This week I’ve had a lovely time using 2Create a Super Story (or 2CASS) with pupils in Year 2. As I’ve said before, it’s a fantastic program to use with pupils as it’s so inclusive, lots of fun and can be used across age groups for all sorts of projects. This week the focus was a little different: Year 2 were recapping copying and pasting skills. I wanted to make this as much fun as possible so decided to link to their current pirate topic and use a program that they’re familiar with. As it happened I also wanted to improve their knowledge and usage of 2CASS as they move towards year 3: we’ve recently invested in a community license project with 2Simple and 2CASS is one of the programs pupils are now accessing at home. A perfect opportunity then to cover quite a few bases with one program.
Now one of my golden rules (in life generally) is to be as creative as possible and I have to say I’ve taken a few liberties with some of the tools and items in 2CASS as I’m using them in a different way to how they’re presented in the program. I don’t think it matters – if you can find more than one use for something then go for it! Here’s what we did…
- Firstly we choose the scroll setting: I felt this was pretty much perfect for the topic we were covering as it gave it a pirate map feel. We did discuss the other options available but the children agreed that the scroll was our best choice.
- We filled the picture area with a nice blue colour for the sky. We wanted a similar colour for the water as the other blues were a bit too dark (although some children were happy with them and were able to choose them). By double right clicking the one of the blue colours we brought up the full palette – this gave us much more choice.
- We chose the boat animation template from the transport section. We filled it with our base colour (brown) and then removed parts of it with the clear (or, as the children like to call it, magic) pen. This makes a huge difference to the look of the boat. We use the filled rectangle to colour the sail and used it again with the clear setting to give the ship three sails. We added a simple animation of the sails flapping and we used the path follow tool to draw the route of the ship on our background.
- We then used the fire animation template to create seaweed. The fire movement was perfect for making the seaweed move under the water. We right clicked to select copy and then right clicked to paste the seaweed up to three times .
- Choosing the shapes option from the animated templates; we used the square to add clip art. I always suggest using this square shape to the children to add any extras to their backgrounds: it means they can reposition and resize things and animate them if they want to – far better than something static on a background. We added suitable weather clip art which some of the children choose to animate. We again used copying and pasting skills to add additional clouds.
- To add more interest some of the children added some fish, using the filled circle and the pens to make their little creatures as realistic as possible. There is more information on creating underwater animations that is worth checking out on Simon Haughton’s blog . I also showed the pupils how to move things to the front or send them backwards: this gave them the option of having the fish swimming in front of or behind the seaweed and is a skill they will use in a number of other programs as they go through school.
- To save pupils having to draw out their backgrounds a second time I showed them how to duplicate a page. This meant they could use the same page, complete with animations, for the next part of the story too – the example included at the end of this post shows how an island could be added with very little effort while making a big difference to the overall look.
- We created pirates using the same tools as we used on the pirate ship – this time on the human template. When one pirate was complete (animations included) we copied and pasted to create a second and then just edited the outfit. Using the clear pen allowed pupils to add things like peg legs and hooked hands – very effective!


Black holes can be millions of times more massive than our sun, but their density and relative distance from Earth make the study of black holes difficult. Now, scientists believe that every significant galaxy has a supermassive black hole, which makes studying these extremely important.
In his Science Café presentation, “The Quest for Supermassive Black Holes,” Professor of Physics and Astronomy Joseph Shields will discuss how astrophysicists locate supermassive black holes and determine their influence on their surroundings. The event will be held at 5 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 18, in the Baker Center Front Room.
“The universe allows us to see phenomena that really stretch our mind,” Shields said. “This pushes us to imagine and conceive things that we never would have.”
Science Cafés are part of Ohio University’s Café Series, Wednesdays at the Baker Center Front Room. The series provides a venue for students to informally share their interests during a conversational exchange with faculty presenters, staff and the Athens community. Free coffee is offered to the first 50 attendees, and participants who ask questions can win a free t-shirt.
The series is supported by the Ohio University Research Division and Sigma Xi.
Learn more! Watch the 1-minute Café Series video:


The Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA) is a collective voice working to ensure that all children and young people have meaningful access to culture.
