National Geographic : 1896 Jun
THE SEINE, THE MEUSE, AND THE MOSELLE fine illustration of the significant features of river interaction in this region. A remarkable case of river diversion occurs in the shift of the course of the Vistula from its former path down the valley now occupied by the Netze to a more northward course, by which it flows directly to the Baltic sea, the point of change being at the town of Bromberg. This is well illustrated on the Prussian topo graphical maps, and has been described in a general way by various writers on the geography of North Germany. Whether it was caused by the spontaneous interaction of streams com peting for drainage area or not, I shall not at this distance ven ture to say, but shall hope to find a full explanation of the change in a forthcoming essay by Berendt. Jukes-Brown has described an interesting case in England, where the Trent cap tured the headwaters of the Wytham, and in a recent volume of the GeographicalJournal of London I have attempted a more general treatment of the same region. Readers who wish to fol low the subject into examples of greater intricacy may find some problematic examples in the rivers of Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. * In the general discussion of this problem we should recognize two divisions. First, the processes by which it is accounted for, these having just been summarily described. Second, the topo graphical forms by which its occurrence may be recognized, dis tinction being made between examples occurring in the remote or the recent past and others likely to occur in the near or dis tant future. Illustration of the second division of the subject can best be given by describing the concrete case of the river Marne near ChAlons, than which no better example has come to my notice anywhere in the world. The case of the Marne below Chdlons.-In the province of Cham pagne the Marne drains an extended interior lowland inclosed by a forested upland on the west. The lowland is the product of comparatively rapid erosion during late Tertiary time on weak upper Cretaceous strata. It is for the most part covered by ex tensive farms. The upland stands where the lower Tertiary strata have, during the same period of time, more successfully resisted erosion. As the dip of the strata is gently westward, the eastern margin of the upland is marked by a steep escarpment. The Marne gathers many branches from the lowland, and escapes on its way to the sea by a deep valley cut through the upland. * THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, Washington, i, 1889; ii, 1890.


At first, I didn’t understand why Australia joined WW1 as well. Australia should not have been involved in the war in the first place, the loss outweighs the benefits, there is never a winner in a war. It’s not the about who won, but the one who lost the least. Australia just started as a Federation, with relatively little resources to go with, and a grand future of revolution ahead of them, yet they found reasons to set that back and join the war.
Despite being a Federation since 1901, Australia is still considered part of the British Empire. On the 4th of August 1914, The French, Russian and British Empire signed an agreement on a united front, putting aside all their previous conflict of interest, in order to defend themselves on the oncoming attack from the German Empire and her allies. On one hand, Australia was indeed obliged to aid the British Empire in the war efforts. Australia’s mother country, Britain, ends up pressuring them to join and fight for their cause.


Grading Group Assignments
Group assignments can be both helpful and challenging in our quest to create more equitable learning experiences for students. Grading brings a number of the challenges into focus as we try to navigate participation, responsibility, and content mastery, and as we struggle to determine who is responsible for what parts of the work and whether the experience of working together was positive for all group members. This conversation has been percolating around campus, especially in the context of the Grading for Equity book group last spring.
- Feldman, Grading for Equity, chapter 8, especially pp. 102-106. An interview with Feldman gives a quick look at his argument. A piece by Feldman on equity in grading (and another). A chatty blog post from Whitman College about implementing these ideas in a CS courses.
- Marty Baylor, Debrief on Group Work Issues
- A table summarizing possible approaches to assessing group work from Carnegie Mellon Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence
- Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). “Setting up and facilitating group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively.” Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Uses student reflection and checklists for assessment. See also Brame’s “Team-based learning”
- Christine Harrington, “Grading Group Work” in The Scholarly Teacher (2015) feedback, not necessarily grading.
- Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation, How to Evaluate Group Work
- Edutopia “Group Work That Works” K12 but useful and sensible on roles, tracking participation without necessarily grading
- Krysten Anderson, “Five Tips for Structuring and Grading Group Projects” (2018)
- Li-Shih Huang, “Students Riding on Coattails During Group Work?” (2018) nice chart for laying out project stages
- Forsell, Johan, Karin Forslund Frykedal, and Eva Hammar Chiriac. “Group work assessment: assessing social skills at group level.” Small Group Research 51, no. 1 (2020): 87-124.


To share or not to share, that is the question! With the emergence of social media and the internet as a whole, it has been very easy to share any kind of information online. This has served the general online community well since good information spreads fast. In many cases, news spreads through social media networks faster that any other channel of communication. This even aids in economic globalization because many countries benefit when people know from the internet that they have good products with a cheap price. Once the web came around, countries could no longer monopolize the markets because everyone became knowledgeable of the fair market value of what they are selling. Thus, the web normalizes the fair market values of various markets at a global scale which ultimately helps everyone.
As much as we can spread good news online fast, bad news also spreads at an equal fast and furious pace. This is where the topics of online ethics and responsibility in sharing information come into play. Hence, bad news shared on the web can negatively affect many people on a large and small scale way.
Should you share your private life online?
There are people that have very public lives (mine included to some extent!) and there are some that are very private. Everyone has their own reasons why they share or don’t share their private information online. People have their own set of friends with their own social norms and generational tendencies. What you share online may affect how your circle of friends treat you, how your employer and co-workers treat you, and also how the world community treats you. People can react to your posts in a good way or in a bad way. Ultimately, most of us want to avoid negative reactions to what we share on the web.
For example, just a simple photo posted online may get different reactions from different people. If some acquaintances that are not really close to you but you are both connected on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or what not, people will interpret your photos based on their own perception of you in the picture. That perception is built upon any current knowledge they have of you as well.
People are also drawing from their own personal experiences in similar situations like in the picture, which can differ from person to person. Lastly, if people don’t know you that well, they may draw their opinions from their experience, the experiences of others they know, or from pop culture.
For instance, let’s say you post the partying photo above on Facebook. Then, your employer, who only knows you on a professional level sees it on their newsfeed. They may have not experienced you partying in a club yet, so this picture makes her think of her former roommate in her college days that came home from parties wasted and bringing home random guys every night. Your employer may perceive the photo as similar to her past experience and may think the people in the party photo above are doing the same thing. Now this is just a photo example, and this can also happen even in the words you say, the websites you share and more.
I am not saying sharing photos or your thoughts and opinions online is a bad thing. But it is a good practice to double check what the online sharing policies are with your employers. Use your best judgement on how they would perceive you and if the information you share online will affect you positively or negatively in the workplace.
Be careful with what you share about your job
Since there are so many instances of this already, and some are more popular than others, instead of highlighting any of them, I simply searched on Google: facebook post got fired. And the whole page 1 was more of news items of actual events, where someone or a group of people were fired based on what they posted on Facebook. Only 1 result on page 1 of Google was not a news item but an informative piece about what can get you fired when posting on Facebook.
How much should you share about the government?
Let’s go outside of a company and move on to a larger scale, the country. It is the government that tries to make sure the welfare of the citizens of the country are properly addressed. As much as the government does try to do this in any country, it is not always in line with the general public. Which is why elections take place and people vote so that the voice of the majority is heard and a utilitarian approach is made. For the most part, decisions are made in favor of the greater good. And often to avoid chaos due to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, false judgement or whatever you want to call it, sometimes it is better to keep some private information private and not share it with the public.
On the other hand, keeping private information private may be skewing up with the general public’s decisions since they are unaware of the private information. I am not the person who is going to say what can and cannot be shared to the public online, as different people have different views on this. Here are a few examples.
Julian Assagne’s Wikileaks
Wikileaks is a website that does in all the ways it can to gain access to private government information and shares it to the public. The founder of the site, Julian Assagne appears to do this more of a personal responsibility to let the people know about this because he believes people deserve the truth and his organization is a self-declared non-profit organization. Which you can also never exclude the notion that maybe he is doing this for profit, for fame and popularity. Wikileaks has gain many insider connections and has gained many sources of information that were meant to be private, but in Assagne’s opinion, it should be public knowledge. One of the most popular leaks Wikileaks has posted out in the public was the military soldier report logs that were written while at war. The ones that were specifically posted were from the military people in the wars at Iraq and Afghanistan.
Dylan Avery & Korey Rowe’s Loosechange 911
Now, let’s also look at Loosechange 911, which makes a lot of us wonder, is this the truth? Bending the truth? Or not the truth at all? The collection of facts put together in Loosechange 911 is trying to prove the point that the people responsible for the 9-11 attacks are not the people who we think are responsible for the attacks. This now becomes a conspiracy theory. And like any other conspiracy theory, I normally treat it with a grain of salt. Now if this were true, who knows, should I really be concerned or not? Is there really a greater good for all of this at the expense of others? Or it is just forcing connections of facts trying to come up with these theories while Dylan Avery and Korey Rowe might be trying to make money from the popularity of their movie? Who knows, maybe. Although being in the Internet Marketing space, if they really wanted to make money here, I think they are doing a poor job, as they have no affiliate marketing program running, and don’t seem to be pushing this video in a marketing way.
Mark Owen & Kevin Maurer’s No Easy Day
Earlier this week on Sunday, September 9th, 60 Minutes aired an interview with the former Navy SEAL and author of “No Easy Day”, the book about the raid that resulted in the killing of Osama Bin Laden. IMI’s Co-Founder and CMO, Brent Gleeson is a former Navy SEAL that served with the author in their platoon at SEAL Team 5. Their task unit was the first in Baghdad and was running a “capture or kill” mission in conjunction with the CIA.
TMZ contacted Brent for comments on the book which has sparked intense controversy among the US government as well as the Navy SEAL community itself. The key question is about the possible erosion of OPSEC (operational security). In the following interview Brent gives his opinion on the matter.
IMI’s CMO Brent Gleeson on TMZ Discussing Best Selling Book “No Easy Day”
In comparing this with Wikileaks which is also about sharing top secret information, and Loosechange911 which is putting together various pieces of facts and figures in attempt to make a bigger picture, No Easy Day is the true account of a person that was actually there. Based on my current knowledge, Mark Owen is not the real name of the former US Navy SEAL team 6 author.
Whatever you share online, make sure you thought of it more than a hundred times
Whether it is personal information, something about your job, your community, your friends, the government, try thinking ahead of all the possible consequences involved. Somehow I think many of the people in the examples above did think about this and still pushed through with it, because they also prepared for any possible consequences that may happen. But for you, are you prepared for the consequences when you share information online to the public that was intended to be kept private?


