Andrew Wyeth (July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009) was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century, and was sometimes referred to as the "Painter of the People," due to his work's popularity with the American public. In his art, Wyeth's favorite subjects were the land and people around him, both in his hometown of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and at his summer home in Cushing, Maine. One of the most well-known images in 20th-century American art is his oil painting, Christina's World, currently in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Andrew Wyeth was the youngest of the five children of illustrator and artist N.C. (Newell Convers) Wyeth and his wife, Carolyn Bockius Wyeth. He was the brother of inventor Nathaniel Wyeth and artist Henriette Wyeth Hurd, and the father of Nicholas Wyeth and artist Jamie Wyeth. Andrew was home-tutored because of his frail health, and learned art from his father, who inspired his son's love of rural landscapes, sense of romance, and a feeling for Wyeth family history and artistic traditions. Wyeth started drawing at a young age, and with his father’s guidance, he mastered figure study and watercolor, and later learned egg tempera from brother-in-law Peter Hurd. He studied art history on his own, admiring many masters of Renaissance and American painting, especially Winslow Homer. Like his father, the young Wyeth read and appreciated the poetry of Robert Frost and writings of Henry Thoreau and studied their relationships with nature. Music and movies also heightened his artistic sensitivity. In 1937, at age twenty, Wyeth had his first one-man exhibition of watercolors at the Macbeth Gallery in New York City. The entire inventory of oil paintings sold out, and his life path seemed certain. His style was different from his father’s: more spare, "drier," and more limited in color range. He stated his belief that "…the great danger of the Pyle school is picture-making." He did some book illustrations in his early career, but not to the extent that N.C. Wyeth did. In 1940, Wyeth married Betsy James. Their first child Nicholas was born in 1943, followed by James ("Jamie") three years later. Wyeth painted portraits of both children. In October 1945, his father and his three-year-old nephew, Newell Convers Wyeth II (b. 1941), were killed when their car stalled on railroad tracks near their home and was struck by a train. Wyeth referred to his father's death as a formative emotional event in his artistic career, in addition to being a personal tragedy.Shortly afterwards, Wyeth's art consolidated into his mature and enduring style; it was characterized by a subdued color palette, realistic renderings, and the depiction of emotionally charged, symbolic objects and/or people. It was at the Olson farm in Cushing, Maine that he painted Christina's World (1948). Perhaps his most famous image, it depicts his neighbor, Christina Olson, sprawled on a dry field facing her house in the distance. Wyeth was quite inspired by his neighbor, who, because of an unknown illness resulting in her inability to walk, spent much time on the property surrounding her house. Also in 1948, he began painting Anna and Karl Kuerner, his neighbours in Chadds Ford. Like the Olsons, the Kuerners and their farm were one of Wyeth's most important subjects for nearly 30 years. Wyeth stated about the Kuerner Farm, “I didn’t think it a picturesque place. It just excited me, purely abstractly and purely emotionally.” The Olson house has been preserved, renovated to match its appearance in Christina's World. It is open to the public as a part of the Farnsworth Art Museum. The Kuerners' farm is available to tour through the Brandywine River Museum, as is the N.C. Wyeth home and studio. Dividing his time between Pennsylvania and Maine, Wyeth maintained a realist painting style for over fifty years. He gravitated to several identifiable landscape subjects and models. In 1958, Andrew and Betsy Wyeth purchased and restored "The Mill," a group of 18th-century buildings that appeared often in his work, including Night Sleeper (1979). His solitary walks were the primary means of inspiration for his landscapes. He developed an extraordinary intimacy with the land and sea and strove for a spiritual understanding based on history and unspoken emotion. He typically created dozens of studies on a subject in pencil or loosely brushed watercolor before executing a finished painting, either in watercolor, drybrush (a watercolor style in which the water is squeezed from the brush), or egg tempera. When Christina Olsen died in the winter of 1969, Wyeth refocused his artistic attention upon Siri Erickson, capturing her naked innocence in Indian Summer (1970). It was a prelude to the Helga paintings. His wife, Betsy, played an important role in his career and many critics thought she manipulated his image. She was once quoted say "I am a director and I had the greatest actor in the world." Wyeth's art has long been controversial. As a representational artist, Wyeth created work in sharp contrast to abstraction, which gained currency in American art and critical thinking in the middle of the 20th century. Museum exhibitions of Wyeth's oil paintings have set attendance records, but many art critics have evaluated his work less favorably. Peter Schjeldahl, art critic for The Village Voice, derided his oil paintings as "Formulaic stuff, not very effective even as illustrational 'realism.' " Common criticisms are that Wyeth's art verges on illustration and that his rural subject matter is sentimental. Admirers of Wyeth's art believe that his oil paintings, in addition to their pictorial formal beauty, contain strong emotional currents, symbolic content, and underlying abstraction. Most observers of his art agree that he is skilled at handling the media of egg tempera (which uses egg yolk as its medium) and watercolor. Wyeth avoided using traditional oil paints. His use of light and shadow let the subjects illuminate the canvas. His oil paintings and titles suggest sound, as is implied in many paintings, including Distant Thunder (1961) and Spring Fed (1967). On January 16, 2009, Andrew Wyeth died in his sleep at his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, after a brief illness. He was 91 years old.


Weather causes more damage to homes and people in New York than crime, but many residents don’t make the elements an insurance priority. Here’s what bad weather can do to you and your property, and why insurance for those risks is essential.
Hurricanes. Extreme heat. Drought. Inland nd coastal flooding. Brutal winters. This isn’t an apocalyptic vision of the future–it’s New York, here and now. The state has taken an elemental battering through the years, and 2019 looks to be no different. Forecasters predict up to 14 storms this hurricane season, with 2 to 4 of them expected to be major.
Here’s our look at everything New York can throw at policy holders, and what they can do about it.
New York’s worst weather and what lies ahead
New York saw the heaviest snowfall in over a century last year. Our winters can be extremely cold, bringing heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain, and ice. All of these are classed as serious public hazards (particularly to the elderly), and the state provides health and safety tips to follow during heavy cold spells.
Nearly half of the hurricanes and tropical storms that have hit New York since 1970 happened after 2000—and that’s just one of the effects scientists believe global warming will have on New York. The state is expected to feel like Arkansas by 2080. Heavy rains have increased more than 70 percent, meaning there could be major floods ahead—as frequently as every 5 years by 2030. The devastation New York endured after Hurricane Sandy may even become a 23-year regularity.
The gradual rise in severity of all these weather types will seriously impact people and property in the years to come.
What does bad weather mean for vehicles and homes?
Hurricanes span 5 categories that indicate escalating degrees of home damage through storm surges, powerful winds and inland flooding. Roofs, extensions, or even the entire structure may be torn apart. This could leave residents with no other choice but to relocate—at their own expense—until repairs are done.
Extreme cold brings indoor risks. Accidental home fires cost $2 billion in property loss every year, and almost half of these fires occur in the coldest months of the year (December to January). Fifteen percent of home fires occur when people try harder to stay warm, as cooking ranges left open, portable heaters, and unclean chimneys can all lead to disaster. Follow these Red Cross tips to stay safer.
Vehicles may not even get out of the driveway during severe weather. Dislodged snow can cause varying degrees of exterior damage, while hurricanes flooding and debris can total vehicles completely. Even seasoned drivers struggle in hard weather (assuming they reach the road). Rain, sleet, and snow compromise visibility cause lane obstructions and raise fatal crash risks by 34 percent.
What’s worse, the weather doesn’t have to be extreme to be deadly. Rain is the predominant cause of over one million weather-related crashes in America every year according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Snow, sleet, ice, and fog were responsible for far less. Any accident could mean serious damage to vehicles and drivers, so it’s essential to protect yourself.
The Insurance Information Institutes offers a list of safety measures to ensure your car performs optimally in bad weather. These tips help limit the chances of an accident or breakdown and the resulting insurance claim.
4 insurance tips to handle the weather
There are also insurance steps that can help protect you and your property against every kind of weather hazard.
- Visit the Federal Emergency Management website to discover if you live in a flood zone and how to prepare if you do. Flood insurance is not typically covered by homeowner or renter policies, but it can be purchased from the National Flood Insurance Program. Some insurance agents also offer flood coverage if your region participates in the NFIP.
- Do a home contents inventory as soon as possible. This will help your insurer better assess post-weather damage and compensate you accordingly. This list of 2019’s best home inventory apps will help you collect data in every room.
- Standard homeowner policies usually cover against the risk of home fires in winter months. Install smoke alarms and extinguishers at home, then let your insurer know you installed them. They reduce the risk of a claim, which may lower your premium.
- Comprehensive and collision auto insurance are valuable policies for all kinds of bad weather. Collision will cover against losing control while driving, and comprehensive covers a wide variety of incidents such as debris damage.
Stay informed and stay ahead of bad weather
You can follow the National Weather Service or AccuWeather for real-time information on weather conditions throughout the state. Notify NYC provides official emergency information in the city. The state also provides resources targeted at especially vulnerable parties—kids, seniors, pets and people with disabilities.
When you’re fully informed, you can get in touch with NICRIS for the right insurance before the next weather event.
NICRIS Insurance focuses on providing clients with the appropriate suite of products to protect them, their interests and their loved ones. If you’re bracing for bad weather and need some insurance advice, we provide a free, personalized review, or you can get in touch by dropping us a line!


