loss who had never used hearing aids. They took a preliminary cognitive test that measured working memory, attention, and information processing speed, prior to ever wearing a pair of hearing aids.
After wearing hearing aids for two weeks, the group retook the test. What DesJardins found was that the group participants exhibited significant improvement in their cognitive aptitude, with greater short-term recall and quicker processing speed. The hearing aids had expanded their working memory, reduced the quantity of information tangled up in working memory, and helped them accelerate the speed at which they processed information.
The implications of the study are wide-ranging. With elevated cognitive function, hearing aid users could find improvement in virtually every aspect of their lives. Better speech comprehension and memory can improve conversations, strengthen relationships, enhance learning, and augment efficiency at work.
This experiment is one that you can test out for yourself. Our hearing aid trial period will permit you to run your own no-risk experiment to find out if you can achieve similar improvements in memory and speech comprehension.
Are you up for the task? | <urn:uuid:9c48b368-2e2e-4ca0-9325-cfa05b900d8e> | {
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How the iPhone Works
[Editor’s Note: This is one of our favorite articles to update. While we parse Apple’s announcements, here’s the not-so-basic technology behind the iPhone.]
Electronic devices can use lots of different methods to detect a person’s input on a touch screen. Most of them use sensors and circuitry to monitor changes in a particular state. Many, including the iPhone, monitor changes in electrical current. Others monitor changes in the reflection of waves. These can be sound waves or beams of near-infrared light. A few systems use transducers to measure changes in vibration caused when your finger hits the screen’s surface or cameras to monitor changes in light and shadow.
The basic idea is pretty simple — when you place your finger or a stylus on the screen, it changes the state that the device is monitoring. In screens that rely on sound or light waves, your finger physically blocks or reflects some of the waves. Capacitive touch screens use a layer of capacitive material to hold an electrical charge; touching the screen changes the amount of charge at a specific point of contact. In resistive screens, the pressure from your finger causes conductive and resistive layers of circuitry to touch each other, changing the circuits’ resistance.
Most of the time, these systems are good at detecting the location of exactly one touch. If you try to touch the screen in several places at once, the results can be erratic. Some screens simply disregard all touches after the first one. Others can detect simultaneous touches, but their software can’t calculate the location of each one accurately. There are several reasons for this, including the following:
- Many systems detect changes along an axis or in a specific direction instead of at each point on the screen.
- Some screens rely on system-wide averages to determine touch locations.
- Some systems take measurements by first establishing a baseline. When you touch the screen, you create a new baseline. Adding another touch causes the system to take a measurement using the wrong baseline as a starting point.
The Apple iPhone is different — many of the elements of its multi-touch user interface require you to touch multiple points on the screen simultaneously. For example, you can zoom in to Web pages or pictures by placing your thumb and finger on the screen and spreading them apart. To zoom back out, you can pinch your thumb and finger together. The iPhone’s touch screen is able to respond to both touch points and their movements simultaneously. | <urn:uuid:63f98b66-a262-461b-9c05-4bc5602c28e6> | {
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Jan 3, 2011
Pesticide residues found on conventional fruits and vegetables have been shown to be harmful to health, but what about the people who pick this produce and the children they bare? According to recent studies, field workers and their children who live in the Salinas Valley of California, also known as the world’s “salad bowl” because of its massive produce exports, are experiencing significant developmental and other health problems as a result of continual pesticide exposure.
Professor Brenda Eskenazi and her colleagues from the University of California, Berkeley, began a study 12 years ago on the effects of long-term pesticide exposure in both migrant workers and in the local population that lives in and around Salinas Valley. The team focused particularly on pregnant women and their children to assess how the toxins affect growth and development.
Upon tracking pregnant woman throughout their pregnancies, taking umbilical cord blood samples of their newborn children, and evaluating childhood development in subsequent years, the team observed that children born to mothers that were most exposed to pesticide metabolites had the poorest development among all other children.
“We have very, very high reports by the mother [sic] of behaviors consistent with pervasive developmental disorder,” explained Eskenazi at a neurotoxicology conference. “These include signs like the child is afraid to try new things, can’t stand anything out of place, and avoids looking others in the eye. This is considered to be autism spectrum behavior.”
The team also noted that even up to age five, children whose mothers had the highest levels of pesticide metabolites in their urine during pregnancy had the hardest time keeping focused and maintaining attention span compared to other children.
Many of the pesticides used in agriculture are designed to disrupt the nervous systems of insects in order to deter them, so it makes sense that the toxic chemicals affect developing children in the same way.
Sources for this story include: | <urn:uuid:b26f9c5e-4599-4ed7-88dc-8aae3ce42c66> | {
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Lisinopril is a prescription medication used in dogs and cats for the treatment of heart failure, high blood pressure, certain types of heart valve disease and some forms of kidney disease. Lisinopril is not FDA approved for use in veterinary medicine; however, it is a commonly accepted practice for veterinarians to prescribe this medication for dogs and cats. Lisinopril requires a prescription from your veterinarian, and is sold per tablet.
Dogs and Cats
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor used to dilate blood vessels in the treatment of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and some types of kidney disease in dogs and cats.
Do not stop giving this medication without your veterinarian's approval. A missed dose can result in a sudden rise in blood pressure.
Zestril (AstraZeneca), Prinivil (Merck)
Lisinopril is a prescription medication not FDA approved for veterinary use; however, it is a commonly accepted practice for veterinarians to use this medication in dogs and cats. Lisinopril is available as 10mg tablets. The usual dose in dogs is 0.2mg/lb 1 or 2 times a day. The usual dose in is cats 0.1 to 0.2mg/lb once a day.
Lisinopril is an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. ACE inhibitors decrease fluid retention by dilating veins. Lisinopril is used to treat heart failure, high blood pressure, certain types of heart valve disease, and some forms of kidney disease in dogs and cats. Lisinopril may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this guide.
Tell your veterinarian if your pet has liver disease, lupus, or blood abnormalities. Tell your veterinarian if your pet is pregnant or nursing.
Give this medication exactly as directed by your veterinarian. If you do not understand the directions ask the pharmacist or veterinarian to explain them to you. Lisinopril can be given with or without food. Do not abruptly stop giving lisinopril. Store lisinopril at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep this medication away from children and pets.
Give the missed dose as soon as you remember during the same day. However, if you don't remember until the next day, skip the dose you missed and give only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not give a double dose of the medication.
Seek emergency veterinary medical treatment. Symptoms of lisinopril overdose include weakness or collapse.
Lisinopril should not be used in animals allergic to it or other ACE inhibitors. Use lisinopril with caution in animals with liver disease. Do not use in pregnant females. Lisinopril may be used in nursing animals. Use with caution in animals with very low blood sodium levels.
For dogs and cats, if any of the following serious side effects occur, stop giving lisinopril and seek emergency veterinary medical attention; an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; swelling of the lips; tongue or face; hives). Side effects are rare but may include loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. Lisinopril could cause low blood pressure or kidney dysfunction indicated by increased thirst and/or changes in urination. Talk to your veterinarian about any side effect that seems unusual or bothersome to the animal.
Tell your veterinarian if your pet is being given azathioprine, COX 2 inhibitors (Deramaxx or Previcox), cyclosporine (Atopica), diuretics (furosemide, Salix), beta blockers (atenolol), and other blood pressure medications, insulin, NSAIDS (Rimadyl or Novox), Potassium salts, aspirin (Vetrin), and sulfonamides (SMZ/TMP). Drugs other than those listed may also interact with lisinopril. Talk to your veterinarian or pharmacist before giving any prescription or over the counter medicines including vitamins, and supplements.
Your pharmacist has additional information about Lisinopril written for health professionals that you may read. Call your veterinarian for medical advice about any side effects to your pet. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Lisinopril can be given with or without food.
Store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, away from excess moisture or heat. | <urn:uuid:443a8b18-5f9c-46c9-94d7-91e0f706cb98> | {
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How to Prepare for MAT
Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is the entrance exam for admission to MBA conducted by AIMA (All India Management Association) four times in a year. MAT caters to middle and lower level institutes. Students from different background like science, arts, engineering, medicine, and architecture can attend this Mat entrance exam and pursue a career in Management.
Candidates who got through in MAT management entrance exam can get admission into a very large number of different management institutes in India and get placement even outside the country. So MAT is very popular among the management candidates and the Indian government has approved MAT as a National Entrance Test for admission to MBA and equivalent programmes.
MAT exam is an objective type with multiple choice answers which includes Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation/Data sufficiency
Quantitative Aptitude, Logical and Critical reasoning and General Awareness.
- Everyone has their own learning methods so they simply have to follow a step by step procedure of starting their preparation as early as possible and do more and more practice to get an idea of type of questions by devoting their valuable time.
- The MAT aspirants should prepare a time table and allot time to each section to cover all sections while preparing for MAT exam.
- First thing for MAT exam preparation the candidates have a clear basic maths Concepts from 1oth standard text books or from some study material provided by an coaching institute. They must learn as many formulas as possible and find some shortcuts.
- Revision is the most important aspect which makes to practice a lot for the candidates preparing for MAT exam. By solving more and more sets of questions within a time frame makes them to evaluate their mistakes and analyze the concepts again.
- Vocabulary must be improved by reading a lot and observing how a word in used in different contexts by developing a habit ofreading newspapers and Magazines.
- The best way to prepare for MAT exam is by taking more and more mock test since MAT has many objective questions. Through MAT test it is possible for the candidates to practice a lot model test papers and work on speed and accuracy which helps to analyze the weak sections.
- Since the format of the MAT question paper changes year and year so the? candidates should not be sure of the format and hence preparing and going into an exam with a fixed mind set does not help a lot.
- The candidates while preparation time itself should make a habit of solving first few questions correctly which improves the confidence level for rest of the paper.? Try to solve General awareness questions at the end rather than at the beginning because it may take time and may not be sure of exact answers.
- If the candidate is very good at guessing then try to answer every question, even if clueless about how to approach it. It is better way instead of wasting of time on a problem solving which takes lots of procedures and are not able to solve, since some questions will be extremely difficult to solve.
- The Reasoning section requires lots of practice of all types of questions as there are no fixed formulae to begin with and solve them. So more practicing makes efficient in solving the questions. | <urn:uuid:64ff244b-76ab-4d41-8df6-7665acbb6e76> | {
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What exactly is vegetarianism?
