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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angelique Chan, Executive Director of the Centre for Ageing Research & Education, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore
This article is part of our series on aged care. You can read the other articles in the series here.
Unlike in Western countries like Australia, traditional Asian cultures place a heavy emphasis on filial piety — the expectation children will support their parents in old age.
Historically, filial piety played an important role when families were large, pension schemes unavailable and life expectancy was around 50 years old.
Today, however, families in east and southeast Asia are much smaller, divorce rates and rates of non-marriage are increasing, and fewer adult children are living with their parents. These demographic shifts are nowhere more apparent than in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.Also, people are living much longer. By 2030, the UN estimates 60% of the world’s older population (60+) will reside in Asia.
Families can only do so much
In the midst of these demographic and cultural changes, Asian governments continue to promote the idea families should be primarily responsible for the care of older family members.
But for many adult children, the pressures to fulfil the demands of filial piety are immense. Those who are unable to provide care because of work demands or their own family responsibilities often find it emotionally difficult to put their parents or grandparents in institutional care.
Research has shown even hiring a live-in domestic worker is associated with negative self-esteem among adult children. Care-giving for older parents can therefore become a harrowing journey requiring time, money and in-depth knowledge of the health and social care systems.
Because of these challenges — as well as the rapidly ageing populations in many Asian countries — we are being forced to think creatively about how to improve community care for older people who don’t have around-the-clock family support.
Asian countries are at the forefront of this research out of necessity. But many of these strategies can easily transfer to other parts of the world — and in some cases already are — despite any cultural differences that may exist.
Why integrated care is the way forward
At present, the mandatory retirement age in Singapore is 62. The old-age dependency ratio — the number of working-age people available to support one older person — has decreased from 13 in 1970 to four in 2020.
This is why the Singaporean government has made it a priority to come up with new solutions for aged care.
One solution is the provision of integrated care.
Like many developed economies, aged care in Singapore has become increasingly fragmented. Today, an older person typically has specialists for each organ and may visit a general practitioner, a doctor in a polyclinic, a hospital or a traditional healer over the course of a year. None of these health records are integrated.
Thus, older people are seen as a sum of parts — and this not only affects the efficacy of their care, but also their quality of life.
The World Health Organisation has recognised the limitations of this kind of fragmented care and last year launched the Integrated Care for Older People framework for countries dealing with rapidly ageing populations. This framework promotes people-centred and integrated health services for older persons via a seamless network of families, communities and health care institutions.
In its ideal form, integrated care allows older people to “age in place”, that is in their own homes. Older people can have their health and social care needs satisfied without having to be institutionalised, which decreases the need for government spending on institutional aged care.
In order to achieve an integrated care system, there has to be an alignment of goals across players in the health and social care systems.
In Singapore, this ethos has taken hold in the last decade. In 2015, the government established an Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), which acts as a central repository of information for older adults and provides them with referrals and placements with health and social services.
For example, older people can be accompanied by their caregivers to the AIC to obtain referrals for dementia day care or rehabilitation services if they have injured themselves, returning to their homes in the evenings.
The idea is to provide older people with the medical and social support when they need it, but not to take them out of their communities.
Bringing nurses to residents in their communities
At the same time, community health and social care services are being ramped up and new models of care are being tested in order to achieve a truly integrated care system.
One example of a new model of care that is being piloted is a program called Care Close to Home (C2H). In this model, a registered nurse and at least five nursing assistants are situated in communities and provide health and social care to residents living in the area during weekdays.
Residents are encouraged to seek help from the C2H team if, for example, they have an asthma attack or a non-serious fall. In most cases, the nurse can manage the situation.
Again, the goal of this system is to manage people’s health and social care needs at home to reduce frequent hospitalisations and entry into nursing homes.
The importance of these kinds of community health and social care services is recognised at the government level in other countries, too.
China, for example, is currently experimenting with different models of community health services to achieve an integrated care system. Japan has invested heavily in the training of geriatricians and the development of community care services.
In the next decade, the models of health and social care for older adults must be re-imagined like this to support ageing populations.
Integrated care is the way forward — this is the best solution for maintaining a high quality of life among older adults. We can no longer rely on the family as the primary support system for older adults.
– ref. Asian countries do aged care differently. Here’s what we can learn from them – https://theconversation.com/asian-countries-do-aged-care-differently-heres-what-we-can-learn-from-them-148089 | <urn:uuid:8ac36717-8531-45d3-9cf5-0c6140f2bb44> | {
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Over the past week, the mobile game Flappy Bird has become something of a craze amongst students in our school.
Our Year 8 students are currently following an ICT/Computing project to create their own computer games with Scratch. It struck me that the game mechanic for Flappy Bird was very simple (even if the game itself is not!) – and could easily be recreated in Scratch.
I worked with some Year 10 GCSE Computing students to develop a basic game mechanic, and then developed it for demonstration with Year 8 classes. Students have really enjoyed testing my (very limited) version of the game, and the connection with a game they already know (and love) has added another layer of engagement to their game-making project.
I believe this is a good example of how we can encourage young people to become creators rather than just consumers of digital content, in a way that is immediately relevant to them. | <urn:uuid:bf6dba39-24ac-40b7-87ea-026ea5c7696a> | {
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Marianne Dyson May, 2018
Many people mistakenly think that there is no gravity in space, and thus all that’s needed to reach space is to attain a certain altitude. But this is NOT true! Earth’s gravity at the surface is defined as 1g. A simple calculation* shows that the gravity at 200 miles (320 km) altitude is 90 percent of what it is on the surface, or 0.9g.
The reason spacecraft stay in orbit is not because there isn’t any gravity, but because they have attained the speed necessary to balance gravity’s pull. They must go up high enough to avoid running into mountains and the upper atmosphere which would slow them down.
A bit of algebra** proves that the velocity required to stay in an orbit does not depend on the mass of the object, only the mass of Earth and the object’s distance from the center of Earth. For orbits of 200 miles up, the speed is 17,500 mph (28,200 kph). (Note, it takes more energy to speed up a larger mass, but the speed that must be attained is the same.)
To drop to a lower orbit or return to Earth, a spacecraft doesn’t just “step off” a platform in the sky: it must slow down. This happens naturally over time because, though thin, the Earth’s atmosphere extends far into space. This is what happened to Skylab and more recently, to the Chinese space station. To stay in orbit, spacecraft must be periodically boosted.
The key to a safe return from space is to slow down, and slow down gradually.
Slowing down begins by flipping the spacecraft so that the engines are pointed forward, into the direction of travel. To slow down completely would require about the same amount of fuel as it took to reach orbital speed in the first place. On an airless world like the Moon, that is the only way to slow down. But because of Earth’s atmosphere, spacecraft need only fire their engines enough to slip into the atmosphere and then let friction do the rest.
But friction between objects at high speed produces a lot of heat. (Try rubbing your thumb and finger together slowly and then faster and note the difference in heat.) Meteors enter the atmosphere at very high speeds and quickly turn into fireballs. To avoid a similar fate, spacecraft use heat shields to protect the hull and crew. Heat shields can be made of what are called ablative materials such as used during Apollo that burn off and take heat with them; or they may take the form of insulating tiles such as were used on the space shuttles. (Damage to the heat shield is what caused the destruction of Space Shuttle Columbia.)
Once the spacecraft has passed through the upper atmosphere and lost much of its speed to heat, it is still going very fast. Unless it slows down more, it will hit the surface like a speeding car crashing into a wall. To slow down further, winged craft like the space shuttle increase their time in the lower atmosphere by executing “S” turns and then deploying parachutes after touchdown. Capsules like the Russian Soyuz use parachutes while still in the air and fire retrorockets just before touchdown.
So when it comes time to return to Earth from your trip in space, remember to slow down!
*The equation for gravity is g=G x M/D² where G is a constant, M is mass, and D is the distance. GM/D² for the surface divided by GM/D² for 200 miles up ends up with all terms except D cancelling out, i.e. 4000×4000/4200×4200=0.9.
**For calculating orbital velocity (v=√GM/r) see Gravitation Calculating Orbital Velocity of a Satellite, Step-by-Step Science.
Writing about Space
Analog readers, watch for my guest editorial on Gender Parity in the July/August issue.
My next book, coauthored with Buzz Aldrin, To the Moon and Back: My Apollo 11 Adventure, a pop-up book from National Geographic, is available for preorder now from Amazon. Look for it in stores in October.
Speaking about Space
I offer programs for school-aged children up through senior citizens, as well as science workshops for students and teachers. Please consider me for Author Visits.
Saturday, May 12, 1:00-4:30 PM. Speaking on “How to Publish a Book” at Houston Writers House. Event sold out, but watch for another session to be scheduled.
Tuesday, May 15, 9-10 AM Passion for Space, 10-11 AM, Children’s program, Laredo Public Library.
Tuesday, May 22, author visit to The Westview School.
Friday, May 25, panelist, Comicpalooza, George Brown Convention Center, Houston.
Thursday, June 7, vendor fair participant, Setting the Trend, Librarians as Leaders conference. Clear Falls High School, 4380 Village Way, League City, TX.
September 21-23, Science GOH at FenCon XV in Dallas. See their website for program details. Writer GOH is Larry Niven.
See my website’s contact page for a complete appearance schedule. | <urn:uuid:d57fb627-ca59-499b-9c1c-4ffb3bb07b52> | {
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The combustion of wood and yak dung for heating and cooking in a populated Nepal Himalayan valley contributes significantly to the ambient airborne concentrations of lead, copper, aluminum, magnesium, and elemental and organic carbon. A comparison of the concentrations of these elements in fresh snow with corresponding values in air suggests that the pollution aerosol is confined to the valley, with pristine air aloft.
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Unique skeletal signatures recognized on 5,000 years outdated our bodies from trendy Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, present the earliest proof of horse using ever found.
A crew of researchers has discovered that round 3,000 BC folks in jap Europe suffered “horsemanship syndrome.” The crew, from the University of Helsinki and Hartwick College in New York, drew their conclusions after learning over “200 Yamnaya individuals” relationship way back to the start of the Bronze Age .
A Hips Up Reveals the Oldest Riders
The researchers found a gaggle of historical Yamnaya, also referred to as the Pit Grave tradition or Ochre Grave tradition, who have been equestrian specialists that had originated round Ukraine and western Russia between 3300–2600 BC.
Over time, these Copper Age horse folks unfold throughout Europe domesticating wild horses.
According to the researchers’ new paper revealed in the journal Science Advances , that was offered on the annual convention of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, having mastered the humanities of horsemanship, “carts full of food, weapons and other provisions were transported long distances, as well as livestock to be herded more effectively”.
The crew efficiently recognized 5 historical people who had “the most reliable evidence” of getting been horse riders. The skeletons have been unearthed from kurgan burial mounds found in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, and the leg and hip bones of 4 of those skeletons demonstrated indicators of “horsemanship syndrome”.
A Yamnaya grave of a horse rider found in Malomirovo, Bulgaria. He was a person estimated to have been aged between 65 and 75 when he died (Michał Podsiadło/ Science Advances )
What then are the indicators of “horsemanship syndrome?” According to a report in The Daily Mail , lead writer Martin Trautmann stated: “Biomechanical stress markers on human skeletons provide a viable way to further investigate the history of horseback riding and may even provide clues about riding style and equipment.” For instance, riders gripping to the aspect of a horse, whereas utilizing the decrease physique and thigh muscle groups, suffered stress reactions on their pelvis’ and femur.
Furthermore, “stress-induced vertebral degeneration” was one other main signal of vertical affect brought on by bouncing on horses. In one case, a rider confirmed accidents on the sacral vertebrae – a big, triangular-shaped bone positioned simply above the tailbone, brought on by “a forceful fall on the backside is the most likely trauma scenario,” in response to the paper.
Overview of the archaeological excavations of a Yamnaya kurgan in Malomirov. (Michał Podsiadło/ Science Advances )
Chair Seating For Comfort
According to the researchers, the osteological options noticed on the skeletons “fit well” with a particular using model seen in later depictions of Bronze Age riders. The riders often rode in a place referred to as “chair seat,” which meant using with out a padded saddle, or stirrups, to keep away from discomfort to horse and rider.
The new paper says this explicit model is bodily demanding, “with the legs exerting constant pressure to cling to the mount’s back and needs continual balancing.” However, the using model was not suited to armed fight or controlling herd animals. It was a lot later that formed and “padded” saddles and stirrups have been used. In conclusion, the brand new findings present “a strong argument that horseback riding was already a common activity for some Yamnaya individuals as early as 3000 BC”.
But There Were Limitations
Martin Trautmann wrote in the paper that leaping on a horse’s again 5,000 years in the past “may have been one small step for man, but it was a giant leap for mankind.” Co-author David Anthony from Hartwick College, stated these advances made herding cattle and sheep “three times more efficient.” However, as a consequence of a scarcity of specialised gear and quick breeding historical past, as soon as onboard, the crew of scientists suppose the horses would have been “hard to handle”.
Adding to this, the elevated anxiousness response in early Yamnaya horses in all probability made them much more prone to ‘bolt’ when frightened. The outcomes of using these comparatively skittish horses was optimistic, in that folks may shortly escape raids. However, the navy good thing about equestrianism “may have been limited”.
Top picture: Discovered in Malomirovo, Bulgaria, the skeleton of a horse rider shows the everyday burial customized of the Yamnaya Source: Michał Podsiadło/ Science Advances
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I have been taking care of many severely ill patients with depression and bipolar disorder over the past month, patients hospitalized on the mood disorders service at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Three of these patients have had outstanding responses to ECT, or electroconvulsive therapy, also known as "shock" therapy.
Two of them came in hopeless, intensely miserable, and preoccupied with ending their lives, while the third came in with a depression so severe that it shut her down entirely — she was mute, not able to respond to my questions or even recognize that I was in the room with her.
The three of them all look happy and cheerful now, and feel very grateful for having been made well again.
The challenges that their depressions created in their lives — disruption at work and school, and damaged family and social relationships — now seem surmountable, given their new energy and confidence.
While in the minds of some patients and their families ECT remains scary and controversial, the reality is that it is the most effective treatment for clinical depression, and it is a well-studied, safe medical procedure.
I know it looks cruel and punitive as it is depicted in the 1975 movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but that's Hollywood — that's fiction — rather than an accurate rendering of ECT as we use it in psychiatry today.
The most important thing to know about ECT is that it works 75 percent to 80 percent of the time in treating people with depression, while any given antidepressant medication works about 60 percent of the time.
As with most of our treatments in psychiatry, we do not know precisely how ECT works, though we have some clues.
We know that ECT causes a seizure — an electrical storm — in the brain, and that this seizure is necessary for ECT to have its therapeutic effect. The seizure seems to reboot the emotional machinery of the brain, in the same way that pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete on the computer can sometimes provide a fresh start when the digital computer brain is stuck.
ECT has been around longer than any other modern psychiatric treatment — since 1938, when it was developed in Italy. Because it seemed to work, and because there was so little available to treat the severely mentally ill, ECT spread around the world very quickly.
While the treatment was initially used in patients who were awake and alert, and was thus potentially frightening, by the late 1950s it was being applied with modern anesthesia techniques that included both sedating medications to put patients to sleep, and muscle relaxants so that the seizure was physically only very mild. At the same time, anesthesiologists began to monitor the patients' breathing, heart rate and blood pressure to ensure the maximum level of safety.
Treatment is typically administered three times a week over two to four weeks. Each treatment involves electricity being administered to the head for one or a few seconds, which results in a seizure lasting 20-90 seconds. While the seizure is happening in the brain, there is very little evidence of it in the body, because of the muscle relaxant medication, as noted above. The patient is usually awake within a few minutes, groggy for 30-60 minutes, and feeling back to normal after that.
While minor side effects can occur, like headaches, upset stomach and muscle aches, all of these can be managed with medications. Most patients do very well with the treatments.
The side effect of greatest concern is memory problems. In the same way that rebooting the computer can cause the loss of whatever the computer brain was working on at the time, so ECT commonly causes loss of memories around the time of the treatment. It is important to consider the context here. I have had patients tell me that this was not bothersome because they did not particularly want to recall the horrible feelings they had that led to the necessity of ECT.
On the other hand, the memory problems can extend further, leaving gaps in the period up to six months before ECT and up to two months after it. This effect is more pronounced in people undergoing a form of ECT called "bilateral" ECT, in which the electricity is run through the whole brain, than in the form called "unilateral," in which it is run only through the right side. For this reason, unilateral is the form generally used. For those who experience this memory loss, the memories generally return gradually, over a period of about six months.
Patients typically find they are able to compensate for memory gaps using strategies such as taking more written notes, or relying on friends or colleagues to remind them of things.
Many patients have described how memory difficulties are a price worth paying for relief from devastating and debilitating depression. Kitty Dukakis, wife of former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, is among them. She relates how ECT changed her life for the better in her book "Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy."
The other important downside to ECT that patients need to be aware of is that while it restores many patients to wellness, it does not necessarily keep them well. There is a need for continuing treatment to give people the best possible chance of staying depression-free.
One study showed that either putting patients back on antidepressant medications, or continuing to do occasional ECT treatments (called "maintenance" ECT), led to two-thirds of patients staying well over the next six months. The rate of wellness over that period in patients with no treatment was only 16 percent.
ECT is far from perfect, but it is the most effective treatment we have for serious depression. I wish you could see the bright and optimistic looks on the faces of the three women whom we brought back from the brink this month.
Dr. James Potash is an associate professor of psychiatry and co-director of the Mood Disorders Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. If you have questions or comments, please e-mail at [email protected]. To participate in our genetic and clinical studies, call 1-877-MOODS-JH. | <urn:uuid:f2c838fb-ae53-4884-a80b-2c86ddcb65de> | {
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This is Independence Week–when we celebrate our most significant American commodity: “Liberty and Justice for All.”
July 2nd: Anniversary of adoption by the Continental Congress, sitting in Philadelphia, 2 July 1776, of a resolution by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia (actually proposed 7 June 1776).
“Resolved, That these United States are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved. That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances. That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.”
On July 4th 1776, the Declaration of Independence, written by the pen of Thomas Jefferson, was officially adopted by the Congress and signed by John Hancock in the presence of Charles Thomson, Secretary. Other signatures were added 2 August 1776: “The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed by the members.” (Congressional Journal)
The resolution and the declaration were acts of treason–especially the resolve to form alliances with foreign powers.
May I recommend two volumes for your summer reading list:
- “I Love Paul Revere, Whether He Rode or Not!” (Warren Harding) by Richard Shenkman. New York: Harper Collins, 1991. Shenkman describes many traditions, cherished myths, and legends of American history. This is a favorite pastime of some writers who love to debunk what they call “self-serving” patriotic myths peddled by politicians. You will find some enlightenment as well as entertainment in his book–including the parts that Virginians did not take.
- The Cousins’ Wars by Kevin Phillips. New York: Basic Books, 1999. Phillips makes a good case for the impact of religious politics and religion in politics as the underlying difference between New England (spread westward all the way to the Pacific Ocean) and The South (spread to and including Texas and Arizona). You will find his thesis fascinating–that these differences originate in the British Isles and lead to civil war both in the American Revolution and the War Between the States. And his collection of evidence valuable, especially for accurate genealogical research in Virginia.
Your favorite Virginia genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://www.arleneeakle.com
PS Watch this blog. I plan to discuss on these differences in great detail. One of our greatest research challenges is connecting an ancestor from Missouri or Kentucky or Arkansas or Georgia with Virginia with proof that the person in Virginia is the same person!
PPS Have a grand and glorious, safe 4th of July. I think I’ll veg on my patio with The Cousins’ War! | <urn:uuid:99d940b2-343a-4cfd-8ce9-c8311120fe41> | {
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Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188
By Stacy Kish, CSREES Staff
October 14, 2008
Tallgrass prairie vegetation exposed to different carbon dioxide concentrations.
Photo credit: Katherine Jones
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is believed to raise global temperatures. In the past 200 years, carbon dioxide has increased by 35 percent. Scientists are working with natural resource managers to better understand how plants respond to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide to maximize plant productivity.
With funding from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) National Research Initiative (NRI), scientists in Texas examined how carbon dioxide affects water retention in tallgrass prairies.
As temperatures increase, water evaporates more rapidly. In plants, water is lost through the stomata, the small pores on the underside of leaves that allow the plant to breathe. Transpiration is the evaporation of water from the plant. Evapotranspiration is the water lost through both transpiration and the evaporation of water from surrounding soil.
As temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide increase, many scientists are concerned how these changes will affect plants. Scientists have known for some time that increased concentrations of carbon dioxide causes the stomata to close, resulting in lower transpiration rates and increased water efficiency in plants. Information on how carbon dioxide affects transpiration at the level of plants in the field is more limited.
Wayne Polley and colleagues at the Grassland, Soil, and Water Research Laboratory in Temple, TX, used chambers to manipulate carbon dioxide in the field and measure the transpiration from tallgrass prairie plants.
Grazing lands occupy about 40 percent of the land area in the United States. In addition to being an important source of food and fiber, prairie grasses may be a valuable addition to the emerging biofuels industry. By conserving scarce supplies of water, carbon dioxide enrichment may increase the benefits society derives from grazing lands.
The researchers found that atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment slowed plant water use and increased water retention in soils. The amount of water savings, however, is most pronounced at low temperatures.
The water saving effects of carbon dioxide variability changes with the seasons. The savings are greatest during cooler months and lower during warmer months. In addition, leaf area plays a significant role in water retention. This benefit of greater carbon dioxide may be exploited by planting crops or crop cultivars that thrive during relatively cool parts of the growing season.
CSREES funded this research project through the NRI Managed Ecosystem program. Through federal funding and leadership for research, education, and extension programs, CSREES focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.csrees.usda.gov. | <urn:uuid:4d009390-b71e-4846-a8d7-0dc6532a10eb> | {
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On Protection Island, gulls like their eggs raw or hatched. Here in the largest nesting gull colony in Puget Sound, cannibalism is on the rise—an eerie and unprecedented phenomenon that scientists have linked to climate change. Analyzing a decade of data from the island’s population of Glaucous-winged Gulls, researchers from Andrews University found a high correlation between hot years and egg cannibalism.
"It doesn't seem like a lot, but a one-tenth of a degree change in seawater temperature correlates to a 10 percent increase in (the odds of) cannibalism," biologist Jim Hayward told the Kitsap Sun.
According to Hayward, when the water warms, it creates a domino effect in the food chain that leaves the gulls without their most reliable food source. From the Sun:
Over the past 60 years, ocean temperatures have increased about 15 times faster than any other time over the past 10,000 years. As temperatures rise, plankton drops into deeper, colder water. Fish that feed on the plankton also drop lower. The surface-feeding gulls, which depend almost entirely on fish while nesting on Protection Island, can't find enough to eat.
Observed in roughly 1,300 species, cannibalism is a common coping mechanism for times of food scarcity. It’s already happening in polar bears and lobsters affected by melting ice and warming seas. But cannibalism isn’t just unsavory; it’s evolutionarily unsustainable. And while most gulls are far from endangered, this climate-caused behavior may soon exist in threatened bird species.
More than 70 percent of Puget Sound’s seabirds nest on Protection’s 380 acres, including the third-largest colony of Rhinoceros Auklets and one of the Salish Sea’s last colonies of Tufted Puffins. While the gulls are the only species yet to resort to egg cannibalism, the researchers have noticed that rising sea temperatures are leading many puffins to abandon their nests, too exhausted by food hunting to incubate their eggs.
Some good news for the birds is that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a ruling this spring protecting vital fish species off the Pacific Coast—a monumental victory for seabirds and their prey—but that will only help so much as long as warmer water temperatures persist. And so, at least for now, baby gulls on Protection Island will have to stay extra alert in this new bird-eat-bird world. | <urn:uuid:b253e187-f4ab-4261-acca-ad4867647ae0> | {
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NEW YORK (AP) - The Supreme Court used to be called Nine Old Men. That's nothing compared to the ageless Rolling Stones. The justices on average are the kid brothers and sisters of the forever young rock n' rollers.
The average age for the four living members of The Rolling Stones is about two years older than the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood have an average age of 68 years and 297 days, while the Supreme Court justices' average is 66 years and 364 days. That makes the rock band one year and 10 months older than the members of the highest court of the United States.
The Rolling Stones are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with a five-date tour.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|There are currently no active polls at this time.
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Because merely a one parity little bit is utilized in a time, it is also called single-bit parity. The transmitter adds a parity bit following the info little bit of each character, and also the receiver checks the parity little bit. A normal example would be the transmission of knowledge alerts for ASCII codes. ASCII codes are seven-bit codes, hence the eighth bit code is employed as being the parity bit.
The one-way parity examine is split into odd examine and in many cases check. The sender takes advantage of the examine little bit to check the worth of the transmitted sign as follows: Odd test ensures the overall number of 1s during the eight bits of every character transmitted. It's odd; even parity guarantees which the total quantity of 1s while in the 8 bits of every character is even.
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Naturally, if an odd number of glitches (these kinds of as 1, three, 5, and seven) take place from the 7 signal bits in the transmitted character in the exact time, all errors might be detected; but when you will discover even figures (such as 2, four, six) at the similar time A tad error transpired, along with the unidirectional parity check could not be detected.
Frequently, odd parity is usually employed in synchronous transmission, and in many cases parity is usually used in asynchronous transmission.
Odd check out: It is for making the volume of 1s within the authentic info sequence (like the 1 you ought to include) an odd 1000110 (0). You will need to incorporate 0 making sure that there are actually three 1s which might be previously odd figures. The number of 1s continues to be odd.
Even parity: It truly is to make the volume of 1s during the initial facts sequence (such as the a single you want to incorporate) be even. Only one is often additional.
Tips on how to take care of parity problems
What is parity, the tactic of parity
What's parity, the strategy of parity
How to deal with parity errors
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Organizations that are unable to configure their security settings in this manner should ensure that their anti-virus program
is set to automatically scan all email attachments and file downloads before they are saved or executed on the network or user desktop.
Twice, after software elements were detected as malicious by anti-virus programs
, the campaign paused and then began distributing newer versions that escaped scrutiny, Check Point researcher Shahar Tal said.
According to BBC, the novel versions of the viruses are unknown to anti-virus programs
which let the malicious programs persist and take over the machine so it can be mined for saleable data or used to send spam or to attack other machines.
Rootkit attacks are particularly harmful in their ability to hide in host systems, evade current mainstream detection methods (such as anti-virus programs
or whitelisting at the operating system level) and their capacity to replace legitimate IT system firmware.
Graham Cluley of Sophos said that becauseWindows users are more likely to be running up-to-date anti-virus programs
, many Mac users are missing a "valuable safety net".
Its analysis of 240m web pages over 13 months showed that fake anti-virus programs
accounted for 15 percent of all malicious software.
The new technology also opens more potential in further development of the program mentioned in a number of feedbacks from the users who noted that it was sometimes detected as an ambiguous tool to some certain anti-virus programs
In any case, most anti-virus programs
detect the viruses
Additionally, the SIR report pointed to the spread of rogue anti-virus programs
as a significant threat.
According to Mary Landesman of ScanSafe, the recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) injunctions against two companies accused of distributing fake anti-virus programs
is a step in the right direction but against a backdrop of widespread abuse.
Symantec said nearly two thirds of the programs have been created in the last year, with cyber criminals sending out malware intended to fool anti-virus programs
looking for characteristics that they have seen already.
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Malaria, which affects 200 million people each year, is one of the deadliest diseases in the world.
Although it is preventable and curable, the World Health Organization estimates that 438,000 people died from malaria in 2015, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.
John Lewandowski, a PhD student in mechanical engineering at MIT, said diagnosing it quickly is critical.
“Early detection is very important, typically in the first five to seven days before symptoms arise, so that treatment can begin,” said Lewandowski, 26.
He’s designed a mechanical device called RAM (Rapid Assessment of Malaria) that is able to detect malaria in five seconds from a drop of blood.
There are two primary ways to diagnose malaria: You can test a drop of blood under a microscope to identify the parasite, or you can do a diagnostic test on a blood drop sample, which returns a positive or negative result, similar to a home pregnancy test.
But many rural communities in Africa and Asia don’t have the medical infrastructure for microscopic tests, and the diagnostic test can’t detect malaria infection in the very early stages.
Lewandowski developed his device to make diagnosing malaria quicker and cheaper.
The RAM is battery-operated, costs about $100 to $120, and is made from low-cost materials. The plastic box (measuring 4×4 inches) has a small circuit board, a few magnets and a laser on the inside. On the outside is an LCD screen, an SD card slot and a plastic disposable cuvette.
“It’s pretty bare bones,” said Lewandowski, who’s the founder and CEO of Boston-based Disease Diagnostic Group, which is developing the device.
Malaria parasites in human blood create iron crystals that are magnetic in nature.
“As an engineer, I thought about creating a way to detect these magnetic crystals quickly,” said Lewandowski.
You take a finger prick of blood and insert it into the box through the cuvette. If the malaria parasite is present, the magnets draw the iron crystals horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The laser helps identify the pattern and diagnose the disease. (If the disease isn’t present, no crystals form.)
The technology is deliberately simplistic and easy to use, although diagnosing the parasite and determining treatment needs to be done by a local clinic or hospital.
“The technology is novel,” said David Sullivan, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and an expert on “hemozoin,” or the iron crystals. Sullivan, who is familiar with the device, said it offers a slight advantage over the rapid diagnostic tests because of its speed; some malaria patients can die within 24 hours.
Rapid blood testing devices have been in the spotlight recently. Most prominently, Theranos, which claimed its blood testing device could process a full range of lab tests with just few drops of blood. The firm was valued at $9 billion, but in October 2015, a WSJ report questioned the accuracy of Theranos’ blood tests and it has been under fire since then.
But Lewandowski said his device isn’t reinventing the wheel.
“Our technology is just speeding up that same process and bringing down the cost,” he said.
At the same time, he said the company is exploring how the technology could pivot to test for other mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and Zika virus.
Since 2013, Disease Diagnostic Group has tested the RAM device in clinical trials in India.
“In India, the field study of 250 patients showed a 93% to 97% accuracy,” Lewandowski said, adding that a new field study will launch this summer in Nigeria with up to 5,000 patients.
The startup has won about $1.5 million from various business competitions, including the MIT $100K Pitch Competition and the Harvard Life Science Accelerator.
“We self-funded initially and the rest of our investment is from prize money and grants,” said Lewandowski. He said the firm has six full-time employees and operates a lab and testing facility in Buffalo, New York.
The startup is already selling the devices in limited quantities to doctors in small clinics and individual healthcare workers doing malaria field tests in India.
The firm has submitted the device for approval to the WHO and for EU health and safety certification.
Lewandowski expects to have RAM devices more widely available for purchase in a year, and eventually in the hands of families in high-risk regions of the world for malaria.
“For us, social impact is our mission,” he said. “We want them to be used in the right way by the right people who need them the most.” | <urn:uuid:92e947c3-feb3-4838-a89a-481506686f25> | {
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Brace yourself: The U.S. is about to go over the "dairy cliff," which could cause milk prices to jump.
If Congress is not able to pass a new farm bill before the 2008 farm bill expires at the end of the year, a decades-old law will then kick in. As part of this permanent legislation from 1949, the government would then buy dairy products from producers at about twice the current market rate.
"It could take a period of weeks or a month or two for there to be a trickle-down effect at the retail level," said Chris Galen, senior vice president of communications at the National Milk Producers Federation, a group of 30 dairy cooperatives. "What happens under this permanent law, the USDA is required to basically support a much higher price to dairy farmers."
Possible impact of an expiration
Once this price increase gets passed down to shoppers, Galen said milk prices could jump as much as "$2 or $3 a gallon" possibly even as high as $7 to $8 a gallon in pricier markets. The national average for a gallon of milk in October stood at about $3.46, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(Read more: Much breast milk bought online is contaminated)
If the farm bill expires, "domestic demand for dairy products would fall by an estimated 9 percent, and exports, which have seen much growth over the past decade, would likely disappear as the cost of U.S. dairy products would become prohibitively expensive," the Executive Office of the President predicted in a recent report. | <urn:uuid:9095c308-8afa-4203-bfe1-746425c7c944> | {
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Research from UT Southwestern found that people who had accumulation of amyloid beta in the brain–a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease–experienced slower degeneration in a region of the brain crucial for memory if they exercised.
Although exercise did not prevent the eventual spread of toxic amyloid plaques blamed for killing neurons in the brains of dementia patients, the findings from the trial (which included 70 participants ages 55 and older) suggest an intriguing possibility that aerobic workouts can at least slow down the effects of the disease if intervention occurs in the early stages.
“What are you supposed to do if you have amyloid clumping together in the brain? Right now, doctors can’t prescribe anything. If these findings can be replicated in a larger trial, then maybe one day doctors will be telling high-risk patients to start an exercise plan. In fact, there’s no harm in doing so now.”– Dr. Rong Zhang, Director of the Cerebrovascular Laboratory at the IEEM & Professor of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics and Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern
Details of the trial
The study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease compared cognitive function and brain volume between two groups of sedentary older adults with memory issues: One group did aerobic exercise (at least a half-hour workout four to five times weekly), and another group did only flexibility training.
Both groups maintained similar cognitive abilities during the trial in areas such as memory and problem solving. But brain imaging showed that people from the exercise group who had amyloid buildup experienced slightly less volume reduction in their hippocampus–a memory-related brain region that progressively deteriorates as dementia takes hold.
“It’s interesting that the brains of participants with amyloid responded more to the aerobic exercise than the others. Although the interventions didn’t stop the hippocampus from getting smaller, even slowing down the rate of atrophy through exercise could be an exciting revelation.”– Dr. Rong Zhang
However, Dr. Zhang notes that more research is needed to determine how or if the reduced atrophy rate benefits cognition.