Arts and culture are a life-enhancing and essential part of our existence. They bring pleasure, participation, self-expression and essential skills into children’s lives. By speaking with one voice and working together, we can realise our ambition for all children and young people to have an entitlement to quality cultural learning.
The Alliance brings together the diverse parts of the cultural sector to work together – including museums, film, libraries, heritage, dance, literature, new media arts, theatre, visual arts and music – with the education and youth sector, with parents and with young people.
The CLA aims to use our collective skills and voice to:
- Develop and advocate for a coherent national strategy for cultural learning
- Unite the education, youth and cultural sectors
- Showcase excellent projects and practice
- Demonstrate why cultural learning is so important


21 Mar Wonder why your metabolism is slow?
Perhaps you’re feeling cold or tired. Or maybe you’ve noticed that you’ve gained weight. Your digestion could feel a bit more “sluggish”.
You may be convinced that you have a slow metabolism.
Why did this happen? Why would your metabolic rate slow down?
What can cause your metabolism to slow down?
Your metabolism encompasses all of your body’s biochemical reactions that use nutrients and oxygen to create energy. And there are many factors that contribute to how fast or slow your metabolism is. This is what we call your “metabolic rate” (and we measure it in calories).
While metabolic rate is a calorie measurement, there is much more to it than the popular “calories in calories out” concept. In fact, it’s so complicated I’m only going to list a few of the common ways that a metabolic rate can slow down.
Examples of reasons for metabolic slow down:
- lack of sleep
- low thyroid hormone
- your history of dieting
- your size and body composition
- your level of physical activity
We’ll briefly review each of these below and then let’s go beyond the commonly heard advice to “eat less and exercise more.”
Lack of sleep
There so much research that shows the influence that sleep has on your metabolic rate. The general consensus is a recommendation of 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
Here’s a tip: Try to create a routine that gives you at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night.
Low thyroid hormones
Your thyroid is the “chief operating officer” of your metabolism. When the thyroid’s hormone production decreases, your metabolism slows down. The thyroid hormones (those are T3 & T4) tell your body’s cells when it’s time to use more energy and become more metabolically active.
In a normal situation, your thyroid functions to maintain your metabolism at just the right level. But there are several things that can throw it off course. Autoimmune diseases and mineral deficiencies (e.g. iodine or selenium) are examples of affecting factors. Check out the recipe below for a selenium-rich treat that you can enjoy for breakfast or even dessert!
Here’s A Tip: Talk to your doctor about testing your thyroid hormones.
Your history of dieting
When people lose weight sometimes their metabolic rate slows down. This can occur because the body interprets that as a scarcity of food, so it adapts by trying to maintain all of life’s necessary functions while using less food.
Furthermore, while dieting can reduce your amount of body fat, you may also experience a reduction in the amount of your lean muscle. As you may already know, more muscle generally means a faster resting metabolic rate.
Here’s a tip: Be sure to consume enough food to fuel your body without crossing the line of overeating.
Your size and body composition
In general, people with larger body frames have faster metabolic rates. It makes sense that it would take more energy to fuel a larger body compared to a smaller one.
However, you can readily surmise that gaining weight is not likely to be a great strategy to boost your metabolism.
Muscles that are moving and working need energy. Even resting muscles burn more calories than fat, generally speaking. So the amount of energy your body uses, at least in part, depends on the amount of your lean muscle mass.
Here’s a tip: Have a balanced exercise regimen. Do some weight training to help increase your muscle mass, in addition to aerobic fat-burning workouts.
And that leads us too…
Your level of physical activity
Aerobic exercise causes a temporary increase in your metabolic rate. Your muscles burn fuel to move and work. You can note physical evidence of this because you will also feel warmer.
Every little thing you do adds up to make a difference. Walking more steps than you usually do, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or incorporating periods of standing at an ergonomic workstation instead of sitting at a desk all day can all contribute to increasing your daily activity.
Here’s a tip: Add more movement into your day and exercise regularly.
For more guidance on implementing these tips, try my FREE 7-Day SIMPLY STUNNING Lifestyle Program by filling out the form below. Meal plan and workout plan included!