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from meat, fish and seafood.
Some vegetarians even avoid eggs, milk and dairy products.
Vegetarians replace animal proteins in their diet with plant proteins.
There are many sources of plant proteins: cereals (wheat, rice, corn, semolina, etc.), leguminous vegetables (lentils, dry beans, kidney beans), oleaginous plants (almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, other types of nuts, etc.), vegetables and tubers (potatoes, peas, etc.), seeds (radish, watercress, rocket shoots, etc.) and algae (spirulina, agar-agar, etc.).
In keeping with contemporary trends, healthy, nutritious and affordable, leguminous vegetables and whole cereals are making a big comeback at mealtimes.
Why do we need to take action?
People living in the world's developed countries eat too much animal protein. The French agency for food, environmental and occupational health safety (ANSES) therefore recommends limiting the consumption of red meat to 500 g per week and of cured meats to no more than 25 g per day. But the aim is not to cut out animal protein altogether, but instead to reduce it so as to strive for a balance between animal and plant proteins.
And increasing the amount of plant protein in people's diets means eating more "responsibly". Growing leguminous crops requires relatively little water and the carbon footprint is extremely low. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, livestock farming is a major factor in climate change and could be responsible for as much as 18% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions. That's slightly more than the transport sector!
Aware of these major challenges facing both consumers and the planet, Carrefour has set itself the target of doubling the number of products in its Carrefour Veggie range between now and June 2019. Carrefour's "100% vegetarian and 200% gourmet" recipes contain no meat, fish or animal fats and are also made without any animal additives or meat flavouring. They also contain no palm oil and no GMO products (<0.9%).
Is this really so new?
Although consuming plant proteins is fashionable, there is nothing new about it. In fact, just after the First World War, people in France even consumed more plant proteins than animal proteins. But the balance shifted spectacularly at the end of the 1940s.
So leguminous vegetables and cereals are currently enjoying a return to grace. This trend reversal is spreading through the world's developed countries, driven by population growth, the depletion of the planet's natural resources and climate change.
However, at global level, experts are predicting an explosion in demand for animal protein: a 40% increase by 2030 resulting from high population growth in the world's developing countries, increased numbers of middle-class people in emerging countries and longer life expectancy in developed countries.
What is the long-term aim?
Between now and 2022, Carrefour will be launching a plethora of new products in its Carrefour Veggie range. The aim will be to provide consumers with as many different tastes and food experiences as possible throughout the day. At the same time, it is stepping up its commitment to product quality by introducing an even more demanding set of specifications, including the requirement that ingredients made using organic farming methods be used. And of course each and every product will still be tasted and approved by a culinary expert to ensure the most gourmet experience possible! | <urn:uuid:70312547-40bc-422b-9399-23193dd96ddb> | {
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A relatively common disorder among people with allergies and other conditions like acid reflux is a post nasal drip. A post nasal drip has several causes and symptoms that can disrupt your day and cause discomfort. Like any medical condition, it is important to get this treated right away if you have it. Knowing post nasal drip symptoms helps toward identifying what is wrong and being able to tell a doctor what you are experiencing. Post nasal drip symptoms are varied and can last a long time if they are not identified and treated. Some of the most severe signs of post nasal drip are similar to the signs of normal allergy irritation and may be ignored by some people. If you know the symptoms for this condition and experience any of them, it is important to let your doctor know.
One of the most common and severe post nasal drip symptoms is coughing. People with a post nasal drip tend to start out with a mild cough that is commonly mistaken for a cough from allergies or irritation. This cough can become severe and in some cases painful. Coughing associated with post nasal drip tends to be persistent and is often accompanied by wheezing. Wheezing is more commonly from the presence of post nasal drip than asthma. The excess mucus from post nasal drip can cause you to wheeze and cough frequently and the symptoms will not subside until the drip is corrected.
Constant swallowing is among the primary post nasal drip symptoms. Swallowing occurs so often with a post nasal drip because the back of your nose and throat will need lubrication. The excess mucus in the nasal drip can dry out the throat. This also tends to cause a feeling of fullness in the stomach and bad breath. Rhinorrhea is very common for people who have a nasal drip. This is a running nose which happens because of the mucus flow. This can cause frequent spitting as well, because some people snort to clear the mucus that does not come out of the nose when it is blown. The snorting clears the mucus from the back of the nostrils when blowing your nose does not clear everything. Most people will spit out this mucus rather than swallowing any of it.
People with a post nasal drip will also notice a frequent need to clear their throats and a cracking voice. This is because the throat will dry out or have some of the mucus from the nose drip into the throat. Since people with post nasal drips have so much going on in the throat such as clearing and coughing, they may also notice a burning sensation. This is because the throat will become sore with so much going on. The throat is sensitive and is not used to being subjected to so much activity. Difficulty in breathing is very common for people with this drip. All of the mucus buildup in the nose can make breathing through the nose very difficult and the burning and coughing can make breathing through the mouth difficult as well.
Congestion in the nasal and sinus passages is a classic sign of both allergies and a post nasal drip. Post nasal drip causes excess mucus which will clog the nose and build up in the sinuses. A post nasal drip can also be caused by sinusitis which would mean that the sinuses are already congested and have a buildup of mucus and bacteria. Many of the post nasal drip symptoms can be noticed by you and will likely send you to the doctor. Some of the other symptoms take a bit of looking into. You will be able to notice the coughing and wheezing, halitosis, snorting, sore throat and congestion. A few of the symptoms can be found by doctors unless you examine yourself very closely.
One of the symptoms that might go unnoticed until seeing a doctor is that there may be masses formed on the tonsils that are yellow or white. These are referred to as tonsil stones and are generally noticed by your doctor when your throat is being examined. Another symptom that might go unnoticed until seeing a doctor is the cobblestone-like appearance of the mucous membrane of the mouth. The coughing, wheezing and spitting can lead to gaps and breaks in the mucous membrane of your mouth.
Post nasal drip has a few different common causes that have different treatments. One of the causes of post nasal drip is rhinitis which is the medical term for a stuffy nose. This is inflammation and irritation in the nasal passages. Rhinitis can be caused by allergies or other irritations, and many people with allergies commonly miss signs of post nasal drip because the symptoms are so similar. Acute or chronic sinusitis can lead to a person developing a post nasal drip as well. Allergies can often cause a person to get a post nasal drip when the person is around allergens enough. Some birth control pills can lead to post nasal drip in women because these pills elevate estrogen levels.
If your post nasal drip symptoms come from allergies, it is important to take antihistamines and in some cases nasal steroids to take care of the problem. Sometimes a doctor will use allergy injections as a long term solution to post nasal drip caused by allergies. For the drips that are caused by birth control pills, your doctor may switch you to a different pill or recommend a different form of birth control. Sinusitis is one of the more serious causes of a post nasal drip and sinusitis is commonly treated with antibiotics, decongestants and sometimes nasal irrigation. In more severe and chronic cases, minor surgery may be needed to drain the sinus passages of built-up mucus and bacteria. If you notice an increase in coughing or wheezing during allergy season, or notice these symptoms in your daily life, see your doctor about treatment for post nasal drip.
TheraBreath products are used by millions of people worldwide. Click here to read some of their success stories. | <urn:uuid:72f12cae-d058-47bd-bd0a-b3eb567a9698> | {
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Ralph Steinman's discovery and continuing investigation of a "missing link" in the human immune system have changed the field, colleagues say. This year, his work also has earned him the Nobel Prize.
