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1. A ________ in his nature shows through his record of teaching English in a Junior High School and not trying to speak that language in public later.
The missing word has been used to describe an aspect of the subject's nature. The word, 'dichotomy' is used to indicate a division into halves. This implies that C and D would carry the same meaning when used in the context implied by the author. There are no other synonyms in the given list. Therefore, C and D are the correct answers.
2. Until the mid-20th century, scientists believed that the human chest cavity would ________ at a depth of around 115 feet underwater.
The word, 'implode' means to cave in or to collapse inwards. Therefore, B and C are synonyms. In the absence of any other synonyms in the given list of answer options, it is evident that B and C are the correct answers.
3. When he was the President, he gave the impression of an extremely cautious man with high ________ for consensus.
Each of the given answer options can be placed in the blank to impart a significant meaning to the sentence. However, we have to look for two words that carry the same meaning. Out of all the given answer options, only 'veneration' and 'reverence' are the closest in meaning. This implies that A and D are the correct answers.
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Confused about your life purpose?
Come join me for an intensive guided energy healing session.
Allow yourself to experience deep relaxation, and let go of pain, fear and (self) judgment.
On a physical level energy healing promotes sleep, reduces pain, and revitalizes and regulates the endocrine and immune systems, aiding in metabolism, stamina, moods, aging and the body's innate and unlimited ability to heal itself.
On a mental level it releases tension, worry and anxiety, promotes clarity of mind and helps facilitate decision making ability.
On an emotional level it addresses trauma-induced, energetic blockages and imbalances within the heart; helping you restore your ability to give and to receive love.
On a spiritual level, energy healing can help you identify your unique role in the world - and recognize your connection to everything else.
*Energy Psychology is an effective holistic counseling treatment for post-traumatic stress induced anxiety, depression and phobias.
Due to the fact that not all people with PTSD feel comfortable allowing hands-on techniques to be used on them - especially those who may have experienced physical trauma - energy healing is especially appropriate, as it allows recipients to stay completely clothed, and can actually be performed without any physical contact for those who prefer; in short, energy healing can provide the relaxation and healing benefits of traditional massage and bodywork without adding to the stress of the recipient.
While distance/absent healing is generally understood to be one of the more mystical aspects of energy work, these sessions are actually fairly similar to the kinds of sessions I would conduct if I were sitting face to face with the recipient - the main difference is that the recipient is not there!
If you are interested in distance healing for a loved one I will ask that you tell me the full name of the person you are requesting healing services for, and (ideally) that you forward a photograph of the person to me. Additionally, I will want to verify that you have the recipient's permission to facilitate a healing of this sort; the person you are requesting healing services for must be aware that you are making the request, and they must also be agreeable to it! In situations where getting the recipient's permission is not possible, there are other things that can be done which may suffice, which we can discuss ahead of time. If you are requesting distance healing for yourself, the process is somewhat simpler.
In a nutshell, the way in which distance healing works in a session is as follows: I first call in the universal healing energy as I would in an "ordinary session", then I begin to tune in to the energy of the recipient. The recipient usually feels/is aware of the connection (no matter how far away they are). The healing energy is ultimately transmitted through the Universe to the person by using powerful and intuitive visualization techniques.
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Insider threats are a constant that all organizations regardless of being in the public or private sectors face. At their core, insiders are those very people you have hired to work in your business, allowed access to your information systems and sensitive data, and trusted to work competently, effectively, and honorably. For some organizations, the vetting of an employee stops after the interview process and when they are hired. Certainly, some businesses may have a probationary period during which time new hires must prove themselves capable to meet their job responsibilities, but this has more to do with performance than trustworthiness.
Insiders can be either complicit (malicious) or unwitting (careless) in their motivations to cause harm to the organization. While insiders are generally regarded as individuals that work inside the organization, increased hacker efforts that steal legitimate credentials that can be used to compromise the network has provided these remote actors (masquerading insiders) the same direct access to information and/or networks as the victimized employee. What’s more, most organizations have very little in place to potentially detect and identify these individuals prior to their negligent or intended malfeasant behavior, as many security technologies are not focused on this type of activity.
Insider threat activity has gained prominence recently, thanks to well publicized incidents such as Edward Snowden data leaks, as well as the insider stock trader scheme that used hackers to target press releases before they were released. According to one 2015 news report, a typical organization experiences 3.8 insider security incidents on an annual basis. This figure bears noting particularly when a study conducted by a user activity monitoring company determined that nearly 62 percent of polled security professionals said that insider incidents had increased at their organizations. Data leaks, inadvertent data breaches, and malicious data breaches were the top insider threats identified in the study, with an overall average cost of $445,000 to remediate a successful attack.
Previously I discussed trying to mitigate the insider threat from a people perspective; this article looks at several techniques that can be implemented to mitigate this threat.
Anomaly detection: Detecting anomalous behavior is one way to help identify suspicious activity that is out of the employee’s normal standard. The first step in detecting anomalies is to first establish an employee’s baseline activity, which includes types of accesses and information he or she typically accesses, volumes of printing or downloading, work hours spent during the work week as well as weekends. For example, if a user is trying to access directories that he doesn’t typically, this may trigger alerts for closer scrutiny. Once established, any deviation should trigger an alert that warrants closer investigation. It should be noted that not all anomalous behavior is necessarily hostile in nature, but anything inconsistent with the baseline may be an early indicator of such. Such activity can be reduced by employees simply alerting management ahead of time before accessing information and networks they don’t usually access, working on weekends or doing extensive printing and/or downloading.
Process modelling: A research paper highlights a process-based approach to identify places in organizational processes where insider attacks may transpire. Knowing how such activities may take place can better position organizations to reduce their exposure to such attacks and be able to focus their detection efforts in those areas rather than the entire enterprise. Another similar approach focuses on business process modelling that enhances monitoring tools with information evaluated from social media via the examination of the online behavior of users. Potential insiders are identified with critical roles in an organization’s business operations.
Hybrid analytics: Hybrid analytics refers to the combination of proven threat detection technologies with informed behavioral analytics in order to provide a forward looking threat detection capability. The idea is that the aggregation of these efforts will help organizations proactively detect threats before it suffers any grave data loss. Hybrid analytics will take into account automated processes, prioritized and more meaningful alerts, rich analytics, and an intelligent model from which to enhance an organization's ability to identify and ultimately reduce its exposure to insider threat risks.
In today’s data rich threat landscape, it is no longer enough to just be able to detect anomalous behavior. It is, however, important to be able to detect those meaningful anomalies. Establishing an insider threat detection that incorporates mitigation techniques from a process perspective will help reduce the volume of alerts into a manageable number that warrants further investigation. The objective is to be able to prevent the loss of valuable data. In a domain where activities occur in nanoseconds, defenders need as much time as possible to quickly identify and prevent insider attacks before it’s too late. Placing more emphasis on advanced techniques such as anomaly detection, process modelling and hybrid analytics may result in that needed edge.
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I explain health in physical education.
1. What is physical activity? Physical activity simply means movement of the body that uses energy. You can choose moderate or vigorous intensity activities, or a mix of both each week. Physical activity is any body movement that works your muscles and requires more energy than resting. Walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga, and gardening are a few examples of physical activity.
2. Why is physical activity important? Physical activity and nutrition work together for better health. Being active increases the amount of calories burned. As people age their metabolism slows, so maintaining energy balance requires moving more and eating less.
4. What is health and physical education about? In health and physical education, the focus is on the well-being of the students themselves, of other people, and of society through learning in health-related and movement contexts.
5. Health Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
7. Difference The term "physical activity" should not be mistaken with "exercise". Exercise, is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, repetitive, and purposeful in the sense that the improvement or maintenance of one or more components of physical fitness is the objective.
8. Strength after doing physical education Resistance training (also called strength training or weight training) is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles.
9. Habits 1. Promote healthy eating in your home. 2. As a family, remind yourselves of the basic foods. 3. Be aware of serving size. 4. Make a distinction between ‘everyday’ and ‘sometimes’ foods. 5. Establish healthy eating routines.
10. 6. Praise children when they choose healthy foods. 7. Make physical activity part of everyday life. 8. Enjoy physical activity as a family. 9. Give children – older children especially – opportunities to try different sports and ways to be active. 10. Limit the time your child spends on screen-based activities.
11. 11. Encourage your child to value his body for what it can do, rather than how it looks. 12. Set a good example.
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Suppose you are delivering a training session (either virtual or face-to-face) and at the end of the session, a participant says, “I think I’d like to have a job like yours one day. It looks interesting. How can I learn more about the field? What should I do to prepare for a career in this field?” As you formulate an answer, you realize there is no one clear path to a career in T & D nor is there one simple or straightforward job description. In fact, even the actual name of our field is up for debate: transitioning from training and development to workplace learning to talent development.
Thankfully, there are specific tools and strategies that you might suggest to help those interested in the field to quickly get a sense of what it’s about and how to begin the process of career development.
They provide a quick overview of the field, the job outlook (which is excellent by the way) and key job titles. For a sense of the scope, training is a $90 billion industry that has experienced growth for the past 4 years.
Association for Talent Development (ATD formerly ASTD): https://www.td.org/ Be sure to check out the ATD Competency Model at https://www.td.org/certification/atd-competency-model which answers the question of what you need to know to prepare for a career in T & D.
ISPI is a smaller, more grassroots organization that focuses on the bigger picture of performance, reminding us that there are multiple ways to address performance problems in the workplace besides training. Be sure to see the definition of performance improvement.
Finally, those who consider a new career or career change can research the job market to learn 1) the types of jobs available, 2) the requirements for education and experience that employers seek 3) the various job duties that individuals perform. So visit Indeed, Monster, or the ATD job bank and enter search terms like instructional designer, training and development specialist, e-learning designer, training manager, talent manager, etc. to see current positions. Be sure to evaluate the job postings in terms of the ATD competency model to note how the knowledge, skills, and abilities translate to career requirements.
The final question, “What should I do to prepare for a career in this field?” is a bit more complicated to answer and will depend on the individual’s background and resources for continuing education. For someone with a baccalaureate degree who is interested in pursuing a graduate degree, a Master’s in Training & Development, such as ours, or a degree in a related field like instructional design, or instructional technology can provide both the skills and credentials for career entry or change. When considering graduate programs, make sure the curriculum addresses the specific skill set you need for jobs that interest you. If you already have an advanced degree or lack the time or resources to pursue graduate study, ATD offers a variety of workshops and seminars linked to skill development. Langevin also provides similar workshops. Keep in mind that workshops such as these do not lead to degree completion or college credit and may not be viewed as positively in the job market.
• Read industry reports and articles. You may use the RU library to research specific topics related to training or use Google or Google Scholar.
• Check out books through the RU Library that pertain to training.
• Attend local or national conferences (see ATD or ISPI).
• Attend free webinars. Just Google “free webinar” and keywords like training, e-learning, or performance improvement and you will find many options.
• Attend local chapters of ATD and ISPI and talk to members. You will find them very welcoming and happy to share their knowledge.
1. What is your training story? Why are you interested in the field? If you are working in the field, how did you prepare?
2. Can you recommend additional resources that would be helpful to those interested in a career in training?
This was an extremely informative post and outlines the map of how to pursue a career in training and development. I was a former elementary and middle school Art teacher and transitioned to the insurance industry for financial reasons. I am going to graduate with my MATD degree this May and I am excited to transition to the T & D field. I am interested in becoming an instructional designer and e-learning developer. I feel that my background in design and the knowledge and experience that I gained in the MATD program has helped me prepare to attain this specific career path. I am currently a member of my local chapter of ATD and take additional e-learning courses through Lynda, Coursera, and Udacity. I am in the habit of listening to podcasts of those who are in the industry and read industry articles, magazines, journals, and blogs. YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TedTalks have been valuable resources.
Thanks for the information and links! Training and Development is very broad and can be used in any field. What led me to it is working for companies where T&D was lacking. It made me want to study it to bring awareness to the importance of it for human performance and employee morale reasons. I watched a newly hired employee go from super excited to frustrated when she realized she would basically be self-trained. This is extremely frustrating for anyone and has the tendency to make employees seek other places of employment.
I am a knowledge manager by trade and have been in the position for 3 years. I first started to be interested in process improvement when I was working on my bachelor’s degree. I didn’t really prepare to work in the field, I grew in to it. I specialized in my field first, knowledge management, and as I got skilled, I began to train my peers. I stumbled upon this degree and it aligned with my goals. These courses have only strengthened my skill set and helped me to articulate what I needed to do to better assist others. My advice is get skilled in an area, for example engineering. Use that knowledge bases as a skill set and expand upon it to help others grow.
What is your training story?
I have been a manager for 15 years, during that time I have trained reps. on the procedures of customer service.
Why are you interested in the field?
I love seeing a new employee understand the job that they have applied for and making a difference in the team performance and customer service ratings.
If you are working in the field, how did you prepare? I first have to understand the job requirements first to be able to train others. I get new trainees comfortable with roundtable discussions to break the ice have all training materials ready and then inform them about the sessions of what’s about to be taught during the training sessions.
2. Can you recommend additional resources that would be helpful to those interested in a career in training? Get certified as an OD Professional.
I appreciate that the blog has representation from individuals connected to the T&D program at Roosevelt as professors and as students. This provides multiple levels of knowledge and expertise. I appreciate Professor Iverson’s statement that there is not one clear path to a career in T&D. I’ve previously shared with others in the program that I am considering looking more into the field of training and development. My dream job would be a role that allows me to have T&D responsibilities but in the field of Higher Education/Student Affairs. Some would say that I’m in a set up similar to this in my current role. I would like a role that contains more T&D responsibilities. I’m not sure of what that would entail. However, I’m sure that my knowledge and understanding of the filed will continue to grow while perusing this program and being more involved in the field.
My training story is that I actually stumbled across the T&D field. While working at Roosevelt, I knew that I wanted to complete a master’s degree. However, the institution did not have my desired field of study: Higher Education/Student Affairs. Therefore, I made the decision to look into programs that would be beneficial for me in my role at the time.
While looking through the university’s list of programs, I came across T&D. Initially, I didn’t quite understand it nor was I 100% sure that it would be the best program for me. I requested multiple meetings with the program’s coordinator at the time and was fortunate enough to connect with graduates of the program.
I’m happy that I stuck with my decision to pursue the T&D program. I’ve learned that there are a variety of industries that I could transition into with the degree. This is extremely important to me because I want to be as marketable as possible and have a variety of expertise. I’m excited to begin my second year in the program in the spring and am looking forward to what the T&D world has in store for me.
This article is very informative. I really appreciate the links which provide information for self directed learning. As the leader of a nonprofit in Chicago, I am always encouraging those around me working with the community to continue to enhance their knowledge and ability to train the parents who seek us out for help. I will definitely encourage volunteers at the nonprofit to visit the links provided. I’m sure they’ll find value in the information provided here.
Although I have been a training professional for nearly 15 years, and will graduate with a Masters in Training & Development in December, I spent most of my career in a very different field – sales and sales leadership. While I have had the opportunity to exercise some very different skills in my many roles in L & D, those I have most enjoyed (and sharpened!) were first uncovered as a sales manager. Just as a trainer has to focus on an entire class, so too with a sales manager. In fact, the sales manager who could best move on to a very satisfying training career excels in “force multiplying” by modeling for and coaching others to successfully executing the spectrum of selling skills from conducting a successful telephone campaign to negotiating complex deals. Conversely, there are some very successful sales managers who behave as “super-salespeople” jumping in to “rescue” their sales people by closing their deals. Most people have observed this sales leader behavior and, in fact, some companies even inexplicably cultivate it! So in addition, to the many good recommendations made in Ms. Iverson’s original post followed by those of others, I would offer that experience as a leader of others, especially those who follow force-multiplication strategies could find themselves well-equipped for a segue to a long and successful training career.
Unfortunately in some events there are no straight paths to some roles. The reality of the situation is when interviewing with Recruiters or hiring Managers, there are two main questions 1. Is this person likeable 2. Can I work with this person. Here are the facts, to support. Some people go to college never work in their particular area of concentration a day in their life, upon graduation they interview and are offered a job, some people work in the field, for a number of years and potentially never get considered or selected for the role, although they have experience and are fluid in the role. Here’s the action, always perfect your craft understand executing on all levels. For example, presenting to large and small crowds, presenting via virtual experience. Understand the dynamics of the organization, present solutions ,not just ideas. Be able to digest and execute what is asked of you. Lastly, know your WORTH! all companies don’t recruit or select candidates in the most professional or fair way, if you fell you have hit a glass ceiling move on, understand the value you represent.
With me being new to the field, I don’t know many additional resources, however networking never fails. Networking, getting your name out there and talking to others in the field will always be one of the greatest resources. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for help. I think LinkedIn is a great way to help connect with individuals and learn more about their field of work. If you don;t have a LinkedIn, I do recommend making one and start connecting with different people in different industries.
First of all, thank you very much for the aricle as I really enjoyed reading it and all the wonderful posts of our classmates!
What is my training story?
As I was finishing my Undergraduate degree in Business Management I has started wanting to be in Human Resources Management but was not completely “sold” on it and hence pursued my MBA. It helped me learn about Training and Development but was more from a theoritcal standpoint, which was good at the time but was not sure when I was going to be able to utilize it. I have to say that the first time I got my hands dirty in training was when I got promoted to Team Lead overseeing 2 sales teams at my previous organization. It was such a new world for me as I got introduced to training new hires, conduct weekly training sessions, help our Managers provide proper performance reviews and then ensure I followed up on those reviews by helping with on the job training. I have to admit that the processes were quite traditional and not nearly as innovative as I learnt they could be later on in my career! But when I got to be more involved in the Business Development role and switched my direction to wirting and producing corporate programs, I got more interested in learning as to how others have been training their top talent, new hires and so on.. Hence I will have to admit that my training story is quite brief, when it comes to being involved but as I learnt from other industry leaders on how they loved their job, the satisfaction they got knowing they were adding to the ROI of their organization by developing their talent, it just makes me want to pursue a career that is challenging, evolving and where you get to make a difference.
Which leads to the next question–Why am I interested?
I may have answered that already. But I do like to add that I would like to pursue a role in HR and Talent Management/Development and I feel very strongly that, what I learn from here I can utilize in my long term career!
I am not sure if I am the right person to ask this question as I am still getting accustomed to this field. However, I do feel that linkedin, ONET and such platforms are great tools to get more information. Also, I do believe that keeping your professional connections open is very important!
– Throughout undergrad, I spent my last couple years working in retail as a manager in a few different stores. I experienced good training, and also experienced poor training all of which led me to make certain decisions, most of which resulted in me leaving due to feeling like the expectations for me did not measure up to the knowledge and tool I was provided upon being hired. I am interested because I made it my mission whenever I was training newer employees, that I would give better training than I received. It seems like a waste of time to spend little time providing poor training to new employees, and then spending a larger chunk of time rectifying mistakes or problems that arise because of poor training.
– The only other resource I can think of that was not mentioned specifically would be using SHRM. For me, it has been such a huge resource over the last year, more so over the last few months when it comes to anything employee/employer related.
Great read! As a new person transitioning into T&D I found it hard to gain access within the industry. Many of the jobs I searched for wanted 10+ years of experience and/or a Master’s degree. The resources provided will definitely assist in the development and discovery of my future career.
My passion for training and development was first discovered through my first “real job” with State Farm’s corporate office. The energy, knowledge and helpfulness encountered made me want to have the same impact on others.
As far as actual experience “training” I do not have any and look forward to gaining more knowledge within the field.
I enjoyed reading this article. It reminds me of the horrible training experience I had and the moment I began my interests in training.