These in-depth stories were developed to raise awareness about the importance of Defense laboratories, engineering centers, and warfare centers as unique catalysts for innovation as well as showcase the critical work they perform. By sharing stories about the people and institutions behind science and technology, DoD STEM aims to increase interest in STEM careers.
The DoD labs are the foundation for research to support our nation’s defense. Since the earliest days in our history, private industry has built upon knowledge discovered by DoD and developed tools and conveniences for everyday use.
DoD STEM scientists and engineers are people who love problems – a good fit because the DoD labs have some of the most challenging problems out there. DoD STEM scientists and engineers are given the latitude and the responsibility to try to answer them.
A Wealth of Poisons: Toxins, Spores and Nerve Agents
The advent of mega-cities, advanced robotics and cyber threats are converging with existing dangers like diseases or lethal hybrid drug concoctions. ECBC researchers are tasked with developing solutions for a battlefield that hasn’t quite come into focus yet, but one that, when it does, could pose an immediate national security threat.
Cooking up an Answer to Corrosion
The U.S. Air Force pays $5.7 billion a year to tackle rust-related repairs and maintenance, while the United States spends around $552 billion a year battling corrosion. It’s thought that as much as 20 percent of that total can be blamed on tiny microorganisms that digest metals, paints, and plastics, or that excrete harmful acids. Air Force researchers have developed a huge oven that can slowly cook entire aircraft, broiling away the microbes, molds, and mildews that cause material degradation. Now scientists are working to adapt the system to treat biodiesel tanks and other infrastructure, in a bid to eliminate harmful microbes from the Air Force’s fuel supply chain.
Red teams test the U.S. military and defense establishment’s cyber infrastructure as an enemy would to find loopholes, weaknesses and areas for improvement. This is the story of Jason Jurand, the leader of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic’s Red Team.
Drawing A Line In The Sand
Army pilots say that simply maneuvering a helicopter to land in the superfine dust of Iraq or Afghanistan is more dangerous than any threat of combatant fire. For them, sand is the greatest enemy. Scientists and engineers at the U.S. Army Research Lab at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland are developing new coatings for engine components that will enable pilots to operate in any kind of environmental condition, making it possible to carry on in any hazards like dust, volcanic ash, debris, and smoke.
How researchers at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division developed portable jamming systems that can stop enemy unmanned aerial vehicles from penetrating U.S. defenses.


1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Lethe
|←Lethargy||1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 16
|See also Lethe on Wikipedia; and our 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica disclaimer.|
LETHE ("Oblivion"), in Greek mythology, the daughter of Eris (Hesiod, Theog. 227) and the personification of forgetfulness. It is also a name of a river in the infernal regions. Those initiated in the mysteries were taught to distinguish two streams in the lower world, one of memory and one of oblivion. Directions for this purpose, written on a gold plate, have been found in a tomb at Petilia, and near Lebadeia, at the oracle of Trophonius, which was counted as entrance to the lower world, the two springs Mnemosyne and Lethe were shown (Pausanias ix. 39, 8). This thought begins to appear in literature in the end of the 5th century B.C., when Aristophanes (Frogs, 186) speaks of the plain of Lethe. Plato (Rep. x.) embodies the idea in one of his finest myths.


If your citrus tree fails to bring fruit to maturity, there are a few possible reasons why the fruit is either not growing, or is falling off prematurely. This article will help you to explore what the problem might be for your plant.
1Expect some natural fruit thinning. Citrus fruit that is less than 2.5cm/1 inch in diameter is often in abundance and the tree cannot carry all these fruits to maturity. Some of these will fall naturally as part of a thinning out.Ad
2Assess the level of water provided to the citrus tree.
- Citrus trees that are not watered adequately have a tendency to drop their fruit prematurely. The next season, be sure to mulch adequately around the tree to improve water retention and keep an eye on its need for more water.
- Equally, over-watering can force fruit dropping.
3See if the tree has been frost affected. A citrus tree subjected to frosts as the fruit develops is more likely to drop the fruit.
4Check the nutrient levels of your citrus tree. A lack of potash is a common cause of citrus trees dropping fruit before it is ready to eat. Always prefer a specialized citrus fertilizer over a more general one as the nutrient balance will be right for the tree.
5Look for a mite if you have fruit discoloration problems. The citrus rust mite can cause discolored portions on citrus fruit; the mite is best squashed rather than sprayed as you will also lose beneficial life on the tree. And the fruit still tastes just fine and is not damaged by this mite.Ad
We could really use your help!
- Ripe fruit falling off the tree is normal, unless it is ridden with fruit fly or other bugs, in which case you will need to tackle the problem. For normal ripe fruit, simply pick it up off the ground and enjoy as usual.
- If your plant is suffering from Winter-Leaf-Drop try to rise the temperature of the earth that is pervaded by the roots.
Things You'll Need
- Citrus fertilizer
- Watering supplies suited to your needs (hose, dripper, watering can etc.)


01/6Impact of diabetes on women’s health
Type 2 diabetes cases are on the rise, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The same applies for women and children with diabetes. Because of the obesity epidemic, more and more young women are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Some of the biggest reasons for this rise is availability of more processed foods and increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
Here are some diabetes symptoms specific or mostly seen in women, including signs of type 1, type 2, gestational diabetes, as well as pre-diabetes.
02/6Urinary tract infections
Women with diabetes are at a higher risk of getting a vaginal yeast infection, especially if their blood sugar levels are high. This is because high blood sugar levels reduce your body’s ability to fight infections. Due to diabetes, some women may not be able to empty their bladder all the way, increasing chances of bacterial growth.
If you have irregular periods, it could be a sign that diabetes is impacting your menstrual cycle. For people with Type 1 diabetes, the disease should not affect the age when they get their first period. However, there have been some reports that people with type 1 diabetes experience later first periods
It is not necessary that all women with diabetes will have an irregular cycle. Some women have regular periods even when they're sick.
04/6Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Compared to men, women are also at risk of developing another health complication – polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. According to several studies, people with PCOS are at a four times higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Having a history of gestational diabetes also puts you at a higher risk of PCOS.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 10 percent of all pregnant women are affected by gestational diabetes. Hormonal changes during the pregnancy can increase insulin resistance, leading to gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is often asymptomatic, which puts you at a higher risk of health complications due to lack of awareness. Pregnant women should get glucose tolerance tests at certain stages to test for gestational diabetes.
A baby measuring larger than normal is often a sign of gestational diabetes. According to the US CDC, 50 percent of mothers who have gestational diabetes can develop type 2 diabetes later.
06/6Complications of diabetes in women
According to several studies, women have a much greater chance of heart disease, kidney disease and depression. This makes the disease far more life-threatening for women in comparison to men.
Further, changes in the body during menopause can put women at a higher risk of diabetes. They may be more prone to increased blood glucose, weight gain and problems in sleeping. This can lead to further complicated health issues.
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Unformatted text preview: g is injective then g f is injective. 2(b). Prove, using only the denition of surjective, that if f is surjective and g is surjective then g f is surjective. 3(a). If g f is surjective, is g necessarily surjective? Prove or disprove. 3(b). If g f is surjective, is f necessarily surjective? Prove or disprove. 4(a). If g f is injective, is g necessarily injective? Prove or disprove. 4(b). If g f is injective, is f necessarily injective? Prove or disprove. 5. What sort of things would you like the most preparation for, in the remaining time we have available? Algebra of various sorts [prep for 110/113/114] Number theory [prep for 113/115] Calculus/analysis [prep for 104/105/185] Geometry [prep for 130/140/142/. ..] If you have no interest in a subject, include that also. Feel free to add in any other comments on the class. 1...
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- Fall '07


A number of theories independently point to the conclusion that we live among a number of hidden universes, or a multiverse. For one, space-time is most likely flat, rather than spherical or donut-shaped, and stretches out infinitely. “But if space-time goes on forever, then it must start repeating at some point, because there are a finite number of ways particles can be arranged in space and time. So if you look far enough, you would encounter another version of you — in fact, infinite versions of you,” Space.com explains.
Other universes could also arise from a theory called eternal inflation. Inflation is the notion that the universe expanded rapidly after the Big Bang, like a balloon. While some pockets of space stop inflating, other regions continue expanding. Our own universe, where inflation has come to a halt, allowing stars and galaxies to form, “is but a small bubble in a vast sea of space — some of which is still inflating — that contains many other bubbles like ours. And in some of these bubble universes, the laws of physics and fundamental constants might be different than in ours, making some universes strange places indeed,” the article suggests.


