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The Keramicos was Athens’ cemetery between the 12th century BC and the Roman times. This ancient cemetery was not discovered until beginnings of the decade of 1860 when a street to the Piraeus was being constructed, and since then it has been counted among the most interesting spots in Athens.
The first discovery of the Keramicos was what is known as the Themistokleian Wall, which was built during the 5th century BC with the purpose of providing protection to the path towards the port of the city. The name of this wall, Themistokleian Wall, was given to it due to the fact that it was built by Themistocles.
Besides the Themistokleian Wall, one of the main attractions in The Keramicos, this spot also has two other interesting attractions called the Dipylon Gate and the Sacred Gate. There are important remains from the Dipylon Gate and the Sacred Gate which can be still observed in detail nowadays. It is important to know that the Dipylon Gate was used in order to show where the Panathenaic Way would begin, while the Sacred Gate was the spot in which the initiates to the mysteries of Eleusis would need to pass.
Another interesting part of The Keramicos was the Pompeion. The Pompeion was a spot meant to contain some sacred objects used at the main religious festival in the town, the Panathenaia. This festival had a major relevance to Athens as well as to its citizens, and therefore, the Pompeion would be a very important place as well.
One of the main spots in The Keramicos, if not the most important of all, is what is known as the Street of Tombs. The Street of Tombs used to lead the way to the tombs of the most important people in Athens, and was the path which citizens would walk in order to take them to their funerary monuments.
By meeting The Keramicos, visitors could observe several interesting monuments and walls showing peculiar designs and depictures. Some of these monuments and walls show scenes from mythology, and several of them maintain many of their original characteristics in such a way that meeting them could be like almost going back into ancient Greece. | <urn:uuid:efaa6398-1a9f-48dc-a50a-90448f33c9dc> | {
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Sharing a meal is a central part of loving, family relationships. So when one spouse hates the way the other one chews, it’s likely going to cause some dumb marital fights. But the hatred of chewing is not always as simple as other relationship pet peeves and can be a symptom of a misophonia, a condition that causes extreme reactions to everyday sounds. Behavior scientist Tom Dozier, who’s conducted multiple studies on misophonia, suspects it has deep neurological roots. As a result, this irrational irritation might be much more common and consequential than people realize.
“Misophonia generally develops in the home to a specific family member and to a specific sound made by that person,” Dozier, who authored the book Understanding and Overcoming Misophonia, 2nd edition: A Conditioned Aversive Reflex Disorder, explains. “Misophonia can be and often is devastating to close relationships. It causes children to avoid parents. It causes divorce.”
Misophonia affects up to 20 percent of the general population according to the data, but Dozier suspects that those numbers may be even higher because it’s underdiagnosed. While chewing is not the only sound people with misophonia hate, it’s certainly one of the more common symptoms. In one survey Dozier conducted of over 1,000 people, 96.5 percent of respondents reported that they disliked mouth sounds like chewing, crunching food, lip-smacking, and slurping.
Although the exact cause of misophonia is unknown, neuroscientists believe it has to do with abnormal connectivity in the brain between the limbic system (which controls emotions), the autonomic nervous system (which controls fight or flight responses), and the auditory cortex (which controls how we process sounds). It has been linked with extra sensitive hearing as well. There’s also evidence that this hatred of chewing and other sounds may be a result of conditioning. If these sounds were linked with other kinds of distress during childhood, such as arguments and tension during family meals, that may cause people to be set off by them throughout their lives.
“Misophonia is a conditioned response disorder, which includes a physical flinch and a very strong conditioned emotional response. This is classical conditioning at its worst,” Dozier explains, adding that it’s typically misdiagnosed as anxiety or another mental health problem because of the extreme emotions that can follow these responses. “We have good research that this is not how or where misophonia starts.”
Once properly identified, misophonia can be treated through tinnitus retraining therapy, where people learn to better tolerate noise, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy, where people learn to better recognize their triggers. The hatred of chewing can also be helped by background noise during meals, such as a fans, white noise machines, or pretty much any host on NPR. Dozier also discourages individuals from trying to white-knuckle through noises that are especially irritating, which could make them lash out even harder. Instead, it’s best for people to remove themselves from these situations whenever possible.
Still, not every expert thinks it takes a neurological condition to hate the sound of your spouse smacking their food. All it really takes is a distaste for bad manners.
“Hearing one chew indicates one is chewing with one’s mouth open. Chewing with one’s mouth open indicates one is a mouth breather,” Dr. Anil Rama, a physician and professor of sleep sciences at Stanford University, explains. Rama is not being rude — mouth breathing from a young age can change how people’s faces develop, making their chins recessed, nostrils flared, teeth crooked, and smiles gummy. Mouth breathing leads to cavities, bad breath, poor sleep, and personality problems. So when people are reacting to the sound of chewing, what they may actually be reacting to is all the other issues that come with it, Rama says.
“Despite not consciously understanding the reasons why, people are averse to others chewing with their mouths open because they likely subconsciously perceive the associated physical and behavioral derangements.” | <urn:uuid:e98c7eeb-060d-46fc-9739-ee306791f460> | {
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Those who have a familiarity with architecture recognize Frank Lloyd Wright as one of the most well-known and talented architects in America. Of his 1,114 unique designs, 532 of them have been actualized. Aside from a handful of buildings in Japan, Wright focused mainly on the United States, where he called home. Born in 1867 in Richland Center, Wisconsin, Wright became interested in design and architecture from an early age. While his contemporaries were still entrenched in building (and dressing) after European styles, his great desire was to introduce a purely American architecture that embodied the culture of the land he loved. When he grew up, Wright designed and oversaw the building of his own home in Spring Green, which he called Taliesin. In later years, he designed a winter home for himself in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona. This he named Taliesin West, in congruency with his summer and primary home in Wisconsin.
Frank Lloyd Wright borrowed the name Taliesin from the Welsh. It means “shining brow”, a name appropriate for his two homes positioned just under the crowns of hills. Since his death in 1959, Taliesin West has become a historical landmark and the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. It is a signature of his ability to reflect the ambient landscape in his architecture. The building lies relatively low and wide, matching the sprawling Sonoran Desert around it. Many of its walls are made of thick cement encasing white, brown, and red stones from the surrounding desert hills. Inside, the walls and ceiling slant in unique ways, and a hexagonal theatre provides incredible sound even for those in the back of the room. Back outside, red wood and iron trusses compliment white rooftops.
Above the entrance to the Taliesin West library stands a row of eleven rectangular shade sails. The khaki fabric blends into the southwestern landscape and flatters the sedona red iron. The shades are contorted in a hyperbolic twist that is both artistic and practical. The twist, with the four corners alternating between high and low points, prevents sagging in the sail and the pooling of water. This echelon of identical sails greets those entering the library with shade from the Arizona sun.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy has been sustained by the foundation and school that now call his home theirs. They offer tours of Taliesin West as well as education in the School of Architecture. Long has this grand structure stood as a testament of Wright’s gifted mind and eye for design. The recent addition of shade sails only adds to the modern, yet enduring style of his winter home. Though Frank Lloyd Wright himself passed away over half a century ago, his ideas have been immortalized in the building of Taliesin West. | <urn:uuid:2db108ae-6676-4b18-ada8-2a28cb1dc495> | {
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Teaching Guide: Voices of Iraqi Refugees
A teaching guide, created in in partnership with the Iraqi & American Reconciliation Project (IARP), to familiarize students with the post-war condition of Iraqi immigrants. The curriculum includes lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school classrooms.
Peace and Justice Films: Feature films and documentaries related to war, peace, and restorative justice.
War and Conflict Links
Global Security Institute
Targets influential businesses to promote the global elimination of nuclear weapons. Go to the “Action Center” to participate in a peace initiative.
International Action Network on Small Arms
This global network of organizations is looking to end the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. Download activist toolkits and fact sheets and join a campaign.
International Atomic Energy Agency
Find out how this center for nuclear cooperation is working towards safe and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. Click on publications, news, or data center to conduct research on this topic.
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
An international network of over 1,200 non-governmental organizations in 60 countries is spearheading a global ban on landmines. Visit the youth action forum to find out how youth have played a leading role in this movement.
MagAmerica: Landmine Clearing and Awareness
Created by and for landmine survivors, featuring personal stories of survival.
The Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Founded in 1992 by the joint efforts of the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice (FCPJ); Citizens for Peace in Space (Colorado Springs); and New York-based Journalism professor Karl Grossman. The inaugural meeting of the Global Network (GN) was held in the Washington D.C. City Council Chambers.
Veterans for Peace
A national organization founded in 1985 that includes men and women veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the War in Iraq, other conflicts and peacetime veterans. Their collective experience tells us wars are easy to start and hard to stop and that those hurt are often the innocent. Thus, other means of problem solving are necessary.
Waging Peace /Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Addresses the issues of Nuclear Weapons, Peace and War, International Law and Security, and Nuclear Energy and Waste. Click on take action for campaigns, urgent actions, and tools.
Women Against Military Madness (WAMM)
A nonviolent feminist organization that works in solidarity with others to create a system of social equality, self-determination, and justice through education and empowerment of women. WAMM's purpose is to dismantle systems of militarism and global oppression.
Child Soldier Links
This organization is involved in a campaign against children being used as soldiers. Their website has links to articles and resources focused on bringing awareness to child soldiers.
Coalition To Stop The Use Of Child Soldiers
Exposes the use of child soldiers in many countries and seeks to end the practice, as well as find ways to integrate child soldiers back into their communities.
Free The Children
Provides lots of information, firsthand quotes from child victims, useful links, as well as inspiration and guides to take action.
Human Rights Watch
Explains the factors that make children vulnerable to being soldiers and how you can help stop this practice. Their detailed report about child soldiers in West Africa, “Youth, Poverty and Blood: The Lethal Legacy of West Africa’s Regional Warriors” is available online.
Office of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict
Details the atrocities that children must deal with during and after their lives as child soldiers, as well as the responses that have been made by the UN.
The Red Cross
This website is devoted specifically to children in war. The Red Cross is dedicated to providing children in war zones with food, water, and health care, as well as making efforts to reunite lost children with their families. Preventing the use of children as soldiers is a primary concern of the Red Cross in areas of conflict.
A network of independent organizations working across the world to help children affected by war. This alternative website features concerts, music, photo expositions and other artistic rebuttals to children in war.
Voices of Child Soldiers
The Advocates for Human Rights
330 Second Avenue South, Suite 800
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Immigrant Client Line: 612-341-9845
General Inquiries: Email us
Media Inquiries: Email | <urn:uuid:f4cff5e4-e27d-45a6-85be-290a1a9bdbc8> | {
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An informal essay is written mostly for fun if it can be said so. It does not mean that this paper provides no information about the chosen subject. The thing is that it is of less formal character. An informal paper presents a particular point of view about the examined issue or gives a reflection on it. However, it is not aimed at conducting extensive research and providing strong arguments about the matter. Still, it has a stable structure.
It should be noted that an informal paper differs from the formal one in a way that it is more personal. Nevertheless, both of these essays present writer’s subjective point of view on the main question. In the formal work, writer’s opinion is covert due to the number of hard facts. As to informal essay, the writer addresses the readers directly. When producing an informal paper, you need to give it your personal touch. There is nothing wrong in using some formal expressions. However, be careful not to seem uninterested in the subject.
There are the following characteristic features of an informal essay:
- The paper can be written in the elevated style. However, less formal character of information layout is also acceptable.
- Paragraphs should not be very long. The tone is conversational which is inappropriate for a formal essay.
- A paper should still contain a clear statement in the introduction, remarkable examples in the body, and summarizing points in the conclusion.
- An informal essay as any other work has to be grammatically correct.
There no restrictions concerning the topics for an informal paper. It is up to you to decide which issue to discuss. Below, there is a short list of topics that can be covered in the informal essay:
- The Most Exciting Day of My Life
- Marriage and Money: What Is True Love?
- Religious Beliefs: They Help Me Get Out of Troubles
- Should Pop Stars Be a Role Model for Us?
- Life after Death
- My Favorite Cafe
Note that it is necessary to be aware of the subject you are going to write about. One should produce the paper that will attract readers’ interest. In addition, you should not forget to express your personal opinion about the explored issue. | <urn:uuid:30befedd-f99d-4c64-9350-b710409d346a> | {
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Scientists Spot New Obesity Gene
WEDNESDAY, March 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists who identified a gene that appears to be strongly linked with obesity say their discovery could help efforts to find drug treatments for obesity and diabetes.
"Our data strongly suggest that [the gene] IRX3 controls body mass and regulates body composition," study senior author Marcelo Nobrega, an associate professor of human genetics at the University of Chicago, said in a university news release.
Although the research showed an association between the gene and obesity, it did not prove a cause-and-effect link.
The IRX3 gene was first pinpointed through an analysis of about 150 brain samples from people of European ancestry, according to the study, which was published online March 12 in the journal Nature.
To verify the role of IRX3 in obesity, the researchers created mice without the gene and found that they weighed about 30 percent less than normal mice. Much of this weight difference was due to reduced amounts of fat in the mice without the IRX3 gene.
"These mice are thin. They lose weight primarily through the loss of fat, but they are not runts," study co-author Chin-Chung Hui, a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto, said in the news release.
"They are also completely resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity," Hui said. "They have much better ability to handle glucose, and seem protected against diabetes."
The researchers also found that mice with altered function of the IRX3 gene in the hypothalamus -- the part of the brain that controls eating and energy output -- were as lean as mice that lacked the gene.
This suggests that the gene's activity in the hypothalamus controls body mass and composition in mice, and that genetic predisposition to obesity is wired in the brain, according to the study authors.
Findings from animal studies often can't be replicated in human trials, however.
Previous research has suggested that mutations in a gene called FTO play a strong role in determining obesity risk in people. But this study found that the obesity-related mutations in FTO interact with IRX3, and that FTO itself has only a minor effect on obesity risk.
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about overweight and obesity.
SOURCE: University of Chicago, news release, March 12, 2014 | <urn:uuid:6a6039a2-c34e-4629-8ff3-81d4a59e8d4a> | {
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2018-7-25 this site has been designed as a resource for teachers preparing their students for the writing portions of the njask it includes writing prompts, graphic organizers for practice, rubrics, teaching resources, and. This persuasive essay: graphic organizer graphic organizer is suitable for 6th - 9th grade prewriting is an important step in the writing process after kids brainstorm different topics for a persuasive essay, provide them with this graphic organizer to help them collect their thoughts. | <urn:uuid:fd6f3c73-2fed-4336-9d39-0c4b2c7b2aa8> | {
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Ancient site unearthed in Biblical home of Abrahamtags: Iraq, Bible, Mesopotamia, Ur, Abraham
BAGHDAD – British archaeologists said Thursday they have unearthed a sprawling complex near the ancient city of Ur in southern Iraq, home of the biblical Abraham.
The structure, thought to be about 4,000 years old, probably served as an administrative center for Ur, around the time Abraham would have lived there before leaving for Canaan, according to the Bible.
The compound is near the site of the partially reconstructed Ziggurat, or Sumerian temple, said Stuart Campbell of Manchester University's Archaeology Department, who led the dig.
"This is a breathtaking find," Campbell said, because of its unusually large size -- roughly the size of a football field, or about 260 feet on each side. The archaeologist said complexes of this size and age were rare....
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- Historian author Antony Beevor says his new World War 2 book may anger Americans
- Ron Radosh and Allis Radosh plan to defend Warren Harding in a new book
- Historians tackle America’s mass incarceration problem
- Report: Russian studies in crisis
- Ken Burns: Donald Trump’s birtherism — a “politer way of saying the ‘N-word'” — proves America isn’t remotely “post-racial” | <urn:uuid:6fb6162e-54b7-440b-9d60-fe0776e46cc8> | {
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What is Software Engineering?
Software Engineering is the engineering profession concerned with the development of reliable and useful software systems. Software systems are very often very complex, due to the flexibility that can be provided by software. The systems can also be very large and their design and implementation may involve large teams of people.
At UNSW, an emphasis is placed right from the start on working in teams and developing software that is guaranteed to work. These skills are developed through a unique series of workshops that build up over three years. Software Engineering students also learn about functionality and security. They learn all aspects of the software life cycle, and acquire invaluable professional skills, including report writing, presentation, team management and project management.
Engineering as a discipline is all about designing and building new products that meet some set of requirements. When applied to the field of software, this means that the focus is on creating new technologies rather than using current applications. Our graduates design new computer systems that will be used by many people around the world.
Software engineering, software development, software process and system design
Artificial intelligence, computer architecture, graphics, human computer interaction, information systems, computer interfacing, networks and project management
Want more information?
Dr. Wen Hu
Senior Lecturer | School of Computer Science and Engineering
Faculty of Engineering
Ph: (02) 9385 7679
Fax: (02) 9385 5533 | <urn:uuid:8a56ca7e-0f73-4441-adec-5d7e41c87386> | {
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| ?കേരളം? · Kēraḷaṁ
|Nickname: "God's Own Country"|
|Coordinates: 8°28′N 76°57′E / 8.47, 76.95|
|Time zone||IST (UTC+5:30)|
|Area||38,863 km² (15,005 sq mi)|
|Largest metro||Kochi metropolitan area|
|31,838,619 (12th) (2001)
• 819/km² (2,121/sq mi)
|Governor||R. L. Bhatia|
|Chief Minister||V.S. Achuthanandan|
|Established||1 November 1956|
|Legislature (seats)||Unicameral (141‡)|
|‡ 140 elected, 1 nominated|
Kerala (['keːɹəˌɭɐ] (help·info); Malayalam: കേരളം?; Kēraḷaṁ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. To its east and northeast, Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; to its west and south lie the Indian Ocean islands of Lakshadweep and the Maldives, respectively. Kerala nearly envelops Mahé, a coastal exclave of Pondicherry. Kerala is one of four states that compose the linguistic-cultural region known as South India. The principal spoken language is Malayalam, but other languages are also spoken.
First settled in the 10th century BC by speakers of Proto-South Dravidian, Kerala was influenced by the Mauryan Empire. Later, the Cheran kingdom and feudal Namboothiri Brahminical city-states became major powers in the region. Early contact with overseas lands culminated in struggles between colonial and native powers. The States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood.
Social reforms enacted in the late 19th century by Cochin and Travancore were expanded upon by post-independence governments, making Kerala among the Third World's longest-lived, healthiest, most gender-equitable, and most literate regions. Though the state's basic human development indices are roughly equivalent to those in the developed world, the state is substantially more environmentally sustainable than Europe and North America. Nevertheless, Kerala's suicide, alcoholism, and unemployment rates rank among India's highest. A survey conducted in 2005 by Transparency International ranked Kerala as the least corrupt state in the country.
The widely disputed etymology of Kerala is a matter of conjecture. In the prevailing theory, Kerala is an imperfect Malayalam portmanteau that fuses kera ("coconut palm tree") and alam ("land" or "location"). Another theory is that the name originated from the phrase chera alam ("Land of the Chera"). Natives of Kerala, known as Keralites or Malayalees, thus refer to their land as Keralam. Kerala's tourism industry, among others, also use the phrase God's Own Country.
Main article: History of Kerala
According to a legend, Parasurama, an avatar of Mahavishnu, threw his battle axe into the sea. As a result, the land of Kerala arose and was reclaimed from the waters. During Neolithic times, humans largely avoided Kerala's rainforests and wetlands. There is evidence of the emergence of prehistoric pottery and granite burial monuments in the 10th century BC that resemble their counterparts in Western Europe and the rest of Asia. These were produced by speakers of a proto-Tamil language. Thus, Kerala and Tamil Nadu once shared a common language, ethnicity and culture; this common area was known as Tamilakam. Kerala became a linguistically separate region by the early 14th century. The ancient Cherans, whose mother tongue and court language was Tamil, ruled Kerala from their capital at Vanchi and was the first major recorded kingdom. Allied with the Pallavas, they continually warred against the neighbouring Chola and Pandya kingdoms. A Keralite identity—distinct from the Tamils and associated with the second Chera empire—and the development of Malayalam evolved between the 8th and 14th centuries. In written records, Kerala was first mentioned in the Sanskrit epic Aitareya Aranyaka. Later, figures such as Katyayana, Patanjali, Pliny the Elder, and the unknown author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea displayed familiarity with Kerala.
The Chera kings' dependence on trade meant that merchants from West Asia and Southern Europe established coastal posts and settlements in Kerala. Many, especially Jews and Christians, escaped persecution and established the Nasrani Mappila and Muslim Mappila communities. According to several scholars, the Jews first arrived in Kerala in 573 BC. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings state that Thomas the Apostle visited Muziris in Kerala in 52 AD to proselytize amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements. However, the first verifiable migration of Jewish-Nasrani families to Kerala is of the arrival of Knai Thoma in 345 AD.α[›] Muslim merchants (Malik ibn Dinar) settled in Kerala by the 8th century AD. After Vasco Da Gama's arrival in 1498, the Portuguese gained control of the lucrative pepper trade by subduing Keralite communities and commerce.
Conflicts between the cities of Kozhikode (Calicut) and Kochi (Cochin) provided an opportunity for the Dutch to oust the Portuguese. In turn, the Dutch were ousted at the 1741 Battle of Colachel by Marthanda Varma of Travancore (Thiruvathaamkoor). Hyder Ali, heading the Mysore, conquered northern Kerala, capturing Kozhikode in 1766. In the late 18th century, Tipu Sultan, Ali’s son and successor, launched campaigns against the expanding British East India Company; these resulted in two of the four Anglo-Mysore Wars. He ultimately ceded Malabar District and South Kanara to the Company in the 1790s. The Company then forged tributary alliances with Kochi (1791) and Travancore (1795). Malabar and South Kanara became part of the Madras Presidency.
Kerala saw comparatively little defiance of the British Raj. Nevertheless, several rebellions occurred, including the 1946 Punnapra-Vayalar revolt, and leaders like Velayudan Thampi Dalava, Kunjali Marakkar, and Pazhassi Raja earned their place in history and folklore. Many actions, spurred by such leaders as Sree Narayana Guru and Chattampi Swamikal, instead protested such conditions as untouchability; notable was the 1924 Vaikom Satyagraham. In 1936, Chitra Thirunal Bala Rama Varma of Travancore issued the Temple Entry Proclamation that opened Hindu temples to all castes; Cochin and Malabar soon did likewise. The 1921 Moplah Rebellion involved Mappila Muslims battling Hindus and the British Raj.
After India gained its independence in 1947, Travancore and Cochin were merged to form Travancore-Cochin on 1 July 1949. On 1 January 1950 (Republic Day), Travancore-Cochin was recognised as a state. The Madras Presidency was organised to form Madras State several years prior, in 1947. Finally, the Government of India's 1 November 1956 States Reorganisation Act inaugurated the state of Kerala, incorporating Malabar district, Travancore-Cochin (excluding four southern taluks, which were merged with Tamil Nadu), and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara. A new legislative assembly was also created, for which elections were first held in 1957. These resulted in a communist-led government—one of the world's earliest—headed by E.M.S. Namboodiripad. Subsequent social reforms favoured tenants and labourers. As a result, living standards, education, and life expectancy improved dramatically.
Main article: Geography of Kerala
Kerala’s 38,863 km² landmass (1.18% of India) is wedged between the Arabian Sea to the west and the Western Ghats—identified as one of the world's twenty-five biodiversity hotspots—to the east. Lying between north latitudes 8°18' and 12°48' and east longitudes 74°52' and 72°22', Kerala is well within the humid equatorial tropics. Kerala’s coast runs for some 580 km (360 miles), while the state itself varies between 35 and 120 km (22–75 miles) in width. Geographically, Kerala can be divided into three climatically distinct regions: the eastern highlands (rugged and cool mountainous terrain), the central midlands (rolling hills), and the western lowlands (coastal plains). Located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, Kerala lies near the centre of the Indian tectonic plate; as such, most of the state is subject to comparatively little seismic and volcanic activity. Pre-Cambrian and Pleistocene geological formations compose the bulk of Kerala’s terrain.
Eastern Kerala lies immediately west of the Western Ghats's rain shadow; it consists of high mountains, gorges and deep-cut valleys. 41 of Kerala’s west-flowing rivers, and 3 of its east-flowing ones originate in this region. Here, the Western Ghats form a wall of mountains interrupted only near Palakkad, where the Palakkad Gap breaks through to provide access to the rest of India. The Western Ghats rises on average to 1,500 m (4920 ft) above sea level, while the highest peaks may reach to 2,500 m (8200 ft). Just west of the mountains lie the midland plains composing central Kerala; rolling hills and valleys dominate. Generally ranging between elevations of 250–1,000 m (820–3300 ft), the eastern portions of the Nilgiri and Palni Hills include such formations as Agastyamalai and Anamalai.
Kerala’s western coastal belt is relatively flat, and is criss-crossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals, lakes, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Lake Vembanad—Kerala’s largest body of water—dominates the Backwaters; it lies between Alappuzha and Kochi and is more than 200 km² in area. Around 8% of India's waterways (measured by length) are found in Kerala. The most important of Kerala’s forty four rivers include the Periyar (244 km), the Bharathapuzha (209 km), the Pamba (176 km), the Chaliyar (169 km), the Kadalundipuzha (130 km) and the Achankovil (128 km). The average length of the rivers of Kerala is 64 km. Most of the remainder are small and entirely fed by monsoon rains. These conditions result in the nearly year-round water logging of such western regions as Kuttanad, 500 km² of which lies below sea level. As Kerala's rivers are small and lack deltas, they are more prone to environmental factors. Kerala's rivers face many problems, including summer droughts, the building of large dams, sand mining, and pollution.
Main article: Climate of Kerala
With 120–140 rainy days per year, Kerala has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest summer monsoon. In eastern Kerala, a drier tropical wet and dry climate prevails. Kerala's rainfall averages 3,107 mm annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions average only 1,250 mm; the mountains of eastern Idukki district receive more than 5,000 mm of orographic precipitation, the highest in the state.
In summers, most of Kerala is prone to gale force winds, storm surges, cyclone-related torrential downpours, occasional droughts, and rises in sea level and storm activity resulting from global warming. Kerala’s maximum daily temperature averages 36.7 °C; the minimum is 19.8 °C. Mean annual temperatures range from 25.0–27.5 °C in the coastal lowlands to 20.0–22.5 °C in the highlands.
Flora and fauna
Main article: Flora and fauna of Kerala
Much of Kerala's notable biodiversity is concentrated and protected in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in the eastern hills. Almost a fourth of India's 10,000 plant species are found in the state. Among the almost 4,000 flowering plant species (1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala and 159 threatened) are 900 species of highly sought medicinal plants.
Its 9,400 km² of forests include tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests (lower and middle elevations—3,470 km²), tropical moist and dry deciduous forests (mid-elevations—4,100 km² and 100 km², respectively), and montane subtropical and temperate (shola) forests (highest elevations—100 km²). Altogether, 24% of Kerala is forested. Two of the world’s Ramsar Convention listed wetlands—Lake Sasthamkotta and the Vembanad-Kol wetlands—are in Kerala, as well as 1455.4 km² of the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Subjected to extensive clearing for cultivation in the 20th century, much of Kerala's forest cover is now protected from clearfelling. Kerala's fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: 102 species of mammals (56 of which are endemic), 476 species of birds, 202 species of freshwater fishes, 169 species of reptiles (139 of them endemic), and 89 species of amphibians (86 endemic). These are threatened by extensive habitat destruction, including soil erosion, landslides, salinization, and resource extraction.
Eastern Kerala’s windward mountains shelter tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests, which are common in the Western Ghats. Here, sonokeling (Indian rosewood), anjili, mullumurikku (Erythrina), and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom, the calamus rattan palm (a type of climbing palm), and aromatic vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides). Living among them are such fauna as Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Leopard (Panthera pardus), Nilgiri Tahr, Common Palm Civet, and Grizzled Giant Squirrel. Reptiles include the king cobra, viper, python, and crocodile. Kerala's birds are legion—Peafowl, the Great Hornbill, Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Cormorant, and Jungle Myna are several emblematic species. In lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as kadu (stinging catfish and Choottachi (Orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus; valued as an aquarium specimen) are found.
Main article: Districts of Kerala
Kerala's fourteen districts are distributed among Kerala's three historical regions: Malabar (northern Kerala), Kochi (central Kerala), and Travancore (southern Kerala). Kerala's modern-day districts (listed in order from north to south) correspond to them as follows:
Main article: Corporations, Municipalities and Taluks of Kerala
Mahé, a part of the Indian union territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry), is a coastal exclave surrounded by Kerala on all of its landward approaches. Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) is the state capital and most populous city. Kochi is the most populous urban agglomeration and the major port city in Kerala. Kozhikode and Thrissur are the other major commercial centres of the state. The High Court of Kerala is at Ernakulam. Kerala's districts, which serve as the administrative regions for taxation purposes, are further subdivided into 63 taluks; these have fiscal and administrative powers over settlements within their borders, including maintenance of local land records.
Main article: Government of Kerala
Like other Indian states and most Commonwealth countries, Kerala is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy; universal suffrage is granted to state residents. There are three branches of government. The unicameral legislature, known as the legislative assembly, comprises elected members and special office bearers (the Speaker and Deputy Speaker) elected by assemblymen. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker. The Assembly is presided over by the Deputy Speaker whenever the Speaker is absent. Kerala has 140 Assembly constituencies. The state sends 20 members to the Lok Sabha and 9 to the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Parliament's upper house.
Like other Indian states, the constitutional head of state is the Governor of Kerala, who is appointed by the President of India. The executive authority is headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is the de facto head of state and is vested with most of the executive powers; the Legislative Assembly's majority party leader is appointed to this position by the Governor. The Council of Ministers, which answers to the Legislative Assembly, has its members appointed by the Governor; the appointments receive input from the Chief Minister.
The judiciary comprises the Kerala High Court (including a Chief Justice combined with 26 permanent and two additional (pro tempore) justices) and a system of lower courts. The High Court of Kerala is the highest court for the state; it also decides cases from the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.
The state's 2005–2006 budget was 219 billion INR. The state government's tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) amounted to 111,248 million INR in 2005, up from 63,599 million in 2000. Its non-tax revenues (excluding the shares from Union tax pool) of the Government of Kerala as assessed by the Indian Finance Commissions reached 10,809 million INR in 2005, nearly double the 6,847 million INR revenues of 2000. However, Kerala's high ratio of taxation to gross state domestic product (GSDP) has not alleviated chronic budget deficits and unsustainable levels of government debt, impacting social services.
Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the United Democratic Front (UDF—led by the Indian National Congress) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF—led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M))). At present, the LDF is the ruling coalition in government; V.S. Achuthanandan of the CPI(M) is the Chief Minister of Kerala and Oommen Chandy of [United Democratic Front (India)|UDF] is the Chief Oposition leader.
Kerala is one of the few regions in the world where communist parties are democratically elected in a parliamentary democracy. Compared with most other Indians, Keralites are well versed and keen participants in the political process; many elections are decided by razor-thin margins of victory. Strikes, protests, rallies, and marches are ubiquitous.
Main article: Economy of Kerala
Since its incorporation as a state, Kerala's economy largely operated under welfare based democratic socialist principles. In recent years, the state has liberalised its increasingly mixed economy, allowing greater participation by the free market and foreign direct investment. Kerala's nominal gross domestic product (as of 2004–2005) is an estimated 89451.99 crore INR, while recent GDP growth (9.2% in 2004–2005 and 7.4% in 2003–2004) has been robust compared to historical averages (2.3% annually in the 1980s and between 5.1% and 5.99% in the 1990s). Nevertheless, relatively few major corporations and manufacturing plants choose to operate in Kerala. This is mitigated by remittances sent home by overseas Keralites, which contributes around 20% of state GDP. Kerala's per capita GDP of 11,819 INR is significantly higher than the all India average, although it still lies far below the world average. Additionally, Kerala's Human Development Index and standard of living statistics are the nation's best. This apparent paradox—high human development and low economic development—is often dubbed the Kerala phenomenon or the Kerala model of development, and arises mainly from Kerala's strong service sector.
The service sector (including tourism, public administration, banking and finance, transportation, and communications—63.8% of statewide GDP in 2002–2003) along with the agricultural and fishing industries (together 17.2% of GDP) dominate Kerala's economy. Nearly half of Kerala's people are dependent on agriculture alone for income. Some 600 varieties of rice (Kerala's most important staple food and cereal crop) are harvested from 3105.21 km² (a decline from 5883.4 km² in 1990) of paddy fields; 688,859 tonnes are produced per annum. Other key crops include coconut (899,198 ha), tea, coffee (23% of Indian production, or 57,000 tonnes), rubber, cashews, and spices—including pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Around 1.050 million fishermen haul an annual catch of 668,000 tonnes (1999–2000 estimate); 222 fishing villages are strung along the 590 km coast. Another 113 fishing villages dot the hinterland.
Traditional industries manufacturing such items as coir, handlooms, and handicrafts employ around one million people. Around 180,000 small-scale industries employ around 909,859 Keralites; 511 medium and large scale manufacturing firms are located in Kerala. A small mining sector (0.3% of GDP) involves extraction of ilmenite, kaolin, bauxite, silica, quartz, rutile, zircon, and sillimanite. Home gardens and animal husbandry also provide work for hundreds of thousands of people. Other major sectors are tourism, manufacturing, and business process outsourcing. Kerala's unemployment rate is variously estimated at 19.2% and 20.77%, although underemployment of those classified as "employed", low employability of many job-seeking youths, and a mere 13.5% female participation rate are significant problems. Estimates of the statewide poverty rate range from 12.71% to as high as 36%.
- See also: Roads in Kerala
Kerala has 145,704 kilometers (90,539 mi) of roads (4.2% of India's total). This translates to about 4.62 kilometers (2.87 mi) of road per thousand population, compared to an all India average of 2.59 kilometers (1.61 mi). Virtually all of Kerala's villages are connected by road. Traffic in Kerala has been growing at a rate of 10–11% every year, resulting in high traffic and pressure on the roads. Kerala's road density is nearly four times the national average, reflecting the state's high population density. Kerala's annual total of road accidents is among the nation's highest.
India's national highway network includes a Kerala-wide total of 1,524 kilometers (947 mi), which is 2.6% of the national total. There are eight designated national highways in the state. The Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP), which includes the GIS-based Road Information and Management Project (RIMS), is responsible for maintaining and expanding the 1,600 kilometers (994 mi) of roadways that compose the state highways system; it also oversees major district roads. Most of Kerala's west coast is accessible through two national highways, NH 47, and NH 17.
The state has major international airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode that link the state with the rest of the nation and the world. The Cochin International Airport at Kochi is the first international airport in India that was built without Central Government funds, and is also the country's first publicly owned airport. The backwaters traversing the state are an important mode of inland navigation. The Indian Railways' Southern Railway line runs throughout the state, connecting all major towns and cities except those in the highland districts of Idukki and Wayanad. Kerala's major railway stations are Trivandrum Central, Kollam Junction, Ernakulam Junction, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Shoranur Junction, and Palakkad.
Main article: Demographics of Kerala
The 31.8 million of Kerala’s compound population is predominantly of Malayali Dravidian ethnicity, while the rest is mostly made up of Indo-Aryan, Jewish, and Arab elements in both culture and ancestry (both of which are usually mixed). Kerala is also home to 321,000 indigenous tribal Adivasis (1.10% of the populace), who are mostly concentrated in the eastern districts. Malayalam is Kerala's official language; Tamil and various Adivasi languages are also spoken by ethnic minorities.
Kerala is home to 3.44% of India's people; at 819 persons per km², its land is three times as densely settled as the rest of India. Kerala's rate of population growth is India's lowest, and Kerala's decadal growth (9.42% in 2001) is less than half the all-India average of 21.34%. Whereas Kerala's population more than doubled between 1951 and 1991 by adding 15.6 million people to reach 29.1 million residents in 1991, the population stood at less than 32 million by 2001. Kerala's coastal regions are the most densely settled, leaving the eastern hills and mountains comparatively sparsely populated.
Women compose 51.42% of the population. Kerala's principal religions are Hinduism (56.1%), Islam (24.7%), and Christianity (19%). Remnants of a once substantial Cochin Jewish population also practice Judaism. In comparison with the rest of India, Kerala experiences relatively little sectarianism.
Kerala's society is less patriarchical than the rest of the Third World. Gender relations are among the most equitable in India and the Third World, despite discrepancies among low caste men and women. Certain Hindu communities (such as the Nairs), Travancore Ezhavas and the Muslims around Kannur used to follow a traditional matrilineal system known as marumakkathayam, although this practice ended in the years after Indian independence. Other Muslims, Christians, and some Hindu castes such as the Namboothiris and the Ezhavas follow makkathayam, a patrilineal system.
Kerala's human development indices—elimination of poverty, primary level education, and health care—are among the best in India. Kerala has the second highest literacy rate (89.9%) among Indian states after Mizoram and life expectancy (73 years) is among the highest in India. Literacy is 88% among females and 94% among males according to the 2001 census. Kerala's rural poverty rate fell from 69% (1970–1971) to 19% (1993–1994); the overall (urban and rural) rate fell 36% between the 1970s and 1980s. By 1999–2000, the rural and urban poverty rates dropped to 10.0% and 9.6% respectively. These changes stem largely from efforts begun in the late 19th century by the kingdoms of Cochin and Travancore to boost social welfare. This focus was maintained by Kerala's post-independence government.
Kerala's healthcare system has garnered international acclaim. UNICEF and the World Health Organization designating Kerala the world's first "baby-friendly state". Representative of this condition, more than 95% of Keralite births are hospital-delivered. Aside from ayurveda (both elite and popular forms), siddha, and unani, many endangered and endemic modes of traditional medicine, including kalari, marmachikitsa, and vishavaidyam, are practiced. These propagate via gurukula discipleship, and comprise a fusion of both medicinal and supernatural treatments, and are partly responsible for drawing increasing numbers of medical tourists.
A steadily aging population (11.2% of Keralites are over age 60) and low birthrate (18 per 1,000) make Kerala one of the few regions of the Third World to have undergone the "demographic transition" characteristic of such developed nations as Canada, Japan, and Norway. In 1991, Kerala's TFR (children born per women) was the lowest in India. Hindus had a TFR of 1.66, Christians 1.78, and Muslims 2.97.
Kerala's female-to-male ratio (1.058) is significantly higher than that of the rest of India. The same is true of its sub-replacement fertility level and infant mortality rate (estimated at 12 to 14 deaths per 1,000 live births). However, Kerala's morbidity rate is higher than that of any other Indian state—118 (rural Keralites) and 88 (urban) per 1,000 people. The corresponding all India figures are 55 and 54 per 1,000, respectively. Kerala's 13.3% prevalence of low birth weight is substantially higher than that of First World nations. Outbreaks of water-borne diseases, including diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis, and typhoid, among the more than 50% of Keralites who rely on some 3 million water wells is another problem, which is worsened by the widespread lack of sewers.
- See also: Colleges in Kerala
Schools and colleges in Kerala are either run by the government or by private trusts and individuals. The schools are each affiliated with either the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), or the Kerala State Education Board. English is the medium of instruction in most private schools; though government run schools offer both English and Malayalam. After completing their secondary education, which involves ten years of schooling, students typically enroll at Higher Secondary School in one of the three streams—liberal arts, commerce or science. Upon completing the required coursework, the student can enroll in general or professional degree programmes.
Thiruvananthapuram is one of the state's major academic hubs; it hosts the University of Kerala. The city also has several professional education colleges, including fifteen engineering colleges, three medical colleges, three Ayurveda colleges, two colleges of homeopathy, six other medical colleges, and several law colleges. Trivandrum Medical College, Kerala's premier health institute, is also one of the finest in the country. It is being upgraded to the status of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The College of Engineering, Trivandrum is one of the prominent engineering institutions in the country. The Asian School of Business and IIITM-K are two of the other premier management study institutions in the city, both situated inside Technopark. The Indian Institute of Space Technology, the unique and first of its kind in India, is situated in the state capital.
Kochi is another major educational hub. The Cochin University of Science and Technology (also known as "Cochin University") is situated in the city. Most of the city's colleges offering tertiary education are affiliated either with the Mahatma Gandhi University or Cochin University. Other national educational institutes in Kochi include the Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, the National Institute of Oceanography and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.
Thrissur can be called as the Educational Capital of Kerala as Coimbatore to Tamil Nadu. Kerala Agricultural University is situated in this city. Three Medical Colleges, The Government Engineering College, Govt. Law College, Ayurveda College, Govt.Fine Arts College, College of Co-operation & Banking and Management, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, College of Horticulture, College of Forestry etc make the name "Educational Capital" more meaningful. There are a lot of famous colleges like St.Thomas College, Sri Kerala Varma College, St.Mary's College, Vimala College etc. Thrissur is also a main center of coaching for the entrance examinations for engineering and medicine.
Kottayam also acts as a main educational hub. According to the 1991 census, Kottayam District of Kerala is the first district to achieve highest literecy rate in the whole of India. Mahatma Gandhi University, CMS College(the first institution to start English education in Southern India), Medical College, Kottayam, and the Labour India Educational Research Center are some of the important educational institutions in the district.
Kozhikode is home to two of the premier educational institutions in the country; the IIMK, one of the seven Indian Institutes of Management, and the only National Institute of Technology in Kerala, the NITC.