I had to complete a two week training before I starting my new position with a new company. The training was too long for the amount information that was covered and the trainer was exceptionally boring. He would read directly from slides and had the trainees read from the slide. Each day was 7.5 hours of training and what felt like the longest 7 hours of my life. During the training, people would begin to walk out and take unplanned breaks and even going to the extreme as to quit.
I believe that people retain & process information differently and adults lose their patience quickly when it comes to learning new information. I shared my thoughts about the training with the hiring manager and explained the reason why many people quit.
As I learned my role and became more comfortable with my duties I took on the responsibility of training new employees on the floor. This was the beginning of getting into the field of training and development.
I am currently working as a Recruitment Manager where I train new employees and coach current employees. This is my first formal role in training and I am excited to learn more.
A few websites that have helped me learn more about the training and development field has been O-Net & Bureau of Labor Statistics. I also utilized Google as my main resource. I would advise someone to just begin searching on Google and take time to explore the cites that pop-up because it can direct you into many different resources that will help.
Any training experiences I’ve received was in retail. I’ve had trainers how were terrible and some that were great and inspired me to enjoy my job and execute daily goals. I then became a trainer myself in retail. The reason for my interest in the field is because I do enjoy finding out the strengths and weaknesses of people. I tend to elevate their strengths and work on their weakness in ways that will help them. Which can be challenging at times.
I currently do not work in the field, I work in the construction field, and I am currently the trainee, not the trainer.
I would think that additional resources, besides Google and school, is to really take the time to read job descriptions and really get a feel for what employers seek in potential candidates.
This is a great article. I like how it touched on how the training and development field doesn’t just have industry. It encompasses a multitude of different jobs that shape a company, and also its success. My undergrad degree is in psychology, but I really like the training and development field. I currently have no experience within this field, so I found this article very interesting. I have been thinking for sometime about the right steps to take to enter this field, so seeing the different jobs associated with this field is great. I am interested in this field because I want to be able to teachers others how to be successful, and want the company to be able to thrive in the future because of it.
I really loved this article. My undergraduate degree was in business administration. After completing my bachelors, I did job in a small organization for two months as a sales trainee. As a trainer, I was responsible for guiding the sales team about how to sell the product in a market and how to convince the customers for buying the product. I knew every aspect of the sales jobs like what type of training should be provided to a salesperson for doing their work effectively and for achieving their targets. The reason why I choose that path because I love to do a work in which I would enhance the skills of the other person and share my knowledge with others. In my undergraduate, I had marketing subject in which I learned many things related to the sales, so this knowledge helped me a lot for doing a job as a sales trainee. I think training is an ongoing process because with the change in time many things will change in a market. So, it is necessary for an employer that they give proper training to their employees for the growth and development of the employees as well as for an organization.
I do not have much experience in this field. As my recommendation, I would suggest that always read the articles on the career and development. Also try to built a network with the expert people of this field through LinkedIn or other social networking sites.
Totally agree with social networking, especially if you do not have the experience or are in the “entry level” stage. I just found out that one of my aunts worked in HRM field for 16 years as a director. I plan on networking with her and hopefully, I can get some tips and tricks for her.
When it comes to an individual looking for resources to enhance their career in training, I would recommend looking into different job boards in order to figure out the education and skills that individuals working in that position accquire. Many times when an individual is applying for a job there will be a very detailed description of the education needed or preferred as well as the top skills needs by the individual applying for the position such as strong communication skills, leadership skills or skills requiring different software such as Microsoft or/and excel. Research is super important when it comes too finding out more information about a specific career. Many websites such as indeed and Glass door will show average salary rates of an individual in any position throughout a specific company or just in general. Furthermore, taking extra classes online or at a university will help advance an individuals training skills and resume. Taking extra courses at school or online can help an individual strengthen various skills such as their leadership and communication skills.
My training story story started approximately five years ago when I finished my degree and started my first job as a HR Generalist. Part of my job responsibilities included trainings for hourly and salaried employees on a number of different topics. I would start by researching the topic, prepare the materials and submit to the HR Director for review and approval.
As far as recommending additional resources for someone interested in a career in training I would advise them to look on employment websites to view open jobs in the field and look at required skills and knowledge to qualify for the job, seek advice from local universities or find a mentor currently working in the field. In some instances it may be as easy as looking within your organization to find an expert in the field that can provide more information.
My undergraduate degree is in communications and for the past 2 years I worked as an Operation’s Manager for a ferry company in Miami. As an Operation’s manager I was responsible for about 25 employee’s and handled all HR matter’s for each employee. Having that job got me interested in having a job in the field of Human Resource Management. I started at a small position but worked my way up to the top of the company. I knew every aspect of each position at that job and what each employee needed to do to be successful. I think training and development goes hand and hand with human resources. There’s so many different industries you can work in and still be in the training and development industry. I was put into a leadership position early because I learn fast and I try to master every job I work at and get to the next level until there are no more levels. I’m still learning new things because I am not fully where I want to be right now so my advice would be to shadow a professional that’s in the field that you want to be in. Get to know someone who can give you solid advise and help you secure a job somewhere. I still believe it’s about who you know and how you network that can get you far.
I absolutely loved this article. I liked the honesty about the actual title and the fact there are many names for training. I have never actually had a position that focused on just training. I have some experience with training when I was working for the Upward Bound Program. I was an administrative assistant and when new hires would come in I would train the employees on what to do and how to do it. I can honestly say that training and development is a very broad term and there are many jobs that a training and development has. I would say the reason I chose this path would be because I love when I teach someone and it feels good to know when they actually understand what is being taught. Some people are hard to understand but when I train someone and i have all of my research and I try not to make it boring then I know I doing something right when I still have that persons attention. Overall I believe this is the perfect field for me because I have so many creative ideas and I just can’t wait until I find the perfect career with the degree that I will earn.
I have been in the human services field for about 5 years now and somehow it has led me to this field. I started out as a case manager for a small housing development corporation, then worked as a case manager in child welfare services, then as a job coach for Goodwill Industries, and now as a Vocational Case Manager for Goodwill Great Lakes. I have gotten the opportunity to help with training and orientation in my current role and really enjoy it. I come from a family full of educators as well which has influenced me to want to pursue a career as some kind of an instructor and given I have a background in human services and human resources, this seemed like the perfect fit.
These resources are great and I will definitely be checking them out as an opportunity to grow my knowledge set in the field. I don’t have a lot of recommendations for resources for those interested in training and development, but I do have a great resource for assistance with accommodations for facilitating certain trainings. It is called the Job Accommodation Network. A good book to use while facilitating trainings would be the crucial conversations series. Networking is also a great strategy to use and Linkedin is one of the best options for this.
I loved this read this week, very informative and honest about this profession. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I don’t believe I have a training story. I have worked as a supervisor in jobs for a few years but have not trained within an organization. I am currently working in a consulting field and learning from an executive consultant who has 34 years of experience. I am interested in this field because training and development is something that is always changing, there are always new ways to learn and new ways to do things and it basically keeps you on your toes. This type of job would be exciting and an always learning opportunity, which is something I really enjoy.
I really would love to get training and development experience and be able to experience the field within an organization, whether that is interviewing someone or even shadowing a training and development manager, coordinator or director.
Both of these websites gave me insight into two different types of jobs, one being a coordinator and one being a manager.
I think truly the best resource is to find people who are working in the field of training and talking to them to find out what worked for them and the things they have experienced in the field.
To begin, the aspects of the T & D field that interests me would be the creation of new programs/solutions to help improve the performance and knowledge of employees. I like how to T & D profession allows one to be creative. By being creative, one can use their own ideas /research to learn more about the company for which they work as well as the employees. Moreover, I feel that I would most likely grow in the field of technology. Technology is consistently changing and becoming more advanced. Today many companies use technology (e.g., e-learnings) to train and keep employees up-to-date with new information regarding the company and the job itself. I believe that I have the creativity, passion motivation and determination to use technology as a way to help companies/employees progress.
My undergraduate degree is in psychology with a minor in business administration. Before I knew I wanted to get into HR, I took an industrial organizational class. This class is what sparked my interest in HR. I looked for HR internships and came across a training internship at Six Flags Great America. When I worked there, I led orientation classes to the thousands of employees that came to work there this season. I am interested in this field because I feel that I am having a direct impact on a company. I prepared by on the job learning from my managers and coworkers, but also learning about the company as much as I can. I also went out and worked in the park some days. It is more beneficial for a trainer to train, if they also have the knowledge and experience.
Additional resources would be other people. I think it is important to always ask questions to family or friends in the field, professors, or other job employers.
My undergraduate degree is in Psychology. My focus and interest in graduate school is in Human Resource Management. Since I am new to the Training and Development field, I find the Bureau of Labor and Statistics website most helpful. The website provides the education requirements which are a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Education and related field. If you continue into graduate school, a master’s degree in Training and Development, Human Resource Management, Organizational Development and Business Administration. The bureau of labor and statistics website also provides information on the skills required. For example, understanding of the business operations to match training to the business strategic goals. Able to clearly communicate information and facilitate learning to diverse audiences. Use critical thinking skills when assessing classes, materials and programs. Strong interpersonal skills. Ability to create and teach a lesson plan. Ability to organize, motivate and instruct employees.
Other websites are available with information regarding job description, location and availability (local or nationwide.) https://www.bls.gov; https://www.onetonline.org; https://www.careerbuilder.com; https://www.indeed.com, these websites provide industries hiring in the field of interest and pay.
What interest me about Training and Development is being able to train employees. Proper training helps increase an employee’s self-esteem which helps motivate the employees.
My recommendation for researching into a field of interest would be to read articles on the career. Research top performing companies, search for webinars available for free on google and go into career websites and look up available jobs in your area.
My undergraduate degree is in sustainability. This is what I am truly interested in, and in my case it led to an interest in teaching others to be sustainable. So the training part of my career interest is more incidental. As far as what I would say to someone asking how to get into the field.. I think becoming an expert on the topic is the first step, and then marketing yourself as an expert willing to train others is the next step. To be competent in doing so requires some educational background in training and teaching, but the most important part is understanding the material you are teaching in an out.
Additional resources I would reccomend include going to talks on the subject matter, courses in education and training, and also learning how to market onesself to potential client companies as an expert in the subject matter.
Thank you for sharing this information Kathy. Very helpful to know in the event that I get asked this question while taking the class.
What is my training story? Initially I thought that I didn’t have a training story, but I remembered that I do. I actually started off doing a lot of training when I was in my third year of college. The training involved taking high school students and adults through a rites of passage training. There was a curriculum that we worked from and we used it throughout the CPS school year and then continued the training for three additional weeks in Ghana, West Africa. It was amazing. I am still in communication with a lot of the youth who are now adults who have their own families now. They often express great gratitude for the training and the impact it still has on their life today.
Why am I interested in the field? I am interested in the field of Training & Development because I think it will assist me in my new role of Associate Director of HR & Operations with learning how to conduct and facilitate trainings for adults. It’s been a long time since I’ve been apart of any formal workplace training and I would like to be more confident in delivering workplace presentations and trainings. I think learning about this field will also assist me as future opportunities become available.
2. Can you recommend additional resources that would be helpful to those interested in a career in training? Since I don’t have a lot of experience in this area and individuals inquiring about the field will probably have even less experience than me, I would recommend building a network of people to consult about the field. This network can be comprised of people you already know that either conduct trainings or have access to individuals who train. It might also be helpful to obtain a membership at one of the local training and development organizations. This would be helpful for individuals to expand their knowledge while building their personal resource bank.
Thank you for sharing, this was a very informative post. My “training story” came through being in people leadership roles that required training employees to adopt new skills and also the chance management role that I am in today that requires developing training strategies, plans and creating training content for employees. Thank you!
This is an excellent post, very informative.
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SAFP nimmt an historischem ersten European Professional Sportspeoples Forum teil und hat eine gemeinsame Erklärung mitunterstützt! An einem historischen Treffen in Brüssel haben sich Profisportlervereinigung aus Europa zu gemeinsamen Handeln entschlossen.
"Die Profispielervereinigung SAFP hat am ersten europäischen Profisportler Forum in Brüssel vom 31. Januar 2011 teilgenommen und unterstützt das gemeinsam erarbeitete Positionspapier, dass von Athletenvereinigungen unterstützt wird, welche gemeinsam mehr als 40'000 Profisportler in Europa vertreten.
Die Teilnehmer des ersten European Professional Sportspeoples Forum haben zu verschiedenen aktuellen Fragen eine gemeinsame Position der Profisportlervereinigungen erarbeitet.
Äusserst wichtig ist, dass Regelungen zur „specificity of sport“ in der Welt des Profisports nur dann implementiert werden können, wenn eine Einigung aller involvierter Parteien, insbesondere auch der Sportler, vorliegt. Mit anderen Worten führt kein Weg am sozialen Dialog zwischen Verband, Liga, Klub und Spielern vorbei, wenn Reglungen betroffen sind, die den professionellen Sport tangieren.
Es wurde auch klar festgehalten, dass das Recht nationale Gericht und den Europäischen Gerichtshof anrufen zu können, immer eine Option für Athleten bleiben muss. Alle Anstrengungen, die Streitschlichtungsmechanismen zu stärken, müssen vom Grundsatz getragen werden, die fundamentalen Rechte der Sportler als Arbeitnehmer zu stärken und sollen das Recht der Athleten, Streitigkeiten vor die nationalen und europäischen Gerichte zu bringen, nicht unterminieren. Auf allen Stufen soll eine paritätische Besetzung der Entscheidungsinstanzen vorliegen.
Wo Sport eine wirtschaftliche Aktivität ist, muss das Recht der Athleten als Bürger und Arbeitnehmer respektiert werden. Insbesondere das Recht der Sportler sich kollektiv zu organisieren und sich auf nationalen wie auch europäischer Ebene im sozialen Dialog zu engagieren muss respektiert und unterstützt werden.
Sportlergewerkschaften und Sportlervereinigungen sind ein wesentlicher Teil des „sport movement“. Wir lehnen einen exklusiven Dialog zwischen Olympic und Sports Movement und den europäischen Institutionen ab. Die europäische Kommission soll die Einbindung von Sportlergewerkschaften in all ihren verschiedenen „Sportdialogen“ fördern.
Das von den „Olympic und Sport movement“ in deren Positionspapier von Januar 2010 dargestellte Konzept zu „specificity of sport“ stellt eine Einschränkung der Recht der Sportler dar und wird vollumfänglich abgelehnt.
Diskutiert wurden auch die folgenden Themen: Sozialer Dialog, strukturierter Dialog, Transferbestimmungen, Anti-Doping-Regeln, Sportwetten, Korruption im Sport, Ausbildung, Persönlichkeits- und Bildrechte.
Sportaktivitäten müssen im Anwendungsbereich des nationalen und europäischen Rechts verbleiben. Alle Handlungen, welche die „specifcity of sport“ fördern wollen, sollen die fundamentalen Rechte der Sportler als Bürger und Arbeitnehmer nicht unterminieren. Es ist wichtig, dass Sportler das Recht behalten, Streitigkeiten vor die nationalen und europäischen Gerichte zu bringen, um die ihnen zustehenden fundamentalen Rechte zu schützen.
Der soziale Dialog soll auf europäischer Ebene durch die Europäische Kommission aktiv gefördert werden, weil dies die beste Art darstelle, die fundamentalen Rechte und Interessen der Sportler zu schützen.
Wir verpflichten uns zu einem kontinuierlichen sozialen Dialog mit der Kommission, dem Council of Europe und dem europäischen Parlament in allen Bereichen der Sports. Es ist wesentlich, dass Sportlergewerkschaften als wesentlicher Teil des „sport movement“ anerkannt werden.
We support section 4.1 of the White Paper on Sport that begins with the statement, “Sport activity is subject to the application of E.U. law”. The term “specificity of sport” may be applied to address certain special requirements of sport but should be applied in a limited fashion as decided by the courts and not to allow sport organizations to avoid their obligations under European and national law.
We recognise the acquis communautaire in the field of Sport. Moves to promote the specificity of sport must not undermine the existing case law that has been built up by national and European courts. Moreover the European Court of Justice has always taken into account the “specificity of sport” in its judgments in every branche of industry.
Access to the national courts and the ECJ must remain an option for sportspeople. Any moves to strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms in sport must ensure that they do not undermine sportspeoples’ rights as citizens and as workers to bring cases before national and European courts. If there is dispute resolution iins sports then equal representation is fundamental at all levels.
Where sport is an economic activity, the rights of sportspeople as citizens, employees and workers must be respected. Especially the right of sportspeople to organize collectively and to engage in social dialogue at the national and European level must also be respected and supported.
Sportspeoples’ unions and associations are an essential part of the “sport movement”. We reject any exclusive bilateral dialogue between the Olympic and Sports Movement and European institutions on this issue. The Commission should promote sportspeoples’ unions’ involvement and representation in all its different sports dialogues.
The concept of 'specificity of sport', as put forward by the Olympic and Sports movement in its position paper of January 2010, represents an erosion of the rights of sportsmen and women. Any application of the concept of the “specificity of sport” that has not been upheld by a decision of the European Court of Justice must be discussed with and approved by the athletes’ representatives through social dialogue.
As stated in the White Paper on Sport, national social dialogue and European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees must remain important tools in developing sport policy in Europe.
We acknowledge the European Commission’s work to establish a social dialogue committee in professional football sector and for the whole sport and active leisure sector, respectively. We will do our utmost to achieve results in the autonomous social dialogue with the relevant social partners.
As social partners representing the essential stakeholder, European sportspeople, we assert that these views must be part of any structured dialogue that takes place in the context of the development of sport policy and a European Sport Programme. Neither the International Olympic Movement nor international federations have a mandate to speak on behalf of players, athletes and sportspeople.
We support the Commissions plan to launch a study on transfer rules and provide guidance on that basis. Transfer rules are of immense importance for professional sportspeople in team sports.
We are of the opinion that parts of the different transfer rules violate the rights of professional sportspeople. The Commission needs to safeguard the conformity between the legal rights of sportspeople and the transfer rules.
Sportspeople are often forced to give up or assign their image and intellectual property rights in order to be allowed to compete. When this pressure comes from a federation or the Olympic movement instead of an employer organization the sportspeople is are placed in a position where he or she is unable to negotiate from a position of equality. There is often in fact no negotiation.
The member unions of the European Elite Athletes Association and FIFPro Division Europe are in a unique position to represent the collective image rights of their individual members and will put more focus on this in the future.
We are committed to drug free sport and would support a fair and effective performance-enhancing drug testing regime that recognizes, respects and protects athletes’ legal rights as employees, workers and European citizens. In areas where there is a clear economic element, anti-doping rules must be negotiated directly with employee social partner organizations through either a social dialogue or collective bargaining process.
The enforcement of anti-doping rules must be proportional and balanced. National and European governments should be proactive in the protection of sportspeoples’ fundamental rights. Anti-doping rules should conform to the law and not the other way around.
A large proportion of the small groups of top sportspeople selected for the Registered Testing Pools are clearly involved in sport as a economic activity and must not be denied their rights to collectively organize and be collectively represented. The Athletes Commissions of WADA and the international federations can in no way be understood to collectively represent sportspeople as they are neither democratically selected nor transparent in their operation. WADA needs to respect its own statutes regarding the representation of athletes and the precedence of national law.
e) Professional sportspeople should be allowed to train with their teams during periods of suspension.
We note that when recreational drugs are excluded, doping appears to be an extremely marginal activity, especially in European team sports such as ice hockey, basketball, volleyball, rugby and football. Smarter, more specific, and more proportional systems should be developed, where appropriate. In this context, we request that the Commission support a study that should make a cost benefit analysis of different aspects of anti-doping testing programs.