Five-year, multi-center research
Dr. Zhang is leading a five-year national clinical trial that aims to dig deeper into potential correlations between exercise and dementia. The trial, which includes six medical centers across the country, involves more than 600 older adults (ages 60-85) at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The study will measure whether aerobic exercise and taking specific medications to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol can help preserve brain volume and cognitive abilities.
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You’ve likely heard about certain habits and lifestyle choices that may increase your risk of developing cancer. Smoking’s association with lung cancer, obesity’s link to colon cancer, and sun exposure leading to skin cancer are just a few.
You might be surprised to learn that according to the American Cancer Society, around 42 percent of cancers may be linked to modifiable behaviors. That is, things we have the power to change with the guidance of your trusted primary care provider.
But with lifestyle changes, can we actually prevent cancer?
Reducing Cancer Risk
Depending on what your habits and behaviors are, you can either limit the risk of exposure or increase the risk of exposure.
Many other factors influence our cancer risk some we can control, some we can't. As cancer is a disease within your DNA, there are some factors that are genetic and unavoidable.
In addition to the genetic blueprint you’re born with, lifestyle behaviors and age (your DNA gets damaged over time, increasing your cancer risk as you get older) form the complex combination of factors that predict your likelihood of developing cancer.
So while calling cancer preventable might be a stretch, embracing a healthier lifestyle can absolutely reduce your risk of cancer and a battery of other diseases.
It's true that a number of poor habits can increase your risk of cancer, while healthier behaviors may reduce or delay your risk of developing cancer. Taking an active role in your health is always a good idea.
Tips for Reducing Your Cancer Risk
Leading a healthier lifestyle can lower your risk of cancer and other diseases. Here are a few things you can discuss with your primary care provider to promote your whole health.
1. Stop Smoking...Or Don't Start
The new American Cancer Society findings confirm that smoking cigarettes remains the top cause of cancer. In general, fewer people are taking up smoking, but we still have a long way to go.
If you’re currently a smoker who is interested in quitting, you can join a smoking cessation class. Click here to see if AdventHealth has a smoking cessation class near you.
2. Exercise Regularly
Inactivity and obesity are linked to a variety of diseases, including colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. By incorporating regular exercise, be it biking, walking, running, yoga or strength training we can set ourselves up for better health overall. Your primary care doctor can write a “prescription” customized for your health status, age and other important factors so that your exercise routine is safe and effective for your personal needs.
3. Eat More Fruits, Vegetables and Lean Meats
A diet heavy in red meat and processed meat can put you at a higher risk of developing colon cancer. Diversify your diet with plant-based options that provide abundant vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber found in many fruits and vegetables to reduce your cancer risk. Your primary care doctor can work with you and recommend additional services such as a dietician to meet your individual nutritional requirements for optimal health.
4. Limit Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation
Nearly all skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to UV radiation either from the sun or other sources, like tanning beds.
With around four million cases diagnosed each year, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., but there’s a lot you can do to limit your risk. Stay in the shade whenever possible, protect skin with hats and long sleeves or pants, and wear broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day, even when it’s cloudy.
Talk to your primary care doctor about your skin cancer risk, skin changes and whether you should see a specialist such as a dermatologist on a regular basis.
Your Primary Care Provider is Your Whole-Health Guide
All of these tips can be discussed with your trusted primary care provider, who can develop a personalized cancer risk reduction plan for you. Find your primary care expert and partner in whole-health today. | <urn:uuid:caec104c-7120-4673-8e4a-dc58d8c944a1> | {
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Troubleshooting DNS and Name Resolution
It is possible that the network connectivity troubleshooting steps above do not show a fault. Everything works perfectly using IP addresses, but you still cannot access a resource on the network. The next step is to troubleshoot name resolution.
The manner in which you do this depends on the type of resolution you are attempting. The first step is to use ping with the human friendly resource name you want to access. If you receive a response from ping other than Unknown Host, name resolution is not the issue. If ping does reply with Unknown Host, the next step is to understand the method you are using for name resolution.
If you are using DNS for name resolution, DNS servers will be configured and they will show up in the output of the IPCONFIG /ALL command. To check name resolution via DNS, use the NSLOOKUP command. Entering NSLOOKUP at a command prompt with no parameters will access its interactive mode. Using this mode has one further advantage; when NSLOOKUP opens its interface it tries to connect to the DNS servers configured on the machine. If the servers are not responsive, NSLOOKUP returns an error that will immediately tell you the problem lies at the server end. However if NSLOOKUP loads successfully, the next step is to attempt some name resolution tests.
If you are using WINS or NetBIOS, name resolution troubleshooting is somewhat harder. Use the NET VIEW command to display a list of resources on the target machine. If this command returns, System Error 53 has occurred, the network path was not found, the problem lies with name resolution. If you have a WINS server on the network, ensure it is online and functional. If you are using simple NetBIOS, make sure that any gateways or firewalls between the client machine and the target are not denying NetBIOS data packets.
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Adapted with permission from a work created by Tcat Houser et al.
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How One Of The World's Toughest Creatures Can Bring Itself Back To Life
Microscopic, bear-shaped animals called tardigrades are one of the most resilient animals on earth. Known colloquially as water bears, they can survive freezing temperatures, radiation, even a trip to outer space.
The creatures are famous for their ability to withstand extremely dry conditions. Water bears can go without water for 10 years, surviving as a dessicated shell. Just how they come back to life when their environment is friendlier has baffled scientists for years.
Now researchers think they have the answer, and it may someday help us ship pharmaceuticals more efficiently.
Scientists initially thought tardigrades were surviving desiccation by using a sugar called trehalose. In bacteria and fungi, trehalose can turn the inside of cells to a glass-like matrix that keeps proteins from being damaged in super dry conditions. The process, called vitrification, allows dried-up organisms to hold proteins and molecules together until the organism is rehydrated and can get back to business.
But when they looked closely, researchers found that trehalose was barely detectable in water bears, and that some species don't have the ability to make the sugar at all. So researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill set out to find what the tardigrades were doing to regenerate.
Led by UNC postdoctoral fellow Thomas Boothby, the team of biochemists started by drying out tardigrades and determining which genes were "switched on" in response. One group of proteins called IDPs, or intrinsically disordered proteins, stood out. "When we looked at which genes are activated most during that drying stress, the genes that encode the disordered proteins jumped right to the top of the list," Boothby said.
IDPs are the oddballs of the protein world. Most proteins have a stable 3-D structure that's important for their function, but intrinsically disordered proteins have no set shape. That means they're flexible and can wiggle and move to bind things in the cell. Boothby says IDPs are like "wiggly spaghetti springs where they are constantly changing shape."
Water bears that lacked functional IDPs couldn't survive extremely dry conditions, as the biochemists noted in a study published Thursday in Molecular Cell.
Boothby found that IDPs form bio-glass much like trehalose does in bacteria and fungi. Essentially, when the water bears get stressed, they start cranking out IDPs that fill up the cells and form the protective matrix.
Once they determined that IDPs prevented tardigrades from drying up and dying, the researchers put IDPs in yeast and bacteria to see if it could protect them as well. The borrowed tardigrade proteins increased the ability of some bacteria and yeast to survive desiccation by 100-fold. That means that tardigrade proteins are functional even when you put them in other organisms.
Boothby thinks these proteins could be useful in pharmaceutical storage. "A lot of protein-based pharmaceuticals are very effective but also very unstable," he says.
To keep them stable, some drugs need to be kept very cold as they're transported and stored. This makes shipping and storage very expensive – which can be an insurmountable challenge in developing countries.
Boothby thinks that using the tardigrade proteins to help stabilize the medicines could eventually bring down that cost. "Essentially, what we envision is using these tardigrade proteins to stabilize sensitive proteins in a dried state, and then being able to ship and store these lifesaving drugs all over the world at room temperature."
So water bear proteins might bear benefits for humans, too.
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If a patient has a brain disease, usually the family will donate the brain for study after death for a couple of reasons.
The first is to find out the final diagnosis. The second is to understand what this means for other family members, usually children or siblings.
They want to know what are the chances that others in the family will get this or a similar brain disease?
Contrary to common belief, Alzheimer’s and most other age-related brain diseases are not always inherited.
There are few gene mutations that produce Alzheimer’s disease but these are estimated to account for only around 5% or 10% of Alzheimer’s patients.
Patterns of inheritance of a combination of other non-mutated genes contribute to about 40-50% of the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but do not typically lead to the disease. Unfortunately, no amount of testing of these genes can predict with certainty whether a person will develop Alzheimer’s disease.
So it appears that, taken together, genetic factors determine only about half of the cases of Alzheimer’s disease.
So what causes disease in others?
We assume that the disease in these people is triggered by something, or a combination of things, in the environment. However, what these are, when they have their effects, and how these work on the brain to produce disease remains completely unknown.
In this way, brain diseases are similar to many other diseases such as cancer, that have known risk factors but that still appear somewhat random in terms of who precisely gets a disease versus who does not.
Our limited understanding of what exactly causes brain disease makes us want to learn more so we can prevent them or find a cure.
Most age-related brain diseases are incurable and ultimately fatal. Families feel powerless when they watch a loved one lose their mental capabilities and often their identity. Donating brain tissue for research can provide a sense of empowerment and purpose to those left behind often tempering the grieving process and sense of loss.
Randy Woltjer, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology and Director, Neuropathology Core of the Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center
This article originally appeared in the The Layton Center’s newsletter, the Alzheimer’s Update, a biannual publication that features stories on Layton Center and national research, experiences of volunteers in some of our studies, and cognitive health. Subscribe here.
2 responses to “Brain donation at OHSU”
How do you learn more about donating?
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Adults 65 and older use more medicine daily than any other age group in the United States, accounting for 34 percent of all prescription medication, according to the National Council on Patient Information and Education. For the elderly, especially those who suffer chronic conditions that require multiple medicines, managing prescriptions alone can be extremely difficult.
Family members and caregivers can assist their loved ones by helping them keep track of their medications and make sure they're taken at the right time, and in the correct dosage. Between 40 and 75 percent of older people do not take their medications correctly, according to the council.
Watch "Families on the Brink: What to do About Mom & Dad" on "World News With Diane Sawyer" for more on this story on ABC.
Taking more pills than one needs, or taking more than five pills a day is referred to as polypharmacy. It is an "increasingly common and overlooked problem for many patients," Dr. Caleb Alexander of the University of Chicago's Department of Medicine said.
"Patients and caregivers and physicians alike need to be vigilant that each prescription medicine has a clear purpose, that benefits outweigh potential risks and costs, and that [the treatment] is viewed with the patient's goals of care and well-being in mind," he said.
James Wooten, a pharmacologist from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and a proponent of patient education, said asking questions is one of the most important ways to manage treatment. "Information is power," he said, "and you're more likely to use something correctly if you know why you're using it."
Experts specializing in eldercare gave their best tips for the more than 65 million family caregivers in the United States to help their loved ones manage their medication:
The easiest way to keep track of your medication is to write down the name and dosage instructions for every drug you're taking, including over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements.
"About half of all people taking prescription medicine are also taking an over-the-counter therapy or dietary supplements simultaneously," Alexander said. "These add to the pill burden and can increase polypharmacy."
Making sure every prescribing physician is fully informed of all medications helps prevent potential fatal drug interactions. Adverse drug events cause more than 18 million emergency room visits each year and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older patients are twice as likely to visit the ER because of adverse drug events.
Put a copy of the medication list somewhere easily accessible; on the refrigerator or bulletin board in your wallet, and hand out copies to relatives, friends or a trusted neighbor. That way, a copy will always be available in case of an emergency. Update it regularly. You can make your own list, or use online applications and templates such as those from AARP.
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Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile
This three-image combination of Envisat radar images highlights the change from autumn to spring around Lake Tana in northern Ethiopia.
With a surface area of 2156 square kilometres but an average depth of only 14 metres due to high levels of sediment. Lake Tana is the largest single lake in Ethiopia and forms the main reservoir for the Blue Nile. The Lake is located at an altitude of 1788 metres on the north central plateau of Amhara.
Lake Tana is used for fishing, farming and transportation, and has a thriving tourist industry centred on the more than 30 islands on the Lake, home to numerous Ethiopian Orthodox Church monasteries dating back more than five centuries.
The Blue Nile runs from Lake Tana's southeast corner, flowing south over a lava dam to form the Tisisat Falls - the name in Ethiopian means 'the water that smokes' - then flowing northwest to merge with the White Nile and form the full-fledged Nile itself. The Blue Nile contributes two thirds of all the Nile discharge, along with most of the sediment carried along 4750 kilometres through to Egypt and the Mediterranean.
To the northeast of the lake is Simen Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These jagged mountain peaks and deep gorges are home to a number of rare animals including the Gelada baboon and Walia ibex, a type of goat.
Radar images measure surface roughness rather than reflected light, so the smooth Lake waters are as distinctive as the harsh landscape around it. The colour in the image comes from the fact that this is actually a combination of three Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) images, and is used to highlight changes occurring between acquisitions.
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What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. More information about the ADA is available through the federal website: ada.gov/resources/disability-rights-guide.
Additional federal legislation that provides protections or resources to individuals in higher education with disabilities include:
Notice of Compliance
NOTICE UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND THE REHABILITATION ACT
The Georgia Institute of Technology ("Georgia Tech") shall comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and its amendments of 2008, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, as well as the regulations implementing these laws (Collectively, “ADA”, "ADAAA" and “Rehab. Act”, respectively).
Renovations and additions to Georgia Tech facilities, as well as new construction since effective dates of the ADA and Rehab Act, shall be carried out in accordance with the ADA and Rehab Act standards for accessible design. The ADA provides that no qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of the disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any public entity. The ADA also requires Georgia Tech to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures when the modifications are necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability unless the public entity can demonstrate that making the modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program, or activity. Georgia Tech provides services and reasonable accommodations to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate/professional students with disabilities.
Our mission is to provide students with disabilities equal access to the services, programs, and activities of the Institute so that they may, as independently as possible, meet the demands of University life. Students who require accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services at disabilityservices.gatech.edu
Employees who require accommodations to perform their job duties should contact Human Resources Disability Services, Employee Relations ohr.gatech.edu/disability-services.
In addition to the Office of Disability Services and Employee Relations, Georgia Tech is committed to adhering to accessibility legislation for publishing electronic information, as noted in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you are an individual which includes visitors with a disability who may require assistance or accommodation in order to participate in or receive the benefit of a service, program, or activity of Georgia Tech, or if you desire more information, you may contact the coordinator of the specific service, program or activity involved or the undersigned ADA Coordinator at the address and telephone number below.
Text telephone users may route inquiries through the Georgia Relay Center at 711.
J. Denise Johnson Marshall
ADA Compliance Coordinator
Equity and Compliance Programs
Georgia Institute of Technology
500 Tenth St. NW,
Office 414 Atlanta, GA 30318
What is Title IX?
"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance" – from the preamble to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Title IX, as a landmark civil rights law, profoundly affects all aspects of schooling by requiring equal opportunity. Since its passage in 1972, Title IX has had a profound impact on helping to change attitudes, assumptions, and behavior and, consequently, our understanding of how sexual stereotypes can limit educational opportunities. We now know, for example, that gender is a poor predictor of one's interests, proficiency in academic subjects, or athletic ability. As the First Circuit Court of Appeals noted, "interest and ability rarely develop in a vacuum; they evolve as a function of opportunity and experience” (Cohen v. Brown University (1st Cir. 1996) 101 F.3d 155, 179).
When Title IX is mentioned, many people think about women and athletics. However, Title IX is about so much more; it also covers acts that can impact educational opportunities for all. Other areas which fall within the scope of Title IX include:
- Recruitment, Admissions, Financial Aid and Scholarships
- Course Offerings and Access
- Hiring and Retention of Employees
- Benefits and Leave
Title IX also prohibits sexual harassment, which includes sexual assault and sexual violence.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funds. While the law applies to all aspects of educational opportunities, it probably is best known for its application to sports. Title IX requires that educational institutions
- provide male and female students with equal opportunities to play sports
- give male and female athletes their fair share of athletic scholarship dollars
- provide equal benefits and services (such as facilities, coaching, and publicity) to male and female athletes overall
Georgia Tech fully supports equality of opportunity for its male and female athletes, whether as part of its NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics program or through its more than 30 student-run sports clubs and 20 intramural teams.
Senior Associate Director of Athletics
Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Equity in Athletics
In accordance with Title IX, students should be permitted to make up any coursework or educational activities/assignments that are missed due to any documented medically necessary absences or conditions that arise during pregnancy and delivery.
Depending on an individual’s situation, this may include doctor’s appointments, medical complications, hospital visits, and delivery.
Pregnant students, regardless of residency/visa status, are protected from discrimination based on pregnancy.
Two resources from the U.S. Department of Education that may be useful to review include:
- OCR’s Supporting the Academic Success of Pregnant and Parenting Students
- OCR’s Dear Colleague Letter dated June 25, 2013
For additional information and resources for Pregnant and Parenting individuals at Georgia Tech, including requesting accommodations, submit the Pregnancy Accommodation Request Form.
Sex/Gender Discrimination of Students Under Title IX
In the provision of aid, benefit, or service to students, Georgia Tech may not and will not, on the basis of sex -
- Treat one student differently from another in determining whether the student satisfies any requirement or condition for the provision of any aid, benefit, or service
- Provide different aid, benefits, or services or provide aid, benefits, or services in a different manner
- Deny any student any such aid, benefit, or service
- Subject students to separate or different rules of behavior, sanctions, or other treatment
- Aid or perpetuate discrimination against a student by providing significant assistance to any agency, organization, or person that discriminates on the basis of sex in providing any aid, benefit, or service to students
- Otherwise limit any student in the enjoyment of any right, privilege, advantage, or opportunity.
Such aids, benefits, or services may include but are not limited to, admissions, recruitment, financial aid, academic programs, student treatment and services, counseling and guidance, discipline, classroom assignment, grading, vocational education, recreation, physical education, athletics, housing, and employment.
For Faculty & Staff
- The Georgia Institute of Technology is committed to building a diverse faculty and staff for employment and promotion to ensure the highest quality workforce, to reflect human diversity, and to improve opportunities for minorities and women. The Institute embraces human diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and eliminating discrimination. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with an intellectual community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law.
- Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, color, disability, gender identity, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.
- For more information, see the Institute's Equal Opportunity, Nondiscrimination, and Anti-Harassment Policy.
Definitions Under Georgia State Law
The Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A.) may be viewed here.
O.C.G.A § 19-13A-1 defines a “dating relationship” and “dating violence” as:
“Dating relationship” means a committed romantic relationship characterized by a level of intimacy that is not associated with mere friendship or between persons in an ordinary business, social, or educational context; provided, however, that such term shall not require sexual involvement.
- “Dating violence” means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between persons through whom a current pregnancy has developed or who are currently, or within the last 12 months were, in a dating relationship:
- Any felony; or
- Commission of the offenses of simple battery, battery, simple assault, or stalking.
Domestic (Family) Violence
O.C.G.A. § 19-13-1 as: As used in this article, the term “family violence” means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between past or present spouses, persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents, and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children, or other persons living or formerly living in the same household:
- Any felony; or
- Commission of offenses of battery, simple battery, simple assault, assault, stalking, criminal damage to property, unlawful restraint, or criminal trespass. The term “family violence” shall not be deemed to include reasonable discipline administered by a parent to a child in the form of corporal punishment, restraint, or detention.
Sexual Assault (Sexual Battery)
- For the purposes of this Code section, the term “intimate parts” means the primary genital area, anus, groin, inner thighs, or buttocks of a male or female and the breasts of a female.
- A person commits the offense of sexual battery when he or she intentionally makes physical contact with the intimate parts of the body of another person without the consent of that person.
- Except as otherwise provided in this Code section, a person convicted of the offense of sexual battery shall be punished as for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
- A person convicted of the offense of sexual battery against any child under the age of 16 years shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years.
- Upon a second or subsequent conviction under subsection (b) of this Code section, a person shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned for not less than one nor more than five years and, in addition, shall be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Section 17-10-6.2.
O.C.G.A. § 16-6-1 defines “rape” as:
- A person commits the offense of rape when he has carnal knowledge of:
- A female forcibly and against her will; or
- A female who is less than ten years of age.
Carnal knowledge in rape occurs when there is any penetration of the female sex organ by the male sex organ. The fact that the person allegedly raped is the wife of the defendant shall not be a defense to a charge of rape.
- A person convicted of the offense of rape shall be punished by death, by imprisonment for life without parole, by imprisonment for life, or by a split sentence that is a term of imprisonment for not less than 25 years and not exceeding life imprisonment, followed by probation for life. Any person convicted under this Code section shall, in addition, be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Sections 17-10-6.1 and 17-10-7.
- When evidence relating to an allegation of rape is collected in the course of a medical examination of the person who is the victim of the alleged crime, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, as provided for in Chapter 15 of Title 17, shall be responsible for the cost of the medical examination to the extent that expense is incurred for the limited purpose of collecting evidence.
Sodomy; Aggravated Sodomy; Medical Expenses
O.C.G.A. § 16-6-2 provides:
- A person commits the offense of sodomy when he or she performs or submits to any sexual act involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another.
- A person commits the offense of aggravated sodomy when he or she commits sodomy with force and against the will of the other person or when he or she commits sodomy with a person who is less than ten years of age. The fact that the person allegedly sodomized is the spouse of a defendant shall not be a defense to a charge of aggravated sodomy.
- Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section, a person convicted of the offense of sodomy shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 20 years and shall be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Section 17-10-6.2.
- A person convicted of the offense of aggravated sodomy shall be punished by imprisonment for life or by a split sentence that is a term of imprisonment for not less than 25 years and not exceeding life imprisonment, followed by probation for life. Any person convicted under this Code section of the offense of aggravated sodomy shall, in addition, be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Sections 17-10-6.1 and 17-10-7.
- When evidence relating to an allegation of aggravated sodomy is collected in the course of a medical examination of the person who is the victim of the alleged crime, the Georgia Crime Victims Emergency Fund, as provided for in Chapter 15 of Title 17, shall be financially responsible for the cost of the medical examination to the extent that expense is incurred for the limited purpose of collecting evidence.
- If the victim is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and the person convicted of sodomy is 18 years of age or younger and is no more than four years older than the victim, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall not be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Section 17-10-6.2.
O.C.G.A. § 16-6-22:
- A person commits the offense of incest when such person engages in sexual intercourse or sodomy, as such term is defined in Code Section 16-6-2, with a person whom he or she knows he or she is related to either by blood or by marriage as follows:
- Father and child or stepchild;
- Mother and child or stepchild;
- Siblings of the whole blood or of the half blood;
- Grandparent and grandchild of the whole blood or of the half blood;
- Aunt and niece or nephew of the whole blood or of the half blood; or
- Uncle and niece or nephew of the whole blood or of the half blood.
A person convicted of the offense of incest shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 30 years; provided, however, that any person convicted of the offense of incest under this subsection with a child under the age of 14 years shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 25 nor more than 50 years. Any person convicted under this Code section of the offense of incest shall, in addition, be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Section 17-10-6.2.
O.C.G.A. § 16-6-3:
- A person commits the offense of statutory rape when he or she engages in sexual intercourse with any person under the age of 16 years and not his or her spouse, provided that no conviction shall be had for this offense on the unsupported testimony of the victim.
- Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, a person convicted of the offense of statutory rape shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than 20 years; provided, however, that if the person so convicted is 21 years of age or older, such person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than 20 years.
Any person convicted under this subsection of the offense of statutory rape shall, in addition, be subject to the sentencing and punishment provisions of Code Section 17-10-6.2.
- If the victim is at least 14 but less than 16 years of age and the person convicted of statutory rape is 18 years of age or younger and is no more than four years older than the victim, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
O.C.G.A. § 16-5-90:
- A person commits the offense of stalking when he or she follows, places under surveillance, or contacts another person at or about a place or places without the consent of the other person for the purpose of harassing and intimidating the other person. For the purpose of this article, the terms “computer” and “computer network” shall have the same meanings as set out in Code Section 16-9-92; the term “contact” shall mean any communication including without being limited to communication in person, by telephone, by mail, by broadcast, by computer, by computer network, or by any other electronic device; and the place or places that contact by telephone, mail, broadcast, computer, computer network, or any other electronic device is deemed to occur shall be the place or places where such communication is received. For the purpose of this article, the term “place or places” shall include any public or private property occupied by the victim other than the residence of the defendant. For the purposes of this article, the term “harassing and intimidating” means a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person which causes emotional distress by placing such person in reasonable fear for such person’s safety or the safety of a member of his or her immediate family, by establishing a pattern of harassing and intimidating behavior, and which serves no legitimate purpose. This Code section shall not be construed to require that an overt threat of death or bodily injury has been made.
- A person commits the offense of stalking when such person, in violation of a bond to keep the peace posted pursuant to Code Section 17-6- 110, standing order issued under Code Section 19-1-1, temporary restraining order, temporary protective order, permanent restraining order, permanent protective order, preliminary injunction, or permanent injunction or condition of pretrial release, condition of probation, or condition of parole in effect prohibiting the harassment or intimidation of another person, broadcasts or publishes, including electronic publication, the picture, name, address, or phone number of a person for whose benefit the bond, order, or condition was made and without such person’s consent in such a manner that causes other persons to harass or intimidate such person and the person making the broadcast or publication knew or had reason to believe that such broadcast or publication would cause such person to be harassed or intimidated by others.
- Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, a person who commits the offense of stalking is guilty of a misdemeanor.
- Upon the second conviction, and all subsequent convictions, for stalking, the defendant shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than ten years.
- Before sentencing a defendant for any conviction of stalking under this Code section or aggravated stalking under Code Section 16-5-91, the sentencing judge may require psychological evaluation of the offender and shall consider the entire criminal record of the offender. At the time of sentencing, the judge is authorized to issue a permanent restraining order against the offender to protect the person stalked and the members of such person’s immediate family, and the judge is authorized to require psychological treatment of the offender as a part of the sentence, or as a condition for suspension or stay of sentence, or for probation. | <urn:uuid:a4768a5b-5c4f-4f8d-ad12-2e9b83785d0a> | {
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Sepsis is known as the ‘silent killer’. It is a rare but very serious complication of a routine infection, and can have fatal consequences if not diagnosed or if mis-diagnosed. Currently there is a “Just Ask: Could It Be Sepsis” campaign being promoted on a national basis- at Ison Harrison, through the experiences of our clinical negligence department, we know it is extremely important that people understand the condition and what they can do to prevent it.
What is Sepsis?
The name ‘silent killer’ is very appropriate because generally, little is known about Sepsis. Its symptoms can be dismissed as a routine flu or other everyday illness, when in reality something far more serious could be taking hold.
Sepsis is also referred to as ‘blood poisoning’. This comes from the fact that Sepsis is a reaction to an infection and results in the body attacking its own organs and tissues. Common sites of infection that can lead to Sepsis are the lungs, the urinary tract, the abdomen and pelvis. You might also develop Sepsis while already in hospital, as a reaction to recent surgery, after having a urinary catheter fitted or if your stay in hospital has been long term.
People are particularly vulnerable to Sepsis if their immune system is weak, i.e. if they have HIV or Leukaemia, or if they are very young or very old. You may also be susceptible if you are pregnant, you suffer from diabetes, are on a mechanical ventilator or if you are genetically prone to infection.
If caught relatively early, the condition can be treated. If not it could be life-threatening, and this could occur if the symptoms are ignored, or if a medical professional mis-diagnoses the illness- mainly because the symptoms often follow those for flu, gastroenteritis or a chest infection.
So what are the symptoms of Sepsis?
Sepsis is particularly common in small children and the symptoms of the condition don’t immediately suggest there is a life-threatening condition involved. The symptoms in children involve:
- Breathing very fast
- Having a fit or convulsions
- The skin is mottled, blueish or pale
- The child has a rash that does not fade when you press it
- The child is lethargic or difficult to wake
- The child feels abnormally cold to touch
Childhood illnesses are always a huge concern to parents, particularly in younger children, and those under five years old may also be not feeding, may be vomiting repeatedly and maybe haven’t passed urine in over 12 hours. Should any of these occur, parents should seek medical help immediately.
Adults can be affected slightly differently. A handy ‘SEPSIS’ checklist has been designed to easily and speedily help you or a loved one make a quick diagnosis at home before seeking immediate medical attention. So do you have:
S – Slurred speech or confusion
E – Extreme shivering or muscle pain
P – Passing no urine in a day
S – Severe breathlessness
I – It feels like you’re going to die
S – Skin is mottled or discoloured?
Although these symptoms can be easily dismissed, it is important to take them seriously whether the patient is a child or an adult, to ensure that an early diagnosis and a timely administering of antibiotics takes place. The consequences of a mis-diagnosis can include limb amputation, organ failure and septic shock. Long term effects can include anxiety, memory loss or fatigue, and ultimately death, often through multiple organ failure.
Our clinical negligence experts have seen a number of cases of Sepsis and can advise on your immediate course of action if you feel that you have these symptoms, but the gravity of your condition has not been recognised. It is very important you seek this help if you have any concerns, so contact us today. | <urn:uuid:9a80c6c1-cefa-41f1-a6cf-26f57ed8e5c9> | {
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BCIU Workshop || Other Math Forum Workshops
Combinations of simple mathematical operations.
Everyday Math - a comprehensive kindergarten through sixth grade mathematics curriculum.
"A Bibliography of Mathematics Education."
"A free, educational website featuring interactive math lessons, homework help, worksheets, puzzles, message boards, and more..."
A website filled with word problems aimed at grade school children.
Math activities for middle school children utilizing calculators.
Resources for parents of math students.
"Calculus on the Web"
A statistics project targeted at fifth-graders.
Math problems for eighth-graders.
Adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers.
Flashcards for basic math concepts.
Home || The Math Library || Quick Reference || Search || Help | <urn:uuid:e8a4d52e-4be7-4947-9a1c-1d446f7178ca> | {
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Coffee Certification Guide
Organic - produced without the aid of artificial chemical substances, such as certain additives or some pesticides and herbicides.
UTZ - "UTZ" (which translates to "Good" in the Maya language) is the largest coffee certification program in coffee and cocoa. UTZ aims to make sustainable farming the norm by encouraging farmers to implement good agricultural practices and manage their farms profitably with respect for people and planet.
Rainforest Alliance (RFA) - "RFA" certified coffee helps integrate biodiversity conservation, community development, and the implementation of effective planning and farm management systems to improve the livelihood of farmers and their families in coffee growing regions.
Grade A + Grade B (AB) - The A grade is sorted using a 6.8 mm screen while the B grade is sorted using a 6.2 mm screen. These two types of beans, A and B, are mixed together to form the grade AB. Though not as highly-valued as AA, AB is also popular and rates as a premium coffee.
Grade 1 (GR1 or G1) - This is the highest grade of beans, and to be classified as Grade 1 Coffee, the beans need to have no primary defects and 0-3 full defects, with a maximum of 5% above and below the specified screen size.
Fair Trade (FT) - Fair Trade coffee helps support a better life for farming families in the developing world by guaranteeing farmers a minimum price, linking them directly with importers, and creating long-term environmental stewardship and sustainability. According to the Fair Trade website, "farmers earn better incomes, allowing them to hold on to their land and invest in quality."
A/X - A/X means that not only does the coffee cup well (Grade A) but also that the largest and smallest beans have not been included in the lot.
Strictly High Grown (SHG) - SHG which is synonymous with "strictly hard bean (SHB)" usually refers to coffee grown at altitudes higher than about 4,500 feet above sea level. Beans grown at high altitudes mature more slowly and grow to be harder and denser than beans grown at lower elevations.
European Preparation (EP) - “EP” means that the coffee is screen-size 15 and above, with a maximum of 8 defects within 300 grams. (Less common, “American preparation” or AP allows for a screen size above 13, with 23 defects per 300 grams.)
Natural - all additives or flavors contain no chemicals
Swiss Processing Method - a 4 step process consisting of cleaning and pre-soaking, extraction, carbon filtration and completion that removes caffeine from coffee beans. For more information please click here. | <urn:uuid:0ea2ed70-4098-45b2-8507-d6a7bed4dcfe> | {
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The study is being released as a recent wave of proposals would raise soda taxes or create new ones on sugared beverages. But they'll have to be a lot steeper than current taxes, which are generally 4 percent or less, said Roland Sturm, lead author of the new research. "Small taxes will not prevent obesity," said Sturm, a senior economist at the Rand Corp. in Santa Monica, Calif.
Sturm and his colleagues used information from a 2004 national survey of about 7,300 fifth-graders. The researchers looked at how the children's height and weight had changed over the previous two years and how often the kids said they drank soda and sports drinks. The researchers also reviewed taxes on carbonated drinks that were in effect in 2004.
Roughly two-thirds of the children lived in states that had a tax on soda greater than on other food items. The highest was 7 cents tax on each dollar's worth of soda. The average was about 4 cents.
They found the taxes made no real difference on overall soda consumption or on obesity for kids overall. They did have a small effect on certain children — especially those from families with an annual income of $25,000 or less. Those kids — who drank about seven cans of soda a week, on average — drank one less can because of the taxes, Sturm said.
However, if the taxes were more like 18 cents on the dollar, Sturm calculated it would make a significant difference.
The research was published online Thursday in the journal Health Affairs. The Rand study was funded by the federal government and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Most states exempt grocery food from sales taxes. But in recent years, candy and soft drinks have been increasingly targeted, either through a tax or removal of an existing sales tax exemption.
