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Contrary to be able to popular belief, this disease won't apply to just middle aged people, Arthritis strikes all months, affecting millions of people covering. Its not just associated with a condition of getting old, for many of a quite serious forms or Arthritis can be found in younger couples.
Some Facts for everyone:
- It is 3 times more experienced by women than in men.
- Over 150 mil people suffer from Arthritis in america alone and Europe.
- 68% your with Arthritis or unrelenting joint Symptoms are a lot less than 65. 8% are children younger than 17
- 1 in 3 Caregivers have Arthritis: 65% understand diagnosed, 35% live with it undiagnosed.
Arthritis and completing inflammation of joints, one among leading chronic health issues to cause increasing disability to people older than 16.
So what is Arthritis?
The word Arthritis literally means inflammation of the joints (arth=joint, ritis=inflammation), and refers about 100 different diseases.
There are over 100 various Arthritis that can affect many different body parts. In addition to here are the joints, some forms of Arthritis are think about diseases of other tissues and organs in the body. People of all few decades, including children and young driver, can develop Arthritis.
Inflammation are really a reaction of the body that causes swelling, redness, pain, and the lack of motion in an affected region. It is the major physical trouble in the most serious forms of which Arthritis.
Normally, inflammation is how the body responds to ruin or to the use of disease agents, such as viruses or bacteria. To achieve success reaction, many cells of the physique defense system (called all of the immune system) rush over the injured area to wipe out whenever you know the problem, clean up damaged partitions and repair tissues which might be hurt. Once the "battle" could be very won, the inflammation normally goes away and the area manufactures healthy again.
In disparities of Arthritis, the inflammation does not go away normally. Instead, it becomes particular problem, damaging healthy tissues associated with your body. This may give rise to more inflammation and more damage - a continuing rely.
The damage that occurs can go up the bones and other tissues of your joints, sometimes affecting their shape and making movement hard or painful. Diseases in which invulnerable malfunctions and attacks healthy body parts are called autoimmune diseases
How Can Limu help you?
Three are many activities to do to help prevent Arthritis.
1) Be Fit - Research proves that fundamental a physical nature gives increase function and decreases tenderness.
2) Manage Stress and Stress aggravates many poor health including Arthritis, so you need to learn to control stress
3) Follow a Nutrient-Rich diet - You simply must keep your weight controlled and also keeping your systems running smoothly.
Science suggests that Limu might help many problems associated inside the end arthritic conditions. Limu are really a seaweed that contains today's polysaccharide fucodian, which is known as effective against many according to diseases of these. Limu also contains many nutrients to further boost your bodies immune system and offer an influx of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Limu should be some of your daily diet.
Limu's Super Nutrient and Fucodian
The overall findings of a giant body of research, and in addition anecdotal evidence provided accompanying a long history of the utilization of fucoidan-bearing seaweed in areas like Japan, Hawaii and Tonga, indicate that fucoidan demonstrates great potential for that reason safe nutritional answer for range health complaints. Fucoidan appears to the sea plant also known as Limu Moui.
This cleansing rich, complex carbohydrate polysaccharide lowers possibility of or Arthritis and added in inflammatory disorders by in the role of and ant-inflammatory agent, bolstering body's defense mechanisms, and helping to covering stress.
Fucodian Benefits Arthritis
- Acts getting an anti-inflammatory agent
- Eliminates pain better
- Supports and aids body's defense mechanisms
- Helps the body copes with stress
- Aids in accordance the endocrine system's cortisol places, which are activated an stress, under control.
- Eliminates need
- Helps you loose weight
- Supports Tissue repair
Why use Limu?
For over 3000 years the natives associated with your south pacific island of tonga have had the idea of the astonishing benefits of earning Limu Moui - the actual brown seaweed that grows plantar too the clear waters surrounding someplace sunny and warm. In these untainted, unfaltered waters, Limu is which often absorb trace minerals plus vital nutrients found ther the readily-available form.
Researchers to help find unlock the mysteries of Limu's advantages have conducted over 700 research studies centering on Fucodian, it firstly. These studies have proven track the unequalled nutrient regarding Limu.
Live better with Limu Plus Limu Plus are really a Limu drink which could help many people with illness and stress related medical problems. View some testimonials of real people receiving real health actually worth.
Limu has helps not just with Arthritis and puffiness its health benefits chafes from abrasion seen with Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease and general wellness.
Its suitable males, Women, Children and even pets who want to enjoy a better life.. | <urn:uuid:2223f872-23b5-4da5-8914-5243a391b292> | {
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On the feast of St. Jerome, at least very short post is in order. We are all well aware of the fact that St. Jerome was the greatest Scripture scholar of the early Church. He knew many languages, he translated the Bible, he worked with manuscripts. He was also the most respected commentator – until the most recent years, St. Jerome was the Church Father most often read in the Divine Office. It is arguable that St. Jerome was the most intelligent man in the world during his time, he certainly had an incredible capacity for learning new things and remembering even the smallest details of things he had learnt long ago.
It strikes me, then, as particularly interesting that this Father most closely associated with the Bible got some of the most important biblical questions wrong! St. Jerome did not consider much of what the Protestants now call the deuterocanonical books to be part of the Canon of Scripture. The great scholar, at the time when the Canon was being formed, took the wrong side – favoring the late Judaic Hebrew Canon over the Judaic Greek Alexandrian Canon (which is very close to the one we now accept).
It was not St. Jerome who led the Church through this most difficult crisis, but St. Augustine. Though a bishop, St. Augustine did not know Greek well and he didn’t know anything of Hebrew. St. Jerome was far superior to the Bishop of Hippo when it came to biblical theology, knowledge of the Bible, and knowledge of languages…yet God chose St. Augustine to be the Father most instrumental in giving the Canon of Scripture to the Church.
Perhaps, behind the historical facts, there is a deeper lesson to be learned. Though less “scholarly,” St. Augustine was a bishop; St. Jerome was only a priest. St. Augustine was entrusted by God and the Church with the care of the flock and was given the particular charism of teaching the faith. This historical event is a good example of the way in which God guides his people through the pastors of the Church – that is through the bishops in union with the Pope.
I do not say any of this to detract from St. Jerome – in fact, the friendship which developed between Sts. Jerome and Augustine is a great witness to the humility and sanctity of the often ill-tempered scholar. May this example of humble submission to the teaching authority of the Church inspire the scripture scholars of our day!
St. Jerome, pray for us! | <urn:uuid:ee3a3fbb-8c5e-4c2e-823e-9667c659ffb2> | {
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INTRODUCTIONIn reviewing the literature it was found that several studies have been done to correlate self-esteem and stress. Studies have suggested that there is a negative relationship between self-esteem and stress. It was also found that self-esteem appears to moderate the effects of stress on psychological functioning. Individuals with low self-esteem exhibit more distress from negative events than those with high self-esteem. High self-esteem may protect the individual from distress by allowing the individual to feel less vulnerable and be more able to bounce back from stressful situations. High self-esteem may also result in more active and effective coping and in enhanced motivation in response to stress (Abel, 1996). In an article by Kreger (1995), it was hypothesized, after reviewing some studies, that scores on self-esteem may act like attributional style in predicting the effects of stress and that perceived stress may be more related to self-esteem than to actual stressfulness of a situation. After conducting a study on this hypothesis, it was found to be supported by the data, that stress inversely correlated with self-esteem. (Kreger, 1995).
According to another study, researchers found that there is a strong relationship between how someone copes with stress and self-esteem. It was also found in the same article in another study, that the article made reference to, that people with low self-esteem are more likely to view their behavior as being dependent on the situation while people with high self-esteem have a greater capacity to engage in a wide range of coping behaviors (Smith, Zhan, Hunington, Washington, 1992).
This article also asked the question, why do people with low self-esteem tend to make their coping responses so situation-dependent. It has been suggested that self-esteem influences coping because it is so strongly related to personal attributions for different events and outcomes (Smith, et al., 1992).
The study in this article attempted to research the relationship between self-esteem, self-concept clarity, and the subjects preferred coping styles when faced with stressful events and situations. They chose a group of college undergraduates as their participants for the study. Researchers hypothesized that (1) higher self-esteem would be related to clearer self-concept, (2) a clearer self-concept would be related to more positive coping styles while an unclear self-concept would be related to more negative coping styles. They found that self-concept clarity exerts a stronger influence on a person`s ability to cope with stress than the influence exerted by self-esteem (Smith, et al., 1992).
In another article a study was done comparing the relationship between coping styles, self-concept, and stress. The coping styles researched in this study were optimism versus defensive-pessimism. These coping strategies have been thought to protect self-esteem from threatening situations. The purpose of their study (1) was to see if using different cognitive coping strategies experience different levels of perceived stress, (2) and also to see what components of the self might these coping strategies be striving to defend or maintain (Morrison, 1991).
Their study suggests instead of assuming that coping styles are protection for self-esteem, they are just as likely to protect weak facets of the self. Researchers also found that defensive-pessimists and those without consistent coping strategies show themselves to be more stressed than optimists. Female optimists are more satisfied with their skills for handling stress than are defensive-pessimists and those without consistent coping strategies. Optimists coping strategies coincide with less stress. Males, with the exception of the optimists feeling less stressed than those without consistent coping strategies, coping style differences do not reflect differences in satisfaction (Morrison, 1991).
In reviewing another article investigating the relationships among self-esteem enhancing and self-esteem threatening relationships, life stress, perceived social support, and psychological symptoms through the use of new measures of esteem enhancing and esteem threatening relationships. It was hypothesized that esteem enhancement would relate positively to global self-esteem and negatively to psychological symptoms and esteem threat would have the opposite relations consistent with the threat to self-esteem model. It was also hypothesized that the esteem enhancement and threat measures would account for significant variance in self-esteem and psychological symptoms beyond demographic, life stress, and social support measures. Researchers hypothesized that these measures would be uncorrelated with each other because other measures of positive and negative social ties are largely uncorrelated. They found that esteem threat was associated with psychological symptoms independent of stress, social support, and demographic variables. Both esteem enhancement and esteem threat made independent contributions to predicting global self-esteem after controlling for initial levels of global self-esteem (Short, Sandler, Roosa, 1996).
Overall, according to most of the literature researched, self-esteem has little to do with how people deal with or perceive the levels of stress in their lives. It has more to do with other factors such as coping styles and self-concept. However, the purpose of this study was to replicate the findings of studies already done to retest the hypothesis that people who have high self-esteem perceive themselves to have lower levels of stress than those with low self-esteem and people who have low self-esteem perceive themselves to have high levels of stress than those with high self-esteem.
The participants for this study were 15 college students. This was a convenience sample consisting of 15 participants. Race, gender and age were not controlled for.
Two pencil and paper tests were used, one on stress called the Life Experiences Survey (Appendix A) and one on self-esteem called _________(Appendix B). Each survey was assigned a letter that was written at the top of each one corresponding to each other. The tests were correlated to see if there was a relationship and to what degree do stress and self-esteem correlate.
Data were collected by one researcher. Both surveys were given to all of the participants.
The test data were collected and analyzed by doing a bivariate correlation on SPSS comparing stress and self-esteem. The correlation between stress and self-esteem was found to be insignificant r (15)=.011, p > .05. It was found that self-esteem may have little or nothing to do with how people perceive their levels of stress.
The purpose of this study was to see if people who have high self-esteem perceive themselves to have lower levels of stress than those with low self-esteem and people who have low self-esteem perceive themselves to have high levels of stress than those with high self-esteem. Contrary to the hypothesis researchers did not find a significant difference between people`s level of self-esteem and how they perceive stress. However, the findings from this study went along with the findings found in the literature that was cited. It was found that people`s level of self-esteem has little or nothing to do with how people perceive stress.
The fact that little correlation was found was probably do in part to a small sample size and also the fact that some people didn`t seem to understand the directions of the surveys and the surveys were lengthy. In the future, if this study was to be done again the sample size should be larger, simpler directions and shorter surveys.
Abel, M.H. (1996). Self-esteem: Moderator of mediator between perceived stress and expectancy of success. Psychological Reports, 79, 635-641.
Kreger, D.W. (1995). Self-esteem, stress, and depression among graduate students. Psychological Reports, 76, 345-346.
Morrison, C.R. (1991). Academic coping styles, self-concept, and stress. 1-24.
Short, J.L. & Sandler, I.N. & Roosa, M.W. (1996). Adolescents` perceptions of social support: The role of esteem enhancing and esteem threatening relationships. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 15, 397-416.
Smith, M.C. (1992). Is clarity of self-concept related to preferred coping styles? 1-24.
APPENDIX ATake as much time as you need to answer each of the questions. On average the test takes about fifteen minutes. There are no right or wrong answers. It is important that you take the test before you read the analysis which follows it, in order to assure that your answer will not be biased.
Read the description of each situation and vividly imagine it happening to you. You have probably not experienced some of the situations, but that doesn`t matter. Perhaps neither response will seem to fit; go ahead anyway and circle either A or B, choosing the cause likelier to apply to you. You may not like the way some of the responses sound, but don`t choose what you think you should say or what would sound right to other people; choose the response you`d be likelier to have.
Circle only one response for each question. Ignore the letter and number codes for now.
1. The project you are in charge of is a great success
A. I kept a close watch over everyone`s work.
B. Everyone devoted a lot of time and energy to it.
2. You and your spouse (boyfriend/girlfriend) make up after a fight.
A. I forgave him/her.
B. I`m usually forgiving.
3. You get lost driving to a friend`s house.
A. I missed a turn.
B. My friend gave me bad directions.
4. Your spouse (boyfriend/girlfriend) surprises you with a gift.
A. He/she just got a raise at work.
B. I took him/her out to a special dinner the night before.
5. You forget your spouse`s (boyfriend`s/girlfriend`s) birthday.
A. I`m not good at remembering birthdays.
B. I`m was preoccupied with other things.
6. You get a flower from a secret admirer.
A. I am attractive to him/her.
B. I am a popular person.
7. You run for a community office position and you win.
A. I devote a lot of time and energy to campaigning.
B. I work very hard at everything I do.
8. You miss an important engagement.
A. Sometimes my memory fails me.
B. I sometimes forget to check my appointment book.
9. You run for a community office position and you lose.
A. I didn`t campaign hard enough.
B. The person who won knew more people.
10. You host a successful dinner.
A. I was particularly charming that night.
B. I am a good host.
11. You stop a crime by calling the police.
A. A strange noise caught my attention.
B. I was alert that day.
12. You were extremely healthy all year.
A. Few people around me were sick, so I wasn`t exposed.
B. I made sure I ate well and got enough rest.
13. You owe the library ten dollars for an overdue book.
A. When I am really involved in what I am reading, I often forget when it`s due.
B. I was so involved in writing the report that I forgot to return the book.
14. Your stocks make you a lot of money.
A. My broker decided to take on something new.
B. My broker is a top-notch investor.
15. You win an athletic contest.
A. I was feeling unbeatable.
B. I train hard.
16. You fail an important examination.
A. I wasn`t as smart as the other people taking the exam.
B. I didn`t prepare for it well.
17. You prepared a special meal for a friend and he/she barely touched the food.
A. I wasn`t a good cook.
B. I made the meal in a rush.
18. You lose a sporting event for which you have been training for a long time.
A. I`m not very athletic.
B. I`m not good at that sport.
19. Your cars out of gas on a dark street late at night.
A. I didn`t check to see how much gas was in the tank.
B. The gas gauge was broken.
20. You lose your temper with a friend.
A. He/she is always nagging me.
B. He/she was in a hostile mood.
21. You are penalized for not returning your income-tax forms on time.
A. I always put off doing my taxes.
B. I was lazy about getting my taxes done this year.
22. You ask a person out on a date and he/she says no.
A. I was a wreck that day.
B. I got tongue-tied when I asked him/her on the date.
23. A game-show host picks you out of the audience to participate in the show.
A. I was sitting in the right seat.
B. I looked the most enthusiastic.
24. You are frequently asked to dance at a party.
A. I am outgoing at parties.
B. I was in perfect form that night.
25. You buy your spouse (boyfriend/girlfriend) a gift and he/she doesn`t like it.
A. I don`t put enough thought into things like that.
B. He/she has very picky tastes.
26. You do exceptionally well in a job interview.
A. I felt extremely confident during the interview.
B. I interview well.
27. You tell a joke and everyone laughs.
A. The joke was funny.
B. My timing was perfect.
28. Your boss gives you too little time in which to finish a project, but you get it finished anyway.
A. I am good at my job.
B. I am efficient person.
29. You`ve been feeling run-down lately.
A. I never get a chance to relax.
B. I was exceptionally busy this week.
30. You ask someone to dance and he/she says no.
A. I am not a good enough dancer.
B. He/she doesn`t like to dance.
31. You save a person from choking to death.
A. I know a technique to stop someone from choking.
B. I know what to do in crisis situations.
32. Your romantic partner want to cool things off for a while.
A. I`m too self-centered.
B. I don`t spend enough time with him/her.
33. A friend says something that hurts your feelings.
A. She always blurts things out without thinking of others.
B. My friend was in a bad mood and took it out on me.
34. Your employer comes to you for advice.
A. I am an expert in the area about which I was asked.
B. I am good at giving useful advice.
35. A friend thanks you for helping him/her get through a bad time.
A. I enjoy helping him/her through tough times.
B. I care about people.
36. You have a wonderful time at a party.
A. Everyone was friendly.
B. I was friendly
37. Your doctor tells you that you are in good physical shape.
A. I make sure I exercise frequently.
B. I am very health-conscious.
38. Your spouse (boyfriend/girlfriend) takes you away for a romantic weekend.
A. He/she needed to get away for a few days.
B. He/she likes to explore new areas.
39. Your doctor tells you that you eat too much sugar.
A. I don`t pay much attention to my diet.
B. You can`t avoid sugar, it`s in everything.
40. You are asked to head an important project.
A. I just successfully completed a similar project.
B. I am a good supervisor.
41. You and your spouse (boyfriend/girlfriend) have been fighting a great deal.
A. I have been feeling cranky and pressured lately.
B. He/she has been hostile lately.
42. You fall down a great deal while skiing.
A. Skiing is difficult.
B. The trails were icy.
43. You win a prestigious award.
A. I solved an important problem.
B. I was the best employee.
44. Your stocks are at an all-time low.
A. I didn`t know much about the business climate at the time.
B. I made a poor choice of stocks.
45. You win the lottery.
A. It was pure chance.
B. I picked the right numbers.
46. You gain weight over the holidays and you can`t lose it.
A. Diets don`t work in the long run.
B. The diet I tried didn`t work.
47. You are in the hospital and few people come to visit.
A. I`m irritable when I am sick.
B. My friends are negligent about things like that.
48. They won`t honor your credit card at a store.
A. I sometimes overestimate how much money I have.
B. I sometimes forget to pay my credit-card bill.
Total B______ Total G________
A. The Life Experiences Survey
Listed below are a number of events which sometimes bring about change in the lives of those who experience them and which necessitate social readjustment. Please check those events which you have experienced in the past twelve months. Be sure that all check marks are directly across from the items they correspond to (only check those that apply).
Also, for each item checked below, please indicate the extent to which you viewed the event as having either a positive or negative impact on your life at the time the event occurred. That is, indicate the type and extent of impact that the event had. A rating of -3 would indicate an extremely negative impact. A rating of 0 suggests that no impact either positive or negative. A rating of +3 would indicate an extremely positive impact.
1. Marriage -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
2. Detention in jail or comparable institution -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
3. Death of spouse -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
4. Major change in sleeping habits (much more or much less sleep) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
5. Death of close family member:
a. mother -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
b. father -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
c. brother -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
d. sister -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
e. grandmother -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
f. grandfather -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
g. other (specify) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
6. Major change in eating habits (much more or much less food intake) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
7. Foreclosure on mortgage or loan -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
8. Death of close friend -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
9. Outstanding personal achievement -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
10. Minor law violations (traffic tickets, disturbing the peace, etc.) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
11. Male: Wife/girlfriend`s pregnancy -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
12. Female: Pregnancy -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
13. Changed work situation (different work responsibility, major change
in working conditions, working hours, etc.) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
14. New job -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
15. Serious illness or injury of close family member:
a. father -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
b. mother -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
c. sister -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
d. brother -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
e. grandfather -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
f. grandmother -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
g. spouse -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
h. other (specify) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
16. Sexual difficulties -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
17. Trouble with employer -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
18. Trouble with in-laws -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
19. Major change in financial status -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
20. Major change in closeness of family members -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
21. Gaining a new family member -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
22. Change of residence -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
23. Marital separation from mate (due to conflict) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
24. Major change in church activities -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
25. Marital reconciliation with mate -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
26. Major change in number of arguments with spouse -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
27. Married Male: Change in wife`s work outside home -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
28. Married Female: Change in husband`s work -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
29. Major change in usual type and/or amount of recreation -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
30. Borrowing more than $10,000 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
31. Borrowing less than $10,000 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
32. Being fired from job -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
33. Male: Wife/girlfriend having abortion -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
34. Female: Having abortion -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
35. Major personal illness or injury -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
36. Major change in social activities -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
37. Major change in living conditions of family -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
38. Divorce -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
39. Serious injury or illness of close friend -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
40. Retirement from work -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
41. Son or daughter leaving home -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
42. Ending of formal schooling -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
43. Separation from spouse (due to work, travel, etc.) -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
44. Engagement -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
45. Breaking up with boyfriend/girlfriend -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
46. Leaving home for the first time -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
47. Reconciliation with boyfriend/girlfriend -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
48. ________________________________ -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
49. ________________________________ -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
50. ________________________________ -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
51. Beginning a new school experience at a higher academic level -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
52. Changing to a new school at a same academic level -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
53. Academic probation -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
54. Being dismissed from dormitory or other residence -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
55. Failing an important exam -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
56. Changing a major -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
57. Failing a course -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
58. Dropping a course -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
59. Joining a fraternity/sorority -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
60. Financial problems concerning school -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
Total number of negative points: ___________
Total number of positive points: ___________
Total score (add both the positive and negative scores as positive numbers): ___________ | <urn:uuid:3cb5c9e4-6f98-4377-977c-dc49729bafb8> | {
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ffs - find first set bit
The ffs() function shall find the first bit set (beginning with the least significant bit) in i, and return the index of that bit. Bits are numbered starting at one (the least significant bit).
The ffs() function shall return the index of the first bit set. If i is 0, then ffs() shall return 0.
No errors are defined.
The Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <strings.h>
First released in Issue 4, Version 2.
Moved from X/OPEN UNIX extension to BASE. | <urn:uuid:91ad8264-4763-420d-9eff-d95d3d5522d9> | {
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Penn Museum's Alaskan Umiaq is Centerpiece of Exhibition
At the United Nations Headquarters in NYC
PHILADELPHIA, PA May 2011—Penn Museum's largest object from Alaska—a 15-foot long Umiaq, or Iñupiaq boat—journeys to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, where it takes center stage in a new exhibition, The Right to Water and Indigenous Peoples, May 16 through June 30, 2011. The exhibition, which marks the Tenth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, highlights water's critical relevance to indigenous peoples' cultural vitality as well as their social and economic well being, and includes contributions from indigenous film and photographic artists from all over the world.
About the Umiaq
The Museum's Umiaq (15'1"L by 4'6"W by 1'7"H, object #29-47-5) is an Iñupiaq wooden frame boat covered with stretched walrus hide coated with seal oil, and dates to the late 19th-early 20th centuries. Sewn or spliced together without benefit of nails, which could rust and sink the boat, Umiaqs are still used by Iñupiaq people for hunting whales or for summer transport. They are easier to repair than aluminum boats and don't make metallic sounds that can frighten away whales.
Subsistence whaling is a central focus in the lives of Iñupiaq peoples. It involves an elaborate series of ritual events designed to influence the whale spirits, as well as practical tasks associated with equipment manufacture and repair, outfitting the Umiaq, the hunt, and the distribution of meat, skin, and blubber. These activities take place each fall, when the sea-ice begins to freeze, and ends only with the final celebration, in May or June, after a successful hunting season. Global warming, however, is having a profound effect upon traditional subsistence whaling; the thinning sea ice makes it more difficult to bring the whale ashore. The Inuit Circumpolar Council regards climate change as a threat to indigenous peoples' human rights.
This Umiaq was among a number of items collected for the Museum by William B. Van Valin, who was hired to lead an expedition to Alaska in 1917-1919. Van Valin had previously lived and taught in northern Alaska while working for the U.S. Bureau of Education. For the Museum, he collected ethnographic material among the Iñupiaq people and excavated archaeological materials at Point Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost location of mainland North America. He also took photographs and motion picture film. The Van Valin films, now at the Smithsonian Institution's Human Studies Film Archives, are the first ever made of Iñupiaq life.
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is dedicated to the study and understanding of human history and diversity. Founded in 1887, the Museum has sent more than 400 archaeological and anthropological expeditions to all the inhabited continents of the world. With an active exhibition schedule and educational programming for children and adults, the Museum offers the public an opportunity to share in the ongoing discovery of humankind's collective heritage.
Penn Museum is located at 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (on Penn's campus, across from Franklin Field). Penn Museum can be found on the web at www.penn.museum. For general information call (215) 898-4000.
Photos: Above:Penn Museum's Umiaq was on view until recently, in the Museum's former exhibition Raven's Journey: The World of Alaska's Native People. Below: Whaling scene at sea--preparing to haul whale meat and blubber to shore. Alaska, 1917-1919. Photograph by William B. Van Valin. Penn Museum image #11117, courtesy of the Van Valin family. | <urn:uuid:41d478d0-97e1-48c1-937a-4c3698c19564> | {
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Keyfiles contain one or more keys. A key is a sequence of 28 ASCII upper case letters and digits between 2 and 9, inclusive.
Each key should be placed on a separate line in the file. There should be no leading white space on a line before the start of a key. Characters after the key but on the same line as it are ignored, so may be used for comments. Indeed it is helpful to comment each line with the name of the product that key enables.
Key files for more than one host can exist in the same keyfile.
A single key allows you to use a particular major version of LispWorks (in this case 5), on one host machine, until the expiry date of one license, where relevant. To run LispWorks on a different machine you will need another key.
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How to Manage Pests
UC Pest Management Guidelines
Scientific name: Scutigerella immaculate
(Reviewed 6/09, updated 2/12)
In this Guideline:
Garden symphylans are slender, white arthropods, closely related to insects, about 0.33 inch (8 mm long), with 10 to 12 prolegs and distinct antennae. These fast-moving arthropods live in soil and move up and down in the soil profile with the moisture. They run when exposed to light. They occur mainly in soil with high organic matter and can cause considerable damage in asparagus plantings.
Garden symphylans cause injury by chewing large numbers of small, round holes in storage roots, crowns, and on the belowground portion of the spears. They also predispose the asparagus plants to additional damage from disease organisms (Fusarium, Phytophthora, etc.) that invade the wounds they create. The insects are a particular problem during periods of extended wet weather in northern California production areas, primarily the Delta, or on water-saturated soils. A good indication that these insects are present is circular areas in the field or along edges of the field in which there is little or no asparagus or weed growth.
The practice of mounding soil against the spears to produce white asparagus increases the damage potential of this pest. Since the demise of the white asparagus industry in California, crop loss has been reduced.
Monitoring with bait traps and examining harvested spears can help detect the presence of symphylans, although no treatment thresholds have been developed. Cultivation and flooding may provide control.
Flooding has been used to control symphylans in some situations but has been unsuccessful in others. Flooding requires at least 2 to 3 weeks, is more likely to be effective in late spring or summer (when fields are fallow) and is probably most effective where there is a high water table. Symphylans may be found more than 3 feet below the soil surface and flooding to this level in many soils is difficult. Even in the best circumstances, flooding will only reduce populations; they can be expected to increase when conditions are again favorable.
Cultivation to dry out the surface soil of the beds has reduced injury by driving the insects deeper into the soil.
Organically Acceptable Methods
Flooding fields before planting or in winter and cultivation are both organically acceptable control strategies.
Monitoring and Treatment Decisions
Confirm symphylan presence by digging a few feet below the surface with a shovel and examining moist soil. Research from other areas of the country and in other California crops such as lettuce and tomato indicate that symphylans can be detected with bait traps, but their success may depend on location, weather, and soil conditions. Symphylans are most easily detected in moist warm soil. Baits placed on dry soil or on very hot or cold soils are unlikely to attract symphylans even when present, as symphylans migrate deeper in dry or hot soils and are less active in cold soil. Scrape off the top layer of dry soil to expose moist, firm soil. Cut a potato in half longitudinally and scratch the cut surface just before placing it on the soil to ensure that the surface is moist; use half of a potato, not a sliver or a chip. Cover the bait with an opaque pot or cup to block out light and air, and mark the spot with a flag. Symphylans have a spotty (aggregated) distribution pattern so use at least 30 bait traps per field. After 1 to 5 days, examine the cut potato surface and the soil it was resting on for evidence of symphylans.
Treatment thresholds are not well defined for symphylans in asparagus. If symphylans are present, fumigate or plant the field with a different crop. Because symphylans are likely to occur in the same areas over many years, these pests are very difficult to manage in permanent crops like asparagus.
Symphylans may be detected in established fields by examining the base of the harvested spear for small punctures. Also, if weak areas appear in fields and weeds are not present in that portion of the field but are doing well in other areas, suspect garden symphylans.
UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines:
Acknowledgment for contributions to Insects: | <urn:uuid:a166609c-ef8f-4b17-b8a0-f787272317c4> | {
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On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln spoke 272 words that became known as one of the greatest speeches of all-time. Recently, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address celebrates 150 years of being celebrated as a speech that remade America.
Fast forward to 2013, and compare Lincoln’s 272 words with the long-winded and confusing speeches we hear from politicians today. In 272 words, President Lincoln was able to inspire a nation in the midst of the Civil War that they were fighting for more than just the Union. They were fighting for human liberty and equality. He said all that in 272 words. Today, we listen to speeches and debate answers that leave the audience thinking, “What?”
According to this article on CNN.com, John F. Kennedy was the last president who spoke with an “oratorical” style. Politicians just don’t speak like they used to. The article continues to discuss the loss art of quotable speech. And the more you think about, the more you may realize how true that is. Long gone are the days where Americans can actually quote a political speech. How many times have you heard a child say, “Fourscore and seven years ago…” Now think to how many times you have heard some one quote a recent president’s Inaugural address. Exactly. | <urn:uuid:c2811673-b1d4-466c-8cc2-f227e2797784> | {
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Evaluate Your Resting Periods
rule of thumbAs a rule of thumb, the closer a repetition gets to the 1-RM (single repetition maximum); the more the rest period between reps should increase. Most literature states as follows: As strength gains increase, rest periods also increase, which result in the relative training intensity. This means that the more weight one lifts the less repetitions he will perform, thus higher recuperation periods will be needed.
a little body scienceIntroducing magical formulas in bodybuilding is a waste of time, but a certain explanation should be given on why well timed rest periods are important between repetitions. Available research explains the stated theory (as strength gains increase, rest periods also increase) by saying that ATP (which is the primary source of energy taken from the body) actually requires 3 to 5 minutes to recover, and carbohydrates (secondary source of energy) recovery occurs within 8 minutes. Both directly influence subsequent exercise intensity. ATP is used when performing short intense exercises while carbohydrates are used when performing lower intensity and longer time periods.
High intensity exercises also result in lactic acid and hydrogen ion accumulation. This intensity can disrupt necessary proteins, minerals and phosphate ions resulting in a lowered intracellular pH. In short, these disturbances can contribute to muscle fatigue, which does not allow maximal performance in a workout.
practical resting periodsIn practical terms, let's categorize rest periods by type of exercise and numbers of repetitions performed. For example, when lifting very heavy weights for three to six repetitions, a rest period of at least 3 to 6 minutes is adequate between each set. When training heavy , the number of sets should vary between 6 and 10 by body part. For example, if training the chest with heavy weights, a lifter should perform 6 to 10 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions, with a rest period of 3 to 6 minutes between sets.
When training for definition, usually with lower weights and a higher repetitions, rest periods can be anywhere between 1 to 4 minutes. For example, when training light for the chest, a trainer should perform 10 to 14 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, with rest periods of 1 to 4 minutes.
Hopefully these basic resting periods will help improve everybody's training efficiency to grow muscle mass. Remember, each and every one of us has different muscle tissues and each body functions differently, therefore adjust weights and rest periods accordingly for appropriate recuperation. | <urn:uuid:308bf382-dbc9-4907-ad52-5f8688ad1537> | {
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This is a blog by Yashvir Singh, which will share random articles from many different topics from minor to major. Scientific and non-scientific subjects.
Thursday, 9 June 2016
World’s Most Lethal Drone Just Flew over Florida
Erlier this week, the Air Force tested a new version of their F-16 fighter. But this test was unlike any other in Air Force history: the plane would be flying without a pilot.
Over the skies of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, the unmanned plane known as the QF-16 took off, executed a series of tactical maneuvers, broke the sound barrier, and landed safely. Two pilots flew the planes from the ground.
A fully-loaded F-16 has a six-barrel M61 gun, along with 11 other places to mount weapons, including nuclear missiles.
“It was a little different to see it without anyone in it, but it was a great flight all the way around,” said Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Inman, the commander of the 82nd Aerial targets Squadron at Tyndall Air Force base just east of Panama City. “It’s a replication of current, real world situations and aircraft platforms they can shoot as a target. Now we have a 9G capable, highly sustainable aerial target."
The drones aren’t expected to be used in combat, but are to be used as targets in dogfight exercises. They will be equipped with one bomb in case the plane has to be destroyed.
It seems unimaginable that such a complex machine could be flown remotely. But as the surreal video below shows, it’s not only possible, it’s a stunning reality.
An F-16 costs about $20.4 million ($14.6 million from 1998 adjusted for inflation. But this one was not taken out of active duty. It had been sitting in a salvage yard in the Arizona desert for more than a decade before being renovated and retrofitted by Boeing.
Right now, there are six QF-16s. Boeing removed the guns on each of the planes and replaced them with technology that allows them to be flown remotely. They’re replacing the QF-4 drones, which were prone to crashing.
"I can tell you that there are no plans to use these aircraft as a combat asset," Air Force spokesman Master Sergeant Randy Redman told AFP. "This is just the next step in the evolution of the training program to ensure that our pilots remain the best in the world."
But the F-16 drones are another reminder of how quickly the use of unmanned equipment is spreading in the U.S. armed forces. It also shows that some of the world’s deadliest weapons can be operated thousands of miles from the battlefield. | <urn:uuid:64586f74-aca8-4de7-84b7-22e88b67c123> | {
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Saturday, January 14, 2017
Black, White, Other In Search Of Nina Armstrong By Joan Steinau Lester Review
As a biracial teen, Nina is accustomed to a life of varied hues—mocha-colored skin, ringed brown hair streaked with red, a black father, a white mother. When her parents decide to divorce, the rainbow of Nina’s existence is reduced to a much starker reality. Shifting definitions and relationships are playing out all around her, and new boxes and lines seem to be drawn every day.
Between the fractures within her family and the racial tensions splintering her hometown, Nina feels caught in perpetual battle. Stranded in a nowhere land of ethnic boundaries, and struggling for personal independence and identity, Nina turns to the story of her great-great-grandmother’s escape from slavery in hopes of finding her own compass to help navigate the challenges before her.
I recevied a complimentary copy
Cassandra's review- It is so real to read this book, I could not believe it was fiction. The characters are written to life and the story is mixed with intense emotion. I would recommend it for mature teens who can handle the very real situations. The book could bring up a few discussion points that would make it useful for study or youth groups. | <urn:uuid:33ad876a-d88e-4861-b293-79f95727cef0> | {
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Are you looking to buy a gift for an art loving child? Maybe you are looking to buy a book to teach and inspire your own children at home? Whatever your motivation, we have taken the hard work out of choosing the best child’s art book. Below we have rounded up our 5 favorites below for you to choose from.
5 Books To Get Kids Excited About Art
Art Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media-For Budding Artists of All Ages
Written by an experienced Art Teacher, Art Lab for Kids, is packed full of ideas to create 52 different fine art projects. Dip in and out as you please or follow the weekly lesson plans, which begin with drawing practise, then move onto painting, printmaking, building paper collages and mixed media projects. Each activity is illustrated with colorful examples, but these are only a starting point. The open ended style of the activities encourages your child to express themselves and their own ideas throughout the different projects. Ideal for 8-12 year olds.
A delightful introduction to art history for kids of all ages. The Art Book for Children showcases the works of 30 of the great artists including Van Gogh, Matisse, Rembrant and Warhol. It discusses their masterpieces in a way that children can understand and relate their imaginations too. Sit down and discover why artists choose to work the way they did and the different techniques they used to create it.
Art for Kids: Drawing: The Only Drawing Book You’ll Ever Need to Be the Artist You’ve Always Wanted to Be. By Kathryn Temple
Encourage your child’s drawing skills to come to life with this entertaining and informative book. Art or Kids: Drawing guides your child through exercises in contour drawing techniques, how to make basic shapes and then working through drawing people, animals, landscapes and more. Why not have a go yourself as well?
Art Workshop for Children: How to Foster Original Thinking with more than 25 Process Art Experiences by Barbara Rucci and Betsy McKenna
Nurture your budding little artists with the 25 child-led activities contained in Art Workshop for Children. This book is all about encouraging your child to think creatively and freely explore the materials and processes themselves, rather than creating a specific end result. It begins by exploring basic materials and then gradually adds new supplies as the book continues. Great for kids of all ages.
Let the 5 Professors from The School of Art guide you through the basics of art and design, including composition, color, line, shape and perspective. Each of the 40 lessons has a suggested activity to try at home after reading. Aimed at the 9-12 crowd this is a great book for older kids who already have an interest in art and would like to learn more. | <urn:uuid:1c5db59c-36f8-4a53-bc0a-794f40cc49aa> | {
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From the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs:
Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Representative Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) led a group of Senate and House Democrats in re-introducing the Native American Voting Rights Act, landmark legislation that would provide the necessary resources and oversight to ensure Native Americans and Alaska Natives have equal access to the electoral process. Udall led the introduction of the Native American Voting Rights Act last Congress.
“For too long, Native Americans have been blocked from exercising their constitutional right to vote,” Udall said. “In 1948 – 70 years ago – my grandfather, Levi Udall, served as Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court where he authored the opinion extending the right to vote to Native Americans living on the reservation. He wrote, ‘To deny the right to vote… is to do violence to the principles of freedom and equality.’ I wholeheartedly agree. But with every election cycle, state and local jurisdictions come up with new ways to deny Native Americans equal access to the ballot box. From eliminating polling and registration locations, to passing strict voter ID laws that target Native Americans living on reservations, these undemocratic barriers have blocked many Native Americans from exercising their basic civil right to vote. It is more important than ever that we pass legislation to ensure that the voices of Native communities in New Mexico and across Indian Country are counted, not discounted.”
“Our Democracy cannot succeed unless every eligible American has the opportunity to make their voice heard. Unfortunately, we’ve continued to see barriers erected to stop Americans from exercising their right to vote. And too often, those barriers target Native American voters and other Americans of color, including recent measures that forced strict and burdensome voter ID laws on tribal communities in North Dakota,” said Luján. “By removing barriers for Native Americans to register and vote, we strengthen our democracy. The creation of a first of its kind Native American voting rights task force will ensure that states can bolster and protect the right to vote for Native Americans in the future.”
The legislation would enact key measures, such as increasing Native access to voter registration sites and polling locations, and authorizing tribal ID cards for voting purposes. The bill would also bolster Native voter registration, education, and election participation efforts in tribal communities by authorizing a first of its kind Native American Voting Rights Task Force. Finally, the bill addresses the devastating effects of Shelby County v. Holder by prohibiting states from undertaking discriminatory actions without Department of Justice agreement and government-to-government consultation.
In addition to Udall and Luján, the legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Booker (D-N.J.), Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Feinstein (D-Calif), Harris (D-Calif.), Heinrich (D-N.M), Hirono (D-Hawaii), Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Merkley (D-Ore.), Sanders (I-Vt.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Schumer (D-N.Y.), Smith (D-Minn.), Tester (D- Mont.), and Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Haaland (D-N.M.), Davids (D-Kan.), Gallego (D-Ariz.), McCollum (D-Minn.), Cole (R-Okla.), Nadler (D-N.Y.), Cohen (D-Tenn.), O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), Huffman (D-Calif.), Moore (D-Wis.), Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Torres (D-Calif.), Soto (D-Fla.), Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Ruiz (D-Calif.), Bass (D-Calif.), Khanna (D-Calif.), Aguilar (D-Calif.), Sewell (D-Ala.), Pocan (D-Wis.), Carbajal (D-Calif,), Kilmer (D-Wash.), Cárdenas (D-Calif.), Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Omar (D-Minn), Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.), Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Kuster (D-N.H.), Raskin (D-Md.), Sires (D-N.J.), Case (D-Hawaii), Smith (D-Wash.), Lieu (D-Calif.), DeFazio (D-Ore.), Peters (D-Calif), Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Torres Small (D-N.M.), and Jackson Lee (D-Texas).
“Our nation’s democracy is founded on the right to vote and the ability of every citizen to participate in that process equally. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles in Indian Country that stand in the way of Native Americans’ ability to vote—from language barriers and burdensome voter ID requirements to the locations of polling places for remote and rural communities,” said Heinrich. I’m proud to support this legislation to provide resources and oversight to overcome those obstacles and ensure equal access to our democracy.”
“For too long Native communities throughout America have waited for the federal government to guarantee their civil rights, including the right to vote,” said Cortez Masto. “The Native American Voting Rights Act is essential to removing barriers to voting that are all too common in Tribal communities. I remain committed to fighting for and protecting the rights of Nevada’s Native American communities in the Senate.”
“The right to vote is fundamental, and we must ensure that everyone has a voice in our democracy. I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation to address the specific, systemic barriers that Native Americans face in the democratic process and to give the federal government greater tools to enforce voting rights law on behalf of tribal communities,” said Harris.
“When the right to vote is restricted, it undermines the very foundation of our democracy. And if certain groups are barred or discouraged from voting, then our elected representatives cannot be held accountable for protecting the rights and interests of all of us.” said Smith. “I’m proud to support legislation to ensure Native Americans have equal access to this fundamental right.”
“For too long, Native Americans have been silenced by unfair rules that prevent them from casting ballots,” Tester said. “We should be doing everything we can to increase voting access so all Americans can exercise their constitutional rights. This bill would give tribes the tools they need to get more folks to the polls and make their voices heard in our democracy.”
“Native communities have long faced numerous obstacles to exercising their right to vote, from inconvenient polling places to discriminatory voter ID requirements,” Warren said. “It’s critical that tribal communities have equal access to the ballot box, which is why I’m pleased to join Senator Udall in introducing this powerful legislation to help safeguard Native voters’ voices in the democratic process.”
“Native American communities, especially in rural areas, face unacceptable obstacles to voting. Until satellite voting locations were implemented in 2014, members of the Red Lake Native community in Minnesota had to travel as far as 100 miles to cast a ballot, a trip that could cost as much as $40. There were similar barriers to voting for the tribal communities in White Earth and Leech Lake. While Minnesota has worked to address some of the barriers to voting, many states have not and more must be done,” Klobuchar said. “The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy and the Native American Voting Rights Act is an important step in safeguarding that right for Native Americans.”
“Voting is the very foundation of our democracy, yet Native Americans have long faced repeated barriers at the ballot box. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues from both the House and Senate to ensure that Native Americans have equal access to the electoral process and an equal voice in our democracy,” said Davids.
“This bill will help close many of the gaps in registration and accessibility that have persisted in Indian Country,” said Gallego. “It is unacceptable in this day and age that any American faces barriers to participating in one of the most basic functions of our democracy.”
“Restoring and strengthening voting rights is critical to ensuring our democracy works for everyone,” said McCollum. “I’m proud to join Rep. Luján in reintroducing legislation to remove barriers to voting for Native Americans. The Native American Voting Rights Act will empower tribal communities in their efforts to improve access to voter registration, education on voting procedure, and ensuring equal treatment of tribal identification at the ballot box. A strong and vibrant democracy relies on the inclusion of every voice.”
“The bottom line is: voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and every elected official should be making it easier for Americans to make their voices heard at the ballot box,” Sewell said. “During the November 2018 mid-term elections, we saw the North Dakota state legislature implement a voter-ID requirement that acted as a barrier to voting for thousands of Native Americans who live on reservations and use P.O. boxes, rather than residential street addresses. I am proud that the Native American Voting Rights Act will build upon the protections in H.R. 1 and H.R. 4, and specifically address the challenges posed by voters on tribal lands.”
A recent letter of support signed by over 40 voting rights organizations, including the Native American Voting Rights Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union, states: “The Act takes significant steps towards achieving the equal political opportunities envisioned by Frank Harrison and Miguel Trujillo when they bravely sought to exercise their first right of citizenship over seventy years ago.”
“We know the importance of making our voices heard and exercising our right to vote,” said National Congress of American Indians President Jefferson Keel. “As tribal leaders, we often discuss what we can do to motivate our tribal citizens to vote, but one of the problems is that voting is simply harder for our citizens than it is for others. This legislation would help change that, and we hope Congress will move quickly to enact this important legislation.” | <urn:uuid:530a05cc-dd66-4fbf-a8d1-ad5f1bece1bb> | {
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The Baltic seabed, littered with war debris and shipwrecks, has fascinated historians and researchers through the ages. But the underwater search robots they use pose problems by further disturbing the silty waters with their propeller movements.
Estonian engineers say they may have found a solution with their latest invention — a small, propeller-less underwater robot that causes minimum disturbance and lowers the risk of damage to submarine archaeology.
The unique feature of the U-CAT, about the size of a vacuum cleaner, is four silicon flippers inspired by streamlined sea turtles' arms and legs.
"They move in a slow and quiet motion and won't bring up sediment from the [sea] bottom," says Taavi Salumae, a designer at the Biorobotics Center of Tallinn University of Technology.
The underwater probe has been developed since 2012 in the EU-funded Arrows project that focuses on new technologies for marine research. It can stay submerged for four hours at a depth of 100 meters (330 feet) on a single battery charge of two hours. It's equipped with a camera and lights.
Most importantly, it can easily be rotated in tight spots that are too dangerous or difficult for human divers.
Salumae says the U-CAT, an acronym for Underwater Curious Archaeology Turtle (winner of a Facebook contest to name the robot), is one of the first robots designed to go inside shipwrecks and help underwater archaeologists study interiors of locations.
But its small size has a few drawbacks: It is limited to shallow waters, unlike large robots, some of which can reach depths of six kilometers (20,000 feet) without damage from water pressure. And it is not remotely controlled like traditional wired probes, which means there's also a risk of losing it during missions.
Last summer, it was successfully tested in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean by a group of European researchers.
Priit Latti, a marine archaeologist from the Estonian Maritime Museum, watched the probe dive to a flooded Soviet-era prison in July off the Estonian coast, and was impressed.
"The fact the robot uses flippers for movement is a huge advantage," he said. "It can move in every direction."
Latti says the museum is considering it for future undersea investigations, possibly to study the remains of a 17th-century vessel recently found in Estonian waters.
Bordered by Finland, Sweden, Russia, the Baltic nations, Poland, Germany and Denmark, the Baltic Sea is rich in historical wooden wrecks dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, well-preserved because of the sea's low salinity and cool water that help keep marine shipworms away.
Divers regularly make discoveries, including an 18th-century shipwreck filled with drinkable vintage champagne near the Finnish Aland Islands, and a few months ago Finnish divers located a German submarine, the U-679, which sank in the Gulf of Finland in 1945.
"A diver can stay submerged and film only for a limited time," said Immi Wallin, head of the Finnish diver group which located the U-679. "This kind of robot can fit into very tight places and enter into a ship's cargo hold through a narrow door."
The U-CAT prototype isn't commercially available yet, but Salumae said the response has been positive.
He claims it's some "three to four times" cheaper than the "large and expensive" mostly propeller-powered robots, which are used by the military and the oil and gas industry and run into tens of thousands of dollars.
"Our goal was to develop this robot at a relatively low cost," Salumae said. "We don't use very complex sensors." | <urn:uuid:12da4373-ac5e-4c87-b1e1-832403f6680b> | {
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Root is a natural cavity within the centre of each tooth. Root canal treatment is used to treat and rescue teeth that have been severely damaged or injured due to trauma, injury or decay. Where infection occurs and sealed. In healthy teeth, the root canal is filled with blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue.
Inside the root canal are vital structures, called pulp, which maintain the health of the teeth by providing moisture to the tooth to keep it flexible and supply blood with nutrients that can provide internal compensatory elements forage to keep it healthy here are some causes of root canal injuries.
Decaying tooth pulp
The soft pulp or centre of your tooth contains delicate blood vessels and nerves, which can experience gradual decay with the formation of cavities. In fact, the older your tooth decay the higher your chances of affecting the pulp. In the worst case, poor management of pulp can lead to tooth loss. Maintaining proper dental hygiene such as regular brushing and brushing can be effective in this regard. However, if the condition is non-corrosive, and you are desperate to save teeth, perhaps the root canal treatment is the last resort.
Abscess of teeth
This painful infection continues between the tooth and gums, or mostly at the root of the tooth, with compensation for compensation for dental negligence in cases where the dentist caused the issue. This problem arises from the inner room or the “pump room” in the tooth. As an indicator of the abscess, the teeth lose the ability to get rid of the infection and allow the bacteria to occupy the pulp chamber.
As its growth continues, the infection spreads from the chamber and exits through the top of the tooth. The ulcer or abscess is actually a collection of pus, which contains contributions from tissue debris, dead white blood cells, and bacteria. The various causes of tooth injury include tooth cavity, shock caused by grinding or extrusion of teeth, accidental injury, or failed dental treatment such as a crown.
Whether you are a young child or adult, teeth trauma can affect you, leaving you in severe pain. Sometimes, removing teeth through the crown may also cause injury to adjacent teeth. Some more severe injuries can lead to inflammation of the pulp chamber, or even compensation for dental negligence if there was a mistake.
In all these cases, if the tooth catches the infection and begins to affect the blood vessels and nerves inside the pulp chamber, the treatment of the root canal will once again come into effect.Root canal therapy is the best way to save teeth and is actually a better option than removing it. Multiple cases can force the person to choose a dental treatment, such as pulp decay, inactive teeth, or any dental injury.… | <urn:uuid:198531e4-6252-416b-a28c-a39524bd840f> | {
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Proto-Germanic (PGmc) is the reconstructed language from which the attested Germanic dialects developed; chief among these are Gothic (Go.) representing East Germanic, Old Norse (ON) representing North Germanic, and Old English (OE), Old Saxon (OS), and Old High German (OHG) representing West Germanic. PGmc is distinguished from the other Indo-European languages by phonological innovations such as the change of consonants characterized by Grimm's Law, by morphological innovations such as the introduction of the dental preterite and the n- declension of adjectives, by syntactic innovations such as the large number of modal auxiliaries, and by numerous additions to its lexicon.
As a reconstructed language, Proto-Germanic is not attested in texts; the material on which it is based is found in the attested dialects that developed from it. A yet earlier stage, reconstructed as Proto-Indo-European (PIE), includes means to account for and also to explain the reconstruction. That is to say, the beginnings of PGmc are assumed to overlap with the late stages of PIE, and data from later developments in Germanic dialects compared with evidence from PIE provides the basis for a grammar of PGmc comparable to those for languages spoken today, if not so detailed. PGmc may be dated from approximately 2500 B.C. to the beginning of our era, a period during which it underwent numerous changes.
Our grammar is arranged in three traditional systems:
The semantic system is presented in relation to the cultural context of the reconstructed language.
Our knowledge of the phonological system and of the morphological component of the syntactic system is relatively good because much of the energy devoted to Germanic linguistics in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was directed at these areas. Sentence patterns and the semantic system have received far less treatment; as a result, presentation of these requires considerable attention, especially their interpretation in accordance with general linguistic principles that have been developed in recent years. While the resulting grammar of Proto-Germanic may be less assured in some respects than are grammars of attested languages, it is represented here in compact form on the basis of the available data.
The only textual material contemporary with [late] Proto-Germanic is recorded in classical authors, or maintained in borrowings into other languages as exemplified by Finnish kuningas 'king'. Classical texts chiefly include proper names, such as Khariomēros in Greek and Langobardi in Latin texts. This material has been assembled and interpreted, as by Kluge (1913:5-47). Also important are the earliest Runic inscriptions; while they tend to be longer than the discrete Germanic items recorded in other languages, they are restricted in content and structure. Their language is archaic, though many can be dated only a few centuries before the time of other materials recorded in Germanic dialects such as Old English; few precede the time of our Gothic texts.
These materials provide the earliest data, but the most comprehensive data are provided in texts of Gothic, Old Norse/Old Icelandic, Old English, Old Saxon, and Old High German written in the first millennium A.D. Other dialects, such as Old Frisian, have fewer materials. The modern Germanic languages have generally developed so far from Proto-Germanic that they provide little evidence for its description; for most purposes, only the earliest texts can be used. In the reconstruction of the phonological system, morphologically isolated forms in the "everyday vocabulary" are highly important. An example is Go. faíhu, ON fé, OE feoh, OS fehu, OHG fehu 'cattle', on the basis of which PGmc fehu is reconstructed. When possible, as here, the reconstruction is shown with comparable forms in other languages, such as Lat. pecu 'herd', Skt páśu, Lith. pẽkus.
Inflected forms in the everyday vocabulary are similarly important for reconstructing the morphological system; among these are verbs like ON bīta, OE bītan, OS bītan, OHG bītan 'bite' and Go. (and-)beitan, 3rd sg. pret. and-bait, 3rd pl. pret. and-bitan, past ptc. and-bitans. On the basis of these, PGmc bītan- and comparable forms are reconstructed and supported by cognates such as Gk pheídomai 'I separate'. Another example is Go. bairan, bar, baurun, baurans, and comparable forms for ON bera, OE beran, OS beran, OHG beran, from which PGmc beran and the other forms are reconstructed, supported by cognates such as Lat. ferō 'I bear'. For these and other verbs, as well as nouns, adjectives and pronouns, the entire set of grammatical forms is reconstructed. In this way the morphology of Proto-Germanic is identified, as well as its phonology.
Conclusions may be supported by examination of borrowed forms, such as OE scrīfan, OS scrīban, OHG scrīban 'write'. Since these are inflected like inherited forms such as PGmc bītan-, they may seem to be native and not borrowed forms. But the Latin cognate scrībere has the same medial consonant as OHG scrīban; moreover the initial consonantal cluster scr is rare in Germanic, so that the assumption of a borrowing is supported. Such borrowings also support identification of the phonological elements in the items involved, like the -ī- in the Germanic forms, since the phonological structure of Latin is well known.
Other borrowings are often difficult to interpret, such as those taken from Germanic into Finnish. It has been assumed that some of these were adopted in Finnish before the Germanic consonant shift. By this assumption, Finnish kana versus the Proto-Germanic form of ON hane 'rooster' would have maintained the voiceless velar stop of Proto-Indo-European before the Germanic consonant shift. But the k- of kana can also be interpreted as a substitute for PGmc x- < h-, a phoneme not found in Finnish. By the interpretation of Finnish k- as a substitute for the shifted phoneme, the borrowing may have been relatively late. Secure conclusions can therefore be based on borrowings only when there is corrobative information of a relationship between the groups of speakers concerned.