"He discovered this important cell type, dendritic cells," says Max Cooper at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a fellow immunologist who has known Steinman and his work for more than 30 years. "Back at a time when no one really believed him, he pushed the idea very hard and backed it up by isolating this very small fraction of cells to show that they were important in activating our T‑ and B‑cells in immune responses. "His digging them out, isolating them, characterizing them in a painstaking way really did change the way we view how microbes enter the body and get recognized and responded to. And that changed our view of the way we understand how immunity is kicked off." Steinman, the director of the Chris Browne Center for Immunology and Immune Diseases at The Rockefeller University, is practiced at describing the cells he studies. "The dendritic cell is, so to speak, a missing link in the immune system," he says. "The immune system has a number of different cells that provide resistance to infection and are involved in other disease conditions like cancer, allergy, transplantation and autoimmunity. Immune cells are like musicians in a symphony, each very talented and specialized, but they need a conductor and composer, and that's what dendritic cells are." "The cells sit up at surfaces of our body, along airways and along our intestine and in our skin, ready to pick up infections that enter the body. If they find one, they pick it up to display to the immune system. The cells migrate in the body, and when they get to the immune organs—lymphoid tissues—they find the musicians, so to speak, and then orchestrate the immune response. They tell the immune cells to grow and to develop into functioning protective cells." In the 1970s, when Steinman started his research career, researchers knew about the "musician" cells and they knew about infections. But in their laboratories, they could not seem to energize the immune cells to react to the infections. A link was missing, some cell in the immune-system soup that flipped the immune system cells on, and on in the right direction. They called the cells they were looking for "accessory cells." Steinman was working in the lab of the late Zanvil Cohn at Rockefeller University, an expert in the physiology of macrophages, which were considered to be a leading candidate for the missing accessory cells. "We looked at the populations [of cells] that were the source of the accessory cells," Steinman says. Using spleen tissue from mice.,"we found unusual cells that had never been seen before; they were tree-like in shape. Hence the name we gave them, dendritic, from the Greek word for tree." Exacting work Michel Nussenzweig was the first student to work with Steinman on dendritic cells, in 1977, shortly after the purification method for dendritic cells had been developed. He, Steinman and Cohn found that dendritic cells were very potent immune stimulators. Still, almost nobody believed dendritic cells were that special or significant, he says. For the next nearly 15 years, a good deal of the research published on dendritic cells came from Steinman and his colleagues. The cells are rare, making up less than one percent of white blood cells, and separating them out was an onerous process until Steinman and his colleagues devised a new method in the 1990s. "Once it became easy to work on the cells, then the field exploded, and there are now thousands of labs who study dendritic cells," Nussenzweig says. Steinman wasn’t afraid to argue that something so rare could be so important, says Antony Rosen, who worked in the Cohn lab with Steinman in the late 1980s and now is at Johns Hopkins University. "He was confident enough that it didn't matter to him that nobody had ever seen it before. It didn't matter to him that everybody rejected what he said. And he stayed at it and he knew he was right, and he proved that he was right." Vast potential Researchers are studying the properties of dendritic cells and how to control their activities for many potential uses. Helping dendritic cells to dampen immune response could ease symptoms of autoimmune disorders and allergies. Helping dendritic cells to boost immune response could help fight infections like AIDS and cancers. Steinman is currently concentrating his work on investigating and designing vaccines. "I just feel the vaccines we already have are medical miracles, but the scope and potential of new vaccines that target dendritic cells is just enormous," he says. "I also find that when I try to think about making a vaccine against HIV or against cancer, that I start asking some interesting scientific questions about how our immune systems operate." He also continues to call for research that aims to study science in people, to help people and to extend scientific understanding. "We need to build a new kind of research network, one that develops and supports researchers who can study the immune system in patients," he says. "I think the natural deductive instinct of most scientists is to keep figuring out how the cells work in simpler systems like mice, learn more about mechanism, and that's obviously going to be very productive. "But what I'd like to see is that we set our standards on the medical conditions that involve the immune system. I think that's where the biggest scientific challenges are, and if we don't direct ourselves to these conditions, we won't have the standards high enough for what we need to know." Part of that work is his role as a consultant for the Dana Foundation's immunology grants program, which targets patient-oriented research. Steinman has been a vociferous spokesman for such research, says Cooper at the University of Alabama. "He's just been unwavering in his insistence on trying to translate basic findings about how the immune system functions in a very basic way to see that that information gets translated into something that has relevance to people and their diseases." Of all the systems in the body, the immune system is the one "you can really teach, really make better," said Steinman during a forum at the Dana Center in 2006. But, he added, we don't yet know all the rules. Curiosity and collaboration The discovery of dendritic cells was a co-discovery, shared with Zanvil Cohn and other colleagues, Steinman says. He continues to collaborate, with colleagues at Rockefeller University and across the world. "He has been a mentor to a lot of people," says Madhav Dhodapkar, who worked in his lab a decade ago and now runs his own lab at Rockefeller. "People who haven't necessarily trained in his lab, I know, have benefited from interacting with him." Professionally, if one looks at how often his papers have been cited, thousands of times, it's easy to see how influential he is, says Rosen of Johns Hopkins. Most citations are for his work with dendritic cells, of course, but also for work on endocytosis and on basic cell biological progresses. "And some of those were classics in their time as well," he says. "He has this great knowledge of science, and it's like he's a child discovering something for the first time every time he reads it," Rosen says. "He's just got a hunger for it. That's why I think he made a big discovery." "He would come into the lab with a journal or with a paper that he thought you would be interested in, and he told you about it as if it were the coolest thing that he could ever have come across." It's a reciprocal pleasure, Steinman says. "I think young people, especially in a complex, intricate science like immunology, need support and discussion time. It's just too intricate to do everything yourself. They certainly reciprocate, and you know, the young, energetic mind has the best ideas." The two Lasker prizes for medical research, nicknamed "America's Nobels," are given each year. Steinman received the Lasker award for basic medical research. This year's award for clinical medical research was shared by Alain Carpentier and Albert Starr, who developed replacement heart valves. | <urn:uuid:d6b6b752-0dcc-448c-9413-7f2a8f738c9a> | {
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Chad officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in central Africa. It borders Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Due to its distance from the sea and its largely desert climate, the country is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa". Chad is divided into three major geographical regions: a desert zone in the north, an arid Sahelian belt in the centre and a more fertile Sudanian savanna zone in the south. Lake Chad, after which the country is named, is the largest wetland in Chad and the second largest in Africa. Chad's highest peak is the Emi Koussi in the Sahara, and the largest city by far is N'Djamena, the capital. Chad is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. French and Arabic are the official languages.
Official languages French, Arabic
Currency CFA franc (XAF)
If bountiful year-round sunshine and arid 40°C (104°F) days have a certain appeal then look no further than Saharan Chad. If the majestic images that the Sahara conjures up are too tempting but you'd prefer more friendly conditions, try the southern part of Chad between November and February. There are three distinct climatic zones. In the tropical south temperatures usually range from 20-25°C (68-77°F), but can rise to 40°C (104°F) just before the rains. The centre, where N'Djaména and Lake Chad are located, is a Sahelian blend of scrub and desert where pre-rain temperatures can rise to over 45°C (113°F). The arid north forms part of the Sahara Desert and includes the Tibesti Mountains, which rise to the peak of Emi Koussi (3415m), the highest point in the Sahara.
Each year a tropical weather system known as the intertropical front crosses Chad from south to north, bringing a brief wet season; a longer dry season follows.Variations in local rainfall create three major geographical zones. The Sahara lays in the countries northern third. Yearly precipitations there are under 50 mm; in fact, Borkou in Chad is the most arid area of the Sahara. Vegetation throughout this belt is scarce; only the occasional spontaneous palm grove survives, the only ones to do so south of the Tropic of Cancer. The Sahara gives way to a Sahelian belt in Chad's centre; precipitation there varies from 300 to 600 mm per year. In the Sahel a steppe of thorny bushes (mostly acacias) gradually gives way to a savanna in Chad's Sudanian zone to the south. Yearly rainfall in this belt is over 900 mm. The region's tall grasses and extensive marshes make it favourable for birds, reptiles, and large mammals. Chad's major rivers—the Chari, Logone and their tributaries—flow through the southern savannas from the southeast into Lake Chad. | <urn:uuid:17dbe888-113f-4b56-9746-a932532093a5> | {
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WASHINGTON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A daily 20-minute walk can help older adults reduce the risk of losing the ability to walk without assistance, thereby enhancing the quality of their later years, a U.S. study said Tuesday.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that moderate exercise including walking can help aging adults maintain their mobility, or the ability to walk without assistance, at a rate 18 percent higher than older adults who did not exercise
Called the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) trial, the study recruited 1,635 sedentary men and women aged 70 to 89 to investigate how daily physical activity will prevent older adults' loss of mobility, defined in the study as the ability to walk 400 meters, or about a quarter of a mile.
Although 400 meters might sound like an arbitrary number, it's an important figure for older adults, according to the study led by researchers at the University of Florida (UF).
"Four hundred meters is once around the track, or from the parking lot to the store, or two or three blocks around your neighborhood," Co-principal investigator Jack Guralnik, professor of the University of Maryland who also holds a faculty position at UF. "It's an important distance in maintaining an independent life. "
The participants in the study could walk a quarter mile within 15 minutes but were at risk of losing that ability. Low physical performance is common in older adults and is a risk factor for illness, hospitalization, disability, and death.
"These are people who are patients we see every day. This is why this study is so important: It includes a population that is typically understudied," principal investigator Marco Pahor, director of the UF's Institute on Aging said.
The participants were randomly separated into two groups and followed for an average of 2.6 years. The first group of 818 walked 150 minutes per week and did strength, flexibility and balance training. The second group of 817 attended health education classes and performed upper body stretching exercises. The study occurred between February 2010 and December 2013.
The researchers assessed study participants every six months, checking their ability to walk, their body weight, blood pressure and pulse rate, among other measurements.
The result is that the loss of ability to walk 400 meters was experienced by 246 participants in the physical activity group and 290 participants in the health education group.
"As an exercise scientist, I believe this type of research is absolutely critical to establish scientific evidence on which to make recommendations for how lifestyle can beneficially influence health status," said Wendy Kohrt, professor of medicine in the division of geriatric medicine at the University of Colorado, who helped review the scientific merit of the study before the launch of the main LIFE trial.
"The LIFE trial demonstrated that a modest increase in physical activity has the potential to help older adults maintain functional independence," Kohrt added. | <urn:uuid:804188c0-0a78-4708-8435-a4d34f19817f> | {
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Drinking water, also known as potable water or improved drinking water, is water safe enough for drinking and food preparation. Globally, in 2012, 89% of people had access to water suitable for drinking. Nearly 4 billion had access to tap water while another 2.3 billion had access to wells or public taps. 1.8 billion people still use an unsafe drinking water source which may be contaminated by feces. This can result in infectious diarrhea such as cholera and typhoid among others. We will also discuss the category of essential nutrients called Minerals, also known as Dietary elements or mineral nutrients. Minerals are naturally occurring chemical elements required by living organisms for survival. Many of the minerals we need are plentiful in a typical scoop of dirt! | <urn:uuid:f377955e-09ee-4cfd-9176-4570e8425bfb> | {
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20 Percent of High-School Students Carry Weapons
Nearly 20 percent of all high school students carry a weapon and 5 percent carry a firearm at least once a month, a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control concludes.
According to the study--which did not specifically ask students if they had carried a weapon onto school grounds--male students are four times more likely to possess a weapon over the course of a month than are female students--31.5 percent as against 8.1 percent.
The C.D.C. report also indicates that Hispanic and black male adolescents are far more inclined to carry a weapon than are other students. About 40 percent of Hispanic and black male teenagers carry a weapon monthly, it found.
The study was drawn from data collected by the C.D.C.'S Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which questioned a nationally representative sample of 11,631 students in grades 9 through 12 about a range of health issues.
The report notes that more than 11,000 persons died in the United States between 1980 and 1989 as a result of homicides committed by teenagers.
Over all, knives and razors were the weapons of choice, the study found. Among black males who carried a weapon, however, more than half said they had possessed a handgun or other firearm.
Of the students who said they had carried a weapon during the past month, 25 percent said they had done so only once, nearly one-third said they had possessed a weapon two or three times, 7.4 percent said four or five times, and 35.5 percent said they had carried a weapon six or more times.
Students who reported carrying a weapon four or more times last month accounted for about 70 percent of the weapons-carrying incidents recorded in the survey, the C.D.C. said.
Since a relatively small number of adolescents are frequent weapons carriers, the C.D.C. said, most prevention programs should be targeted on this group. Programs should attempt to reduce the perceived or actual risk for victimization that convinces many teenagers to carry weapons, the report suggests.
The study contains recommendations for schools, including the use of metal detectors and curricula and counseling that teach students nonviolent conflict-resolution skills. Community-education programs are also needed, the study says. --E.F.