The children in the study were from 40 states, 20 of which had soda taxes when the study was done.
More than 30 states have some form of soda tax today, averaging about 5 cents per dollar of soda.
In the last month, Colorado removed a 3 percent sales tax exemption for candy and soda. Philadelphia's mayor proposed a 2 cents-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, which would add 24 cents to the price of a can of Coke.
Most of the taxes tend to be enough to bring in some extra money for struggling state budgets, but small enough not to rile soda manufacturers or significantly change buying habits, said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.
"Taxes have to be large enough to affect consumption," said Brownell, who has called for a tax as high as 12 percent.
But most people don't want their soda taxed, according to the American Beverage Association, which represents soda manufacturers.
Association officials noted that Maine voters last fall rejected a soda tax. And in a press release last week, the organization pointed to a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. adults by Rasmussen Reports that found 56 percent of Americans are against taxes on candy and soda.
The beverage association did not pay for the telephone survey, said Debra Falk, a spokeswomen for the polling firm.
The Rand study confirms that small taxes on soda don't reduce obesity, and offers no evidence that larger taxes would do any better, said Christopher Gindlesperger, spokesman for beverage association.
"Taxes don't work. What does work is balancing the diet and exercise," he said. | <urn:uuid:caa0b5c4-db42-4ec4-b1b9-61b0f4b9f90e> | {
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(Last Updated on : 21/06/2013)
Among the handful of national parks and wild sanctuaries that have been built over the years in the core of South India, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is quite prominent.
It is situated in the high mountainous ranges of the Western Ghats. It has rich heritage due to its close association of the Vijayanagar Empire
of the medieval period. Under the British era, huge areas of forests were cut down for tea, teak, coffee and cardamom plantations. Thus many of the wild life creatures became extinct after being uprooted from their grassy abodes.
The topography of the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is rugged. The low foothills are less than three hundred meters in altitude, and also multitudes of plateaus are scattered. The Topslip-Parambikulam Plateau rises to a height of eight hundred meters, then ascending to the Valparai Plateau. It ranges between the 1,000 and 1,250 m, in the core of the plantation areas. The high ranges ensure a collection of wild habitats. In the low foothills, there are parched thorny forests leading to mixed deciduous and tropical semi evergreen tracts. Above the Valparai Plateau, the grasslands, 'sholas', dense evergreen forests are found. In this rugged terrain, numerous species of plants and animals reside in peace.
The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is extending to almost 960 sq km of area. Although this sanctuary is located in Tamil Nadu, it lies adjacent to Kerala's Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in the west and also Eravikulam National Park in the south.
Innumerable endangered species reside in this dense forestlands and grassy fields. Amongst them, the Nilgiri Langur and the Lion-tailed Macaque are significant. Nilgiri Tahr is amongst the last of wild goat specie. The wide stretch of wild habitation, as created by the adjacent bordering sanctuaries, has gained recognition for the rich wealth of wild life
Much of the wildlife is similar to any other national parks in India. Amongst the predominant species, the Gaur (Indian Bison) deserves special mentioning. There are also a quite reasonable number of elephants that are found here. Other mammalian species, namely, Asian Elephant, Tiger, Nilgiri Langur, Lion-tailed Macaque, Slender Loris, Nilgiri Tahr, Leopard, Wild Dog (Dhole), Leopard-cat, Striped-necked Mongoose, Brown Mongoose, Indian Giant Squirrel, Small Travancore Flying Squirrel, Grizzled Giant Squirrel and Mouse Peer etc are worth to note.
Bird too are found here that are bred locally . Some of them even migrate from the nearby regions also. Woodland birds include Grey Junglefowl, Painted Bush Quail, Red Spurfowl, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Great Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, White-bellied Woodpecker, Alpine Swift, Brown-backed Needletail, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Dollarbird, Malabar Trogon, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, White-bellied Trecpie, White-bellied Shortwing, Wyiiaad Laughingthrush, Hill Myna. Nilgiri Flycatcher etc .
The howling cries of bird raptore are a common feature in the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. These include Crested Serpent Eagle, Black Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Jerdon's Baza, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Besra, Peregrine Falcon, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl .
The scenic beauty of the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary has caught the imagination of many people over the years. . The largest teak and rosewood trees are grown in the lush forests of the sanctuary. Some references are being found even in the 'Records of Sport in Southern India (1952)', where General Douglas Hamilton proudly said, "The views from this mountain are the grandest and most extensive I have ever beheld over half a century earlier, WT Hornaday wrote in Two Years in the Jungle (1885), "The Animallai Hills! How my nerves tingle and my pulse quickens as I write the name!" | <urn:uuid:4759dffa-9699-4c17-918e-b7fe37c263ab> | {
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Scientists continue to investigate the mysterious deaths of some 300 bottlenose dolphins washed ashore along the East Coast this summer, from New York to Virginia.
Most of the 300 dolphins — at least 216 — were found on Virginia beaches in what the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is calling an “unusual mortality event” for the marine animals. An infectious disease may be the cause of the deaths, Maggie Mooney-Seus, a spokesperson for the agency, told National Geographic by e-mail. “We realize that people are very concerned and anxious to learn what we know about the dolphin deaths that have been occurring along the mid-Atlantic coast over the past few weeks.” The investigators continue to test blood samples from the dolphins for toxins including bio-toxins, bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Several of the dolphins may have died from morbillivirus, an airborne virus similar to measles in humans, but with a much higher mortality rate. As measles kills one in 1,000 infected people, morbillivirus kills in higher numbers, striking at least 900 East Coast bottlenose dolphins in 1987 and 1988 epidemics. Yet, scientists still can't say whether the deaths have been caused by a possible breakout of the disease. “We share the public’s desire to get answers to what is causing this and are working as quickly as we can to get those answers," Mooney-Seus said.
The sudden rise in dolphin deaths follows a series of unusual mass deaths for marine animals along the Atlantic Coast in recent decades, including the deaths of more than 1,000 dolphins and whales since February of 2010 in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The “concern is we’re doing more and more to protect dolphins from harm, yet dolphin strandings are on the rise,” Matthew Huelsenbeck, a marine scientist at the nonprofit Oceana, told National Geographic earlier in August. “No one seems to have a solid grasp on what’s going on.”
Dolphins may serve as a barometer for the general health of humanity’s shared ecosystem, as “some of the most toxic animals on the planet,” as Huelsenbeck put it. The marine animals carry heavy metals and toxins that accumulate in the food web, strangling their immune systems. The few hundred dolphins washed ashore late this summer along the coast represent a small proportion of the deaths, as most of them decay at sea or are eaten by predators. “For a lot of these animals,” he said, “there story will never be told.”
The sudden mass death of bottlenose dolphins in the Atlantic is also notable for the vast amount of oceanic territory, Kimberly Durham, rescue program director of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation in N.Y., told LiveScience. “This particular event is the first one that’s incorporated New York.” Other than the measles-like infectious disease that killed hundreds of similar dolphins in years past, fatal forces in the ocean may include sonar, Durham said.
“We’re not limiting the investigation to just one factor,” Durham told LiveScience, adding that marine biologists look at any factors challenging the dolphin’s immune system, including sonar. | <urn:uuid:f4c4f697-f3dc-430a-a6dc-da2dc22136de> | {
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Tardigrades are the most resilient animals known in existence. The tiny eight-legged creatures can easily survive in conditions that would kill most other creatures instantly. One of those conditions is total dehydration, and scientists looking at their genome have figured out how they survive this usually fatal circumstance.
Tardigrades have a unique group of proteins called TDPs, or "tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins." Unlike almost all other proteins, they have no set shape. This gives them a flexibility that other proteins don't have. Lead researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Thomas Boothby, describes them to NPR as "wiggly spaghetti springs where they are constantly changing shape."
TDPs, it turns out, create "a glass-like matrix within cells, physically preventing protein denaturation, protein aggregation, and membrane fusion," to quote Boothby's paper.
"TDPs are required to protect the tardigrades themselves from desiccation [extreme dryness], but they also increase desiccation tolerance when put into bacteria and yeast," Boothby tells Gizmodo. "Amazingly, TDPs are sufficient even in a test tube to protect purified biological material like desiccation sensitive enzymes. The glassy solids that they form are thought to coat desiccation sensitive molecules and physically prevent them from breaking apart, unfolding, or fusing."
While that's great for the tardigrade, it might also be good news for humanity. Boothby's paper hopes that these results will prove to be foundational for the study of desiccation. This could mean that the TDP process would be copied into "engineering of desiccation-tolerant crops and the development of technologies for the dry preservation of pharmaceuticals, cells, and tissues."
Drought-resistant crops might prove to be even more popular than apples that never turn brown. | <urn:uuid:a80e505e-3704-4a2f-aa1d-96120a21e367> | {
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All Library locations will be closed on Sunday, April 20, in observance of the Easter holiday.
In the 1950s and ‘60s, Kansas City was a heavily segregated town. African-Americans were limited even in which city facilities they could use. For instance, black citizens were permitted to have picnics at just one spot in the city’s parks system: at Shelter No. 5 in Swope Park, widely known as “Watermelon Hill.”
Local historian Joelouis Mattox discusses this era in the city’s racial past. | <urn:uuid:49181b93-63a8-4561-b3b1-5170041e86ba> | {
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- Psychology & the public
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Child obesity: a growing problem
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health epidemics in the UK.
Running from 4 – 10 July 2011, the campaign aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of being overweight during childhood. It was promoted through activities, encouraging more children and their families to get active together.
Obesity at a young age can lead to many physiological problems in adulthood, these include:
- high blood pressure
- type 2 diabetes
- high cholesterol levels
- development problems in the feet
- liver disease
- sleep apnoea
The Society’s Professional Practice Board (PPB) , has published a report on the many psychological problems associated with obesity, including childhood obesity.
Dr Kairen Cullen one of the contributors to the report reviewed the psychological issues identified in existing literature on obesity in children and young people.
Dr Cullen fully supported the campaign in July, stating: "National Childhood Obesity Week is a welcome development in raising awareness of the social, psychological and biological complexities of childhood obesity. Hopefully, the week will help to communicate how important it is for the diverse skills and knowledge of researchers and practitioners to be brought together to support a better understanding and more effective ways of helping individual children, their families and society as a whole."
In Dr Cullen’s review, it states that there is evidence that obese children and adolescents miss more school days than the general student population and that they have lower expectations on their academic performance.
In her conclusion, Dr Cullen suggested that there is a clear need for recognition and full utilisation of professional psychological input with the use of multidisciplinary interventions. Such interventions should aim to create long-term behavioural change and the promotion of children’s confidence and self-esteem.
For further insight and other topics relating to obesity, download our free report: Obesity in the UK: A psychological perspective.
- How can psychology help you
- Find a psychologist
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- Awareness of adult autism - question & answers
- Child obesity: a growing problem
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- Psychology for All: 2011
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- Origins Timeline | <urn:uuid:842ece5a-c3b4-48da-94a6-28b031f09381> | {
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Chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS, is a debilitating disease that affects more than 1 million Americans. The cause of CFS, which is characterized by at least six months of incapacitating fatigue, remains a mystery, but as a recent segment on ABC 7 News reports, Stanford researchers are making some headway.
Infectious-disease expert Jose Montoya, MD, sees patients at Stanford's ME/CFS clinic, and he believes that research and treatment for the disease is at a turning point. This should be encouraging news to patients, many of whom feel that their suffering isn't validated. "They have seen 10, 15 specialists and many of [the doctors], if not all of them, do not believe them," Montoya says in the interview above.
Previously: Deciphering the puzzle of chronic fatigue syndrome, ME/CFS/SEID: It goes by many aliases, but its blood-chemistry signature is a giveaway and Some headway on chronic fatigue syndrome: Brain abnormalities pinpointed | <urn:uuid:bfe78170-e2b5-4bfb-882f-74a2b0580de6> | {
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Taekwon do kids is based on the five tenets of Taekwon do
- SELF CONTROL and
- INDOMITABLE SPIRIT.
Each tenet has been given a cartoon character – ‘The strongest 5’. Children on the programme get a work book so they can learn about the moral values of Taekwon do, and are assessed on their behaviour at home at school and during TKD KIDS lessons.
Before each lesson, TKD Kids have to recite the Taekwon do kids promise. This is based on the Taekwon do oath as set out by the founder of Taekwon do, General Choi Hong Hi
- I shall observe the tenets of taekwon do
- I shall respect my instructors and seniors
- I shall never misuse taekwon do
- I shall be a champion of freedom and justice
- I shall build a more peaceful world
Each tenet and each part of the oath is interpreted through the five TKD Kids cartoon characters below.
Meaning of name: Honesty and Beauty
Ethnicity: Oriental (Asian)
Meaning of name: Patient, Enduring
Ethnicity: Arabic or Indian (Asian)
Meaning of name: Composed, Peaceful
Characteristic: Self Control
Meaning of name: Fearless
Characteristic: Indomitable Spirit | <urn:uuid:fa551f57-a9be-41b0-a068-b223e49eb00b> | {
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Renal Transplantation is the organ transplant of a kidney in patients with End-Stage Renal Disease. Renal Transplantation is classified as Deceased-Donor or Living-Donor Transplantation depending on the source of the recipient kidney. Complications after a transplant include Transplant Rejection, Infections, Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder and Electrolytic Imbalance.
Nephrology Nurse Role
Nephrology nurses should be able to apply an in-depth knowledge of organ transplantation to assess, plan, implement, utilise an evidence-based practice approach to evaluate care interventions in the care of the transplant patient and analyse the biological, psychological and sociological effects of transplantation on the patient. This involves an ability to analyse the efficacy and validity of nurse-led therapeutic interventions and evaluation of quality assurance systems in the renal transplant setting. Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology is a new subspecialty of nephrology, where, new opportunities are open for nephrology nurses in diagnostic and interventional nephrology (Merrill et.al, 2004).
A Kidney Transplant is the most commonly performed type of solid organ transplant (Kaufman, 2003). Nurse interventions in this process can be classified as pre- and post-renal transplantation interventions. In the pre-transplantation phase, the nephrology nurse plays a vital role in assisting the patient to tackle the challenges associated with Renal Transplantation. Pre-transplant interventions include physical, psychological and educational support to the patient and family members (Murphy, 2007). Since, Kidney Transplantation is an elective procedure, the entire procedure requires extensive pre-transplant evaluation and the patient is normally maintained on a schedule of pre-transplant dialysis (Barone et.al, 2004). Transplant is delayed with the onset of chest pain, infection, pneumonia, or gastrointestinal bleeding. If the serum potassium exceeds 5.5 mEq/l, the patient is put on dialysis preceding the transplant procedure.
Post-transplant nursing care for the patient begins in the post-anesthesia care unit (Cunningham et.al, 1992). Since the transplant is placed in a heterotropic retroperitoneal location in the lower pelvis, nurse's awareness of the transplant positioning in the operating room is vital for an effective postoperative care (Claudia, 2004). The patient's hemodynamic status and fluid volume need to be monitored to avoid post-transplant complications while maintaining central venous pressure at 10 mmHg and systolic blood pressure above 120 mmHg. Intravenous administration of steroids such as methyl prednisolone and diuretics such as mannitol or furosemide enhances diuresis. Urine output is replaced on an hourly milliliter-for-milliliter basis and recorded hourly. Reduced capillary spasms and normal renal blood flow is achieved by calcium channel blocker administration into the renal artery. It is important to keep the patient euvolemic or mildly hypervolemic by adequate intravenous fluid replacement which is usually 0.45% normal saline closely resembling the sodium content of a newly transplanted diuresing Kidney (Amend et al, 2001). Nurse assessment of hourly urine output includes assessment of Anuria where there is no urine output and Oliguria where the output is less than 50 ml per hour (Claudia, 2004).
Problems like Premature Graft Loss (Colaneri, 2002), Failing Renal Transplant (Neyhart, 2002) and Obstructive Uropathy pose serious challenges for the Nephrology Nurse in the post-transplantation phase. Renal Graft Rejection is a phenomenon where the transplanted Kidney is recognized as non-self by the immune cells of the patient. Rejection can be Hyperacute, Acute or Chronic (Danovitch, 2001). Hyperacute rejection occurs within minutes to hours of transplantation leading to Graft Loss. Acute rejection occurs days to weeks after the renal transplant and Chronic rejection occurs over months to years. The incidence of rejections within the first three months following transplantation has been reported as being seven to eighteen percent in the different risk groups. Hence, surveillance renal allograft biopsies are included into standard care procedures and biopsies are performed at three months and one year after transplantation (Golconda et.al, 2003). Immunosuppression in such cases can be classified as induction, maintenance, and rejection (Halloran et.al, 2003). Induction immunosuppressive medications are administered peritransplant and maintenance immunosuppression usually consists of a combination of steroids, a calcineurin inhibitor and a purine inhibitor (Halloran et.al, 2003). Since, malignancy is a significant risk in the transplant patient due to immunosuppression, Non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma, Cancers of the skin, liver, kidney, vulva, perineum and Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD) are frequent in transplant patients (Penn, 1999; Kahan and Ponticelli, 2000).
Urinary tract infections in the transplant patient are usually asymptomatic. Obstructive Uropathy has been identified as the cause of renal failure in 16.2% of pediatric patients who undergo Renal Transplantation (Hinds, 2004). Nurse care for patients with Obstructive Uropathy involves an understanding of the various congenital anomalies that create Obstructive Uropathy and the urological interventions used to treat them. Hypertension is one of the most common complications of Renal Transplantation when the Kidney is functional. Increased sodium and fluid retention associated with vasoconstrictive medications and corticosteroids predispose the patient to Hypertension (Braun, 2000). Transplant patients are also prone to Renal Stones, Necrosis of the failed Kidney and Interstitial Nephritis (Braun, 2000). Avascular Necrosis is a debilitating condition that is frequently observed in the transplant population and the patient experiences pain in major joints such as the hips, shoulders, and knees. Undetected Avascular Necrosis leads to Joint Necrosis (Kahan and Ponticelli, 2000). Post-Renal Transplant Compliance is an important aspect of the care process (Fiona, 2000).
Nurse Models in Renal Care
Development of protocols to aid nurses in the care of patients following a Kidney Transplant has been found useful to detect nursing problems at an early stage for immediate and appropriate action (Henderson and Prendergast, 1999). A Negotiated Care Model for the nursing role in the chronic health care context of Renal Replacement Therapy has been evaluated recently where the renal setting is conceptualized as a specialized social context with a dominant professional discourse and a contrasting client discourse. The model is based on the fact that the renal nurses develop a relationship with the patient based on responsiveness to their subjective experience reflecting the renal client discourse while performing specific therapeutic activities in accord with the dominant discourse. In this model, care is defined as the quality that nurses actively seek to create in their relationships with clients, through negotiation, in order to help them to live a complete life after a Renal Replacement Therapy (Polaschek, 2003). The incorporation of Nursing Theories into the clinical care of patients with end stage kidney disease has been shown to enhance the overall care that is administered and three Nursing Theories of Orem, Neuman and Peplau have been shown to assist renal nurses to articulate their practice (Graham, 2006).
Nurses caring Renal Transplant patients must have expertise not only in nephrology but also in immunology (Luquire, 1989). Management of medication, fluid balance and other problems often surrounded by complications such as Graft Loss, Failing Renal Transplant and Obstructive Uropathy pose serious challenges to renal nurses. Development of protocols and incorporation of Nursing Theories into the care process enhances nurse care for renal transplant patients.
Copyright 2013- American Society of Registered Nurses (ASRN.ORG)-All Rights Reserved
Agency San Francisco, Inc.
Agency San Francisco, Inc.
San Francisco, California
Charles L. Berman
Liz Di Bernardo
Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated. Please do not use a spam keyword or a domain as your name, or else it will be deleted. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation instead. Thanks for your comments! | <urn:uuid:831b8f49-6adc-4fc2-ba8a-402721be1865> | {
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What were the Crusades? Who were the heroes? Who were the villains? What can we learn from it all? How long did the King of England actually spend in England during his reign and what was Salah ad-Din’s favourite food?
You’ll find the answers to all these questions as well as lots of fascinating facts in this story of kings and peasants, conquests and losses, compassionate leaders and dishonest scoundrels…
Illustrated in colour and recommended for ages 9 and over.
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Earth is undergoing a Mass Extinction
Unless we act decisively, most life on Earth will be extinct soon. Photo Credit: Pixabay
Sixty-six million years ago Planet Earth experienced one of the largest mass extinctions in its entire history. Within what counts as a blink of an eye in geological time the dinosaurs, which had ruled the planet for millions of years, died out en masse.
Time to brace yourself: we’re experiencing just such a mass extinction of species right now. And this time it isn’t an asteroid that’s to blame. It’s us.
According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in the US, Earth is entering a period of colossal losses of biodiversity. The three authors of the study examined the status of 27,600 terrestrial vertebrate species: amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. They also conducted a detailed analysis of how 177 specific mammal species, such as cheetahs and Bornean orangutans, had fared between 1900 and 2015.
Their conclusion: “an extremely high degree of population decay in vertebrates, even in common ‘species of low concern.'”
In layman terms, this means that wildlife populations worldwide have been experiencing dramatic drops in their numbers and sizes because of human activities. “This ‘biological annihilation’ underlines the seriousness for humanity of Earth’s ongoing sixth mass extinction event,” they write. “In the 177 mammals for which we have detailed data, all have lost 30% or more of their geographic ranges and more than 40% of the species have experienced severe population declines (>80% range shrinkage).”
Over the past century, the experts say, nearly 200 species have gone extinct already, which translates into a rate of two species per year. In all, millions upon millions of animals that once thrived on Earth have disappeared within a few short decades. “This is the case of a biological annihilation occurring globally, even if the species these populations belong to are still present somewhere on Earth,” said Rodolfo Dirzo, the study’s co-author who is a professor of biology at Stanford University.
The so-called Sixth Extinction, the study’s authors say, “is already here and the window for effective action is very short, probably two or three decades at most.” That is because, they add, “all signs point to ever more powerful assaults on biodiversity in the next two decades, painting a dismal picture of the future of life, including human life.”
Among the primary causes are endless habitat loss, rampant poaching and the worsening effects of climate change. Unless we act and act fast to reverse these trends, most life on Earth will have gone the way of the dinosaurs. But the important thing is that we can still act. It’s never too late until it’s too late. | <urn:uuid:b3669b82-a117-49fb-b1bf-6e5fc8395242> | {
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We've been receiving a flurry of questions lately about the safety of ingesting placenta for postpartum support. We waded through all the research we could get our hands on and put together an infographic to help guide you through the information we found.
Sources cited in the infographic:
Expression of cellular prion protein in the placentas of women with normal and preeclamptic pregnancies – PubMed/NCBI: http://1.usa.gov/LvmhvX
Placentophagia: A Biobehavioral Enigma: http://bit.ly/NCSByw
Placentophagia in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Causes and Consequences: http://bit.ly/NCOqD0 (and http://bit.ly/MxTehn)
Factor analysis of essential and toxic elements in human placentas from deliveries in artic and subarctic areas of Russiaand Norway: http://bit.ly/MxWtp9
Why eat a placenta? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4918290.stm | <urn:uuid:bbf952ca-c865-4117-9b05-101c01ce0056> | {
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More countries should educate refugees in national schools to help them integrate, the United Nations said on Tuesday, praising Chad and Uganda as poor countries setting an example.
About 4 million child refugees were out of school in 2017, the U.N.’s cultural agency, UNESCO, said, which meant they not only lost their right to education but that host nations also missed a chance to integrate people from different communities.
“Experience suggests that the inclusion processes have been very positive,” said Manos Antoninis, director of UNESCO’s annual Global Education Monitoring Report.
“The longer (refugees) stay separate, the more they feel alienated,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Wars, persecution and other violence drove a record 68.5 million people from their homes in 2017, the majority uprooted inside their own countries while 25 million were refugees, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
World leaders agreed in New York in 2016 to ensure that all refugee and migrant children receive education within a few months of arrival in a host country.
But asylum-seeking children in Australia have limited access to education, Rohingya in Bangladesh can only attend separate, non-formal schools, and many refugees in Africa are confined to camps, making it harder to get jobs afterwards, UNESCO said.
“The hope is that in the future governments all over the world will be more reluctant to exclude refugees and put them in separate schools,” said Antoninis.
Only six in 10 refugee children were enrolled in primary school and one in four in secondary school last year, UNESCO said.
Uganda, which hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa at 1.4 million, brought humanitarian and development agencies together this year to create mixed schools for refugees and host communities, it said.
Chad, which hosts some 450,000 refugees, has developed a temporary education plan for refugees while it adapts the national system to include them, a first in Africa, UNESCO said.
The government has sent Chadian teachers to refugee camps to ease the transition, and this year converted 108 refugee schools into regular public schools that will also benefit locals, said Antoninis.
It has also trained teachers from among the refugee population to be able to teach in Chadian schools, he said.
But education remains a low priority in many places where people have fled conflict, experts said.
“During emergencies, education is not given the attention it deserves as a life-saving intervention,” said Euloge Ishimwe, a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Africa.
“Many people do not know that education in emergencies … brings about a sense of normalcy and hope that in itself can empower communities to protect themselves from harm.” | <urn:uuid:5f7ae601-5a19-4b13-85e3-18dc0835e8a7> | {
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Qiao Guirong, teaching in U.K: “My experience in the U.K. helped me realize the depth and breadth of traditional Chinese culture as well as the value of my work. I realized that art and beauty are the common language of mankind.”
Qiao Guirong, short-term teacher of the Confucius Institute at the University of Manchester, U.K.
Simply a little flower in the garden of Chinese arts and crafts, dough figurine making has a long history. The simple ingredients– flour, pigments, and water turn into a vivid craft of various colours. Having worked on dough figurines for years, I have a deep passion for them. Recently I was fortunate to become involved in the activities held by the Confucius Institute of Manchester University to promote Chinese culture. I taught British students how to make dough figurines. My experience in the U.K. helped me realize the depth and breadth of traditional Chinese culture as well as the value of my work. I realized that art and beauty are the common language of mankind.
The first activity I participated in was a craft demonstration for British students. It lasted two hours and hosted more than 200 students. At first I showed them two works I had made beforehand. One was a display of The Old Man & the Fairies. The other was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which, I assumed, might appeal to British students. The two works quickly aroused their interest and enthusiasm.
Then I started making animal characters from Winnie the Pooh, the A.A. Milne children’s book. Hardly had the lovely figurines made their appearance when the audience exclaimed in admiration. On the spot, I also showed the students the skill of making figurines. It amazed them how the dough, usually used for bread, turned into the eyebrows, eyes, noses, and mouths. They could not help uttering, “Fabulous! Incredible!” In the course of the demonstration, both students and teachers were very excited. Some were busy taking photos. Some kept asking:”Where did you learn the skill?” How long did it take? Can we learn?” Some even wondered if I could sell the figurines to them. When I gave a figurine to a boy whose birthday was just around the corner, he was so delighted to have this surprise gift that he clasped his hands in front of himself, saying “Thanks!” repeatedly. He was the envy of everyone a round! I wa s proud to see they were fascinated by Chinese culture. After all, the figurines, small as they were, had showcased the charm of Chinese folk art.
Likewise, teaching figurine making to another group of young people was impressive to me. The school we visited was a special one. The students there found it hard to concentrate and had trouble studying. To my surprise and delight, the students were so absorbed in my demonstration that no one left their seat for a single moment. They were very glad that I moulded a Chinese kid for them. Then I taught them to make the arms and pearls. They threaded the pearls into a string and put it around the kid’s neck. Judging by their concentration, who could detect their difference from normal students? So high were their spirits that the pupils, intoxicated in making one figurine after another, were reluctant to stop even when the class ended. I was proud that the local teacher was surprised by the students’ exceptionally undivided attention.
While teaching dough figurine making at the Confucius Institute of Manchester University, I developed a sense, stronger than anytime before, that I am Chinese, and an understanding, deeper than any time before, that traditional Chinese art is enchanting. I’m proud of my skill and proud to have the chance to demonstrate it to the British people.
Published in Confucius Institute Magazine
Number 05. Volume V. November 2009.
View/Download the print issue in PDF | <urn:uuid:19f41119-56dd-4fd2-8a06-4eaa5d946a08> | {
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Nuclear reactors across the U.S. Southeast could be forced to slow production or shut down in the near future due to the effects of continuing drought in the region. Nuclear power plants require massive amounts of water to cool steam that turns the generators; the water usually arrives via large intake pipes from nearby rivers and lakes. However, with water levels at drought-induced lows, a growing number of reactors are inching closer and closer to the water levels that would hamper plant operation. Pumping water from shallower depths, even when available, can also lead to forced shutdowns due to the water’s increased temperature. “You need a lot of water to operate nuclear plants,” said Jim Warren, executive director of a North Carolina green group. “Water is the nuclear industry’s Achilles’ heel.” By our count that makes at least four such heels: water, the legacy of radioactive waste, nuke plants’ appeal as terrorist targets, and the enormous costs of nuke plant construction. | <urn:uuid:b1b118e8-d707-4fe6-8ccc-344e94cd857f> | {
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Ah, flu season. If there’s one thing you can depend on every year, it’s the flu coming back into collective consciousness and wreaking havoc on communities across the country.
The CDC estimates that between 9 million and 41 million people catch the flu (or, the influenza virus) each year, and most of these cases occur during what is known as “flu season.”
In this article, we’ll talk about what flu season is and when it starts, as well as the best ways to protect yourself and your loved ones amid the spread—including when it’s necessary to see a doctor if you do come down with it.
Being educated is one of the best steps towards staying safe and healthy, so read on to learn all you need to know before the flu comes after you.
What is Flu Season?
While the influenza virus is active year round, flu season is the period of time when the influenza virus is at its most active, meaning cases are up and you are more likely to become infected.
Typically, this season begins in the fall (generally October), when it starts getting colder, and ends in the spring (generally April or May), when it starts getting warmer.
When Does Flu Season Start?
There’s no fixed date that marks the start of flu season; the exact timing changes every year and varies between areas of the country.
That said, October tends to be the month when cases start ramping up again every year, and December to March is when cases are at their peak.
According to data collected by the CDC, for the past several decades, February has been the month when the most cases are reported, followed by December, March, and then January.
In addition to the influenza virus, there are several other respiratory viruses that can spread during flu season and are often confused with the flu.
These include rhinovirus, which is one of the viruses that causes the common cold, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can be severe—and even deadly—in young children and older adults.
Best Ways To Protect Yourself From the Flu
Though the flu is contagious, there are several easy and effective ways to protect yourself from being infected by the flu this season.
Just like with COVID-19, masks can be extremely effective when it comes to preventing getting infected with the influenza virus.
Again, like with COVID-19, experts believe that the influenza virus is most often transferred to others through tiny droplets when an infected person speaks, coughs, or sneezes.
A well-fitting face mask can prevent these tiny droplets from getting near your nose and/or mouth and infecting you.
Proper hygiene is so important when it comes to keeping the influenza virus at bay, and washing your hands is one of the best ways to keep everything clean and under control.
Thoroughly (and frequently) washing your hands with soap and water is important; if you are out and about and don’t currently have access to soap, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizing solution is the next best thing, according to the CDC.
It can greatly reduce your likelihood of being hospitalized for, or dying from, the flu.
The flu shot is recommended for everyone six months and older (with a few exceptions) and is especially important for those who are at a higher risk of developing serious flu complications.
As far as timing, it also recommended that you get it before the end of October—but if it’s after that time and you still haven’t gotten the vaccine, it’s not too late.
When To See a Doctor
Most people who get the flu can recover on their own with rest, hydration, and proper self-care—but there are certain people who should seek out help from a medical professional to ensure that complications don’t turn deadly.
According to the CDC, people at a greater risk of developing complications from the flu include adults 65 and older, adults with chronic illnesses, pregnant people, young children, people with disabilities, and more.
If you are in one of these groups, or think you have come down with a severe case of the flu, be sure to check in with your doctor, who may prescribe you an antiviral medication to help with the severity and/or duration of your symptoms.
Without proper care, the flu can lead to more serious conditions, like pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus infections, which can lead to hospitalization and even death. The flu can also worsen chronic health conditions, like asthma and congestive heart failure.
How K Health Can Help
If you want to talk to a doctor about getting the flu shot, think you or a loved one have come down with the flu, or want more information on how to best treat symptoms, K Health and their trusted team of medical professionals are here to help.
Did you know you can get affordable primary care with the K Health app?
Download K Health to check your symptoms, explore conditions and treatments, and, if needed, text with a doctor in minutes. K Health’s AI-powered app is HIPAA compliant and based on 20 years of clinical data.
Frequently Asked Questions
K Health has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references.
Preventive Steps. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/prevention.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fflu%2Fconsumer%2Fprevention.htm
Preventing the Spread of the Flu. (n.d.) https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/when-flu-season/
Flu Season. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm
What are the benefits of flu vaccination? (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-benefits.htm
People at Higher Risk of Flu Complications. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/index.htm
2021-22 Flu Season. (2021) https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/vaccines-diseases/current-flu-season/
Where does the flu come from every year? (2016) https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/biological-sciences-articles/where-does-the-flu-come-from-every-year
Misconceptions about Seasonal Flu and Flu Vaccines. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/misconceptions.htm
Flu & Young Children. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/children.htm
Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine [LAIV] (The Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine). (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/nasalspray.htm
Flu symptoms: Should I see my doctor? (2021) https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/expert-answers/flu-symptoms/faq-20057983
Frequently Asked Questions about Estimated Flu Burden. (n.d.) https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/faq.htm | <urn:uuid:96eecbca-799f-49ff-ab4a-d2fb1c43dde5> | {
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Washington, Feb 2 (ANI): In a new study, scientists have found that small RNA molecules that existed 600 million years ago are in animals alive today, thus providing a bigger picture of human evolution.