The reconstructed syntax is based on sentences in the earliest texts, especially Runic inscriptions such as the Gallehus inscription of the early 5th century:
ek hlewagastiz holtijaz horna tawido
I Hlewagastir (the) Holtijan (the) horn I-made
'I Hliugast of Holt made the horn'.
The line is representative of Germanic word order, even though it is constructed in accordance with poetic principles as may be noted by comparing lines in the Old Icelandic Song of Weland such as line 4:
drósir suðrœnar, dýrt lín spunno,
women southern dear linen they-were-spinning
'southern women, they were spinning expensive linen'.
In both examples, the verbs occupy final position in accordance with the arrangements of SOV (Subject Object Verb, often referred to as OV) languages. Metrical requirements may have led to other patterns, such as the placement of the adjective suðrœnar after its noun, in contrast with the typical pre-positioning of adjectives in OV languages as exemplified by dýrt. As in these examples, conclusions regarding syntactic patterns are examined in accordance with typological principles; these assist in identifying patterns modified for stylistic or metrical reasons. Typological principles have been applied in the reconstruction of the phonological and morphological as well as syntactic components.
The semantic system is similarly reconstructed. The presence of words for cattle, sheep, goats, horses, etc., indicates use of domestic animals, which in turn provides evidence for the social context in which Proto-Germanic was spoken. Moreover, the word for linen is found in all the Germanic languages, lein in Gothic and līn in the others; it can therefore be reconstructed for Proto-Germanic, where its presence evidences the cultivation of flax for use in the production of clothing.
The early texts, then, provide ample data for reconstructing the phonological, grammatical and semantic systems of Proto-Germanic. These are proposed on the basis of well-established methods, as stated in the next section. The data for the social context are supplemented by descriptions in classical texts, chiefly Caesar's Gallic War and Tacitus' Germania, and by information from archeological discoveries.
Three methods are used to identify earlier elements: the comparative method, the method of internal reconstruction, and the examination of residues; the results of these are then considered in accordance with typological principles determined in the general study of languages. These principles are especially important in the reconstruction of syntax, but they apply also for the other components: expletives like "hmpf", for example, would not be taken into consideration when a phonological system is reconstructed. Morphological features and paradigms are reconstructed with reference to patterns that are attested in the declensional and conjugational systems of many languages.
Using the comparative method, comparable forms in related languages are examined and earlier items are reconstructed on the basis of similarity in form, in distribution, and in relation to other elements. Examples were provided in the previous section. The reconstruction of PGmc t on the basis of Gothic, Old English, and Old High German forms provides a more complex example. Five positions are illustrated:
-r-, -l-, -n-
|Go.||tagr 'tear'||hairto 'heart'||itan 'eat'||trauan 'trust'||standan 'stand'|
The comparable forms of t in Gothic and Old English, supported by the same forms in the last two Old High German words, provide evidence for reconstructing Proto-Germanic t. Further examination of particular developments in Old High German leads to explanation of the z, zz in the first three words, and in this way supports the assumption of Proto-Germanic t.
Through use of internal reconstruction, earlier elements and patterns are identified using paradigmatic variations in a language. The procedures are based on the observation that sound change takes place in specific phonological environments, regardless of morphological classes or paradigms. If phonological alternations are found within morphological paradigms, it may be possible to reconstruct the earlier situation. Examples may be taken from Old English verbs:
The variation in the second consonant of these verbs is not found in the majority of Old English verbs, e.g.
On the basis of lack of variation in the majority of verbs, it may be proposed without comparison of material in other Indo-European languages that the s : r and ð : d developed from earlier single sources. Efforts to identify those sources may be guided by related forms like OE cost 'object of choice' or by examination of subsequent forms like NE seethe. The earlier consonants are then posited as s and ð.
The importance of the method of internal reconstruction lies in its applicability to data in one language alone. Its use permits reconstruction of earlier forms from forms that themselves are reconstructed, as for example in a language like Proto-Indo-European.
Residues are elements that are found among the common items of a language. Differing forms of these may be learned by children before they master the systems by which regular elements are constructed, such as the forms of man : men, woman : women in contrast with less common words like span : spans, woolen : woolens. Explanation of the plurals of man and woman and other such forms may then be proposed, such as that they were at one time formed by modification of the stem vowel through the process known as umlaut. Conclusions based on residues may be more problematic than conclusions based on use of the comparative method or the method of internal reconstruction, but they can also be supported by earlier forms of such words if cognates are attested.
Residues may also appear in morphological items. For example, Go. wait 'I know' and witum 'we know' have the forms of the preterite, although the glosses obviously indicate the present tense. An explanation may be found by adducing the weak verb Go. witan 'keep watch over'; comparison with it suggests that the root meaning is 'see'. The forms wait : witum then are accounted for through a shift in meaning from 'I/we have seen' to 'I/we know'. The further assumption then may be drawn that, at an earlier stage, the form providing the preterite in Germanic indicated a state resulting from completed action. In this way the preterite forms with present meaning are accounted for, as well as their basis.
As suggested above in reference to syntactic elements, application of these methods is carried out with constant attention to general principles that are based on analysis and description of all known languages. Before a brief account of these is given, it should be noted that the historical grammars of Proto-Indo-European and the Indo-European languages produced in the past two centuries are based primarily on the grammars of Sanskrit, Greek, and to a lesser extent Classical Latin. In accordance with this basis, Proto-Indo-European is assumed to have had eight cases in its nominal system and an extensive verbal system. As a result of this assumption, explanations were required for the smaller number of cases in the Germanic languages and for its system of (only) two tenses, among other features. This basis can no longer be maintained, in part due to the reason proposed for its assumption.
The preeminent Indo-Europeanists Brugmann and Meillet stated that their central works, Brugmann's Grundriss (1897-1916) and Meillet's Introduction (1937), are not grammars that represent an earlier language but rather are summaries of the data found in the Indo-European dialects. In making that statement, Brugmann added that a historical approach was preferable, but that the time for it had not yet come. More than a century has passed since then, and the time has indeed come. As stated above, historical grammars must now be produced on the same basis as grammars of contemporary languages. Accordingly, a grammar of Proto-Germanic must be a description of the language from approximately 2500 B.C. to the beginning of the common era, as noted above. A grammar of Proto-Indo-European must be a description of the language from approximately 5000 B.C. to 2500 B.C. A grammar of the still earlier stage, Pre-Indo-European, must be a description of the language spoken from approximately 8000 B.C. to 5000 B.C. In reviewing below the current methods for providing and supporting descriptions of all languages, those methods of central importance for reconstructing Pre-Indo-European are given first. They continue procedures that were inaugurated in the 19th century and are generally referred to as "typological."
Specific types have been determined for all the components of languages, but those of special importance concern the semantic system and the syntactic system. Each has an effect on other systems of the language in question, as will be noted in the following sections.
Until recently it was taken for granted that all languages were like English, in which government is central. For example, verbs govern nouns and pronouns, as in See her. So do adpositions, as in with her. No distinction is made in English grammar between nouns and verbs with animate and inanimate reference, so that I see the dog and I see the fire have the same pattern. All the major languages spoken today are structured in this way, from Chinese and Japanese through Hindi and Arabic to the languages of Europe. But in turning attention to many of the Amerindian and African languages, and to languages spoken by small groups elsewhere, as in the Caucasus, a different basic structure has been identified. In such languages, agreement is central rather than government. Two fundamentally different types of language are then recognized: Government Languages and Agreement Languages. Much of the investigation leading to this understanding was carried out by Soviet linguists (cf. Klimov 1983); they refer to the approach as "contentive," that is, based on content rather than form. In this approach, the semantic system is central.
Each type has two sub-types. For Government Languages, these are Nominative/Accusative (often referred to as Nominative or as Accusative) and Ergative; for Agreement Languages, these are Active and Class. In Class Languages, nouns and verbs are marked with affixes that represent semantic classes like humans, trees, and tools, such as Sesotho mo- for person in mo-tho, se- for tree in se-fate, n- for dog in n-tjá (Demuth 2000:273). In Active Languages, nouns and verbs are classified either as representing animate/active or as representing inanimate/stative items or processes, such as the prefix o- with active verbs like 'run' o-jan 'is running', and the prefix i- with words like 'good' i-katu 'is good' (Seki 1990:369). Sentences are constructed by pairing animate nouns and verbs that agree in classification rather than by government, as of verbs accompanied by objects. The discovery and description of Agreement Languages is highly important for Indo-European studies because Pre-Indo-European can now be identified as an Agreement Language of the Active type.
In Pre-Indo-European as an Active Language there were three parts of speech: nouns, verbs, and particles. There was no inflection. In the typical sentence pattern, verbs were final: items corresponding to objects preceded them. If there were overt subjects, they preceded objects and any adverbial elements. Relationships were indicated by particles. In the course of time, some particles came to be attached to nouns and others to verbs; the combinations resulted in the inflections of Proto-Indo-European. While Proto-Indo-European was a Government Language, and Proto-Germanic as well, residues of the earlier Active stage may be expected in accordance with section 1.3.3 above. Some of these have been maintained to the time of Proto-Germanic, of which two are noted here.
Active languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive pronouns, so that a form corresponding to we could either include or exclude reference to the hearer as well as the speaker, that is, 'I and you' or 'I and others, but not you'. Prokosch (1939:282) pointed out that many languages make this distinction, such as "most Australian languages, nearly all of the Austronesian and most of the Dravidian group...", and he proposed that Proto-Indo-European had, as well; in this way he accounted for the use of PIE *we- for the first person plural in Germanic, as in Go. weis 'we' and as second plural pronoun in Latin vōs 'you', and also in the Gothic second person plural dative and accusative form izwis '(to) you' — citing, as well, forms from other Indo-European languages. He provided a description, but not an explanation. An explanation is now provided by the assumption that the twofold use is a residue from the Active stage of Pre-Indo-European, where forms of *we- indicated the inclusive meaning 'I and you'. As another "residue," Proto-Germanic has few adjectives that are inherited from Proto-Indo-European. In Active languages, stative verbs take the place of adjectives. Contentive typology in this way provides explanations for features of Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Germanic that had been noted, as by Prokosch, but not explained. More such features will be observed in the treatment of the syntactic and semantic systems in chapters 5 and 6.
Quite independently of these features in the semantic system of Government Languages, characteristic features have been identified that distinguish the syntactic systems of languages. These are based on the position of the verb with regard to the object. As VO languages, English and the major European languages have the verb placed before the object. Many other languages, such as Japanese and Turkish, place the verb finally: they are OV languages. Subsets of these types are based on the placement of subjects, yielding six syntactic types. Biblical Hebrew, like the Semitic languages in general, places verbs initially, so that it is a VSO language, in contrast with the European SVO languages of today. Similarly there are two types of OV languages, SOV and OSV. Final position of subjects, yielding VOS and OVS languages, is rare, as are languages of the OSV type.
Syntactic and morphological elements are arranged in accordance with the two basic types. As a general principle, modifiers are placed outside the central structure, whether OV or VO, so that adjectives, genitive modifiers and relative clauses typically stand before nouns in OV languages, but after them in VO languages. Similarly, verbal modifiers, like markers of tense, mood and person, stand before verbs in VO languages, vs. after them in OV languages. Further, adpositions, like verbs, are placed before nouns as prepositions in VO languages but after them as postpositions in OV languages. And comparative constructions place the item compared, referred to as the standard, in accordance with the position of the object, often including a particle as in Japanese are yori kare ga takai 'that from this is expensive' = 'this is more expensive than that'.
Few languages are consistent. For example, adjectives stand before nouns in modern English, and older forms of English included more such inconsistencies. They reflect the still earlier situation of Proto-Indo-European, which had OV structure. Observation of the various patterns provides clues on the history of a language. French, for example, places adjectives after nouns, and is accordingly more consistently VO than English. It has developed farther from the OV structure of Proto-Indo-European than has English.
In examining the syntactic development of language, I some time ago proposed that when a language is adopted by many non-native speakers, it tends to become SVO. Modern Spoken Arabic for example, in contrast with VSO Classical Arabic, has become an SVO language. The shift of the Germanic languages from the OV structure of Proto-Indo-European to the VO structure of the modern dialects provides us with data on their social context through the past five millennia or so, as does that of Greek and Latin. We know from historical sources, such as Livy's History of Rome, that Latin was adopted by many speakers of other languages, such as Etruscan; its shift to VO structure may be credited to such adoptions. The shift in the Germanic languages is similarly explained.
The principles of phonological structure have long been determined. Elements are grouped by phonetic value and distribution. In this way the [t] of stand is grouped with the [t] of tan, even though the latter is aspirated while the former is not; the (shared) functional sound, or "phoneme," is labelled /t/. Similarly, the [ts] of the Japanese word for one, hitotsu, is grouped with the [t] before [o] because [ts] stands only before [u] while [t] stands before [e a o]; both are variants ("allophones") of the phoneme /t/, in contrast with the different phonetic elements indicated between brackets such as Japanese [ts].
In current historical grammars, the phonological elements proposed are usually phonemes. Brugmann on the other hand proposed some phonetic elements for Proto-Indo-European; for example, on the assumption that some occurrences of Proto-Indo-European s were voiced, he included z as well as s in his system (1897:72). These and his other phonetic elements, like þ and ð, are no longer accepted as distinct phonemes in Proto-Indo-European.
Two subsets of phonemes are proposed for a language: the consonants and vowels are referred to as segmental; pitch and stress are referred to as supra-segmental. While modern English, German and so on have a stress system, the accentual system of early Proto-Germanic was based on pitch, as is that of the Chinese languages today.
Two systems are subsumed by syntactic structure: the morphological system and the system of sentences. The morphological system deals with the inflection and derivation of words. In traditional grammars the inflectional sub-system enjoys by far the most extensive presentation, and so-called exceptions are treated in detail. In this grammar, only the major inflections are presented (chapter 3); occasional forms that may be variations of individual items are assumed to be treated in dictionaries, including etymological dictionaries. The derivational elements are presented similarly (chapter 4).
The system of sentences deals with the structure of the sentence and its elements. These are presented (chapter 5) in accordance with the principles discussed in section 1.4 above. The earliest data in the dialects indicate that Proto-Germanic was an OV language; sentences as well as the morphological systems include residues of Indo-European Active structure. The treatment of such elements is critical for understanding the relation of Germanic to the other Indo-European languages, and for understanding its relation to Proto-Indo-European.
The semantic structure of a language is least often viewed as a system. Groups of elements are recognized, such as kinship terms, but for the most part the vocabulary is divided into general groups such as terms for nature, for foods, for the household, and so on; in this way vocabulary reflects the culture and the social structure of the speakers, supplementing the information obtained from texts, from archeological findings, and to some extent from genealogical findings.
The relationship of the Germanic language group to other language groups can only be determined by evidence in the languages. The closest language groups to Germanic are the Balto-Slavic, the Italic, and the Celtic. Yet, unlike Indo-Iranian, Greek, and Armenian, which have the augment as a common innovation as well as extensive verbal inflection, these four western groups lack any common phonological or morphological innovations. They share common vocabulary items, more for instance between Germanic and Italic than between Germanic and Celtic. Some of these may be attributed to a relatively late date, such as the name of a grain, either wheat or spelt, Lat. far, ON bǫrr, and the name of the goat, Lat. haedus, Go. gaits, as well as that of the male goat, Lat. caper, ON hafr.
Similarly, the Germanic words in common with Celtic indicate contacts between the two groups, but not major innovations; among them is a word for wagon, OIr. fēn, ON vagn, and a word for traveling, Irish rīadaim, OE rīdan. Among vocabulary items common to Germanic and Baltic are the words for eleven and twelve, which are innovations of the pattern "one/two left over" — Go. ainlif, Lith. vienúolika 'eleven' & Go. twalif, Lith. dvýlika 'twelve' — and words for movement, OE gengan, Lith. źengiù 'go, stride'. Other examples are given by Porzig (1954:106-147), some of which will be examined in the last section of this grammar.
In view of the absence of common innovations shared among other dialects, such as the augment, I assume that Germanic broke off independently — early — from Proto-Indo-European. Its archaic structure has been pointed out variously, as for instance in my article on the conservatism of Germanic phonology (Lehmann, 1953) and in subsequent publications.
The development of Latin provides the model for understanding the expansion of the other Indo-European dialects. In its early form, it was the language of a small group of speakers in northern Italy in the eighth century B.C. Among other language groups at the time, that of the speakers of Etruscan was probably the largest. In the course of the following centuries, Latin was adopted by those groups, including also speakers of Celtic languages in the north, of Venetic, of Oscan and Umbrian, and even of Greek in the south, so that at the beginning of our era Latin was the most prominent language in the Italian peninsula. The bases for its expansion can only be imagined, but among them was military competence, as may be assumed from the account of the historian Livy. Other Classical historians, among them Herodotus, have provided material on various groups of speakers elsewhere, such as those north of the Black Sea; but for none of their languages do we have information comparable to Livy's for Latin.
The earliest description of the Germanic group of speakers was provided by Julius Caesar for the middle of the last century B.C., in the sixth section of his work on the Gallic wars, which with Tacitus' Germania of 98 A.D. remains central for any description of Germanic culture.
It may be concluded, then, that the Germanic group of speakers developed somewhat independently of the other Indo-European dialect groups. For a long time, the group may have been relatively small; but whatever the size, it was coherent at the time of the Germanic consonant shift for, unlike the later High German consonant shift, the earlier shift was carried through consistently among all speakers of Proto-Germanic, as was also the adoption of the dental preterite for weak verbs. Such consistently adopted changes can only have been introduced and generally carried out in a group that was in close intercommunication. Only after the Germanic shift did sub-groups develop: the speakers of Gothic, Old Norse, Old English, Old High German, and so on. As separate groups, they introduced innovations leading to the dialects that later became independent languages. | <urn:uuid:14ee84c1-d56a-4a72-ac55-1780c95ded65> | {
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Building bridges between cultures
The son of a French trader and a Dakota woman, Joseph Renville was born near present-day St. Paul and lived with his Dakota relatives until he was ten, when he moved with his father to Canada. He eventually returned to Minnesota, where he was an interpreter for Lieutenant Zebulon Pike in 1805 and 1806 and for Major Stephen Long in 1823. Renville established a fur-trading post near Lac qui Parle, as an agent for the American Fur Company, in 1826. His familiarity with European and Indian culture, as well as his fluency in the Dakota, English, and French languages, made him an effective trader and a trusted intermediary among the people who lived and worked near his post.
Raised as a Catholic, Renville invited European missionaries to establish a mission and school near his fur post. Through the Lac qui Parle mission, Renville worked to further strengthen relationships among the European and Dakota peoples. With missionaries Thomas S. Williamson, Stephen R. Riggs, and Samuel and Gideon Pond, he translated the Bible and various hymnbooks into the Dakota language. The process was slow--a Bible verse would be read in French, Renville would translate it into the Dakota language, and his words would be carefully written down. Dakota is an oral language, and Renville's translations were among the first attempts to record Dakota in written form.
Share your memories on this topic | <urn:uuid:235ee754-11c6-4deb-b230-d9fd9f266f1b> | {
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Audre Lorde – The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992 focuses on Audre Lorde’s relation to the German Black Diaspora, her literary as well as political influence, and is a unique visual document about the times the author spent in Germany. The film is also for coming generations a valuable historical document of German history, which tells about the development of an Afro-German movement and the origins of the anti-racist movement before and after the German reunification. The film relates the beginnings of these political debates and therefore facilitates a historical analysis and an understanding of present debates on identity and racism in Germany. For the first time, Dagmar Schultz’s archival video- and audio recordings and footage will be made available to a wide public. The film represents an important addition to the documentary “A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde“ by Ada Gray Griffin and Michelle Parkerson which was screened at the 45th Berlin Film Festival in 1995. | <urn:uuid:8f990686-2b98-4b90-93ec-158179976950> | {
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120th ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
An introductory control systems course can be challenging to undergraduate students due to its fairly sophisticated mathematical nature. For example, it can be difficult to comprehend how even a system composed of perfect components could have a steady-state error. To help students understand such non-intuitive concepts, it is beneficial to offer them a visual example that involves a familiar scenario. This paper describes a car race analogy which leverages these twocomplementary techniques in a one semester course for juniors and seniors in automatic control systems.
The analogy consists of two competing cars of differing masses and air drags with various inputs via the gas pedal. Equations of motion are presented for the displacement, velocity, and acceleration for step, ramp, and parabolic inputs. MATLAB® software is used to solve the equations and plot the results for analysis and comparison. This familiar illustrative scenario allows students to discover easily and quickly how steady-state differences (analogous to errors) depend on the nature of the system and its type of input. It also demonstrates the effects of some easily understood corrective actions to reduce or eliminate the differences and reinforces understanding of the derivative-integral relationships between the displacement, velocity, and acceleration responses.
The graphical nature of this illustration fits well with the visual learning style of many students. Through this multi-faceted investigative analogy, they gain an intuitive understanding of steady-state errors as a complement to the traditional mathematical treatment. Results of avoluntary survey completed by the students indicated that they found the car race analogy helpful in understanding the origin and nature of steady-state errors in control systems.
Engineering mathematics; Engineering--Study and teaching; Engineering students
Citation: Pilot Scholars Version (Modified MLA Style)
Albright, Robert J., "Use of an Analogy to Demonstrate the Origin and Nature of Steady-State Errors in Control Systems" (2013). Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations. 9. | <urn:uuid:d97ebfa1-be43-425b-aaa0-861f7ee3cdc1> | {
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GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE ON THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE IN FLORIDA
SUMMARY OF REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION
December 17, 1986
GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE ON THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE IN FLORIDA
SUMMARY OF REPORT
The Task Force on the Future of Agriculture in Florida was created by
Governor Bob Graham (Executive Order 85-227, October 28, 1985) and charged
with the responsibility of assessing a wide range of issues and programs
related to Florida agriculture. Items considered by the Task Force include
basic and applied research programs, systems to transfer technological
knowledge to agricultural producers, state actions to improve the competitive
position of Florida agriculture, agricultural finance, and state and federal
policies on land, water, taxation and community development. In accepting
the Governor's charge, Task Force members agreed to base their work on the
following guiding principles:
1. that agriculture in Florida is desirable and should be encouraged,
2. that policies of the state should be within a framework which
recognizes the unique characteristics and requirements of Florida
3. that when policies detrimental to Florida agriculture are enacted,
the detrimental effects should be recognized and policymakers should make it
clear that they are acting with the knowledge of these effects, and
4. that a successful interface between agriculture and urban growth is
critical to the future success of agriculture and to the accomplishment of
state growth management objectives relating to land and water management and
to the quality of life in urban and rural areas of Florida.
With these principles in mind and with their knowledge and expertise in
agriculture, Task Force members reviewed available data and prepared detailed
descriptive information on agricultural production activities in Florida.
Based on this information, Task Force members consider several points to be
critical to assessing the potential impacts of state and local government
policies on agriculture in Florida. These critical points are listed below.
Taken together, they constitute a summary of this report and provide a
framework within which to consider state policy and its impacts on Florida
agriculture. The following section then presents Task Force recommendations
for state policy action.
A Policy Framework
1. Florida agriculture produces products which are sold principally in
national markets with some export. Generally producers are unable to pass
cost increases directly to consumers. Prices in agricultural markets are
determined by the quantities produced by Florida growers and the prices
offered by foreign competition at the same time. The continued success of
Florida agriculture depends on its ability to be competitive in those mar-
2. Florida agriculture is diverse in terms of commodities produced, and
among the fifty states, Florida is a major agricultural state. Over 40 major
commodities are produced in Florida with farm level sales in excess of $4.5
billion annually. Among the fifty states, Florida ranks: ninth in cash
receipts, first in grapefruit, oranges and sugarcane, Second in greenhouse
and nursery products and tomatoes, third in lettuce, fifth in all crops,
sixth in commercial marine landings (1981), seventh in peanuts, ninth in
tobacco and eggs, and thirteenth in dairy products.
3. Florida agriculture is also diverse in terms of farm size. There
are more than 36,000 farms in the state, and most are small or part-time in
nature. Of the 36,352 farms in Florida, 19,771 farms (54 percent) have less
than 50 acres of land and 21,560 farms (69 percent) have annual sales of less
than $10,000. At the other end of the spectrum, Florida has 4,669 farms with
annual sales in excess of $100,000, and these larger farms produce a majority
of the state's agricultural output. This latter group likely represents
full-time commercial farms with policy concerns different from those of
4. Most of Florida agriculture is tropical and sub-tropical in nature
or consists of temperate zone crops which are produced in Florida during the
winter months. Due to the type of crops produced, due to Florida's warm
humid climate, and due to the infertile nature of Florida's soils, crop
production in the state is dependent on adequate supplies of water and on the
use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides to overcome problems
of pests, diseases, and soil infertility.
5. A majority of Florida's agricultural production takes place in the
more populous and more rapidly growing areas of the state. Population growth
brings continued pressures on agriculture in the form of regulatory activity
by state and local governments. These regulations impinge on agricultural
access to and use of land, water and other production inputs. Thus, the
maintenance of a competitive agriculture in Florida is dependent on policies
designed to ensure a successful interface between agriculture and urban
growth while ensuring agricultural access to land and water resources. A
successful interface means the existence of conditions whereby agricultural
and non-agricultural activities can occur simultaneously in the same area and
the orderly transition of land from agricultural to non-agricultural uses
when such change is in the interest of the state and private landowners.
6. Due to continued urban pressures on land and water resources and due
to the difficult nature of agricultural production in Florida, the viability
of Florida agriculture is dependent on continued research and development
programs in the state. This is especially critical due to the unique nature
of Florida agriculture. Many other states are able to draw on research and
development programs in neighboring states, however, Florida agriculture is
dependent to a much larger extent on technology developed in Florida.
7. Agriculture is also important to urban residents in Florida due to
the stream of amenity values associated with agricultural uses of land.
Positive aspects of agricultural land uses include open space in and near
urban areas, wildlife habitat protection, and the protection of aquifer
recharge areas. Thus, the continued success of agriculture is vital to
Florida and to successful growth management efforts in the state.
8. Agriculture is a major user of land in the state, it is a major
source of economic activity in rural areas of the state, and it constitutes
an important way of life for many residents of the state.
In brief, agriculture in Florida is a complex and diverse set of agri-
cultural production and marketing activities which directly or indirectly
benefit a broad range of Florida citizens. Such diversity implies that:
different agricultural activities will be affected in different ways by
various state policies. Task Force recommendations listed in the following
section are offered with the diversity of potential policy impacts in mind.
Specific recommendations are offered with regard to the agricultural and
economic situation in North Florida, and with regard to problems and program
needs in the areas of research and education, marketing, planning and regu-
lation, and finance.
The framework developed and the recommendations offered do not address
the issues of agricultural labor, aquaculture and marine industries, and the
availability of statistical information related to agricultural production
activities in Florida. These items were outside the charge of the Task Force
and were not addressed due to time limitations. However, Task Force members
believe these issues to be vital to agriculture and to the individuals
involved. Aquaculture represents a relatively new and exciting component of
Florida agriculture and should be adequately addressed in future state
efforts. The farm labor issue is important to agricultural producers from
the standpoint of carrying out production activities, and it is equally
important to farm workers who often have few employment opportunities outside
agriculture. Finally, the value of accurate, up-to-date data on which to
base decisions and policy actions cannot be underestimated. Although not
addressed in this report, a complete review of the availability of data for
Florida agriculture should be considered. With these caveats in mind,
specific recommendations follow.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION
Task Force deliberations covered a broad range of problems and issues
related to Florida agriculture and to specific agricultural and development
problems in North Florida. In many cases the Task Force has recommendations
for immediate and specific state policy action. In other cases, due either
to the complexity of the problem or a lack of information on which to base
decisions, Task Force recommendations are limited to the suggestion of items
for further consideration by state policymakers.
The following two sections present Task Force recommendations and
suggestions for further consideration. Within each section, items are
presented separately for North Florida, research and education, marketing,
state planning and regulation, and finance.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION
The Task Force recommends:
(1) That the State Comprehensive Plan be amended and a section on
Economic Development be included. The Comprehensive Plan as passed does not
address economic development specifically, but does address concepts such as
entrepreneurship, training services and employment. However, these issues
are addressed in several different sections of the plan and therefore are not
clustered in an identifiable goal or group of associated policies.
(2) That the state target North Florida as an area to locate business
and employment opportunities that require low infrastructure needs and
sparsely populated areas. These industries provide the most immediate
benefits for the area.
(3) That technical and monetary assistance be made available to rural
North Florida counties that will help them develop initiatives to expand
existing industries and attract new industries where feasible. Technical
assistance would require the involvement of both state agencies and the state
land grant universities. Monetary assistance should be provided by the state
because of the financial constraints in many counties in addition to the fact
that economic development of the area will benefit the state. Additionally,
small counties cannot compete with large counties because of the unequal
(4) That the state direct contracts for projects to rural areas when-
ever the funds are not required to alleviate population or geographic specif-
ic problems in other sections of the state.
(5) That adequate funding for research and extension of research
results be made to the land grant universities. Funding should be made
available to these institutions for production agriculture activities, as
well as demographic, social and entrepreneurial activities that could improve
the economic well-being of individuals in rural Florida.
RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
1. That a group be formed with strong producer membership and inter-
agency participation which would meet annually to review state agricultural
research and extension program goals and activities as they relate to the
regulation of Florida agriculture.
2. That a long term plan be prepared for research programs which would
show how to implement recommendations from the recent Board of Regents review
of Food and Agriculture and Natural and Renewable Resources programs and
combine them with research needs identified by the Task Force. The plan
would require a schedule of needed programs and an inventory of existing ones
complete with a proposal for their continuity or termination. The plan will
need a schedule of implementation of new programs, or change of old ones,
with details of needed costs for personnel, space and equipment. There
should be a time schedule and cost estimate so that support for implementa-
tion of the plan could be sought from the Governor's office and legislature.
Preparation of the plan should also consider the adequacy of any present
space and/or equipment formulas which might need revision. It should consid-
er scientist support levels and graduate stipends.
3. The Board of Regents' Review Team recommended an increase in concen-
tration of research attention on problems of the environment and water
quality. Indeed this is part of the IFAS, legislative and Board of Regents
mandate. The Task Force endorses this recommendation and recommends that it
be implemented. It is past the time that Florida's university research
capability should be focused on these problems with the results to be used by
producers, planners and regulators for the benefit of all the people of
Florida. It should be apparent that regulation alone will not solve any
problems. Sound research, conducted rigorously and in a scientific spirit is
the only way these problems can be dealt with. Such a program would require
new funding for the research community which must not be "traded off" against
4. The Task Force is aware that agricultural research is carried out
within the scientific community and must use the same rigorous scientific and
publication methods as are used by other disciplines. The Task Force
recommends that ways be found to ensure that the scientific emphasis on
publication does not interfere with the need for bulletins and other
extension publications written for agricultural producers.
5. The Task Force notes that current legislative appropriations do not
provide adequate support for maximum effectiveness of existing faculty in
terms of assistants, equipment, and other non-faculty salary operating funds.
The Task Force recommends legislative attention to this matter.
6. The Task Force recommends an additional goal for extension programs:
extending research data and information on agricultural production, marketing
and economics to the planning and regulatory authorities.
7. Extension is an essential partner to agricultural research and the
Task Force recommends the preparation of a long term plan for extension to
complement the research plan proposed above. This plan should include both
IFAS and FAMU. As proposed above the plan should provide for a multi-faceted
extension effort with substantially increased emphasis on delivery to non-
agricultural users of such information. Such an effort should have increased
emphasis on regionalization through the use of multi-county extension faculty
appointments and regional extension centers.
8. The Task Force also recommends an examination and probable revision
of extension's system of recording and disseminating research results.
Consideration should be given to the creation of a central library of Florida
agricultural research perhaps with access via .telephone linked micro-
9. The same planning process recommended for research and extension is
recommended for education programs at IFAS and FAMU. In fact the three make
an integrated whole. Among the items which need to be considered are the
a. The Board of ~Regents' Review Team suggestions for items to be
considered by IFAS are noted. Among them are recommendations for greater use
of "cutting edge" research and researchers in teaching and more interaction
on campus with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of
b. Consideration should be given to the student body and attrac-
tion of well-qualified students. The Review Team's comments on statewide
competitive scholarships, recruitment programs, graduate stipend levels, and
treatment of out-of-state tuition waivers are all noted and recommended for
further consideration by the University and the Board of Regents.
10. As a separate but related matter in education, the Task Force thinks
the suggestion by the Board of Regents' review team of a two year or less
agricultural course is a good one. It recommends serious consideration and
analysis of this suggestion.
1. The Task Force recommends periodic reviews of the state regulatory
environment in which Florida agriculture operates compared to that of other
domestic and foreign producers. Reviews should determine whether the reasons
for regulations have changed and/or whether new, revised or reduced regula-
tions would be more appropriate.
2. The Task Force recommends an in-depth study and market test to
determine if a major program promoting "Florida" agricultural products will
be successful. The study would determine whether consumers are most inter-
ested in origin, quality and/or price of specific food product categories.
Does origin sell without quality? What quality must be maintained? Are
current grades and standards appropriate? Estimate benefit/cost ratios for
such programs. Concurrent with such a study should be another which will
investigate general revenue/industry funding for market development/expansion
3. The goal of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services is to extend the distribution, sale and consumption of Florida's
agricultural products through product promotions, increased awareness of the
importance of agriculture to consumers and the utilization of television and
radio to reach mass audiences. The program attempts to engage in a vast
array of activities with a very limited budget. With this in mind, the Task
Force recommends that adequate funds be devoted to current program goals or
that the scope of activities be narrowed and focused in line with existing
funds. Efforts to assess the potential for success of various activities,
given current funding limitations, would be beneficial.
4. The Task Force is aware of state administrative efforts in the
field of federal law, policy and regulation. It is not clear to Task Force
members that such efforts result in effective representation on issues of
concern to the well-being of Florida agriculture. The Task Force recommends
a joint industry/Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services/Department
of Commerce/Governor's office examination of this field to determine what is
being done and how it can be improved. Specifies to be considered are:
a. A program to monitor and influence federal trade policies in
an attempt to maintain and improve the competitive position of Florida
b. Maximizing the availability and use of federal programs and
funding to support agricultural marketing research/education programs and
programs to develop/expand markets for Florida agricultural commodities/
c. Provision for an agricultural liaison staff-level position in
the Governor's office to serve as a conduit for agricultural interests with
respect to state and federal legislation and regulation and interstate
relations. This position should be coordinated with the Commissioner of
Agriculture and work closely with the Florida Department of Agriculture and
AGRICULTURE AND STATE/LOCAL PLANNING AND REGULATION
A. Proposed Amendments to State Comprehensive Plan
(Language in Bill Form is contained in Appendix D)
1. That the language of the State Comprehensive Plan be modified to
reflect the importance of achieving a successful interface between
agriculture and urban growth so as to allow continued agricultural
production in the urban areas of the state.
2. That the language of the State Comprehensive Plan be modified to
explicitly recognize the critical role of agriculture in rural
communities and the state as a whole and that the plan also recog-
nize agriculture's vital role in the use and protection of land and
3. That the language of the State Water Use Plan and the State Land
Development Plan be similarly modified to explicitly recognize
agriculture's role in the state and its unique resource needs
including access to land, the need to protect agricultural water
supplies, the need for adequate drainage systems, and the need to
use chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
4. That steps be taken to ensure that other elements of the state plan
and other state, regional and local plans be consistent with the
amended agricultural element of the State Comprehensive Plan.
B. State Agricultural Plan:
1. That the language of the State and Regional Planning Act of 1984 be
modified to direct the preparation of an agricultural plan for the
state. This plan would be on a par with the Land Use Plan and the
Water Use Plan in that it would serve to provide guidance to other
planning efforts in the state.
2. That the State Agricultural Plan contain separate elements which
specifically address production, marketing, land and water use,
environmental protection, transportation, rural development and
agricultural research and education programs. The plan would be
consistent with the agricultural section of the State Comprehensive
3. That the modified language of the State and Regional Planning Act
provide a mechanism for ensuring that other plans are consistent
with the Agricultural Plan and with the amended agricultural
element of the State Comprehensive Plan.
C. Rural Community Development:
Task Force members recommend that the state consider amendment of the
State Comprehensive Plan and related documents to specifically address the
problems of Florida's .rural areas in a comprehensive way. This could be
accomplished by developing a new rural development section of the State
Comprehensive Plan or by amending relevant sections of the existing plan.
Programs should focus on the development and expansion of both agricultural
and non-agricultural activities in rural areas and should include improved
training and educational programs for rural residents. A combination of the
two approaches could possibly be more effective. A rural community section
in the State Comprehensive Plan could serve to provide focus on rural prob-
lems. At the same time, amendments to other relevant sections of the plan
would recognize the broad nature of rural development problems and provide a
comprehensive approach to addressing those problems.
FINANCING AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS
1. That the state not implement programs which involve the direct
financing of agricultural operations by state government.
2. That appropriate state agencies monitor the agricultural financial
situation in the state in an effort to ensure that federal decisions regard-
ing the farma credit system are made with the knowledge of the Florida situa-
3. That the state institute a study to identify additional sources of
state funding for agricultural programs.
4. That the state initiate a study of methods of generating funding for
agricultural programs through increased industry contributions. The focus of
such a study would be on developing several alternative approaches which
could be considered and debated by industry groups, state agency officials
5. That the state institute a policy that all state actions with the
potential for affecting agriculture be accompanied by a "statement of agri-
cultural impact" that explicitly considered such effects. Such a statement
would include an assessment of the impact of the action on the competitive
position on the agricultural industry and on the value of land as it affects
the financial position of Florida agriculture.
6. That any consideration of sales taxes on agricultural inputs by the
state legislature should be based on the consideration of potential impacts
on the competitive position of Florida agriculture.
7. That state agency heads be encouraged to review all agricultural
programs with the purpose of identifying programs that are no longer needed
or that duplicate the programs of some other state agency and that all new
agricultural programs include criteria for evaluating program effectiveness
8. That the state review economic development and industry promotion
programs to ensure that equal attention is devoted to agriculturally related
industries and that state provided development incentives are equally avail-
able to these industries.
9. That state appropriations to the existing agricultural emergency
fund be increased and that any unexpended balance be carried forward in a
trust fund to facilitate the accumulation of an adequate emergency fund.
10. That specific state policies be developed to ensure that mechanisms
exist for dealing with emergency situations which extend beyond the resources
of the existing emergency fund.
11. That the state work with other states and appropriate federal offi-
cials to ensure a continuing and reliable federal presence in protection and
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION
The Task Force has great concern that the state educational facilities
and programs do not adequately consider the needs of rural people. With this
concern in mind the Task Force recommends that the educational element of the
State Comprehensive Plan be amended to provide for the different needs of
rural areas. Specific proposals for consideration in addressing rural
educational needs are:
1. Expand vocational education opportunities and funding. The state
has undertaken many programs to improve the academic environment for students
in Florida. However, it is unclear if the same effort has been put forth for
vocational education programs. Many high school students in Florida will not
attend an institute of higher learning. Therefore, it is essential that
these students learn some type of job skills before leaving high school.
2. Increase the number of class contact hours available to students
desiring vocational education opportunities. As has been documented in this
report, there are a number of individuals who are unemployed, underemployed
or need to learn new skills. Since some of these individuals work, the only
opportunity they have to expand their skills would be through classes offered
outside of work hours.
3. Determine if it is feasible to offer tuition credits or waivers to
unemployed individuals wanting to increase occupational abilities through
educational institutions. In the long run it may prove less expensive to
increase skills and educational tools through a program such as this than to
have these individuals earning low incomes and qualifying for government
4. Develop special programs to reduce the high school dropout rate in
Florida and specific attention needs to be devoted to dropout problems in
rural Florida counties.
1. The Task Force feels that marketing research efforts should be
increased, but is unable at this time to make specific program recommenda-
tions. The Task Force does recommend that the developmental plan for re-
search proposed in the Research and Education Section consider such an
expansion, its characteristics, costs and financing. Elements which should
be considered include research in the areas of market characteristics, market
opportunities and market efficiencies. Specific items are listed as follows:
A. Market Characteristics
a. A research program to provide improved information on the competi-
tive position of present and potential commodities and products in
domestic and foreign markets. Assess potential market opportun-
ities and windows. Very specifically, identify the factors which
determine the competitiveness of Florida commodities and products
in relation to foreign and other domestic commodities and products.
b. A research program to determine and continually update estimates of
demand characteristics of Florida agricultural commodities and
potential commodities, including price elasticities and price
c. Research to monitor world agricultural- production and consumption
trends and international markets and trade patterns in order to
assess current and potential comparative advantage and competitive-
ness of Florida agricultural products. This will allow anticipa-
tion of changes in competitive factors which may impact the econom-
ic viability of Florida agriculture.
d. Consumer-oriented market research to determine current and future
needs and wants of domestic and foreign consumers in order to
adjust production and marketing practices for agricultural prod-
e. A program in the Federal/State Crop Reporting Service to determine
planting intentions and crop expectations to better coordinate
Florida production and probable demand for specific commodities,
f. A research program which studies the effects of macro-economic
factors, government programs and policies and global activities on
the competitiveness of Florida agriculture, aquaculture and marine
B. Market Opportunities
a. Research programs to develop new processing technologies and to
determine the technical and economic feasibility of specific
value-added activities such as packaging and transportation,
b. Additional support for basic research resulting in improved prod-
ucts, varieties, forms, methods and techniques such as post-harvest
handling to improve the marketability of Florida agricultural,
aquacultural and marine products and the maximization of value-
c. Market research and advertising research to develop the information
base required to evaluate and potentially conduct effective commod-
ity advertising programs.
d. Marketing research and market development activities and programs
which can identify and evaluate alternative crops, markets and/or
marketing methods and suggest economically viable alternatives
particularly for financially distressed producers.
C. Market Efficiencies
a. Research to improve the transportation cost situation for Florida
agriculture through development of more efficient systems or
product forms, allowing Florida to more effectively compete with
other U.S. and foreign production areas.
b. Research to improve the growth of labor productivity and solve
other technical and functional problems which can result in im-
proved physical efficiencies in the marketing system.
c. Research programs to evaluate changing market structures and price
discovery mechanisms and determine whether prices received ade-
quately reflect relevant supply and demand conditions.
2. The Task Force recommends consideration of programs and policies
designed to increase agricultural exports. Departments such as Agriculture,
Commerce and Citrus should evaluate both tariff and non-tariff barriers. to
increasing exports and recommend state and federal policy actions to stimu-
late exports. Provide technical assistance to firms and industries at-
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For the Common Core Standard Debate, I worked with Danni to argue the negative case (common core state standards are good).
Hello my name is Allison Whitney and working with me today is my associate Danni Sandall. This topic is very significant to the current state of the American education system and we are excited for the opportunity to debate this topic.It is our goal to show how Chief States School Officers have not overstepped their authority in developing and recommending the Common Core State Standards for U. S. Schools and that there is no need to change the direction of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.To begin with, these Common Core Standards are internationally benchmarked, meaning they compare favorably to the standards set by other countries. Recent U.S. educational rankings have fallen considerably when compared to the rest of the world and by introducing a set of standards that more closely compare to other countries; we should see improvement in our world educational ranking.The Common Core State Standards are more rigorous than many of the state standards that are currently in place. These standards are also the same across the nation, opposed to the current standards that vary state to state. This means that we will see increased rigor in every classroom across the country, regardless of location or income level. These standards will go a long way in challenging all students and help to close opportunity and achievement gaps. Equity in the quality of education can lead to opportunities to attend to college for students who would have previously struggled.As these rigorous standards are put in place in the classroom, achievement of students is going to be more accurately monitored. First of all, the Common Core State Standards Assessment allows for progress monitoring, meaning that teachers will have at their disposal, several tool to help determine what a student knows, where they are going, and to construct educational plans to get them there. There is more accountability throughout the academic year for students to meet standards, as well as the ability for teachers to compare a students’ progress to themselves rather than putting one students’ achievement against another’s. Although standardized tests will still be required for students to graduate, each student across the nation is being help to the same standards, therefore tests will be a more accurate depiction of educational achievement.Lastly, the Common Core allows teachers to take charge of how they will meet individual students’ needs while providing them with the framework to address what curriculum should cover at each grade level. Teachers are able to focus on concepts that should be taught at their grade level, instead of backtracking and teaching what should have been learned in previous grades. There is the ability for teachers to choose how to teach each standard, addressing learning in a way that best meets the needs of the students. This freedom combined with the rigorous standards put forth by the Common Core State Standards, will lead to more academic success for students.In conclusion, adopting the Common Core State Standards is a positive step towards improving education in the United States. The Common Core implemented correctly into classrooms will be the best way to individualize academic materials to all learners and hold those learners to a higher academic standard. | <urn:uuid:f025bd80-39f8-44fc-aa0c-2ec5b44fc268> | {
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Ford Model N Runabout
Many historians consider the Model N as the precursor to the Model T. Ford introduced it in 1906 at a base price of just $500 – Ford’s first high-value model. The N was found to be quite sturdy and reliable, boasting two important innovations in Ford’s advanced thinking about building automobiles – the first Ford to be constructed of tough but lightweight vanadium steel and also Ford’s first attempt to employ methods of mass production.
While the Model T made great technical strides with its cast en bloc engine and removable cylinder head, thermosyphon cooling and transverse-leaf rear suspension, other T hallmarks were already in use on the N, R and S: bevel-topped radiator with tall neck, foot-operated planetary transmission, and “backwards dish” steering wheel with column-mounted spark and throttle controls. True, the cylinders were cast in pairs and cooled by a complicated water pump embedded in the bottom of the radiator, and rear suspension was by longitudinal full-elliptic springs, but a pattern of Ford engineering was emerging. It would be the Model T’s vanadium steel, the work of Childe Harold Wills, that made the T so tough, differentiating it from its four-cylinder forebears.
This car was auctioned off by RM Auctions in August of 2010 at the Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center, Monterey, California and in October of 2010 at the Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
18 hp, 149 cu. in. four-cylinder L-head engine, two-speed planetary transmission, solid front axle with transverse leaf spring, live rear axle with full-elliptic leaf springs, transmission brake and two-wheel mechanical hand brakes. Wheelbase: 84".
Source: RM Auctions
Photo Credit: Copyright Darin Schnabel and Stephen Goodal | <urn:uuid:4003261a-a551-4808-ba30-312f23cba4e8> | {
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The PSAT is looming for high school juniors on October 19, and many high school seniors are taking the SAT again before submitting their college applications. With that in mind, now is a good time to re-examine the SAT and how it is being used both for college admission and in determining college merit scholarships.
Changes to the SAT
The SAT is the most common form of college-readiness tests (to be distinguished from ACT). The SAT has changed over the years, and the most recent changes went into effect in March 2016. It has gone back to a 1600 point scoring system, with an Evidence-Based Math section scored out of 800 points and an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section also scored out of 800 points. While there are a number of different subscores, for college admission purposes the 200–800 score for each section is the most important.
There have also been changes to how the test is used. In the past the SAT was designed to be an aptitude test. In conjunction with your high school grades, the SAT would help predict your college grades. Now the SAT is designed to be more of an assessment of what you have learned in high school. The most recent change brought the SAT in line with Common Core so that states could use the SAT as the official college readiness exam. Many states are now using the test to assess college readiness. The date has been set in Connecticut: all public school juniors in the state will be required to take the SAT on April 5, 2017.
Test scores and merit-based scholarships
While many small liberal arts colleges have started to allow students to opt out of submitting SAT scores, at many state schools the SAT score has actually become more important in gaining admission. Even schools that do not require the SAT for admission may use your SAT score to determine your eligibility for merit scholarships, a form of financial aid irresponsive of need. Some colleges offer guaranteed scholarships based on your SAT score as well.
Many students may not know that the PSAT is a qualifying test from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Most schools have their own rules pertaining to merit scholarships with their own individual requirements. For example, Fordham University offers a scholarship for students who are National Merit Semifinalists. Another school that has excellent merit scholarship programs is Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where approximately 100 students are invited to campus in February or March to participate in a selection process for the Marquis Fellows program.
School requirements vary, so it’s always worth doing your research. Ask the admission office directly if and how much SAT scores matter for securing scholarships as well as a spot in the class.
Preparing for the SAT? Check out our Test Prep section here! | <urn:uuid:49f893ca-8523-44f3-b9df-a4db817c9f9a> | {
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UN what to say… and when I read this well-done article, I even wish to say more!
FIRST, let me say that the UN were founded after World War II (1945) to prevent that the world will ever again be exposed to war.
The UN Charta says:
- to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
- to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
- to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
- to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
AND FOR THESE ENDS
- to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and
- to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and
- to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
- to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,
70 years of UN, half a trillion dollars later we need to question ourselves about the REAL achievements: eduaction, hunger relieve and many great achievements, but
Today, we face more wars than ever, the peacekeeping fails everwhere – talking every day about: armistice, wars, hunger, death, terrorism… talking, talking, talking….
While they talk a very dangerous triangle is going to form: Russia, China, Turkey !
Russia supporting Syria by all means, threatening the UN to hell, that no one will intervene, peace-conferences fail one after another, and WE?
We need to testify every day more death, hunger, horrible extermination of the Syrian people, refugee flows increasing every day, people starving of hunger, diseases all over the World, especially in Africa, terrorists and so much more, that its impossible to name all disasters of today.
Could’t the UN think of for example of sustainable agriculture for the world, sustainable food solutions, help to develop one country after another? That would make 70 countries by now!
But if solutions would be made sustainable, the UN might have no job and no power.
Imagine what could be done for the world with the money the UN requires just for their administration every year??? And now we even get information that the UN seems broken? another disaster…!
It seems to me that smaller NGOs, foundations and organizations make much more a difference in sustainable solutions than the whole burdensome UN! | <urn:uuid:35ba3320-4602-4053-b409-c910c8923771> | {
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The placebo effect relies on the mind's ability to influence the body, but does the same work in reverse? For instance, after being sick, can the body's immune system subconsciously tell us who's sick so we can avoid getting sick again?
In one early analysis on the topic, researchers think it's certainly possible. The research, featured in the journal Psychological Science, suggests people who recently felt ill are primed to notice and avoid others who appear sick around them. In this sense, their biological immune systems and behavioral immune systems work together in some way to help avoid future illness.
Though the exact way biology influences behavior in this context is unclear, scientists guess a gap of vulnerability in the body's biological immune system plays a role. When the immune system launches an attack on a microbe invader — let's say the common cold virus, it releases of a type of protein called cytokine interleukin-10 that causes inflammation and helps the body overcome the bug. Yet to avoid keeping the body in a heightened immune stage unnecessarily, the system sends another type of cytokine with anti-inflammatory properties. With its guard down while recovering from the previous sickness, the body is most vulnerable to other pathogens at this time.
Enter the behavioral immune system, researchers say, which may bridge this gap by helping people spot and avoid others who are sick.
To test the hypothesis, researchers conducted two experiments looking at whether recently sick people paid more attention to others who are sick and if they subconsciously avoided others who may feel under the weather. Before each experiment, researchers asked participants questions to ensure people with stronger reactions to getting sick (the germaphobes, if you will) were noted in the sample. People were also grouped into "recently sick" and "not recently sick" based on their responses to certain questions.
In the first set-up, 96 undergrads between the ages of 18 and 30 were placed in front of a module that quickly flashed series of faces in front of them. Some faces showed disfigured expressions, which other research suggests brings about an innate aversion in humans, perhaps because it can signify infectious disease. This could be something as simple as a photo of another person sneezing. Researchers found participants who were recently sick focused longer on the disfigured faces, meaning they subconsciously paid attention to them longer than the other group that wasn't recently sick.
The second experiment — with 117 different participants between the ages of 18 and 35 — had a similar set-up, but this time people in each group were asked to quickly judge whether they would approach a person based on seeing their faces flash on a screen. This time, recently sick participants responded faster than the other group in reporting who they would avoid (which primarily included the disfigured faces).
Of course, there's only so much one can draw from these indirect studies, which is why the scientists call for other experiments to address issues with the research, including relying on participants' reports of being sick rather than measuring them firsthand.
The findings may explain some people's less than social attitude after catching that first common cold this year.
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Typical indoor plants require moderate amounts of sun, especially blooming types. There are indoor houseplants that require little exposure to light and are well-suited to life in the shade. Most houseplants appreciate a good deal of humidity, a feature often lacking in most homes with central heat and air conditioning. Regular misting is beneficial, as well as periodic application of houseplant fertilizer.
Silver vase (Aechmea fasciata) is a common bromeliad well-suited to growing indoors in low-light conditions. It is an evergreen epiphytic (grows on tree or other objects, but is not parasitic) perennial plant with long, rosette-arranged leaves. Its leaves are green and may be banded with silver, growing 2 to 3 feet long and 3 inches wide. Silver vase produces pale blue flowers with pink bracts (petal-like leaves) that are borne in a spike-like bloom lasting several months. Bromeliad roots are more for its support than anything else, but prefer well-drained, airy medium.
Flamingo flower (Anthurium andraeanum), also known as tail flower, is an herbaceous perennial growing up to 3 feet tall. Its elongated, arrowhead-shaped, green leaves grow up to 10 inches long and show distinct veining. Flamingo flowers are made up of a flat, shield-shaped, petal-like bract called a spathe. The spathe surrounds a cylindrical spike of tiny flowers, called the spadix. Flamingo flowers are bright red and capable of blooming all year. Humidity is essential for flowering. Grow flamingo flower in moist, rich soil.
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii Clevelandii) is an evergreen perennial, well suited to indoor growth. Peace lilies grow to 3 feet tall, with glossy-green, narrow leaf blades, 1 foot long and 4 to 6 inches wide. Peace lily flowers are borne on a spadix surrounded by a white, 6-inch spathe. The flowers are presented above the foliage. Peace lilies grow in most organic soil.
Paper-white narcissus is a relative of the daffodil, with short, cup-like coronas surrounded by petals. Force paperwhite bulbs in the winter for indoor blooms. In decorative containers without drainage holes, use gravel to support the bulbs and water up to the root plate only. Do not submerge the bulbs in water. In containers with drainage holes, plant paperwhite bulbs with their "noses" at or slightly below the rim of a 3 to 4 inch deep pot, in well-drained, moist growing medium. For best blooming, place the potted paperwhite in a sunny location until it begins blooming, but paperwhites will flower under any light condition, according to literature published by the North Carolina State University Extension Service. Paperwhite bulbs do not need a period of chilling to produce blooms. Discard bulbs after blooming unless you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness zones 8 through 11 where they may be planted outdoors. | <urn:uuid:e68e6ef8-6187-410f-a851-34246946dbe5> | {
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“ Farmers should not underestimate the power of their vote during election.
Agriculture-dependent regions such as Region 3, Region 5, Region 6 and Region 7 have a total of 16.2 million votes. This is 30% of the country’s total voter population, which is 50 million.”
IPANALO ANG MAGSASAKANG PILIPINO The Philippine Peasant Sector Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the 60% of Filipinos residing in the rural areas. Over the last decade, more than 30% of the labor force has belonged to the agriculture sector. A little over half of the underemployed, or those who work less than 40 hours a week, belong to the agriculture sector as well. Of 12 million Filipinos dependent on agriculture for livelihood, only 2 million own the land they till. The farmers fight to death, literally, with the abusive landowners in order to till their own land and decide how to utilize the land best. In 2009, agriculture accounted for 18% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Although agriculture largely contributes to economic growth, farmers themselves do not feel the impact of any positive change in the economy. According to the series of Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys on self-rated poverty, more than 50% of rural folks consider themselves poor. Official data from the 2006 poverty studies of the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB) show that 26.9% of Filipinos are poor. Peasants vulnerable to inequality Peasants are victims of unequal distribution of land. The rural elite monopolizes vast lands while peasants are left to work all day in lands they do not even own. The rich families abuse poor farm workers in order to support their thriving businesses and vices.