- See also: Education in India
Kerala's culture is a blend of Dravidian and Aryan influences, deriving from both a greater Tamil-heritage region known as Tamilakam and southern coastal Karnataka. Later, Kerala's culture was elaborated upon through centuries of contact with neighboring and overseas cultures. Native performing arts include koodiyattom, kathakali—from katha ("story") and kali ("performance")—and its offshoot Kerala natanam, koothu (akin to stand-up comedy), mohiniaattam ("dance of the enchantress"), thullal, padayani, and theyyam.
Other forms of art are more religious or tribal in nature. These include chavittu nadakom, oppana (originally from Malabar), which combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ishal vocalisations. However, many of these art forms largely play to tourists or at youth festivals, and are not as popular among most ordinary Keralites. These people look to more contemporary art and performance styles, including those employing mimicry and parody.
Kerala's music also has ancient roots. Carnatic music dominates Keralite traditional music. This was the result of Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma's popularisation of the genre in the 19th century. Raga-based renditions known as sopanam accompany kathakali performances. Melam (including the paandi and panchari variants) is a more percussive style of music; it is performed at Kshetram centered festivals using the chenda. Melam ensembles comprise up to 150 musicians, and performances may last up to four hours. Panchavadyam is a different form of percussion ensemble, in which up to 100 artists use five types of percussion instrument. Kerala has various styles of folk and tribal music. The popular music of Kerala is dominated by the filmi music of Indian cinema. Kerala's visual arts range from traditional murals to the works of Raja Ravi Varma, the state's most renowned painter.
Kerala has its own Malayalam calendar, which is used to plan agricultural and religious activities. Kerala's cuisine is typically served as a sadhya on green banana leaves. Such dishes as idli, payasam, pulisherry, puttucuddla, puzhukku, rasam, and sambar are typical. Keralites—both men and women alike—traditionally don flowing and unstitched garments. These include the mundu, a loose piece of cloth wrapped around men's waists. Women typically wear the sari, a long and elaborately wrapped banner of cloth, wearable in various styles.
Language and literature
The predominant spoken language in Kerala is Malayalam, most of whose speakers live in Kerala.
Malayalam literature is ancient in origin, and includes such figures as the 14th century Niranam poets (Madhava Panikkar, Sankara Panikkar and Rama Panikkar), and the 17th century poet Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan whose works mark the dawn of both modern Malayalam language and indigenous Keralite poetry. The "triumvirate of poets" (Kavithrayam), Kumaran Asan, Vallathol Narayana Menon, and Ulloor S. Parameswara Iyer, are recognised for moving Keralite poetry away from archaic sophistry and metaphysics, and towards a more lyrical mode.
In the second half of the 20th century, Jnanpith awardees like G. Sankara Kurup, S. K. Pottekkatt, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillaiand M. T. Vasudevan Nair have made valuable contributions to the Malayalam literature. Later, such Keralite writers as O. V. Vijayan, Kamaladas, M. Mukundan, and Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, whose 1996 semi-autobiographical bestseller The God of Small Things is set in the Kottayam town of Ayemenem, have gained international recognition.
Main article: Media in Kerala
Dozens of newspapers are published in Kerala; they are printed in nine major languages. The principal languages of publication are Malayalam and English. The most widely circulating Malayalam-language newspapers include Mathrubhumi, Malayala Manorama, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi, and Desabhimani. Among major Malayalam periodicals are India Today Malayalam, Chithrabhumi, Kanyaka, and Bhashaposhini.
Doordarshan is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Malayalam, English, and international channels via cable television. Manorama News (MM TV) and Asianet are among the Malayalam-language channels that compete with the major national channels. All India Radio, the national radio service, reaches much of Kerala via its Thiruvananthapuram 'A' Malayalam-language broadcaster. BSNL, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Indicom, Hutch and Airtel compete to provide cellular phone services. Broadband internet is available in most of the towns and cities and is provided by different agencies like the state-run Kerala Telecommunications (which is run by BSNL) and by other private companies like Asianet Satellite communications, VSNL. Dial-up access is provided throughout the state by BSNL and other providers.
A substantial Malayalam film industry effectively competes against both Bollywood and Hollywood. Television (especially "mega serials" and cartoons) and the Internet have affected Keralite culture. Yet Keralites maintain high rates of newspaper and magazine subscriptions; 50% spend an average of about seven hours a week reading novels and other books. A sizeable "people's science" movement has taken root in the state, and such activities as writers' cooperatives are becoming increasingly common.
Main article: Sports in Kerala
Several ancient ritualised arts are Keralite in origin. These include kalaripayattu—kalari ("place", "threshing floor", or "battlefield") and payattu ("exercise" or "practice"). Among the world's oldest martial arts, oral tradition attributes kalaripayattu's emergence to Parasurama. Other ritual arts include theyyam and poorakkali. However, larger numbers of Keralites follow sports such as cricket, kabaddi, soccer, and badminton. Dozens of large stadiums, including Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Thiruvananthapuram's Chandrashekaran Nair Stadium, attest to the mass appeal of such sports among Keralites.
Kerala has been the athletics powerhouse of India for decades. Several Keralite athletes have attained world-class status, including P. T. Usha, Suresh Babu, Shiny Wilson, K. M. Beenamol, M. D. Valsamma and Anju Bobby George.
Volleyball, another popular sport, is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George, born in Peravoor, Kannur, was arguably the most successful volleyball player ever to represent India. At his prime he was regarded as among the world's ten best players.
Cricket, which is the most-followed sport in the rest of India and South Asia, is less popular in Kerala. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who was born in Kothamangalam and often referred to as simply "Sreesanth", is a controversial right-arm fast-medium-pace bowler and a right-handed tail-ender batsman whose actions were pivotal in sealing, among other games, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. Among less successful Keralite cricketers is Tinu Yohannan, son of Olympic long jumper T. C. Yohannan.
Main article: Tourism in Kerala
Kerala, situated on the lush and tropical Malabar Coast, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Named as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 places of a lifetime" by the National Geographic Traveler magazine, Kerala is especially known for its ecotourism initiatives. Its unique culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demographics, has made Kerala one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Growing at a rate of 13.31%, the state's tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy.
Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a relatively unknown destination; most tourist circuits focused on North India. Aggressive marketing campaigns launched by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the government agency that oversees tourism prospects of the state, laid the foundation for the growth of the tourism industry. In the decades that followed, Kerala's tourism industry was able to transform the state into one of the niche holiday destinations in India. The tagline God's Own Country, originally coined by Vipin Gopal, has been widely used in Kerala's tourism promotions and soon became synonymous with the state. In 2006, Kerala attracted 8.5 million tourist arrivals, an increase of 23.68% over the previous year, making the state one of the fastest-growing destinations in the world.
Popular attractions in the state include the beaches at Kovalam, Cherai and Varkala; the hill stations of Munnar, Nelliampathi, Ponmudi and Wayanad; and national parks and wildlife sanctuaries at Periyar and Eravikulam National Park. The "backwaters" region, which comprises an extensive network of interlocking rivers, lakes, and canals that centre on Alleppey, Kumarakom, and Punnamada (where the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race is held in August), also see heavy tourist traffic. Heritage sites, such as the Padmanabhapuram Palace and the Mattancherry Palace, are also visited. Cities such as Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are popular centres for their shopping and traditional theatrical performances. During early summer, the Thrissur Pooram is conducted, attracting foreign tourists who are largely drawn by the festival's elephants and celebrants.
See also
|State symbols of Kerala|
|Bird||Great Indian Hornbill|
|Flower||Cassia Fistula (Indian laburnum)|
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External links
|Find more about Kerala on Wikipedia's sister projects:|
|Images and media|
- Official entry portal of the Government of Kerala
- Chief Minister of Kerala
- Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala
- Directorate of Census Operations of Kerala
- General references
|Topics||History | Economy | Geography | Flora and Fauna | Culture | Arts | Tourism|
|Cities||Kochi | Kozhikode | Thiruvananthapuram|
||Andhra Pradesh · Arunachal Pradesh · Assam · Bihar · Chhattisgarh · Goa · Gujarat · Haryana · Himachal Pradesh · Jammu and Kashmir · Jharkhand · Karnataka · Kerala · Madhya Pradesh · Maharashtra · Manipur · Meghalaya · Mizoram · Nagaland · Orissa · Punjab · Rajasthan · Sikkim · Tamil Nadu · Tripura · Uttar Pradesh · Uttarakhand · West Bengal
||Andaman and Nicobar Islands · Chandigarh · Dadra and Nagar Haveli · National Capital Territory of Delhi · Daman and Diu · Lakshadweep · Puducherry | <urn:uuid:88fc30e6-fd33-4bf0-aa1e-de75b9d5772d> | {
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Australia And Its Wildlife
One of the main attractions for a lot of visitors to Australia is its wildlife. It is not that it has the largest amount of wildlife species but it has some of the unique species which can not be seen anywhere else. The reason is the unique geography of this country.
Australia is famous for having its own distinct wildlife. There are several reasons for this; the first is that it is not associated to any other land. All the other continents except Antarctica are associated to at least one other continent, which means wildlife can move back and forth between them. In case of Australia they have not been connected to any other land in millions of years so the wildlife there was allowed to evolve in its own way.
Another reason for having a specific wildlife in Australia is that it is a quite large island. Other continents also have wildlife that is just as varied but since the animals can travel they can be seen on more than one continent. Islands typically evolved their own unique wildlife because of their separation while Australia is a big island. In result it has far more unique species than any island would have.
Another reason for having unique wildlife is its geography which is quite different. It is by faraway the flattest continent in the world, it is also made up of very barren desert. In result the animals have had to adapt to this unique environment. There are fewer forests than you would find on the other continents for example most of the animals have had to adapt to live in the open spaces.
Due to this unique environment in Australia you can see some of the species which cannot be seen anywhere in the world. It can be both good and bad; the koala bear for example is regarded as an animal that most tourists would like to see. However this country is also a home for ten most venomous species of snakes in the world. So it also very dangerous as compared to any other country. It’s better to take necessary precautions before you move to witness this amazing wildlife.
There are some other things that you would love to see about Australia’s wildlife. As a continent which is isolated from the rest of the world it has tended to develop a unique character.http://www.namastejee.com/australia-and-its-wildlife.aspxAustralia And Its WildlifeTour GuideOne of the main attractions for a lot of visitors to Australia is its wildlife. It is not that it has the largest amount of wildlife species but it has some of the unique species which can not be seen anywhere else. The reason is the unique geography of...DevjeetDevjeet [email protected] friends, Devjeet here. I'm web developer & internet marketing expert by profession and Tech Savvy, Web Enthusiast & cricket lover by nature. If you like my blog Namaste Jee, you may subscribe to my RSS Feed. I have plenty of information to share and by subscribing you will get the directly in your email.Namaste Jee | <urn:uuid:d5cf669f-2a17-4823-8652-537203b82299> | {
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NATURAL LANGUAGE AND PRIMITIVE LANGUAGE IN GENERAL
Under the name of Language, let’s understand a manifestation of Power, and of energy, through which there manifests an interior force that irradiates towards the exterior.
We can say that Language, with its undeniable expression, is the revelation of determined internal forces.
In this sense, let’s observe that all of Nature’s affairs have their own peculiar language.
Within the forces of every Entity are bound the means of its expression and, among its strengths and its vehicle of expression, quantitatively as well as qualitatively, there is an exact relation, in such a way, that every Entity can express itself exactly according to its way of being.
We could say that it is the Force of Forces or that which “GOD” himself(/herself) expresses, every day and every hour, by means of his forces.
The crystallizing, living part of this expression, is the physical Word. The intangible and etheric, the eternal, is the physical alphabet.
Everything, comes into being like types or physical structures of an expression of divine energy.
Every affair in Nature, every form of expression, differentiates itself from the rest through its conditions.
Among these same conditions, there exists a differentiation of Cause and Effect, of energies, of organs and of forms.
Every state is a Letter. Several Letters give a Syllable. The conjunction of these is a Word…
For those who have learned and sculpted this sacred writing in themselves, Nature is a living, eternal, indestructible writing, by means of which the TRUTH has been communicated since the first luminous day of creation forward.
- Dr. Arnoldo Krumm-Heller | <urn:uuid:17b1eab8-ab81-4bd5-9e2f-f535574fd9ce> | {
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Bhopal gas-leak disaster in India remains perhaps the most devastating single-incident mass tort in terms of loss of human life. As this article from the Associated Press shows, nearly 25 years later, the effects are still being felt. Here's an excerpt from the article, Indian police detain 80 protesters from Bhopal, by Ashok Sharma:
Police detained 80 people who walked nearly 500 miles from the site of a catastrophic 1984 gas leak in central India to protest Monday outside the prime minister's residence, an organizer said.
The protesters, including 52 children, were calling for the site of the Bhopal gas leak to be cleaned up and for survivors to be compensated, said Rachna Dhingra, a spokeswoman for Bhopal Group for Information and Action.
Guards took the protesters to a nearby police station soon after they arrived outside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence, Dhingra said. They were freed two hours later.
Police officer Jagat Singh said the protesters came without an appointment with the prime minister, and protests are not allowed around the official residence.
The leak from the Bhopal pesticide plant in 1984 killed at least 10,000 people and affected about 550,000 others. A subsidiary of U.S. chemical company Union Carbide ran the plant at the time. | <urn:uuid:a24f1583-d741-4cc6-a14c-834f38445096> | {
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Argentina – forest protection
Action: Implement a landmark law to prevent forest clearing for agriculture
Description: Argentina's milestone Ley de Bosques (Forest Law) was passed in 2007, was one of the first national laws to set minimum standards of use of natural resources, largely in response to the rapid expansion of soy bean crops. However, the northern provinces of Argentina have been slow to implement the law in full. Hastily authorised, as well as illegal, forest clearings still threaten valuable corridors of native forest and their incredible biodiversity including jaguars, giant armadillos and Chacoan peccaries (which resemble hairy jungle pigs). Without proper implementation of the forest law, vast swathes of forest will be lost in the coming decades.
Evidence: Teams of researchers led by Grau (2005) and Boletta (2006) agree that soy bean agriculture threatens the Chaco forest – one of the largest forest biomes in South America – and also the Yungas forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes, which are susceptible to further deforestation. Between 1969 and 2000, 85 per cent of lowland and mountain subtropical dry forests has been cleared (1.2m hectares), according to a Zac (2004). Deforestation has been accelerating since 1997, largely due to the reduced plantation costs fo GM soy, with an estimated yearly loss of at least 2,000km².
Brazil – forest protection
Action: Reject the proposed new Forest Code
Description: A proposed amendment to Brazil's 1965 forestry code would reduce protection of Brazil's forests, including the Amazon and the Atlantic forest. The amendment would provide amnesty to any farmers or ranchers who have practiced illegal deforestation, incorporating over 40 million hectares of land. A key point of the bill is that legal reserves can be reduced from 80 per cent to 50 per cent of the total area of private properties in the Amazon rainforest. Forests protected within Areas of Permanent Preservation may be cut by half. Riparian vegetation currently protected within a 30m width from waterways could be slashed to only 5m. The Brazilian Congress will vote on the amendment, and then it's up to President Lula to veto, although this is unlikely during the run-up to October elections.
Evidence: A letter co-written by six Brazilian scientists in Science in July states that if the new rules become law it "will reduce mandatory restoration of native vegetation illegally cleared since 1965" and highlight that this will substantially increase CO2 emissions and put around 100,000 species at risk of extinction. Meanwhile a recent paper in Science reported that deforestation in the Amazon has declined by 47.5 per cent over the past year, according to a satellite survey – one of the biggest declines in 20 years.
Canada – woodland caribou
Action: Implement measures to protect boreal woodland caribou
Description: Boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are a biodiversity indicator for the entire boreal forest, which is essential to help sequester carbon, regulate climate and for biodiversity. Currently at least half of the caribou's range has been impacted by human activities that fragment their forest habitat, and this makes them easy prey for wolves and bears. They are already a "threatened" species under federal law. By far the single biggest danger to boreal woodland caribou is unregulated and uncoordinated oil, gas and tar sand development in western Canada, including the Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and North-West territories. Only a fraction of caribou critical habitat is currently fully protected from industrial activity, but scientists recommend that caribou need large, healthy, intact and interconnected forests to survive. Federal government support is needed to build on an agreement with the Canadian forest industry to protect an area the size of Germany. Restrictions should also be put on oil and gas development including extraction of tar sands in areas critical to the species.
Evidence: A report last year from Environment Canada, drawing on the work of over 30 independent caribou scientists, outlined the importance of protecting large tracts of boreal forest critical for the survival of woodland caribou – approximately six million hectares.
Mexico – vaquita bycatch
Action: Implement a fishing moratorium on all entangling nets in the range of the vaquita
Description: The recent likely extinction of the baiji or Chinese river dolphin , makes the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) – the Gulf of California porpoise – the most endangered cetacean. There are estimated to be 250 vaquitas in the world, a 56% decline from the last estimate in 1997. Since 2007, Mexico has been implementing a ban on the use of gilnets by fishermen in a refuge area for the species and has a voluntary programme of fishing permit buyouts. However, this does not go far enough to prevent extinction, say scientists. As vaquita populations approach a critically low number, scientists maintain that accidental "bycatch" of vaquita in fishing nets must be reduced to zero and that removal of all gillnets from the animal's entire range is the only way to accomplish zero mortality. Local fishing communities must be compensated and trained in alternative livelihoods or alternative fishing equipment.
Evidence: A 2006 study argues that the bycatch toll from gillnets is unsustainable. The current vaquita refuge contains an estimated 47% of the population - according to a paper by Gerrodette that is currently under Review. Another paper, published in Conservation Biology, calls for "Immediate Action, not more data". | <urn:uuid:02cae8df-0f17-44d1-ab5d-bd81465331e0> | {
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Smokefree laws do not have a negative economic impact on rural or urban communities, according to a recent study published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research. The study, titled “Economic Effects of Smoke-free Laws on Rural and Urban Counties in Kentucky and Ohio” was conducted to examine the potential differential impact of smokefree laws in rural and urban communities given that some studies find that smoking prevalence varies in rural versus urban settings with most finding a higher prevalence in rural communities. The study found no evidence that smokefree legislation negatively influenced local economies in either rural or urban communities regardless if the legislation was a local ordinance or statewide law.
The study examined 21 local laws in Kentucky and the Ohio statewide smoke-free law. The study measured the number of employees, total wages paid and number of reporting establishments in all hospitality and accommodation services in Kentucky and Ohio counties from 2001 - 2009. The study found that the economies in Kentucky counties were not affected in any way due to the local smokefree laws. There was also no evidence that total employment or the number of establishments was impacted by the law in Ohio, wages actually increased following the implementation of the law.
A study conducted in 2010 by the IUPUI Survey Research Center Indiana found that two thirds (66 percent) of adults in rural Indiana would support an ordinance that prohibits smoking in all workplaces including bars and membership clubs.
“This new study along with the strong support of residents in rural communities is further proof that Indiana is ready to be smokefree.” says Kevin O’Flaherty, Co-Chair of the Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air. “The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air encourages the Indiana Legislature to take responsible actions and pass REAL smokefree legislation that is on par with the other 23 states that do not allow smoking in any workplace, restaurant or bar.”
About the Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air
The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air (ICSA) is a statewide coalition of nearly 400 state and local health organizations and countless individuals and businesses committed to protecting all workers from exposure to secondhand smoke by working toward the adoption of a comprehensive smokefree air law that covers all Indiana workplaces. | <urn:uuid:b784cd6a-cdee-43fa-b1a8-844eafb0bf76> | {
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Early medieval depictions of harpers on stone, manuscript and metal
Aberlemno roadside slab
Many carved stones survive from early medieval Scotland and Ireland. The early medieval period usually means from perhaps 500AD through to 1000AD or 1100AD. This long period of time saw the arrival of Christianity and the development of the political groupings and nations (England, Scotland, Wales etc.) that we know today.
The carved stones are mostly crosses. Tall stone crosses were erected outside important churches and ecclesiastical centres. The crosses were often decorated all over with scenes from the bible, especially the old testament. The scenes were carved in relief and I presume were usually painted in bright colours. Nowadays, the stones have suffered from over 1000 years of exposure to the elements and so are very worn - the effect is rather like trying to appreciate a fine, colourful and detailed painting, by looking at an out-of-focus black-and-white photograph of it. We have to squint and strain our eyes to work out what is going on.
The other thing to remember is that the early medieval sculptors and artists were not like modern day newspaper photographers - they were not trying to capture true-to-life images of the people and events around them. They were more like comic-book artists or caricaturists, trying to compress a mythical or religious idea down into a stereotyped and eye-catching panel. So, people might be drawn distorted or different sizes; poses might be impossible; the same person might appear twice in the same scene; and the props and objects with the person are there for symbolic reasons as 'attributes', to emphasise the actions or characteristics of the person.
In the cycle of imagery that was common in this art, King David was an important character. There were various ways of drawing David, depending on the message of the art - he could be shown as a shepherd, fighting the lion, fighting Goliath, or playing the harp. Obviously it is the harp depictions that interest us here.
Helen Roe describes how the stereotyped image of David playing the harp that we find in early medieval sculpture, originally derives from classical images of Orpheus playing the lyre, seated on the back of a lion. Over time, the lion with its four legs and its raised head, changes gradually into a high-backed chair. The lyre changes shape as well, going from a U shaped object to an oblong or C shaped object and finally turning into a triangular object.
We can divide the depictions by the shape of David's instrument.
The following stones have oblong instruments, usually described as “lyres”.
This Irish cross is rather small and crude. It has two small rectangular stones, one each side of it. One of these has a seated figure with an oval lyre. There is no chair.
This ancient churchyard has two high crosses, each having David with a harp on one of the side arms. The two Davids are quite similar. Each sits on a high-backed chair and holds a large lyre with a flattish base. The sculpture is quite simple and stylised. The lyre is similar shape to nearby Ullard. There is also a nice round tower, and a hogback tombstone, in the churchyard.
Clonmacnoise West cross, Ireland
This very fine Irish high cross has a rectangular panel showing David playing a lyre. The lyre is a long oval shape, and the fan shaped spread of strings is well drawn - this instrument looks very much like archaeological lyres discovered from England and Germany. David sits on a strange shaped seat, only part of which is shown in my sketch, perhaps representing the lion-seat.
Durrow West cross, Ireland
This very fine Irish high cross has David playing the lyre or harp squeezed into one of the cross arms. His chair is rather abraded (not shown in my sketch). His instrument is of the complex form similar to the Cotton Psalter.
Cotton Psalter, BL ms Cot.Vit. F.XI., early 10th century
The image shown here of David playing a lyre or harp comes from an early 10th century Irish manuscript, and clearly shows the half-lion- half-chair form of David's seat. The instrument is a strange kind of lyre with an asymmetrical frame. The manuscript shows more detail than stone carvings, but because this manuscript was badly damaged in a fire the image is not very easy to see today. (Illustration from The Archaeological journal, Volume 7 p24).
Kells West cross, Ireland
This damaged cross shaft has a scene of King David with a lyre. His seat is very plain, but beneath it is some kind of damaged figure perhaps representing the lion-seat.
This metal Irish book shrine includes a tiny figure of a lyre player. His instrument is rectangular rather than oval. He does not seem to have a chair. More...
This Irish high cross has David playing the lyre on the left arm of the cross. Bunting illustrated this carving and showed the instrument as C shaped but it is clear that it is really an oval, fairly similar to the Castledermot crosses which are not too far away.
Iona, St Oran’s Cross, Scotland
This high cross is now broken into fragments and is housed in the Abbey museum. On the back side, on the left side arm, is the figure of David playing a lyre. The lyre has the same lop-sided oval shape as the one depicted on St Martin’s Cross. The right hand arm has just two figures and the central boss is missing.
Iona, St Martin’s Cross, Scotland
This high cross has two seated musicians facing each other, on the main shaft. The one on the left has an oblong or oval shaped lyre, similar to the one on St Oran’s cross, and the one on the right has triplepipes. The harper seems to be seated on a plain object.
C shaped instruments
The following stones have C-shaped instruments,
perhaps best understood as bow-harps, like ancient Egyption or Burmese harps.
This cross slab includes a scene of David fighting the lion. A harp and a sheep are shown alongside. The harp seems to be a bow or spoon shaped harp, like ancient Egyptian, African and Burmese instruments. The slab stands in its original location beside the road near the village of Aberlemno. More...
This cross slab contains a very similar scene to Aberlemno which is not too far away. The slab is in much poorer condition and now stands outside in the garden of a private house.
This cross slab is extremely eroded where it was used as a floor slab for many years. There is a seated figure on a high-backed chair holding an object in front of them. however the object is quite worn away and scholars disagree whether it is a musical instrument or a baby, and whether the scene is King David with the harp, or the virgin and child. I think that the chair gives us the clue that it is David with a harp. I can see a figure-8 shaped body with a neck rising from it. It may be a fiddle but I am being reckless and suggesting it may be another arched harp. More...
Triangular shaped instruments
The following stones have triangle-shaped objects, usually described as “harps”. The ones in Scotland are often described as “Pictish harps” but I don’t see this as a useful label. The ones in Ireland are often overlooked since they have been described as “asymmetrical lyres” which I don’t find useful either.
Kells South cross, Ireland
This high cross has King David squeezed into the upper arm of the cross. His chair is rather shrunk into the corner. He seems to be holding a triangular instrument with all straight sides. The bottom of the triangle is squared off, and so some commentators describe this scene as showing a triangular harp held between the thighs or knees, while others call this a “quadrangular lyre”.
3D photo: red/cyan goggles required for viewing
Monasterboice, Cross of Muiredeach, Ireland
This superb high cross has David playing the harp in the left arm of the cross. Behind him is a pipe player. David sits on his chair and holds a large triangular instrument. The bottom of the triangle is squared off, and so some commentators describe this scene as showing a triangular harp held between the thighs or knees, while others call this a “quadrangular lyre”. On top of the instrument is perched a bird.
Govan, Cross 29, Scotland
A rather obscure scene on the shaft of this cross has a figure seated on a stool or chair, with a long slender triangular object in front of him. A second figure holds an object. It is possible that this scene represents David and Saul, and that the triangle is meant to be a harp. However it is hard to say more about this very crude and abraded carving!
Shrine of St Mogue, c.1000 AD
This Irish metal shrine includes a tiny depiction of David playing the harp. His seat is not depicted, but his harp is given in much detail. There is a bird perched on the top of the harp. This sculpture is because of its detail and the fineness of its carving, much celebrated as the “earliest depiction of an Irish harp”. It is now displayed int he national Museum of Ireland, Kildare St, Dublin. More...
This cross slab has been moved into Brechin cathedral. It shows a harp on its own presumably as a symbol of King David. The harp is triangular with a curved forepillar. Behind it is a straight rod, which some scholars suggestis a pipe or whistle.
This cross slab has three figures beside the cross shaft, the top one with a triangular harp, the middle one with triplepipes, and the lower one perhaps with a drinking horn. The figures are very stylised and have no legs or seats. The edge of the slab is damaged and so the harp is missing its forepillar.
This stone has two standing musicians on it, one with a triangular harp and one with triplepipes. Between them is a rectangular item that may be a drum.
This cross shaft has King David sitting in a high backed chair and playing a triangular harp. The cross is quite worn but the carving is in high relief. The cross shaft used to stand in the churchyard at Monifieth just north-east of Dundee but is now in the National Museum in Edinburgh. 3D photo: red/cyan goggles required for viewing
This cross slab shows a harp on its own by sheep, presumably as a symbol of King David. The harp is triangular and all three sides are straight. The rest of the slab has hunting scenes and there is a large figure, presumably of King David fighting the lion.
This impressive cross slab used to stand on the hillside overlooking Forteviot, the ancient Pictish royal capital. Now it has been moved inside Dunning church. It includes a large panel showing David playing the harp. The harp is very large and seems to have animal head terminals. The chair is very small. David is als very out of proportion with a giant head and tiny feet. The cross includes an inscription with Gaelic royal names on.
This cross slab contains a triangular harp.
Trench-Jellicoe, 1997, a photo and commentary. The photo is not clear enough to convince me.
St Andrews, Scotland
A fragment with a hand and some scores in the stone. Some scholars say this fragment is part of David playing the harp but this seems ridiculous to me.
Looks like a loom to me. See Ross.
Looks like a loom to me. See Ross.
Book of Kells TCD ms58 f292r
Definitely not a musical instrument, this is letters in the form of a man fighting a monster. See Buckley.
Ann Buckley, ‘Representations of musicians in medieval Christian iconography of Ireland and Scotland as local cultural expression’, in Katherine A McIver, Art and music in the early modern period, 2003.
Helen Roe, ‘The “David cycle” in early Irish art’, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 79, 1949
Alasdair Ross, ‘“Harps of their owne sort”? A re-asessment of Pictish chordophone designs’, Cambrian Medieval Celtic Studies36, 1998
Ross Trench-Jellicoe, 'Pictish and related charps, their form and decoration', The worm, the germ and the thorn, 1997
Depictions - more ancient images of Gaelic harp players. | <urn:uuid:fca87eb7-4892-46dd-8c38-9ffb3298bf70> | {
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Readers express their views on race, animal cruelty, prison systems, taxes and more.
Black and white and shades of gray
Race should not be "black and white." But when we "converse" about it, everything goes black and white, as if we are stuck inside an old TV, and even then, film values depended on the gray areas in between.
Henry Louis Gates — someone with whom I have worked — is a distinguished, powerful Harvard professor used to deference and respect. James Crowley is a Cambridge police officer from South Natick, who has a strong record of public service and is also used to deference and respect.
Neither man received the deference and respect they expected from the other, and tempers, or perhaps grievances about power, wealth and respect boiled over.
Who has the right to be treated with deference, a famous Harvard professor in his own home, or a Cambridge police officer investigating a possible break in?
A man in his home should have had more leeway than Gates received, but a police officer must worry when a civilian, even someone considered older, gets visibly upset.
So while race has been singled out as the issue in Crowley-Gate, class, age, gender, property, authority and justice should weigh in.
We are not only the color of our skin, but we often act that way. And in our culture, African-American men pay one of the highest prices for it.
We claim not to judge a book by its cover, but we do. Introspection and complexity are liabilities in a visual and speed oriented consumer culture, so judging a book by its cover is expedient.
Do I have an answer for Crowley-Gate? No. I only suggest it's become easier to yell black and white than to work through the pesky gray areas, like say age and wealth, in between.
University of Florida
County Commission is over-taxing us
Instead of raising taxes, why doesn't the county learn to live within its own means. We, the people, are over-taxed already and tired of it!
Individuals and families are struggling to stay within their own budgets and are forced to make difficult choices daily. When our government needs more money it just raises taxes.
In today's economy that is not a viable solution! If I operated in the same way as the county, when my property taxes were increased I would go to my boss and say, "my property taxes just went up, I need a raise!" Take a guess at what my boss would say.
I think I speak for many when I say we are willing to pay our fair share for living in this beautiful county and we are already doing that. In Alachua County the owner of a rental home is taxed for the privilege of owning a rental home in addition to not getting the homestead exemption.
I am disturbed by the way the county wastes money. I routinely see buses with few riders, fake bricks being painted at intersections, plants and "wild flowers" being planted and dying in median strips year in and year out.
Why not go to smaller vehicles for mass transit during off hours or for areas of little use? Why not paint simple lines on cross walks instead of fake bricks? Why not put some hardy grass or drought friendly trees in the median strips?
I challenge the county to come up with a solution that does not involve raising taxes. Act as if there is no more money to get. What would the county do then? It's time to sharpen your pencils and quit using pens!
The day the music died in Gainesville
As a long time contributor to Classic 89 I felt utterly betrayed by the unfortunate decision to radically alter the station's programming without any input from members or the university community at large.
While I am an NPR junkie, I certainly get my fix awakening to news broadcasts in the morning and catching up on current events driving home at the end of the day. I would have been as dismayed by an announcement of elimination of that staple of my radio world as I am blind sided by the ludicrous surprise news that music will no longer grace the airwaves of WRUF.
Can it really be that "the day the music died" is at hand? What a terribly sad day for UF and the city of Gainesville to lose this precious cultural resource.
It must be occurring to others as well that the chance of our hometown regaining a spot in the top 10 places to live has taken a major hit as a result of this shortsighted, misguided act. Surely there is still time for common sense to prevail and some opportunity for community recourse.
We can all help stop animal abuse
The case in which a Gainesville man is accused of neglecting his Shih Tzu so severely that the dog had no body fat or muscle mass, ruptured corneas, infected skin, mange, and ingrown nails should concern everyone ("Man charged with cruelty, dog euthanized," 7/25).
There really are no species lines when it comes to the disregard for life and suffering. I cannot begin to say how many cases I've seen involving animal neglectors who have also neglected their children or other human dependants.
Let's hope that the man responsible for this dog, if convicted, is given jail time and a lifetime ban on owning animals.
Our animals depend on us for survival. If, for any reason, you are having trouble meeting your animals' needs, please don't let them suffer. Options and assistance are available; contact your local animal shelter immediately for help.
To learn how you can help prevent cruelty to animals, visit www.HelpingAnimals.com.
Emergency Response Team
Cruelty Investigations Department
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
I recently had a discussion about legal convictions of politicians and other famous individuals in the U.S. Paris Hilton, for instance, was arrested and put in jail, but was put into a private cell as opposed to the general population.
Supposedly, the reasoning for this is that jail and prison is a dangerous place for these individuals.
Jails and prisons in the U.S. have a reputation for being violent and dangerous. For instance, almost every U.S. citizen has heard stories of prison rapes and murders.
I am not saying that jail and prison aren't dangerous for famous people. However they are dangerous for anyone regardless of class or popularity.
I think that it is an extreme flaw in our legal system, when criminal punishment differs by class or popularity.
Jail and prison is meant, not only as a punishment, but as a deterrent to crime. No one wants to be incarcerated, but everyone knows that if you break a law, or laws, that you will be charged and, if convicted, can be incarcerated.
Bottom line: Prison and jail is dangerous for everyone, and the rich and famous are allowed privileges that are not provided to other offenders. I sincerely hope that there will be changes in the future. | <urn:uuid:bc52b051-6bfc-4190-a9a9-5dc4474d9d08> | {
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By Cristopher Moore and Stephan Mertens
Many of the central moments in science have been unifications: realizations that seemingly disparate phenomena are all aspects of one underlying structure. Newton showed that the same laws of motion and gravity govern apples and planets, creating the first explanatory framework that joins the terrestrial to the celestial. Maxwell showed that a single field can explain electricity, magnetism, and light. Darwin realized that natural selection shapes all forms of life. And Einstein demonstrated that space and time are shadows of a single, four-dimensional spacetime.
This quest for unity drives us to this day, as we hunt for a Grand Unified Theory that combines gravity with quantum mechanics. But while it is less well-known, computer science had its own grand unification in 1936, thanks to Alan Turing.
At the dawn of the 20th century, mathematicians and logicians were focused on the axiomatic underpinnings of mathematics. Shaken by paradoxes — like Russell’s set of all sets that don’t contain themselves (does it or doesn’t it?) — they wanted to re-build mathematics from the ground up, creating a foundation free of paradox. This stimulated a great deal of interest in axiomatic systems, their power to establish truth, and the difficulty of finding proofs or disproofs of open questions in mathematics.
In 1928, David Hilbert posed the Entscheidungsproblem, asking whether there is a “mechanical procedure” that can decide whether or not any given mathematical statement is true — say the Twin Prime Conjecture, that there are an infinite number of pairs of primes that differ by two. Such a procedure would complete the mathematical adventure, providing a general method to determine the truth or falsehood of any statement. To us, this sounds horribly final, but to Hilbert it was a glorious dream.
But what exactly is a “mechanical procedure”? Or, in modern terms, an algorithm? Intuitively, it is a procedure that can be carried out according to a fixed computer program, like a recipe followed by a dutiful cook. But what kinds of steps can this computer perform? What kind of information does it have access to, and how is it allowed to transform this information?
Several models of computation had been proposed, with different attitudes towards what it means to compute. The recursive functions build functions from simpler ones using rules like composition and induction, starting with “atomic” functions like x+1 that we can take for granted. Another model, Church’s λ-calculus, repeatedly transforms a string of symbols by substitutions and rearrangements until only the answer remains.
Each of these models has its charms. Indeed, each one lives on in today’s programming languages. Recursive functions are much like subroutines and loops in C and Java, and the λ-calculus is at the heart of functional programming languages like Lisp and Scheme. Every computer science student knows that we can translate from each of these languages to the others, and that while their styles are radically different, they can ultimately perform the same tasks. But in 1936, it was far from obvious that these models are equivalent, or that either one is capable of everything we might reasonably call a computation. Why should a handful of ways to define functions in terms of simpler ones, or a particular kind of symbol substitution, be enough to carry out any conceivable computation?
Turing settled this issue with a model that is both mathematically precise and intuitively complete. He began by imagining a human computer, carrying out a procedure with pencil and paper. If we had to, he argued, we could boil any such procedure down into a series of steps, each of which reads and writes a single symbol. We don’t need to remember much ourselves, since we can use notes on the paper to keep track of what to do next. And although it might be inconvenient, a one-dimensional roll of paper is enough to write down anything we might need to read later.
At that point, we have a Turing machine: a controller with a finite number of internal states, and a tape on which it can read and write symbols in a finite alphabet. Nothing has been left out. Any reasonable attempt to augment the Turing machine with two-dimensional tapes, multiple controllers, etc. can be simulated by the original model.
Famously, Turing then showed that there are problems that no Turing machine can solve. The Halting Problem asks whether a given Turing machine will ever halt; in modern terms, whether a program will return an answer, or “hang” and run forever. If there were a machine that could answer this question, we could ask it about itself, demanding that it predict its own behavior. We then add a twist, making it halt if it will hang, and hang if it will halt. The only escape is to accept that no such machine exists in the first place.
This also gives a nice proof of Gödel’s Theorem that there are unprovable truths, or to be more precise, that no axiomatic system can prove all mathematical truths. (Unless it also “proves” some falsehoods, in which case we can’t trust it!) For if every truth of the form “this Turing machine will never halt” had a finite proof, we could solve the Halting Problem by doing two things in parallel: running the machine to see if it halts, while simultaneously looking for proofs that it won’t. Thus, no axiomatic system can prove every truth of this form.
Turing showed that his machines are exactly as powerful as the recursive functions and the λ-calculus, unifying all three models under a single definition of computation. What we can compute doesn’t depend on the details of our computers. They can be serial or parallel, classical or quantum. One kind of computer might be much more efficient than another, but given enough time, each one can simulate all the others. The belief that these models capture everything that could reasonably be called an algorithm, or a mechanical procedure, is called the Church-Turing Thesis.
Turing drew the line between what is computable and what is not, if we have an unbounded amount of time and memory. Since his death, computer science has focused on what we can compute if these resources are limited. For instance, the P vs. NP question asks whether there are problems where we can check a solution in polynomial time (as a function of problem size) but where actually finding a solution is much harder. For instance, mathematical proofs can be checked in time roughly proportional to their length — that’s the whole point of formal proofs — but they seem difficult to find. Despite our strong intuition that finding things is harder than checking them, we have been unable to prove that P ≠ NP, and it remains the outstanding open question of the field.
The fact that Turing didn’t live to see how computer science grew and flowered — that he wasn’t there to play a role in its development, as he did at its foundations — is one of the tragedies of the 20th century. He received, too late, an apology from the British government for the persecution that led to his death. Let’s wish him a happy birthday, and raise a glass to his short but brilliant life.
Cristopher Moore and Stephan Mertens are the authors of The Nature of Computation. Cristopher Moore is a professor at Santa Fe Institute and previously, a professor in the Computer Science Department and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico. Stephan Mertens is a a theoretical physicist at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, and external professor at the Santa Fe Institute.
OUPblog is celebrating Alan Turing’s 100th birthday with blog posts from our authors all this week. Read our previous posts on Alan Turing including: “Maurice Wilkes on Alan Turing” by Peter J. Bentley, “Turing : the irruption of Materialism into thought” by Paul Cockshott, and “Alan Turing’s Cryptographic Legacy” by Keith M. Martin. Look for “Computers as authors and the Turing Test” by Kees van Deemter tomorrow. | <urn:uuid:00773f0d-88d0-4bee-a457-63513fabc5fb> | {
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Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
I attended a keynote address by Gabe Zicherman at the Minneapolis TIES Conference this past weekend and he talked about gaming and gamification. So many students are enthralled by video games! I thought this example of a student PBL project was fitting to the topic of pulling some ideas from gaming into the classroom, as these students designed a new idea/invention and displayed their idea and predictions (in Spanish) for it through a video game! This is their presentation with screen shots taken from their video game design. Take a look!
Friday, December 9, 2011
We utilized the "Genial Writing" app today along with a Sliderocket presentation I made containing alternating slides of a verb with a subject to conjugate and it's answer. Students display the SlideRocket game on one of the tablets and use the other tablet to write their answers. We are using this game/strategy to practice conjugation in the future tense, but it could be used with really any tense in a foreign language or be applied for other concepts in any subject area. Things I like:
- SlideRocket is a great presentation creator! Great slide transitions and it embeds easily into a blog or website. Also, it allows you to specifically share presentations with specific people and see how many people are using your presentation and how. Best part.... it's part of our Google Apps!