Small RNA molecules, or microRNAs, regulate gene expression.
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have discovered that these molecules are found in the exact same tissues in animals as diverse as sea anemones, worms, and humans, hinting at an early origin of these tissues in animal evolution.
Their findings also open new avenues for studying the current functions of specific microRNAs.
Animals from different branches of the evolutionary tree - different lineages - possess specific microRNAs that evolved only in their lineage.
But, they also have microRNAs in common: ones which they inherited from their last common ancestor, and which have been conserved throughout animal evolution.
The EMBL scientists looked at the marine annelid Platynereis dumerilii, which is thought to have changed little over the past 600 million years.
They visualised where these conserved microRNAs are expressed, and compared Platynereis with other animals.
They found that in Platynereis, these microRNAs are highly specific for certain tissues and cell types and, what is more, discovered that tissue specificity was conserved over hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary time.
The scientists reasoned that if an ancient microRNA is found in a specific part of the brain in one species and in a very similar location in another species, then this brain part probably already existed in the last common ancestor of those species.
Thus, they were able to glean a glimpse of the past, an idea of some of the traits of the last common ancestor of worms and humans.
"By looking at where in the body different microRNAs evolved, we can build a picture of ancestors for which we have no fossils, and uncover traits that fossils simply cannot show us," said Detlev Arendt, who headed the study:
"But uncovering where these ancient microRNAs are expressed in animals from different branches of the evolutionary tree has so far been very challenging," he added.
"We found that annelids such as Platynereis and vertebrates such as ourselves share some microRNAs that are specific to the parts of the central nervous system that secrete hormones into the blood, and others that are restricted to other parts of the central or peripheral nervous systems, or to gut or musculature", explained Foteini Christodoulou, who carried out most of the experimental work.
"This means that our last common ancestor already had all these structures," he added. (ANI) | <urn:uuid:021059dc-dd45-403d-8d2d-413b6302f054> | {
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TCP supplies a virtual circuit between end-user applications. These are its characteristics: connection-oriented, reliable, divides outgoing messages into segments, reassembles messages at the destination station, re-sends anything not received, reassembles messages from incoming segments.
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CertiGuide to A+ (A+ 4 Real) (http://www.CertiGuide.com/apfr/) on CertiGuide.com
Version 1.0 - Version Date: March 29, 2005
Adapted with permission from a work created by Tcat Houser et al.
CertiGuide.com Version © Copyright 2005 Charles M. Kozierok. All Rights Reserved.
Not responsible for any loss resulting from the use of this site. | <urn:uuid:92d09670-7390-4e1a-ab6a-871f3026c6b6> | {
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Texas Panelists Question Minority Heroes in Curriculum
Advocates struggled for years to get greater coverage of influential minority figures in the school curriculum. Their efforts are evident in schools across the country, where most K-12 students learn about the contributions of Sacajawea, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks.
But some panel members convened by the Texas state school board think schools have gone too far in placing historical figures of color next to the Founding Fathers in the curriculum and textbooks. Some critics of the voluntary national U.S. history standards voiced similar complaints about that document more than a decade ago.
The Dallas Morning News reports on some of the panelist's recommendations here, quoting one, evangelical minister Peter Marshall, as saying: "To have César Chávez listed next to Ben Franklin" – as in the current standards – "is ludicrous." Marshall also questioned whether Thurgood Marshall, the nation's first African-American to be appointed to the Supreme Court after a legal career in which he successfully fought against school desegregation, was a strong enough figure to be featured in school textbooks.
The state board, the News reports, asked six "experts" to review the state's current standards, adopted in 1998. Three of the panel members were appointed by conservative Republicans on the board, while the others were selected by the remaining board members, both Republicans and Democrats.
A committee of educators and community representatives are slated to write the state's new social studies standards, which are influential in the development of school textbooks for much of the nation. The new document, which will guide instruction in the state over the next decade, will replace the ones adopted by the board in 1998.
The Texas board had been embroiled in controversy over its science standards, largely because of language relating to evolution.
(Photo of Thurgood Marshall courtesy of The National Archives.) | <urn:uuid:35c64053-4b9c-4c24-b021-e5fc18b36d79> | {
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(PaCT) Progress and Consistency Tool is an online tool that supports teaching and learning.
What does it do?
- Unpacks the curriculum content of mathematics
- Prompts teachers to notice how students use reading and writing to support learning across the curriculum;
- Illustrates the significant steps that learners take as they progress in mathematics, reading and writing;
- Supports moderation;
- Informs teaching programmes;
- Supports consistent overall judgments of student progress and achievement;
- Creates reports that help teachers and school leaders monitor the progress of students.
The PaCT has:
- Learning progression frameworks that break down mathematics, reading and writing and illustrate the stages of learning.
- An ‘engine’ that captures teacher judgments on aspects of mathematics reading and writing and recommends an overall judgment that a teacher confirms or reviews.
Published on: 21 Sep 2016 | <urn:uuid:c1c167ad-b8f1-4bf8-a876-825949ab4f3d> | {
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Italy and the MediterraneanOctober 5, 2010 0 Comments
An Italian supply convoy in Libya. The desert provided the opportunity for rapid advances, but inevitably these would outrun supplies, forcing them to a halt. This was the main reason why the pendulum of fortune swung so dramatically backwards and forwards during the campaign in Egypt and Libya.
Mussolini's overall strategy up until he brought Italy into the war in June 1940 remains a matter of debate among historians. During the 1930s he flirted with the western democracies almost as much as he did with Hitler. His presence at Munich during the Czech crisis and the part he played in those last days of August 1939 cast him in the role of international mediator. Then again, his prevarications during the first nine months of the war indicate that perhaps he just wanted to be on the winning side. Yet, given the similarities between Fascism and National Socialism, and Mussolini's strategic ambitions for Italy, it was probably inevitable that he would in time honour the Pact of Steel.
Mussolini's grand design was twofold. He wanted to create a major colonial empire in north-east Africa. He had made a significant start to this with his subjugation of Abyssinia, but to consolidate the empire he needed to weld Libya physically to Abyssinia and Eritrea, as well as take over the whole of the Horn of Africa. Standing in his way were Egypt, Sudan and British Somaliland, all firmly under the British umbrella. Britain also blocked him in the Mediterranean, which he regarded as Mare Nostrum, her mighty Mediterranean Fleet a formidable competitor to the Italian navy.
In June 1940 it seemed, on paper at least, that Mussolini had a relatively straightforward task. Britain herself was now on her own and under imminent threat of invasion. She could hardly be in a position, therefore, to reinforce the Mediterranean theatre. The British Mediterranean fleet had its main base at Malta, which was within easy air-striking distance from Sicily. Force it to withdraw and the Royal Navy would be confined to the periphery, being reduced to operating from Gibraltar or Alexandria, while Italy controlled the central Mediterranean.
On land the picture looked even brighter for Italy. The British Commander-in-Chief Middle East, General Sir Archibald Wavell, had 63,000 troops in Egypt, Palestine and Iraq. These had not only to defend these territories against external threat, which now included Vichy French Syria, but also to police them. Indeed, in Palestine the Arabs had resorted to violence in their protest at the influx of Jewish refugees and the situation had only been brought under control on the very eve of war after a three-year counter-insurgency campaign. In contrast, in Libya alone there were 250,000 Italian and indigenous troops. To the south, Italy could field a further 300,000 troops in the Horn of Africa, while the British garrisons in Sudan, British Somaliland and northern Kenya numbered a mere 10,000. In the air, the situation was the same. The Italians had nearly 500 aircraft based in Africa, with a further 1,200 which could be deployed from Italy. The RAF, on the other hand, had a total of a mere 370 in Egypt, Palestine and East Africa, and almost all of these were obsolete types.
Yet, unlike Hitler's strike against Poland, Mussolini launched no immediate blitzkrieg. Instead, the opening of the war in the Mediterranean was marked by a few scattered air attacks by both sides. He did, however, have plans to invade Egypt from Libya, but these were temporarily frustrated by the death of his supremo in Libya, the internationally renowned aviator Italo Balbo, who was shot down by his own anti-aircraft guns during a tour of inspection. This lack of positive activity did, however, encourage the British screening forces in Egypt to maintain a policy of aggressive patrolling, which included the capture of two Italian frontier forts. In retaliation, the Italians took frontier posts in southern Sudan, but did not penetrate further, while at sea the two navies had their first major clash on 9 Jul~ After its flagship was hit, the Italian navy remained in port for the next few weeks.
In August the pace began to quicken. The Italians quickly overran British Somaliland, threatening the entrance to the Red Sea. At the same time the exiled Emperor Haile Selassie organized a revolt within Abyssinia. Churchill, too, made a crucial decision. He had already agreed to the reinforcement of the Mediterranean Fleet and now ordered 150 precious tanks to be sent from Britain to Egypt via South Africa so as not to risk their loss in the Mediterranean. They had, however, not arrived when the long-awaited Italian invasion of Egypt began on 13 September.
The British plan was to withdraw from contact and not to offer battle until the Italian advance reached Mersa Matruh, where defences had been prepared. The reason for this, and one that would dominate thinking during the desert campaign, was that east of here there would always be an open southern flank, which could be easily turned. At Mersa Matruh, however, any defensive position could always be anchored on the impassable Qattara Depression to the south. Yet, to the surprise of the British, the Italian advance was hesitant from the outset and came to a halt after just three days. Now, sixty miles into Egypt, the Italians constructed a series of fortified camps, while they brought up more supplies.
A few days later the tank reinforcements from Britain finally arrived and Wavell ordered a counter-attack to be planned. The Italian commander, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, realizing that the British now had superior tank strength, both in numbers and quality, decided not to risk a further advance, in spite of Mussolini's urgings, and remained in his fortified camps. | <urn:uuid:03d2527f-158f-4bf5-8913-198d1f55e837> | {
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Right outside of Rio de Janeiro lies Rocinha, the largest slum in South America. This informal settlement, first occupied by a community of farmers, has quickly developed into one of the most dense living situations on the planet. About half the size of Central Park in New York City, this favela is home to an estimated 150,000 people. With the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games both taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Rocinha will become a hot topic in the next few years. Due to its small size, this project by Kyle Beneventi proposes an urban strategy to make Rocinha a very walkable city, dealing principally with voids to break up the blanket of uniform building mass. More images and project description after the break.
The research presented here was conducted by Jan Kudlicka, who spent the last year studying slum dwellings, known as “favelas,” in Brazil. The breadth of the research delves into the living conditions that these urban and suburban developments create and the feasible ways in which their problems can be addressed through the regeneration of the spaces. Jan Kudlicka studied the “little farm” of Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, which is one of the largest slums in the city.
To find out more about the research click through after the break. | <urn:uuid:6f3b54c5-a488-46d1-8ee7-3e7391537f9d> | {
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Leadership was a key quality in sustaining aircrew morale, and the commander of the Pathfinders, Don Bennett, was above all things an inspirational leader. He had immense courage and steadfastness of nerve. In his book Pathfinder, he tells the story of being shot down whilst attacking the Tirpitz, giving the details very plainly without any hint of ‘line-shooting’ (‘line-shooting’ was the RAF wartime term for bragging, any suggestion of which was deeply detested by aircrew).
At that time, Bennett was the commander of 10 Squadron stationed at Leeming. The attack on the Tirpitz took place on 27/28 April 1942. The crew of Bennett’s Halifax were:
W/C D C T Bennett, Sgt H Walmsley (2nd Pilot), F/Sgt J Colgan (F/E), Sgt T H A Eyles (Nav), Sgt C R S Forbes (W/op), Sgt J D Murray RCAF and F/Lt H G How (gunners)
As Bennett’s aircraft approached the ship, it was hit many times and the tail gunner wounded. In a masterpiece of understatement, Bennett summed this up as ‘things were far from peaceful’.
The Tirpitz was hidden by a defensive smoke screen, and was almost impossible to locate exactly. Bennett’s calibre is shown by the fact that even though his aircraft was on fire and badly damaged, he still went round to try a second run. He released the mines as best as possible, then turned east towards neutral Sweden. Things were so bad that he then gave the order ‘Prepare to abandon aircraft’.
I regret to say that one member of the crew became a little melodramatic. He said, ‘Cheerio, chaps; this is it, we’ve had it.’ I told him very peremptorily to shut up and not to be a fool, that we were perfectly all right but that we would have to parachute.
Because the tail gunner, Flight Lieutenant How, was badly wounded, Bennett kept the aircraft in the air as long as possible so that How could escape with the aid of the flight engineer, Flight Sergeant Colgan. Bennett finally jumped just as the aircraft began to break up.
After baling out, he chanced across his w/op Sergeant Forbes in the darkness. At first both of them thought that the other was a German.
Suddenly I realised that he was one of my own crew, and I said, ‘It’s all right. It’s your Wing-co, it’s your Wing-co.’
The story of the two men’s trek through deep snow is deeply engrossing. After many hardships, and the assistance of the Norwegian people, they made it through to neutral Sweden.
All the crew of seven survived. Four, including Bennett, made it back to England, the rest were captured. Bennett arrived back in England exactly one month after he had been shot down. He immediately hitched a ride in an Anson down to Leeming where his wife and children lived.
The Intelligence boys were furious that I had not reported immediately to London to be interrogated. I could not have cared less.
Only two months later, he was given command of the Pathfinders. | <urn:uuid:a5889a00-a452-47aa-80cb-6aa0c65344a7> | {
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Dr. Gillian Backus, Department of Biology, Northern Virginia Community College
In this activity, students create or critique a narrative in which a biological cell is compared to a city. Through writing and discussion, students learn to better visualize cell organelles, making connections between their structure and function by using the metaphor of a city. Students gain an appreciation for the dynamic nature of cells and come to picture how cells constantly build, recycle, send, and receive messages, package materials, and communicate.
With a dynamic understanding of cells, rather than a static one, students are then prepared for future units involving cellular function. The groundwork provided by this activity allows students to apply their knowledge to discussions of various cellular diseases including mitochondrial disease, cancer, and lysosomal disorders. Students become more prepared to think critically about the importance of maintaining internal homeostasis and how cellular dysfunction is linked to human health on a macro level.
Because this project requires students to compare a cell to a complex organization such as a city, students must research how cities work and understand the many critical functions that cities fulfill. The most successful projects are those that demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the infrastructure of a city and accurately compare these city components, where appropriate, with that of a cell.
By requiring students to explain these concepts creatively, this activity helps students to own their knowledge. By asking students to justify their decisions and comparisons, it prompts them to put their critical thinking abilities into action.
Courses Into Which This Activity Could Fit
This activity is well suited for biology courses that introduce students to cellular structure and function, such as:
- Biology 101 (college-level introductory biology, for majors or non-majors)
- Introductory cell biology
- Introductory anatomy and physiology
This activity may also be useful in courses such as forensics and psychology in which a basic knowledge of biology is warranted but cannot be assumed. And the activity is valuable for inter-disciplinary courses focused on health topics such as cancer, diabetes, environmental toxins, global health, and food systems.
This activity is an open-ended thought experiment in which students use critical and creative thinking to own their knowledge of the ways in which a cell is like a city.
Students often have trouble understanding abstract biological concepts or physical structures not visible to the naked eye. Most of the organelles in a cell are not visible even with a very good light microscope; therefore, the only pictures we have of organelles are grainy images produced by transmission electron microscopes. This project enriches students’ learning about invisible structures in the natural world. This is a powerful skill, applicable across many issues, including how to visualize and understand health issues such as cancer, inflammation, and diabetes.
This activity helps students to improve their abilities in reasoning through analogies, making learning less daunting because the learning links something unknown to something familiar. Since many of the dangers we face as a society are also invisible, teaching students how, in a sense, to make the invisible visible is to give them a great tool that they can use when confronted with invisible threats or challenges in the future. It helps them relate to problems we cannot see.
The core part of this activity includes the following components:
- Students either create an analogy of a cell as a city or critique a YouTube video of work done by other students. They may also choose another analogy. I have had them compare a cell to a cruise ship, spaceship, and human body, with good results.Students should have prepared for class by reading about the parts of cells in their textbooks. In class, the instructor polls the class for cell organelles that they remember from the class readings or from previous biology classes. The instructor may informally quiz them on what each organelle does. Depending on how well the students remember their basic cellular biology, the instructor can review the parts of a cell via a PowerPoint presentation. Then, the students brainstorm the critical parts of a city and what their functions are. The instructor collects this information orally and assesses students’ fundamental knowledge of cities. For homework, students perform further research on the parts of the city (or cruise ship or space ship) that they would like to compare. The instructor should model what a good analogy is by including images of city departments interspersed with relevant cellular organelles.For example, images of a cell’s nucleus could be compared to the control center or bridge of a cruise ship. The nucleus, just like the bridge of the ship, is the command center and ultimate control center. The cell’s nucleus has regulatory functions much as the bridge of the ship monitors and maintains the ship’s multiple system.
A second analogy might be to draw a comparison between a cellular vesicle and a city bus. Just like a city bus, cellular vesicles generally leave one location and go to a second location, carrying cargo, and dropping it off at the destination.
- During a second class period, students gather in small groups to brainstorm what different city parts correspond to which organelles and why. The instructor collects feedback and corrects any major misconceptions. This session is designed to get the students thinking in analogies. Students write their rough drafts of their project, due the following week. At a minimum, students are required to create and complete a comprehensive chart listing the organelles, what they are being compared to, and a justification of their comparison. To ensure the students complete this assignment, this assignment is worth a 25-point quiz grade, and a “ticket to class.”
- Students may create a written narrative as a “tour guide” script, or they may use other media such as Prezis, PowerPoints, children’s books, and websites to illustrate their analogies. To create their project or to create a film critique, students do independent research on the parts of a cell and their functions, and they often must do research on the parts of a city or cruise ship, or whatever it is to which they are drawing an analogy.
- If they are critiquing a comparison made by someone else, students refer to YouTube videos of how a cell is like a city posted by other people (doing a search for “how is a cell like a city” from within www.youtube.com). In a narrative format, students critique each video, asking themselves what inaccuracies are present and how they would remedy them. Students connect certain points in their narrative to specific time stamps in the YouTube video. Narratives have been received in the form of papers, children’s stories, PowerPoint shows, Prezis, and posters.
- The structure of the narrative and its component parts are open-ended, but it must be written so that a person unfamiliar with biology would understand.
The project can be expanded in ways that make the activities more interactive:
- Students can identify the parts of a city and the respective functions as a whole-class brainstorming session.
- Students can research the parts of a cell, relate those components to the components of a city, and justify their comparisons in small groups during class or via a discussion board online.
- Students can debate the merits of one part of the cell vs. another. The instructor may announce budget cuts, upon which students are assigned to argue for a specific organelle and must justify its existence over that of other parts of the cell.
- Exemplary projects can be selected by the instructor as models and then redistributed to the class to wrestle with a “what if?” scenario. What if this particular city had cancer—what would the city look like and how would its functions change? If this city was diabetic, what would it look like and how would it function differently? For example, a city with cancer might have a “rogue” city hall and might force its citizens to make prodigious amount of faulty products at the factories (ribosomes). A city that represented a diabetic cell would essentially starve. The city would be cut off from its food supply, which would force the city to use its existing resources to power its power plants. Once the city depleted its existing resources, it would begin to decay and would die. Any number of cellular disorders can be applied to the analogy to challenge students’ critical thinking and understanding of cell organelles (and cities).
- At the instructor’s discretion, and depending on available time, students may share their projects with the class. At this point, students may also be asked to share their project with students at elementary schools, day cares, or the public library as an extension project.
- To obtain closure on this activity, students watch the three-minute video “Inner Lives of a Cell” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJyUtbn0O5Y) and try to identify the organelles and processes illustrated. This is a sophisticated video that requires excellent foundational knowledge of cellular biology to appreciate its embedded nuances. Alternatively, this video can be shown while students are in the midst of creating their project to generate ideas, although students may not be able to appreciate its sophistication.
“Cell as a City” can complement a number of other types of projects:
- Any situation in which students must justify or explain their reasoning
- A project at the end of the semester when students design their own single-celled organism, accompanied by an account of its natural selection and evolution
- Other projects in which students must write in lay terms (for example, to explain photosynthesis in terms that anyone can understand)
- Activities where students must assess the validity of an outside source. In the “cell as city” activity students must use additional resources (textbook, web searches) to research their analogy or to prepare their critique. Students often fail to adequately compare one website to another; they usually cite the first resource they locate, regardless of its author or how recently it has been updated. In this increasingly complex technological world, students need to be challenged to critically analyze the sources they find.
- Other topics for which analogies can be built that aid learning (e.g., enzymes, osmosis, cellular respiration). For example, I use the analogy of a “glove” “fitting” a substrate when I discuss the induced-fit model of enzymatic action. The electron transport chain component of cellular respiration is often likened to a series of steps that the electron “falls” down.
Scientific Concepts Addressed and Related Civic Issues
This activity addresses several scientific concepts within biology, including the structure of the organelles of a cell, the functions of these organelles, and the interconnectedness of cellular components.
In this activity students connect scientific knowledge with social questions pertaining to human health. For example, many students have a flawed understanding of many diseases, including cancer, diabetes, mitochondrial disease, and lysosomal disease. By understanding how cells work, students are primed for insights as to how cancer treatment works, the importance of regulating glucose levels, and the importance of lysosomal and mitochondrial functions. Understanding cells is also critical to understanding the division of labor among our own organs, the way in which our immune system “fights” infection, and other health-related topics. This project helps students own the knowledge that will assist them in making their own health care decisions.
Week 1: Thirty minutes of class time are needed to introduce the project. In the second class period in which students brainstorm which city parts correspond to which organelle(s) and why, approximately 20 minutes will be needed, depending on how strongly the students’ understanding is developing.
Week 2: Students’ rough drafts of their narratives are due. Students will gather in small groups to get feedback from a classmate (15 minutes), and then 15 minutes as an entire class are needed to clarify any other cell parts.
Week 3: Projects are collected, and the time required will depend on whether the students share their projects with the class or share them at elementary schools, day care centers, or a public library as an extension project. Twenty minutes are needed for students to watch and discuss the video “Inner Lives of a Cell” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJyUtbn0O5Y).
Prior knowledge required
Students should be assigned to read descriptions of the parts of the cell on their own before beginning this activity. Any college-level biology textbook will have this information. In addition, there are any number of internet resources from Wikipedia to youtube.com where students can enter a simple search term and get a healthy array of reasonable resources. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute website (www.hhmi.org/biointeractive) has a wide variety of online resources. Students usually study the parts of a cell in high school biology, and often students are familiar with the vocabulary of cell parts (e.g., nucleus, plasma membrane, mitochondrion, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum). However, their working knowledge is generally not comprehensive. It is important to build on their existing knowledge and to use this project to correct inaccuracies. For example, when using a cruise ship analogy, students have likened ribosomes to the chefs in the kitchen because both make proteins for the staff to eat. However, in a cell, proteins are not synthesized for use as food or energy.
Students also need knowledge of the components of a city and their functions (particularly its infrastructure, for example, its water and sewer systems, the behind-the-scenes work of town hall employees, and what really happens inside a post office). We often assume that students understand how cities “work,” but I have seen that often their understandings are shallow or misinformed. For example, students may correctly make a comparison between the engine room of a cruise ship and a mitochondrion; however, they demonstrate the limits of their understanding by explaining that the engine is used to move the ship, when in fact it is used to power everything on the ship. I use the structure of the classroom building to draw the parallels between what you see, and what is necessary infrastructure. Where does the light come from? What does it look like behind the walls? Above the ceiling? Sometimes I call up a subway map or a map of a sewer system as I explain that often what is important is not clearly visible.
- Internet access (for further resources and images, and possibly as their media outlet). I allow students to submit Prezis, PowerPoint presentations, and homemade websites. Thus, the Internet is a medium both for collecting information and for displaying information.
- A textbook (or specific internet sites) covering the parts of a cell and their functions such as J.B. Reece, et. al., Campbell Biology: Concepts and Connections, 8th Boston: Pearson, 2015. Pp. 50-71. Or BiologyJunction (http://www.biologyjunction.com/cell_functions.htm)
- Access to the video “Inner Lives of a Cell” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJyUtbn0O5Y.
Context and Concepts for Instructors
- Instructor knowledge and sample materials
Instructors should have knowledge of basic cellular biology. Sample materials for this activity are provided below, including samples of student work, rubrics for grading, and directions for students.
Instructors should keep in mind that the amount of time allotted for brainstorming how a cell is like a city depends on the preparedness of the students.
In my experience, showing the YouTube video “Inner Lives of a Cell” after the cell projects have been turned in is preferable to showing the video early in the project timeline—the students have a much better sense of the dynamic nature of cells and are more actively engaged in the processes they see occurring in the video. Students have a much easier time recognizing the organelles “at work” once they have completed this project.
- Analogy or critique?
The instructor has the discretion to offer the choice of analogy or critique. Generally, the greater the options, the happier the students are. The drawback for the instructor of offering either a critique or an analogy is the need to consult more than one rubric when grading. This decision may be driven by time or class size.
- Process for working with the rough drafts
The timing for this part of the project can range from a part of one class to do some very basic brainstorming to a more extensive peer review and group discussion. The timing depends at least in part on how seriously the students wrote their rough drafts. Some students may have a nearly final copy, while others have only just begun to really think about the assignment. A peer consultation allows prepared students to share their thoughts and underprepared students to become inspired with ideas. The instructor may choose to collect the rough draft for points or not. Students are then encouraged to ask for clarification on specific organelles that confuse them, which generally leads to an engaged, student-driven class. The instructor should be prepared to potentially spend the entire class period reviewing organelle structure and function. In addition, the instructor must be flexible to go where the students need him/her to go. Between week 2 and week 3, students’ main assignment is to complete this project as homework.
What students will be able to do
This activity requires students to be creative and organized. Upon completion of the activity students will be able to:
- Identify similarities between complex cellular processes and visible processes in the world with which they are already familiar
- Explain biology-related ideas to a lay audience in a creative, accessible way
- Describe the parts of a cell, how they work, and how they work together
- Create analogies and justify them by citing specific evidence
- Cite resources appropriate to the scientific question at hand
Ways that this activity enriches the engagement of citizens with social and civic problems having underlying scientific issues
This activity connects to several SENCER ideals, including:
- SENCER locates the responsibilities (the burdens and the pleasures) of discovery as the work of the student.
This project gives students one model for how to engage deeply with material on a scientific topic. Since they have to create analogies for each organelle, they must thoroughly understand its function and how it is like (or not like) an analogous part of a city, cruise ship, or spaceship. This obligates students to own their learning, while making science less intimidating. The hope is that when they later encounter a more difficult scientific issue or problem, they will be more willing to engage with it, attempt to understand it, and learn from it.
Through this project, students learn to probe more deeply into the material. They cannot simply list and memorize the parts of the cell; instead, they must create a frame of reference, an accurate analogy. This project also teaches students to observe similarities between (1) concepts in science, and (2) concepts in daily life that are more familiar. Making analogies makes learning less daunting, because the learning links something unknown to something that is already well understood.
This is an open-ended assignment. There are limitless possible narratives and answers. Students are provided a rubric to help them structure their arguments. But fundamentally, they learn about cellular organelles by themselves and in self-directed discussion with their peers; the learning was their responsibility.
- “…SENCER hopes to help students overcome … unfounded fears … of science.”
This activity helps students to overcome y relating the structure and function of cells to something familiar to them, students discover that cells are interesting, dynamic places and that cells really aren’t so foreign and difficult when compared with something as familiar (though still complex) as a city.
The College Board’s Enduring Understandings That Connect Most Closely
Big Idea: Biological systems interact
Enduring Understanding: Interactions within biological systems lead to complex properties
Enduring Understanding: Naturally occurring diversity among and between components of biological systems affects interactions and the environment
Other central concept: The structure and function of the subcellular compartments, and their interactions, provide essential cellular processes.
Other central concept: Interactions between molecules affect their structure and function.
Big Idea: Living Systems Store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information.
Enduring Understanding: Cells communicate by generating, transmitting, and receiving chemical signals.
Other central concept: Cells communicate with each other through direct contact or from a distance by chemical signaling.
Other central concept: Cell signaling pathways can link cellular reception with cellular response.
Big Idea: Biological systems utilize free energy1 and molecular building blocks to grow, reproduce, and maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Enduring Understanding: Growth, reproduction, and dynamic homeostasis require that cells create and maintain internal environments.
Other central concept: Eukaryotic cells maintain internal membranes that partition the cell.
Other central concept: Variation in molecular and cellular units provides cells with a wide range of functions. | <urn:uuid:c9ad9be3-92c7-4930-8233-87c626da251f> | {
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Year of Publication
Fire refugia are landscape elements that remain unburned or minimally affected by fire, thereby supporting postfire ecosystem function, biodiversity, and resilience to disturbances. Although fire refugia have been studied across continents, scales, and affected taxa, they have not been characterized systematically over space and time, which is crucial for understanding their role in facilitating resilience in the context of global change. We identify four dichotomies that delineate an overarching conceptual framework of fire refugia: unburned versus lower severity, species-specific versus landscape-process characteristics, predictable versus stochastic, and ephemeral versus persistent. We outline the principal concepts underlying the ecological function of fire refugia and describe both the role of fire refugia and uncertainties regarding their persistence under global change. An improved understanding of fire refugia is crucial to conservation given the role that humans play in shaping disturbance regimes across landscapes.
Meddens AJH. Fire Refugia: What Are They, and Why Do They Matter for Global Change? Kolden CA. BioScience. 2018 ;68(12). | <urn:uuid:67e58aff-f16d-4552-9cd9-5767141e1bad> | {
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An important market town in Scotland since medieval times when King David I granted Lanark Royal Burgh status in 1140
Lanark is a market town in the central belt of Scotland, and is approximately 28 miles from Edinburgh and 25 miles from Glasgow. Population is approximately 9,000.
It lies high on the east bank of the river Clyde, close to its merging with Mouse Water, a tributary. The strategic location guarding the Clyde Valley was first recognised by the Romans, who built a fort, on what’s now known as Castlehill (Bowling Green). The Romans were followed by others fortifying this site, and in 978 AD, King Kenneth ll of Scotland held at least one parliament in Lanark Castle.
William l, 1165-1214, frequently made Lanark Castle his residence. However by mid 14th century, the Castle had fallen into disuse, but the associated street pattern remains today. Lanark has served as an important market town since medieval times, and King David l, made it a Royal Burgh in 1140, giving it certain mercantile privileges relating to Government and taxation.
The Royal Burgh of Lanark is steeped in tradition. It has been an important market town in Scotland since medieval times when King David I granted Lanark Royal Burgh status in 1140 and the town is proud of its rich heritage.
Lanark has had several important figures in its long history from a wide range of different backgrounds. The town also has stronger ties to the William Wallace legacy than you might think. He is believed to have married a Lanark lass, Marion Braidfute, and he first drew his sword in Lanark in 1297.
There are a variety of landmarks across the area. Lanark once had its own Racecourse near the Loch which was a bustling scene in its heyday and home of the Silver Bell, which is one of the oldest sporting trophies in the world and is still held to this day. It was also the venue for Scotland’s first ever airshow in 1910 where over 250,000 people came to watch the spectacle. | <urn:uuid:9987e3e1-fd94-4764-8a37-b66a948f730b> | {
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Design Conditions: 35°C, 85% RH ASTM C1058 defines a moderate climate as one with anticipated exterior conditions ranging from 0-50°C. It recommends conducting the experiments at mean temperatures of 4, 24, and 43°C (ASTM International 2015). To make the temperature range more specific to tropical conditions, EPW weather data was consulted for Singapore, an urban tropical region that is only 1.35° north of the equator. There, annual temperature ranges from 21-33.8°C with a mean annual temperature of 27.5°C. Because the testing apparatus does not account for heat gain from solar radiation, the design temperature of the exterior box was set to 35°C. The ASTM standard does not specify test relative humidity conditions, so weather data was again consulted. In Singapore, relative humidity ranges from 43-100% with a mean annual relative humidity of 83.6% (ASHRAE 2016), so 85% RH was used for clarity.
So that multiple experiments could be completed in a day, 4 hours was selected as the experiment run time. Each test involved a preconditioning period of the hotbox to account for the varying New England climate, where experiments were conducted, so only to subject the test materials to tropical conditions. Though the box is capable of testing for much longer periods of time, this shorter time allows the user to see quick results which can be used to develop the next design, as part of an iterative process.
Preconditioning The experiments shown in this thesis were conducted in a semi-conditioned interior space in Cambridge, Massachusetts between January and May and interior conditions in the testing room varied quite a bit. As a result, the amount of time required to achieve steady-state conditions in the exterior box ranged from 30 to 50 minutes. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the heater would quickly overheat to nearly 50°C when initiated. To maintain consistency of results, the test specimen was not inserted between the two chambers until the hotbox had achieved steady state conditions. Instead, the exterior box was sealed with a 2” XPS foam panel during this time. Once conditions were met, the foam panel was quickly replaced with the test specimen. Once the surface temperature sensor was firmly attached to both sides of the specimen, the box was sealed and the 4-hour experiment time began. This transition did release a significant amount of moisture vapor, which usually took almost the first hour of the experiment to regulate to design conditions.