It seems like adding access to public lands is something everyone agrees on, unless I suppose, you are neighbors and there are undesirable effects of “bad apples”. Or if you think more recreation means more negative environmental impacts. Well, anyway.. turns out that onX (a company that has apps for hikers, off-roaders and hunters) also contributes to efforts to gain more access to public lands.
Here’s their philosophy:
A coalition of outdoor enthusiasts is stronger than divided groups. The various outdoor communities don’t always agree on how public lands should be managed. But the fact is, industrial development and suburban sprawl are larger threats to our ability to access public lands and waters, and every outdoor community is impacted, directly or indirectly. Efforts to preserve recreational access and keeping open land open will be more effective when outdoor enthusiasts work side-by-side, instead of focusing on our differences and fighting individual battles. By standing up for everyone’s right to access the outdoors, we’ll protect our own right to adventure.
I thought this about Maine was interesting.
Private Land, Public Access
This whole system is founded directly on Maine’s Landowner Liability Law, which is explained by the town of York, “If someone uses your land or passes through your premises for outdoor recreation or harvesting, you assume no responsibility and incur no liability for injuries to that person or that person’s property. You are protected whether or not you give permission to use the land.” This law has instilled good faith within landowners, primarily of large swaths such as timber company holdings, to allow recreational access of all kinds so that the general public can enjoy Maine’s treasured lands.
Well, why is land conservation so important right now in Maine if everything that isn’t posted is good to go? According to Maine Inland Fish and Wildlife, roughly 94% of the forested part of state is privately held. That means that most recreation that happens—whatever your vehicle, discipline, sport, or pastime—is likely going to happen on private land. When the state was mostly farmers and population density was low, that made it simple to know the neighbors across the stone wall. Now, increasing real estate sales, with smaller acreages, are resulting in a state increasingly segmented and, as previously mentioned, posted. This illustrates the importance that land trusts preserve public access, and keep the tradition alive.
In Colorado, we have something similar but perhaps not quite good enough as per this Colorado Sun story about 14ers..
Welcome to the woods. Please scan this code and swear you won’t sue.
After several months of closure, the Decalibron Loop trail accessing four 14ers in the Mosquito Range near Alma will reopen Friday to any hiker who scans and signs a liability waiver on their phones.
Landowner John Reiber is installing signs with a QR code on the road leading from Alma to Kite Lake, the starting point of the 7-mile Decalibron Loop trail that connects Mounts Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln and Bross. If hikers scan the code with their phones and e-sign the waiver, they will be able to legally access Reiber’s property along the Decalibron Loop. If they do not, they will be trespassing.
“This is not a true solution,” Reiber said. “This is a temporary Band-Aid to the problem. The true solution is for us to get the state law changed and fix the Colorado Recreational Use Statute. That is the ultimate fix not just for me but a lot of landowners.”
Reiber, who owns a patchwork of mining properties that lead to the summits of Mount Lincoln and Mount Democrat, is among a growing coalition of landowners worried they could be sued by recreational visitors on their land.
I wonder whether private land liability is an issue elsewhere?


There was a report on tonight’s edition of Newsnight on the growing ethanol industry in the corn belt of the US. The growth of this industry was hailed by profiting farmers, those concerned about energy security and those worried by carbon emissions.
However, the report warned that increased corn production is damaging the environment as millions of tonnes of fertiliser are being washed from the fields into the rivers and affecting the fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
Another concern is that the increased price of corn would drive up the price of food and that people in developing countries might starve. The Council on Hemispheric Affairs warns that increased global corn prices have caused the price of tortillas to increase by 100%. Is food worth less than fuel? Are American companies putting profits before people?
How should the various parties respond to this situation? What are their aims and options?
First consider the ethanol producers and corn farmers in the US and Mexico. They are benefiting from increased sales and higher sales prices. Is it reasonable to expect the farmers to be worried about whether their corn is sold for ethanol or food? Why should the ethanol manufacturers feel guilty about paying the top prices to their suppliers?
Then there is the US government, which currently gives tax breaks to the ethanol manufacturers. The government could reduce these tax breaks, reducing the profits of the industry and hurting the pockets of drivers. If oil prices continue to rise and worries about buying oil from dodgy regimes don’t go away, the increased cost might be absorbed by the consumer, increasing tax revenues to the government whilst pissing everyone else off.
They could also increase the tax breaks to ethanol plants, which would benefit every one in the industry and drivers but this would increase the impact on the environment.
The ethanol plants can’t stop buying their main raw material. The US government could introduce tariffs on Mexican corn. This would increase profits for American farmers but also increase the price at the pump for American drivers and reduce the profits of the ethanol plants. The tariffs would also reduce profits for Mexican corn farmers and Mexico’s income of foreign capital. Would this help the poor people of Mexico by reducing the price of corn and allowing them to eat or would the hampered exports and reduced GDP be worse for them in the medium to long term?
Consider this from the Mexican government’s point of view. They could put a cap exports of corn to try to stop the corn leaving the country. This would only benefit Brazil and other countries which export ethanol from crops as they would be depriving themselves of a source of foreign money. Do governments ever cap exports?
Filipe Calderon, the Mexican president’s response was to cap the price of tortillas. This might avoid profiteering but it won’t stop the corn going over seas. If the price of tortillas is capped, Mexican farmers have even more reason to try to sell their corn to the US. This could lead to a scarcity of corn.
Another response the Mexican president had was to increase the quota of duty free corn products coming from the US. If the people of Mexico cannot afford to buy food, why are there any tariffs on food imports? If Mexico can sell some corn products to America whilst buying others from them; the price difference either way cannot be very great, otherwise the American corn market would buy all the corn and none would be left to sell to the Mexicans.
It seems that barriers to free trade are the problem here and the biggest threat to the availability of food to the people of Mexico is government interference in trade.


Ultimately Ritalin and Adderall belong to the same class of compounds, the phenethylamines. Ritalin is one of the trade names of the compound methylphenidate. It is also sold as Concerta and Biphentin which differ in dose and have small modifications to control release of the active compound. Adderall is a mixture of right and left handed enantiomers of amphetamine. Dexedrine is purely the right handed enantiomer of amphetamine, while Vyvanse is the right handed enantiomer with lysine attached, thus making it an inactive prodrug. All of these are stimulants and act on the release and reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine. They are used primarily in the treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy.
Adderall is Amphetamine
I have to be honest right off the bat and say that this post is cobbled together mainly from multiple articles on Wikipedia.
Now before we start, we need to do a bit of chemistry …
Phenethylamine is the parent compound of the drugs we are talking about today. Phenethylamine contains a phenyl ring (it looks like benzene if you remember organic chemistry) with an ethyl group coming off which is attached to an NH2. To build child molecules from this parent you can stick various parts onto the structure which yields a class of compounds called the “substituted phenethylamines”.
One of the substituted phenethylamines is amphetamine. It turns out that “amphetamine” is short for alpha‑methylphenethylamine, which you can see from the name, is one of the simplest substituted phenethylamines. It exists as left handed or right handed enantiomers (levorotary or dextrorotary AKA levoamphetamine or dextroamphetamine). It also turns out that amphetamine is the parent compound for its own class of drugs, the substituted amphetamines (which you can make by sticking various things onto the amphetamine molecule).
So as far as family trees go, phenethylamine is the granddaddy who had a whole pile of children. One of those is amphetamine who went off and had a whole pile of children of his own.
Methylphenidate is a substituted phenethylamine, but not a part of the amphetamine family. It is synthesized from piperidine (which is found in black pepper and used in the synthesis of a whole whackload of other drugs).
Adderall is the trade name for the combination of 75% dextroamphetamine and 25% levoamphetamine. Since the components of Adderall are just pure amphetamine I suppose the generic name for Adderall is just “amphetamine”. The drug Dexedrine is pure dextroamphetamine, while Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) is dextroamphetamine with the amino acid lysine stuck to it. This makes Vyvanse a substituted amphetamine.
Now that all that pesky chemistry is out of the way, we can see why Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (amphetamine) have similar effects, they are both phenethylamines.
Methylphenidate has been used since the 1950s in the US and (as I’m sure you know) use has skyrocketed in recent decades. It is a stimulant and inhibits the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine (dopamine more-so) by blocking the reuptake transporters. Like amphetamine, methylphenidate has left handed and right handed enantiomers as well. The right handed, or dextrorotary enantiomer is more effective which has led to the production of pure dextrorotary methylphenidate or “dexmethylphenidate”. This is marketed as Focalin or Attenade.
It is used in the treatment of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and narcolepsy. It has also been used in cases of refractory depression and as a performance enhancer (both athletic and cognitive).
Amphetamine was first synthesized in the late 1800s and began being used medically in the 1930s. It is a stimulant and, like methylphenidate, it increases the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the synaptic cleft. It has several different mechanisms though. Wikipedia has an excellent graphic on the amphetamine and the Adderall page that explains some of the proposed mechanisms of amphetamine on dopamine, but I can summarize. Amphetamine stimulates the TAAR (trace amine associated receptor) molecule which then affects the dopamine transporter in a few possible ways. It could make the transporter work in reverse mode and push dopamine back into the synaptic cleft rather than reuptake it. It could also cause internalization of the dopamine transporter leaving fewer transporters along the membrane to reuptake dopamine. Amphetamine is also a competitive antagonist for dopamine at the dopamine receptor, so even if the receptor is functioning in reuptake mode, it may be too clogged with amphetamine to remove dopamine from the cleft. It also displaces dopamine from pre-synaptic vesicles, pushing that dopamine into the cytosol and making it more likely get extruded into the cleft by a dopamine transporter working in reverse mode. Similar mechanisms have been proposed for the effect of amphetamine on norepinephrine. Dextroamphetamine has more potent central effects, but levoamphetamine has more potent cardiovascular and other peripheral effects. It also has a slightly longer half-life.
As with methylphenidate, it is used in the treatment of ADHD, and narcolepsy. It has off-label use in depression and as a performance enhancer (both athletic and cognitive). It also has some use in obesity. Amphetamines are the infamous “go pills” used by the US military to keep pilots awake on long missions (you can read about that here).
The CADDRA guidelines contain the Canadian recommendations for ADHD treatment. You can click here to see their excellent graphic on ADHD medications which list all the drugs I’ve talked about. They publish a large guideline document, but Chapter 7 is of particular relevance to today’s topic.
Most sources don’t give strong evidence that one drug is “better” than another, but rather the medications are just “different”. Choice of drug may just come down to patient characteristics (age, history, symptoms), patient preference, physician preference, side-effect tolerance, and so forth.
Wikipedia’s Ritalin (methylphenidate) page
Wikipedia’s Adderall page
CADDRA ADHD medication graphic
CADDRA ADHD Guidelines 2011 -Chapter 7 – Pharmacological Treatment of ADHD