Problems regarding betting, match fixing and corruption rarely start with the sportspeople. On the other hand, they are the most vulnerable party and subject to sanctions. WWe call on the European Commission to support, as part of a future Sport Programme, educational programs designed to inform sportspeople about issues surrounding sports betting integrity. The members of the European Elite Athletes Association and the FIFPro Division Europe are in a unique position to implement these types of programs.
We recognize and commend section C4, clause 44, of the Coubertin Action plan of the White Paper on Sport relating to 'corruption, money laundering and other financial crime'.
Corruption, for the purposes of this statement, is defined as the misuse of entrusted power for personal gain, which may not necessarily be financial.
Corruption and conflicts of interest in sport have a substantial and negative impact on the position of sports people. Therefore, we call, in general, for more transparency and accountability in sport. Sportspeoples’ unions are prepared to play a positive role in this effort but recognize that all actors in sport including the Olympic movement, sports federations and leagues must tackle this problem through the adoption and implementation of codes of ethics, and the establishment of effective ethics commissions and compliance systems as is the norm in other industries.
We call for improved transparency and democracy to combat the potential for corruption and/or conflict of interest within the Olympic movement, sport federations and the World Anti Doping Agency. The Commission has an important role to play in promoting European values within international sports federations.
We note with approval that the White Paper on Sport (2.3.) emphasizes the importance of “dual career” training for professional sport persons.
The European Commission needs to include the professional sportspeoples unions, as the employee social partners, in any effort to better prepare sports people for work after (or, in the case of semi-professional or elite amateur athletes, during) their sporting careers. Many effective transition programs, sponsored by sportspeoples unions, already exist and could be used as models.
Sport activity must remain subject to within the application domain of European and national law.
Any moves to promote the specificity of sport must not undermine sportspeoples’ fundamental rights as citizens and employees or workers. It is essential that sportspeople continue to have recourse to national and European courts to safeguard their fundamental rights.
Social dialogue at the European level should be actively promoted by the EC to sports federations and clubs as the best way of protecting the specificity of sport and sportspeoples’ fundamental rights and interests.
We are committed to ongoing dialogue with the Commission, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament on all areas of sports policy. It is essential that sportspeoples’ unions be recognized as a fundamental part of the sports movement.
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Since their emergence less that two decades ago, the Internet, the Information Superhighway, or cyberspace have been presented to us as the open and borderless world where the powerful and the powerless, states and citizens, and men and women can communicate without any restraint. This technology of communication, it is argued, has made censorship or control obsolete and, even, impossible. If there is a problem, it is "access to technology" or "access to information."
These claims about censorship have proved to be as inadequate as the conventional libertarian view, which reduces it to government control of information and limitations on the expression of opinion. By contrast, critical approaches argue that in developed Western capitalist societies, the market has acted as the main locus of censorship (Jansen, 1988), "thought control" (Chomsky, 1988) or "opinion control" (Qualter, 1985). Focusing on the impact of technologies of communication, Harold Innis argued that the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which illegalized state censorship, was used by the privately owned press to create monopolies of knowledge, and constrain dialogue and critical thinking (Innis, 1949; for a more recent survey, see Herman 1997: for censorship by mainstream press in Britain, see, among others, Hollingsworth, 1986).
While the market and its "mass media," "consciousness industries," or "cultural industries" conduct much of the thought control, the state continues to play its role in maintaining the status quo by, among other things, the control of social movements and, even, their violent repression (for the situation in the U.S., see, among others, Carley, 1997; Chomsky, 1999; Day and Whitehorn, 2001; for Canada, see, e.g., Scher, 1992). The surveillance of citizens occurs in peace (see, e.g., McWilliams, 1950; Borovoy, 1998-99) and war (Linfield, 1990; Human Rights Watch, 1991a); in "normal" conditions and at times of crisis (Human Rights Watch 1991b; Amnesty International 2001). The modern inquisition machinery of the early 1950s in the United States was launched by the highest organ of democracy in the country, the House of Representatives, and its Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). This state inquisition organ targeted, among others, the Hollywood and purged it of "communists." In the wake of this purge, the banks, which financed much of the film production in the U.S., refused to finance any film that included a blacklisted actor, director, or technician. Thus, the market joined HUAC for economic or political considerations (on the press and HUAC, see Tuck 1995).
In the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, President George W. Bush's Administration and its Western allies have moved to curb civil liberties and constitutional rights. This includes a well financed machinery of surveillance, which allows the government to wiretap telephone calls, read faxed and e-mailed messages, computer files, and every other communication of any and every citizen. Some of the privately owned, mainstream media have joined the state by instilling fear in the citizens, encouraging them to give up their hard-won civil liberties, and exchange them for "security." Much like the extreme right in the McCarthy era, the conservatives and many liberals in the post-September 11 era, compete for the highest patriotic award by demanding more surveillance.
While the market and the state are the main organs of censorship, control is embedded in other institutions, from the church to education to family. Religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, age, and certainly gender all act as sources, agents, or perpetrators of censorship. Let us look at the gender dimension. The first major communication revolution, writing, and the second one, printing, were male enterprises. It took women thousands of years after the advent of writing to have access to literate communication (primarily in Western Europe, North America and the former Soviet bloc).
By contrast with much of Asia, Africa and other regions of the developing world, women in the West have had more access to writing, literacy, printing, and education. They have also achieved legal equality with males. As already mentioned, however, "access to information" alone does not eliminate censorship. To give an example, feminist knowledge has seriously challenged the deep-rooted androcentrism of modern knowledge. However, in spite of progress in female literacy and access to higher education, feminist consciousness is still limited, and patriarchy is still intact, and is constantly reproduced in innumerable ways.
It is important to know more about the ties that bind censorship to gender. Even when one barrier is removed, others emerge to ensure the reproduction of the status quo. For instance, after decades of struggle, beginning in late nineteenth century, legal barriers to women's access to parliament and political office were removed in the West and, later, in many non-Western states. This was achieved, not simply through access to information, but rather due to women's determination to create knowledge and consciousness, and engage in mobilizing and organizing (sit-ins, demonstrations, picketing, leafleting, singing, etc.) in schools, homes, streets, churches, and university campuses. However, states and state-centred politics continue to be male-centred. Even when women have a proportionate participation in the parliament, there is no guarantee that they would all advocate feminist alternatives to an androcentric agenda; and this is the case for the simple reason that women can be as patriarchal in their politics as some men are.
A more adequate approach to the understanding of censorship is, I believe, to see it not as an irrational practice, as a mischievous attitude, or a technical problem of obstructing channels of communication. Censorship is an integral part of the exercise of gender power, class power, and the powers of the nation, ethnicity, religion and governance. Not only does it deny women access to information, but also limits their participation in the creation of knowledge, and denies them the power to utilize knowledge.
If in pre-modern times the church was the major player in creating knowledge, today the market produces, disseminates, and utilizes much of the knowledge, which has achieved the status of a commodity. Knowledge is "intellectual property." Even the knowledge created in public and semi-public institutions such as universities is increasingly geared to the agenda of the market, and serves the promotion of market interests. Moreover, Western states primarily entertain the market as the lifeline of economy, culture and society. They increasingly aim at giving all the power to the market. In dictatorial regimes, however, the state still plays a prominent role in censoring the creation and dissemination of knowledge. From Peru to Turkey, to Iran and to China, states suppress activists, journalists, libraries, bookstores, print and broadcast media, satellite dishes and the Internet. They often do so by committing violence against the citizens and the communication systems they use.
Although we may find much gender-based subtlety in the techniques of limiting women's access to information, I believe that the subtlest censorship is denying feminist knowledge a visible role in the exercise of power. The state, Western and non-Western, rules through privileging androcentric knowledge as the basis for governance. The conduct of national censuses, for instance, continues to be based on androcentric worldviews in spite of devastating feminist critique. To give another example, women are now recruited into Western armies in combat functions, but states continue to ignore feminist and pacifist knowledge that challenges the very phenomenon of war and violence (Cynthia Enloe, 2000).
Women themselves can be and, often, are part of the problem. In the absence of feminist consciousness, they generally act as participants in the reproduction of patriarchal gender relations. In Islamic societies, when men engage in the "honour" killing of their wives, daughters or sisters, sometimes mothers participate in or tolerate the horrendous crime (Mojab, 2002).
The democratisation of gender relations is a conscious intervention in a power structure that is closely interlocked with the powers of the state, class, race, ethnicity, religion and tradition. For both women and men, challenging patriarchy means defying one's own values, worldviews, emotions, and traditions. At the same time, it involves risk taking including, in some situations, loss of life.
Women's full access to androcentric knowledge will not disturb the status quo. I argue that, in the absence of feminist consciousness, women may even act as ministers of propaganda and censorship. They will not be in a position to exercise the democratic right to revolt against oppressive rule.
In the West, feminist knowledge cannot be suppressed through book-burning, jailing, torture, and assassination. Censorship is conducted, much more effectively, by stigmatizing and marginalising feminist knowledge as "special interest," while androcentrism is promoted as the norm, the canon, and "human nature." That is why, I contend, that if we fill all the media institutions with female managers and staff, if we give all educational institutions to women, or hand over all high-rank military positions to women, the androcentric world order with its violence, war, poverty, and degenerating environment will continue to function.
Globalization, as it is understood in mainstream media and in state discourses, is nothing new; it emerged with the rise of capitalism; the main engine of globalization is the capitalist market, and it is promoted and planned by capitalist states through various organs such as the G8, World Bank, European Union, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, etc. The impact of this globalization on women has been largely negative, especially in the developing world. Millions of girls aged 5 to 15 are recruited into the global prostitution market. Millions more leave their families and countries to raise some income as maids. However, other forms of globalization or, rather, internationalization have been in the making. For instance, feminism has evolved as an international movement in spite of the opposition of conservatives in many parts of the world. It has been able to put women's demands on the agenda of states and international organs such as the United Nations.
Media are also important actors in globalisation. Women have had more presence in the media both as producers and as targets or sources of entertainment and information programming. There is considerable progress, for instance, in the production of women and feminist press in many developing countries. The Internet and desktop publishing present new opportunities for more media activism. Egypt has a women's television channel. Focusing on the question of censorship, the crucial issue is freedom of speech not only for women but also more significantly, for feminists and feminist knowledge. Feminist knowledge and consciousness is the primary target of censorship. Do the globalizing media allow women of the developing countries to learn about the achievements of Western women in fighting patriarchy? Do women of the West learn from the struggles of women in India, Jamaica or Saudi Arabia? Do the global media allow women everywhere to know about the Beijing Conference and its aftermath? Do they disseminate adequate and accurate information about the World March of Women? My answers are rather in the negative. The cyberspace is much like the realspace that creates it. The fact that many individual women or groups can set up their websites does not change power relations in the realspace. The negative stereotyping of women, for instance, cannot change without the dissemination of feminist consciousness among both men and women. Even if stereotyping is eliminated, gender inequality will persist.
A) Creating theoretical and empirical knowledge about gender-based censorship, and especially the censorship of feminist knowledge and feminist movements.
B) Disseminating this knowledge and awareness among citizens. Using this knowledge for the purpose of dismantling patriarchal power. Knowledge makes a difference when it is put into practice.
C) Making this knowledge available to policy makers and integrating it into policy making in the institutions of the market, the state, and non-state and non-market forces.
These goals will not be achieved in the absence of feminist and women's movements. If censorship is not a mistake, but rather it is an organ for exercising gender and class power, resistance to it, too, should be a part of the struggle for a democratic regime.
Borovoy, Alan (1998-99) "Civil liberties in Canada: Erosion from within," The Humanist in Canada, Winter, pp.20-23.
Carley, Michael (1997) "Defining forms of successful state repression of social movement organizations: A case study of FBI's COINTELPRO and the American Indian Movement," Research in Social Movements, Conflict and Change, vol.20, pp. 151-76.
Chomsky, Noam (1988) Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies. Toronto, CBC Enterprises.
Chomsky, Noam (1999) "Domestic terrorism: Notes on the State System of Oppression," New Political Science, vol.21 no.3, pp. 303-24.
Day, Susie and Whitehorn, Laura (2001) "Human rights in the United States: The unfinished story of political prisoners and COINTELPRO," New Political Science, vol. 23 no.2, pp. 285-97.
Enloe, Cynthia (2000) Maneuvers: The International Politics of Militarizing Women's Lives. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Herman, Edward (1997) Triumph of the Market: Essays on Economics, Politics and the Media. Montreal, Black Rose Books.
Hollingsworth, Mark (1986) The Press and Political Dissent: A Question of Censorship. London, Pluto Press.
Human Rights Watch (1991a) Freedom of Expression and the War: Press and Speech Restrictions in the Gulf and F.B.I. Activity in U.S. Raise First Amendment Issues. New York, The Fund for Free Expression, a Committee of Human Rights Watch, January 28.
Human Rights Watch (1991b) Secret Trials in America? Administration's 'Alien Terrorist Removal' Plan Puts U.S. in Company of Repressive Regimes. New York, The Fund for Free Expression, a Committee of Human Rights Watch, June 14.
Innis, Harold (1949) The Press: A Neglected Factor in the Economic History of the Twentieth Century. Stamp Memorial Lecture, University of London. London, Oxford University Press.
Jansen, Sue Curry (1988) Censorship: The Knot that Binds Power and Knowledge. New York, Oxford University Press.
McWilliams, Carey (1950) Witch Hunt: The Revival of Heresy. New York, Little, Brown and Company.
Mojab, Shahrzad (2002) "No "Safe Haven" for women: Violence against women in Iraqi Kurdistan," in W. Giles and J. Hyndman (eds.) Women in Conflict Zones. Berkeley: University of California Press (in press).
Qualter, Terence H. (1985) Opinion Control in the Democracies. London, Macmillan.
Linfield, Michael (1990) Freedom Under Fire: U.S. Civil Liberties in Times of War. Boston, South End Press.
Scher, Len (1992) The Un-Canadians: True Stories of the Blacklist Era. Toronto, Lester Publishing Limited.
Tuck, Jim (1995) McCarthyism and New York's Hearst Press: A Study of Roles in the Witch Hunt. Lanham, Maryland, University Press of America.
Shahrzad Mojab, Associate Professor, teaches at the Department of Adult Education, Community Development, and Counselling Psychology, the Ontario Institute for Studies of Education at the University of Toronto. Her areas of research and teaching include minority women's access to education, anti-racism education, social justice and equality, academic freedom and diversity, Islamic fundamentalism and women's rights, and gender, ethnicity, and nationalism. Her publications include, among others, articles and book chapters on 'Islamic Feminism', diversity and academic freedom in Canadian and Iranian universities, minority women in academe, feminism and nationalism, the construction of civil society in the Middle East, and women's access to higher education. She is the editor of Women of A Non-State Nation: The Kurds (Mazda Press: California) and co-editor Property and Propriety: The Role of Gender and Class in Imperialism and Nationalism (University of Toronto Press). Her recent publications on gender and technology include an article entitled "The feminist project in cyberspace and civil society," Convergence, Vol. 33, Nos. 12, 2000, pp. 106-119 and "The politics of "cyberfeminism" in the middle east: The case of Kurdish women," which will appear in a special issue of Race, Gender, and Class on media.
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10 paintloss spray paint Im obviously a huge fan of all types of spray paint. However, my personal fave is high gloss spray paint when it comes to coating small accessories or ceramics. The only problem is that not every spray paint color is sold in a high gloss finish. To remedy this inconvenience you can buy whatever color spray paint you want in a flat finish and then get a can of clear gloss. It instantly gives anything a glossy, factory-like finish.
We have retired 50 of our patterns and we are now offering them in this pattern Ebook. This PDF is 6mb, and 133 pages long. Complete with a Table of Contents to help guide you to the patterns. The last page of this Ebook has Tips and Tricks that we use while creating all of our crochet pieces.
I love this little DIY so much, and think it turned out pretty well. It is relatively easy to create, the most difficult part of this project is patience! Believe me, patience is important otherwise your tray will FALL APART the second you pick it up. You must, must, must leave it for at least a day (or two) to dry. The glue is strong, but not unless you let it cure for a few days. I had to redo the attachment process two times, so just be sure to let it dry once everything is perfectly attached, and do not attempt to lift the tray by the handles (they are decorative mostly). Another great thing is how few supplies you need to actually create this. You dont have to spend a lot of money upfront to make this DIY, I think I spent about 20-30 dollars total. If you have old drawer pulls that you can paint, or already have a strong glue or a tile, you can spend even less. So lets get to it!
2. It is too hot. If the weather is too hot, then the paint tends to dry too fast. If this is the case, it can bubble up also. Do not spray paint directly in the beating sun (especially in the summer) or your paint will bubble right up.
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David Courtnay Marr (19 January 1945 – 17 November 1980) was a British neuroscientist and physiologist. Marr integrated results from psychology, artificial intelligence, and neurophysiology into new models of visual processing. His work was very influential in computational neuroscience and led to a resurgence of interest in the discipline.
Born in Woodford, Essex, and educated at Rugby School; he was admitted at Trinity College, Cambridge on 1 October 1963 (having been awarded the Lees Knowles Rugby Exhibition).
He was awarded the Coutts Trotter Scholarship in 1966 and obtained his BA in mathematics the same year and got his PhD in physiology under Giles Brindley in 1972. His interest turned from general brain theory to visual processing. His doctoral dissertation was submitted in 1969 and described his model of the function of the cerebellum based mainly on anatomical and physiological data garnered from a book by J.C. Eccles. Subsequently, he worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he took on a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychology in 1977 and was subsequently made a tenured full professor in 1980. Marr proposed that understanding the brain requires an understanding of the problems it faces and the solutions it finds. He emphasised the need to avoid general theoretical debates and instead focus on understanding specific problems.
Marr died of leukaemia in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the age of 35. His findings are collected in the book Vision: A computational investigation into the human representation and processing of visual information, which was finished mainly on 1979 summer, was published in 1982 after his death and re-issued in 2010 by The MIT Press. This book had a key role in the beginning and rapid growth of computational neuroscience field. He was married to Lucia M. Vaina of Boston University's Department of Biomedical Engineering and Neurology.
There are various academic awards and prizes named in his honour. The Marr Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in computer vision, the David Marr Medal awarded every two years by the Applied Vision Association in the UK, and the Cognitive Science Society also awards a Marr Prize for the best student paper at its annual conference.
Marr is best known for his work on vision, but before he began work on that topic he published three seminal papers proposing computational theories of the cerebellum (in 1969), neocortex (in 1970), and hippocampus (in 1971). Each of those papers presented important new ideas that continue to influence modern theoretical thinking.
The cerebellum theory was motivated by two unique features of cerebellar anatomy: (1) the cerebellum contains vast numbers of tiny granule cells, each receiving only a few inputs from "mossy fibers"; (2) Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex each receive tens of thousands of inputs from "parallel fibers", but only one input from a single "climbing fiber", which however is extremely strong. Marr proposed that the granule cells encode combinations of mossy fibre inputs, and that the climbing fibres carry a "teaching" signal that instructs their Purkinje cell targets to modify the strength of synaptic connections from parallel fibres. Neither of those ideas is universally accepted, but both form essential elements of viable modern theories .
The theory of neocortex was primarily motivated by the discoveries of David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel, who found several types of "feature detectors" in the primary visual area of the cortex. Marr proposed, generalising on that observation, that cells in the neocortex are flexible categorizers—that is, they learn the statistical structure of their input patterns and become sensitive to combinations that are frequently repeated.