The islets of Langerhans in the pancreas contain four main types
of endocrine cells (Table 24–1). These cells include glucagon-producing alpha cells (A
or α), insulin- and amylin-producing beta cells (B or β), somatostatin-producing delta cells
(D or δ), and pancreatic
polypeptide-producing cells (F). Of these, the insulin-producing
B cells are the most numerous. The most common disease related to
pancreatic function is diabetes mellitus (DM),
a deficiency of insulin production or effect.
Table 24–1. Pancreatic
Islet Cells and Their Secretory Products |Favorite Table|Download (.pdf)
Table 24–1. Pancreatic
Islet Cells and Their Secretory Products
|Cell Types||Approximate Percentage of Islet Mass||Secretory Products|
|A cell (alpha)||20||Glucagon, proglucagon|
|B cell (beta)||75||Insulin, C peptide, proinsulin, amylin|
|D cell (delta)||3–5||Somatostatin|
|F cell (PP cell)1||<2||Pancreatic polypeptide|
Knowledge of the mechanism of action and physiologic function
of insulin is critical in understanding the clinical use of insulin
and oral hypoglycemic drugs as the pharmacologic treatments of DM.
Insulin is required in type 1 DM, and several parenteral formulations
of insulin are available (Figure 24–1). Type 2 DM can be
treated with drug classes that include four types of oral antidiabetic drugs,
incretin mimetics, and an amylinomimetic (Figure 24–1),
as well as insulin, if required. Glucagon, a hormone that affects
the liver, cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal tract, can be
used to treat severe hypoglycemia in patients with DM.
Drug classes used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
Drug classes may be initially divided into insulin, amylinomimetics,
incretin mimetics, and oral hypoglycemics. The oral hypoglycemics are
subsequently divided into four classes based on mechanism of action.
Insulin is synthesized as proinsulin, an 86–amino acid
single-chain polypeptide. Proinsulin is processed in the Golgi apparatus
of pancreatic B cells and then packaged into granules in the form
of crystals consisting of two atoms of zinc and six molecules of
insulin. In the Golgi apparatus, cleavage of proinsulin removes
a 31–amino acid C peptide and leaves two peptide chains
that are then cross-linked by two disulfide bonds. Neither proinsulin
nor C peptide appears to have important physiologic actions.
Insulin release from pancreatic B cells occurs at a low basal
rate, and at a much higher rate in response to a variety of stimuli,
especially glucose. The mechanism by which glucose regulates insulin
release is well understood. In B cells, glucose metabolism increases
intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. ATP-regulated
potassium channels respond to increased ATP concentrations by closing,
thus reducing potassium conductance (Figure 24–2). Closure
of potassium channels results in membrane depolarization ...


I spend a lot of time talking about Design Process, particularly in my Design Foundations class because it is so important to the end product. Without process, design solutions will very quickly become predictable and formula like and in my opinion become less effective. The designer will eventually become a decorator, just making the projects look good without solving any problems. The important aspect of design is just doing your process but as a student of design it is important to document and show your process.
Process is more than a few thumbnails! Everything you do as a designer in preparation and completion of a project is process. Sure, everyone knows that the process steps are idea/concept, thumbnails, roughs and comps, but what about research? Research is a big part of process or at least it should be. What about style choice or font selection? Yes, all parts of process. What about computer processes, style and manipulation – Process!
Save everything! Scan all thumbnails, roughs and sketches. Scan or transfer all written notes to digital files. Use screen captures (see Computer Tip post on screen captures) to save visual computer research. Print out excerpts from websites or other internet references. Print examples of font selections and special font treatment. Print examples of photographic and illustration styles. Again, save and transfer all information to digital files. Organize your process in a logical sequenced progression and assemble in a visual presentation. This can be printed and mounted on presentation boards or in a booklet format.
Here are a couple of examples.


Infant Toddler Development Training
Module 5, Lesson 1
Print a copy of the following two documents from the Resource Bank for use in the exercise below.
Family Characteristics within a Cultural Framework
Understanding Family Characteristics
- Read the descriptions of some features of four minority cultures in the United States.
- Choose two of the four cultures featured that are different from your own.
- Think about how families from these cultural groups would view a child born with Down syndrome.
- Think about how you would feel if a child with Down syndrome were born in your family.
- Complete the chart listing Family Characteristics, Personal Characteristics, and Special Challenges. Complete the columns with illustrations from your own family and then for each of the two families you have chosen.
- What would you need to be aware of in order to work effectively with these parents?
Lesson 1 Highlights
This lesson focused specifically on families in the Early Steps system. We examined the concept of why families should be viewed by professionals as experts with regard to their children. We discussed family systems theory, components that make up families and the effect of cultural perspectives on families' views of disabilities and interactions with professionals. Finally we looked at families from a strengths-based perspective.
Department of Health (2005). Early Steps service delivery policy and guidance: Delivering service in the routines and daily activities of children with disabilities and their families. Florida Department of Health-Children's Medical Services-Early Steps. Tallahassee, FL.
Diamond, K.E., & Kontos, S. (2004). Families- resources and accommodations: Toddlers with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Developmental Delay. Journal of Early Intervention, 26(4), 253-265.
Hendriks, A.H.C., DeMoor, J.M.H., Oud, J.H.L., & Savelberg, M.M.H.W. (2000). Perceived changes in well-being of parents with a child in a therapeutic toddler class. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 21(6), 455-469.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997. 1997. Public Law 105-17. 105th Congress.
Kalyanpur, M., & Harry, B. (1999). Culture in special education: Building reciprocal family-professional relationships. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.
Kubler-Ross, E. (1969). On death and dying. New York: Macmillan.
Lessenberry B.M, & Rehfeldt, R.A. (2004). Evaluating stress levels of parents of children with disabilities, Exceptional children, 70(2), 231-244.
Lin, S. (2000). Coping and adaptations in families of children with cerebral palsy. Exceptional Children, 66, 201-218.
Lynch, E.W., & Hanson, M.J. (Eds.) (1998). Developing cross-cultural competence: A guide for working with children and families. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing, 492.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. (2001). Public Law 107-220. 107th Congress.
Reyes, E.I. (1999). Parents, families and communities ensuring children's rights. Bilingual Review, 24(1-2), 49-56.
Sileo, T. W., Sileo, M., & Prater, M.A. (1998). The role of parents in the education of children with disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 32(1), 8-13.
Smith,T.M., Oliver, M.N.I., & Innocenti, M.S. (2001). Parenting stress in families of children with disabilities. American journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71, 257-261.
Snow, K. (2001). Disability is a natural. Woodland Park, CO: Braveheart Press.
Turnbull, A., & Turnbull, R. (2001). Families, professionals, and exceptionality: A special partnership. Lower Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Vacca, J. & Feinberg, E. (2000). Why can't families be more like us?: Henry Higgins confronts Eliza Doolittle in the world of early intervention. Infants and Young Children, 13(1), 40-48.
Ulrich, M.E., & Bauer, A.M. (2003). Levels of awareness: A closer look at communication between parents and professionals. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 35(6), 20-24.
Dunst, C.J. (2002). Family-centered practices: Birth through high school. The Journal of Special Education, 36(3), 139-147.
Sandall, S., McLean, M., & Smith, B. (Eds.) (2000) DEC Recommended Practices in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education. Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children
- American Association for Home Based Early Interventionists - An organization that serves families and those working in the field of early intervention with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with special needs with an emphasis on the home as a beneficial environment for early intervention. The site includes information and linkages for families and professionals.
- CADRE - Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education - A National Center on Dispute Resolution funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. Specifically designed to address dispute resolution, mediation and collaborative strategies to resolve disagreements in special education and early intervention.
- Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) - Early Childhood Research Institute - Identifies, evaluates, and promotes effective and appropriate early intervention and preschool practices for children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The site includes a resource bank for effective materials and strategies.
- Fiesta Educativa - Works to educate Latino families in obtaining services and in caring for their children with special needs. The site provides information, training, technical assistance, and referral services.
- Hmong Homepage - Provides online community and organization resources, translation services, history and demographic data, referrals, and links to publications.
- National Center for Fathering - Provides research and resources on fathering, practical tips and suggestions. The site includes a many helpful hints on fatherhood and education.
- National Multicultural Institute (NMCI) - Addresses issues of multiculturalism. The site attempts to increase communication, understanding, and respect among people from diverse backgrounds.
- The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities - National information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators and other professionals including collaboration.
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What Does Archaeology Say About the Bible?
Question: I have been told that there is a great deal of archaeological evidence proving that the Bible is not reliable. I don’t remember the details, and perhaps none were given, but the impression I’ve gotten from several professors at the university is that the archaeological evidence against the Bible is pretty solid.
Response: There have been many claims that the Bible is not true, but none of them has been able to stand up under careful scrutiny. The Bible claims to be the Word of God, which He inspired prophets and apostles to put in writing for the benefit of all mankind. As such, it must be infallible and without any error. Therefore, it would not take “a great deal” of archaeological or any other kind of evidence to disprove the Bible. One piece of evidence would be enough.
Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy:3:16), and Peter declared that “holy men of God spoke [or wrote] as they were moved [inspired] by the Holy Ghost [Spirit of God]” (2 Peter:1:21). Even one error in the substance of the Bible (not a copyist’s or printer’s error) would prove it was not what it claims to be, the holy Word of God. You have given me no specific examples, so I can only reply in general.
The Bible is without doubt the most remarkable as well as the most controversial book in the world. Its claim to be inspired of God has caused those who don’t believe in God and those who follow rival religions to attack its credibility. In fact, it has been attacked by determined skeptics and professional critics for centuries as no other book in history. In every instance, however, when the facts have been established through archaeological findings, the Bible has been proven correct and its critics wrong. This has been the case 100 percent of the time—as it would have to be if the Bible is indeed God’s Word.
As just one example, the early chapters of the Bible have a great deal to say about the Hittites. According to the biblical account, they were a numerous and powerful people in the days of Abraham and continuing at least into the time of King David. We are told that one of David’s army captains was a Hittite named Uriah. David arranged for Uriah’s murder in order to cover the sin of having made his wife pregnant. Yet decades of digging had failed to uncover any archaeological evidence for the Hittites. Consequently, the skeptics claimed that the Bible was a book of myths because it presented fictitious de-tails concerning a people who had never existed.
Then the discoveries began to pour in. Today we have abundant archaeological evidence that what the Bible said concerning the Hittites is absolutely true. One entire museum in Ankara, Turkey, is devoted to Hittite relics.
A more recent development comes through the finding in 1993 at Tel Dan of the “now-famous Aramaic [stone] inscription fragment referring to the House of David. Some scholars . . . [had] denied that David was a historical figure or that a united kingdom preceded Judah and Israel.” Once again the Bible was vindicated. In 1994, two more fragments of the same stone inscription were discovered, again mentioning the House of David. Many other similar examples could be given.
Today no one doubts the existence of King David and the history of his reign as recorded in the Bible. In September 1995, all of Israel began a 15-month-long celebration of the three-thousandth anniversary of the founding of Jerusalem by David.
As a result of its continual verification by archaeological findings, the Bible is used by many of today’s archaeologists as a guide in locating ancient cities. In fact, Israeli public schools teach students the history of their land and ancestors from the Old Testament, knowing that it is unfailingly accurate.
The truth is that rather than archaeological evidence pointing against the Bible, the archaeological evidence is all in its favor. Anyone who says the contrary is either ignorant of the current evidence or is heavily biased and unwilling to face it.
— An excerpt from In Defense of the Faith (pp. 73-75) by Dave Hunt