The severity of brain fog can vary, and can be compounded by several factors, for example high stress levels and lack of sleep. Lack of sleep can itself cause brain fog, so in many ways, having allergy-induced brain fog is somewhat similar to trying to function without enough sleep, except that getting more sleep leads to limited improvement, if any.
Brain Fog Symptoms
Brain fog causes a general dived in productivity including a definite reduction in the ability to think, reduces motivation, similar to mild depression, and can cause depression as well. It is the cause of poor memory, poor social functioning, low marks in school, poor performance at work, and an unsatisfactory personal life. Depending on the sevarity of the brain fog, these efects can vary from slight to quite pernounced, although often only the victim is really aware of the brain fog while others perceive them to be normal, even if they don’t seem too sharp at times.
Brain Fog Causes
- Food allergies such as gluten allergy and yeast allergy, also wheat, soy and dairy allergies
- Candida overgrowth
- Chemical allergies
- Sleep deprivation *
- Nutrient deficiencies *
- Toxic chemicals
- Toxic metals including mercury, aluminum, cadmium and lead
- Copper imbalance (made worse by birth control pills/patches and poorly balanced vegetarian diets) *
- Other mineral imbalances such as iron, manganese and chromium *
- Too much calcium
- Bowel Toxicity *
- Drinking too little water (or too much pop, coffee, sugared juices etc.)
- Thyroid imbalance *
- Being sick, for example cold or flu
- Physiological/emotional stress
Brain Fog Treatment
If you have brain fog caused by an allergy, the most important brain fog treatment is to avoid the allergen. For example, if you have a gluten allergy, avoid all gluten. It could take weeks to clear out of your system, so stay the course.
Maintaining a properly balanced nutritional intake is also important. If you are not sure if you have an allergy or not, it is still a good idea to eliminate sugar, wheat and make sure you have some, but not too much protein in your diet, along with a good complement of vegetables. Body detoxification is also important.


Tenzin Gyatso – The Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso, the XIVth Dalai Lama, is a moral figure and spiritual leader revered worldwide. He was born to a farming family on July 6, 1935 in a small village called Taktser in northeastern Tibet. He was recognized, in accordance with Tibetan tradition, at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor, the XIIIth Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be Embodiments of Compassion, who choose to reincarnate for the purpose of serving humanity. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989, he is universally respected as a spokesman for the compassionate and peaceful resolution of human conflict. He was awarded the United States Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 in recognition for his “many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights and religious understanding.” He has traveled extensively, speaking on subjects including universal responsibility, love, compassion and kindness.His Holiness is committed to the promotion of the human values of compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline – what he calls secular ethics – and also promotes religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions.
Desmond Mpilo Tutu
The name Desmond Tutu resonates strongly with people all around the world. While his vigorous anti-apartheid activism in his native South Africa first propelled him into the glare of international news media, today he is revered as a ‘moral voice’ to end poverty and human rights abuses. While he is an Anglican Archbishop emeritus and steadfast in his religious beliefs, Tutu places great value on religious inclusiveness and interfaith dialogue.Born in Klerksdorp, near Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1931, Tutu initially followed his father’s example and obtained teaching qualifications. However, following the introduction of Bantu education in 1958, he decided to enter the ministry. He was ordained in Johannesburg three years later.Following further theological studies at King’s College in London, Tutu held several positions in teaching and theological work in southern Africa. In 1978, he was persuaded to leave his job as Bishop of Lesotho to become the new General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC). In this position, which he held until 1985, Tutu became a national and international figure.
The SACC was committed to fulfilling the social responsibility of the Church, and as its chairperson, Tutu led a formidable crusade in support of justice and racial conciliation in South Africa. His tireless work was recognized in 1984, when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Then, following a short stint as the Bishop of Johannesburg, Tutu was elected Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986, an office he held until his retirement in 1996.
While many of Tutu’s critics predicted that he would enter government, he never did. Instead, he became a key mediator in the difficult transition toward democracy.
In 1996, he was appointed by President Nelson Mandela to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body set-up to probe gross human rights violations during apartheid.
Following the presentation of the Commission’s report to then president Mandela in October 1998, Tutu has been a visiting professor at Emory University, Atlanta, the Episcopal Divinity School, Boston and the University of North Florida, Jacksonville. He has published several books, the latest of which is titled ‘God Has a Dream’. He has a private office near his home in Milnerton, Cape Town.
Betty Williams was a co-recipient with Mairead Corrigan of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her work as a cofounder of Community of Peace People, an organisation dedicated to promoting a peaceful resolution to The Troubles in Northern Ireland. On the occasion of receiving the Nobel Prize, she said, “The Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded for what one has done, but hopefully what one will do.” She is also the Chair of Institute for Asian Democracy in Washington D.C. and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Nova Southeastern University. In 2006, Williams was one of the founders of the Nobel Women’s Initiative along with sister Nobel Peace Laureates Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchu Tum. Six women representing North America and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa decided to bring together their experiences in a united effort for peace with justice and equality. It is the goal of the Nobel Women’s Initiative to help strengthen work being done in support of women’s rights around the world.As a result of many years of work, The Global Children’s Studies Center was founded by Mrs. Williams in 1992. This evolved into founding World Centers of Compassion for Children International in 1997, in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Shirin Ebadi is a lawyer, human rights activist, and the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her work defending the rights of women and children in Iran, and advocating an interpretation of Islam which is compatible with democracy and human rights. She is the first Iranian and Muslim woman to receive the prize. Ebadi received a law degree from the University of Tehran in 1965, and became one of the first female judges in Iran.In 1975, she was the first Iranian woman to preside over a legislative court. Following Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, Ebadi was demoted to the position of a clerk in the court she had presided over because the revolution deemed women unfit to serve as judges. Unable to accept the discrimination against her, she resigned, and although her application was repeatedly rejected, finally obtained a license to open a law firm. For the next two decades, Ebadi devoted her life to the promotion of women’s rights, the defense of children, and political activists. Her organization, the Association for Human Rights Advocates, provides pro bono legal service to political prisoners in Iran. Shirin Ebadi has spoken out strongly against discrimination and injustice in her country, at times despite great risk to her own safety.In 2000, she spent a month in solitary confinement as a result of defending the family of a student killed by the police in protests in Tehran. Shirin Ebadi’s principal arena is the struggle for basic human rights and the fundamental value that political power in a community must be built on democratic elections. She favors dialogue as the best path to changing attitudes and resolving conflict, and as a conscious Muslim believes there is no conflict between Islam and fundamental human rights.
Dr. Ebadi is the founder of three NGOs in Iran, The Association for the Defense of the Rights of the Child, The Association for Human Rights Advocates, and the Organization against Mines in Iran. She is the author of 14 books, including available in English a memoir Iran Awakening; Refugee Law in Iran; and, The Golden Cage.
Mairead Maguire was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her extraordinary actions to end the sectarian violence in her native Northern Ireland. She shares the award with Betty Williams.Mairead was the aunt of the three children who died as a result of being hit by an Irish Republican Army getaway car after its driver was shot by a British soldier. Mairead responded to the violence facing her family and community by organizing, with Betty Williams, massive peace demonstrations appealing for an end to the bloodshed.The two organized a peace march attended by 10,000 Protestant and Catholic women, to the graves of the Maguire children. The march was disrupted by members of the IRA, who accused them of being influenced by the British. The following week, 35,000 people marched with Betty and Mairead, demanding an end to the violence in their country. The pair, along with journalist Ciaran McKeown, also founded Peace People, a movement committed to building a just and peaceful society through nonviolent social action. Mairead currently serves as Honorary President.
In the thirty years since receiving the award, Mairead has dedicated her life to promoting peace, both in Northern Ireland and around the world. Her message is simple —nonviolence is the only way to achieve a peaceful and just society. Working with community groups throughout Northern Ireland, as well as with political and church leaders, she has sought to promote dialogue between the deeply divided communities of Catholics and Protestants.
Jody Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines through the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which shared the Peace Prize with her that year. At that time, she became the 10th woman — and third American woman — in its almost 100-year history to receive the Prize. Since her protests of the Vietnam War, she has been a life-long advocate of freedom, self-determination and human and civil rights.Like others who’ve seen the ravages of war, she’s an outspoken peace activist who struggles to reclaim the real meaning of peace—a concept which goes far beyond the absence of armed conflict and is defined by human security, not national security. Williams believes that working for peace is not for the faint of heart. It requires dogged persistence and a commitment to sustainable peace, built on sustainable development, environmental justice and security, and meeting the basic needs of the majority of people on our planet.Since January of 2006, Jody Williams has worked to achieve her peace work through the Nobel Women’s Initiative, which she chairs. Along with sister Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi of Iran, she took the lead in establishing the Nobel Women’s Initiative, and was joined by sister Laureates Wangari Maathai (Kenya), Rigoberta Menchu Tum (Guatemala) and Betty Williams and Mairead Maguire (Northern Ireland). Its mission is to use the prestige and access afforded by the Nobel Prize to spotlight and promote efforts of women’s rights activists, researchers and organizations working to advance peace, justice and equality for women. By helping to advance the cause of women, the Nobel Women’s Initiative advances all of humanity.
In February-March 2007, Williams lead a contentious High Level Mission on Darfur for the UN’s Human Rights Council. She presented the Mission’s hard-hitting report to the Council in March of that year and continues to be actively involved in work related to stopping the war in Darfur. Williams continues to be recognized for her contributions to human rights and global security. She is the recipient of fifteen honorary degrees, among other recognitions. In 2004, Williams was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world in the publication of its first such annual list.