The theory of hippocampus (which Marr called "archicortex") was motivated by the discovery by William Scoville and Brenda Milner that destruction of the hippocampus produced amnesia for memories of new or recent events but left intact memories of events that had occurred years earlier. Marr called his theory "simple memory": the basic idea was that the hippocampus could rapidly form memory traces of a simple type by strengthening connections between neurons. Remarkably, Marr's paper only preceded by two years a paper by Tim Bliss and Terje Lømo that provided the first clear report of long-term potentiation in the hippocampus, a type of synaptic plasticity very similar to what Marr hypothesized. (Marr's paper contains a footnote mentioning a preliminary report of that discovery.) The details of Marr's theory are no longer of great value because of errors in his understanding of hippocampal anatomy, but the basic concept of the hippocampus as a temporary memory system remains in a number of modern theories. At the end of his paper Marr promised a follow-up paper on the relations between the hippocampus and neocortex, but no such paper ever appeared.
After thirty years of the Vision (1982, W. H. Freeman and Company), Tomaso Poggio adds one higher level beyond the computational level, that is the learning.
I am not sure that Marr would agree, but I am tempted to add learning as the very top level of understanding, above the computational level. [...] Only then may we be able to build intelligent machines that could learn to see—and think—without the need to be programmed to do it.
a primal sketch of the scene, based on feature extraction of fundamental components of the scene, including edges, regions, etc. Note the similarity in concept to a pencil sketch drawn quickly by an artist as an impression.
a 2.5D sketch of the scene, where textures are acknowledged, etc. Note the similarity in concept to the stage in drawing where an artist highlights or shades areas of a scene, to provide depth.
a 3D model, where the scene is visualised in a continuous, 3-dimensional map.
2.5D sketch is related to stereopsis, optic flow, and motion parallax. The 2.5D sketch represents that in reality we do not see all of our surroundings but construct the viewer-centered three dimensional view of our environment. 2.5D Sketch is a so-called paraline drawing technique of data visualization and often referred to by its generic term "axonometric" or "isometric" drawing and is often used by modern architects and designers.
(1969) "A theory of cerebellar cortex." J. Physiol., 202:437–470.
(1970) "A theory for cerebral neocortex." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 176:161–234.
(1971) "Simple memory: a theory for archicortex." Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. London, 262:23–81.
(1974) "The computation of lightness by the primate retina." Vision Research, 14:1377–1388.
(1975) "Approaches to biological information processing." Science, 190:875–876.
(1976) "Early processing of visual information." Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B, 275:483–524.
(March 1976) "Artificial intelligence: A personal view." Technical Report AIM 355, MIT AI Laboratory, Cambridge, MA.
(1977) "Artificial intelligence: A personal view." Artificial Intelligence 9(1), 37–48.
(1981) "Artificial intelligence: a personal view." In Haugeland, J., ed., Mind Design, chapter 4, pages 129–142. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
^ Marr D (June 1969). "A theory of cerebellar cortex". J. Physiol. 202 (2): 437–70. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008820. PMC 1351491. PMID 5784296.
^ Marr D (November 1970). "A theory for cerebral neocortex". Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 176 (43): 161–234. doi:10.1098/rspb.1970.0040. PMID 4394740.
^ Marr D (July 1971). "Simple memory: a theory for archicortex". Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 262 (841): 23–81. doi:10.1098/rstb.1971.0078. PMID 4399412.
^ Bliss TV, Lømo T (July 1973). "Long-lasting potentiation of synaptic transmission in the dentate area of the anaesthetized rabbit following stimulation of the perforant path". J. Physiol. 232 (2): 331–56. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1973.sp010273. PMC 1350458. PMID 4727084.
^ Bliss TV, Lømo T (April 1970). "Plasticity in a monosynaptic cortical pathway". J. Physiol. 207 (2): 51–89. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1970.sp009101. PMID 5511138.
^ Willshaw DJ, Buckingham JT (August 1990). "An assessment of Marr's theory of the hippocampus as a temporary memory store". Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 329 (1253): 205–15. doi:10.1098/rstb.1990.0165. PMID 1978365.
^ Marr, D.; Poggio, T. (1976). "From Understanding Computation to Understanding Neural Circuitry". Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. A.I. Memo. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. AIM-357.
^ Dawson, Michael. "Understanding Cognitive Science." Blackwell Publishing, 1998.
^ Uddin, Saleh. "Conventions and Construction of Paralines." In Axonometric and Oblique Drawing: A 3-D Construction, Rendering, and Design Guide, 1–14. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
Vaina, L. M., ed. (1990). From the retina to the neocortex: selected papers of David Marr. Boston, MA: Birkhauser.
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Let's help you find the right headset kit! The first thing you want to decide is whether you want "Behind-the-Head" or "Over-the-Head" headsets. A "Behind-the-Head" design features the headband that goes behind the head and a velcro strap that goes over the top. This is popular with race drivers and pit crews because it provides dual headset support in high motion racing while eliminating bulky headbands over the top of the head, leaving individuals free to wear a hat or safety helmet over the velcro head strap.
The "Over-the-Head" headsets provide a traditional fit and look while also being a preferred style and fit for kids. There is no performance difference in the two styles of headsets and both types are equally popular among race teams, and recreational riders. It simply boils down to preference.
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Assuming that the model in Example 37.2 is satisfactory, a seasonal adjustment that uses forecast extension can be performed by adding the X11 statement to the procedure. By default, the data is forecast one year ahead at the end of the series.
Table D8A, which contains the seasonality tests, is shown in Output 37.3.1.
** Seasonality present at the 0.1 percent level.
The four ODS statements in the preceding example direct output from the D8A tables into four data sets: SalesD8A_1, SalesD8A_2, SalesD8A_3, and SalesD8A_4. It is best to direct the output to four different data sets because the four tables associated with Table D8A have varying formats. The ODS data sets are shown in Output 37.3.2, Output 37.3.3, Output 37.3.4, and Output 37.3.5.
sales Residual 1481.28 132 11.22182 .
sales Total 25052.69 143 . .
sales Error 846.1424 110 7.692204 .
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0.962054 |
Are you a traditional employee who gets paid once every two weeks? One of the best strategies you can use to budget is to assume you get a biweekly paycheck.
Every month you get a minimum of two paychecks, but some months you wind up with three. This means you’ll find yourself with a few "bonus" paychecks each year.
That’s a huge windfall. You can use the extra cash to pay off debt, save for retirement, or enhance your emergency fund.
You can also save for major purchases such as a dishwasher, your next car, or a family vacation to Europe.
Here are more details about how you can do this.
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Named the coffee capital of New Zealand, Wellington has more cafés per capita than New York.
Why is this? First, because Wellingtonians love their coffee and consider it as convenience-everyday goods; second they need a boost in the morning to fuel the rest of their busy day. Not to mention, they do make some of the best coffee in the world (CNN, 2014) to show that there is no compromise between a great coffee and a super-fast service.
Most people buy a takeaway cup of coffee on their way to work, and students, if they are not late for class, stick around to have some breakfast. For Wellingtonians, coffee is not just a drink, it’s a religion and therefore, it’s hard to find a bad coffee in Wellington!
Unlike coffee in Vietnam, strong and rich drip coffee with sweetened condensed milk, Wellington baristas blend their coffee beans as you order and offer add-ons, i.e. steamed milk and sugar, before making it. Some top orders are: Flat White, Long Black, Cappuccino, etc, and they are not as strong as Vietnamese coffee, except for a Short Black.
If you travel to Wellington and even better, if you're not in a hurry, do order a coffee, sit back and enjoy the best of Wellington in a cup!
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American football (known as football in the United States and gridiron in some other countries) is a sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field 120 yards long by 53.33 yards wide with goalposts at each end. The offense attempts to advance an oval ball (the football) down the field by running with or passing it. They must advance it at least ten yards in four downs to receive a new set of four downs and continue the drive; if not, they turn over the football to the opposing team. Most points are scored by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins.
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The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. The tree originated in Western Asia, where its wild ancestor, the Alma, is still found today. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics. Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock.
At least 55 million tons of apples were grown worldwide in 2005, with a value of about $10 billion. China produced about 35% of this total. The United States is the second-leading producer, with more than 7.5% of world production.
The apple tree was perhaps the earliest tree to be cultivated, and its fruits have been improved through selection over thousands of years. Alexander the Great is credited with finding dwarfed apples in Kazakhstan in Asia in 328 BC. Apples were brought to North America with colonists in the 17th century, and the first apple orchard on the North American continent was said to be near Boston in 1625.
Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit. One of the problems identifying apples in religion, mythology and folktales is that the word "apple" was used as a generic term for all fruit, other than berries, but including nuts, as late as the 17th century. For example, the Greek goddess of discord, Eris, became disgruntled after she was excluded from the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. In retaliation, she tossed a golden apple inscribed Καλλίστη (Kalliste, 'For the most beautiful one'), into the wedding party. Three goddesses claimed the apple: Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris of Troy was appointed to select the recipient. After being bribed by both Hera and Athena, Aphrodite tempted him with the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. He awarded the apple to Aphrodite, thus indirectly causing the Trojan War when Paris took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta.
In 2010, an Italian-led consortium announced they had decoded the complete genome of the apple, using the Golden delicious variety. It had about 57,000 genes, the highest number of any plant genome studied to date and more genes than the human genome (about 30,000). This new understanding of the apple genome will help scientists in identifying genes and gene variants that contribute to disease and drought resistance and other desirable characteristics. Understanding the genes behind these characteristics will allow scientists to perform more knowledgeable selective breeding. Decoding the genome also provided proof that Malus sieversii was the wild ancestor of the domestic apple - an issue that had been long-debated in the scientific community.
TRIBUNE: Gallipolis Wins Four Bloom Rating!
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Give us a brief synopsis of what your company does. – Heartland of Nebraska, LLC (heartlandofnebraskawindows.com) is a local distributor for our manufacturer, Heartland Windows, which is out of Aplington, IA. We only market and install the Heartland brand replacement windows and patio doors for residential and for new construction.
How long have you been in Lincoln? – Heartland of Nebraska, LLC was formed and opened for business on August 25, 2015.
Who are the owners/important executives? – Heartland of Nebraska, LLC is a locally, family-owned company. Gary and Kathy Shunkwiler are the owners. Their son Ethan Shunkwiler is job site foreman, nephew Cody Shunkwiler is a valuable installer, and daughter Tracy Schulz manages all appointment criteria.
What do you think makes you different from other companies similar to yours? – We truly care about our customers from the very first minute they set an appointment with us to the very end of the job. We do not play “pricing games” or use any type of high pressure tactics when we visit with our prospective customers. If needed, we offer low-interest financing options to help customers purchase their new windows. We do not install “pocket” windows, which means we remove the old windows all the way down to the original opening (studs) so that we can insulate and seal the windows properly and correctly. Our installation crew always respects the customer’s home and cleans up at the end of each day. Our warranty is a true lifetime warranty on everything, and not just covered for a few years and then prorated after that. Bottom line…at Heartland of Nebraska, LLC we believe in offering the highest quality product at the lowest price and treating our customers and their homes, like they are family.
I bought these windows for my house a year ago and they are awesome! I needed a new sliding door for my house was just getting that. Then we decided to do our basement windows. After those where done we loved them so much we got the rest of our house done. They are amazing windows. We live close to the interstate and with my old windows you could hear it. With the new, ones I can’t hear anything. Plus the sliding door keeps out the nasty cold north winds. My old cheap door let so much cold air in and when you to touched the old sliding glass door it was freezing. With my new one it’s cool to the touch but not cold. If you want some AWESOME WINDOWS THIS IS THE PLACE! – Melissa B.
What do you like about doing business in Lincoln? – It’s local. We can market and install anywhere, but we stick mostly in the Lincoln area. There are so many homes in Lincoln that need our replacement windows that we are happy to help them out. Staying local helps to keep our costs down, which we can then pass on to our customers. It also keeps our sales people and installers close to home, so they can be home with their families every night.
What kind of community organizations/groups is your business involved with? – We are currently a member with HBAL (the Home Builders Association of Lincoln).
What is your business philosophy or mission statement? – To keep it simple. We want to provide a high-quality product that people can enjoy and always feel good about the decision they made to purchase from us.
What is one of the biggest challenges that your company has faced? – Hiring new individuals that want to work and take pride in that work. Whether, we are looking for additional sales people, canvassers, or installers, it difficult to find the ones who want to “find a home with us.” So many people have been treated poorly in previous jobs that they don’t believe that we (or anyone) will treat them properly. We treat everyone like family if they are willing to work hard and treat our customers with respect.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about your business that most people don’t know? – We are unique in the way that we do business. It’s more of an “old school” approach. We try to do everything the right way from the beginning and if there is an issue or concern, we take care of it immediately and make it right. We don’t tell you something that we know isn’t true. We don’t exaggerate anything. We actually explain things as we go along and if there is a concern, we tell you and get your approval before we continue to do anything.
What is one goal for your business that you have yet to accomplish? – Being able to do one job a year for a family in need at no cost.
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0.999957 |
IMF statistics show that world GDP fell 4.9% from 2014 to 2015 which is almost as severe a drop as occurred from 2008-2009. Check out the bottom rows of Table A1 in the October 2015 issue of the World Economic Outlook, and you find that world GDP fell from $77.2 trillion in 2014 to $73.5 trillion in 2015. Sure, the world economy hasn't been booming in the last year or so. But did we really just experience another global recession like it 2009? It seems implausible. So what's going on?
There are two plausible explanations, one of which seems to have a little more oomph than the other. Peter A.G. van Bergeijk has argued that some of the explanation is likely to have occurred from inadequacies in the IMF statistical system. As he points out, in a conceptual sense any exports from one country must be imports to another country--so the official statistics gathered by each country should add up in a way that global exports are equal to global imports. However, when the IMF adds up it statistics, it finds that total world exports exceed total world imports by $206 billion. This factor alone isn't sufficient to explain a $3.7 trillion drop in global GDP, but it does suggest that there are some problems in the underlying statistics.
The other explanation, courtesy of Maurice Obstfeld, Oya Celasun, Mandy Hemmati, and Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, emphasizes that this decline in world GDP from 2014 to 2015 is based on a calculation that converts the GDP of each country into US dollars using market exchange rates. The problem arises because in the first nine months of 2015, the foreign exchange value of the US dollar rose by 13%. When the US dollar becomes "stronger" and can buy more of foriegn currencies, it necessarily implies that the currencies of other countries are "weaker" and buy fewer US dollars. Thus, a stronger dollar means that when the IMF converts the GDP of other countries into US dollars, those GDPs will look smaller.
For one vivid example, the GDP of Russia was $1,861 billion in 2014, as measured by converting Russia's GDP measured in rubles to US dollars at the 2014 exchange rate. However, the US dollar increased a whopping 57% against the Russian ruble in 2015. So when take the GDP of Russia in 2015 as measured in rubles, and convert it into US dollars using the very different 2015 exchange rate, Russia's GDP in 2015 was $1,236 billion--down about one-third. Obviously, this decline in Russia's GDP isn't mostly about any change in goods and services produced in Russia's economy. It's about using a different exchange rate for converting between rubles and US dollars.
This explanation addresses the specific issue in IMF statistics about world GDP from 2014 to 2015, but it's important to remember that there's a bigger issue here. Intro textbooks explain that one of the uses of money is as a "yardstick" so that we can compare values of goods and services and work and saving using a single measure. The difference between market-value exchange rates and purchasing power parity exchange rates is an especially vivid example of how the yardstick of can be misleading.
But it's also true that the process for calculating the PPP exchange rate is a difficult one, full of underlying assumptions. In 2010, recent Nobel laureate Angus Deaton devoted his Presidential Address to the American Economic Association (freely available on-line here) to detailing the "weak theoretical and empirical foundations" of such measurements. When the PPP exchange rates are recalculated and readjusted every few years, the changes are often quite large--which confirms that the PPP calculations should be treated as having a substantial margin of error. For purposes of comparing world GDP from one year to the next, the PPP exchange rate is probably more accurate than the market exchange rate--but there's no reason to think that the PPP exchange rate is exactly right, either.
Domestically, we typically refer to US output as measured in money terms of US dollars, but a national-level GDP statistic doesn't take into account regional differences, like how higher oil prices are a positive for oil-producing regions but not for others, or how housing prices can vary substantially between states and between urban and rural areas. Measurements based on the common yardstick of money is a shortcut that is often useful and productive. But of course, what ultimately matters for people is not value as expressed in money terms, but rather the quantities of goods and services that can be consumed, along with hours worked.
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0.992624 |
BaoBao is trapped in a one-dimensional maze consisting of grids arranged in a row! The grids are numbered from 1 to from left to right, and the -th grid is marked with a character , where is either ‘L’ or ‘R’.
If BaoBao is in the 1st grid or the -th grid, then BaoBao is considered to arrive at the exit and thus can escape successfully.
Otherwise, let BaoBao be in the -th grid. If , BaoBao will move to the -th grid; If , Baobao will move to the -th grid.
Before taking the above steps, BaoBao can change the characters in some grids to help himself escape. Concretely speaking, for the -th grid, BaoBao can change from ‘L’ to ‘R’, or from ‘R’ to ‘L’.
But changing characters in grids is a tiring job. Your task is to help BaoBao calculate the minimum number of grids he has to change to escape the maze.
The first line contains two integers and (, ), indicating the number of grids in the maze, and the index of the starting grid.
The second line contains a string () consisting of characters ‘L’ and ‘R’. The -th character of indicates the character in the -th grid.
It is guaranteed that the sum of over all test cases will not exceed .
For each test case output one line containing one integer, indicating the minimum number of grids BaoBao has to change to escape the maze.
For the first sample test case, BaoBao doesn’t have to change any character and can escape from the 3rd grid. So the answer is 0.
For the second sample test case, BaoBao can change to ‘R’ and to ‘R’ and escape from the 10th grid. So the answer is 2.
For the third sample test case, BaoBao can change to ‘L’ and escape from the 1st grid. So the answer is 1.
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0.973408 |
This workshop is founded by the DFG research training unit "Quantum and Gravitational Fields" (GK1523/2) and aims to bring together researchers from different areas of theoretical physics who study properties of strongly-interacting field theories. The main goal of the workshop is to provide a platform of the communication between people working on different aspects of strongly-interacting field theories, in order to allow for a transfer of knowledge and methods.
This year's workshop puts a special emphasis on lattice gauge theory, supersymmetric field theories, fermionic systems, and non-equilibrium dynamics.
We discuss some recent results from lattice fermion models obtained from the perspective of the fermion bag approach, which allows us to perform Monte Carlo calculations on large lattices. We first discuss how fermion mass generation may be understood as a consequence of fluctuations of defects in space-time. We argue that this view point unifies various known mechanisms of mass generation in non-Abelian gauge theories and four-fermion models, including the one where fermion masses arise without spontaneous symmetry breaking. We then discuss some new Monte Carlo results from large lattices in a 2+1 dimensional Hamiltonian lattice model with minimal fermion doubling. We show deviations from earlier Monte Carlo results obtained with small lattices.
In 2+1 dimensions the global U(2N) symmetry associated with massless fermions is broken to U(N)⊗U(N) by a parity-invariant mass. I will show how to adapt the domain wall formulation to recover the U(2N)-invariant limit in interacting fermion models as the domain wall operation is increased. In particular, I will focus on the issue of potential dynamical mass generation in the Thirring model, postulated to take place for N less than some critical Nc. I will present simulations of the model using both HMC (N=2) and RHMC (N=1) algorithms, and also in the quenched limit N=0, and show that the outcome is very different from previous numerical studies of the model made with staggered fermions, where the corresponding pattern of symmetry breaking is distinct. The results support 0 < Nc < 1.