Quantification of Vapor Mass Relative humidity can be a deceiving metric as it defines humidity as a percentage of how much water that air can hold at a given temperature. It is given in weather reports because it more closely represents how we perceive ambient moisture. It is not representative, however, of the actual moisture within the air. In response, the author calculated the absolute humidity, a value which gives the measure of water vapor in the air, regardless of temperature (g/m3). Since the conditioned space is in an enclosed environment, the mass of water vapor (g) is determined first by calculating the saturation pressure (1) of the air, the partial pressure (2), and finally the density of water vapor (3) (The Engineering ToolBox):
Materials As will be discussed in the following chapter, three material groups were tested: concrete, a building membrane, and a selection of porous materials. The second two groups only required minimal preconditioning, meaning all samples were kept in the same room for several days before each test. The concrete, however, required significantly more preconditioning before each experiment to maintain consistency across the results. Especially in the first 28 days of the initial pour, concrete is particularly responsive to ambient moisture conditions. In fact, early experiments with the unconditioned concrete caused moisture levels of the interior chamber to rise even before heat and humidity had been applied in the hot box. Furthermore, each sample gained a significant amount of weight from moisture during the experiments. In response, the samples were desiccated by baking them overnight (16 hours) at 100°C before and between experiments.
Figure 2 shows the weight change of four different 2” thick concrete samples that were conditioned within a week of their pour. Unsure of how long to heat the samples, their weights were measured over a one-day period that included the 16-hour bake time.
Both samples leveled out after 16 hours in the oven, and didn’t see much change, even after an additional two hours in the oven. The smallest sample lost 1.84% of its weight after the first 16 hours and only additional .08% after another two hours in the oven. A second sample lost 1.80% and then an additional .13% after two additional hours. Though the extra time did provide for further desiccation, it was determined that the 16 hour bake time was satisfactory to create a reasonable level of control between experiments. Since these samples are used for hygrothermal testing and not for structural purposes, the potential for reduction in strength due to desiccation was not considered. After the baking, all samples were further preconditioned in the same room for several days, without direct sunlight. Weight changes during this time were relatively minor.
ASHRAE. 2016. ASHRAE International Weather Files for Energy Calculations (IWEC2). Atlanta. Accessed November 22. https://www.ashrae.org/resources--publications/bookstore/iwec2.
ASTM International. 2015. “ASTM C1058/C1058M-10(2015) Standard Practice for Selecting Temperatures for Evaluating and Reporting Thermal Properties of Thermal Insulation.”
The Engineering ToolBox. “Water Vapor and Saturation Pressure in Humid Air.” http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/water-vapor-saturation-pressure-air-d_689.html. | <urn:uuid:8c5d7a5e-0460-407c-b1c4-aea9b2d4728e> | {
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October 28, 2010
Panel Recommends Meningitis Booster
A federal advisory panel is recommending that teens get a booster dose of the vaccine for bacterial meningitis because a single dose does not work for as long as originally expected.
The vaccine was initially given to high school and college students because the disease is more dangerous for adolescents and young adults and can easily be spread in crowded areas, like dorm rooms.The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said three years ago that the vaccine should be given to children ages 11 and 12. They originally expected the shot to be effective for at least ten years.
But studies found that the vaccine only works for 5 years or less, and the panel was alerted of the findings.
The committee deliberated over the issue and debated whether to add a booster shot or just simply push back the timing of a single dose to teens between the ages of 14 and 15. They decided that teens should still get their initial shot at age 11 and a booster at age 16.
The vote for the second shot was 6 to 5, an unusually close vote for the panel. They concluded that a booster after five years is easier and less confusing to implement than changing the age of the first shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Dept. of Health and Human Services (DHHS) usually adopt the recommendations of the panel and sends the advice to doctors and the public.
However, an FDA administration official, Norman Baylor, said more studies about the vaccine's safety and effectiveness of a second dose is needed before recommendations can really be adopted.
Some wondered if it was necessary to even make such a decision. Bacterial meningitis cases are at historic lows, and a survey of more than 200 colleges and universities in the last academic year found only 11 cases of the disease and three deaths in the more than 2 million students nationwide.
Dr James Turner, head of student health at the University of Virginia and a liaison to the panel for the American College Health Association, said he is "not terribly worried about emergent disease," according to the Associated Press.
But during a public comment session, several people pleaded with the panel to keep the initial dose at 11 and 12, and add the booster if necessary. One 25-year-old man told of how his legs and hands were amputated after a bacterial meningitis infection when he was 14.
Dr Amanda Cohn, an expert with the CDC, told the panel that some studies show the vaccine losing its effectiveness within just a few years. One study, of the vaccine Menactra, found that the vaccine was 95 percent effective the first year but dropped to under 60 percent effective in two to five years after people were vaccinated.
The vaccine, which costs around $90, is designed to prevent the disease and infection from taking hold in the body. The infection can cause swelling of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
Though the disease is fairly rare in the US, those who get it develop symptoms rather quickly and can die in just a few days if not treated. Survivors can have mental disabilities, hearing loss and paralysis.
Bacterial meningitis is spread by coughing, sneezing and kissing. Most cases occur in previously healthy children and young adults.
On the Net: | <urn:uuid:29fdf931-7240-4b12-8f12-fb6347e92487> | {
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The greatest migration on Earth happens twice each night in the ocean. Every evening at sunet, zooplankton, followed by predator fish, squid, octopus and other species that have acquired a taste for plankton, start moving up from the deep waters of the ocean. In this vertical migration to the surface, the zooplankton feast on plant plankton and other tasty morsels in the water as well as on each other. The feeding ends just before dawn when the plankton retreat to the depths of the ocean to hide during the day until, once again, the next evening, they migrate back up the water column.
In Planktonia, Erich Hoyt invites readers to dive into the secret world of the nighttime ocean. Countless microsopic plankton – creatures such as the ornate ghost pipefish, left-handed hermit crabs and bony-eared assfish – are delicate and beautiful; some look terrifying. This massive vertical migration attracts larger creatures, too, such as the solitary 6-inch (15 cm) bigfin reef squid and the fierce and hungry 6 1/2-foot (2 m) female blanket octopus. Everyone joins the migration for the midnight feast, and they are all ravenously hungry. | <urn:uuid:c4d9da57-f59a-446a-89c8-1611c114f8d3> | {
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Drug Creates Real Melanin Tan
Scientists have developed a drug that mimics sunlight to make the skin tan.
The drug tricks the skin into producing the brown form of the pigment melanin in tests on skin samples and mice...
This kicks off a chain of chemical reactions in the skin that ultimately leads to dark melanin - the body's natural sunblock - being made.
The drug is rubbed into the skin to skip the damage and kick-start the process of making melanin.
Dr David Fisher, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website: "It has a potent darkening effect.
"Under the microscope it's the real melanin, it really is activating the production of pigment in a UV-independent fashion."
Science fiction fans might be thinking of the tannin-secretion pills from Flatlander (1967) by Larry Niven:
All my life I've used tannin-secretion pills for protection against ultraviolet...
Or, perhaps the selected melanin boosting from Neuromancer (1984) by William Gibson.
Via BBC; thanks to Ted Ewan and for the story and reference, and to Winchell Chung for the tip!
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 6/3/2017)
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More SF in the News Stories
More Beyond Technovelgy science news stories | <urn:uuid:6bff6fdf-1f41-4f66-b18b-1c34d7600438> | {
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JCB Hydrogen Combustion Engine
Engineers at JCB Power Systems, our engine factory in Derbyshire, UK, have developed the first hydrogen motor in our industry. Using and adapting established engine technology with readily available components, hydrogen is combusted and power is delivered in exactly the same way as a diesel engine. And now, our prototype backhoe loader, fitted with this new hydrogen motor, can do everything its diesel-powered equivalent can do.
What’s more, the technology is far less complicated than hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Nothing but steam is emitted from the tailpipe. Zero CO2 at point of use. Learn more here. | <urn:uuid:8723bac5-20b3-406a-bcb7-ecac9ca0882c> | {
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“I feel empowered to do something if I see someone screaming at their girlfriend or calling someone names in the hallway.” student from the Lincoln-Sudbury high school
The MVP program recognizes the power of the bystander; a big part of the MVP training teaches bystanders how to react to sexual violence. The concept here is to provide participants with concrete options that they can use to prevent or interrupt abusive or potentially abusive situations involving teammates and friends. It empowers participants to play an active role in confronting sexual abuse. Many peeople want to help but lack the skills necessary to intervene in a safe manner. The key is to engage them in a process that leads to empowered skill building and decision making.
MVP utilizes a unique bystander approach to prevention and education. This educational philosophy was adapted from Dr. Ron Slaby’s Habits of Thought model, which reflects the thoughts of perpetrators, victims and bystanders during conflicts. This is a disarming approach because it does not view men as perpetrators or potential perpetrators, or women as victims/survivors or potential victims. MVP views all participants as potential bystanders who can be empowered to confront abusive incidents involving peers. These discussions provide concrete tools for confronting, interrupting and preventing this violence, because the more options a person has available to them, the less likely they are to choose violence or to do nothing.
Think about how many times attendees have heard the “don’t” messages–don’t put yourself in bad situations, don’t stay out after 1 a.m., don’t have sex if you’ve been drinking, and on and on. In reality, people respond better to “do” messages, which can be categorized into four areas: direct, indirect, distraction, and protocol. As participants share their ideas, trainers challenge them to consider the reaction they could receive from the person they are confronting and push the group to think through the myriad ways they can approach a situation. Through these discussions, the attendees develop both strategies and the confidence to intervene when warranted. The more they think and talk this through with their fellow participants, the more able they will be to step up in the most difficult of social situations. | <urn:uuid:bb391362-b1ca-4771-8323-1010eb0eb732> | {
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Every Child Deserves a Student-Centered Classroom.
At Room to Discover, our goal is to ensure that every student in every classroom receives an education that honors their needs and their potential. We support this goal by always putting the learner at the center of their educational experience. While grade level standards are important for measuring schools, they should never be the ultimate driver of educational decision-making.
Learning is not a forced process, it is at the core of what makes us human. Learning is authentic when it relates to life outside the classroom and when students discover new ideas through experiential learning. We believe that every student deserves the Room to Discover.
Our Guiding Principles
1. Learning occurs naturally, and every student is capable of learning.
2. Every child deserves an education that matches their individual needs and interests.
3. Good teaching honors the learner and creates the conditions that allow learning to occur.
4. Learners of all ages thrive when learning is authentic and learner-centered.
5. Standards can be useful as measures of progress, but they should not be the primary driver of instructional practice.
6. Change is not to be feared, but neither should it be pursued for its own sake.
7. Every initiative should be measured against its impact on the student experience.
8. We honor learners by holding them, and ourselves, to the highest standard — not by accepting mediocrity.
Our coach took the time to get to know each of our personalities and teaching styles – I felt supported and not judged.
Elementary Math Teacher | <urn:uuid:6fb0b743-d0cc-4479-9368-eba432e99750> | {
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It all started when we were kids….
When we were growing up we loved to build and fly model airplanes – and we still do!
One day a kid came to our neighborhood park with the most incredible model jet airplane unlike anything we had ever seen before.
With a quiet hissing sound, leaving a faint trail of smoke, the plane shot up into the blue… and we were hooked.
The plane was powered by a little solid fuel jet engine made by a British company called “Jetex.” Kids all over the world used to love building Jetex powered airplanes, from simple balsa gliders to authentic scale models.
Unfortunately, the Jetex Company went out of business in the ‘70’s and model jet planes were mostly forgotten.
It’s been almost 50 years since we first saw that Jet plane, and now we’ve finally figured out a way to bring back an old hobby with a couple of modern twists.
It took several years of research and hundreds of tests to reformulate and redesign our new solid fuel Jet-x engines. We’re also bringing back some of the classic original airplanes, as well as some new modern planes too.
We’re getting ready to announce a crowd funding campaign to help us launch our new planes and engines – please sign up to be notified when we launch here: https://mailchi.mp/259ae114f84c/jet-x
By the way, we’re not just trying to bring back a fun hobby from our childhoods; we’re also trying to rekindle a spirit of American inventiveness and a passion for making things.
It’s hard to imagine that the only country to land a man on the moon now ranks almost dead last in science and matheducation behind nearly every other industrialized nation.
Most American school children today are uninterested and therefore unable to contribute to the science and technology that will drive the American economy in their lifetimes.
Only a one-third (33%) of American kids can read at their grade level and, even worse, only a quarter (25%) are proficient in math. This is far behind every other industrialized nation, and represents a serious threat to our national welfare.
With your support, maybe we can get kids away from video games long enough to start building and making things like jet airplanes again, and rekindle an interest in science, and a curiosity about how things work.
While of course having some fun in the process!
Chris Sorensen – CEO
Chris grew up in the Chicago area, and attended the University of Illinois and Northwestern University.
He started his career as a technology consultant at Accenture in Chicago, but was lured away to his first software startup in San Diego. One startup led to another which led to Silicon Valley. Over the years Chris has been actively involved in designing and leading ten early stage technology companies, and has mentored dozens more.
Chris has always had a deep interest in advancing education and design thinking.
He was selected to join the first Master’s program at Northwestern University’s Institute for the Learning Sciences. Under the direction of nationally recognized educational expert Roger Schank, Chris developed new computer based educational methods for teaching real world skills. He received an MS in Artificial Intelligence from Northwestern University in 1991.
Chris also holds a BA (Economics) and an MBA (Finance) from the University of Illinois and has completed coursework in Venture Capital and Corporate Strategy at Stanford University.
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“Oceans account for 96% of all habitable space on Earth,” says Chris Armstrong in the London Review of Books. Yet many of the species that “once teemed in their millions” in these waters have been “harried close to extinction” by industrialised fishing. For every 300 green turtles that once swam in the Caribbean, just one remains. Nine in 10 of the world’s large fish and oyster beds have gone. “Seagrass meadows are disappearing at a rate of 7% per year.” This deep-sea decimation has required an “immense, dogged effort” by fishermen, using “nets that could swallow a Boeing 747” and longlines – fishing lines carrying vast numbers of baited hooks – “that extend for 100km”.
The industry tries to present itself as “the custodian of marine life”. It’s anything but. Global catches have been dropping since the 1980s. “A typical wooden fishing boat in 1900 could catch 16 times more fish in an hour than its contemporary equivalent.” And industrial fishing techniques damage not only the seabed but also the planet as a whole: “bottom trawling alone releases as much carbon as the entire aviation industry”. The good news is that the oceans “can still recover some of their lost plenitude”. In Marine Protected Areas, where fishing is limited or forbidden, populations return to health “in surprisingly short order”. Tens of thousands of oysters that were brought to the Solent, for example, now “spawn larvae in their billions”. The big problem is the high seas, which aren’t governed by any state and where fishing is a free-for-all. Unless we can find a way to protect them, the ravaging of “the world’s largest ecosystem” will continue. | <urn:uuid:d93b4072-3013-4cff-837a-07bb758754d8> | {
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Point Lookout is the southernmost place on Maryland’s western shore and is now the site of a placid park dotted with monuments, but during the Civil War, it was the site of one of the largest and likely most brutal prison camps operated by Northern forces.
Point Lookout was first surveyed and explored by Captain John Smith, of Jamestown fame, and was noted for its beautiful location between the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Its location made it the target of attacks during the American Revolution and the War of 1812- but that’s not why Point Lookout is famous. Point Lookout is often considered one of the worst prison camps operated by the Northern side during the American Civil War. The prison at Point Lookout held 50,000 Confederate soldiers over the course of the war and conditions there were infamous. Overcrowding, freezing temperatures, and harsh treatment abounded. The exact number of men who died there is unknown, but estimates range from 4,000 to 14,000.
Although the prison camp itself no longer exists, the 1830s lighthouse still remains, as well as a Confederate mass grave that is marked with a towering stone obelisk, estimated to hold the bodies of over 3,000 soldiers.
With such a troubled past, of course, the site is rumored to be haunted by various specters. Ghostly figures and voices, a chill in the air, and a rotting smell have all been reported, especially inside the lighthouse, which has been uninhabited since the 1980s.
In popular culture, this site was the real-life location which inspired the “Point Lookout” DLC in the Bethesda game Fallout 3.
Know Before You Go
Hours of operation for the park are 6am to sunset. | <urn:uuid:30ac0075-8765-404c-9e0b-4cf9895c445f> | {
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Technology has changed our lives in so many ways. If there wasn’t an Internet, would we be able to do FaceTime, Skype or Zoom calls with co-workers or loved ones during the pandemic? In addition, advances in imaging technology and biometrics has helped in the diagnosis and treatment of many medical conditions. Technology is also a help when it comes to learning about driving techniques, in particular how they are linked to visual impairments in those over the age of 60 and how they are related to car accidents.
First, the advances in imaging technology. Researchers at Duke University developed a way to better diagnosis and monitor eye diseases like glaucoma. They used a combination of optical coherence tomography and deep neural networks that tracks changes in the retinal ganglion cells in the eye.
The ganglion cells are the primary neurons that process and send visual information to the brain. These cells deteriorate and disappear, which leads to blindness, when someone has a disease, like glaucoma. Optical coherence tomography uses light to examine the eye tissue layers in order to diagnose glaucoma and other eye diseases. While optical coherence tomography allows scientists to view the cell layers in the retina, it only shows the thickness of the cell layer, it doesn’t reveal individual ganglion cells. Not being able to see the cells gets in the way of disease diagnosis and tracking of the progression of the disease, since many ganglion cells need to disappear before doctors can see changes in retinal thickness.
That’s where new technology comes in, namely something called adaptive optics optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT). This imaging is sensitive enough to see individual ganglion cells and it is advanced enough to minimize the effect of optical aberrations that happen when examining the eye.
The higher image resolution makes it easier to diagnose diseases, but it also creates such a large amount of data that image analysis becomes a bottleneck and it slows down the use of this in eye and brain research. Researchers came up with a solution by developing a deep learning-based algorithm that can identify and trace the shapes of the ganglion cells from the AO-OCT scans.
Moving from the micro to the macro, the Alabama VIP Older Driver Study, done at the University of Alabama Birmingham used in vehicle sensors and cameras to assess the driving techniques of older drivers. These devices continually record the habits of the drivers for a six-month period.
Since self-reporting of driving behavior and eyewitness reports of accidents are both biased and incomplete, the use of sensors and cameras eliminate these problems and provide an accurate record of how older drivers navigate the roads.
The best thing about the use of the sensors and cameras in the vehicle is that they can detect near-crashes. A near crash is a circumstance that called for a quick evasive maneuver by the driver to avoid an accident. Near crashes happen more frequently and they have causes similar to actual crashes, so having this data helps researchers learn what contributes to accidents in older drivers.
“Using these naturalistic driving techniques in the VIP study we confirmed that contrast sensitivity impairment, slowed visual processing speed and deficits in motion perception elevated crash and near-crash risk in older drivers,” said Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D., professor and Nathan E. Miles Chair of Ophthalmology in the University of Alabama Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and one of the authors of the study.
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We've heard good things and bad things about the method of extracting natural gas from shale that's known as "fracking."
Fracking not only uses chemicals that can contaminate drinking and groundwater, it also releases large amounts of natural radioactivity from the ground into the air, ¬including Radium-226, which has a half-life of 1,600 years.
On the Nation of Change website, Karl Grossman quotes radiation expert E. Ivan White as saying, "Horizontal hydrofracking for natural gas has the potential to result in the production of large amounts of waste materials containing Radium-226 and Radium-228 in both solid and liquid mediums." (This type of radioactive material) " is particularly long-lived, and could easily bio-accumulate over time and deliver a dangerous radiation dose to potentially millions of people long after the drilling is over."
White is reporting on a field of shale in Michigan, but a vast field of methane--the main ingredient of natural gas-- has also recently been discovered in Alaska ice. This may be our next big energy source, if we can build a pipeline to bring it to the rest of us efficiently. We have plenty of gas right now, thanks to fracking, but as Dan Joling quotes energy researcher Ray Boswell as saying, in Bloomberg Business Week, "If you wait until you need it, and then you have 20 years of research to do, that's not a good plan."
Meanwhile, White cautions: "Radioactivity in the environment, especially the presence of the known carcinogen radium, poses a potentially significant threat to human health. Therefore, any activity that has the potential to increase that exposure must be carefully analyzed prior to its commencement so that the risks can be fully understood."
Who else is going to tell you the truth about what's going on? Here at unknowncountry.com, we pride ourselves on telling you the truth--and we CORRECT OURSELVES if we're wrong! We tell you the truth about UFOs too--and we're one of the FEW places to do that, so make sure we're still around tomorrow to keep telling it: Subscribe to this site today! And guess what? New subscribers who sign up for two years get a FREE crop circle calendar! | <urn:uuid:57c868b5-b081-4cfb-bfac-9b2f17dd74ac> | {
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Learning Creative Writing Workbook 3
LEARNING CREATIVE WRITING is a series of 6 books specially designed for primary school students. Each book aims to enhance a student’s writing skills. The two areas of writing activity in this series are:
The pictures provided in the practices help the students form their first thoughts and ideas about a topic.
This is the basic premise for writing a picture composition. Students will learn to derive information from the pictures given. Acquiring this skill will increase a student’s ability to write.
Students should also explore the possibilities that may arise from the situations depicted. Hence, the Creative Thinking section seeks to stimulate students to consider alternatives in relation to themselves. Each exercise contains a Model and Practice designed to help students think and develop their compositions in a logical and creative manner.
Creative Idea (Upper levels)
This provides a similar context and prompts to a practice topic and comes with a model composition in the answer key booklet. Students learn how to develop their ideas from the prompts to the full composition.
Helping words, sentences and paragraphs
These help to build vocabulary and students can also learn interesting sentences to include in their writing.
These will allow students to understand how ideas are developed in continuous writing. They are also excellent reading materials and a good resource of examples for similar topics.
Common themes are used in the practices: everyday situations, celebrations, emotions and moral issues.
This section contains models compositions to all the practices. These are additional materials for writing ideas and leisure readin
ISBN : 9789813214842
|No. of Pages||168|
|No. of Issues||-|
- We will not be responsible for lost mails or damages for orders by normal mail option.
- No refunds for cancellation of products or orders
- Any exchanges must be made at OpenSchoolbag office, subject to stock availability. Products must be returned in original good condition.
- See full terms here | <urn:uuid:46611d4d-a4e0-4679-b218-26e990a2ba98> | {
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University of Michigan student aims to make motorcyclists more comfortable with air-conditioning-like device for helmets
Critics of motorcycle helmet laws often say they are uncomfortable and hot, which leads to more accidents. This is despite studies that show motorcycle helmets do not cause heat discomfort – or restrict vision and interfere with hearing.
Nevertheless, if riders feel that helmets are uncomfortable, they will be more inclined not to wear them. And helmets save lives (and brains). So, in an attempt to have the best of both worlds, University of Michigan student Zachary Hwang has launched his own start up called FrostGear to produce cooling technology for motorcycle helmets.
Hwang, an experienced motorcycle rider, says his experience in the summer has been less than comfortable. So he developed a small device that attaches to a motorcycle helmet and air conditions the inside, therefore, cooling off the rest of the body, according to Hwang in a recent article, “U-M student-led FrostGear develops motorcycle helmet cooling tech.”
The start up is currently working on prototypes of its technology, leveraging resources from Ann Arbor SPARK and the University of Michigan’s Center for Entrepreneurship. It has applied for a patent and aims to have a product for trade shows ready by December.
As a motorcycle safety advocate (and a University of Michigan alum), I’m happy to see this technology and I wish Zachary Hwang all the luck on this venture. In my opinion, any efforts aimed at motorcycle safety and making motorcyclists more comfortable are preferable to ditching the helmet.
I wrote a blog post on 7 reasons every state should adopt a motorcycle helmet law. One of the reasons is that helmets do not cause heat discomfort that affects safety. Here’s an exchange our attorneys had with a biker reader of ours who took issue with our stance:
“I don’t give a damn how well ventilated your helmet is, you’re uncomfortably warm if you’re wearing it in 90 degree or above weather.”
“Regarding heat discomfort – the statement is the helmet does not cause heat discomfort. This does not mean that in 90 degrees or above a person is not uncomfortably warm, as Clay says; it is simply that the helmet is not the cause.”
The cause is that it is hot. | <urn:uuid:791065f1-f99b-47d2-8a95-972f9a7da08b> | {
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The terms ‘radical’ and ‘radicalization’ have been very popular in news stories in recent months.
Radicalization has several relevant but nearly opposite applications. A radicalized person might be willing to kill others to further their cause or belief system.
Another perhaps less popular definition describes those who would be willing to die for others to retain or restore their cause or belief system.
The Bible has much to say about radicalization, especially regarding the definition describing those who are willing to die in order to restore or retain their cause.
Several Hebrew synonyms for restore include return or repent. Basically the concept is a movement back to the point of departure.
It will be noted that the Bible in both the Old and New Testament stresses the return back to the point of departure from God’s word while contemporary progressivism is basically the opposite, i.e. the belief in political change and social improvement by governmental action.
When King Josiah was made aware of God’s standard of righteousness and justice he immediately took radical actions to comply with God’s word.
“Then the king…made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments…and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.” 2 Kings 23:3
Josiah in essence ratified the original Mosaic Covenant which God had revealed to the Israelites more than 800 years earlier. And then Josiah initiated radical actions to rid the land of those things contrary to God’s law such as idol worship and the killing of babies among other things.
Josiah’s reward for his radicalized heart:
“…because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke…and wept before Me, I also have heard you… ‘Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you…shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place.’” 2 Kings 22:19-20
And so it was that God arranged for Josiah to be killed in battle so that he would not need to witness the calamity which was to befall Jerusalem and the Jews less than a dozen years later.
The last prophet in the Old Testament was Malachi who prophesied between 437 and 417 BC. Malachi confirmed the immutability of God and His laws and the significance of returning to Him.
“For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you…” Malachi 3:6-7
And then note the final words of the Old Testament in which Malachi echoed Isaiah’s previous prophecy relative to God’s law revealed to Moses:
“Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Malachi 4:4-5
‘Elijah’ in this passage refers to the one who was foreordained to announce the coming of the Messiah and the kingdom of heaven. This was fulfilled in the appearance of John the Baptist.
And what was the message of John the Baptist 450 years after Malachi’s prophecy?
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” Matthew 3:1-2
Shortly thereafter Jesus began His earthly ministry with the same profound message.
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 4:17
The Greek for ‘repent’ in the present context means ‘pious sorrow for unbelief and sin and a turning from them unto God and the gospel of Christ.’
According to God’s word, what the world needs now is a vast radicalization of Christians to take extreme measures to return to God’s word by following the example of Josiah.
Watch for next week when Biblical credibility is radically confirmed by Josiah’s actions.
Share your thoughts [email protected] | <urn:uuid:a5b55b41-c1ba-49f0-8985-4185bf82a7e0> | {
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What is blue cheese?
Blue cheese is a unique category of mould-ripened cheese with a pungent salty, piquant flavour. Its natural, crusty rind gives it a rustic appearance and develops as the cheese matures in humidity-controlled cellars. Currently more than 22 varieties of blue cheese are made in Australia.
Blue mould spores, Penicillum Roqueforti, are added to milk at the beginning of the cheesemaking process. After the curd is cut and whey drained, blue cheeses are not mechanically pressed but turned so the weight of the curd pushes out moisture. The curd remains loosely packed in hoops to leave room for the blue mould grow. The hoop size depends on the style of cheese being made and influences the cheese’s development. The next day, the cheese is salted and turned.
Stainless steel needles are used to pierce and aerate the cheese to assist the growth of blue cultures while the cheese matures. This process may be done from one to three times. Blue mould grows along the spike lines and into the smaller veins of the curd.
Each blue cheese style is made unique by the type and quantity of blue culture added to milk, the way the cheese is spiked (stitched), the size of the cheese and the way the cheese is matured.
There are multiple styles of blue cheese.
Types of blue cheese
Invented in the early 20th century in Denmark, this cheese carries a grey-blue rind and soft white interior with a dark blue mould. It has a sharp taste and a salty bite, occasionally with a hint of grittiness from the blue mould growth. It should be stored in its original wrapper or with foil.
A difficult cheese to make, blue brie uses two moulds. One blue mould naturally grows from the interior to the surface of the cheese, while a white mould (used to soften the intensity of the blue cheese flavour) grows naturally on the surface. It has a soft and creamy texture like brie, with a subtle blue flavour. Triple cream blue is a triple cream cheese with blue mould added. It should be stored in its original wrapper or foil.
This cheese is the oldest named blue cheese in the world. There are two different types: "piccante", which is quite strong and salty, and "dolce", which is sweet, mild and creamy. It is made in large wheels (between 6kg and 8kg) with a natural, crusty rind that is blue-grey and mottled with orange. A fully-developed Gorgonzola cheese will have earthy, spicy overtones and a fruitiness. It should be dry to slightly sticky, with evenly distributed blue veining and subtle marbling. It should be stored in foil or its original wrapper. | <urn:uuid:6117dbe1-ccd9-4bcd-95c7-ddcde3b4346b> | {
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2-11.400 Hertz Switching Amplifier
a. The oscillator consists of a tank circuit, high gain
A22Q106 (0B-A21Q107, 0C-A21Q7) amplifies the
amplifier and a capacitor feedback. Transistor
Signal from the half wave retifier with A22Q107(OB-A21Q106,
OC-A21Q6) being used as a paraphase amplifier. Signals
A21Q4) (fig. FO-5) drives the tank circuit which is made up
are taken from both the collector and emitter in a
of A22L101, (OB-A21L1), A22C106, (OB-
paraphase amplifier because they switch exactly opposite
A21C105, OC-A21C5), and A22C104, (OB-A21C106,
to each other. The two opposing signals then drive
(OC-A21C6). To complete the oscillator circuit, A22C103
A22Q110 and Ql11 (0B-A2IQ105 and A21Q109, 0C-
provides the required feedback to the base of the oscillator
A21Q5 and A21Q9).
amplifier. The oscillator frequency (400 Hz 0.5 Hz) is
determined by the values of L101 with C106 and C104 in
2-12. Complementary Switch
parallel. To change the frequency of the oscillator, capacitor
Q110 and Ql11 work together as a complementary switch.
C 104 maybe changed. An increase of 0.01 microfarads will
If Q110 is turned "ON", Q1ll must be turned "OFF" and
produce a frequency decrease of approximately 3 hertz.
vice versa. This situation will continue through two stages
b. The oscillator has three functions. It is the reference
of amplification. In all cases if one half of the switch is
sine wave, the 400 hertz switch signal, and the inverter
"ON" the other half must be OFF.
regulating signal. As the reference sine wave, the oscillator
signal must have less than 2 percent harmonic distortion.
2-13. Inverter Switch Drive Transformer
After amplification, the output must match this signal. The
inverter can not meet the requirements if this signal has
a. Each pair of complimentary switches drives one
greater than 2 percent harmonic distortion. Regulation is
inverter switch transformer. A22Q110 and A22Q111 drive
determined by the peak to peak value of the signal. The AC
A2T3 for phase A. A2IQ105 and A21Q109 drive A2T2 for
error detector and the oscillator control circuits make the
phase B. A21Q5 and A21Q9 drive A2T4 for phase C.
peak voltage increase or decrease in response to the output
b. The interstage transformer has three centertapped
voltage through control of the error detector and oscillator
windings. The primary winding (pins 1 and 3) is driven by
the complementary switch. Pin 2 is tied to the + 16V dc.
Secondary N1 provides the base drive for the main power
2-9. Phase Locking
switch transistors. The power switch current will vary with,
a. The correct phase relationship and phase rotation for
the load but the complementary switch drive cannot
the three phase operation is established in the three
compensate for this. Since the base current must increase if
oscillator circuits. The positive zero voltage crossing of
the switched current increases, the emitter is tied to ground
phase B lags behind the positive zero voltage crossing of
through. secondary N2. An increase in switched current will
phase A by 120 or one third of a cycle. Similarly, phase C
assist in boosting the base current to the necessary level.
positive zero voltage crossing lags behind phase A positive
The inverter current sense is taken from the center top of
zero voltage crossing by 240 or two thirds of one cycle.
the base drive winding.
b. The oscillator coils each have
a secondary winding.
These are connected in delta with phase B and phase C
2-14. Inverter Switches
secondaries each having one end grounded. Phase A is the
predominant phase. The three secondaries form a single
Due to the very high currents which must be switched, six
winding. there is a 180 difference from ground through all
transistors are used for each phase. Phase A used A2Q20,
three windings and back to ground. At the one third points,
Q21 and Q22 and A2Q29, Q30 and Q31. Phase B used
the difference is only 60 from the ends. But if phase A is
A2Q17, Q18, and Q19and A2Q26, Q27, Q28. Phase C uses
the reference, add 60 and 180 (or invert the signal) ther
A2Q23, Q24 and Q25 and A2Q32 Q33 and Q34. Each
difference is 240, which is needed for phase C. For phase B
inverter switch drive transformer drives six transistors. For .
the phase signal precedes phase A by 60. The result is
each phase, three transistors will be "ON" and three
minus 60 plus 180 which equal 120. The inversion of
transistors will be "OFF". A low value resistor in each base
180 takes place on phase Bat the halfwave rectifier. The
drive circuit assists in stabilizing the base drive current.
inversion for phase C takes place by reversing the drive at
A2CR 10 through CR15 provide a clamp against negative
the interstage transformers.
voltage spikes. As the transistors are switched (three --
ON, three -OFF), the ends of the main transformer
2-10. Half and Full Wave Rectifiers
primary windings A3T1 are alternately grounded. Any
At the output of the oscillator, two rectifiers split the
current being applied to the center tap of the transformer
signal for different purposes. A22CR105 (fig. FO-3)
must switch back and forth to whichever end is grounded.
provides a positive going half wave rectified signal to the
400 hertz switching amplifier. A22CR 106 and
2-15. Pulser Circuit
A22CR107 (0B-A21CR104, A21CR106, 0C-A21CR4,
The pulser section controls the current being applied to the
A21CR6) provide a negative going full wave rectified
main transformer center tap. Paragraphs 2-16 through 2-20
signal to the pulser drive. The 400 hertz switching is
describe the pulser operation.