What causes solar keratosis to develop?
Solar keratoses are caused by damage to surface skin cells from ultraviolet sunlight. They are especially common in fair-skinned people that have lived abroad, worked outdoors, or in those that enjoy sunbathing. Ultraviolet light damages the outer layer of the skin causing cells to overgrow and this produces the raised firm scaly lesions that are seen in solar keratosis. This damage accumulates over many years of exposure and more than 20% adults aged over 60 years develop solar keratosis. Ultraviolet light is also responsible for producing premature ageing, wrinkles, flat brown pigmented skin lesions (“sun spots”), thinning of the skin (solar elastosis), and skin cancers.
Are solar keratosis harmful?
Generally speaking, solar keratosis are not harmful and can be left untreated if they are not causing any symptoms. However, patients should be aware that they are at an increased risk of developing co-existent skin cancer because they also develop in sun-damaged skin. The risk of an individual solar keratosis turning into a skin cancer is very small (less than 1 in 400 lesions each year).
Is treatment necessary?
Very early solar keratosis do not need treatment and may resolve spontaneously with sun protection. However, treatment may be warranted if they itch, bleed, become very scaly/crusty or if there is any concern about the development of a skin cancer. Sun avoidance is necessary to help reduce the number of new lesions developing.
What treatments are effective?
Persistent solar keratosis may require treatment. There are several effective treatment options and some common ones are:
Solaraze Gel® (Diclofenac and Hyaluronidase): This is applied once daily for up to 12 weeks. It works by causing inflammation in the unstable skin cells. Treated skin lesions look worse before they improve. They may become red, sore and weep, but most patient have very minimal side effects and Solaraze is generally well tolerated. Solaraze® is about 50%-70% effective and works best in early superficial lesions. Treatment courses may be repeated.
Efudix Cream® (5-Flourauracil Cream): Efudix® is applied twice daily for 3 weeks or once daily for 6 weeks to a small area of affected skin (typically less than 8-10 cm2 ). It works by destroying abnormal skin cells and causes a pronounced inflammation in skin lesions. It is normal to see redness, crusting, and rarely ulceration. All patients should see this skin reaction; it is part of the treatment. Treatment may need to be stopped for a few days if the reaction is very intense. You may need to ask your doctor to prescribe a topical steroid/antibiotic (Fucibet® cream) if the reaction is severe. It is 85% effective and is very effective for multiple unstable lesions. Treatment courses can be repeated or rotated around different areas.
Cryotherapy Freezing (Liquid Nitrogen): Cryotherapy destroys the unstable skin cells allowing healthy skin cells to heal the treated area. Freezing typically takes a few seconds and wounds heal in 7-15 days. It is relatively painful but very effective (90% of skin lesions will resolve with a single freeze). Side-effects include blistering, crusting and occasionally a white permanent scar.
Photodynamic Therapy (Metvix PDT®): Extensive facial or scalp solar keratosis may require treatment with a special cream and red light. The cream is selectively absorbed by abnormal skin cells to make a photosensitive chemical that is then destroyed by red light. It can be used for extensive disease and has the advantage that healing only takes 7-10 days with good cosmesis. Multiple treatments may be required, and each session is typically 70-75% effective.
Skin Curettage & Cautery: Thickened or persistent solar keratosis may be better treated and removed by scraping (curettage and cautery). A local anaesthetic injection is required prior to treatment. Usually, the sample would be sent for histological analysis (biopsy). Healing typically takes 10-21 days but may be longer on the lower leg. The skin will heal with a small pink/white scar.
Do I need to be seen regularly by my dermatologist?
You don’t necessarily need to have a regular review for actinic keratoses. However for patients with many lesions, especially if they have had a skin cancer previously we would recommend you come to see one of our Consultant Dermatologists once or twice a year for a general skin review; unfortunately due to current constrains routine skin checks are not offered in NHS Dermatology clinics
Can I do anything to help the skin problem?
Studies have shown that avoidance of further exposure to sunlight reduces the number of new skin lesions. It is advisable to avoid sun exposure by covering up with light clothing, use of a wide-brimmed hat, and by wearing a high Sun Protection Factor (SPF>25) sunscreen. Try and avoid sun exposure between 11am and 3pm.


The Argonne TRACER Center has advanced the science of krypton dating to a practical level for young (10–50 years) and ancient (30–2000 kyrs) groundwater and glacial ice with Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA).
Since our first demonstration of Krypton-81 dating in 1999, which employs a laser-based atom trap to selectively capture and detect the isotope of interest, we have improved the sensitivity of our technique by orders of magnitude – now allowing rapid dating of small (< 10 microliters of krypton gas at standard temperature and pressure) samples.
ATTA can measure the relative isotopic abundance of Krypton-81 and Krypton-85 in environmental samples of ice, water and air. ATTA is extremely sensitive and selective, allowing us to detect isotopes whose isotopic abundance is less than one part in 1015.
The half-lives of 81Kr (~230,000 years) and 85Kr (~10 years) allow for dating over a wide range of ages and can ideally complement the dating range of other isotopes such as 14C (~5,700 yrs).
Our third-generation atom-trapping apparatus was specifically designed for routine radiokrypton analysis and is ready for operation. In addition, we are currently building an additional state-of-the-art ATTA instrument as part of our Argonne TRACER Center for increased sample throughput and increased availability to accommodate demand.


Chapter 9: Density Functional Calculations of NMR Chemical Shifts in Carbon Nanotubes
Published:09 Jun 2011
E. Zurek and J. Autschbach, in Computational Nanoscience, ed. E. Bichoutskaia, J. Hirst, K. D. Jordan, W. Thiel, and C. Lim, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2011, ch. 9, pp. 279-306.
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Computations of spectroscopic parameters of nanosystems can serve as an aid in experimental characterization. The focus of this article is on NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) since in general this is one of the most versatile tools to study the structures, and properties of molecules and solids. After outlining the theory behind first–principles calculations of NMR parameters, it is illustrated that detailed information about the structure of carbon nanosystems can be obtained from these calculations. Theoretical studies of pristine SWNTs have indicated that 13C NMR may be used to determine the diameter distribution of a bulk sample. NICS (nucleus independent chemical shifts) have provided information about the aromaticity of various tubes, and the NMR chemical shifts of small molecules trapped in nanotubes have been calculated. Work on amine functionalized SWNTs has suggested that 13C NMR may be used to determine which nanotube carbons are derivatized, and perhaps even yield information about the diameter of the tubes. 13C NMR can potentially be useful to quantify the degree of fluorination. Theoretical studies on Stone-Wales defects have indicated that characteristic NMR signals may arise from atoms in the defect site. The tensor properties of nanotube NMR shielding is discussed.