Vol. 11, Issue 07, Page 8Published in Print: October 16, 1991, as 20 Percent of High-School Students Carry Weapons | <urn:uuid:321cc6db-2aa8-417f-94a6-904487a076fc> | {
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This is a guest post from Henri Sivonen, who has been working on Firefox’s new HTML5 parser. The HTML parser is one of the most complicated and sensitive pieces of a browser. It controls how your HTML source is turned into web pages and as such changes to it are rare and need to be well-tested. While most of Gecko has been rebuilt since its initial inception in the late 90s, the parser was one of the stand-outs as being “original.” This replaces that code with a new parser that’s faster, compliant with the new HTML5 standard and enables a lot of new functionality as well.
A project to replace Gecko’s old HTML parser, dating from 1998, has been ongoing for some time now. The parser was just turned on by default on the trunk, so you can now try it out by simply downloading a nightly build without having to flip any configuration switch.
There are four main things that improve with the new HTML5 parser:
- You can now use SVG and MathML inline in HTML5 pages, without XML namespaces.
- Parsing is now done off Firefox’s main UI thread, improving overall browser responsiveness.
- It’s improved the speed of
innerHTMLcalls by about 20%.
- With the landing of the new parser we’ve fixed dozens of long-standing parser related bugs.
What Is It?
The HTML5 parser in Gecko turns a stream of bytes into a DOM tree according to the HTML5 parsing algorithm.
HTML5 is the first specification that tells implementors, in detail, how parse HTML. Before HTML5, HTML specifications didn’t say how to turn a stream of bytes into a DOM tree. In theory, HTML before HTML5 was supposed to be defined in terms of SGML. This implied a certain relationship between the source of valid HTML documents and the DOM. However, parsing wasn’t well-defined for invalid documents (and Web content most often isn’t valid HTML4) and there are SGML constructs that were in theory part of HTML but that in reality popular browsers didn’t implement.
The lack of a proper specification led to browser developers filling in the blanks on their own and reverse engineering the browser with the largest market share (first Mosaic, then Netscape, then IE) when in doubt about how to get compatible behavior. This led to a lot of unwritten common rules but also to different behavior across browsers.
The HTML5 parsing algorithm standardizes well-defined behavior that browsers and other applications that consume HTML can converge on. By design, the HTML5 parsing algorithm is suitable for processing existing HTML content, so applications don’t need to continue maintaining their legacy parsers for legacy content. Concretely, in the trunk nightlies, the HTML5 parser is used for all
How Is It Different?
The HTML5 parsing algorithm has two major parts: tokenization and tree building. Tokenization is the process of splitting the source stream into tags, text, comments and attributes inside tags. The tree building phase takes the tags and the interleaving text and comments and builds the DOM tree. The tokenization part of the HTML5 parsing algorithm is closer to what Internet Explorer does than what Gecko used to do. Internet Explorer has had the majority market share for a while, so sites have generally been tested not to break when subjected to IE’s tokenizer. The tree building part is close to what WebKit does already. Of the major browser engines WebKit had the most reasonable tree building solution prior to HTML5.
Furthermore, the new HTML5 parser parses network streams off the main thread. Traditionally, browsers have performed most tasks on the main thread. Radical changes like off-the-main-thread parsing are made possible by the more maintainable code base of the HTML5 parser compared to Gecko’s old HTML parser.
What’s In It for Web Developers?
The changes mentioned above are mainly of interest to browser developers. A key feature of the HTML5 parser is that you don’t notice that anything has changed.
However, there is one big new Web developer-facing feature, too: inline MathML and SVG. HTML5 parsing liberates MathML and SVG from XML and makes them available in the main file format of the Web.
This means that you can include typographically sophisticated math in your HTML document without having to recast the entire document as XHTML or, more importantly, without having to retrofit the software that powers your site to output well-formed XHTML. For example, you can now include the solution for quadratic equations inline in HTML:
<math> <mi>x</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>−</mo> <mi>b</mi> <mo>±</mo> <msqrt> <msup> <mi>b</mi> <mn>2</mn> </msup> <mo>−</mo> <mn>4</mn> <mo></mo> <mi>a</mi> <mo></mo> <mi>c</mi> </msqrt> </mrow> <mrow> <mn>2</mn> <mo></mo> <mi>a</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> </math>
Likewise, you can include scalable inline art as SVG without having to recast your HTML as XHTML. As screen sized and pixel densities become more varied, making graphics look crisp at all zoom levels becomes more important. Although it has previously been possible to use SVG graphics in HTML documents by reference (using the
object element), putting SVG inline is more convenient in some cases. For example, an icon such as a warning sign can now be included inline instead of including it from an external file.
<svg height=86 width=90 viewBox='5 9 90 86' style='float: right;'> <path stroke=#F53F0C stroke-width=10 fill=#F5C60C stroke-linejoin=round d='M 10,90 L 90,90 L 50,14 Z'/> <line stroke=black stroke-width=10 stroke-linecap=round x1=50 x2=50 y1=45 y2=75 /> </svg>
Make yourself a page that starts with
<!DOCTYPE html> and put these two pieces of code in it and it should work with a new nightly.
In general, if you have a piece of MathML or SVG as XML, you can just copy and paste the XML markup inline into HTML (omitting the XML declaration and the doctype if any). There are two caveats: The markup must not use namespace prefixes for elements (i.e. no
math:math) and the namespace prefix for the XLink namespace has to be
In the MathML and SVG snippits above you’ll see that the inline MathML and SVG pieces above are more HTML-like and less crufty than merely XML pasted inline. There are no namespace declarations and unnecessary quotes around attribute values have been omitted. The quote omission works, because the tags are tokenized by the HTML5 tokenizer—not by an XML tokenizer. The namespace declaration omission works, because the HTML5 tree builder doesn’t use attributes looking like namespace declarations to assign MathMLness or SVGness to elements. Instead,
<svg> establishes a scope of elements that get assigned to the SVG namespace in the DOM and
<math> establishes a scope of elements that get assigned to the MathML namespace in the DOM. You’ll also notice that the MathML example uses named character references that previously haven’t been supported in HTML.
Here’s a quick summary of inline MathML and SVG parsing for Web authors:
</svg>is assigned to the SVG namespace in the DOM.
</math>is assigned to the MathML namespace in the DOM.
annotation-xml(an various less important elements) establish a nested HTML scope, so you can nest SVG, MathML and HTML as you’d expect to be able to nest them.
- The parser case-corrects markup so
<SVG VIEWBOX='0 0 10 10'>works in HTML source.
- The DOM methods and CSS selectors behave case-sensitively, so you need to write your DOM calls and CSS selectors using the canonical case, which is camelCase for various parts of SVG such as
- The syntax
<foo/>opens and immediately closes the
fooelement if it is a MathML or SVG element (i.e. not an HTML element).
- Attributes are tokenized the same way they are tokenized in HTML, so you can omit quotes in the same situations where you can omit quotes in HTML (i.e. when the attribute value is not the empty string and does not contain whitespace,
- Warning: the two above features do not combine well due to the reuse of legacy-compatible HTML tokenization. If you omit quotes on the last attribute value, you must have a space before the closing slash.
<circle fill=green />is OK but
<circle fill=red/>is not.
- Attributes starting with
xmlnshave absolutely no effect on what namespace elements or attributes end up in, so you don’t need to use attributes starting with
- Attributes in the XLink namespace must use the prefix
- Element names must not have prefixes or colons in them.
- The content of SVG
scriptelements is tokenized like they are tokenized in XML—not like the content of HTML
scriptelements is tokenized.
- When an SVG or MathML element is open
]]>sections work the way they do in XML. You can use this to hide text content from older browsers that don’t support SVG or MathML in
- The MathML named characters are available for use in named character references everywhere in the document (also in HTML content).
- To deal with legacy pages where authors have pasted partial SVG fragments into HTML (who knows why) or used a
<math>tag for non-MathML purposes, attempts to nest various common HTML elements as children of SVG elements (without
foreignObject) will immediately break out of SVG or MathML context. This may make some typos have surprising effects. | <urn:uuid:16eb5a2e-0f66-4ccd-b83c-c932de15b5fa> | {
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“If students are not able to transform their lived experiences into knowledge as a process to unveil new knowledge, they will never be able to participate rigorously in a dialogue as a process of learning and knowing” -Paulo Freire @sueg4600
What does social justice pedagogy look like? Somewhat rhetorical. Completely sincere. A teacher-in-training asked this question while we were engaged in a conversation about what it means to be a teacher in the current sociopolitical context. Although I’ve studied the concept, sadly, I had no solid example to share from my own teaching career, as I’ve never taught in an environment conducive to this philosophy of education.
Social justice pedagogy is almost synonymous with another philosophy of education called critical pedagogy. Here, I will use the latter term as social justice pedagogy tends to refer to teaching and learning that occurs in the “traditional” classroom. Critical pedagogy has the educational goal of developing critical consciousness within the student. We will know this has been achieved when the student takes purposeful action to lessen and eventually eliminate power differentials that exist in society. The process that results in this goal has the student examine and critique differences across race, class, and gender among other aspects of social life.
The closest I’ve come to employing critical pedagogy is when I was a teacher at Barringer. This was at the time when the school was first failing to make adequate yearly progress under NCLB, and those who we have come to know as education deformers–the Koch brothers, Michelle Rhee, Bill and Melinda Gates, to name a few–were relatively low key. This was pre-“data war rooms,” as they were called, when high school teachers in Newark had a fair amount of control over what was being taught in their classrooms–for good and for bad–as long as it could be demonstrated how it aligned to HSPA testing, which wasn’t a difficult task. Almost anything you taught would be helpful for HSPA because it was such a low level test. During this point in my teaching career, I wasn’t even aware of critical pedagogy. None of the sessions in those six weeks of training I received from Teach for America concentrated on these methods of instruction. I had some awesome colleagues in the English Department at Barringer who I credit with ushering me along a path leading to a true consciousness of what it means to be an educator and what that means beyond the classroom. They invited me to collaborate with them on ideas that would actually engage students and put them at the center of learning.