- Genial Writing is a free app and is super user friendly for students!
Take a look at our activity here!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
One thing I really love about having the Android Tablets is how much easier it is to differentiate learning for students. We have a vocabulary quiz tomorrow and students were given various choices the latter part of the class period to prepare/practice their vocabulary. Take a look here!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Here is an updated list of the Apps that we are using most frequently in my Spanish Classes.
- QR Droid
- Spanish Trainer
- Spanish Verbs
- Conjugate Spanish
- Word Reference
- Pulse (for SSR)
- Movie Studio
- Google Docs
- Hangman for Spanish
- Splashtop (for Instructor)
- 15 Motorola Xoom Tablets
- 15 Asus Transformer Tablets (w/ keyboards)
- 6 Cell Phones (donated by Cellcom)
- 1 Multi-Touch Smartboard
- Android Apps
- 1 Ipevo Document Camera
- Multiple Learning Spaces
- Online Classroom = Learning 24/7
How has the classroom changed because of all this technology?
Learning is more.... differentiated, meaningful, engaging, collaborative and 24/7!
What do the students think? | <urn:uuid:dfa581b3-68d1-46dd-b484-a0af651883a2> | {
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VICTORIAN gas lamps probably blackened the pale faces of angels on an 800-year-old illuminated manuscript, chemists working in London have discovered. They also found a yellow pigment never before identified on ancient manuscripts.
The 10-kilogram tome, a series of readings based on the gospel, is one of the world's most valuable surviving Byzantine books. It was illuminated around 1220 by artists in Mosul, then part of the Byzantine Empire and now part of modern Iraq.
The British Library, which has owned the book since the early 19th century, asked Robin Clark and Peter Gibbs of the department of chemistry at University College London to find out why large areas of the 60 richly coloured illustrations had turned black.
Clark and Gibbs, who report their findings in
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It's often good to sit back, pause and contemplate what you know that you don't know...a higher order thinking excercise for sure !
Last week, environmental policy makers came up with a list of the "top 100" ecological questions most in need of an answer.
The list, published online in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, is the result of an innovative experiment involving more than 600 environmental policy makers and academics, and includes crucial questions such as which UK habitats and species might be lost completely due to climate change, and what are the comparative biodiversity impacts of newly emerging types of renewable energy?
The list should help bridge the gap between science and policy that exists in many disciplines - including ecology - and could therefore have a major impact on future ecological research and its funding.
According to the lead author, Professor Bill Sutherland of the University of East Anglia: "There is currently too little information flow between scientists and policy makers. Narrowing this gap would be very beneficial in generating policies that are based on sound science. Conversely, it is desirable that research should be more clearly directed at issues that influence policy."
The list of 100 questions is the outcome of two days of discussion between 654 environmental policy makers and academics. The academics acted as facilitators, helping the policy makers arrive at a short-list of 100 key questions from an initial long-list of more than 1,000. Policy makers came from 30 leading environmental organisations and regulators, including the Environment Agency, SEPA, English Nature, the National Trust, Butterfly Conservation, the Wildlife Trusts, the Woodland Trust and the British Trust for Ornithology, and the short-list was agreed by consensus and compromise.
Ecologists hope that the list will have a major impact on both science and policy.
Lists of research questions have been highly influential in the past in other fields, such as mathematics. At the Second International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris in 1900, David Hilbert posed 23 problems that had a major impact on mathematics throughout the twentieth century. Another mathematician, Paul Erd?s, is thought to have given most of his money away by offering prizes for the mathematical problems he posed.
The 100 questions are divided into the following sections:
1. What are the benefits of protected habitats in terms of water resources, carbon sequestration and other goods and services, relative to non-protected land?
2. What is the role of biodiversity in maintaining specific ecosystem functions (e.g. biogeochemical cycles)?
3. What are the roles of soil biodiversity (and specifically little-known groups such as mites or nematodes) in ecosystem function, resilience and recovery?
4. How does soil biodiversity both influence and respond to above-ground biodiversity?
5. What is the role of marine biota and benthopelagic coupling in ocean–atmosphere carbon cycling and primary production?
6. How can we measure natural capital (renewable and non-renewable resources) and integrate such a measure into gross domestic product (GDP)?
7. How will CAP reform affect biodiversity at the landscape scale?
8. What are the environmental consequences of farming patterns ranging between the extremes of widespread extensification vs. complete segregation of agricultural production and conservation areas?
9. How do farming systems such as conventional, integrated farm management and organic compare in terms of their effects on biodiversity and other environmental impacts?
10. How do current agricultural practices affect the conservation value and extent of non-agricultural habitats such as woodland edges, hedgerows and ponds, and how can detrimental impacts be mitigated?
11. What are the impacts of agricultural activities and practices (e.g. fertilizers, pesticides and physical disturbance) on soil biodiversity and soil functions?
12. What are the ecological consequences of changes in upland grazing regimes for biodiversity and soil ecology?
13. What are the impacts on soil and surface-active invertebrates of poaching (trampling of flooded soil by livestock) and soil compaction at different stocking levels?
14. What are the impacts on biodiversity of prophylactic treatment of farm livestock with antibiotics, anti-fungal and anti-helminthic compounds?
15. What lessons can be learnt from agri-environment schemes to optimize their biodiversity gain and ecological benefit?
16. How does the ecological impact of UK farming compare internationally?
17. What are the environmental benefits of large-scale woodland planting schemes such as community forests and the new national forests?
18. Where should new woodlands be located?
19. What overall number, age structure and spatial distribution of trees are necessary for the long-term survival of species dependent on ancient/veteran trees?
20. What are the relative benefits for biodiversity of the re-introduction of management to ancient semi-natural woodlands vs. the continuation of an absence of active management?
21. Why have many woodland birds declined?
22. Which approach to the removal of plantations on ancient woodland sites (e.g. clear-felling and sequential removal) yields the greatest biodiversity benefit?
Fisheries, aquaculture and marine conservation
23. What is the biodiversity impact of the harvest of forage fish for the production of aquaculture foodstuffs?
24. What are the ecological impacts of faecal matter, pesticides and undigested food flows from aquaculture?
25. How important are caged fishes as reservoirs of parasites and pathogens that have detrimental effects on wild populations?
26. What are the direct (catch) and indirect (food supplementation by discards, prey depletion) impacts of commercial fishing on cetaceans and seabirds?
27. How large should marine protected areas be, and where should they be located to protect biodiversity and enhance surrounding fisheries?
28. What will be the impact of marine protected areas on wide ranging migratory species such as cod Gadus morhua L. and haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus L.
29. How important are coastal, estuarine and fluvial habitats for endangered migratory fish populations (e.g. lampreys, shad, eel and sturgeon)?
30. What is the range of minimum viable population sizes for broadcast spawning marine species?
31. How long does the seabed take to recover from disturbance such as dredging, wind-farm construction and oil and gas extraction?
Recreation and field sports
32. What are the impacts of recreational activities on biodiversity?
33. Which ecological principles should guide the choice of the list of UK species appropriate for game exploitation?
34. What overall impacts do introductions of game species for field sports (including recreational fishing) have on biodiversity?
35. What are the ecological impacts (both direct and indirect, through shifts in habitat management) of a ban on hunting with dogs?
36. How can provision for wildlife be maximized in existing and new urban development, urban greenspace and brownfield sites?
37. What are the consequences for biodiversity of fragmentation by development and infrastructure?
38. What are the ecological impacts on semi-natural habitats and ecosystems of adjacent large developments (e.g. housing and airports)?
39. How can sustainable urban drainage systems be optimally designed to maximize biodiversity in the urban environment?
Aliens and invasive species
40. What criteria should be used to determine when to intervene to deal with invasive species?
41. How can we manage microbial ecology to control invasive plant pathogens?
42. How can we understand better the epidemiology of existing and emergent diseases within wildlife reservoirs to better protect humans and livestock?
43. What are the genetic threats to UK biodiversity posed by introgression from genetically modified organisms and what measures are available to reduce these threats?
44. What is the optimal method of managing bracken-dominated habitats for the benefit of associated biodiversity action plan priority species?
45. What are the effects of domestic cats on vertebrate populations in rural and urban environments?
46. What impact does plastic-derived litter have on the marine environment?
47. How can one ameliorate the effects of aerially deposited nitrogen on habitats and species?
48. What are the critical thresholds for nitrogen and phosphorus inputs into waterbodies of high conservation value?
49. Of those chemicals currently or potentially released into the environment, which (individually or in combination) are now, or are likely to become, significant environmental problems, and what will these problems be?
50. What are the long-term impacts of depositing sewage sludge and other organic wastes on to agro-ecosystems?
51. How can catchment management be used to reduce diffuse pollution?
52. How will acidification of surface water from rising CO2 concentrations affect planktonic productivity and other marine organisms?
53. What are the effects of light pollution from built development and road lights on wildlife behaviour, mortality and demography?
54. Which species are likely to be the best indicators of the effects of climate change on natural communities?
55. Which habitats and species might we lose completely in the UK because of climate change?
56. What will be the ecological impacts of changing agricultural patterns in response to climate change?
57. What time lags can be expected between climate change and ecological change?
58. What is the likely relationship between the extent of climate change and the pattern of species extinction?
59. How does climate change interact with other ecological pressures (e.g. invasive species and habitat fragmentation) to create synergistic effects?
60. How can we increase the resilience of habitats and species to cope with climate change?
61. How well suited is the current UK protected area system for conserving biodiversity in the face of climate change, and how can it be enhanced in light of this?
62. How will changes to oceanographic conditions as a result of climate change affect marine ecosystems?
63. What actions are required to recreate the full range of coastal landscapes, habitats and species distributions to compensate for their loss, for example as a result of sea-level rise?
Energy generation and carbon management
64. What are the consequences of biofuel production for biodiversity at field, landscape and regional levels?
65. What are the potential impacts of (a) terrestrial and (b) marine wind farms on biodiversity?
66. What are the comparative biodiversity impacts of newly emerging types of renewable energy, such as wave energy?
67. How can soil carbon be retained and further carbon sequestered in the soil?
68. How can biodiversity action plans be designed to take account of larger scale population processes?
69. How can we best measure favourable conservation status for each of the species and habitats listed within the EU's Habitat Directive?
70. How effective is the current UK protected area network for protecting wildlife under current conditions?
71. With what precision can we predict the ecological impact of different policy options and the ecological effects of management action?
72. At an international scale, what are the ecological implications of conservation actions and policies adopted within the UK?
73. How effective as indicators of overall biodiversity are current indicators (especially birds)?
74. Why are common moths declining and are their declines driving declines in other taxa (e.g. bats)?
75. What scale and type of land-use change is required to halt the decline of biodiversity by 2010 (EU heads of state committed to this in the 2001 EU summit in Göteborg)?
76. Are there reliable ways to predict the long-term sustainability of populations of poorly known species (e.g. most invertebrates) using a knowledge of life history and other ecological characteristics?
Habitat management and restoration
77. What are the costs and benefits of concentrating conservation work on designated sites in comparison with spreading efforts across the wider countryside?
78. What are the ecological consequences of 'wilding' (that is, conservation of sites using only, or very largely, natural processes) as a long-term conservation strategy?
79. What are the consequences of different moorland management techniques (especially burning, cutting and grazing) for the upland economy, carbon storage, water quality and biodiversity?
80. What measures of habitat condition should we use to measure habitat change in protected areas?
81. How should ditches, dry and wet, be managed for the greatest benefit for biodiversity?
82. What hedgerow structure and what type of hedge management produce the greatest wildlife benefits?
83. How do recreated habitats differ from their semi-natural analogues?
84. How can we effectively prioritize the most important large-scale ecological restoration projects that could be undertaken in the UK?
85. What is the most appropriate and ecologically sustainable way of dealing with excess nutrients during terrestrial and freshwater habitat restoration?
86. What are the implications of changing deer densities for agriculture, forestry and biodiversity in different landscape types?
87. In reintroductions, does local provenance matter? Will the use of non-local stock cause loss of local genetic variation, outbreeding depression or genetic rescue of depauperate gene pools?
Connectivity and landscape structure
88. What are the lag times between habitat fragmentation and the loss of species of different taxonomic and functional groups?
89. Is it better to extend existing habitat patches or create further patches within the landscape?
90. How should we manage landscape mosaics for the conservation of diverse taxa that operate on different spatial scales?
91. What are the relative merits of different indices of habitat connectivity? Which of them best predict conservation value?
92. What is the value of linear habitats, such as hedgerows, railways, road verges and riparian strips, as corridors for dispersal between fragmented habitat patches?
93. For species where the concept is applicable, how can 'source' and 'sink' populations (Pulliam 1988) be identified and how should their status affect conservation management?
94. How important are core vs. peripheral areas in the conservation strategy of a species?
95. How reliant are animal and plant populations in small nature reserves on the maintenance of habitat in surrounding non-protected areas?
Making space for water
96. What have been the consequences of past and present riparian engineering works, such as weirs, culverts, gravel removal, habitat fragmentation and damming, on biodiversity within and alongside rivers?
97. What would be the ecological implications of large-scale river and floodplain restoration schemes in the UK, and would they be more cost-effective than traditional hard flood defences?
98. What are the likely consequences for biodiversity of changes in water quality and sedimentation in rivers?
99. What methods most accurately measure 'ecological status' in the EU Water Framework Directive?
100. How can flood control be assisted by appropriate habitat management and restoration, and what are the impacts on biodiversity?
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Elderberry 101: What to Know Before Trying the Herbal Remedy
Cold and flu season comes every year when the temperatures drop. The chorus of coughing and sneezing starts to sound in the office, and at the same time, out come the tea, hand sanitizer, and vitamin C to keep the germs away. The search for anything and everything to boost the immune system starts. And one of the latest superfoods touted to help keep you healthy in cold months is the elderberry. "Elderberry recipes" are trending on Pinterest, and the purple berry is popping up in tons of immunity-supporting supplements, from gummies to lozenges to syrups.
But are elderberries actually a legit immunity booster? We asked an RD and a doctor to weigh in on the elderberry's health benefits.
What are elderberries?
"Elderberries are found in North America, Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa," says Seattle-based registered dietitian Ginger Hultin, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Champagne Nutrition. "They can be used in cooking, often in desserts like other berries, and also have some medicinal benefits that likely come from their unique antioxidants."
The elderberry plant, called Sambucus nigra, has many parts, but it's the flowers and berries that pack the immunity punch.
What are elderberries used for?
Elderberries have been found to help minimize flu symptoms in a number of small studies, thanks to their antiviral properties. "There is evidence to show that they can support human immune systems in time of illness, so it's not surprising that they're emerging as a superfood now," Hultin says of the berries.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Functional Foods found that compounds called anthocyanidin (phytonutrients that give elderberries their purple color) were found to inhibit the flu virus's entry and replication in human cells. Not only that, but it was also found to help strengthen the body's immune response to the flu virus.
Another study published in the Journal of International Medical Research also found that elderberry syrup was effective at shortening symptoms of the flu. The study participants took either a placebo or 15 milliliters of elderberry syrup four times a day for five days. The group that took the elderberry reported improvement of flu symptoms after three to four days, while the placebo group reported the same seven to eight days into the illness.
There's also a third study that had similar findings. A 2009 study published in the Online Journal of Pharmacology and PharmacoKinetics used elderberry extract lozenges for its study participants. Sixty-four study participants were divided into two groups, a placebo group and another that was given four doses of elderberry extract lozenges for two days. After 24 hours, the elderberry group self-reported significant improvement of their flu-like symptoms. And within 48 hours, 28 percent of the elderberry group reported they were totally void of all symptoms, while none in the placebo group reported the same thing.
Should you try elderberry supplements?
Like all herbal supplements, the FDA does not regulate them, meaning safety and standardization (making sure each batch has the same/correct potency) are up to the manufacturers and distributors.
"That doesn't mean there aren't good quality, trustworthy supplements out there, because there are," Hultin says. "Many companies pay for third-party testing to ensure purity and standardization of their products, so that's always something to check for on a label." She suggests checking out the FDA's website for tips on how to find the best dietary supplements.
And while many recipes can be found online for elderberry syrup, it's important to know that it can be extremely risky.
"You have to be really careful if you're doing your own at home," says Elizabeth Bradley, MD, medical director of the Center for Functional Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. "You don't want to be taking in flowers and berries whole and raw. Ingesting uncooked elderberries can lead to poisoning."
Elderberries also contain cyanogenic glycosides, a toxic compound, so they need to be cooked to prevent cyanide poisoning. For that reason, you're better off buying pre-made elderberry products.
"I wouldn't recommend anything raw, and I suggest shying away from making your own," says Dr. Bradley. "You should take it if you're being exposed to more people and situations where you might get the flu (like in flu season), but pay attention to dosing instructions to avoid ending up with GI symptoms."
Are there any negative side effects of eating elderberry products?
Aside from the risk of cyanide poisoning (which you shouldn't have if you're using a safe elderberry supplement), other side effects of taking too much elderberry include gastric issues, like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, says Dr. Bradley.
And because many elderberry products come in syrup or gummy form, you'll want to pay attention to sugar content, too. Dr. Bradley recommends looking for gummies or syrup with less than five grams of sugar per serving.
Of course, elderberries are no substitute for the flu vaccine or medical help if you truly have a bad case of the flu.
"The most important thing to understand is that, if a person has flu-like symptoms, they need to seek medical attention," says Hultin. "They can inquire as to whether or not elderberry is safe for them as there are some potential interactions with medications that may need guidance, including immunosuppressants. Influenza is a very serious disease and should be supported by a medical team for safety."
If you're experiencing flu-like symptoms, elderberry products can be a useful way to relieve some of the pain associated with the illness. But the flu is still a serious condition that requires medical treatment, and elderberry products are a supplement, not a replacement for medical help. | <urn:uuid:e9d13e4a-44c4-4cbe-a7ab-19df92954669> | {
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The MODIS sensor satellite imagery is showing a beautiful and evolving large plankton bloom in the Chukchi Sea at the moment.
The plankton are the lighter green bands I've labelled and the full image is available at an astonishing 250m resolution.
If the Bering Straight looks odd it's because this image is taken from over the North Pole and looking southwards.
Conventional wisdom says that as the Arctic Ocean sea ice retreats over the coming decades and the ocean warms, then we are going to see more plankton blooms like the one shown above.
But that's not the whole story. Professor Kevin Arrigo published a paper in 2014 that suggested the plankton blooms in this part of the Arctic can form under the ice.
The dark areas are ponds of water where the snow has been melted away. The bare ice beneath can let light through. Arrigo and his co-workers suggested that this is enough for biological production.
It was also the subject of a post I wrote a couple of years ago.
Jonathan Amos reported on a piece of work last year that showed the extent of the melt ponds can also predict the summer extent of Arctic Sea ice. | <urn:uuid:6f013ea7-d71c-4a92-a9f6-ba5735605674> | {
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Chapter 1. Excel Basics
Are you new to Excel, or upgrading to the latest version? This chapter shows you how to move around the Excel 2007 program window and work with new features.
An Introduction to Excel
Microsoft Excel is the most popular spreadsheet program on the market today. You can use Excel to manipulate numeric data like a pro. You can also use the program to track and manage large quantities of data, such as inventories, price lists, expenses and expenditures, and much more. You can even use Excel as a database, entering and sorting records.
Microsoft Excel is best known for its number-crunching features. For example, you ... | <urn:uuid:f07e2867-bfae-4ce9-a4fc-fafec00e77ad> | {
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What Is Hügelkultur?
Build healthy soil your garden can rock out in with this German compost technique.
By Erica Strauss
Courtesy Jon Roberts/Wikimedia
Lasagna gardening. Sheet composting. No-till gardening. You’ve probably come across these and similar gardening techniques before. They are all slightly different variations on building a raised bed from layers of organic matter, which rots down right where it is, getting better and better as it composts in place. Techniques such as these promise that you can improve tilth, preserve soil structure, and create the garden bed of your dreams without a lot of backbreaking labor or expensive, imported garden soil.
Although some of these published methods offer specific "recipes” to create ideal, no-till beds, the basic technique is simple: Pile on a lot of organic, compostable material, and let nature take its course.
The latest bed-building method to turn gardeners’ heads is actually an ancient technique called hügelkultur. The German word, meaning "mound culture,” is usually pronounced "hoo-gull culture” in English-speaking gardening circles. It is one of many techniques associated with permaculture, a philosophy that seeks to understand, mimic and incorporate natural relationships and systems into the garden.
Hügelkultur differs from previously popularized no-till bed-building techniques in a few key ways:
1. Woody Base Material
Hügelkultur beds are ideally built with a base of logs or branches and prunings from woody shrubs. The larger the woody base material, the more self-sustaining you can expect the beds to be over time.
Hügelkultur beds can be huge. Building beds 6 feet tall or more with entire trees as base material is not uncommon. At this size, hügels can be used as growing space as well as windbreaks and will require little to no supplemental irrigation. However, hügels do not need to be enormous to be effective. This type of bed offers many advantages to the small-scale gardener, even when diminished to a more reasonable backyard size of 2 or 3 feet.
3. Angle of Bed Sides
While most no-till methods create relatively flat beds, permaculture expert Sepp Holzer advocates for a 45-degree (or steeper) angle on hügelkultur beds. In beds where the side angle is too shallow, he says the beds become compacted and the oxygen supply is decreased, which is detrimental to plant growth.
4. Long-Term Soil Fertility
Larger hunks of wood break down slowly, and their consistent decomposition provides long and even nutritional benefits to the soil and to the plants growing in the hügels.
5. Moisture Retention
As cellulose- and lignin-eating fungi act upon the woody base material, the logs and branches in the hügel break down into something like a sponge. This creates countless tiny air pockets and consistent moisture levels within the hügel. This combination is very conducive to plant root growth. Small hügels can go weeks without irrigation, while the largest ones can go entire summers without supplemental irrigation, even in dry climates.
Mound of Possibilities
Assess your site. Because this technique results in garden beds with a long-term soil fertility advantage, it’s best to spend some time thinking about how and where to locate your hügel before you start assembling.
Like any garden bed, you want to position your hügel where it will most benefit from the sun. Usually, this means building the bed so that it runs mostly north to south. Because hügels are mounded, not flat, beds built east to west will have one side always in shade. Unless you live in a very sunny climate and want to deliberately create a shaded, cooler microclimate, this isn’t ideal. Also, consider the prevailing wind direction and how the hügel can be buffered from strong winds.
Think about the slope of the ground where you will be building your bed and any moisture or water runoff issues that your garden has. Strategically placed hügels can soak up and hold excess water to good advantage, but you shouldn’t position them so that they create a barrier against the natural flow of water in your garden. If water runs against your hügel and pools, it can start to undermine your bed.
Feel free to be creative! A hügel can be made free-form and doesn’t have to be built as a rectangle. In fact, many hügels are built in a wide, open bowl-shape to capture the most energy and warmth from the sun.
Depending on the projected size of your hügel, you may need to start collecting woody waste material until you have built up quite a collection. Logs, branches, tree-trimmings, root balls and similar materials make the ideal base for a hügel, but work with what you have.
Untreated, unpainted, raw wood left over from building or construction projects may be incorporated into a hügelkultur. Wood chips can be used in place of logs or branches, but these will result in a more homogenous hügel with a much faster nitrogen "burn rate” and without the same long-term soil fertility advantages of a hügel made from larger pieces of wood.
Rotting wood is excellent for use in a hügel—in fact, the rotting of the wood is the magic behind this technique—but fresh-cut wood is fine, too. Just know that the results of the bed will improve as the wood breaks down over time, so don’t expect the best results in the first year if you start with green wood.
There are a few kinds of wood to avoid. According to Paul Wheaton, permaculture expert and founder of Permies.com and RichSoil.com, you should not use cedar, black locust, black cherry, black walnut or any treated wood in your hügelkultur bed.
Hügelkultur is an excellent, natural recycling technique, allowing woody waste to be converted into valuable growing space. For this reason, try not to buy fresh wood for your bed. If you don’t have appropriate materials on site, get creative. Call around to local tree-trimming companies, and ask if they could drop off some branches or scrap trimmings next time they are in your neighborhood. Maybe your city or town is taking down a tree that is interfering with power lines and would welcome help disposing of the wood.
Holzer suggests that you begin building your hügel by digging out a shallow trench, removing any turf from the area where you will place the bed and setting it aside. However, unless you are building your hügel on top of a particularly pernicious grass, such as Bermuda, this step is not essential and you can build your bed directly on top of the lawn. This is less work, and in most climates, the sod will break down into beautiful soil once covered with the raised bed.
(Note: An exception to this rule is for gardeners building hügelkultur beds in arid climates. In these areas, building the hügel within a swale can help to collect and trap precious moisture and groundwater within the bed.)
Lay your woody material in the area designated for the hügelkultur bed. If you have a variety of sizes of wood, try to place the larger pieces toward the bottom and center of the bed and work outward with smaller branches and organic debris so that your bed is stable.
After the woody framework is built, tamp it down to give it good contact with the ground (this is particularly important if you did not initially trench the area under your hügel). Now you need to cover up your wood. The simplest way is to dump soil right on top of your base material. Holzer suggests turning upside down the sod strips removed when trenching for the hügelkultur bed and covering the wood with those. A layer of straw, chicken-coop litter, leaf debris, kitchen compost or half-finished compost also works just fine. Hügels are flexible; use what you have to cover the wood in the bed.
You want the top layer of organic matter to fill in any large pockets between the wood and to cover the bed by several inches. This layer will settle into the woody base naturally, so don’t compact it or worry too much about small empty gaps within the base layer.
Lastly, add a layer of finished compost or topsoil. You can add as much as you have—a foot, a few inches or none at all. Adding more compost will give your hügel a more finished appearance, but this step is a matter of preference rather than necessity.
Build Your Garden
Your hügelkultur bed is now ready to plant. You can seed it immediately or transplant vegetable starts into the soil pockets within and around the bed.
When I built my first hügelkultur beds last year, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they held a soil temperature notably higher than my traditional raised beds. Very early last spring, when my traditional raised beds were 42 degrees F, my hügelkultur beds were 47 degrees Fahrenheit. A few weeks later in mid-spring, the soil in the hügelkultur beds was up to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, which is very warm for Seattle in April. Hügelkultur beds will typically be warmer than the surrounding soil for several years as the woody base material composts in place.
I watered my hügel only three times over the course of the summer (my traditional beds were watered twice a week), yet still saw excellent results and lush growth from the beans, squash, peppers, tomatoes, corn and various greens I seeded in that spring. I’ve only had one problem with the beds: They seem to be magnets for my flock of backyard hens, who are drawn to the huge worm populations living in and around the beds. They scratch things up terribly!
My own experiments with building and planting hügelkultur beds have convinced me that this technique is an easy way to reduce organic waste, build top-quality soil for free and grow great crops with less irrigation.
Get more gardening techniques from UrbanFarmOnline.com:
About the Author: Seattle-based writer Erica Strauss covers urban homesteading, backyard chicken-keeping, edible gardening and more at Northwest Edible Life.
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Give us your opinion on What Is Hügelkultur?. | <urn:uuid:149474b2-b3ad-402a-b2b7-5f20abebe760> | {
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European excess has global environmental fallout
European mass consumption is having a negative ripple effect across the global supply chain according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, which examines possible solutions to the problem
The Environmental Indicators Report 2014 examines the negative side-effects of Europe's growing consumption in the food, technology and clothing markets, and suggests a more localised approach, with a focus on quality products, could mitigate environmental impact
EEA executive director Hans Bruyninckx said: "The way we live and how we produce things has a substantial impact beyond our borders. In the past Europe has largely focused on policies to make European production more eco-efficient, but we can see that in a globalised world it is increasingly important that we fundamentally re-think how we consume and produce, to encourage true sustainability throughout the whole lifecycle of products."
Problem: EU food consumption per person has increased by 3% since 1995, while meat imports have doubled in that time. In total, producing 1 KG of beef requires 617 litres of water, while the beef industry as a whole produces 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 annually.
Solution: Shorten supply chains. As well as reducing environmental impacts from the transport of food and food waste, a move towards short supply chains would support small farms and put consumers more closely in touch with food production. This would increase awareness of environmental impacts and seasonal food. The EEA also suggested education to help change consumer attitudes; European consumption of meat egss and dairy is twice the global average.
Problem: EU clothing purchases have increased by 34% since 1990, even accounting for population growth. 87% of total demand is now by met by imports, up from just 33% in 2004. The growing consumption of cheap clothes has heightened resource demands and environmental and social pressures across the life cycle. For example, cultivating cotton is often associated with significant use of water and land resources, and application of pesticides, while the end product must be flown across continents.
Solution: Better outcomes could be achieved if Europeans were to buy fewer, better-quality clothes from socially and environmentally sustainable sources. Businesses and civil society also have a particularly important role to play in mitigating impacts outside Europe -- for example though new business models for sharing and leasing clothes.
Problem: An increasing number of households in the EU has meant a corresponding increase in the production of electrical items. The rapid technological growth and replacement cycles of electronics combined with manufacturer's planned obsolescence - deliberate design of products to fail - has also led to massive waste. Around 74% of electronic items are imported into Europe.
Electronics manufacturing is particularly energy-intensive, requiring up to 140 times more energy per kilogram than plastics. In addition, the use of these electronics has boosted household electricity consumption by 37 % since 1990.
Solution: The current system would be more sustainable with higher-quality appliances and a focus on sharing/leasing common products. The overall life-cycle environmental impacts could be reduced by making products more energy efficient, increasing take-back and re-manufacturing, and capturing more of the valuable materials from e-waste. | <urn:uuid:e0c49b09-e85e-4721-b158-331e859c0189> | {
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Kurt Gödel (1906-1978) was an Austrian-born mathematician who is considered perhaps the greatest logician since Aristotle. His Incompleteness Theorem was a stunning proof of limitations on logic, at a time when leading mathematicians were working diligently to establish its completeness. He immigrated to the United States and worked at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey, and is buried in that town with his wife. Gödel was a devout Christian who believed in an afterlife and read the Bible regularly. He completely rejected the atheism of the Vienna Circle to which he was introduced.
Gödel was ostracized from academia despite his immense intellectual achievements, and was never offered a tenure-track position of professor. He worked on developing a logical proof of God that build on the ontological proof by Saint Anselm. Politically, he supported Republican President Dwight Eisenhower and was critical of the Democrat Harry Truman.
Gödel published his remarkable proof of the Incompleteness Theorem in 1931. He showed that in any consistent (first-order) axiomatic mathematical system there are always propositions that cannot be proved or disproved using the axioms of the system. He additionally showed that it is impossible to prove the consistency of the axioms from those same axioms. This was the famous incompleteness theorem: any axiomatic system powerful enough to describe arithmetic on natural numbers cannot be both consistent and complete. Moreover, the consistency of the axioms cannot be proven within the system.
Gödel's work abruptly ended a half-century of attempts, beginning with the work of Frege and culminating in Principia Mathematica and Hilbert's formalism, to find a set of first-order axioms for all of mathematics that is both provably consistent as well as complete. Bertrand Russell had already published, in Principia Mathematica (1910–13), a massive attempt to axiomatize mathematics in a consistent way. Gödel's proof also showed that the formalist approach of David Hilbert was bound to fail to prove consistency.
|“||How Gödel transformed set theory can be broadly cast as follows: On the larger stage, from the time of Cantor, sets began making their way into topology, algebra, and analysis so that by the time of Gödel, they were fairly entrenched in the structure and language of mathematics. But how were sets viewed among set theorists, those investigating sets as such? Before Gödel, the main concerns were what sets are and how sets and their axioms can serve as a reductive basis for mathematics. Even today, those preoccupied with ontology, questions of mathematical existence, focus mostly upon the set theory of the early period. After Gödel, the main concerns became what sets do and how set theory is to advance as an autonomous field of mathematics.||”|
The incompleteness theorems also imply that there is no mechanical procedure which would determine, for all sentences of mathematics S, whether or not S was a theorem of the axioms for mathematics.
Gödel's proof was a landmark for mathematics, and demonstrated that it can never be a finished project.
Among Gödel's other remarkable achievements: the first to discover a solution to the equation for general relativity in which there are closed, time-like curves. This means it is mathematically possible for there to be universes in which one can go back in time (provided one has enough fuel and time—something probably not physically possible). Gödel was also the first to recognize the significance of the P=NP problem, in a letter he wrote to John von Neumann in 1956.
A profoundly religious man who reportedly read the Bible every morning, Gödel is also noted for giving Gödel's Ontological Proof, an attempt to make Anselm's ontological argument into a completely logically rigorous argument. This had the useful property of making very explicit and precise the assumptions necessary for one to accept the ontological argument. In this proof, Gödel demonstrated that if one accepts only five modest and seemingly obvious axioms, it is necessary to conclude that God exists.
- Gödel was offered only an unpaid lecturer position after he published his breakthrough papers.
- A paper about Godel's ontological proof of the existence of God. Godel did not publish his proof of the existence of God until 1971. | <urn:uuid:5119cde1-a1ef-4122-8fde-029b0b0f71e0> | {
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February 1, 2024
In an era dominated by digital conversations and online interactions, the power of words has never been more significant. Social media, with its billions of daily users, provides a platform for individuals to voice their opinions and thoughts. However, the impact of these words, especially when expressing dissatisfaction, can spread well beyond just a comment or post.
The Power of Social Listening
Social listening enables brands to monitor consumer opinions and gather data across various platforms. By creating targeted searches, businesses can track potential threats and navigate through the noise to identify negative mentions. It provides valuable insights into who is expressing dissatisfaction, their influence, the context of their comments, and the emotions associated with them.
Visualising this data through sentiment and emotion pie charts allows businesses to gauge the impact of negative mentions. By asking key questions such as who said it, their influence, the context, and potential reach, organisations can better prepare for a crisis before it escalates.
The Shift from Offline to Online
As the world transitions from offline to online, brands must rethink crisis management strategies. A single tweet can now inflict irreversible damage on their reputation. Viral content has the potential to reach diverse audiences rapidly, generating significant attention. The challenge lies in distinguishing between a crisis that requires immediate attention and isolated negative comments that may not escalate.
The Role of Social Data
Social data consists of the unstructured information flowing through social platforms. Understanding how social data impacts a crisis is crucial. When content goes viral, it can quickly transform into a crisis, damaging a brand’s reputation. Real-time monitoring through social listening allows businesses to identify negative trends and take early action.
Crisis Management Strategies
To effectively navigate a social media crisis, organisations should adopt proactive crisis management strategies, including:
1. Monitoring and Identification: By actively tracking mentions, tags and content related to the crisis, organisations gain real-time insightsinto the unfolding situation. This allows for a swift response to emerging issues before they escalate.
2. Establishing a Crisis Response Plan: This involves defining clear roles and responsibilities within the organisation. Delegating specific tasks to key individuals ensures a coordinated and efficient response when facing the storm of a social media crisis.
3. Developing a Communication Plan: Crafting a well-thought-out communication plan is paramount. This includes creating a messaging framework that aligns with the organisation’s values. This not only underscores transparency but also fosters trust and credibility, particularly in challenging circumstances.
4. Quick and Transparent Response: Organisations must respond promptly, addressing concerns with accurate and relevant information. A swift and transparent response demonstrates a commitment to resolving issues and can significantly mitigate the impact of the crisis.
5. Continuous Monitoring and Analysis: The dynamic nature of social media requires continuous monitoring and analysis. After the initial response, it is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies. Ongoing monitoring helps in understanding how the situation evolves and allows for adjustments in response strategies as needed.
6. Analysing the Cause: Delving into the root cause of the crisis is a fundamental step. Organisations should conduct a thorough investigation to understand the underlying factors that led to the crisis. This not only aids in immediate resolution but also enables the implementation of preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Effectively handling crisis management in the era of social media requires a proactive approach, and the importance of knowing how to navigate these situations is crucial. By understanding the impact of words, leveraging social listening, and implementing effective crisis management strategies, brands can weather the storm and safeguard their reputation in the digital era.
If you need assistance with developing your crisis management strategy, do not hesitate to reach out and contact us today. | <urn:uuid:5f27b707-87c9-4909-9b47-d121759d8143> | {
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Asterisk (*; Late Latin; Greek: “little star”) is a typographical symbol or glyph. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star.
Asterisks are used to call out footnotes, especially when there is only one on a page. Less commonly, multiple asterisks are used to denote different footnotes on a page (i.e., *, **, ***). There are several other proper uses for asterisks, including to denote a misspelled word, as an alternative to typographical “bullets”, they can be used for anonymity (Peter J***) and they can be used to represent emphasis (*no*) when bold or italic text is not available, like Twitter and text messaging.
Of course, the asterisk can also be used to replace offensive or vulgar language in a sentence (i.e., “Those **** mosquitoes are horrible tonight.)
That’s a synopsis of the official definition of an asterisk.
Those of us growing up in the 1950s and 1960s became quite familiar with the asterisk, not in English class, but in Major League Baseball – particularly the 1961 season.
It was in that year two New York Yankee players – Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris – went on a home run rampage that had sportswriters around the country comparing their exploits to Yankee great Babe Ruth. Ruth, as even sometime fans will know, established the all-time home run record of 60 in a single season back in 1927.
Ruth accomplished the feat in 154 games. By 1961, Major League teams had a 162-game schedule.
Both Mantle and Maris were well ahead of Ruth’s 1927 pace as the season wore on. Midway through the season, however, the injury-prone Mantle fell off the pace, leaving only Maris in pursuit of the “Sultan of Swat.” As the season wore on and it became more and more apparent that Maris had a legitimate shot at Ruth’s single-season record, the so-called baseball purists began to talk about the disparity in the length of the 1927 season and the 1961 season.
The only way Maris could have a legitimate home run record would be to hit more than 60 home runs in the first 154 games of the season. If Maris hit 61 home runs, but needed more than 154 games, then his record should always include an asterisk.
Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick announced that Maris’ fete would forever be listed with an asterisk in the record books. But, baseball had no official “record book” before that time.
To many, that seemed legitimate. To others it seemed dumb. Ruth hit 60 home runs during his team’s regular season; Maris should get credit for every home run he hit during his team’s regular season, regardless of the extra eight games.
Maris hit 61 home runs, belting his final one in the Yankees’ last game of the season. While no asterisk is placed after the “61” home runs Maris hit, the stigma of that stayed with him for years, thanks in part, or largely, because of Frick’s statement during the season. His single-season record stood for years until some more recent players eradicated that record with sky-high totals that some (and probably rightfully so) say were the result of steroid use among baseball players.
Of course, because of that all of Barry Bonds’ records, fans critical of his home run prowess, should include the asterisk. In fact, during Bonds’ final season, opposing fans would hold up signs bearing asterisks each time he would come to bat.
Naturally, we should all “move on” after occurrences beyond our control affect our lives, leaving us feeling angry, empty and emotionally drained.
Paul Rhodes has proven that he’s not only a great coach, a great fit at Iowa State and emotionally committed to the Iowa State football program. Why, he even drew a verbal reprimand from the Big 12 for his comments after last week’s Iowa State-Texas game.
But, that’s in the past. The Cyclones have put that game behind them. Rightfully, they should – there are plenty more games to be played this season.
Still, it’s hard for some of us to forget what happened that Thursday night in Ames. Personally, I hate to use an asterisk; I much prefer to say it like it is. So, I’ll come right out and say it – “Those **** referees were blind.”
And, we have to accept the final result as it’s written in stone for everyone to remember – Texas 31, Iowa State 30*. | <urn:uuid:6321a645-4e7c-42c7-bb6d-cf640ad10261> | {
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Borexino is a particle physics experiment to study low energy (sub-MeV) solar neutrinos. The name Borexino is the Italian diminutive of BOREX (Boron solar neutrino experiment). The experiment is located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso near the town of L'Aquila, Italy, and is supported by an international collaboration with researchers from Italy, the United States, Germany, France, Poland and Russia. The experiment is funded by multiple national agencies including the INFN (National Institute for Nuclear Physics) and the NSF (National Science Foundation).
The detector is a high-purity liquid scintillator calorimeter. It is placed within a stainless steel sphere and shielded by a water tank. The primary aim of the experiment is to make a precise measurement of the beryllium-7 neutrino flux from the sun and comparing it to the Standard solar model prediction. This will allow scientists to further understand the nuclear fusion processes taking place at the core of the Sun and will also help determine properties of neutrino oscillations, including the MSW effect. Other goals of the experiment are to detect boron-8, pp, pep and CNO solar neutrinos as well as antineutrinos from the Earth and nuclear power plants. The project may also be able to detect neutrinos from supernova within our galaxy. Borexino is a member of the Supernova Early Warning System.
As of May 2007, the Borexino detector started data taking. The project first detected solar neutrinos in August 2007. This detection occurred in real-time. The data analysis was further extended in 2008.
- Georg G. Raffelt (1996). "BOREXINO". Stars As Laboratories for Fundamental Physics: The Astrophysics of Neutrinos, Axions, and Other Weakly Interacting Particles. University of Chicago Press. pp. 393–394. ISBN 0226702723.
- "Borexino Experiment". Borexino Official Website. Gran Sasso. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- Borexino Collaboration (2008). "The Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A 600 (3): 568–593. arXiv:0806.2400. Bibcode:2009NIMPA.600..568B. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2008.11.076.