Too early to stop remediation of St. Lawrence River
St. Lawrence River Institute staff sample sediment for contamination in the St. Lawrence River beside the shoreline in Cornwall. Handout/Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia Network
Concerned that senior levels of government will pull the plug on efforts to continue with long-term environmental improvements on the “big river”, Akwesasne is warning that more remediation is needed.
Despite 30 years of measures to restore the St. Lawrence River below the Moses-Saunders dam, it’s too early to stop the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for the Cornwall Area of Concern (AoC), said Akwesasne environmental officer Henry Lickers, who has been involved since the AoC was declared in the late 1980s.
The AoC included both Canadian and U.S. waters and adjacent lands.
“Recently, we hear the governments of Canada and the U.S. wanting to delist this (AoC),” Lickers said Tuesday.
“…what they’re talking about is (the AoC) as an area of recovery.”
The mounting concern has resulted in a round of new discussions between Akwesasne and federal/provincial government RAP representatives, with a meeting scheduled on Thursday.
When the RAP started, it had a number of objectives to achieve in order for the AoC to become delisted as a hotspot (one of many in Ontario).
Many of the objectives have been met, but not enough to satisfy the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA).
“The (MCA) does not agree with delisting of the Cornwall portion,” said Lickers, who had been instructed by MCA to express its views.
There are still environmental detriments that the MCA says need to be remedied, he said.
They are: reducing the amount of mercury (and other chemicals) in edible fish, improving habitat for fish and wildlife and reducing the amount of eutrophication.
Lickers said fish consumption restrictions need to be lifted so that band members (and other residents) can return more closely to their traditional diet.
More progress appears to have been made with habitat improvement, with Lickers noting Akwesasne’s involvement restoring wetlands and marshes along the river’s Quebec shoreline.
While efforts to reduce eutrophication, caused by phosphorus, have been ongoing, there is new cause of concern with the increase of forest clearing in recent years.
Fewer trees can lead to soil erosion on tributaries entering the St. Lawrence.
Looking ahead, Lickers believes the province/feds need to give Akwesasne more tools to remedy these persistent concerns.
“The funding for the ability of Akwesasne to take part in the RAP process has waxed and waned.”
He cited the stronger role neighbouring St. Regis Tribal Council receives from the U.S. as an example.
“We have felt left out in the cold,” he said, citing that Akwesasne is likely the first indigenous community with an environmental department that also consists of eight employees with university degrees.
He points to Akwesasne’s management of a study on river contaminants — “the best fish study ever done on the St. Lawrence.”
Lickers does have some reason to be optimistic, noting the Justin Trudeau Liberal government has pledged to work more closely with and assist First Nations communities.
One of Akwesasne’s RAP partners, the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Studies, would also like to get a clearer picture of what the future holds.
“We’re in fact in a kind of holding pattern,” said RAP co-ordinator Karen Douglass Cooper.
A few years ago, the AoC was reviewed by stakeholders, who determined the AoC had improved in many regards, but preferred it continue, but as an AoC in transition.
River institute executive director Jeff Ridal said RAP stakeholders are reviewing the targets that haven’t been met, stressing that land uses have changed since the 1980s.
Licker concurred that mercury is still the biggest concern, but there is a whole raft of other chemicals introduced into the river since the 1980s.


The latest news from academia, regulators
research labs and other things of interest
Posted: Jan 17, 2013
Whey protein stabilizes nanotransporter, controls pH-dependent drug release
(Nanowerk News) How can pharmaceuticals be safely carried through the acidic environment of the stomach and into the intestines? A team of Canadian and Australian researchers has developed a novel nanotransporter that consists of porous particles of silicon dioxide stabilized with a whey protein. In acidic environments the protein forms a gel that closes off the pores; at higher pH values, the pores are opened.
An innovative platform for targeted oral drug delivery is proposed based on the functionalization of drug/dye-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with a biodegradable nutraceutical (β-lactoglobulin). The attachment of the nutraceutical not only protects the drug/dye from leaching in acidic environment, but also effectively allows their release in desired basic sites (pH 7.4).
For pharmaceuticals, both the drug itself and its form of delivery are important, as the latter determines where and when the drug becomes active in the body. For example, extended-release formulations are designed to maintain a steady level of the drug over a longer period of time and antitumor drugs are meant to become active in diseased cells as selectively as possible in order to minimize side effects. To make this work the drugs have to be “packaged” correctly. Packaging is also often required for medications administered orally because many drugs are destroyed by stomach acid before they can reach the intestine to be absorbed into the bloodstream. However, the protection against acid must also release the drug under the conditions found in the intestine.
One highly promising type of drug “package” is the mesoporous silicon dioxide nanoparticle. These are biocompatible and easy to make with the required pore and particle sizes. The chemistry of their inner and outer surfaces can easily be modified, they can easily be loaded with drug molecules of various sizes, and these can in turn be released in a controlled fashion. However, these particles have a tendency to aggregate under physiological conditions, which can completely change their properties. Also, new methods must be developed to ensure selective release at the desired target. The change in pH in the transition from stomach to intestine is a potential trigger.
Their success stems from their use of β-lactoglobulin, a whey protein used as a dietary supplement. The researchers attached this to the outer surface of the porous nanoparticles, preventing their aggregation and increasing their biocompatibility. At pH values below 5, like those found in the stomach, β-lactoglobulin gels: it swells up and forms a gelatin “shell” around the nanoparticles, which clogs the pores and prevents the drug from exiting. At higher pH values like those in the intestines, the protein assumes the form of discrete molecules, opening the pores and releasing the drug.
As well as the stomach and intestine, other organs also have different pH values—and there are even pH differences between certain tumors and the surrounding healthy tissue. Further development of this new procedure may possibly be used to make nanotransporters capable of reacting to such subtler pH gradients.


Preparing kids for the teen years
BY Fiona Baker Parenting & pregnancy expert
Laying solid foundations before children reach puberty pays dividends for the future.
Teenagers get a lot of bad press. Parents of younger kids are always warned, "Just you wait until they reach their teens." So for all those mums and dads with kids on the precipice of adolescence, is there anything you can do to make the transition easier?
Firstly, parents of preteens need to dismiss the negative folklore and go with what they know - that is, their own child. That's the advice of Jonathan "Jono" Nicholas, CEO of the Inspire Foundation, which runs Reach Out, a support organisation for young people.
He says raising a teenager can be a highly rewarding experience, and describes adolescents as "inspirational" and "great company".
But he has this key tip for parents of preteens: do your research.
"A teenager goes through an intense period of physical and neurological change which lasts a few years. Recognise this and be prepared for it," he says.
"Just because your child is no longer a baby, it doesn't mean a parent's need for knowledge about raising them should stop.
"Keep doing the research so you know how to respond to the different developments you can face during these years."
US neuroscientist Dr Sam Wang, co-author of Welcome To Your Child's Brain (Bloomsbury), says while the teen brain can seem mature, a lot of key areas are far from functioning.
"Adolescence is a time of risk ... but those areas of the brain important for impulse control and planning ahead are areas in which adolescents are not online yet," he says. He says teens are unable to make decisions which avoid bad outcomes.
5 ways to prepare your preteen
There are some foundations parents can lay before their child reaches puberty, says Robyn Richardson, national manager of program development for Life Education Australia, which provides drug and health education to schools.
While she says we can't protect teens from everything, she has these five tips for parents of primary school kids.
1. Teach them to be good communicators
"Encourage kids to understand that what they say and do - positive and negative - can profoundly affect others around them," Richardson says. "Help them develop empathy and see if they can understand how others feel."
2. Help them develop skills and strategies for making decisions
"Learning how to evaluate risk is so important in the teenage years when they'll be confronted many times with the need to use problem-solving skills," she says.
3. Make sure they know how to seek help and protect themselves
This can be as simple as knowing they must wear a helmet when bike riding or knowing when to phone emergency. Richardson says it's about discussing these protective behaviours with your children as well as modelling them.
4. Challenge teen myths with your kids
"There are lots of assumptions made about teenagers so kids can grow up thinking every teen smokes or is being cyber-bullied. Know the facts and challenge these myths," she says. "For example, statistics show only 2.5 per cent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 smoke on a daily basis."
5. Be an expert about your own child
Richardson says just as every child is not the same, neither is every teen. She encourages parents to know what makes their child tick, and how they respond to certain challenges and situations.
Jono's top tip
Create rituals such as making sure the whole family gathers for one extended meal a week together, or even doing an activity which everyone enjoys.
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Vitamin C is found in foods primarily as ascorbic acid (80-90%), but dehydroascorbic acid (10-20%) is also present. The bioavailability of vitamin C is high at lower doses as shown below, but drops to less than 50% at higher doses.
|Dose (mg)||% Bioavailability|
Ascorbic acid is actively absorbed by the sodium vitamin C cotransporter (SVCT) 1. This active transport is driven by the sodium electrochemical gradient created by sodium-potassium ATPase. Ascorbic acid then diffuses into the capillary and ultimately enters general circulation. Vitamin C generally circulates as ascorbic acid.
Figure 9.311 Ascorbic acid (Asc) absorption
Most water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. Vitamin C is not stored, but is accumulated in certain tissues in the body where it can be 5-100 times higher than found in the plasma2. The table below shows the concentrations of vitamin C in different tissues and fluids.
Vitamin C Concentration*
Vitamin C Concentration*
|Adrenal Gland||30-40||Skeletal Muscle||3-4|
* mg/100 g wet tissue, mg/100 mL fluids
How does the body accumulate such high levels of vitamin C? There are 2 primary mechanisms:
- Ascorbic Acid (Ascorbate) uptake using sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCT) 1 or 2
- Ascorbic Acid (Ascorbate) Recycling
Ascorbic Acid (Ascorbate) transport using sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCT) 1 or 2
As shown below, SVCT 1 and SVCT 2 transport ascorbic acid or ascorbate into the cell against the concentration gradient (represented by the orange wedge in the figure below). Like absorption, this uptake is driven by the action of sodium-potassium ATPase. This mechanism is saturable, meaning that at high concentrations it reaches a threshold where it cannot take up ascorbic acid any faster. Thus, there is a limit to how much can be taken up through this mechanism3.
Figure 9.312 Ascorbic acid (Asc) uptake using SVCT 1 and 2 against the ascorbic acid concentration gradient3
Ascorbic Acid (Ascorbate) Recycling
In ascorbic acid recycling, ascorbic acid is oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid (DHA). DHA is then transported into the cell moving with its concentration gradient using GLUT1 or 3. Once inside the cell, DHA is reduced back to ascorbic acid, thus maintaining the DHA gradient. As a result, the cell is able to accumulate high levels of ascorbic acid3. The figure below depicts ascorbic acid recycling.
Figure 9.313 Ascorbic acid recycling3
References & Links
- Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, editors. (2006) Modern nutrition in health and disease. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
- Stipanuk MH. (2006) Biochemical, physiological, & molecular aspects of human nutrition. St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.
- Li Y, Schellhorn H. (2007) New developments and novel therapeutic perspectives for vitamin C. J Nutr 137(10): 2171-2184.