Recipe (Selenium-rich): Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
½ cup Brazil nuts
2 cups water
Several layers of cheesecloth (optional)
½ cup chia seeds
¼ cup unsweetened cacao powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp sea salt
1. Blend Brazil nuts in the water in a high-speed blender until you get a smooth, creamy milk. If you wish, strain it through several layers of cheesecloth.
2. Whisk this nut milk and the other ingredients in a bowl until combined. Let the mixture sit several minutes (or overnight) until the desired thickness is reached.
3. Serve & Enjoy!
Note: This makes an easy and yummy breakfast or dessert when topped with berries.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. Information provided on this web site is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice and is not intended to replace a complete consultation with a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient
relationship. Dr. Venus Ramos is not responsible or liable for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services or products that you obtain through this web site.
Live the SIMPLY STUNNING Lifestyle!
Learn the "7 SIMPLE STEPS TO LOOK STUNNING & FEEL RADIANT IN JUST 25 MINUTES A DAY!" Bonus meal plan & workout plan included!


between various units of density. Some conversions are not
perfect, for example specific gravity and °Brix do not measure the same
physical property, and are often measured using different instruments.
Some of these conversion are therefore based on expressions
derived from polynomial fits to experimental data sets. Potential alcohol
is not a measure of density, but it is useful. This calculation
is an approximation, for more detailed alcohol prediction see the alcohol prediction calculator. Dissolved Solids
is not a measure of density, but is useful. This is an estimate
of dissolved solids assuming that most of the solids are sucrose - it
will be close to the true value.
Details: This calculation is based on the method proposed by Duncan and Acton (Progressive Winemaking).
The calculation is based on the initial and final gravity.
The correction for DSOS is the the assumed gravity contribution
from Dissolved Solids Other than Sugar. The correction for DSOS
is hard to judge, but a suggestion is to use pre-ferment figures from
wines for which you know the final alcohol, and tweak the DSOS until
the calculation gives the correct value, then use the calculator for
making predictions for similar musts (variety, region, condition etc).
calculator will calculate alcohol by volume from the spirit indication
procedure. This procedure involves taking a sample of known volume and
making a hydrometer reading. The sample is then boiled until it
is reduced to about half its initial volume, topped up to the initial
volume again with distilled water (or any water giving a hydrometer
reading of 0.000), and a final reading is taken.
This calculator includes hydrometer temperature correction so it is not
essential to ensure the initial and final readings are made at the same
temperature, however the temperatures, and calibration temperature of the
hydrometer must be known.
Note: This procedure, if performed carefully, will
provide accurate results in wines regardless of residual sugar.
calculator uses a refractometer and hydrometer reading to ascertain the
alcohol content of the sample. The gravity measurement must be
from a hydrometer, and the °Brix measurement must be from a
refractometer, these values must not have been calculated from one
source. Alcohol (ethanol) has a higher refractive index than water, so a dry wine will usually give a refractometer reading in the range 5 to 15°Brix.
the progress of a ferment without having to take large samples and use
a hydrometer, simply take a small refractometer sample. Entering the
initial °Brix reading (pre-ferment) and the current reading will give
is all that is required.
Important: There are a
lot of approximations involved in this calculator. While this
method is extremely useful for monitoring ferments, and on the whole
quite accurate, it is not perfect - for example, do not expect it to
show a true °Brix of exactly zero when the fermentation has finished.
Details: A sample
of high sugar juice can be diluted in order that it can be read on equipment with
a limited scale. However because the °Brix scale is calibrated as %w/w, but
the dilution is carried out by measuring volume, the reading cannot simply be multiplied by
the dilution to obtain the °Brix of the juice. This calculator corrects for this, allowing
such dilutions to be used.
Note on SG: If measuring a juice using SG (specific gravity),
simple multiplication is possible. For example, a sample diluted to 50% with distilled water, which reads
1.090, has a gravity of 1.180.
density of water changes predictably with temperature and so it is
possible (and important) to correct readings taken at temperatures the
hydrometer is not calibrated for. Most hydrometers are calibrated
to 20°C, but some are calibrated to 15°C - any good hydrometer will
have the calibration temperature marked. This calculator, when
working with a hydrometer calibrated to 20°C, is accurate over the
approximate range 0-60°C, and when calibrated to 15°C, approximately
Details: This calculator will calculate the level of molecular SO2 in a wine based on its pH and measured free SO2 (the proportion of the measured free SO2 which is in the molecular form is dependant on pH). The required level of molecular SO2
for antimicrobial protection is often given as 0.8mg/L, although
sometimes up to 1.5mg/L (Wine Science - Ronald S. Jackson - 2008).