We perform Monte Carlo simulations of the CPN−1 model on the square lattice for N=10, 21, and 41. Our focus is on the severe slowing down related to instantons. To fight this problem we employ open boundary conditions as proposed by Lüscher and Schaefer for lattice QCD. Furthermore we test the efficiency of parallel tempering in a line defect. Our results for open boundary conditions are consistent with the expectation that topological freezing is avoided, while autocorrelation times are still large. The results obtained with parallel tempering are encouraging.
The concept of universality is the basis for lattice investigations of quantum field theories. It is well understood at the perturbative fixed point that governs QCD-like systems but might not hold for some lattice fermions at the infrared fixed point of conformal systems. In a recent work we addressed the issue by calculating the renormalized beta function using domain wall fermions with Symanzik gauge action and fully O(a2)-improved Zeuthen gradient flow. We find a qualitatively and quantitatively different renormalized beta function compared to results obtained with staggered fermions. This leads to the conclusion that the two fermion formulations are not in the same universality class which strongly impacts lattice field theory studies of conformal or near-conformal systems using staggered fermions.
I will discuss the QED3-Gross-Neveu model which describes massless Dirac fermions coupled to a critical scalar field and a U(1) gauge field in 2+1 dimensions. This theory has recently been suggested to be dual to the SU(2) noncompact CP1 model - the purely bosonic field theory for the deconfined phase transition between the Néel antiferromagnet and the valence bond solid on the square lattice. I will present the critical behavior of the QED3-Gross-Neveu model, elucidate the relation to previous results for the purely fermionic Gross-Neveu model as well as QED3, and compare with predictions from the conjectured boson-fermion duality.
Models for physics beyond the Standard Model include supersymmetry and technicolor. This talk gives an introduction to basic features of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and technicolor models and non-perturbative investigations of them on a lattice.
In systems like the Quark-Gluon Plasma produced by heavy-ion collisions, it is necessary to include both weakly and strongly coupled degrees of freedom at various energy scales to understand its time-evolution and thermalization. I will present a non-perturbative effective approach called semi-holography which combines perturbative methods for weakly coupled partons with the holographic duality for the strongly coupled infrared to develop a consistent framework in a wide range of energy scales. I will describe some progress in deriving such a framework from first principles. I will also describe a phenomenological construction aimed towards a better understanding of the QGP and present our recent results on the collective flow near thermal equilibrium. Our results relate remarkably diverse behavior across a wide range of energy scales.
Igor Herbut, Simon Fraser U.
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0.999998 |
Methi Daana Atta is one of the most favored flour recommended by diabetes educator at BEATO. The mildly spiced flour has benefits that are unique as well as requites for diabetes diet therapy.
Methi daana is the Hindi name for seeds of the fenugreek plant. It is widely used in flavoring Asian Indian curries as well as dry vegetable preparations and pickles. The bitter yet appreciated punch that methi seeds add to a meal is much sort for in every Indian kitchen. The seeds of this herb plant have gained much acknowledgement by diet experts for the nutrition benefits these provide.
Diabetes educators at BEATO recommend the seeds of fenugreek/methi to be soaked in a glass of water overnight and to be chewed as well as swallowed next day early morning. This is because of scientific theory that the amino acid 4-hydroxy isoleucine in the seeds assist in reducing the rate of glucose absorption in the intestines which ultimately lowers blood sugar levels in individuals with diabetes. Moreover, the known rich content of polysaccharides: saponins, hemicellulose, mucilage, tannin as well as pectin also helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by limiting bile salts from absorbing into the colon and binding to toxins so they can be flushed out from the body.
It is important to note that methi seeds/fenugreek seeds should not be given to pregnant women with gestational diabetes because of its possible uterine contractions property.
A study conducted by Sharma RD, Raghuram TC, Rao NS indicated that 100 grams of defatted powdered fenugreek seeds which is divided in two equal doses have possible positive results in type 1 diabetes. (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1990; 44:301-306).
Fenugreek seed powder in capsule form containing 2.5 grams consumed twice daily for three months have been used to treat type 2 diabetes according to research by Sharma RD, Sarkar A, Hazra D (Nutrition Research 1996;16:1331-1339).
As a cautionary advice use of fenugreek/methi seeds along with other hypoglycemic agents may possibly lower serum glucose levels more than expected hence blood glucose levels should be monitored closely.
Fenugreek leaves are a rich source of Beta-Carotene.
The powder of fenugreek/methi seeds can be added to flour, dals, vegetables, soups, idli, dosa batter as per recommendation of the diabetes educator. Consumption of fresh green methi/fenugreek leaves as a preparation in vegetables, dals, curries and raita is highly recommended by nutritionists at BEATO.
To sum up this article, we can recommend fenugreek/methi seeds for their blood glucose reducing effects by stimulating glucose-dependent insulin secretion from pancreas beta cells. The inhibiting activity of alpha-amylase as well as sucrose (the two intestinal enzymes participating in carbohydrate metabolism) is also seen upon consumption of these seeds.
Previous Eye Complications Due To Diabetes: Should You Worry If You Have Diabetes?
Next Managing Diabetes: Young and Living T1D- Type 1 Diabetes.
This is a very beneficial section of facts. We’re happy that you just provided this useful information with us medicine wound. You need to be all of us up-to-date like that. Thank you for expressing.
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Big Idea:Students begin conducting research in preparation for writing an informational paragraph.
Big Idea:Students learn how to generate and input keywords into a search engine to conduct an Internet search on a given topic.
Big Idea:Students use brief notes they have taken to write a first draft of an informational paragraph.
Big Idea:Students learn to read back their writing to determine whether or not their audience will understand it.
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The keto diet is one of the most popular diets for weight loss and improving overall health. After all, many people experience extreme weight loss as a result of the diet, and they continue to see results the longer they stick with it. A majority of people, however, don't really know how it all works.
Outside of simply watching what you are eating, there are several lifestyle shifts that will make a big difference. Let's chat about three simple tips for losing weight with a ketogenic diet.
Staying hydrated is important for any diet-goer, but it is especially important when you are on keto. You should aim to begin your day with a decent amount of water, and then continue to drink water throughout the rest of your day. This will allow your body to rehydrate immediately and begin its natural cycles.
Keep in mind that when you start keto, a majority of those initial pounds you lose are water weight. So when you start keto, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance are extremely common. That's why it's crucial that you drink enough water in order to keep your body hydrated.
While keto will help you achieve weight loss results to a certain extent, exercise should still be a main priority. Exercise will help enhance your weight loss, giving you more desirable results.
Regular high interval intensity training (HIIT) has proven to lower blood glucose levels. HIIT exercises can be done in a short amount of time and are ideal for keto dieters. But remember to stick to the routine and listen to your body. Overdoing it can lead to elevated stress hormones being released into the body which can produce negative effects towards weight loss.
Since the keto diet can seem a bit restrictive at first, finding convenient snacks isn't always easy. Keto often takes a lot of preparation and it can be pretty time consuming, which isn't great when you just want a quick snack. What's the solution?
These foods are convenient and provide you with a blast of protein and fat, while being low in carbohydrates.
4. Choose The Best Carbs... And Add Fat!
Nutrient-rich carbohydrates can be found in non-starchy vegetables, such as celery, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes are some of my favorite low-carb crunchy veggie snacks. Fruits like blackberries and strawberries are also good options, but start with about a quarter cup serving at a time as the carbs from natural sugars can add up.
Fat not only adds flavor, but will bind to the micronutrients in these vegetables and fruits, helping to carry them throughout your body. Cover your veggies in high-quality olive oil, avocado oil, or melted ghee. Berries and coconut cream are a match made in heaven!
There are many ways to help improve your keto experience and enhance weight loss. By following the tips above you may find weight loss on keto to feel simple and delicious.
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How can I access the main menu on the watch?
The clock screen on the watch shows the current time, according to the smartphone you synced it with. To access the main menu, tap on the menu button. The main menu has 6 different menu options, which provide information about your activity, heart rate, sleep, time functions and settings. You can manually add information about your food intake in the dedicated menu section. Tap on the touch ring near the icon of the menu option you want to access. To return to the main menu, tap on the menu button. From the main menu, return to the clock screen by tapping the menu button again.
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Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield (named for Davis' grandfather); his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and Arbuckle's dog, Odie. As of 2007, it is syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals and currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's most widely syndicated comic strip.
Though never mentioned in print, Garfield is set in Muncie, Indiana, the home of Jim Davis, according to the television special Garfield Goes Hollywood. Common themes in the strip include Garfield's laziness, obsessive eating, and hatred of Mondays and diets. The strip's focus is mostly on the interactions among Garfield, Jon, and Odie; recurring minor characters appear as well.
Originally created with the intentions to "come up with a good, marketable character", Garfield has become commercially successful, with merchandise earning $750 million to $1 billion annually. In addition to the various merchandise and commercial tie-ins, the strip has spawned several animated television specials, two animated television series, two theatrical feature-length live-action films and three CGI animated direct-to-video movies. Part of the strip's broad appeal is due to its lack of social or political commentary; though this was Davis's original intention, he also admitted that his "grasp of politics isn't strong".
Garfield, Jon and Odie go to Jon's parents house for Christmas, where Garfield finds a present for Grandma.
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Think of a website as a digital flyer. The purpose of a paper flyer is to attract attention, provide relevant information, and facilitate communication. That’s exactly what a website should do for a business as well.
I’m currently redesigning my own website. As part of the design process, I recently asked myself “Why is my dog walking company the best choice for pet owners?” It may be a simple question, but answering it thoughtfully will provide a lot of insight into how you should be promoting your brand.
I live in Philly and our top industry is healthcare meaning lots of doctors and nurses working long hours. There’s a lot of demand for dog walkers who can accommodate their erratic schedules. Allowing people to schedule dog walking at will, with no frequency minimums is rare among dog walking companies in the area, and it’s been extremely lucrative for me. This is a major benefit to hiring my company. As a result, my new website will feature this benefit heavily on the landing page.
You need to pass out your flyers. No one goes through the process and expense of designing and printing flyers just to leave them in a box collecting dust. Right? Well, that’s often exactly what happens with websites. Businesses pay a designer and developer to create a website, but it just sits there, in a box, hoping someone will see it.
There are a lot of different ways to “handout” a website, but I will stick to a few of the ones I have been successful with.
Blogging and content production are a great way to get your dog walking website noticed. Pets are really cute, and people are always asking my “expert” opinion about pet-related topics. This makes it really easy to produce content that will attract attention. My latest attention-seeking behavior is a GoPro video camera attached to a specialized dog harness. I record the walk, make a 30-second video set to music, and post it on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. I send the link or tag my customers. They, in turn, share it with their friends and family, or as I like to call them, potential customers.
Social Media is a great tool for businesses to get their content and websites in front of people but it can be over-saturated. You’ll need to experiment with timing and subject matter to break through the noise. Another option is to use the service no one else is using. Everyone of my competitors has a Facebook and Twitter account, so getting traction on those platforms can be challenging. Recently I’ve backed off those channels, and started using Nextdoor. Nextdoor is a very powerful marketing tool because it requires a 3rd party to be an advocate for your business. All I did was give my friends and neighbors some basic information about my company, and whenever they see someone looking for a dog walker, they point them to my website.
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is challenging because it’s based on a secret algorithm that constantly changes and differs across search engines. Google may be the most popular, but it is definitely not the only search engine you should pay attention to. As difficult as it is to learn, SEO is by far the most successful method I use to market my website. Ranking on the first page of organic search results is extremely valuable. People trust that those result are relevant and they are highly likely to trust them when choosing to buy a product or service.
Back to our metaphor: if you’ve designed and distributed a successful flyer, people are going to want to contact you. On a flyer, you would print your name and phone number so a customer can reach out to buy your dog walking services. One of the most effective ways to do this on a website is using a form. We think using forms on your website is so important that we developed a tool for Scout customers to easily install one on an existing website.
A website is a great tool to let customers know why they should choose your business, but just having a website isn’t enough. Like other, more traditional forms of advertising, you need to promote it and get it in front of people. Once a pet owner sees your website, they’ll need a way to let you know they’re interested in your dog walking services.
Definitely try out these tips, but don’t be afraid to experiment on your own too.
Thanks! This is a helpful article. Unfortunately I am not much of a blogger aka not much of a writer. So I have to resort to commenting on other people’s blogs and engaging for the hopes of enlightening feedback and a backlink to my humble page for Brooklyn Dog Walkers and dog owners: http://www.QCDogWalking.com . I do have a page about how we think a typical dog walk should go. Many other dog walkers describe their idea of a typical walk as well. Perhaps it could make for an interesting survey to see which points they agree on.
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We've developed a new product, are about to take it to market, and need to develop a market analysis for our business plan. Which forecasting approach is better: top down or bottom up?
Understanding market size, and understanding your ability to penetrate that market, is all-important: If your market is too small you can't make money, no matter how innovative the product or how competitive your pricing. Top down and bottom up analyses are two basic ways to evaluate that market.
A top down analysis is calculated by determining the total market, then estimating your share of that market. A typical top down analysis might go something like this: "Hmm... I will sell a widget everyone can use, and since there are 300,000 people in my area, even if I only manage to land 5 percent of that market I'll make 15,000 sales."
Sound a little fuzzy? Sound a little optimistic? That's how a top down analysis usually goes; it's like the stereotypical, "2 percent of a $1 billion market is $20 million!" sales forecast heard in hundreds of pitch meetings every year.
A bottom up analysis is calculated by estimating potential sales in order to determine a total sales figure. A bottom up analysis evaluates where products can be sold, the sales of comparable products, and the slice of current sales you can carve out. While it takes a lot more effort, the result is usually much more accurate.
Here's how a bottom up analysis might work in real life. Let's pretend you just developed a prototype for a bicycle pump and you want to determine if there is a market for your pump--a profitable market that will sustain a real business.
1. Where are bike pumps typically sold? Most are sold, fairly obviously, in bike shops, but also by major retailers, and online. You decide to focus on bike shops for now, since landing shelf space at Walmart or Target isn't particularly likely, at least not at first.
Then extrapolate. If 30 out of 100 say they would carry your product, and you cut that number in half, then it's reasonable to assume that 15 percent of bike shops may actually be willing to carry your product. 4,100 times 15 percent equals 615, so your pumps could potentially be sold in approximately 600 bike shops.
4. Historically, how many bike pumps has each shop sold over the course of a year?
That's a good question, but a better question is, "How many bike pumps like mine does a bike shop sell in a year?" If yours is a premium or specialized pump that could limit your market. Always compare apples to apples.
Say the bike shops you talk to say they sell, on average, 200 pumps a year. That's great--but how many can you sell to each store? The answer isn't 200. Every shop carries a variety of pumps. So you decide to be conservative and assume you can sell 30 pumps a year to each shop.
The math is easy: 615 bike shops times 30 pumps per shop equals 18,450 pumps a year. What's hard is pulling together the data so you can do the math.
What's even harder is feeling confident in that data. Even though I kept using the word "conservative," the assumptions we just made are still fairly optimistic. You have to get every shop to stock your pumps. You have to carve out a slice of existing premium pump sales.
The key to sizing up your market is to stay objective and make an honest and unbiased evaluation of how viable your product or service will be. In most cases a bottom up analysis will be sobering, but that's okay.
Always go into business with realistic expectations--that way the only surprises, at least where sales are concerned, will be pleasant ones.
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Calculate the distance light can travel in a given amount of time with this online calculator.
Fill in the amount of time to determine how many miles light has travelled.
A light year is a measurement of distance. This distance is measured by how far light can travel in a year.
Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles per second.
In one year (365.25 days) that is equivalent to 5,869,713,600,000 miles.
Example: How far does light travel in 3 months.
3 months is 1/4 year. So enter .25 in the calculator to determine the distance that light travels in 3 months.
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Croatia is going into the World Cup finals having won their 3 knockout matches so far in extra time/penalties. If they bring their match against France to extra time and win, they'll have done it in every single knockout stage match.
Has any team ever won a World Cup by winning all of their knockout matches on extra time/penalties?
No team has ever won a World Cup by winning all of their knockout matches on extra time/penalties and Croatia will be the first team to do so if they manage to do it.
Referencing to my answer on this question, "Most extra time games played in a World Cup", most number of games a team has played extra time (consecutive or otherwise) in a single World Cup is 3 times. So, Croatia will be the first team to play four extra time games even if they don't win it.
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Origins of the Detroit Red Wings Name and "Winged Wheel "
The name of Detroit's National Hockey League franchise, the Red Wings, and their iconic winged wheel logo were inspired by the first team to win the Stanley Cup, the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association's Winged Wheelers.
The Red Wings' origins date to 1926, when Detroit was awarded an NHL franchise. Because the team owners bought the roster of the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League, they named their fledgling team the Detroit Cougars. Success was elusive in those early years, so the city's newspapers held a contest to change the name. The winner was the Falcons, but the new name didn't change the team's fortunes.
In 1932, millionaire James Norris bought the team. In his youth, he had played on the MAAA Winged Wheelers team that won that first Cup in 1893. The MAAA was a sporting club that sponsored many types of sports, including cycling, which was the origin of the winged wheel logo worn by all MAAA athletes.
Norris thought the winged wheel was a perfect logo for the Motor City, so a version of that logo in red was adopted and the club was renamed the Red Wings.
Coincidence or not, the new name and logo marked a turnaround in the team's fortunes. The Detroit Red Wings made the playoffs in their first season.
Subsequent updates of the logo also seemed to bring good luck. The Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 1936 after the original logo was redesigned. The final redesign debuted in the 1948-49 season. The Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup finals that season and won the Cup the following season. That logo is still in use today.
The Red Wings play in the NHL Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division and are one of the most successful teams in NHL history. In a league that has its roots solidly in Canada, the Detroit team has won more Stanley Cup championships than any other U.S.-based team. Their 11 wins are second only to the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Red Wings dominated in the 1950s. Led by two of the NHL's all-time greats, right wing Gordie Howe and goalie Terry Sawchuk, Detroit won the Stanley Cup four times, in 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955.
After a slump a decade and a half long, the Red Wings were back on top. Led by legendary coach Scotty Bowman, the Red Wings won Stanley Cups in consecutive seasons, 1996–97 and 1997-98. The Wings won again in the 2001–02 and 2007–08 seasons.
The Red Wings set a record in the 2011–12 season by winning 23 consecutive home games. They also tied for the third-longest playoff appearance streak, havIng played in the postseason for 25 straight years. That streak ended with the 2016–17 season.
What's with the Octopi at Red Wings Games?
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The Roman villa at San Lorenzo was first identified in 1896 by Persichetti on the occasion of the construction of a cemetery alongside the church of San Lorenzo, itself identified through documentary sources as early as the 10th century AD. During the work several tombs were discovered, swiftly followed by numerous architectural pieces, including a column and a capital, along with several fragments of coloured marble. Whilst the existence of the site has remained in literature, often cited as the location of a villa rustica, no systematic work was ever undertaken on the site. Therefore, in the summer of 2007, after a successful geophysical survey earlier in the year, excavation begun of what was discovered to be the northern range of the villa.
The structures were arranged on terraces descending from west to east, in the direction of the plain in front crossed by the river Velino and the via Salaria. The eastern sector of the villa, where the entrance was probably situated, was occupied by a large courtyard, with a portico on at least the northern and western sides, attested by the presence of a series of in situ bases and the remains of brick columns. Immediately to the west an area free of structures seems to correspond to a garden, and was perhaps associated with a perfectly preserved drain paved with tiles. The main residential sector was situated to the north, where the excavation brought to light a series of five rooms, each decorated with white mosaic pavements with the exception of a larger central room which had a luxurious floor in opus sectile, with a range of precious imported marbles. Finally, at the north-eastern limit a small calidarium was discovered adjoining the pars urbana.