Visayas is home to sugar-milling families owning vast estates. These lands are developed and tilled by landless farmers. According to data from the SWS, self-rated poverty is highest in Visayas over the past years, with about half of the families seeing themselves as poor. They subsist on less than P6,000 a month, as indicated in the September 2010 survey. According to the same survey, the region is also home to the most self-rated food-poor in the country with 50% of the respondents saying that they think their families lack food. Food and other basic requirements are out of reach for most peasants. These problems are made graver because of macro-economic problems – unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living. But the situation is worse for women who, aside from experiencing socio-economic inequality, are victims of gender inequality. Women farm workers are finding it even harder to obtain land rights. Institutional discrimination against the rights of women is prevalent despite their important role in agriculture and food production. Many women in rural areas are uneducated and less aware of their rights than their urban counterparts because in the country’s “macho culture,” males are chosen to go to school over females to earn a decent living. Land and opportunities equity needed In order to correct the problems of unequal distribution of wealth and resources, land must be redistributed to the rightful farmers. The distribution of land under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) will help the rural poor generate more income for themselves because farmers would have more control over crop production. Lease payments will be eliminated as well. Redistribution must be completed before land values surge. CARP used up to P162-billion in public funds from 1998 to 2008. The P150-billion budget for the full implementation of CARP until 2014 may be insufficient if swift government action is not realized. There are a total of 6.2 million hectares of CARPable land. Of that total, 5.16 million were distributed in the last 20 years. The bulk of the remaining 1.6-million hectares is concentrated in the Visayas region. In the Negros provinces alone, more than 100,000 hectares of land have not yet been distributed. Most lands in Region 5 (Bicol region) are also still in the hands of the rural elite. Farmers in Tarlac (in Region 3) are still struggling to win land rights in Hacienda Luisita, a sugar plantation owned by the family of President Benigno Aquino III. If farmers assert their rights during election season and vote for a government official who truly represents peasants, then land distribution completion may be possible. Farmers should not underestimate the power of their vote during election. Agriculture-dependent regions such as Region 3, Region 5, Region 6 and Region 7 have a total of 16.2 million votes. This is 30% of the country’s total voter population, which is 50 million.
Support services for peasants Land workers should not only own the land they till, they should also be provided support services in order to make their lands fully productive. Instead of prioritizing militarization and debt-repayment, the government should empower farmers by allocating funds on agriculturally productive programs and policies. Although there are a number of programs for agricultural development in the country, these programs are not geared towards sustainable development. The programs provided for by the government in recent years, for example, are concentrated on food purchases. The programs do not help the country become selfsufficient in food production. These are ways on how the government can help peasants: Prioritize agriculture by providing more funds in the General Appropriations Act. There should be investments in farm and rural enterprises to achieve food security, sustained productivity and more equitable economic growth. Government must do away with food importation. The government should support modernization of the agriculture sector: Support should not stop at food production. Product management and marketing must be taught to farm workers as well. Post-harvest facilities should be built, given away and utilized. Irrigation systems must be constructed and rehabilitated. Only 46% of the 3 million hectares of irrigable land is being utilized. Instead of providing seed subsidies, the government must expand access to credit to the agriculture sector with minimal interest charges for farmers to develop a crop that is appropriate for their land. Farmers must be provided with linkages to markets. Not only should there be more farm-to-market roads, there must also be closer cooperation between producers and the agri-business sector. There should be better implementation of land use policies in the Philippines – not just covering agricultural areas but also tropical forests and grasslands.
Empowering laws To be fully empowered, peasants must assert their rights and know their laws. For the objectives peasant-empowering laws to be realized, implementation and political will is key. 1) CARP extension with revisions (CARPER): Provides a budget of P150 billion for land redistribution to farmers with support services for 1.2 million farmers. 2) Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997 (RA 8435): Aims to accelerate the development of agriculture and fisheries through policies and programs for modernization of the sector. 3) Magna Carta of Small Farmers (RA 7607): Aims to give the highest priority to agricultural development and equal distribution of benefits and opportunities to small farmers. The statute recognizes the role of women and youth in rural and mainstream development and shall be required by law to develop their skills and acquire productive employment. Sustainable land use and water is also highlighted. 4) High Value Crops Development Act (RA 7900): Aims to accelerate the development of agriculture and also to enhance productivity and income of farm
workers. The law promotes the harvest of “high value crops” like coffee, fruits and vegetables. It also states that idle land, or land not used for economic purposes for three years before the government gives a receipt of acquisition, shall be eligible for CARP. Sources: Project Development Institute, “Rural Empowerment through Agrarian/Asset Development”; Social Weather Stations survey bank; National Statistical Coordination Board, National Statistics Office, Department of Agriculture Bureau of Agricultural Statistics; Philippine Human Development Report 2008/2009; National Agricultural and Fishery Commission; Commission on Elections. | <urn:uuid:fc718099-8e67-4703-a26e-b1f7e21fbed6> | {
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Every Wednesday afternoon, I gather with a bunch of faculty and graduate students at the University of Illinois to discuss a journal article about social psychology, and to eat a snack. This blog post reflects the discussion we had during this week's seminar affectionately called Social Wednesdays and Grub (SWAG).
This week in SWAG we read a paper on committing harmful actions by Fiery Cushman and colleagues (2012), who may have the most fantastic name in all of the academic world. Cushman was curious about why people are averse to committing harmful acts on others.
There is a growing body of research and thought that centers around the idea that human beings have evolved to be averse to harming others. As social living mammals, harming members of one's social group would be a sure way to become ostracized from group activities, and so, it is reasonable to assume that harming others is aversive. Some initial evidence supports this theory: For instance, soldiers who are trained in combat report that they commonly and purposely aim their weapons away from human targets.
So, is there an aversion to committing harmful acts?
Two studies were conducted to test this prediction. In the first study participants were asked to perform a difficult arithmetic task--an aversive or threatening state of social evaluation--and were then subsequently asked to imagine being onboard a sinking lifeboat. In the scenario, the lifeboat may sink (killing everyone) unless the participant pushes one of the passengers (leaning over the side) overboard. Participants who showed more physiological signs of aversive threat, measured in terms of total peripheral resistance--a measure the rigidity of one's blood vessels, which is related to reductions in blood flowing to the extremities of the body--were more averse to pushing the passenger overboard.
In the second study, participants were asked to either perform or witness an act of harm on another person, or to engage in a physically similar action. For example, either actually mimicking cutting another's throat, watching someone perform the act, or cutting a cardboard loaf of bread. When actually mimicking the harmful act, participants showed increased total peripheral resistance--indicating more experienced aversive threat--then when watching another commit the act, or in committing a physically similar motion. The authors reasoned that people have learned aversions to committing acts that harm others so that (1) unrelated aversive threat states carry with them an aversion toward committing violence and (2) even simply pantomiming harm can create aversive threat reactions.
In terms of overall impressions, I think our SWAG group enjoyed the design of Study 2 in particular, which suggested that performing harmful acts is a learned aversion rather than caused by an empathic response to others' suffering. SWAG did wonder if aversive reactions to harm are lessened by experiences of anger, or by focusing on the specific motions themselves rather than the harm they could cause?
Cushman F, Gray K, Gaffey A, & Mendes WB (2012). Simulating murder: the aversion to harmful action. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 12 (1), 2-7 PMID: 21910540 | <urn:uuid:a6e6e159-11f2-47cf-9c48-961369c25647> | {
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Industrial degreasers are applied to remove oil, dirt, and grease from machine parts or the surfaces residing around equipment. These contaminants continuously accumulate throughout daily operations, affect machinery performance, and create safety hazards. A variety of industrial degreasers are available to meet usage requirements with applications occurring frequently in these areas:
The organic compounds applied to facilitate contaminant removal are extremely volatile meaning they evaporate at room temperature. Inhalation or release into the atmosphere poses a significant threat to the well-being of people, animals, and plant life. Companies using industrial degreasers for these processes have to follow strict standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure safety. Even with these regulations in place, spills remain to occur quite frequently thus allowing soil, water, and air sources to be contaminated. Businesses requiring solvents for machine part cleaning must take special precautions and implement specific handling practices for industrial degreaser use to avoid individual or environmental harm.
Less Volatile Products Deliver a Safer, Cost Effective Solution
The volatility of industrial degreasers has a direct impact on the practices a business must follow to meet EPA standards. Contaminant removal is an essential industrial process; however, companies must carefully choose products used to accomplish this task. Less volatile products have been developed to properly remove grease or grime without the risks associated with common degreasers. Greener alternatives allow companies to eliminate harmful substances from their processes and have these benefits:
- Ability to Meet Emission Caps
- Reduced Usage Costs
- Safer Working Environment
- Decreased Workman’s Compensation Claims
- Limited Insurance Expenses
- Limited the Number of Taken Sick Days
- Lawsuit Prevention
- Improved Public Image
- Use of Eco-Friendly Solutions
The EPA has put into place various standards regarding industrial degreasers due to the risks associated with volatile solvents. Businesses must follow these standards to avoid being charged hefty fines for failing to comply with emission caps. Additionally, the procedures required for handling dangerous solvents increase operational costs. Companies choosing to continue using highly volatile solvents for machine part cleaning experience loss of work due to increased sick days, a higher number of workman’s compensation claims, and costly lawsuits caused by prolonged exposure. The decision to use a safer alternative provides drastic cost decreases by generating a safer working environment based on EPA guidelines.
Companies implementing greener products for machine part cleaning also have the opportunity to improve their public image through promoting eco-friendly practices. By switching to less volatile products, a business is able to put themselves in a better position for increasing worker safety and protecting the environment. Eco-friendly solutions eliminate the dangers caused by the continued use of dangerous toxic substances. Extremely volatile cleaners generate several short-term health issues, which often lead to higher insurance premiums, legal fees, and time off of work. Companies are able to meet EPA standards, create a better working environment, and maintain process quality by choosing to use eco-friendly industrial degreasers.
Industrial degreasers are necessary in a number of industries and play a pivotal safety role. For more information about environmentally friendly, low VOC products, please call (800) 886-8240 or email [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:e1fd42e6-fe81-4870-9d5b-01d119f2792e> | {
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Komaki City has been relatively unknown among overseas tourists up to now, but for several reasons you’ll feel very lucky to have opened this homepage!
The city is a very important place in Japanese geography and history, as you’ll see.
First, let's talk about geographical features.
The Nobi Plain is located right in the center of Japan.
Located in the center of the plain, Komaki City is a connecting point for two expressways, the Meishin Expressway (opened in 1966) and the Tomei Expressway (opened in 1970), which brought the dawn of the highway era of Japan. This link makes it easier for people there to visit the capital city Tokyo, eastern Japan, and to the west Osaka and Kyoto by car.
Driving on the Nagoya Expressway extending further to the south you can travel straight to Nagoya, which is one of the three metropolises of Japan.
In addition, you can go to Nagano Prefecture, viewing scenic mountains during a comfortable drive on the Central Expressway extending north from Komaki.
Blessed with such geographical conditions, Komaki takes remarkable advantage of its easy-access location for logistics and, as a result, many factories and warehouses have grown up in the area.
Further, Komaki City has continued to develop as one of the leading inland industrial cities in Aichi Prefecture, which boasts the highest value shipping in Japan.
Aichi Prefecture Komaki City.
The population is approx. 150,000. | <urn:uuid:900d7dd9-80f4-4fcc-a008-3325035a8b78> | {
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About Swami Vivekananda
The world celebrates the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda now. From a simple, unassuming monk in Calcutta who had reached the culmination of spiritual experience in the 1890s to the propounder of Hinduism and Vedanta on the global stage at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, as well as the inspirer of thousands in different parts of the globe subsequently, Vivekananda is a household name today. His spiritual brilliance, absolute purity, vast learning, love for humanity, sympathy for the suffering and a hundred other noble qualities have made him a universal symbol of spiritual unfoldment of the human race and an inspiration not only for the youth, but for everyone—from the erstwhile leaders of India to world thinkers, from the unlettered peasant to the learned pundit, from little children to the advancing in age. Vivekananda brought respect for his country and for Sanatana Dharma, instilled faith in the hearts of Indians, and has already established her on the pedestal of the world teacher as of old. He, however, did not come for any country in particular: he came for the whole world and thus gave to the world the wonderful knowledge of Vedanta, and of the four yogas. In less than a decade of his intense public life, Vivekananda singlehandedly accomplished what a huge army of men perhaps could not have accomplished. Apart from rousing the sleeping and suffering India, he travelled extensively and awakened the enlightened people of advanced nations to lead a spiritual life so as to attain inner peace, established the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, founded journals, established monasteries, wrote books, inspiring letters and articles, gave classes and discourses, gave interviews, trained young men, and did a thousand other things for the good of humanity. In short, he changed the course of human civilization—from an earth-bound, dark, miserable, pleasure-seeking, soul-less culture to a bright, spiritual civilization. All within the 39 years of his extraordinary life!
In India, Vivekananda is regarded as the patriot saint and the inspirer of her dormant national consciousness. To the Indians he preached the ideal of a strength-giving and man-making religion. Service to human beings as the visible manifestations of the Divine was the special form of worship he advocated for the emancipation of the human soul. While centuries of slavery of Indians were put to an end owing to his efforts and inspiration, in the West, Vivekananda’s mission was the teaching of the spiritual culture of India, especially in its Vedantic setting. He enriched the religious consciousness of the West through the rational and humanistic teachings of Vedanta, based on personal experience. He heralded a synthesis of the East and West, of the glorious Old and the dazzling New.
Swamiji’s mission was both national and international. He strove to promote peace and harmony by stressing on the spiritual oneness of existence. Swami Vivekananda once spoke of himself as ‘Condensed India’. His life and teachings are of inestimable value to the West for an understanding of the mind of Asia. William James, the Harvard philosopher, called the Swami the ‘Paragon of Vedantists.’ Max Muller and Paul Deussen, the famous Orientalists of the nineteenth century, held him in genuine respect and affection. ‘His words,’ writes Romain Rolland, ‘are great music, phrases in the style of Beethoven, stirring rhythms like the march of Handel choruses. I cannot touch these sayings of his, scattered as they are through the pages of books, at thirty years’ distance, without receiving a thrill through my body like an electric shock. And what shocks, what transports, must have been produced when in burning words they issued from the lips of the hero!’ | <urn:uuid:0e4a0930-a1a3-480f-b8e2-c5363dd6410b> | {
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Every year upwards of 20,000 lives are lost in war-torn countries due to unexploded ordinance such as land mines. Can a video game educate children about land mine avoidance where traditional methods have failed?
That's the hope of Corey Bohil, a visiting assistant professor at Michigan State University's Department of Telecommunication and project lead on Undercover UXO. Undercover UXO is a simple computer game that sees players navigating a pet through a maze in order to find food. Throughout the maze are the telltale warning signs of unexploded ordinance - dead cattle, disturbed ground, and the shells of burnt-out vehicles - which the player must report to a local inspector lest they risk losing their pet.
"The goal of the project is to teach children in Cambodia and other at-risk areas to recognize and avoid unexploded ordnance," said Corey Bohil. "If the player recognizes the indicators and avoids them, then the pet finds the food and everyone is happy."
The project began life as a student project in a class taught by Bohil called "Collaborative Game Design." The motivation behind the game's development were shocking statistics from the United Nations Mine Action Service, which estimates annual unexploded ordinance related deaths at around 20,000, along with the failure of traditional teaching methods.
"For years the local communities would try to teach people how to avoid landmines," Bohil said. "They would have presentations made to community elders, publish booklets, and nothing would work."
Since the projects first showing last year at MSU's Meaningful Play Conference, the concept has been further honed thanks to input from the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, the only non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated to removing unexploded ordinance from disadvantaged countries. The U.S. government chipped in as well, with $78,000 supplied by the U.S. State Department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.
"So now we're working to make the game better – make it less clunky and get out some of the bugs," Bohil said. "It will be sent to Cambodia in March for testing to see if the kids like it."
Bohil hopes the game can be used alongside One Laptop per Child, a program dedicated to developing and deploying inexpensive laptop computers to children in underdeveloped nations.
Check out the link below, where you can see a rough video demonstration of the game in action.
So the question remains, can a game succeed where traditional learning methods have failed? I don't remember half the things I learned in thirteen years of government schooling, but I can tell you exactly when to jump to avoid those damn birds in Ninja Gaiden. If that sort of retention translates to the children of war-torn nations like Cambodia, then Corey Bohil and his students could be responsible for countless lives saved, all over the world.
In case you needed proof that gaming isn't just a leisure-time hobby anymore, then here it is.
Undercover UXO: Mine Risk Education game for the $100 Laptop [Corey Bohil via MSU News] | <urn:uuid:aa620263-093f-4c82-9c76-5d496f21b461> | {
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RAISE(3) BSD Programmer's Manual RAISE(3)
raise - send a signal to the current process
#include <signal.h> int raise(int sig);
The raise() function sends the signal sig to the current process.
Upon successful completion, a value of 0 is returned. Otherwise, a value of -1 is returned and the global variable errno is set to indicate the error.
The raise() function may fail and set errno for any of the errors speci- fied for the library functions getpid(2) and kill(2).
The raise() function conforms to ANSI X3.159-1989 ("ANSI C"). MirOS BSD #10-current June 4, 1993 1
Generated on 2014-07-04 21:17:45 by $MirOS: src/scripts/roff2htm,v 1.79 2014/02/10 00:36:11 tg Exp $
These manual pages and other documentation are copyrighted by their respective writers;
their source is available at our CVSweb,
AnonCVS, and other mirrors. The rest is Copyright © 2002‒2014 The MirOS Project, Germany.
This product includes material provided by Thorsten Glaser.
This manual page’s HTML representation is supposed to be valid XHTML/1.1; if not, please send a bug report – diffs preferred. | <urn:uuid:87524a8d-71bb-4a79-976e-aaf63a324566> | {
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Twenty Ideas for Engaging ProjectsSeptember 12, 2011 | Suzie Boss
The start of the school year offers an ideal time to introduce students to project-based learning. By starting with engaging projects, you'll grab their interest while establishing a solid foundation of important skills, such as knowing how to conduct research, engage experts, and collaborate with peers. In honor of Edutopia's 20th anniversary, here are 20 project ideas to get learning off to a good start.
1. Flat Stanley Refresh: Flat Stanley literacy projects are perennial favorites for inspiring students to communicate and connect, often across great distances. Now Flat Stanley has his own apps for iPhone and iPad, along with new online resources. Project founder Dale Hubert is recently retired from the classroom, but he's still generating fresh ideas to bring learning alive in the "flatlands."
2. PBL is No Accident: In West Virginia, project-based learning has been adopted as a statewide strategy for improving teaching and learning. Teachers don't have to look far to find good project ideas. In this CNN story about the state's educational approach, read about a project that grew out of a fender-bender in a school parking lot. When students were asked to come up with a better design for the lot, they applied their understanding of geometry, civics, law, engineering, and public speaking. Find more good ideas in West Virginia's Teach21 project library.
3. Defy Gravity: Give your students a chance to investigate what happens near zero gravity by challenging them to design an experiment for NASA to conduct at its 2.2 second drop tower in Brookpark, Ohio. Separate NASA programs are offered for middle school and high school. Or, propose a project that may land you a seat on the ultimate roller coaster (aka: the "vomit comet"), NASA aircraft that produces periods of micro and hyper gravity ranging from 0 to 2 g's. Proposal deadline is Sept. 21, and flight week takes place in February 2012.
4. Connect Across Disciplines: When students design and build kinetic sculptures, they expand their understanding of art, history, engineering, language arts, and technology. Get some interdisciplinary project insights from the Edutopia video, Kinetic Conundrum. Click on the accompanying links for more tips about how you can do it, too.
5. Honor Home Languages: English language learners can feel pressured to master English fast, with class time spent correcting errors instead of using language in meaningful ways. Digital IS, a site published by the National Writing Project, shares plans for three projects that take time to honor students' home languages and cultures, engaging them in critical thinking, collaboration, and use of digital tools. Anne Herrington and Charlie Moran curate the project collection, "English Language Learners, Digital Tools, and Authentic Audiences."
6. Rethink Lunch: Make lunch into a learning opportunity with a project that gets students thinking more critically about their mid-day meal. Center for Ecoliteracy offers materials to help you start, including informative including informative essays and downloadable planning guides. Get more ideas from this video about a middle-school nutrition project, "A Healthy School Lunch."
7. Take a Learning Expedition: Expeditionary Learning schools take students on authentic learning expeditions, often in neighborhoods close to home. Check out the gallery for project ideas about everything from the tools people use in their work to memories of the Civil Rights Movement.
8. Find a Pal: If PBL is new to you, consider joining an existing project. You'll benefit from a veteran colleague's insights, and your students will get a chance to collaborate with classmates from other communities or even other countries. Get connected at ePals, a global learning community for educators from more than 200 countries.
9. Get Minds Inquiring: What's under foot? What are things made of? Science projects that emphasize inquiry help students make sense of their world and build a solid foundation for future understanding. The Inquiry Project supports teachers in third to fifth grades as they guide students in hands-on investigations about matter. Students develop the habits of scientists as they make observations, offer predictions, and gather evidence. Companion videos show how scientists use the same methods to explore the world. Connect inquiry activities to longer-term projects, such as creating a classroom museum that showcases students' investigations.
10. Learn through Service: When cases of the West Nile virus were reported in their area, Minnesota students sprang into action with a project that focused on preventing the disease through public education. Their project demonstrates what can happen when service-learning principles are built into PBL. Find more ideas for service-learning projects from the National Youth Leadership Council.
11. Locate Experts: When students are learning through authentic projects, they often need to connect with experts from the world outside the classroom. Find the knowledgeable experts you need for STEM projects through the National Lab Network. It's an online network where K-12 educators can locate experts from the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
12. Build Empathy: Projects that help students see the world from another person's perspective build empathy along with academic outcomes. The Edutopia video, "Give Me Shelter", shows what compassionate learning looks like in action. Click on the companion links for more suggestions about how you can do it, too.
13. Investigate Climate Science: Take students on an investigation of climate science by joining the newest collaborative project hosted by GLOBE, Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment. The Student Climate Research Campaign includes three components: introductory activities to build a foundation of understanding, intensive observing periods when students around the world gather and report data, and research investigations that students design and conduct. Climate project kicks off Sept. 12.
14. Problem-Solvers Unite: Math fairs take mathematics out of the classroom and into the community, where everyone gets a chance to try their hand at problem solving. Galileo Educational Network explains how to host a math fair. In a nutshell, students set up displays of their math problems but not the solutions. Then they entice their parents and invited guests to work on solutions. Make the event even more engaging by inviting mathematicians to respond to students' problems.
15. Harvest Pennies : Can small things really add up to big results? It seems so, based on results of the Penny Harvest. Since the project started in New York in 1991, young philanthropists nationwide have raised and donated more than $8 million to charitable causes, all through penny drives. The project website explains how to organize students in philanthropy roundtables to study community issues and decide which causes they want to support.
16. Gather Stories: Instead of teaching history from textbooks, put students in the role of historian and help them make sense of the past. Learn more about how to plan oral history projects in the Edutopia story, "Living Legends." Teach students about the value of listening by having them gather stories for StoryCorps.
17. Angry Bird Physics: Here's a driving question to kickstart a science project: "What are the laws of physics in Angry Birds world?" Read how physics teachers like Frank Noschese and John Burk are using the web version of the popular mobile game in their classrooms.
18. Place-Based Projects: Make local heritage, landscapes, and culture the jumping-off point for compelling projects. That's the idea behind place-based education, which encourages students to look closely at their communities. Often, they wind up making significant contributions to their communities, as seen in the City of Stories project.
19. News They Can Use: Students don't have to wait until they're grown-ups to start publishing. Student newspapers, radio stations, and other journalism projects give them real-life experiences now. Award-winning journalism teacher Esther Wojcicki outlines the benefits this post on the New York Times Learning Network. Get more ideas about digital-age citizen journalism projects at MediaShift Idea Lab.
20. The Heroes They Know: To get acquainted with students at the start of the year and also introduce students to PBL processes, High Tech High teacher Diana Sanchez asked students to create a visual and textual representation of a hero in their own life. Their black-and-white exhibits were a source of pride to students, as Sanchez explains in her project reflection . Get more ideas from the project gallery at High Tech High, a network of 11 schools in San Diego County that emphasize PBL. To learn more, watch this Edutopia video interview with High Tech High founding principal Larry Rosenstock.
Please tell us about the projects you are planning for this school year. Questions about PBL? Draw on the wisdom of your colleagues by starting discussions or asking for help in the PBL community. | <urn:uuid:6d6b12c8-51d9-4d93-b798-19f2bbb48a21> | {
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This concise introduction to the economic theories of taxation is intuitive yet rigorous, relating the theories both to existing tax systems and to key empirical studies. The Economics of Taxation offers a thorough discussion of the consequences of taxes on economic decisions and equilibrium outcomes, as well as useful insights into how policy makers should design taxes. It covers such issues of central policy importance as taxation of income from capital, environmental taxation, and tax credits for low-income families. This second edition has been significantly revised and updated. Changes include a substantially rewritten chapter on direct taxation; a discussion of recent research in the chapter on mixed taxation; the replacement of the chapter on capital taxation with a chapter on the "new dynamic public finance"; and considerations of environmental taxation in both theory and policy chapters. The book is aimed at graduate students or advanced undergraduates taking public finance classes as well as economists who want to learn more about the topic. It combines discussion of theory, empirical work, and policy objectives in compact form. Appendixes provide necessary background material on consumer and producer theory and the theory of optimal control. | <urn:uuid:29a23e63-d7b7-47df-8e4b-5215373c8749> | {
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When we take major tests like the SAT and ACT, we often expect WAY too much of ourselves by thinking that we should be able to clearly explain why we picked the answer we did.
Don’t get me wrong. Being able to explain why you picked the answer is a great thing. The problem is when you feel you must spend too much time on a question because you cannot give a detailed justification to yourself as to why you picked what it is.
If you are teaching a class on test preparation, then you should definitely be able to explain and justify why a particular answer is correct. I know that if I attempted to explain a question by simply telling a student, “well that’s just the obvious answer!”, they would ask for a refund. If, on the other hand, you are simply taking the test, then you only need to have a good sense of what is correct. This is a significant issue for test takers in the following situations:
- On vocabulary questions where they hesitate to trust their intuition and instincts as to what a word might mean.
- On math questions where they might be afraid to use unconventional methods, like plugging numbers in, because they are not what they have been taught as a “proper” method in school.
- On grammar questions, they will know that something is incorrect, but because they can’t think of exactly what would replace it, they just leave it as is.
- On science questions, they think they need to recall in-depth facts from school when what they actually need is just a bit of common-sense problem solving.
The SAT, ACT, and other major standardized tests are not long short answer and essay tests: they are predominantly multiple choice. You will not need to give extended explanations as to why an answer is correct – you simply must know that it is correct. Do your best on these tests by letting your instincts and intuition guide you when it is called for.
This year’s Junior are soon going to get very tired of the question “where are you going to go to college?” As soon as Junior year is over and Senior year begins that will be the question on everyone’s lips. However, there is no rule saying that you have to go to college immediately after high school. We often do things simply because they are “the next thing” to do. You may want to think about doing a Gap Year – take a year off between high school graduation and college to do a whole host of things. Here are several reasons to do a gap year.
- You want to see what different careers are like. The best way to see what a career actually entails is to do some job shadowing. If you are coming out of high school and you feel torn among several career options, taking the time to do some internships or apprenticeships may be a great way to spend a year.
- You want to build work skills. With as competitive as it has become to find jobs after college graduation, having a year of real world work experience may set you apart from other applicants. If you are in a financial position to be able to do unpaid internships, you’ll have no trouble finding opportunities to build great work skills. If you must work part time, try to fit in at least one day a week of job shadowing in areas about which you are more passionate.
- You know that you need to build your independence and self-discipline. Freshman year is a time when many students “go nuts” since they are out from under the watchful eyes of their parents. If you know that you are not prepared to handle yourself in a totally free environment, take a bit of time to get yourself together before having a terrible freshman year experience.
- You want to travel. The year before college is a fantastic time to see the world. Even if you have little spending money, you could find a job teaching English in another country, being a tour guide, or house sitting for a wealthy family. Travel may help you clarify your thoughts about what you want to do with your life before you invest tens of thousands of dollars in your education.
- You want to improve your college applications. Perhaps you’ve already been accepted to a school, but you would really like to go to a more selective institution. You can potentially use a gap year to improve your college application. You can focus on improving your AP, ACT and SAT test scores, and more importantly, having some in-depth extracurricular involvement that will distinguish you from other applicants.
- You are already in, but you need a break before starting. Many colleges will allow you to defer admission for a year if you would like to spend some time working or travelling prior to matriculation.
Now, here are some reasons not to do a gap year.
- You don’t want to lose academic skills. It is said that the first two months of school after summer break are spent reviewing material from the previous year. If you know that you are going to have a difficult time getting back in the academic groove, you may as well go to college right after high school.
- You feel ready and eager for the independence of college. Many students, more frequently female ones in my observation, find that they are ready to move on from the confines of high school and living with their parents. If you are ready to spread your wings, taking a gap year and living at home may be an absolute nightmare! If you are particularly ready to move on to the next level, you may consider graduating a year early! I know many students who have done this.
- You are planning on lots of education after college. If you are planning on becoming a doctor, earning a Ph.D. or doing post-doctoral research, you probably don’t want to add another year to when you will be able to begin your career. (Then again, if you want to avoid burn-out and the fear of regretting that you have only been in school you entire life, taking a gap year may in fact be a good idea!)
Thanks for reading. If you found this helpful, I would invite you to share it with your friends. –Brian Stewart
While many students get away with putting math formulas into their calculators, and many businesses market programs that enable students to download the math formulas that students need for the test, storing information on your calculator is prohibited on the ACT.
With the test cheating scandals in recent years, the ACT is really cracking down on security procedures. This test will lose its credibility if cheating is widespread, so the ACT is doing everything they can to stop it. Instead of looking around for a way to put formulas into your calculator, have no worries by spending a few minutes memorizing what you need for test day. | <urn:uuid:00aa3a77-fa24-4b9e-a4c0-8d59e22ff452> | {
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The first man to teach the chemistry of the human body and to declare, as did Paracelsus, that the true purpose of chemistry was the preparation of medicine for the treatment of disease was one Jean Baptista van Helmont, a disciple of Paracelsus, sometimes called the Descartes of Medicine.
In his treatise, 'De Natura Vitae Eternae,' he writes
'I have seen and I have touched the Philosophers' Stone more than once. The colour of it was like saffron in powder, but heavy and shining like pounded glass. I had once given me the fourth of a grain--I call a grain that which takes 600 to make an ounce. I made projection with this fourth part of a grain wrapped in paper upon eight ounces of quicksilver heated in a crucible. The result of the projection was eight ounces, lacking eleven grains, of the most pure gold.'
In his early thirties van Helmont retired to an old castle in Belgium near Brussels and remained there, almost unknown to his neighbours until his death in his sixty-seventh year. He never professed to have actually prepared the Philosophers' Stone, but gained
his knowledge from alchemists he contacted during his years of research.
Van Helmont also gives particulars of an Irish gentleman named Butler, a prisoner in the Castle of Vilvord in Flanders, who during his captivity performed strange cures by means of the Hermetic medicine. The news of his cure of a Breton monk, a fellow-prisoner suffering from severe erysipelas, by the administration of almond milk in which he had merely dipped the Philosophers' Stone brought van Helmont, accompanied by several noblemen, post-haste to the Castle to investigate the case. In their presence Butler cured an aged woman of 'megrim' by dipping the Stone into olive-oil and then anointing her head. There was also an abbess who had suffered for eighteen years with paralysed fingers and a swollen arm. These disabilities were removed by applying the Stone a few times to her tongue.
In 'Lives of the Alchcemystical Philosophers,' published in 1815, it is stated that prior to the events at Vilvord, Butler attracted some attention by his transmutations in London during the reign of James I. He is said to have gained his knowledge in Arabia and in this way. When a ship in which he had once taken passage was captured by African pirates, Butler was taken prisoner and sold into slavery in Arabia. His Arab master was an alchemical worker with knowledge of the correct processes. Butler assisted him in some of his operations, and when later he was able to make his escape from captivity, he carried off a large portion of the Red Powder.
Denys Zachare in his memoirs gives an interesting
account of his pursuit of the Philosophers' Stone. At the age of twenty he set out to Bordeaux to undertake a college curriculum, and hence to Toulouse for a course of law. In this town he made the acquaintance of some students in possession of a number of alchemical books. It seems that at this time there was a craze for alchemical experiments among the students of Paris and other French towns, and this craze caught Zachare's imagination. His law studies were forsaken and his experiments in alchemy began. On his parents' death, having expended all his money on this new love of his he returned home and from their estate raised further money to continue his research. For ten years, according to his own statement, after experiments of all sorts and meetings with countless men with a method to sell, he sat down to study carefully the writings of the philosophers on the subject, and states that it was Raymond Lully's 'Testament, Codicil, and Epistle' addressed to King Robert that gave him the key to the secret. From the study of this book and 'The Grand Rosary' of Arnold de Villeneuve, he formulated a plan entirely different from any he had previously followed. After another fifteen months of toil he says:
'I beheld with transport the evolution of the three successive colours which testify to the True Work. It came finally at Eastertide; I made a projection of my divine Powder on quicksilver, and in less than an hour it was converted into fine gold. God knows how joyful I was, how I thanked him for this great grace and favour, and prayed for His Holy Spirit to pour yet more light upon me that I might use what I had attained only to His praise and honour.'
In his one writing entitled 'Opusculum Chemicum' he gives his own personal narrative and states that the Art is the gift of God alone. The methods and possibilities of the transmutation of metals and the Tincture as a Medicine are also considered.
There is also the evidence of John Frederick Helvetius, as testified in 1666. He made claim to be an adept, but received the powder of transmutation from another. He writes:
'On December 27th, 1666, and in the forenoon, there came a certain man to my house who was unto me a complete stranger, but of an honest, grave and authoritative mien, clothed in a simple garb like that of a Memnonite. He was of middle height, his face was long and slightly pock-marked, his hair was black and straight, his chin close-shaven, his age about forty-three or forty-four, and his native place North Holland, so far as I could make out. After we had exchanged salutations, he inquired whether he might have some conversation with me. It was his idea to speak of the Pyrotechnic Art, as he had read one of my tracts, being that directed against the Sympathetic Powder of Sir Kenelm Digby, in which I implied a suspicion whether the Great Arcanum of the Sages was not after all a gigantic hoax. He took therefore this opportunity of asking if indeed I could not believe that such a Grand Mystery might exist in the nature of things, being that by which a physician could restore any patient whose vitals were not irreparably destroyed. My answer allowed that such a Medicine would be a most desirable acquisition for any doctor and that none might tell how many secrets there may be hidden in Nature, but that as for me--though I had read much on the truth of this Art--it had never been my fortune
to meet with a Master of Alchemical Science. I inquired further whether he was himself a medical man since he spoke so learnedly about the Universal Medicine, but he disclaimed my suggestion modestly, describing himself as a brass-founder, who had always taken great interest in the extraction of medicines from metals by means of fire. After some further talk the Artist Elias--for he it was--addressed me thus:
'"Seeing that you have read so much in the writings of the alchemists concerning the Stone, its substance, colour and wonderful effects, may I be allowed to question whether you have yourself prepared it."
'On my answering him in the negative he took from his bag an ivory box of cunning workmanship in which there were three large pieces of a substance resembling glass or pale sulphur and informed me that here was enough of the Tincture to produce twenty tons of gold.
'When I held the treasure in my hands for some fifteen minutes listening to an account of its curative properties, I was compelled to return it, not without a certain degree of reluctance. After thanking him for his kindness I asked why it was that his Tincture did not display that ruby colour which I had been taught to regard as characteristic of the Philosophers' Stone. He replied that the colour made no difference and that the substance was sufficiently mature for all practical purposes. He refused somewhat brusquely my request for a piece of his substance, were it no larger than a coriander seed, adding in a milder tone that he could not do so for all the wealth which I possessed; not indeed on account of its preciousness but for another reason that it was not lawful to divulge. Indeed, if fire could be destroyed by fire he would cast it rather into the flames. Then after a little consideration he asked whether I could not shew him into a room
at the back of the house, where we should be less liable to observation. Having led him into the state parlour, he requested me to produce a gold coin, and while I was finding it he took from his breast pocket a green silk handkerchief wrapped about five medals, the gold of which was infinitely superior to that of my own money. Being filled with admiration, I asked my visitor how he had attained this most wonderful knowledge in the world, to which he replied that it was a gift bestowed upon him freely by a friend who had stayed a few days at his house, who had taught him also how to change common flints and crystals into stones more precious than rubies, chrysolites and sapphires.
'"He made known to me further,'' said the artist, "the preparation of crocus of iron, an infallible cure for dysentry; of a metallic liquor, which was an efficacious remedy for dropsy, and of other medicines."
'To this, however, I paid no great heed as I, Helvetius, was impatient to hear about the Great Secret of all. The artist said further that his master caused him to bring a glass full of warm water to which he added a little white powder and then an ounce of silver, which melted like ice therein.
'"Of this he emptied one half and gave the rest to me. Its taste resembled that of fresh milk, and the effect was most exhilarating."
'I asked my visitor whether the potion was a preparation of the Philosophers' Stone, but he replied that I must not be curious. He added presently that at the bidding of his master he took down a piece of lead water-pipe and melted it in a pot, when the master removed some sulphurous powder on the point of a knife from a little box, cast it into the molten lead, and after exposing the compound for a short time to a fierce fire he poured forth a great mass of liquid gold upon the brick floor of the kitchen.
'"The Master bade me take one-sixteenth of this gold as a keepsake for myself and distribute the rest among the poor, which I did by making over a large sum in trust for the Church of Sparrendaur. In fine, before bidding me farewell, my friend taught me this Divine Art."
'When my strange visitor had concluded his narrative, I besought him in proof of his statement to perform a transmutation in my presence. He answered that he could not do so on that occasion but that he would return in three weeks and if then at liberty to do so he would shew me something that would make me open my eyes. He returned punctually on the promised day and invited me to a walk, in the course of which we spoke profoundly on the secrets of Nature in fire, though I noticed that my companion was exceedingly reserved on the subject of the Great Secret. When I prayed him, however, to entrust me with a morsel of his precious Stone, were it no larger than a rape seed he delivered it like a princely donation. When I expressed a doubt whether it would be sufficient to tinge more than four grains of lead he eagerly demanded it back. I complied, hoping that he would exchange it for a larger fragment, instead of which he divided it with his thumb, threw half in the fire and returned the rest, saying
'"It is yet sufficient for you."'
The narrative goes on to state that on the morrow Helvetius prepared six drachms of lead, melted it in a crucible, and cast on the Tincture. There was a hissing sound and a slight effervescence, and after fifteen minutes Helvetius found that the lead had been transformed into the finest gold, which on cooling glittered and shone as gold indeed. A goldsmith to whom he took this declared it to be the purest gold that he had
ever seen and offered to buy it at fifty forms the ounce. Amongst others the Master of the Mint came to examine the gold and asked that a small part might be placed at his disposal for examination. Being put through the tests with aqua-fortis and antimony it was pronounced pure gold of the finest quality. Helvetius adds in a later part of his writing that there was left in his heart by the Artist a deeply seated conviction that 'through metals and out of metals, purified by highly refined and spiritualized metals, there may be prepared the Living Gold and Quicksilver of the Sages, which bring both metals and human bodies to perfection.'
In the Helvetius tract is also testimony of Kuffle and of his conversion to a belief in alchemy as the result of an experiment which he had been able to perform himself, although no indication is given of the source from which he obtained his powder of projection.
Secondly, there is an account of a silversmith named Gril, who in the year 1664 at the city of the Hague, converted a pound of lead partly into gold and partly into silver, using a tincture received from a certain John Caspar Knoettner. This projection was made in the presence of many witnesses and Helvetius himself examined the precious metals obtained from the operation.
In 1710 Sigmund Richter published his 'Perfect and True Preparation of the Philosophical Stone' under the auspices of the Rosicrucians. Another representative of the Rosy Cross was the mysterious Lascaris, a descendant of the royal house of Lascaris, an old Byzantine family, who spread the knowledge of
the Hermetic art in Germany during the eighteenth century. Lascaris affirmed that when unbelievers beheld the amazing virtues of the Stone they would no longer be able to regard alchemy as a delusive art. He appears to have performed transmutation in different parts of Germany and then to have disappeared into the blue and so out of history. | <urn:uuid:39735d08-a3fe-4bdb-9ca3-ac264ee87fa2> | {
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This is NOT exactly the kind of post I’d like to write, but I guess I MUST. Despite being passionate about the English language, I’m still far from being perfect with my English writing skills. However, I cringe whenever I find people mispronounce or misuse some very common words in English vocabulary, which actually brings me to write this post. In this post, I will only talk about the words that people use wrongly both in writing and day-to-day speech.
So here are some words I have heard people abuse with gay abandon.
Improve vs. Improvise
Wrong: I want to improvise my communication skills.
Right: I want to improve my communication skills.
Explanation: The meaning of the verb “improvise” is performing a task without any prior preparation. The noun is “improvisation”. Both Improve and improvise may sound acoustically similar, but they are in no way related to each other. Grammatically speaking, improvement is the noun form of the verb “improve” while improvisation is the noun form of the verb “improvise”. Look at the following examples:
Example#1: Sachin Tendulkar has a great deal of improvisation skills. (This means that he has the ability to accelerate the run rate without taking much time to settle down.)
Example#2: Sonu Nigam’s ability to improvise onstage is second to none. (This means Sonu Nigam has the ability to sing any song without prior practice or rehearsal)
Read More: Yahoo Answers
Historic vs. Historical
Wrong: This is a historical victory for the Indian cricket team.
Right: This is a historic victory for the Indian cricket team.
Explanation: Grammatically speaking, both historic and historical are adjectives; however, they are not related to each other. Historical means something pertaining to the history and past. Historic means remarkable or extraordinary.
Read More: About.com
Reputed vs. Reputable
Wrong: TCS is a reputed software company in India.
Right: TCS is a reputable software company in India.
Explanation: Both reputable and reputed are used to define the reputation of an organization. However, when you say TCS is a reputed organization, it essentially means you’re not very sure of its reputation. On the other hand, when you say TCS is a reputable organization, it means there’s not an iota of doubt that TCS is a company of national repute.
However, the following example is acceptable:
Example: The company hired her because of her reputed skills as a content writer. (The company is fairly sure of her skills in content writing)
Read More: The Hindu
Reply vs. Revert
Wrong: I will revert to your email later.
Right: I will reply to your email later.
Explanation: The most commonplace where the abuse of “revert” is rampant is workplace. In professional communications, especially in India, professionals have a penchant for “revert” when all they want to mean is “reply”. Why do they do so? To show off their vocabulary skills, maybe. Ironically, they end up hurting their own image in the process.
Grammatically speaking, “revert” means restoring something to its original state. So when you say “I’ll revert”, you mean you will go back your previous state. I have no clue what you mean when you say that, but for sure, you don’t mean to go back to your original state. So what’s the correct usage of the word “revert”?
Correct Usage: After spending three months in the alcohol rehab, my brother reverted to his drinking habits again. (This means my brother returned to his old habits of drinking)
In this context, it is highly pointless to say “I’ll revert to your email later”. Technically, nobody can actually revert to an email.
NB: Some people often go overboard and say “I’ll revert “back” to your email later”. OMG, for the love of God, please read this post
Pressure vs. Pressurize
Wrong: Stop pressurizing me!
Right: Stop pressuring me! (A line from the popular track Scream by Michael Jackson)
Explanation: According to freedictionary.com, the word “pressurize” means “to increase the pressure in (an enclosure, such as an aircraft cabin) in order to maintain approximately atmospheric pressure when the external pressure is low”.
For example: The captain will pressurize the cabin for the passengers’ comfort. (The captain will increase the pressure in the cabin to maintain the atmospheric pressure).
If you’ve ever travelled in an airplane or are a frequent flyer, you know what I mean.
However, pressurize can also be used to define the stress or strain although such use is quite informal, figurative and rare.
For example: He’s an executive who was pressurized by a heavy workload. (he’s subject to excessive stress, strain, or vexation)
Read More: Yahoo Answers
Staff vs. Staffs
Wrong: You’re the best staff in our company.
Right: You’re the best employee on our company staff.
Explanation: I have absolutely lost count of how often I hear this word being abused, both in writing and speech, on a daily basis. Blame it on the cultural orientation, and poor English skills of many teachers at elementary schools in India, many people have acquired a wrong impression about the word “staff”. Grammatically speaking, staff is collective noun, meaning a group of professional in a particular organization. Like the word “department”, staff also refers to two or more things or people as a group.
Therefore, you can’t afford to use the word “staff” to mean a single person when it effectively means a group.
For example: He is a reliable staff member. (NOT reliable staff)
Another Example: I would like to thank the staff of the Department of Technology for their help. (NOT staffs)
NB: As far as “staffs” is concerned, it can be used to mean a group of different departments in a company. However, such usage is quite rare. To know more about staffs, please take your time to read this. Also, you might also like to read this to understand the comprehensive usage of “staff”.
Disagree with any of my ideas? Feel free to reply (not revert) to me with your thoughts in the comment section.
For more examples of Indian English Errors, please visit: Common English Errors
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The recovery process for an angiogram, or cardiac catheterization, involves caring for the wound site, following the doctor's recommendations for physical activity, taking any prescribed medications and drinking plenty of fluids, according to Cleveland Clinic. The patient may feel tired after the procedure, so strenuous activities are limited.Continue Reading
Although an angiogram is an invasive procedure, patients who undergo this surgery are able to go home the same day of the surgery or a few days after, asserts Mayo Clinic. The patient is monitored closely for signs of excessive bleeding from the wound site and to ensure that the patient receives enough fluids to remove the dyes used during the procedure. Once the patient is able to go home, he is responsible for monitoring any serious symptoms such as weakness, chest pain, fever or swelling at the wound site.
Angiograms are performed to check the function of the heart, including how well blood circulates through it and the heart's pressure, states the American Heart Association. A catheter is inserted into the wound site, then dye is injected so that the images of the blood flow show up better on the X-rays. Although angiograms are generally considered safe, they can present some problems for people who are allergic to the dye.Learn more about Conditions & Diseases | <urn:uuid:3aa90a8e-20e8-4039-a447-04e6e1919ab8> | {
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Gum disease and tooth decay are due to plaque, which is a sticky mixture of food and bacteria. The teeth need to be cleaned well every day to eliminate plaque and the possible onset of tooth decay. If plaque is left resting on the teeth it will harden and turn into something called tartar, which is hard for brushing and flossing to remove. The best way of eliminating tartar it is to pay a visit to a dental hygienist at your Oakville, Ontario dentist.
If plaque and tartar are left on the teeth, several problems could develop as follows.
Teeth that are considered healthy are completely clean and free of cavities. Healthy gums should be firm and pink.
To ensure good oral hygiene and maintain good teeth and gums there are some things that can be done including
You should ask your dentist to tell you which type of toothbrush is right for you and how it is best used. Sometimes, electric tooth brushes may do a better job of teeth cleaning than the standard manual toothbrush. You must not be too vigorous when brushing and flossing as this could damage your teeth. Visiting your dentist for a regular clean helps as plaque that has been left unnoticed can be removed preventing problems with the teeth later on. | <urn:uuid:ca6d8eb8-b0ab-4fc1-9714-3a93f6fd4624> | {
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Forty-four monks of the St Sava Lavra received the unfading crown of martyrdom about 614, during the reign of the emperor Heraclius.
The monastery was attacked by Arabs in search of plunder. When they were unable to find the treasure they expected, they became angry and murdered the defenseless Fathers. Some were beheaded, while others were hacked to pieces.
St Antiochus (December 24) has preserved an account of the martyrs in his “107th Homily.” Dositheus also mentions them in his DODEKABIBLOS.
The saints commemorated today should not be confused with other martyrs of the St Sava Lavra, who suffered in 796 (March 20). The two dates reflect separate attacks on the monastery at different times. History tells us that barbarians raided the St Sava Lavra on several occasions. | <urn:uuid:3fdb08f4-4753-4fb9-92bb-160bdb55c2cf> | {
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How does the protagonist change from the beginning to the end of the novel? What does this character learn about himself (or herself) and about how the world works?
While we read the book, the Read Scarf Girl, there was a big intellectual change in Ji Li physical and emotional traits. Her initial impressions about Chairman Mai were changing from what she postulated when she was younger, Ji Li is growing to become a very conspicuous girl, which in her original perceptions are renovating in a synthetic way.
Imagine you're at a football game when this obnoxious guy sits next to you. He's loud, he spills his beverage on you, and impolitely jokes about your team. Days later, you're walking when suddenly it starts to pour rain. Out of no sight, the same guy of the football game shows up at your side and hands you an umbrella.. Should you change your thoughts about him, based on this second encounter, or do you go with your first? Research in social psychology suggests that we're quick to form lasting impressions of others based on their behaviors. We manage to do this fast and efficiently with quit no effort, inferring character traits from a single behavior, like a harsh word or a clumsy walk. Using our impressions as guides, we can accurately predict how people are going to behave in the future. Supplied with the awareness of the guy from the football game the first time you met him, you might expect more of the same down the road. If so, you might choose to avoid him the next time you see him. That said, we can change our impressions in light of new information. Behavior researcher has identified consistent patterns that pilot this process of impression updating. In addition, learning negative, immoral info about someone typically has a stronger impact than learning very positive, highly moral information.
The Ji Li Is metaphorically like so, yet not in a positive matter. She is in a football game and the obnoxious guy that suits himself next to her is Chairman Mao. He is initially, is very polite and courteous. The next time you see him it is not like the first sight, this time Chairman Mao is rude, barbaric and cloddish. Ji Li first impression about Chairman Mao and his actions has now changed in a very defective approach. In the book, Chairman Mao becomes a exterminator of all China’s best culture, value and people. His admirers such as Ji Li are now faced with very unpleasant scenarios. Now JI Li has seen the good and the bad sides of life and has now learned about people. Her initial impressions of Chairman Mao were wrong based on what she had learned in her household and from her family. | <urn:uuid:7f8eb432-1824-4df0-83a1-e8628ed324ce> | {
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Elliot’s Debates: Volume 1
Gradual Approaches Towards Independence
The first Congress of delegates, chosen and appointed by the several colonies and provinces in North America, to take into consideration the actual situation of the same, and the differences subsisting between them and Great Britain, was held at Carpenters Hall, in the city of Philadelphia, on the 5th of September, 1774. On that occasion, delegates attended from New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, from the city and county of New York and other counties in the province of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and from South Carolina. Peyton Randolph was unanimously elected president of the Congress, and Charles Thomson unanimously chosen secretary.
On the 6th of September, Congress adopted rules in debating and determining question. According to these, 1. Each colony or province had one vote. 2. No person could speak more than twice on the same point, without leave. 3. No question could be determined the day on which it was agitated and debated, if any one of the colonies desired the determination to be postponed to another day. 4. The door was to be kept shut during the time of business, and the members to consider themselves under the strongest obligations of honor to keep the proceedings secret, until the majority should direct them to be made public. At the same time, a committee was appointed to state the rights of the colonies in general, the several instances in which those rights had been violated or infringed, and the means most proper to be pursued for obtaining a restoration of them. A committee was also appointed to examine and report the several statutes which affected the trade and manufactures of the colonies.
The Congress was opened by prayer, a reverential formality that was subsequently observed; and, by an order of the directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia, of the 31st of August preceding, the delegates were allowed the use of such of the books of that institution as they might have occasion for during their sitting.
On the 14th of September, delegates from North Carolina took their seats. On the 19th of September, it was unanimously resolved that the Congress request the merchants and others, in the several colonies, not to send to Great Britain any orders for goods, and to direct the execution of all orders already sent to be delayed or suspended until the sense of the Congress on the means to be taken for the preservation of the liberties of America should be made public.
On the 24th of September, Congress resolved that the delegates would confine themselves to the consideration of such rights as had been infringed by acts of the British Parliament after the year 1763, postponing the further consideration of the general state of American rights to a future day.
On the 27th of September, the Congress unanimously resolved that, from and after the 1st of December, 1774, there should be no importation into British America, from Great Britain or Ireland, of any goods, wares, or merchandise, exported therefrom; and that they should not be used or purchased if imported after that day. On the 30th of September, it was further resolved that, from and after the 10th of September, 1775, the exportation of all merchandise, and every commodity whatsoever, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies, ought to cease, unless the grievances of America should be redressed before that time.
On the 6th of October, it was resolved to exclude from importation, after the 1st of December following, molasses, coffee, or pimento, from the British plantations, or from Dominica; wines from Madeira and the Western Island; and foreign indigo. In consequence of a letter received from the Committee of Correspondence, at Boston, on the 6th of October, Congress, on the 7th, resolved to appoint a committee to prepare a letter to General Gage, representing that the town of Boston, and province of Massachusetts Bay, were considered, by all America as suffering in the common cause, for their noble and spirited opposition to oppressive acts of Parliament, calculated to deprive the American people of their most sacred rights and privileges, &c. On the 8th of October, it was resolved that the Congress approve the opposition of the inhabitants of the Massachusetts Bay to the execution of the obnoxious acts of Parliament; and if the same should be attempted to be carried into execution by force, in such case all America ought to support them in their opposition; and on the 11th of October, the letter of remonstrance to General Gage, ordered on the 7th, was brought in and signed by the president. On the 11th, likewise, a memorial to the people of British America, stating the necessity of adhering to the measures of Congress, and an address to the people of Great Britain, were unanimously resolved on. On the 14th of October, Congress made a declaration, and framed resolves, relative to the rights and grievances of the colonies.
On the same day, Congress unanimously resolved, “that the respective colonies are entitled to the common law of England, and more especially to the great and inestimable privilege of being tried by their peers of the vicinage according to the course of that law.” They further resolved, “that they were entitled to the benefit of such of the English statutes as existed at the time of their colonization, and which they have, by experience, respectively found to be applicable to their several and local circumstances.” They also resolved, that their ancestors, at the time of their immigration, were “entitled to all the rights, liberties, and immunities, of free and natural-born subjects within the realms of England.”