Red Wines: In red wines, most of the 'free' SO2
is actually pigment (anthocyanin) bound, and is released by
acidification of the sample prior to measurement. Due to this, it
is not currently possible to ascertain the level of molecular SO2
in red wines. Red wines are however, generally far more
microbially stable than whites, and thus are typically maintained at
lower levels of 'free' SO2. In summary, maintaining high molecular SO2 in red wines is difficult and ill advised - do not use this calculator as a guide for red wines.
calculation is based on the alcohol calculation from refractometer and
hydrometer readings. The alcohol is calculated and then used
together with the specific gravity to calculate the dissolved solids.
The gravity measurement must be from a hydrometer, and the °Brix
measurement must be from a refractometer, these values must not have
been calculated from one source. Alcohol has a higher density than water, so a dry wine will give a refractometer reading in the range 5 to 10°Brix.
Details: This calculator calculates the volume of wine to treat, and the mass of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) required to treat it for double salt deacidification.
The minimum volume to treat is the technically smallest volume of wine
which needs to be completely deacidified. Allowing slightly more
wine than this is the normal practice, as it ensures that the required
deacidification is completed. The recommended volume to treat is
simply 5% greater than the minimum, and is roughly in accordance with
the volumes provided by the makers of Acidex®.
** Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
is the deacidification agent. Brand name agents such as Acidex®
consist almost entirely of calcium carbonate, but are seeded with
crystals of the double salt, calcium malate-tartrate, designed to
encourage precipitation of this salt. The mass calculated here
can be used in either case.
Tip: If you are
treating a small volume, enter 1000 times the volume you have and
the output will be in grams. For example, to deacidify 15 litres,
type 15000 and the mass output will be in grams.
DSOS: = Dissolved
Solids Other than Sugar - note that if your density reading is from a
hydrometer, using a value for DSOS is more important, if the reading is
from a refractometer, you can probably assume no DSOS.
calculator works out how much sugar to add to a given volume of wine to
raise it to a desired density (which we use as a measure of sugar
content). For convenience it also calculates the estimated
potential alcohol of the current must, and after the calculated
chaptalisation. The estimated finishing gravity and correction
for DSOS can be ignored if alcohol prediction is not required.
calculator works in the same way as a traditional Pearson's square. It
is used to give the volume of spirit (of known alcohol content) to add to a
volume of wine wine (of known alcohol content), to bring it to a desired
calculator makes fining trial and subsequent fining addition
calculations quick and simple. After performing fining trials and
deciding on an addition level, fill in all details and the volume of
fining agent required will be calculated. Be sure to check all units, the ones used here have been chosen for convenience in the majority of situations.
DAP = about 21% YAN (Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen) PMS = 57% SO2 by mass
calculator is for use with solids of which only a certain percentage is
active. From the percentage, the desired addition level, and the
volume of the juice/wine, the calculator will provide the mass of solid
calculator will calculate exactly how much of a solution of a given
concentration to add to a given volume of juice/wine, to reach a
desired concentration of the solute. For example, a solution of
concentration 500mg/L is to be added to 100L of wine to give the wine a
concentration of 10mg/L.
VinoCalc can not only be used on the internet, it can also be saved
for use without an internet connection. To save VinoCalc to your
computer, read the following instructions:
1 - Right click (for Mac users, hold control and click) on the 'Save VinoCalc' link below.
2 - In the menu that opens, select "Save As", "Save Link As", "Save Target As", "Download Linked File" or whatever command most approximates these.
3 - Choose somewhere to save the file 'vinocalc.html'
4 - You can now copy this file anywhere you want, to a USB stick, CD, other computers. When you want to use it, simply double click the file and it will open in your web browser, regardless of whether or not you have an internet connection.
Note: If you use VinoCalc offline, remember to check for updated versions from time to time.