Youth Media Symposium
Even so, I never got to witness youth being taught through critical pedagogy until I became aware of YMS–which stands for Youth Media Symposium and is an integral program of the Abbott Leadership Institute. The high school and middle school students involved in YMS create documentaries and public service announcements on the topic of public education in Newark, NJ. They learn from videography and media professionals how to produce, direct, shoot, edit, and present media projects that have all ended up having a significant impact on the public discourse about public education. I have been interviewed for two such productions–one on high school dropouts and a more recent one on the traditional public school versus charter school debate.
What makes YMS an example of critical pedagogy is the program’s goal, through the use of media, to raise public awareness regarding the inequities that exist in urban public education systems. Along with learning media techniques, the students are immersed in history through interactive lessons that provide them with social, political, and economic context. They debate the possibilities and limitations of public policy choices and then integrate their collectively constructed knowledge into their media projects. Over the years, YMS has refined its curriculum and does nothing but grow stronger.
Yet another demonstration of this strength is the ribbon cutting of their first College Success Center! This will be the first of ten to open across the City of Newark. The Centers are a major component of YMS’s Our Schools, Our Vision campaign. The ceremony will be held at Bradley Hall, Room 148 on the campus of Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday, March 11th at 4pm. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to [email protected].
The Newark Student Union (NSU) provides another example of critical pedagogy in action. In partnership with New Jersey Communities United (NJCU), the nonprofit I now work for as a community organizer, eight members of NSU returned from a long weekend in February with the mission to occupy the state-appointed superintendent’s office in protest of the controversial OneNewark plan.. This reorganization plan has closed a significant amount of schools around the district and wreaked havoc for parents trying to enroll their children in their neighborhood schools. The students’ primary demand was the resignation of the superintendent.
Over the course of 72 hours, the students livestreamed their activities in the office which ranged from an initial message stating their purpose for the occupation to a presentation on the PARCC to answering questions tweeted to them. I took that opportunity to ask them what lessons they were learning by being active participants in their own lives. This is what they had to say:
Aracelis: “In being in NSU, I’ve learned a lot about community and I’ve learned a lot about the different intelligence levels people have. People are intelligent in very different ways and can participate and add to the movement in so many different ways. We need people who are good with technology. We need artists. We need writers. We need intelligent speakers. It’s not just one type of intelligent person and it’s not just one type of thing that a person needs to do. They need to be well rounded. Another thing with standardized testing is it doesn’t accommodate that. And that’s why we have this movement–the student movement.”
Tanaisa: “In my opinion, I think I learned more being an active participant in protesting and stuff than–well, not more but I learned a lot protesting, as I do in class, because I get to see real world implications about what exactly democracy is and how real world class struggle fits into what we’re dealing with.”
Jose: “Really quickly, what I’ve learned in this past year being a part of this amazing movement is how much I matter to my community, to my city, and to the world. You know, because usually we’re told that we’re small, that we don’t matter. But, being out in the street, being out there and empowering other people has really given me the power to continue on. And it’s shown me how to love my people a lot more.”
Most people only notice NSU when they are taking action. They don’t get to see the democratic processes utilized during the organization’s membership and planning meetings. They’re not present at the organizing and “Know Your Rights” trainings the students receive. I’m one of the few who gets to peek in on or partner up with them, so I witness their critical consciousness being developed. With guidance from organizers at NJCU, the students are learning how to transform power differentials and create the communities in which they want to live. This is best told in their own words which I transcribed above.
Looking to an Alternative
If nothing else, both YMS and NSU are clear examples that the children in Newark–and I would argue any other place where they are being written off and labeled as failures–are intelligent, capable, productive citizens. They can meet and surpass any expectation made of them. Why so many students in urban districts continue to drop out of school or graduate without basic literacy skills is not a mystery. The social, political, and economic conditions in which they live play a central role in these dire outcomes. The lack of exposure to different ideas and perspectives also holds our children back from progressing down a path to critical consciousness. We see what critical pedagogy can do. It’s time we explicitly bring it into our schools.
More Student Action:
New Mexico students join others in nation who oppose new test intended to assess performance (Monday, March 2, 2015)
Students in Albuquerque, NM protest against PARCC for a second day [VIDEO] (Tuesday, March 3, 2015) | <urn:uuid:46fc95bd-f944-4c70-8483-5d7ab20f41f9> | {
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Technology is a fantastic tool when you are capable of utilizing it properly. As an instructor it is very important to understand the tools available to you (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). This can make your course more interactive and engaging. If you are unfamiliar with the technology, it can make your course harder for your students. In fact, I often have students in my classes who complain about teachers who do not know how to use the technology they ask students to utilize. Additionally, I work with teachers who could make their classes easier by utilizing technology appropriately. In an online course this need becomes magnified (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Instructors must be able to help students with the technology that they choose to use. If they cannot, credibility can become an issue. As an instructor, I always test new technology several times before deploying it with my students.
Communication is the key to creating a successful online environment. It is important for the instructor’s presence to be felt by students early and often (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). The best way to keep students from feeling isolated is to communicate with them throughout the course (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). Some instructors prefer e-mails while others work via discussion threads. The one thing that I have learned is that it does not matter what method you utilize as long as your students feel connected to you on a personal and social level.
Every time I take an online course, I learn something new about online learning. One of the things that surprised me this week was the importance of introductory activities. Getting acquainted with each other and setting up a positive learning community are top priority for the beginning two weeks of an online course (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). When working in my online courses I will focus on the themes of presence, community, patience and clear expectations (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010). While accomplishing these things, I will be cognizant of my role as the instructor. I am the guide on the side, not sage on the stage (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2010). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Laureate Education, Inc. (2012). Online Learning Communities. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flaunche | <urn:uuid:c02922e3-924c-4840-8111-7f1e20afb58a> | {
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Mercury is the closest to the Sun so you might think it’s Mercury. Mercury orbits at a distance of only 58 million kilometers, travelling in a blast-furnace of scorching radiation. Its temperature can skyrocket to 700 Kelvin, or 426 degrees Celsius on the sunward side. In the shadows, temperatures plunge down to 80 Kelvin, which is -173 degrees Celsius. So Mercury sure is hot, but Venus is hotter. How Let's see.
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. Average temperature there is a hellish 735 Kelvin, or 462 degrees Celsius – hot enough to melt lead. The main reason why Mercury is colder that it has not atmosphere. Mercury's gaseous molecules reached escape velocity long ago and the atmosphere was 'burned off' leaving a vacant wasteland of rock with a similar surface to the earth's moon. There is nothing to hold in solar radiation, thus is flies out into space. In compare to it, Venus, has a very thick atmosphere of CO2, which adds incredible pressure, and traps in the heat. Venus also shows us what happens when carbon dioxide levels just keep on rising. Radiation from the Sun is absorbed by the planet, and the infrared heat emitted is trapped by the carbon dioxide, which creates a runaway greenhouse effect. The solar heat enters, but it cannot leave. Thus, an oven is created. This is why Venus has no water. Pictures suggest that Venus once had an aqueous environment, but because of climatic changes and intense heat.... it evaporated. | <urn:uuid:a38dc3ac-e3cd-4849-a909-fc8a1ea552ce> | {
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For Immediate Release, Oct. 23, 2012
Contact: Rose Braz, (510) 435-6809, [email protected]
Culver City Joins Dozens of Other Cities Calling for National Action on Climate Change
Community Threatened by Fracking Takes Stand for Healthy Climate
CULVER CITY, Calif.— Culver City became the 39th city to urge national leaders to use the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas pollution to head off catastrophic climate change. The Culver City Council passed a resolution Monday night, joining cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Miami that are part of the Center for Biological Diversity’s national Clean Air Cities campaign.
“Climate change will bring more extreme heat days to Southern California and with them more ground-level ozone, which is linked to increased asthma and other respiratory illnesses,” said Meghan Sahli-Wells, the councilmember who introduced the Clean Air Cities resolution. “The Clean Air Act is a powerful tool in our toolbox to address this crisis now. But we need to use it urgently and ambitiously.”
A UCLA study released earlier this year projects that climate change will triple the number of days above 95 degrees in downtown Los Angeles. The number of high-temperature days will quadruple in portions of the San Fernando Valley and rise fivefold in an area of high desert in Los Angeles County. The projections are for 2041 to 2060.
Higher temperatures are expected to cause more heat-related deaths and an increase in ground-level ozone, linked to increased incidence of respiratory disease and death. Approximately 1.25 million children and adults in L.A. County have been diagnosed with asthma, according to data from the California Health Interview Survey.
Earlier this year Culver City, a community threatened by fracking, passed a resolution calling on the state to ban fracking until regulations ensuring the protection of public health, safety and the environment are enacted. Fracking exacerbates air pollution, threatens to contaminate water supplies, and adds to global warming pollution both through the release of methane, an extremely powerful greenhouse gas, and by opening up previously inaccessible oil formations to extraction and combustion.
The Center’s Clean Air Cities campaign is working around the country to encourage cities to pass resolutions supporting the Clean Air Act and using the Act to reduce carbon in our atmosphere to no more than 350 parts per million, the level scientists say is needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Similar resolutions have been approved in Albany, N.Y.; Berkeley, Santa Monica, Arcata, Oxnard, Santa Cruz, Richmond, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pa.; Tucson, Ariz.; Boone, N.C.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Milwaukee and Madison, Wis.; Cambridge and Northampton, Mass.; Cincinnati and Oberlin, Ohio; Santa Fe, N.M.; Kansas City, Mo.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Miami, Pinecrest, Tampa and Gulfport, Fl.; Chicago, Ill.; Teton County, Wyo.; Eugene, Ore.; Boulder, Colo.; Burlington, Vt.; and Detroit, Mich.; Wilmington, Del.; Providence, R.I.; Gary, Ind., and Woodbridge, N.J. Several other cities around the country will be considering resolutions over the next few months.
Learn more about the Center’s Clean Air Cities campaign and get the facts about the Clean Air Act.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 450,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. | <urn:uuid:b87c22ec-a1f0-450d-97a1-7234f9654308> | {
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Louis de Broglie's father was Victor, Duc de Broglie, and his mother was Pauline d'Armaillé. Louis studied at the Lycée Janson de Sailly in Paris completing his secondary school education in 1909. At this stage he did not envisage a career in science, but was interested in taking literary studies at university. He entered the Sorbonne in Paris taking a course in history, intending to make for himself a career in the diplomatic service. At the age of 18 he graduated with an arts degree but he was already becoming interested in mathematics and physics. After being assigned a research topic in history he chose, after worrying greatly about the decision, to study for a degree in theoretical physics.