In the 4th century AD the western range of the site was reoccupied, at least in part, and was readapted for use as a kitchen and workshops. Its use was confirmed not only by the lava grindstones, small silos (from which various types of grains were recovered: barley, wheat etc) and bronze vessels that were found here, but also by the nature of the large amount of pottery found, mostly kitchen wares. The site was finally abandoned in the 6th century A.D. when it was destroyed by a fire; the various rooms were covered and sealed by the roof collapse leaving substantial remains of carbonised beams and tiles.
It is still not possible to identify the building, although its chronology, size and the luxurious appearance of the residential sector suggest that its owner was of high economic and social standing. The possibility of attributing it to the gens Flavia (and thereby identify it as Vespasian’s birthplace) is tempting, even though a dolium stamped with the name L. Octavius Calvinus suggests otherwise.
The excavations, which were conducted for a month long period each year between 2007 and 2011, were concluded in the summer of 2011 and will be followed by a full publication of this important villa high in the Sabina.
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JRun 4 and ColdFusion MX 7 J2EE Installation A full version of JRun 4 is included with ColdFusion MX 7 Enterprise Edition. If you wish to install ColdFusion's J2EE edition you must have a separate install of JRun 4 on the system or any other Java server. I haven't tested this on Tomcat or Resin, but I imagine the results would be similiar.
I ran this using the developer editions of both JRun and CFMX 7 with no problems.
when the option is given.
2. Install JRun 4 Updater 6 from Macromedia.com http://www.macromedia.com/support/jrun/updaters.html - this update is required and JRun will not work with the current versions of JVM without Updater 6.
3. After installing Updater 6 verify JRun is running From the Start Menu select the Macromedia JRun Management Console. This is the Administrative screen for JRun4.
Cfusion is created as a server and its default HTTP port is also listed. The server is stopped at this time.
5. From the Start Menu select the Macromedia JRun Web Configuration Tool to verify JRun is working with your web server ex. IIS. If not you can add IIS to as your default web server.
After entering your License Agreement, the Installer Configuration menu will allow you to select the J2EE configuration. Select the EAR File as the desired package.
When the installation process is completed you will have a file called cfusion.ear in your default ColdFusion MX 7 directory.
This expands the cfusion.ear file into cfusion.war and rds.war (rds.war is not included if you specified a context root of / when you ran the installation wizard).
3. In cfusion-ear, make a new directory named cfusion-war.
This expands the cfusion.war file.
http://localhost:8101/ -- OR whichever HTTP port you selected for your cfusion server.
I woke up this morning reading the saddest news of the day.
"Dell to buy Alienware in gaming computer expansion"
I didn't think Alienware would sell out to Dell, but apparently every man or company has their price. I guess the boys from Alienware were ready to retire.
Found this linked off of Ben Forta's blog and wanted to paste it here as well. Its great to see Flex being pushed forward by Adobe - The Flash Forward Conference made that very clear.
The Adobe Developer Relations team is releasing a set of free and open ActionScript 3.0 APIs to help developers get started building Flex 2.0 applications. The projects are listed below, along with descriptions and links to source, docs, and zip files for each individual project. The ZIP files contain source code, documentation, and SWCs (compiled versions of the libraries)."
Back from the conference and I thought it was excellent. It was definitely a designer conference, however the developer crowd had a presence. FFC definitely stressed Flash (of course) and the regular Adobe lineup with Photoshop and Illustrator, but overall you got the sense Adobe plans to push the Macromedia line hard and continue integrating ColdFusion with new products such as Flex. I believe there might have been only one or two classes that directly dealt with CF, but every class or workshop I was in mentioned CF at some point.
It was a Flex workshop that was the highlight of the trip for me. Flex is more or less Adobe's attempt at Ajax. Rich applications that are XML based. The drawback of course is its not free. Adobe hasn't officially completed Flex 2.0, but you can get a beta on their website.
The Flex beta they demonstrated called CFCs using remote object handling and it was very very cool. The ability to reuse existing CFCs and throw a very clean interface quickly is very appealing.
I know Ajax is the buzz word right now, but I wonder what the long term future holds for it because it seems somewhat thrown together. I could be wrong. I also wonder if loading up the client has a breaking point. I've seen it in the past, but I also realize the browsers today are much more powerful than 4-5 years ago.
The Adobe folks have high hopes for the Macromedia lines and they want to integrate them as much as possible. Even though it was Flash focused it touched on almost all of the Studio products. The conference was packed - completely sold out. Mostly designers, but some developers... To have the Adobe gurus out there got the creative juices flowing again and I was very happy that EverydayUps was able to make it.
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I quote from the Wikipedia article.
The word paradigm comes from the Greek word παράδειγμα (paradeigma) which means "pattern" or "example", thus the purists, including my Concise Oxford Dictionary, give this as its meaning, but usage has expanded the meaning. The 1900 Merriam-Webster dictionary defines its technical use only in the context of grammar or, in rhetoric, as a term for an illustrative parable or fable.
what is to be observed and scrutinized; the kind of questions that are supposed to be asked and probed for answers in relation to this subject; how these questions are to be structured; and how the results of scientific investigations should be interpreted.
Thus, within normal science, the paradigm is the set of exemplary experiments that are likely to be copied or emulated. The prevailing paradigm often represents a more specific way of viewing reality, or limitations on acceptable programs for future research, than the much more general scientific method. A more disparaging term groupthink, and the term mindset, have very similar meanings that apply to smaller and larger scale examples of such disciplined thought. A simplified analogy for paradigm is box in the commonly used phrase "thinking outside the box". Thinking inside the box is analogical with normal science. The box encompasses the thinking of normal science and thus the box is analogical with paradigm.
Here is how the current physics pardigm is explained in Wikipedia: An example of a currently accepted paradigm would be the standard model of physics. The scientific method would allow for orthodox scientific investigations of many phenomena which might contradict or disprove the standard model; however grant funding would be more difficult to obtain for such experiments, in proportion to the amount of departure from accepted standard model theory which the experiment would test for. For example, an experiment to test for the mass of the neutrino or decay of the proton (small departures from the model) would be more likely to receive money than experiments to look for the violation of the conservation of momentum, or ways to engineer reverse time travel.
So the reports of 'cold fusion' a few years ago were so offensive to the physics community because they challenged the prevailing paradigm.
In 1900, Lord Kelvin famously stated, "There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement." Five years later, Albert Einstein published his paper on special relativity, which challenged the very simple set of rules laid down by Newtonian mechanics, which had been used to describe force and motion for over three hundred years. In this case, the new paradigm reduces the old to a special case (Newtonian mechanics is an excellent approximation for speeds that are slow compared to the speed of light).
The change from the pre-1900 paradigm to Einsteinian physics is known as a paradigm shift. Kuhn's idea was that scientific knowledge proceeds in just this way; there is no gradualist pecking away at a theory until it metamorphoses into a new one. An old paradigm is replaced by a new one in a relatively short space of time.
They called this process punctuated equilibrium. Their idea was prompted by an examination of the fossil record, which doesn't show the gradual change that it should according to the currently accepted paradigm. But their thinking was too far outside the box and it has never been accepted by the majority.
Throughout my career I have espoused thinking outside the box as an essential aid to scientific progress. It began when I was 9 years old. A new headmaster was introduced to our class at school. He gave the class a simple mathematical sum which require the conversion of so many pence into pounds, shillings and pence. One child gave an answer and the headmaster asked the class how many agreed. Everyone bar me put their hands up. I was well aware that many of the class were incapable of doing the sum; they were simply following the crowd. The master asked me my answer, which was tuppence less. He them asked me to explain my workings and as I did so I realized my error. Nevertheless, he commended me for being honest, for not being afraid of standing out from the crowd and for not being afraid of being wrong.
Something similar happened 45 years later. I was the guinea-pig in a slide session at the British Society for Haematology. We were given blood slides to interpret blind. One of the slides showed a proliferation of wild looking blast cells on a background of CLL cells. The general opinion was that this was some sort of acute leukemia, though nobody was quite sure what sort. Now I was put on the spot. I began by drawing attention to how the blast cells resembled those of infectious mononucleosus. My opinion that this was an EB virus infection in an immunodeficient patient. There was an audible drawing in of breath. People looked away in embarrassment. Then came the answer from the haematologist who had set the test. This was a reactivation of EBV in a patient with CLL after treatment with fludarabine.
I taught my students to believe their own data and not to be afraid of looking a fool.
Paradigm shifts do occur in science, and more frequently than the experts would have us believe. On a minor scale there are many examples. T-suppressor cells were once part of our immune repertoire. Then they were dismissed. You could not get a grant to look for them. Then they reappeared, though now called regulatory T cells, and they were everywhere. What happened? More data appeared.
Professional organizations give legitimacy to the paradigm.
Dynamic leaders introduce and support the paradigm.
Journals and editors write about the system of thought. They both disseminate the information essential to the paradigm and give the paradigm legitimacy.
Government agencies give credence to the paradigm.
Educators propagate the paradigm's ideas by teaching it to students.
Conferences are devoted to discussing ideas central to the paradigm.
Lay groups, or groups based around the concerns of lay persons, embrace the beliefs central to the paradigm.
Sources of funding further research on the paradigm.
Those who choose to oppose the reigning paradigm do so at their peril. They will plough a lonely furrow and must expect ridicule, abuse and oppression. They may lose their jobs or their preferment. They become scientific lepers.
I generally agree with your thoughts here. I certainly am familiar with Thomas Kuhn, having read his most famous book, and having inculcated the basic ideas.
I disagree, though, that cold fusion was rejected because it violated the existing paradigm. It actually was permissible under the standard model. It was rejected ultimately because (1) the observable results did not support the idea of fusion (i.e. there were few or no neutrons produced. One wag quipped that if cold fusion was occuring, the researchers would have been dead from the neutrons generated), and (2) the results the scientists got were not reproduceable, a basic tenant of the scientific method.
It is likely that evolution is done in fits and starts, but I don't think that idea is rejected by mainstream science.
It is very true, though, that the challenge to orthodoxy does come at a price, both in shunning by your colleagues, and in the drying up of funding money.
But look at the changes in hematology in your career. Stem cells, the production of lymphocytes, the description of function of cells as you describe, even the notion that CLL is a disease of defective apoptosis versus the heavy water experiments that rather show the disease is an imbalance between production and destruction of these cells. These all qualify as paradigm shifts of various magnitudes.
Thanks for that view on paradigms, very relevant in this period when expertise is massively denigrated in the provision of public services. Nevertheless, I do suspect that some are on the climate change/CO2 bandwagon because its an opportunity to push along a reduced dependence on oil, much of which comes from countries not trusted by the effluent west. It also reminded me that I have long thought that gravity acts instantaneously in our universe's visible 3 dimensions, but lack enough intellect or opportunity to be able to take it any further.
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Heavenly Signs: Grand Design for Christ's Return 5 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 2 reviews.
This is a very interesting book that clearly shows a lot of study on the Scriptures and research on sky maps, looking for eclipses and all type of signs described on the Bible. The author came up with his interpretation of the Scriptures and using a very interesting software ("Starry Night" by Simulation Curriculum Corp) which maps the sky on any date in the past or future, he found out some matches for his interpretation on the end of times, based on what is written on the Scriptures. Most of his interpretations make sense, like associating Saturn as the ruler and father figure, Neptune as the god of water and sea (and his role at the Second Trumpet), Uranus as the god of sky and heavens (and his role at the Fourth Trumpet) and so on. He has an interpretation on most of planets, constellations and even comets. Very entertaining reading, the book is full of beautiful illustrations and if not for some citation on apocrypha books, like the Book of Enoch (only accepted by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church but no other Christian group) or the Book of Jubilee, it would be completely based on the accepted cannon of the majority of christian churches. But this does not diminishes his work. Most likely he would have reached the same conclusion even without those above mentioned pieces of work. Adding them just gives more "juice" to support his theory. I recommend this book to the permanent library of any person that is interested in Eschatology, as well as on knowing different interpretations or point of views on what is coming at the end of the days and when it will happen. This book was written by Mr. Mel Gable and published by WestBowPress in November of 2012. The author was kind enough to provide me a copy for reviewing. I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.
Interesting Read on Signs For The End of Time Heavenly Signs: Grand Design for Christ's Return is an interesting read for those interested in learning more about what the Bible says about the end of time. The information is presented in an easy to follow format and the author's beliefs are backed up by the scripture. Enlightening and Interested. Recommended for those you enjoy books about religion.
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Tale of Tales (Russian: Сказка сказок, Skazka skazok) is a 1979 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Yuri Norstein and produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. It has won numerous awards, has been acclaimed by critics and other animators, and has received the title of greatest animated film of all time in various polls. It has been the subject of a 2005 book by Clare Kitson titled Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales: An Animator's Journey.
Tale of Tales, like Tarkovsky's Mirror , attempts to structure itself like a human memory. Memories are not recalled in neat chronological order; instead, they are recalled by the association of one thing with another, which means that any attempt to put memory on film cannot be told like a conventional narrative. The film is thus made up of a series of related sequences whose scenes are interspersed between each other. One of the primary themes involves war, with particular emphasis on the enormous losses the Soviet Union suffered on the Eastern Front during World War II. Several recurring characters and their interactions make up a large part of the film, such as the poet, the little girl and the bull, the little boy and the crows, the dancers and the soldiers, and especially the little grey wolf (Russian: се́ренький волчо́к, syeryenkiy volchok). Another symbol connecting nearly all of these different themes are green apples (which may symbolize life, hope, or potential). Yuri Norstein wrote in Iskusstvo Kino magazine that the film is "about simple concepts that give you the strength to live."
In addition to the original score composed by Mikhail Meyerovich, this film makes use of several other pieces of music. Excerpts from works by Bach (notably the E flat minor Prelude BWV 853 (from The Well-Tempered Clavier)) and Mozart (the Andante second movement from Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, K41) are used, and the World War II era tango Weary Sun, written by Jerzy Petersburski, features prominently. However, the most important musical inspiration is the following traditional Russian lullaby, which is included in the film in both instrumental and vocal form.
Many situations in the film actually derive from this lullaby, as well as the character of the little grey wolf. Indeed, the film's original title (rejected by the Soviet censors) was The Little Grey Wolf Will Come.
The name Tale of Tales came from a poem of the same name by Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet that Norstein loved since 1962.
The Australian electronic duo The Presets paid homage to Tale of Tales in the video of their song "Girl and the Sea" from their first album Beams.
^ a b Byatt, AS (2005-04-16). "Sweet little mystery". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
Kitson, Clare (2005-06-15). Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales: An Animator's Journey. John Libbey & Co Ltd. ISBN 0-86196-646-5.
Kitson, Clare (September 2005). Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales: An Animator's Journey. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-21838-1.
Book review of "Yuri Norstein and Tale of Tales: An Animator's Journey"
This page was last edited on 29 September 2018, at 21:11 (UTC).
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Holly just took her first math test in her college algebra class. Her professor says she scored in the 90th percentile for the class. Unfortunately, Holly isn't really sure what this means, and she's really curious about her performance in this class. Holly needs to learn more about finding percentiles in a data set to really understand how she performed on this math test.
A percentile is a measure that indicates what percent of the given population scored at or below the measure. Often, schools and colleges will use percentiles to rank students based on their academic performance. If Holly scored in the 90th percentile, then that means she scored at or better than 90% of her class. Since percentiles are based on a percentage, you will only see percentiles between the range of 0-100.
Defining percentiles can get a little muddy, especially when it comes to rounding. For that reason, we will stick to the definition above when solving the following problems. Let's look at different ways you can use and find percentiles.
85, 34, 42, 51, 84, 86, 78, 85, 87, 69, 94, 74, 65, 56, 97.
Multiply the total number of values in the data set by the percentile, which will give you the index.
Order all of the values in the data set in ascending order (least to greatest).
If the index is a whole number, count the values in the data set from least to greatest until you reach the index, then take the index and the next greatest number and find the average.
If the index is not a whole number, round the number up, then count the values in the data set from least to greatest, until you reach the index.
This probably sounds a little confusing. Feel free to pause the video and work the examples with me!
Let's start with step number one. The total number of values in the data set is 15. I found this number by looking at how many students there are in the class. The percentile is 90 because that is the score Holly's professor said she received. Therefore, 15 * .90 = 13.5.
34, 42, 51, 56, 65, 69, 74, 78, 84, 85, 85, 86, 87, 94, 97.
For step three I need to round my index up from 13.5 to 14. Next, I need to count from the smallest number up to the 14th number in the list. The 14th number in this list is 94. That tells us that Holly scored a 94 on her math test and only one person scored higher than she did.
Holly's friend, Dave, scored in the 80th percentile. We can use the same process to figure out Dave's grade. First, multiply the percentile by the number of values in the data set: 15 * .80 = 12.
From this list we can see that the 12th number in this list is 86. However, because our index turned out to be a whole number, we need to take the 12th number and the 13th number and find the average: 86 + 87= 173 / 2 = 86.5.
From this information, we know that Dave scored at or better than 86.5. We used the average in this step because the percentiles don't always divide out perfectly. Since percentiles tell us that the value is at or better than the rest of the population, we have to use the average in this particular instance. In this case, we know that Dave actually scored better than 86.5 to be in the 80th percentile.
Dave has a fantasy football league with his coworkers. Dave's team is ranked third out of 35 teams in his office. In what percentile is Dave's team?
First, we must consider Dave's rank as x. In this formula k = the number of teams below x, r = the number of teams equal to x, n = the number of teams and p = percentile.
The first variable is k, which is the number of teams below Dave's rank at third place. Since there are 35 teams in Dave's fantasy football league that means there are 32 teams that rank under Dave. Therefore, k = 32.
The next variable is r, which is the number of teams equal to Dave's rank at third place. Since there are no ties for third place, we can assume that only one team is in third place. Therefore, r = 1.
Dave's team is in the 93rd percentile. That means that he is doing better than 93% of the teams in his league.
Multiply the total number of values in the data set by the percentile; this will give you the index.
If the index is a whole number, count the values in the data set from least to greatest, until you reach the index, then take the index and the next greatest number and find the average.
In this formula, k = the number of values in the data set below the rank, r = the number of values in the data set equal to the rank and n = the number of values in the data set.
Because there are different definitions and interpretations of percentiles, don't get confused if a calculator or another resource gives you a different answer when you are finding percentiles. Unfortunately, in mathematics there is no one strict definition. However, these two methods will help you out greatly when you need to find percentiles in the future!
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NF-κB is constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, the implicated molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, we performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 core complex genes within the NF-κB pathway in a discovery and validation CLL cohort totaling 315 cases. The most frequently mutated gene was NFKBIE (21/315 cases; 7%), which encodes IκBε, a negative regulator of NF-κB in normal B cells. Strikingly, 13 of these cases carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion, resulting in a truncated protein. Screening of an additional 377 CLL cases revealed that NFKBIE aberrations predominated in poor-prognostic patients and were associated with inferior outcome. Minor subclones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking this recurrent event to disease progression. Compared with wild-type patients, NFKBIE-deleted cases showed reduced IκBε protein levels and decreased p65 inhibition, along with increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Considering the central role of B cell receptor (BcR) signaling in CLL pathobiology, it is notable that IκBε loss was enriched in aggressive cases with distinctive stereotyped BcR, likely contributing to their poor prognosis, and leading to an altered response to BcR inhibitors. Because NFKBIE deletions were observed in several other B cell lymphomas, our findings suggest a novel common mechanism of NF-κB deregulation during lymphomagenesis.