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Week of 11.2.07
10 Steps to Becoming a Locavore
This Week: About the Show | 10 Steps to Becoming a Locavore | How Green is Your College? | Interview with Anthony Flaccavento | Excerpt: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle | Viewer Comments | TranscriptBy Jennifer Maiser
Jennifer Maiser is the editor of the Eat Local Challenge website, which is a place for authors nationwide to share their experiences with finding locally grown and locally produced food.
Locavores are people who pay attention to where their food comes from and commit to eating local food as much as possible. The great thing about eating local is that it's not an all-or-nothing venture. Any small step you take helps the environment, protects your family's health and supports small farmers in your area.
The first step to being a locavore is to determine what local means for you. This is an individual decision that should feel comfortable for you and your family. Many locavores start by trying to eat within a 100-mile radius from their homes and then adjust where necessary, sometimes encompassing an area as large as an entire state or region. The important thing is that by creating a boundary, no matter how large, you are becoming conscious of food's origin. Use this tool to draw a 100-mile circle around your home and guide your food choices.
10 Ways to Become a Locavore
1) Visit a farmers' market. Farmers' markets keep small farms in business through direct sales. Rather than going through a middleman, the farmer takes home nearly all of the money that you hand him or her for a delectable apple or a wonderful bunch of grapes. Need to find a market in your area? Try the USDA's farmers' market guide.
2) Lobby your supermarket. Ask your supermarket manager where your meat, produce and dairy is coming from. Remember that market managers are trained to realize that for each person actually asking the question, several others want to know the same answer. Let the market managers know what's important to you! Your show of interest is crucial to help the supermarket change its purchasing practices.
3) Choose 5 foods in your house that you can buy locally. Rather than trying to source everything locally all at once, try swapping out just 5 local foods. Fruits and vegetables that can be grown throughout the continental U.S. include apples, root vegetables, lettuce, herbs and greens. In most areas, it's also possible to find meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and cheese—all grown, harvested and produced close to your home.
4) Find a local CSA and sign-up! Through a CSA—Community Supported Agriculture—program you invest in a local farm in exchange for a weekly box of assorted vegetables and other farm products. Most CSA programs provide a discount if you pre-pay for your share on a quarterly or yearly basis because a pre-payment allows the farm to use the cash in the springtime when money is needed for farm equipment or investment in the farm. CSA programs take the work out of buying local food, as the farmer does the worrying for you.
5) Preserve a local food for the winter. There's still time! Though we are headed into winter, many areas still have preservable fruits and vegetables available. Try your hand at making applesauce, apple butter and quince paste. To learn about safe preserving techniques, go to the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
6) Find out what restaurants in your area support local farmers. You can do this by asking the restaurants about their ingredients directly, or by asking your favorite farmers what restaurant accounts they have. Frequent the businesses that support your farmers.
7) Host a local Thanksgiving. Participate in the 100-mile Thanksgiving project by making a dish or an entire meal from local foods.
8) Buy from local vendors. Can't find locally grown? How about locally produced? Many areas have locally produced jams, jellies and breads as well as locally roasted coffee and locally created confections. While these businesses may not always use strictly local ingredients in their products, by purchasing them you are supporting the local economy.
9) Ask about origins. Not locally grown? Then where is it from? Call the producer of your favorite foods to see where the ingredients are from. You'll be amazed how many large processed food companies are unable to tell you where your food came from. By continuing to ask the questions we are sending a message to the companies that consumers want to know the origin of ingredients.
10) Visit a farm. Find a farm in your area and call to make an appointment to see the farm. When time allows, the farmers are usually happy to show a family or a group around the farm. When you visit, ask the farmers what challenges they have had and why they choose to grow what they are growing. Be sure to take the kids along on this journey! Children need to know where their food is coming from in order to feel a sense of connection to their dinner.
Want to know more about why locavores choose to eat local? Check out our 10 Reasons to Eat Local Food. | <urn:uuid:373f4f90-9c80-474a-b930-93d606b83fd2> | {
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Imagine that a friend is having a heated verbal argument with his wife. You’re watching from the couch. He turns to you and asks for your input. You hesitate, and then say you really don’t want to be involved. It doesn’t seem to you that there’s any solution that would be acceptable to both people or that is otherwise possible. Friend and spouse then tell you they really want your input, so you think for a moment and suggest they look instead for alternative strategies to resolve the matter. The couple then comes up with a few different ways of resolving the issue. Ah, you think, that was a good idea. You throw in a few more possible strategies. They nod in agreement and proceed to use several of the approaches. Yes, you think, now we’re getting somewhere — but wait a minute, their voices are rising. They’re using all of their own strategies and yours too, but look angrier than ever!
Well, according to researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) – and counter to what we might consider the common logic of using many strategies for conflict resolution — people in conflict may actually become angrier and more frustrated the more strategies they use. A new ASU study suggests that limiting strategies is less likely to result in escalating anger, when the conflict seems unresolvable, even though we may believe that to be unhelpful rigidity.
This shouldn’t be confused with the idea that we should limit our options for solutions. No one is advising that. It also doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try various strategies when it seems like a resolution is possible.
Instead, if there doesn’t seem to be a solution that would be acceptable to both parties engaged in an argument after they’ve used one or two strategies already, it might well be best to let the argument go. According to Danielle Roubinov, an ASU doctoral student in clinical psychology, “Although being flexible in how you respond to different situations may be beneficial, continuously trying different ways to work out the same situation may lead to greater anger, frustration, and an unhealthier biological response.”
Sixty-five undergraduate students were participants in the research led by Melissa Hagan, a doctoral student, and Linda Luecken, associate professor of psychology, and Roubinov. Participants role-played a stressful situation with a research assistant (RA) regarding a fictional dispute between a neighbor, the RA, who was purportedly playing loud music with a request to turn the music down. The “neighbor” followed the script by refusing to cooperate. Seven different strategies were suggested by the research team, including problem-solving and threatening. Participants who chose to use a greater number of the strategies showed more anger and frustration in both facial expressions and cortisol levels, an indication of health risk, than did participants who used fewer strategies.
In reality, a good analysis of whether the issue can be resolved is called for. In the study, the other person was clearly uncooperative. In such situations, a quick analysis might show you that there isn’t going to be any acceptable solution. You can then save your breath from the effort.
In more ambiguous situations, the analysis might be a difficult or even stressful task in itself, especially while personally engaged in conflict with someone else. Still, it appears that learning to tell the difference between an interpersonal issue that can be solved and one that probably can’t could be very helpful in future conflicts. A skilled therapist can help you do this if you want some assistance in learning to recognize those situations.
You might also want to look at whether you tend to persist in arguments, despite a feeling that the problem isn’t going to be solved. You may need to learn how to stop arguments that aren’t going anywhere. Finally, you might want to examine whether you rarely or never stop arguing long enough to think about whether the conflict is resolvable. If you see that you don’t take that time to analyze, learning to do so might be helpful too. In conflict situations which are unlikely to have a solution, only you can decide if the stress is worth the anger, frustration and health risks, but some help from a good therapist can provide you with the feedback, discussion and practice needed to master the described skills.
Arizona State University (2009, March 8). Flexible Approach To Acute Conflict Results In More Frustration and Anger, Study Shows. ASU web site at
© Copyright 2009 by Jolyn Wells-Moran, PhD, MSW, therapist in Seattle, Washington. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org.
The preceding article was solely written by the author named above. Any views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the preceding article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment below. | <urn:uuid:fb1cd6b9-d4bd-4fba-9e3f-c5fdb505ef2a> | {
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Writing Quiz Questions
Effective questions can engage students in learning by helping them reflect on course content, develop problem-solving skills, form mental models, or practice foundational skills. Questioning focuses attention and guides study, reading, writing, communication, visualization, design, development, and other learning activities.
The main goal of this site is to provide easy-to-follow, quick-to-read guidance for creating questions of varied types such as matching, multiple-choice, short answer, and true-false.
Why Worry About Writing Quiz Questions?
- Knowing how to write effective questions is critical to constructing effective quizzes.
- The types of questions you ask influence what and how students study, read, practice, etc.
- The questions you ask should match what you expect students to learn.
- Questions should not give away the answers or be unreasonably difficult.
- Selected response item types provide students with all possible answers and require them to select the correct one. Selected response type items include multiple choice, matching, and true/false and are typically harder to write but easier to score.
- Constructed response item types provide students with a prompt and require them to generate an answer. Examples include short answer and essay. Typically, constructed response items are easier to write but harder to score. | <urn:uuid:d239ae6e-1fcd-4ce9-bb64-688c0e20206c> | {
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Johns Hopkins University Press ($19.95)
by Emma Shafer
“It is striking,” writes Jerry Griswold in his in-depth inspection of children’s literature, Feeling like a Kid, “how often growing up in children’s literature means looking down and be-littling.” Griswold, then, is child-like at heart, letting none of his years nor any part of his academic nature interfere with his frank admiration of children’s literature. Feeling like a Kid is written in the crisp, bright manner of a yet-to-be disillusioned graduate student happening upon an exciting new subject for the first time, combined with the sage irony and impeccable background of a full-fledged academic expert that one would expect from an author who is the director of the National Center for the Study of Children’s Literature.
Griswold explores children’s literature through five key themes: snugness, scariness, smallness, lightness, and aliveness. Each of these tropes exhibits a certain appeal to young people and simultaneously guides adults in understanding the psyche of children. As Griswold says, “the great writers for children know—and their stories speak of and reveal—what it feels like to be a kid.” Griswold deftly references a virtual smorgasbord of classic children’s literature in his quest; he stumbles, however, in that the vast majority of the books he explores are quite old-fashioned. This is not to say there is no merit in older works. In fact, books such as Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows or George MacDonald’s The Light Princess, too little known to this generation of readers, are delightful inclusions. Where Griswold reveals his weakness is in the decided lack of comparable titles from contemporary authors and his inclusion, instead, of so-called "blockbuster" children’s books such as the Harry Potter series.
This omission of pertinent contemporary works of children’s literature is troubling. Griswold indicates his assumption that even if he is able to remain in touch with his inner child, his audience is made up of those who have grown up to look down upon contemporary kids’ books, concerning themselves only with the children’s literature written when they themselves were children. For example, the captivating 1971 novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is only mentioned in passing—and, horrifyingly, only by the title of the movie based upon the book, in a list of children’s movies in which the phenomenon of Smallness is present. Similarly, the mysterious and intriguing animal daemons found in the universe of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy would be impeccable additions to Griswold’s assertions regarding Aliveness, but are overlooked for more traditional examples, like the animals of Aesop’s fables.
Of course, one book cannot be exhaustive in such a broad and varied field without becoming superficial, and Feeling like a Kid is anything but superficial. It is rather an adept and engaging blend of scholarly analysis and genuine passion and regard for the value of children’s literature.
Rain Taxi Online Edition, Winter 2006-2007 | © Rain Taxi, Inc. 2006-2007 | <urn:uuid:ffdeb2cc-f4b3-4bfb-9770-2e1cbfbb0284> | {
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National Maritime?Day: Remembering our Past, Focusing on our Future
On May 22, six days before Memorial Day, many Americans will quietly observe National Maritime Day, a day set aside 85 years ago by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to acknowledge the importance of our merchant fleet and remember mariners who died in service to our nation.
Many Americans are unfamiliar with the work of the Merchant Marine and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, but it is worth remembering their contributions to our nation’s security and prosperity.
The U.S. Merchant Marine is fleet of U.S.-flagged vessels that carry commercial goods during peacetime and, in times of war, becomes what FDR called “the Fourth Arm of Defense,” delivering troops, supplies and equipment.
The Merchant Marine has been a critical player in every war since the American Revolution and it is common knowledge among military planners that the U.S. cannot win a major war without a vibrant Merchant Marine. In fact, the Merchant Marine predates the establishment of the U.S. Navy.
When the nation faced its most existential threat in World War II, the Merchant Mariners answered the call. Even before the U.S. entered the war, U.S. flagged merchant ships were carrying vital supplies to the Britain to help them survive the Nazi onslaught.
After Pearl Harbor, German submarines prowled U.S. and international waters seeking to destroy U.S. merchant vessels carrying vital supplies and troops. Tragically, they had great success sinking ships off the U.S. east coast, the Artic, the South Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean Sea.
The losses were staggering. Fifteen hundred-plus vessels were destroyed, and more than 9,000 American Merchant Mariners were killed in action.
With this harrowing backdrop, on September 30, 1943, President Roosevelt dedicated the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York, to “serve the Merchant Marine as West Point serves the Army and Annapolis the Navy.”
Remarkably, midshipmen at the Academy did much of their training on vessels in the very waters German U-boats were stalking their prey. They were crewing ships, unloading vital cargo in combat zones and navigating enemy-controlled waters to get back to the U.S. mainland so they could do it all over again.
All told, 142 Academy midshipmen were killed in battle. Of the five federal service academies, the USMMA is the only one to lose students in combat. Today a battle standard bearing the number “142” remains on display at Kings Point, a stark reminder of the price these young men paid in service to the nation.
The tide of the war eventually turned as the U.S. Navy began to anticipate and counter U-boat attacks, and merchant vessels were escorted by Navy convoys. A replenished merchant fleet carried men and materiel to free Europe—and between May 1945 and September 1946, they kept crossing the oceans until all 8 million troops were back home
General Eisenhauer proclaimed, “When victory is ours, there is no organization that will share its credit more that deservedly than the Merchant Marine.”
In the Pacific, the Merchant Marine was equally courageous. Gen. McArthur said, “They have brought us our lifeblood and they have paid for it with some of their own. I saw them bombed off the Philippines and in New Guinea ports. When it was humanly possible, when their ships were not blown out from under them by bombs or torpedoes; they have delivered their cargoes to us who need them so badly. In war it is performance that counts.”
Now in its 75th year, the USMMA continues to produce graduates who stand ready to serve as officers in the Merchant Marine from day one, in both peacetime and war. Like the other service academies, all graduates are obligated to serve their country for eight years.
As we remember those Merchant Mariners who lost their lives in combat, we must be vigilant in ensuring it remains strong enough to counter the challenges of the future.
Captain Jim Tobin is president of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association and Foundation.
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Our roundup includes the long-term effects that attacks on education have on girls and how Sesame Street will help to educate Syrian refugees.
Girls suffer long-term effects of attacks on education
Female students and teachers in conflict zones around the world are suffering horrific acts of violence within their schools and universities.
This includes rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery, according to a report released by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) this week on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Attacks on education happen in many countries and the impact can be devastating for children and adolescents, who can have their schooling disrupted or ended.
But the long-term consequences for girls and women of rape and sexual violence can be particularly debilitating, said GCPEA, because of early pregnancy, the stigma associated with sexual violence and children born from rape.
“The impact of attacks on girls and women in education is profoundly injurious and long-lasting - and can dramatically affect their future prospects, as well as the futures of their communities and countries,” said Diya Nijhowne, GCPEA’s Executive Director.
“Governments have an obligation to make schools safe and to protect female students and teachers from the recruitment, abduction and sexual violence they suffer far too often.”
GCPEA's report - It is Very Painful to Talk About - is based on extensive research, including the Education Under Attack series, and field research in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Most of Haiti's schools shut by protests
Violent political unrest that has rocked Haiti for more than two months is causing a crisis in the education system.
Almost 70% of schools are closed, leaving Haitian children with nothing to do and their parents struggling to cope. In some homes, parents are trying to teach their own kids.
"The school principal told us several times, 'Come on Monday to do a bit of work.' When we arrive, the teachers are not there and the principal is alone with five or six students," said high school student Reevens Bosquet.
Haiti's public schools already suffer from a severe lack of funding and teachers. They can only accommodate a third of the students.
The Caribbean nation's crisis began in August, prompted by a national fuel shortage, and protests against unpopular President Jovenel Moise have raged since. Education Minister Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet said two possible calendars have been set up - one with classes resuming on December 2 and the other with a mid-January start.
New Sesame Street show for Syrian refugees to launch soon
The first season of a new Sesame Street TV show to help educate Syrian refugee children will be launched in February.
Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee announced in 2016 they were joining forces to work on educational learning programmes, including a new programme called "Ahlan Simsim," or "Welcome Sesame" in Arabic.
The project - and the development of services that reach refugee children directly - won a $100 million competition run by the MacArthur Foundation.
The first season of "Ahlan Simsim" will be shown across the Middle East from February 20.
Marginalised children in Cambodia still missing out on education
Cambodia has achieved incredible progress in basic education, with 98% of children enrolled in primary school. But that is threatened by low-quality learning and inconsistent access for marginalised groups, according to World Vision.
"Specific groups of children struggle to access quality education at different stages of their education," said a policy brief by the charity. It added that:
- Children with disabilities – particularly girls and children with intellectual disabilities – are twice as likely to be out of school
- Girls drop out of school more often to support their household and girls with less education are generally more susceptible to exploitation and abuse such as human trafficking
- Children from ethnic minority groups struggle to access education as they typically live in isolated rural areas, may not speak Khmer, face discrimination from peers and are deterred from school by the long distances between home and classroom
Displacement slows down education progress in Arab region
The Arab States region has been affected more than any other by the displacement of people in recent years - which has slowed down its education progress, according to a UN report.
The gap between the Arab States and sub-Saharan Africa in enrolling children at primary school has more than halved in the past 20 years. At the same time, Central and Southern Asia has overtaken the Arab States in enrolment rates at lower secondary level and is rapidly closing the gap at the upper secondary level too.
Five of the 12 countries with the highest percentage of internally displaced people are in the region. A lack of paperwork, language challenges and security risks are the largest barriers to their education, said the first regional edition of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report published by UNESCO
“There is no doubt that the Arab states are facing a unique challenge to provide an inclusive education. Regardless, displaced children and youth do not leave their right to an education behind,” said Manos Antoninis, Director of the GEM Report. | <urn:uuid:b40bd9b0-1154-4a66-9d31-8a319d29116f> | {
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There is a greater need to focus on reducing risks for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders and motorcyclists, according to a report from Volvo Trucks.
“In the past decade the number of serious road accidents involving heavy trucks has been almost halved in Europe. However, truck accidents involving vulnerable road users have not been reduced to the same extent,” said Carl-Johan Almqvist, Volvo’s traffic & product safety director.
Volvo’s 2017 Traffic Safety Report shows that about 35 per cent of people suffering serious injuries or fatalities in accidents involving heavy trucks are vulnerable road users.
Giving the driver a clear overview of the truck’s immediate vicinity is crucial to accident prevention. As one of many complements to rear-view mirrors, close-quarter mirrors and reversing cameras, Volvo favours a camera to show the driver what is happening in the front corner of the passenger side.
“It is also important for pedestrians and cyclists to be aware of the importance to see and be seen and to assist in smooth, safe interaction in traffic. That’s why we are directing our educational material to both youngsters and adults, for instance our ‘Stop, Look, Wave’ and ‘See and Be Seen’ campaigns, which spotlight precisely these issues,” said Almqvist. | <urn:uuid:92431f62-ea34-4395-b738-d54ffb21ce2c> | {
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With the Board examinations drawing close, SWAMI SWAROOPANANDA offers 10 ideas to help students face the heat with a cool head
1 Be confident
It’s a competitive world. There is pressure from teachers and parents. Often, you are anxious whether you will get good marks or not. But if you have prepared well and your teachers have put in their best, then never fear. Have faith in yourself. There is greatness and capacity in all of us. But when we lack faith in ourselves, we become anxious. If we are not prepared, we get worried. Now if you want to reach Everest and you are ever at rest, then you will certainly not make it. But if you are well prepared, then don’t doubt yourself. Be confident. Confidence comes when we have prepared well, have faith in ourselves, have the blessings of teachers and parents and have faith in the goodness and justness of the Lord. Be calm and confident. Only with a peaceful mind, you can be efficient in your actions.
2 Never compare
We have many weaknesses. We may prepare well, yet, jealousy sometimes crops up.
Will the other person get more marks? Why waste time comparing ourselves with others? The inner weaknesses of jealousy and unhealthy comparison are not good; they create either a superiority or an inferiority complex. Each one of you is unique in your own way
Don’t try to be better than anybody else, and don’t think that anybody else is better than you. Each one, do your best.
3 Be consistent
Have some control over your senses. During examination time, especially during that one month of preparation, don’t allow any distraction to come in your way, like restaurants, movies or meeting friends. Exercise control. Don’t allow distraction from surroundings, external, nor from your imagination, internal, to divert your attention — at least during the few days of your final revision. Of course, you do need a break at times.
Take a break, go for a walk, spend a little time with your friends. But don’t distract yourself by going to a party or watching too many TV programmes.
4 Understand what you study
When you read your book, try to understand it; don’t cram it. When you try to cram, it makes you nervous because then, if you suddenly forget one word, you are likely to forget the whole paragraph.
Take time to understand what you read, because, if you have understood something, you will not forget it easily.
5 Marks are not the only criterion
Our learning is not just to get a first class, or distinction. We do need all this today to get admission in a good college. But a degree is useless without the related knowledge. A degree can get you a job, but cannot guarantee your ‘stay’ in the job. So, memorise lessons not just for a degree, but to gain knowledge. Good marks alone don’t make you successful. Understand the subject, matters. Try to study to absorb and retain knowledge.
6 Picture what you study
When I was in Hyderabad, a young girl asked me, “Swamiji, I study everything and forget everything. How do I remember what I study?” Listen well in class and revise your portion in the mind, step by step, till you do not need to refer to your notes at all. Visualise it and save it in your mind, as a picture. Once you have read a particular page, close your eyes and see those notes in your mind. This develops a photographic memory. With this type of concentration, your memory will be very good and you will remember what you have learnt, for a long time.
7 Resist the urge to copy
When you are writing the paper, the temptation to copy often comes up. When you are not sufficiently well prepared, or are anxious to score good percentages, there is a tendency to copy from another. Don’t even think you have an option to copy. When you decide not to copy, you stop wasting your time and energy on it. Have faith in yourself and mind you, honesty pays, because one day all this is going to help you in your future journey in life.
8 Keep your goal big
Some of you may not want to take a professional course. You may just want to graduate. Don’t keep your goals small. You will probably not need high marks if you want to take up a course that is not in much demand. But the important thing is to do your best. Your best may still not give you fantastic results, but it will certainly give you the satisfaction of having done your best. So keep doing as well as possible. Try to set higher goals. Let knowledge be your goal.
9 Never despair
Some of you may not get into the college or profession of your choice. It happened to me, when I was around 18. Whatever the reason, I might have gone through a lot of depression and dejection. But my grandmother said, “Take every failure as a stepping stone to success. If you have done your best, you have not compromised, and still things have not worked out your way, never ever think it to be your failure. There is something better waiting for you.”
You, very often, think that a certain career alone can make you happy, but deep down within, ask yourself, ‘Why do I want to take that profession?’ Whatever the reason, if you have done your best, life will take you to that place where you can fulfil your inner ambition. I thought I could do it with only a certain profession. But life had something even greater in store for me.
Never despair. What appears to be the greatest tragedy today often turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to us. Have faith in the Supreme. Life will take you to the place that is best for you. Some of my friends, who didn’t get into the course they wanted, lost heart. Don’t waste your life. You must fulfil your heart’s desire, if not by one profession, then by another. Remember — you are never a failure unless you think you are one.
10 Plan a job for income and service
Don’t take a job just for money. That is an automatic by product, if you are good in what you do. Take a job to serve people — to benefit more and more. As an engineer, dream of building best structures. When you plan to serve others, you will never compromise your values. When you work only for money, you may give up values to make more money. Money will automatically come but your real satisfaction will be from your service. This is the greatness I want every child to achieve. I wish you all the best.
The author is global head, Chinmaya Mission.
■ Post your comments at speakingtree.in | <urn:uuid:b1bca5a6-dd29-49fc-9f1e-5970f19a28e3> | {
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When what has been described as “the second most destructive draft riot in the nation” broke out in Troy on July 15, 1863, worried city residents, especially African-Americans, wondered if the Dean of the Roman Catholic churches in Troy, Father Peter Havermans, would, or could, do anything to calm the rioters and curb anticipated violence.
The bulk of the two to three thousand angry protestors in the streets were Catholics who worked in the city’s mills, factories and iron works.
Havermans had been born in the Netherlands in 1816 and ordained in Ghent, Belgium in 1830. After arriving in the U.S. with the hope of doing missionary work with American Indians, he was assigned by Bishop John Hughes to work in Troy with the city’s 1,200 Catholics. On June 3, 1842, Havermans became pastor of St. Peter’s Church. By the time the draft riot flared up 21 years later, he had helped establish five additional parishes in the city and built a hospital, a school, and an orphanage.
As soon as the Civil War broke out in 1861, Father Havermans demonstrated his support for President Lincoln’s war policies by flying the American flag from the steeple of his new church, St. Mary’s. He also held services every Sunday for the Union soldiers at the recruiting camp between Troy and Lansingburgh and celebrated high Mass after every major battle.
The mob marching in Troy on the day of the riot was anti-war, anti-Lincoln, anti-Republican, and anti-black. For many of them, the flash point had occurred six months previously, on January 1, 1863, when President Lincoln emancipated the slaves. The rioters believed that he had changed the purpose of the Civil War from a war to preserve the Union, to a war to free blacks who would then pour North and take their jobs by working for lower pay. The draft law of March 3, 1863 was the final straw. In the minds of many of the demonstrators, the draft which had just begun to be enforced in their congressional district on July 14, would force them to commit economic suicide—that’s why they were protesting in the streets, that’s why there were so many calls for violence, especially against Republicans and most especially against blacks.
Father Havermans and a group of other prominent Trojans which included Congressman John A. Griswold and former mayor Isaac McConihe Jr., shadowed the mob as its mood turned ugly and it sought targets to destroy.
Chills undoubtedly ran up and down Havermans’s spine when he saw the scaffold the rioters had erected on Congress Street on which, according to a newspaper report, they intended to hang every person engaged in carrying out the draft. When they began shouting the names of draft officials and heading for the Arsenal and Provost Marshal’s office, the 47-year-old priest courageously stepped forward and tried to reason with them and calm them down. He said that many of them might be killed or wounded if they continued and he urged them to work to halt the draft in lawful ways.
Havermans convinced some of the rioters to turn back but others broke off from the main group and headed for the offices of the Troy Daily Times, a Republican and pro-war newspaper. Havermans tried to intervene again but was unsuccessful. The mob sacked the building. They also broke into and looted the house of Martin I. Townsend, a Lincoln supporter and outspoken opponent of slavery.
As the rioters swarmed through the city streets, they also hunted any black people they could find. Age or sex made no difference to them. At the time of the riot, there were about 900 African-Americans living in Troy. When the disturbances broke out, most of them fled the city and stayed for days in outlying villages. Those who were found in Troy were stoned. According to one newspaper, the mob caught one black man and “beat him to jelly.”
Not satisfied with the results of their hunt people, the rioters decided to burn down the Liberty Street Presbyterian Church, the first black church in Troy and a meeting place for Underground Railroad committees. The church’s first black pastor, Henry Highland Garnet, had won national recognition as a radical abolitionist in 1843 when he gave a speech urging slaves to free themselves by rising up against their owners.
Father Havermans and his assistant, Father McDonough, met the rioters at the door to the church and bravely ordered them to turn around and go home. According to one news story, one rioter ignored the plea and rushed the church door only to be knocked to the ground by McDonough. After additional dialogue between Havermans and the leaders of the mob, the rioters withdrew and the church was saved.
As the day and evening wore on, additional buildings and warehouses were burned but the rioters eventually tired. In time, with the support of four companies of National Guard troops and their six pound howitzer, the arguments made by Havermans and the other city leaders to obey the law and keep the peace began to bear fruit. Slowly the mob calmed down and returned home. The riot was over.
When the draft resumed several months later on September 4, the proceedings were so orderly, the New York Times reported that “the best feeling prevails.”
Father Havermans lived and worked in Troy as a priest for another 34 years. Two more Catholic parishes were organized and by 1896, there were 40,000 Catholic communicants and 30 priests in Troy. Havermans died in 1897 at the age of 91 and was buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery.
Illustrations: Peter Havermans (above), and the New York City draft riot as it appeared in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. | <urn:uuid:64a20fa0-029e-4188-ab36-fccbf71d0df3> | {
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A congressional investigation has found levels of arsenic, lead and other toxic metals in many popular baby foods, including organic brands.
In a report released Thursday, a U.S. House Subcommittee said it requested internal data from seven companies, including Walmart and Gerber, in 2019.
The data showed levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers those harmful to human health. The metals can remain in the environment for decades from past pesticide and herbicide use.
Baby food makers and the FDA say the metals are in many foods, and they are making progress in removing them.
The FDA released a statement to the Associated Press:
“We acknowledge that there is more work to be done, but the FDA reiterates its strong commitment to continue to reduce consumer exposure to toxic elements and other contaminants,” the FDA said.
The report follows a previous study by Healthy Babies, Healthy Futures, which found that 95% of commercially produced baby food contains toxic metals.
"These four harmful metals are found in all food – not just baby food. They occur naturally or from pollution in the environment. Crops absorb them from soil and water, and they are even found in organic food. Their presence in baby food raises unique concern, because babies are more sensitive to the toxic impacts," the group said. | <urn:uuid:01f35e94-13f7-441a-be4a-8b92768f0083> | {
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UCSF virus hunter DeRisi wins Heinz award
Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Dr. Joseph DeRisi, a UCSF virus hunter who invented a remarkable DNA technology that can swiftly detect unknown disease-causing organisms, has won a prestigious $250,000 Heinz award.
The 38-year-old biochemistry professor's invention first gained attention in 2003 when it spotted the virus that causes the epidemic form of pneumonia called SARS. It has also pinpointed the virus that causes a type of lung disease, and a virus that causes a rare form of prostate cancer.
His laboratory has also used the invention to isolate a new virus associated with a fatal disease of endangered and exotic birds.
Along with the invention, the Heinz Family Foundation cited DeRisi's decision to make the details of his invention freely available to scientists around the world, through what is known as "open access publishing," instead of patenting his technology and starting a hot new start-up company, as many scientists have done.
DeRisi's invention is called a "ViroChip" - a glass wafer the size of a microscope slide that is dotted with up to 22,000 sequences of DNA from thousands of virus families. The gene-coated chip enables scientists to simultaneously screen the genes of many suspect viruses and detect the one involved in the disease whose unknown cause they are hunting.
The researcher has already won a $500,000 MacArthur "genius" grant to support his work, and is now on the hunt for a cure for malaria, the foundation's announcement said.
DeRisi's Heinz award is one of five the foundation makes each year for technology, the arts and humanities, the environment, the human condition and public policy. | <urn:uuid:1a4df38a-5369-4e16-b4b2-aebe2e68e185> | {
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Updated Mon. Aug. 12 at 9:15 a.m. ET.
A type of coral common to the tropical Pacific but rare in Hawaii has been discovered off the coast of Oahu for the first time.
The table coral, Acropora cytherea — named for its tablelike flat top that extends above its stubby base — colonizes broad stretches of the mid-Pacific, but has only been spotted in three locations off of the main Hawaiian Islands, and never around Oahu.
Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) based in Oahu discovered the unexpected colony last November during a routine scuba survey off the southern coast of the island. Based on the size of the coral, they estimated that it was about 14 years old. A summary of their findings appears in the July issue of the journal Bulletin of Marine Science. [Colorful Creations: Incredible Corals]
"This discovery represents a significant contribution to the diversity of Oahu reefs," Daniel Wagner, a NOAA researcher and an author of the paper, said in a statement.
The team surveyed an area more than 2,000 square feet wide (600 square meters), but did not find any additional table coral colonies. They think this could indicate that the species is in the early stages of populating the Hawaiian Islands, likely traveling from the more abundant population on the mid-Pacific island Johnston Atoll, located 800 miles (1287 kilometers) southwest of Oahu.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the location of Johnston Atoll. It is located southwest of Oahu, not southeast. | <urn:uuid:0cb44156-aa91-454d-824b-08a327451e30> | {
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A new set of attacks have made their way on the scene, causing a new set of problems for Mac users who once though they were safe from viruses. As most of you know, most Mac users currently don’t have an antivirus program installed, which causes problems if their Mac becomes over taken with a virus. Historically, Windows has been plagued with viruses, and OS X has been thought to be virtually safe, but today, a security expert warns Mac users of new viruses.
Security expert Graham Cluley of Sophos, in a report from Macworld, warns users of new found viruses over the past few weeks and encourages them to get an anti-virus program to help protect their data.The most recent virus found was one that affects Word for Mac, which allows the infiltrator to gain access to the user’s files. The virus only affects the 2004 and 2008 versions of Word for Mac, not the 2011. There’s also other viruses that take advantage of vulnerabilities in Java. Cluely talks about the precautions Mac users need to take:
“As we have seen on the Windows platform, the majority of the attacks do not exploit any weakness in the operating system but instead take advantage of the bug in people’s brains. Mac users can be just as easily duped as their Windows cousins into making poor choices, and could end up infected as a result.”
Besides installing an antivirus software, experts are also warning users to keep software updated. The Word for Mac virus is a prime example of why software needs to be updated, including the operating system. If users affected were on the 2011 version, they wouldn’t have problems.