On the 20th day of October, the non-importation, non-consumption, and non-exportation agreement was adopted and signed by the Congress. This agreement contained a clause to discontinue the slave trade, and a provision not to import East India tea from any part of the world. In the article respecting non-exportations, the sending of rice to Europe was excepted. In general, the association expressed a determination to suppress luxury, encourage frugality, and promote domestic manufactures. The agreement was dated the 24th of October. On the 21st, the address to the people of Great Britain was approved, as was the memorial to the inhabitants of the British colonies, on the same day. Both these state papers contain a representation of the grievances, and a justification of the conduct, of the colonies. It was determined that an address should be prepared to the people of Quebec, in like manner, and letters be sent to the colonies of St. Johns, Nova Scotia, Georgia, and East and West Florida. On the 22d of October, Peyton Randolph being unable to attend, on account of indisposition, Henry Middleton was chosen to supply his place as president of Congress. On the same day, a letter to the colonies of St. Johns, &c., was reported, approved, and signed. It recommended an immediate adoption of the measures pursued by the Congress. On the 25th of October, a petition to the king was adopted, and was ordered to be enclosed in a letter to the several colony agents, in order that the same might be by them presented to his majesty, which letter was approved and signed by the president, on the day following. This petition recited the grievances of the colonies, and asked for a redress of them. On the 26th of October, the address to the inhabitants of Quebec was adopted and signed. It set forth the rights of the British colonists, breathed a spirit of sympathy in suffering, and invited a spirit of union in resistance. The Congress was then dissolved, having, on the 22d of October, passed a resolution recommending delegates to meet again at Philadelphia, on the 10th of May, 1775.
On the 10th of May, 1775, according to the recommendation of the preceding Congress, the delegates from the same several colonies, with the exception of Rhode Island, assembled at the State House, in Philadelphia; when Peyton Randolph was, a second time, unanimously elected president, and Charles Thomson unanimously chosen secretary. On the 13th of May, Lyman Hall was admitted to a seat in Congress, as a delegate from the parish of St. Johns, in the colony of Georgia; but not considering himself as the representative of that colony, he declined voting, except on occasions when the Congress did not vote by colonies. On the 15th of May, Lemuel Ward, a delegate from Rhode Island, appeared and took his seat. On the 16th of May, Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, on the state of America. On the 17th of May, it was unanimously resolved that all exportations to Quebec, Nova Scotia, the Island of St. Johns, Newfoundland, Georgia, (except the parish of St. Johns,) and to East and West Florida, immediately cease, and that no provision of any kind, or other necessaries, be furnished to the British fisheries on the American coasts, until it be otherwise determined by the Congress. On the 24th of May, Peyton Randolph, then president of Congress, being under a necessity of returning home, the chair became vacant, and John Hancock was unanimously elected president. On the 26th of May, Congress resolved, that the colonies be immediately put in a state of defence; that a fresh petition to the king, with a view to reconcile differences, be prepared; and that a letter to the people of Canada be reported. This letter was approved the day following, and ordered to be signed by the president. It solicits the friendship of the Canadians, calls upon them to assert their rights, and exhorts them against hostilities. On the 29th of May, a committee was appointed to consider the best means of establishing posts for conveying letters and intelligence through the continent.
On the 2d of June, Congress resolved, that no bill of exchange, draught, or order, of any officers in the British army or navy, their agents or contractors, be received, or negotiated, or any money supplied to them, by any person in America; that no provisions, or necessaries of any kind, be furnished or supplied to or for the use of the British army or navy in the colony of Massachusetts Bay; and that no vessel employed in transporting British troops to America, or from one part of North America to another, or warlike stores, or provisions for said troops, be freighted or furnished with provisions, or other necessaries, until further orders from the Congress. On the 3d of June, committees were appointed to draw a petition to the king, and to prepare addresses to the inhabitants of Great Britain and the people of Ireland; to bring in the draught of a letter to the inhabitants of Jamaica; and to bring in an estimate of the money necessary to be raised by the colonies. On the 7th of June, it was resolved, that the 20th day of July following should be observed throughout the twelve United Colonies, as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer. On the 9th of June, in consequence of a letter from the Convention of Massachusetts Bay, which had been previously under consideration, Congress resolved, that the governor and lieutenant-governor of that colony were to be considered as absent, and their offices vacant; and it was recommended to the Provincial Convention to write letters to the inhabitants of the several places which were entitled to representation in Assembly, requesting them to choose such representatives; and that the Assembly, when chosen, should elect counsellors, and that such Assembly, or Council, should exercise the powers of government, until a governor of his majestys appointment would consent to govern the colony according to its charter. On the 10th of June, several resolutions were passed for the collection of saltpetre and sulphur, and the manufacture of gunpowder. On the 14th of June, Congress resolved to raise several companies of riflemen, by enlistment, for one year, to serve in the American Continental army, established the pay of the officers and privates, and appointed a committee to prepare rules and regulations for the government of the army. On the 15th of June, it was resolved, that a general should be appointed to command all the Continental forces, raised, or to be raised, for the defence of American liberty; and, proceeding to the choice of a general, by ballot, George Washington was unanimously elected. On the preceding day, it was resolved to appoint major-generals, brigadier-generals, and other officers, necessary for the organization of a regular army. These warlike measures were the result of continued deliberations on the state of America, and the consequence of the military proceedings of the British at Lexington, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, on the 19th of April preceding; of the burning of Charlestown, near Boston; and of the various indications, on the part of Great Britain, of an intention to compel the colonies to submit by force of arms. Several military steps had been previously taken by the colonists, among which were the occupation of the posts of Crown Point and Ticonderoga. A commission for George Washington was made out, and signed by the president of Congress, on the 19th of June, in the following words:
“In Congress. The delegates of the United Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.To George Washington, Esquire: We, reposing especial trust and confidence in your patriotism, conduct, and fidelity, do, by these presents, constitute and appoint you to be general and commander-in-chief of the army of the United Colonies, and of all the forces raised or to be raised by them, and of all others who shall voluntarily offer their service, and join the said army for the defence of the American liberty, and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof; and you are hereby vested with full power and authority to act as you shall think for the good and welfare of the service. And we do hereby strictly charge and require all officers and soldiers under your command to be obedient to your orders, and diligent in the exercise of their several duties. And we do also enjoin and require you to be careful in executing the great trust reposed in you, by causing strict discipline and order to be observed in the army, and that the soldiers are duly exercised, and provided with all convenient necessaries. And you are to regulate your conduct, in every respect, by the rules and discipline of war, (as herewith given you,) and punctually to observe and follow such orders and directions, from time to time, as you shall receive from this or a future Congress of the said United Colonies, or a committee of Congress, for that purpose appointed. This commission to continue in force until revoked by this or a future Congress. By order of the Congress. John Hancock, President. Dated Philadelphia, June 19, 1775. Attested, Charles Thomson, Secretary.”
The original of this commission has been preserved in the department of state, at Washington city. Congress at the same time resolved, that they would maintain, assist, and adhere to George Washington, with their lives and fortunes, in the same cause. On the 22d of June, it was resolved to emit a sum not exceeding two millions of Spanish milled dollars, in bills of credit, for the redemption of which the twelve confederated colonies were pledged. On the 24th of June, a resolution was entered into for devising ways and means to put the militia of America in a proper state for defence. On the 30th of June, Congress adopted rules and regulations for the government of the army. On the same day, the committee for Indian affairs was directed to prepare proper talks to the several tribes, for engaging the continuance of their friendship and neutrality.
On the 6th of July, a committee, previously appointed for that purpose, brought in a declaration by the representatives of the United Colonies of North America, setting forth the causes and necessity of their taking up arms, which was to be published by General Washington, upon his arrival at the camp before Boston. On the 8th of July, a petition to the king was signed by the members of Congress present, stating the merits of their claims, and soliciting the royal interposition for an accommodation of differences on just principles. An address to the inhabitants of Great Britain was at this time framed, justifying the measures which had been taken by the colonists, and invoking the sympathy and forbearance of their British brethren. A letter was also prepared, and signed by the president, to the lord mayor, aldermen, and livery of London, thanking them for the friendly disposition they had shown to the rights of America. On the 20th of July, Congress was informed, by a letter from the Convention of Georgia, that that colony had acceded to the general association, and had appointed delegates to attend the Congress. On the 25th of July, an address to the Assembly of Jamaica was agreed to, generally stating the grievances of the colonies, and thanking the Assembly for its good intentions. An additional sum, to the value of one million of Spanish milled dollars, was, on the same day, ordered to be struck in bills. On the 26th of July, Congress authorized the appointment of a postmaster-general for the United Colonies, to hold his office at Philadelphia, with power to appoint as many deputies as he might deem proper and necessary; and, under his direction, a line of posts was ordered from Falmouth, in New England, to Savannah, in Georgia, with as many cross posts as the postmaster-general should think fit. Benjamin Franklin was, by a unanimous vote, appointed to the office. On the 28th of July, an address to the people of Ireland was adopted, setting forth the motives and object of the colonists. On the 31st of July, Congress agreed to a report, which declared a resolution of the British House of Commons, of February 20, 1775, commonly called Lord Norths motion, inadmissible as the basis of reconciliation. The resolution referred to proposed to transfer the right of taxing the colonies, under certain restrictions, to the colonial assemblies. The terms it offered were rejected, among other reasons, because, in the opinion of the Congress, the proposition imported only a suspension of the mode, and not a renunciation of the pretended right to tax the colonies. At the same time, it was made the duty of a committee, in the recess of Congress, to inquire into the cheapest and easiest methods of making salt in the country, and to make inquiry after virgin lead and leaden ore, &c.
On the 1st of August, Congress adjourned to the 5th of September, 1775, having first passed a resolution declaring the non-exportation and non-importation association to comprise the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Alderney, and Man, and every European island and settlement within the British dominions, as well as all the West India islands, British and foreign, to whatever state, power, or prince belonging, or by whomsoever governed; and also Somerss Islands, Bahama Islands; Berbicia, and Surinam, on the Main, and every island and settlement within the latitude of the southern line of Georgia and the equator.
On the 5th of September, 1775, agreeably to adjournment, Congress again convened, but did not form a quorum to do business until the 13th, when delegates from Georgia appeared, produced their credentials, and took their seats. On the 25th September, Congress appointed a committee of accounts, or claims, consisting of one member from each of the United Colonies, to whom all accounts against the Continent were to be referred, and who were to examine and report the same for payment.
On the 6th of October, a resolution was passed, recommending to the several provisional assemblies or conventions, and councils or committees of safety, to arrest and secure every person, in their respective colonies, whose going at large might, in their opinion, endanger the safety of the colony, or the liberties of America. On the 13th of October, Congress ordered two armed vessels to be fitted out. On the 26th of October, Congress, having had under consideration the state of the trade of the United Colonies, resolved that it should be recommended to the several provincial assemblies, conventions, or councils of safety, to export to the foreign West Indies, on account and risk of their respective colonies, as much provisions, or other produce, except horned cattle, sheep, hogs, and poultry, as they might deem necessary, for the importation of arms, ammunition, sulphur, and saltpetre. On the 30th of October, two more armed vessels were directed to be fitted for sea.
On the 1st of November, the exportation of rice was prohibited to Great Britain, Ireland, or the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Alderney, or Man, or any other European island or settlement within the British dominions. On the 3d of November, Congress resolved, that it should be recommended to the Provincial Convention of New Hampshire, which had applied for advice, to call a full and free representation of the people, and to establish such a form of government as would best promote the happiness of the people, &c., during the continuance of the dispute between Great Britain and the colonies. A similar resolution was entered into in relation to South Carolina. On the 8th of November, a draft of instructions was agreed to for R. R. Livingston, Robert Treat Paine, and J. Langdon, who were appointed to proceed to Ticonderoga, to consult with General Schuyler on the necessary operations in that quarter, and to exert their utmost endeavors to induce the Canadians to accede to a union with the colonies; to form, from their several parishes, a provincial convention; and to send delegates to Congress. At this time, likewise, all letters to and from the delegates of the United Colonies, during the sessions of Congress, were authorized to pass and be carried free of postage, the members having engaged upon honor not to frank or endorse any letters but their own. On the 10th of November, a similar privilege, without exception, was extended to all letters to and from the commander-in-chief of the Continental army, or the chief commander in the army, in the northern military department. On the same day, it was resolved to raise two battalions of marines. On the 11th of November, a resolution was entered into, authorizing the repair of the fortifications, &c., of Quebec, in case it should be taken from the British. On the 16th of November, it was resolved that no member of Congress should absent himself from that body without leave; and a rule was adopted, that every member should remain in his seat whilst any paper was reading or question was putting. On the 23d of November, Congress authorized the consideration of a plan for carrying on a trade with the Indians. On the 25th of November, resolutions were passed, directing seizures, and the capture, under commissions obtained from the Congress, together with the condemnation, of British vessels employed in a hostile manner against the colonies; the mode of trial and of condemnation was pointed out, and the shares of the prizes were apportioned. On the 28th of November, Congress adopted rules for the regulation of the navy of the United Colonies. On the 29th of November, Congress was informed of General Montgomerys having, with the Continental troops, taken possession of Montreal on the 12th of that month. The same day an emission of bills of credit was resolved on, to the amount of three millions of dollars.
On the 2d of December, an exchange of prisoners was declared proper. On the 4th of December, it was recommended to the Convention of Virginia, if found necessary, to establish a liberal form of government in that colony, during the continuance of the dispute between Great Britain and the colonies, having first called a full and free representation of the people to determine upon it. This recommendation was occasioned by Lord Dunmores proclamation, declaring his intention to execute martial law in that province. On the 6th of December, Congress expressed a determination to retaliate for any undue severities exercised towards persons favoring, aiding, or abetting, the cause of American liberty. This was produced by a proclamation of rebellion, issued from the court of St. James on the 23d of August, 1775. On the 13th of December, a report was sanctioned for fitting out a naval armament, to consist, in the whole, of thirteen ships, five of thirty-two guns. On the 22d of December, officers were appointed to command the armed vessels, other legislative provisions, respecting pay, &c., having been previously made.
On the 6th of January, 1776, a regulation was adopted relative to the division of prizes and prize-money, taken by armed vessels, among officers and men. On the 9th of January, it was resolved that no postage should be paid for any letters to or from private soldiers, while engaged in actual service in defence of the United Colonies, and that they should be franked by some person authorized for that purpose. On the 11th of January, Congress ordained that persons refusing to receive the Continental bills of credit in payment, or who should obstruct and discourage the currency or circulation thereof, should, on conviction, be deemed, published, and treated, as an enemy of the country, and be precluded from all trade and intercourse with the inhabitants of the colonies. On the 27th of January, resolutions were entered into for carrying on trade with the Indians, and for procuring the necessary supply of goods for that purpose. On the 30th of January, it was resolved that no apprentice should be enlisted within the colonies of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the counties on Delaware, or Maryland, as a soldier in the army or navy of the United Colonies, without the previous consent of his master or mistress, in writing; all those enlisted in a contrary manner were ordered to be discharged, on application, and a reimbursement of expenses incurred for enlistment; and every person under the age of twenty-one years, who had enlisted in the army or navy, was, within twenty-four hours thereafter, entitled to his discharge on refunding the amount of money and articles with which he had been supplied. It was, at the same time, recommended to creditors, who had claims against persons in the army or navy for less than thirty-five dollars, not to arrest the debtors until their terms of service had expired.
On the 17th of February, a standing committee of five was appointed for superintending the treasury, and Congress directed the emission of the further sum of four million dollars in bills of credit. On the 27th of February, the middle and southern colonies were divided into two military departments, in the following manner: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the lower counties on Delaware, and Maryland, to constitute one; Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to constitute another; the former to be put under the command of a major-general, two brigadier-generals, and a proper staff; the latter under a major-general, three brigadier-generals, with a suitable staff.
On the 9th of March, it was resolved, that no oath, by way of test, should be exacted of the inhabitants of the colonies by military officers. On the 14th of March, a resolution was passed recommending a general disarming of disaffected persons throughout the colonies. On the 16th of March, the 17th of May following was appointed a day of general humiliation, fasting, and prayer. On the 21st of March, Congress recommended to the several provincial assemblies to exert their utmost endeavors to promote the culture of hemp, flax, and cotton, and the growth of wool, in the United Colonies; to take the earliest measures for erecting and establishing, in each colony, a society for the improvement of agriculture, arts, manufactures, and commerce; and forthwith to consider of the ways and means of introducing and improving the manufactures of duck, sail-cloth, and steel. On the 23d of March, resolutions were adopted authorizing the fitting out of private armed vessels, to cruise against the enemies of the United Colonies.
On the 1st of April, a resolution was passed for the institution and establishment of a treasury office of accounts, to be kept in the place where Congress might hold its sessions, and to be under the direction and superintendence of the standing committee for the treasury. It was resolved, moreover, that an auditor-general, and a competent number of assistants and clerks, should be appointed, for stating, arranging, and keeping of the public accounts. On the 2d of April, the form of a commission for private armed vessels was agreed upon. On the 3d of April, instructions to the commanders of private armed vessels were considered and adopted. They authorized the capture of all ships and other vessels belonging to the inhabitants of Great Britain, on the high seas, or between high-water and low-water marks, except vessels bringing persons who intended to settle and reside in the United States Colonies, or conveying arms, ammunition, and warlike stores, for the use of such inhabitants of America as were friendly to the cause of liberty. On the 6th of April, several resolutions of a commercial nature were agreed to, authorizing exportations and importations, with certain exceptions, of the merchandise and products from and to countries other than such as were subject to the king of Great Britain; and it was recommended to the assemblies of the different colonies that officers should be appointed to superintend the execution of such regulations as might be made concerning trade. On this occasion, the importation of slaves was expressly prohibited. On the 16th of April, it was recommended to the council of safety of Maryland to cause the person and papers of Governor Eden to be seized and secured, in consequence of a belief that he had been carrying on a correspondence with the British ministry highly dangerous to the liberties of America. On the 17th of April, a bounty of eight dollars was allowed to the owner of every vessel for each able seaman, imported and discharged in American ports, over and above the ships company. On the 19th of April, letters directed to any general in the Continental service, commanding in a separate department, were allowed to be carried free of postage.
On the 6th of May, it was resolved that ten millions of dollars be raised, for the purpose of carrying on the war, for the year 1776; and measures were taken for treating with the Indians. On the 9th of May, a resolution passed for the emission of five millions of dollars in bills of credit, in part of the ten millions of dollars voted for the service of the year 1776. On the 10th of May, it was resolved to recommend to the respective assemblies and conventions of the United Colonies, where no government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs had been established, to adopt such a government as should, in the opinion of the representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and of America in general. A preamble to this resolution, agreed to on the 15th of May, stated the intention to be totally to suppress the exercise of every kind of authority under the British crown.
On the 7th of June, certain resolutions respecting independency were moved and seconded. On the 10th of June, it was resolved, that a committee should be appointed to prepare a declaration to the following effect: “That the United States Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown; and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” On the preceding day, it was determined that the committee for preparing the declaration should consist of five; and they were chosen accordingly, in the following order: Mr. Jefferson, Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Franklin, Mr. Sherman, and Mr. R. R. Livingston. On the 11th of June, a resolution was passed to appoint a committee to prepare and digest the form of a Confederation to be entered into between the colonies, and another committee to prepare a plan of treaties to be proposed to foreign powers. On the 12th of June, it was resolved, that a committee of Congress should be appointed, by the name of a board of war and ordnance, to consist of five members. On the 25th of June, a declaration of the deputies of Pennsylvania, met in provincial conference, expressing their willingness to concur in a vote declaring the United Colonies free and independent states, was laid before Congress, and read. On the 28th of June, the committee appointed to prepare a declaration of independence brought in a draft, which was read and ordered to lie on the table.
On the 1st of July, a resolution of the Convention of Maryland, passed the 28th of June, authorizing the deputies of that colony to concur in declaring the United Colonies free and independent states, was laid before Congress and read. On the same day, Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the resolution respecting independency. On the 2d of July, a resolution declaring the colonies free and independent states, was adopted. A declaration to that effect was, on the same and the following days, taken into further consideration. Finally, on the 4th of July, the Declaration of Independence was agreed to, signed, and directed to be sent to the several assemblies, conventions, and committees, or councils of safety, and to the several commanding officers of the Continental troops, and to be proclaimed in each of the United States, and at the head of the army.
[In the Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. I. p. 10, the following proceedings, on the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, are disclosed:
In Congress, Friday, June 7, 1776. The delegates from Virginia moved, in obedience to instructions from their constituents, that the Congress should declare that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved; that measures should be immediately taken for procuring the assistance of foreign powers, and a confederation be formed to bind the colonies more closely together.
The house being obliged to attend, at that time, to some other business, the proposition was referred to the next day, when the members were ordered to attend punctually at ten oclock.
SATURDAY, June 8. They proceeded to take it into consideration, and referred it to a committee of the whole, into which they immediately resolved themselves, and passed that day and Monday, the 10th, in debating on the subject.
It was argued by Wilson, Robert R. Livingston, E. Rutledge, Dickinson, and others,
That, though they were friends to the measures themselves, and saw the impossibility that we should ever again be united with Great Britain, yet they were against adopting them at this time:
That the conduct we had formerly observed was wise and proper now, of deferring to take any capital step till the voice of the people drove us into it:
That they were our power, and without them our declarations could not be carried into effect:
That the people of the middle colonies (Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, the Jerseys, and New York) were not yet ripe for bidding adieu to British connection, but that they were fast ripening, and, in a short time, would join in the general voice of America:
That the resolution entered by this house on the 15th of May, for suppressing the exercise of all powers derived from the crown, had shown, by the ferment into which it had thrown these middle colonies, that they had not yet accommodated their minds to a separation from the mother country:
That some of them had expressly forbidden their delegates to consent to such a declaration, and others had given no instructions, and consequently no powers to give such consent:
That, if the delegates of any particular colony had no power to declare such colony independent, certain they were, the others could not declare it for them; the colonies being as yet perfectly independent of each other:
That the Assembly of Pennsylvania was now sitting above stairs; their Convention would sit within a few days; the Convention of New York was now sitting; and those of the Jerseys and Delaware counties would meet on the Monday following; and it was probable these bodies would take up the question of independence, and would declare to their delegates the voice of their state:
That, if such a declaration should now be agreed to, these delegates must retire, and possibly their colonies might secede from the Union:
That such a secession would weaken us more than could be compensated by any foreign alliance;
That, in the event of such a division, foreign powers would either refuse to join themselves to our fortunes, or, having us so much in their power as that desperate declaration would place us, they would insist on terms proportionably more hard and prejudicial:
That we had little reason to expect an alliance with those to whom alone, as yet, we had cast our eyes:
That France and Spain had reason to be jealous of that rising power, which would one day certainly strip them of all their American possessions:
That it was more likely they should form a connection with the British court, who, if they should find themselves unable otherwise to extricate themselves from their difficulties, would agree to a partition of our territories, restoring Canada to France, and the Floridas to Spain, to accomplish for themselves a recovery of these colonies:
That it would not be long before we should receive certain information of the disposition of the French court, from the agent whom we had sent to Paris for that purpose:
That, if this disposition should be favorable, by waiting the event of the present campaign, which we all hoped would be successful, we should have reason to expect an alliance on better terms:
That this would in fact work no delay of any effectual aid from such ally, as, from the advance of the season and distance of our situation, it was impossible we could receive any assistance during this campaign:
That it was prudent to fix among ourselves the terms on which we would form alliance, before we declared we would form one at all events:
And that, if these were agreed on, and our declaration of independence ready by the time our ambassador should be prepared to sail, it would be as well as to go into that declaration at this day.
On the other side, it was argued by J. Adams, Lee, Wythe, and others, that no gentleman had argued against the policy or the right of separation from Britain, nor had supposed it possible we should ever renew our connection; that they had only opposed its being now declared:
That the question was not whether, by a declaration of independence, we should make ourselves what we are not; but whether we should declare a fact which already exists:
That, as to the people or Parliament of England, we had always been independent of them, their restraints on our trade deriving efficacy from our acquiescence only, and not from any rights they possessed of imposing them; and that, so far, our connection had been federal only, and was now dissolved by the commencement of hostilities:
That, as to the king, we had been bound to him by allegiance, but that this bond was now dissolved by his assent to the late act of Parliament, by which he declares us out of his protection, and by his levying war on usa fact which had long ago proved us out of his protection, it being a certain position in law, that allegiance and protection are reciprocal, the one ceasing when the other is withdrawn:
That James II. never declared the people of England out of his protection; yet his actions proved it, and the Parliament declared it:
No delegates then can be denied, or ever want, a power of declaring an existent truth:
That the delegates from the Delaware counties having declared their constituents ready to join, there are only two colonies, Pennsylvania and Maryland, whose delegates are absolutely tied up; and that these had, by their instructions, only reserved a right of confirming or rejecting the measure:
That the instructions from Pennsylvania might be accounted for from the time in which they were drawn, near a twelvemonth ago, since which the face of affairs has totally changed:
That, within that time, it had become apparent that Britain was determined to accept nothing less than a carte blanche, and that the kings answer to the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council of London, which had come to hand four days ago, must have satisfied every one of this point:
That the people wait for us to lead the way:
That they are in favor of the measure, though the instructions given by some of their representatives are not:
That the voice of the representatives is not always consonant with the voice of the people, and that this is remarkably the case in these middle colonies:
That the effect of the resolution of the 15th of May has proved this, which, raising the murmurs of some in the colonies of Pennsylvania and Maryland, called forth the opposing voice of the freer part of the people, and proved them to be the majority even in these colonies:
That the backwardness of these two colonies might be ascribed, partly to the influence of proprietary power and connections, and partly to their having not yet been attacked by the enemy:
That these causes were not likely to be soon removed, as there seemed no probability that the enemy would make either of these the seat of this summers war:
That it would be vain to wait either weeks or months for perfect unanimity, since it was impossible that all men should ever become of one sentiment on any question:
That the conduct of some colonies, from the beginning of this contest, had given reason to suspect it was their settled policy to keep in the rear of the confederacy, that their particular prospect might be better, even in the worst event:
That, therefore, it was necessary for those colonies, who had thrown themselves forward, and hazarded all from the beginning, to come forward now also, and put all again to their own hazard:
That the history of the Dutch revolution, of whom three states only confederated at first, proved that a secession of some colonies would not be so dangerous as some apprehended:
That a declaration of independence alone could render it consistent with European delicacy for European powers to treat with us, or even to receive an ambassador from us:
That, till this, they would not receive our vessels into their ports, nor acknowledge the adjudications of our courts of admiralty to be legitimate, in cases of capture of British vessels:
That though France and Spain may be jealous of our rising power, they must think it will be much more formidable with the addition of Great Britain, and will therefore see it their interest to prevent a coalition; but should they refuse, we shall be but where we are; whereas, without trying, we shall never know whether they will aid us or not:
That the present campaign may be unsuccessful, and therefore we had better propose an alliance while our affairs wear a hopeful aspect:
That to wait the event of this campaign will certainly work delay, because, during this summer, France may assist us effectually, by cutting off those supplies of provisions, from England and Ireland, on which the enemys armies here are to depend; or by setting in motion the great power they have collected in the West Indies, and calling our enemy to the defence of the possessions they have there:
That it would be idle to lose time in settling the terms of alliance, till we had first determined we would enter into alliance:
That it is necessary to lose no time in opening a trade for our people, who will want clothes, and will want money too, for the payment of taxes:
And that the only misfortune is, that we did not enter into alliance with France six months sooneras, besides opening her ports for the vent of our last years produce, she might have marched an army into Germany, and prevented the petty princes there from selling their unhappy subjects to subdue us.
It appearing, in the course of these debates, that the colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina, were not yet matured for falling from the parent stem, but that they were fast advancing to that state, it was thought most prudent to wait awhile for them, and to postpone the final decision to July 1st; but, that this might occasion as little delay as possible, a committee was appointed to prepare a Declaration of Independence. The committee were John Adams, Dr. Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. Committees were also appointed, at the same time, to prepare a plan of confederation for the colonies, and to state the terms proper to be proposed for foreign alliance. The committee for drawing the Declaration of Independence desired T. Jefferson to do it. It was accordingly done, and, being approved by them, he reported it to the house on Friday, the 28th of June, when it was read, and ordered to lie on the table. On Monday, the 1st of July, the house resolved itself into a committee of the whole, and resumed the consideration of the original motion made by the delegates of Virginia, which, being again debated through the day, was carried in the affirmative by the votes of New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. South Carolina and Pennsylvania voted against it. Delaware had but two members present, and they were divided. The delegates from New York declared they were for it themselves, and were assured their constituents were for it; but that their instructions having been drawn near a twelvemonth before, when reconciliation was still the general object, they were enjoined by them to do nothing which should impede that object. They therefore thought themselves not justifiable in voting on either side, and asked leave to withdraw from the question; which was given them. The committee rose, and reported their resolution to the house. Mr. Edward Rutledge, of South Carolina, then requested the determination might be put off to the next day, as he believed his colleagues, though they disapproved of the resolution, would then join in it for the sake of unanimity. The ultimate question, whether the house would agree to the resolution of the committee, was accordingly postponed to the next day, when it was again moved, and South Carolina concurred in voting for it. In the mean time, a third member had come post from the Delaware counties, and turned the vote of that colony in favor of the resolution. Members of a different sentiment attending that morning from Pennsylvania also, her vote was changed, so that the whole twelve colonies, who were authorized to vote at all, gave their voices for it; and, within a few days, (July 9,) the Convention of New York approved of it, and thus supplied the void occasioned by the withdrawing of her delegates from the vote.
Congress proceeded, the same day, to consider the Declaration of Independence, which had been reported, and laid on the table the Friday preceding, and on Monday referred to a committee of the whole. The pusillanimous idea that we had friends in England worth keeping terms with still haunted the minds of many. For this reason, those passages which conveyed censures on the people of England were struck out, lest they should give them offence. The clause, too, reprobating the enslaving the inhabitants of Africa, was struck out in complaisance to South Carolina and Georgia, who had never attempted to restrain the importation of slaves, and who, on the contrary, still wished to continue it. Our northern brethren also, I believe felt a little tender under those censures; for, though their people had very few slaves themselves, yet they had been pretty considerable carriers of them to others. The debates, having taken up the greater parts of the 2d, 3d, and 4th days of July, were, on the evening of the last, closed; the Declaration was reported by the committee, agreed to by the House, and signed by every member present, except Mr. Dickinson.] | <urn:uuid:b41ce376-48ed-4403-935a-9451aed2a96b> | {
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Background: The shoulder joint consist of the humerus, scapula and clavicle bones and the connective tissues which attach them to the ribs and sternum. The soft tissue consists of the rotator cuff, two bursa and other prominent muscles that work in unison to create great range of motion. Any imbalance of the tissues and the resulting adaptations can be very painful.
Inspection begins with the swing of the arm during gait followed by palpation of these tissues. It then becomes imperative to evaluate those movements with relation to other areas within the body that are under stress. For example, the arm WILL NOT swing properly if the pelvis is stuck in motion.
Signs or Symptoms: Pain with movement or pressure as in sleeping. Limited range of motion. Weakness.
Causes: Most commonly from lack of full use in all range of motions. Repetitive movements causing micro-trauma, injury, and secondary to other bodily dysfunction.
Standard treatment: Pain medications and anti-inflammatories, stabilization, surgery.
Applied Kinesiology Approach: As stated above, the shoulder is a complex joint having multiple influences. Your shoulder will be evaluated and treated for all structural and chemical dysfunctions. Treatment is directed to normalize any muscular imbalance, then to ensure proper coordination of function between the muscles. This restored balance then removes the irritation to the soft tissues that have become inflamed. Adjustments to the involved joints are necessary to normalize overall function. Nutritional therapies aimed at improving factors that would lead to normalizing the functions of the muscles and reducing any inflammation are considered. | <urn:uuid:b1db501c-a757-433f-a526-5dcd7868b7da> | {
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The burner from a lamp utilizing burning fluid, or camphene, is distinguished by the presence of tapered wick tubes extending upward at an angle away from the lamp. While sometimes found with only a single wick tube, they are most frequently found with two, and occasionally even with three or four (quite scarce) or six (rare). Burning fluid was very volatile and this design transferred heat away from the fuel (unlike the design of a whale oil burner). These burners most often had caps attached to small chains to extinguish the flame and to prevent evaporation of the fluid when not in use (as seen in the picture). Fluid burners were almost always made of brass and had a threaded base. The wicks were adjusted by picking from the wick tube opening. They do not have holes or slots like whale oil burner tubes. | <urn:uuid:50e36461-cf86-450a-b1f1-e00d47cecb7c> | {
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We started our first study group session on Friday with a quick review of multiplication. J- and V- warmed up by reciting the multiples of 6 to 9. Good retention from last year, and we’ll see how practice helps them improve. After the warm-up, we went over a shuffled deck of multiplication flashcards.
The teachers had given them a quiz in school, so we covered some of the topics they found confusing. W- and I explained the difference between convex and concave shapes using angles and lines. I drew different figures and quizzed them on the classifications. J- and V- drew their own figures, and they classified them together.
Squares and square roots were another point of confusion. We started off with a graphical review of what squaring means, and what a square root is. I used a tip from John Mighton’s “The Myth of Ability”: I tweaked my exercise to vary in scale without varying in difficulty. (What’s the square root of 31337 x 31337?) After J- and V- understood the relationship between squares and square roots, we covered approximation and factorization as ways of finding the square root. J- and V- practised finding the square root of numbers like 225 and 144.
We’ve encouraged them to take notes so that it’s easier to review lessons. The extra study group time will definitely help, too. Grade 8 will help students learn how to solve real-life problems, so we’ll be sure to show more of the calculations of everyday life. Here we go! | <urn:uuid:a86026ec-24d5-4d49-b972-ae20c999cf3a> | {
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In March the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, announced that it would begin issuing new rules and regulations for livestock feeding operations. It said it was acting as a consequence of what became known as “Pfiesteria hysteria,” an uproar over an outbreak of toxic micro-organisms that killed thousands of fish and made about 30 people sick. Does the EPA action mean that the federal government has now determined the source of the problem, and what should be done about it? Hardly. A report from an official Maryland state government body declared that scientists do not know what caused it. Adding to that, Dr. Richard Halpern of the Center for Global Food Issues says flatly that the scientific evidence for the cause does not yet exist.
The EPA gets away with such action because it is perceived by many in the media as an agency that does no wrong. Because it is supposed to be keeping our air and water clean, journalists excuse the EPA when it goes beyond its mandate and issues new regulations not based on solid science. Reporters don’t stop to consider the consequences of these misguided regulations.
Here’s another example of what the EPA is doing, largely behind the backs of the American people. Remember the global warming treaty that came out of a U.N. conference last year? The treaty was so controversial in terms of its projected impact on our economy that the Clinton-Gore Administration decided not to submit it for Senate ratification. The Administration knew that it could not get two-thirds of the Senate to ratify it.
So the EPA is trying to implement the treaty anyway. Citizens for a Sound Economy reports that the EPA is now working with its state and local counterparts and environmental activists to develop plans to reduce so-called greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA has held two conferences on the issue, attempting to enlist them in an effort to develop policies mandated by the treaty. The EPA is assisting them in developing what are called “climate change action plans.” The EPA even says that state and local governments should “encourage and support the federal government to take action at the national level.” That’s another way of saying that the Senate ought to be pressured to ratify the treaty.
So the EPA wants to have it both ways: it wants the states to pressure the Senate to ratify the treaty, but it wants the states to implement the treaty anyway. The problem in either case is that it bypasses the Constitution of the United States. Citizens for a Sound Economy points out, “If enough states choose to implement such schemes, Kyoto will become the de facto law of the land, regardless of how (or whether) the Senate votes on ratification.”
Congress seems to suspect that something is wrong with this picture. This is why, in both Houses of Congress, legislation has been introduced to prohibit the use of federal funds to implement the treaty until the Senate has given its advice and consent. The media’s free ride for the EPA is one reason why such a bill is perceived to be necessary. | <urn:uuid:b7b86c3b-a926-497e-8609-a7386b47cc98> | {
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In early March, social scientists Athena Kolbe and Robert Muggah released a study, backed by Canada’s International Development Research Centre and the Igarapé Institute of Brazil, showing increasing crime rates in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Based on household surveys, the authors found that “[f]or the first time since 2007, the incidence of violent crime and victimization has shown a consistent increase”. While the homicide rate in Haiti’s capital is lower than in many other Caribbean cities, the authors note the current rate in Haiti makes it one of the highest recorded rates since the post-coup period of 2004. At the same time, the authors found a reversal in citizens’ support for the Haitian National Police.
In an interview with HRRW, Kolbe, a clinical social worker affiliated with the University of Michigan, explains the social context of the current study and explores some of the causes and implications of the results. Kolbe finds that most of the victims of violence and criminal activities were residents of low-income neighborhoods where the population has experienced “social and political marginalization.” The ending of aid programs has also had a “profound impact on the people who need the services the most.” Kolbe notes that the bypassing of the Haitian government by NGOs and donor governments has created a situation where these entities and not the Haitian state “provide basic social and municipal services.” With a government that cannot guarantee its citizens access to services, Kolbe notes that “simply increasing the number of police on the street isn’t going to solve Haiti’s crime problem.” What is needed is to “focus efforts on improving the conditions in society that create the climate where crime is a viable option.”
Read more for the full interview:
HRRW: You have been conducting household surveys in Haiti for many years now, could you discuss the most recent findings in relation to the previous studies you have undertaken? For instance, how do the current levels of crime compare to the post-2004 coup time period? Do you see any similarities?
AK: In the 22 months after President Aristide was forced from the country in 2004 we saw a great deal of crime and violence in Haiti. At that time the murder rate for Port-au-Prince was 219 per 100,000 per year. Beginning at the very end of 2006 and early 2007 we saw a decrease in crime in Haiti; this was a steady decrease both in the use of violence by armed political groups and state actors as well as a decrease in crime overall. There was a slight increase in property crime just after the earthquake but this decreased and through August 2011 we had a very low crime rate in Haiti.
In fact we can compare Port-au-Prince to Detroit, which is where I live when I’m not in Haiti. Since 2007 the crude rate of all forms of crime that we measure (assault, property crimes, murder, and illegal detention or kidnapping) was lower in Port-au-Prince than it was in Detroit. This was very encouraging, but it has changed, which was what motivated our report. We see a lot more armed robberies and of course more murders, more than at any other time since the end of 2006.
HRRW: Do the survey results give an indication of who is committing the violent crime? And what groups have been the most affected?
AK: When we are trying to figure out if crime is politically motivated, we can look at who is doing the crime as well as who is being victimized. Unlike the 2004-2006 period there is little crime reported to have been perpetrated by armed political groups or police officers. The crimes that people have reported to us are primarily committed by criminals or unknown persons. And of course there are some crimes by neighbors, family members, friends and the like, which you would expect to see in a survey of crime victimization in any country.
People who live in popular zones – the densely populated poor areas in urban cities – are the most at risk to be a victim of a crime, particularly murder or armed robbery. Popular zone residents are in a unique and difficult situation. These areas have few social and municipal services. They often don’t have the same kind of physical access that other neighborhoods have. For instance, because these areas are so densely populated people live everywhere and thus, the “roads” are just corridors between homes. This limits vehicle access to a lot of homes which impacts everything from providing access for disabled residents to adequate policing serves and even the access to water delivery trucks. (Truck water is a common way to get water to your home when you don’t have piped water and is markedly less expensive than buying water by the bucket at a water kiosk, which is the only other option for most popular zone residents).
Residents of popular zones also experience social and political marginalization. They’ve been demonized in the press as “chimeres.” They live in neighborhoods that are designated as “red zones” -- the most dangerous areas of the city where some UN, embassy and NGO staffers are prohibited from traveling. Even when crime was low last year and the property crime rate in Bel Air was less than that of Detroit, these areas still had such negative reputation that some NGOs wouldn’t enter to provide services to the residents. A lot of popular zone residents feel a great deal of shame and embarrassment in admitting where they are from, and this is understandable as the attitude among some is that people from Martissant or Cité Soleil are less trustworthy, more violent, and less capable. People are rightly concerned that if they disclose they are from Cité Soleil that it will prevent them from getting a job or being respected and trusted by others.
HRRW: In a previous household survey, you found that violence, sexual violence and theft were all significantly higher in IDP camps. In the recent survey you also point to the declining aid services being offered as a factor in the increasing crime rate. Could you explain this relationship further?
AK: Over the past two decades, the emphasis on foreign aid disbursement in Haiti has been to divert aid funds to NGOs or other non-state partners rather than funding the Haitian government directly. This means that everything from loans to straight up foreign aid packages are often disseminated in a way that doesn’t directly give the money to the Haitian government. There are reasons for this policy, which are beyond the scope of what we have time to cover today, but suffice it to say that by giving foreign aid through NGOs, the donor governments have created a situation in which the Haitian people are relying on NGOs and international organizations like MINUSTAH to provide basic social and municipal services. So when the funding for post-earthquake relief within these organizations started to get used up and when, in the last quarter of 2011, organizations started to reduce or eliminate services in urban areas, it had a profound impact on the people who need the services the most.
There needs to be a delicate balance of both empowerment and accountability so that the Haitian government is able to develop the capacity to deliver services to its people and to assure that the services actually get delivered. I don’t think anyone believes that Haiti will be in a good place if NGOs permanently replace the Haitian government in providing essential state services to the Haitian people.
We know that globally crime is tied to certain social and economic conditions; when quality of life improves and economic and political uncertainty decrease, crime also decreases. Simply increasing the number of police on the street isn’t going to solve Haiti’s crime problem, we need to also focus efforts on improving the conditions in society that create the climate where crime is a viable option. MINUSTAH needs to invest in what is known to reduce crime, such as creating economic opportunity, promoting education, building infrastructure, improving municipal capacity, and the like.
HRRW: Both you and Mario Andersol, head of the HNP, cite political instability as a leading factor in the rising violence. Could you explain this relationship further and how does the previous election, which saw record low turnout, the exclusion of the largest political party and unprecedented international interference, play into this?
AK: We have a difficult situation in Haiti right now. [Fanmi] Lavalas, which some international actors had hoped would slowly fade away, continues to be an influential and popular political party, particularly amongst the poor majority. I’m not sure what people thought the outcome would be when Lavalas was excluded from the ballot. And the current administration is struggling in other ways as well; for instance the prime minister recently resigned after only four months in office. This is a time of political instability and when things are unstable people lose faith in state institutions. The way to rebuild this trust in the state is for those who lead the state to demonstrate significant progress towards a social contract that is inclusive of poor and historically marginalized populations. Trust is rebuilt in a number of ways including fighting the culture of impunity by holding people – regardless of their power or wealth—responsible when they commit crimes, by giving low income neighborhoods access to municipal services like trash collection, and by directly and specifically acknowledging the need for improvement.
HRRW: Since at least the 2004 coup, HNP reform has been a stated priority of the U.S. government and other international donors, yet widespread problems with police competence and accountability remain, coupled with a poorly functioning judiciary. What do you think is needed for the HNP to actually become effective and accountable?
AK: The HNP has improved immensely since 2007. The Haitian government needs to continue this forward movement by holding police officers responsible when they act unprofessionally or unethically, by keeping the police independent so they aren’t controlled or used by politicians, by upholding high standards of behavior and for recruitment. In the past people have been integrated into the Haitian National Police despite histories that included violence, crime, human rights violations, and involvement in coups. The police should not be politicized in this way. No one who has committed human rights violations or been involved in a coup or an illegal armed group should become a police officer. For Haiti this is a sensitive matter and there needs to be a clear line drawn, at least for the time being. | <urn:uuid:80a356b4-2d81-44d8-ac40-2eb8b3ffa4db> | {
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Teaching Probate Records: Lesson Plans
A Colonial Woman Speaks from the Grave:
Who Was Sarah Green and What Is She Trying to Tell Us?
print the lesson plan (.pdf)
Students will use a probate record and supporting materials and sources to make assumptions or draw conclusions about life in colonial Virginia.
Brief Historical Background
In 1759, the American colonies were the battleground for a struggle between the two major European powers, France and Great Britain. Virginians, like other colonists, were greatly influenced by economic, political, social, and religious ties to England. The majority of Americans were farmers and Virginia’s tobacco economy had led to the development of a class of planters who utilized slave labor to support the economic activities of plantations. Influenced by English law, men were the sole possessors of the family’s wealth, but women could be the beneficiaries of shared wealth upon the death of their husbands. The wealthy planter class of the South also served as a financial resource for individuals in the community who needed capital for business purposes in the absence of an incorporated banking system.
Students will use a probate record to gather information about the possessions of Sarah Green in order to make inquiries and interpretations about her life and the lives of other Virginians of the 18th-century planter class.
Students will use supporting materials and group discussions to engage in the practice of historical inquiry in order to learn skills necessary for historical research.
Students will use their research from a probate record to create a textbook entry and reflect upon the differences between primary and secondary source materials.
Standards of Learning
The students will develop skills for historical analysis including the ability to analyze primary and secondary source documents in order to understand events and life in the United State before 1877, to make connections to the past from the present, to interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives, and to discuss historical issues orally and in writing.
The students will demonstrate knowledge of the factors that shaped colonial America describing colonial life from the perspectives of large landowners, women, indentured servants, and slaves.
(Downloads are in .pdf format)
- Copies of History Alive!: America’s Past or a similar textbook containing information about life in colonial America
- Anticipation Guide for probate record research
- Answer key to Anticipation Guide
- Political map of Virginia
- Copies of Dr. Zagarri transcript
- Copies of Oxford English Dictionary translations of selected
- Copies of the transcription of Sarah Green’s probate inventory or view the handwritten original
- Questions to guide my research of the probate record
- About Sarah Green and her possessions
- Pencils, paper
- Whiteboard and markers
- Tell students that they are about to investigate a mystery involving a woman who lived in Virginia over 200 years ago. She would like to tell us about herself, but, unfortunately, we have only her probate records to speak for her. We will learn what a probate record is tomorrow, so, for now, we will learn something about what is of value to us as modern Americans.
- On a t-chart that they create on paper, ask students to list, on the left side of the chart, five things in their home that they value the most: these might be the things they would want to have if they could, for some reason, only take their five most valuable possessions with them to a new home. Remind them that entertainment value is not the only criteria they should consider: e.g., they need to have somewhere to sleep, they probably want to eat prepared food, they may need a change of clothes, and they probably don’t want to walk everywhere that they need to go. Then have them give a reason for selecting each valuable item on the right side of their chart. After students have prepared their lists, have them share their answers with a partner. Select students to share some of their answers and write them on the board, with their reasons for selection. Summarize by stating that certain items present in our households are considered more valuable because of their usefulness, uniqueness, or expense in acquiring.
- Prompt students to ask their parents to do this same exercise and to discuss their answers with the student. Cue students to bring their parents’ lists with explanations to class the next day.
- Have students work in groups of four to make a list of the most important items in their households, based on the lists made by themselves and their parents. Instruct students to write down all of the items on their lists and to discuss how to order them from most to least valuable. Because there may be different criteria, such as cost or utility, which make items more or less valuable, and because individuals value items differently, there may be disagreement about how to order items. Groups should do their best to make an ordered list, based on reasons given for valuing the items in question.
- Have a class discussion in which you list items which you can add to the list made on the previous day.
- Now ask students to discuss what these items might tell us about modern Americans and their lives, their homes, their families, their jobs, or their money.
- After discussing what these household inventories tell us about ourselves as modern Americans, tell the class that they will be uncovering or interpreting what colonial life may have been like for a woman who lived in York County, Virginia. Show York County on a wall map. Point out its proximity to Williamsburg and to Jamestown, and have students recall earlier learning about these two historic sites. Students may want to consult History Alive! or another text. The textbook also has brief sections about the education of girls in dame schools and about slave life on a plantation outside of Williamsburg. This information is useful background knowledge for the analysis of Sarah Green’s estate.
- Pass out the anticipation guide and tell students that we are about to embark on our investigation, but first we are going to test our knowledge about some key concepts related to colonial life that the textbook has not discussed. Have students complete the anticipation guide, then go over the answers and explanations from the answer key. Ask students to discuss with a partner anything that they found surprising or interesting about the anticipation guide questions.
- Prompt students to anticipate what Sarah Green may have possessed if she lived in Virginia until her death in 1757. Ask for some conjectures, then summarize some of the key points from the anticipation guide.
- Prior to the next lesson, the teacher should read the transcript of the interview with Dr. Rosemarie Zagarri to obtain pertinent background information about the use of probate records in historical research.
- Pass out copies of the first page of the interview transcript with Dr. Zagarri to each student and read Question 1, or show the video for Question 1. Emphasize that probate records allowed people to inherit property from relatives or to collect debts owed to them. By studying a probate record, historians can learn how wealthy or poor the person was based on what and how much they owned.
- Utilizing the groups of four formed during Day Two, pass out the probate record of Sarah Green to each individual. Tell students that we must uncover as much about the life of Sarah Green (and perhaps the colonists in York County) as we can using just her probate record. Have students make observations about what they see on the document (it is a list, there are numbers next to list items, items are listed under room names, there are abbreviations, etc.). Discourage students from drawing any conclusions or making inferences at this point.
- Ask students to identify words, numbers, abbreviations, or other aspects
of the record which they find confusing. Emphasize to students that
they need not understand everything in the document in order to make use
of it. Make sure that print or online dictionaries are available. Pass
out copies of translations from the Oxford English Dictionary. Discuss
the fact that word meanings change over time and that some words disappear
from popular use altogether.
- Pass out copies of the handouts entitled “questions to guide my research of the probate record” and “about Sarah Green and her possessions.” Identify that the questions are guiding questions which may be useful to each group as they look for facts or attempt to draw conclusions about the record. The questions do not have to be answered in the same manner that students would answer comprehension questions at the end of a chapter in a textbook.
- Teach students how to use the three handouts by using a Think Aloud technique. For example, “I am looking at the two page list and it says that it is an inventory. My dictionary says that an inventory is an itemized list of goods or property. It says that they are from the estate of Sarah Green. There are several definitions of estate in my dictionary, but I am guessing that these are the possessions of a dead person because there are several dates from the years 1757 and 1759. On my “about Sarah Green’s possessions” handout, I am going to write that I am certain that this is a list of Sarah Green’s possessions. I will write that in the “I am certain” column. Then I will write that I think she died in 1757 or 1759 in the “I am assuming” column and give my reasoning that it says that something was ordered, taken, and entered on three dates during those years. I think that she probably died in April 1757 because she had to die before someone would order her possessions to be inventoried. In the questions column of my handout, I will write that I don’t know what caused her death.”
- Prompt students to work in pairs so that they discuss their ideas while they fill out their handouts. Remind them that facts are ideas about which they are certain, while assumptions require making reasoned judgments, and that it is good to have questions because curiosity is the sign of a good historian. Remind them to not focus on trying to understand every detail, but to use their dictionaries or textbook to the extent that they are helpful. Circulate among the groups of students to offer assistance.
- If students are having difficulty determining the relative values of objects, give the class a mini-lesson on place values, emphasizing that you don’t have to know what dollars and cents are to know that larger digits in left hand columns denote higher values than those placed farther to the right.
- When student pairs have begun to fill out their handouts recording their assessment of facts, assumptions, and questions, prompt them to share their work with the other student pair in their group of four. Encourage students to question each others’ assumptions, challenge statements of fact, or attempt to answer the other pairs’ questions. Circulate to hear discussions and make anecdotal records of ideas promoted by different student pairs to help in the large group discussion to ensue.
- Engage the class in a discussion of their findings. Use a whiteboard and marker to record facts and assumptions with which a consensus of the class can agree. Encourage discussion between student groups who disagree and attempt to come to a resolution. If none can be made, make the disagreement into a question for further study. Record students’ questions about the record and discuss how other records might be consulted in order to attempt to answer those questions.
- Summarize the class’s findings about the estate and life of Sarah Green and her possessions.
- Select sections from Dr. Zagarri’s transcript to help illuminate concepts that were difficult for students in their research. For example, ideas about her daily life, the ownership of slaves, unusual possessions, or the role of women can be extended by reference to ideas in the transcript as taught in a short mini-lesson.
- Ask students to reread the sections of their textbook about colonial life in America. Prompt them to have their handout about Sarah Green and her possessions for reference while they read.
- Write this question on the board: what has your research on Sarah Green taught you about life in colonial Virginia that your textbook failed to mention? Prompt students not to think in terms of specific details about Sarah Green as much as in general statements that might apply to colonial Americans as a group. Have a brief discussion of the value of the probate record research in extending the narrative of the textbook.
- Write this sentence on the board: studying probate records, like those of Sarah Green, who died in 1757, can reveal much about life in colonial America. Prompt students that this is the topic sentence for a textbook entry that they are to write. Encourage students to brainstorm, then to organize their ideas from their inquiry in order to write a 6-10 sentence entry. Let them know that their entries will be assessed for historical accuracy, effective use of the probate record, and clarity of communication. Help students work on their entries, then assign as homework.
Use a rubric to assess the textbook entries. Give primary weight (80%) to effective use of the probate record for the purpose of historical inquiry while maintaining historical accuracy, and give the remaining 20% for quality of communication. A proficient performance might include work that draws historically accurate inferences with specific references to the probate record, integrating background information contained in the anticipation guide, the textbook, or other reference materials. Exceptional communication will be recognized by composition, organization of ideas and good mechanics and usage.
Non-linguistic learners may need support to visualize the record. Providing a handout which illustrates the floor plan of a two-story Georgian house may be effective in this regard. It may also be helpful to these students to offer them an alternative work product for assessment: instead of writing the textbook entry, you may offer these students the option of drawing a floor plan of Sarah Green’s house as they envision it, with items from the inventory as they might have appeared to the appraisers. This diagram would have to be assessed for neatness and should be captioned so that its usefulness for historical inquiry and accuracy can be assessed. | <urn:uuid:d03acfe0-aad1-4085-a7cf-e959e93ec749> | {
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[Kyri] has made a simple circuit to do color detection using an RGB LED. Simply set the LED to the color you want to detect then wave the object over it. Another LED will light up if the object is the same color as the LED. The detection is done by a photo resistor. The theory is that an object will reflect more of the light that matches its surface color. She shows that this kind of detection could be useful for sorting in robotics. | <urn:uuid:e45928c8-09d2-4b59-9c3a-481273bd9b82> | {
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DbDataAdapter.Update Method (DataRow, DataTableMapping)
Assembly: System.Data (in system.data.dll)
protected function Update ( dataRows : DataRow, tableMapping : DataTableMapping ) : int
An array of DataRow objects used to update the data source.
The TableMappings collection to use.
Return ValueThe number of rows successfully updated from the DataSet.
The DataSet is invalid.
The source table is invalid.
No DataRow exists to update.
No DataTable exists to update.
No DataSet exists to use as a source.
An attempt to execute an INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement resulted in zero records affected.
When an application calls the Update method, the DbDataAdapter examines the RowState property, and executes the required INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements iteratively for each row, based on the order of the indexes configured in the DataSet. For example, Update might execute a DELETE statement, followed by an INSERT statement, and then another DELETE statement, due to the ordering of the rows in the DataTable.
It should be noted that these statements are not performed as a batch process; each row is updated individually. An application can call the GetChanges method in situations where you must control the sequence of statement types (for example, INSERTs before UPDATEs). For more information, see Updating Data Sources with DataAdapters.
If INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statements have not been specified, the Update method generates an exception. However, you can create a SqlCommandBuilder or OleDbCommandBuilder object to automatically generate SQL statements for single-table updates if you set the SelectCommand property of a .NET Framework data provider. Then, any additional SQL statements that you do not set are generated by the CommandBuilder. This generation logic requires key column information to be present in the DataSet. For more information see Automatically Generating Commands.
The Update method retrieves rows from the table listed in the first mapping before performing an update. The Update then refreshes the row using the value of the UpdatedRowSource property. Any additional rows returned are ignored.