- "The Borexino experiment at Gran Sasso begins the data taking". Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso press release. 29 May 2007.
- Emiliano Feresin (2007). "Low-energy neutrinos spotted". Nature news. doi:10.1038/news070820-5.
- Borexino Collaboration (2007). "First real time detection of 7Be solar neutrinos by Borexino". Physics Letters B 658 (4): 101–108. arXiv:0708.2251. Bibcode:2008PhLB..658..101B. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2007.09.054.
- Borexino Collaboration (2008). "Direct Measurement of the Be7 Solar Neutrino Flux with 192 Days of Borexino Data". Physical Review Letters 101 (9): 091302. arXiv:0805.3843. Bibcode:2008PhRvL.101i1302A. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.091302.
- "A first look at the Earth interior from the Gran Sasso underground laboratory". INFN press release. 11 March 2010.
- Borexino Collaboration (2010). "Observation of geo-neutrinos". Physics Letters B 687 (4–5): 299–304. arXiv:1003.0284. Bibcode:2010PhLB..687..299B. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2010.03.051.
- "Precision measurement of the beryllium solar neutrino flux and its day/night asymmetry, and independent validation of the LMA-MSW oscillation solution using Borexino-only data.". Borexino Collaboration press release. 11 April 2011.
- Borexino Collaboration (2011). "Precision Measurement of the Be7 Solar Neutrino Interaction Rate in Borexino". Physical Review Letters 107 (14): 141302. arXiv:1104.1816. Bibcode:2011PhRvL.107n1302B. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.141302.
- "Borexino Collaboration succeeds in spotting pep neutrinos emitted from the sun". PhysOrg.com. 9 February 2012.
- Borexino Collaboration (2011). "First Evidence of pep Solar Neutrinos by Direct Detection in Borexino". Physical Review Letters 108 (5): 051302. arXiv:1110.3230. Bibcode:2012PhRvL.108e1302B. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.051302.
- Borexino collaboration (2012). "Measurement of CNGS muon neutrino speed with Borexino". Physics Letters B 716 (3–5): 401–405. arXiv:1207.6860. Bibcode:2012arXiv1207.6860B. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2012.08.052. | <urn:uuid:db8994c6-5a0c-4c0a-aa30-cd473152cbac> | {
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It's a tiny plant, one with a beautiful purple flower, and it just might be one that can be brought back from the brink of extinction.
Earlier this month botanists at Grand Canyon National Park were beaming when one of their sentry milk-vetch (Astragalus cremnophylax var. cremnophylax) began to bloom. That was no small victory, as it marked a significant achievement in the park's efforts to bring the plant off the list of endangered species.
The sentry milk-vetch is the only endangered plant in the Grand Canyon. Efforts to bolster its populations began in 2009 when a greenhouse collection of the plants was started with hopes of producing enough seeds and plants to start recolonizing areas of the park.
According to park officials, there currently are 94 sentry milk-vetch plants in the greenhouse. All were grown from seed that was hand-collected from the wild. In 2009, the park built a passive solar greenhouse for propagation and seed production of sentry milk-vetch plants. The greenhouse was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon National Park’s official fund-raising partner.
Sentry milk-vetch only grows in three locations in shallow soil pockets atop the highly porous Kaibab Limestone near the rim of Grand Canyon. The plant was listed as endangered in 1990; and there were only 1,125 plants known to exist in the wild in 2009. According to the 2006 Sentry Milk-vetch Recovery Plan, the plant will be considered recovered when there are eight stable populations of 1,000 plants each. The species will be eligible for downlisting when there are four stable populations of 1,000 plants each.
Plants in Grand Canyon’s native plant nursery form the second ex situ population of sentry milk-vetch. The first was established at the Arboretum at Flagstaff, one of the partners in the sentry milk-vetch recovery program. Park scientists have worked closely with the Arboretum’s Research Scientist Dr. Kristin Haskins and Research Botanist Sheila Murray to incorporate their wealth of knowledge and experience into the Grand Canyon's successful effort.
Park Horticulturalist Janice Busco, who is leading the park’s sentry milk-vetch recovery efforts, said, the availability of seeds “has been one of the limiting factors for recovery efforts, so it is an important breakthrough that we already have little sentry milk-vetch plants thriving and blooming in our greenhouse population that was started just last year."
"We will be pollinating the plants by hand, using techniques developed by the Arboretum at Flagstaff," she added. "As the seeds set, we will collect them for use in reintroduction trials at a restoration site near Maricopa Point starting in 2011.”
The largest population of sentry milk-vetch exists near Maricopa Point on the South Rim’s Hermit Road, according to park officials. In 2008, the National Park Service removed a parking lot there to provide additional habitat for sentry milk-vetch plants. This summer, the park’s Vegetation Program will begin a complex site restoration program in a portion of the former Maricopa Point parking lot to recreate the unique topography and habitat that this plant requires. In 2011, the park plans to begin experimental plantings of sentry milk-vetch plants and seeds produced in the park’s native plant nursery.
“I was so excited when I first learned that plants in our greenhouse population were already blooming. This important event is a huge credit to Janice Busco and Student Conservation Association Plant Conservation intern Emily Douglas, who have worked so hard to start the greenhouse population and to tend these tiny plants," said the park's vegetation program manager, Lori Makarick. "I look forward to seeing how successful these plants are in producing seed after they are hand-pollinated, and then being able to move forward from there with our recovery program.” | <urn:uuid:7891571e-7287-44d4-954a-979190caffb6> | {
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Curtin University forensic researchers working with conservation scientists from the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) have found a novel use for an ancient Egyptian pigment, revealing that it doubles as a dusting powder able to reveal traditionally tricky fingerprints in modern forensics.
The team demonstrated that micronised Egyptian blue pigment, a vivid and long-lasting pigment used in painted artefacts dating back millennia, also acts as a near-infrared (NIR) luminescent fingerprint dusting powder – providing a safe and simple way to reveal latent fingerprints on highly patterned and reflective surfaces.
Professor of Forensic and Analytical Chemistry and member of the Nanochemistry Research Institute within Curtin’s Department of Chemistry, Professor Simon Lewis, said the detection of latent fingerprints was still a critically important task for forensic investigators, helping to establish evidence of contact between the criminal, the victim and/or the crime scene.
“The most common approach to detecting latent fingerprints has been the use of dusting powders made from white, black or fluorescent powders that provide contrast against the surface,” Professor Lewis said.
“However, there remain many highly patterned and/or reflective surfaces that continue to prove troublesome, making it hard to see fingerprints.
“An alternative approach is to use dusting powders that exhibit near-infrared luminescence, which is invisible to the eye. Such powders can highlight ridge detail while avoiding interference.”
Fellow researcher Dr Gregory Smith, from the IMA, has used NIR imaging to locate Egyptian blue pigment on ancient artefacts for more than a decade.
“I’d always wanted to investigate Egyptian blue for fingerprints because it exhibits strong photoluminescence in the NIR region,” Dr Smith said.
“It’s also non-hazardous and very stable, with painted artefacts dating back several thousand years still showing strong NIR luminescence.”
Egyptian blue, also known as cuprorivaite, is the earliest known synthetic pigment. It was first prepared in ancient Egypt before 3200BC and was used extensively until the 4th Century CE, when its synthesis was apparently forgotten.
“The secret of how to make it was lost after the Roman Period, but then rediscovered in the 19th Century,” Dr Smith said.
Professor Lewis said the researchers compared commercially available fingerprint powders and micronised Egyptian blue pigment for their ability to reveal fingerprints on a range of surfaces.
They then used an inexpensive white light source to illuminate the prints and a slightly modified, consumer digital camera to photograph them. The prints dusted with Egyptian blue glowed brightly in the NIR under the white light, consistently outperforming the commercial powders on patterned and reflective surfaces.
“We found that the Egyptian blue could consistently develop the latent fingerprints, revealing good ridge detail in the NIR region,” Professor Lewis said.
Professor Lewis said further studies using a wider range of surfaces and fingerprint donors were required to establish the operational usefulness of the powder.
“The exciting thing about this is it enables us to detect fingerprints on surfaces that have been traditionally problematic with conventional powders,” Professor Lewis said.
“It also represents that intersection between art and science, where we can go backwards in time to find potential solutions for challenges into the future.”
The paper, Micronised Egyptian blue pigment: A novel near-infrared luminescent fingerprint dusting powder, has been published in the journal Dyes and Pigments.
Others involved in the research included Curtin Honours student Benjamin Errington and Mr Glen Lawson of Curtin’s Department of Physics, Astronomy and Medical Radiation Science. | <urn:uuid:e09400d4-c8fb-422d-ac38-1ed0ad780206> | {
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(SMARTER not HARDER) and how to remember longer.
He has great success and I use his philosophy when I work with my students. His ideas make successful students!!
This is from Terry's website. Thanks for sharing, Terry!
Home study should be the consistent systematic reviewing and previewing not only the material assigned by the teacher, Small says.
1. Previewing is a great way to stay ahead of the game especially in subjects that are easy to fall behind in. For instance in math, if the teacher reviewed page 48 in class, he will most likely review page 49 the following day. Your ideal scenario would be to preview that page 49 the prior night.
Small explains that the Vancouver Canucks plan their opposition before the game. They watch videotapes and watch how the opposing team plays to help increase their chances of winning the game. Students can do similarly in school by taking five to 10 minutes to preview pages that will likely be covered in class the following day.
2. While setting goals, writing them down and posting them, making a weekly home study schedule, and making a good first impression the first week of school is important to excelling in school. Other study tricks will help students do well as exam time approaches.
3. "One of the biggest issues facing students is diet," Small says. Start the morning right with a healthy breakfast. Drink lots of water and drink water before feeling thirsty. "Most students' brains are dehydrated," he says.
4. Set up a study area and keep the room temperature on the cool side - about 18 degrees Celsius.
5. Use a master binder to get you ready for studying. Take breaks every 10 to 15 minutes to keep the brain sharp. A good way to determine the amount of breaking time is to take your age and add by two minutes. After the age of 18, break intervals stay at 20 minutes, he says.
6. When studying, prepare questions and answers and use memory and mastery cards. Small says to use the active learning approach where you interactive with the material as opposed to passive learning where you read notes over. "If you watch a basketball game, you do learn but by playing you learn more," says Small.
A. Studying out loud, writing things down as you study and adding colour to notes will help increase information retention.
B. Get on your feet as it will help retain information more. "When you stand up it increases the blood flow to the brain."
7. Small also recommends playing baroque music softly in the background while studying.
8. When putting together a study strategy put parents on your team. "The more the parents are involved the more the marks go up."
9. Decrease the amount of TV that students watch. "TV viewing goes up, marks go down," he says.
10. When you sit down to do homework, tackle the least favourite or hardest subject first.
Visit Small's website at www.terrysmall.com for more information.
Do you or your kids make any of these mistakes?
- Leave studying and homework until the last minute.
- Get to the bottom of page and wonder what did I just read?
- Get marks below potential.
- Lack motivation.
- Have trouble paying attention.
- Spend too much time studying.
- Achieve grades too low for university admission. | <urn:uuid:f6eb210c-5816-4d88-b495-cf152054b477> | {
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There’s Actually A Government Plan To Deal With The Loch Ness Monster
We all know the Loch Ness Monster is real, but we’ve had a pesky time trying to find it. Don’t worry though, because there’s actually a plan if we do. Huzzah!
According to the BBC, a government-funded body called Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has prepared a “partly serious, partly fun” code of practice, in case the creature is ever found. It was created back in 2001, when Nessie fandom was particularly big.
“There was a lot of activity on the loch at the time about Nessie,” Nick Halfhide from SNH told BBC News. “So, partly serious and partly for a bit of fun, we drew up a contingency plan about how we would help Nessie if and when she was found.”
The document details how to keep the animal safe in the event it is discovered, building on lessons learned from reintroducing species elsewhere. It also says that a DNA sample should be taken from the creature, before allowing it to return to the loch.
Scientists actually recently looked for such DNA evidence. Last month, a team led by the University of Otago in New Zealand collected samples from the loch, in the hope of identifying new species. Sadly, they didn’t spot anything from Nessie.
Sightings of the monster date all the way back to the 6th century with mention of a “water beast”, but it gained particular prominence in recent times after a few hoax pictures. The most famous was one in 1934, which apparently showed a long-necked animal poking out of the water.
There are a number of more plausible explanations for Nessie rather than a giant unknown monster. These include people getting confused by a catfish or sturgeon, and there may well be other unknown modern species lurking in the loch. So Nessie is actually a pretty good excuse to go hunting for other animals.
SNH said they would “dust off” the plan again if a monster ever was found, although they’ll probably be waiting quite a long time. Still, it’s all a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun, and who knows. Maybe there is a giant creature lurking under these Scottish waters. And we’ll be ready if there is. | <urn:uuid:0676b3e2-44d7-4928-af10-735ce4199ea2> | {
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Self Harm in Young People
Self-harm is a term used when someone injures or harms themself on purpose rather than by accident. Common examples include overdosing (self-poisoning), hitting, cutting or burning yourself, pulling hair or picking skin, or self-strangulation.
Why do people harm themselves?
Some people use self-harm as a way of trying to deal with very difficult feelings that build up inside them. This can be very serious and could be life-threatening.
- Some say that they have been feeling desperate about a problem and don’t know where to turn for help. They feel trapped and helpless. Self-injury helps them to feel more in control.
- Some people talk of feelings of anger or tension that get bottled up inside, until they feel like exploding. Self-injury helps to relieve the tension that they feel.
- Feelings of guilt or shame may also become unbearable. Self-harm is way of punishing oneself.
- Some people try to cope with very upsetting experiences, such as trauma or abuse, by convincing themselves that the upsetting event(s) never happened. These people sometimes feel ‘numb’ or ‘dead’. They say that they feel detached from the world and their bodies, and that self-injury is a way of feeling more connected and alive.
- A proportion of people who self-harm do so because they feel so upset and overwhelmed that they wish to end their lives by dying by suicide. At the time, many people just want their problems to disappear, and have no idea how to get help. They feel as if it’s the only way out.
Who is at risk?
An episode of self-harm is most commonly triggered by an argument with a parent or close friend. When family life involves a lot of abuse, neglect or rejection, people are more likely to harm themselves. Young people who are depressed, or have an eating disorder, or another serious mental health problem, are more likely to self-harm. So are people who take illegal drugs or drink too much alcohol.
Many young people who self-harm with a wish to die by suicide also have mental health or personality difficulties; often the suicide attempt follows a stressful event in the young person’s life, but in other cases, the young person may not have shown any previous signs of difficulty.
Sometimes the young person is known to have long-standing difficulties at school, home or with the police. Some will already be seeing a counsellor, psychiatrist or social worker. There has been an increase in the suicide rate in young men over recent years.
The risk of suicide is higher if the young person:
- Is depressed, or has a serious mental illness.
- Is using drugs or alcohol when they are upset.
- Has previously tried to kill themself, or has planned for a while about how to die without being saved.
- Has a relative or friend who tried to kill themself.
Where can I get help?
If you self-harm, please don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You can speak to your GP who can refer you to your local mental health services. It can also help to talk to your family or friends so that they can support you.
Note: Anyone who has taken an overdose or tried to kill themself needs an urgent assessment by a doctor as soon as possible, even if they look OK. Usually, this means an examination at the nearest emergency department (also known as A&E). If you are unsure whether the young person was suicidal or not, it is best to act cautiously and take them to hospital. With overdose, the harmful effects can sometimes be delayed, and treatment with medication may be needed. Paracetamol is the most common medicine taken as an overdose in Britain. It can cause serious liver damage, and each year this leads to many deaths. Even small overdoses can sometimes be fatal.
How can I help someone that self-harms?
Notice when the young person seems upset, withdrawn or irritable. Self-injury is often kept secret but there may be clues, such as refusing to wear short sleeves or to take off clothing for sports.
Encourage them to talk about their worries and take them seriously. Show them you care by listening, offer sympathy and understanding, and help them to solve any problems.
Buy blister packs of medicine in small amounts. This helps prevent impulsive overdoses. Getting pills out of a blister pack takes longer than swallowing them straight from a bottle. It may be long enough to make someone stop and think about what they are doing.
Keep medicines locked away.
Get help if family problems or arguments keep upsetting you or the young person.
If a young person has injured themself, you can help practically by checking to see whether injuries (cuts or burns for example) need hospital treatment and if not, by providing them with clean dressings to cover their wounds.
- As a parent, it can be very hard to cope with a child/young person who self-harms or who attempts suicide. It is natural to feel angry, frightened or guilty. It may also be difficult to take it seriously or know what to do for the best. Try to keep calm and caring, even if you feel cross or frightened; this will show your child you can manage their distress and they can come to you for help and support.
- This may be difficult if there are a lot of problems or arguments at home. Or, you may simply feel too upset, angry or overwhelmed to effectively help your child/young person. If so, you should seek advice from your GP.
- All young people who attend hospital following attempting suicide or harming themselves should also have a specialist mental health assessment before leaving.
- It is often difficult to work out what prompted the young person to self-harm or whether they actually wished to die by suicide or not; mental health professionals have the expertise to make sense of these complicated situations.
- It is usual for parents or carers to be involved in the assessment and any treatment. This makes it easier to understand the background to what has happened, and to work out together whether more help is needed.
- Assessments in emergency departments (A&E) which include a short ‘talking therapy’ session have been shown to help young people come back for ongoing help and support. A lot of young people self-harm or make another suicide attempt if they do not receive the help they need.
- Usually, treatment for self-harm and attempted suicide, other than any immediate physical treatment, will involve individual or family ‘talking therapy’ work for a small number of sessions. They will need help with how to cope with the very difficult feelings that cause self-harm.
- Clear plans on how to help and how to keep the young person safe will also be made. Some people who find it very difficult to stop self-harming behaviour in the short term will need help to think of less harmful ways of managing their distress.
- Families often need help in working out how to make sure that the dangerous behaviour does not happen again, and how to give the support that is needed. This is something your local mental health services should have on offer.
- If depression or another serious mental health problem is part of the problem, it will need treatment. Some young people who self-harm may have suffered particularly damaging and traumatic experiences in their past. A very small number of young people who try to kill themselves really do still want to die. These two groups may need specialist help over a longer period of time.
- Bailey S, Shooter M (eds) The Young Mind: An Essential Guide to Mental Health for Young Adults, Parents and Teachers. RCPsych Publications, 2009
- Changing Minds – A Multimedia CD-ROM, Royal College of Psychiatrists CD
- Self-harm: The short-term physical and psychological management and secondary prevention of self-harm in primary and secondary care (CG16), NICE, 2004
- Self-harm: longer-term management (CG133), NICE, 2011
Ougrin D, Zundel T, Ng A, et al. Trial of Therapeutic Assessment in London: randomised controlled trial of Therapeutic Assessment versus standard psychosocial assessment in adolescents presenting with self-harm. Arch Dis Child 2011; 96: 148-53
- Hawton K, Harriss L. Deliberate self-harm in young people: characteristics and subsequent mortality in a 20-year cohort of patients presenting to hospital. J Clin Psychiatry 2007; 68: 1574-83
- National Self Harm Network
How is self-harm treated?
Long-term specialist help
Further reading and references
Content used with permission from the Royal College of Psychiatrists website: Self-harm in young people: information for parents, carers and anyone who works with young people (March 2012, due for review March 2014). Copyright for this leaflet is with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. | <urn:uuid:1b9e522c-a9a5-415d-8980-e503103fd550> | {
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It's a scary scenario: an asteroid headed for Earth, just four years away from slamming into our home planet. It may be too short a span to plan an asteroid-deflection mission, but it's long enough to present very different challenges from those of a more typical crisis, like a hurricane or earthquake.
NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) came together Oct. 25 to plan a response to such a hypothetical event. In a "tabletop exercise," a kind of ongoing simulation, the two agencies tested how they would work together to evaluate such a threat, prevent panic and protect as many people as possible from the deadly collision.
"It's not a matter of if, but when, we will deal with such a situation," Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's Science Mission Directorate's new associate administrator, said in a statement. "But unlike any other time in our history, we now have the ability to respond to an impact threat through continued observations, predictions, response planning and mitigation." [In Images: Potentially Dangerous Near-Earth Asteroids]
The exercise, held in El Segundo, California, brought together representatives from NASA, FEMA, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Department of Energy's national laboratories, the Air Force and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, JPL officials said in the statement.
It was the third such exercise; previous ones had allowed for a deflection mission, but in this simulation, there was too little time for that type of response.
"It is critical to exercise these kinds of low-probability but high-consequence disaster scenarios," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said in the statement. "By working through our emergency response plans now, we will be better prepared if and when we need to respond to such an event."
The asteroid in this test scenario appeared to be between 300 and 800 feet (100 to 250 meters) long in the first simulated measurements the participants were given. At first, the probability of a 2020 impact was only 2 percent, but as the group continued to simulate tracking it over time and the fictional months went by, the impact probability rose to 65 percent — and then 100 percent, in May 2017. By November of that year, in the scenario, they found that it would hit across Southern California or nearby in the Pacific Ocean.
The research laboratories' scientists calculated the impact's footprint, the population that would be displaced, the effect on infrastructure and other data that would slowly become clear over such an asteroid's approach. That gave the participants the information they needed to plan for an evacuation process, and decide how to convey necessary information to the public in the most effective way over the course of the asteroid's approach (plus debunk dangerous misinformation and rumors).
"The high degree of initial uncertainty, coupled with the relatively long impact warning time, made this scenario unique and especially challenging for emergency managers," Leviticus A. Lewis, chief of FEMA's National Response Coordination Branch, said in the statement. "It's quite different from preparing for an event with a much shorter timeline, such as a hurricane."
NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, established in January, supervises NASA's efforts to track asteroids and other approaching near-Earth objects (NEOs) and coordinates its interactions with the other U.S. agencies that would deal with a potential impact and decide whether to try a deflection mission or coordinate an emergency response, as in this exercise. Europe has a similar NEO Coordination Centre in Italy.
"These exercises are invaluable for those of us in the asteroid science community responsible for engaging with FEMA on this natural hazard," NASA Planetary Defense Officer Lindley Johnson said in the statement. "We receive valuable feedback from emergency managers at these exercises about what information is critical for their decision making, and we take that into account when we exercise how we would provide information to FEMA about a predicted impact."
Although deflection wasn't an option for this training scenario, there is research into that area. For example, NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission, which recently finished its first planning stages, is largely a sample-collection mission, to pull a boulder off an asteroid's side — but it is also slated to test out pulling the asteroid's orbit slightly off course using the spacecraft and sample's gravitational pull.
Philip Lubin, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Santa Barbara whose laser propulsion system has been incorporated into the Breakthrough Starshot program to send a probe to neighbor star system Alpha Centauri, originally intended the system to zap and deflect incoming asteroids. | <urn:uuid:887b1a18-2713-4b98-960a-d6098195e1dc> | {
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In Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Alice falls down a rabbit hole and is transported to a bizarre new world. Apparently, one curious sheep recently decided to follow her lead.
Approaching a small hole in the ground, one man heard a cry for help. When he stuck his hands inside, he felt around for a bit and grabbed onto a pair of legs.
As he pulled the creature to the surface, it became clear that somehow, a fully grown sheep had gotten stuck in what seemed like a fairly small opening.
This whole ordeal reminds me of elementary school when the teacher would make you choose a random gift from a bag of goodies. When you reached inside, you never knew what you were going to get! | <urn:uuid:de42c95d-2db0-4250-bc6a-464a2c1fa53b> | {
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It's become a daily ritual -- taking pills to supplement the vitamins, minerals and enzymes in your diet.
Americans spend nearly $9 billon every year on vitamin and mineral supplements in the belief that they can help prevent disease and improve health.
No one questions the value of a daily multivitamin, and yet some experts say additional supplements are unnecessary, and in some cases may be dangerous.
Instead of improving heart health, vitamin E was shown in one study to increase rates of congestive heart failure. According to the Medical Letter, a nonprofit research group, one study found that long-term use of vitamin E supplements did nothing to prevent cancer or major cardiovascular events -- and may have even increased the risk of heart failure for patients with vascular disease or diabetes. And a cancer study found that patients taking vitamin E while undergoing radiation therapy had a higher rate of cancer recurrence than patients taking a placebo.
Instead of reducing the risk of lung cancer, beta carotene was found to increase the rate of lung cancer in one study of smokers. Another study found that smokers and asbestos-exposed workers, when given doses of beta carotene and vitamin A, had an increased risk of lung cancer, death from cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. The rate of death was so high that the study was stopped early.
And another study showed that too much vitamin A from supplements and food increased postmenopausal women's risk of hip fractures. Another study found that a high intake of vitamin A was associated with birth defects when taken during early pregnancy.
Even calcium, which is encouraged in large amounts as women get older, can be dangerous. The Women's Health Initiative, though it found calcium and vitamin D can lower the risk of hip fractures in women over 60, also found that women taking calcium were at a higher risk for kidney stones.
One woman we spoke with, Arlene Freedman, was taking calcium supplements while also eating a diet rich in calcium. Then a routine blood test revealed all these sources of calcium were too much .
Her doctor told her that she no longer needed calcium supplements.
"The good news is you don't need calcium supplements. The calcium supplements were raising your calcium and that's what we don't want," said Dr. Michael Freedman. "As calcium goes very high, it can interfere with your brain's ability to think and is actually one of the causes of dementia." | <urn:uuid:ce439d35-750a-437b-b52a-e9eea6658642> | {
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This week's topic is peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. It's been in the media a lot recently, and unfortunately there's a lot of misunderstanding about it, and about WOU's policies towards it.
What is peer-to-peer file sharing?
Every computer running a P2P file sharing program (such as LimeWire, BitTorrent, or iMesh) acts as a server so others using the same program can download files from it. It also lets the user search for and download files being shared by other computers running the same software. This is a benefit when legal files are being shared, since there doesn't have to be an expensive central server that everybody downloads from. But if the shared files are illegal, this is a drawback, because there is no single source to shut down.
Is P2P file sharing bad?
There has been a lot of hype in the media about P2P file sharing being bad. It's not so simple, though; it's only wrong when you share stuff that you don't have the rights to. We do not ban P2P software on campus, because there are legitimate uses for it; think of it like owning a gun. Guns are not banned simply because people might use them to commit crimes; only the crimes themselves are banned. The entertainment industry is very much against P2P file sharing, because as copyright holders, they are the main victims of illegally sharing files. However, musicians and actors are also hurt by illegal sharing; every album or movie that is illegally downloaded instead of bought means fewer royalties for them. On the other hand, many amateur musicians embrace P2P file sharing; by releasing their songs to be legally shared, they hope to gain popularity. Some software companies also make use of P2P to share free or trial versions of their products, so they don't have to maintain expensive centralized servers.
How do I know if I'm allowed to download or share something?
If you created the file yourself and have not sold the rights to it, it belongs to you and you can share it as much as you want. If a file is in the public domain, or the owner has given clear permission to share it, it is also OK. But if you cannot find any legitimate notice that a file is OK to share, then you should not download it or share it with others, because that would be stealing.
Why is UCS concerned about P2P file sharing?
We care about file sharing for two main reasons: bandwidth and legality. Since p2p programs are mostly used for music and video, which have large file sizes, they tend to take up more than their share of our Internet bandwidth. If people all over the world are downloading the latest blockbuster movie from a computer in our residence halls, that adds up to a lot of traffic, and other people on campus may have trouble doing legitimate academic work. This is true whether or not the files being shared are legal or illegal.
Why does UCS care about the legality of file sharing? Isn't that solely the responsibility of the person sharing the files?
When copyrighted files are shared from a computer on campus, the owner of the copyright usually can't identify who owns that computer. But they can easily discover that it is coming from someplace on our campus, so they often come to us with their complaints. According to the law, if we have been warned of illegal file sharing on our network, we are liable for criminal charges if we don't take action. These complaints average about once a month, but sometimes they come in groups; in one single day last year, we received complaints about ten different people illegally sharing files. The rate is increasing each year.
What does UCS do when you get a complaint?
Using our internal records, we are usually able to trace the owner of the computer where the files were being shared. If that person is in the Residence Halls, they will lose their Internet access for ninety days, and will be removed from the halls entirely on the second proven offense. If you have any questions or complaints about this policy, please contact Residential computing at (503)838-9201.
I was running LimeWire and Residential Computing uninstalled it when I took my computer in for help! Why is that?
LimeWire is one of the most popular P2P programs currently out there. Unfortunately, we have frequently seen it install spyware and adware. We have also seen it continue to run even after supposedly being uninstalled. When we see LimeWire on a computer, it will be deleted. Not all P2P file sharing programs include spyware, though; we won't automatically install them unless we get confirmation that they are infecting your computer with bad stuff.
University Computing Services 503-838-8154 | or e-mail: [email protected] | <urn:uuid:bbb340fb-238b-44bd-b75b-40106ed6f027> | {
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Watch Janey Choi and her family teach you how to build and learn rhythmic building blocks. Then follow the links below to practice them.
Practice the rhythms with the links below. I recommend first saying the rhythm names (Ta, Ti Ti, Sh, Tum) as you play your percussion instruments. After you get the hang of it, you can say them in your head, or just play them. Here is a resource for you to use: https://drive.google.com/file/d/134Ga6P9vYKt3cdcMRnUbATTUAZpI-YWm/
Practice rhythm 1 here
Practice rhythm 2 here
Practice a rhythm with Grieg’s “In the Hall of The Mountain King” | <urn:uuid:fa6ee194-6605-469f-8188-d56562cb1e32> | {
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Traditionally men (women rarely had any value) were viewed more as a silver earned by selling them as slaves or how large an army could be drafted from the region. The value of human life was so low in the medieval ages that people stopped buying slaves (you could inherit a fief and its serfs for free so why pay). Go East for riches campaigns during Crusades (and later go west during settlement of America) was probably the only historic references where establishments tried to place a value to a free-man’s life.
Simply put if human life had any value, you would have emigration checks and not immigration checks. Till recently many middle east regimes did not encourage university education because graduate students would destabilize the regime. (much like early industrial age governments saw factory workers as a threat). So development of human capital was always a private endeavor and only recently has it been institutionalized.
Similarly land traditionally used to be viewed in terms of how much taxes it could yield (cities, ports) or how much grain/men/resource it could produce. A land surveryer Sir William Petty in early 17th century tried to resolve this by coming up with GDP, a unifying parameter to place the value of the land & tax it aptly.
Now the question is how did the concept of per-capita income evolved and why? Except for the first half of 1940s (towards the end of of 2nd world war) there has never been a global shortage of manpower, but the earliest references date back to 1934… at that time the world still was recovering from great depression and had double digit urban unemployment (rural unemployment was never measured and is hard to compute even today)
Also what is the relevance of per-capita income? Given a choice between 2 regions both producing the same GDP, would a statesman/politician prefer a larger population base or a smaller? (smaller or larger per capita?) | <urn:uuid:fbb986d4-947e-42c8-b162-93ddd47077e3> | {
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According to the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the three major contaminants in compressed air are solid particles, water, and oil. CAGI promotes proper use of air compressors with various educational tools, while ISO 8573 is directed at the very specific areas of compressed air purity and test methods, which this article will address. Microorganisms are also considered a major contaminant by CAGI, but will not be discussed in this article.
ISO and CAGI
Compressed Air Best Practices® (CABP) Magazine and the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) cooperate to provide readers with educational materials, updates on standards and information on other CAGI initiatives. CABP recently caught up with Rick Stasyshan, Technical Consultant for the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) and with Ian MacLeod, from CAGI member-company Ingersoll Rand to discuss the topic of motors on centrifugal air compressors.
NFPA 99 Medical Air
In the U.S. as an example, the NFPA has taken the view that if your compressor draws in good clean ambient air, the air stays clean through the compressor, is then dried and filtered, when you deliver it to the patient it will be entirely satisfactory. After all, when you went into the hospital that’s what you were breathing and when you leave you will breathe it again!
After almost three and a half years of development work the Canadian Standards Association C837-16 document “Monitoring and Energy Performance of Compressed Air Systems” has finally been published and is available for download. The work in writing the document was done by a CSA Technical Subcommittee made up of personnel from power utilities and government organizations, compressed air manufacturers and end users from both USA and Canada, with the committee activities facilitated and coordinated by the CSA Group (see list of committee members).
Food Grade Air
Compressed air is a critical utility widely used throughout the food industry. Being aware of the composition of compressed air used in your plant is key to avoiding product contamination. Your task is to assess the activities and operations that can harm a product, the extent to which a product can be harmed, and how likely it is that product harm will occur. Assessing product contamination is a multi-step process in which you must identify the important risks, prioritize them for management, and take reasonable steps to remove or reduce the chance of harm to the product, and, in particular, serious harm to the consumer.
Compressed Air Best Practices® (CABP) Magazine and the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) cooperate to provide readers with educational materials, updates on standards and information on other CAGI initiatives. CABP recently caught up with Rick Stasyshan, Technical Director for the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) to provide readers with some insights into the benefits of CAGI’s Verified Performance Program for refrigerated compressed air dryers.
Health and safety issues are a major concern in the food industry. Not only can contaminated food products endanger consumers, but they also can cause significant damage to a company’s reputation and bottom line. Contamination can come from many sources—industrial lubricants among them. With the abundance of lubricated machinery used in the food industry, lubricant dripping from a chain or escaping through a leak in a component can prove catastrophic. Even with the most prudent maintenance and operating procedures, along with a strict HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) plan, contamination may still occur.
Any modern food manufacturing facility employs compressed air extensively in the plant. As common as it is, the potential hazards associated with this powerful utility are not obvious and apparent. Food hygiene legislation to protect the consumer places the duty of care on the food manufacturer. For this reason, many companies often devise their own internal air quality standards based upon what they think or have been told are “best practices.” This is no wonder, as the published collections of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) that relate to compressed air are nebulous and difficult to wade through.
Compressed Air Best Practices® Magazine and the Compressed Air and Gas Institute have been cooperating on educating readers on the design, features, and benefits of centrifugal compressor systems. As part of this series, Compressed Air Best Practices® (CABP) Magazine recently caught up with Rick Stasyshan, Compressed Air and Gas Institute’s (CAGI) Technical Consultant, and Ian MacLeod of CAGI member company, Ingersoll Rand. During our discussion, we reviewed some of the things readers should consider when installing a centrifugal compressor system.
ISO 22000 is a food and beverage (F&B) specific derivative of ISO 9001, a family of standards from the International Organization for Standardization that details the requirements of a quality management system. It is a quality certification that can be applied to any organization in the food chain — from packaging machine manufacturers to the actual food processing facilities.
Compressed air is used in more than 70 percent of all manufacturing activities, ranging from highly critical applications that may impact product quality to general “shop” uses. When compressed air is used in the production of pharmaceuticals, food, beverages, medical devices, and other products, there seems to be confusion on what testing needs to be performed.
Compressed Air Best Practices® (CABP) Magazine recently spoke with Rick Stasyshan, Compressed Air and Gas Institute’s (CAGI) Technical Consultant, and Mr. Neil Breedlove of CAGI's Centrifugal Compressor Section and member company, Atlas Copco Compressors, about centrifugal air compressors. Specifically, the discussion outlined how various inlet conditions can impact the performance of centrifugal air compressors.
Organizations across the world are gaining control of their energy spending by measuring and managing their utilities. In doing so, they may be using standards such as ISO 50001:2011 (energy management systems — requirements with guidance for use) to help set up an energy management system (EnMS) that will improve their energy performance. This improved performance might lower energy bills, making products more affordable in the marketplace and improving an organization’s carbon footprint.
Compressed air is the most common utility used in a typical industrial facility. It encompasses most operating aspects of the plant. The compressed air system can end up being the most expensive utility due to the focus that if production is running - then leave the system alone. Processes and machines are added and as long as the compressor can handle the increasing load - all is good. This brings us to our subject matter. The plant adds a process, a specialty coating line, requiring respirator protection. The plant determines supplied air respirators are the best choice. They want to be responsible and do the right thing so they start by reviewing what OSHA has to say on the subject. | <urn:uuid:241152f1-3b8b-4a57-8168-b71faae3ba11> | {
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Small Talk Strategies for the Classroom
How Do I Use “Small Talk” Effectively?
Have you ever asked any of the following questions?
- How do I start an informal conversation with someone I don’t know well?
- What conversation topics are polite or offensive?
- What does “how’s it going?” really mean?
- How can I improve my networking skills?
If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, and if English is NOT your first language, then you will benefit from the free Small Talk Strategies for the Classroom workshop offered by the English Language Centre (ELC).
This 2-hour interactive workshop provides students with a simple but effective strategy for starting, sustaining, and ending informal conversations. Participants will explore a variety of cultural norms around small talk (for example, why weather is such a common conversation starter in Winnipeg), and how these norms may differ from or be similar to the cultural norms they are familiar with. Participants will also learn commonly heard phrases/greetings and learn how to recognize and produce them in the flow of speech.
November 9, 2:30 – 4:30pm, Engineering Building, Room E2-229. Register here
November 9, 6:00 – 8:00pm, Bannatyne Campus, Apotex Building, Room 061. Register by emailing bcss [at] umanitoba [dot] ca
Additional English language supports
Learn more about the ELC’s Part-Time Academic English Courses. | <urn:uuid:28091639-da31-4faa-9a20-1001e34196ab> | {
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To examine how a writer treats a particular topic or subject-matter is often to arrive at a fresh appreciation of his quality. So it is with Chaucer’s treatment of children. He is notable among English writers of any period before the nineteenth century for the affectionate love and pity, sometimes verging on sentimentality, with which he presents babies and children. He brings them into his poetry more frequently than any other writer within several centuries of him. Nothing more clearly shows that despite his reputation as a cynical joker (which of course he is), an even more dominant characteristic is his tender pity. Considering too the normal attitude to children of his time, which he largely shares, the amount he writes about children, usually of his own invention, is another reminder of his combination of the intensely conventional and the unaffectedly independent.
KeywordsFourteenth Century English Writer Chief Interest Canterbury Tale Sexual Joke
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
- 2.See Derek Brewer, Chaucer, 3rd edn (London, 1973) p. 79.Google Scholar | <urn:uuid:d47fd8ab-b3fe-4f50-a05d-244ccb2de8db> | {
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Control Systems I with Lab
Students learn of the concepts behind control system elements and operations without the need of advanced math and theory.
Upon completion of the course students will have a firm understand of process control, analog and digital signal conditioning, thermal, mechanical and optical sensors, final control, discrete-state process control, controller principles, analog controllers, digital control and control loop characteristics.
The laboratory portion of this course elaborates on these subjects with experiments to further explain them.
This course is best suited for students who want to work with measurement, instrumentation, control systems or PLCs.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to do the following.
1. Describe and discuss the different types of transducers
2. Design and configure circuits for signal conditioning and transmission.
3. Develop the Transfer Functions of higherorder elements
4. Describe the differences between openloop control and closeloop control
5. Discuss the operation of process control systems
6. Define and discuss the difference between process and servo control systems
7. Explain the difference between analog and digital control systems
8. Define supervisory control
9. Explain the purpose analog and digital signal conditioning
10. Design RC low and High pass filters
11. Design analog signal conditioning system
12. Design and apply Wheatstone bridge circuits for signal conditioning purposes.
13. Explain the operations and applications of the different types sensors and transducer
Course includes instructor support, online exams, NI Multisim circuit design suite, textbook and study guide.
Lab Equipment - NI Multisim Circuit Design Suite
Symptoms in Electronics Circuits with Lab contains 5 assignments with hands-on training experiments using NI's Multisim Circuit Design Suite V13
It provides electronics and electrical engineering students with a complete electronics lab in a computer. Students can design and experiment with circuits in Multisim including assigned textbook circuits, virtual instruments and interactive parts.
They can then export their completed circuit schematic to Ultiboard and design their own printed circuit board.
From idea to 3D visualization of their own printed circuit board, the Student Design Suite provides students with the essential electronics lab.
Lab equipment and instructor support are included with tuition. Our instruction staff works directly with you one-on-one to answer your questions and provide you with technical assistance when needed.
Clock Hours: 135
Introduction to Process Control
- Controls Systems
- Control System Evaluation
- Process Control Block Diagrams
- Analog and Digital Processing
- Sensors Time response
Analog Signal Conditioning
- Principles of Analog Signal conditioning
- Passive Filters
- Operational Amplifier
- Operational Amplifier Circuit in Instrumentation
- Design Guide Lines
Digital Signal Conditioning
- Review Digital Fundamental
- Data Acquisition System
- Characteristics of Digital Data
- Definition of Sensor
- Metal Resistance versus Temperature Devices
- Other Thermo Sensors
- Displacement, Location, or Position Sensor
- Strain Sensor
- Motion Sensor
- Pressure Sensor
- Flow Sensor
- Fundamental of EM Radiation
Student Evaluation and Grading Method
Each of the lessons concludes with an examination comprising of a multiple-choice test. The lessons examinations are open book.
Each lesson exam is worth a 100% and a student must score a 70% or better to complete the lesson. The final grade for this course will be the average of all scores above 70%.
A 93% – 100%
B 83% – 92%
C 75% – 82%
D 70% – 74%
What do I get?