You should be fine from viruses if you’re careful about what you install, but if you want to feel a bit safer when roaming the badlands (aka the Internet), we encourage you to install an antivirus program. Sophos, ClamXav (which asks for a donation (thanks, Sonal)), and iAntivirus ($30 a month) are among the best out there.
Which antivirus are you using on your Mac?
[image via Lifehacker] | <urn:uuid:72953658-fbdb-4f3d-9a0a-54ff77453135> | {
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Date of Defense
Intermediate energy photons (approximately 0.2 mev. to 10 mev.) interact with matter of low atomic number principally through a process called the Compton effect. This process is an inelastic collision of a photon with a free electron at rest. Using the principles of conservation of energy and conservation of momentum the energy of the scattered photon can be found in terms of the incident photon energy and the angle through which it is scattered. The energy of this scattered photon is then given by E1=(EO)/(1+α(1-cos θ)) where EO is the energy of the incoming photon, α=EO/moc2, and θ is the angle through which the photon's direction is changed.
Hudson, James G., "Polarization of Compton-Scattered Gamma Rays" (1968). Honors Theses. 277.
Honors Thesis-Open Access | <urn:uuid:fecd26d5-7ca5-47e7-9011-d861cdc4e2be> | {
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A natural disaster is a major event caused by natural processes of the Earth; examples include floods, hurricanes,tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic processes. A natural disaster causes loss of life or property damage, and leaves some economic damage after it has been completed
It is the damage to humans and their property which counts most. Therefore one can say: "disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability". If a strong earthquake happens in uninhabited areas, it is usually not seen as a disaster.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was established to help in emergencies including natural disasters. Geneva Conventions, and Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provide a framework of international law, both humanitarian and human rights.
References[change | change source]
- Wisner B. et al 2004. At risk - natural hazards, people's vulnerability and disasters. Wiltshire: Routledge. ISBN ISBN 0-415-25216-4.
Other websites[change | change source]
- "Disaster News Network". http://www.disasternews.net/. Retrieved 2006-11-05. US news site focused on disaster-related news.
- "Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System". European Commission and United Nations website initiative. http://www.gdacs.org.
- "Modeling Multi-Hazard Disaster Reduction Strategies with Computer-Aided Morphological Analysis". Swedish Morphological Society. http://www.swemorph.com/pdf/multi.pdf.
- "What the Development Programme of the United Nations (UN) does to reduce the human risks linked to Natural Disasters". United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). http://www.undp.org/bcpr/. | <urn:uuid:79aabb01-8458-4ca3-b6e5-d375b5e7953d> | {
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Technology has advanced over the years and affected people differently in terms of individuality and the society as a whole. The field of psychology is continuously evolving and currently, technology has been incorporated in order to study the functioning of the human mind. Moreover, technology causes many effects on peoples’ psychology. It does not only affect one’s mind, but also the feelings, including the impact it has on their one’s social health. In the last century, there have been numerous technological breakthroughs related to the interpersonal communication, including telegraph, telephone, radio, and television. The latest type of technology is the internet, which combines the same features, such as the ability to bridge long distances, including gathering audience.
With the advancement of the internet, people, and especially teenagers, can have easier access pornography sites, and it has become a source of addiction which takes the precious time that one could spend with his family and friends. Consequently, there is an increasing of depression and loneliness among the users as well as weakening both family and community ties. In Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together, the author writes that people function as robots due to the fact that the humans do not have connections with the real world today and prefer to build and maintain their relationships over the internet. Turkle also states that human beings leave their intimacies and companionship to technology; they confuse friends, chats, and tweets with authentic communication. However, this kind of connection results in to a different kind of solitude that is occasioned by technological advancement and this paper seeks to examine that. This paper will look into how technology affects people’s feelings about themselves as well as its effects on the overall social health. Aspects such as bullying on social sites as well as its overall effects on an individual’s self-esteem will be discussed.
Although some people consider the internet as a universal remedy for many issues, there are others who fear that it has become the certain curse. However, one may agree with the fact that it continues transforming the society. The reality is that the internet is developing fast to become a natural part of everyday life. The humans live in the world that is now being referred to as the “digital era” where almost everything relies on technology and the internet. Moreover, the latter is now an inevitable part of the children’s lives, and the researchers consider that some children have been raised by the internet. It is considered as an advantage because the people can search any information they need on the internet. However, it has gone to such extent that technology is acting as a parenting guide to some grown-ups, and they refer to it whenever they want to know how to discipline and generally raise their children. Nowadays, the teenagers aged13 have computers, which they use to chat with their friends on the social media sites. Internet addiction is an actual problem and requires attention since there are people who cannot live without the internet for a few hours and behave in the same way as a drug addicted person who does not take his drug at the right moment.
People mainly use the internet to communicate with their friends, family, business associates, and acquaintances in order to maintain interpersonal relationships. There is a consensus with regard to the fact that the internet can impact social life significantly although the point of contention is how it can be possible and the value of this kind of impact. This paper will seek to define how technology, especially the internet, impacts the social life. It will review the impact of technology on one’s social health and also delve into the connection that social media sites have with one’s self-esteem.
Importance of Social Media
Using social media sites has positive and negative consequences. Social media serves for more important purposes that cyber bullying and taking selfies. When it is used moderately and with the right intentions, it can assist one to achieve positive results was according to the set intention. In this regard, this paper will also discuss the advantages of the social media. It is an astounding fact that a social networking site can enable a person to find a long-lost friend, making it possible for such a person to restore connection with him. The current society is mobile, and it happens that the couples are often separated geographically. Therefore, technology is very crucial for such people since it enables them to have permanent connection. Technology allows creation of meaningful relationships with others through sending emails, sharing photos, text messages, music and videos, etc. There are people who practice online relationships, then meet each other and continue their contact. Some of these relationships develop to the meaningful levels.
The internet is able to connect people with similar interests. A good example is war veterans who may feel abandoned in their usual society when they return home due to the fact that their family members and friends may not know how to behave them or understand their difficult experience. This can make them feel alone and isolated, especially when there are no other war veterans in their neighborhood. However, when these groups of people meet over the internet, they are able to share their experiences and interests. This can help them overcome the sense of isolation they have. If one feels outcast from his community, he turns to the internet where he connect with people having similar pursuits and interests.
Experts in the social media claim that using these sites does not necessarily disassociate people from the real world, but it can be a means of reviving and preserving relationships. It is common that the students who fight with self-esteem refer to the social media in order to contact others going through the same challenge and encourage each other to overcome that situation. According to the research, introverted adolescents have a chance of using social media to gain social skills. This could be partly due to the fact that shy individuals feel much safer showing their personality when behind the computer screen or smart phone/device.
People often face racism and prejudice as a result of belonging to a minority group, but the internet can conceal this matter. This is due to the fact that the internet is able to upset the reflective operation surrounding racial stereotypes better than it may be achieved off-line. For example, according to the conducted studies, African Americans and Hispanics are normally charged more for the same model of car as compared to the white consumers. However, when one purchases the vehicle online, then these prices differences do not surface.
Negative Effects of Social Media
Technology in most cases encourages multitasking. Many tablets are normally open when one visits social media sites. In addition, this happens even during working hours and makes it difficult to concentrate on a particular task. In other words, a person is not able to focus on any significant issue. According to research, this happens because people’s brains are not able to fully concentrate on two things simultaneously. The main reason is that their brain quickly switches from one particular task to another, which hinders processing of information and productivity. Working on a particular tablet for designated period of time without getting distracted by others can increase concentration and hence productivity.
According to the studies, social media is addictive; about 63% of Americans have to log in to Facebook on a daily basis while 43% log in several times during the day. Although Facebook is used for various reasons, most of the time it becomes a distraction. Others use it to relieve boredom. One posts information and photos in order to get likes and positive comments, which can be difficult to stop. This is common especially among adolescents where affirmation is perceived as the most important achievement. It has become possible to know the self-esteem of some people just by the online personas they display on Facebook and other social media accounts. According to Eisenlauer, the information people post on their walls and profiles reflect who they are. People with low self-esteem normally give much importance to the things people are posting about them while those with higher self-esteem concentrate on adding personal information about important areas of their lives such as their education, family, and work. Those with low self-esteem are tirelessly monitoring their Facebook wall in order to delete any undesirable posts written by other users. There are studies made to determine if there is a connection between Facebook usage and self-esteem. The results showed that an increase in Facebook interaction was accompanied by a decrease in self-esteem among some users. However, there was a difference between the genders; women Facebook users were considered as less happy and viewed their lives as less fulfilling. Students on Facebook may actually make posts that reveal their low self-esteem while some may compare themselves with those, whom they perceive as satisfied people of higher class. The examples of posts seen on Facebook include, “so and so is lucky to be having such great friends,” “[name], looks forward to an amazing day”. Such posts prove that the individuals who write them are envious of the other person’s life.
Another impact that social is encouraging narcissism in the society whereas it is considered that Twitter and Facebook are the main sites causing this attitude. Narcissism in this context is viewed as a pervasive pattern for magnificence where one has an excessive need for admiration and self- importance. It has been proved that Facebook has a dark side because it offers the ideal platform for narcissists.
A research conducted defined a connection between use of the social media and anxiety. There are people who claim that their Facebook sites invoke feelings of anxiety in them while others felt guilty over rejecting friend’s requests. There were many individuals who reported that they were under pressure to post inventive status updates while others were unsatisfied with the different rules applying to different friends with regard to online etiquette. Although most of the social sites users have the intention of keeping contact with their friends and not missing the latest news, this often leads to pressure. Moreover, it keeps one in a neurotic limbo state, which can be compared to that of gambling where one hangs in the game hoping for something good to happen. On the other hand, people who are addicted to the social media often experience restlessness when they find themselves not able to use their accounts.
The research shows that the use of social media sites can make one dissatisfied with his own life. Nowadays, this is referred to as “Facebook envy”. It is a situation when viewing the lives of other with regards to the activity on their wall makes one feel that his life is not good enough. Finally, this person feels frustrated, lonely, and angry. It might seem funny, but it is actually a serious problem affecting many people. Some people get many likes for whatever they post on Facebook and have several birthday greetings. In addition, their photos may seem ‘awesome’ that one becomes envious because they seem to ‘have it all’ and are valued by their friends and strangers alike. If one decides to compare himself to this kind of a popular person, he feels inadequate, which causes negative feelings. It should be noted that many people do not consider the fact that technological advancement has made it possible for people to craft their image as desired.
There was a debate about the use of social media for cyberbullying. Many people have fallen prey to cyberbullying leading to the feelings of worthlessness in some cases and even loss of life in extreme situation. There have been cases of people committing suicide due to cyberbullying and this was especially common among the teenagers. According to a conducted survey, 95% of teenagers on social media sites have been witnesses to cyberbullying while 33% have actually been victims. Although many adults can relate with bullying which was present at schools in the past, cyberbullying is a different problem. However, bullies are same in both instances despite the differences in the way one commits this atrocity. Social media enables these people to bully others easier and over a larger geographical area. Cyberbullying is connected with act of spreading hurtful and damaging texts, images and videos to a big audience by using electronic media, which involves text messaging and also websites, including SnapChat, Vine, and Facebook. For example, there may be a picture of someone changing in their locker room taken by a bully and spread to an entire school or community. This is possible through the push of a button which is facilitated by technology and social media, to be precise. These are issues that many people go through every day. In addition, the victims who do not get the appropriate help early enough in order to know how to deal with this problem may consequently hurt themselves.
A study conducted to review the relationship, which exist between the social media and teenagers showed that about 70% of teenagers aged 12-17 are registered on the social media sites. The number of those who visist these sites daily had a higher chance of using alcohol and drugs. The results revealed that those on social media had three times the chances of using alcohol, five times the chances of using tobacco and were twice more likely to try marijuana. 40% of this group said that they had exposure to the pictures of people abusing drugs and alcohol on the social media. The study showed that there was a link between the users of social media and drug and alcohol abused. Social media increases the amount of peer pressure to which the teenagers are subjected, therefore increasing their chances of succumbing to the same.
It is worth noting that technology has different impacts on the social life of people that can be both positive and negative. An individual has the ability to actively shape technology to his advantage. The internet is a unique and useful tool in terms of its transformational qualities in the way that it acts as a communication channel. It provides comparative anonymity and is able to link people with similar interest, beliefs, and values. The anonymity it provides breeds self-expression. Moreover, the fact that there is not any physical or nonverbal interaction encourages formation of relationships with deeper basis such as common beliefs and values. This is different from the relationships created through face to face interaction, which are normally based on factors such as attractiveness. In addition to the fact that technology and the use of social media is very important, it is also associated with some undesirable effects in the form of cyber bullying, feelings of low self-esteem, and increased rate of alcohol and drug abuse among others, as explained earlier.
However, communication through the internet is not always complete and leaves many unsaid words while others are subject to interpretation. Notwithstanding, it is clear that one’s intention towards the use of social media in order to interact with people greatly determines the kind of outcome the person can get. For people who know how to use it properly, it can act as a breeding ground for the creation of new and meaningful relationships. Due to the advancement in technology, the internet has become an important part of the human life. It is important to adapt well to it and discover the ways in which it can be used to human’s advantage while reducing the undesirable effects. | <urn:uuid:d302724d-2f66-4e95-aa3f-726abab228aa> | {
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Christian Günther, count von Bernstorff, Danish Greve af Bernstorff, (born April 3, 1769, Copenhagen, Denmark—died March 28, 1835, Berlin, Prussia [now Germany]), Danish diplomat who was foreign minister (1818–32) of Prussia and an architect of the German customs union (Zollverein).
The son of the diplomat Andreas Peter, Graf von Bernstorff, he served as Danish ambassador in Stockholm from 1794 to May 1797 and in June succeeded his father as foreign minister. In 1812 he was appointed Danish ambassador to Austria and strove to obtain favourable peace conditions for Denmark (which was allied with Napoleon) from the Allies. He was present at the signing of the Treaty of Paris in May 1814 and represented Denmark at the Congress of Vienna. In 1816 he became Danish ambassador to Berlin, and in 1818 he entered Prussian service at the invitation of Karl August, Fürst (prince) von Hardenberg.
Bernstorff attended the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (October 1818) as a Prussian diplomat and returned to Berlin that year as foreign minister. He was by nature opposed to the principles of the French Revolution, and as foreign minister he is accused of having subordinated the interests of Prussia to the European policy of Klemens, Fürst von Metternich, and the Holy Alliance. But, although he supported the Carlsbad Decrees (1819), the Vienna Final Act, and Metternich’s policy at the congresses of Laibach (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Troppau (Opava, Czech Republic), and Verona, Italy, he was also one of the founders of the Zollverein (1834), which became a source of Prussian economic influence in Germany. He supported Russia’s war against Turkey over the Greek question in 1828, and in the crisis of 1830 he did much to confine the troubles in Poland and Belgium to those countries. | <urn:uuid:ffeb5d7d-a1c3-4f04-89d2-b9e7736a28c3> | {
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1) Elements of Comparative Anatomy
Macro-microscopic aspects of the following apparatus:
- Digestive system (oral cavity, esophagus; stomachs (mono and polygastric animals); intestine, liver and pancreas;
- Cardiocircolatory system
- Lymphatic system (thymus, lymphnodes, spleen)
- urinary tract (kidney, ureter, bladder)
- Male reproductive system
- Female genital system
- Endocrine system (pituitary gland; epiphysis; thyroid; parathyroid, adrenal gland (Comparative features of macro and microscopic structure)
- Nervous system
2) Elements of Veterinary Phisiology
The prehension, chewing, salivary secretion, the formation of the bolus and swallowing.
Gastric digestion in monogastric.
Intestinal digestion, bile and pancreatic secretion.
Functions of stomachs, intestinal miscroflora, the intestinal absorption.
Mammogenesis, milk secretion and its regulation in the various animals of zootechnical interest.
Reproductive seasonality and its control.
3)Elements of human Phisiology
Functions and composition of blood. Hemostasis.
- Morphological and functional organization of the cardiovascular system. Functional properties of the heart. Electrical and mechanical activity of the heart.
- Characteristics of respiratory anatomy and physiology. Functions of the respiratory system. Nervous and mechanic principles of ventilation.
- Structural and phisiological organization of the kidneys. Nephron. Concentration and dilution mechanisms of the urine.
- Digestion and absorption.
- Structural and phisiological organization of the nervous system. Sensory and motor systems. General phisiological processes in the neuron.
- Functional general organization of endocrine system. | <urn:uuid:ce950a89-189c-4a76-9505-6580157d497c> | {
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ACCOUNTS PAYABLE - AP
Also referred to as payables, it represents a company’s obligation to pay short term debt to some of its creditors. Some also refers to it as a department responsible for making payments owed by the company to some creditors. It is usually found in a balance sheet.
SEC DEL AM Filing
SEC Form PRER14C
Short And Distort
What Is Up With Devaluation Trend?
This Is Where Your Taxes Go
Benefits of Low Working Capital
The Power of the Whisper Number
Major Trader’s Mistakes
SEE FOREX TUTORIAL
Retirement Planning: The Significance of Retirement
Students, How Much Can You Afford to Borrow?
Starting Your Own Small Business: Choosing What You Want to Sell
Buying a Home: Getting Into the Escrow Process
|01:50||Capital Spending||4 quarter|
|02:00||MI Inflation Gauge||Feb|
|02:30||ANZ Jobs Advertisements||Feb|
|02:30||Company Operating Profits||4 quarter|
|03:45||Markit Final Manufacturing PMI||Feb| | <urn:uuid:d01042ee-5a2d-4348-a30b-dce31952f330> | {
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The last few weeks we've been having discussions about graffiti in our classroom and how artists can legally create beautiful works of art for communities. We've also been learning about specific graffiti vocabulary like TAG, THROW UP, PIECE, BURNER and PRODUCTION. This video here by KQED Arts is a great informational video to show the class if you're interested! It's called KNOW YOUR GRAFFITI VOCAB. We also talked about Keith Haring and Banksy, and we definitely discussed the issue of illegal vs. legal graffiti.
My students we tasked to create a "Tag" with their name or nickname and here are some images to show you what they came up with!
|Using colored pencils to blend two or more colors together!|
Do you teach graffiti to your students? What resources do you use and do you have any discussion techniques to share? Let me know below with a comment! | <urn:uuid:35e2791e-58ae-4164-bab1-ed924c3db785> | {
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Worker Radiation Levels Under Investigation After Leak
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — More analysis is needed to determine exactly how much radiation workers were exposed to during a recent leak at the nation's underground nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico, officials said at a news conference Thursday.
Preliminary tests have found that 13 workers who were working above ground the night of the leak inhaled radioactive particles . Those results were announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Energy and the contractor that runs the Waste Isolation Pilot Project near Carlsbad.
At Thursday's news conference, officials emphasized that all radiation readings at the site have been at low levels, and it would be too soon to speculate about any potential health effects.
Officials haven't said exactly what the levels were in the area where the employees were working the night of Feb. 14, when an alert went off indicating a leak in the repository a half mile below. More tests are being ordered on the workers as well as some employees who were at the site the next day.
The accident is the first-known release of radiation since the dump near Carlsbad began taking plutonium-contaminated waste from the nation's nuclear bomb building sites 15 years ago. It came just nine days after a truck hauling salt in the plant's deep mines caught fire, but officials say they are confident the incidents are unrelated.
Officials said they can tell from their analyses of air samples in and around the plant that a container of waste leaked, but they haven't been able to get underground to find out what caused it.
The Energy Department has released detailed information from air monitors around the site, which back their assertions that releases off site were below those deemed unsafe.
And they have said that all indications are that a filtration system designed to immediately kick in when radiation is detected and keep 99.7 percent of contamination from being released above ground worked.
But the fact that the workers were exposed raises questions about those claims, according to Don Hancock, director of the Nuclear Waste Safety program at the Southwest Research and Information Center.
The dump's systems "are in the guinea pig stage," he said. "We know in theory what they were designed to do, but we don't know how well they worked because they have never been tried."
Farok Sharif, president of the Nuclear Waste Partnership, said during Thursday's news conference that he hopes to be able to send probes within a matter of days into the mines soon to get readings to determine when investigators can re-enter the repository.
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A Workshop Curriculum, Grades K-8
Lucy Calkins and her Teachers College Reading and Writing Project coauthors aim to prepare students for any reading and writing task they will face and to turn kids into life-long, confident readers and writers who display agency and independence. Lucy and her colleagues have drawn on their more than 30 years of research and work in thousands of schools across the country and around the world to develop powerful curriculum resources, instructional methods, and professional learning opportunities to support teachers as they work together and with their students toward these vitally important goals.
The Reading and Writing Project’s approach to instruction recognizes that “one size fits all” does not match the realities of the classrooms and schools in which they work. When you walk into a workshop classroom at any given moment, you’ll see instruction that is designed to:
- help teachers address each child’s individual learning,
- explicitly teach strategies students will use not only the day they are taught, but whenever they need them,
- support small-group work and conferring, with multiple opportunities for personalizing instruction,
- tap into the power of a learning community as a way to bring all learners along,
- build choice and assessment-based learning into the very design of the curriculum,
- help students work with engagement so that teachers are able to coach individuals and lead small groups.
The routines and structures of reading and writing workshop are kept simple and predictable so that the teacher can focus on the complex work of teaching in a responsive manner to accelerate achievement for all learners.
Reading and Writing Bill of Rights
Above all, good teachers matter. Learners need teachers who demonstrate what it means to live richly literate lives, wearing a love of reading and writing on their sleeves.
Students need a comprehensive approach to English/language arts, one that includes a responsive approach to the teaching of both reading and writing. Researchers have studied examples of exemplary literacy instruction. In every case, when they found a classroom with high literacy engagement, they found this kind of comprehensive teaching in place.
Reading and writing need to be taught like other basic skills, with direct, explicit instruction— including spelling, conventions, and the skills and strategies of proficient reading and writing.
Readers need long stretches of time to read, and writers need extended opportunities to write.
Writers need to learn to use writing process: rehearsing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their writing. Readers need opportunities to consolidate skills so they can use skills and strategies with automaticity within fluid, engaged reading.
Writers deserve to write for real, to write the kinds of texts that they see in the world, and to write to put meaning onto the page. Readers need opportunities to read high-interest, accessible books of their own choosing.
Readers and writers need teachers to read aloud to them.
Students need opportunities to talk and sometimes to write in response to texts.
Readers need to read increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level and they need support reading nonfiction and building a knowledge base and academic vocabulary through information reading.
Learners need clear goals and frequent feedback tailored specifically to them. They need to hear ways their reading and writing is getting better and to know what their next steps might be. | <urn:uuid:08cbd6b0-fb1e-4fef-a4de-909efeffe7e9> | {
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By Isaac Hopkins
One of the best ways to encourage economic growth in poor areas is to provide affordable small loans to farmers and small-business owners. Called microcredit or microloans, these programs can inject capital into communities that lack the collateral required by conventional banks.
Today, Nourishing the Planet introduces five innovative microcredit programs that are encouraging economic growth in poor communities.
1. Farmer-to-Farmer Programs: Microcredit programs tend to be most sustainable when they promote cooperation between residents of a community. Encouraging farmer-to-farmer support can be an effective technique because it allows participants to be less reliant on outside financing and guidance.
Farmer-to-Farmer Programs in Action: When Africa’s Sustainable Development Council (ASUDEC) connects farmers with microcredit loans, the recipients have several expectations placed upon them. ASUDEC requires farmers to not only pay back the loans, but also to offer equally affordable loans to their neighbors. This policy generates a ripple effect, helping communities increase their incomes and fund their own progress, rather than relying on ASUDEC. As the trust and cooperation between farmers builds, it “helps the poor transition from subsistence to entrepreneurship,” says ASUDEC’S Director, Dr. Salibo Some.
2. Integrated Economic Support: While gaining access to affordable lines of credit is an important step for poor farmers, it isn’t always enough to provide real financial stability. Some microcredit programs go beyond small loans and offer many services such as connections to markets, supply regulation, and savings accounts.
Integrated Economic Support in Action: BRAC, formerly Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, started its microfinance program in 1974 in Bangladesh, and now provides asset- and referral-free microloans to impoverished people in 16 countries. The largest development organization in the world, BRAC’s aim is to “use microfinance groups as a social platform to deliver scaled-up services in health, education, business development and livelihood support.” They provide specialized loans (US$50-700) and training for young women, and larger loans (US$700-7000) to existing small enterprises. All of these loans come with access to a range of services, including savings, technical assistance, and marketing. Over 99 percent of BRAC’s 7 million borrowers pay back their loans on time.
3. Training Centers: Without the necessary knowledge and training, many farmers who receive microloans would struggle to increase their production and pay back loans. Most microcredit programs, therefore, link their loans with training and education on up-to-date techniques and practices.
Training Centers in Action: Ecova Mali was started in 2007 in order to provide grassroots development in Mali. The two main thrusts of their program are providing farmers with training in sustainable agriculture, and offering microfinancing (loans and grants) to help farmers start environmentally and socially responsible enterprises. They have a permanent training facility in Mali, where local experts teach their fellow Malians new techniques, such as using natural fertilizers, aquaculture, and biogas, and explain why they are preferable to traditional methods. Once they receive the education, the farmers may be offered loans or grants to get started on their own eco-friendly, profitable farms.
4. Health Information Programs: The history of microcredit programs is not spotless. Financiers have occasionally preyed upon the poor, profiting substantially from microloans. And sometimes loans have proven to be ineffective at delivering immediate relief and aid. One tactic employed by some programs is to link loans directly with health information and care.
Health Information Programs in Action: The Microcredit Summit Campaign was originally launched in 1997 in Washington, DC, as an international effort to bring access to credit to millions of the world’s poorest people, especially women. One important facet of their mission is to work with a network of trainers to reach “over half a million microfinance clients in eighteen countries with life-saving health education lessons.” This is crucial to combat insufficient knowledge of nutrition, sanitation, HIV/AIDS, and many other health-related issues. The Campaign is specifically trying to establish self-sustaining education systems through microloans which are independent of donor support.
5. Individual Investors: Sometimes NGOs and governments fail to provide services where and when they are needed. Dedicated individuals, however, can contribute immeasurably to their communities by utilizing and encouraging microfinancing and partnerships that build trust and cooperation.
Individual Investors in Action: Dinnah Kapiza, an agrodealer in Malawi, lost her husband in 1999, and she responded by taking a training course in business that came with a microloan. She used that money to start a new agro-dealership, Tisaiwale Trading, which sells agricultural supplies, such as seeds and tools, to roughly 3,000 nearby farmers in Malawi. Her business is flourishing, providing affordable supplies and technical training on how to best use them, and she is working to connect women’s groups to their own microcredit.
Isaac Hopkins is a research intern with Nourishing the Planet.
- Innovation of the Week: School Feeding Programs Improve Livelihoods, Diets, and Local Economies
- Improving African Women’s Access to Agriculture Training Programs
- Innovation of the Week: Homegrown Solutions to Alleviating Hunger and Poverty
- Rio+20: Creating Green Economies to Eradicate Poverty
- All the World’s a Stage: Theater Programs to Alleviate Hunger are Counting on It
- What Works: Microcredit
- Part 37: Where Would You Like to See More Agricultural Funding Directed?
- The One Campaign Urges “Final Push” to Break Cycle of Poverty and Malnutrition | <urn:uuid:5cad323e-6cb5-4b87-b212-62003f61403b> | {
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The American Spaniel Club Inc. predates the American Kennel Club by three years. Founded in 1881, the organization originally began to promote the interests of all sporting Spaniels, and eventually became the parent club of one of the world’s most beloved of all dog breeds – the (American) Cocker Spaniel.
Spanyells were first mentioned in the 14th century, and the name was used to refer to a type of dog used for hunting in thick cover as well as in water. Both land and water Spaniels have been used for sport ever since, and with the advent of conformation exhibitions, the land varieties were categorized as either Clumber or “Spaniels, Field, Cocker and Sussex.”
“By 1870, we hear only of Field Spaniels, who were divided into two categories of over and under 25 pounds in weight,” according to The Country Life Book of Dogs by S. M. Lampson. The smaller dogs were especially proficient on woodcock and were eventually called “Cocking” or Cocker Spaniels. Recognition as a separate breed was granted in 1878.
Ch. Obo II, a black dog whelped in 1882, is generally considered the father of the Cocker Spaniel developed in the U.S.
By the early years of the 20th century, Cockers had become extremely popular throughout North America, and selective breeding – most likely with Toy Spaniels – resulted in a wholly original Sporting dog. Supporters of the “English” type agreed to avoid interbreeding with the “Americanized” dogs, and formed their own parent club in 1935.
In her book, The Truth About Sporting Dogs, canine historian C. Bede Maxwell refers to the time when today’s Cocker Spaniel was just emerging. “In the 1940s, it was still possible to come up with a major winner that was in all respects predominantly English Cocker type. By then, however, the developing American type was in competition already clear to see. Heads had become reshaped. Necks became an item of major importance. Shortness of back became emphasized by handling pose. A lengthened thigh favored the development of the magnificently-spectacular gait. Coats were lengthened – and lengthened – and lengthened.”
“Spaniel breeds have traditionally been in a state of flux,” Maxwell continues. “In America, the sorting out was made much more difficult in that there came to be a strong urge to produce an entirely new type of Spaniel altogether.”
A Cocker Spaniel named Ch. My Own Brucie was just that type of Spaniel.
Whelped in 1935, the black dog was awarded Best in Show at the 1940 and 1941 Westminster Kennel Club dog shows for breeder/owner Herman Mellenthin of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. This pair of wins catapulted the breed’s visibility among the general public, and a genuine love affair ensued. Since that time, the Cocker has reached the pinnacle of popularity in periodic waves, most recently from 1983 to 1990.
The Cocker’s sustained popularity has led it to become more of a companion than a gun dog. However, the breed does retain the instinct to flush and fetch and, in 1995, a buff-colored bitch named Ch. Pett’s Southwest Breeze CD MH WDX became the first of her breed to earn the AKCs Master Hunter title.
Today’s “Spaniel Club” continues to promote Cocker interests in the U.S., although it also offers classes for the entire family of flushing Spaniels at its annual limited-breed show. At this and every AKC all-breed event, the breed competes in three color varieties in the Sporting Group.
Registrations for this American original in 2012 place the Cocker Spaniel 27th among the 175 AKC-recognized breeds.
A Cleanly Chiseled and Refined Head
The General Appearance section of the AKC breed standard describes the head of the Sporting Group’s smallest member as “cleanly chiseled and refined.” Photographs of the watershed dog My Own Brucie reveal a Cocker Spaniel that brought to life a hunting dog of unmistakable refinement.
Perhaps nowhere does the modern breed differ more from its ancestral stock than in the make and shape of its signature headpiece. The Cocker’s head is truly a breed hallmark.
Well-proportioned and “in balance with the rest of the dog,” the head embodies much of the breed’s essence. The skull is described as “rounded but not exaggerated with no tendency towards flatness,” with cheeks that are not prominent, owing to the chiseling of the “bony structure [zygomatic arch] beneath the eyes.” The muzzle is “broad and deep, with square even jaws,” and measures “one-half the distance from the stop to the tip of the nose” when compared with “the distance from the stop up over the crown to the base of the skull.”
The Cocker Spaniel’s refinement is further emphasized by the standard’s section on the details of the head. Expression is defined as “intelligent” and “alert,” but also “soft and appealing.” The slightly almond-shaped eyes are “round and full” and dark brown in color, “the darker the better.” The nose, with its well-developed nostrils, is of “sufficient size to balance the muzzle and foreface.” The long ears are “of fine leather, well feathered, and placed no higher than a line to the lower part of the eye.” The upper lip is “full and of sufficient depth to cover the lower jaw,” and the teeth are “strong and sound, not too small.” The teeth meet in a scissors bite.
Individual Cockers today remain quite capable of performing in the field and require a head that, although pleasing to look at, allows the dog to flush and retrieve. No single feature should be emphasized as each contributes to the beauty of this working gun dog. As noted by the standard, “A dog well balanced in all parts is more desirable than a dog with strongly contrasting good points and faults.”
The ASC’s “Blue Book” presents the ideal Cocker Spaniel through illustrations that include details of head and expression.
A Sturdy, Compact Body
Despite its rather diminutive size for a field dog, the correctly made Cocker Spaniel is built to perform. The smallest member of the Sporting Group is described by the AKC breed standard as possessing a body that is “sturdy” and “compact…with the overall dog in complete balance and of ideal size.”
Ideal adult height at the withers is 15 inches for dogs and 14 inches for bitches, with an allowance of one-half inch above or below the ideal. Dogs measuring more than 15½ inches in height and bitches more than 14½ inches are to be disqualified, whereas dogs measuring less than 14½ inches and bitches less than 13½ inches are to be penalized. “Height is determined by a line perpendicular to the ground from the top of the shoulder blades, the dog standing naturally with its forelegs and lower hind legs parallel to the line of measurement,” as directed by the standard.
Though small, the Cocker is no caricature. In proportion, the breed is “slightly longer” when measured “from the breast bone to back of thigh” as compared to the height measurement “from the highest point of withers to the ground.” The breed stands “well up at the shoulder on straight forelegs with a topline sloping slightly toward strong, moderately bent, muscular quarters,” according the standard’s general appearance section.
Never long and low, the breed’s sturdy, compact body possesses a “deep” chest, a “sufficiently wide” front, “deep and well sprung” ribs, and a “strong and sloping” back. Hips are “wide” and the hindquarters are “well rounded and muscular.” The body “must be of sufficient length to permit a straight and free stride,” and any trimming of the “silky, flat or slightly wavy” coat – in three separate color varieties: black; parti-color and any solid color other than black (ASCOB) – must be done prudently to “enhance the dog’s true lines” and should appear “as natural as possible.”