Please check whether you are eligible for academic pricing before buying this item.
This book uses over 75 examples to show you how to get started designing digital circuits in VHDL or Verilog, simulate them, and quickly and easily download them to your Basys, Nexys2, or Nexys3 board. Get up and running quickly from the basics to the 7-segment display, memory, VGA port, PS/2 port, and more - step-by-step, by example!
A major revolution in digital design has taken place over the past decade. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) can now contain over a million equivalent logic gates and tens of thousands of flip-flops. This means that it is not possible to use traditional methods of logic design involving the drawing of logic diagrams when the digital circuit may contain thousands of gates. The reality is that today digital systems are designed by writing software in the form of hardware description languages (HDLs). The most common HDLs used today are VHDL and Verilog. Both are in widespread use. When using these hardware description languages the designer typically describes thebehavior of the logic circuit rather than writing traditional Boolean logic equations. Computer-aided design tools are used to both simulate the VHDL or Verilog design and to synthesize the design to actual hardware.
This book assumes no previous knowledge of digital design. You start at the beginning learning about basic gates, logic equations, Boolean algebra, and Karnaugh maps. In over 75 examples we show you how to design digital circuits using VHDL or Verilog, simulate them using the Aldec Active-HDL simulator, and synthesize the designs to a Xilinx Spartan3E FPGA on either the Basys, Nexys2, or Nexys3 FPGA board. A free student edition of Active-HDL simulator is available from Aldec Inc (www.aldec.com). To synthesize your design to a Spartan3E or Spartan 6 FPGA, you will need to download the Free ISE WebPACK from Xilinx Inc.(www.xilinx.com) The Xilinx synthesis tools are called from within the Aldec Active-HDL integrated GUI. We will use the Adept 2 utility to download your synthesized design to the Xilinx FPGA. The Adept 2.8.1 software suite can be download free from Digilent, Inc.
Table of Contents:
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Basic Logic Gates
- 3. Boolean Algebra and Logic Equations
- 4. Implementing Digital Circuits
- 5. Combinational Logic
- 6. Arithmetic Circuits
- 7. Sequential Logic
- 8. Finite State Machines
- 9. Datapaths and Control Units
- 10. Integrating the Datapath and Control Unit
- 11. Memory
- 12. VGA Controller
- 13. PS/2 Port
- Appendix A – Aldec Active-HDL Tutorial
- Appendix B – Number Systems
- Appendix C – Making a Turnkey System
- Appendix D – VHDL/Verilog Quick Reference Guide
Click here to download the complete table of contents. (VHDL Edition)
Click here to download the complete table of contents. (Verilog Edition)
Important Notes on Software and Hardware Versions
If you are using a Basys board, you must use the user constraints file (.ucf) file for the Basys board (basys.ucf) available at http://www.lbebooks.com/downloads.htm.
If you are using a Basys2 board, you must use the user constraints file (.ucf) file for the Basys2 board (basys2board.ucf) available at http://www.lbebooks.com/downloads.htm and you must download the Adept 2.1 (or above) software from the Adept Software page.
You can not use the Adept 1.10 with the Basys2 board.
For more information regarding appropriate software versions and usage instructions, please see:
Important Notes on Software and Hardware Versions.pdf


by Socrates Varakliotis, Peter Kirstein and Steve Hailes
Telecommunications and information exchange are vital to the operation of emergency response units. The objective of the U-2010 project team is to use existing or future telecommunication infrastructure to provide the most capable means of communication and the most effective access to information to all the parties required to act in case of accident, incident, catastrophe or crisis. We are feeding our experiences with the technology involved in this area into the discussion on the future Internet.
Internetworking of Small Devices - The Internet of Things
Emergency response teams are increasingly being equipped with communication devices. To be of use to first responders, these devices must be light, versatile and autonomous, but also miniaturized, capable of sensing the environment, of tracing and tracking resources, and able to convey this wealth of information to civil protection authorities and crisis management centres. To put it simply, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have already gained momentum in public safety applications. Our approach requires that the devices for public safety be mobile (wearable, portable) and that the communication of their data to remote management teams be done in any possible way (always available). The scenario also envisages the use of autonomous subsystems like robots or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that are IP-enabled.
To enable communication between small devices involved in such missions and to orchestrate effectively the flow of information made available by these devices, we advocate the use of IPv6 as the interconnecting protocol. The multitude of addresses required and its capabilities for node auto-configuration are two of the reasons for the deployment of IPv6 in such scenarios; the improvements in mobility and power usage made in IPv6 protocols over IPv4 for this environment are other important considerations. We also propose the use of light, multipurpose gateways, which interconnect small local clouds of WSNs and temporarily cache measurements for as long as necessary until a communication path to the mission control team is established.
Work done in the area of gateways builds upon some of the developments carried over from the EC-funded RUNES (Reconfigurable Ubiquitous Networked Embedded Systems) project. Here, open-source, small form-factor gateways supporting multiple network technologies such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.15.4 are being enhanced with protocol stacks suitable for wireless sensor Internetworking and basic multimedia capabilities. For example, a prototype gateway has been extended by the 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low power Wireless Personal Area Networks) adaptation layer and by the implementation of a lightweight video-streaming service with support for commodity USB cameras.
Infrastructure: Sensor Network Testbeds
The research approach we adopted is helped by the design, deployment and management of large distributed IPv6-based sensor network testbeds. Much of the work is experimentally trialled on the UCL Heterogeneous Experimental Network (HEN), a large research network deployment including devices ranging in size from low-power sensor nodes to server-grade multi-processor rack systems. We adapt the HEN infrastructure to design and run experiments with large numbers of network nodes, including HENs customizable sensor testbed comprised of over fifty motes spanning a fairly large lab area with realistic radio channel conditions. We scale such experiments to hundreds of motes and allow integration with external administrative and user planes, such as development offerings by Arch Rock, or entirely proprietary vendors such as Cisco, and other open-source operating systems, routers and WSN applications.
A number of other projects use HEN for some form of validation, such as work on novel MAC algorithms, for which the ease of creating dense networks with sensor nodes is invaluable.
The mobility requirements of first-response teams are studied in the context of network mobility. Ìost generic wireless sensor application scenarios assume the sensor nodes are static (wired or wireless). In novel applications, such as emergency response teams using communications equipment and sensor networks, the nodes need be nomadic, ie, nodes that move along with a response team. In networking terms, this translates to mobility paradigms such as NEMO (Network Mobility). Furthermore, in these studies more complex network routes emerge that are best approached by MANEMO solutions (Mobile Ad-Hoc Network Mobility). We are currently investigating both these forms of mobility in WSNs with external partners. We are also investigating what is required in nomadic nodes like robots and UAVs.
In this context, Transport Layer Multipath is currently being investigated as a possible future research area. Enabling a transport layer protocol to create a number of sockets (with distinct paths) and hide them behind what appears to applications as a single socket allows a number of novel interactions. These include raising throughput by load balancing between the sockets, improving reliability through the redundancy provided by multiple paths, and providing a mechanism for mobility by adding and removing paths. In this application, the normal concern of scalability with small numbers of points of failure is less important than in the general case.
Multipath to the sensors could be deployed through multiple paths to multiple gateways to the WSNs, for example. In the context of emergency services, the additional reliability gained by using multiple available backhaul connections (satellite and 3G) could be essential, while having simple mobility without the requirement for a home agent may also be advantageous. In addition, the potential for the aggregation of bandwidth between different access media could make it possible to offer services requiring high throughput, such as efficiently streaming high-quality video from an emergency site.
UCL Computer Science, UK
Tel: +44 20 7679.7286