In 1913 de Broglie was awarded his Licence ès Sciences but before his career had progressed much further World War I broke out. During the War de Broglie served in the army. He was attached to the wireless telegraphy section for the whole of the war and served in the station at the Eiffel Tower. During these war years all his spare time was spent thinking about technical problems. He explained how he was attracted to mathematical physics after the War (see for example ):-
When in 1920 I resumed my studies ... what attracted me ... to theoretical physics was ... the mystery in which the structure of matter and of radiation was becoming more and more enveloped as the strange concept of the quantum, introduced by Planck in 1900 in his researches into black-body radiation, daily penetrated further into the whole of physics.
Taking up research in mathematical physics, de Broglie nevertheless maintained an interest in experimental physics. His brother Maurice de Broglie was at that time carrying out experimental work on X-rays and this proved a considerable interest to de Broglie during the first few years of the 1920s during which he worked for his doctorate. De Broglie's doctoral thesis Recherches sur la théorie des quanta (Researches on the quantum theory) of 1924 put forward this theory of electron waves, based on the work of Einstein and Planck. It proposed the theory for which he is best known, namely the particle-wave duality theory that matter has the properties of both particles and waves.
In a lecture de Broglie gave on the occasion when he received the Nobel Prize in 1929 he explained the background to the ideas contained in his doctoral thesis (see for example ):-
Thirty years ago, physics was divided into two camps: ... the physics of matter, based on the concepts of particles and atoms which were supposed to obey the laws of classical Newtonian mechanics, and the physics of radiation, based on the idea of wave propagation in a hypothetical continuous medium, the luminous and electromagnetic ether. But these two systems of physics could not remain detached from each other: they had to be united by the formulation of a theory of exchanges of energy between matter and radiation. ... In the attempt to bring the two systems of physics together, conclusions were in fact reached which were neither correct nor even admissible when applied to the energy equilibrium between matter and radiation ... Planck ... assumed ... that a light source ... emits its radiation in equal and finite quantities - in quanta. The success of Planck's ideas has been accompanied by serious consequences. if light is emitted in quanta, must it not, once emitted, possess a corpuscular structure? ... Jeans and Poincaré [showed] that if the motion of the material particles in a source of light took place according to the laws of classical mechanics, then the correct law of black-body radiation, Planck's law, could not be obtained.
During an interview in 1963 de Broglie described how, given the above background, his discoveries came about:-
As in my conversations with my brother we always arrived at the conclusion that in the case of X-rays one had both waves and corpuscles, thus suddenly - ... it was certain in the course of summer 1923 - I got the idea that one had to extend this duality to material particles, especially to electrons. And I realised that, on the one hand, the Hamilton-Jacobi theory pointed somewhat in that direction, for it can be applied to particles and, in addition, it represents a geometrical optics; on the other hand, in quantum phenomena one obtains quantum numbers, which are rarely found in mechanics but occur very frequently in wave phenomena and in all problems dealing with wave motion.
The wave nature of the electron was experimentally confirmed in 1927 by C J Davisson, C H Kunsman and L H Germer in the United States and by G P Thomson (the son of J J Thomson) in Aberdeen, Scotland. De Broglie's theory of electron matter waves was later used by Schrödinger, Dirac and others to develop wave mechanics.
After his doctorate, de Broglie remained at the Sorbonne where he taught for two years, becoming professor of theoretical physics at the Henri Poincaré Institute in 1928. From 1932 he was also professor of theoretical physics at the Faculté des Sciences at the Sorbonne. De Broglie taught there until he retired in 1962. From 1944 he was a member of the Bureau des Longitudes. In 1945 he became an adviser to the French Atomic Energy Commissariat.
His greatest honour was being awarded the Nobel Prize in 1929. We have quoted above from his lecture given at the award ceremony. Let us quote further from the lecture (see for example ):-
Thus I arrived at the following general idea which has guided my researches: for matter, just as much as for radiation, in particular light, we must introduce at one and the same time the corpuscle concept and the wave concept. In other words, in both cases we must assume the existence of corpuscles accompanied by waves. But corpuscles and waves cannot be independent, since, according to Bohr, they are complementary to each other; consequently it must be possible to establish a certain parallelism between the motion of a corpuscle and the propagation of the wave which is associated with it.
After receiving the Nobel Prize in 1929 De Broglie worked on extensions of wave mechanics. Among publications on many topics he published work on Dirac's theory of the electron, on the new theory of light, on Uhlenbeck's theory of spin, and on applications of wave mechanics to nuclear physics. He wrote at least twenty-five books including Ondes et mouvements (Waves and motions) (1926), La mécanique ondulatoire (Wave mechanics) (1928), Une tentative d'interprétation causale et non linéaire de la mécanique ondulatoire: la théorie de la double solution (1956), Introduction à la nouvelle théorie des particules de M Jean-Pierre Vigier et de ses collaborateurs (1961), Étude critique des bases de l'interprétation actuelle de la mécanique ondulatoire (1963). The last three mentioned books were published in English translations as Non-linear Wave Mechanics: A Causal Interpretation (1960), Introduction to the Vigier Theory of elementary particles (1963), and The Current Interpretation of Wave Mechanics: A Critical Study (1964).
He wrote many popular works which demonstrate his interest in the philosophical implications of modern physics, including Matter and Light: The New Physics (1939); The Revolution in Physics (1953); Physics and Microphysics (1960); and New Perspectives in Physics (1962).
In 1933 de Broglie was elected to the Académie des Sciences becoming Permanent Secretary for the mathematical sciences in 1942. The Académie awarded him its Henri Poincaré Medal in 1929 and the Albert I of Monaco Prize in 1932. Other honours which he received included the Kalinga Prize which was awarded to him by UNESCO in 1952 for his efforts towards the understanding of modern physics by the general public. The French National Scientific Research Centre awarded him its gold medal in 1956. Further honours included the awarding of the Grand Cross of the Légion d'Honneur and Belgium made him an Officer of the Order of Leopold. He received honorary doctorates from the Universities of Warsaw, Bucharest, Athens, Lausanne, Quebec, and Brussels. He was elected to honorary membership of eighteen academies and learned societies in Europe, India, and the United States.
De Broglie described himself as:-
... having much more the state of mind of a pure theoretician than that of an experimenter or engineer, loving especially the general and philosophical view ... .
The central question in de Broglie's life was whether the statistical nature of atomic physics reflects an ignorance of the underlying theory or whether statistics is all that can be known. For most of his life he believed the former although as a young researcher he had at first believed that the statistics hide our ignorance. Perhaps surprisingly, he returned to this view late in his life stating that:-
... the statistical theories hide a completely determined and ascertainable reality behind variables which elude our experimental techniques.
Let us end our biography with the tribute paid to de Broglie by C W Oseen, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Physics of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences:-
When quite young you threw yourself into the controversy raging round the most profound problem in physics. You had the boldness to assert, without the support of any known fact, that matter had not only a corpuscular nature, but also a wave nature. Experiment came later and established the correctness of your view. You have covered in fresh glory a name already crowned for centuries with honour.
Article by: J J O'Connor and E F Robertson
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|Fellow of the Royal Society||1953|
|Paris street names||Rue de Broglie (13th Arrondissement) (also named for his brother).|
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Low Vision Services
Do you have an eye condition or disease that has worsened your vision and for which you’ve been told that nothing more can be done? Take hope. You may have low vision, and may benefit from a low vision examination. Please read below for further information.
What is Low Vision?
“Low vision” is the term we use when a person has poor vision (that is, a vision impairment,) which does not improve despite wearing the right glasses or contact lenses, and which cannot be improved with surgery or medications either. Low vision tends to result in vision which is no longer good enough to perform daily tasks easily. Keeping up in school, reading a book, signing a cheque, driving a car, watching TV, functioning in the kitchen or crossing a street are all examples of daily activities that become difficult when a person has low vision.
What causes Low Vision?
Low vision can be the result of a birth or developmental defect, of an eye or body disease, or simply of ageing. Common causes of low vision include albinism, nystagmus, macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment among others.
Who gets Low Vision?
Low vision can affect anybody, both young and old. Nonetheless, it is more common in the senior population.
What can be done about Low Vision?
Patients who have low vision are often told that “nothing more can be done” for them. We would argue that all patients with low vision, however, should have regular low vision examinations. Low vision examinations do not restore a person’s sight, but help to maximize the vision that the person has been left with. We call this low vision rehabilitation.
What entails a Low Vision Examination?
Low vision examinations are special eye exams given by an optometrist or ophthalmologist who has a special interest in low vision. A low vision examination is usually three times the length of a standard eye examination.
The low vision examination begins with a careful history about when the patient’s vision changes began and how they are affecting the patient’s ability to function. Usually, patients have very specific areas in which they are having difficulties, and we call these “goals.” An example of a goal would be to read one’s mail, or to walk around safely without bumping into things.
The optometrist or ophthalmologist then performs many tests, including testing the patient’s vision on special vision charts, and measuring things like contrast sensitivity and colour vision among others.
Finally, the optometrist or ophthalmologist prescribes special devices (such as magnifiers, telescopes and reading machines) to enhance the person’s vision or provides strategies such as better lighting to make the person’s life easier. The optometrist or ophthalmologist might also refer the patient on for useful services such as counselling or other training.
At our office, Dr. Kimberlee Robertson-Woods and Dr. Khan often spend at least an hour and a half addressing the needs of their patients during a low vision examination. Once a low vision device has been prescribed, the doctors will often have their patients return for a training session with their new device(s).
Does OHIP cover low vision examinations?
OHIP does not provide funding for low vision examinations performed by an optometrist, regardless of patient age, anywhere in Ontario. The patient may, however, qualify for an Ontario government program called the Assistive Devices Program (ADP), which covers a portion of the cost of many low vision devices. In order to determine whether a patient qualifies for funding for low vision devices through ADP, that patient must have a low vision evaluation first. For more information, please contact our clinic.
I am registered with the CNIB. Do I still need a Low Vision Examination?