- Certificate upon finishing
- Instructor support & online exams
- Textbook, study guide with 5 assignments
- NI Circuit Design Suite
Instructor Support & Certificate
Learn from the comfort of your own home and study when it's convenient for you - there are no time limits. Includes instructor support and take your exams online on our e-grade web site.
If you ever need help with your course you can call or e-mail our staff of highly trained instructors for immediate attention or you can join the chat room and ask a question.
Best of all, you’ll earn a professional Certificate of Completion in Introduction to Control Systems suitable for framing when finished.
How do I order the Control Systems I with Lab?
1. You can order online with a Credit Card or PayPal account (simply click the
'Add to Cart' button).
2. Or you can call us at (800) 243-6446 and ask for course 02-EET471.
3. You can mail a check or money order for $297.95 (includes $22.95 for shipping/handling)
1776 E. 17th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
This course available to residents of the United States, Australia and countries located in North America. Foreign shipping expense will be higher.
Order online or call (800) 243-6446. | <urn:uuid:4b112af5-5283-4dcd-8c2b-a7f252258fe3> | {
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If you squint closely at the famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware, you will notice his pointer, Sweet Lips, paddling just ahead of the boat, yes, pointing the way. It was Sweet Lips, who, through the weird trick of secretly urinating on Washington’s cherry tree while pointing to the British Bulldog next door, unleashed the Revolutionary War. George never twigged that she was barking up the wrong tree.
We can rightfully call Sweet Lips America’s first First Dog, as opposed to the First Lady, although Sweet Lips was a bitch and a not particularly attractive specimen, Like her Master, she had a full set of wooden teeth that could never pierce skin, such that when she attacked Benedict Arnold she basically gummed him to death. Arnold was a handsome man in the eighteenth century, but you won’t believe what he looks like now!
But America does not have the monopoly on weird First Dogs. Take the case of Pat, First Dog of Canadian Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie-King. This man came to power in the 1920’s on the basis of having invented the hyphenated name!
Gaining the overwhelming support of newly enfranchised and liberated female voters, King became the PM with the longest number of years in office in Canadian History. Unfortunately, the name of his equally talented ancestor, Bobby Lyon Mackenzie-King-Bennett-St-Laurent-Diefenbaker, could never fit on any ballot for public office.
Mackenzie-King believed Pat could contact people who had passed to the Other Side. Specifically the PM’s late mother, whom he often sought out for political advice while she was alive. He believed that Pat could somehow pass on her advice from The Great Beyond.
We don’t know how effective Pat was in that regard, but we do know that during the PM’s many years in office, the price of dog food dropped by half, leash laws were shredded, and all documented cats were deported to Mexico.
For First Dogs it’s no walk in the park. For example, “Buddy”, President Clinton’s Chocolate Lab, loved nothing better than to snooze in the Oval Office. Although a witness to History, historians puzzle over the fact that Buddy never alerted the authorities during the Lewinsky scandal. That’s why they call them Man’s Best Friend.
In his defense, dog owners know only too well that such hanky-panky would seem normal in Buddy’s canine world. Besides, how could he be a whistleblower when he was always the one being whistled for? Back in the 1920’s did “Laddie Boy” bark when President Warren Harding took Nan Britton into that coat closet in the executive office of the White House? Did he whine to Mrs. Harding? Did Moe the Doberman rat out JFK?
At present there is no First Dog in the White House. Rabid Liberals bark that there are too many dogs there already, while Conservatives in the House refuse to go along, citing the fact that no dogs are mentioned in the Constitution. First Dogs also tend to take away attention from the President.
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Male teachers may face extinction in Australian primary schools by the year 2067 unless urgent policy action is taken. In government schools, the year is 2054.
This finding comes from our analysis of more than 50 years of national annual workplace data – the first of its kind in any country.
We found a sharp decrease in the percentage of male teachers since records of teacher gender began in 1965. This includes classroom teachers, head teachers, and principals.
This rapid decline of men is not limited to primary schools. From 1977, when numbers of primary and secondary teachers were first recorded separately, we find an equally rapid decline of male representation in Australia’s secondary schools. In primary schools, there has been a steady decline from 28.5% to 18.3%; in secondary schools, it has dropped from 53.9% to 40%.
Looking at the data by state and school sector, the lowest representation of men in primary schools is just 12.2% in Northern Territory Independent schools and 36.4% in Queensland government secondary schools.
Causes of the decline
Factors that deter men from teaching have been discussed in both the media and research literature. While some men (and women) may be deterred from teaching because it is perceived to have low salary and status, men also face social pressures to conform to particular masculine ideals. And teaching is often seen as “women’s work”. It is unclear if these pressures have intensified over the last 50 years.
There may also be a social stigma in advocating for more male teachers when women still face adversity in many other fields. In this way, policymakers may assume that declining male representation in schools is not a problem, or of less importance compared to other professions.
Alternatively, hiring policies may play a role.
We have little data on the hiring policies of different teacher employers around Australia. When looking at the percentage of male teachers in government, Independent, and Catholic sectors separately, we see that government schools show the sharpest drop over time. Independent primary and secondary schools and Catholic secondary schools also show a drop in male teachers, yet at a less rapid rate.
The impact on students
While teacher gender has little effect on student achievement, and students’ role models are often their peers, there are important social and psychological reasons for Australian schools to include more male teachers.
Students themselves tell us that they want to be taught by both women and men. Just as some boys and girls find it easier to relate to female teachers, others find it easier to relate to male teachers. A teaching workforce that is diverse – in gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation – is most likely to appeal to diverse groups of students.
The decline in male representation in schools also limits opportunities for students to observe men outside their families who are caring, nurturing, and concerned about education. This may lead students to assume that only women are suited for such work, or that such traits are atypical in men.
Finally, for students with risky home lives, male representation may be particularly important. The presence of male and female teachers within the school environment allows students to see men and women interacting in positive, equal, and non-violent ways, and to observe men working with female leaders. In this way, male representation in schools may help to challenge misconceptions of what men can and cannot do.
The impact on schools
There are also important workplace reasons for Australian schools to include more male teachers.
Across professions, workforce diversity is pursued because it creates an inclusive environment, facilitates multiple perspectives, and ensures that various groups are included in decision-making processes. Importantly, links have also been found to job satisfaction and performance.
Extending these findings to Australian schools, we suggest benefits for the school community when men and women are more equally represented.
Given the importance of diversity, the Australian government has committed to ensuring that the teaching workforce broadly reflects both the student population and Australian community. There are policiesthat aim to increase the representation of Aboriginal people, racial and religious minority groups, people under the age of 25, people with a disability, and women in leadership positions.
But there are no current workforce diversity policies to redress the sharp decline in male teachers.
What can be done
We now know where the male teacher population is headed. It is becoming increasingly unlikely that Australian schools will genuinely reflect the student population or broader community. A review of Australian workforce diversity policies is urgently needed.
Fortunately, much can be learned about increasing male representation in schools by looking to professions where the representation of women has been increased. These include STEM and business. As we suggest elsewhere, targeted scholarships could be used to increase the number of men studying education.
Additionally, increasing teachers’ salaries and permanent teaching positions may benefit the profession more broadly, while also providing incentives for men (and women) who consider a career in teaching later in life. Challenging negative perceptions is also important, and may require large-scale campaigns.
Both men and women are capable of being excellent teachers, and we want both in our schools. A more diverse teaching workforce benefits everyone – students, parents, and teachers alike.
This article was written by Kevin F. McGrath, Casual Academic, Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University; Penny Van Bergen, Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology, Macquarie University. The piece first appeared on The Conversation. | <urn:uuid:00725159-47bf-439b-9e05-f81149c599a0> | {
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Palm trees are prone to nutrient deficiencies and require proper feeding to grow healthy. Determining how much nutrients your plant needs is, therefore, vital. But using synthetic fertilizers is not always the best thing to do, which means you can also make your own at home.
I have mentioned the significance of nutrients in palm trees, recommended ideal organic recipes for preparing its fertilizers, and created some great homemade palm tree fertilizers to try with simple ingredients found at home.
What nutrients do palm trees need?
A healthy palm tree needs a consistent diet containing nutrients and micronutrients. Since these plants grow on nutrient-deficient soils like sand, feeding them with fertilizers containing magnesium, potassium, nitrogen, iron, and Manganese is essential. Let’s go into detail about how each nutrient plays its part to keep your plant healthy:
Of all the minerals a palm tree requires, nitrogen makes up about 3-4% of the plant’s structure. Your plant cannot grow into a healthy adult without it. Part of its job is to help the plant manufacture amino acids which synthesize proteins. It is one of the most significant ingredients of chlorophyll, and its contribution to the photosynthesis process is immeasurable.
Potassium is a micronutrient that plays various roles in palm trees, but it is predominantly known for influencing the transportation of essential sugars, carbohydrates, and water through the plant. It also promotes the activation of enzymes, leading to the formation of carbs, protein, and energy. In addition, it accelerates the rate of photosynthesis.
Iron is an essential micronutrient that a palm tree needs to synthesize DNA, respiration, and photosynthesis. Chlorophyll production, maintaining color, oxygen transportation, synthesizing proteins, and forming structural components are all essential functions that iron performs in the plant. Without it, the tree may develop iron chlorosis.
A palm tree relies on a micronutrient known as Manganese for growth and development and other metabolic functions. When digested in the correct quantity, Manganese aids in metabolizing nitrogen and photosynthesis. While Mn toxicity is common in palm trees growing in poorly drained or acidic soils, these plants have developed uptake and storage mechanisms to fight off chlorosis.
Magnesium is responsible for the formation of the green-coloring matter on palm leaves. Without it, the tree’s ability to produce food gets compromised, leading to stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and unusually-looking veins. this micronutrient also aids in enzymes activation, influencing the plant’s steady development and metabolism.
Homemade fertilizer for palm trees (recipes)
Sand drains off the water pretty fast, preventing the palm tree from receiving its vital nutrients. So, if you intend to use liquid fertilizer, chances are your tree might not benefit from the nutrients as expected. It’s, therefore, best to prepare your homemade fertilizer in a way that allows the roots to soak up and utilize the essential nutrients. Ensure the ingredients you use support the slow-release formula.
Here are some homemade recipes you can try when preparing your slow-release fertilizer:
Soybean meal + bat guano + cottonseed meal
Now that using plant nutrients is your primary goal, it would be best to get something in your kitchen pantry as long as it contains essential minerals. You can use soybean meal, bat guano, or cottonseed meal to increase soil nitrogen.
Next, get organic kitchen wastes like whole grains, kelp, and green leafy vegetable. If you can get orange peels that are also rich in iron, go for it. Mix them all up in a bowl and let it sit for about an hour.
Bone meal + kelp meal fertilizer recipe
Get seed meal, dolomite lime, bone meal, kelp meal, and used tea leaves. Only the seed meal should be in five cups, while the rest in one cup. You can prepare this organic fertilizer in many portions as you can because it can last up to 24 months. Mix it for 30-60 minutes. To prevent it from drying out, add a concoction of black coffee.
These ingredients contain nitrogen, potash, and phosphorus. Besides saving on cost, this method helps preserve the environment and promote healthy growth for your palm trees.
Eggshells + vegetables fertilizer
You’ll need kitchen leftovers for this recipe, preferably wet green leafy vegetables, a liter of water, eggshells, and a tablespoon of Epsom salt. Put the mixture in a gardening bowl and mix for about 30 minutes. You’re using Epsom salt instead of your regular salt because it is formulated with magnesium and sulfate.
Eggshells are rich in calcium and potassium. But if you can get milk, the better for your plant. It’s the best way to provide it with nitrogen-building protein. This mixture is not only inexpensive but also easy to prepare. This gives you significant leverage to avoid processed fertilizers.
What is the best natural fertilizer for palm trees?
The best organic fertilizer for palm trees should contain all the micronutrients or minerals necessary to grow and develop. Because palm trees come in more than 1500 species, deciding which organic fertilizer is best can be challenging.
To know which nutrients your plant requires the most, check out the type of soil it’s growing on, your climate, and if it’s suffering from any deficiencies.
When choosing a natural fertilizer recipe for your indoor or outdoor palm plant, you want to ensure the ingredients comply with a slow-release formula. Suppose you’re still green about fertilizer application and want to try out home-based recipes for the first time. How sure are you that your mixes will provide the necessary nutrients your tree needs? In that case, all you can do is hope that the recipe you choose addresses any nutritional deficiencies your plant is suffering from.
For example, if your palm tree shows symptoms of potassium deficiency, you can try out the second recipe. It contains Epsom salt, which is rich in potassium. However, you need to realize that Epsom contains extra potassium, which can be toxic to a plant that isn’t potassium-deficient.
Another point to note is applying too many fertilizers can lead to leaf burns and compromise plant growth. If you are unsure about much fertilizer your need, it’s best to apply minimum amounts to avoid irreversible damage.
Make sure you use clean gardening tools to protect your plant against toxins. Once in a while, perform a salt test to determine if your plant is getting the right amount.
If your area has sandy soil and experiences too much rainfall, administer fertilization 3 to 4 times a year. The best time to do it is at the beginning of spring when it needs many nutrients and during the fall.
Ensure you apply fertilizer to wet soil and wash out the soil once you’re through. Finally, if a specific fertilizer combination doesn’t work, try another one until you get the desired results.
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Microorganisms routinely live in complex fluids such as mud, intestinal fluid, and mucus. In this world of varying rheological properties, organisms propagate with a motion analogous to swimming. Think of spermatozoa propelled by undulations of flagella. Researchers have known that the properties of a fluid strongly affect how the organisms swim in it—the beat of a spermatozoon’s flagella, for example, goes from sinusoidal in an “ordinary” Newtonian fluid to asymmetric in a viscoelastic fluid, a medium that shows both solid- and fluid-like behavior—but quantitative studies have been scarce.
In a paper in Physical Review Letters, Xiaoning Shen and Paulo E. Arratia, at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, report usage of video microscopy and velocimetry methods to measure body kinematics and swimming dynamics of a species of roundworm in a range of shear viscosities and viscoelasticities. They find that the fluid elasticity hinders swimming speed as well as efficiency. This result is surprising, if only because myriad biological processes occur in such fluids. Examples range from sperms in the female reproductive tract to allergens in the respiratory passage. The authors find that the roundworm’s swimming speed is reduced by up to compared to that in ordinary fluids. This work provides a valuable experimental benchmark for what appears to be a ubiquitous phenomenon. – Sami Mitra | <urn:uuid:4539b97d-8c0f-4a59-8e4a-60f52006cab6> | {
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Tuesday, August 31, 1999 Published at 12:28 GMT 13:28 UK
Web e-mail inherently weak
Users of web-based e-mail services can encrypt their messages
By BBC Internet Correspondent Chris Nuttall
Security experts have been stressing the inherent weaknesses of Web-based e-mail services after hackers exposed an easy way to access any of Hotmail's 40 million accounts.
"These services are going to be less secure than POP3 [Post Office Protocol 3] services where people download their e-mail on to their local PC," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at UK-based data security firm, Sophos.
"The messages are then deleted from the servers, but with Web-based services they stay there.
"This incident has done enormous damage to Microsoft's reputation. People will remember this for years and they may think about going to proper POP3 services in future."
Web-based encryption gaining favour
Web-based e-mail services have proliferated with many portal sites offering free e-mail and UK Internet Service Providers (ISPs) beginning to offer e-mail, voicemail and faxes through Web browsers.
The Hotmail break-in could see users turning to Web e-mail scrambled with encryption techniques. Hushmail.com and Ziplip.com have been gaining in popularity with their promise of secure online e-mail services.
Hushmail offers strong 1024-bit encryption through a Java applet initiated when users access its Website to send e-mail. Ziplip does not require registration and allows visitors to its site to write messages and encrypt them on its servers protected with a password. It then notifies the recipient who can pick up the message only if they know the password. Both Ziplip and Hushmail are free.
Microsoft stresses usability
Microsoft has taken the brunt of criticism for security flaws exposed over the Internet, with its scripting, Windows operating system, Outlook e-mail program, Internet Explorer browser, instant messaging software and Hotmail all being targeted by hackers.
This is more than Microsoft being picked on because of its domination of the software industry. Much of the blame can be attributed to the company's concentration on usability.
Hotmail's attraction is that it can be used on any computer in the world connected to the Internet, meaning security cross-checks such as cookie files of personal information on the user's own computer cannot be utilised.
"Microsoft are the Number One target as far as hackers are concerned," says Graham Cluley, "They have to strike a balance between functionality and security. Up to now they have though a lot more about ease-of-use - it's what sells their products." | <urn:uuid:46dbdb4f-dc90-4d8b-909c-dfc1a14de448> | {
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- Posted by Stephen Whiteley
- On 09/09/2014
- Chinese, Linguistics
Some common misconceptions:
Singing in Chinese must be impossible because you use important phonetic information contained in the tones. Partly TRUE; sung Chinese has to rely on other contextual information to disambiguate.
Chinese has no sentence intonation, because pitch information is used on individual morphemes. FALSE. Chinese has sentence intonation just like other languages, and this means that the individual tones are merely relative in pitch.
People who are tone-deaf have difficulty understand tone languages. FALSE for several reasons. Firstly, there really is no such thing as a tone-deaf person. We all hear and produce intonation in our own languages, and tone is no different. In any case, natural selection tends to exclude from languages any feature which is not available to 100% (or vanishingly close) of speakers.
Speakers of tone languages are more likely to have perfect pitch. FALSE. Tone languages no more use absolute pitch than any other language does. The pitch variations are relative, just like in sentence intonation.
English does not use tones. FALSE. It’s easy to find use of tones in all languages, when we use intonation of a single word. For example try the word “No” as a single word answer to a question. You can say it with different meanings in all four of the Chinese tones and quite a few more besides. Some examples:
|No…||steady high tone||bored, “oh do stop asking”|
|No||middle, falling||the most neutral response|
|No!||high, falling sharply||surpise, “that’s amazing!”|
|No||low falling, then rising||patronising. “you really don’t get it, do you?”|
etc… Of course these don’t change the primary meaning of the word, only the connotations or secondary meaning, and that’s how it differs from tone languages. And my English is standard Southern English (RP). Speakers of other varieties of English may not agree with my descriptions.
Click below to read part 1 of of tones, languages and music | <urn:uuid:f8811664-6bee-4ce5-8ba8-87b62eb4279c> | {
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Posted by Dr. Claire McCarthy October 3, 2013 07:55 AM
It's now officially flu season...which means it's time to get your flu shot.
The "flu", or influenza, is an illness caused by one of the many influenza viruses. While for some people it might just feel like a bad cold, for many people it can be very serious. People with influenza have fever and cough, but they may also have a sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, headache, vomiting or diarrhea. It can also totally wipe you out.
It's also possible to get complications from the flu, like pneumonia, sinusitis, ear infections or dehydration. If you have health problems like asthma, the flu can really make you sick. It's also particularly worrisome if you are very young (like less than 6 months) or very old. In fact, more than half of the hospitalizations for flu are usually in people who are older than 65.
This year there are a few different choices when it comes to vaccination. You might not find all of them at your doctor's office--and some aren't available for children--but it's good to know about them.
Usually, the vaccine protects against 3 types of influenza, the ones that scientists think are most likely to cause infections during the season (they are actually pretty good at predicting these things). This year, we have some vaccine that protects against 4 types, "quadrivalent" instead of "trivalent". That's pretty cool, although this is too new for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend one over the other.
All the nasal spray flu vaccine, or LAIV (Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine) is quadrivalent, so that's an added bonus to the spray (on top of not having to get a needle). Anyone who is generally healthy (no chronic health problems) and between the ages of 2 and 49 can get the nasal spray, as long as they aren't pregnant or have a lot of contact with someone with a severe problem with their immune system.
There are three other options this year too:
- A version made without using any eggs at all, for people with very severe egg allergies (people with milder allergies can generally get the flu vaccine--talk to your doctor). This one is only for adults 18-49, though.
- Also for grownups (18-64): a version that gets injected (with a smaller needle) into the skin instead of the muscle
- For people 65 and older, there is a higher dose version.
While the preservatives used in some flu vaccines are felt to be safe (and help keep the vaccines free of germs), there are preservative-free versions available. Talk to your doctor if this is a concern for you.
Anyone less than 9 years old getting the flu shot for the first time needs two doses at least a month apart. But it's just that first year; after that, it's one shot a year.
There are very few people who shouldn't get a flu shot. People who have had severe allergic reactions to it shouldn't, along with people who have a history of Guillain-Barre (if you haven't heard of it you probably haven't had it) or who are moderately sick on the day they are thinking of getting the shot. But basically everybody else over the age of 6 months can--and should.
Any medical treatment can have side effects, and the flu shot is no exception. The most common ones are soreness where the needle went in, muscle aches, fever, or feeling a bit sick for a day or two. The flu shot can't give you the flu, though. Sometimes people say that they got sick with the flu after the shot, or got sick more that season...but that's not because of the flu shot. We give the flu shot during cold and flu season, and it can take a couple of weeks to truly take effect. Sometimes, too, it doesn't work--while it offers good protection, it's not 100% effective. So it's possible to get the flu shot and still get sick--but that's not the flu shot's fault!
Remember, too, that this isn't just about your health. The more people who get the flu shot, the less flu there is generally--and that protects everyone.
Want to find out where to get a shot? Check out this great tool. And if you are curious about flu cases in your area, check out Flu Near You.
The CDC's Flu site has for all the info you need for flu season--and, as always, your doctor is your best resource.
Get vaccinated! Do it now, before we really get into the thick of things. That, along with washing your hands (and covering your coughs and sneezes with your elbow) can make all the difference when it comes to keeping you and your family healthy this winter.
Is there something you'd like me to write about? Leave me a message on my Facebook page--and "like" the page for links to all my MD Mama blogs as well as my blogs on Thriving and Huffington Post.
The author is solely responsible for the content.
About MD MamaClaire McCarthy, M.D., is a pediatrician and Medical Communications Editor at Boston Children's Hospital . An assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a senior editor for Harvard More »
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Eating Habits to Avoid If You Have Painful Headaches, Say Dietitians
When a headache begins to pierce, common knowledge points in the direction of the medicine cabinet. From Advil to Aleve, there is no shortage of synthetic solutions to head pain, which makes sense; as many as 45 million Americans suffer from them each year, so the demand for relief is definitely there.
However, in our haste to end the discomfort, we may be missing an opportunity to analyze the root of the problem and then attempt to aid it naturally. While headaches can be brought on by a variety of factors, diet is definitely key. An imbalanced diet can cause or worsen headaches. The flip side of that knowledge, of course, is power. By being conscious of nutrition, we can also potentially avoid the pain.
We spoke to dietitians and got their take on five eating habits that make it more likely that a person might develop a headache, as well as tips on how to avoid them. Then, for more healthy tips, here's The #1 Best Juice to Drink Every Day, Says Science.
Foregoing a meal is sometimes just a casualty of a busy day. But according to Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, author of The Sports Nutrition Playbook, and a member of our medical expert board, that missed meal could result in a throbbing temple.
"When you skip meals, it usually results in a blood sugar drop or crash. When your blood sugar is low it can contribute to headaches as well as feeling dizzy, nauseous, and even light-headed," she says.
Goodson recommends eating a series of small meals and snacks throughout the day to avoid developing low blood sugar and a subsequent headache. Anything containing high-fiber carbohydrates and protein will help keep your blood sugar stable, she says.
Not eating protein at meals and snacks
One way to help ensure stable blood sugar is to be mindful about incorporating protein into meals and snacks, even in small ways.
As Goodson outlines, "when you eat carbohydrates by themselves (think fruit, cereal, bagels, and granola bars), your blood sugar tends to rise then drop more substantially due to the lack of protein. The blood sugar drop, similar to when skipping meals, can give you a headache fast."
She recommends tying in protein however possible: for example, putting peanut butter on toast, eating nuts with your granola bars, or adding Greek yogurt to your bowl of cereal. If you pass up protein, you're putting yourself at a higher risk of head pain.
Removing or drastically limiting carbohydrates
That being said, the solution is not to adopt a protein-only diet, either. As Johna Burdeos, RD LC CNSC, explained, "The body operates best with a balance of nutrients." While we want to be mindful about subsisting solely on carbohydrates, limiting them in an extreme way can also cause headaches.
Burdeos suggest a solution: "Consider including more carbs that are made with whole grains which are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. All great for overall health, boosting satiety, and staving off hunger pangs and the headaches that come with that."
Eating sugary foods by themselves
Sugar intake translates pretty directly to a blood sugar spike, which as we know, can then result in a headache when those levels eventually fall again.
"If you have a sugar spike and energy high after consuming a sugary food or beverage," says Goodson."You better believe a blood sugar drop and energy slump is coming as well. This can lead to headaches and feeling fatigued, and what's worse, it leaves you looking for more sugar."
Of course, the best solution here is to simply avoid foods with lots of added sugar. If that's impossible (the birthday cake looks really good) Goodson says one way to circumvent the side effects is by consuming a protein simultaneously.
Drinking coffee without eating
We've all heard rumors about the multitude of types of caffeine-induced headaches. There's the too-much-coffee headache, the too-little-coffee headache, the too-late-at-night coffee headache.
"Everyone has a different response to caffeine, but because it is a central nervous stimulant, it can often leave people with a headache and feeling jittery if they drink coffee on an empty stomach," says Goodson. "If your blood sugar is low from not eating, caffeine can often magnify the effect leaving you feeling worse and possibly a pounding headache."
Avoid caffeine-induced headaches by drinking coffee only while also consuming a balanced meal high in fiber and–you guessed it –protein.
"At breakfast that might be drinking your morning cup of joe with eggs and whole-grain toast or oatmeal and Greek yogurt," says Goodson. "If you have coffee at a snack, try it with ricotta cheese and berries or even energy bites made with oats, nut butter, nuts, seeds, and honey." | <urn:uuid:f1201b03-b0aa-458c-a9d0-0093cc68a640> | {
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- 0.1 Addiction is a Brain Illness that can be healed
- 0.2 When individuals have habit forming practices The Brain is Highjacked.
- 0.3 This brain-based view of dependency has created considerable dispute, particularly among people that appear able to assume only in polarized means.
- 0.4 Many people likewise erroneously still believe that drug dependency is simply a failing of will certainly or of strength of character.
- 1 Video: Rehabilitation in Grassy Creek
Addiction is a Brain Illness that can be healed
A core idea developing with clinical advancements over the past decade is that medicine dependency is a mind condition that creates in time as a result of the at first voluntary behavior of using medications. (Drugs include alcohol.).
The repercussion is practically irrepressible compulsive drug yearning, looking for, as well as make use of that hinders, otherwise destroys, a person’s operating in the household as well as in culture. This clinical problem demands official therapy.
• We currently recognize in terrific information the brain systems whereby medications acutely modify state of mind, memory, perception, as well as emotional states.
• Utilizing medications continuously gradually changes mind structure and function in basic as well as long-lasting manner ins which can continue long after the private stops using them.
• Addiction happens with a selection of neuro-adaptive changes as well as the resting and reinforcing of new memory connections in various circuits in the brain.
When individuals have habit forming practices The Brain is Highjacked.
We do not yet know all the appropriate devices, yet the proof suggests that those long-lasting mind modifications are in charge of the distortions of cognitive and also emotional functioning that identify addicts, specifically consisting of the obsession to use medicines that is the significance of addiction.
It is as if drugs have actually highjacked the mind’s natural motivational control circuits, resulting in substance abuse becoming the single, or at least the top, inspirational concern for the person.
Thus, the majority of the biomedical area now thinks about dependency, in its significance, to be a brain condition:.
This brain-based view of dependency has created considerable dispute, particularly among people that appear able to assume only in polarized means.
• Many individuals incorrectly still believe that biological as well as behavioral explanations are alternate or competing ways to recognize sensations, when actually they are complementary and also integrative.
Modern science has actually shown that it is much too simple to establish biology in opposition to habits or to pit determination versus mind chemistry.
• Addiction involves inseparable biological and behavioral parts. It is the quintessential bio-behavioral disorder.
Many people likewise erroneously still believe that drug dependency is simply a failing of will certainly or of strength of character.
Study opposes that placement.
In charge of Our Recuperation.
However, the recognition that dependency is a mind condition does not suggest that the addict is just an unlucky sufferer. Addiction begins with the voluntary habits of making use of medications, and addicts have to participate in as well as take some considerable duty for their healing.
• Therefore, having this brain disease does not absolve the addict of obligation for his/her behavior.
It does clarify why an addict could not just stop utilizing medicines by sheer pressure of will alone.
The Significance of Addiction.
The entire principle of addiction has suffered greatly from imprecision and also mistaken belief. If it were feasible, it would be best to begin all over with some new, a lot more neutral term.
The complication comes about in part due to a now antiquated distinction in between whether certain drugs are “physically” or “emotionally” addicting.
The distinction traditionally revolved around whether or not significant physical withdrawal signs and symptoms occur when an individual stops taking a medication; just what we in the area now call “physical dependence.”.
• Nevertheless, Two Decade of scientific research has actually educated that concentrating on this physical versus mental difference is off the mark and also a distraction from the real concerns.
From both medical and also plan point of views, it actually does not matter significantly just what physical withdrawal signs happen.
• Physical dependence is not that important, due to the fact that also the dramatic withdrawal symptoms of heroin as well as alcoholism could currently be conveniently managed with proper medicines.
• A lot more important, a number of the most harmful and addicting drugs, including methamphetamine and split cocaine, do not create really severe physical dependancy signs and symptoms after withdrawal.
What truly matters most is whether or not a medication creates exactly what we currently understand to be the essence of dependency, namely.
• The unmanageable, compulsive medication food craving, looking for, and also use, also when faced with negative health and wellness and social repercussions.
This is the core of exactly how the Institute of Medication, the American Psychiatric Association, and also the American Medical Organization specify dependency and also exactly how we all must make use of the term.
It is actually only this compulsive quality of addiction that matters in the future to the addict and to his/her family members which must matter to society all at once.
Hence, the majority of the biomedical neighborhood currently takes into consideration addiction, in its essence, to be a brain disease:.
• A condition brought on by persistent adjustments in brain framework and function.
This causes compulsive food craving that overwhelms all other inspirations and is the origin of the enormous health and wellness and social issues connected with medicine addiction.
The Meaning of Dependency.
In upgrading our national discourse on substance abuse, we must bear in mind this basic interpretation:.
• Dependency is a brain disease shared in the form of uncontrollable habits.
Both creating and recuperating from it depend on biology, behavior, and also social context.
It is likewise essential to remedy the common misimpression that drug use, misuse as well as addiction are points on a solitary continuum along which one slides back and also forth over time, removaling from customer to addict, then back to periodic individual, after that back to addict.
Clinical observation as well as more official research study studies sustain the view that, once addicted, the person has actually relocated right into a different state of being.
Alcohol/ Drug Therapy Programs.
Keeping this detailed bio-behavioral understanding of addiction likewise talks with exactly what has to be offered in drug treatment programs.
• Once more, we have to take care not to pit biology against behavior.
The National Institute on Substance abuse’s recently released Concepts of Effective Medicine Addiction Therapy provides a comprehensive discussion of how we have to deal with all facets of the individual, not simply the biological component or the behavior component.
Similar to other brain diseases such as schizophrenia and also clinical depression, the data reveal that the most effective medication addiction therapy comes close to address the entire person, combining the use of medicines, behavioral therapies, and attention to necessary social solutions as well as recovery.
• These may include such solutions as household therapy to enable the individual to go back to effective family life, mental health solutions, education and occupation training, as well as real estate solutions.
That does not suggest, of course, that all individuals require all components of treatment and all recovery solutions. An additional concept of efficient addiction treatment is that the variety of services included in a person’s therapy plan need to be matched to his or her specific set of needs. Considering that those demands will undoubtedly change over the program of recuperation, the range of services provided will certainly need to be consistently reassessed and changed.
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With the constant media coverage of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), most people aren't just wondering if they will contract it or not, but if they do, what can be done to effectively treat it.
Well, finally medical science has offered us an effective solution to kill the virus and treat the symptoms. Discover exactly what you need to do to help with preventing and treating the Coronavirus.
Is IV Vitamin C Effective Against The Corona Virus?
Effective Dosage recommendations
Dosage recommendations vary with severity of illness, from 50 to 200 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day—max 200 mg/kg/day.
Earlier this year, the Japanese College of Intravenous Therapy (JCIT) also recommended intravenous vitamin C (IVC) 12.5/25g (12,500 - 25,000 mg) for acute viral infections (influenza, herpes zoster, common cold, rubella, mumps, etc.) and virus mimetic infections (such as idiopathic sudden hearing loss, Bell's palsy).
Usually, when adults present with mild symptoms, IVC 12.5g is given during early stages of illness and IVC 25g for moderate to severe symptoms.
IV Vitamin C is usually administered once or twice a day for 2-5 continuous days, which can be given along with other natural viral treatments as well per the specific symptoms of the patient.
Why Does Vitamin C Work So Well To Fight Viral Infections?
When patients present or are diagnosed with acute viral infections, they usually also exhibit a depletion of vitamin C which triggers increasing free radical damage and cellular dysfunction.
IV Vitamin C provides systemic absorption throughout the body and mitigates the GI upset symptoms that come with high dose oral loads of Vitamin C.
What is the CDC Saying about the CORONAVIRUS?
There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory disease.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
Want To Boost Your Own Immune System Against The Coronavirus?
Hospital-based Intravenous Vitamin C Treatment for Coronavirus and Related Illnesses - http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v16n07.shtml
Shanghai Government Officially Recommends Vitamin C for COVID-19- http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v16n16.shtml
We are an Evidence-Based Center of Excellence and the leading provider of Ketamine Infusions and IV Infusions.
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A selection of articles related to olwen.
Original articles from our library related to the Olwen. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Olwen.
- King Arthur and the Cymry Heroes
- The Celtic Britons called themselves the Cymry, which meant "fellow countrymen" in their Celtic tongue. Once Roman rule ended in Britain in about 410 A.D., a power vacuum developed, leading to the onslaught of Germanic invasions by Angles and Saxons,...
Saga of Times Past >> Legend and Prehistory
- Apple: Correspondences
- Pyrus spp. Folk Names: Fruit of the Gods, Fruit of the Underworld, Silver Branch, The Silver Bough, Tree of Love Gender: Feminine Planet: Venus Element: Water Deities: Venus, Dionysus, Olwen, Apollo, Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Diana, Zeus, Iduna Powers: Love,...
Herbalism >> Herbs dictionary A
- Celtic Gods and Heros: Introduction to Celtic Mythology
- Youngsters of school age almost effortlessly learn about the gods and heroes of Greek and Roman mythology. Names like Zeus, Hercules, Diana, Ulysses, Mercury, Venus, and others become widely familiar. Paintings, popular movies, and books trace their stories...
Deities & Heros >> Celtic, Welsh, Irish & Brittish
Olwen is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Olwen books and related discussion.
Suggested Pdf Resources
- Olwen Brogan: from Gaul to Ghirea
- Dlwen Brogan. Author: David Iiilattingiy. Olwen Brogan: from Gaul to Ghirea.
- Mary Olwen Owen
- Mary Olwen Owen 2009. Cedwir pob hawl.
- Olwen Shone
- Olwen Shone. Born in Bristol, England, November 1975. Lives and works on the island of North Uist, The Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
Suggested News Resources
- Historic quest
- BY Natalie Gallenti Sunshine historian Olwen Ford is exploring her suburb's history in a new book. 68707 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI A LOVE of history gives Olwen Ford a sense of belonging.
- Town Hall bid
- We have had exemplary chairs with Coun Ian Cooper and then Coun Olwen Jennings, and great support from Calderdale officials. It is this group which put together the bid, over many months, whilst also exploring match funding.
- THE family and friends of a Swansea mum have taken on her dying wish to help a
- Sadly Angela Davies, known as Midge by everyone who knew her, passed away on July 23 before she could raise money for Morriston hospital-based Ty Olwen Hospice after having spent time there battling cancer.
- DEVON GOLF: Six counties enjoy Honiton course
- The winning pair with an excellent score of 39pts. were Olive Pope and Tricia Swindell. Second place were Lady Captain Sue Ritchie and Jan Dickinson with 36pts.
Suggested Web Resources
- Olwen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- In Welsh mythology, Olwen is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden and cousin of Goreu. She is the heroine of the story Culhwch and Olwen in the Mabinogion.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Olwen
- OLWEN. GENDER: Feminine. USAGE: Welsh.
- Olwen | meaning of Olwen | name Olwen
- Olwen meaning and name definition. Meaning of Olwen. What does Olwen mean ?
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
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crystal palace fc staff | <urn:uuid:0a4c208e-45a8-4004-8798-1381c78b532b> | {
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But the "warming" that is supposed to catastrophic is also supposed to be global, so why are we not also hearing about the levels of sea ice down south in the Antarctic? Simple: sea ice isn't receding down there, it's expanding. And why are we hearing only about about Arctic sea ice when the extent of global sea ice fluctuations have shown little change over 25 years. There's a simple explanation, says James Taylor; the Arctic sea ice scare is yet more misleading alarmism:
Alarmist Front Group Launches Misleading Campaign Regarding Sea IceLook forward then to lots of shots of Antarctic sea ice expanding to record levels in your local newspaper, in the National Geographic and on TV3's 'Socialism at Seven.' Not. Expect instead to see more shots of falling ice shelves up north and lots of shots of fluffy penguins down south. And no discussion at all about pressure groups making geographically selective "record level" announcements about the thin slices of time over which most of this research is carried out.
A public relations campaign funded by such leftwing activist groups as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Pew Charitable Trusts is seeking to mislead the public about global warming by highlighting retreating Arctic sea ice. Predictably, the public relations campaign selectively cites the relevant science and only tells half of the story.
In a September 25 press release titled 'Arctic Ice Melting Faster Than Expected,' a front group called SmartPower reported that Arctic sea ice is receding and asked, "How many of these dire predictions can we afford to ignore? This report is yet another in a series of scientifically factual studies th at once again serve as an important call to action," the press release added.
What the press release conveniently failed to mention is that while Arctic sea ice is currently receding (though likely not as much as it receded in the 1930s and 1940s), Antarctic sea ice has expanded to record levels, and is continuing to expand.
So, does common sense tell us there is proof, or even strong evidence, of planetary warming when the sea ice at one pole is receding and the sea ice at the other pole is growing to record levels? Only in the looking-glass world of global warming alarmists with public relations money burning a hole in their pockets. | <urn:uuid:4ed1cca9-9af4-4b99-97c4-4478056d65c9> | {
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Every major scientific society in the world has adopted a statement like that of the American Chemical Society which says,” Careful and comprehensive scientific assessments have clearly demonstrated that the Earth’s climate system is changing rapidly in response to growing atmospheric burdens of greenhouse gases and absorbing aerosol particles. There is very little room for doubt that observed climate trends are due to human activities. The threats are serious and action is urgently needed to mitigate the risks of climate change.” A recent CNN poll found that 97% of scientists who are actively engaged in research in climate science agree that man’s activities are the main causes of global warming. In spite of the strong consensus among the scientists and the warning by all of our major science societies that urgent action is needed, little effective action has been taken.
Why hasn’t action been taken? The main cause of climate change is most certainly the 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide man is put into the into the air each year by burning fossil fuels. If man is a major cause, then surely it should be possible for us to do something about it. But we haven’t. Perhaps it’s because the effects of climate change on the Earth have been subtle. Scientific research shows the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing, the temperature of the Earth is rising, the oceans are becoming more acidic, glaciers and polar ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, the probability of severe weather events is increasing, food supplies are threatened, and weather-related natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more costly. But couldn’t those things be from natural causes? Couldn’t the scientists be wrong? Couldn’t it be too costly?
If your is answer “yes” to the above or similar questions, then you probably have been influenced by propaganda created by the Climate Change Denial Machine. The Climate Change Denial Machine was patterned after the Tobacco Propaganda Machine and uses many of the same organizations and tactics. Almost 50 years after the Surgeon General announced that smoking had serious health consequences leading to premature death, many people still smoke, showing the effectiveness of the propaganda. The Climate Change Denial Machine is much better funded, supports a far greater number of science Skeptics and politicians, and has the Internet to widely disseminate its propaganda. While smoking only affected the smoker and those around them, climate change, if left unaddressed, will have serious consequences for everyone and everything on the Earth.
The workings of the Climate Change Denial Machine have been explained in an article written by Riley Dunlap and Aaron McCright, and their excellent diagram is shown below. It was published in Chapter 10 in the Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, edited by John S. Dryzek, Richard B. Norgaard, David Schlosberg. It shows how money and misinformation flows from climate Skeptics and fossil fuel companies and is disseminated to the public. There is a link below the diagram to Chapter 10 of the Handbook if you would like to read the article .
During the 112th Congress, fossil fuel companies donated over $32 million to our Congressional representatives. You may find out if your Senator or Congressman was the beneficiary of their generosity at this website which tracks the flow of the money.
(c) 2013 Que | <urn:uuid:b0fe20cb-86a2-48cf-bb42-09a9677ff4a2> | {
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Do you ever feel like there’s not much you can do to save our planet? Well, you can. And it’s very simple: by making use of the water. Here are seven reasons why the world needs a blue revolution. And why you have to join it.