Do this by opening VinoCalc, and clicking the link near the top of the page which reads "The latest version will always be available from www.slymail.org/vinocalc.html". This link will take you to the online version of VinoCalc, the version number is in the top right of the page, if it is higher than the version you have, you can follow the above instructions to download the new version.
Gravity / Density
Every value is calculated from specific gravity. If another
value, such as Baume is provided, it is first converted to specific
gravity, and then all other values are calculated from that.
Calculating °Brix from SG is based on an expression from a polynomial
fit to a large data set:
Potential alcohol is calculated as discussed in the alcohol predicition
section, with the assumption of a final gravity of 1.000, and a
correction for DSOS of 0.007.
Oechsle has a simple relationship with SG:
oechsle = 1000 * (sg - 1.0)
Baume is also a simple relationship:
ba = 145 - (145 / sg)
Grams per litre is obviously simply:
gl = 1000 * sg
Grams per litre of dissolved solids is calculated from the specific
gravity, and the °Brix. Subtly, these measure different things,
the specific gravity tells us the density of the liquid (grams per
litre) and the °Brix tells us the dissolved solids (percentage mass of
solute to solution - grams per 100 grams). This allows us to
calculate the dissolved solids, thus:
dissolved solids = gravity * (brix * 10)
The gravity tells us how much 1 litre of the liquid weighs (in kg) - we
then multiply this by the dissolved solids ratio to give dissolved
solids per litre. 'brix * 10' simply corrects the °Brix value
from being grams per 100 grams to being grams per kg. Thus, we
time number of kg in one litre, by the number of grams dissolved per
kg, and are left with the number of grams per litre.
To get from any of those values back to specific gravity involves a
rearrangement where possible. For °Brix to SG, another
expression was generated by polynomial analysis:
This calculator uses the same logic as in the 'Hydrometer Temperature Correction' calculator for correcting the readings for the temperatures at which they were taken. The difference between the initial and final gravities is then used to calculate the alcohol using the following formula:
abv = alcohol by volume
cg = current specific gravity
cb = current Brix reading (refractometer) NOTE The 0.93 conversion factor was added based on experimental results to make the alcohol prediction for this particular calculator more accurate.
The residual sugar (in grams per litre) is calculated thus:
residual sugar = specific gravity * true brix
Spirit indication is calculated form the current alcohol thus, and used to adjust the current gravity, so that true Brix and residual sugar can be established:
Note that this alcohol calculation is different than the one used in the alcohol by refractometer and hydrometer as it gives more reliable results when coupled with the other calculations used to monitor fermentation using a refractometer.
High (off-scale) °Brix by Dilution:
The calculations involved in this calculator are the same as those used in the gravity/density/sugar conversions. First the measured °Brix is used to calculate the gravity, which is then combined with the °Brix to calculate the dissolved solids. The dissolved solids is multiplied by (100/d), where d is the dilution percentage. So a dilution of 50% would mean multiplying the dissolved solids by 2. This number is then converted back to °Brix.
Hydrometer Temperature Correction:
The hydrometer temperatre correction for SG is performed with this expression:
correction = is the correction factor, added to the observed °Brix
temp = is the temperature difference from calibration (that is, reading temperature - calibration temperature)
apb = is the apparent °Brix, as read on the hydrometer
SO2 Aspiration/Oxidation Method:
The following formula is used:
SO2 = ( t * m * 1.6 * 1000 * 20) / v
m = molarity of NaOH
t = titre of NaOH required (mL)
v = volume of sample used (mL)
Calculate Molecular SO2:
The following formula is used to calculate the molecular SO2 from the free SO2 and the wine pH:
Molecular SO2 = FSO2 / ( 1 + 10( pH - 1.81 ) )
FSO2 = Free SO2
pH = pH of the wine sample
The formula is then rearranged to calculate the required level of free SO2 to achieve a desired level of molecular SO2:
Free SO2 = MSO2 * ( 1 + 10( pH - 1.81 ) )
MSO2 = Molecular SO2
pH = pH of the wine sample
The following formula is used:
ta = ( t * m * 75 ) / v
m = molarity of NaOH
t = titre of NaOH required (mL)
v = volume of sample used (mL)
Calculate Dissolved Solids:
Initially the alcohol is calculated in the same way as for the
'Alcohol from Hydrometer & Refractometer', and then the following
formula is used to calculate the dissolved solids:
ds = ( ( s * 1000 ) - 1000 + a * 1.264 ) * 2.52
s = specific gravity
a = alcohol, percent by volume
Simple deacidification is straight forward to calculate.