After any data is loaded back into the DataSet, the OnRowUpdated event is raised, allowing the user to inspect the reconciled DataSet row and any output parameters returned by the command. After a row updates successfully, the changes to that row are accepted.
When using Update, the order of execution is as follows:
The values in the DataRow are moved to the parameter values.
The OnRowUpdating event is raised.
The command executes.
If the command is set to FirstReturnedRecord, then the first returned result is placed in the DataRow.
If there are output parameters, they are placed in the DataRow.
The OnRowUpdated event is raised.
AcceptChanges is called.
Each command associated with the DbDataAdapter usually has a parameters collection associated with it. Parameters are mapped to the current row through the SourceColumn and SourceVersion properties of a .NET Framework data provider's Parameter class. SourceColumn refers to a DataTable column that the DbDataAdapter references to obtain parameter values for the current row.
SourceColumn refers to the unmapped column name before any table mappings have been applied. If SourceColumn refers to a nonexistent column, the action taken depends on one of the following MissingMappingAction values.
Use the source column names and table names in the DataSet if no mapping is present.
A SystemException is generated. When the mappings are explicitly set, a missing mapping for an input parameter is usually the result of an error.
A SystemException is generated.
The SourceColumn property is also used to map the value for output or input/output parameters back to the DataSet. An exception is generated if it refers to a nonexistent column.
The SourceVersion property of a .NET Framework data provider's Parameter class determines whether to use the Original, Current, or Proposed version of the column value. This capability is often used to include original values in the WHERE clause of an UPDATE statement to check for optimistic concurrency violations.
If an error occurs while updating a row, an exception is thrown and execution of the update is discontinued. To continue the update operation without generating exceptions when an error is encountered, set the ContinueUpdateOnError property to true before calling Update. You may also respond to errors on a per-row basis within the RowUpdated event of a DataAdapter. To continue the update operation without generating an exception within the RowUpdated event, set the Status property of the RowUpdatedEventArgs to Continue.
Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP4, Windows CE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition
The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see System Requirements. | <urn:uuid:61bb0133-4add-4ef0-b173-8f778a33b625> | {
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Biological Sciences Division
Integrated Omics Uncovers Roles of Fungi and Bacteria in Lignocellulose Degradation
Leaf-cutter ant "gardens" could provide clues for generating cellulosic biofuels
Plant polymer degradation in the leaf-cutter ant gardens: the fungus, Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, plays a dominant role in breaking down cellulose, lignin, and pectin. The bacterial community and the fungus break down simple oligosaccharides and hemicelluloses. (Graphic by FO Aylward) Enlarge image
Results: A multi-institutional team from the Department of Energy's Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) used metagenomic and metaproteomic approaches to provide insight into the symbiotic relationship between leaf-cutter ants, fungi, and bacteria. In doing so, they have mapped the first draft genome of the predominant fungus and clarified its role in lignocellulose degradation in underground fungal gardens tended by the ants. Ultimately, scientists hope that this understanding will help the development of cellulosic biofuels.
The research goal was to characterize whether bacteria or fungi drive lignocellulose degradation in these underground gardens where the ants bring leaf pieces to cultivate microbes as food sources. The fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, traditionally thought of as the ants' food, grows from the leaves. Results indicate that L. gongylophorus plays a dominant role in breaking down cellulose so bacteria can further transform the partially digested sugars into a variety of nutrients that could promote the fungi's growth and even nourish the ants themselves. When it comes to biomass conversion in leaf-cutter ant gardens, it's apparent that neither fungi nor bacteria work in isolation.
Why It Matters: Leaf-cutter ants are hallmark examples of insect herbivores that gain access to nutrients in plant material through symbiosis with microbes. The fungal gardens tended by these ants allow them to convert plant biomass on a very large scale. But just how they do this is poorly understood. Given the growing interest in cellulosic biofuels, understanding how large-scale and rapid plant biomass degradation occurs among highly evolved insect herbivores is particularly relevant for bio-inspired approaches to plant biomass conversion. Researchers are looking at the microbial composition of the fungal gardens to learn more about the process by which the leaves are decomposed and cellulose is degraded.
The GLBRC team includes researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, DOE's Joint Genome Institute, Emory University, Roche Diagnostics, and Washington University School of Medicine.
Methods: The team performed metagenomics and metaproteomics analyses of L. gongylophorus isolated from the gardens of two leaf-cutter ant species, Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta cephalotes. Though the natural gardens are located in Gamboa, Panama, the researchers studied material from colonies reared in the laboratory on diets of oak (Quercus) and maple (Acer) leaves. From the metaproteomic analyses, 44,347 mass spectra were mapped to all L. gongylophorus lignocellulases (pectinases, xylanases, amylases, and cellulases).
What's Next? Next, the team plans to characterize how these lignocellulases in leaf-cutter ant gardens respond to changes in the substrate that the ants incorporate into the gardens.
Sponsors: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biological and Environmental Research and the National Science Foundation, Roche 454 Life Sciences Company.
User Facility: EMSL
Research Team: Kristin Burnum-Johnson, Paul Piehowski, Carrie Nicora, Matthew Monroe, Samuel Purvine, Richard Smith, Mary Lipton, PNNL; Frank Aylward, Cameron Currie, Daniel Tremmel, Joseph Moeller, and Jarrod Scott, GLBRC and University of Wisconsin-Madison; Garret Suen, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Susannah Tringe, Kerrie Barry, Stephanie Malfatti, and Lynne Goodwin, DOE Joint Genome Institute; Clotilde Teiling, Roche Diagnostics; George Weinstock, Washington University School of Medicine; and Nicole Gerardo, Emory University.
Research Area: Biological Systems Science
Reference: Aylward FO, KE Burnum-Johnson, SG Tringe, C Teiling, D Tremmel, J Moeller, JJ Scott, KW Barry, PD Piehowski, CD Nicora, S Malfatti, ME Monroe, SO Purvine, LA Goodwin, RD Smith, G Weinstock, N Gerardo, G Suen, MS Lipton, and CR Currie. 2013. "Leucoagaricus gongylophorus Produces a Diversity of Enzymes for Recalcitrant Plant Polymer Degradation in Leaf-Cutter Ant Fungus Gardens." Applied and Environmental Microbiology (published ahead of print 12 April 2013) DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03833-12).
Related research: Bacteria tend leafcutter ants' gardens | <urn:uuid:7fdedf6b-7cf8-4605-9493-e5699c664a36> | {
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The spatial relationship between the high-resolution bathymetry and bottom photographs is difficult to visualize in a standard GIS. One way this is done is to "hotlink" the bottom photographs to the navigation points marking the location. This method works fine for looking at individual photos, but is difficult to use when attempting to understand the relationship between several photos, or several photos and the bathymetry. For this reason, a subset of the bottom photographs was selected to be combined with the bathymetry as vertical images in Fledermaus. Fledermaus is a 3D visualization software package developed by Interactive Visualization Systems (IVS) and has the capabilities to create MPEG animations. Figures 7, 8 and 9 are snapshot examples of the bottom photographs as vertical images with the underlying bathymetry in Fledermaus.
The vertical exaggeration for the bathymetry is 18X, and the bottom photographs are also exaggerated. Although each photo has an actual footprint of approximately 1 m, for the purposes of this visualization, each vertical photograph represents 200 m in width and 180 m in height. This extreme exaggeration is necessary so that features within each image can be viewed easily. The blue diamonds in each figure represent the locations of bottom photographs, while the red squares indicate photograph locations that are used as vertical images.
The animations were created using IVS software. The initial flight path was generated with a 3D mouse (bat) "flying" through a Fledermaus scene. The flight path was then smoothed and the MPEG animation from each area was created using the Movieclient program within the IVS software package. These files are MPEG-1 format which should be viewable on most computer systems. The software package VideoMach was used to extract the small snippets of animation presented here.
The scenes used to create the animations are also available on this DVD from the data/visualization directory. These files are only available within the WinZip files.IVS has a free viewer, iView3D (http://www.ivs3d.com/products/iview3d/), which is available to view files in the Fledermaus file format. | <urn:uuid:cf4068e5-ff1a-43f6-9493-1d7693227e73> | {
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How many of you will check "satellite-derived temperatures" today to determine what you are going to wear or whether you should cover your flower bed tonight?
Actually this statement is a bit tongue-and-cheek because satellite derived estimates have a different objective. A public narrative has emerged that misrepresents how climate scientists record temperature. I spent the first half of my career at
At a recent Congressional hearing, Senator Ted Cruz stated that satellite data shows "no significant global warming for the past 18 years." An article in Mother Jones summarizes an important exchange between the Senator and Admiral David Titley, a decorated Navy admiral and professor at Penn State University. Titley's response has become an instant classic:
I'm just a simple sailor,but it's hard for me to see the pause on that chart.
He was pointing to his chart of over 100 years of data. He also pointed out that Cruz was referencing a dataset that began just prior to a relative maximum in temperature associated with the 1998 El Nino.
2015 will be the warmest year on record and it's not even close. If it were a track meet, 2015 would almost be lapping the field. A recent Washington Post Capital Weather Gang article headline sums it up, "2015 almost certain to be Earth's warmest year on record by an enormous margin." NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) shows that no place in the continental United States had a mean temperature departure average that was relatively "cool" for the September to November 2015. NOAA climatologist Deke Arndt tweeted:
Fall '15 wall-to-wall warm unlike more regional patterns of past Ninos
I wanted to provide a quick overview of the science of satellite vs ground temperatures to inject some needed context into the discussion. I wrote to my colleague Dr. Roger Pielke, Sr. We have published papers together on the role of land cover changes on climate. He is a colleague that I respect even if we disagree at times. Roger emailed to me,
A major advantage of the satellites, as you, of course, know, is that the coverage is essentially global. It is also a layer (mass) weighted average.
There is no doubt that a disadvantage of thermometers is that it is difficult to cover the polar regions, vast areas of oceans, and other inaccessible regions. We have the same problem with rainfall measurement and is why we developed the GPM mission.
Satellites can measure temperatures in a different way using something called passive microwave radiometry. In passive microwave retrievals, temperatures can be "derived" from emissions if a certain set of constraints are applied. Different microwave wavelengths have different "weighting functions" that aid in extracting the layer of the atmosphere where the energy is being emitted. By piecing together the information from the different layers, you can build a vertical profile of temperature. It is important to note that we are also talking about "layers" of the atmosphere rather than specific levels that we get from instruments ascending on weather balloons. The Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) is one of the work horses of atmospheric temperature retrieval and is described here, but there are other instruments as well. The Eumetsat website notes:
AMSU-A uses oxygen absorption bands/lines for atmospheric temperature sounding. Window channels at 23.8, 31.4 and 89 GHz provide information on surface temperature....
Let me translate this to "English." The satellite uses something called selective absorption. For example, ozone in the stratosphere is a selective absorber of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation but allows visible and heat (infrared) energy to pass through. Kirchoff's Law tells us that good absorbers at certain frequencies will emit energy. Our bodies absorb and emit energy as infrared energy (heat). Oxygen is a good absorber and emitter at certain microwave frequencies that the AMSU instrument is sensitive to.
Like surface observations, satellites have their own challenges. It is remote sensing rather than a direct "in-situ" measurement. Clouds and precipitation influence (attenuate) the amount of emitted energy to the sensor (anyone have satellite TV?). For a precipitation scientist like me, the attenuated "signal" is actually useful and the basis for how we can measure rainfall from space. Other sources of error include variance in orbits, instrument degradation, and errors in conversion of data to temperature.
I often see criticism of the ground-based temperature record because adjustments are made. Trained scientists understand that generally "all" data must be quality controlled or adjusted. Satellite-based datasets are not different. Roy Spencer of the University of Alabama-Huntsville notes in this document (link) that data adjustments are required for a variety of reasons including calibration, satellite changes, and so on. So can we end this silly notion that only thermometer datasets are being adjusted? Even adjustments in different versions of the satellite dataset can shift the results from trend to no trend in one update.
For me a bottom line story that has emerged. Satellite measurements of the lower atmosphere (the troposphere) suggest that it is heating slower than the surface. John Abraham writes in the Guardian,
In fact, for the time period 1987–2006, the temperatures among the four groups that collect satellite data ranges from 0.086°C per decade to 0.22°C per decade. In more recent years, the trend is much reduced.
A 2014 paper by a group of scientists argued that cloud and precipitation attenuation (the satellite "TV" effect) may explain why the satellite-derived estimates have shown a slower rate of warming. However, Dr. Roy Spencer of the University of Alabama-Huntsville, a key pioneer of one of the satellite-based methods was skeptical of of the study and told The Guardian,
...we believe the Weng study greatly overestimates the contaminating effects of clouds on satellite temperature trends, possibly due to the omission of large areas from data processing which leads to spurious effects.
So why are people conflating the satellite data argument to talk about the "pause" or surface trends? It really is apples and oranges. The intent of this article was not to reconcile the science. The researchers and the scientific process will sort that out. My goal was to clarify for the public audience that:
I will end with a quote from Roger Pielke, Sr. that I agree with and have often noted myself,
we really should be focusing on the changes in the ocean heat content. That is where about ~90% of the heat goes. Satellite altimeter monitoring is an essential part of that assessment and it is global. Tropospheric heating is a much smaller component and surface temperatures measure only a minuscule amount of the heat.
The ocean keeps warming and is 90+% of the "global warming." That heat is coming out in some way and at some point.
Ok, I am off to check my thermometer to see what to wear today.
Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Dir., Atmospheric Sciences Program/GA Athletic Assoc. Distinguished Professor (Univ of Georgia), Host, Weather Channel's Popular Podcast, Weather Geeks, 2013 AMS President | <urn:uuid:84d96e76-1a10-4b6a-a007-83e2fb6eee89> | {
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Sustainable Aquaculture and Fisheries for a Secure Future
AquaFish Collaborative Research Support Program Newsletter Contact us at [email protected]
Volume 27, Number 3/Summer 2012
Visit Aquanews archives at aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/
Development of More Sustainable Practices for the Culture of Gars and Other Air-Breathing Fish
In this Issue...
By James Diana, Wilfrido Contreras-Sanchez, and Solomon David
Development of Sustainable Gar Culture
AquaFish CRSP and IIFET
The CRSP Digest Website Goings on in the Pond... AquaFIsh CRSP VCA Workshop
AquaFish CRSP Student Corner
Notices of Publication
Upcoming Meetings and Events
Kenya, July 2012. Photo by Hillary Egna
Juvenile Cuban gars (Atractosteus tristoechus) used in the AquaFish CRSP air-breathing fishes investigations at University of Michigan. Photo courtesy of Solomon David.
s global climate change continues to take its toll on "Air-breathing fishes present aquatic ecosystems by means of unique opportunities for increased temperatures, water quality degradation, and habitat sustainable aquaculture in the loss, the value of air breathing fishes to sustainable aquaculture face of global climate change is becoming more and more and limited natural resources." apparent. Air-breathing fishes are adapted for survival in lowoxygen and aquatic environments with poor water quality, presenting advantages for culture over many conventional aquatic species. Gars are a group of ancient air-breathing fishes (family Lepisosteidae) characterized by their elongate jaws, cylindrical bodies, and diamond-shaped ganoid scales. They are top-level predators in their native ecosystems, with 7 extant species ranging from southern Canada to Costa Rica. Although traditionally viewed as “trash” or “rough” fish in most of North America, gars are popular food fish in regions of Central America and the southern United States, and are increasing in popularity in the aquarium Gars continued on page 2...
Aquanews Summer 2012 ...Gars continued from page1.
trade. Sustainable aquaculture of gars has therefore become increasingly important for local food production, the aquarium trade, and conservation of biodiversity by maintaining wild populations. In April of 2011, AquaFish CRSP Director Dr. Hillary Egna organized a symposium in Shanghai, China focused on air breathing fishes as a way to initiate a suite of new investigations. This work on Gars is one of the three current investigations continuing this innovative work. Gars are excellent candidates for aquaculture as they exhibit rapid growth to large sizes, are highly resistant to disease, can be maintained at high densities, readily adapt to artificial feed at early life stages, and are highly tolerant of low water quality conditions due to their air-breathing abilities. Their tolerance of low water quality and air breathing adaptations also allows for less expensive technological systems for aquaculture, as opposed to other fishes which may require considerable aeration and water turnover. Gars are therefore wellsuited for culture in developing regions. The major exception to this is their carnivorous nature and usual demand for high protein fish meal in their feed. Much progress has already been made in the aquaculture of Atractosteus gars (tropical gar A. tropicus, Cuban gar A. tristoechus, alligator gar A. spatula), primarily in their native regions of Mexico, Cuba, and the southern United States. Broodstock for all three species have been established and are currently maintained in their native regions, and juveniles have been released to help restock diminishing wild populations. Further efforts are being made in the southern US to protect alligator gar populations and manage them as a viable sport fishery, as well as increase its potential as a food fish. Due to their unique appearance and predatory nature, gars are becoming increasingly popular in the ornamental fish trade; they have been a sought-after aquarium fish in Southeast Asia for many years, and are growing in popularity in the United States and other countries. Gar species cultured in Central America (tropical and Cuban gars) command a high price largely due to their rarity in the aquarium hobby. Prices in the United States can reach $200 USD for an individual tropical gar and over $300 USD for a Cuban gar. Tropical and Cuban gars are also highly valued overseas; in Singapore where 15 cm tropical gars average $150 USD and Cuban gars $400 USD. In its efforts to successfully culture tropical gars for food and restock wild populations, Mexico has greatly increased the body of knowledge surrounding gar biology, ecology, and aquaculture. In contrast, little information is available on the culture of Cuban gars, and relatively few papers on either species have been published in the scientific literature. Even with the progress over the past two decades, there still remains much to be learned and developed for successful and sustainable gar culture. Continued research on various aspects of gar biology and ecology provides a better
Solomon David (University of Michigan) with a broodstock tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) at a local gar farm in Tabasco, Mexico. Photo courtesy of Solomon David.
understanding of their role in native ecosystems and can better inform conservation efforts. Under the AquaFish CRSP Air-breathing Fishes investigations, University of Michigan (UM) and Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco (UJAT) researchers are further developing sustainable practices for gar culture. Drs. James Diana, Solomon David, and Wilfrido Contreras-Sanchez have collaborated on tropical and Cuban gar culture with 4 major experimental studies: 1.
Utilize fish meal substitution using agricultural by-products to develop more sustainable feed (treatments 25, 50, 75 and 100% substitution). 2. Determine optimal densities for rearing tropical gars (treatments 25, 50 and 100 fish/m3). 3. Determine success of closed and recirculating filtration systems on water quality and growth (treatments closed and recirculating systems). 4. Determine the effect of salinity on growth (treatments salinity 0 ppt, 5 ppt). The goal of this investigation is the development of more sustainable practices for gar culture and aquaculture for air-breathing fishes in general. Further, we hope to apply the results of our findings to current and new operations in developing countries. Culture of tropical and Cuban gars is directly beneficial to their respective regions as a local Gars continued on page 3...
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source of protein, additional revenue to farms from sales to the ornamental fish trade, and restocking local wild populations to help conserve biodiversity. The use of fish meal in feed for farmed fishes is one of the major criticisms of aquaculture, therefore reduction of fish meal in feed is a major step toward improved sustainability. Because gars readily convert to nonlive, pelletized feed, they are ideal candidates for fish meal substitution experiments. Researchers at UJAT developed experimental feeds substituting fish meal with beef by-products at different ratios to investigate more sustainable culture and growth of gars. Initial results for both tropical and Cuban gars indicate that growth did not significantly differ among treatments, suggesting that gars can maintain previously established growth rates even on low or zero-fish meal diets. Because gars are air-breathers they should perform well in completely closed recirculating systems, potentially using less water for culture. Gars may also be cultured in systems with reduced or no additional aeration, further reducing energy consumption. Our experiments on recirculating and filtered systems begin to address the potential of reducing water and energy use in the culture of gars. Additionally, several gar species have been shown to have moderate to high salinity tolerances (compared to other freshwater fishes), and in some cases have shown improved growth under saline conditions. Furthermore, gars from different latitudes may exhibit different growth rates (latitudinal variation) therefore specific populations may be better than
others as candidates for culture in certain locations. By comparing our growth models with those from other regions (specifically with the wide-ranging tropical gar) we can identify populations with the highest capacity for growth and production in culture. This could be incorporated into existing operations to increase efficiency, sustainability, and production, as well as making the technology for gar culture more accessible to developing regions. Investigators from both UM and UJAT recently had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with gar researchers from several other countries at the 4th International Meeting on Lepisosteid Research and Management, which was hosted by UJAT in June 2012. Investigators from Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, and the United States were able to share current research and discuss ideas for gar culture and conservation. The AquaFish CRSP research was shown to be at the forefront of gar culture research, with methods and preliminary results from these experiments enthusiastically received at the conference. Air-breathing fishes present unique opportunities for sustainable aquaculture in the face of global climate change and limited natural resources. The AquaFish CRSP’s initial investigations into air-breathing fishes have led to results that will inform sustainable aquaculture practices in a changing environment. To learn more about the AquaFish CRSP air breathing fishes work, please see the article on page 4 of the Spring 2012 Issue of Aquanews.
AquaFish CRSP investigators Solomon David (University of Michigan), Mar Contreras (UJAT), and Rafael Martinez (UJAT) discuss gar culture methodology at the 4th International Meeting on Lepisosteid Research and Management held at UJAT in June 2012. Photo Courtesy of Solomon David.
Aquanews Summer 2012
AquaFish CRSP & IIFET Tanzania: An Outstanding Collaboration! By Ann Shriver
he successful sixteenth biennial conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics & Trade (IIFET), held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 16-20 July 2012, was heavily supported by the AquaFish CRSP in several important ways. The conference title, IIFET 2012 Tanzania, Visible Possibilities: The Economics of Sustainable Fisheries, Aquaculture and Seafood Trade reflected the general theme of revealing the hidden possibilities of fisheries in all areas of the world, with particular emphasis on Africa and other developing regions. Participants reflected on the ‘goods and services’ that fisheries and aquaculture provide to human society – that the objectives of fishery management and aquaculture development are to provide contributions to human wellbeing – whether through macro-economic growth (resource rents, trade revenues), small-business profit, wage labor, or nutritious food. Over 295 presentations were made during the 3½-day conference, in 17 pre-organized “Special” sessions and 20 regular parallel sessions, a poster session, and 4 plenary sessions. Topics included a wide variety of issues related to the economics and development of the fishing and aquaculture sectors, at all scales, and in all regions of the world. Over 290 participants from 53 countries attended the conference, a higher diversity of represented countries than ever before! 37% of participants came from Africa, 15% from the Asia/Pacific region, 18% from North America, 28% from Europe, and 2% from South America and the Caribbean. This increase in diversity of participation was due in part to the generous support of donors, including the AquaFish CRSP. Seventy four individuals received varying levels of support for their participation, including 5 prize winners. Of these, 8 awardees and one prize-winner received CRSP support.
Two CRSP participants at IIFET, May Myat Noe Lwin and Wilfried Jamandre were featured on page 3 of The Citizen, the local newspaper as part of the article titled, "The paradox of Tanzania's fishing industry," which appeared on the front page on 18 July. Citation: Nestory, Venance. 2012. The Citizen, Dar es Salaam. 18 July. No. 2522: p.3.
CRSP-Supported Participation: The following individuals received support from CRSP that enabled their participation in the IIFET 2012 Tanzania Conference: Dr. Ayanboye Abolupe Oluyemi, Nigeria Dr. Mohan Chadag, Thailand Ms. Trang Le Thi Huyen, Viet Nam Dr. Didi Baticados Philippines Dr. Daniel Adjei-Boateng, Ghana Dr. Harrison Charo-Karisa, Kenya Dr. Charles Gaspar Mahika, Tanzania Ms. Ritha Maly, Tanzania In addition, some 20 CRSP members from projects around the world attended as participants of IIFET 2012 as well as a pre-conference CRSP workshop on value-chain assessments held in Zanzibar (highlighted on page 7). The Developing Country Aquaculture Economics Best Student Paper (DCAEBSP) Prize. The winner of the 2012 DCAEBSP was Mohottala Kularatne, for his paper "Reservoir Water Re-allocation and Community Welfare" (Pictured on page 5 with AquaFish Lead Project PI, Dr. Kwamena Quagrainie). IIFET continued on page 5...
A Ngalawa fishing vessel in Tanzania on 22 July 2012. Photo by Calin Barnes
Aquanews Summer 2012 ...IIFET continued from page 4.
CRSP Sessions at IIFET CRSP Director, Dr. Hillary Egna organized and comoderated three special sessions with Dr. Meryl Williams in Tanzania at IIFET 2012 collectively focusing on fish value chains with an emphasis on gender integration. The focus on markets and value chains was an attempt to better understand the intricate linkages between the chain elements, performance, and value added distribution to allow a determination of optimal institutional arrangements and policy approaches to smallholder participation.
2012 DCEABSP award winner, Mohottala Kularatne with CRSP Lead Project PI, Kwamena Quagrainie.
This paper analyzed the development of culture fisheries in small scale irrigation systems in Sri Lanka, and whether the diversion of water to aquaculture activities from less efficient uses in rice farming would increase the total economic welfare of the farming community. Participant Benefits All funded participants expressed great pleasure and gratitude to the AquaFish CRSP, IIFET, and the University of Dar es Salaam for making their participation possible. Participants reported that the benefits they derived from the conference included: • •
• • • • •
Receiving review comments and input by global experts in their fields on their research projects and methods, Exposure to the work of other researchers using similar techniques or analyzing similar policies or projects along with new or different techniques which could be used to perform similar analyses, Social interaction and networking, which will result in future, research collaborations, The opportunity to meet and interact with the established multi-disciplinary CRSP network of researchers, Participation in two value-chains special sessions, one organized by CRSP and the other by the FAO, Providing multiple exposure to a wide variety of perspectives, techniques, and countries, and The creation of networks within and among countries on specific topics of benefit to their future research.
The IIFET 2012 gender papers covered global studies and work in West and East Africa and Asia. The contributions came from government policy makers, academics and government researchers. They drew on many different streams of scholarship, focusing economic and social analysis of value chains on development in aquaculture and fisheries and on poverty in small scale fisheries. Gender differences in resource access rights, divisions of labor, access to capital and credit, measures of empowerment that affect power relations in the value chain and the concentration of power in the hands of certain actors and parts of the value chain were examined for fish products from tilapia and dagaa to groupers and tuna. The three sessions involved participants from around the world and concluded with a panel discusssion involving 7 of the session's speakers. The three sessions were: Session 01A: Markets and Value Chains for Small Aquaculture Enterprises (in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Food Security)- Organized and chaired by Hillary Egna. Session 02A: Looking at Fish Supply Chains with a Gender Lens- Organized and co-chaired by Hillary Egna and Meryl Williams Session 03A: Overcoming Gender Inequalities in Fish Supply Chains to Inform Policy and Action- Organized and co-chaired by Hillary Egna and Meryl Williams The proceedings from the three sessions can be found at: http://aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/Gender/
Conference Proceedings A completely new system has been developed for the collection and dissemination of conference proceedings for the IIFET 2012 Tanzania conference. This new system will make all conference materials instantly and freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection, anywhere in the world, at no charge. The host of the conference proceedings will be the OSU Scholars’ Archive. This permanent online archive hosts all kinds of scholarly materials. The system is ready to receive authors’ papers, presentations, summaries, posters and report, and is available through the IIFET website at http://oregonstate.edu/dept/iifet/.
Session participants gather for a photo. Courtesy of Hillary Egna.
Aquanews Summer 2012
Aqua 2012 in Prague
he World Aquaculture Society’s Aqua 2012 conference was held 1-5 September in Prague, Czech Republic. AquaFish CRSP Research Projects Manager, Dr. Ford Evans represented the AquaFish Management Team in Prague this September. There he presented two posters from the Program Management Office, one on our capacity building efforts and one on our research into the domestication of indigenous species. To view or download these posters please visit our website at: aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/posters.php. Dr. Kevin Fitzsimmons, AquaFish CRSP Lead Project PI at the University of Arizona was also in attendance and presented three AquaFish CRSP Student Poster Awards. Frist place went to Paula Armesto (Spain) for the poster titled: "Tissue Expression Analysis of The Renin-Angiotensin System Genes in the Flatfish Solea Senegalensis (Kaup): Differential Transcriptional Regulation by Salinity" Second place went to Li Kang (China) for "Prevalence and Diversity of Fish-Born Zoonotic Trematodes in Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus Culture in Guangdong, China" Second place went to Ligianne Din Shirahigue (Brazil) for "Fractions of Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus Acid Silage to Obtain By-Products" Congratulations to all the winners!
The CRSP Digest Website
Goings-on in the Pond...
xpanding the reach of our efforts, AquaFish CRSP research has been featured in two recent USAID publications—the August 2012 Issue of the Feed the Future Monthly Newsletter and USAID’s quarterly magazine “Global Waters.” The two articles listed below are now available online and can also be accessed on the AquaFish CRSP website: aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/news_events.php From Best Practices to Best Outcomes in Ghana feedthefuture.gov/article/best-practices-bestoutcomes-ghana On the Waterfront: Fishing for the Future transition.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_ programs/water/globalwaters/gw_ezine.html
s AquaFish's sixth year drew to a close, a nocost extension was finalized with hopes of a long-awaited 5-year continuation. Over the spring of 2012, AquaFish CRSP underwent an external evaluation and received a positive review in June. "The AquaFish CRSP should be renewed based upon strong and demonstrated performance in research, outreach and development contributions, its alignment with FTF, and also because it is well managed." --Excerpted from the AquaFish CRSP External Evaluation Report, June 2012
he new CRSP Digest website at www.crsps.net is your one-stop shop for updates, success stories, and resources for all of the various USAID-funded Collaborative Research Support Programs. Produced and maintained by Cultural Practice LLC and supported by individual CRSPs as a joint knowledge management program, the new CRSP Digest website is designed to be a searchable inventory of materials produced by the CRSPs. On the website, you will find research achievements, key facts, a searchable database of long-term training data, publications, and videos, an overview of both current and historical CRSPs, and announcements for CRSP-related news and events. Website contents can be searched by a number of different filters including topic, CRSP program, and location in order to enable CRSP participants and affiliates to find key documents and access relevant data.
hrough the CRSP Digest webpage, visitors will also find links to the CRSP Digest Twitter feed, Facebook page, and the RSS feed where you can get up to date notifications of CRSP related news and events. This new website is slated to become a valuable source for new and archived CRSP material. The website can be accessed at: http://crsps.net/
AquaFish, along with all the other CRSPs also were subjects of an intenseive BIFAD review, with a favorable report released in August 2012. "Frequently referred to as a "gem" embedded within the CRSP model, the capacity building element (HICD), particularly degree training, is one of the keys to the enduring legacy of the CRSPs and one that is not replicated by any other development model." --Excerpted from the BIFAD Review of the CRSP Model, August 2012 Both reviews can be accesses on the CRSP Digest website at: www.crsps.net.
he AquaFish CRSP final technical reports for the 2009-2011 investigations is now availabe on the webiste at: http://aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/ publications.php. The two volumes of this report include the progress and accomplishments made by AquaFish CRSP particpants.
Aquanews Summer 2012
AquaFish CRSP Workshop on Value Chain Analysis for Aquatic Products By Stephanie Ichien
n 13-15 September 2012, thirty-two CRSP participants gathered at the Zanzibar Grand Palace Hotel in Stonetown, Zanzibar for the AquaFish workshop on Value Chain Analysis for Aquatic Products. Organized by the University of Connecticut AquaFish Project under Dr. Bob Pomeroy, the workshop was sponsored by CRSP in cooperation with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA). The primary objectives of the workshop were to provide participants with an understanding of value chain analysis (VCA) and industrial organization analysis methods and to discuss the objectives, approaches, and methods being undertaken by the seven core AquaFish CRSP research projects. Workshop participants were able to take advantage of advice and guidance from the organizers and facilitators during breakout sessions and working groups as they applied the methods to develop report outlines using their own research and data.
On the third day of the workshop, the group took a field trip to Bweleo in west Zanazibar. After a greeting from the village head, workshop participants watched presentations on the various activities underway in Bweleo—women's projects, on pearl farming and shell jewelry making, implementation of no-take zones, seaweed farming and product marketing. Just before lunch, the group had the opportunity to see the pearl farms by small boat and many took the chance to get a closer look by diving right in. Strategically held in the days leading up to IIFET 2012 Tanzania, the workshop convened in time for participants to stay in Tanzania for another few days and attend the conference on 17-20 July 2012. (For more information on IIFET 2012 Tanzania see the story on page 4).
Workshop attendees take advantage of the unique opportunity to interact with each other on value chain research from around the world and experience the many offerings of Zanzinbar, Tanzania. Photos by and courtesy of Hillary Egna.
Aquanews Summer 2012
AquaFish CRSP Student Corner... Graduate Student Profiles: Cecilia Muthoni, Carolyne Musyoki, and Anthony Muthoni By Stephanie Ichien
true indication of the promising new generation of aquaculture and fisheries professionals in Kenya, Cecilia Muthoni, Carolyne Musyoki, Anthony Muthoni, Victor Motari, and Gladys Kuira are working on the AquaFish CRSP Associate Award project, Enhancing the Profitability of Small Aquaculture Operations in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania under the guidance of Dr. Charles Ngugi. In July 2012, the five students were part of a larger group of CRSP participants that met with Aquafish CRSP Director, Dr. Hillary Egna when she visited Kenya this summer. Dr. Egna was impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and their clear potential. Here we feature Cecilia Muthoni, Carolyne Musyoki, and Anthony Muthoni in a three-part graduate student profile. (Victor Motari and Gladys Kuira were both featured in previous issues of AquaNews. To read more about Victor see the Winter 2011 issue of Aqunews and to read Gladys’ student profile see the Fall 2010 issue.) AquaFish CRSP Director, Dr. Hillary Egna (kneeling far left) gathers for a photo with CRSP participants in Kenya (July 2012). Among those gathered are students Carolyne Musyoki (standing second from left), Victor Motari (kneeling far right), and Cecilia Muthoni (standing second from right). Photo Courtesy of Hillary Egna.
Cecilia Muthoni Cecilia is currently working on an MSc in Aquaculture at Moi University in Edloret Kenya, having completed a BSc in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences there in 2009. It was when she was in high school that Cecilia first gained an interest in aquaculture after hearing of the advances being made in China and Norway. Of particular interest to her was the opportunity to use fish farming and fishing as an economic activity, which is apparent in her thesis on “Consumer Preferences of Wild and Cultured Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Selected Urban Centers of Kenya” and in the CRSP work she is helping with to improve the productivity for fish farmers in Kenya with best management practices (BMPs). Under the guidance of her major professor, long-time CRSP HCPI Dr. Charles Ngugi, Cecilia is helping the AquaFish CRSP team to advance the adoption rate of BMPs in various regions in Kenya with the hope of improving the quality and quantity of local fish production. This work not only provides great benefit for the fish farmers involved, but also creates opportunities for students to understand the importance of well-tested BMPs and for them to play a role in disseminating proper techniques. Grad students continued on page 7...
Aquanews Summer 2012
...AquaFish CRSP Student Corner ...Grad students continued from page 8.
With recent boosts from the Government of Kenya’s Economic Stimulus Program, the aquaculture and fisheries industries there are growing quickly and the demand for guidance and assistance has become increasingly apparent. The BMP project that Cecilia is a part of allows her to interact directly with farmers and to help them with the challenges they face on their farms. This has become one of Cecilia’s most enjoyable experiences in working with AquaFish. “One interesting experience [was] when farmers were discussing a method of eradicating leeches in their fish pond. It was very interesting to hear one farmer give his solution— putting local brew in small tin containers (with holes made from outside on their sides) around the fish ponds, preferably on the dykes. The smell of the local brew attracts the leeches from the fish pond. The leeches enter the containers and once inside they cannot get outside (since holes are made from outside). They are then collected and thrown away/killed. The same process is repeated until the farmer realizes that there are no more leeches getting in to the container.”
that “aquaculture, being one of the fastest growing sectors, has shown promising results and thus more people can access fish hence improving the society’s nutritional status and at the same time it’s a means of improving the livelihoods of the small scale fish farmers and [increasing] job creation.” Simultaneously, Carloyne understands the challenges that aquaculture faces in Kenya including the lack of quality feeds and seeds, poor infrastructure, and pollution from pond effluents. Overcoming these challenges with techniques such as BMPs will increase the successes that Kenya is starting to see from the aquaculture industry—it is a source of alternative income, it has created new jobs for the youth and for women, and it has improved the nutritional health of local communities by making fish a more accesible food choice. Seeing some of these successes first hand, Carolyne considers her interactions with farmers during workshops as her most enjoyable experience in her work with AquaFish CRSP.
In addition to helping fish farmers deal with the nthony uthoni challenges of sustainable aquaculture, Cecilia has a special interest in issues affecting families. She enjoys reading inspirational literature and counseling the youth of her "...I wake up every morning looking community in responsible ways of forward to learn[ing] more about this living. Once Cecilia completes her Master’s she hopes to pursue a PhD in aquaculture.
diverse group of organisms.” --Anthony Muthoni
Carolyne Musyoki Carolyne Musyoki first got involved with the AquaFish CRSP best management practices investigation in Kenya in 2010, which has been funding a portion of her graduate studies in Hydrobiology (Fisheries Resource Management) at the University of Nairobi. Her CRSP work on BMPs integrates well with her MSc research, “Evaluation of the Impact of the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) Aquaculture Development Intervention on Income Generation in Kiambu County,” which she is carrying out under the mentorship of her major professor, Dr. Charles Ngugi. With a BSc in Agricultural Economics and Resource Management, Carolyne aims to complete her Master’s research by June 2013 and hopes to continue working with small scale fish farmers for her PhD. Realizing the importance of fish as a source of protein and the tragedy of dwindling wild fish resources, Carolyne’s interest in aquaculture is rooted in the possibilities it provides for improving livelihoods. She states
Currently working on his MSc in Fisheries Sciences at Kenyatta University with Dr. Charles Ngugi, Anthony Muthoni has always had a passion for fish. Completing his BSc in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in 2010, this passion has guided him through his studies in aquaculture and fisheries and has provided him with varied experiences that he can draw upon to help local fish farmers. Ultimately Anthony strives to become a leading fish expert in Kenya. With support from the AquaFish CRSP Associate Award, Anthony is pursuing his goals and is working to overcome one of the major challenges to fish farmers—affordable feeds. His master’s thesis evaluates the “Effects of dietary protein levels on growth performance and yield of all male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, linn. 1858) in an integrated cage-cum-pond culture system” with the hopes of increasing profit margins for farmers by enhancing fish growth at a lower feed cost. The research aims to identify an optimum dietary protein level for maximum growth and yield for all male Nile tilapia in an intensive cage-cum-pond system. In addition to Grad students continued on page 13...
Aquanews Summer 2012
Notices of Publication Notices of Publication announce recently published work carried out under AquaFish CRSP sponsorship. To receive a full copy of a report, please contact the author(s) directly. All past and present Notices of Publication can be found on the AquaFish CRSP website at: aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/publications.php
Development impacts of long-term aquaculture training programs conducted in Kenya and Thailand (12-299) John R. Bower1, Charles Ngugi2 1 2
Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University Kenya Ministry of Fisheries Development
This paper reports the results of a survey conducted to assess the development impacts of USAID-supported aquaculture training programs conducted at three institutions of higher education in Kenya and Thailand. All program participants interviewed reported that they acquired specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes during the training and that it has had an important impact on their professional development. The programs have also had a marked effect on the institutions where the participants now work. Short-term training in the U.S. and short-term training in one’s home country were rated as more effective training models than long-term training in the U.S. This abstract is excerpted from the original paper, which was in the Journal of Higher Education and Lifelong Learning 19(2012):1-8.
Biological assessment of aquaculture effects on effluent-receiving streams in Ghana using structural and functional composition of fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages (12-300) Y. B. Ansah1; E. A. Frimpong2; S. Amisah3 Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 113 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA 2 Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 156 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA 3 Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana 1
Biological assessment of aquatic ecosystems is widely employed as an alternative or complement to chemical and toxicity testing due to numerous advantages of using biota to determine ecosystem condition. These advantages, especially to developing countries, include the relatively low cost and technical requirements. This study was conducted to determine the biological
impacts of aquaculture operations on effluent-receiving streams in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. We collected water, fish and benthic macroinvertebrate samples from 12 aquaculture effluent-receiving streams upstream and downstream of fish farms and 12 reference streams between May and August of 2009, and then calculated structural and functional metrics for biotic assemblages. Fish species with non-guarding mode of reproduction were more abundant in reference streams than downstream (P = 0.0214) and upstream (P = 0.0251), and sand-detritus spawning fish were less predominant in reference stream than upstream (P = 0.0222) and marginally less in downstream locations (P = 0.0539). A possible subsidy-stress response of macroinvertebrate family richness and abundance was also observed, with nutrient (nitrogen) augmentation from aquaculture and other farming activities likely. Generally, there were no, or only marginal differences among locations downstream and upstream of fish farms and in reference streams in terms of several other biotic metrics considered. Therefore, the scale of impact in the future will depend not only on the management of nutrient augmentation from pond effluents, but also on the consideration of nutrient discharges from other industries like fruit and vegetable farming within the study area. This abstract is excerpted from the original paper, which was published in Environmental Management 50(2012):166-180.
Improving Gender Equity in Aquaculture Education and Training: 30 years of Experiences in the Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture, Aquaculture, and AquaFish Collaborative Research Support Programs (12-301) Hillary Egna1; Lisa Reifke1; and Nancy Gitonga2 AquaFish CRSP, 418 Snell Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97331 USA 2 FishAfrica, P.O. Box 64358-00620 Nairobi, 6200 Kenya 1
The AquaFish Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) is dedicated to improving gender equality in the aquaculture and fisheries sectors and in the CRSP by creating equal opportunities for women and men in research, training and educational activities. Recognising the barriers and complex issues women face, the AquaFish CRSP has taken a mindful approach towards gender integration by focusing on women beneficiaries of its research and outreach, and on women in the Program. Gender must be included in projects in a cross cutting and an individual way. Despite these steps, gender-segregated statistics from AquaFish display characteristics of a “leaky pipeline” as seen in other fields of science. During the original Pond Dynamics/ Aquaculture CRSP (PD/A) and th subsequent Aquaculture CRSP (ACRSP) (1982-2008), 36.8% collectively, of degree students were women. In the AquaFish CRSP (2006-current), 55 women (55%) of degrees have been awarded to women. Although reaching a 50% target for women is a major accomplishment, the same proportion is not entering higher positions in science or research careers. Surprisingly, women still make up less than 50% of NOPs continued on page 11...
Aquanews Summer 2012 ...NOPs continued from page 10.
the CRSP short-term trainees. More research is needed to understand leaks in the pipeline and barriers to women’s participation. This abstract is excerpted from the original paper, which was in Asian Fisheries Science. vol. 255(2012): 119-128.
Hemolymph profiles of pond-reared and lake pencultured adult Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (12-302) X. J. Cao, C. Zeng, W. Luo, Y. Gul, L. Cui And W. M. Wang College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, No. 1 Shizishan Street, Hongshan District Wuhan, Hubei- 430 070, P. R. China Levels of seven hemolymph parameters (considered as indicators of physiological and immune status of organisms) in pond-reared (PR) and lake pen-cultured (PC) adult Chinese mitten crabs sampled from three experimental sites viz., a pond at Huangjin Lake area, a net-pen in the Huangjin Lake and a pond at Lu Lake area were analysed. Two sites in the Huangjin Lake area where the pond meets the lake, possessed good water quality whereas at Lu Lake area where the pond was not connected to the Lu Lake, the water quality was relatively poor. Hemocyanin content and total hemocytes count in PR crabs from Lu Lake area were significantly lower than those of PR and PC crabs from Huangjin Lake area, indicating PR crabs from Lu Lake area had relatively poor physiological and immune status. There were no significant differences in hemolymph profiles between PR and PC crabs from Huangjin Lake area. These results indicate that water quality had a significant effect on the physiological and immune status of cultured Chinese mitten crabs. The resuls indicate that pond-rearing is better for culture of Chinese mitten crabs, especially in ponds which are connected to natural water resources. This abstract is excerpted from the original paper, which was published in Indian J. Fish., 59:1(2012):95-101.
The expression of prophenoloxidase mRNA in red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, when it was challenged (12-303) Yanhe Lia,b; Wei Denga; Keli Yangc, Weimin Wanga College of Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China b Institute of Fisheries, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei 230031, P.R. China c Huibei Key Laboratory of Animal Embryo and Molecular Breeding, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Huibei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, P. R. China a
The expression of the prophenoloxidase (proPO) gene was investigated in nine tissues of red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, by real-time PCR after challenges by CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN), Aeromonas hydrophila and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). The results can be summarized as follows: (i) the expression level of the proPO gene in haemocytes was highest among nine studied tissues before the challenge; (ii) the expression of proPO increased in all studied tissues after stimulation by CpG ODN and WSSV, and also increased in all tissues, except the ovary, after the A. hydrophila challenge; (iii) the whole expression profiles were different, suggesting that different immune mechanisms may exist for crayfish that are resistant to WSSV and A. hydrophila, although the expression in haemocytes was similar before and after the WSSV and A. hydrophila challenges. This abstract is excerpted from the original paper, which was published in Genomics 99 (2012): 355–360.
Cloning and characterization of leptin in a Perciform fish, the striped bass (Morone saxatilis): Control of feeding and regulation by nutritional state (12-304) Eugene T. Won, David A. Baltzegar, Matthew E. Picha, Russell J. Borski Department of Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7617, USA In mammals, leptin is an anorexigenic peptide hormone that regulates energy homeostasis. It is produced predominantly by white adipose tissue and circulates as an endocrine indicator of energy reserves. Teleost leptin has been characterized in a few fish species, but its regulation is not well understood, particularly in response to nutritional status. In this study, we cloned a putative leptin in striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and report the first characterization of leptin in a Perciforme, the largest and most diverse order of fish. The striped bass leptin coding sequence was 65% homologous with pufferfish, 52% with Atlantic salmon, and 46% with human. PCR showed that leptin mRNA was exclusively expressed in the liver, and not adipose or other tissues. The leptin coding sequence of striped bass and the more widely cultured hybrid striped bass variety (HSB; Morone chrysops, white bass M. saxatilis) were identical. We then evaluated whether the metabolic status of HSB might alter leptin gene expression. Juvenile HSB were subjected to 3 weeks feed deprivation followed by 3 weeks of refeeding. Quantitative PCR showed that fasting for 3 weeks reduced hepatic leptin mRNA levels relative to fed controls. Leptin mRNA levels then increased upon refeeding, albeit levels were not completely restored to those seen in control fish fed throughout the experiment. Intraperitoneal injection of human leptin suppressed appetite in HSB. In as much as hepatic HSB leptin mRNA is regulated by nutritional state and has a corresponding anorexigenic effect, our results suggest that leptin may NOPs continued on page 13...
Aquanews Summer 2012
Upcoming Meetings and Events...
he AquaFish CRSP promotes workshops and meetings designed to facilitate increased knowledge and communication in aquaculture. Meetings and workshops coming up include...
International Fisheries Symposium
6-8 December 2012 Can Tho University, Vietnam http://www.ctu.edu.vn/colleges/aquaculture/ifs2012/
Aquaculture and Restoration: A Partnership Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition (NACE), Milford Aquaculture Seminar (MAS), & International Conference on Shellfish Restoration (ICSR) 12-15 December 2012 Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa Groton, Connecticut http://www.northeastaquaculture.org/
Triennial Meeting: Annual Meeting of the Aquaculture Sector of the American Fisheries Society, World Aquaculture Society, and National Shellfish Association 21-25 February 2013 Nashville, Tennessee www.was.org/WasMeetings/meetings/Default. aspx?code=AQ2013
10th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (10AFAF) and 4th Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Global Event (GAF4) Sponsored by the Asican Fisheries Society 30 April - 4 May 2013 Yeosu, Korea http://koference.cafe24.com/main.do?mode=mainView
North Amercan Association of Fisheries Economists (NAAFE) Forum 2013
21-24 May 2013 TradeWinds Island Grand Resort St. Petersburg, Florida http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/naafe/index.html
The 10th International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture (ISTA10) 6-10 October 2013 Ramada Hotel Jerusalem, Israel http://ag.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista/ISTA10/ISTA10.htm
For more meeting and employment opportunities visit our Education & Employment Opportunities network database online, EdOpNet, at aquafishcrsp. oregonstate.edu/edop.php
r. Steve Amisah, CRSP HC-PI was recently named the Dean of Faculty in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Kwame Nkrumah University of Sceince in Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. Dr. Nelson Agbo, CRSP HC Investigator was named the Head of the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management also at KNUST. Admission to the newly formed BSc in Aquaculutre and Water Resources Management Program began this fall at KNUST; an applied program aimed at training people to practice aquaculture as a busiiness. The CRSP capacity building efforts in Ghana have played a role in the creation of this program and is an indication of the progress being made in the aquaculture and fisheries sectors of Ghana. Congratulations to Steve and Nelson on thier great successes!
Kudos to AquaFish CRSP AOR, Harry Rea and to
recent OSU Fisheries & Wildlife graduate, Brian Gilooly on their respecitve USAID webinars. Both webinars included input from AquaFish, and focused on the importance of aquaculture and fisheries research in fighting poverty. More information and screencasts can be found at: Sustainable Aquaculture and Food Security- Harry Rea, Richard Grainger, and Randall Brummett http://agrilinks.kdid.org/library/sustainable-aquaculture-andfood-security-event-resources
Fishing for the Future: The Why and How of Nature’s Most Abundant Protein Source- Bryan Gillooly and Richard Volk http://www.agrilinks.kdid.org/library/fishing-future-why-andhow-nature%E2%80%99s-most-abundant-protein-source-eventresources
PONDerings... Excerpted from FAO’s “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012” “Fisheries and aquaculture make crucial contributions to the world’s wellbeing and prosperity. In the last five decades, world fish food supply has outpaced global population growth, and today fish constitutes an important source of nutritious food and animal protein for much of the world’s population. In addition, the sector provides livelihoods and income, both directly and indirectly, for a significant share of the world’s population. Fish and fishery products are among the most traded food commodities worldwide, with trade volumes and values reaching new highs in 2011 and expected to carry on rising, with developing countries continuing to account for the bulk of world exports. While capture fisheries production remains stable, aquaculture production keeps on expanding. Aquaculture is set to remain one of the fastest-growing animal foodproducing sectors and, in the next decade, total production from both capture and aquaculture will exceed that of beef, pork or poultry.
Aquanews Summer 2012 ...NOPs continued from page 11.
...Grad students continued from page 9.
play a role in energy homeostasis in these advanced Perciformes.
providing the potential for increased profits, the results of Anthony’s research will also be used to develop an enterprise budget as a financial guide for small-scale fish farmers.
This abstract is excerpted from the original paper, which was published in General and Comparative Endocrinology 178 (2012): 98–107.
Prospects and Potential for Aquaculture of African Lungfish in Uganda (12-306) John Walakira1, Gertrude Atakunda1, Joseph Molnar2 and Karen Veverica2 National Fisheries Resources Research Institute Aquaculture Research and Development Center-Kajjanis PO Box 530, Kampala, Uganda 1
Office of International Agriculture 108B Comer Hall Auburn University Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA 2
Shifting rainfall and temperature regimes are beinging new challenges to the management of water bodies and fish farms in sub-Saharan Africa (Dixon et al. 2003). Culturing species that are resilient to drought and stressful water quality conditions may be a major part of future African aquaculture. Air-breathig fishes, such as the African lungfish Protpterus aethiopicus, can use atmospheric oxygen to meet all or part of metabolic demands (Mlewa et al. 2007). Air-breathing fish have a role in managed fisheries and low-management culture systems where dissolved oxygen concentration is not a limiting factor. Among air-breathing fishes, the African catfish Clarias gariepinus can tolerate low levels of dissolved oxygen but its flesh is held in lower esteem by consumers as compared to lungfish. The quality of Pangasius_catfish is high but it is not a native species in Africa.
Expecting to finish his Master’s in June 2013, Anthony is immersing himself in a diversity of fish-related opportunities. One of his most enjoyable experiences has been “being [involved] at Mwea Aquafish Farm, one of the highly productive private fish farm in the republic. I have had an opportunity to interact closely with fish, understanding their ecology, physiology, biology and most interestingly their social behavior. In particular, I’ve enjoyed working with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). I wake up every morning looking forward to learn[ing] more about this diverse group of organisms.” In the future, Anthony hopes that he might open his own hatchery and fish restaurant, since cooking is another one of his passions. He says his best dish is the catfish fillet, and hopes that he can inspire others to cook fish as well. Anthony believes that if more people cook fish, the demand will increase, enabling the fish industry to grow and allow for the growth of a healthy nation. As Kenya’s aquaculture and fisheries industries quickly grow, the work that these students are involved with will become increasingly necessary for sustainability. The next generation of professionals will be key in improving the adoption rate of BMPs and in creating innovative practices. Each of the students featured in this issue has expressed their gratitude for the opportunity that CRSP has provided them.
African lungfish is native to the natural waters of Uganda (Greewood 1958, 1985, Birt et al 2006) but populations are rapidly declining and the species is now endangered, mainly cased by oveexploitation, environmental degradation and large-scale conversion of wetlands to agricultural land (Goudsweaard et al. 2002, Balirwa et al. 2003). Therefore, it is essential to develop aquaculture to relieve pressure on natural stocks. This article explores the potential of African lungfish aquaculture to improve food security and livelihoods in Uganda; identifies indigenous production practices and approaches; consumer perspectives and markets; and an outlook for lungfish fisheries and aquaculture in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. This abstract is excerpted from the original paper, which was published in World Aquaculture. 43:3(2012): 38-42.
All past and present Notices of Publication can be found on the AquaFish CRSP website at: aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/publications.php
An indication that the AquaFish CRSP Mali Project is still having a positive impact, Seydou Toe (third from left in green), a former CRSP participant has his own fish farm and has become a sought after aquaculture consultant/trainer for local fish farmers. Photo courtesy of Héry Coulibaly. To read more on the AquaFish CRSP Mali project, see the final report at: http://bit.ly/VaNk4d
AquaFish CRSP Oregon State University 418 Snell Hall Corvallis OR 97331-1643 USA aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/
AquaFish CRSP Contact Information AquaFish CRSP and Aquaculture CRSP publications can be accessed online at http://aquafishcrsp.oregonstate. edu/publications.php Aquanews is available on-line at http://aquafishcrsp. oregonstate.edu/aquanews.php. Past issues may also be accessed online at aquafishcrsp.oregonstate.edu/ AquaNewsArchives.php To subsrcibe to receive notifications for new issues of Aquanews please visit: http://lists.oregonstate.edu/ mailman/listinfo/aquanews Your comments, stories, student profiles, and photos are always welcome! Send information to aquafish@ oregonstate.edu (please include “Aquanews” in the subject line).
Program Director: Dr. Hillary S. Egna Aquanews Editor: Stephanie Ichien Aquanews is published by AquaFish CRSP, Oregon State University, 216 Strand Ag. Hall, Corvallis OR 97331 USA. [email protected] The contents of this newsletter are copyright of the AquaFish CRSP © 2012. All rights reserved, including mechanical and electronic reproduction. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use on the part of USAID or the AquaFish CRSP. The AquaFish Collaborative Research Support Program activities are funded by Grant No. EPP-A-00-06-00012-00 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and by participating US and Host Country institutions. Oregon State University is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer. | <urn:uuid:e13a90cb-d3f0-4c54-ae09-06b63cf079cf> | {
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A real-life miniature version of the "tractor beam" featured in the Star Trek series has been created by a team of scientists which could be used in medical testing.