Yes. Both your optometrist and the CNIB provide excellent tools and resources for patients with low vision. These services often complement each other instead of repeating each other. Dr. Khan pursued a residency in low vision rehabilitation, a year of extra training pursued by less than 20% of optometrists, upon her graduation from optometry school. She may be able to prescribe special vision-enhancing devices or make recommendations that you have not seen or heard of yet.
How do I make an appointment for my Low Vision Examination? Do I need a referral?
A referral from your current optometrist or ophthalmologist is always helpful in understanding your vision for your low vision rehabilitation program. A referral is not however necessary. To schedule your low vision examination, please contact us at 905 682 9119 or 905 468 8002.
How to prepare for your Low Vision Examination.
Please bring an updated list of medications and note any doctors you may be seeing (family doctor, optometrists or eye specialists). It helps if you are familiar with your eye diagnosis, any treatments you may have received, and any follow-up appointments you may have.
Take some time to think about the things with which you are having the most difficulty. Is it reading your mail? Signing cheques? Enjoying a book? Dealing with glare when you are outside? Make note of which of these activities are most important to you. These things will become the “goals” that Dr. Robertson-Woods and Dr. Khan will strive to have you achieve.
Please schedule up to an hour and a half for your low vision examination. We recommend bringing a family member or friend for support or as an extra set of ears!
- New patient questionnaire for patients with low vision
- Ontario Assistive Devices Program
- Eschenbach (an example of some of the products we carry) | <urn:uuid:bbfc41d3-c396-4a7c-8fb9-1dc9d441ea37> | {
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On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial and admonished America to return to its First Principles. In his I Have a Dream Speech, Dr King looked forward to the day that “this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” He dreamt of the day when all “would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’”
Dr. King did not talk about remaking America. His dream was one “deeply rooted in the American dream,” as he said, and one that hearkened back to America’s founding principles. It was not a rejection of our past, but a vision of hope based on the principles of our past.
Based on a series of arbitrary and unjust policies, African Americans were denied basic protections of the rule of law. Segregation prevented access to public accommodations, and many were reduced to poverty as a result of these injustices. Dr. King did not ask African-Americans to be satisfied with their condition, nor did he denounce America as an unjust nation. Instead, Dr. King assured his listeners that their circumstances were contrary to America’s creed. He used the central principle of the Declaration – natural human equality – as a rallying cry for civil rights.
The principle of human equality is the foundation of the Declaration’s statement of natural rights. We are all equal because we all participate in a common human nature. Since we are all equal, we are all entitled to the basic rights that are derived from human nature. From these First Principles, Dr. King understood that all Americans—regardless of skin color—should have access to the rule of law, public accommodations, and thereby have the ability to pursue economic opportunities and, ultimately, happiness.
But Dr. King did not think that the principle of equality meant that everyone should be treated the same. He sought equality of rights and equality before the law, not equality of outcomes or equality as a result. Instead, justice would be when people were judged “by the content of their character” rather than by arbitrary considerations such as skin color. Dr. King did not mean that we should treat people of good character and bad character the same. Actual equality is achieved when arbitrary standards are replaced by meaningful criteria such as talent and virtue. A just country, then, is one in which people are rewarded for acting virtuously and producing success.
The challenge of our time is quite formidable: we face an ever expanding government, exercising a bureaucratic tyranny that suffocates our self-government. Let’s take Dr. King’s teaching to heart: let’s look to our First Principles to guide us through our current political problems and to restore this great country. | <urn:uuid:743635e4-cf5b-45cd-9255-25b7d9ff0db7> | {
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A proverb is a simple saying that explains a general rule or feeling. Six people share their favorites.
- Audio Slide Show
Sarah / England
My favorite proverb would have to be "Don't judge a book by its cover." I think it can be used in many different daily situations. Obviously, when you meet new people, you always need to give someone a chance. So, I think that a chance is always good for someone, probably better than judging on first impressions.
Paul / England
A proverb I like is "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," which is a cautionary proverb. It means don't always bank on you guessing the result. It also a reminder that life can change very quickly, so it's good to learn a certain degree of patience and allow certain things to run their course before you get excited.
Gareth / England
There's a very famous proverb from Confucius, and it's "Hear and I forget; see and I understand; I do and I know." I like it because it means until you actually do something, it's hard to really, truly know it. I believe that a lot of the times when you're learning, and you're learning by hearing stuff from your lecture or from a podcast, it's very difficult to acquire that knowledge and to actually really grasp it. When you see something, it gets a little bit better, but when you do something, that's when you really truly know something.
Katia / Mexico
One proverb that I think of often, it says, "Everything will be as it should be." When I think of it, I get very relaxed, I don't tend to worry as much as I usually do. For me, that means, regardless of how much I worry or how much I try regardless of that, everything will be as it should be. So, that's a proverb that I really like.
Lindsay / United States
I really like the proverb, "The grass is always greener on the other side." I think that's really true, and I find that it's always like that. I always want what I can't have, and then when I get that, then I find out that it's not as great as I had hoped it would be. So, because of this, I try to always keep that in mind and be happy for what I have.
Warren / Canada
I think "What goes around, comes around" is what comes to mind for me. I think it is really true. Basically, if you do something good, good things will happen to you. And if you do bad things, bad things are going to happen to you, maybe not right away but eventually.
Better than judging on first impressions.
A first impression is your first thoughts or feelings about someone when you meet them. Notice the following:
- My first impression of him was that he was bossy.
- I usually give a poor first impression.
Don't always bank on guessing the result.
When you bank on something, that means you are expecting it to happen. Notice the following:
- You can bank on the stores being crowded before Christmas
- I was banking on a good grade for this class, but I didn't get one.
Allow certain things to run their course.
When you let something run its course, you let it continue even if there appears to be problems. Notice the following:
- The demonstration started badly, but rather than stop it we let it run its course.
- When two people have a conflict, sometimes it is just best to let it run its course.
It's very difficult to really grasp it.
To grasp something is to understand it. Notice the following:
- Math is a hard thing to grasp for some people.
- To write well, you need to grasp the basics of sentence structure.
I try to always keep that in mind.
When you keep something in mind, you are aware of it. Notice the following:
- The traffic is bad on Route 10 so keep that in mind if you go that way.
- Please keep in mind that class starts one hour earlier next week. | <urn:uuid:e9a5f79b-ae96-4f97-9384-de519510f2a5> | {
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Jose rizal poems written in ateneo updated on december 10 poems jose rizal written this year was on different topics jose rizal is not only hero of our country. Jose rizal, the national hero of the philippines and pride of the malayan race, was born on june 19, 1861, in the town of calamba, laguna. Why rizal was made our national hero - download as word doc (doc these are manifestations of the country's reverence accorded to jose rizal as a national hero. Jose rizal is the national hero of the philippines he was the most prominent advocate for philippine reforms during the spanish colonial period jose rizal was also a doctor, sculptor, painter, poet, and a novelist. When jose rizal was still alive, his countrymen had already looked up to him as their guide towards reforms, revolution, and independence from spanish rule. Heroism of jose rizal rizal course is mandated by ou law under r - heroism of jose rizal introduction a 1425 it says here the 3 provisions of rizal law first, rizal course must be part of the curriculum of our schools, colleges, universities, public or private. Jose rizal is a famous hero in the philippines jose rizal was born on june 19th, 1861 in calamba, philippines to a middle class family in the province of laguana his parents were francisco mercado and teodora alonzo.
12 findings and recommendations of the national heroes the following nine filipino historical figures to be recommended as national heroes: a jose rizal. Josie rizal (ジョシー・リサール joshī risāru) is a character in the tekken series who is introduced in tekken 7 as one of the new playable characters she was first seen as one of the four fighters (the other three being jin kazama, devil jin and the large red behemoth fighter named gigas) whose in-game. Dr jose rizal mercado y alonso, or simply jose rizal (1861-1896), is unquestionably the greatest hero & martyr of our nation the day of his birth & the day of his execution are fittingly commemorated by all classes of our people throughout the length & breadth of this country & even by filipinos & their friends abroad. 1861 - jose rizal was born on june 19, 1861 in the town of calamba in laguna his parents were francisco mercado rizal and teodora alonzo realonda.
An essay about jose rizal who is jose rizal to common people what is the impact of his life, woks and writings when we ask most average persons today these questions, they might answer something like, he is our national hero, he died in bagumbayan, and he wrote two great novels. Jose rizal, became our national hero, because they said so our history was written but not as true as it should be andres bonifacio is a better option to be the national hero, he actually fought for our freedom of course our revolution was also, inspired by jose rizal.
The mural depicts the execution of philippine national hero dr jose rizal at bagong the philippine folklife museum foundation takes pride and joy in its. Joze protasio rizal mercado y alonso realonda was a philippine's national hero official picture of jose rizal.
Jose rizal, the martyr-hero of the philippines, was born in kalamba, on the southwest shore of the picturesque laguna of bay in luzon, june 19,1861.
Enjoy the best jose rizal quotes at brainyquote quotations by jose rizal, filipino writer, born june 19, 1861 share with your friends. Did he became the national hero of the philippines because of the acts that he did or like what other said like the columnist diokno jose that rizal planned his heroism. From an early age, jose rizal mercado showed a precocious intellect he learned the alphabet from his mother at 3, and could read and write at age 5 education: jose rizal mercado attended the ateneo municipal de manila, graduating at the age of 16 with highest honors he took a post-graduate course there in land surveying. Jose p rizal: the national hero [christopher fuster bueno phd] on amazoncom free shipping on qualifying offers the book is primarily focus in contemporary studies on role modeling, values formation, historical and political development of philippine nationalism as to the life. | <urn:uuid:36e4a3f6-eb44-4b9a-98fc-67bb99025ede> | {
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The latest news about robots, robotics
Posted: Jan 23, 2013
Robo-pets add new level of realism for training future veterinarians
(Nanowerk News) The world’s first robotic dog simulator for veterinary training has evolved into the opening of a new simulation center at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Cornell’s new simulation center includes two fully equipped exam rooms, two rooms for live video-feed observation and debriefing, and space for storage and developing new models, such as a new robotic cat and a more advanced dog.
Veterinary students conducting a simulated emergency exam on a robotic dog.
In the 10-minute simulations, a small team of students collects basic patient info from the robotic dog or cat, then assesses, plans and treats. The students can use a full crash cart, medical supplies, defibrillator and other tools to take the robo-pet’s pulse, listen to heart and lung sounds, insert catheters and hook up monitoring devices to get feedback orchestrated through special software.