An analytical study on the holy Quran based on the order of words in Arabic and conjunction
Source of Publication
Malaysian Journal of Computer Science
Some aspects of word relations are inspired from patterns of word co-occurrences. From this point, we conduct an analytical study on one type of these patterns, which is the AND conjunctive phrases, that exist in the holy Quran. First, we propose a set of AND conjunctive patterns in order to extract the conjunctive phrases from the Quranic Arabic Corpus, which we convert to Arabic script. Then, we analyze the order of the two words that form the conjunctive phrase. We report three different cases: words that have occurred in a specific order in the conjunctive phrase and repeated only once in the Quran, words that have occurred in a specific order in the conjunctive phrase and repeated many times in the Quran, and words that have occurred in two different orders in the conjunctive phrase and repeated one/many time(s) in the holy Quran. Finally, we show that different word orders in the conjunctive phrase yield different contextual meanings and association values between the combined words.
Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology
Computer Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Association relations, Co-occurrence, Pattern, Quran, Quranic Arabic Corpus, Text mining
Bentrcia, Rahima; Zidat, Samir; and Marir, Farhi, "An analytical study on the holy Quran based on the order of words in Arabic and conjunction" (2018). All Works. 414.
Indexed in Scopus


Zinc is an essential trace mineral and a component of over 100 enzymes,which are involved in numerous bodily functions including sperm production, night vision, appetite, sense of taste and smell, wound healing and maintaining a strong immune system. Zinc is widely distributed in foods, but is more bioavailable from animal products such as beef and lamb.
Beef and lamb provide an excellent source of zinc, with a 150 grams serve providing at least 25% of the recommended daily intake for adults. A healthy serving size is a couple of slices of cooked meat or 3/4 cup mince or casserole. Red meats, particularly offal cuts kidney and liver, are higher in zinc than poultry, cheese, grains, legumes or vegetables. Beef is one of the most commonly eaten sources of zinc in New Zealand according to the last national nutrition survey.
The type of protein in foods such as beef and lamb promotes zinc absorption. This means zinc is more easily absorbed from meals containing meat. Plant foods such as grains and legumes contain phytates and dietary fibre, which inhibit zinc absorption. This mphasises the importance of a varied diet with a combination of plant and animal foods that optimise nutrient uptake from a meal, when eaten together.


Syouryu - Suzugami Kazahana
By utilising ancient metalworking practices used to create the infamous 'Singing Bowls' of Buddhist temples, skilled artisans compress and repeatedly hammer a rolled tin sheet, creating a thin sheet of plate that does not degrade from being bent.
Called ‘Suzugami’ or ‘tin paper’, the plate is a new tin product that, as its name suggests, is thin and malleable like origami paper. The tin can be bent and shaped easily by hand to create useful and decorative structures that, once they are no longer needed, can be rolled flat and shaped anew.
The repeated hammering of the tin creates a unique pattern on the metal surface, similar to the dimpled sides of Singing Bowls, and a skilled craftsman can alter the patterns by changing the size and shape of their hammers. These plates have been marked with the 'Kazahana' pattern; a pattern that expresses the image of freshly fallen snow.
‘Syouryu’ is the proprietary brand of Shimatani Syouryu Koubou, a workshop that has been a specialist manufacturer of orin bowl gongs for Buddhist temples since its establishment in 1909.
There are three orin artisans at this workshop (there are only ten in all of Japan), who create orin gongs by hammering down metal to create a round shaped gong with a nicely tuned sound. Their aim is to continue to make new products using this metal hammering technique.


Just how big should a chicken cage be? California voters thought they’d already weighed in on the matter. But lawmakers in California think the rules about cages for egg-laying hens aren't strict enough.
In 2008, voters ushered in Proposition 2. The law sought to free egg-laying hens from tiny cages. It didn’t outlaw cages but barred California farmers from keeping hens in pens so small they almost couldn’t move. Now voters are being asked to revisit the issue with Proposition 12, the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative.
The Humane Society of the United States says California needs the measure to update standards. They also want to apply the rules to out-of-state farmers selling products in California. The earlier initiative simply stated the animals must be able to turn around freely, stand up, and fully extend their limbs—but set no specifics.
A “yes” vote for Proposition 12 would create new minimum size requirements for confinement: one square foot of floor space each for chickens. It would also require that all egg-laying hens be cage-free by 2022.
Many people oppose the measure. They say it would likely result in an increase in prices, partly because farmers would have to remodel or build new housing for animals. But others say the measure doesn’t go far enough to stop animal cruelty.
If approved, the measure could cost the state as much as $10 million a year to enforce—and millions more in lost tax money from farms that stop or reduce production because of higher costs.
Should government be able to tell farmers how big a chicken coop must be? The Bible says that righteous people care about the animals that they own. (Proverbs 12:10) How does that compare with your answer to the first question?
(AP Photo: Chickens in a cage at an egg-processing plant)


The Benefits Of Hydroponics
And How Hydroponics could save the planet!
The environmental benefits of hydroponics are becoming of increasing interest to eco hobbyists, struggling farmers and food security researchers alike. As the population of the world grows, so do our food requirements and traditional methods of gardening are being seen as increasingly unsustainable.
Hydroponics is a great way to be kind to the planet in your own backyard, and even save money in the process! So, why do we think hydroponics is so great? We've put together our favourite eco-friendly features below.
90% Less Water
With traditional farming methods, it takes nearly 2500 litres of water to produce a one kilo bag of rice. This is a problem because according to a 2014 report, 95% of the world's fresh produce is already at risk due to the over use of fresh water. Because hydroponic systems recycle the water that they use, the only waste is through evaporation and occasional adjustments to nutrient solutions. This means that they use just 10% of the water required by traditional gardening, creating a much more sustainable product.
No Nutrient Waste
One problem with using soil to grow food is that many of the nutrients are simply stuck in the soil, or wasted through feeding weeds. With hydroponic gardens, the nutrients are given directly to the plants, resulting in a 30-50% faster growth rate and (according to a 1994 study) can result in more vitamins and minerals in your veggies! Soil can also harbour harmful bacteria from animal manures and other contaminants, so you are much less likely to get food poisoning from a hydroponic plate of pasta than a regular one!
Reduces Soil Erosion
Many traditional crops such as corn and soy beans are grown in rows that leave the soil bare for large portions of the year, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and degradation. This makes it less fertile for growing crops the next time, and more susceptible to droughts and other extreme conditions. Hydroponics, no soil- no problem!
Lowered Carbon Footprint
One of the major environmental benefits of hydroponic gardening is that it takes up 50% less space than traditional crops and thus, can be grown locally. In fact, Aqua Gardening suggests doing it right in your own backyard! Through reducing the distance the food needs to travel, you are reducing the carbon footprint of that food. Additionally, local providers are much more likely to diversify the fruits and vegetables that they grow, which contributes to maintaining biodiversity.
Have a look at Sustainable America's Omega Garden, now that's a compact grow space.
Picture courtesy of Sustainable America
Hydroponic gardens are a much more controlled environment for your plants, which does not require soil. This means it is much easier to grow fruits and vegetables organically, without the use of harmful pesticides. Even in outdoor systems, there are countless natural remedies for bugs and diseases that are extremely effective in soilless gardens. All in all, it's not surprising that so many people have begun to look at the benefits of hydroponics as a solution to all kinds of environmental problems.
We encourage you to do your part, and learn more about how you can become a hydroponic warrior too, by looking at our other articles and product pages. Happy Aqua Gardening!


David and Goliath is the story of how God used young David to defeat the mighty giant Goliath. Provides kids with an understanding that even though they're young, they can still do great things for God.
Fishes and Loaves tells the story of a young boy who didn't hesitate to give to God and not hold anything back. Demonstrates that kids will be rewarded for trusting in God with everything they have.
Miriam's Courage is all about how young Miriam was brave in a difficult time for her family. Encourages kids that instead of being fearful, showing courage will reveal God's incredible plan for their lives.
I Heard God focuses on the story of young Samuel, who did great things for God. When God spoke to him, he was willing to listen. Even when the task was hard, he heard God and obeyed. Teaches kids that even at a young age, they can hear and respond to God.
I Am Willing shares the story of Mary and how she found favor with God. Even though what God asked was difficult, she was willing to be used by Him. Shows that kids should be obedient to whatever task God gives them and be willing to follow His plan.
What's It Like Being a Hero?
With the Kid Bible Heroes app, your kids can learn about ordinary kids in the Bible who were used by God to do extraordinary things. The app features five Bible stories about everyday heroes like David, Miriam, Samuel, Mary, and the young boy with the fishes and loaves. Through their interactive stories, your kids will learn about God's plan for their lives, trusting God, having courage, listening to God and being willing to step out in faith.


The Museum of Life and Science offers a variety of weekday classes for families with elementary and middle school students. Through these classes, we foster curiosity in the world around us and the use of science as a tool for exploring that world. Our experienced educators utilize the Museum’s 84-acres of indoor and outdoor learning environments as a platform for inquiry-based and project-oriented activities. They carefully promote an environment of discovery using inquiry-based learning skills.
2021 Covid-19 Changes: Our class schedule will have offerings for ages 5 through 13 with a focus on Nature. Much, if not all, of our classes will be held outside with not more than 13 students per class.


- You should also pick up the book and read it so that you can have discussions. This will help solidify your child's understanding of the book.
- Pick up the "cliff's notes" of the book AFTER the child has read the book. This will help point out some of the symbolism that you two didn't hit upon in your discussions.
- Have your child complete the assignment (if one is already known) after reading the book.
- If you don't have the assignments already (or if there will be a test when school starts), then have your child write about the book to help refresh his/her memory once school starts. You could either do this as a journal while the child is reading or as a report after the book is complete.
No matter when your child's first required reading list comes out, you can start implementing summer reading programs at home as early as Kindergarten or first grade! The key is to make it fun and interesting. I will be blogging all week about fun ways to get kids involved in reading this summer!