Although light manipulation techniques have existed since the 1970s, researchers said this is the first time a light beam has been used to draw objects towards the light source, albeit at a microscopic level.
In the science fiction show, a tractor beam was a method of using a beam of light to pull spaceships and other large objects.
The team from the University of St Andrews and the Institute of Scientific Instruments (ISI) in the Czech Republic said they have found a way to generate a special optical field that efficiently reverses radiation pressure of light.
It is hoped it could lead to more efficient medical testing, such as in the examination of blood samples.
The researchers said they have discovered a technique which will allow them to provide negative force acting upon minuscule particles.
Normally when matter and light interact, the solid object is pushed by the light and carried away in the stream of photons.
Such radiation force was first identified by Johanes Kepler when observing that tails of comets point away from the sun.
Over recent years researchers have realised that while this is the case for most optical fields, there is a space of parameters when this force reverses.
The team, led by Dr Tomas Cizmar, research fellow in the school of medicine at the University of St Andrews, with Dr Oto Brzobohaty and Professor Pavel Zemanek, both of ISI, said they have now demonstrated the first experimental realisation of this concept together with a number of applications for bio-medical photonics and other discipline.
Dr Cizmar said: "Because of the similarities between optical and acoustic particle manipulation, we anticipate that this concept will provide inspiration for exciting future studies in areas outside the field of photonics."
Prof Zemanek said: "The whole team have spent a number of years investigating various configurations of particles delivery by light.
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You want to talk about being in a bad situation, Isaac was certainly in one. Isaac was dealing with many things in his life. Abraham, his dad had just passed away. It is bad when you lose family, but when you lose those whom you have loved dearly it’s hard to get past it. This is probably one of the last times Isaac and Ishmael will be in union because even in our time the Arab and Jewish nations are at war.
His son, Esau, had despised his Birthright. There was a famine in the land, and God wouldn’t let him run from it. Let me stop here and say this is the problem for many people, both Christians and lost people, as soon as things get a little hard they want to run. He had trouble from his neighbors. They filled his father’s wells with dirt. So, he moved further away into the valley and began uncovering wells that had been filled by his neighbors. He dug another well in the valley, and his neighbors still fought him. To show how frustrated he was, He called that well Esek which means, “contention.” Every time he drank from this well, he had to watch his back. Isaac said to himself, “I can’t live like this.” So, what did he do? He dug another well and his neighbors strove over that one. He called it Sitnah, which means, “enmity, a state of opposition.” Every time he drank from this well he had to have one eye open. Isaac said, “I cant live like this.” So, again he dug another well and called it Rehoboth. He said now the Lord has made room for us. Rehoboth means “room.”
These are some of the troubles Isaac faced in a matter of a short period of time. Usually when people face the pressure of a father passing, trouble with their children, and neighbors fighting over water rights they are uptight, easily agitated and aggressive.
It is also clear that Isaac was the biggest cattle man in the area. Isaac had the Lord’s blessings on his life. He didn’t have to do any fighting, because He knew God was on his side. He had the weight of his dad passing on his shoulders. He had a child involved with wrong girls. He had a famine in the land and God wouldn’t let him move. He had neighbors who stopped up his well and wouldn’t let him keep the new ones he dug. The same neighbors came and lied straight to his face. These were the same folks who made a covenant with his dad. He had the ability to destroy all his enemies, and they acknowledged that; however, he knew God was on his side and that God could do a better job with his enemies than he could. So, instead of getting involved in areas he couldn’t control, he just dug another well.
I know Abraham went after Lot and rescued him and his family. David went after his wives and children and rescued them. God’s people fought against Philistines. There is a time for war and a time to fight, but sometimes it’s just best to dig another well. A well is not worth the lives of people if more wells can be dug.
A well is a very necessary part of life. In certain places there is only well water to sustain a people. But again, sometimes it’s just best to dig another well. Let me give you some thoughts about moving on and digging another well.
1. Digging another well is not a sign of cowardice, but a sign of compliance.
Romans 12:18-21, God tells the individual to do everything in their power to prevent strife. You are to do everything but compromise to try and get along with those who want to fight against you.
2. Digging another well is not a sign of compromise.
Isaac didn’t lose any ground by digging another well. He knew God, in His time, was going to give it all to him anyway. You have more things to do for God than to involve yourself in battles that you can’t control. It’s not a sign of compromise not to involve yourself in battles that belong to God. Too many Christians want to fight God’s battles, when they need to move on and let God give them what they need in His timing.
3. Digging another well is a sign of compassion.
In the great Sermon on the Mount, our Lord said, “Blessed are the peace makers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Never mistake peacemaking only without the shedding of blood. Sometimes peacemaking only comes from shedding blood. We make peace with God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. America enjoys a certain level of peace because of the shed blood of American patriots. When you decide to move on from your disagreements with people, you are only revealing your compassion for people knowing that God deals with people better than we do.
4. Digging another well shows Christian maturity.
Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Romans 12:17-21 says, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
When challenged with difficult times, God’s people have the opportunity to exemplify their Lord. If your girlfriend or boyfriend turns their back on you, don’t hurt yourself or them, just move on and dig another well. If you get fired from work and you know it’s not your fault, just move on and dig another well. If you are falsely accused, God knows you are innocent, so just move on and dig another well. If you had your car repossessed, if it is your fault just ask God’s forgiveness, and move on and dig another well. If you will move on and dig another well, eventually you will find Rehoboth. You will find that if you will learn to move on through your adversities and disagreements in life, God will eventually find room for you to make peace and do great works for Him.
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On Friday the Japanese government’s Environment Ministry officially added Nihon unagi, or Japanese eel, to the “endangered” category of the country’s Red List of animals ranging from “threatened” to “extinct.” Joining other endangered fish species that live in domestic rivers, marshes, and lakes, the eel’s worsening status means there is a high risk of complete extinction in the near future.
It was only in mid-September of last year that the Japanese eel was designated as “vulnerable,” a status that indicates the beginnings of a threatened existence. The yearly catches of the eels have rapidly deteriorated in recent years, now standing at only 5% of the levels seen in the 1960s. Observers believe a loss of natural habitat, combined with overfishing, is the primary reason for the declining numbers. Much like other types of seafood, Japan is one of the world’s largest consumers of eel, accounting for nearly 70%. Analysts warn the Japanese eel is indispensable to the country’s food culture, and protection measures like limiting catches are necessary to save the species.
The problem, however, is that the Red List has no legal authority in Japan, meaning there is way to implement binding regulations in the near future. Japan’s Fisheries Agency says it will work towards the species’ recovery with protection measures, but as it’s an organization that works for profits, who knows how much truth there is to that claim. Large quantities of Japanese eel are actually imported from China and Taiwan, and talks between the three countries about limiting catches have already begun. | <urn:uuid:5df6b07f-1d5f-448e-865e-6636ed84d216> | {
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To be curious, self-directed, and engaged; to be compassionate, collaborative, and think critically; to be adaptable and problem solve—these so called “soft skills” are now seen as most necessary for our rapidly changing world. Montessori education focuses on all of these with the same amount of importance as academic skills.
That is the difference. How do we do it?
It Starts with Understanding the Nature of Children
Children come into this world wired to learn. They are naturally curious with an eagerness to explore, discover and figure things out for themselves. The Montessori classroom—based on years of scientific research—is a supportive environment rich with materials designed for children, cultivating their natural curiosity and joy of discovery with the guidance and encouragement of trained adults.
Real Life Happens Here
Philosopher and educator John Dewey said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” From the very beginning of their Montessori experience, children learn to take care of their own needs (preparing snack, putting on their own shoes and jackets) and environment (sweeping up, watering plants). In doing so, they develop a level of physical and intellectual independence not often seen in young children. This daily experience of being trusted with real responsibility for meaningful tasks results in children with authentically earned self-confidence.
Cooperation and Collaboration are the Culture
The youngest children start with lessons in “Grace and Courtesy”—lessons that teach them how to respect themselves, others, their classroom and the environment. As the children grow older, they learn to respect and understand the connectedness between all living and non-living things, leading to the adolescent’s profound awareness of the complex web of human existence.
The Gift of Uninterrupted Time
Each child is free to choose her own work. A teacher will carefully observe—but not interrupt—a child’s work as long as it’s purposeful. When children are given the opportunity to engage in meaningful, interesting, self-directed work, they achieve a high level of focused concentration. Scientists refer to this as a “flow” state of prolonged, energized work that produces both calm satisfaction and a profound joy in learning.
Emotional Intelligence is Built-in
Children stay with the same teacher for three years, building lasting relationships with the teachers and friendships with children of different ages. The multi-age classroom offers a dynamic social setting where children learn from each other, master skills, and become facilitators of learning for their classmates, creating experiences that build emotional intelligence not possible in traditional single-age classrooms.
No Rows of Desks
Anyone who has been around children knows: children need to move. Children in our classrooms can choose to work at tables, on the floor, or outside if their work takes them there, eliminating the fidgeting and boredom that often comes with being forced to sit still at a desk for extended periods of time. The youngest children develop their motor skills in the Montessori classroom by working with materials that focus on skills such as grasping, pouring, stacking, carrying and balancing. Appropriate physical skills are integrated into the curriculum at all levels because our goal is not only intellectual competence, but human competence.
Freedom with Responsibility
Montessori classrooms strike a balance of developmentally appropriate freedom with responsibility—you cannot successfully have one without the other. As a child grows, so do his choices and responsibilities, providing him with the necessary framework to succeed in ever-larger spheres. In their early elementary years children are planning out their activities for a week, and by their later elementary years they are conducting month-long independent research. By middle school students are running their own business. Is it any wonder that so many entrepreneurs credit their Montessori foundations with their success?
No Gold Stars
Techniques that focus on external rewards like grades or gold stars tend to take the joy out of learning by reducing it to a means to an end, rather than a journey of discovery. Programs like "No Child Left Behind" and "Race to the Top" forces conventional education to focus on tests and grades. It’s not that our students never experience a test, but our teachers are not encumbered by “teaching to the test.” We don’t measure competencies that way. Because students work independently and one-on-one with the teachers, assessment happens all day, everyday, through careful observation of each individual child.
Time is the Variable. Learning is the Constant.
The teachers present lessons when the child is ready for them, not necessarily when a national curriculum dictates that she’s ready. This allows each child to learn when she shows readiness and eagerness for a particular subject, which is when learning happens most effortlessly and deeply. Children move uninterrupted through the curriculum at their own pace, often exceeding the state's education requirements. This removes much of the frustration and boredom that can hinder positive learning experiences in conventional education, where time is the constant and, unfortunately, learning can be the variable.
From Concrete to Abstract
Developmental psychologists now confirm: an integrated, active, hands-on approach is the most engaging and effective way for children to develop skill and understanding. In contrast to classrooms where learning comes from texts, worksheets, and lectures, a Montessori classroom features materials specifically designed to make abstract concepts real. For example, a very young child works with strings of beads to sensorially experience “five” or “ten,” bending the strings into a square or cube—developing his mathematical mind and a foundation for increasingly abstract concepts later. Maria Montessori said “Never give more to the mind than you give to the hand,” and we’ve seen that knowledge built this way is not easily forgotten.
Perseverance. Resilience. “Stick-to-it-tiveness.” Call it what you will, Montessori kids have it and researchers agree that kids who have it get along further in life. We understand that sometimes the most valuable thing that a teacher (or parent) can do to help a child is to back off a bit. To let children face some adversity on their own, to fall down and not be helped back up. We allow children to make mistakes, to learn from mistakes and hence, to learn what it takes to succeed. It only makes sense that children who learn to try and try again develop the crucial ability to overcome setbacks and in the process, develop true strength of character.
We Ask the Big Questions
The world isn’t divided neatly into subjects, and neither are young minds. Starting in first grade, Montessori students are presented with “Great Lessons”—formal stories about the universe, time, humans, communication, and numbers. In addition to stoking the flames of curiosity and forming a context for exploration, children become adept at drawing inferences between subjects, critical thinking, and understanding the big picture—skills that are highly valued in today’s rapidly changing world.
Education for Life
We view education as helping each child reach his full potential. Montessori isn’t just a philosophy, nor is it based on a national common curriculum. Montessori is an education methodology based on the natural development of the human being and has proven successful for more than a century in tens of thousands of schools around the world. We teach the way children learn. We focus on all of it. That is the difference. Montessori is more than just school. It is education for life.
Next: What our Parents say | <urn:uuid:e418ad44-d26c-443e-b24c-b187edf61f11> | {
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Obtaining monkey skeletons isn't easy. Associate Professor of Anthropology Helen Cho's lab in the basement of Chambers contains dozens of boxes of human and small mammal bones, and even a dead beaver in the freezer waiting to be "de-fleshed"! But this expert in skeletal biology would like more monkey remains for her course in "Monkeys, Apes, and Humans."
That's one reason why over the past few years she has taught short courses at the Maderas Rainforest Conservancy research station on the Nicaraguan island of Ometepe. The island is teeming with howler and capuchin monkeys.Cho made her fourth trip to Ometepe over winter break, accompanied by eight students-five from Davidson. The two-week trip was an optional capstone experience for the Davidson students, who were all enrolled in her course last fall. The $3,000 cost of the trip for each of the Davidsonians was provided through the Davidson Research Initiative.
The students ventured into the forests to observe live monkeys in their natural habitat, supplementing what they learned during the fall term. Their field observations were supported by hands-on examination of more than a dozen complete monkey skeletons in the Maderas station's collection. Maderas station stands out as a modern, well-manicured retreat in a largely rural, impoverished land. The island's 40,000 residents subsist on garden plots of vegetables, livestock, and fish. They also raise avocados and plantains as cash crops, and are increasingly earning more from ecotourists attracted to the island's rain forests, an immense inland lake, and two volcanoes.
Cho first learned to love bones as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois-Urbana, and bones are the subject of three courses she teaches at Davidson. She occasionally works with the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's office, rendering opinions in cases involving recovered skeletons. Despite the success of the trip, laws prevented Cho from bringing monkey skeletons back from Nicaragua. If you've got some to spare, you know who to call! | <urn:uuid:e98813d5-d568-4245-9a76-85544a635724> | {
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April Showers bring May Flowers and then....Dog Bites?
According to new research published in the March 2009 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, rising temperatures leading into, and during the summer months, are correlated with an increased incidence of kids being bitten by dogs. The researchers believe that this is explained either by the fact that there is more outdoor, rough play with dogs in the summer months, or because dogs become more irritable as the temperatures rise. Interestingly, the increased number of dog bites is not related to a greater exposure to unknown dogs. In fact, most of the injuries are caused by family pets (27% of all dog bites). So, the obvious caution...be especially aware of your child's interaction with dogs as spring turns to summer. Dogs tend to bite cheeks, lips, noses, and ears. Doggone Safe is a non-profit organization involved in dog bite prevention. Their advice centers on two main points. First, do not hug or kiss dogs. Dogs find face-to- face contact threatening and can act out in self-defense. Teach your kids to pet dogs on the chest or side of the neck. Second, if a strange dog approaches and is becoming aggressive, teach your child to be still like a tree. Dogs get bored with stillness. Too much movement gets them overexcited and more likely to act on an aggressive impulse.
Has your child been injured by a dog bite? Tells us, and others, about your experience and what you've learned.
Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for information only. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor. | <urn:uuid:6c1a4052-44ed-41f2-9249-932ba35ebe77> | {
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THE WRITINGS OF FRÊTHORIK AND WILJOW
This happened 1888 years after the submersion of Atland (= 306 BC)
Or should all these placenames be located at the coast of the Baltic?
It's the Cimbrian flood and it drove the inhabitants of Denmark to the south, and brought them in contact with the Romans.
Personally I think it happened in the North Sea, not the Baltic, and I know we have talked about this long a go.
De zeventiende eeuwse Friese geschiedschrijver Chr. Schotanus schreef over de Kimbrische vloed;
“Omtrend den jare nae de scheppinghe der werelt 360 ofte 350 voor de geboorte Jesu Christi is door stormen en tempgeesten een schricklijke watervloed over alle zee-custen van Duytsland gelopen, die veel vee ende mensen heeft vernielt.Dit eerste en oudste vloet, daer men gedachtenis af kan hebben, die oock so men meent, alle eylanden, aan de Friessche custen , van’t vaste land afgescheurt en vele binnenwateren ende meeren gemaekt heeft, daer de monden van de rivieren, voorhenen, met enghe gaten in ze uitliepen.
The 17th century Frisian historian Chr. Schotanus wrote this about the Cymbrian Flood:
About the year 360 or 350 before the birth of Jesus Christ a terrible flood, caused by violent storms, hit all the sea coasts of Germany, a flood that destroyed many cattle and people. This first and oldest flood which can be remembered, could also have ripped all the islands on the Frisian coast from the mainland, and have created many inlets and lakes because formerly the mouths of the rivers ended up in them through narrow entrances.
Right, so you think the Balda Sea translated as Baltic, where Jutlanders and Letlanders flee from, is not the Baltic?
I hardly think so.
Balda could be BOLD sea, not really bad, because bold can mean frightful, dangerous as well, which is what I think 'bad' could mean in the wording of the OLB.
[/i]bold (adj.) O.E. beald (W.Saxon), bald (Anglian) "bold, brave, confident, strong," from P.Gmc. *balthaz (cf. O.H.G. bald "bold, swift," in names such as Archibald, Leopold, Theobald; Goth. balþei "boldness;" O.N. ballr "frightful, dangerous"), perhaps from PIE *bhol-to- suffixed form of *bhel- (2) "to blow, swell" (see bole). Old French and Provençal baut "bold," Italian baldo "bold, daring, fearless" are Germanic loan-words.[/i] http://www.etymonlin...x.php?term=bold | <urn:uuid:31944375-8222-4cb9-9b21-f71a78753508> | {
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Tainted Pet Food Linked to Rare Salmonella Infection
Young Children, in Particular, Are at Risk of Salmonella Infection From Direct or Indirect Contact With Pets
Aug. 9, 2010 -- Pet food can be a source of salmonella infection, and millions of families, particularly young children, may be at risk of becoming sick if pet food is not properly handled and stored in the home, according to research conducted by the CDC and several state departments of health.
Human salmonella infections linked to dry pet food had not been reported prior to a three-year outbreak in 2006-2008. Overall, Salmonella enterica causes 1.4 million illnesses and 400 deaths every year nationwide. Although the most common source of human infection is ingestion of contaminated water or food, infection can also occur through direct or indirect contact with pets.
One type of Salmonella enterica is called Salmonella Schwarzengrund, which is not common and accounts for only 0.4% of all human salmonella infections per year. Federal and state researchers examined a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Schwarzengrund that occurred from 2006 to 2008. They conducted one case-controlled study to evaluate household exposures to pet food and a second study to examine the risk factors for transmitting salmonella among children. In the United States, 37% of households have dogs and 32% have cats, and many pets are fed dry pet food, which includes animal ingredients such as liver, beef, or fish.
Researchers compared households where there was a case of infection to geographically matched households where there was no infection.Participants were interviewed and also filled out questionnaires about their contact with animals, use of pet food, brand of pet food used, and pet-feeding practices.
Salmonella in Pet Food
Among the researchers’ findings:
- More than 23,000 tons of dry dog and cat pet foods from more than 100 different brands were recalled between 2006 and 2008.
- Seventy-nine patients infected with Salmonella Schwarzengrund in 21 states were identified during the study period; nearly half, 48%, were children aged 2 or younger. Symptoms included bloody diarrhea and fever. Some patients were hospitalized. No deaths were reported.
- Illnesses among infants were significantly associated with feeding pets in the kitchen, but, interestingly, there was no association between salmonella contamination and children putting pet food in their mouths.
- Illness in case households was strongly associated with contact with a dog.
- In 2007, scientists isolated the Salmonella Schwarzengrund strain from 38% of dog fecal samples and from 9% of dry dog foods tested from nine case households in Pennsylvania. Environmental samples taken from the manufacturer later confirmed a match in the outbreak strain. The manufacturer closed its plant in October 2008. | <urn:uuid:f48e5272-63c2-4fc4-8898-f9a08548fae4> | {
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Doctor insights on:
What Are The Differences Between Nephropathy And Chronic Kidney Disease
Close, semantics: Nephropathy means kidney condition. So you could have diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephropathy, or uric acid nephropathy. A chronic kidney disease (ckd) means a long-term kidney disease that is not amenable for correction. It also could have many different causes. Above examples of nephropathy are also chronic kidney diseases but uric acid nephropathy is possibly curable so it is not ckd. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
The kidneys are paired organs that lie on either side of the vertebral column. Part of their critical functions include the excretion of urine and removal of nitrogenous wastes products from the blood. They regulate acid-base, electrolyte, fluid balance and blood pressure. Through hormonal signals, the kidneys control the ...Read more
Not one infection: Usually one kidney infection does not cause decrease in function of kidneys. Bilateral disease of kidneys usually on chronic basis causes reduction in renal function. Chronic kidney disease can be related to infection, hypertension, congenital cystic disease, certain medications, diabetes, glomerulonephritis etc. Usually detailed history, examination , and perhaps testing may narrow cause. ...Read more
Renal parenchymal dz: Renal parenchymal disease is a phrase usually listed in reports from imaging studies, it is an imaging finding. If you truly have an imaging abnormality it does imply having chronic kidney disease (ckd). With only the phrase renal parenchymal disease, we can't guess on what stage of ckd a person has or the cause of the damage. ...Read more
Renal failure: acute: normal a few days ago and not now. Chronic: been abnormal for some time. ...Read more
Not the same: Dialysis removes about 80% of the impurities that build up, but not all of them as would a normal kidney. The kidney is more of a selective filter. The normal kidney also produces hormones--small molecules, that aid in things such red blood cell formation, and calcium metabolism. ...Read more
Disease: chronic disease is one that is lasting longer than normal or one you will have for life, but does not necessarily mean you were born with in your genes. ...Read more
AllUrinaryTract/Uppe: UTI is the term used for infection in any part of Urinary Tract from Urethra to urinary bladder to kidneys and covers the whole tract Pyaponephritis is also infection in the upper urinary tract,that is the Kidneys abd the Ureters and is usually more severe infection than the lower UTIs like Cystitis and urethritis.So Pelonephritis is also a UTI ...Read more
Often no syptoms: Most often it is asymptomatic.Symptoms depends on the cause of kidney and severity of kidney disease. Common symptoms are leg and facial swelling, fatigue, changes in appetite, shortness of breath etc. Docs often want to diagnose chronic kidney disaese in early reversible stages before symptoms develop. Please consult your doc ...Read more
Location of effect: Celiac involves an immune reaction that triggers antibodies that injure your intestinal absorptive lining. Autoimmune hepatitis is a similar immune reaction but the antibodies attack liver cells. Both are errors in the immune system, but the antibodies and their target are different. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
Not sure: Chorioamnionitis occurs in 1-4% of deliveries. I take care of infants born to mothers with this condition and give them antibiotics for at least 2 days until I know they are not infected. Most do just fine and are not infected. The pathologist may see inflammation of varying degrees under the microscope, but that has poor correlation with actual infection of the newborn. ...Read more
Acute = you get infected and shortly after, get sick
Latent = you get it, sometimes will get sick, you get over the illness but the pathogen remains dormant in your body. If your immune systems weakens, you may get sick again as a result of the dormancy instead of new exposure.
Chronic = there is always active infection. It's always causing low level injury. ...Read more
Terminology: Many physicians including nephrologists will use the terms chronic renal failure, chronic renal insufficiency, and chronic kidney disease interchangeably. Some will use the term "insufficiency" when the chronicity or the severity of the renal disease is not clear but in most instances, they are synonymous. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
Two different system: Arthritis is basically an inflammation ( done ("itis") of the joints ("arth"). Peripheral arterial disease is caused by a narrowing of the arteries that provide fresh blood to the tissues. There is group of diseases that can cause "arteritis" which is an inflammation of the arteries. ...Read moreSee 1 more doctor answer
Less cardiac risk: The most important advantage of kidney transplant over dialysis is that it reduces the excess risk of cardiac mortality from kidney failure. However it is an invasive procedure with its own risks from the surgical procedure and the side effects of the drugs needed to prevent rejection. This is the reason for extensive testing and counseling before transplantation. ...Read more
Simple Terms : Here are some examples. Someone with emphysema should have an obstructive spirometry pattern meaning they have trouble getting the air out when the exhale. A person with lung scarring should have a restrictive spirometry pattern (meaning they have trouble filling their lungs and taking a breath in). ...Read more
Infected/obstructed: Pyelonephritis refers to a kidney infection, whereas hydronephrosis refers to obstruction of the kidney leading to dilation and swelling. You should see your doctor and possibly a urologist for both of these issues to get them evaluated to see if an anatomic abnormality or stone is contributing to infection or to see cause/severity of obstruction and if corrective surgery required. ...Read more
Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also known as chronic renal disease, is a progressive loss in renal function over a period of months or years. Chronic kidney disease is identified by a blood test for creatinine. Higher levels of creatinine indicate a decreased capability of the kidneys ...Read more
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Innova-Play is a unique methodology dedicated to the principle that children learn best when they are not forced into an established curriculum, but that they learn and function best when they are in settings centered around them, engaged in activities that pique their interest.
This is especially true for children with special needs or for those children who have difficulty functioning within a traditional classroom: kids who have very individualized abilities, interests and energy levels. For these children, summer camp, lessons, sporting activities or other programs may leave the child feeling left out, frustrated or simply lost in a process that is irrelevant to them.
Innova-Play is different. It starts with a thorough assessment of the whole child, evaluating how the child relates to others and their environment, and determines their energy level and flow. Based upon these assessments, an individual plan is developed that addresses the child’s particular needs, and incorporates them into a group play dynamic. Children then work together in groups that make sense to them, and participate in activities that are relevant to them, making them full partners in their Innova-Play experience.
Because their group play experience "fits" them, they stay engaged, giving the Innova-Play curriculum the ability to affect change in the child. Incorporating a variety of fun filled activities that seem like play to the children, Innova-Play plans are specifically designed to focus on areas essential to children with special needs, such as social skills, gross motor skills and fine motor skills.
Innova-Play believes that hard work can be accomplished through play! By spending the summer having fun, the child acquires skills that will make them better prepared for school in the fall. | <urn:uuid:cc0a9c8a-3765-498a-9b42-c98e52026a33> | {
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Subjectivity is a key to the Buddhist approach to understanding the world (Image: Christophe Boisvieux/Corbis)
In Buddhist Biology, David Barash highlights parallels between these empirical systems of thought, and suggests that together they can show us how to live
AT FIRST glance, Buddhism and science seem natural bedfellows. Both seek essential truths about the world and the human condition and both set great store on their empirical approach. Yet the perception of a growing affiliation notwithstanding, at a deep level they are some way apart.
The Buddhist approach to understanding is largely subjective: no one can meditate for you. And certain Buddhist principles, such as reincarnation, are blatantly unscientific. Science, on the other hand, requires verification and is often poor at quantifying personal experience (note the “hard problem” of consciousness). Above all, whereas science strives for objective knowledge, Buddhism offers an ethical framework in which to apply it.
In his new book, Buddhist Biology, evolutionary psychologist David Barash is candid about this misalignment. His main aim, however, is to do for biology what other Buddhist-inclined writers have done for neuroscience, physics and psychology – to highlight the parallels between the two disciplines, which he says “complement each other like a pair of powerful searchlights illuminating the same thing from different angles”.
He homes in on three areas where the commonalities are most evident. The first is individual identity – our sense of having a fixed self – which Buddhists claim is an illusion (many brain and behavioural scientists would agree; see New Scientist, 5 May 2012, p 44). Barash sees a biological equivalent in the understanding that we are a product of the genes we inherited and the biological processes that sustain us, nothing more.
Likewise, you don’t have to look far in nature for affirmation of the Buddhist principle of impermanence, which holds that all things are in a state of flux: life is growth and decay, organic material is constantly recycled, even genes mutate.
Finally, the Buddhist idea that nothing exists as an independent entity but rather arises through multiple causes and conditions is a fundamental tenet of ecology. Decades of field studies have shown that organisms are shaped by their environment, and by the community of other species that make up their ecosystem. “Food webs, such as those connecting mouse, acorn, and gypsy moth, do not merely describe who eats whom, but trace the outlines of their very being,” Barash writes. No wonder that Buddhism, more than any other religion, is a natural ally of environmentalism: interconnectedness is written into both their creeds.
Buddhism is a natural ally of environmentalism: interconnectedness is written into both creeds
Barash presents all this with an infectious enthusiasm that more than makes up for the book’s occasional shortcomings: it is repetitive in places, and the lengthy quotes from Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh and other scholars sometimes feel indulgent. Mysteriously, he waits until the final chapter to reveal his true motivation, which is to find meaning in a world in which life is defined by the success of our selfish genes. He hopes to go beyond the science, to transcend what he calls “the brute biological fact of being alive”.
This is what the American psychiatrist Ernest Becker labelled humanity’s “terrifying dilemma” in his 1973 classic, The Denial of Death. Mankind, he wrote, “has an awareness of his own splendid uniqueness. And yet he goes back into the ground a few feet in order blindly and dumbly to rot and disappear forever”.
Barash’s preferred solution to this uniquely human conundrum is to coalesce aspects of biology, Buddhism and existentialism into a kind of manifesto to live by. It reshapes his trajectory considerably, so that by the end the book feels more like a philosophical treatise than the sophisticated analysis that it largely is.
This is not in any way a weakness, although it says a lot more about the limits of science and its divergence from Buddhism than perhaps Barash intended.
Oxford University Press
More on these topics: | <urn:uuid:21aa40f0-fa84-4f1c-94a3-eeb6087cf9d2> | {
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Boulder scientists this summer will take part in a major NASA airborne science campaign aimed at better understanding the impacts of air pollution and weather patterns over a vast portion of North America.
The multimillion-dollar effort, called Studies of Emissions, Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveyors, or SEAC4RS, is led by University of Colorado professor Brian Toon.
With help from 250 scientists, engineers, students and flight personnel from five NASA research centers, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 15 universities, including CU, the project aims to look at Earth's atmosphere from top to bottom.
"These missions are how you do experiments in the atmosphere," said Toon, an atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor and veteran of 10 such NASA missions. "It's one thing to sit in an office and hypothesize, and it's another to go out into the atmosphere and see what is actually going on."
The research team will rely on a variety of scientific instruments aboard three aircraft: a NASA high-altitude ER-2; a Boulder-based Spec Inc. Learjet equipped with advanced sensors for measuring cloud properties; and a NASA DC-8 operating as a flying laboratory.
Toon said the mission's numerous goals include measuring the impacts of biogenic emissions -- or atmospheric emissions from plants and animals -- on the atmosphere over the southeastern U.S., as well as the atmospheric and climate change impact of smoke from large forest fires.
It will also focus on the transfer of air pollution and other substances carried from Earth's surface up into the atmosphere by storms like hurricanes and how those substances then interact with the ozone layer. Toon said the North American monsoon -- a weather pattern that forms near the American Southwest and then rotates clockwise into the Gulf of Mexico, across Central America and northern South America and back up the Pacific Coast -- also occurs during the study period.
"Both the hurricanes and this big circulation are full of all kinds of thunderstorms, and the thunderstorms are taking warm air from the ground and pushing it into the high atmosphere," Toon said. "We would like to know what hurricanes are pushing into the upper atmosphere and what the North American monsoon is pushing to the upper atmosphere."
Sebastian Schmidt, a research scientist for CU's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, is participating in the mission, focusing on the combined effect of clouds and aerosols, such as fire smoke plumes and urban pollution, on solar radiation. He will take measurements from instruments aboard the high-altitude ER-2 aircraft as well as the DC-8, which can fly below or through an area of interest, to see how clouds and aerosol behave when in close proximity to each other.
While NASA satellites can measure the impacts of clouds and aerosols separately, they have trouble distinguishing between the two when they are in close proximity to one another. Schmidt's data will measure the accuracy of NASA satellites and help develop new techniques for gathering data about clouds and aerosols.
"The set of instruments that is going to be deployed on these aircraft ... have all of these capabilities that are not yet available in space," Schmidt said. "In a way, this is a pre-study for future satellite instruments, and the results that will come out of these experiments will have an impact on what instruments will be put up there."
Also working on the mission is associate CU chemistry and biochemistry professor Jose Jimenez, a fellow with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. He said the long-distance capabilities of the DC-8 aircraft will be beneficial in helping track smoke plumes from fires as they move across the continent.
"We consider ourselves to be very lucky to be able to work with this NASA team," he said.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Joe Rubino at 303-473-1328 or [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:6ea9d489-fbbe-4be3-8e3a-4010e4721e4b> | {
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FORT McMURRAY, Alberta — For decades, the U.S. has vowed to reduce its dependence on imported oil and to find a reliable source to meet the nation's growing oil needs.
Now, Canada offers a solution.
While oil supplies are dwindling in some places, or disrupted by hurricanes, threatened by terrorist attacks or controlled by hostile governments, Alberta's oil sands — a patch of forest about the size of Florida with a sea of oil beneath it — produce more crude than all the wells in Texas or Alaska.
With more than 170 billion barrels, the oil sands are the second-largest proven reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia.
Because of the Alberta oil sands, Canada has become the largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S. The oil sands are booming, and production is expected to triple in a little more than a decade.
Also growing are the environmental costs — higher greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil and long-term destruction of a swath of deep forest. In the past few months, Alberta officials have announced new environmental policies and plans to invest $4 billion Canadian ($3.7 billion U.S.) to cut emissions. What's clear so far is that they're facing an environmental problem — supersized.
"We're an energy province. We're now producing record amounts of oil. We have the potential to actually increase our production of oil," said Alberta energy official Christopher Holly.
"So one of the things that's beginning to happen," Holly said, "is we're beginning to recognize the need to take a look at the entire energy framework . . . to look at the balance between being a supplier and also being an environmental steward."
The Alberta government controls the rights to this oil and is in charge of environmental protection. This year, the western Canadian province of about 3.5 million has an estimated $7.9 billion surplus.
Demand for fuel in North America will keep oil sands production growing from 1.2 million barrels a day in 2007 to 3.5 million to 4 million barrels a day by 2020, said Alberta Oil Minister Mel Knight. "I don't see anything on the horizon that would indicate that isn't a target that's doable."
Oil companies are expanding so fast in Alberta that the three big players — Suncor Energy Inc., Syncrude Canada Ltd. and Albian Sands Energy Inc. — have built their own airstrips to ferry in temporary construction workers. Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and many other companies have investments in the big operators.
Workers from all over Canada, plus miners from South Africa and oil workers from Venezuela, have moved to Fort McMurray. Housing costs are sky high. The boomtown of 65,000 has an additional 27,000 temporary workers living in camper trailers and motels.
From a helicopter, the view of this growth begins with a forest of spruce, pine, poplar and aspen spotted with ancient bogs under a summer cover of bright green algae. That landscape suddenly gives way to miles of black strip mines, brownish settling ponds with a rainbow sheen, and beyond the mines, well pads amid grids of roads and cuts from geological seismic surveys.
Some of the world's biggest trucks — two-story tall Caterpillar 797Bs that carry 400 tons — haul the black sands through strip mines. Scarecrows with orange cloth bodies and blue hardhats surround huge ponds of mining residues.
About 200 square miles have been mined, close to the Athabasca River.
But most of the thick crude oil lies farther from the river, too deep to be scraped off. Here the thick oil is heated by steam piped underground so that it can be pumped.
The sands contain a form of crude oil called bitumen that's as thick as peanut butter. To remove the sand and clay to turn the bitumen into heavy crude that can flow to refineries takes a lot of energy.
For that reason, greenhouse-gas emissions from production are three to five times those of conventional oil.
Another way to measure these emissions is to consider the full "life cycle" of the oil from extraction to final use, such as gasoline in a car. By this measure, fuel from the oil sands produces 10 percent to 15 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil. That's because about three-quarters of the emissions come when the fuel is burned to drive. Scientists have determined that heat-trapping gases from fossil fuel burning are largely responsible for the major climate changes of recent decades.
Alberta's environmental officials forecast that with the new policies in place, the province's emissions will increase until 2020 and then decline to 14 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. Global targets based on the 2007 findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are 50 percent to 85 percent reductions from 2000 levels.
Other environmental concerns are with the Athabasca River and the forest.
Preston McEachern of the province's oil sands environmental management division said oil sands production has not harmed the river.
David Schindler, an ecology professor at the University of Alberta, said it's not true that no mining pollution reaches the Athabasca. He challenged the government's handling of its data and said new studies are under way about pollutants in the river and whether the mining companies draw out too much water when the river is naturally low.
Canadian First Nations people living downstream of the oil sands report an unexplained cluster of rare cancers. This summer, a two-jawed fish washed ashore.
Canada needs the oil, but the people need clean water, said Patrick Mercredi, the medical director of Athabasca Tribal Council, who grew up downriver learning to hunt and trap as his ancestors did. He said people are worried about contaminants in fish and game.
Schindler said that the woodland caribou would be extinct in this part of Alberta in 20 years, because when they're calving and rearing young they're easily disturbed and avoid industrialized areas.
In addition, the seismic lines — created with explosive charges that flatten trees — become paths for animals and off-road vehicles. Wolves, hunters and caribou use them, "and things like caribou really take a licking," he said.
Schindler said other species also are losing habitat, including migratory songbirds like warblers who nest here in summer.
Oil companies are required to restore the land. They must let the tailing ponds dry out when they're no longer in use, stabilize the sediment, restore topsoil and replant trees. But oil sands operations use the land for many years, and restoration requires decades.
"If there was a Guinness Book of Records for unsustainable development, this is it," Schindler said.
Canada has been fighting back against the dirty oil image. Officials are particularly concerned about a sentence in the 2007 U.S. energy bill that said the federal government wouldn't buy unconventional fuel that produces more greenhouse gases than conventional oil. Some members of Congress have proposed repealing it.
"The message we have for the United States is we're a secure, reliable and environmentally responsible producer of oil," said Alberta Deputy Premier Ron Stevens.
Alberta aims to reduce emissions mainly by capturing carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, from facilities that turn the bitumen into upgraded crude oil and then burying the carbon permanently underground. But carbon capture is still years off.
The government of Alberta in July announced it will spend $2 billion Canadian ($1.86 billion U.S.) on mass transit and an equal amount on four or five pilot projects for carbon capture and storage, including probably one in the oil sands.
No other government has put up that kind of money, said Holly, the provincial energy official. "What you're looking at is a very significant effort toward addressing some of the concerns with oil sands."
Alberta charges big polluters $15 a ton of emissions that is then deposited into a technology development fund. Estimates of the cost of burying the emissions underground range up to $100 a ton. But officials say the levy on emissions and the $2 billion from the government will help early carbon capture and storage projects work out problems and could bring down costs.
- A Canadian federal climate plan is expected to set carbon capture and storage requirements for oil sands processing plants and wells that start up in 2012 or later.
- Alberta's climate plan started last year with "practical, achievable objectives," said Shannon Flint, an official with the province's environmental management office.
- Large industrial plants are required to reduce their emission intensity — or amount per barrel of oil — by 12 percent. They either actually reduce the emissions through greater efficiency and other changes, or they can buy credit from emissions reductions made elsewhere in the province, or they can pay into the technology fund.
- Alberta officials are writing a new land use plan. An early draft acknowledged that past developments were approved on a project-by-project basis and promises a shift to a cumulative assessment.
ON THE WEB
MORE FROM MCCLATCHY
McClatchy Newspapers 2008 | <urn:uuid:769574fd-d8b3-404a-b863-adac9266afff> | {
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Looking for pollution in exoplanet atmospheres may be a promising way to detect intelligent life, according to new research.
Researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) say they might soon be able to "spot the fingerprints of certain pollutants under ideal conditions."
"We consider industrial pollution as a sign of intelligent life, but perhaps civilizations more advanced than us, with their own SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) programs, will consider pollution as a sign of unintelligent life since it's not smart to contaminate your own air," said Harvard student and lead author Henry Lin in a statement.
Specifically, researchers think the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), slated for launch in 2018, will offer astronomers a chance to detect two kinds of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) on a faraway world. One caveat is that the levels of CFC in the planet's atmosphere would have to be 10 times higher than here on Earth.
Some CFCs last for 50,000 years, while others break down after just 10 years. Distinguishing between the types on an alien world might say a lot about the planet's history.
"If you don't see the short-lived ones, you may be looking at the ruins of a civilization that killed itself," said Harvard co-author Avi Loeb.
Then again, high levels of pollution could be a sign of an advance civilization, said Loeb.
On a planet just outside the so-called habitable zone, an advanced civilization might purposely flood the atmosphere of a planet with greenhouse gases to warm it up and make it habitable.
According to Loeb, the JWST was not designed with this kind of research in mind, but he thinks that if they find a promising planet, there could be a push to develop technology that would better analyze that planet's atmosphere. One such technology might be able to block the light of the star so that only the light passing through the planet's atmosphere could be seen and studied.
For now, the JWST "can only detect pollutants on an Earth-like planet circling a white dwarf star." White dwarf stars are what remains after a star like the sun dies.
White dwarf stars have only recently become interesting to those in search of extraterrestrial life because it was widely thought that during a star's death, when it swells to what is called a red giant, any planet that might have had life would have been incinerated.
"Turns out in 2011 people discovered two Earth-like planets after the red giant," said Loeb, adding that the planets either survived the red giant phase or formed afterwards. | <urn:uuid:ed2b176c-a6d4-495e-9c1c-45569ca361cb> | {
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Macroscopic in a sentence
Example sentences for Macroscopic
Changing the shape of an aircraft can be done at a microscopic as well as a macroscopic level.
We have to answer this question at the macroscopic level, not by examining the learning of some picayune item.
The microscopic vision of the eighteenth century was succeeded by the macroscopic eve of the nineteenth.
Even so, one could not decide the timing of macroscopic events with the microscopic.
Information is an orderly arrangement of matter whether macroscopic, microscopic or subatomic.
How quantum physics translates to the macroscopic realm, what dark matter is and how it interacts with the rest of the world.
One of the great challenges for quantum physicists is to find quantum behaviour in macroscopic objects.
The trouble is that nobody really understands how these macroscopic signals are linked to the microscopic state of the body.
Today's macroscopic heat engines are clearly more efficient than biological ones.
The former is in a category which transcends macroscopic physics.
It's an impressive example of quantum uncertainty on a macroscopic scale.
My macroscopic car is also an impressive feat of engineering, but it's no good if a crucial component breaks.
The separation between the quantum world and the macroscopic world is still unclear and interests many researchers.
There is confusion here between macroscopic and microscopic variables.
Of course my room isn't a proper thermodynamic system, but it's essentially a microscopic system scaled up to a macroscopic size.
Friction is a macroscopic phenomena caused by the electromagnetic interaction between atoms in the two materials.
The idea of macroscopic statistical fluctuations is fascinating, if bizarre.
On the other hand, look at all the macroscopic problems your new microscopic theory may be able to address.
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Matt Strassler [February 21, 2012]
Why does the sight of the Moon draw our gaze and silence our voices? What is it about the planets, those exceptionally bright points of light that wander among the stars, that we instinctively find so beautiful? Is it perhaps that they make us dream of faraway, unreachable places? Is it that they are beacons in the night, nature’s candle flames, helping keep fear at bay, and offering us hope amid darkness? Or is it perhaps that they seem to float — we do love things that float, whether they be autumn leaves, balloons, clouds or birds — suspended in the sky, in apparent defiance of the force of gravity which keeps us pinned to the Earth?
This last thought offers a certain delicious irony… for in truth the planets and the Moon, in their procession above our heads, obey gravity’s dictates.
The next few days, weather permitting, will give us a chance to contemplate these questions. Our planet’s natural satellite, on its monthly trip around the Earth, will pass three of the brighter planets in the sky, creating one lovely spectacle after another. Of course, the Moon really passes nowhere near the planets, just as your outstretched hand, when it blocks your view of the Moon, is nowhere near the Moon itself. It is all a matter of perspective — of geometry, of cavernous spaces, of the play of light, and of the elegant choreography of the solar system. But this perspective is not something we sense easily. Our eyes can perceive no depth for objects so far away, and so our brains form a two-dimensional picture from the three dimensions of the universe, projecting the Moon, the planets and the stars, at extraordinary distances from one another, onto a psychologically flat black screen of the night sky. It takes great mental effort to see things as they are, and not as they appear. This, too, is worthy of contemplation.
On the night of February 22nd, just after sunset (don’t be late!), one of the most delicate of nocturnal sights awaits: a fragile fingernail Moon, so thin that it seems it would break if you could touch it. This happens only twice about every four weeks, one day just before sunrise, and then, two days later, just after sunset. Why? Simple geometry, and reflected light.
[Note: all dates and times in this article are appropriate for the United States and its neighbors. If you live on other continents, the phenomena described here will still occur, but may be shifted later by one calendar day, and may appear slightly different in detail. Please consult a sky-watching website that is aimed at your region of the globe.]
The Moon and planets give off no light of their own; they merely reflect the light of the Sun. Whatever we see of them, however bright they are, is determined by how much sunlight they reflect back to us. And this amount is all merely a matter of geometry, a consequence of where the Moon and planets are relative to the Sun and the Earth. If you think about this for a bit, and arm yourself with a rather small telescope, you can even determine to your complete satisfaction that what you’ve learned in school is really true: that the Moon orbits the Earth, while the planets all orbit the Sun, with two of them closer than Earth, and the rest further away.
To convince yourself that the Moon orbits the Earth actually requires no telescope; it just requires paying a bit of attention to a few facts that you already know, but may not have put together. We all know the Moon has “phases” — periods during the four weeks of a lunar cycle when it is full, or half, or crescent-shaped. But have you noticed these phases follow a very strict and simple pattern? A crescent Moon is always seen just after sunset, or just before sunrise; on such a night the Moon is only visible for an hour or two. A half Moon is always overhead either at sunrise or at sunset, and is visible half the night. A full Moon is visible all night, rises when the Sun sets, sets when the Sun rises, and is overhead at midnight.
And have you noticed that the lit portion of the Moon always is on the side nearest the Sun? If it is evening and the Moon is visible, the lit portion of the Moon always faces to the west (which is down toward the horizon when the Moon is setting), whereas if the Moon is visible after midnight the lit portion always faces to the east (which is down when the Moon is rising).
Meanwhile, the Moon’s size in the sky never changes very much (other than an optical illusion when it approaches the horizon that makes it appear larger — take a photo and you’ll find it isn’t really bigger.) The top and bottom tips of the crescent Moon are the same distance apart in the sky as is the top and bottom of the full Moon. You can also confirm this if you are lucky enough to spot the lovely phenomenon of “earthshine,” which you are most likely to see after the moon leaves twilight but before it becomes too bright — which happens during the few days after the evening fingernail Moon, so look for it this week. Earthshine arises from light that bounces off the lit portion of the Earth, travels to the unlit portion of the Moon, and back down to the dark parts of the Earth to be admired — a faint glow of the dark portion of the Moon that reveals that even a crescent Moon is still a sphere, and the same size as a full Moon.
These things tell us that the Moon’s distance from the Earth never changes very much; and that during a full Moon, the Earth stands between the Moon and the Sun, while the Moon lies nearly between the Earth and the Sun when it form a crescent. This means that the Moon travels in an orbit around the Earth, at a (nearly) constant distance from the Earth, with a cycle of about four weeks. Oh, and meanwhile, the fact that a little sliver of sunlit Moon forms a crescent shape, just like the skin on a wedge of an orange, confirms the Moon is a sphere.
By contrast, the two planets Venus and Mercury appear initially quite peculiar, in terms of what they do in the sky. Neither is ever directly overhead at night; in fact at the hour of midnight you’ll never find either of them anywhere in the sky.
Have you ever seen Mercury? Unless you’ve actively looked for it, you probably haven’t. In order to observe Mercury, you have to look either right after sunset, or just before sunrise — but not both on the same day, or even the same month. And on February 22nd — if you look soon after sunset, no more than 30 minutes or so, and if you have a clear horizon, with no nearby trees or buildings and no clouds or high mountains to your west, you will find (here’s a sky map), several Moon-widths to the left of the setting fingernail Moon, a pinprick of light, all by itself. That’s Mercury — mercurial indeed, for it is dim in the twilight, and will soon set. (You can look again later in the week if you miss it on the 22nd; Mercury will still be there, though the Moon will have moved on and won’t be there to guide you. Binoculars will be helpful in finding it.)
Why is it so hard to find Mercury? Because it has an orbit around the Sun that is much closer to the Sun than Earth’s orbit, and this assures that it never can appear far from the Sun in the sky, and must either set just after the Sun does, or rise just before it. As it orbits the Sun (and as the Earth does too) it moves, from Earth’s perspective, from behind the Sun (when we can’t possibly see it) to the side of the Sun that puts it into the evening sky at sunset, but not very far; then it passes between the Sun and the Earth (when the bright Sun makes it impossible for us to observe it) and from there into the morning sky, but again not very far, and then finally it retreats behind the Sun to begin its cycle anew.
Venus is easier to see for several reasons. First, it is bigger than Mercury; it is almost the same size as Earth. Second, while Mercury is greyish, Venus is bright white; it has an atmosphere (with a horrific greenhouse-gas effect that keeps its surface much hotter than an oven) which is eternally overcast with white clouds, making the planet highly reflective. Third, its orbit is further from the Sun than is Mercury’s, and that has two effects: Venus comes closer to the Earth than does Mercury, which makes it appear larger and brighter, and it moves higher into the sky than does Mercury, meaning that it is visible sometimes for several hours after sunset or before sunrise (though again, for the same reasons as Mercury, not both at the same time). This makes it possible to observe without any special effort. Inevitably, every time it brightens, calls come in to the police about a UFO: a surprisingly bright Unidentified Floating Object, a.k.a. Venus.
But the real clincher that tells you that Venus (and Mercury) orbit the Sun, and not the Earth, is this: they have phases too, like the Moon, but with key differences. As they go through their phases, they change size, unlike the Moon, and they are brightest not when they are full, like the Moon, but when they are in a wide crescent phase (not quite at the fingernail stage.) In fact, what happens is this: first Venus appears in the evening sky, dim, but fully lit; then over successive weeks, it rises high in the evening sky, becomes larger, brighter, but is no longer fully lit; then it begins to fall back toward the horizon in the evening, but still becoming brighter and larger, while approaching a crescent shape, and finally, with a thin crescent but quite large indeed, it disappears in post-sunset twilight. Then it appears a few days later in the pre-sunrise twilight, as a thin crescent, and the second half of the cycle occurs in the early morning hours, reversing the sequence of the evenings’ festivities in front of a smaller audience. (Here is a nice perspective drawing [not to scale!] illustrating the phases as they would be predicted to occur if Venus orbits the Sun.)
Unfortunately this is something you cannot verify with the naked eye — and arguably this is what delayed the recognition that Venus orbits the Sun for many thousands of years. It was only the telescope of Galileo, almost exactly 400 years ago, that revealed that Venus’s phases are as I have just described. (Here is an image from Galileo’s notebooks, showing at bottom the phases and size of Venus; and here is a composite of photos showing how Venus’s appearance changes over time.) You only need a very small telescope, just enough to magnify objects about 20 times, or even a powerful set of binoculars (if your eyes are good, skies are very clear, and you are patient enough to let your eyes fully adjust to darkness), to verify what Galileo saw.
Venus is now in the middle of the evening part of the cycle. Still more than half lit, and still brightening, growing in size, becoming gradually less fully illuminated by the Sun, and climbing day by day relative to the evening horizon, it is a spectacular sight on its own and will become more so over the next months. If you pay attention week by week you will see Venus reach its highest point relative to the horizon in about a month, before turning back and approaching the Sun, from Earth’s perspective. (In fact, on June 5th and 6th, Venus will pass in front of the Sun’s disk! A “transit!” Mark it in your calendar.)
On February 25th, the Moon will pass close by Venus. It should be the most spectacular event of the week. Think, when you see these two great orbs in the sky — Earth’s spouse and Earth’s sibling — about what your brain refuses to tell you. Despite the Moon’s apparent immensity, and the dot that is Venus, the planet is actually five times wider than the Moon (and about the same size as Earth), and appears smaller and dimmer only because it is currently (though this will decrease over the coming months) about four hundred times further away.
And think of this, too. The light from the Moon travels from the Sun (a journey of about eight and a half minutes, so great are the distances), bounces off the Moon and travels to Earth (a journey of nearly a second and a half) while the light from Venus must first travel from the sun, under six minutes, bounce off of Venus, and travel (currently) over eight additional minutes to reach Earth. It’s just like the delay of an echo; when you hear thunder from a lightning strike in the mountains, you may hear it first directly, then hear it again as the sound bounces off a distant peak. If someone could turn off the Sun with a light-switch, you’d see the Moon go dark eight minutes later, but Venus would continue to glow in the sky for another six minutes or so after that, before winking out.
And what about Jupiter? The solar system’s largest planet would continue to glow for well over an hour! For that is how long it takes for sunlight first to reach Jupiter (it orbits about five times further from the Sun than does Earth) and then, reflecting off of it, to travel to Earth (for it is currently about five times further away from Earth than is Venus).
This week you will find Jupiter above Venus in the sky, closer to overhead. And late on February 26th, the Moon will pass nearby, completing the week’s drama. Jupiter is a much bigger planet than Earth or Venus — about ten times larger in radius — so in a telescope or good binoculars (which are enough to show that it is not a point but a disk against the night sky) it appears to be twice as wide right now as does Venus, despite being five times further away. Yet though it appears larger, it still appears dimmer than Venus. Why? As you go further from the Sun, the Sun’s light is dispersed more greatly, so that the Sun would appear much dimmer and smaller at Jupiter than it does at Earth, while at Venus the Sun would appear larger and brighter. This means that relatively less sunlight is reflected off Jupiter’s huge surface. But do not let your mind be fooled when on the 26th you see Jupiter dwarfed and outshined by the Moon. Remember that the interior of this gaseous giant could hold a thousand Earths.
That Jupiter orbits the Sun, and that its distance from the Sun is much greater than Earth’s, is again something you can recognize with a small telescope, or even binoculars. Unlike Venus and the Moon, Jupiter has (essentially) no phases; it is always almost completely lit by sunlight, from our point of view. The same is true of Saturn, by the way (and also of Uranus and Neptune, which require binoculars or a telescope for you to observe them easily in the first place), and, to a slightly lesser extent, of Mars. All of these planets, unlike Venus and Mercury, can be overhead at midnight, and what’s more, those are the nights in which they appear largest and brightest. They are smallest and dimmest when they are only visible in the sky just after sunset or just before sunrise.
What explains these patterns? An object is overhead at midnight when the Earth lies between it and the Sun, as we saw for the full moon. And that is when these planets are closest to the Earth. When they are visible only just after sunset, they are very, very far from Earth, with the Sun almost in between them and the Earth, and so they are quite dim because of their great distance from our planet. And meanwhile, since they never pass between the Earth and the Sun, they can never become crescents in the sky the way the Moon, Mercury and Venus do. (To see how Jupiter changes size as it orbits the Sun, look at the upper panel of photographs in this image.)