World Water Day is celebrated in the world to spread awareness about the conservation and importance of fresh and potable water.
Water – the soul of the planet
When our planet is seen from outer space, it has a distinguished blue color that highlights it from other planets. This bluish characteristic of the earth is due to the water contained in it.
Water is the key element of life as we know it. It is remarkable that 70% of the planet and the human body are made of water. It is a very important component of all forms of life on earth. Since there is so much importance of water on the planet the need of generating awareness about conservation and relevance of fresh water is also important.
World water day and its importance
This day was first officially proposed in Agenda 21 of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development on March 22nd in the year 1992, which took place in the city of Rio de Janeiro. The decision was taken by the United Nations General Assembly in order to increase the awareness among people about the importance, need, and conservation of this vital resource.
From there onwards, all the members of the United Nations have followed all the organization recommendations as well as promoting global water conservation through several activities and events. Since the implementation of World Water Day, the UN-Water has been responsible of the selection of a yearly theme and distribution of global messages along with leading the UN agencies for celebrating this event.
For the year 2018, the theme selected has been “Nature for Water” the purpose of is to explore how nature can be used to overcome the water issues presented in this troublesome 21st Century.
World Water Day is supported by several private institutions and people all over the world by establishing events such as theatrical and musical celebrations, educational events, and campaigns to raise money for access to clean and affordable water worldwide.
Several organizations involved in the objectives established by this event are the International Labor Organization, UNICEF, WaterAid, End Water Poverty, among others.
India and world water day
But why do people celebrate this event? The reasons would vary from people to people and every country around the globe has issues concerning the drinkable water and pollution of rivers, lakes, and seas. One clear example about some of these issues is India. The Asian country has a shortage of clean water supply for about 63 million people with over a sixth of India´s groundwater supply being overused. Most people have access to water only from ponds or rivers with high levels of pollution reaching astonishing levels. An alarming 80% of India’s surface water is polluted, a latest assessment by WaterAid, an international organization working for water sanitation and hygiene. Water-borne diseases and death related to contaminated water affect people from India.
So there lies the importance of initiatives like World Water Day and all the events related to it. The awareness of the proper distribution of potable water and its appropriate use among humans will be important to make this planet an immaculate place.


When you buy a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich, you might notice the little blue label that tells you the fish you’re about to eat is certified as environmentally sustainable. That sounds like good news for the environment, for fish, and for customers. But what the label doesn’t tell you is that Alaska Native communities in Western Alaska are endangered, in part because of the Seattle-based trawl boats that bring you products like McDonald’s famous fish sandwich.
The little blue label is bestowed by the Marine Stewardship Council. Its mission is to promote sustainable fishing practices by certifying fishing industries and their products. The council does that by reviewing catch methods, collateral environmental damage, and more before bestowing its ecolabel. The problem: Trawl boats that are trying to catch pollock, which is the main component of the MSC-approved Filet-O-Fish, also tend to scoop up halibut. Meanwhile, the smaller boats that actually catch halibut and bring it to market are going out of business. Over the past few years, falling catch rates for halibut in the Bering Sea have begun to threaten remote native communities—Yup’ik and Aleut, predominantly—that depend on the fish for both their economies and their food.
Trawl boats and hook-and-line fishers on smaller boats have been locked in this food fight on the Bering Sea for years, and there are gray areas to their debate. For example, management of halibut fishers has been faulty at times, and the science surrounding this particular fish population is shaky—much about halibut is simply unknown. But at heart, this is a story about whether native people living closest to a resource have the right to depend on it.
Trawlers—which can be as large as a football field—that catch pollock and flatfish such as sole and flounder also accidentally catch and kill a lot of halibut, which by law must be thrown back in the ocean rather than sold to consumers. Some of those fish may live, but a lot of them die.
The trawlers’ operators will tell you this halibut bycatch (as it’s known in industry-speak) is less than 1 percent of their total haul. That’s true. But because the trawlers haul billions of pounds of their own catch every year, last year that resulted in 6.2 million pounds of accidentally caught halibut, according to a federal report.
To their credit, the boats that bring home pollock—the main ingredient for the Filet-O-Fish; fake crab for sushi; and a lot of the breaded, freezer-aisle fare—have done a lot to reduce their role in the carnage. Still, that role remains large. The pollock industry is allowed to catch 551,000 pounds of halibut a year, but in recent years it has exceeded that cap without consequence, hitting 873,030 pounds in 2009, and 815,710 pounds in 2012. Boats fishing for sole and flounder, also sustainably certified by MSC, take an even bigger chunk of the halibut population, catching 4.6 million pounds in 2013. These boats’ flatfish are processed overseas and come back to the United States as, among other fare, grocer-branded filets in the freezer aisles of stores such as Walmart.
Over the past six years, bycatch of halibut has added up to 54 million pounds. That’s almost twice the amount of halibut caught intentionally and brought to market by the same region’s hook-and-line fishers (that are also certified sustainable, by the way). To put the amount in context, that’s enough fish to give four halibut servings to every person in California.
The halibut population has dropped so dramatically on the Bering Sea that in October the U.S.-Canada commission that protects halibut—called the International Pacific Halibut Commission—said it would end halibut fishing in Western Alaska if the United States could not find a way to rein in the trawl boats.
That might sound reasonable, if you’re only interested in protecting the fish. But if halibut fishing ends completely in Western Alaska, small-scale fishermen aren’t going to get jobs at Walmart. In places like St. Paul and Savoonga, remote native villages on islands, there aren’t many options: a few government jobs, jobs with the tribes or schools, one or two private employers, and fishing. That’s it. And more than 30,000 people living in Western Alaska have deep cultural ties to halibut or depend on it for food. In Alaska and Canada, 8,787 people fish halibut for a living, and thousands more fish halibut in Washington, Oregon, and California, where the imperiled fish migrate.
Subsistence halibut is separately regulated. The fish can be caught for people to live on—but they won’t be able to sell it. And often subsistence fishers can’t catch halibut without some sales to supplement the cost of going fishing.
To get to St. Paul, Alaska, an Aleut village where residents were once enslaved by the fur seal industry, one takes a plane with a life raft in it over the Bering Sea. Savoonga, which has been inhabited for 2,000 years, is so remote that sea ice forms around it from November to May, locking it away from the ocean.
A very low-income community anywhere else in the United States would stand a better chance of surviving such a blow to its primary industry. These are expensive places to live. Gas costs up to $6 a gallon, propane for cooking more than $14. If no one can fish for halibut, many people will leave, and even a small amount of out-migration will threaten institutions, especially schools, where funding is tied to attendance. The dominos fall from there. Families. Culture. Language.
Simeon Swetzof Jr., mayor of St. Paul, tried to articulate this in early June at a meeting in Sitka, Alaska, of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the quasi-governmental group that regulates American fisheries. These meetings are conducted with a refreshing amount of decorum, so when Swetzof lost his cool during his testimony, the room turned uncharacteristically charged. His family fishes, he said. His daughters are baiters. His wife makes meals for fishing crews. If halibut fishing ends, he said, “The younger folk will have to migrate and seek opportunities elsewhere.” Then he volunteered to stop talking because he could not stop crying, and his co-workers had asked him not to fall apart in front of the federal appointees.
Just minutes later, Matt Upton, an attorney for Seattle trawl company United States Seafoods, shifted the discussion to job loss in the Washington-based trawl industry. Another member of the council’s advisory committee had proffered that the trawl industry could better weather cuts than family-run halibut boats, particularly in remote areas but also in other parts of Alaska. Upton shot back, “That pissed me off,” then described the O’Hara Corp., one of six Washington-based companies that dominate the flatfish industry, as a family business. It is. It also owns interest in processing operations in China, 12 scallop boats, two herring boats, and three flatfish trawlers. In 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found flatfish trawlers earned an average of $11.7 million per boat. His comments gave the first signal that the council and its committees would be sticking with the status quo.
After nine days, the council resolved the problem. The news releases said as much. Newspapers reported it. The council cut the trawlers’ bycatch, they said. But do the math and you will see that the “fix” actually exacerbated the problem. It’s a 21 percent rollback on paper. That’s just half the 41 percent rollback that the International Pacific Halibut Commission says it needs to see before it will give its blessing to continued halibut fishing on the Bering Sea. Unless something changes soon, these and other native communities will have to pack up their fishing gear.
When asked about this, a representative from the Marine Stewardship Council said that the organization aims to “safeguard seafood supplies for all communities, including coastal communities that depend on fish for survival, for the future. Sustainable management is fundamental to ensuring more resilient livelihoods. By maintaining healthy fish stocks, the MSC is helping to protect jobs for the many who depend on the oceans for a living.” But MSC did not address the halibut debate or its effects on native communities. (McDonald’s did not respond to a request for comment.)
There are 15 people on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, only 11 of whom vote. Of those, seven are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, with five representing Alaska and the other two Washington. The rest hail from various posts in government, most with expertise in fisheries. All have some degree of conflict of interest: To have expertise in fishing, you have to have experience. Two Alaska council members were recused from the vote for purported conflicts of interest. They were expected to tip the scales toward reining in trawl, and without them, the council approved a plan that won’t solve the urgent problem, a plan that puts the Alaska halibut fishers at risk of being shut down entirely. Several fishers sat in the audience weeping during the vote.
Phillip Lestenkof, president of the Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association, summed it up. Standing outside the hall in which a panel of mostly white guys just voted to worsen what he called the already “grim” conditions in St. Paul, he said, with some emotion, that the episode reminded him of when he started attending these meetings and received some advice from a Seattle lawyer. “He said: ‘Don’t ever believe this process is fair.’ ”
–From Investigate West