Consisting of five members, NFKB1 (p50), NFKB2 (p52), RELA (p65), RELB, and c-REL (REL), the NF-κB signaling pathway regulates many cellular processes, including cell cycle progression, differentiation, and apoptosis (Bonizzi and Karin, 2004). These proteins form homo- and heterodimers that are held in the cytoplasm by inhibitor proteins (IκB) and function by activating or suppressing target genes (Bonizzi and Karin, 2004). The IκBs (α, β, δ, ε, and ζ) are regulated by the IκB kinase complex, which when activated, phosphorylates the IκBs, leading to their degradation; this culminates in the translocation of transcription factors to the nucleus. In B cells, the canonical NF-κB pathway can be activated through numerous upstream signals including B cell receptor (BcR) or TLR signaling, whereas the noncanonical pathway is primarily activated through BAFF receptor–CD40 interaction (Bonizzi and Karin, 2004; Hömig-Hölzel et al., 2008).
Deregulated NF-κB signaling appears to be particularly important in B cell malignancies, with recurrent activating mutations identified in both the canonical and the noncanonical NF-κB pathways (Compagno et al., 2009; Staudt, 2010; Rossi et al., 2013a). In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), NF-κB activation is known to be present in virtually all cases (Herishanu et al., 2011). That notwithstanding, the extent to which genetic aberrations contribute to NF-κB activation in CLL remains largely unknown except for low-frequency (<3%) mutations in BIRC3 (noncanonical NF-κB pathway) and MYD88 (TLR signaling; Baliakas et al., 2015). Very recently, a recurrent 4-bp truncating mutation within the NFKBIE gene, which encodes IκBε, a negative regulator of NF-κB in B cells, has been reported as frequent in advanced stage CLL (Damm et al., 2014). However, the precise functional impact of this mutation and, especially, the extent to which it contributes to constitutional NF-κB activation in CLL remain unexplored.
To gain insight into these issues, we undertook a combined genetic and functional approach for investigating the NF-κB signaling pathway in CLL. Taking advantage of HaloPlex technology (Agilent Technologies), we designed a targeted gene panel and performed deep sequencing of 18 members of the NF-κB pathway in 315 CLL cases. The most striking observation was the finding of the recurrent frameshift deletion within the NFKBIE gene that resulted in profound functional consequences. In particular, patients carrying this truncating mutation displayed lower IκBε expression and reduced IκBε–p65 interactions, as well as increased levels of phosphorylated p65 and nuclear p50/p65. Because we also detected this truncating event in other lymphoma entities, our finding implies that the loss of IκBε may be a common mechanism contributing to the sustained survival of malignant B cells, thus also shaping disease evolution and ultimately impacting disease progression.
We performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 NF-κB core complex genes (Table S1) within a discovery cohort of 124 CLL patients (Table S2). Sequencing resulted in a mean read depth of 656 reads/base and 97% of the targeted coding regions being covered (Table S1). By applying a conservative cutoff of >10% for the mutant allele, we identified 26 mutations in 11/18 NF-κB genes analyzed within 24/124 (19%) CLL patients (Table S3); 16/16 selected mutations were validated by Sanger sequencing. IκBε (encoded by NFKBIE) was the most frequently mutated, being altered in eight patients (6.5%): notably, three/eight patients carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion in NFKBIE exon 1 (Fig. 1 A). When considering mutations with a low mutant allele frequency (<10%), this 4-bp deletion within NFKBIE was found in eight additional cases (Table S4).
Recurrent aberrations within the NFKBIE gene. (A) Schematic representation of the human IκBε protein with its key functional domains. Color-coded symbols depict NFKBIE alterations with a variant allelic frequency >10% detected in the discovery and validation CLL cohorts using targeted deep sequencing. All missense mutations were predicted to be damaging by the prediction software Polyphen-2. (B) NFKBIE mutation frequencies as determined by HaloPlex or GeneScan analysis. The total number of tested cases included in each category is indicated above each bar. Significant differences in NFKBIE mutation frequencies between IGHV-unmutated CLL and selected poor-prognostic stereotyped subsets are indicated; a borderline significant trend was also seen when comparing U-CLL with #6 (P = 0.06). * indicates a p-value <0.05. †The only IGHV-mutated case carrying a NFKBIE mutation was a poor-prognostic subset #2 patient. CLL U, IGHV-unmutated CLL; CLL M, IGHV-mutated CLL; MCL, mantle cell lymphoma; SMZL, splenic marginal zone lymphoma.
NFKBIE mutations predominated in CLL cases with unmutated Ig heavy variable (IGHV) genes (U-CLL) belonging to certain subsets with restricted BcR Igs (stereotyped BcRs), for which we and others have reported distinct, subset-biased profiles regarding their biological background and clinical course (Stamatopoulos et al., 2007; Agathangelidis et al., 2012; Strefford et al., 2013; Baliakas et al., 2014). Prompted by this observation, we again performed targeted resequencing of NF-κB genes using HaloPlex technology within a validation CLL cohort (n = 191) enriched for cases assigned to poor-prognostic stereotyped subsets (Tables S5 and S6). We found 30 mutations in 10/18 NF-κB genes analyzed within 28 CLL patients; strikingly, 13/30 mutations were in IκBε with 10/13 patients carrying the 4-bp NFKBIE deletion (Fig. 1 B and Table S7). This deletion was also detected at a low mutant allele frequency (<10%) in 18 additional cases (Table S4).
Because germline DNA was lacking for the vast majority of patients (because of the retrospective nature of the study), we were limited in our ability to confirm the somatic nature of mutations. That said, we could verify that mutations within the NFKBIE gene were somatic and not germline variants in all cases with available material (Tables S3 and S7). For the remaining NF-κB mutations, we cannot formally exclude the possibility that they are rare germline variants (despite extensive filtering against various SNP databases) and hence decided to focus on NFKBIE, which, importantly, was also the most frequently mutated NF-κB gene.
We next developed a GeneScan assay specific for the 4-bp NFKBIE deletion and studied 377 additional CLL cases, including (a) patients from a population-based cohort (Table S8), where U-CLL accounted for 32% of cases, with the remaining cases carrying mutated IGHV genes (M-CLL); (b) patients with stage B/C disease; and (c) patients assigned to stereotyped subsets. Overall, 22 additional NFKBIE-deleted patients were identified (Table S9). Collectively, this amounted to 43/692 (6.2%) CLL patients carrying NFKBIE aberrations (i.e., mutations and/or deletions), of whom 37/43 concerned U-CLL. A significant enrichment of NFKBIE aberrations was observed in certain poor-prognostic stereotyped CLL subsets, especially subset #1 (17/112 cases, 15%) and the less populated subset #6 (5/35 cases, 14%; Fig. 1 B), further supporting the concept that the subclassification of CLL based on BcR stereotypy may supersede the more generic discrimination into U-CLL or M-CLL (Baliakas et al., 2014). A considerably lower frequency of NFKBIE aberrations was observed within our population-based cohort (4/236, 1.7%; Smedby et al., 2005), whereas advanced stage B/C patients carried NFKBIE aberrations at a frequency of 6.1% (12/198), thus lower than recently reported (10%; Damm et al., 2014).
In Fig. 2 A, we depict coexisting cytogenetic/molecular lesions in the 43 patients with NFKBIE aberrations; although a small proportion of cases carried concomitant poor-prognostic TP53 (7%), NOTCH1 (14%), and SF3B1 (9%) mutations, the majority of cases did not carry mutations within these genes. Because mutations have been described in two other NF-κB pathway genes in CLL, MYD88 and BIRC3, albeit at a low frequency (Baliakas et al., 2015), we also sequenced the hotspot p.L265P MYD88 mutation and exons 6–9 of BIRC3. In total, 4/495 (0.8%) patients carried a p.L265P MYD88 mutation, none of which co-occurred with a mutation in NFKBIE, whereas 8/568 (1.4%) patients harbored mutations within BIRC3, with only 1 of these patients carrying the 4-bp deletion within NFKBIE. In addition, we analyzed copy number data for 369 CLL cases obtained from SNP arrays (250K) and found only 3 cases showing a potential monoallelic deletion covering the NFKBIE gene (on chromosome 6p21.1); none of these cases had a truncating NFKBIE mutation (not depicted).
NFKBIE aberrations and associations with clinicobiological data. (A) Coexisting cytogenetic/molecular aberrations in 43 NFKBIE-mutated/deleted cases. (B) TTFT in patients carrying NFKBIE aberrations, IGHV-unmutated/mutated genes, or del(17p). (C) Clonal evolution in patients carrying NFKBIE aberrations. Dark blue lines indicate samples investigated by GeneScan analysis (nine cases), whereas green lines indicate samples assessed by exome sequencing (five cases). The latter analysis also confirmed the somatic origin of NFKBIE aberrations (four deletions and one SNV). Red arrows indicate time of treatment relative to sample collection. In 6/14 cases, clones carrying NFKBIE aberrations increased over time. From available mutation data on TP53, SF3B1, and NOTCH1, only two of these cases carried a coexisting TP53 mutation (case 7 and 14). In case 7, the overall trend and allele frequencies for the mutated TP53 subclone closely resembled that of the NFKBIE-deleted subclone, whereas for case 14, no longitudinal data on TP53 was available. CNA, copy number aberration; NA, not available.
The remarkable enrichment of NFKBIE aberrations in poor-prognostic subset #1 (17/43 NFKBIE-mutated/deleted cases, 39.5%) recalls the significantly higher frequency of SF3B1 mutations in poor-prognostic stereotyped subset #2 compared with all remaining CLL (∼44% vs. ∼5%; Rossi et al., 2013b; Strefford et al., 2013). This subset-biased distribution of genomic aberrations in different poor-prognostic stereotyped subsets supports the existence of distinct mechanisms underlying clinical aggressiveness in CLL and could perhaps result from particular modes of BcR-mediated signaling, which could shape the evolution of each individual subset. In other words, the enrichment seen in stereotyped subsets might primarily be linked to the particular BcR configuration of each subset rather than merely attributed to IGHV gene mutational status.
The presence of NFKBIE aberrations was associated with a significantly shorter time to first treatment (TTFT) similar to IGHV-unmutated or 17p-deleted patients (Fig. 2 B), which was perhaps expected given the preference toward clinically aggressive CLL subsets (Stamatopoulos et al., 2007; Baliakas et al., 2014). In multivariate analysis including established risk factors, NFKBIE aberrations did not hold as an independent factor; however, when IGHV mutational status (one of the strongest molecular predictors of TTFT in CLL [Baliakas et al., 2015]) was removed from the model, NFKBIE aberrations regained significance (Table S10). Taking into account that almost all cases with NFKBIE aberrations concerned U-CLL, this could be the overarching reason behind this latter finding, along with the comparatively lower number of cases in the NFKBIE-mutated/deleted group (relative to IGHV-unmutated CLL). Despite a limited number of cases showing coexisting TP53, SF3B1, or NOTCH1 aberrations, no other clinicobiological factor was identified that could explain the poor outcome seen for the vast majority of cases with NFKBIE aberrations, thus implying an important role as a driver mutation during disease evolution.
Because NFKBIE aberrations were linked to inferior outcome and considering the finding of low-frequency (<10%) 4-bp NFKBIE deletions in a considerable proportion of cases (Table S4), we also investigated longitudinal samples available from 14 treated CLL cases. These cases exhibited varying allele frequencies in the initial sample investigated (8/14 cases <10%, range 1–8%), and an increase in the allelic frequency of the NFKBIE mutations and/or deletions was observed over time and at relapse in 6/14 cases (Fig. 2 C). Such temporal dynamics is indicative of clonal evolution and potentially links these aberrations to disease progression. Admittedly, this has to be studied in more detail, in particular because the variant allele frequency of several cases with low-frequency NFKBIE aberrations was found to remain stable or essentially unaltered at relapse.
Considering our findings in CLL and the sparse reporting of NFKBIE mutations in other lymphomas (Emmerich et al., 2003; Gunawardana et al., 2014), we performed a comprehensive screening of 372 additional mature B cell lymphomas by either targeted sequencing or GeneScan analysis. NFKBIE deletions were detected in 7/136 (5.1%) mantle cell lymphomas, 3/66 (4.5%) diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCLs), and 3/170 (1.8%) splenic marginal zone lymphomas. These results are highly indicative of a common mechanism for NF-κB deregulation within at least a subset of mature B cell malignancy cases (Fig. 1 B).
In normal B cells, IκBε provides negative regulation upon BcR/TLR stimulation by limiting nuclear migration of Rel-containing NF-κB dimers (e.g., p65 and REL) through protein binding via the ankyrin repeat region (Fig. 1 A), thus ensuring temporal control of NF-κB activation (Alves et al., 2014). Furthermore, IκBε loss was reported to result in increased B cell proliferation and survival of stimulated B cells in IκBε−/− mice (Alves et al., 2014). To understand the functional consequence of truncating NFKBIE mutations for the NF-κB signaling pathway in CLL, the three IκB members (α, β, and ε) were investigated together with the transcription factor p65 using Western blot analysis. Significantly lower IκBε protein levels were observed in NFKBIE-deleted (n = 7, mean allele frequency 45%, range 28–61%) versus WT patients (n = 7; P < 0.001), whereas no differences were detected for either IκBα or IκBβ (Fig. 3, A–C). Accordingly, phosphorylated p65 levels were significantly higher in NFKBIE-deleted versus WT patients (Fig. 3, A–C; P < 0.05).
Protein expression analysis in NFKBIE-deleted versus WT CLL. (A) Protein expression profiles of IκBα, IκBβ and IκBε, p65, and phospho-p65 in NFKBIE-deleted (n = 4) versus WT (n = 4) CLL by Western blot analysis. (B) Protein expression profiles of IκBα, IκBβ and IκBε, p65, and phospho-p65 in additional NFKBIE-deleted (n = 3) versus WT (n = 3) CLL by Western blot analysis. (C) Mean normalized protein expression values for IκBα, IκBβ and IκBε, p65, and phospho-p65 in NFKBIE-deleted (n = 7) versus WT CLL (n = 7). * indicates P < 0.05, whereas *** indicates P < 0.001. For IκBβ, only four NFKBIE-deleted and four WT CLL cases were assessed. Error bars indicate standard error. (D) Western blot analysis of IκBε in CLL to identify the presence of a truncated IκBε protein. The membrane is overexposed. del, deleted.
The 4-bp frameshift NFKBIE deletion is predicted to lead to the introduction of a stop codon and subsequent loss of the ankyrin repeat region, thus potentially resulting in a truncated form (with a predicted mass of 13.4 kD) lacking this domain, which is a prerequisite for binding to p65 (and other transcription factors). Although both the mutant and WT alleles were expressed at the RNA level in NFKBIE-deleted patient samples (Table S11), Western blot analysis for low-molecular mass proteins did not reveal any truncated form of IκBε in NFKBIE-deleted cases besides that corresponding to the WT protein (41 kD; Fig. 3 D). Because the truncated form does not appear to render a stable protein, this suggests that the NFKBIE deletion may represent a loss-of-function mutation. Regarding the other NFKBIE mutations, all of which were missense mutations, these were predominantly located in the ankyrin domain and were deemed as deleterious using various prediction tools (Fig. 1 A).
To further explore how the interaction between IκBε and p65 is influenced, coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) experiments with p65 demonstrated a lower pull-down of IκBε in NFKBIE-deleted (n = 3) versus WT (n = 2) cases (Fig. 4, A and B), indicating reduced interaction between IκBε and p65. Seeking further support for the latter finding, we studied the physical interaction between IκBα, IκBβ and IκBε, and p65 using an alternative approach by applying proximity ligation assays, a highly sensitive method for real-time visualization of protein–protein interactions in situ (Söderberg et al., 2006). In six NFKBIE WT CLL cases, although interactions were detected for all IκBs in unstimulated CLL cells, IκBε exhibited the greatest number of interactions with p65 per cell analyzed, supporting its important role in CLL (Fig. 4 C). Upon stimulation with αIgM or CD40 ligand (CD40L), although the interactions between all IκBs and p65 were reduced, IκBε was predominantly affected (Fig. 4, C–F). In contrast, in six NFKBIE-deleted cases, IκBε and p65 interactions in unstimulated CLL cells were notably reduced, thus resembling stimulated WT cells (Fig. 4, C–F); however, this finding did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.15), probably because of the low number of cases available for analysis.
Interactions between IκBs and p65 in CLL. (A) Co-IP to study the interaction between p65 and IκBε in NFKBIE-deleted (n = 3) versus WT (n = 2) CLL. The bottom panel indicates TCL from samples used in the co-IP assay. (B) Mean values for IκBε pull-down in NFKBIE-deleted versus WT CLL. (C) Proximity ligation assay to study the physical interaction between IκBα, IκBβ and IκBε, and p65 in six NFKBIE WT CLL patients. Interactions were assessed in unstimulated (U), αIgM-stimulated, and CD40L-stimulated cells. For IκBα and IκBε, six NFKBIE WT CLL patients were analyzed, whereas for IκBβ only four NFKBIE WT CLL patients were assessed. (D) The interaction between IκBε and the transcription factor p65 in six NFKBIE WT CLL patients and six NFKBIE-deleted patients. Interactions were again assessed in unstimulated (U), αIgM-stimulated, and CD40L-stimulated cells. Error bars indicate standard error. (E and F) Fluorescent microscope images of the interaction between IκBε and the transcription factor p65 in cells from a NFKBIE WT CLL patient (E) and an NFKBIE-deleted CLL patient (F). Blue color indicates cell nuclei, whereas each red dot represents a single interaction. Bars, 20 µm.
Altogether, our data indicates that these truncating mutations reduce IκBε levels, in turn leading to reduced IκBε–p65 interactions, and, consequently, increasing phosphorylated p65, which is potentially underlying a more activated state. This was further supported by subsequent fractionation experiments for NFKBIE-deleted (n = 3) and WT (n = 2) samples, which revealed an increase in the nuclear fraction of p50 and p65 in NFKBIE-deleted patients (Fig. 5, A–D). Hence, loss of IκBε inhibitory function increased nuclear p50/p65 translocation and consequent NF-κB activation.
Functional analysis of the NFKBIE deletion in CLL. (A) Cytoplasmic (C) and nuclear (N) expression of p50, p65, and PARP in CLL patients. For the nuclear fraction, the expression ratio to PARP is provided. (B) Expression levels for p50, p65, and GAPDH in TCLs for the same patient. Normalized nuclear expression for p50 and p65 is provided. (C and D) Mean normalized nuclear expression of p50 (C) and p65 (D) in CLL. Error bars indicate standard error. (E) Western blot showing IκBε expression for the mock-transfected cells as well as the two independent knockdown clones (KD c1 and c2) in the HG3 cell line. All samples were run on the same gel but not in adjacent lanes and have therefore been quantified using the same exposure time. (F) Gene expression patterns in two independent CLL HG3 cell lines (c1 and c2) with partial knockdown (KD) of IκBε compared with the mock-transfected and untransfected (UT) HG3 cell lines. Genes that showed at least 50% difference in both c1 and c2 compared with either Mock or UT were selected. The list of genes is provided in Table S12. (G) Dose–response curves to the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib in primary CLL samples with WT NFKBIE (n = 4) and deleted NFKBIE (n = 4). Data were normalized against ibrutinib-naive CLL cells in culture. In NFKBIE WT cases, borderline significance was observed when comparing αIgM-stimulated versus unstimulated cells (P = 0.07 at 0.1 µM concentration, P = 0.06 at 1 µM concentration, and P = 0.05 at 2.5 µM concentration). Error bars indicate standard error.