1. We are running out of land
As the world’s population continues to grow, we’re running out of land. Land to live on, land for growing food and biofuels. By the end of this century, we will require an additional 22 million km2. This is why we are converting the world’s most beautiful and vital ecosystems – such the rainforests! – into urban areas and agricultural land (growing soybean for cattle food, palm oil plantations for food and cosmetics). Until there’s no space left…
On the water, there’s space enough: about 70% of our planet is a blue solution space. And since most cities are located on the coast, they can easily expand on the water. Agricultural land around cities will remain functional, so it’s no longer necessary to sacrifice nature to create new agricultural land.
2. Cities on land are vulnerable
Most of the world’s largest cities are located in vulnerable coastal areas. With sea levels rising and more extreme weather, more and more flooding will occur in the future. In 2013, natural disasters displaced more people than war. Poor people in rapidly developing cities are particularly at risk. Within 35 years, total global flood damage is predicted to amount to 1 trillion US$ a year if we don’t change our strategy.
On water, floating houses, farms, roads and parks automatically adapt to the rising water level during a flood or storm. We can even create a floating breakwater structure to protect the floating city itself, and the city on the land. Floating cities may even become flood shelters for citizens on land.
3. Water will save us from our addiction to fossil fuels
Our society is addicted to fossil fuels. We consume them when we eat or drink: it takes 10 calories of fossil fuels to produce and deliver 1 calorie of food to our plate. We even breathe in one of the waste products from fossil fuels: CO2. To rid ourselves of this addiction, we need to capture CO2 and use it as a resource to produce biofuels. This requires huge amounts of space.
On water, we can do this by capturing CO2 in floating algae farms (to make biofuels, bio plastics, cattle food, fish food, food supplements) and produce food through sustainable aquaculture. At the same time, we can use waste water nutrients and CO2 from coastal cities in a productive way. This allows us to ‘store’ CO2, while keeping the rainforests and fresh water sources intact.
4. Water is the new oil
In the 20st century, economic development was based on oil and other fossil fuels. In the 21st century, water will be the key to economic progress. This is why it’s important to invest in a way that is futureproof, without making the same mistakes we’ve made before.
Water gives us this second chance, but only once.
5. Water is an innovation playground
On land, innovation is often constrained by existing infrastructure, energy grids and legislation. For instance, it’s not always allowed to sell excess solar energy to the grid or to produce your own drinking water.
But on the water, innovation can run free, while being more competitive with fossil fuels at the same time. You can also enjoy greater freedom, for example by designing your own sustainable, floating house. Or organizing your own water and energy supply with your neighbours.
6. We can actually have a positive impact
It often seems that humans can only have a negative impact on nature. That the only thing we can do is try to reduce or – sometimes – neutralize our impact and protect what’s left. Quite depressing, as this will only delay the destruction of nature. But we think we can be a productive part of the ecosystem and have a positive impact on the planet. Think about it:
A floating house can be a habitat for us, and for fish, and for other aquatic species – all at the same time.
Artificial 3D-printed reefs can protect us and create a new ecological system – at the same time.
Waste water as a resource for food and fuel can also clean up rivers and seas – at the same time.
International maritime parks can offer ecological tourism and nature protection – at the same time.
We are researching these subjects as we speak, since we need to strengthen the global ecosystem on which we depend. In the long term, there is no other way.
7. We can do this, now
Does all this sound too futuristic? Well, it isn’t. The technologies and innovations required have already been developed and successfully applied. The main challenge is to bring them all together and apply them on a large scale.
That’s where you come in. Together we can restore the balance. And create a symbiosis between population growth and ecological development.
Join the Blue Revolution! Make a first step by sharing this article and stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter. | <urn:uuid:3fba848e-d31c-40c5-af48-fd355a2135f1> | {
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Aigosthena (Αἰγόσθενα) was an ancient Greek fortified port city, 19 km northwest of the ancient city of Megara, to which it belonged. It is situated on the Alkyonides Gulf, a bay of the Gulf of Corinth, infamous for the strong earthquakes it produces (Alkyonides islands). Today, the remains of the ancient city are resting next to a modern town with the same name, known also as Porto Germeno. At Porto Germeno there are taverns and cafe for having your rest and lunch after exploring the archeological site.
The site, surrounded by forested mountains: the Cithaeron to the north and the Pateras to the south, lies 10 km west of Vilia, a town famous mainly for the 1893 church of Transfiguration of Jesus (built by the famous German architect Ernst Ziller). Driving from Athens does not take much longer than an hour (60km).
The ancient site of Aigosthena consisted of a fortified citadel (acropolis) connected to the sea by two fortification walls (forming the lower city).
The fortress was built sometime around the early 4th to the early 3rd century BC, most probably in 343 BC when the Athenians were helping the city-state of Megara to confront the threat of Thiva. For this reason, the fort was manned by a guard of Athenians.
Measuring roughly 90 by 187 m, the citadel was roughly trapezoidal in plan, with the narrower side facing west toward the sea. The citadel was constructed along the contours of a 55 m hill, and was defended by eight artillery towers incorporated into its perimeter wall. There was a primary gate on the west side into the area between the north and south walls to the sea. A small postern (auxiliary) gate was located immediately north of the second tower on the eastern side. Even today, the ancient plan is obvious to the visitor.
The citadel is well maintained and recently (2016) the southeastern tower (SE) has been renovated to its former glory (after it collapsed during the 1981 earthquake in the area). The imposing tower is a square tower, 18m tall with dimensions of each side 9m, that can be seen from far away. It is an excellent example of ancient fortification. The northeastern tower is also under renovation. The Aigosthena castle is in the best condition among the ancient forts that are preserved in Greece.
The access to the citadel is very easy via a new peripheral road that passes parallel the east side of the citadel and the south fortification wall, connecting the coastal road to the road leading to Vilia and Athens. There is an open space under the renovated tower, where one can park his car. There is an informative placard here with useful information of the site. The beauty of the area is enhanced by the olive grove that surrounds the archeological site like a green sea.
The entrance to the citadel is free of charge.
A narrow path starts from the parking lot and ends at a small gate on the west walls. This is the entrance to the citadel. The views from the citadel over the surrounding mountains, the olive groves and the sea are stunning. Besides the renovated tower (which is supposed to be open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 to 16:00), here lies the chapel of Saint George of the Castle (Agios Georgios). In the late post-Byzantine period, the Acropolis hosted a monastery, from which the ruins of cells, as well as the katholikon, the small chapel have survived. The chapel is open to the public, and the visitor can admire its simplicity and the beautiful frescos, still visible.
Of the two long walls used to connect the citadel with the sea and the port, the southern has disappeared. The bed of a river runs along the likely line of the southern wall. The northern wall is pretty well preserved, stretching 370 m to a final tower of which the foundations and fallen blocks are now underwater (only a small part of the wall survives on the beach today). The northern wall consisted of six towers and a fortified gate running in a nearly straight line from the northwest corner of the citadel to the sea.
By that north wall (roughly in the middle of it) stands the small 11th century chapel of Panagia (Virgin Mary). The chapel is built with ancient building material (including inscriptions) at the site of a five-aisled basilica of the 5th c. AD with mosaic floor. The ruins of the basilica are still surrounding the little chapel. There is a fence around the basilica ruins and the chapel, but the door on the north side is open, as well as the door to the chapel itself. The road leading to the fence door is a dirty path starting from the beach road and runs parallel to the walls. A private house stands opposite the fence door. | <urn:uuid:39881970-b550-4f42-b919-4d71129b386c> | {
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Increase in the National Debt
Increase of the National Debt; Taxation.; Owing to these hundred years and more of war, the National Debt of Great Britain and Ireland (552), which in was much less than a million of pounds, had now reached the enormous amount of over nine hundred millions (or $4,500,000,000), bearing yearly interest at the rate of more than $160, 000,000.
So great had been the strain on the finances of the country, that the Bank of England suspended payment, and many heavy failures occurred. In addition to this, a succession of bad harvests sent up the price of wheat to such a point that at one time an ordinary sized loaf of bread cost the farm laborer more than half a day’s wages.
Taxes had gone on increasing until it seemed as though the people could not endure the burden. As Sydney Smith declared, with entire truth, there were duties on everything. They began, he said, in childhood with “the boy’s taxed top”; they followed to old age, until at last “the dying Englishman, pouring his taxed medicine into a taxed spoon, flung himself back on a taxed bed, and died in the arms of an apothecary who had paid a tax of a hundred pounds for the privilege of putting him to death.”
Excerpt from The Leading Facts of English History by David Henry Montgomery – 1904
Further Reading and External Links | <urn:uuid:3c5aa394-b669-4399-9bc9-d1271cff7043> | {
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Known as Wu Long, this category translates to ‘Black Dragon’ tea. It most likely got its name from a compressed teacake made for the Emperor of the day during the Song Dynasty. This cake was named Phoenix Dragon and as the period of history changed to the Ming Dynasty we find that the tastes change and loose tea is more popular. With this transition came a change of name for this new kind of tea that was halfway between a black and a green tea. Nowadays Oolong Tea is a very popular category both within China and overseas.
It requires great skill to produce Oolong. To achieve this semi-fermented outcome the leaves must be left to wither in the sun for a day or so. Next, agitating the edges of the leaves by shaking or rubbing stimulates the oxidisation process. The leaves are then heated and sometimes rolled to shape particular varieties. The longer the heating process the darker the leaves will turn.
There is a difference in taste between the varieties of Oolong. Some can be sweet and fruity, or woody and roasted, green and milky or have floral bouquet. This category has much depth and complexity. Generally, Oolong provides the drinker with a useful variation away from either green or black tea, providing great taste and wonderful benefits for health. | <urn:uuid:4765a15c-52dd-4d93-bd06-b11bd0ba53d9> | {
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Objective: To use reading, discussion, and visual thinking strategies to explore the role played by swords in Japanese trade and cultural exchange during the Medieval era.
Author: John Muller, UCBHSSP.
Unknown craftsman. Short sword (wakizashi) and Long sword (katana) with blade mountings. Japan, Muromachi period (1333–1573), forged and tempered steel, sharkskin, black lacquer, gold on bronze. From the Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
Text: “Trade in pre-modern Japan,” Andrea Horbinski (UC Berkeley: 2017), adapted from Charlotte von Verschuer, Across the Perilous Sea (2006).
Table: “Exports from Japan to China in 1453,” adapted from Charlotte von Verschuer, Across the Perilous Sea (2006).
Text and Images: Chaddha, Rima and Audrey Resutek. “Making a Masterpiece.” Secrets of the Samurai Sword. NOVA. 2007. URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/samurai/swor-nf.html
Text: From “Samurai Martial Culture and Their Valued Sword.” Japanese Sword Society of Hawaii. 2011.
Text and Images: Martin, Paul. “Japanese Sword Fittings Showcase the Beauty of Impermanence.” Japan Forward. 23 Sept. 2017. URL: https://japan-forward.com/japanese-swords-fittings-showcase-the-beauty-of-impermanence/
Text and Images: “Japanese Sword: How to Know if a Tsuka Is good or bad.” Tozando. 30 May, 2017. Accessed 26 March, 2018.
Jigsaw Activity: What role did swords play in Medieval Japanese trade and cultural exchange?
Step 1: Divide class into 4 “Expert Groups:”
- The History of Japanese Trade
- The Making of Japanese Swords
- The Cultural Significance of Japanese Swords
- The Decoration of Japanese Swords
Note: The groups can do their readings the night before as homework, so you can save time and start the class with the small Expert Group discussions, rather than taking class time to read.
Each “Expert Group” works together to complete their assigned activity handout (see links under “Downloads”).
Step 2: Re-divide the class into mixed “Jigsaw Groups” that bring together members from each “Expert Group.”
The Jigsaw Groups then work to complete the “Artifact Analysis” activity (linked in “Downloads” section) along with the ensuing Comprehension and Interpretive Questions. The Jigsaw Groups will benefit from the shared knowledge of their “Expert” members. Along with understanding the cultural significance of Japanese swords, students will learn the value of collaboration and interdependence through their groupwork. | <urn:uuid:47bbb66b-05dd-4477-935e-3caed0c4cbb0> | {
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RICHARDSON, JAMES CLELAND, bagpiper and soldier; b. 25 Nov. 1895 in Bellshill, Scotland, son of David Richardson and Mary Prosser; d. unmarried 8 or 9 Oct. 1916 near Courcelette, France.
Educated at Bellshill Academy, the Auchinwraith Public School in Blantyre, and the John Street School in Glasgow, James Richardson came to Canada with his parents around 1911–12. He was a driller by trade and served for six months in the cadet corps of the 72nd Regiment (Seaforth Highlanders), a Vancouver unit with a prominent pipe band. Following the outbreak of World War I, he volunteered for service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and was taken on strength on 23 Sept. 1914 at Valcartier, Que., as a private and piper with the 16th Infantry Battalion (the Canadian Scottish), for which the Seaforths provided contingents. At the time he joined up, Richardson listed his father as chief of police in Chilliwack, B.C.
The 16th, which arrived in France in February 1915, engaged in numerous battles during the Somme offensive of 1916. One of the most difficult was Ancre Heights on 8 October, especially the attempt to seize the heavily defended Regina Trench north of Courcelette. Facing enemy rifles, machineguns, mortars, and artillery, the attackers were particularly vulnerable when they advanced over no man’s land.
Frequently a piper would go in with a company assaulting enemy trenches. Not originally detailed for the attack on Regina Trench, the 20-year-old Richardson pleaded successfully with his commanding officer to accompany the troops, whom he piped over the top. The advancing company encountered a storm of fire and enemy wire which had not been cut by the artillery. At this critical point, with the company commander killed, casualties mounting, and morale and momentum almost gone, Richardson volunteered to pipe again. “Wull I gie them wund [wind]?” he asked the company sergeant-major, who consented. For some ten minutes, fully exposed, he “strode up and down outside the wire, playing his pipes with the greatest coolness,” the citation to his decoration later read. “The effect was instantaneous. Inspired by his splendid example, the company rushed the wire with such fury and determination that the obstacle was overcome and the position captured.”
Later, after participating in bombing operations, Richardson was ordered to take back a wounded comrade and some prisoners. He started but returned for his pipes, which he had left behind. In doing so he was evidently hit by enemy fire. Initially listed as missing in action, he was never seen again and was officially presumed to have died on 9 October.
Jimmy Richardson was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on 22 Oct. 1918 for his action at Regina Trench. He was one of four members of the 16th Battalion to win this decoration, the highest award for military bravery the monarch could bestow. Other decorated pipers with the 16th included Pipe Major James Groat (Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medal) and Piper George Firth Paul (Military Medal). Richardson was only the third piper within the imperial forces to receive the Victoria Cross since it was instituted in 1856. David and Mary Richardson were still living in Chilliwack when they received news of the award; no parents could have been more proud of their son.
NA, RG 150, Acc. 1992–93/166, file 28930. Times (London), 23 Oct. 1918. Nicholson, CEF. H. M[acI]. Urquhart, The history of the 16th Battalion (the Canadian Scottish), Canadian Expeditionary Force, in the Great War, 1914–1919 (Toronto, 1932). Valiant men: Canada’s Victoria Cross and George Cross winners, ed. John Swettenham (Toronto, 1973). | <urn:uuid:137a05ff-9f5f-4e42-8230-68726c86c3d3> | {
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Fr. John Domin
1923 - 2017
Tue 6/13 10:30 am
Laguna Pueblo was founded by Acoma, Zuni, Isleta and Queres people from Santa Fe.
Laguna builders under the direction of Friar Antonio de Miranda constructed San José de Laguna Church in 1699. The entrance to the white mission was built of stone laid in adobe mortar with mud plaster on the inside and outside walls.
The beautiful white façade with a distintive undulating edging on a two bell belfry.
Side of San José de Laguna Church with a stepped doorway on the right.
Paintings along the walls of the nave feature birds resting on forms representing tombs. The altar is carved from native pine and painted by the Laguna santero. The painted canopy above the altar is made of animal hide and decorated with native American symbols.
View toward the choir loft. The beautifully carved beams supporting the roof were carried from a distance of many miles.
The cedar lattices are part of the original ceiling.
6 - 7
San José de Laguna Church, Laguna Pueblo, NM
© 2016 Sanctuary for Sacred Arts | <urn:uuid:3917e4bf-a94f-461c-bd08-3ed1951951a7> | {
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Anthony Giddens (1990) defines globalisation as ‘the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped be events occurring many miles away and vice versa.
David Held (1992) sees globalisation in terms of the greater interconnectedness of social life and social relationships throughout the world.
As a result of globalisation, what happens in one part of the world can quickly affect other parts of the world.
The globalisation of crime
One of the downsides of the increasing interconnectedness between societies is the increase in global crime – Manuel Castells (1998) argues that there is now a global criminal economy worth over one trillion per annum. Four of the major forms of global crime which he recognises include:
1. The drugs trade
2. People Trafficking
3. Cyber crimes
4. International Terrorism
Global Criminal Networks and The Global Criminal Economy
Global Criminal networks involve complex interconnections between a range of criminal networks which transcend national boundaries including the American Mafia, Columbian drug cartels, the Russian Mafia, Chinese Triads and the Sicilian Costa Nostra.
Global criminal networks have developed because of the growth of an information age in which knowledge as well as goods and people can move quickly and easily across national boundaries.
According to Misha Glenny (see below) these networks form a global criminal economy which accounts for 15% of global trade – (Misha Glenny, (2008) McMafia: Crime without Frontiers). In order of importance (in economic terms) the main crimes organised criminal gangs engage in are:
• Drug trafficking estimated – 8 % of world trade
• Money laundering estimated 2 – 5 % of global GDP.
• 4 – 5 million people trafficked each year = profits of up to US$9.5 billion
In addition these criminal networks also trade in weapons, pharmaceuticals, nuclear materials, body parts, metals, precious stones / natural resources, stolen cars, art, antiques, rare animals and counterfeit goods; they Provide and control illicit services, most notably, gambling and prostitution, they engage in cybercrime, robbery, kidnapping, extortion, corruption,and piracy, and finally there is also terrorism.
Misha Glenny: The role of organised Crime in Ex-Communist Countries
Glenny suggests that organised criminal gangs are especially important in facilitating the trade in illegal goods and service. Organised criminal gangs (basically the Mafia) have become especially influential in those areas of the world where there is weak rule of law (i.e. failed and transitional states), distrust of the state (i.e. Italy, and Mexico), Inaccessible terrain (i.e. Peru and Colombia), high levels of corruption, and easy access to weapons and access to Transnational networks.
One of the most significant criminal networks which impacts Europe operates from Bulgaria – a country which is a ‘Hub’ between the rich and poor parts of the world, and where the Mafia have held considerable power since the collapse of Communism in the late 1980s. Most of the drugs people take in the UK and many of the prostitutes British men sleep with have been shipped by the Bulgarian Mafia.
Evaluation of Glenny
Dick Hobbs and Colin Dunningham their 1990s ethnographic study examined how organised crime has expanded on the back of globalisation. They suggest that criminal organisations like the Mafia are not dominant, but most global crime operates through a glocal system – that is, there’s a global distribution network built from local connections. For example local growers of cannabis, deliver their product to a supply-chain feeding a global network of users. For example Columbian drug barons use glocal systems to deliver their product to the world. | <urn:uuid:4aa099e8-87c2-4e38-a319-c9bd3745a3d3> | {
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The World Trade Center site, formerly known as “Ground Zero” after the September 11 attacks, is a 14.6-acre (59,000 m2) area in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The previous World Trade Center complex stood on the site until it was destroyed in the September 11 attacks. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Silverstein Properties, and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation oversee the reconstruction of the site according to a master plan by Studio Daniel Libeskind. The site is bounded by Vesey Street to the north, the West Side Highway to the west, Liberty Street to the south, and Church Street to the east. The Port Authority owns the site’s land (except for 7 World Trade Center). Developer Larry Silverstein holds the lease to retail and office space in four of the site’s buildings.
A memorial called “Reflecting Absence” honors the victims of the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The memorial, designed by Peter Walker and Israeli-American architect Michael Arad, consists of a field of trees interrupted by the footprints of the twin towers. Pools of water fill the footprints, underneath which sits a memorial space whose walls bear the names of the victims.
Soon after the September 11 attacks, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Governor George Pataki, and President George W. Bush vowed to rebuild the World Trade Center site. On the day of the attacks, Giuliani proclaimed, “We will rebuild. We’re going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again.”
One World Trade Center (previously coined the “Freedom Tower” by Governor Pataki) is the centerpiece of Libeskind’s design. The building rises to 1,368 feet (417 m), the height of the original World Trade Center north tower, and its antenna rises to the symbolic height of 1,776 feet (541 m). This height refers to 1776, the year in which the United States Declaration of Independence was signed.
More info in Wikipedia | <urn:uuid:9c72e047-2dfd-42b9-a59a-660a42796c8e> | {
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Grand Duchy of Moscow
||This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (November 2011)|
|Grand Principality of Moscow|
|Великое Княжество Московское
Velikoye Knyazhestvo Moskovskoye
Territorial development between 1390 and 1530
|Languages||Old East Slavic|
|-||1462–1505||Ivan III the Great|
|-||1505–1533||Vasili III (last)|
|-||Tsardom proclaimed||22 October 1547|
The Grand Duchy of Moscow (Russian: Великое Княжество Московское, Velikoye Knyazhestvo Moskovskoye), or Grand Principality of Moscow (also known in English simply as Muscovy), was a late medieval Rus' principality centered on Moscow and the predecessor state of the early modern Tsardom of Russia.
The state originated with Daniel I, who inherited Moscow in 1283, eclipsing and eventually absorbing its parent duchy of Vladimir-Suzdal by the 1320s. It later destroyed and annexed the Novgorod Republic in 1478 and the Grand Duchy of Tver in 1485. The Grand Duchy of Moscow expanded through conquest and annexation from just 20,000 square kilometers in 1300 to 430,000 in 1462, 2.8 million in 1533, and 5.4 million by 1584.
Muscovy remained a tributary to the Golden Horde (under the "Tatar Yoke") until 1480. Ivan III further consolidated the state during his 43-year reign, campaigning against his major remaining rival power, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and by 1503 he had tripled the territory of Muscovy, adopting the title of tsar and claiming the title of "Ruler of all Rus'". By his marriage to the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, he established Muscovy as the successor state of the Roman Empire, the "Third Rome".
Ivan's successor Vasili III also enjoyed military success, gaining Smolensk from Lithuania in 1512, pushing Muscovy's borders to the Dniepr River. Vasili's son Ivan IV (later known as Ivan the Terrible) was an infant at his father's death in 1533. He was crowned in 1547, assuming the title of tsar together with the proclamation of Tsardom of Russia (Russian: Царство Русcкое, Tsarstvo Russkoe).
When the Mongols invaded the lands of Kievan Rus', Moscow was an insignificant trading outpost in the principality of Vladimir-Suzdal. Although the Mongols burnt down Moscow in the winter of 1238 and pillaged it in 1293, the outpost's remote, forested location offered some security from Mongol attacks and occupation, and a number of rivers provided access to the Baltic and Black Seas and to the Caucasus region.
More important to the development of the state of Moscow, however, was its rule by a series of princes who collaborated with the Mongols. The first ruler of the principality of Moscow, Daniel I (d. 1303), was the youngest son of Alexander Nevsky of Vladimir-Suzdal. He started to expand his principality by seizing Kolomna and securing the bequest of Pereslavl-Zalessky to his family. Daniel's son Yuriy (also known as Georgiy) controlled the entire basin of the Moskva River and expanded westward by conquering Mozhaisk. He then forged an alliance with the overlord of the Rus' principalities, Uzbeg Khan of the Golden Horde, and married the khan's sister. He was allowed by the khan to claim the title of Grand Duke of Vladimir-Suzdal, a position which allowed him to interfere in the affairs of the Novgorod Republic to the north-west.
Yuriy's successor, Ivan I (r. 1325–40), managed to retain the title of Grand Duke by cooperating closely with the Mongols and collecting tribute and taxes from other Rus' principalities on their behalf. This relationship enabled Ivan to gain regional ascendancy, particularly over Moscow's chief rival, the northern city of Tver, which rebelled against the Horde in 1327. The uprising was subdued by the joint forces of Mongols and Muscovites. Ivan was reputed to be the richest person in Rus', as his moniker "Kalita" (literally, the "moneybag") testifies. He used his treasures to purchase land in other principalities and to finance construction of stone churches in the Kremlin. In 1327, the Orthodox Metropolitan Peter transferred his residence from Kiev to Vladimir and then to Moscow, further enhancing the prestige of the new principality.
Ivan's successors continued gathering the lands of Rus' to increase the population and wealth under their rule. In the process, their interests clashed with the expanding Grand Duchy of Lithuania, whose subjects were predominantly East Slavic and Orthodox. Grand Duke Algirdas of Lithuania allied himself by marriage with Tver and undertook three expeditions against Moscow (1368, 1370, 1372) but was unable to take it. The main bone of contention between Moscow and Vilnius was the large city of Smolensk.
In the 1350s, the country and the royal family were hit by the Black Death. Dmitry Ivanovich was aged nine, when his parents died and the title of Grand Duke slipped into the hands of his distant relative, Dmitry of Suzdal. Surrounded by Lithuanians and Muslim nomads, the ruler of Moscow cultivated an alliance with the Rus' Orthodox Church, which experienced a resurgence in influence, due to the monastic reform of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
Educated by Metropolitan Alexis, Dmitri posed as a champion of Orthodoxy and managed to unite the warring principalities of Rus' in his struggle against the Horde. He challenged the Khan's authority and defeated his commander Mamai in the epic Battle of Kulikovo (1380). However, the victory did not bring any short-term benefits; Tokhtamysh in 1382, sacked Moscow hoping to reassert his vested authority over his vassal, the Grand Prince, and his own Mongol hegemony, killing 24,000 people.
Nevertheless, Dmitri became a national hero. The memory of Kulikovo Field made the Rus' population start believing in their ability to end Tatar domination and become a free people. Dmitri successfully overcame the stigma of collaborating with the Tatars which had been attached to Moscow for decades. In 1389, he passed the throne to his son Vasily I without bothering to obtain the Khan's sanction.
Vasily I and Vasily II
|History of Russia|
Vasily I (r. 1389–1425) continued the policies of his father. After the Horde was attacked by Tamerlane, he desisted from paying tribute to the Khan, but was forced to pursue a more conciliatory policy after Edigu's incursion on Moscow in 1408. Married to the only daughter of the Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania, he attempted to avoid open conflicts with his powerful father-in-law, even when the latter annexed Smolensk. The peaceful years of his long reign were marked by the continuing expansion to the east (annexation of Nizhny Novgorod and Suzdal, 1392) and to the north (annexation of Vologda, Veliky Ustyug, and Perm of Vychegda, 1398). Nizhny Novgorod was given by the Khan as a reward for Muscovite help against a rival.
The reforms of St. Sergius triggered a cultural revival, exemplified by the icons and frescoes of the monk Andrei Rublev. Hundreds of monasteries were founded by St. Sergius's disciples in distant and inhospitable locations, including Beloozero and Solovki. Apart from their cultural function, these monasteries were major landowners. They could control the economy of an adjacent region. In fact they served as outposts of Moscow influence in the neighboring principalities and republics. Another factor responsible for the expansion of the Grand Duchy of Moscow was its favorable dynastic situation, when each sovereign was succeeded by his son, while rival principalities were plagued by dynastic strife and splintered into ever smaller polities. The only lateral branch of the House of Moscow, represented by Vladimir of Serpukhov and his descendants, was firmly anchored to the Moscow Duchy.
The situation changed with the ascension of Vasily I's successor, Vasily II (r. 1425–62). Before long his uncle, Yuri of Zvenigorod, started to advance his claims to the throne and Monomakh's Cap. A bitter family conflict erupted and rocked the country during the whole reign. After Yuri's death in 1432, the claims were taken up by his sons, Vasily Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka, who pursued the Great Feudal War well into the 1450s. Although he was ousted from Moscow on several occasions, taken prisoner by Olug Moxammat of Kazan, and blinded in 1446, Vasily II eventually managed to triumph over his enemies and pass the throne to his son. At his urging, a native bishop was elected as Metropolitan of Moscow, which was tantamount to declaration of independence of the Russian Orthodox Church from the Patriarch of Constantinople (1448).
Outward expansion of the Grand Duchy in the 14th and 15th centuries was accompanied by internal consolidation. By the 15th century, the rulers of Moscow considered the entire Rus' territory their collective property. Various semi-independent princes of Rurikid stock still claimed specific territories, but Ivan III (the Great; r. 1462–1505) forced the lesser princes to acknowledge the grand prince of Moscow and his descendants as unquestioned rulers with control over military, judicial, and foreign affairs.
|History of Udmurtia|
|History of Tatarstan|
Moscow gained full sovereignty over a significant part of the ethnically Rus' lands by 1480, when the Tatars' Golden Horde overlordship ended officially after the Great standing on the Ugra river, and by the beginning of the 16th century virtually all those lands were united, including the Novgorod Republic (annexation of 1478) and the Grand Duchy of Tver (annexation of 1485). Through inheritance, Ivan was able to control the important Principality of Ryazan, and the princes of Rostov and Yaroslavl' subordinated themselves to him. The northwestern city of Pskov consisting of city and few lands surrounding it remained independent in this period, but Ivan's son, Vasili III (r. 1505–33), later conquered it.
Having consolidated the core of Russia under his rule, Ivan III became the first Moscow ruler to adopt the titles of tsar and "Ruler of all Rus'". Ivan competed with his powerful northwestern rival Lithuania for control over some of the semi-independent former principalities of Kievan Rus' in the upper Dnieper and Donets river basins. Through the defections of some princes, border skirmishes, and a long, inconclusive war with Lithuania that ended only in 1503, Ivan III was able to push westward, and Moscow state tripled in size under his rule.
The reign of the Tsars started officially with Ivan the Terrible, the first monarch to be crowned Tsar of Russia, but in practice it started with Ivan III, who completed the centralization of the state (traditionally known as the gathering of the Russian lands) at the same time as Louis XI did the same in France.
The court of the Moscow princes combined ceremonies and customs inherited from Kievan Rus with those imported from the Byzantine Empire and Golden Horde. Some traditional Russian offices, like that of tysyatsky and veche, were gradually abolished in order to consolidate power in the hands of the ruling prince. A new elaborate system of court precedence, or mestnichestvo, predicated the nobleman's rank and function on the rank and function of his ancestors and other members of his family. The highest echelon of hereditary nobles was composed of boyars. They fell into three categories:
- Rurikid princes of Upper Oka towns, Suzdal, Rostov, Yaroslavl, etc. that lived in Moscow after their hereditary principalities had been incorporated into Duchy of Moscow (e.g., Shuisky, Vorotynsky, Repnin, Romodanovsky);
- Foreign princes from Lithuania and Golden Horde, claiming descent either from Grand Duke Gediminas or from Genghis Khan (e.g., Belsky, Mstislavsky, Galitzine, Trubetskoy);
- Ancient families of Moscow nobility that have been recorded in the service of Grand Dukes from the 14th century (e.g., Romanov, Godunov, Sheremetev).
Rurikid and Gediminid boyars, whose fathers and grandfathers were independent princelings, felt that they were kin to the grand prince and hence almost equal to him. During the times of dynastic troubles (such as the years of Ivan IV's minority), boyardom constituted an internal force which was a permanent threat to the throne. An early form of the monarch's conflict with boyarstvo was the oprichnina policy of Ivan the Terrible.
During such conflicts, Ivan, Boris Godunov, and some later monarchs felt the necessity to counterbalance the boyardom by creating a new kind of nobility, based on personal devotion to tsar and merits earned by faithful service, rather than by heredity. Later these new nobles were called dvoryans (singular: dvoryanin). The name comes from the Russian word dvor in the meaning of tsar's dvor, i.e., The Court. Hence the expression pozhalovat ko dvoru, i.e., to be called to (serve) The Court.
The development of the modern day Russian state is traced from Kievan Rus' through Vladimir-Suzdal and Moscow Duchy to Tsardom of Russia, and then, the Russian Empire. The Moscow Duchy drew people and wealth to the northeastern part of Kievan Rus'; established trade links to the Baltic Sea, the White Sea, and the Caspian Sea and to Siberia; and created a highly centralized and autocratic political system. The political traditions established in Muscovy, therefore, exerted a powerful influence on the future development of Russian society.
- Richard Pipes, Russia under the Old Regime (1995), p.80.
- Library of Congress Country Studies -Russia
- Moss (2005)
- Moss, Walter G (2005). "History of Russia - Volume 1: To 1917", Anthem Press, p. 80
- Chester Dunning, The Russian Empire and the Grand Duchy of Muscovy: A Seventeenth Century French Account
- Romaniello, Matthew (September 2006). "Ethnicity as social rank: Governance, law, and empire in Muscovite Russia". Nationalities Papers 34 (4): 447–469. doi:10.1080/00905990600842049.
- Marshall Poe, Foreign Descriptions of Muscovy: An Analytic Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Sources, Slavica Publishers, 1995, ISBN 0-89357-262-4
- This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies. - Russia
- Media related to Muscovy at Wikimedia Commons | <urn:uuid:6c865b41-1669-4dae-a9f8-8aeafee83031> | {
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Calculating GHG Scope 3 End of Life Emissions: Understanding the Impacts and OpportunitiesCalculating GHG Scope 3 End of Life Emissions: Understanding the Impacts and Opportunities https://www.esgenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Blue-White-Colorful-Business-Facebook-Cover.png 1640 924 ESG Enterprise https://www.esgenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Blue-White-Colorful-Business-Facebook-Cover.png
In recent years, companies have become increasingly aware of their impact on the environment and are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. One important aspect of this is measuring and reporting their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are relatively easy to track, Scope 3 emissions can be more challenging, especially when it comes to end-of-life emissions.
Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain, including activities like product manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life disposal. End-of-life emissions refer to the GHG emissions associated with the disposal or recycling of a product at the end of its useful life.
Calculating Scope 3 end-of-life emissions can be complex and requires a deep understanding of a product’s lifecycle. To accurately measure these emissions, companies must consider a range of factors, including the product’s materials, the transportation used to transport the product to end-of-life facilities, and the emissions released during the actual disposal process.
One of the biggest challenges in measuring end-of-life emissions is the lack of standardization in reporting. Unlike Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, which are regulated by many countries and have standardized calculation methodologies, Scope 3 emissions have no standardized reporting requirements. This can lead to inconsistencies in reporting and makes it difficult for companies to compare their emissions with others in the same industry.
However, despite these challenges, there are several reasons why it is important for companies to accurately measure and report their Scope 3 end-of-life emissions.
First and foremost, measuring these emissions allows companies to identify areas where they can reduce their environmental impact. By understanding the emissions associated with different disposal methods, companies can make more informed decisions about how to dispose of their products in a way that minimizes their impact on the environment.
In addition to the environmental benefits, measuring end-of-life emissions can also have financial benefits. As consumers become more environmentally conscious, companies that can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability are often seen more favorably. This can lead to increased customer loyalty and even higher revenues.
Furthermore, accurately measuring Scope 3 end-of-life emissions is becoming increasingly important for companies that are looking to improve their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance. Many investors are now demanding more transparency when it comes to ESG reporting, and companies that can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability are often viewed more favorably by investors.
Despite the challenges associated with measuring end-of-life emissions, there are several tools and methodologies available to companies that can help them navigate the process. For example, the GHG Protocol, an internationally recognized standard for GHG accounting and reporting, provides guidance on how to calculate Scope 3 emissions, including end-of-life emissions.
Another tool that companies can use is life cycle assessment (LCA), which allows companies to evaluate the environmental impact of their products throughout their entire lifecycle. By using LCA, companies can identify areas where they can reduce their environmental impact and make more informed decisions about product design and disposal.
In conclusion, accurately measuring and reporting GHG Scope 3 end-of-life emissions is essential for companies that are committed to sustainability. While the process can be challenging, the benefits – both environmental and financial – make it well worth the effort. By understanding the environmental impact of their products, companies can make more informed decisions about how to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their overall ESG performance. | <urn:uuid:7b7492fd-5af5-4f6c-8167-abe49090b4a7> | {
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A computer-based virtual world could prove to be an effective learning environment.
Researchers have demonstrated the potential of using a virtual computer environment for distance healthcare education for an international audience that often has limited access to conventional teaching.
In this project, a virtual world was created in which participants engaged in a learning activity by creating virtual avatars of themselves to navigate through a three-dimensional computer environment and engage in educational activities.
The project was led by John Wiecha, an associate professor of family medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
The study is published online in BMC Medical Education.
Many current online platforms for training and exchanging ideas like webinars and online discussion boards are two-dimensional and limit the way educational information can be designed according to the researchers.
A virtual world (VW) is an immersive, online environment that functions in real time for shared experiences and the exchange of ideas and information.
Participants in the project navigated the VW as avatars or three-dimensional representations of themselves.
They were able to follow the course director through a series of learning stations with questions and discussions occurring in real time.
"We created and delivered, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and the Geneva Foundation for Medical Educational Research Foundation, an interactive lecture on population control, for students from around the world," said Wiecha.
"The easy exchange of ideas with people from all over the globe gave the course a uniquely collaborative feeling. | <urn:uuid:663dfb1c-3d15-47f9-830a-efd20e3690f4> | {
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*Originally published on September 16, 2015. Updated on June 28th, 2018
Data – a collection of facts (numbers, words, measurements, observations, etc) that has been translated into a form that computers can process
Whichever industry you work in, or whatever your interests, you will almost certainly have come across a story about how “data” is changing the face of our world. It might be part of a study helping to cure a disease, boost a company’s revenue, make a building more efficient or be responsible for those targeted ads you keep seeing.
In general, data is simply another word for information. But in computing and business (most of what you read about in the news when it comes to data – especially if it’s about Big Data), data refers to information that is machine-readable as opposed to human-readable.
Humans vs Machines
Human-readable (also known as unstructured data) refers to information that only humans can interpret and study, such as an image or the meaning of a block of text. If it requires a person to interpret it, that information is human-readable.
Machine-readable (or structured data) refers to information that computer programs can process. A program is a set of instructions for manipulating data. And when we take data and apply a set of programs, we get software. In order for a program to perform instructions on data, that data must have some kind of uniform structure.
For example, US Naval Officer Matthew Maury, turned years of old hand-written shipping logs (human-readable) into a large collection of coordinate routes (machine-readable). He was then able to process these routes en masse to reduce the average Naval journey by 33%.
Data in the news
When it comes to the types of structured data that are in Forbes articles and McKinsey reports, there are a few different types which tend to get the most attention…
Personal data is anything that is specific to you. It covers your demographics, your location, your email address and other identifying factors. It’s usually in the news when it gets leaked (like the Ashley Madison scandal) or is being used in a controversial way (when Uber worked out who was having an affair).
Lots of different companies collect your personal data (especially social media sites), anytime you have to put in your email address or credit card details you are giving away your personal data. Often they’ll use that data to provide you with personalized suggestions to keep you engaged. Facebook for example uses your personal information to suggest content you might like to see based on what other people similar to you like.
In addition, personal data is aggregated (to depersonalize it somewhat) and then sold to other companies, mostly for advertising and competitive research purposes. That’s one of the ways you get targeted ads and content from companies you’ve never even heard of.
Transactional data is anything that requires an action to collect. You might click on an ad, make a purchase, visit a certain web page, etc.
Pretty much every website you visit collects transactional data of some kind, either through Google Analytics, another 3rd party system or their own internal data capture system.
Transactional data is incredibly important for businesses because it helps them to expose variability and optimize their operations for the highest quality results. By examining large amounts of data, it is possible to uncover hidden patterns and correlations. These patterns can create competitive advantages, and result in business benefits like more effective marketing and increased revenue.
Web data is a collective term which refers to any type of data you might pull from the internet, whether to study for research purposes or otherwise. That might be data on what your competitors are selling, published government data, football scores, etc. It’s a catchall for anything you can find on the web that is public facing (ie not stored in some internal database). Studying this data can be very informative, especially when communicated well to management.
Web data is important because it’s one of the major ways businesses can access information that isn’t generated by themselves. When creating quality business models and making important BI decisions, businesses need information on what is happening internally and externally within their organization and what is happening in the wider market.
Web data can be used to monitor competitors, track potential customers, keep track of channel partners, generate leads, build apps, and much more. It’s uses are still being discovered as the technology for turning unstructured data into structured data improves.
Web data can be collected by writing web scrapers to collect it, using a scraping tool, or by paying a third party to do the scraping for you. A web scraper is a computer program that takes a URL as an input and pulls the data out in a structured format – usually a JSON feed or CSV.
Sensor data is produced by objects and is often referred to as the Internet of Things. It covers everything from your smartwatch measuring your heart rate to a building with external sensors that measure the weather.
So far, sensor data has mostly been used to help optimize processes. For example, AirAsia saved $30-50 million by using GE sensors and technology to help reduce operating costs and increase aircraft usage. By measuring what is happening around them, machines can make smart changes to increase productivity and alert people when they are in need of maintenance.
When does data become Big Data?
Technically all of the types of data above contribute to Big Data. There’s no official size that makes data “big”. The term simply represents the increasing amount and the varied types of data that is now being gathered as part of data collection.