So if you obtain a small telescope, you may enjoy following along for a year or so as the elegant dance of planets and the Moon goes through its steps; watch the planets grow and shrink as they approach and recede; note how they rise or fall in our two-dimensional sky, and how this reflects their three-dimensional motion (and the Earth’s) through space; and observe the phases of Venus and how they confirm that it orbits the Sun. And you may reflect on how a small advance in technology around the year 1609 boosted Galileo’s vision just enough to allow him to discover so many previously unknown features of the Moon, Sun and planets, and forever alter humanity’s view of ourselves and of our neighbors in the heavens.
But even without a telescope — even with just your eyes, or small binoculars to help them — you can enjoy the beauty of the night sky this week, and immerse yourself in the immensity of our home. And there is more to come: you can watch Mars reach its overhead-at-midnight position, and glow about as bright as it can, on March 3rd; and meanwhile Venus climbs night by night in the evening sky, while Jupiter seems to hover in place, bringing them close together around March 13th for yet another spectacular pairing. (To see where the planets are or will be located around the sun, try this site; and to see how they appear or will appear from earth or elsewhere, try this one.)
This Saturday, when the Moon brushes past Venus, I will be thinking of one of my favorite personal encounters with nature. It happened a few years ago, during a solitary summer visit to the National Volcanic Monument that surrounds Mount Saint Helens, the volcano in southern Washington state that blew off its top in 1980. From a ridge to the north, facing the gaping hole in the mountain’s side and the sweeping, devastated valley down below it, I watched the rocks turn a golden grey in the sunset, and waited as the stars appeared and the sky turned mostly to black. In the west, Venus glowed brightly, a pearl above and to the left of a pendant crescent Moon, earthshine completing its disk. Then I heard a snuffling sound, seemingly quite close. I thought it must be a small animal in the brush behind me, but when I reached the brush I heard the sound again, from somewhere else. Puzzled, I looked up, and froze. Grazing on the hillock less than fifty yards away, silhouetted against the last orange glow of sunset, were three majestic antlered elk.
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Annals of Science July 28, 2008 Issue The Eureka Hunt Why do good ideas come to us when they do? By Jonah Lehrer Table of Contents » Brain-imaging techniques are revealing how our minds produce insight. Credit BRUCE ERIC KAPLAN The summer of 1949 was long and dry in Montana. On the afternoon of August 5th—the hottest day ever recorded in the state—a lightning fire was spotted in a remote area of pine forest. A parachute brigade of fifteen firefighters known as smoke jumpers was dispatched to put out the blaze; the man in charge was named Wag Dodge. When the jumpers left Missoula, in a C-47 cargo plane, they were told that the fire was small, just a few burning acres in the Mann Gulch. Mann Gulch, nearly three miles long, is a site of geological transition, where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains, pine trees give way to tall grasses, and steep cliffs loom over the steppes of the Midwest. The fire began in the trees on one side of the gulch. By the time the firefighters arrived, the blaze was already out of control. Dodge moved his men along the other side of the gulch and told them to head downhill, toward the water. When the smoke jumpers started down the gulch, a breeze was blowing the flames away from them. Suddenly, the wind reversed, and Dodge watched the fire leap across the gulch and spark the grass on his side. He and his men were only a quarter mile uphill. An updraft began, and fierce winds howled through the canyon as the fire sucked in the surrounding air. Dodge was suddenly staring at a wall of flame fifty feet tall and three hundred feet deep. In a matter of seconds, the fire began to devour the grass, hurtling toward the smoke jumpers at seven hundred feet a minute. Dodge screamed at his men to retreat. They dropped their gear and started running up the steep canyon walls, trying to reach the top of the ridge. After a few minutes, Dodge glanced over his shoulder and saw that the fire was less than fifty yards away. He realized that the blaze couldn’t be outrun; the gulch was too steep, the flames too fast. So Dodge stopped running. The decision wasn’t as suicidal as it appeared: in a moment of desperate insight, he had devised an escape plan. He lit a match and ignited the ground in front of him, the flames quickly moving up the grassy slope. Then Dodge stepped into the shadow of his fire, so that he was surrounded by a buffer of burned land. He wet his handkerchief with water from his canteen, clutched the cloth to his mouth, and lay down on the smoldering embers. He closed his eyes and tried to inhale the thin layer of oxygen clinging to the ground. Then he waited for the fire to pass over him. Thirteen smoke jumpers died in the Mann Gulch fire. White crosses below the ridge still mark the spots where the men died. But after several terrifying minutes Dodge emerged from the ashes, virtually unscathed. There is something inherently mysterious about moments of insight. Wag Dodge, for instance, could never explain where his idea for the escape fire came from. (“It just seemed the logical thing to do” was all he could muster.) His improbable survival has become one of those legendary stories of insight, like Archimedes shouting “Eureka!” when he saw his bathwater rise, or Isaac Newton watching an apple fall from a tree and then formulating his theory of gravity. Such tales all share a few essential features, which psychologists and neuroscientists use to define “the insight experience.” The first of these is the impasse: before there can be a breakthrough, there has to be a mental block. Wag Dodge spent minutes running from the fire, although he was convinced that doing so was futile. Then, when the insight arrived, Dodge immediately realized that the problem was solved. This is another key feature of insight: the feeling of certainty that accompanies the idea. Dodge didn’t have time to think about whether his plan would work. He simply knew that it would. Mark Jung-Beeman, a cognitive neuroscientist at Northwestern University, has spent the past fifteen years trying to figure out what happens inside the brain when people have an insight. “It’s one of those defining features of the human mind, and yet we have no idea how or why it happens,” he told me. Insights have often been attributed to divine intervention, but, by mapping the epiphany as a journey between cortical circuits, Jung-Beeman wants to purge the insight experience of its mystery. Jung-Beeman has a tense smile, a receding hairline, and the wiry build of a long-distance runner. He qualified for the 1988 and 1992 Olympic trials in the fifteen hundred metres, although he gave up competitive running after, as he puts it, “everything below the hips started to fall apart.” He now subsists on long walks and manic foot tapping. When Jung-Beeman gets excited about an idea—be it the cellular properties of pyramidal neurons or his new treadmill—his speech accelerates, and he starts to draw pictures on whatever paper is nearby. It’s as if his mind were sprinting ahead of his mouth. Jung-Beeman became interested in the nature of insight in the early nineteen-nineties, while researching the right hemisphere of the brain. At the time, he was studying patients who had peculiar patterns of brain damage. “We had a number of patients with impaired right hemispheres,” he said. “And the doctors would always say, ‘Wow, you’re lucky—it got the right hemisphere. That’s the minor hemisphere. It doesn’t do much, and it doesn’t do anything with language.’ ” But it gradually became clear to Jung-Beeman that these patients did have serious cognitive problems after all, particularly with understanding linguistic nuance, and he began to suspect that the talents of the right hemisphere had been overlooked. If the left hemisphere excelled at denotation—storing the primary meaning of a word—Jung-Beeman suspected that the right hemisphere dealt with connotation, everything that gets left out of a dictionary definition, such as the emotional charge in a sentence or a metaphor. “Language is so complex that the brain has to process it in two different ways at the same time,” he said. “It needs to see the forest and the trees. The right hemisphere is what helps you see the forest.” It wasn’t clear how to pinpoint these nuanced aspects of cognition, because the results of right-hemisphere damage were harder to spot than those of left-hemisphere damage. But in 1993 Jung-Beeman heard a talk by the psychologist Jonathan Schooler on moments of insight. Schooler had demonstrated that it was possible to interfere with insight by making people explain their thought process while trying to solve a puzzle—a phenomenon he called “verbal overshadowing.” This made sense to Jung-Beeman, since the act of verbal explanation would naturally shift activity to the left hemisphere, causing people to ignore the more subtle associations coming from the right side of the brain. “That’s when I realized that insight could be a really interesting way to look at all these skills the right hemisphere excelled at,” he said. “I guess I had an insight about insight.” Jung-Beeman began searching in the right hemisphere for the source of insight in the brain. He decided to compare puzzles solved in moments of insight with those solved by methodical testing of potential solutions, in which people could accurately trace their thought process and had no sense of surprise when the answer came. Unfortunately, all the classic puzzles developed by scientists to study insight required insight; if subjects didn’t solve them in a sudden “Aha!” moment, they didn’t solve them at all. In a popular puzzle known as “the candle problem,” for instance, subjects are given a cardboard box containing a few thumbtacks, a book of matches, and a candle. They are told to attach the candle to a piece of corkboard so that it can burn properly. Nearly ninety per cent of people pursue the same two strategies. They try to tack the candle directly to the board, which causes the candle wax to shatter. Or they try melting the candle with the matches, so that it sticks to the board; but the wax doesn’t hold and the candle falls. Only four per cent of people manage to come up with the solution, which involves attaching the candle to the cardboard box and tacking the cardboard box to the corkboard. To isolate the brain activity that defined the insight process, Jung-Beeman needed to develop a set of puzzles that could be solved either by insight or by analysis. Doing so was a puzzle in itself. “It can get pretty frustrating trying to find an experimentally valid brainteaser,” Jung-Beeman said. “The puzzles can’t be too hard or too easy, and you need to be able to generate lots of them.” He eventually settled on a series of verbal puzzles, based on ones used by a psychologist in the early nineteen-sixties, which he named the Compound Remote Associate Problems, or CRAP. (The joke is beginning to get old, and in his scientific papers Jung-Beeman decorously leaves off the final “P.”) In a C.R.A. word puzzle, a subject is given three words, such as “pine,” “crab,” and “sauce,” and asked to think of a word that can be combined with all three—in this case, “apple” (“pineapple,” “crab apple,” “apple sauce”). The subjects have up to thirty seconds to solve the puzzle. If they come up with an answer, they press the space bar on the keyboard and say whether the answer arrived via insight or analysis. When I participated in the experiment in Jung-Beeman’s lab, I found that it was surprisingly easy to differentiate between the two cognitive paths. When I solved puzzles with analysis, I tended to sound out each possible word combination, cycling through all the words that went with “pine” and then seeing if they also worked with “crab” or “sauce.” If I worked toward a solution, I always double-checked it before pressing the space bar. An insight, on the other hand, felt instantaneous: the answer arrived like a revelation. Jung-Beeman initially asked his subjects to solve the puzzles while inside an fMRI machine, a brain scanner that monitors neural activity by tracking changes in blood flow. But fMRI has a three-to-five-second delay, as the blood diffuses across the cortex. “Insights happen too fast for fMRI,” Jung-Beeman said. “The data was just too messy.” Around this time, he teamed up with John Kounios, a cognitive neuroscientist at Drexel University, who was interested in insight largely because it seemed to contradict the classic model of learning, in which the learning process was assumed to be gradual. Kounios, a man with a shock of unruly wavy hair and an affinity for rumpled button-up vests, had been working with electroencephalography, or EEG, which measures the waves of electricity produced by the brain by means of a nylon hat filled with greased electrodes. (The device looks like a bulky shower cap.) Because there is no time delay with EEG, Kounios thought it could be useful for investigating the fleeting process of insight. Unfortunately, the waves of electricity can’t be traced back to their precise source, but Kounios and Jung-Beeman saw that combining EEG with fMRI might allow them to construct a precise map, both in time and space, of the insight process. The resulting studies, published in 2004 and 2006, found that people who solved puzzles with insight activated a specific subset of cortical areas. Although the answer seemed to appear out of nowhere, the mind was carefully preparing itself for the breakthrough. The first areas activated during the problemsolving process were those involved with executive control, like the prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex. The scientists refer to this as the “preparatory phase,” since the brain is devoting its considerable computational power to the problem. The various sensory areas, like the visual cortex, go silent as the brain suppresses possible distractions. “The cortex does this for the same reason we close our eyes when we’re trying to think,” Jung-Beeman said. “Focus is all about blocking stuff out.” What happens next is the “search phase,” as the brain starts looking for answers in all the relevant places. Because Jung-Beeman and Kounios were giving people word puzzles, they saw additional activity in areas related to speech and language. The search can quickly get frustrating, and it takes only a few seconds before people say that they’ve reached an impasse, that they can’t think of the right word. “Almost all of the possibilities your brain comes up with are going to be wrong,” Jung-Beeman said. “And it’s up to the executivecontrol areas to keep on searching or, if necessary, change strategies and start searching somewhere else.” But sometimes, just when the brain is about to give up, an insight appears. “You’ll see people bolt up in their chair and their eyes go all wide,” Ezra Wegbreit, a graduate student in the Jung-Beeman lab who often administers the C.R.A. test, said. “Sometimes they even say ‘Aha!’ before they blurt out the answer.” The suddenness of the insight comes with a burst of brain activity. Three hundred milliseconds before a participant communicates the answer, the EEG registers a spike of gamma rhythm, which is the highest electrical frequency generated by the brain. Gamma rhythm is thought to come from the “binding” of neurons, as cells distributed across the cortex draw themselves together into a new network, which is then able to enter consciousness. It’s as if the insight had gone incandescent. Jung-Beeman and Kounios went back and analyzed the information from the fMRI experiment to see what was happening inside the brain in the seconds before the gamma burst. “My biggest worry was that we would find nothing,” Kounios said. “I thought there was a good possibility that whatever we found on the EEG wouldn’t show up on the brain imaging.” When the scientists looked at the data, however, they saw that a small fold of tissue on the surface of the right hemisphere, the anterior superior temporal gyrus (aSTG), became unusually active in the second before the insight. The activation was sudden and intense, a surge of electricity leading to a rush of blood. Although the function of the aSTG remains mostly a mystery—the brain is stuffed with obscurities—Jung-Beeman wasn’t surprised to see it involved with the insight process. A few previous studies had linked the area to aspects of language comprehension, such as the detection of literary themes and the interpretation of metaphors. (A related area was implicated in the processing of jokes.) Jung-Beeman argues that these linguistic skills, like insight, require the brain to make a set of distant and unprecedented connections. He cites studies showing that cells in the right hemisphere are more “broadly tuned” than cells in the left hemisphere, with longer branches and more dendritic spines. “What this means is that neurons in the right hemisphere are collecting information from a larger area of cortical space,” Jung-Beeman said. “They are less precise but better connected.” When the brain is searching for an insight, these are the cells that are most likely to produce it. The insight process, as sketched by Jung-Beeman and Kounios, is a delicate mental balancing act. At first, the brain lavishes the scarce resource of attention on a single problem. But, once the brain is sufficiently focussed, the cortex needs to relax in order to seek out the more remote association in the right hemisphere, which will provide the insight. “The relaxation phase is crucial,” Jung-Beeman said. “That’s why so many insights happen during warm showers.” Another ideal moment for insights, according to the scientists, is the early morning, right after we wake up. The drowsy brain is unwound and disorganized, open to all sorts of unconventional ideas. The right hemisphere is also unusually active. JungBeeman said, “The problem with the morning, though, is that we’re always so rushed. We’ve got to get the kids ready for school, so we leap out of bed and never give ourselves a chance to think.” He recommends that, if we’re stuck on a difficult problem, it’s better to set the alarm clock a few minutes early so that we have time to lie in bed and ruminate. We do some of our best thinking when we’re still half asleep. As Jung-Beeman and Kounios see it, the insight process is an act of cognitive deliberation—the brain must be focussed on the task at hand—transformed by accidental, serendipitous connections. We must concentrate, but we must concentrate on letting the mind wander. The patterns of brain activity that define this particular style of thought have recently been studied by Joy Bhattacharya, a psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London. Using EEG, he has found that he can tell which subjects will solve insight puzzles up to eight seconds before the insight actually arrives. One of the key predictive signals is a steady rhythm of alpha waves emanating from the right hemisphere. Alpha waves typically correlate with a state of relaxation, and Bhattacharya believes that such activity makes the brain more receptive to new and unusual ideas. He has also found that unless subjects have sufficient alpha-wave activity they won’t be able to make use of hints the researchers give them. One of the surprising lessons of this research is that trying to force an insight can actually prevent the insight. While it’s commonly assumed that the best way to solve a difficult problem is to focus, minimize distractions, and pay attention only to the relevant details, this clenched state of mind may inhibit the sort of creative connections that lead to sudden breakthroughs. We suppress the very type of brain activity that we should be encouraging. Jonathan Schooler has recently demonstrated that making people focus on the details of a visual scene, as opposed to the big picture, can significantly disrupt the insight process. “It doesn’t take much to shift the brain into left-hemisphere mode,” he said. “That’s when you stop paying attention to those more holistic associations coming in from the right hemisphere.” Meanwhile, in a study published last year, German researchers found that people with schizotypy—a mental condition that resembles schizophrenia, albeit with far less severe symptoms—were significantly better at solving insight problems than a control group. Schizotypal subjects have enhanced right-hemisphere function and tend to score above average on measures of creativity and associative thinking. Schooler’s research has also led him to reconsider the bad reputation of letting one’s mind wander. Although we often complain that the brain is too easily distracted, Schooler believes that letting the mind wander is essential. “Just look at the history of science,” he said. “The big ideas seem to always come when people are sidetracked, when they’re doing something that has nothing to do with their research.” He cites the example of Henri Poincaré, the nineteenth-century mathematician, whose seminal insight into non-Euclidean geometry arrived while he was boarding a bus. “At the moment when I put my foot on the step,” Poincaré wrote, “the idea came to me, without anything in my former thoughts seeming to have paved the way for it. . . . I did not verify the idea; I should not have had the time, as, upon taking my seat in the omnibus, I went on with the conversation already commenced, but I felt a perfect certainty.” Poincaré credited his sudden mathematical insight to “unconscious work,” an ability to mull over the mathematics while he was preoccupied with unrelated activities, like talking to a friend on the bus. In his 1908 essay “Mathematical Creation,” Poincaré insisted that the best way to think about complex problems is to immerse yourself in the problem until you hit an impasse. Then, when it seems that “nothing good is accomplished,” you should find a way to distract yourself, preferably by going on a “walk or a journey.” The answer will arrive when you least expect it. Richard Feynman, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, preferred the relaxed atmosphere of a topless bar, where he would sip 7 UP, “watch the entertainment,” and, if inspiration struck, scribble equations on cocktail napkins. Kounios and Jung-Beeman aren’t quite ready to offer extensive practical advice, but, when pressed, they often sound like Poincaré. “You’ve got to know when to step back,” Kounios said. “If you’re in an environment that forces you to produce and produce, and you feel very stressed, then you’re not going to have any insights.” Many stimulants, like caffeine, Adderall, and Ritalin, are taken to increase focus—one recent poll found that nearly twenty per cent of scientists and researchers regularly took prescription drugs to “enhance concentration”—but, according to Jung-Beeman and Kounios, drugs may actually make insights less likely, by sharpening the spotlight of attention and discouraging mental rambles. Concentration, it seems, comes with the hidden cost of diminished creativity. “There’s a good reason Google puts Ping-Pong tables in their headquarters,” Kounios said. “If you want to encourage insights, then you’ve got to also encourage people to relax.” Jung-Beeman’s latest paper investigates why people who are in a good mood are so much better at solving insight puzzles. (On average, they solve nearly twenty per cent more C.R.A. problems.) Last year, Kounios and Jung-Beeman were invited to present their findings to DARPA, the central research agency of the Department of Defense. (“It was quite strange,” Kounios recalls. “I never thought I’d be talking about creativity to national-security officials.”) DARPA was interested in finding ways to encourage insights amid the stress of war, fostering creativity on the battlefield. The scientists are convinced that it’s only a matter of time before it becomes possible to “up-regulate” insight. “This could be a drug or technology or just a new way to structure our environment,” Jung-Beeman said. “I think we’ll soon get to the point where we can do more than tell people to take lots of showers.” For now, though, the science of promoting insight remains rooted in anecdote, in stories of people, like Poincaré, who were able to consistently induce the necessary state of mind. Kounios tells a story about an expert Zen meditator who took part in one of the C.R.A. insight experiments. At first, the meditator couldn’t solve any of the insight problems. “This Zen guy went through thirty or so of the verbal puzzles and just drew a blank,” Kounios said. “He was used to being very focussed, but you can’t solve these problems if you’re too focussed.” Then, just as he was about to give up, he started solving one puzzle after another, until, by the end of the experiment, he was getting them all right. It was an unprecedented streak. “Normally, people don’t get better as the task goes along,” Kounios said. “If anything, they get a little bored.” Kounios believes that the dramatic improvement of the Zen meditator came from his paradoxical ability to focus on not being focussed, so that he could pay attention to those remote associations in the right hemisphere. “He had the cognitive control to let go,” Kounios said. “He became an insight machine.” The most mysterious aspect of insight is not the revelation itself but what happens next. The brain is an infinite library of associations, a cacophony of competing ideas, and yet, as soon as the right association appears, we know. The new thought, which is represented by that rush of gamma waves in the right hemisphere, immediately grabs our attention. There is something paradoxical and bizarre about this. On the one hand, an epiphany is a surprising event; we are startled by what we’ve just discovered. Some part of our brain, however, clearly isn’t surprised at all, which is why we are able to instantly recognize the insight. “As soon as the insight happens, it just seems so obvious,” Schooler said. “People can’t believe they didn’t see it before.” The brain area responsible for this act of recognition is the prefrontal cortex, which lights up whenever people are shown the right answer—even if they haven’t come up with the answer themselves. Pressed tight against the bones of the forehead, the prefrontal cortex has undergone a dramatic expansion during human evolution, so that it now represents nearly a third of the brain. While this area is often associated with the most specialized aspects of human cognition, such as abstract reasoning, it also plays a critical role in the insight process. Hallucinogenic drugs are thought to work largely by modulating the prefrontal cortex, tricking the brain into believing that its sensory delusions are revelations. People have the feeling of an insight but without the content. Understanding how this happens—how a circuit of cells can identify an idea as an insight, even if the idea has yet to enter awareness—requires an extremely precise level of investigation. The rhythms of brain waves and the properties of blood can’t answer the question. Instead, it’s necessary to study the brain at its most basic level, as a loom of electrical cells. Earl Miller is a neuroscientist at M.I.T. who has devoted his career to understanding the prefrontal cortex. He has a shiny shaved head and a silver goatee. His corner office in the gleaming Picower Institute is cantilevered over a railroad track, and every afternoon the quiet hum of the lab is interrupted by the rattle of a freight train. Miller’s favorite word is “exactly”—it’s the adverb that modifies everything, so that a hypothesis is “exactly right,” or an experiment was “exactly done”—and that emphasis on precision has defined his career. His first major scientific advance was a by-product of necessity. It was 1995, and Miller had just started his lab at M.I.T. His research involved recording directly from neurons in the monkey brain, monitoring the flux of voltage within an individual cell as the animals performed various tasks. “There were machines that allowed you to record from eight or nine at the same time, but they were very expensive,” Miller said. “I still had no grants, and there was no way I could afford one.” So Miller began inventing his own apparatus in his spare time. After a few months of patient tinkering, he constructed a messy tangle of wires, steel screws, and electrodes that could simultaneously record from numerous cells, distributed across the brain. “It worked even better than the expensive machine,” Miller said. This methodological advance—it’s known as multiple electrode recording—allowed Miller to ask a completely new kind of scientific question. For the first time, it was possible to see how cells in different brain areas interacted. Miller was most interested in the interactions of the prefrontal cortex. “You name the brain area, and the prefrontal cortex is almost certainly linked to it,” he said. It took more than five years of painstaking probing, as Miller recorded from cells in the monkey brain, but he was eventually able to show that the prefrontal cortex wasn’t simply an aggregator of information. Instead, it was like the conductor of an orchestra, waving its baton and directing the players. This is known as “top-down processing,” since the prefrontal cortex (the “top” of the brain) is directly modulating the activity of other areas. This is why, during the focussing phase of the insight process, Jung-Beeman and Kounios saw activity in the prefrontal cortex and the neighboring anterior cingulate cortex. They were watching the conductor at work. In 2001, Miller and Jonathan Cohen, a neuroscientist at Princeton, published an influential paper that laid out their theory of how, exactly, the prefrontal cortex controls the rest of the brain. According to Miller and Cohen, this brain area is responsible not only for focussing on the task at hand but for figuring out what other areas need to be engaged in order to solve a problem. One implication of this is that if we’re trying to solve a verbal puzzle the prefrontal cortex will selectively activate the specific brain areas involved with verbal processing. If it decides to turn on parts of the right hemisphere, then we might end up with an insight; if it decides to restrict its search to the left hemisphere, we’ll probably arrive at a solution incrementally or not at all. This “integrative” theory of the prefrontal cortex suggests why we can instantly recognize the insight, even when it seems surprising: the brain has been concertedly pursuing the answer; we just didn’t know it. “Your consciousness is very limited in capacity,” Miller said, “and that’s why your prefrontal cortex makes all these plans without telling you about it.” When that obscure circuit in the right hemisphere finally generates the necessary association, the prefrontal cortex is able to identify it instantly, and the insight erupts into awareness. We suddenly notice the music that has been playing all along. Because Miller can eavesdrop on neurons, he’s been able to see how these insights operate at the cellular level. One of his current experiments involves showing monkeys different arrangements of dots and asking them to sort the arrangements into various categories that they have been taught. The monkeys guess randomly at first, learning from trial and error. “But then, at a certain point, the monkey just gets it,” Miller said. “They just start being able to categorize arrangements of dots that they’ve never seen before. That’s the moment of categorical insight.” This primate epiphany registers as a new pattern of neural activity in the prefrontal cortex. The brain cells have been altered by the breakthrough. “An insight is a restructuring of information—it’s seeing the same old thing in a completely new way,” Miller said. “Once that restructuring occurs, you never go back.” And yet even this detailed explanation doesn’t fully demystify insight. It remains unclear how simple cells recognize what the conscious mind cannot, or how they are able to filter through the chaos of bad ideas to produce the epiphany. “This mental process will always be a little unknowable, which is why it’s so interesting to study,” Jung-Beeman said. “At a certain point, you just have to admit that your brain knows much more than you do.” An insight is a fleeting glimpse of the brain’s huge store of unknown knowledge. The cortex is sharing one of its secrets. So it was for Wag Dodge. After the fire crossed the river, all the other smoke jumpers were fixated on reaching the ridge. Panic had narrowed their thoughts, so that beating the flames up the slope was their sole goal. But, because Dodge realized that the fire would beat them to the top, his prefrontal cortex started frantically searching for an alternative. It was able to look past his fear and expand the possibilities of his thought process, as he considered remote mental associations that he’d never contemplated before. (As Miller says, “That Dodge guy had some really high prefrontal function.”) And then, just as the blaze started to suck the oxygen out of the air, some remote bit of his brain realized that he could cheat death by starting his own fire. This unprecedented idea, a flicker of electricity somewhere in the right hemisphere, was immediately recognized as the solution the prefrontal cortex had been searching for. And so Dodge stopped running. He stood still as the wall of flame raced toward him. Then he lit the match. ♦ Jonah Lehrer Bio All work & You Might Like Jigsaw Puzzle Strongbox Submissions Goings On App About Us Caption Contest The New Yorker Festival ✕ The New Yorker Strongbox Strongbox is a new way for you to share information, messages, and files with our writers and editors and is designed to provide you with a greater degree of anonymity and security than afforded by conventional e-mail. To help protect your anonymity, Strongbox is only accessible using the Tor network (https://www.torproject.org). When using Strongbox, The New Yorker will not record your I.P. address or information about your browser, computer, or operating system, nor will we embed third-party content or deliver cookies to your browser. You can read our full privacy promise here. The New Yorker Strongbox is powered by SecureDrop. 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A Treatment for Autism
The Star Academy grounds itself in Applied Behavioral Analysis as a treatment for Autism in children and adolescents. Applied Behavioral Analysis, otherwise known as ABA was developed by Ivar Lovaas and is widely accepted as a ‘intensive behavioral approach’ (Parritz & Troy, 2014) specifically designed to reduce problem behavior and build up a child’s skill repertoire. As Autism is characteristically diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 4 intervention occurs as early as possible. Research indicates that for ABA to be effective as a treatment for Autism the child must receive a minimum of 40 hours of therapy a week for more than 2 years (Parritz & Troy, 2014).
ABA shows strength in its research as a treatment for Autism, studies date as far back as 1987. Ivar Lovaas conducted the first study to evaluate long term ABA therapy titled, ‘Behavioral Treatment, Normal Education and Intellectual Function in Young Autistic Children’. Lovaas (1987) found that 47% of children who receive intensive ABA achieved a normal IQ, between 90 and 110, and achieve successful grade 1 placement in mainstream education.
Mc Eachin, Smith and Lovaas (1993) conducted a follow up study for ABA as a treatment for Autism. This time research focused on reevaluating participants, now between the ages of 11 and 12 years, studies found that 88% of children who received intensive ABA retained intellectual and adaptive functioning skills acquired in therapy.
ABA as a treatment for Autism focuses on two core principals, if abnormal behavior is followed by desirable consequences it likely that it will occur more frequently, if abnormal behavior is followed by undesirable consequences it is less likely to occur more frequently. At the Star Academy the first focus is to decrease negative behavior and increase language and social interaction. How is this done? Through the collection of data focusing on the rate and frequency that a negative behavior occurs at and then a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) which clearly states how to manage problematic behavior and to then replace this behavior with appropriate behaviors that consider the enjoyable aspects of prosocial interactions (Parritz & Troy, 2014).
The Star Academy’s curriculum overview is laid out in terms of a child’s emerging age, complexity of skill, vocal ability, prerequisite skills and current level of function according to diagnosis. This curriculum consists of 8 domains specifically designed to equip a child with not only academic skills but life skills as well. Affiliated with CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) ABA curriculum as a treatment for Autism consists of Social, Academic, Motor, Play, Language, Adaptive, Cognitive and Executive Function domains.
This way a specific behavior and lesson is presented to a child by the therapist and then an immediate reinforcer for desirable response and imitation. This way more complex behaviors are built from simple ones (Parritz & Troy, 2014). | <urn:uuid:c3d796e4-21b9-4581-89e1-002f6b34d337> | {
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — The long-delayed cleanup of the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site became the subject of more bad news Friday, when Governor Jay Inslee Washington announced that a radioactive waste tank there is leaking.
The news raises concerns about the integrity of similar tanks at south-central Washington’s Hanford nuclear reservation and puts added pressure on the federal government to resolve construction problems with the plant being built to alleviate environmental and safety risks from the waste.
The tanks, which are long past their intended 20-year life span, hold millions of gallons of a highly radioactive stew left from decades of plutonium production for nuclear weapons.
On Friday, the US Department of Energy said liquid levels are decreasing in one of 177 underground tanks at the site. Monitoring wells near the tank have not detected higher radiation levels, but Inslee said the leak could be in the range of 150 gallons to 300 gallons over the course of a year and poses a potential long-term threat to groundwater and rivers.
At the height of World War II, the federal government created Hanford as part of a project to build the atomic bomb. The site produced plutonium for one of two atomic bombs dropped on Japan, effectively ending the war. Plutonium production continued there through the Cold War.
Today, Hanford is the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site. Cleanup will cost billions of dollars and last decades.
Central to that cleanup is the removal of millions of gallons of a highly toxic, radioactive stew — enough to fill dozens of Olympic-size swimming pools — from 177 aging, underground tanks. Many of those tanks have leaked over time — an estimated 1 million gallons of waste — threatening the groundwater and the neighboring Columbia River, the largest waterway in the Pacific Northwest.
Twenty- eight of those tanks have double walls, allowing the Energy Department to pump waste from leaking single-shell tanks into them. However, there is very little space left in those double-shell tanks today.
In addition, construction of a $12.3 billion plant to convert the waste to a safe, stable form is years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. Technical problems have slowed the project, and several workers have filed lawsuits in recent months, claiming they were retaliated against for raising concerns about the plant’s design and safety. | <urn:uuid:fb3c5a2e-3ebe-4d94-9a05-bff4c12e8c08> | {
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The officer killed in Friday’s shooting at Los Angeles International Airport, 39-year-old Geraldo I. Hernandez, was a TSA behavior detection officer. What is behind the science, how does it work and where does personality profiling fit in? In it’s most basic form, it is the observation of suspicious or abnormal human behavior.
These observational practices are not new; among those trained in such methods are FBI and United States Secret Service agents, private Executive Protection agents and, increasingly, law enforcement agents. Behavior detection is, in fact, a highly effective way of predicting dangerous human behavior. It is based upon the observation of facial expressions, dress, speech-patterns and body language. Even sales professionals have been trained in the basic principles of the science. Using such methods, a person’s character traits, intentions and likely responses to a given situation can be predicted. Although the methodology behind it is extensive and somewhat complex, the most general principles are fairly easy to utilize.
Personality Types and Ties
The way a person dresses indicates much about their personality and intentions. One basic technique – not directly relevant to TSA behavior detection, but taught to sales and business professionals – focuses on four basic personality types, which can be predicted even by the pattern of a man’s tie: For the purposes of effective communication in sales and business, potential clients could be divided into four basic personality types:
Driver: A “type A” personality, driven primarily by results. Not known for small-talk, the Driver tends to use direct eye contact and speaks rapidly but concisely. The Driver is a no-nonsense person; practical and decisive. Their body-language is somewhat stiff and they would tend to sit upright in chairs, lean forward and not appear casual or relaxed. Most likely, the man wearing the tie with diagonal stripes is the Driver.
Expressive: The Expressive is outgoing, sociable, enthusiastic and creative. They are people-oriented rather than focused on the methodology or the result. They will tend to use their hands extensively to express themselves when communicating. Unlike the more reserved Driver, the Expressive will have a relaxed and open posture. If a man is wearing a brightly-colored tie with random patterns, he is most likely an Expressive. The most effective sales people will usually be those who combine the qualities of the Driver and Expressive, with one being their primary personality type and the other being the secondary; Thus, a Driver Expressive or Expressive Driver.
Analytical: This is the nerd, the “boffin”, the geek – quite possibly, your accountant. The Analytical is driven by facts, figures, data and order; they will make direct eye-contact and speak slowly. In the world of the Analytical, everything is based on rational and fact-based decision-making. The guy with the symmetrical or repetitive pattern on his tie? He’s probably the Analytical type.
Amiable: Amiables, like Expressives, want to be liked and value human interaction and relationships. Where the Expressive is outgoing, opinionated and inspirational, however, the Amiable does not deal well with conflict and is more the “go along to get along” type. They like to be part of a team; they prefer to co-operate, rather than take the lead and they are more emotion-based than information-based.
The Test: Using the basic characteristics listed for each of these types to define which characterize one’s friends, family members or work colleagues, one can use a simple test to confirm predictions: Present a person with a sheet of paper, on which are four basic shapes. After displaying these shapes momentarily, challenge someone to draw two of the shapes on a piece of paper. The first shape drawn represents the primary – or dominant – type and the second shape will be their secondary type, since almost everyone has a dominant and secondary type.
More relevant to the prediction of violent behavior – and certainly something which TSA behavior detection officers, security and law enforcement personnel will pay attention to – is how a person dresses; wearing a long or heavy coat on a hot day, for example, is a potential red flag as it possibly suggests concealment of a weapon or some other potentially dangerous or illegal object. Although many civilians have the tendency to wear army surplus or tactical-type clothing, someone who dresses consistently in such a manner may be, potentially, displaying anti-social behavior. This is something of a grey area, however, since active or former military personal, law enforcement agents and private security operatives have a preference for such clothing.
Behavior detection involves the study of human facial expressions; none but the most highly-trained are adept at concealing their true thoughts or intentions, which are given away by eye-movement, the paling or flushing of the skin, perspiration, and – most importantly, what are known as “micro-expressions”, which are small, involuntary movements of facial muscles, causing tiny changes in the shape of the mouth, eyes, brow and jawline, among other things.
Once again, this is an area most studied by sales and business professionals, but body language is highly relevant to security-related work. Posture, hand and head movements and the crossing or uncrossing of legs and arms indicate whether a person is relaxed, tense, aggressive, deceptive, honest or friendly.
There is far more to the science of behavior detection, personality profiling and the prediction of violence than the basic points mentioned here, but the TSA has begun to learn the effectiveness of such knowledge. The agency did not pioneer the use of such methods at the nation’s airports: The Israelis have been using such training for some time. “Profiling” has become a dirty word; associated with making race-based judgments about individuals. The truth, however, is that profiling is practiced regularly and is effective when used in conjunction with other forms of analysis. Pure racial profiling is not an effective means of predicting behavior or intentions, but profiling based on the manner in which a person dresses, speaks, communicates and otherwise interacts with others can be one tool in the armory of the law enforcement or security professional.
One of the most basic, but effective, methods of violence prediction is, quite simply, the observation of behavior that doesn’t “fit”; simple actions people take that appear strangely random and unrelated to the environment or the situation. The human brain picks up on such small and, seemingly, innocuous details and then transmits tiny warning signals. When one gets “a bad feeling” about a person or situation, one should consider and analyze the reason behind it, rather than merely shrugging it off. Gavin DeBecker, one of the country’s leading experts on the prediction of violent behavior, wrote an excellent book on this subject, entitled The Gift of Fear.
TSA Administrator John S. Pistole has described his agency’s use of behavior detection as “simply common sense.” Writing in USA Today in 2012, he said “Law enforcement does it every day in communities across the country and around the world.” He goes on to explain “TSA behavior-detection officers engage in casual conversations with travelers while looking and listening for behavioral cues such as facial expressions, body language or other behavior that may indicate a security risk.”
In a statement Friday, Pistole – referring to the shooting – said “No words can explain the horror that we experienced today when a shooter took the life of a member of our family and injured two TSA officers…” He visited the family of the murdered officer Saturday.
Behavior detection is part of the science of personality profiling and violence prediction that has become increasingly significant in the battle to detect and prevent terrorism and other criminal activity, even though the TSA offically denies the use of any type of profiling, it is – or should be – an essential part of how they operate. When used by well-trained and experienced practitioners, it is far more effective than requiring airline passengers to remove their shoes, prior to boarding an airplane. Currently, TSA officers appear to be neither correctly screened nor correctly trained. If, indeed, the agency has any place overseeing the nation’s transportation security, then the observation and prediction of human behavior should be one of its top priorities.
Editorial by Graham J Noble
TSA: Behavior detection is simply common sense
How To Identify The Four Personality Types Resident In Every Boardroom
TSA workers mourn death of first officer killed on duty | <urn:uuid:ec847c9a-304d-422d-8fdd-ffb5b66ee531> | {
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The OCaml interactive editor for education
OCaml-Top is designed for beginners and students, and specially tailored for exercises, practicals and simple projects
Automatic, state-of-the-art code indentation
Makes understanding the program structure easier
Naturally avoids most beginner's syntactic mistakes
Intuitive code execution
"Run" button runs just what you would expect: the expression under cursor, and what is above if needed
Locate your errors directly in your code
Automatic type display
Put your cursor on the name of a standard library function, and the type shows up in the status bar. Non-intrusive, but here just when you need it.
Fully compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8, OSX and Linux.
On Linux or OSX, we recommend you use the OPAM package manager:
First install opam and some gtk dependancies. For example, with Ubuntu:
add-apt-repository ppa:avsm/ppa apt-get update apt-get install m4 libgtksourceview2.0-dev opam
Then you need to install OCaml:
opam init default 4.01.0+ocp-bin
Finally install ocaml-top
opam install ocaml-top
The left pane is the code editor, while the right pane contains the OCaml process that will execute the code.
The in the left margin of the editor is the evaluation mark, showing that the code has been successfully executed up to that point. When pressing the button (or Ctrl e), the expression under the cursor is sent to the OCaml pane, and the answer from OCaml is displayed there. In case of an error, the relevant part of the code in the editor is highlighted.
Since programs are usually written in order, the evaluation mark always progresses from top to bottom, and everything in-between the current mark position and the expression to run will be sent to OCaml first. If you happen to need execution of an expression directly, select it before pressing .
The button runs the whole program. In case you get confused, the button restarts a fresh OCaml, rewinds the evaluation mark, and clears the right pane. And in case you got yourself in a loop, or your program just takes too long, the button can interrupt the current computation.
|Ctrl n||Start with a new (blank) file|
|Ctrl o||Load a file|
|Ctrl s||Save the current file|
|Ctrl Shift z||Redo|
|Ctrl e||Execute the current expression|
|Escape||Stop ongoing execution|
|Ctrl +||Zoom in|
|Ctrl -||Zoom out|
|OCaml-Top on Github||Latest sources in the official GIT repository|
|Version 1.1.2||Download for Linux, OSX and Windows| | <urn:uuid:7db9e33e-feeb-4108-a91b-0d70ccc6a320> | {
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If it was 1861 and you knew there was a big land battle in the neighboring town of Manassas, VA, what would you do? You would grab your telescope, pack up the family carriage, and check it out, of course.
History podcaster Nate DiMeo tells the story of these Civil War tourists who traveled over 25 miles to watch the battle action unfold. It must have been a sight to see. About 50,000 soldiers took part in the First Battle of Bull Run and 4,700 lives were lost. The Confederates overtook the Union Army in what became the largest and bloodiest skirmish America had experienced to date.
You can keep up with Kelly Hodgkins, the author of this post, on Twitter, Google + or Facebook. | <urn:uuid:e7198480-a70a-4b50-a3da-4a64e7ce64cd> | {
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Bioenergy might serve as a realistic alternative to meet current and future energy needsJune 4th, 2008 - 3:52 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, June 4 (ANI): A scientist has determined that bioenergy can be the best realistic alternative to meet our current and future energy needs while cutting back on the use of fossil fuels.
The scientist in question is Biodesign Institute researcher Bruce Rittmann.
For Rittmann, the threat of global warming presents a significant opportunity for innovation and fresh solutions to todays energy challenges.
Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, the unprecedented expansions of human population and economic activity have been based on combusting fossil fuels, said Rittmann.
Today, fossil fuels provide 80 percent of the energy needs to run human society worldwide: 34 percent petroleum, 32 percent coal, and 14 percent natural gas, he added.
This makes finding alternative sources of energy all the more important.
In a new article published in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Rittmann points the way toward developing bioenergy as the best realistic alternative to meet our current and future energy needs while cutting back on the use of fossil fuels.
The only way that human society has a realistic way of slowing and reversing global warming is bioenergy; and it has to be bioenergy that is done right, said Rittmann, who leads many of Biodesign’s sustainability-themed research projects.
Most critically, we need to be able to have bioenergy sources that work on a very, very large scale, he added.
Rittmann sees a vast untapped potential of using microbes in service to society to meet our energy challenges.
Photosynthetic bacteria can capture sunlight energy at rates 100 times or more greater than plants, and they do not compete for arable land, said Rittmann.
This high rate of energy capture means that renewable biofuels can be generated in quantities that rival our current use of fossil fuels.
In addition, non-photosynthetic microorganisms are capable of converting the energy value of all kinds of biomass, including wastes, into readily useful energy forms, such as methane, hydrogen, and electricity.
Microorganisms can provide just the services our society needs to move from fossil fuels to renewable biofuels, said Rittmann. Only the microorganisms can pass all the tests, and we should take full advantage of the opportunities that microorganisms present, he added. (ANI)
Tags: alternative sources of energy, arable land, biodesign institute, biotechnology and bioengineering, economic activity, energy challenges, expansions, fossil fuels, future energy, human population, human society, industrial revolution, institute researcher, microbes, photosynthetic bacteria, photosynthetic microorganisms, renewable biofuels, reversing global warming, sources of energy, sunlight energy | <urn:uuid:dd70b44b-781e-4f97-a3b7-03e92d422195> | {
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} |
The area of Woodland is approximately .8 square miles, with 3.6 miles of public roads and 5.9 miles of shoreline on Lake Minnetonka. Woodland is a residential community with about 500 residents and 190 households.
Situated on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, with over a century of occupancy, a knob, which once existed at the end of Breezy Point Road, was a center for Indian rites and a landmark known as Spirit Knob. Records tell of visitors in 1853, with the first home built in 1857, and a summer cottage was built in the 1870’s on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, which was later enlarged to become a hotel. A small boat works was located on the Wayzata Bay shore where steamboats stopped to load and unload passengers at various docks. The Milwaukee Railroad, and later the streetcar line, ran through the southern part of the City. The streetcar depot still stands at Maplewood Road. Many modest summer cottages lined the shores and larger summer homes began to appear after 1890. In the 20’s and 30’s the transition to year-round residences took place, either through winterizing the cottages or new construction. The City of Woodland was incorporated in 1947, including pieces of Minnetonka and Excelsior townships within its borders. The City is one of the smallest suburbs in Hennepin County.
Woodland is part of the "Big Woods" that once stretched from Owatonna to St. Cloud. The first dwelling was constructed in Woodland in 1867. Woodland was settled in 1882 by year-round residents. The Village of Woodland was incorporated in December 1948.
Woodland is a residential community on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, with over a century of occupancy since the land was purchased from the Native Americans. The knob which once existed at the end of Breezy Point Road was a center for Indian rites and a landmark known as Spirit Knob. Records tell of white visitors in 1853. The Milwaukee Railroad and later the streetcar ran through the southern part of the City. The station still stands at Maplewood Road.The History of Woodland is largely the history of two old and important areas of the City; the area known as Maplewoods and the Groveland Homeowners Association.
In the latter part of the Nineteenth Century, Maplewoods came to be used as a summer residence for a number of Minneapolis families. It was first platted in 1882. By 1889, nearly all the shoreline was developed by summer residences of various sizes. The interior was slower to develop. Starting about 1935, the character of the Maplewoods area gradually changed from one of summer residents to one in which the residents lived year-round.
The second old area of Woodland is the Methodist Lakeside Assembly, known today as the “Groveland Homeowners Association”. In 1902 a small group of dedicated Methodist people formed the Methodist Lakeside Assembly. According to the founders, the general purpose and plan of operation for the Groveland Homeowners Association is to be the mutual improvement in religion, moral, literary, and social culture. In 1948, residents of Maplewoods, the Groveland Homeowners Association, and certain adjoining lands joined together to incorporate what is now the City of Woodland. Their primary purpose was to preserve the unusual and attractive quiet residential character of their respective areas.
The initial name was the Village of Maplewoods. In 1949 the name was changed to the Village of Woodland and later changed to the City of Woodland. The compound word was comprised of the “wood” from Maplewoods plus the “land” from Groveland. The union of the two old established areas and of the people nearby has been most harmonious and beneficial for all. The area of Woodland is approximately .8 square miles. Approximately 3.6 miles of public roads and 5.9 miles of shoreline on Lake Minnetonka. The Woodland City Hall is situated near the shores of Lake Minnetonka's Carson's Bay. It is located just off Minnetonka Boulevard at 20225 Cottagewood Road in Deephaven. Our resident population in the City of Woodland is 451, as reported from the 2013 Metropolitan Council estimate. | <urn:uuid:fe29fa4f-8b5e-4e44-9372-3409ed03df70> | {
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Today I came across an assertion that Plato used as an approximation of . Indeed, it is not a bad approximation: (although it is not within Archimedes’s bounds: ).
Not only had I not seen this approximation before, I had not heard of any value of attributed to Plato.
I investigated a little further and discovered that there is no direct evidence that Plato knew of this approximation. It was pure speculation by the famous philosopher of science Karl Popper! Here’s what Popper has to say (this is in his notes to Chapter 6 of The Open Society and its Enemies, Vol. 1, pp. 252–253).
It is a curious fact that very nearly approximates … The excess is less than , i.e. less than pro mille of , and we have reason to believe that no better upper boundary for had been proved to exist. A kind of explanation of this curious fact is that it follows from the fact that the arithmetical mean of the areas of the circumscribed hexagon and the inscribed octagon is a good approximation of the area of the circle. Now it appears, on the one hand, that Bryson operated with the means of circumscribed and inscribed polygons,… and we know, on the other hand (from the Greater Hippias), that Plato was interested in the adding of irrationals, so that he must have added . There are thus two ways by which Plato may have found out the approximate equation , and the second of these ways seems almost inescapable. It seems a plausible hypothesis that Plato knew of this equation, but was unable to prove whether or not it was a strict equality or only an approximation.
Popper then spends a couple of paragraphs tying this into an earlier discussion of Plato’s Timaeus. This is the work in which Plato discusses the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) and associates them with four of the regular polyhedra (cube, octahedron, tetrahedron, and icosahedron, respectively). The connection between Timaeus and is the relation between the values and , the 45-45-90 and 30-60-90 triangles which can be used to make the faces of the polyhedra, and the approximations to the area of a circle using these triangles.
Popper ends with the reminder/disclaimer:
I must again emphasize that no direct evidence is known to me to show that this was in Plato’s mind; but if we consider the indirect evidence here marshalled, then the hypothesis does perhaps not seem too far-fetched.
Note: if we take the unit circle and construct a circumscribed hexagon and an inscribed octagon, then the area of the hexagon is and the area of the octagon is . So, it is true that the average of these areas is . | <urn:uuid:1a7aebed-54e5-4cce-b78d-24b75dbe937e> | {
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Physiological implications of the abnormal absence of the parietal foramen in a late Permian cynodont (Therapsida)
Benoit et al
The third eye (pineal eye), an organ responsible for regulating exposure to sunlight in extant ectotherms, is located in an opening on the dorsal surface of the skull, the parietal foramen. The parietal foramen is absent in extant mammals but often observed in basal therapsids, the stem-group to true mammals. Here, we report the absence of the parietal foramen in a specimen of Cynosaurus suppostus, a Late Permian cynodont from South Africa (SA). Comparison with Procynosuchus delaharpeae, a contemporaneous non-mammalian cynodont from SA, demonstrates that the absence of this foramen is an abnormal condition for such a basal species. Because seasonality was marked during the Late Permian in SA, it is proposed that the third eye was functionally redundant in Cynosaurus, possibly due to the acquisition of better thermoregulation or the evolution of specialized cells in the lateral eyes to compensate for the role of the third eye. | <urn:uuid:97c3c2c2-b21e-4276-b673-bbdf72d086bd> | {
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“For affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble spring from the ground; yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” —Job 5:6,7
The Easter Rising, April 24-29, 1916
ntil Henry VIII, England was virtually powerless in most of Ireland. By the end of his reign, the Tudor King and his successors would possess undisputed rule of the whole island. And so it would remain, though disputed from time to time, often violently, until 1922. After Henry though, the “viceroy” would be English. After the fall of the Fitzgeralds in 1541, the Irish Parliament declared Henry VIII the King of all Ireland.
Irish Citizen Army group outside
Liberty Hall, Dublin 1914
Dublin in the aftermath of the
Easter Rising, 1916
Resistance by the Catholic lords of Ireland continued over the next forty years, however, and suffered final defeat with O’Niell’s submission in 1603. The 17th Century would be a witch’s brew of complexity and rival interests, as well as more warfare; the Irish, the old English, the new English, the royalists, the parliamentarians, and the Scots would all vie for survival or power, depending on the circumstances in England at the time. The Restoration of Charles II did not settle the disagreements, for he tried to please everyone and pleased no one. William III smashed the Catholic rebellion at the Battle of the Boyne.
This unquiet history continued till the 20th Century, always with secret Roman Catholic factions and discontented people, some of whom fought a guerrilla war with the English as opportunity afforded. Some of the men who longed for independence from Britain never gave up hope of a peaceful, parliamentary solution. Others believed they must seize independence by force of arms. With Britain embroiled in the First World War, the Irish Republican Brotherhood decided to make a violent bid to throw off English rule.
Thomas Clarke (1858-1916)
Executed at age 58 at Kilmainham Gaol
Sean MacDermott (1883-1916)
Executed at age 33 at Kilmainham Gaol
Legislation promoting self-rule for Ireland had been proposed in Parliament on a number of occasions in the previous thirty years but for one reason or another had been defeated or shelved, the latest as a result of going to war in 1914. The independence movement in Ireland was plagued with the same historic problems that had thwarted such attempts through the centuries: factionalism, private rivalry, sympathy for the union, apathy, and, ultimately, the failure to agree on timing, tactics and leadership.
A headquarters staff was chosen with Tom Clarke and Sean MacDermott in charge of planning. Roger Casement met with the German ambassador to the United States and even travelled to Germany to try and cement an alliance. The Germans promised arms and ammunition. The director of military organization Patrick Pearse called for a secret mobilization during the funeral of an old Fenian leader from America. The Irish Volunteers were called out for parades and maneuvers on Easter Sunday, 1916. A German arms shipment of 20,000 rifles and ammunition sailed for County Kerry.
Michael Collins (1890-1922) present during the Easter Rising, later became a leading figure in the struggle for Irish independence
Members of the Irish Army march past in the Easter Rising Centenary Parade, 2016
The Royal Navy, having been tipped off about the shipment waylaid the boat, which was promptly scuttled by the captain, and the crew captured. The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in Dublin — the nerve center of British control of Ireland — was put on alert, but before measures could be taken for defense, the rising began on Easter Monday. Twelve hundred armed Irish volunteers assembled in Dublin and began sealing off streets and seizing strategic locations near the town center. Soldiers and police were gunned down when they tried to respond, and the city of Dublin became a war zone. The rebels failed to capture the castle or the ports, probably for lack of men, but held the post office as headquarters till it caught fire from canon shells and burned down, leaving only the façade. The fighting was street-to-street and house-to-house. Smaller risings across Ireland were also attempted but with very little success. British reinforcements overwhelmed the rebels and a truce was struck six days after the fighting began.
About 485 people died in the rising, more than half of them civilians. About 2,600 were wounded. The reprisals were deadly. Secret trials condemned ninety to death, the British authorities carried out fifteen executions, including most of the leaders of the Irish Brotherhood, and several others, without previous judicial warrant. The executions engendered much sympathy from Ireland, Britain and America. Irish independence organizations resorted to arms again in 1921, with many more casualties and horrors visited on Ireland by both sides. Britain created the Irish Free State in 1922. For all practical purposes, Henry VIII and his successors were history, at least in the counties below Ulster. | <urn:uuid:8c7fb9f3-2f7f-46a4-b636-58adbb343515> | {
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Circle Ten Council
Setting 5 uniformed Cub Scouts line up in front of the room and speak the following lines. They may hold posters with representative pictures on them.
Cub # 1: Everyone cannot be brilliant, everyone cannot be smart. I may not be a genius, but I can build a neat go-cart.
Cub # 2: I can dam a stream with boulders. I can climb trees to the top. I can run for blocks and never even stop.
Cub # 3: I can’t solve a chemical equation or explain Newton’s rule, but I can make a peanut butter sandwich that will really make you drool.
Cub # 4: I don’t know much about flowers, but smelling them is a joy.
Cub # 5: I don’t think I’m a failure. I’m a genius at being a boy! Good Night!
Or this can be said as Cubmaster’s Minute CD
Can be done by the Cubmaster or four Scouts.
Cub # 1: Rudyard Kipling, the famous English author, who wrote the story of the Jungle Book, wrote a little poem. It begins like this:
Cub # 2: I keep six honest serving men
They taught me all I knew;
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
Cub # 3: If you make these six your servants imagine the things you could do! Just imagine for a minute that a little green man from outer space lands in your backyard. Now he wants to know how the picture gets in the television. What causes thunder? Why does night come? Where did your parents live before you were born? Could you answer his questions?