MyISAM vs InnoDBStorage: Engine TypeMyISAM is a non-transactional storage type, and any write option needs to be rolled back manually (if needed).InnoDB is a transaction storage type that automatically rollbacks the writes if they are not completed.
MyISAM vs InnoDBStorage: Locking
Locking is the mechanism in MySQL that prevents two users from modifying the duplicate rows at the same time by locking the row. The users can't change the table when locking is enabled.MyISAM uses the default method of table locking and allows a single session to modify the table. This means only one user at a time can alter the table. If another user tries to change the table, they will get a message saying that it is locked. The table locking method is helpful for read-only databases as it doesn't require a lot of memory.InnoDB uses row-level locking of the table. This method supports multiple sessions on the same row by only locking the rows in the modification process. Row-locking is helpful for databases that have multiple users.
The only disadvantage of row-level locking is that it consumes a lot of memory, and querying and modifying data takes time.
MyISAM vs InnoDBStorage: Foreign Keys
A foreign key is a column in one table that links the data to another table. It prevents users from adding records that destroy the link between two tables.MyISAM doesn't support the Foreign key option.InnoDB supports the Foreign Key option.
MyISAM vs InnoDBStorage: ACID Properties
ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability. MyISAM doesn't support ACID properties whereas InnoDB supports ACID properties.
MyISAM vs InnoDBStorage: PerformanceInnoDB supports transactional properties, i.e. rollbacks and commits, and has a higher speed of writing. The performance of InnoDB for large volumes of data is better as compared to MyISAM.MyISAM doesn't support transactional properties and is faster to read. As compared to InnoDB, the performance for a high volume of data is less.
MyISAM vs InnoDBStorage: ReliabilityInnoDB uses a transactional log to log every operation and hence gives reliable operations. Thus, in case of failure, data can be recovered quickly by using those logs.MyISAM offers no data integrity; hardware failures and canceled operations can cause data to become corrupt.
MyISAM vs InnoDBStorage: Caching and IndexingInnoDB supports a large pool of buffers that caches both data and indexes. However, there is no support for a Full-text search. The MyISAM key buffer is only meant for indexes, and a full-text search is supported in MyISAM.


Could you ever "prove" a hypothesis?
No. If thousand experiments find support for a hypothesis, this does
not mean that it is necessarily true.
One single experiment that is eventually finding clear evidence against
the hypothesis would make a revision of the hypothesis necessary.
Hypotheses cannot be proven, but they can be falsified.
Karl Popper (1902-1994) was the first to point out that
a good hypothesis is one that is capable of rejection.
A good hypothesis is a falsifiable hypothesis.
Thus, science advances by falsifying hypotheses.
Which of the following hypotheses would be easier to falsify?
1. There are vultures on the Petersplatz.
2. There are no vultures on the Petersplatz.
If you go to the Petersplatz and do not find a vulture,
does this mean hypothesis 1. is wrong?
No, because the vulture might just have hidden behind a tree.
However, the first time you see a vulture, hypothesis 2. is clearly
wrong, so it is falsified and you can reject it.


Recent technological advances by leading engineering companies to improve the integration of renewable energy, especially wind energy, within Europe’s power grid by 2020, will bring a pan-European electricity grid closer to reality.
Last year, the Swiss-based engineering company ABB announced the development of the world’s first circuit breaker for high voltage direct current (HVDC). “This solves a 100-year-old electrical engineering puzzle and paves the way for a more efficient and reliable electricity supply system,” says ABB. Most importantly, “it will enable the efficient integration and exchange of renewable energy”.
HVDC technology combines very fast mechanics with power electronics, and will be capable of ‘interrupting’ power flows equivalent to the output of a large power station within five milliseconds- that is 30 times faster than the blink of a human eye, says ABB. It is needed to facilitate the integration of offshore wind power and energy from other renewable sources and to interconnect different power networks in particular since it is efficient for the long-distance transportation of electricity.
French-headquartered Alstom Grid explains that a circuit breaker is vital for protecting complex so-called ‘meshed’ grids that will, in the near future, require the interconnection of several points. “The challenge is to avoid failures and blackouts, by cutting the current in the malfunctioning element as fast as possible, isolating the fault from the rest of the grid,” it says.
Alstom Grid claimed in February that it had “achieved the best performance ever seen in a HVDC circuit breaker” during tests conducted within the EU demonstration project TWENTIES. “In less than 2.5 milliseconds, the HVDC circuit breaker interrupted currents exceeding 3,000 amperes,” says the company.
“This technological achievement is excellent news for the entire electrical engineering community, and a considerable advance in our industry,” says Grégoire Poux-Guillaume, Alstom Grid president. “The direct current circuit breaker is a key element in building supergrids, both onshore and offshore. It will help to increase the share of renewable energy on the grid.”
In addition to such technological breakthroughs, the European Parliament this week gave its backing to the EU energy infrastructure package, which sets out corridors for Europe-wide energy infrastructure and identifies priority projects, including an offshore electricity grid in the North Sea. Read more here.
Alongside the physical grid infrastructure, the EU needs a single market in electricity just like the single market in people, capital, goods and services created over 25 years ago. In 2011, EU Heads of State agreed that a single electricity market should be in place by 2014, but we may be far from achieving this goal. Find out why we need a single electricity market here.
By Philippa Jones, http://www.ewea.org/blog


Click on the blue points and drag them to change the figure. Click on the point on the slider and drag it to change the ratio.|
Where would the center be and what would be the ratio for the object to be copied onto itself?
|Manipulative 1 - Dilation Classroom Demonstrator Created with GeoGebra.|
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Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is a term coined in the mid-1940s. As the phrase implies, it refers to a group of like-minded individuals, unaffiliated with any government, who seek to affect public policy and/or provide services to a community. NGOs operate locally, nationally, and internationally, and they address issues that range from human rights and environmental sustainability to disaster relief and economic development. This diversity makes it difficult to generalize their goals and characteristics. Most, but not all, are not-for-profit organizations. Although the vast majority of NGOs are independent of governmental control, some are not, especially in authoritarian countries, and NGOs often receive financial support from governments. Many NGOs supplement this money with private donations or funds from international organizations. Although political parties and guerilla organizations are not considered NGOs, some NGOs represent people who are not members of a state, and therefore operate as quasi-governments.
Irwin, Ryan, "Non-Governmental Organizations" (2015). History Faculty Scholarship. 19.
From Blum. America in the World, 1776 to the Present, 1E. © 2016 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, Inc. Reproduced by permission. www.cengage.com/permissions