As more and more of the world’s information moves online and becomes digitized, it means that analysts can start to use it as data. Things like social media, online books, music, videos and the increased amount of sensors have all added to the astounding increase in the amount of data that has become available for analysis.
The thing that differentiates Big Data from the “regular data” we were analyzing before is that the tools we use to collect, store and analyze it have had to change to accommodate the increase in size and complexity. With the latest tools on the market, we no longer have to rely on sampling. Instead, we can process datasets in their entirety and gain a far more complete picture of the world around us.
The importance of data collection
Data collection differs from data mining in that it is a process by which data is gathered and measured. All this must be done before high quality research can begin and answers to lingering questions can be found. Data collection is usually done with software, and there are many different data collection procedures, strategies, and techniques. Most data collection is centered on electronic data, and since this type of data collection encompasses so much information, it usually crosses into the realm of big data.
So why is data collection important? It is through data collection that a business or management has the quality information they need to make informed decisions from further analysis, study, and research. Without data collection, companies would stumble around in the dark using outdated methods to make their decisions. Data collection instead allows them to stay on top of trends, provide answers to problems, and analyze new insights to great effect.
The sexiest job of the 21st century?
After data collection, all that data needs to be processed, researched, and interpreted by someone before it can be used for insights. No matter what kind of data you’re talking about, that someone is usually a data scientist.
Data scientists are now one of the most sought after positions. A former exec at Google even went so far as to call it the “sexiest job of the 21st century”.
To become a data scientist you need a solid foundation in computer science, modeling, statistics, analytics and math. What sets them apart from traditional job titles is an understanding of business processes and an ability to communicate quality findings to both business management and IT leaders in a way that can influence how an organization approaches a business challenge and answer problems along the way.
If you’re interested in learning more about big data, data collection, or want to start taking advantage of all it has to offer, check out these blogs, events, companies and more.
- Flowing Data – run by Dr. Nathan Yau, PhD, it has tutorials, visualizations, resources, book recommendations and humorous discussions on challenges faced by the industry
- FiveThirtyEight – run by data-wiz Nate Silver, it offers data analysis on popular news topics in politics, culture, sports and economics
- Edwin Chen – the self-named blog from the head data scientist at Dropbox, this blog offers hand-on tips for using algorithms and analysis
- Data Science Weekly – for the latest news in data science, this is the ultimate email newsletter
- No Free Hunch (Kaggle) – hosts a number of predictive modeling competitions. Their competition and data science blog, covers all things related to the sport of data science.
- SmartData Collective – an online community moderated by Social Media Today that provides information on the latest trends in business intelligence, data management, and data collection.
- KDnuggets – is a comprehensive resource for anyone with a vested interest in the data science community.
- Data Elixir – is a great roundup of data news across the web, you can get a weekly digest sent straight to your inbox.
- Marcus Borba (CTO Spark) – his feed is stacked with visualizations of complex concepts like the Internet of Things (IoT) and several incarnations of NoSQL
- Lillian Pierson (Author, Data Science for Dummies) – she links to a bevy of informative articles, from news clips on the latest companies taking advantage of Big Data, to helpful blog posts from influencers in both the data science and business space
- Kirk Borne (Principal Data Scientist at BoozAllen) – posts and retweets links to fascinating articles on Big Data and data science
- 40 data mavericks under 40 – this list encompases the who’s who of the bright and innovative in data and startups
- Strata + Hadoop World – New York, NY (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1) – focuses specifically on Big Data’s implications on big business.
- Extract – San Francisco, CA (October 30) – bringing together more than 600 of the best minds in data science to combine growth hacking with data analysis to equip you to be the best data scientist in the field.
- Big Data Tech Con 2015 – Chicago, IL (November 2 -4) – a major “how to” for Big Data use that will prove to be very instructive in how new businesses take on Big Data.
- Big Data Bootcamp – Tampa, FL (December 7-9) – an intensive, beginner-friendly, hands-on training experience that immerses yourself in the world of Big Data
- Big Data Innovation Summit – Las Vegas, NV (January 21-22) – Hear from the likes of Hershey, Netflix, and the Department of Homeland Security on exactly how you can make your data actionable and effective.
- Data Summit 2016 – New York, NY (May 9-11) – brings together government agencies, public institutions, and leading businesses to harness new technologies and strategies for further incorporating data into your day-to-day experience.
- Udemy – free and paid for online courses to teach you everything you need to know
- Code School – learn coding online by following these simple step by step tutorials and courses
- Decoded – essential introduction to code that unlocks the immense potential of the digital world
- Data Camp – build a solid foundation in data science, and strengthen your R programming skills.
- Coursera – partnering with top universities and organizations to offer courses online
- W3schools – has great online tutorials for learning basic coding and data analysis skills.
- OpenRefine – a data cleaning software that allows you to pre-process your data for analysis.
- WolframAlpha – provides detailed responses to technical searches and does very complex calculations. For business users, it presents information charts and graphs, and is excellent for high level pricing history, commodity information, and topic overviews.
- Import.io is allows you to turn the unstructured data displayed on web pages into structured tables of data that can be accessed over an API.
- Trifacta – clean and wrangle data of files & databases you could not handle in excel, with easy to use statistical tools
- Tableau – a visualization tool that makes it easy to look at your data in new ways.
- Google Fusion Tables – a versatile tool for data analysis, large data set visualization and mapping.
- Blockspring – get live data, create interactive maps, get street view images, run image recognition, and save to Dropbox with this Google Sheets plugin
- Plot.ly – visualize your data in an easy way to quickly see trends and insights
- Luminoso – identify the relationships between keywords and concepts within your data set and glean insight about product perception
- BigML – Build a model of your market, with all the variables like pricing, product features and geography | <urn:uuid:8d0cf771-ed02-4c3e-9277-d2af87354179> | {
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2901.0 - Census Dictionary, 2011
Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/05/2011
|Page tools: Print Page RSS Search this Product|
Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL)
The Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) has been used to code Language Spoken at Home (LANP) since the 1996 Census. The 2011 Census uses ASCL Second Edition, Revision 1 to code Language Spoken at Home.
In the ASCL, languages are grouped into progressively broader categories on the basis of their evolution from a common ancestral language (linguistic similarity) and the geographic proximity of areas where particular languages originated. This allows populations of language speakers who are similar in terms of their ethnic and cultural characteristics to be grouped in analytically useful ways.
The first edition of the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) was published in 1997 to meet a growing statistical and administrative need for a properly developed and formulated classification of languages.The ASCL was intended for use in the collection, aggregation and dissemination of data relating to the language use of the Australian population, or subsets of the population. Since its publication, the ASCL has been widely used both within the ABS and by other organisations.
For more information refer to the Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL), Second Edition, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1267.0).
See also Language Spoken at Home (LANP). | <urn:uuid:a75d6f2b-0197-4c8a-b69f-2f9fcce03b92> | {
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Informations and abstract
Keywords: Innocenzo Cervelli; Venice; State; Machiavelli.
In 1974, Innocenzo Cervelli published his first book in Naples, dedicated to the crisis that devastated Venice and its mainland dominions in the early sixteenth century. Into his reconstruction of the lagoon’s political and intellectual environment, the young scholar chose to integrate an analysis of all the relevant Machiavellian texts: not only the major works that explicitly address the great constitutional problem that the Serenissima represents in the eyes of contemporaries – and Florentines in particular – but also the professional writings that reveal the keen eye of the ambassador Machiavelli. Cervelli, who, like others, wondered in the 1960s about the problem of the modern state, critically took on the original point of view of the Florentine secretary, who observed, for example, the reaction that developed in the cities and communities subject to Venice in the months following the defeat at Agnadello. The fundamental theme was no longer the classic one of the stability of Venice, but rather that of the Venetian State and the conceptual challenge that the very existence of Venice as a state had posed to Machiavelli – that is, the «miracle» of an imperio obtained without its own weapons, and that holds up to the impact of defeat. The «republican» nature of the city’s constitution was not, therefore, at issue, but the complex and precocious «state» form of the land’s dominion, where the plurality of the players had been able to generate unexpected dynamics immediately after Agnadello, which Machiavelli grasped more lucidly than other figures. | <urn:uuid:505a9f12-ba6d-4924-9c67-af6d9a164137> | {
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Media Arts for Elementary Classrooms 2.0 Supporting ELLs Series
In the Media Arts for Elementary Classrooms 2.0, we will focus on adding English Language Development (ELD) strategies to media arts integration professional learning. This series is designed for TK-6 teachers and 7-12 teachers looking to integrate media arts and ELD strategies into their classrooms.
Since the adoption of the California Arts Standards for Public Schools and the California Arts Education Framework for Public Schools, there is a need for practical introduction to Media Arts at the elementary level. Students are learning at home and school. They are on devices while consuming, creating, and sharing media. Educators are eager to develop media skills to support student content that is both current and standards-aligned. Media Arts is a natural fit to the modern elementary classroom where students can express their voice and ideas in creative ways.
Session One: Media Arts 2.0 Overview – Understand the structure of the California Arts Standards and Arts Education Framework for Media Arts. Learn about the EL Roadmap and ELD Framework. This session will lay the groundwork for the next three hands-on sessions. Presented by Jeannine Flores, Arts & STEAM Coordinator and the Center for Distance and Online Learning team.
Session Two: Media Arts 2.0: Photography – A picture is worth a thousand words! How can photography support ELD, literacy, and student voice? Participants will gain skills and confidence integrating photography into their TK-6 classrooms. This session will be presented by experts from LA’s own Las Fotos Project.
Session Three: Media Arts 2.0: Video Production – Get hands on by practicing video production skills to enhance learning with experts from public media stations, KQED and PBS SoCal. Participants will gain new skills for supporting video production projects that can help bring real world learning to life in TK-6 classrooms.
Session Four: Media Arts 2.0: Audio Recording – Jostin Grimes, Education Specialist from Soundtrap for Education by Spotify, will take you through the process of constructing and developing audio and music recording using the features within Soundtrap. This art form will provide students with a platform to share their voices, create expressive stories, and collaborate with their peers. Participants will leave with valuable strategies, resources, and skills to implement into their TK-6 classrooms.
4 Sessions August 5, September 2, October 7, November 4
This series is made possible through a partnership with CDOL and CCSESA Creativity at the Core Module 23.
Learn more HERE | <urn:uuid:66cd9fdb-e128-4efd-abbc-645b139cf472> | {
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August is National Immunization Awareness Month and while this is not a super fun holiday, keeping your pets up-to-date on their recommended vaccinations and preventative care, is one of the most effective ways to keep them healthy and happy! Many diseases are spread through contact with other animals or a contaminated environment, vaccines provide your beloved animals with a resistance to such diseases. No only does vaccinating your pets keep them personally safe, but also reduces the spread of dangerous diseases to other pets and in some cases, humans as well!
If maintaining a healthy wellbeing of your companion animals doesn’t justify keeping up on vaccines, there are countless other reasons to vaccinate:
- Avoiding the high cost of medical treatment for contracted preventable diseases
- Abiding by state laws and regulations (Rabies is a required vaccine by Indiana Law!)
- Required for dog parks, grooming, boarding, hospitalization, day care and even some pet friendly festivals!
- Only some vaccines required annually- others have a three year coverage!
Both our Michigan Road facility and Holmes Ave Animal Welfare Center offer low-cost vaccine and preventative care. For more information click here
Deal of the Month: Through August, both our clinics are offering $10 Leptospirosis (Lepto) vaccines.
Lepto is a zoonotic disease that can infect both humans and animals. Lepto is hard to avoid as the bacteria that causes the disease is found in the urine of mammals like raccoons, squirrels, possums, mice, chipmunks and rats. This means animals who live in both city and rural environments are at risk of exposure. Common types of exposure to the bacteria happen when an animal drinks from puddles, rivers, lakes or streams. Contact with rodents (like rats & squirrels) or other dogs (dog parks, multiple dog working facilities, groomers, etc) also are common types of exposure. Without treatment Lepto can cause kidney failure, be passed along to humans and/or preventable death for an otherwise healthy pet. What makes Lepto so dangerous is that once exposed many dogs show no signs at all- and if they do, the symptoms can be rather ambiguous.
Common signs for those who show them can include the following:
- Decreased appetite or not eating
- Increased drinking and urination
- Weakness and depression
- Muscle pain, stiffness, reluctance to move
- Conjunctivitis (red eyes)
- Difficulty breathing or coughing
To keep your pets safe from the dangers of Lepto, first time clients get a two-part series of shots spaced about a month apart. From there, the Lepto vaccine is then included only annually, same time as other yearly vaccines. | <urn:uuid:972488b9-870d-4074-8563-c50f3dcbc419> | {
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Everything you need to understand or teach Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand.
When Cyrano de Bergerac was first produced at the Porte Saint-Martin Theater in Paris, France, on December 28, 1897, the audience applauded for a full hour after the final curtain was drawn. A classic was created on that night, and an unforgettable hero of literature was born
The play is based loosely on the life of playwright Savien de Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655), Edmond Rostand's favorite writer. Actor Constant-Benoit Coquelin had asked Rostand to write...
Cyrano de Bergerac Lesson Plans contain 114 pages of teaching material, including: | <urn:uuid:ea15487f-9898-479d-bf75-de8ae8444a87> | {
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June 10, 2014
Mobile Technology May Be Negatively Affecting Male Fertility
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online
Men with fertility problems may want to reevaluate what they keep in the pockets of their pants, especially if one of those items is a mobile phone.According to a new study in the Environment International journal, Radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted by mobile phones can reduce sperm mobility and viability.
In the study, researchers review data from participants at fertility clinics and research centers. Sperm quality was assessed based on three different metrics: motility, the ratio of sperm that were alive, (viability) and the quantity of sperm per unit of semen (concentration).
The researchers found that 50 to 85 percent of sperm have normal movement, under normal circumstances. However, when the researchers saw that the sperm samples were exposed to mobile phones – sperm motility dropped by 8 percent. A similar effect was seen for viability and the effect of concentration was unclear.
“Given the enormous scale of mobile phone use around the world, the potential role of this environmental exposure needs to be clarified,” said study author Fiona Mathews, a biologist at the University of Exeter. “This study strongly suggests that being exposed to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from carrying mobiles in trouser pockets negatively affects sperm quality.”
“This could be particularly important for men already on the borderline of infertility, and further research is required to determine the full clinical implications for the general population,” she added.
Researchers are constantly looking to solve fertility problems and a study published last month announced that a team of American researchers identified a key protein that plays a major role in determining a sperm’s ability to fertilize an egg. | <urn:uuid:8b387609-6600-453e-9745-85ba206be579> | {
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We all know that humans were never meant to sit all day long. The cavemen actually had it better for their bodies with their hunting and gathering and, you know, running for their lives from wooly mammoths. Sitting at work is giving us a myriad of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol levels. However, a new study finds that sitting for the majority of the day may not be as bad as you thought as long as you work out a lot and your workouts include weight training.
The study, published in BMC Medicine, was led by Carlos Celis-Morales from the University of Glasgow. Her team looked at data from nearly 400,000 middle-aged people in the UK by looking at tests of grip strength and fitness tests using an ergometer. When the study followed up five years later with the subjects after the initial data collection it was found that people with the weakest grips had a 31% higher risk of dying compared to those with stronger grips who basically sat for the same amount of time. “The overall message is that it may not matter so much if you watch a lot of TV if you are strong, fit and physically active,” Morales said. “If you move and are more active, [sitting] will not have the same effect on your health as if you are inactive.”
Strengthen that grip
Essentially it is OK if you sit for eight hours a day as long as some of your time outside of work is spent in active mode and particularly working on your grip strength. That grip is a real game changer as the people who were sedentary most of the day and had weak grips had a 21% higher risk of developing heart disease and a 14% higher risk of getting cancer compared to people with higher grip strength.
So as long as you are constantly moving outside of the office you will be fine! | <urn:uuid:cf342144-e693-4582-b31a-67c97555e4cb> | {
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Status of North Atlantic right whales: an update
Peter Corkeron and Richard M Pace III
North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) continue to decline in number. The best current estimate of their abundance is 411 (95% Bayesian credible intervals 389-430) individuals alive at the end of 2017 , down from an estimate of 451 at the start of 2016. No calves were observed to be born in 2018, down from five in 2017, and 14 in 2016. To date (late February 2019), seven calves are known to have been born in the winter 2019 season. Evidence is strengthening that the apparently increased occupancy of the Gulf of St Lawrence by North Atlantic right whales is in response to prey shifts, which are driven by ecosystem changes, that are in turn a result of climate changes. Evidence that chronic entanglement in fishing gear is a significant physiological stressor of North Atlantic right whales is becoming clearer. Two recent studies have assessed the extent to which the recovery of North Atlantic right whales has been constrained by anthropogenic mortality. Initial indications is the management actions taken by Canadian authorities in the Gulf of St Lawrence in 2018 were successful. | <urn:uuid:0080115c-a98c-4585-aa8a-4bae6514d401> | {
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Free Newsletters - Space - Defense - Environment - Energy
by Staff Writers
London UK (SPX) Oct 09, 2013
Scientists from Royal Holloway University have found that when bees are exposed to low levels of neonicotinoid pesticides - which do not directly kill bees - their behaviour changes and they stop working properly for their colonies.
The results showed that exposure to pesticides at levels bees encounter in the field, has subtle impacts on individual bees, and can eventually make colonies fail.
This discovery provides an important breakthrough in identifying the reasons for the recent global decline of bees, a trend that has baffled many experts worldwide.
"One in three mouthfuls of our food depend on bee pollination," said lead author, Dr John Bryden from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway.
"By understanding the complex way in which colonies fail and die, we've made a crucial step in being able to link bee declines to pesticides and other factors, such as habitat loss and disease which can all contribute to colony failure."
"Exposing bees to pesticides is a bit like adding more and more weight on someone's shoulders. A person can keep walking normally under a bit of weight, but when it gets too much - they collapse. Similarly, bee colonies can keep growing when bees aren't too stressed, but if stress levels get too high the colony will eventually fail," added Dr Bryden.
"Our research provides important insights to the biology of pollinators," said co-author Professor Vincent Jansen. "It is intriguing that the way in which bees work together is the key to their success, but could also contribute to their decline and colony failure."
The research was funded as part of the Pounds 10 million 'Insect Pollinators Initiative,' set-up to understand the causes of pollinator declines and safeguard future pollination services.
"Pesticides can have a detrimental effect on bees at levels used in the field," said co-author Dr Nigel Raine.
"Our research will provide important evidence for policymakers. The way we test pesticides, the way we assess their impact on bees, and the way we manage pesticides can all be improved."
Royal Holloway, University of London
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
|The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement| | <urn:uuid:9e2cfd15-a5e8-436e-9890-ff0002acae4c> | {
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Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Winold Reiss was a German art student who painted in the Viennese style and came to America to meet American Indians but ended up in Harlem where he gained fame designing nightclubs and drawing portraits of black celebrities of the day. Are you following this so far?
Even if you are familiar with Reiss' work, you probably haven't seen his best efforts because they lie in storage at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC and rarely see the light of day. You can find some of his Indian portraits (yes, Reiss eventually made it to Montana) on a web site started by Reiss' family. But the books and magazines Reiss illustrated are out of print and it is difficult to find quality reproductions of his work. Here is a close up:
I think Reiss' Harlem work is strikingly beautiful. On the following portrait, you can tell from Reiss' signature way down in the corner that Reiss intended every single square inch of that white space.
The following pictures are examples of how Reiss combined his formal art training, the bold geometric patterns of the decorative arts movements in Germany and Vienna, and African American culture.
Survey Graphic was an important journal at the time of the Harlem Renaissance.
Reiss designed this bold interior for the "Congo Room" at the Hotel Almanac.
Historians tell us that the most important ingredient for a Renaissance is an openness to new ideas and external traditions. For example, the Great Renaissance which began in 14th century Europe resulted from the new cross fertilization of biblical traditions, classical Greek philosophical traditions, and Islamic influences.
In this same spirit, Reiss was receptive to a cross section of strong cultures and he helped create the style of the Harlem Renaissance. It demonstrates the value of keeping your mind and eyes open.
Reiss could not have melded these different cultures together without his powerful sense of design serving as the universal glue. | <urn:uuid:80a603c2-3362-44ad-874a-52deca65823f> | {
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PREGNANT women have been advised against taking Vitamin B3 just yet.
Claims the vitamin found in meats, green leafy vegetables and even Vegemite could prevent millions of miscarriages and birth defects has been called into question by obstetricians and other experts.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says the “extraordinary” suggestions by researchers at the Victor Chang Institute were based on a small mouse study and have the potential to do more harm than good.
“There are literally millions of women affected by these problems and we would just hate for women to suddenly pin their hopes on something that’s essentially a tiny little mouse study,” RANZCOG President Professor Steve Robson told AAP on Friday.
An Australian study, led by Professor Sally Dunwoodie, discovered a new cause of miscarriage and complex birth defects and also found a potential way to prevent them occurring by using dietary supplement Vitamin B3.
Using advanced whole exome sequencing technology, the researchers found a deficiency in a vital molecule, known as NAD, prevents a baby’s organs developing correctly in the womb.
This deficiency was cured and miscarriages and birth defects prevented when naiacin or Vitamin B3 supplements were given to genetically-engineered mice. “This has the potential to significantly reduce the number of miscarriages and birth defects around the world,” Prof Dunwoodie said.
Victor Chang Institute Professor Robert Graham hailed the finding as “one of our country’s greatest”.
Professor Claire Roberts at the Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School at University of Adelaide says the authors have identified a genetic cause of a “rare” group of malformations at birth called VACTERL. It’s estimated about 1/20,000 babies are affected by these defects. Professor Roberts says just because niacin prevented these malformations in mice does not mean it will translate to humans.
“The Australian population is not considered to be deficient in niacin. Most breakfast cereals have niacin added to them, it is also present in meat and whole grain cereals,” Prof Roberts said.
Professor Robson from RANZCOG did not question the science but says the conclusions draw a “very long bow”.
“We urge extreme caution in applying these results to anybody’s personal situation at the moment,” said Prof Robson.
In a statement on Friday, the Victor Chang Institute stood by the “strong evidence” Vitamin B3 has the potential to prevent these birth outcomes. However it did acknowledge further evidence was needed.
“The Victor Chang Institute would never suggest this discovery will explain all causes of miscarriage and birth defects,” the statement read. “It is not known how many cases of miscarriage and birth defects are caused by low levels of NAD. It is also not yet known what dose of vitamin B3 will prevent miscarriage and birth defects.” Plans are now underway at the institute for controlled clinical trials testing the required levels of NAD and vitamin B3 in a large group of women. In the meantime, pregnant women are advised to eat a healthy diet and take folic acid.
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ls - List Directory Contents
(Page 1 of 3)
The first command we will examine is the ls command. This command asks the shell to list the contents of the current directory and is analogous to the dir command in DOS. Typing: ls and pressing enter will produce a simple list of the files and directories within the current working directory. The ls command is very straightforward and comes with several options two of which are most frequently used. The general form is:
ls [options] [path to file or directory]
First the -a option, will add hidden files to the listing. If you remember, filenames that start with a . are referred to as hidden files. These files are not displayed by the ls command unless the -a option is used. The form of the command is:
ls -a [pathname]
A list of all the files in the directory will be shown, including all filenames that began with a dot. Two filenames of interest will appear in this list are:
These two files appear in every directory, the . file is a name that points to the current directory. The .. file points to the parent directory. The ways that these two names can be used will be discussed with cd command.
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Not responsible for any loss resulting from the use of this site. | <urn:uuid:646587c7-2572-4895-8666-8725f49f3c13> | {
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Who would have thought that a pile of clothes could be art? Artist Bela Borsodi was the one that came up with the idea of folding shirts, jackets, dresses and other clothing into different face expressions. Every part of a garment is used to express parts of a face. Collars form mouths, sleeves and pockets creates eyes and buttons or zips add details to the face.
While some are making faces out of clothes, others are creating sheep out of rotary telephones. | <urn:uuid:24392879-7703-4cb7-b9aa-53261542d457> | {
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A Brief History of Merthyr Tydfilby Wayne Foley, Feb 2019
Once the largest urban area in Wales, this towns name is said to be a combination of the modern Welsh for martyr (Merthyr) and the name of King Brychan of Brycheiniog’s daughter, Tydfil.
Merthyr Tydfils history begins with the Roman Empire (as most of the cities in the UK tend to!). They established a network of roads and fortresses. In 74 AD, in order to consolidate their conquest of Wales, they built an auxiliary fort at Penyradden on the River Taff.
The Roman legions were withdrawn from Wales around 380 AD and Wales, at the time called Cambria, suffered raids from Irish pirates and other groups. The most notable of these groups were the Saxons, who in 490 AD invaded and settled Britain.
While Christianity had been introduced by the Romans in Wales, Irish and French monks popularised it to a much greater extent after their departure.
The Norman invasion of England affected only the lowlands of Wales in 1093, with the uplands remaining decidedly Welsh ruled. During this time, Morlais Castle was built two miles north of Merthyr Tydfil.
In the middle ages, Merthyr Tydfil remained a small village inhabited mostly by shepherds with an almost entirely agrarian economy. However, the industrial revolution was inbound and about to change this for good.
Merthyr Tydfil was located very close to iron ore, coal, limestone and lumber reserves. Ironworks had existed in the village previously, but the industrial revolution brought a huge increase in demand for these industries.
In the 19th century, many young men had moved to industrial work from agriculture and workers rights did not really exist until the 1831 Merthyr Rising. Frequent wage reductions, aggressive debt collection and unfair payment arrangements saw 10,000 workers take to the streets to demand reform. Unfortumately for the workers though, they lost control of the movement and many of the perceived leaders of the marches were arrested.
Throughout the 19th century, Merthyr Tydfil’s location became more and more disadvantageous, due to their lack of access to the sea. Many workers began to emigrate, mainly to the USA and Ukraine. John Hughes, a Merthyr engineer, actually established the now extremely prominent city of Donetsk in Eastern Ukraine.
By 1932, due to a decline in industry and am emigrating population, more than 80% of the men were unemployed. However, in World War II, war industries were established in the town which temporarily boosted the economy.
After World War II, many large companies set up in Merthyr Tydfil. The Hoover company started a washing machine factory and they eventually became the largest employer in the borough.
A significant increase in working women in Merthyr Tydfil came as a result of the establishment of lighter industries and consumer based companies, as opposed to the heavy coal and ironworks industries traditionally popular in the town.
In 1992, scientists in Merthyr Tydfil discovered that a treatment for angina they were working on had other potentially beneficial purposes. This became the basis for the drug we now know today as viagra.
While Merthyr Tydfil is only a small welsh town, but its rich history and passionate people more than make up for that fact. There is absolutely more to Merthyr Tydfil than meets the eye! | <urn:uuid:8691f522-edc6-4dca-9945-deef20a2be16> | {
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Scientists Start a Genomic Catalog of Earth's Abundant Microbes
By CARL ZIMMER
Published: December 29, 2009
If you want to appreciate the diversity of life on earth, you will need a microscope.
There are about 5,400 species of mammals on the planet, but just a spoonful of soil may contain twice as many species of microbes. They can dwell in habitats where so-called higher life forms like us would quickly die, including acid-drenched mines and Antarctic deserts. By one rough estimate, there may be, all told, 150 million species of microbes.
''Microbes represent the vast majority of organisms on earth,'' said Hans-Peter Klenk, a microbiologist for the German Collection of Micro-organisms and Cell Cultures, a government microbiology research center.
Yet scientists still know very little about our microbial planet. The genomes of only about 1,000 species of microbes have been sequenced. That leaves 99.99999 percent to go. Making matters worse, the genomes scientists have sequenced so far are clustered together in groups of closely related species, leaving vast stretches of the microbial tree of life virtually unexplored. It would be as if all we knew about the animal kingdom were based entirely on a stuffed ferret and a pickled tarantula.
To shed light on this enormous stretch of biological darkness, the Joint Genome Institute at the Energy Department has started what it calls a ''genomic encyclopedia.'' It is filling the encyclopedia with the genomes of microbes from remote reaches of the tree of life.
In the Dec. 24 issue of Nature, Dr. Klenk and his colleagues present their first analysis of the encyclopedia, based on the first 56 species they have sequenced. Using this new evolution-based approach, the scientists have discovered many kinds of genes, some of which may prove a boon to the biotechnology industry.
''The encyclopedia is guaranteed to yield new things,'' said Norman Pace, a University of Colorado microbiologist who was not involved in the study. ''We humans haven't even scratched the surface of natural microbial diversity.''
When scientists first began to pick microbes for genome sequencing in the 1990s, they favored species they had been studying for years, like E. coli. As the technology improved and costs fell, they moved from these microbial lab rats to species that were important to humans for one reason or another, like those causing diseases.
It gradually became clear that this approach neglected most of the diversity of microbes. A number of microbiologists began to argue that a broader survey of the microbial world would bring many new insights. Comparing a gene in many different species can often help scientists figure out what a gene does in the first place, for example.
''It's been blatantly obvious that this should be done,'' said Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Davis, and the lead author of the Nature paper.
Taking advantage of the falling cost of DNA sequencing, Dr. Eisen, Dr. Klenk and their colleagues at the Joint Genome Institute established the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea. (Bacteria and Archaea are two of the major branches of the tree of life. The third branch contains eukaryotes, which includes animals, fungi, plants and protozoa.) The scientists selected 200 species to analyze. Dr. Klenk and his colleagues in Germany plucked the microbes from their collection and reared them in huge numbers, split open the cells and isolated long fragments of DNA from them.
Once the scientists had sequenced 56 genomes, they decided to see whether their approach was paying off. For part of their analysis, they tallied up how many new genes they had found: tens of thousands. But more importantly, they found 1,768 new gene families -- sets of genes that share a common ancestor. ''We didn't remotely expect it to be this striking,'' Dr. Eisen said.
Dr. Eisen expects that many of these new genes will lead to important research. One gene, from a microbe that lives in salt flats, encodes an enzyme that can cut up cellulose in the presence of lots of salt. This type of enzyme might be useful for extracting biofuels from plants. ''The biotech industry loves these things,'' he said.
The encyclopedia is also upending some basic rules of biology. All eukaryotes, ourselves included, have Lego-like skeletons in our cells made from a molecule called actin. ''We have this rule that actin is in eukaryotes,'' Dr. Eisen said, ''and it's not in bacteria and archaea.'' Now he and his colleagues have found a gene for actin in a species of marine bacteria. ''It's wildly cool,'' he said.
Dr. Eisen suspects that the actin gene was ferried from eukaryotes to the bacteria long ago. Now the bacteria may inject actin into eukaryotes to disrupt their cells.
The genomic encyclopedia includes not only the raw data on genes, but also predictions about what those genes are actually for. To see if those predictions are right will require a lot more time and labor. The joint genome institute has set up an ''Adopt a Genome Program'' to enlist the help of college students. Undergraduate microbiology students can pick a species from the encyclopedia and analyze its biology. ''We need them,'' Dr. Eisen said.
Students at Davidson College in North Carolina have already published a paper on the salt-flat microbe with the cellulose enzyme.
In years to come, Dr. Eisen and his colleagues hope to have many genomes for students to analyze. They are continuing to select species, and they hope, in a few years, to have 1,500 in the encyclopedia.
''We've made a dent,'' Dr. Eisen said, ''but it's a small dent.''
GRAPHIC: FILLING OUT THE BRANCHES: This ''genome tree'' shows relationships among the different species of bacteria that have had their genomes sequenced to date, with major phyla shown in different colors. A new project intended to expand the range and variety of sequenced microbes has completed its first 56 species, including the 53 species of bacteria marked below with dots. (Sources: Nature; Jonathan Eisen, U.C. Davis Genome Center) | <urn:uuid:59c9c7d4-c5e9-41eb-817e-482e67eca122> | {
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15 Glaucoma Facts about Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, and Surgery
What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma Definition
Glaucoma is a disease that is caused by damage to the eye’s optic nerve that is often the result of fluid build-up in the eye. This extra fluid increases the pressure in the eye, called intraocular pressure, causing damage to the optic nerve, which sends images to the brain. This fluid (called aqueous humor) flows throughout the inside of the eye and is normally drained through a tissue called the trabecular meshwork, located at the angle where the cornea and iris meet. Eye pressure increases when the fluid is overproduced or the drainage system isn’t working properly, preventing the fluid from flowing out at a normal rate. As the optic nerve gradually deteriorates, those with glaucoma will develop blind spots in their visual field.
Because glaucoma slowly gets worse over time, most people won’t be diagnosed until later in life. If the damage to the eye worsens, glaucoma may cause permanent vision loss. Glaucoma can, in rare cases, lead to total blindness.
Two Major Types of Glaucoma
There are two major types of glaucoma: primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma. However, there are many more which we will cover as well.
Primary open-angle glaucoma
Primary open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma. With this type of glaucoma, the drainage angle between the cornea and iris is open, but the trabecular meshwork is partially blocked. Slowly over time, the eye fails to drain fluid as well as it should. Consequently, intraocular pressure builds and begins to damage the optic nerve. Primary open-angle glaucoma is painless and does not cause vision changes immediately. In fact, it happens so slowly that most people affected by it lose vision before they’re aware of the problem.
Angle-closure glaucoma, also known as “closed-angle glaucoma” or “narrow-angle glaucoma”, develops when the iris is too close to the drainage angle in the eye. If the iris is too close, it can end up blocking the fluid drainage. Intraocular pressure rises very quickly when the drainage angle is fully blocked. This is called an acute attack and is an eye emergency. Without immediate care, this can cause blindness. Some people naturally have narrow drainage angles, which increases their risk of angle-closure glaucoma.
Chronic angle-closure glaucoma is developed very slowly over time. Most people who have chronic angle-closure glaucoma don’t experience symptoms until later on, meaning that they usually aren’t aware that they have it until the damage is severe or if they experience an attack. Acute angle-closure glaucoma happens suddenly and is considered a medical emergency. Certain populations are more susceptible, including those of Asian descent and those who have smaller eyes.
Other types of glaucoma include:
Normal-tension glaucoma is caused by optic nerve damage that has occurred despite normal intraocular pressure. The cause of normal-tension glaucoma is still being researched; however, researchers hypothesize that it may be due to individuals having sensitive optic nerves or insufficient amounts of blood being supplied to the optic nerve. The limited blood flow may be caused by atherosclerosis, which is a build-up of plaque (fatty deposits) in the arteries or other health factors that might impair circulation.
Pigmentary glaucoma is caused by the build-up of pigment granules in the drainage channels, which slow or block the fluid from exiting the eye. Physical activity, such as jogging, can stir up the pigment granules, displacing them and leading to intermittent pressure elevations.
Children and infants can experience glaucoma. Glaucoma in children may be present from birth or develop early on in life. In these cases, optic nerve damage may be the result of drainage blockages or underlying medical conditions.
8 Glaucoma Symptoms You Need to Know and Signs of Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a category of diseases affecting the optic nerve that can lead to permanent loss of vision. Because there are different types of glaucoma, these can present different symptoms. However, sometimes there are no warning signs, which is usually the case with open-angle glaucoma.
If you do notice any of the symptoms below, seek immediate medical attention. However, your best defense is seeing your eye doctor yearly for a dilated eye exam.
1. Loss of peripheral or side vision
Loss of your peripheral vision is usually the first sign of glaucoma triggered vision loss. However, this may not be noticed until the condition has severely progressed.
2. Seeing halos around lights
Seeing rainbow-colored halos around lights or feeling unusually sensitive to light can be a sign of glaucoma.
3. Vision loss
Suddenly losing your vision is a good indicator of glaucoma.
4. Redness in the eye
Redness in the eye often coincides with pain. This may be a sign of infection, injury, or acute glaucoma, depending on other symptoms the patient is experiencing.
5. An eye that looks cloudy or hazy
The most common early sign of glaucoma in children is cloudy or hazy-looking corneas.
6. Nausea or vomiting
When accompanied by severe eye pain, nausea or vomiting may be a sign of angle closure glaucoma.
7. Pain in both the eye and the head
Pain in the head and the eye is a common symptom of angle-closure glaucoma. This type of glaucoma can develop very quickly, so if you experience this symptom be sure to seek medical care immediately.
8. Narrowing of vision (tunnel vision)
The last sign of glaucoma is the loss of vision around the edges of your visual field. As stated earlier, this symptom often goes unnoticed until the condition worsens.
Who is at Risk for Glaucoma?
One of the best ways to prevent glaucoma is by knowing your family’s medical history and understanding whether or not you are at increased risk to develop glaucoma. Those who are at higher risk for glaucoma should get an eye exam every year. Glaucoma tends to run in families, and usually affects adults over 40. However, younger people can be at risk for glaucoma as well.
You may be at risk for glaucoma if:
You have a family member who has had glaucoma. Scientists now have found genes linked to high intraocular pressure and optic nerve damage.
You are of Asian, African-American, Hispanic, Inuit, Irish, Russian or Scandinavian descent.
You are over age 40, and even more so if you are over age 60.
You have diabetes.
You have hypertension or extremely low blood pressure.
You have had an eye injury in the past.
You have poor vision, specifically if you have extreme nearsightedness or a very thin cornea.
You take specific steroid medications, such as prednisone.
Some people may be at risk for glaucoma if they have optic nerves that are sensitive to normal eye pressure. Visiting your optometrist regularly can help identify early signs of damage to the optic nerve.
Glaucoma is generally caused by a failure of the eye to maintain the correct balance of intraocular fluid, also known as aqueous humor, in the eye. The underlying reasons for this imbalance are usually related to the kind of glaucoma one has. In healthy eyes, the fluid in the eye flows out of the eye through a mesh-like channel. If there is a blockage in this drainage system, the fluid builds up.
The eye’s intraocular pressure allows it to retain its globe-like shape and ability to see. When something impacts the ability of the eye to regulate its intraocular pressure, the eye pressure can rise to high levels, resulting in glaucoma.
Unlike a balloon, the eye isn’t able to relieve pressure by deflating. Instead, the intraocular pressure continues to build and push against the optic nerve. Eventually, the fibers of the optic nerve become permanently damaged and vision is lost.
Other causes of glaucoma include injury to the eye, severe eye infection, inflammatory conditions, or blocked blood vessels inside the eye. While it’s rare, eye surgery for another condition can also trigger glaucoma. Glaucoma often affects both eyes, but may be more severe in one than the other.
The loss of vision by glaucoma cannot be reversed. However, most people with glaucoma who follow their treatment plan are able to keep the vision they have by lowering their eye pressure.
There are several things you can do to detect glaucoma early on, before experiencing vision loss:
1. Get regular dilated eye exams
Regular eye exams can detect glaucoma early on, before you’ve experienced significant damage like vision loss. It’s recommended that you have a comprehensive eye exam every:
Two years if you’re between 40-55 years old
One to two years if you’re 55 to 64 years old
One year if you’re over 65
One year if you have a history or family history of glaucoma
2. Know your family’s health history
Because glaucoma tends to run in families, be sure to look into your family’s health history. You will need more frequent screening if you are at risk.
3. Exercise regularly
Safe, regular exercise can prevent glaucoma by relieving eye pressure. Speak with your doctor to discuss what kind of exercise is right for you.
4. Use prescribed eye drops regularly
Prescribed glaucoma eye drops can reduce the risk that high intraocular pressure will become glaucoma, in those who naturally have high eye pressure. These eye drops must be prescribed by your doctor and used regularly in order to be effective.
5. Keep your eyes protected
Serious injury to the eye can lead to glaucoma. To protect your eyes, wear eye protection (safety glasses) when using power tools or when playing racket sports. | <urn:uuid:0939be5a-2ade-41b1-b479-c6d7fcd16872> | {
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New research published in the journal Biomaterials by University of California, San Diego researcher Adam Engler suggests fat-derived stem cells that are developed on a stiff surface transform into mature muscle cells. This remarkable discovery could lead to new treatments for muscular dystrophy in the future.
Fat stem cells and bone marrow stem cells were grown on surfaces with different degrees of hardness ranging from very hard bone-like surfaces to very soft brain tissue-like surfaces.
The researchers found that the fat derived stem cells were much more likely (up to fifty times) to exhibit proteins that are essential to the cells becoming muscle tissue.
Yuk Suk Choi, a post-doc team member, says that the fat-derived stem cells seem to proliferate better than bone marrow cells when introduced to the hard surfaces. “They are actively feeling their environment soon, which allows them to interpret the signals from the interaction of cell and environment that guide development,” explained Choi.
Unlike bone marrow stem cells, stem cells from fat fused together to form myotubes. Although this phenomenon has been observed in the past, it has never been observed at such a high degree by Engler in the lab. Myotubes comprise an essential step in muscle formation.
Next, Engler and his team plan to observe how fused cells from fat perform in lab mice which are afflicted with a particular form of muscular dystrophy.
However, Dr. Engler cautioned, “From the perspective of translating this into a clinically viable therapy, we want to know what components of the environment provide the most important cues for these cells.” | <urn:uuid:0706b7cc-1286-4064-8807-5401ddfab682> | {
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The Detroit Zoological Society’s (DZS’s) ongoing involvement in the important conservation project Wolves & Moose of Isle Royale – the longest continuous study of any predator-prey system in the world – continued with a recent expedition to this remote island.