Industrial Hemp Research
One of Southern Cross Plant Science's exciting projects, aimed at enhancing regional sustainability, involves exploring the potential of industrial hemp, by identifying and characterising genetic variation that can contribute to economically sustainable production. This pre-breeding research is carried out under licences from the NSW government, is based on extensive genetic resources, and will draw on a range of expertise at SCU.
SCPS and Ecofibre Lifesciences (ELS), based in Maleny, Queensland, have established a partnership to establish, curate and characterise the unique Ecofibre germplasm collection to underpin global development of industrial hemp. The original base collection of hemp genetic resources includes a wide range of material from all continents of the world, including the centre of genetic diversity in Asia, and from China in particular.
A key aim of current projects is to exploit the wide genetic base of hemp to:
- Extend the latitudinal range over which hemp may effectively be grown
- Identify and characterise genetic variation that can contribute to added value end-use products
- Maximise the use of the internal 'hurd' fibre, and value of seed, oils and outer fibre
- Work with other research institutions to identify unique characteristics in hemp that are technically useful to general manufacturing and industry.
Although hemp is an ancient crop, and was a key part of the economy of many nations worldwide, it has missed out on the 'Green Revolution' in crop science that massively increased yields since WWII. SCPS is now working with Ecofibre and researchers elsewhere to redress this.
Approaches being taken include:
- Development of specialised facilities for regeneration of germplasm that affords a high level of pollen "contraception" between chambers. This is a proprietary, parallel, closed-loop filtered system developed by Ecofibre
- Establishment of a database to bring together data from all sources about hemp germplasm collections here and elsewhere
- Characterisation of flowering time and morphological differences (habit, vigour, male/female proportions) between accessions
- Genetic analysis of chemotypes and development of DNA markers for pre-breeding
This provides an exciting opportunity to explore the various adaptations within the Cannabis genepool for industrial hemp, particularly in terms of flowering requirements and latitude adaptation, but also for many other phenotypic traits. The eastern states of Australia provide a particular advantage compared with other countries in the world for field trialling and evaluation of germplasm, with latitudes ranging from Tasmania (42 S) to Northern Queensland (17 S). The collection represents extensive genetic variation fibre, seed composition and physical phenotypes.
- SCPS operates a dedicated Analytical Research Laboratory (ARL) that carries out routine screening of commercially generated hemp plant tissue to meet the requirements and obligations of licensed growers' for sampling and analysis of low THC hemp under the Hemp Industry Act 2008.
- The ARL also has the expertise and experience to characterise many other plant components, including fatty acids and essential oils
- Development of DNA markers to accelerate the breeding process (enabling early seedling selection of key characteristics)
- SCPS is well placed to carry out additional research on marker assisted selection, genome wide selection (GWAS) and study of genotype by environment (GxE) interactions. SCPS has state of the art genomics and bioinformatics facilities including our Illumina DNA sequencing platform.
- Subsequent field testing at different latitudes to identify variation in flowering time - this variation is under genetic control, and much information from other plants and crops can now be transferred to hemp in order to optimise flowering time.
- Alongside its analytical chemistry capability, SCU has new Engineering laboratories and equipment for characterising physical properties, which will be used to identify new end uses.
- Modern breeding will allow a shuffling of the genes between drug types and hemp types, and DNA markers will enable introduction of beneficial characteristics from the drug varieties whilst guaranteeing Industrial Hemp THC levels.
SCPS initially received funding of $95,000 for this project from a 'Researchers in Business' grant through the Australian government's Enterprise Connect initiative, co-funded by Ecofibre. Ecofibre Life Science has also invested in sponsorship of a PhD project from 2013 and an Honours scholarship in 2014.
Scientists at SCU have world-leading expertise in crop genetics and genomics, and are in contact with researchers elsewhere (UK, Europe, USA) to apply the latest technologies to accelerate the development of modern hemp cultivars able to be cultivated in different latitudes.
The industrial hemp development program fits well with the wider SCPS interests and expertise in pre-breeding genetics, quantitative genetics, genomics, data management, agronomy and raw materials quality. Other programs from which SCPS draws on experience and expertise include those for Brassica crops (mustard, canola), rice and some recently domesticated sub-tropical crops such as Macadamia and tea-tree
All facilities and operations at SCPS are managed under strict operating procedures in line with licences granted for handling and storage of plant material, chemical extracts and standards.
THC = Tetrahydrocannabinol
- Welling MT, Liu L, Shapter T, Raymond CA, King GJ (2015) Characterisation of cannabinoid composition in a diverse Cannabis sativa L. germplasm collection. Euphytica. doi 10:1007/a10681-015-1585-y
- ABC Landline - broadcast 20th July 2014
- Discover SCU - Sept 2014
- June 2015: Prime 7 Cannabis Research at SCU
Professor Graham King: firstname.lastname@example.org


The research vessel ATAIR recently received LNG from Gasum in the company’s first truck-to-ship bunkering operation in Germany.
The ATAIR is currently under construction at Fassmer shipyard in Berne/Motzen in Germany, and is the world’s first LNG-fuelled research vessel. The vessel will enter into service in 2020 and will replace the old ATAIR, commissioned in 1987.
Fassmer was awarded the contract to build the ship for the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), which will use the vessel for sea surveying, wreck search, and research. As well as delivering the LNG, Gasum is supporting Fassmer in the execution of the operation at the shipyard.
The decision to equip the ATAIR with engines that can run on LNG was made because LNG emits significantly less emissions compared to a diesel-fuelled ship. As a result, the new ATAIR does not only comply with the TIER III exhaust emission regulations, but also with the EPA TIER IV rules regarding soot particles. Furthermore, the underwater sounds of the vessel are optimised, which protects the marine environment and ensures optimal conditions for the scientific work.
“Our first LNG bunkering operation with trucks in Germany was a great success and we are proud that we can support the Fassmer shipyard with this very important newbuild project. Gasum have already supported customers with ship-to-ship deliveries in North West Europe. However, this truck-to-ship delivery underlines our commitment to expand our geographical footprint in continental Europe. We are working actively on extending our business in the region and have lined up several projects in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Belgium”, says Jacob Granqvist, Sales Director, LNG Maritime, Gasum.
Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/29072020/gasum-conducts-first-truck-to-ship-lng-bunkering-in-germany/