In a 1991 AKC Gazette breed column titled, “Judging Cocker Spaniels,” Dr. Bert G. Homen emphasizes the need to consider at all times the Sporting dog underneath the coat. “When the dog is posed on the table, you can still feel for proper brisket depth and shoulder placement, but you cannot really see what happens when moving the dog…The Cockers that are shown on a tight lead tend to lose their spontaneity of movement which normally allows a show dog to display its elegance or personality and balance with all ‘parts’ moving in perfect symmetry.”
Free and Merry
The hallmark of any Spaniel’s character is its cheerfulness, and the Cocker exudes this to a considerable degree. Together with its “keen inclination to work,” the breed’s true nature is above all, “free and merry.”
Temperament is described by the breed standard as “equable…with no suggestion of timidity.” A good Cocker, it may be said, never displays a bad temperament.
“Merry” also describes the Cocker Spaniel’s tail, a dependable indicator of a dog’s true intentions. “The docked tail is set on and carried on a line with the topline of the back, or slightly higher; never straight up like a Terrier and never so low as to indicate timidity.” The breed standard emphasizes the importance of the tail as an especially useful barometer while the dog is working. “When the dog is in motion the tail action is merry.”
The smallest Spaniel is universally lauded for its “merry” disposition as well as its “merry” way of going. If any dog could represent the notion of freedom, surely the merry little Cocker is the ideal candidate.
A reliably delightful companion that’s as versatile as it is beautiful, the Cocker Spaniel has secured its place by the hearth and in the homes of countless dog lovers in the U.S. and around the world. | <urn:uuid:5fe8849b-13fc-4e7a-9c83-59e98865bae1> | {
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An amazing article was published just this past January (2020) by the team of the well-known paleontologist Dr. Mary Schweitzer. This article details the discovery of dinosaur remains with intact dinosaur cells as well as identifiable chromosomes inside! – and even intact antigenically-active DNA! (Bailleul, 2020). This is totally unbelievable, completely unpredictable, from the Darwinian perspective on origins:
Table of Contents
A histological ground-section from a duck-billed dinosaur nestling (Hypacrosaurus stebingeri) revealed microstructures morphologically consistent with nuclei and chromosomes in cells within calcified cartilage. We hypothesized that this exceptional cellular preservation extended to the molecular level and had molecular features in common with extant avian cartilage. Histochemical and immunological evidence supports in situ preservation of extracellular matrix components found in extant cartilage, including glycosaminoglycans and collagen type II. Furthermore, isolated Hypacrosaurus chondrocytes react positively with two DNA intercalating stains. Specific DNA staining is only observed inside the isolated cells, suggesting endogenous nuclear material survived fossilization. Our data support the hypothesis that calcified cartilage is preserved at the molecular level in this Mesozoic material, and suggest that remnants of once-living chondrocytes, including their DNA, may preserve for millions of years. (Bailleul, 2020)
Note that DAPI, in particular, binds preferentially to double-stranded DNA in both living and dead cells. It is sequence-dependent, requiring at least three successive AT base pairs as a binding site. Specific staining of both PI and DAPI is observed inside the isolated cartilage cells of Hypacrosaurus, following the pattern seen in extant cells, but diminished in the ancient ones. This not only supports that the compound within these cells is chemically consistent with DNA, but that material is double-stranded, and of a minimum length of 6 base pairs. (Bailleul, 2020)
The Contamination Hypothesis:
Of course, these findings are so startling as to be quite unbelievable by most scientists. Why is that? Because, most scientists believe that soft tissues, proteins, and DNA molecules cannot survive beyond a hundred thousand years or so at ambient temperatures due to the rapid nature of the decay of these molecules due to various decay mechanisms – including the inevitable effects of kinetic chemistry (where vibrating molecules gradually rearrange themselves and degenerate over time). Then, Mary Schweitzer came along and published her discoveries of original dinosaur soft tissue that was still intact, non-fossilized, and even elastic and antigenic (Schweitzer, 2005). Still, most scientists didn’t believe this to be possible given the strong scientific evidence of tissue, protein, and DNA decay over time. As recently as June, 2019, an article was published arguing that all of Schweitzer’s findings must be due to external contamination over time (Saitta, et. al., June, 2019). Of course, given additional findings like these current findings, Schweitzer remains quite confident in her original findings as well (Link). Again, she addresses the contamination hypothesis in her current paper as follows:
An alternative hypothesis, that the staining arises from microbial contaminant, is not supported (contra [25,29]); there is no mechanism for exogenous DNA to penetrate an intact membrane and localize to a single point specifically inside the cell, demonstrating no reactivity in any other region. We caution that only the sequencing of the material reactive to both PI and DAPI can confirm that it is dinosaurian in origin, however the combined data at the histological, cellular and molecular levels (Figs 1–4) robustly support the hypothesis that the cartilage of Hypacrosaurus has remnants of original chondrocytes, original nuclear material, and endogenous compounds chemically consistent with DNA. (Bailleul, 2020)
The basic problem still remains:
Still, the basic reason why scientists remain so resistant to Schweitzer’s findings remains – i.e., the science supporting the decay rates of soft tissues, proteins, and DNA remains very strong and seemingly incontrovertible.
“Even under the best preservation conditions at –5°C, our model predicts that no intact bonds (average length = 1 bp [base pair]) will remain in the DNA ‘strand’ after 6.8 Myr. This displays the extreme improbability of being able to amplify a 174 bp DNA fragment from an 80–85 Myr old Cretaceous bone.” (Allentoft, 2012).
This statement is particularly interesting because dinosaur bones are generally believed to have experienced greater than 20°C temperatures for tens of millions of years (Buckley, et al., 2008). Of course, higher temperatures mean more molecular movement. And, the more that long fragile molecules (like proteins and DNA) move and vibrate, the more rapidly they fall apart and fragment over time.
Other features, such as rapid desiccation and high salt concentrations, may prolong DNA survival (Lindahl 1993). However, kinetic calculations still predict that small fragments of DNA (100–500 bp) will survive for no more than 10,000 years in temperate regions and for a maximum of 100,000 years at colder latitudes (Poinar et al. 1996; Smith et al. 2001).
Also, the half-life for the average protein is similar since the “peptide bond has a half-life of 400 years” (Adv Exp Med Biol. 2009; 611: xci–xcviii). However, some proteins, such as collagen in particular, appear to have somewhat longer half-lives of ~2,000 years at ambient temperatures (Buckley, et al., 2008). Of course, this is nowhere close to the required half-life time needed to preserve proteins and/or DNA fragments for tens of millions of years.
There seems, then, to be no reasonable scientific explanation that can explain both the existence of such soft tissue remains in ancient dinosaurs while, at the same time, explaining the relatively rapid decay rates of these same soft tissues that have been observed via many detailed and very controlled experiments. It’s a real conundrum for many scientists. Schweitzer’s own suggested solutions include “DNA condensation” and “crosslinking” via iron-induced free radicals. However, these proposed solutions don’t counter the forces of decay in any significant way (Link). And, this is the reason why most scientists are still very very reluctant to accept Schweitzer’s discoveries as truly genuine.
“These organic materials… are understood to be among the least stable biomolecules over long periods of time and under the heat of deep burial during fossilization. However, it is the extreme age of the samples that is striking. This 75-million-year-old fossil is, at least, one or two orders of magnitude older than the expected preservation limits of DNA and proteins…
If the Jurassic World movies had more closely adhered to the science, perhaps they would not be so awful to watch,” Saitta told Gizmodo [a researcher from the Integrative Research Center at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago]. “Similarly, as scientists, we cannot get to a point in the future where our research papers are motivated by Hollywood.”
(George Dvorsky, Paleontologists Are Skeptical About Baby Dinosaur Cells Supposedly Found in Fossil, Gizmodo, 3/2/2020)
Of course, the obvious solution is that these dinosaur remains really aren’t very old at all – that Darwinism itself is scientifically untenable on multiple levels and that the notion of life existing and evolving on this planet for hundreds of millions of years is based upon false assumptions regarding radiometric dating and other assumed measures of elapsed time on this planet (Link). In fact, this bit of evidence only adds to the already overwhelming weight of empirical scientific evidence that life on this planet is of very recent origin and that evolutionary mechanisms of random mutation and natural selection are totally inadequate to explain the origin of life or its diversity beyond the very lowest levels of functional complexity (Link).
One thought on “Dinosaur cells, Chromosomes, and DNA just Discovered?”
Praise God for the truth revealed to us in the Holy Bible. “The just shall live by faith.”
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Fellow Naked Security writer Graham Cluley recently pointed out an intriguing bug in the program sudo.
If you’re not a Unix-flavoured user (and I include Linux and OS X users in that category), then you may not have come across sudo before.
It’s very similar in concept to the Run As... feature in Windows. It allows you, assuming you are authorised, to run commands as someone else.
Although you can use both Run As... and sudo to reduce your privileges for safety, you’ll mostly find yourself using them to boost your power so you can perform one-off administrative tasks without actually having to login as an administrator.
You can probably see why this is a good idea.
When you login as an administrator, especially on Unix-like systems, the administrator’s almighty authority applies to everything you do.
Even if you just start NOTEPAD to edit one of your own files, you’re doing so as the superuser.
It’s even worse having unnecessary powers if you need to run more complex software, such as a browser or a word processor. Any vulnerability that gets exploited will probably be able to take over the whole system, not just one user’s part of it.
So sudo is intended to reduce, or even to remove, the need ever to login as the superuser, also known as root, on Unix systems.
And the name of sudo reflects this fact, standing as it does for “do as superuser”.
→ Strictly speaking, sudo stands for “substitute user and do,” or (to use the Unix terminology for substituting a user) “setuid and do”. The setuid() function in Unix is how you change from one user to another in order to gain or to drop privilege. In day-to-day use, though, sudo is almost always for becoming superuser for one command. Whether to pronounce it literally, as “soo-doo”, or metaphorically, as “pseudo”, is a matter of personal taste.
Many modern Unix-like systems – Linux distributions such as the Ubuntu family, for instance, and UNIX derivatives such as OS X – don’t even have the root login enabled by default. Using sudo is the only way to perform administrative tasks.
By default, sudo asks you for your password (or, if you prefer, for root‘s password) whenever you want to do something as the superuser.
If you haven’t run sudo before, it also spits out what the source code calls a lecture:
Of course, system administration rarely involves just one command at a time.
So sudo has a grace period, five minutes by default, within which it doesn’t ask for your password again:
You can probably guess where this is going.
As soon as you start adding get-out-of-jail-free components into your security software, you add the risk of introducing exploitable holes.
For example, what if you log out and log back in? Should your sudo authority survive or not?
How do you reliably keep track of elapsed time? What if another user fiddles with the system clock?
And what if a security-conscious administrator uses sudo for one or two commands and deliberately wants to revoke his authority by discarding the rest of his five-minute no-password-needed window?
The authors of sudo dealt with the last case by providing the sudo -k option, which, in the words of sudo‘s manual page, “invalidates the user’s timestamp.”
At first, this was done simply by removing the database entry used to keep track of the last time the user authenticated. (The “database entry” is handled elegantly and simply by using the filesystem’s timestamp on a protected directory called /var/db/sudo/username.)
But deleting the timestamp data completely meant that sudo couldn’t tell, when next you used it, that you’d ever run it before. So you’d get the “lecture” all over again next time.
And in turns out that the sort of system administrator who is conscientious enough to use sudo -k in the first place doesn’t like repetitious and mildly patronising advice from the operating system he’s administering.
So the authors of sudo added another get-out-of-jail-free component, namely that deauthorising yourself wouldn’t delete your timestamp entry altogether, as though you were a complete newbie.
Instead, when you run sudo -k the program simply forces your timestamp to a value that is certain (and I’m sure you can see where this is going) to be more than five minutes in the past.
However, the authors used what is known as an in-band signal.
→ We’ve written about the risk of in-band signalling before, in the context of mobile phones processing some phone numbers as special commands, not as numbers to be dialled. Whenever a specific input can have two meanings, ambiguity is bound to arise.
To invalidate your current timestamp, sudo sets it back to the beginning of the Epoch, which is literary geek-speak for the earliest timestamp possible on your operating system.
For historical reasons, a timestamp of zero comes out on Unix-like systems as the beginning of 01 January 1970, as shown in the timestamp image above.
Clearly, that is certain to be more than five minutes in the past, if your clock is correct.
But what if it isn’t? What if your system clock has been deliberately reset to zero by a miscreant? Or even accidentally, for example by a power failure?
Of all the incorrect timestamps that might arise by accident, you’d want to hazard a guess that midnight on 01 January 1970 is the most likely, for the simple reason that it is represented by the value zero.
And if ever someone or something could reset the clock, any cautious administrator who had deliberately relinquished his sudo authority by carefully running sudo -k would be hoist by his own petard.
(That sort of irony is not unusual in security circles: bugs can end up more severe for those who try to do the right thing than for those who simply “let the system choose”.)
This flaw should be a reminder that even simple-sounding security software like sudo, which is at its heart just a programmatic wrapper around Unix’s setuid() family of system calls, can go wrong.
Adding features, especially ones that tweak your enforcement of security, always carries the risk of making security worse.
This bug, I am happy to tell you, was quickly fixed.
The authors of sudo simply removed the ambiguity in interpreting the zero timestamp.
If the timestamp of your last use of sudo is the start of the Epoch, it means that you are deauthorised but have used sudo before.
It can no longer also be interpreted to mean that you actually used sudo at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day, 1970.
NB. The sudo versions affected by this flaw are 1.6.0 to 1.7.10p6 inclusive and 1.8.0 to 1.8.6p6 inclusive. The first versions patched against the bug are 1.7.10p7 and 1.8.6p7. | <urn:uuid:557a0153-8ef9-47a3-94f2-c0c9031b0e3a> | {
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NECK PAIN AND CAUSES
The neck, or cervical spine, is a coordinated system of nerves, bones, joints, and muscles. This collective group is directed by the brain and the spinal cord, and it supports your head, allows for movement, and is designed for strength, stability and nerve communication. Any abnormalities, inflammation or injury can cause neck pain or stiffness.
Many people experience neck pain periodically. In many cases, it’s due to poor posture, overuse, or as a result of muscle strain or soft tissue sprain. Sometimes, neck pain is caused by an injury from a fall, auto accident injury, contact sports, or a sudden force such as whiplash. In other situations, neck pain can indicate a serious injury or condition such as cervical degenerative disc disease, cervical stenosis, cervical arthritis, or cervical herniated disc. While not common, neck pain can also be a signal of a serious underlying medical issue, such as meningitis or cancer.
ONSET OF NECK PAIN SYMPTOMS
Neck pain symptoms can vary widely. The pain may just be a mild irritation, or it could be so severe that a person avoids any excessive movement. Often, neck pain is located in one spot and goes away on its own. In other situations, the pain becomes constant or radiates into other body parts, such as the head, shoulders, arms, hands and legs. The onset of pain can occur:
- Slowly over time. Neck pain might start out as mild or only occur toward the end of a workday. But then it might recur and get worse with time.
- Immediately following an injury. For instance, neck pain could start right after a bike accident or having slept awkwardly on the neck.
- Delayed reaction after an injury. Neck sprain symptoms such as after an auto accident, might begin hours or a few days after the injury occurred. Some neck injuries can get worse over time.
- Suddenly without any prior signs. Sometimes neck pain can start in the middle of a normal day for no apparent reason.
Chiropractic Treatment for Chronic or Acute Neck Pain.
NECK PAIN TREATMENT
If you have any neck pain that continues for more than a week, is severe and interferes with your daily activities such as sleep, or is accompanied by other symptoms you need to seek treatment.
Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment for neck pain. Dr. Chris Hummel has helped many patients recover from neck pain. Hummel Chiropractic provides adjustments and many chiropractic services that help manipulate the neck and relieve muscle stress, increase range of motion, and improve muscle strength. Our goal is to help you recover from injuries and conditions more quickly. For a free consult and evaluation, call us at 314-838-8780. | <urn:uuid:458b3329-fcd7-4bd7-a90c-76b7c1dcba6c> | {
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NASA Project Mercury: John Glenn and Friendship 7
This page is part of a series on America's first manned space program, Project Mercury. Links to all the hubs in this series can be found at the NASA Project Mercury Overview.
At the start of 1962, America was far behind in the space race. The previous year, the Soviet Union had flown two manned orbital missions. Yuri Gagarin first orbited the earth in April, 1961, and in August cosmonaut Gherman Titov spent more than a day in space, orbiting the earth 17 times. By comparison, the United States had flown only two short, suborbital flights in 1961, for a combined total of just over 30 minutes of manned space flight experience.
America needed to launch something more than another suborbital flight, and soon. In the short-term, they needed to close the gap with the Soviets, but there was an equally important long-term goal. In 1961 American President Kennedy committed his nation to landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade. That goal would not seem even remotely realistic until an American astronaut orbited the earth.
To avoid confusion, NASA decided that all communication from the ground to an astronaut in space would go through one person, who would be known as the Capsule Communicator or CAPCOM. The Capsule Communicator would also be an astronaut, as it was felt that an astronaut could best convey critical information to another astronaut.
"Godspeed, John Glenn"
Originally scheduled for January 16, 1962, America's first manned orbital flight was repeatedly delayed by bad weather and technical issues. Finally, on February 20,1962, astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr. became the first American to orbit the earth. Liftoff was at 9:47 am EST, from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. As the rocket ascended, fellow Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, acting as Capsule Communicator, or CAPCOM, conveyed the wishes of an entire nation with his send-off, "Godspeed, John Glenn."
Glenn named his spacecraft Friendship 7, but the mission was known officially as Mercury-Atlas 6, because it was the sixth Mercury launch to use a modified Atlas-D rocket. Prior to Glenn's flight there had been four Atlas launches with unmanned Mercury spacecraft, and a final test flight in which a chimpanzee named Enos orbited the earth twice.
To learn more about the different rockets used in Project Mercury, see: NASA Project Mercury - Launch Vehicles
Glenn orbited the earth three times, in an elliptical orbit with a maximum altitude (apogee) of 162 miles and minimum altitude (perigee) of 100 miles. Each orbit lasted 88 minutes and 29 seconds. The mission lasted 4 hours, 55 minutes, and 23 seconds, during which Glenn travelled a total of 75,679 miles.
Communications and Tracking
To track and communicate with Friendship 7 as it circled the globe, the Mercury Tracking Network was established. It was made up of sixteen land-based stations and two US Air Force vessels, one in the Atlantic Ocean and one in the Indian Ocean. These stations had equipment for tracking the spacecraft, receiving telemetry data, and establishing voice communications with the astronaut. In addition, they had the capability to assume control of the spacecraft from the ground, if necessary.
The Effects of Weightlessness
Because this was NASA's first long-duration space flight, there were still many unknowns regarding the effects of weightlessness on the human body. Would it be possible to swallow food? Would fluids in the inner ear float freely, causing motion sickness and nausea? Would eyeballs lose their shape, distorting vision? After an extended period of weightlessness, would an astronaut be able to withstand the increased g-forces of reentry? Glenn's mission would attempt to answer these questions.
Glenn had no difficulty swallowing foods squeezed from tubes, or chewing and swallowing malted milk tablets. He felt no nausea or motion sickness, even when deliberately moving and turning his head in an attempt to induce these sensations. Every 30 minutes, he read from a small eye chart placed on his instrument panel, and experienced no distortion in vision throughout his flight. He found weightlessness to be comfortable, and had no difficulty with g-forces at the end of the flight.
Fireflies In Space?
As Friendship 7 encountered sunrise for the first time, Glenn saw thousands of luminous particles, which he described as looking like fireflies, floating outside the spacecraft. They did not appear to Glenn to be coming from the spacecraft, but rather seemed to be streaming slowly past the spacecraft from ahead. The source of these particles would be discovered by Scott Carpenter on the next Mercury flight, but remained a mystery during Glenn's mission. Before his flight ended, however, Glenn would be confronted with a much larger issue than fireflies.
The retropack was a collection of small rockets, called retrorockets, that would fire at the end of a mission to slow the spacecraft, allowing it to re-enter the atmosphere. The pack, which would normally be jettisoned after firing, was attached with straps that stretched across the heatshield.
To learn more about the Mercury spacecraft, see: NASA Project Mercury - Spacecraft
Telemetry Indicates A Problem
As Glenn began his second orbit, telemetry data from Friendship 7 suggested a problem with the spacecraft. A reading from the sensor monitoring the spacecraft's heat shield and landing impact bag indicated that the impact bag had deployed. This could only happen if the heat shield had come loose. If this were the case, Glenn might be incinerated during reentry.
Mission Control felt that the reading was most likely caused by a faulty sensor on the spacecraft, and that Glenn's heatshield was fine, but they couldn't be sure. After discussing the issue, they advised Glenn not to jettison his retropack before reentry. If the heatshield were loose, keeping the pack attached might hold it in place.
This strategy had risks, however. As the retropack itself burned up, pieces could fly off and damage the spacecraft. The heat of reentry might also cause any fuel remaining in the rockets to explode. As with all space flights, there would be a temporary radio blackout during reentry, caused by ionization of the atmosphere. Mission Control would not know if Glenn had survived until this period of radio blackout was over.
A National Hero
The Mercury astronauts had all been national heroes since they were introduced to the public in 1959, but this mission catapulted John Glenn to even greater glory. He retired from NASA in 1964 and found great success in business and politics. From 1974 to 1999, Glenn served as United States Senator from the state of Ohio.
To learn more about the original Mercury astronauts, see: NASA Project Mercury - The Mercury 7 Astronauts
New Recovery Procedures
The telemetry data had been wrong. Glenn's heatshield was firmly attached, and Friendship 7 safely splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, 800 miles southeast of Bermuda.
Following the loss of Liberty Bell 7 on the previous Mercury flight, new procedures for spacecraft recovery were devised. First, frogmen placed a flotation collar around the spacecraft, to help keep it afloat if it filled with water. Then, instead of using a helicopter to lift the capsule from the water and carry it to a nearby vessel, the recovery vessel would come alongside the spacecraft and lift it by crane to the ship's deck. All future Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules would be recovered this way.
Back In The Race
With the success of John Glenn's mission, Project Mercury met its original goals of putting a man in orbit and safely returning him to earth, and observing the effects of extended weightlessness on humans.
The United States still lagged behind the Soviet Union, who had larger spacecraft, more powerful rockets, and had flown longer missions, but by successfully putting a man in orbit, America had put itself back in the space race.
In addition to the sources listed on the Project Mercury - Overview page, information for this hub came from the following original source documents:
- NASA, Mercury-Atlas 6 Press Kit, NASA, 1962
- Manned Spacecraft Center, Results of the First U.S. Manned Orbital Space Flight - February 20, 1962, NASA, 1962 | <urn:uuid:3dfee7eb-5baa-4048-8be3-6807d0d63deb> | {
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Sunday, November 18, 2012
TODAY IN HISTORY
Today in History - November 18 (courtesy of www.historynet.com/today-in-history):
1477- William Claxton publishes the first dated book printed in England. It is a translation from the French of “The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosopers” by Earl Rivers.
1626- St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome is officially dedicated.
1861- The first provisional meeting of the Confederate Congress is held in Richmond, Virginia.
1865- Mark Twain's first story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" is published in the New York Saturday Press.
190- The second Hay-Pauncefote Treaty is signed. The United States is given extensive rights by Britain for building and operating a canal through Central America.
1905- The Norwegian Parliament elects Prince Charles of Denmark to be the next King of Norway. Prince Charles takes the name Haakon VII.
1906- Anarchists bomb St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
1912- Cholera breaks out in Constantinople, in the Ottoman Empire.
1921- New York City considers varying work hours to avoid long traffic jams.
1928- Mickey mouse makes his film debut in Steamboat Willie, the first animated talking picture.
1936- The main span of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is joined.
1939- The Irish Republican Army explodes three bombs in Piccadilly Circus.
1949- The U.S. Air Force grounds B-29s after two crashes and 23 deaths in three days.
1950- The Bureau of Mines discloses its first production of oil from coal in practical amounts.
1953- Robert D Flach, the internet’s “Wandering Tax Pro”, is born in Jersey City NJ.
1968- Soviets recover the Zond 6 spacecraft after a flight around the moon.
1978- Congressman Leo Ryan is announced missing on a visit to Jonestown, Guyana.
1983- Argentina announces its ability to produce enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.
1984- The Soviet Union helps deliver American wheat during the Ethiopian famine.
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Following a year where 152 tule elk died in Point Reyes National Seashore, wildlife officials are attempting to make the herd’s life a little easier during the drought with the introduction of water troughs in the park.
Three large troughs were placed at the south end of the Tomales Point Tule Elk Reserve and will stay in place until rain returns next winter. The gravity-fed water troughs will be continuously replenished by a 2,000-gallon tank located on Pierce Point Road and include escape ramps for smaller wildlife who might get stuck in them.
Marin County declared a drought emergency in May, with the area seeing its lowest rainfall in 140 years.
The move comes following months of activists protesting the treatment of one of California’s largest herd and the National Park Service’s decision to limit tule elk populations in favor of cattle ranchers. In December 2020, activists defied orders from the National Park Service to haul in 150 gallons of drinking water for the animals. The actions were met with resistance from NPS officers, but they ultimately let the water stay in place. According to the activists, the elk are “thirsty and dying.”
The Point Reyes elk is one of the largest herds in California, and because they’ve taken up a home at residence of the grassy fields near Drakes Beach, they are competing with dairy cows for grass feeding. So when the National Park Service released its final plan to extend the leases of the ranches within the park from 5-years to 20-years, it included limiting the population of the competing tule elk.
The plan calls for reducing and limiting the tule elk population to 120. According to the activists, 18 elk died during the 2020 drought because of a fence for private ranching that prevents them from reaching seasonal water sources. | <urn:uuid:2bc717d7-3b47-4a2a-8a27-10ae91d796d7> | {
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Stuart Schwartz: How Rebuilding Went After the Hurricane of 1928
... Let me finish here by returning to the San Felipe or Okeechobee hurricane [of 1928] with which I began because it takes us into the Twentieth century and because in the storm’s different impact in Florida and Puerto Rico we can see how some of themes I have suggested were played out. Leadership in both societies had a vision of an ideal future and in both places they were willing to use the disaster as tool to create an ideal future. By 1928, the American National Red Cross was functioning –a story in and of itself--and its reports and efforts in both areas provide considerable information on the impact and on the nature of reconstruction envisioned.
In Puerto Rico, while immediate mortality had been kept relatively low, the San Felipe storm had left about a third of the 1.5 million population homeless. Most of the $40 million in property loss had been to privately-owned properties. There were those in the political class of the island who saw the recovery as an opportunity to restructure the society by creating a countryside populated with industrious small farmers living in neat cottages, the realization of the old rural myth of the hardy jíbaro. Natalio Bayonet Díaz, ex-member of the House of Representatives urged the Governor to call on Puerto Ricans to shoulder the burden of the recovery and not depend on foreign aid. He warned that allowing rural to urban migration had to be prevented at all costs and that only children and women either tending families or unable to work should be able to receive free food. Over 40,000 homes had to be rebuilt to house about 250,000 (rural) people left homeless by the storm, but that task also offered opportunities for reform. Bayonet Díaz argued that building new, orderly residences would be a necessary improvement, “solving once and for all the problem of hygienic dwelling for our laboring men, and causing to disappear from the countryside the wretched sight of the hut (bohio) which is a stigma upon our civilization.” But one could not give the poor and destitute something for nothing. The rebuilding was to be done under the supervision of the relief agencies and municipal committees by the country people themselves, paid for their labor, ten percent in cash and ninety percent in food rations.
This kind of social engineering also emerged in a plan for relief developed by island leaders representing the sugar growers and supported by Guillermo Esteves, the Commissioner for Puerto Rico. This plan divided the affected population into three categories; small owners, the urban working poor, and the arrimados, those working on the big coffee estates who themselves could be divided into two groups, those who lived by cultivating a small plot and those who lived in small barracks as employees without any land. Esteves sought to convince the Red Cross that the social divisions or categories within the population had to be treated differently and that “the good qualities of the Puertorrican small famer recognized by all, ” should be stimulated. The small proprietors were of “good moral character”and could be trusted to rebuild and improve their land and did not need to be supervised. The other groups had to be treated more cautiously. Above all, he and the plan opposed the moving of arrimados from the coffee farms to small towns, and instead, he advocated the building of houses and distribution of small plots to the workers, but only after the haciendas had recovered, for if not, then there would be no work for them and the Red Cross would be forced to bear the burden. Esteves, claimed “these arrimados love the land they till and they are the seed from which future farmers will sprout.” But his admiration for them had limitations. Since the resources of the landowners had to be used to start to replant their lands, the money for rebuilding for the workers should be given to the landowners who could provide the rural laborers with shelter and work. It was a plan that responded to the specificities of the island’s society , but that once again would place authority and resources in the hands of the predominant planter class since only they could provide the basis for the islands’ future.
In Florida too there was a desire to rebuild for the future. The power of the storm had not been shared equally. The Bahamian and other West Indian workers at Belle Glade and other small communities near Lake Okeechobee had born the brunt of the storm. In the racially differentiated world of Florida in the 1920s it was to be expected that in the effort to relieve and rebuild, differences of color would play a role as well. Attention went to property losses in Delray and Palm Beach not to the unnamed bodies swept away by the waters or burned in communal pyres. The Red Cross, in fact, created a Colored Advisory Committee that had among its tasks the refutation of “rumors” that aid was not being apportioned equally to Blacks and whites. There were problems. The poor had lost homes that were heavily mortgaged and faced foreclosure. If the Red Cross reconstructed them, then, it argued, the lenders not the homeless would profit. So such homes were not rebuilt. There were complaints. The Red Cross was defensive in the face of Black criticism. In its final report, it argued: “The Committee, knowing that its people are receiving their full pro-rata of relief, cannot but be embarrassed when ungrounded complaints are aired by chronic kickers.”
Such unpleasantness could not stop progress. South Florida was committed to ordered growth, agricultural and urban development. The storm could not be allowed to undermine its trajectory. In March, 1929, before the Director of the Red Cross left Florida , the West Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce arranged for him to make an overflight of the area. From the air he could see, the Red Cross report noted, “Cities, towns and villages had been set in order; cleared streets were lined with replanted parkings; agricultural lands were drained and covered with a most luxuriant growth of vegetation that seemed to have sprung up almost overnight; fields were again separated by ribbon -like drainage and irrigation canals; the whole countryside was dotted with reconstructed homes, the new unpainted lumber glittering brightly in the morning sun.” The storm had not been allowed to alter the road to progress.
In both places the storm had been a disaster, made so by actions and decisions that long preceded the arrival of the winds. In both places the responses took place within a social and ideological context that patterned them. Predicting the great tropical hurricanes has always been problematical, predicting future historiography is just as difficult. This story of the recurring storms and their interaction with their societies of the region, repeated over the course of five centuries, has provided us with a pathway or a metanarrative for understanding the Caribbean region and its past, and it is safe to predict that just as surely as the coming of the storms with each June in the new millennium, it will continue to do so.
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During a refueling outage in December 1979, workers at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant south of Boston (and north, way north, of Miami) transferred new (un-irradiated) fuel bundles into the spent fuel pool. They used the reactor building’s overhead crane to pick up a new fuel bundle from the inspection stand on the refueling floor and lower it into a storage rack in the spent fuel pool.
Figure 1 shows a new fuel bundle in the inspection stand next to the new fuel vault. Figure 2 shows the rails for the reactor building’s overhead crane (the crane itself is on the rails behind the photographer) and the refueling platform that straddles the spent fuel pool and reactor cavity. The refueling platform is used to transfer fuel bundles underwater between the spent fuel pool and the reactor core.
Workers placed one new fuel bundle into a storage rack and began pulling the crane’s hook out of the spent fuel pool. Suddenly, radiation alarms on the refueling floor sounded. Operators discovered an irradiated fuel bundle at the end of the crane’s hook and quickly returned it to a storage rack.
The new fuel bundle had been placed in a storage rack near an irradiated fuel bundle. The crane’s hook wedged between the lifting bail and fuel channel on the irradiated fuel bundle. The operators did not realize they had snagged an irradiated fuel bundle until it came close enough to the pool’s surface to set off the radiation alarms on the refueling floor.
The refueling platform normally used to transfer fuel bundles in the spent fuel pool and the fuel preparation machine (equipment used to conduct maintenance on and inspections of fuel bundles) mounted on a side wall of the spent fuel pool are designed not to permit a fuel bundle to be raised closer than 8 feet from the spent fuel pool’s surface. This amount of water shields workers from the intense radiation emitted from irradiated fuel bundles.
However, the overhead crane they were using—which is not supposed to move irradiated fuel—could have lifted the spent fuel bundle out of the pool, and would have if they had not stopped as soon as they heard the radiation alarms.
Using an unbaited hook, workers at Pilgrim nearly managed to land a big one. It’s extremely fortunate they didn’t get a closer look at this one that got away. The radiation levels from an exposed irradiated fuel bundle can cause a fatal dose in mere seconds.
This potentially lethal hazard is precisely why the refueling platform and fuel preparation machine are designed to prevent a fuel bundle from getting too close to the pool’s surface. Of course, these design features afford zero protection when workers use other equipment to move fuel bundles in the spent fuel pool. They should not have used the overhead crane close to irradiated fuel in the spent fuel pool and nearly paid a high price for their mistake.
“Fission Stories” is a weekly feature by Dave Lochbaum. For more information on nuclear power safety, see the nuclear safety section of UCS’s website and our interactive map, the Nuclear Power Information Tracker.
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