Isle Royale is located in the frigid waters of Lake Superior. At more than 40 miles long, it is the largest island in the largest of the Great Lakes. This national park is also home to a population of wolves and moose – moose first came in the early 1900s and wolves joined in the 1940s after crossing an “ice bridge” from Canada. For more than five decades, researchers have studied the lives of these animals and their fluctuating populations in order to better understand the ecology of predation and in turn, gain a better sense of our relationship with nature.
I recently traveled to Isle Royale with David Anthony, a DZS education specialist, to conduct research for this project. We took the ferry from Grand Portage, Minnesota to the Windigo Ranger Station on the southwest end of the island – the opposite side from where we conducted fieldwork in 2016.
Because ice bridges form more rarely between Isle Royale and Canada due to the changing climate, the wolf population at this location has dropped to only two closely related individuals. The Wolf-Moose Project currently focuses on how the moose population is responding to reduced wolf predation and how the forest is responding to the increased moose population. While there is a proposal to reintroduce more wolves, it is a complicated issue in part because Isle Royale is also a national park. The National Park Service is expected to decide on this proposal this fall.
Once we arrived at Windigo, we donned our heavy backpacks in a light rain for a 5-mile hike to our first camp, which was situated next to a large beaver pond. It was a cold, rainy night and rather unpleasant, but it was a relief that the next day was sunny and we were able to dry out our clothes and equipment.
We hiked 2-3 miles each day, carefully looking for moose bones in the dense forest, traveling up and down ridges and through swamps. On our first full day in the field, we located a nearly complete skeleton with an antlered skull. The skulls and teeth were an especially successful find, because when cut into a cross section, the rings of dentin in the teeth can be counted to age the moose – similar to counting tree rings – which provides important information on the moose population. The bones are also examined for signs of chewing by wolves as well as signs of arthritis – many moose at Isle Royale live longer and are more prone to developing arthritis than moose in areas with more predators.
With this information, we then try to surmise the cause and time of death to learn more about when wolves were still predating or scavenging moose. Our team also documented the harmful effects moose are having on Isle Royale’s fir trees. Moose rely on the relatively soft fir tree needles for food during the winter, and in many areas, they have continually browsed the tops of fir trees so they stay short and cannot reproduce. With taller, reproducing fir trees becoming scarce on the island, the over-browsing of the short fir trees is a serious concern.
After several days, we hiked to our next camp on the shore of a sheltered harbor on Lake Superior. This site was situated next to an active beaver lodge that kept us up at night with tail slapping and the “kerplunk” of beavers diving under water. On our next trek, we found another, even larger antlered skull, and there was more clear evidence of wolf predation – or at least scavenging – with chewed-up leg bones found dragged away to shady trees nearby.
As we wrapped up our journey, we connected with another group of researchers exploring a different part of the island; both teams returned with moose bones and teeth for examination, marking a very successful field expedition.
– Paul Buzzard, Ph.D., is the field conservation officer for the Detroit Zoological Society. | <urn:uuid:f028ff08-02c8-4a79-981c-8e664cf4ff30> | {
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At age six the American child begins elementary school by enrolling in First Grade, the first of twelve possible grades. The American school year runs from late August or September to late May or June, with a full summer vacation. In elementary school, children learn the basics of reading, writing, and numbers, some science, a bit of history, perhaps a little bit of a foreign language, a smattering of art and music, all mixed in with recreation and physical education. Standards vary widely.
There are differing categorizations in some school systems, but “elementary school” usually runs from First Grade to Sixth Grade. Seventh, Eight and perhaps Ninth Grade is considered “junior high school”or “middle school,” while Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Grades are “high school.” The term “secondary school” usually refers to the Seventh through Twelfth Grades.
Next Section:High Schools
Education in America: Chapter Home
Life in the USA Home Page. | <urn:uuid:03e4479b-2077-45fb-93d3-153f08b63162> | {
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The Breitling Navitimer has a long and storied history dating back to around 70 years by name, but even further back in function development. Breitling was always known for their chronographs having pioneered both the 2 o’clock pusher and 4 o’clock pusher placement for its chronograph function, which are now standard. In addition to mechanical movement advancements, Breitling also developed a simple but useful logarithmic slide rule bezel in the early 1940s. The company had created the chronograph for mathematicians, also known as the Chronomat.
The Chronomat & Birth of the Navitimer
The Breitling Chronomat was noticed by the Airline Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), and the organization was looking to create some merchandise that its members could purchase. So in 1952, the AOPA approached Breitling about creating an AOPA-branded watch for them.
Back then, the E6B flight computer was a useful tool that helped pilots perform flight calculations on the fly; using the logarithmic slide rule “computer,” pilots could estimate their updated time of arrival, gasoline consumption, ground speeds, and more. So Breitling took this functional navigation tool and combined it with its chronograph timer. The watchmaker even combined the words “navigation” and “timer” to name the now iconic Breitling “Navitimer.” It’s estimated that the first small production batch was released in 1954, bearing only the AOPA logo on the dial with no Breitling branding at all. It was an instant hit.
Image: 1954 Breitling Navitimer AOPA
The first batch had a 40 mm diameter, was 11.25 mm in height, and didn’t even have a reference number yet. But Breitling noticed the success of the design, and soon released a Breitling branded dial version as well.
This first design, introduced to the public in 1956, was called reference 806. The early versions came with a Valjoux 72 movement but were later swapped for Caliber Venus 178 for mass production. Venus 178 was the standard movement used in Breitling chronographs in larger production volumes at that time. The rice bead design on the edge of the bezel also changed in the early years, with the size of the beads getting slightly larger after 1956. There were other slight refinements in the early years as well, such as the shape of the lugs and Breitling continuously evolved the logo over the following years. But the success of the overall design was cemented by the fact that pilots all over the world were actively using the Navitimer during their travels.
First Breitling In Space
In 1961, astronaut Scott Carpenter asked Breitling to create a modified Navitimer for his upcoming spaceflight. He requested 24-hour time functionality on the dial since day and night don’t have much meaning in space while orbiting Earth. He also asked that the tachymeter be removed since not only did he not require one but it would also free up some dial space. Willy Breitling, the then-owner of Breitling obliged willingly because of his love of space.
Image: 1962 Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute Promo w/ Scott Carpenter
The Navitimer Cosmonaute was born and delivered to Scott Carpenter five days before his mission and it became the first Swiss wristwatch in space, accompanying the astronaut on the 1962 Mercury-Atlas 7 spaceflight. Unfortunately, water intrusion damaged the watch as the astronaut was wading in the Atlantic Ocean for over an hour, waiting to be picked up after arriving back on Earth. That original watch, damaged and untouched, is still in Breitling’s possession.
Further iterations to the Navitimer design came in the mid-1960s. For instance, contrasting sub-dials in white were introduced in 1963 and the bezel evolved from “beaded” to “serrated shortly after.
Evolution of the Navitimer
The appeal of the Navitimer went beyond pilots; famed jazz musician Miles Davis wore one, as did racecar driver Jo Siffert and James Bond in the 1965 movie ‘Thunderball’.
In 1969, reference 1806 was released as one of the first automatic chronographs released to the public. This release also introduced a waterproof rotating bezel and a 48mm case diameter—well in advance of the large watch trend that would arrive a few decades later. An equivalent hand-wound Navitimer also was released as reference 816.
Image: 1969 Breitling Navitimer Ref. 1806
The Navitimer Reference 8806 was launched in 1973, which took the automatic chronograph, slimmed it back down to 41mm, and added a date function at the 6 o’clock position. A Navitimer with a date function had already come out in reference 7806 the year prior, although with a hand-wound movement.
Unfortunately, the quartz crisis hit Breitling hard in the 1970s. Attempts to keep up with the battery-powered and quartz-regulated Japanese watches came in the form of the introduction of an LED display Navitimer in 1976 and then an LCD version in 1977.
Image: 1977 Breitling Navitimer Ref. 9406 w/ LCD Display
Yet, the brand eventually went out of business, selling leftover components and the rights to the Breitling name. Fun fact: the Sinn 903 is considered a descendant of the Navitimer because Sinn purchased the rights to use the layouts of the Navitimer references 806 and 809. Ernest Schneider purchased Breitling in 1979 and ushered the brand into a new era.
Breitling Navitimer’s Modern Era
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, new Navitimer models were re-released to the world with various developments. For example, smaller cases and various dial colors became available in 1992. The following year, the script B counterweight was added to the chronograph seconds hand. In 1995, a split-second chronograph version of the Navitimer was released in white gold, rose gold, and platinum.
Image: 1995 Breitling Navitimer Airborne Ref. A33030
Finally, in 2009 the Navitimer came equipped with Breitling’s first in-house movement, the B01. Today, there is a large variety of Navitimer variants available for the consumer, ranging from large to small, restrained to flashy, robust materials to precious metal. Some versions have even dropped the chronograph function entirely, keeping only the iconic look of the slide rule bezel. In 2019, the reference 806 1959 re-edition was released—harkening back to the original 806—with great success.
Image: 2019 Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition (Left) & Original Navitimer Ref. 806 (Right)
The Navitimer has had quite the history and if it continues to evolve with the times, it will have a solid future as a fan-favorite pilot’s watch.
Although today’s pilots are more likely to wear an Apple Watch than a mechanical watch (if they wear a watch at all), it’s nice to remember that the Navitimer was the smartwatch of the skies during its heyday as the aviator’s tool watch. | <urn:uuid:0eb6986e-8e53-436f-81fb-9f06bbd588b9> | {
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First and foremost, even with a water filter installed, I would not recommend people to drink or bathe from their tap water until their city authorizes them to do so.
(PRWEB) October 24, 2013
This past month’s Colorado flooding was the worst that the region has ever seen and they were not alone. Coastal regions in China, Thailand, Vietnam and much of Southeast Asia also had the misfortune of being hit by terrible floods in the month of September. Every summer, torrential rains and typhoons create flooding which can wreak havoc on human communities. These natural disasters destroy crops and wash away homes, but even when the water subsides there are still many lasting problems to contend with. When it comes to health and sanitation during and after the cleanup, people should be aware of the benefits of installing a home water purification system and how it can protect them from water contamination.
Flood waters can overrun sewage systems, oil and gas wells, and waste water treatment plants to spread toxic and microbial contaminants far and wide throughout a vast region. Local tap and drinking water sources from lakes, rivers and wells can all become contaminated, disrupting water delivery and causing health concerns. The recent floods in Colorado are a good example, with health officials warning local residents to take precaution due to the millions of gallons of sewage and thousands of gallons of oil that have been released throughout the state. Reports of E.coli contamination have also led several towns and districts to issuing boil water advisories as part of their emergency response plan.
Families need to have an emergency response plan too, and clean water should be at the top of their priority list. While stocking bottled water is a good idea, it should be considered as only a temporary solution for providing drinking water. It does not address the dangers of having potentially flood tainted water flowing throughout the house for weeks during the long cleanup process after a natural disaster. “First and foremost, even with a water filter installed, I would not recommend people to drink or bathe from their tap water until their city authorizes them to do so,” said Ken Wong, a WQA certified specialist at APEC Water Systems, an American water filtration systems manufacturer. “Many home water filtration systems are not designed to directly treat highly polluted flood water; however when water has been restored by the city, home filter systems can be very effective at removing the remaining smaller, trace pollutants that are missed by municipal treatment plants.” Wong’s recommendations include installing a reverse osmosis system for safe drinking water and consulting with a professional water company like APEC to discuss different whole house water filter options available for purifying water throughout the home.
As a long-time US manufacturer of water purification systems, APEC understands the urgency and importance of supporting communities with clean water solutions after a natural disaster. In the past, APEC has provided customized water purification solutions to organizations and cities that needed specialized water treatment. Immediately after the Haiti earthquake, APEC donated specialized industrial-grade reverse osmosis systems to provide safe drinking water to thousands of people in local communities. Days after Fukushima, Japan’s tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown, APEC mobilized quickly to maximize the production of their RO-CTOP countertop RO systems to effectively meet the high demand coming out of Japan for portable radioactive water filters. Private companies and organizations can contract APEC to build customized systems that meets the critical performance demands needed for disaster and emergency relief efforts. Regardless of the scale or specificity of the project, APEC Water has the expertise and operating capacity to provide effective solutions for any residential and commercial water purification application or need. “While people can never really prepare properly for a natural disaster, they do have options when it comes to protecting their water and health during the aftermath and cleanup,” says Wong. “We will be here to help.”
About APEC Water
For over 17 years, APEC has been an industry leading manufacturer of high performance residential and commercial water purification systems. Based out of Southern California, APEC specializes in building the highest quality reverse osmosis drinking water systems and backwashing whole house water filters right here in the USA. The company offers system customizations and their products are available exclusively through their website at Freedrinkingwater.com which also provides an extensive water filtration guide and library to the public. To learn more about APEC Water and the Total Solution system, please visit http://www.freedrinkingwater.com or call customer service at 1-800-880-4808 for more information. | <urn:uuid:fbfdd176-4e33-4a42-aa17-09b94aa37890> | {
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Written by Iris Maria Chavez
The data are irrefutable. Nationally, nearly half of low-income fourth graders lack even basic reading skills, compared with 18 percent of their higher income peers. The same is true of one in two American Indian, African-American, and Latino fourth graders—but fewer than one in four white students. Low-income eighth graders are two and a half times as likely as higher income eighth graders to have below basic math skills.
And while Minnesota has higher performance than many other states, its gaps are spectacularly wide: in eighth grade math, for example, it has some of the largest gaps of any state; its black-white gap is tied for the third largest nationwide, and its gap in achievement between Latinos and whites is tied for the second largest in the nation.
These achievement gaps are pervasive, they’re persistent, and they’re profoundly damaging. But they are not inevitable. Across the country, schools, districts, and even whole states are showing what’s possible when educators, policymakers, and advocates organize to educate all students to high levels, regardless of race, income, or family background.
These top performers are perhaps the most valuable resources available to those of us committed to raising achievement and closing gaps because not only do they offer inspiration, they offer information on what it takes to get the work done. But identifying and distilling lessons from success can be a daunting task for the principal whose school demands every moment of her time, or the school board member busy attending to the needs of his local community.
That’s where The Education Trust comes in. We mine the data from schools, districts, and states across the country to identify those places that are raising achievement, closing gaps, and ensuring that all students graduate from high school ready for college and the workplace. We uncover the strategies, policies, and practices of these top performers. And this October 24-25 at Baltimore’s beautiful Inner Harbor, we’re bringing them together to share their stories at our national conference.
Under the theme “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Results: Working Together to Raise Achievement and Close Gaps,” this year’s conference will feature lessons from state and district leaders, educators, and advocates tackling some of the toughest issues of the day. The opportunities offered by our sessions include:
- CHARTER AUTHORIZERS: Charter schools vary in quality—and their authorizers can promote those doing well and weed out others. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers will discuss how to hold both charter schools and authorizers accountable—and the Education Trust-Midwest will tell how they’ve advocated for stronger authorizer accountability in Michigan.
- ATTRACTING THE STRONGEST TEACHERS TO THE HIGHEST NEED SCHOOLS: Guilford County Public Schools have encouraged more highly effective teachers to teach and stay in its highest need schools. Hear about the challenges and successes—and the results on student learning.
- COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVES: How can schools, districts, and partner organizations who want to work together successfully coordinate efforts and resources to support improvements in student achievement? Learn how you can apply the lessons of the Road Map Project, which brings together advocates, educational institutions, funders, businesses, and the public to improve student outcomes in the greater Seattle region.
- LEGISLATION OR LITIGATION? USING THE COURTS AS A TOOL FOR EDUCATION REFORM: How do you know when to take your education equity issue to court instead of the statehouse? Hear from those involved with two recent cases—one on teacher effectiveness and quality and one on school funding—about why they chose court action, how court cases can create change, how communities can engage in the process, and potential benefits and pitfalls.
These are just a few examples of what attendees will glean from the more than 30 sessions scheduled for the conference, all of which are especially designed to provide relevant, concrete, and actionable information. A full Schedule-At-A-Glance is now available! For more information about this opportunity to learn from leaders in the fight for achievement and equity, visit the Ed Trust website.
I hope to see you in October!
Iris Maria Chavez is the Assistant Field Director for The Education Trust. | <urn:uuid:4bd704aa-9a0a-486d-b4ed-d87c74a02839> | {
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It is widely acknowledged that Latinos are quickly becoming the largest minority group in the United States. Still, the term Latino encompasses a wide range of diverse experiences related to nationality, language, religion, history, immigration status, and, of course, race. The term Afro-Latino aims to call attention to the unique experiences and challenges of Latinos of African descent in the United States. Although scholarship about Afro-Latinos has flourished in recent years, Afro-Latinos have long written about their experiences and histories in the United States. Many of these autobiographical writings as well as subsequent academic analyses placed much emphasis on the “invisibility” of Afro-Latinos in the United States, where blackness is often assumed to be aligned with the US African American experience and Latinidad (or Latino identity) is assumed to be racially mixed. As research on Afro-Latino identity has developed, many scholars have critically examined racism within Latino communities, as well as the ways that assumptions about a whitened Latino identity have foreclosed conversations about blackness and Afro-Latinos. To that end, some scholars intervene by filling in historical gaps through highlighting the contributions of Afro-Latinos to American life and culture. Other scholars underscore the importance of literature and music not only as important Afro-Latino cultural practices, but also as sites where many Afro-Latino artists have theorized their experiences. In the realm of politics, researchers have explored historical and contemporary political alliances between African American, Afro-Latino, and other African diasporic populations in the United States. One central theme in Afro-Latino studies is transnational flows of information and ideas about blackness between the United States and Latin America via immigration and the advent of new technologies that foster cultural exchange. Generally, scholarship on Afro-Latinos thus presents the complex realities of race and ethnicity, realities that have broader implications for scholars interested in Latino studies, Latin American studies, African American studies, and race relations more generally.
The following texts provide general overviews of many of the key themes important to Afro-Latino studies. An edited volume, Dzidzienyo and Oboler 2005 emphasizes a transnational approach to understanding how the flows of ideas about race and blackness have impacted Afro-Latinos and Afro-Latin Americans throughout the region. Dzidzienyo and Oboler 2005 includes articles about both the United States and Latin American countries. Jiménez Román and Flores 2010, a groundbreaking reader that incorporates both original and previously published works detailing the Afro-Latino experience in the United States, tackles a wide range of topics, including the arts, gender and sexuality, lived experience, literature, and historical analyses.
Dzidzienyo, Anani, and Suzanne Oboler, eds. Neither Enemies nor Friends: Latinos, Blacks, Afro-Latinos. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
An edited volume that incorporates chapters about blackness in both the United States and Latin America, and makes a case for a transnational approach to studying Afro-Latinos. One section focuses on race in Latin American countries, including Mexico, Honduras, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil. The final section considers experiences of Afro-Latino populations in the United States and African American–Latino relations.
Jiménez Román, Miriam, and Juan Flores, eds. The Afro-Latino Reader: History and Culture in the United States. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2010.
A useful and thorough overview of research about Afro-Latinos, including original and previously published works. Presents a variety of topics, including historical analyses, lived experiences and reflections, literature and poetry, gender and sexuality, media and the arts, political organizing, and the immigrant experience. Appropriate for undergraduate courses.
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- African American Deathways
- African American Doctors
- African American Sculpture and Sculptors
- African American Writers and Communism
- African Americans in Los Angeles
- Agriculture and Agricultural Labor
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
- AME Church
- American Military, Blacks in the
- American Negro Theatre, The
- Anglo-African Newspaper, The
- Animal and African American History, The
- Apollo Theater
- Baldwin, James
- Baraka, Amiri
- Bearden, Romare
- Black Codes and Slave Codes
- Black Press in the United States, The
- Black Radicalism in 20th-Century United States
- Black Theology
- Black Women Writers in the United States
- Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
- Bureau Of Refugees, Freedmen, And Abandoned Lands (BRFAL)
- Butler, Octavia
- Chesnutt, Charles W.
- Chicago Renaissance
- Civil Rights Movement
- Dominican Republic, Annexation of
- Equiano, Olaudah
- Federal Government, Segregation in
- Federal Writers’ Project
- Fiction, Urban
- Fisk Jubilee Singers
- Fitzgerald, Ella
- Food and African American Culture
- Forman, James
- Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, The
- Gates, Jr., Henry Louis
- Gospel Music
- Health and Medicine
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United...
- HIV/AIDS from an African American Studies Perspective
- Holiday, Billie
- Hopkins, Pauline
- Johnson, James Weldon
- Liberation Theology
- Middle Class, Black
- Morrision, Toni
- Muslims, Black
- Native Americans and African Americans
- Negro League Baseball
- New African Diaspora
- New Negro
- No Child Left Behind
- Political Resistance
- Print Culture
- Reconstruction in Literature and Intellectual Culture
- Reparations and the African Diaspora
- Revolutionary War and African Americans, The
- Scottsboro Trials
- Settler Colonialism and African Americans
- Simone, Nina
- Slavery, Visual Representations of
- Smith, Bessie
- Social Science and Civil Rights
- Speculative Fiction
- Theater in the 20th Century
- Till, Emmett, The Lynching of
- Underground Railroad
- United States House of Representatives, African Americans ...
- Visual Arts
- Wells, Ida B.
- Wheatley, Phillis
- Whitehead, Colson
- Woodrow Wilson, Administration of
- World War II
- Wright, Richard | <urn:uuid:82a48d74-cfa7-4702-8233-c94aadde9704> | {
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||Robert Gardiner, Andrew Lambert
||Conway Maritime Press
- - - - - - download - - - - - -
This is the fourth title in an ambitious programme of twelve volumes intended to provide the first detailed and comprehensive account of a technology that has shaped human history. It has been conceived as a basic reference work, the essential first stop for anyone seeking information on any aspect of the subject, so it is more concerned to be complete than to be original. However, the series takes full account of all the latest research and in certain areas will be publishing entirely new material. In the matter of interpretation care has been taken to avoid the old myths and to present only the most widely accepted modern viewpoints. To tell a coherent story, in a more readable form than is usual with encyclopaedias, each volume takes the form of independent chapters, all by recognised authorities in the field. Most chapters are devoted specifically to the development of ships, but others deal with more general topics like "Guns and Armour" or "Machinery" that relate to many ship types, thus avoiding repetition and giving added depth to the reader's understanding of the factors influencing ship design. Some degree of generalisation is inevitable when tackling a subject of this breadth, but wherever possible the specific details of ships and their characteristics have been included (a table of typical ships for each relevant chapter includes a convenient summary of data from which the reader can chart the evolution of the ship type concerned). Except for the earliest craft, the series is confined to seagoing vessels; to have included boats would have increased the scope of an already massive task. The history of the ship is not a romanticised story of epic battles and heroic voyages but equally it is not simply a matter of technological advances. Ships were built to carry out particular tasks and their design was as much determined by the experience of that employment - the lessons of war, or the conditions of trade, for example - as purely technical innovation. Throughout this series an attempt has been made ю keep this clearly in view, to describe the what and when of development without losing sight of the why. The series is aimed at those with some knowledge of, and interest in, ships and the sea. It would have been impossible to make a contribution of any value to the subject if it had been pitched at the level of the complete novice, so while there is an extensive glossary, for example, it assumes an understanding of the most basic nautical terras. Similarly, the bibliography avoids very general works and concentrates on those which will broaden or deepen the reader's understanding beyond the level of the History of the Ship. The intention is not to inform genuine experts in their particular area of expertise, but to provide them with the best available single-volume summaries of less familiar fields. | <urn:uuid:a720b31b-8c60-4045-8ba6-cc51741ebc7a> | {
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Computability and Turing Machine
Way back in 1900, in the age of innocence before the revolution in mathematics and logic brought about by Kurt Gödel, David Hilbert delivered a famous address to the International Congress of Mathematicians when they met in Paris, in which he posed what he considered to be the twenty-three most challenging unsolved problems of mathematics. Several of the conundrums that he set during that address have influenced the development of whole areas of mathematics. Many of Hilbert’s problems remain unsolved today. Hilbert’s last problem was envisaged as a step towards the completion of the formalist programme for mathematics. It challenged mathematicians to find a systematic method to determine whether or not any mathematical statement is true or false. At that time Hilbert assumed that such a procedure must exist. It was only a question of finding it. One can see that if such a method were found, then it would also serve to define the scope and content of mathematics for the constructivists. However, Hilbert’s view that such an automatic method of decision does exist was not universally shared. Some years later, G. H. Hardy expressed the view that.
There is of course no such theorem, and this is very fortunate, since if there were we should have a mechanical set of rules for the solution of all mathematical problems, and our activities as mathematicians would come to an end.
However, Hardy did not seem to base his scepticism upon a belief that such an all-deciding theorem was unattainable in principle, but merely upon the belief that it would be beyond the wit of mortal man to find and use it. Hence, Gödel’s discovery that there can exist no method for deciding the truth of all statements was a great shock to mathematicians. Nevertheless, despite this irreducible undecidability at the heart of mathematics, there still remained a remnant of Hilbert’s original dream which might be salvaged. Even though some statements made in the language of an axiomatic system must be undecidable, there might still exist a systematic method for finding all the decidable statements and distinguishing the true form the false one. If so, one might be able to determine the relative degree of incompleteness arising from different sets of axioms.
It was soon demonstrated by Alonzo Church and Emil Post at Princeton, and by Alan Turing at Cambridge, that even these more moderate goals are unattainable in principle. Church found an abstract method for determining whether a particular mathematical operation can be computed for every one of the numbers to which it is applied. He was then able to show that it is possible to construct mathematical formulae which cannot be evaluated or determined true or false in a finite number of steps. Any computer would keep running forever in a vain attempt to complete the calculation. For these examples there exists no method for determining whether or not they can be proved. There exist unsolvable problems.
Working alone in Cambridge, Alan Turing established the same conclusion as Church, but by a method that was to have a host of wider implications for the future invention and development of computers. Unlike Church, Turing developed his disproof of Hilbert’s conjecture around the conception of a hypothetical machine which would decide the truth of statements by a set of well-defined sequential operations. Subsequently, these paradigms have become known as Turing machines. During World War II Turing made important contributions to Allied cryptography by pioneering the construction of real mechanical devices which would try vast numbers of combinatorial alternatives in the search for a correct decoding of intercepted German communications.
A Turing machine is the essence of any computer. It consists of a memory tape of indefinite length, and a processor which manifests the current state of the machine. That current state is determined by a combination of the previous state and the last instruction which told it how to change. A real computer will possess all manner of fancy accoutrements—monitors, graphics, software, keyboards, and so forth—but these play no role in the logical capability of the machine. They are aids to its use. No real computer possesses greater problem-solving capability than that of Turing’s idealized machine.
All a Turing machine can do is take a list of natural numbers and transform it into another list of natural numbers. The operation of the machine just matches a number in the first list with one in the second list. If the operation of interest is multiplication by two, then all the numbers in the second list will be double those in the first. Unfortunately, there exist operations which are infinitely more complicated because there exist infinite sets which are infinitely bigger than the infinite set of natural numbers (for example all those numbers, called irrational numbers, like ‘pi’ and the square root of two, which cannot be expressed exactly as vulgar fractions—one natural number divided by another). They cannot be systematically paired with the natural numbers. Such infinite sets are called uncountably infinite.
Turing concurred with Church by showing that there exist mathematical problems which cannot be decided in a finite number of logical computations by one of his idealized machines. Such unperformable operations are called non-computable functions, and their existence is a consequence of the existence of uncountably infinite sets. As an example, suppose the function G (N) is applied to the natural numbers N = 1, 2, 3, … and chosen either to be equal to the value of the Nth computable function plus one, or to zero if the Nth computer program fails to stop with an answer in a finite number of steps after N is inputted. We see that G cannot be a computable function, because if the Nth input program did compute it then we would have the impossible result that
G (N)= G (N) + 1.
Another set of non-computable examples are the so-called “Busy Beaver” functions B (N), defined as the largest number produced in the output of any program less than N bits in length. The Busy Beaver function grows in size faster than any function that could possibly be computed. Hence, it is not computable. In practice, it is the hardest mathematical problems that are most easily shown to be unsolvable, because they can most easily defeat the computer.
Although it cannot compute everything that is fed to it, most computer scientists believe that a Turing machine is capable of computing anything that can be solved in a finite time by any physical sequence of realizable operations: that is, a problem is solvable if it is solvable by a Turing machine. This is called the Church—Turing hypothesis. Until recently this hypothesis was regarded as telling us something about mathematics, of the sort that all the possible ways that one could dream up of computing things are at root equivalent because they can all be reduced to the capability of a Turing machine. Yet, it is clearly telling us something deeper about the structure of the physical world, and the fact that we find mathematics so beautifully adapted to its workings.
David Deutsch, an Oxford physicist, has recently argued that the defining feature of the computable functions which the Church—Turing hypothesis maintains can be computed by a Turing machine is that they can be realized in Nature. If we had two ‘black boxes’, one containing some real physical process and the other an idealized Turing machine, then identical outputs are possible from the two boxes for the same inputs. We could not tell from the result alone in which box it had been computed. This idea draws the link between mathematics and the laws of Nature very tight. The laws of Nature happen to allow us to build exact physical models which execute the arithmetical operations of addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. There is no known reason why Nature should simulate the rules of arithmetic; no reason why the laws of Nature should be constrained by, or linked to, the computational ability of mathematical algorithms. It is fortunate that Nature does run in this simple fashion. Were it not so, then no physically realizable electronic device of silicon and metal could compute the operations of addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication.
These simple arithmetical operations would be non-computable functions which we would be unable to perform or employ in constructive proofs. All we could achieve by our mathematics would be non-constructive existence proofs that told us that they existed, in much the same manner that we can deduce the existence of undecidable propositions. For example, if our computers could do no more than carry out the geometrical constructions which we can achieve on paper by the use of a straight edge and a pair of compasses (that is, drawing straight lines and arcs of circles), then we would be unable to trisect an angle computationally, even though the concept of a trisected angle would be familiar to us and the existence of some line which did trisect an angle might be provable non-constructively. The other side of this apparent match between Nature and arithmetical computation is that it is unexpected and unproven, except by experience, and so we should not be surprised, although we certainly would be, if there were found a physical process in Nature which simulated the computation of a function that could not be computed by a Turing machine.
This correspondence between physical realizability and computability seems to require something like the quantum picture of reality to be true. Certainly, the classical world of Newtonian physics does not possess the Church–Turing property. Energy does not come in discrete countable quanta in the non-quantum view of the world. The continuum of states that exist for every classical physical system prevents the existence of a one-to-one correspondence between computability by a countably infinite sequence of operations and the laws of Nature. However, Deutsch has argued that it may be that all finite systems in Nature can be simulated by a “quantum computer”. The prescription for such a hypothetical device can be drawn up in general terms, and it appears to have the potential to carry out computations faster than any Turing machine, although it cannot compute any function that cannot be computed by a Turing machine. Most striking of all, quantum computation appears to require an objective quantum reality to exist. This is only possible in the ‘Many Worlds’ interpretation of the quantum theory, and offers the hope that there may one day exist an experimental resolution of the problem of quantum ontology.
The World within the World (Oxford-New York: Oxford University Press, 1988), pp. 262-265. | <urn:uuid:86b461d0-d6f7-4560-b3f8-2d8408d85746> | {
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Wond’ry exhibit takes digital humanities into three dimensionsMar. 23, 2018, 2:45 PM
A new exhibit at the Wond’ry showcasing the work of Vanderbilt’s Slave Societies Digital Archive team will feature some unusual pieces of digital preservation: 3D-printed replicas of valuable artifacts from cultures linked to the Atlantic slave trade.
The Vanderbilt community is invited to visit the exhibit and learn more about the SSDA at a reception Thursday, March 29, at 4 p.m. in the second-floor common space at the Wond’ry.
“I call what we do ‘guerilla preservation,’” said Jane Landers, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of History and director of the SSDA. The SSDA is the oldest and largest open-access clearinghouse of digital records relating to the Atlantic slave trade. It’s hosted by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library’s Special Collections.
Landers and her team travel to towns and villages across South America and the Caribbean, high-resolution scanning cameras in tow, in search of any documentation related to the Atlantic slave trade or slave society that may be stored away in churches, town halls and even family attics. Many of these ledgers, letters, books and other documents are in perilously fragile shape, as centuries of moisture, fungus and insects have taken their toll.
In many cases, Landers and her team leave the scanning equipment with the community and train residents to continue the work—and when it’s complete, one copy of the data goes to the SSDA while the other one stays with the community. “It’s not an extractive, exploitative process,” she said. “It’s one which preserves and makes these materials accessible to everyone.”
Over the years, Landers has also acquired a variety of artifacts related to the cultures she works to preserve, including statues of African gods and Catholic saints, as well as masks and artwork. Landers was hesitant to display these important items outside of a museum setting, so she turned to a different type of digital technology to find a solution: a 3D printer.
“We were very fortunate to be able to collaborate with the Wond’ry and Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, said Angela Sutton, a postdoc working with Landers. Sutton took the artifacts to the pediatric radiology department where Sumit Pruthi, associate professor of radiology, medical resident Hansen Bow and medical design engineer Steven Lewis used a 360-degree surface scanner to capture highly detailed images of each object. “For some of the smaller objects it was more difficult to do because they were dark-colored, so the shadows couldn’t be picked up as well,” she said. “Dr. Pruthi volunteered to send those through a CT scanner instead.”
These design files were uploaded to 3D printers at Pruthi’s lab and the Wond’ry Makerspace, where the objects were replicated in lightweight plastic. Sutton then painted the objects to match the originals.
“What’s so cool about this project is that it takes the physical item into the digital realm and then back into the physical,” said Kevin Galloway, research assistant professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Wond’ry’s Makerspace.
Like the scanned records, the design files and documentation about the original objects are publicly available online to anyone who wants to reproduce them with their own 3D printer.
The SSDA exhibit is located in room 210 at the Wond’ry and will be open through the end of the spring semester. | <urn:uuid:dbcd5163-790f-4644-85c0-9bf941edea9f> | {
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Emma is the novel of Jane Austen that was originally published on 23 December 1815 in the United Kingdom. It is the risks of Misconstrued romance. Jane Austen elaborates the difficulties and concerns of the genteel lady who is living in Georgian-Regency (England). She also tries to create the lively manners of Comedy among characters.
In the first sentence of her novel, she gives an introduction to the main character as the “Emma Woodhouse, fine-looking, astute, and rich.” The novel has been adapted many times for films, many TV programs, and here is a long list of the stage plays.
You must read: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
- ISBN-10: 0486406482
- ISBN-13: 978-0486406480
Major characters of Novel:
- Emma Woodhouse: she is a lady of 20 years old. She is intelligent, high-spirited and beautiful. She is the protagonist of the story. The story of this novel starts with Emma.
- Miss Bates: is a friendly, voluble spinster whose mother, Mrs. Bates, is the companion of Mr. Woodhouse.
- George Knightley: is the companion and neighbor of Emma, he is 37 years old. He is her only detractor.
- Mr. Weston: he is a Businessman and widower. Who is living in Highbury and marries Miss Taylor in his early 40’s.
- Mr. Frank Churchill: he is a son of Mr. Weston by his first marriage, is a 23 years old sociable young man.
- John Knightley: he is a husband of Isabella and younger brother of George. He is 31 years old and an attorney by profession.
- Jane Fairfax: she is an orphan and her family consists of her grandmother and aunt.
- Mr. Henry Woodhouse: He is the father of Emma. He is all time worried for his health.
- Harriet Smith: a young and close companion of Emma, just 17 when the story of the novel opens, she is the attractive but unsophisticated girl.
- Philip Elton: a 27 years old who was unmarried as the novel opens. is a well-mannered and good-looking, young vicar.
- Augusta Elton: formerly Miss Hawkins, is the wife of Mr. Elton. She has her ten thousand pounds, but she doesn’t have good manners.
- Isabella Knightley: she is the elder sister of Emma, by 7 years, and daughter of the Henry. She married to the John Knightley. She lives with her husband in London and has five children.
- Mrs. Weston: was the governess of Emma for about 16 years as the Miss Anne Taylor and she remains her closest companion after she marries to Mr. Weston.
Download links of “Emma Novel by Jane Austen” are Here:
People who love to read novels and books they will definitely like this book of Jane Austen. If you are reading first time to Jane Austen then you should surely read the famous novels Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. The download links of this wonderful Novel are below. | <urn:uuid:513c2e4f-d602-4738-a218-242177e9ec0e> | {
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Steady state economy
The phrase “steady state economy” originated from ecological economics, most notably the work of Herman Daly, but its roots are in classical economics, most notably the “stationary state” as touted by John Stuart Mill. The steady state economy is often discussed in the context of economic growth and the impacts of economic growth on ecological integrity, environmental protection, and economic sustainability. Therefore, use of the phrase “steady state economy” requires a clear definition of economic growth.
Economic growth is an increase in the production and consumption of goods and services. For distinct economic or political units, economic growth is generally indicated by increasing gross domestic product (GDP). Economic growth entails increasing population times per capita consumption, higher throughput of materials and energy, and a growing ecological footprint. Economic growth is distinguished from “economic development,” which refers to qualitative change independent of quantitative growth. For example, economic development may refer to the attainment of a more equitable distribution of wealth, or a sectoral readjustment reflecting the evolution of consumer preference or newer technology.
The size of an economy may undergo one of two trends: growth or recession. Otherwise it is stable, in which case it is a “steady state economy.” As with many phrases, however, different connotations may apply in different contexts. In neoclassical economics, the hyphenated phrase “steady-state economy” is used to refer to an economy with steady ratios of capital:labor. Therefore, in neoclassical economics, a steady-state economy may be growing, receding, or stable, in which case it constitutes the steady state economy of ecological economics. Sometimes, however, the hyphenated “steady-state economy” is also used in the ecologically economic sense of a non-growing, non-receding economy. (In some cases this reflects the editorial style and tradition of a particular journal.) This linguistic inconsistency is not a major communications problem in broad circles because the neoclassical “steady-state economy” is a relatively abstruse concept used primarily within the jargon of neoclassical economics, whereas the ecological “steady state economy” is a technically simpler concept and has achieved a certain amount of vernacular status.
Yet regarding linguistics, the issue of hyphenation has some import. It is appropriate to use the unhyphenated phrase “steady state economy” to describe an economy of stable size because “state” (as in political state) is an adjective of “economy” (as in a state’s economy), and “steady” is an adjective of this state economy. In other words, “steady state economy” typically refers to a national economy of stable size, although it may also refer to an economy of a city, province, or other political unit. (It may also refer to a regional economy or the global economy, and in such cases political units are aggregated.) In neoclassical economics, “steady” is not an adjective of “state economy.” Rather, the conjoined “steady-state” is a heuristic tool to imply the stable ratio of capital:labor and, linguistically, is an adjective of “economy.”
Theoretically and temporarily, a steady state economy may have a growing population with declining per capita consumption, or vice versa, but neither of these scenarios are sustainable in the long run. Therefore, “steady state economy” connotes constant populations of people (and, therefore, “stocks” of labor) and constant stocks of capital. It also has a constant rate of throughput; i.e., energy and materials used to produce goods and services.
Within a given technological framework these constant stocks will yield constant flows of goods and services. Technological progress may yield a more efficient “digestion” of throughput, resulting in the production of more (or more highly valued) goods and services. However, as emphasized in biophysical economics (which may arguably be classified as a subset of ecological economics), there are limits to productive efficiency imposed by the laws of thermodynamics and therefore limits to the amount and value of goods and services that may be produced in a given ecosystem. In other words, there is a maximum size at which a steady state economy may exist. Conflicts with ecological integrity and environmental protection occur long before a steady state economy is maximized.
“Constancy” of population and capital stocks does not imply absolutely unchanging population and capital stocks at the finest level of measurement. Rather, “constant” implies mildly fluctuating in the short run but exhibiting a stable equilibrium in the long run. Long-run changes reflect evolutionary, geological, or astronomical processes that alter the carrying capacity of the Earth for the human economy. Dramatic examples include atmosphere-altering volcanoes and massive meteorite collisions.
Just as economic growth is the predominant macroeconomic policy goal identified or implied by neoclassical economics, the steady state economy is the predominant macroeconomic policy goal identified or implied by ecological economics. To the extent that ecological economics is a normative transdisciplinary endeavor rather than a purely analytical framework, its three main concerns are sustainability, equity, and efficiency, each of which may be served via public policy. Neither economic growth nor economic recession are sustainable; therefore, the steady state economy remains the only sustainable prospect and the appropriate policy goal for the sake of sustainability.
The steady state economy may be pursued in the policy arena with the same policy tools that have historically been used to facilitate economic growth. These include fiscal policy tools such as government spending and taxation, and monetary policy tools such as money supplies and interest rates. Certain institutional adjustments are also entailed. For example, some have posited that a fractional reserve banking system may not be reconciled with a steady state economy and that fee-service banking is the most feasible alternative. Other public policies pertaining to ecological integrity and environmental protection may also be conducive to a steady state economy. For example, some have posited that the Endangered Species Act of 1973 was an implicit prescription for a steady state economy balanced with an economy of nature characterized by numerous threatened and endangered yet stabilized species. | <urn:uuid:46169c08-c02e-419f-8f6f-03e03a917f64> | {
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Subsets and Splits