Resuscitation using a resuscitaire with blender
In term infants receiving resuscitation at birth with positive pressure ventilation, it is best to begin with air rather than 100% oxygen. If despite effective ventilation there is no increase in heart rate or if oxygenation (guided by oximetry) remains unacceptable, use of a higher concentration of oxygen should be considered. If chest compression is administered, higher concentration of oxygen should be considered
As many preterm babies of <32 weeks’ gestation will not reach target saturations in air, blended oxygen and air may be given judiciously and ideally guided by pulse oximetry. Both hyperoxaemia and hypoxaemia should be avoided. A pragmatic starting point of 30% is acceptable and subsequent administration should be guided by oximetry.
Resuscitation using a resuscitaire without blender
If a blend of oxygen and air is not available, resuscitation should be initiated with air.
Switch to 100% oxygen if there is poor response to adequate ventilation. The emphasis should be on effective lung inflation. If chest compression is administered, higher concentration of oxygen should be considered.
Resuscitation with no resuscitaire
Commence resuscitation with Bag/valve/mask using air. The emphasis should be on effective lung inflation.
What to do at birth?
At birth of an infant, note the time, start the clock
In a baby who appears compromised, clamp the cord immediately and proceed to resuscitation.In an uncompromised baby, for both term and preterm infants cord clamping should be delayed by at least 1 minute from complete delivery of the infant. The infant should be at the same level as the placenta ( For more details see Appendix 1).
This time should be used to initiate thermal control (drying and wrapping in warm towel for term babies and preterm babies >32 weeks gestation; plastic bag without drying in babies less than 32 weeks gestation and electric thermal mattress). In a well appearing term baby, ensure that the baby has skin to skin contact with mother. Cover the baby with a warm towel and place a hat on the head. Avoid hyperthermia,
Assess the condition of the infant –breathing and heart rate. Listen to the heart rate with a stethoscope. It is not necessary to count this exactly but you should note whether the heart rate is absent or very slow <60, slow<100 or, normal >100/min.
Assess the need for additional help, more experienced staff or an ambulance throughout the resuscitation.
When to start resuscitation?
The indications for positive pressure ventilation include:-
- Apnoea or ineffective respiratory effort.
- Heart rate less than 100/minute in a compromised baby
- Persistent central cyanosis in facemask oxygen and a low heart rate.
Airway and breathing:
Transfer the baby to the resuscitaire or prepared flat surface with the baby’s head in a neutral position. If the baby is not breathing, perform airway-opening manoeuvres, place the appropriate size mask on the baby’s face over the nose and mouth, and inflate the lungs via the bag/valve/mask or T piece (neopuff). Give the initial five breaths as inflation breaths, 30/5, each 2-3 seconds in order to expand the alveoli and establish resting lung volume. The circuit must include a pressure relief valve.
If birth is where the midwife is the lead professional, these initial inflation breaths can be performed with the baby positioned between the mother’s legs using bag/valve/mask. If further resuscitation is required and there is a resuscitaire available it should be brought into the birthing room.
If birth occurs outside an obstetric unit and the baby requires more resuscitation than 5 inflation breaths, transfer arrangements should be considered, if not already initiated. All resuscitation measures should be continued during transfer to the appropriate neonatal unit.
Reassess after the inflation breaths by auscultating the heart rate with a stethoscope. A pulse oximeter can give a continuous heart rate and oximetry reading in the delivery room. With practice it is possible to attach a pulse oximeter probe and to obtain a useful reading of heart rate and oxygen saturation about 90 s after delivery.If the heart rate has improved you can assume that you have inflated the lung and therefore proceed to ventilation breaths. If the heart rate does not respond to inflation breaths the only way to check that the lungs have been inflated successfully is to see chest move in response to your inflation breaths.
Therefore, if there is no increase in the heart rate, check for chest movement.
If you do not see a heart rate response and there is no chest movement with the inflation breaths assess the need for the following in a systematic manner–
- Reposition – ensure neutral position of baby’s head. It is very easy to over extend the neck during resuscitation!!
- Ensure you have gas flow (at least 6 litres / min).
- Re-evaluate the size of the mask and ensure appropriate seal.
- Apply single or double jaw thrust. If you have help it may be easier to use the two person jaw thrust technique.
- Ensure you have inflation pressure of at least 30cm of water and you are delivering long inspiratory times of 2-3 seconds.
- Assess the need to suction the airway under direct vision.
- Assess the need for an oropharyngeal (Guedel) airway?
- Assess the need for higher pressures? Do you need to use a self inflating bag valve mask device?
- At all times evaluate the need for further help.
- Attach the baby to a oxygen saturation monitor if available
If there is a good response to these manoeuvres with an increase in the heart rate, then proceed to ventilation breaths. A rate of 30 ventilation breaths per minute is sufficient. You may need to reduce your inflation pressures appropriately. Watch for the baby’s heart rate, chest movement, breathing effort, oxygen saturations (see guide on flow chart). Assess colour if saturation recording not available and keep on assessing the situation every 30 seconds.
If inadequate response to heart rate or saturations despite good chest movement increase oxygen concentration in a step wise fashion (where a blender is available) using the guide on NLS algorithm (see laminated chart on resuscitaire). If no blender is available, switch to 100% oxygen.
Recently concerns has been expressed that the peak pressure delivered by a Laerdal bag may be far too large and lead to over distension of the lungs, which may contribute to chronic lung disease. It does not deliver effective and measurable positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP). Where possible use a circuit and a T piece that can deliver measured PEEP. The PEEP is required to establish a functional residual capacity. You will need to watch the expansion of the chest during each ventilation breath to decide whether or not the pressures are optimal. With experience you should be able to gauge whether the chest movement is optimal.
Discontinue ventilation when baby has adequate respiratory effort and able to maintain oxygen saturation (colour) and heart rate. Evaluate clinical background, degree of resuscitation and response, work of breathing, colour and tone to ascertain the need to admit to neonatal unit.
Nasal continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) rather than routine intubation may be used to provide initial respiratory support of all spontaneously breathing preterm infants with respiratory distress. Early use of nasal CPAP should also be considered in those spontaneously breathing preterm infants who are at risk of developing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Absolute indications for endotracheal intubation are:
- Evidence of ineffective ventilation with CPAP or a face mask
- Infant with suspected diaphragmatic hernia
If intubation is required ensure that a good view of the larynx is obtained. The commonest problem is overextension of the neck and deviation from midline. This should be avoided as this gives a distorted view of the upper airway. The baby should be intubated effectively within 30 seconds. If this is not successful you should go back to mask ventilation until the baby is pink. Do not allow the baby to become hypoxic during an attempt to intubate. In a baby who is preterm and intubated give surfactant as soon as intubation is achieved successfully and tube secured.
The laryngeal mask airway should be considered during resuscitation of the newborn if face-mask ventilation is unsuccessful or not feasible. It could be considered an alternative to face mask IPPV in babies >2Kg or >34 weeks gestation. There is limited evidence to evaluate its use in smaller or more premature babies and it has not been evaluated in the context of meconium, and for those requiring chest compressions and administration of medications. (This is now available in all resuscitaires)
If you do not see a good HR response despite good chest movement proceed to chest compression.
If the heart rate remains less than 60/minute despite good chest movement on 5 inflation breaths followed by 30 seconds of ventilation breaths, (It is necessary to be absolutely sure about this), proceed to chest compressions. If the HR is rising, another 30 seconds of ventilation breaths can be continued before starting chest compressions.
Chest compressions necessitate the involvement of a second pair of hands. The chest should be encircled in both hands with the thumbs placed on the lower third of the sternum and the fingers over the spine. The landmark to place your thumbs is 1 cm below the imaginary line joining the nipples. Alternatively locate the xiphisternum and go 1 cm up centrally on the sternum. The depth of cardiac compression should be about 1/3 of the “depth of the chest”. Chest compressions should be done at about 90/minute along with ventilation breaths of 30/minute at a ratio of 3:1. Allow sufficient relaxation time as the coronary arteries are perfused in diastole. The person doing cardiac massage should give their sole attention to this task. This is the preferred method in all cases.
In a very small pre-term baby cardiac massage can be done with two fingers with the back of the baby well supported.
Reassess every 30 seconds and listen to the heart rate (usually after 15 cycles of 3:1). Try to minimise interruptions to ventilation and compressions. The same person should ideally assess the heart rate throughout the resuscitation. Do not stop cardiac massage until the heart rate is consistently > 60/min and rising.
If the heart rate fails to improve after 30 seconds of good quality cardiac compression, drugs should be considered. If birth has occurred outside an obstetric unit the baby will need to be transferred first. The intravenous route is preferred but if the baby is intubated consider intratracheal adrenaline at the dose of 0.5-1ml/Kg of 1in 10,000 solution.
Obtain central venous promptly by catheterising the umbilical vein. Prime the umbilical vein catheter (UVC) with saline prior to insertion to prevent an air embolus. Remember this is an emergency CLEAN procedure but not a sterile procedure – so don’t waste time gowning up!! Blood should be obtained for a gas and blood sugar measurement when you insert the catheter. Very rarely where umbilical venous access cannot be obtained or fails, intraosseus route is an alternative for drug administration in neonatal resuscitation.
Intravenous adrenaline can then be given in a dose of 0.1 mls per Kg of 1:10,000 (first dose). If hypovolaemia is suspected because of a placental abruption or suspected fetal blood loss give volume e.g. 10 mls per Kg of normal saline or, better still, uncrossmatched “O” rhesus negative blood. In Singleton and Princess of Wales (POW) Hospital, this must be collected from blood bank beforehand if trouble is anticipated. In an emergency, the porters should be asked to collect paediatric emergency O negative uncrossmatched blood from the ‘Blood Bank Issue Fridge’. No requisition is necessary. The blood bank technician should be informed after resuscitation even if the blood is not used. Any unused blood should be returned to the blood bank within 30 minutes so that it could be processed for component use.
If there is no response, consider Sodium Bicarbonate 4.2% intravenously in a dose of 2 mmols per Kg (4 mls per Kg) slowly over 1 minute. This should be followed by 0.3 mls/ Kg 1:10,000 adrenaline IV after 3 minutes or so. After each drug flush the line with 1-2 mls of 0.9% saline.Correct hypoglycaemia if blood sugar is less than 2.6 mmol /litre on PCX or cord gas by giving 2.5mls/kg of 10% dextrose. Avoid giving IV dextrose routinely as hyperglycaemia is known to be associated with poor outcome during a hypoxic ischemic insult.
Ensure that adequate ventilation and cardiac compressions are continued throughout these procedures and that the baby is kept as warm as possible.
N.B> In the hospital setting and in babies greater than 36 weeks gestation with evolving moderate to severe encephalopathy (requiring prolonged resuscitation >10 minutes), consider the appropriateness of therapeutic hypothermia. This could be initiated by switching off any active source of heating on the resuscitaire.
Ensure that the parents receive adequate support and information as they will be extremely frightened and listening to everything that is going on.
When to stop resuscitation?
Births in hospital
In a newly-born infant with no detectable cardiac activity despite high quality resuscitation, and with cardiac activity that remains undetectable for 10 min, it is appropriate to consider stopping resuscitation. The decision to continue resuscitation efforts beyond 10 min with no cardiac activity is often complex and may be influenced by issues such as the availability of therapeutic hypothermia and intensive care facilities, the presumed aetiology of the arrest, the gestation of the infant, the presence or absence of complications, and the parents’ previous expressed feelings about acceptable risk of morbidity. The difficulty of this decision-making emphasises the need for senior help to be sought as soon as possible.
Where a heart rate has persisted at less than 60 min-1 without improvement, during 10–15 min of continuous resuscitation, the decision to stop is much less clear. No evidence is available to recommend a universal approach beyond evaluation of the situation on a case-by-case basis by the resuscitating team and senior clinicians. The decision to stop resuscitation should be discussed with the parents carefully by experienced clinicians.
Births outside an obstetric unit
All resuscitation measures should be continued during transfer to the appropriate neonatal unit.Any decision to discontinue resuscitation should be made in the receiving hospital by the neonatal doctor and/or after discussion with the neonatal consultant.
When not to start resuscitation?
- If the baby is obviously macerated or known to have died in-utero.
- If there are known to be lethal congenital abnormalities and this course of action has to be agreed previously between the Obstetrician and the parents (Although beware!–sometimes antenatal diagnosis may be inaccurate!)
- A baby of <23 weeks gestation unless there is uncertainty about the gestation
- Take care when listening for the heart rate. It is easy to miss a very slow heart rate
What to do if resuscitation is not effective?
If resuscitation is not effective the following possibilities should be considered:-
- Check equipment, gas supply, adequacy of oxygen
- ET tube is not in the trachea – consider visualizing the larynx to confirm if this is the case. Also consider that the tube might be in the right main bronchus. In this situation the air entry on the right is better than on the left. Withdraw the tube to an appropriate length to correct the problem.
- Consider that the baby may have a pneumothorax – air entry will be unequal and the apex beat may be displaced.
- Consider that there may be hypoplastic lungs, particularly if there is a history of prolonged rupture of membranes or oligohydramnios or fetal abnormality such as absent kidneys.
- Consider that there may be another diagnosis such as a diaphragmatic hernia – in this situation the apex beat is usually displaced to the right and the abdomen is scaphoid.
Effectiveness of resuscitation:
Most term infants will not need resuscitation and for the majority who do, the outcome should be satisfactory as long as the steps detailed above are followed. Babies with no risk factors and those who respond quickly to simple steps of resuscitation can be observed closely on postnatal ward. Babies with underlying risk factors who require prolonged resuscitation should be admitted to to the neonatal unit.
- Maintain temperature and airway support as required
- Ensure early intravenous access if indicated and maintain normal blood sugar levels.
- The case notes must be completed thoroughly by all staff involved.
- It is also helpful to record the time at which the heart rate was first noted to be >100/ min, the time of the baby’s first gasp and time to establish regular spontaneous breathing. This gives useful information for prognosis.
- A paired cord arterial and venous blood sample should be obtained to determine the level of acidosis present at birth.
- An early blood gas on the baby will also help to determine the effectiveness of resuscitation.A blood glucose and lactate measurement should be documented with the blood gases.
- All other relevant documentation should be completed e.g. transfer/incident forms.
Talking to parents:
Support, time and information should be given to the parents who will be very distressed by events. It is important that the team caring for the newborn baby informs the parents of the baby’s progress. At delivery, adhere to local plans for routine care and, if possible, hand the baby to the mother at the earliest opportunity. If resuscitation is required inform the parents of the procedures undertaken and why they were required. Record carefully all discussions and decisions in the mother’s notes prior to delivery and in the baby’s records after birth. Where there is a high risk of failure e.g. very preterm babies, or profound fetal distress from an abruption, It is important to counsel parents as to the possibility of unsuccessful resuscitation.
- Wyllie J, Perlman JM, Kattwinkel J et al. on behalf of the Neonatal Resuscitation Chapter Collaborators. Part 7: Neonatal resuscitation: 2015 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science with Treatment Recommendations. Resuscitation 2015; 95: e171-e203.
- Wyllie J, Bruinenberg J, Roehr CC, Rüdiger M, Trevisanuto D, Urlesberger B. European Resuscitation Council Guidelines for Resuscitation 2015: Section 7. Resuscitation and support of transition of babies at birth. Resuscitation 2015;95:242-62.
- Lundstrom KE, Pryds O, Greisen G. Oxygen at birth and prolonged cerebral vasoconstriction in preterm infants. Arch Dis Child 1995;75:F81-86.
- Harris AP, Sendak MJ, Donham RT. Changes in arterial oxygen saturations immediately after birth in the human neonate. J Pediatr 1986;109-117.
- Ramji S, Ahuja S, Thirupuram S et al. Resuscitation of asphyxic newborn infants with room air or 100% oxygen. Pediatr Res 1993;34;809-12.
- Saugstad OD, Rootwelt T,Aalen O. Resuscitation of asphyxiated newborn infants with room air or oxygen: An international controlled Trial: The Resair 2 Study. Pediatrics 1998;102:e1.
- BAPM Position Statement on Therapeutic Hypothermia in Hypoxic- Ischemic Encephalopathy 2010