Black History mobile museum reflects 'resiliency of Black experience in America'
The Black History 101 Mobile Museum made a tour stop at the East Lansing Public Library this week with over 150 pieces of historical artifacts and ephemera related to slavery, politics, Jim Crow, science, religion, music, sports and civil rights.
"The Black experience in America is the American experience, but you’re not getting this experience in your U.S. history textbooks,” said founder and curator Khalid el-Hakim, 52, of Detroit.
The former Detroit Public Schools social studies teacher began collecting historical memorabilia at garage sales, thrift stores, and antique shops as a student at Ferris State University. It was a sociology class that piqued his interest.
“Dr. David Pilgrim would bring in primary source material related to Black history to have students discuss the origins of race and racism in America," el-Hakim said. "The conversations we’d have motivated me to begin collecting materials in antique shops throughout the Big Rapids area and Northern Michigan."
He’s amassed over 10,000 pieces over the past 30 years.
"I was interested in getting things that represented the resiliency of the Black experience in America," he said. "We didn’t just accept that (racism) as being normal. When we saw it, we immediately would say “that’s wrong.”
In 1995, el-Hakim began sharing some of his collection at community meetings and organizations he’d joined.
“People thought I worked for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit," he said. "And I’d tell them it’s from my personal collection. The response I got made me realize I could step out of my community and take it to a more diverse audience."
He’s since shared his mobile museum with about 1,000 institutions in 41 states.
"It’s a beautiful experience sharing and teaching, but I’ve become a student as well. We learn from the conversations that take place that we all have more in common than we think," he said.
The mobile museum will make four other Michigan stops in the coming weeks. It will be at Lawrence Tech University on Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Public Library on Thursday and Friday, the Southfield Civic Center on Saturday, and at Northern Michigan University on Feb. 9. Additional information and tour dates can be found at www.blackhistorymobilemuseum.com.


If you have been bothered by a sore in your mouth that made it painful to eat and talk, you are not alone. Many otherwise healthy people suffer from recurrent mouth sores. Two of the most common recurrent oral lesions are fever blisters (also called cold sores) and canker sores (aphthous ulcers). When they occur in the mouth, it may be difficult to distinguish one from the other. Since the treatment and cause of these two sores are completely different, it is extremely important to know which is which.
What Are Fever Blisters (Cold Sores)?
These are common names for fluid filled blisters that commonly occur on the lips. They also can occur in the mouth, particularly on the gums and roof of the mouth (hard palate), but this is rare. Fever blisters are usually painful; in fact, the pain may precede the appearance of the lesion by a few days. The blisters rupture within hours, then crust over. They last about 7-10 days.
Causes Of Fever Blisters
Fever blisters result from a herpes simplex virus which becomes active. This virus is latent (dormant) in afflicted people, but can be activated by conditions such as stress, fever, trauma, hormonal changes, and exposure to sunlight. When lesions reappear, they tend to form in the same location.
Can Fever Blisters Be Spread?
Yes, the time from blister rupture until the sore is completely healed is the time of greatest risk for spread of infection. The virus can spread to your own eyes and genitalia, as well as to other people.
Prevention Tips For Fever Blisters:
- avoid mucous membrane contact when a lesion is present
- do not squeeze, pinch or pick at the blister
- wash hands carefully before touching your eyes or genital area, or another person
Despite all caution, it is important to remember that it is possible to transmit herpes virus even when no blisters are present.
Treatment For Fever Blisters
Treatment consists of coating the lesions with a protective barrier ointment containing an antiviral agent, for example 5% acyclovir ointment. Presently, there is no cure, but there is much research activity underway in this field. Contact your doctor or dentist for the latest information.
What Are Canker Sores?
Canker sores (also called aphthous ulcers) are small, shallow ulcers occurring on the tongue, soft palate, or inside the lips and cheeks. They are quite painful, and usually last 5-10 days.
Causes Of Canker Sores
The best available evidence suggests that canker sores result from an altered local immune response associated with stress, trauma, or local irritants, such as eating acidic foods (i.e., tomatoes, citrus fruits and some nuts.)
Can Canker Sores Spread?
No, since they are not caused by bacteria or viral agents, they cannot be spread locally or to anyone else.
Treatment For Canker Sores
The treatment is directed toward relieving discomfort and guarding against infection. A topical corticosteroid preparation such as triamcinolone dental paste (Kenalog in Orabase 0.1%) is helpful. Unfortunately, no cure exists at present.
What About Other Sores?
For any mouth lesion that does not heal in two weeks, you should see your physician or dentist.


We hope you find this guide both informative and fun. It consists of ten sections, including the one you are in right now. Each contains information on a particular set of subject matter, such as the methods and concepts in archeology and sensitivity.
This guide is primarily designed for self-motivated learning that increases your base of knowledge about the effective interpretation of archeological resources each time you visit. You may tailor your visit to what you want to learn today. In other words, you can come back as frequently as you want and learn at your own pace.
If you know little about archeological resources, we suggest that you complete all sections in the order they are presented.
The time it takes to work through the whole guide depends on how much knowledge you wish to extract. To be thorough, you'll want to read all the text, complete the online activities, link to and read the case studies, explore all the links in each section, and read some of the suggested readings.
The highlights of each section are photographs, links to illustrative case studies, additional information sources and/or online activities, and a glossary linked to keywords in the text and marked by underlining the first time they appear in a section. In each section, you are provided with a list of suggested readings. Several sources furnished the photographs and illustrations (see Credits) in order to demonstrate effective archeological resource interpretation experience and expertise at the federal, state, and local levels.
Each section may include Try It Yourself, Case Study, Fun Fact, For Your Information, and Use What You Know boxes that are linked to other web sites.
- Activities in Try It Yourself boxes provide you with the opportunity for interactive study of archeological methods such as seriation, artifact analysis and site sampling strategies. While many of these activities are designed for students, you may find the information and interaction they provide valuable in increasing both your own understanding of the concept or method and your ability to explain the concept or method to visitors.
- Each Case Study demonstrates some or all of the concepts or methods discussed in that section. Where possible the case study represents archeological work undertaken within a national park.
- Fun Facts offer unique insights into archeology.
- For Your Information boxes suggest additional resources.
- The Highlighted Case Study contains questions to help you Use What You Know to interpret archeological resources in any situation.
- At the end of each chapter there is a Use What You Know box with questions to help assess your knowledge and understanding of the material covered. There is one to get you started at the beginning of the next chapter.
Please note that web addresses are current at the date of guide publication (date appears in parenthesis in each box) but may change beyond the control of the NPS. Also note that the NPS Internet policy does not permit links to commercial web sites (URL that ends in .com). Therefore, this guide only links to web sites of educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, and federal agencies. Highly recommended web sites are particularly relevant to issues discussed in the text.
As a final note, the spelling of “archeology” and its derivatives follows the conventions of the federal government. The spelling commonly used in academia and in publications for the public, “archaeology,” is followed when appropriate in quotations and bibliographical citations.


Prepared by Orit Vertesh-Burg (B.Sc) – Horticultural Consultant and vegetables Grafting Specialist (firstname.lastname@example.org)
- Establish the grafting operation only when the entire nursery’s operation is functioning well and is fully versed in regular seedlings production. Grafting requires a far more advanced skill set.
- Disease and infection never appear out of nowhere, it is always an indication of inappropriate conditions and/or treatments during the growing and acclimation stage. In case of infection, there is an urgent need to recheck the entire grafting process and conditions in order to understand what went wrong. No chemical treatment will solve the entire problem.
- A vigorous scion and rootstock is the key to success. Ensure providing them the optimal growing condition: space, temperature and light .
- Before growing a new variety of scion and/or rootstock, execute a preliminary test in order to understand their growing patterns and seeding schedule. This is extremely important for Solanaceae crops since they require a full matching of stem’s diameter.
- Always purchase seeds from a reliable company. Seed born diseases can be transferred easily during the grafting operation.
- Ensure that the rootstock seed lot germinates well and uniformly. Many rootstock varieties are available on the market, there is no need to compromise on the quality of the seeds lot. This will pay off by labor saving and by the grafting quality
- Maintain a minimum of 95% humidity in the healing area, however, minimize excess moisture on the leaves. Heavy droplets on the leaves may lead to undesirable reactions like “melting” scions or disease.
- Expose the grafted plants to natural greenhouse conditions as quickly as possible. Due to the high humidity condition, every day spent in the healing area exposes grafted plants to risks of disease or disorder.
- Avoid unnecessary manual handling of grafted plants, especially while spacing the grafted seedlings. Manual handling is the main source of disease transmission.