Others watch in the observation room, then all meet in the debriefing theater to watch recordings and debrief.
“Simulations like this have been used to teach human doctors for decades,” said Daniel Fletcher, assistant professor of emergency and critical care, and developer of the pet simulators. “The idea is to bridge preclinical lecture learning and actual clinical experience, letting students practice applying what they’ve learned in a safe setting before the stakes get high.”
The center is part of a greater plan to form a clinical-skills complex: a self-paced multi-station lab open 24/7. Students will have access to direct hands-on practice with such basic skills as suturing on skin models or putting catheters into fake limbs before labs or clinics.
First-year students now practice listening to heart and lung sounds on the robo-dog and cat. Second and third-year students started performing scenarios in required core classes this year. Students role-playing with actors in the required client communications class now get a mock patient thrown in the mix. They take cases from start to finish and juggle assessing a patient while communicating with technicians, clients and other clinicians in the same room.
Preparing to expand the learning model further, emergency and critical care specialist Gretchen Schoeffler and an emergency and critical care resident, will attend formal trainings on running simulations before offering a new course in spring 2013 and then evaluating simulation-learning effectiveness. Meanwhile, Fletcher is developing new simulation-based tools for the clinical competency assessments students must complete before earning a DVM.
Fletcher has brought his robo-dog to schools across the country and world. He is now building a more advanced model code-named “Butch.” Butch will run with inexpensive, off-the-shelf electronic components and sports a more realistic airway, a soft abdomen compartment, articulating joints, more areas for catheters, more space inside the body and a more realistic overall feel.
“No other schools are using this kind of simulation yet,” said Fletcher. “Our model can enhance CPR scenarios and can simulate a slew of other conditions, and we’ve seen interest in it growing. We’re gathering evidence and tools to help bring the simulation capability and teaching model outside Cornell.”
Fletcher and collaborators are working on a new simulation toolkit for veterinary education. It will include an open-source software platform with affordable hardware that can be shared with other institutions interested in introducing simulation teaching. It is slated for release in spring 2013. | <urn:uuid:495dbe6f-675a-4a9d-b4a2-8f60e2148595> | {
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You won’t have this mushroom to kick around anymore.
Earthstars, which are in the puffball family of mushrooms, are nature’s kickballs. Very few of us can resist the urge to take a boot to these and other bulbous puffballs. As fall progresses, the sporous spheres are nearing the end of their reproductive lifecycle, although you can still see their dried, crusty remains through the winter.
Look for a star on the ground. They prefer sandy soils and often appear near cedar trees. These globular mushrooms are encased in a “skin” that peels open. When open, the skin spreads out and splits, resembling a star with a ball inside. The star appearance is more than just for show. When the outer “star” layer peels back and becomes prostrate on the ground, it will actually push up its center fruiting body. It can elevate itself up to a few centimeters off the ground. This increase in height is an advantage that will allow spores to ‘catch wind’ and disperse more widely.
One variety of earthstars is the barometer earthstar. The barometer earthstar is an intriguing species. The rays of the star open and close depending on the weather. Wet weather unfolds the stars, encouraging the water to release its internal spores, while dry weather causes it to close around itself for protection and thus won’t release or waste its spores in weather that is not conductive to dispersal.
The barometer earthstar, Astraeus hygrometricus, is named for Astraeus, also known as “the starry one.” He was one of the Greek titans who was the father of the four winds.
Earthstars are in the puffball family. Puff is not only a magical dragon, but a group of miraculous mushrooms. Members of this mushroom group differ from other mushrooms in a few distinct ways. For one, they have their spores inside of their rounded bodies, rather than underneath as in a typical umbrella-shaped mushroom. Additionally, they lack the gills of other common mushroom varieties.
And as I mentioned, their shape makes them irresistible to the practicing punter, but also provides for spore dispersal from wind, water, or any other force that can create enough pressure to pop the puff and release a cloud of spores. Don’t get too close to observe the cloudy release, as the surplus of spores can irritate your airway.
Many of the puffballs are edible, although earthstars are not. Puffball recipes abound on the internet (with a name like “puffballs,” how could they miss ending up as hors d’oeuvre?), but of course, take precautions when eating any wild food. Be sure — no, certain — of the identification. Especially with mushroom foraging, mistakes can be deadly.
People should probably not kick the habit of kicking the puffballs. These small wonders have developed their own unique and admirable methods for getting their spores broadcast — and their kick-ability is actually a benefit to their survival. So in this case, don’t resist getting your kicks!
Suzan Bellincampi is director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown. | <urn:uuid:f20885a7-4502-4620-bd06-dad712f4bc11> | {
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At its first glance, the mannequin 'i.Dummy' developed by researchers of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) looks no different from an ordinary dummy but it is no plain stuff -- this sophisticated mannequin can change its body shape and size or even elongate at the point of a fingertip on computer.
This revolutionary breakthrough, coined 'i.Dummy' for intelligent dummy, is expected to streamline the operations of the apparel and garment industry, which rely strongly on the use of dummies for designing and fitting different sizes of apparel products before mass production takes place. Instead of keeping a big number of fixed sized dummies in the stock of design houses, buying offices or factories for fitting purpose, one single 'i.Dummy' will transform itself to fit various sizes and dimension, be it Asian or Western, etc. Customised measurements can also be inputted.
This project is led by Dr Allan Chan Chee-kooi, Associate Professor at PolyU's Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC), with team members Mr Steven Peng Sixiang and Dr Ameersing Luximon. PolyU has already filed two patents for this invention.
The development of this purpose-built robotic mannequin has come a long way. In developing the 'i.Dummy', Dr Allan Chan and his team members have collected massive anthropometric data and information from the literatures of the American, European, Japanese and Chinese population; together with the data collected from ITC's 3D Body Scanner, plus the clever application of mechatronics on the platform of mannequin development.
"This robotic mannequin 'i.Dummy' is unique in the sense that all changes are three-dimensional, varying in width, thickness and length all at once automatically. It can also rotate automatically for viewing in 360 degrees, so that every angle of clothes fitting can be assessed," said Dr Chan. "The robust design is therefore suitable for many types of garments, ranging from ball gowns to occasional wear, and tight fitting swimwear."
Moreover, the iDummy can be easily controlled via a user-friendly Graphic User Interface (GUI) run on the computer, and the use of Bluetooth technology on a smart phone is not a problem at all. It means potential clients can input their measurements on the computer to achieve fitting across geographical boundaries through to on-line purchasing.
Since fitting mannequins are required by fashion designers, pattern masters, merchandisers, quality and production personnel at home and abroad, there is a huge potential market for 'i.Dummy'. PolyU researchers will focus on the need of the industry and offer their expertise through the licensing of patented technology.
Dr Allan Chan added that iDummy is also an excellent education and training facility for students and apprentices of fashion design and pattern development alike, because it can mimic the body profile of different sizes and dimension.
The project was kicked off in 2008 with the support of industry. It is also partly funded by the General Research Fund of the Research Grants Council.
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Atypical pneumonia refers to pneumonia caused by certain bacteria, including Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae.
This article provides a general overview of atypical pneumonia.
Walking pneumonia; Chlamydophila pneumoniae
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Atypical pneumonia due to mycoplasma and chlamydophila bacteria usually cause mild forms of pneumonia, unlike other types of the disease that can come on more quickly with more severe early symptoms.
Mycoplasma pneumonia often affects younger people and may be associated with anemia, certain types of rashes, and neurological conditions such as meningitis, myelitis, and encephalitis. For more information on this type of pneumonia, see: Mycoplasma pneumonia
Pneumonia due to chlamydia-related bacteria occurs year round and accounts for 5-15% of all pneumonias. It is usually mild with a low death rate.
Atypical pneumonia due to Legionella accounts for 2-6% of pneumonias and has a higher death rate. Older adults, smokers, and those with chronic illnesses and weakened immune systems are at higher risk for this type of pneumonia. Breathing in contaminated air (such as that from infected air conditioning systems) has also been linked to pneumonia due to Legionella. For more information on this type of pneumonia, see: Legionnaire's disease
- Confusion (especially with Legionella pneumonia)
- Diarrhea (especially with Legionella pneumonia)
- General ill feeling
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle stiffness and aching
- Rapid breathing
- Rash (especially with Mycoplasma pneumonia)
- Shortness of breath
Signs and tests:
Persons with suspected pneumonia should have a complete medical evaluation, including a thorough physical exam and a chest x-ray -- especially since the physical exam may not always distinguish pneumonia from acute bronchitis or other respiratory infections.
Depending on the severity of illness, additional studies may be done, include:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Blood cultures
- Blood tests for antibodies to specific bacteria
- Open lung biopsy (only done in very serious illnesses when the diagnosis cannot be made from other sources)
- Sputum culture
Urine tests or a throat swab may be also be done.
Antibiotics are used to treat atypical pneumonia. If you have a mild case, you may be able to take antibiotics by mouth. If you have severe atypical pneumonia, you will likely be admitted to a hospital where you will be given antibiotics through a vein (intravenously), as well as oxygen.
Antibiotics used to treat atypical pneumonia include:
- Fluoroquinolones and their derivatives (such as levofloxacin)
- Tetracyclines (such as doxycycline)
Most patients with pneumonia due to mycoplasma or chlamydophila do well with appropriate antibiotic therapy, although there is a small chance that the infection will return if antibiotics are used for less than 2 weeks.
While atypical pneumonias are commonly associated with milder forms of pneumonia, pneumonia due to Legionella, in particular, can be quite severe, especially among the elderly and those with chronic diseases and weakened immune systems. It is associated with a higher death rate.
Calling your health care provider:
Contact your health care provider if you develop a fevers, cough, or shortness of breath. There are numerous causes for these symptoms. The doctor will need to rule out pneumonia.
There is no known prevention for atypical pneumonia. No vaccine is are available at this time for atypical pneumonia.
Limper AH. Overview of Pneumonia. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2007:chap 97.
Mandell LA, Wunderink RG, Anzueto A, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Mar 1;44 Suppl 2:S27-72. | <urn:uuid:c631bdb7-655b-44da-8c44-548354c6cf6b> | {
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