US EPA uses TD–GC–MS for vital research into PFAS management
23 February 2021
PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – have been making headlines in recent years. Documentaries and films such as the 2019 legal thriller Dark Waters, which is based on real events, have also raised their profile. As a result, many of us have heard of PFAS but what exactly are they and why are they of concern?
PFAS are a large family of chemicals with over 6000 registered species.1 They’re typically defined as aliphatic compounds with one or more carbon atoms where all the hydrogens have been replaced by fluorine atoms.2 Given this broad definition, we can understand why so many compounds are classed as PFAS.
As of 2021, two PFAS compounds – PFOS and PFOA (Figure 1) – are already restricted for use and production by the Stockholm convention with a third – PFHxS – expected to be given the same restrictions. PFOA is described as “a substance of very high concern with a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic structure for the environment and living organisms.” This gives an insight into the wider concerns regarding PFAS as a group of chemicals.
Figure 1: Chemical structures of PFOS (left) and PFOA (right).
However, PFAS are useful compounds that are found in many items in our homes and workplaces, such as non-stick pans and waterproof clothing. They are also used, for example, in semiconductors and firefighting foams. So, as well as limiting the release of these compounds into the air, water and soil as they are being manufactured, how can regulators manage the safe disposal of products containing PFAS?
This was the focus of a US EPA paper published in February 2021.3 Titled “Low temperature thermal treatment of gas-phase fluorotelomer alcohols by calcium oxide”, the paper focuses on the neutral PFAS species fluorotelomer alcohols and uses two analytical techniques – chemical ionisation mass spectrometry (CIMS) and thermal desorption (TD) coupled to gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS) – to monitor the compounds’ breakdown during incineration. The aim was to optimise the process so it can occur at lower temperatures, reducing the risk of PFAS compounds being released into the air due to incomplete breakdown.
TD–GC–MS overcomes the challenges of using LC–MS
From an analytical perspective, the paper is interesting, not just because it discusses a potential solution to the release of PFAS into the air we breathe, but also that using TD–GC–MS in this application area is not commonplace, and the paper debunks some common myths around sampling gaseous PFAS compounds.
PFAS monitoring in gaseous samples has mostly been carried out on LC–MS rather than GC–MS. However, more volatile PFAS, such as the fluorotelomer alcohols, can be a challenge for LC. Equally, sorbent sampling media, such as PUF and XAD, which have been used for sampling gases, also struggle to capture more volatile species. In this respect, the move to TD–GC–MS makes sense as the technique is already used to monitor organic compounds in air, including ultra-volatile species.
Another advantage of moving away from LC–MS for gaseous samples is that the need to use solvents is avoided, in both the chromatographic system and as part of the sample extraction process. If you’ve listened to PFAS conference or webinar presentations from established laboratories over the past few years, you will have heard about challenges surrounding PFAS contamination of both solvents and sampling media. TD–GC–MS is a solvent-free technique so this wasn’t something that the authors of the US EPA paper had to contend with, although other sources of PFAS contamination is still something analysts have to be mindful of.
A possible source of PFAS contamination in many labs is PTFE, which is used in tubing, for example. PTFE has long been vilified in the LC world because solvents cause it to leach from materials. The EPA researchers wanted to verify that PTFE leaching wouldn’t be an issue in their investigation. They collected blanks from the furnace and sampling train, which included PTFE fittings and transfer lines, to verify that no fluorinated compounds were being introduced. When analysed on the Markes TD100-xr™, none of the blank samples contained fluorinated compounds, confirming that the PTFE fittings and the sorbent media within the tubes were suitable for use in PFAS sampling.
Benefit of the non-selective nature of TD sampling
As with many PFAS monitoring and research projects, the EPA paper is focused on target compounds. However, the researchers point out the non-selective nature of the TD sampling approach as a benefit, not just for looking at target compounds but also to see what else is being produced during the treatment process, including other PFAS. Here, PFAS fragments were indicative of incomplete destruction and could have been missed by more targeted techniques. Additionally, other non-PFAS VOCs could be monitored within the same experiment.
If you’re interested in PFAS research and the analytical techniques used to monitor them, I would encourage you to read the paper using the link below. It’s an open access paper and well worth a read. In the meantime, if you are interested in discussing the use of TD–GC–MS for analysis of volatile PFAS from air or materials, please get in touch.
- ITRC, Technical/Regulatory Guidance, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), April 2020, page 3.
- T.P. Riedel, M. Ariel Geer Wallace, E.P. Shields, J.V. Ryan, C.W. Lee and W.P. Linak, Low Temperature Thermal Treatment of Gas-Phase Fluorotelomer Alcohols by Calcium Oxide, Chemosphere, 2021, 129859, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129859.


Sedating chemical chloroform
At higher doses it may result in slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes.
Doses of sedatives such as benzodiazepines, when used as a hypnotic to induce sleep, tend to be higher than amounts used to relieve anxiety, whereas only low doses are needed to provide a peaceful effect.
Sigmund Freud extolled the virtues of cocaine for its supposed ability to treat depression and impotence, while Coca-Cola’s initial popularity may have been due in part to it having the drug among its ingredients.
Many medicinal beverages and tonics began to contain cocaine – long-term users of which may suffer seriously disrupted eating and sleeping patterns, psychotic delusions and hallucinations, not to mention severe depression upon withdrawal.
Some sedatives can cause psychological and physical dependence when taken regularly over a period of time, even at therapeutic doses.
Dependent users may get withdrawal symptoms ranging from restlessness and insomnia to convulsions and death.
Small amounts of chloroform can induce lethargy and disorientation.
Increased exposure leads to unconsciousness and an inability to feel pain.
There are reports of thieves spraying sleeping gases on campers, so some people believe sleeping gas is dangerous to health.In a Mennonite community in Bolivia, eight men were convicted of raping 130 women in Manitoba Colony over a four-year period from 2005 to 2009, by spraying "a chemical used to anesthetize cows" through the victims' open bedroom windows.The perpetrators would then wait for the women to be incapacitated, whereupon they entered the residences to commit the crimes.Eventually chloroform was replaced with ether a similar agent used as an anesthetic. Prolonged exposure can cause difficulty breathing, then paralysis, followed by death.From the moment of unconsciousness, there is a generally a 10–15 minute window where a patient is asleep.