Firstly, the difference between the current TA and the target TA
is obtained, giving us the number of grams per litre we need to remove,
this is then multiplied by the number of litres, to give the total
number of grams of tartaric acid to remove.
As the deacidification agents used here react with tartaric acid in a
1:1 stoichiometric ratio, the factor to convert between grams of
tartaric acid and grams of neutralising agent can be found by dividing
the molecular mass of the agent by the molecular mass of tartaric acid.
Thus, the overall formula is:
mass of agent (g) = ( ( current TA - Target TA ) * vol ) * (Mr agent / Mr tartaric acid)
Mr = molecular mass
150.087 = Mr of tartaric acid
100.087 = Mr of calcium carbonate
138.2055 = Mr of potassium carbonate
100.11 = Mr of potassium bicarbonate
Double Salt Deacidification:
Double salt deacidification is somewhat more complex than simple
deacidification. A portion of juice is removed and completely
deacidified, that is, unlike with simple deacidification, tartaric and malic acid are removed. This portion is then blended back to the bulk of the wine to have the desired effect.
The volume to treat is calculated with the following formula:
volume (L) = ( ( current TA - target TA ) * total volume ) / current TA
The recommended volume to treat is this minimum technical volume multiplied by 1.05.
The following formula is then used to calculate the mass of calcium carbonate (or Acidex® etc):
mass (kg) = ( ( current TA - target TA ) * total volume ) * ( ( 1 / 150.087 ) / 10 )
150.087 = the molecular mass of tartaric acid
10 = is simply a conversion to make the mass express in kg
The alcohol calculation carried out here is identical to
that carried out in the 'Alcohol Prediction (pre-ferment)' section.
The chaptalisation calculation is based on calculation of dissolved
solids (grams per litre) as discussed in the 'Gravity/Density/Sugar
Conversions' section. The difference between the desired and the
current values is then simply multiplied by the number of litres to be
This calculator is simple, the calculation is exactly the same
as a traditional Pearson's square. The following is the formula used:
This is an accurate calculation as the volume being divided by is the
volume of wine AND the volume of the addition. This is often
overlooked in calculations such as these, especially when performing
them by hand. It is an important point to make, calculations
from this equation will differ from quick calculations by hand.
The next calculation is to find how much of a solution of a specified
concentration must be added to bring the concentration of the
juice/wine to a desired concentration, this is discussed in the
'Additions in Solution' section.
Note that this calculation takes into account the volume of the
solution being added, so rather than adding 1L of 100mg/L additive to
100L of wine to give the wine a concentration of 1mg/L, the calculation
shows that we need to add 1.010L.
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
(at your option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.


Barring any additional saltwater flooding, vegetation in these areas will recover during the next growing season, but this winter, waterfowl will find considerably less food in Louisiana’s coastal marshes than in a typical year. As a result, it’s possible that some species like mallards, teal, and pintails will spend more time in southwest Louisiana’s rice fields. Other ducks, particularly gadwalls and divers that rely on marsh habitats, may redistribute to other wintering areas in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Texas coast, Mexico, and Latin America.
Fortunately, waterfowl are highly mobile, an adaptation that serves them well given the highly dynamic nature of the wetland habitats upon which they depend. This adaptation is one reason Ducks Unlimited works to conserve wetlands in a number of historically important wintering areas across North America so that waterfowl populations will never be limited by winter habitat conditions.
Dr. Tom Moorman is director of conservation planning at DU’s Southern Regional Office in Jackson, Mississippi.


“Doing Science and Theology”
Where: Carnegie Centre, room 2 on the third floor, 401 Main St.