Cub # 4: From this moment on you can decide to be an investigator. Ask questions about everything that you have ever wondered about. What are clouds made of? Are all of the lights in the night sky stars? How would I take care of myself if my parents were gone all day? What can I make by myself? How old are my pets compared to me? What kind of insects live in the field behind my house? How do they protect themselves? What is the street made of? Why is it cooler in the mountains than down in the valley? If the mountains are closer to the sun shouldn’t it be hotter? If your parents, teachers and leaders can’t give you the answers, then look to books and computers. Just imagine!
Cub # 5: Look around and you will find hundreds of things waiting to be investigated. You’ve only one life and future...make the best of both!
We’ve all seen a pot of water boiling on the stove. We’ve seen the water vapor (which many of us mistakenly call steam) rising above the pan. If we allow the process to continue, we see that eventually there’s no more water left. The H2O, in its gaseous state, becomes a part of the atmosphere. In a closed experiment, that water vapor would be trapped in tubes and recaptured. We don’t have that sort of equipment in the ordinary kitchen where some of our experiments took place this month.
We are gathered here together because of one common bond, the boys in our pack. They have graduated on to new, challenging programs as of today. Our challenge, as parents and family members, is to capture their enthusiasm and energy, to direct it in a positive manner. They need our input, providing them with the proper direction, just like the chemical lab captures and redirects the water vapor in an experiment. That’s a big part of what the Scouting program is all about.
Circle Ten Council
Ask the Cub Scouts and their families to form a large circle and hold hands. The Cubmaster then reads the following prayer that was broadcasted to earth by Astronaut Frank Borman, while on a moon orbiting mission.
“Give us, oh God, the vision which can see thy love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust they goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding in our hearts, and show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of universal peace.”
Rope Living Circle
Circle Ten Council
Equipment: A two or three-foot length of rope or heavy cord for each Cub Scout.
We have seen tonight that we are all geniuses in our own right. It makes you might proud, doesn’t it. And we all should be proud of our accomplishments and abilities. We should never forget though that we all depend on other people and our greatness does not come out till we can be great with and for other people.
Would all the Cub Scouts come and make a circle. Take a piece of rope, each of you, and tie it to the tope of the person on your left with a square knot. Joining with other people makes you a better person.
Hold your rope with your left hand and make the Cub Scout sign with your right hand and let’s say the Promise together and pledge ourselves again to the ideals of Cub Scouting.
Professor Plop Closing
Baltimore Area Council
Cubmaster: Now we’ll check with Professor Plop one last time. Well, Professor, did you ever get it together?
Professor: I sure did. I made it!
Cubmaster: We can hardly wait to see how it works.
Professor: I will demonstrate this wonderful invention for you.
1. See drawing, Professor cranks his reel,
2. Drops the plunger into a tub of water and it goes ‘plop’.
3. He then reaches into the tub of water, pulls out a piece of cloth,
4. He wrings it out, shakes it open.
5. It reads: “The End” | <urn:uuid:b9bfdfcd-67fb-45d4-a058-e951f0263507> | {
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World Malaria Day 2018
Join CDC and partners to raise awareness for World Malaria Day.
On World Malaria Day 2018, we are at a pivotal moment in the global fight against this deadly infectious disease. This year’s theme, “Ready to beat malaria,” presents both a moment of self-reflection and a charge to unite around the common goal of a world free of malaria.
Evidence shows that the hard work by CDC and a range of committed global partners in recent years has paid off. Almost 7 million lives have been saved since 2001 thanks to the vigorous expansion of proven malaria interventions and the collective efforts of public health and political leaders in countries where malaria remains a serious threat. Support from the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI); Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria; and Roll Back Malaria have made major contributions to the gains we’ve achieved.
“In recent years, we have made major gains in the fight against malaria…We are now at a turning point. Without urgent action, we risk going backwards, and missing the global malaria targets for 2020 and beyond.” – Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
Providing insecticide-treated bed nets like this one is a proven malaria control strategy in malaria-endemic areas.
“CDC’s engagement with eliminating malaria spans more than 75 years. The agency was founded on the idea of protecting people from this deadly disease. We have made great strides in recent years and remain steadfast in our commitment to reduce the needless death and illness from malaria, and to end the threat for good.” – Dr. Monica Parise, Director, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria
Malaria rapid diagnostic testing is conducted as part of a community-based cross-sectional survey to assess the burden of malaria in western Kenya. Photo credit: Meghna Desai, CDC
Yet, as we assess the status of malaria control on this World Malaria Day, the data in the most recent World Malaria Report shows that progress has stalled. Without urgent action, the major gains achieved in the fight against malaria are under threat.
An estimated 3.2 billion people (almost half the world’s population) across 91 countries or territories are still at risk of malaria. Malaria killed 445,000 people in 2016, similar to the death toll the year before. Malaria also caused 216 million people to become ill in 2016, an increase of 5 million cases over 2015. Fifteen countries account for 80% of global malaria deaths. Except for India, all of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. Even today, despite the advances and documented successes, malaria remains a major killer of children under five years old, taking the life of a child every two minutes.
The human and economic costs of malaria—estimated to be at least US$ 12 billion per year—are devastating and real. In addition, the disease continues to be a threat to U.S. travelers, military, and U.S. citizens living abroad, with more than 1,700 imported cases diagnosed each year in the United States.
There is still more to be done to achieve global targets in WHO’s Global Technical Malaria Strategy 2016–2030. World Malaria Day 2018 must serve as a rallying cry to advance the status quo, to recognize the way malaria has evolved, and challenge us to recommit to finding ways to take the fight to the next level.
What CDC is Doing to Beat Malaria
As one of the global leaders in the fight to end malaria, CDC’s world-class scientists are fully committed to applying rigorous science and disease surveillance techniques to end this epidemic. In collaboration with U.S. and global partners, CDC experts are working to end malaria by:
Confronting Malaria in the United States
While local transmission of malaria was eliminated from the United States in the early 1950s, CDC remains vigilant to monitor and help clinicians diagnose and treat cases of imported malaria. Rapidly responding to these cases is critical to saving lives and preventing reintroduction of malaria transmission in the United States. CDC also provides guidance for the prevention of malaria in international travelers to areas where malaria still poses a risk. Still, the best way to reduce the risk is to reduce or stop malaria transmission where it occurs.
Reducing the Global Burden and Risk of Malaria
In support of the collective goal to end malaria, CDC is committed to identifying and expanding the use of proven malaria control strategies worldwide, including long-lasting insecticide treated nets (LLINs), rapid diagnostics tests (RDTs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp). By the end of 2017, PMI, which is led by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and co-implemented together with CDC, had procured more than 198 million LLINs, 350 million RDTs, 479 million ACT treatments, and 46 million IPTp treatments in 24 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as countries in the Greater Mekong Region. Contributions by PMI and other donors have greatly increased access to quality malaria diagnosis and appropriate antimalarial drugs in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2017, WHO reported that the proportion of suspected malaria cases receiving a parasitological test among patients presenting for care in the public sector has increased in most WHO regions since 2010. The largest increase has been in the WHO African Region, where diagnostic testing increased to 87% in 2016, mainly owing to an increase in the use of RDTs. A confirmed test result is an important step toward being able to transform malaria surveillance into a tool that will help local and national officials target their control and elimination efforts more effectively.
CDC also continues to invest in cutting-edge science in the fields of malaria surveillance, entomology and vector control, malaria diagnostics, and in studies to identify and address emerging resistance to insecticides and antimalarial drugs. CDC scientists have contributed to research on a diverse range of issues, including adapting a laboratory tool for detecting low levels of malaria infection in resource-limited settings, clinical trials on the effectiveness and safety of drugs to prevent onward transmission of malaria from infected humans to mosquitoes, and an evaluation of bed nets treated with a combination of insecticides to curb insecticide resistance. CDC staff have also been integral to evaluating promising malaria vaccines, including the RTS,S/AS01 and a newer sporozite vaccine (PfSPZ).
Helping to Eliminate Malaria Close to Home
CDC is also leading a consortium of malaria partners aiming to eliminate malaria transmission from Haiti and the Dominican Republic by 2020. Supported by an initial $29.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Malaria Zero partners are working collectively with governments and organizations in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to implement an evidence-based approach to create a malaria-free zone across the Caribbean. These efforts will help identify promising practices for elimination of malaria from other regions and proves that we’re poised and ready to beat malaria.
- World Malaria Day
- World Malaria Report 2017
- Confronting Malaria on the Frontline in Nigeria
- Progress Made in Elimination Efforts Brings Caribbean Closer to Beating Malaria
- Infographic: World Malaria Day
- Malaria Social Media Cards
- Emerging Infectious Diseases World Malaria Day Announcement
- CDC Malaria Program
- Parasitic Diseases
- Video: World Malaria Day
- CDC Global Health | <urn:uuid:c76d7b7f-4ca6-452a-9f1c-60856c2a6dcf> | {
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Deuteronomy 28: The blessing/curses of the old covenant
It is vital when reading/studying the Bible to be sure to put everything into context concerning what is being said/taught. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses is again speaking with the Israelites and telling them about the blessing/curses they will receive if they keep/disobey God’s law.
“The LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth” (Verse 1)
“The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself as he has sworn to you if you keep thecommandments of the Lord your God” (Verse 9)
If reading these verses out of context you would see a God who is adamant about his people keeping the law and then blessing them accordingly. Therefore, if the people were to obey God and keep his law they would ultimately be blessed in all they do. Which is true for the Israelite people, but this is not to be taken out of context and assumed for all people living today. When reading the text, the voice of Moses is pointed squarely at the Israelite people and never does he use terms like, “of all nations,” “of all people” or “from here on out” as he is speaking directly with a certain people at a certain time.
Therefore, it can be portions of the Bible like this that cause people to be deceived. That if they follow God’s law and keep track of their sins on a plus/minus scale and come out on top they’re going to be blessed.
On the other end of the spectrum, if they fail to keeps God’s law, they would be cursed. Reading on further on in Deuteronomy 28 when Moses addresses what will happen to the Chosen people if they break God’s law phrases like…
“You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it” (Verse 30)
“And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you” (Verse 48)
Moses is again warning the Israelite people to obey all the laws of the LORD and to be obedient because he has chosen them to do so and wants to bless them. But, when applied out of context this verse can be falsely used as a way of explaining why people suffer and struggle in their own life, because they are not living in an “good” enough manner in the eyes of God.
However, because of the new covenant and the death of Jesus Christ we are to be obedient to God not to gain earthy blessings, but because we are in awe of all he did for us by sending his son as the sacrifice. As followers of Christ the Bible NEVER says you will be blessed on earth in all you do if you have faith in the Gospel.
Instead, it guarantees the ultimate blessing, an eternal blessing in heaven, which infinitely outweighs anything we could receive on earth. And it’s because of that known blessing for believers given to us by Christ, that we try to live a life according to God’s word.
His Humbled Servant, | <urn:uuid:938ece3f-acd9-4659-b5a6-bf8f28ff8f63> | {
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Objective: Mohammed was afraid to open up the jar because he thought it might contain a powerful, unhappy spirit. Today's objective is to talk about superstitions and what these mean to people in everyday society.
1. Have each student define the idea of superstitions.
2. In smaller groups, have students discuss whether they feel they are superstitious. Why or why not?
3. As a class, have the students discuss whether they think superstitions have a place in society. Why or why not? Why do the students think superstitions stick?
4. Homework: Have students discuss one superstition they have and why they still hold onto it.
5. Homework: Have students decide whether or not they think they would be afraid to open up a jar because of evil spirits. Why or why not?
6. Homework: Have the students discuss why they think the men should have kept the scrolls in the jar. Why or...
This section contains 5,029 words
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Point of view in “I Stand Here Ironing” Essay
Point of view in “I Stand Here Ironing”
“I Stand Here Ironing” was written in the first person so that we could see Emily the way her mother (narrator) saw her. Through her reverie, we feel the mother’s pain that her daughter felt ugly as a child. We ache with the knowledge that she had to send Emily to the daycare with the “evil teacher” and to a convalescent home when she was desperately ill. We feel her regrets that she couldn’t be there with Emily as she was growing because she was working too hard to keep the family together. When Emily is in high school we are proud with the mother that Emily is performing on stage – and people love her. We, too, are relieved when Emily “runs up the stairs two at a time with her light graceful step.” She has gone from a shy, awkward girl to a beautiful, confident, graceful woman. We sense the mother’s resolve that Emily will be okay: “Why were you concerned? She will find her way.” And, with the mother, we are at peace. By using the first person narrator style, the author gives us only one point of view. She plainly states her theme for this hard-luck story: “We were poor and could not afford for her [Emily] the soil of easy growth. Let her be. So all that is in her will not bloom – but in how many does it?” Had the story been told from another point of view, say as a third person, we may have thought that the mother was neglectful, or favored the younger children.
When we discover that the mother only smiled at the younger children, we may think that the mother didn’t like Emily. Concern has become disfavor. When we see that Emily does many of her mother’s chores, we may presume that mother is a harsh task- master. We would think, “She needs to do her own housework and let the child be a child.” If “I Stand Here Ironing” were written from another point of view, we would not understand the circumstances. The theme may become “Despite bad parents and bad circumstances a child can make something of himself.” I feel that the Tillie Olsen chose to use the point of view from the mother’s eyes because it was the mother that could see the girls faults, poverty and eventually strengths, but made the story more interesting by intertwining it with the reasons why she felt responsible for them. The “you” in the story could be and probably is the mother speaking to herself of what she feels she should be doing for the daughter. A great example of this is when she thinks, “You ought to do something about her with a gift like that- but without money or knowing how, what does one do?”.
Who else could she be talking to except herself? The story might have been interesting for it to have been writtin additionally through the eyes of the old man who live in the back, observing the tired, overworked and much demanded of mother who struggled so much to do her best for her children. Or maybe he would have thought she was neglectful and irresponsible. It also would have been interesting to present the story from the daughter’s point of view, looking back on her childhood and teenage years. As a mother myself, I can sympathize with the woman ironing, it seems like I am always questioning if what I am doing is right for my children and if I am helping them bloom into the wonderful adult they have growing inside of thier little bodies. In addition, it seems I usually think of these things while I have some quiet time while doing some tedious housework, oh the irony! I stand here ironing was a wonderfully written, yet sad story about a mother struggling to raise her children, and how she believed she failed with her oldest daughter Emily.
Though it is a short story, Tillie Olsen manages to takes us through 19 years of hard times and the steps that led to the condition of her and her daughter. If the story had been told from a different point of view than first person, our picture of the mother would have been drastically different. For example, if told from a neighbor’s standpoint, she may have been seen as an unfit mother, uncaring to her daughter’s troubles. This is shown with the neighbor’s comment, “You should smile more at Emily when you look at her.” Obviously he thinks she isn’t doing the greatest job at raising Emily, and maybe she should have smiled more, but what right does he have to comment on their situation? He has no idea what she goes through trying to keep her family together, and eating and with a roof over their head for that matter. This is why Tillie chose the first person point of view to tell the story. That way, we see how the mother did her best and there was no way around the hardships Emily faced. I wonder what the picture of the mother would have been like if the story were told from Emily’s point of view.
Would she have been angry with her mother? Or would she have been mad and sad, yet understanding, knowing that her mother had to work and be gone all the time for them to survive, that she was the first baby of a 19 year old mother, and her mother didn’t have all of the parenting skills she had with the other children? It would have been interesting to see the story in omniscient mode, so that we could see what Emily thought of her mother, not just what Emily told her mother about what she was feeling. I believe that if the mother would have not have had to work so much, and would have done a few things differently when Emily was growing up, Emily would not have had all of the self-esteem issues as she had in school, and in her personal life. Even things like telling the teacher to make the little boy stop hitting her instead of making her endure him everyday would have gone a long way. That fact makes me think of what my relationship with my mother did to my personality, if anything. Unlike some of my classmates, I was at home with my mother everyday until I was 5, when I went to preschool she was my teacher.
I would always cling to her and I remember not wanting to go to school because she was not there, so I wouldn’t have anyone to play with in my mind. Even in the years following preschool until age 8 or 9, when classmates would invite me to a birthday party, my mother would stay. She would stay to talk with the other mothers, but I always ended up at her hip the whole time and hardly played with the other children. Needless to say, I wasn’t at too many parties after that because I hardly had made any friends. They say that a person’s social skills are developed during those years I was at my mother’s side all the time, and sometimes I wonder if that could have been a reason for my severe shyness and trouble making friends. I believe this because when my mom did start working, my little sister was 9 months and was put in day care and didn’t spend nearly as much time with my mom as I did.
She, at 15, is more outgoing than I will ever be in my whole life. I am 19 now, and my shyness lessened a lot, but sometimes I wonder if I hadn’t been with my mother those years and she put my in a day care with other children so that certain parts of my personality would have been able to develop more, would my entire personality be different? Is the difference between my sister and my personalities purely genetic, or because of our environments (that same question can be posed about Emily and her sister Susan)? I guess that’s one of the things about my life I’ll never know, and as Emily’s mother put it, cannot be helped. Tillie Olsen focused on the hardships of bringing up her children, especially Emily, her oldest child, during the depression, without a support of a full time Dad. This story is on a more focused, interior monologue. Tillie wanted us, the reader, to feel her thoughts, think about her memories in a vivid sense. How she missed Emily while she was growing up. Tillie had a tough time trying to make it. Emily wanted attention from her Mom, Tillie so perhaps that is why food sickened her. “They persuaded me at the clinic to send her away to a convalescent home” as stated by Tillie and the thought behind that would be to have more time to concentrate on the others.
The other siblings did not have the problems that Emily developed, as not eating because food sickens her could be a way to express the need for attention. This story made me, the reader; reflect on my life. I have left my children several times whether it was an assignment change, field training exercise, duty, daycare, etc. I am close to retiring from the service and I am looking forward to being with my children, even though I have two teenagers and two babies, I can be with them when I am done making my living then my husband can go work for our living. I understand what Tillie is saying, I feel her sense of urgency of wanting to be there for Emily and all of her children, and all of the children want love, affection, and attention from their parents. In order to live you must work and that means you must give up your time until you become a millionaire, and even millionaires have a busy schedule. As seen from a third person point of view we would only know the story as seen through the narrators eyes, what their truth and reality define for the story. This could be gossip, a “he said, she said” mentality. The narrator would not know the character, of how the character feels. If a neighbor told this story, it would be from their observations and reactions.
The neighbor would not have the same feelings or thoughts, even memories, of the character of the story. The neighbor probably would make Momma look like she is neglecting her children, without a steady father during the depression. I believe the author chose the mother’s point of view for the powerful emotion and intimate relationship with her daughter. Because of the experiences and hardships unique to the mother and Emily’s relationship, it is important the point of view be from one of them, and since the mother is the only one to remember their early struggles, which left a heavy impact on Emily’s emotional development, she is the logical one to narrate the story. On a more emotional note, who best to relay love, guilt, and disappointment better than the mom? After raising additional children, experiencing more of life and gaining wisdom, it is easier for her to recognize mistakes and feel the full weight of regret. She is also better able to understand the differences between Emily and the following children who did not experience such hardship.
If the point of view came from another source, such as a neighbor, a lot of emotion and regret would be lost. However, from a third person narration, there might be more of Emily’s point of view involved. I still think it would have lost the mother’s passion, but really we don’t know if Emily’s feelings are in sink with her own, or if she has accepted her life and is just fine with her life. As a mother, I am always second guessing and regretting mistakes, and some times I have felt worse about a situation than my children ever really did. It is so dependent on the child, which we know little about except from the mom’s perspective. Although, I cannot imagine a child being institutionalized and not being negatively impacted (very harsh). “I Stand Here Ironing” is a story told in the first person through the eyes of a middle aged mother who questions the choices she had to make in her children’s upbringing.
I think the author was trying to get across the hard choices a single young mother had to make in order to provide food and shelter for herself and her child. The mother later remarried and had another child. When the baby came the mother was forced once again to make a choice between her daughter and the needs of the baby. The story seems to show the agony that all mothers go through about the choices they made in the upbringing of their children. I found myself relating somewhat to the story and the hardships from my single motherhood days. The mother standing at the ironing board ironing a dress and talking to the daughter seems to be a metaphor of trying to “iron” out the kinks in ones life.
I think that the story would be extremely altered and tell another story of the agony of growing up in a hard world if it was told from the daughter’s point of view. If the daughter told her story she might tell of the hardship of separation from her mother in the early years because her mother had to work to provide for her. After her mother remarried we might see that the child felt even more isolated from her mother and abandoned after being shipped off to the convalescence home. She might have had extreme yearnings for any attention or token of her mother. Towards the end of the story we would see the daughter coming into her own self as she found her place in the world and her peace and happiness. | <urn:uuid:ba1c89a3-8710-4c07-8e59-73de327d41ff> | {
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All students will eventually receive an appelido (nickname) in Capoeira.
In order to explain the tradition of the nicknames, we must first recall the history of Capoeira. Capoeira is a martial art that grew out of a necessity for survival and freedom for the African slaves who were forcibly brought to Brazil to work on the plantations.
After slavery, the oppression continued. There were not many employment opportunities for uneducated, ex-slaves. For many, their only skill was Capoeira and many turned to petty thievery, gangs or were hired by corrupt politicians and high society members as personal body guards and thugs as a way to survive.
Capoeira in Brasil around the late 1800’s was negatively associated and the practice of Capoeira was a punishable offence. Hence, capoeiristas of that period gave themselves nicknames in order to hide their real identities from the police and often they had more than one. Capoeira today is recognised as Brazil's national sport and is practised around the world.
Getting a nickname in Capoeira has become a tradition and one usually receives a nickname at his or her first Batizado. | <urn:uuid:45c93e80-4fa2-43d6-b821-732d23ea2116> | {
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Biology»Galleries: Coastal Maine Terrestrial Ecology
Coastal Maine Terrestrial Ecology
The students had the opportunity to hike seven peaks in the park (three of them just for fun!) and explore diverse terrestrial communities including hardwood, boreal, alpine and lowland birch forests as well as a bouncy peat bog complete with carnivorous plants.
The whole crew at the top of Cadillac Mountain. Our first hike and the tallest peak on Mount Desert Island. Front row: Brittany Palasik ’12, Alyssa Forget ’12, Derek Tetzner ’13, Tyler Spooner ’12, Duncan Leech ’11. Back row: Mary Kelley ’11, Gretchen Harz ’12, Brendyn Meisinger ’13, Daniel Chilton ’13, Ian Hall ’12, and Robert Storck ’13 the course TA.
Coastal Maine is a wonderful place to investigate marine ecology with kelp and barnacle crowded coastal cliffs, tide pools packed with fascinating marine invertebrates and an abundance of coastal and marine vertebrates including bald eagles, porpoises and seals.
We rose early on our last day (3:45AM) to see the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain, reputed to be the first point in the United States to see the rays of the rising sun, and to begin our long drive home to Maryland.
Tyler Brice ’13, Hannah O’Malley ’12, and Brendyn Meisinger ’13 are studying the landscape ecology of the eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) with Assistant Professor of Biology Aaron R. Krochmal. The project, now in its third year, uses radiotelemtery to document and quantify the means by which C. picta detect, locate and travel to new aquatic habitats when their home habitats become degraded or dry up. By understanding how aquatic turtles use the terrestrial environment when seeking out new habitats, Dr. Krochmal and his students aim to help wildlife managers and habitat conservationists to make informed land use decisions.Dr. Krochmal and his students hosted interested students and local professionals at their field site at Dupont’s Chesapeake Farms, where guests learned about the project and helped the team collect key data. | <urn:uuid:f877b9a1-9ea5-4839-b375-489b5e917a5f> | {
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📅 2017-02-20 By: aonemaster
Everyone of us are familiar that sky seen from earth appears blue during day time. However, many of us do not know that Sky on Mars appears red. There is a scientific reason for this.
Martian surface is covered with the red iron rich dusts. During storms dusts are thrown up into the sky. These storms occurs from time to time on Mars. These red dusts particles is the main reason that Martian sky appears red in color. However, sky from Mars does not appear only red but also blue. This is because Mars sky changes according to the weather conditions. When there is no recent storms the sky appears blue as earths sky. Due to the Mars thin atmosphere day will be darker than earths sky.
Thus red dust is the reason for sky appearing Mars sky red. | <urn:uuid:9fff452a-4fcc-4fbb-9f67-ba0ff60a4ea2> | {
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Patient’s Guide to HIPAA – Learning About HIPAA: What are Fair Information Practices and How Do They Relate to HIPAA?
You are reading the Patient’s Guide to HIPAA, FAQ 10 .
HIPAA Guide Quick Links:
FAQ 10: What are Fair Information Practices and How Do They Relate to HIPAA?
If you read the HIPAA privacy rule – and stayed awake while doing it – the rule would appear to be a welter of detailed and uncoordinated provisions. It actually has a structure, but that structure is difficult to appreciate unless you know about Fair Information Practices, or unless you read the original preamble to the rule from 2000.
The rule implements Fair Information Practices (FIPs), an established set of principles for addressing concerns about information privacy. FIPs are especially significant because they form the basis of many privacy laws in the United States and, to a much greater extent, around the world. Understanding FIPs makes it easier to make sense of the HIPAA privacy rules.
The eight FIPs generally recognized are:
2) Use Limitation;
3) Purpose Specification;
4) Collection Limitation;
5) Data Quality;
7) Access and Correction; and
We could discuss FIPs here in more detail, but it would be a distraction.
Different versions of FIPs exist, and the actual application of FIPs to any set of personal records can be complex, variable, and controversial. We just want you to know that there are basic principles of information privacy that HIPAA mostly implements. You can read a short introduction to FIPS here: http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/fairinformationpractices.html. Understanding FIPs is not essential to understanding HIPAA, but it may help some people. But if you are interested, you can find a short history of FIPs at http://bobgellman.com/rg-docs/rg-FIPshistory.pdf. | <urn:uuid:4001aaf7-9ab8-4141-99b3-90fb55cf03a8> | {
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Holobits is a Mixed Reality platform for creativity, learning and fun.
Hardware: Microsoft Hololens
The onset of Mixed Reality as a platform offers the opportunity to create new playful paradigms for building and fostering creativity. The Holobits application leverages the tried and tested features of physical block building platforms like LEGO and introduces the benefits of building in mixed environments to support making and storytelling.
The proposed system combines the hand tracking capabilities of the Leap Motion with the spatial mapping of Hololens to enable hands-on building experiences with virtual blocks, denoted as “bits.” These blocks have different attributes and characteristics that determine how they look and behave within the mixed reality building space.
The platform also allows users to share their creative building process in a frame-by-frame fashion that enables remixing and reflection on every play session. Holobits allows users to record their interactions with their creations to create animated environments with ease and support storytelling. Another way to enable collaboration is to let kids share models (or download someone else’s creation in your space), allowing multiple users to build in a shared physical space or over distances, where a player can “hop” into the physical space of the Hololens user using virtual reality. Last but not least, we intend to integrate the Scratch visual programming toolkit into the Holobits platform to allow users to orchestrate their virtual creations and create the ultimate interactive stories.
Microsoft Design Expo 2017
Most Playful Application. Mixed Reality Challenge, 2017. | <urn:uuid:b768afa9-f237-4374-b35d-fb3a9e05f421> | {
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The Benicia Historical Museum offers intriguing glimpses into the rich past of a city situated on the Carquinez Strait, a story that runs parallel, in many respects, to the history of nearby San Francisco.
By design, the museum’s connecting spaces highlight different eras of Benicia’s last 160 years. One finds something new to see around every corner.
Flags Over Benicia
Visitors enter the main museum on the second floor of Building #9, one of two structures known as Camel Barns. To the right, the first display shows the flags that have flown over California. The usual suspects are present: Spain, Russia, and the Bear Flag state flag along with the banner of one sovereign state less well-known in California history: For 37 days, the English flag flew over California.
In the next space, a life-size grass hut replicates the traditional housing of the area’s first people, whose numbers may have exceeded 70,000. Photos and interpretive information describe the lives of indigenous people including Chief Solano. Photos and facts about Solano’s close friend General Vallejo are displayed together with an image of Vallejo’s brunette wife, Dona Benicia. Listed here are the names of General Vallejo and Dona Benicia’s 16 children.
In 1849, the US Army arrived in Benicia to establish the Benicia Barracks, the first Army Post on the Pacific Coast, later named the Benicia Arsenal. Charles P. Stone and his men arrived with a load of explosive black powder.
In a curious case of a name being predictive of his work, Officer Stone ordered stone be quarried from the site and oversaw the construction of a collection of ginger-colored stone buildings. When the Civil War broke out, Stone became the first officer to volunteer for service to the Union Army. Later in his life, Stone coordinated construction of the base of the Statue of Liberty.
Among the other notables who served at the Benicia Arsenal was a future United States President, Ulysses S. Grant. He once got sent to the brig in Benicia for the unauthorized firing of cannonballs across the water toward Martinez.
Camels in Benicia
About midway through a museum tour, nestled among exhibits on shipbuilding and other early industries, a showcase features the Benicia Arsenal’s unique camel history.
“Where are the camels?” is the number one question visitors ask at the Benicia Historical Museum according to volunteer curator Beverly Phelps.
The US Army used camels imported from the Mideast as pack animals between Texas and California during the 1850’s and early 1860’s. Thirty-five camels swayed into the Arsenal in 1863, after trekking overland from southern California. The animals spent the winter of 1863 to 64 in Benicia, living in the two enormous stone warehouses, and generally annoying their keepers with spitting, hissing and moaning. Soldiers dubbed the buildings the Camel Barns. The camels were auctioned away in February 1864 to a single bidder for about $1500.00.
The Benicia Arsenal continued serving the country through two world wars and the Korean conflict, closing in 1964. The City of Benicia now owns the land and buildings.
The Victorian Period
Round a corner and one finds a room with Victorian era furnishings that replicate a parlor in one of Benicia’s homes on the upper end of First Street at the end of the 19th century.
On the lower end of First Street in those years, budding author Jack London roamed Benicia and the Carquinez Straits, working as an oyster pirate at fifteen and a deputy with the fish patrolmen by sixteen. He created a Huck Finn-type character in the first-person narrator of the Tales of the Fish Patrol, a collection of stories, mostly set in Benicia.
Rumor has that London routinely staggered in and out of Jürgenson’s Saloon, and one night, either drunk or suicidal, he swam out into the Carquinez Strait, got swept up by current, and was rescued by a Greek fisherman near Crockett after drifting several miles. In the foreword to Jack London’s book Tales of the Fish Patrol, Jerry George states that based on London’s story “Demetrio’s Cantos” we can safely assume that some part of the rumor is true.
Contemporary author and Benicia resident Donnell Rubray brings to life Jack London and 1890’s Benicia in Emma and the Oyster Pirates, a work of historical fiction with the scenes and characters based on real people.
In the author’s note following the last chapter, Rubray states, “In the early 1890’s Benicia was a town of opposites. Near the strait, at the foot of its First Street saloons, ‘houses of ill repute,’ tanneries, canneries, a train station and busy docks, thrived. At the upper end of town—about ‘F’ Street—churches, private schools and fashionable shops formed a separate neighborhood. Though men often moved between Benicia’s two halves, women rarely did.” Hence, Emma’s adventure is traversing these two worlds.
Tales of the Fish Patrol and Emma and the Oyster Pirates are among the many books on local and California history and other items available in the Benicia Historical Museum gift shop.
Freedom is a Hard Bought Thing
After touring the displays that depict Benicia’s past in chronological order, one reaches the changing exhibit space. The current show celebrates the 150th anniversary of the 1863 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation with “Freedom is a Hard Bought Thing.” It has been extended through February 2013 in connection with black history month according to Museum Executive Director Elizabeth d’Huart. The name comes from Benicia resident Stephen Benet’s book, Freedom is a Hard Bought Thing, a 1940 Pulitzer Prize winner.
African-American slaves came to Benicia with white men during the Gold Rush period. When the city served as California’s Capitol from 1853 to 1854, records reveal that debates among legislators frequently involved the slavery issue.
The exhibit features many examples of African-Americans’ role in Benicia history. One man that came to Benicia as a slave during this time was Adam Willis. At the direction of his “owner,” Willis traveled back east to bring the man’s wife and children to Benicia. Willis did all that, and, on his return, received his freedom papers in Benicia.
During the school year, more than 500 young people get to experience life as it was lived in 1850 in the museum’s hands-on education program for school children. Museum President Carol Scott, a retired public school teacher says, “We do time travel.” She tells the children, “You’re living in 1850.” During their highly interactive day at the museum, children do laundry by hand, make adobe bricks, and pass buckets in a fire brigade.
Many volunteers help make the experience possible. Bill Scott, Carol’s husband, guides the brick-making fun. Kids stir mud, straw, sand, and water in large tubs, and then place the slop in wood molds. Between the kids’ visits, one can find Bill hard at work building an adobe wall behind the museum with the dried bricks made by young visitors.
The museum charges seven dollars per student for the program or just over $200.00 for a class of thirty to defray expenses. May an individual give the museum a targeted donation to help a classroom attend the program? “Yes, of course,” says Carol. “That would be wonderful.”
Camel Lore Lives On
The notion of camels in Benicia lives on, due in no small part to their reappearance in the city. After an absence of well over a hundred years, camels were hauled to Benicia from Nevada. For six consecutive years, the Benicia Historical Museum sponsored camel races right on First Street.
Jockeys, sponsored by First Street merchants, rode the camels. Crowds lined the street; vendors sold food and hawked goods. The races are no longer taking place, but live on among the town’s legends. The races began in the 1990’s, ended in early years of this century, and remain part of Benicia’s rich history.
Experience it for yourself
The Benicia Historical Museum’s main exhibit hall in Building #9, better known as the Camel Barn, is open to the public Wednesday-Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. at 2060 Camel Road in Benicia. Visitors may reach the museum by taking Military West into the historic Benicia Arsenal and following the signs toward the museum.
The admission fees are $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and students, and $2.00 for children ages 6 to 12; children five and under are free.
Museum docents are typically on hand to provide informal tours and answer questions. Docents receive initial training by Benicia author Jim Lessenger whose most recent work is Commanding Officer’s Quarters of the Benicia Arsenal.
Guided tours are available to groups by reservation and may be arranged by contacting the museum at 707-745-5435 and www.beniciahistoricalmuseum.org.
Kristine Mietzner lives in Benicia with her golden retriever Max. She serves on the board of Benicia Literary Arts and works as a field supervisor for the Touro University Graduate School of Education. Her work has appeared in the Contra Costa Times, the Benicia Herald, and the online travel magazine, Your Life is a Trip. Her previously published work is posted at www.redroom.com/member/kristine-mietzner. She can be reached at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:694e47c2-bc7b-4402-b1e2-2830f3046ac5> | {
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Biologists have long assumed that all jawed vertebrates possess a full complement of nearly identical genes for critical aspects of their development. But a paper in the December 16 issue of Science with Benjamin King of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) as lead author shows that elasmobranchs, a subclass of cartilaginous fishes, lack a cluster of genes, HoxC, formerly thought to be essential for proper development.
Hox genes dictate the proper patterning of tissues during embryonic development in all bilateral animals, that is, those with a top and a bottom and a back and a front. In fruit flies, mutations in one Hox gene can lead to such miscues as legs growing where antenna should be. In mammals, Hox genes are required for the proper patterning of vertebrae and ribs. Hox genes are notable for being "co-linear," that is, the order they appear in the genome corresponds to the order of their expression in tissues of developing embryos from head to tail.
Fruit flies have one Hox cluster. In all the jawed vertebrates previously studied, scientists always found four copies of the Hox cluster. These clusters, named HoxA, HoxB, HoxC, and HoxD, are present in humans with roughly 10 genes in each cluster (39 in all). Prior to King's study, it was thought that all jawed vertebrates needed at least one gene from each of the four clusters for viable development. However, King and his colleagues call that fundamental assumption into question by offering compelling evidence that at least two elasmobranch fish, the little skate (Leucoraja erinacea) and the dogfish shark (Scyliorhincus canicula), lack the HoxC cluster.
King and his co-authors, Heather Carlisle and Randall Dahn from MDIBL and Andrew Gillis from Cambridge University, used high-throughput sequencing data to characterize all genes expressed in late-stage embryos from three cartilaginous fishes the elephant shark (Callorhincus milii), dogfish shark (Scylliorhinus canicula), and little skate (Leucoraja erinacea). Studies by other researchers have shown that the elephant shark, which is not an elasmobranch but rather represents a subgroup of cartilaginous fishes called holocephali, has all four Hox clusters. King's sequence data confirmed this. However, the dogfish and skate did not express any HoxC genes.
Searching a draft 26x-coverage genome assembly for the skate, King found all HoxA, HoxB and HoxD cluster genes, but none of the HoxC genes. A separate group of researchers recently reported that they could not find any HoxC genes expressed or in the genome of the dogfish using traditional cloning techniques.
"A goal of the field of evolutionary developmental biology is to learn how developmental processes evolved by comparing many organisms with one another," says King. "Our work illustrates the value of studying elasmobranch fishes to gain new insights. If elasmobranchs do not need HoxC genes to develop properly, we must consider the possibility that there is more flexibility in the role of the various Hox clusters than we previously thought."
Genome sequence data for the skate was provided by the North East Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (NECC), a group researchers from five states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Delaware) that includes King, who are working to characterize the skate and provide training in bioinformatics to students and faculty in these states.
Explore further: The skeleton: Size matters
This research will appear in the 16 December 2011 issue of the journal Science. | <urn:uuid:ada23624-2367-48e8-b6f7-4cabbb4f2f34> | {
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It's one of the Ten Commandments – right up there with belief in God and "don't murder." The Talmud regards it as one of the most difficult mitzvot to perform properly. What's so special about the mitzvah to honor parents?
Many people think that honoring parents is some kind of payback for all those years of changing diapers and paying for college. Actually, this mitzvah was given to the generation who wandered 40 years in the desert, where God automatically provided everyone's needs. The parents didn't feed their children; they had the manna to eat. The parents didn't provide clothing; the clothes grew with them and never needed washing. Nevertheless, it was precisely this generation who stood at Mount Sinai and heard God utter, "Honor your father and mother."
We learn from here an amazing thing: This mitzvah honoring parents does not depend on what your parents did for you, or even whether they were good parents. Rather, we honor parents simply because they gave us the gift of life.
Imagine you were drowning and a stranger came along and saved your life. You would be forever indebted to that person. All the more so we should be grateful to our parents who gave us life.
The Talmud teaches that there are three partners in the formation of a person: father, mother, and the Almighty. If we have gratitude to our parents for the gift of life, how much more so we'll be grateful to God for creating and sustaining the entire world – for giving us air to breathe, flowers to smell, and soil to walk on.
By honoring those who brought us into existence, we learn not to take things for granted and develop an appreciation for the kindness of others.
With that introduction, let's get to the practical "how to" of honoring parents.
How to Honor
There are actually two parts to this mitzvah:
- Honor your parents (in Hebrew, kibbud av v'eim) – these are the positive "to do" actions
- Revere your parents (in Hebrew, morah) – the "don't do" actions
The basic way to honor parents is to care for their needs. Specifically, this includes:
- bringing them food and drink, including helping with meal preparation and grocery shopping
- assisting them with paying bills, banking, etc.
- transporting them, e.g. giving a ride to the doctor
When possible, it is preferable for a child to live near the parents, to better care for their needs. There are really no limits to this; the Talmud tells how the great Rabbi Tarfon would bend down to serve as a step-stool for his mother to climb in and out of bed.
Parents should be visited and phoned as frequently as possible, depending on the parent's needs and child's schedule. In general, be sensitive to the fact that parents naturally worry about their children. Try to send a quick email or phone message every day or two. Especially if you are traveling, call to let them know that you arrived safely.
If the parent is old and infirmed, the child is responsible to arrange for his care, and must pay for it if the parent cannot afford to do so.
Of course, you should never let your parents feel that they are a burden, or that you are assisting only out of obligation.
As a reward for honoring parents, the Torah promises long life. One possible explanation is that taking care of parents – especially when they are elderly – can be very time-consuming. So God "compensates," so to speak, by adding extra years to your own life.
As an added bonus, when your children will see you honoring your parents, they will learn this importance of this mitzvah. That's the payback when it comes your turn to be on the receiving end.
Honoring parents goes beyond just "doing favors." An element of this mitzvah is to admire your parents and consider them to be eminent people. For example, if you hear someone speak negatively about your parents, you are required to speak up and defend their honor.
Even more, you should make a specific effort to love your parents, to the point of developing hero worship! How is this achieved? The definition of love is "the pleasure of identifying people with their virtues." You should try to discover the qualities that make your parents extraordinary, among the greatest people alive. The more of your parents' virtues you're aware, the more you'll appreciate, love and honor them. (However, even if you don't develop this "love," the obligation remains to honor them. )
The Talmud suggests other ways to increase admiration:
• If you need a favor – e.g. you want the car mechanic to fix your muffler ASAP – you should ask him to do it "as a favor to my parents." Even if the mechanic would do it for you anyway, phrasing it this way increases your parents' esteem in everyone's eyes.
• Another way to build admiration is to stand up when your parent enters the room. At first glance this may seem strange in our modern society. But imagine you were sitting at a board meeting and the chairman walked in; you would rise out of respect to greet him. We should accustom ourselves to treating our parents the same way – standing up to welcome them when they arrive, and escorting them when they leave.
In general, a child should be eager to fulfill his parents' wishes. There are some limits, however:
- If a parent instructs a child to do something that violates Jewish law, the child should respectfully refuse to do so.
- A child need not comply with a parent’s request to do something painful or demeaning
- Similarly, a child should refuse to assist the parent in doing anything that is dangerous or unhealthy.
There are three specific areas that, due to their intense personal nature, a person is not required to respect his parents' wishes:
- choosing who to marry
- maximizing one's Torah studies
- wanting to move to Israel
Regarding financial loss: A child does not have to support or listen to his parents if it involves his own personal loss of money. However, he is required to bear an "indirect" loss – i.e. by visiting and spending time with them, even if this means a loss of potential wages.
Awe and Reverence
Besides the mitzvah to honor parents, there is a second aspect of awe and reverence. The particulars of how to fulfill this may depend on the society in which you live. But the basic principle is that there must be clear lines: "I am the parent and you are the child. We are not equals."
This is typically achieved by observing the following guidelines:
• Do not sit in a place that is designated for your parent. For example, don't sit in your mother's seat at the dinner table, and don't sit in your father's special easy chair (unless you've asked permission).
• Do not contradict anything your parent says, even if it's obviously wrong. Rather, you can phrase it as an uncertainty: "If I'm not mistaken, I may have read differently." You should not even validate your parent's words in their presence, i.e. do not say, "I believe what you're saying is correct." (However, validating the parents' opinion when not in their presence accords them honor.)
• Do not address your parents by their first name. In a situation where you need to state your parent's name, you should add a title, e.g. "My father is Mr. Joshua Goldberg."
• Do not wake a parent who is sleeping, or make noise that might disturb him.
• A child should not see his parent naked.
• Do not raise your voice, speak disrespectfully, or in any way demean your parent. Beyond this, hitting or cursing a parent is an extremely serious transgression.
Sometimes, a parent might feel uncomfortable with the rules of honoring parents, especially when teaching (and enforcing!) them to younger children. But it's important to keep in mind that more than for the sake of the parents' honor, all this is to instill good character traits in the child, to give him a framework for future relationships – with friends and colleagues, with his own children, and with God.
The obligation to honor and respect parents applies even after they have passed away. When referring to a parent who has passed away, you should add an expression of honor, for example:
- "My father, zichrono li'vracha" – may his memory be for a blessing. (For a mother, the first word is zichrona).
- "My father, alav ha'shalom" – peace be upon him. (For a mother, the first word is aleh'ha).
Once you are married and have children of your own, naming a child after your deceased relatives – parents, grandparents and other relatives – is considered an honor for your parents. The Sefardic custom is to also name after living relatives.
Other ways to posthumously honor a parent include:
- donating to charity in their memory
- reciting Kaddish for the first 11 months after death, and on each yahrtzeit (anniversary of death)
- saying the Yizkor memorial prayer on Jewish holidays
- lighting a memorial candle on the yahrtzeit
- learning Torah on the yahrtzeit
In general, raising your level of Jewish commitment (i.e. Torah study and mitzvot) is a great source of merit for your parents, even after they pass away.
There are a number of "secondary" relatives who a child is also obligated to honor:
- grandparents
- in-laws
- step-parents
- older siblings
- aunts and uncles
In a case of conflicting demands, honoring an actual parent takes precedence.
Also, the obligation to honor these other relatives does not include the aspects of "awe and reverence" (e.g. calling by first name, sitting in their chair, etc.).
Finally, every parent has a deep desire to see their family at peace with one another. Therefore children must be very sensitive to the pain it can cause parents if they are quarrelling with siblings and other relatives.
The Difficult Parent
The reality is, of course, that parents are not perfect. And some parents are objectively problematic. Yet no matter how difficult a parent's behavior, a child is still obligated to show honor and respect. This applies even if a biological parent has abandoned his child. And it applies even if the parent is rude, unpleasant, and an embarrassment. The Talmud tells the story of a mother who spit in her son's face – while the son kept his composure and continued to accord her honor.
At the same time, while honoring your parents is a tremendous mitzvah, you also need to be responsible for your own welfare. One is not required to endanger his emotional or physical health for a parent. Therefore, if a child cannot cope with the parent's behavior, he is permitted to keep his distance.
The obligation of the mitzvah, however, still applies. For instance it would still be forbidden to use the parent's first name or to contradict him publicly. And it is always appropriate for a child to feel a deep appreciation to a parent for giving him the gift of life.
Of course, all this does not in any way absolve an abusive parent. On the contrary, a parent should not be overly strict with his own honor, and may choose to forgo that honor when appropriate.
Children are precious gems that are deposited with parents for polishing and finishing. Parents who fail to build a warm and loving relationship with their children will pay a heavy price for this negligence.
As we mentioned earlier, honoring parents serves as a springboard for the gratitude we should feel toward God. But this issue goes much deeper. The commentators point out that the first five of the Ten Commandments (i.e. the first tablet) contains mitzvot between man and God: don't serve idols, don't take God's name in vain, etc., whereas the second tablet contains mitzvot between man and man: don't murder, don't steal, etc.
Where is the mitzvah to honor one's parents? In the first set of five. Because from the moment of infancy and beyond, the way a parent acts toward a child forms in the child's consciousness a paradigm for how God relates to us. The primary role of a parent, therefore, is to communicate to the child: You are loved and cherished. You are unique and special, creative and talented. You are cared for and protected.
The most important message a parent can communicate is: "You are not alone in this world." This idea is the foundation of our relationship with God. A person may find themselves in a terrible situation – illness, poverty, war – but they can still know that God is with them.
If a parent is untrustworthy and uncaring, unusually harsh or permissive, it subconsciously sets into the child's mind that God must somehow be the same. This is an emotional handicap that can be difficult to overcome later in life.
One final thought: As society progresses, there may be a tendency for children to feel "ahead" of their parents. Sure, kids today are more technologically savvy, and are up on the latest music and fashions. But in Jewish consciousness, parents are to be respected because they are the source of our tradition. In other words, parents not only gave us life in this world, but are the link that connects us to our eternal Jewish heritage. | <urn:uuid:5b56bc67-4b56-4cf8-94b5-29fa72684cc3> | {
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First air-to-air refueling
Today, air-to-air refueling is a daily occurrence across the U.S. Air Force. But it was not always so. Ninety years ago this week, two Airmen successfully completed the first air-to-air refueling. On June 27, 1923, Lts. Lowell Smith and John Richter made the Army Air Service’s first complete hose refueling between two Airco DH-4B biplanes over San Diego. Two months later they set another record by flying 37 hours and refueling the aircraft nine times. Five years later the famous Question Mark, a modified Atlantic-Fokker C-2A flown by aviators to experiment with aerial refueling, shattered numerous refueling records by staying airborne for 150 hours, 40 minutes and 14 seconds. After that, air-to-air refueling fell into disuse until after 1950, but that is another story. | <urn:uuid:9dd64645-a541-4dd6-ba50-e873cd724a10> | {
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Expulsion from the Garden of Eden
Having displeased the Lord by eating forbidden fruit that gave them knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden. Rather than describing their anguish through pose and expression, as artists traditionally had done, Cole told the story through the landscape, contrasting Paradise, lush and tropical, with the harsh, violent, external world. Adam and Eve are almost swallowed up by the natural drama and seem propelled from Paradise by a shaft of light representing God's power. This picture was exhibited first at the National Academy of Design, in 1828, and established Cole as one of the most gifted artists working in the United States. | <urn:uuid:1c46bf13-be07-4aa4-8478-de24d822c114> | {
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Fruits and dietary phytochemicals in bone protection.
Osteoporosis is a disease of bone characterized by loss of bone matrix and deterioration of bone microstructure that leads to an increased risk of fracture. Cross-sectional studies have shown a positive association between higher fruit intake and higher bone mineral density. In this review, we evaluated animal and cellular studies of dried plum and citrus and berry fruits and bioactive compounds including lycopene, phenolics, favonoids, resveratrol, phloridzin, and pectin derived from tomato, grapes, apples, and citrus fruits. In addition, human studies of dried plum and lycopene were reviewed. Animal studies strongly suggest that commonly consumed antioxidant-rich fruits have a pronounced effect on bone, as shown by higher bone mass, trabecular bone volume, number, and thickness, and lower trabecular separation through enhancing bone formation and suppressing bone resorption, resulting in greater bone strength. Such osteoprotective effects seem to be mediated via antioxidant or anti-inflammatory pathways and their downstream signaling mechanisms, leading to osteoblast mineralization and osteoclast inactivation. In future studies, randomized controlled trials are warranted to extend the bone-protective activity of fruits and their bioactive compounds. Mechanistic studies are needed to differentiate the roles of phytochemicals and other constitutes in bone protection offered by the fruits. Advanced imaging technology will determine the effective doses of phytochemicals and their metabolites in improving bone mass, microarchitecture integrity, and bone strength, which is a critical step in translating the benefits of fruit consumption on osteoporosis into clinical data.
Shen CL, von Bergen V, Chyu MC, Jenkins MR…
Nutr Res Dec 2012 | <urn:uuid:506f5588-a1ac-43ca-8319-baff0c5d18ee> | {
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The Capacity for Ethical Conduct
On psychic existence and the way we relate to others
Routledge – 2013 – 132 pages
Routledge – 2013 – 132 pages
What is the root cause of ethical failure? Why is preoccupation with ethics more a part of the problem than a part of the solution? What makes ethical conduct a natural expression of who we are? What enables us to be ourselves in our relations with others?
Ethical failure has become a significant concern in public life, in organizations and in educational institutions. The Capacity for Ethical Conduct explores how qualities of character and personality either make ethical conduct possible for the individual or foster ethical failure.
David Levine discusses how ethical conduct is a special way of relating to others, one that secures respect for their integrity by assuring that what they do can express who they are. He argues that this special way of relating to others results not from knowledge of, or a stated commitment to, rules, norms and values, but from the way we experience ourselves, especially from our ability to make a positive emotional investment in being and having a self. Traditionally, emphasis on the importance of values and ethics in shaping conduct tends to be connected to the need to find fault in self and others, fostering an atmosphere where the self is put at risk in its relations to others. This means that an excessive emphasis on ethics, rather than assuring ethical conduct, tends instead to create interpersonal settings marked by emotional assault. Because of this, talk about ethics often expresses ambivalence about ethical conduct, which makes the familiar combination of preoccupation with ethics and ethical failure unsurprising.
The Capacity for Ethical Conduct explores the ways in which the interpersonal world of work either fosters a feeling of safety or encourages various forms of emotional assault. Presenting case studes and applying psychoanalytic object relation theory and self psychology, this book explores the factors underlying ethical failure and the capacity for ethical conduct. It will be of interest to scholars and practioners in the fields of psychoanalysis, psychology, philosophy, sociology, organizational dynamics, management and public administration.
Introduction. Truth. Taking Responsibility. Judgment. Normlessness. The Attack on Connection. The Unhappy Consciousness. The Public Trust. Virtuous Intent. Knowing and Caring. Wishes and Words.
David P. Levine is a professor at the Josef Kobel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He has published books and papers on group and organizational dynamics; the psychology of teaching and learning; ethics, tolerance and difference; and the psychology of work. His most recent book is Object Relations, Work and the Self (Routledge 2010). | <urn:uuid:0d5839cd-2ab5-4a4a-a8fb-c25c6ca8d635> | {
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The latest news about environmental and green
technologies – renewables, energy savings, fuel cells
Posted: Dec 04, 2013
Improving building design to reach zero-energy consumption
(Nanowerk News) The goal of reaching zero-energy buildings can be met by improving their design and relying on renewable energies.
Ulrich Filippi ObereggerUlrich Filippi Oberegger is a senior researcher in the energy management in buildings group of the Institute for Renewable Energy of EURAC Research. He tells youris.com about reducing the use of energy by designing buildings, which are integrating so-called passive and active technologies. Passive technologies donít use energy, such as insulation or reflective layers, while active technologies use power, although often very efficiently, such as heat pumps. In turn, this approach will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and securing long-term savings on operational costs. This is what the EU-funded project DIRECTION plans to achieve with three demonstration buildings in three locations, Bolzano, Italy, Valladolid, Spain and Munich, Germany.
What is EURACís approach for integrating energy-saving measures in buildings?
We are mainly involved in the integrated design process. This means that we are interested in facilitating the exchange of building information between the stakeholders and the actors, namely between architects and engineers. This way, we have a firm grasp of the design process and of all the other phases during the construction of the building and also afterwards, during maintenance operations. We know well the procedures behind all the building phases, the actors that are involved, as well as those who produce all the information.
In practice, how do you reduce the energy needs?
We propose measures to the architects and engineers who are involved in the design phase of the building. Our strategy is to mainly focus our research on basic solutions. We try to reduce the energy needs of the building by exploiting natural resources, like daylight or ground water if possible, or renewable energy, such as solar energy.
Do these measures differ, depending on the climate?
We have different solutions in the three showcase buildings of the project. For example, in our building in Bolzano, where summers are hot and winters very cold, we use mainly highly reflective surfaces. We have light tubes that direct sunlight to the first floor of the building. And we have an internal garden that acts as temperature buffer zone. A very good strategy during summer is to ventilate at night, so you have to cool the building less during the day. During the winter we use heat pumps that exchange heat with ground water.
Are there different building regulations for these sites?
Yes, we have also different approaches to meet the various regulations. We do not make the show cases change their procedures. We use their documents, as they are. We decided on a common structure for these three buildings. We also developed a web platform where you can upload documents, store them and then search for information. We also address other differences, differences in user behaviour and different construction methods.
Do you expect that your research project will lead to energy savings in other buildings in Europe?
All members of the EU have to work on energy efficient buildings because of the European building directives of 2002 and the recast in 2010, which constrains builders to improve the energy performance of buildings, using passive measures, but also improvements of the efficiency of heating and cooling. The 20-20-20 targets of the EU climate and energy package call for a 20% improvement in the EUís energy efficiency, a 20% growth of the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources and a 20% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels. Of course, you need a quite high-share of renewable energy, otherwise this is not possible.
Therefore the Member States have to refurbish a large part of their building stock. And that is not an easy task. Things are progressing much slower than they should. We all have to work together. The industry has to put on the market more innovative products. This will only happen with the help of research institutes. I think many zero-energy buildings will first appear in the public sector. And then, the private sector will follow.
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Check out these other trending stories on Nanowerk: | <urn:uuid:f16d2434-ba62-4ef2-b3d7-2d1539a604bb> | {
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