Facilitator: Mathew Arthur
Most people think that science is about finding out what makes up the natural world and how it all works. Likewise, theology is usually described as the “science” or systematic study of what is before, beyond, or after the natural world—the supernatural. Instead, we will read texts that consider what it means to do science and theology as practices that are always making or transforming the world around us—rather than thinking of science and theology as disciplines that discover something about the way reality already is. With the question “what kind of world do we want to make?” guiding our time together, we will read aloud from texts by Science Technology and Society (STS) theorists and contemporary theologians who show that there are other ways to do science and theology that do not rely on discovering “facts” about a reality that is separate from our ways of being, knowing, and doing in the world.


One theme in Of Mice and Men is friendship. This is shown by George and Lennie's loyalty to each other, even when they get angry at each other.
Another theme in Of Mice and Men is racism. Curley's wife telling Crooks that she could have him killed just because she was white and he is black is racist. He's also treated differently than the other men at the ranch.
Trust is also seen in the story. Lennie has almost childlike faith in George, trusting him to take care of all of his needs. Lennie also trusts that George will get him a rabbit someday.
We see pride in Of Mice and Men. This is especially shown in Crooks, who keeps everything he has clean and tidy-even if he doesn't have much.
Mental Illness is another theme in the story. While we are never told directly what is wrong with Lennie, it is obvious that mental illness is a part of Lennie's character.
Hope is the last and biggest theme in Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie hope to one day have their own ranch. Lennie hopes to have a rabbit. Candy hopes to join them. The whole story is based on hope for a better future.


North Suburban Eye Specialists is proud to offer a corneal transplant treatment known as DSEK, or Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty.
Who might be a good candidate for DSEK?
The human cornea is made up of three layers:
- The outer epithelial layer
- The middle stromal layer
- The inner endothelial layer
The inner endothelial layer is made of a single layer of cells and sits on a thin tissue strip called Descemet’s membrane. The role of the endothelial layer is to pump fluid out of the cornea to keep your cornea (and your vision) clear. If the endothelial layer is lost or stops working correctly, the cornea can fill with fluid, become cloudy or swollen, and affect your vision.
How is the endothelial layer lost?
The endothelial layer can be lost or negatively affected due to:
- Inherited diseases (such as Fuchs’ Corneal Dystrophy)
- Previous intraocular surgery
Once a critical amount of the endothelial layer is lost, the cornea swells and becomes cloudy. At this point, medical treatment is no longer helpful, and a corneal operation is necessary. For most patients, the middle stromal layer and outer epithelium layer remain healthy, even as the endothelial layer is affected.
The DSEK Surgery
For your DSEK surgery, donor corneal tissue is obtained from an Eye Bank. Before your surgery, you will be given eye drops and an IV line will help you sleep for a short time. The eye is anesthetized and a small incision is made in your cornea. Your cornea is gently marked on the outside to guide the removal of the affected Descemet’s membrane. One the membrane is removed, the new donor cornea is cut to match the size of the removed membrane. The new cornea is then secured in the correct place using a small air bubble, which seals the membrane in place. Finally, the incision sites are closed and the pressure of your eye is checked to make sure it’s normal following the DSEK procedure.
Pros and Cons of the DSEK Procedure
There are several major advantages to the DSEK procedure over a traditional corneal transplant:
- The operation is faster (60 to 90 minutes).
- The incision is smaller
- The procedure location is more stable and less likely to break open from trauma.
- There is very little postoperative astigmatism.
- Recovery takes only about 3 to 4 months.
- Since only the thin inner layer of the cornea is replaced, over 90% of the patient’s own cornea remains behind. This adds to greater structural integrity and reduced chance of rejection.
DSEK may not be an ideal option for everyone. Patients with prior corneal scarring are not good candidates for DSEK. There are also some risks involved with the DSEK procedure.
- Since DSEK has been done since 2005, there is no long-term follow-up.
- There is a 10% risk of the graft becoming displaced within the first few days or weeks after surgery. This means the graft must be redone with a replacement air bubble in the eye.
- There is minor risk of swelling, infection, and hemorrhaging, and extremely minor risk of poor vision quality or total loss of vision.
- If the DSEK operation fails, the operation can be repeated with another button of donor endothelium.
- If the DSEK fails, a traditional corneal transplant can be done.
Talk to your surgeon at NSES to learn more about our revolutionary DSEK procedure and whether it can improve your vision.