To further investigate the impact of this truncating mutation, using shRNA, we knocked down the expression of IκBε (by 56% and 60%, in two independent experiments) in the HG3 CLL cell line (Rosén et al., 2012), which revealed differential gene expression profiles between the knockdowns and the parental as well as the mock-transfected cell line (Fig. 5, E and F; and Table S12). Gene annotation enrichment analysis using the DAVID Bioinformatics Resources revealed that the top annotation clusters included regulation of apoptosis and cell death and regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway (Table S13). Because the HG3 cell line is EBV transformed, which may seriously interfere with BcR signaling (Siemer et al., 2008), we next studied the global gene expression patterns in primary CLL cells from nine NFKBIE-deleted (mean allele frequency 45%, range 28–61%) and nine WT patients. Although an interesting up-regulation of several small nuclear RNAs (i.e., SNORD66, SNORD114-1, and SNORA80-B), previously linked to cancer (Gao et al., 2015), was observed in the NFKBIE-deleted group, only a few genes were significantly differentially expressed between the subgroups (Table S14). This finding might reflect previous gene expression profiling studies in U-CLL and M-CLL, showing only subtle differences in gene expression signatures in these clinically distinct subgroups (Klein et al., 2001; Rosenwald et al., 2001); along this line, one gene known to be up-regulated in U-CLL is ZAP70, and this gene also showed a higher expression in NFKBIE-deleted patients. In addition, as constitutive NF-κB activation has been observed in most, if not all, CLL patients, this may also override potential relevant yet subtler differences in gene expression between NFKBIE-deleted and WT patients.
Finally, because truncating IκBε mutations appeared to lead to constitutive NF-κB activation independent of BcR signaling, we hypothesized that for NFKBIE-deleted patients no difference should be observed in the tumor cell response to the BcR inhibitor ibrutinib after αIgM stimulation. To test this hypothesis, we treated primary CLL cells from four NFKBIE-deleted and four NFKBIE WT patients with ibrutinib, in the presence or the absence of αIgM stimulation. A difference in cell survival was observed between unstimulated versus stimulated IκBε-WT cells, whereas no such difference was seen in IκBε-mutated cases (Fig. 5 G), which were generally more sensitive to ibrutinib than WT patients. Although at first sight the finding that NFKBIE-deleted cases were generally more sensitive to ibrutinib than WT patients may seem counterintuitive, a similar observation has been reported for the ABC type of DLBCL and has been attributed to tonic activation of the BcR–NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, along the same lines, one could reasonably hypothesize that because of tonic BcR signaling, NFKBIE mutant CLL cases could be more dependent on external stimulation and, hence, more sensitive to BTK inhibition (Davis et al., 2010; Mathews Griner et al., 2014).
In summary, we provide for the first time a novel genetic basis for NF-κB activation with the prime finding being recurrent mutations in genes belonging to the NF-κB pathway and in particular within the NFKBIE gene not only in CLL but also in other B cell–derived malignancies. In CLL, we show that NFKBIE aberrations were highly enriched in poor-prognostic, stereotyped subsets, potentially contributing to their adverse prognosis, and resulted in reduced IκBε protein levels and diminished interactions between IκBε–p65, as well as increased p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Notably, minor clones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking IκBε loss to disease progression. Considering the central role of BcR stimulation in the natural history of CLL, the functional loss of IκBε may significantly contribute to sustained CLL cell survival in these patients. On these grounds, components of the NF-κB signaling pathway may emerge as possible targets for future therapies in CLL and, possibly, also other mature B cell lymphomas.
In total, 692 CLL samples were collected from collaborating institutions in Sweden, Greece, Italy, France, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the USA, and the UK. All cases were diagnosed according to the iwCLL criteria, displayed a typical CLL immunophenotype, and contained >70% tumor cells (Hallek et al., 2008). Clinicobiological characteristics of the discovery and validation cohorts are summarized in Tables S2 and S5. Mantle cell lymphoma (n = 136), DLBCL (n = 66), and splenic marginal zone lymphoma (n = 170) samples were diagnosed according to the WHO classification. The study was approved by the local Ethics Review Committees (Brno: NT13493-4/2012, Milan: VIVI-CLL, New York: 08-202A, Thessaloniki: CERTH/ETH2, Uppsala: 214/33, Southampton: 06/Q2202/30, and Stockholm: 2006/964-31/2).
Targeted enrichment and library construction.
We applied HaloPlex technology (Agilent Technologies) for targeted enrichment. For the discovery cohort, an earlier version of the current HaloPlex protocol was used. Biotin-labeled probes were designed for 18 NF-κB genes that targeted all coding exons with a high coverage (Tables S1 and S6). In brief, genomic DNA was fragmented using a combination of restriction enzymes. Biotin-labeled HaloPlex probes were hybridized to the target DNA and acted as template for a second universal DNA oligonucleotide, which contains primer sites, sequencing barcodes, and adapter sequences. The target DNA and the hybridized molecules were captured using streptavidin-labeled magnetic beads and circularized after a ligation reaction. The circularized DNA was amplified using universal primers. For the validation cohort, we took advantage of the automated HaloPlex protocol (http://www.chem.agilent.com/Library/usermanuals/Public/G9900-90020.pdf) using a Bravo Automated Liquid Handling Platform (Agilent Technologies). The libraries were subsequently sequenced using a HiSeq 2000 sequencing system (Illumina).
Illumina adapters were trimmed using Cutadapt, and the reads were aligned to the human genome reference hg19/NCBI GRCh37 using the MOSAIK alignment tool version 2.2 (Martin, 2011). SAMTools was used for file format conversion and sorting. Using a modified version of GATK-lite, the aligned reads were mapped to their corresponding HaloPlex fragment. Variants were detected using an in-house, purpose-built variant caller (SNPmania) and annotated using ANNOVAR (Wang et al., 2010). Exonic variants were kept if they fulfilled the following criteria: (a) having a variant allele ratio of ≥0.1, (b) not in dbSNP and/or 1,000 genomes unless annotated in the Cosmic database, and (c) supported by at least two amplicons unless the position was covered by a single amplicon only.
Sanger sequencing and GeneScan analysis.
Selected variants were sequenced using the BigDye Terminator v3.1 Cycle Sequencing kit and an ABI 3730 DNA Analyzer (Life Technologies) using standard protocols. For GeneScan analysis, the following oligonucleotides were used for the analysis of the 4-bp deletion in NFKBIE: forward primer, 5′-[Hex]CCTCAAAAGTGGGCTGAG-3′; and reverse primer, 5′-CAAGGAACCACAGGAGAAGG-3′. Genomic DNA was amplified by hot-start PCR with Platinum-Taq DNA Polymerase (Invitrogen) and 60°C as annealing temperature. The fragment length of the PCR products was assessed by capillary electrophoresis with ABI3730XL DNA Analyzer (Applied Biosystems) and analyzed with Peak Scanner Software v1.0 (Applied Biosystems).
Western blots, co-IP assays, and cell fractions.
Primary CLL cells were washed in PBS and lysed for 10 min in ice-cold RIPA buffer supplemented with phosphatase/protease inhibitors (Roche). Crude cell lysates were cleared by centrifugation and supernatants were transferred to new tubes. For collection of total cell lysates (TCLs), the supernatants were immediately mixed with 4× NuPAGE LDS sample buffer (Life Technologies) with DTT and treated at 95°C for 5 min. For co-IP assays, supernatants were first incubated 2 h at 4°C (end-over-end rotation) with 1:100 addition of either an anti-p65 antibody (a detailed list of all antibodies used is provided in Table S15) or a non-p65–targeting control antibody (AML1) followed by addition of protein A agarose beads (Cell Signaling Technology) and an extra hour of incubation. Beads were collected by centrifugation and washed three times in ice-cold RIPA buffer before being diluted in NuPAGE LDS Sample buffer (Life Technologies) supplemented with DTT and heated at 95°C for 5 min. Nuclear and cytoplasmic cell fractions were obtained as previously described by Andrews and Faller (1991). Denatured samples were separated on NuPAGE Novex 4–12% Bis-Tris Gels (Life Technologies) and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes using iBlot (Life Technologies). Blocking was performed at room temperature by incubating membranes for 1 h in 5% wt/vol nonfat dry milk (Bio-Rad Laboratories) or 5% wt/vol BSA (Sigma-Aldrich) in TBS buffer. Primary antibodies were diluted in TBS-T (0.1% Tween-20) with 5% wt/vol nonfat dry milk (Bio-Rad Laboratories) or 5% wt/vol BSA (Sigma-Aldrich) and were incubated together with the blocked membranes at 4°C over night. Before imaging, membranes were washed (3× 20 min) in TBS-T (0.1% Tween-20), incubated 1 h with secondary antibodies (1:10,000/1:20,000 of the IRDye 800CW goat anti–rabbit IgG and/or 1:20,000 of the IRDye 680RD donkey anti–mouse IgG [LI-COR Biosciences]) in TBS-T (0.1% Tween-20) with 5% wt/vol BSA, washed (3× 15 min) in TBS-T (0.1% Tween-20), and finally rinsed 5 min in TBS buffer only. All incubation steps were performed at room temperature. Membranes were scanned and imaged using the Odyssey CLx Infrared Imaging System (LI-COR Biosciences). Protein bands were quantified using ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health).
Stimulation of BcR and CD40 signaling pathways.
Two million viable primary CLL cells per milliliter were grown in RPMI medium supplemented with 10% FBS (Gibco), 1% PEST (Gibco), and 1% l-glutamate (Gibco), supplemented with 25% vol/vol serum-free supernatant from the T cell hybridoma cell line MP6 (Rosén et al., 1986), as a source of thioredoxin (Söderberg et al., 1999; Nilsson et al., 2000). For stimulation of the BcR, the modified RPMI medium was supplemented with 3 µg/ml AffiniPure F(ab′)2 fragment rabbit anti–human IgM (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, Inc.), 10 ng/ml IL-2 (GE Healthcare), and 1 µg/ml streptavidin (Roche). To stimulate the CD40 signaling pathway, cells were treated with the modified RPMI medium supplemented with 100 ng/ml sCD40L (Enzo Life Sciences), 25 ng/ml IL-4 (R&D Systems), and 100 ng/ml IL-10 (R&D Systems). Cells were stimulated for 15 min at 37°C (5% CO2). Cytospins were prepared using 150,000 cells per slide and a Cellspin I cytocentrifuge (Tharmac) at 500 rpm for 2 min.
The cells were fixed in 3.7% formaldehyde solution (Sigma-Aldrich) for 15 min at room temperature and permeabilized in 0.5% Triton X-100 (GE Healthcare) for 2 min at room temperature. All washing steps were performed twice for 5 min in 1× TBS with 0.05% Tween (Sigma-Aldrich) unless stated otherwise. First, the samples were incubated in a blocking solution (Olink Biosciences) for 1 h at 37°C. The primary antibodies were diluted as follows, p65 (Cell Signaling Technology) 1:400, IκBα (Cell Signaling Technology) 1:50, IκBβ (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.) 1:50, IκBE (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.) 1:200, and IκBζ (Cell Signaling Technology) 1:50 in antibody diluent solution (Olink Biosciences) and applied to the samples for incubation over night at 4°C. The samples were then washed and incubated with Duolink In Situ PLA Probe anti–mouse MINUS Affinity donkey anti–mouse IgG and Duolink In Situ PLA Probe anti–rabbit PLUS Affinity donkey anti–rabbit IgG (Olink Bioscience) diluted 1:5 in antibody diluent solution (Olink Biosciences) for 1 h at 37°C, followed by washing. A hybridization solution containing 0.25 mg/ml BSA (New England Biolabs, Inc.), 25 mM NaCl, 0.05% Tween-20 (Sigma-Aldrich), 10 mM TrisAc, 10 mM MgAc, 50 mM KAc, and 125 nM of circularization oligonucleotides (5′-GTTCTGTCATATTTAAGCGTCTTAA-3′ and 5′-CTATTAGCGTCCAGTGAATGCGAGTCCGTCTAAGAGAGTAGTACAGCAGCCGTCAAGAGTGTCTA-3′; Integrated DNA Technology) at pH 7.5 were applied to the sample for 30 min incubation at 37°C, followed by washing. Both oligonucleotides were phosphorylated in the 5′ end. Ligation of the circularization oligonucleotides were performed in 1× T4 ligation buffer (Fermentas, Thermo Fisher Scientific), 0.05 U/µl T4 DNA ligase (Fermentas), and ddH2O for 30 min at 37°C, followed by washing. Rolling circle amplification was performed by incubating the samples in 0.25 mg/ml BSA (New England Biolabs, Inc.), 300 ng/ml poly-adenosine, 1× phi29 DNA polymerase buffer (Fermentas), 0.25 mM dNTP (Thermo Fisher Scientific), 1 µM Hoechst 33342 (Sigma-Aldrich), 0.25 U/µl phi29 DNA polymerase (Fermentas), and a BODIPY TR–labeled oligonucleotide (5′-CAGTGAATGCGAGTCCGTCTUUUU-3′, U represents Uracil 2′ O methyl RNA group; Trilink) for 90 min at 37°C. Finally, the samples were washed twice in 1× TBS supplemented with Tween (Sigma-Aldrich) and once in 1× TBS, followed by centrifugation of the slides. SlowFade Gold antifade reagent (Life Technologies) was used for mounting of the slides. Images were acquired with an Axioplan 2 imaging microscope (Carl Zeiss) using 40× objectives and an AxioCam MRm camera (Carl Zeiss). Exposure times, number of z-levels, and distance between z-levels were kept the same for all patients within each assay. CellProfiler version one was used to quantify number of signals per cell in raw images. The interactions between the IκBs and p65 were normalized against the number of interactions between p65 and p50 for each sample.
Stable knockdown of IκBε in the HG3 CLL cell line was established using the pGIPZ lentiviral vector (V3LHS_365665) and the mature antisense sequence 5′-TGGTCCAGATGTACAGCCA-3′ (GE Healthcare). The plasmid was linearized using Ssp1 restriction enzyme (Fermentas). HG3 cells were transfected with 3 µg of plasmid DNA per 107 cells by electroporation using the Neon Transfection System (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and standard parameters. Puromycin selection was started 48 h after transfection and cells were kept under Puromycin selection. Additional selection for positive clones was performed by FACS sorting for cells expressing tGFP, expressed from the same promoter as the shRNA and the Puromycin resistance gene.
Gene expression was studied using Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 2.0 ST Arrays (Affymetrix) and 250 ng total RNA according to standard protocols. Data were analyzed in R (The R Project for Statistical Computing) using packages from the Bioconductor project and normalized using the robust multi-array average method (Irizarry et al., 2003). To search for differentially expressed genes, an empirical Bayes-moderated Student’s t test was applied using the “limma” package. The p-values were adjusted using the method of Benjamini and Hochberg to address potential problems with multiple testing (Benjamini and Hochberg, 1995). Genes with an adjusted p-value <0.05 were regarded as differentially expressed. Gene annotation enrichment analysis was performed using the DAVID Bioinformatics Resources.
Ibrutinib treatment and cell viability test.
Unstimulated and αIgM-stimulated (10 µg/ml for 15 min) primary CLL cells from four NFKBIE WT patients and four NFKBIE-deleted patients were plated in quadruplicate wells at a density of 100,000 cells per well in 96-well plates followed by ibrutinib (PCI-32765; Selleckchem) treatment at 0, 0.1, 1, 2.5, and 10 µM concentration for 72 h. Alamar Blue (Life Technologies) was added, and cell viability was measured after 24 h using a VICTOR plate reader (PerkinElmer) and standard protocols. Data were normalized against ibrutinib naive matched controls.
Paired Student’s t test was used to assess differences between subgroups with at least four patients in each subgroup. Friedman ANOVA was used to study differences in NFKBIE mutation frequency among CLL subset cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to construct survival curves for TTFT, defined as the time interval from the diagnosis date until date of initial treatment, and the log-rank test was used to assess differences. All statistical analyses were performed using Statistica version 12 (Stat Soft).
Table S1 shows the 18 NF-κB core complex genes targeted for deep sequencing in the discovery cohort. Table S2 shows the clinical and biological characteristics of CLL patients in the discovery cohort. Table S3 shows a summary of mutations found in the discovery cohort (n = 124) with additional molecular data. Table S4 shows low-frequency NFKBIE deletions (<10%) detected in the discovery (n = 124) and validation cohorts (n = 191). Table S5 shows clinical and biological characteristics of CLL patients in the validation cohort. Table S6 shows the 18 NF-κB core complex genes targeted for deep sequencing in the validation cohort. Table S7 shows a summary of mutations found in the validation cohort (n = 191). Table S8 shows clinical and biological characteristics of the population-based CLL cohort. Table S9 shows a summary of NFKBIE deletions detected by GeneScan analysis (n = 383). Table S10 shows multivariate analyses for TTFT (A) and for TTFT excluding IGHV mutation status (B). Table S11 shows allelic ratio of the deleted NFKBIE allele detected by GeneScan analysis. Table S12 shows differentially expressed genes in the HG3 cell line after NFKBIE knockdown. Table S13 shows gene annotation enrichment analysis, performed using the DAVID Bioinformatics Resources for differentially expressed genes in HG3 cell line after NFKBIE knockdown. Table S14 shows a list of significantly differentially expressed genes in NFKBIE-deleted versus NFKBIE WT cases. Table S15 shows the list of antibodies used. Online supplemental material is available at http://www.jem.org/cgi/content/full/jem.20142009/DC1.
Sequencing was performed by the SNP&SEQ Technology Platform, Science for Life Laboratory at Uppsala University, a national infrastructure supported by the Swedish Research Council (VRRFI) and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The computations were performed on resources provided by SNIC through Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science (UPPMAX) under Project b2011080. Gene expression profiling was performed at Uppsala Array Facility, and FACS-sorting was performed at the BioVis imaging facility, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University.
This research project was supported by the Nordic Cancer Union, the Swedish Cancer Society, the Swedish Research Council, the Lion’s Cancer Research Foundation, Selander’s Foundation, Uppsala, the Hans von Kantzow Foundation, The Cancer Society in Stockholm, The Stockholm County Council, Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, The Kay Kendal Leukaemia Fund, The National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA (CA81554), RO1 grant CA081554 from the NIH National Cancer Institute to N. Chiorazzi, and the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 259796 (DiaTools), Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC; Investigator Grant and Special Program Molecular Clinical Oncology–IG and 5 per mille #9965) and Ricerca Finalizzata 2010 (RF-2010-2318823)–Ministero della Salute, Roma; IGA MZ CR NT13493-4, CEITEC project CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0068, and FP7-HEALTH, no. 306242 and MSMT, no. 7E13008.
Author contributions: L. Mansouri, L.-A. Sutton, and V. Ljungström performed research, analyzed data, and wrote the paper. S. Bondza, L. Arngården, S. Bhoi, J. Larsson, D. Cortese, A. Kalushkova, R. Gunnarsson, E. Young, E. Falk-Sörqvist, P. Lönn, K. Plevova, A.F. Muggen, X.-J. Yan, and J. Rung performed research and analyzed data. B. Sander, G. Enblad, K.E. Smedby, G. Juliusson, C. Belessi, N. Chiorazzi, J.C. Strefford, A.W. Langerak, S. Pospisilova, F. Davi, M. Hellström, H. Jernberg-Wiklund, P. Ghia, and O. Söderberg contributed and interpreted data. K. Stamatopoulos, M. Nilsson, and R. Rosenquist designed the study, supervised research, and wrote the paper. All authors contributed to the preparation of the manuscript and approved submission in its current form.
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© 2015 Mansouri et al. This article is distributed under the terms of an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike–No Mirror Sites license for the first six months after the publication date (see http://www.rupress.org/terms). After six months it is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported license, as described at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/).
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Putting it all together Theoretically, operons might exhibit positive or negative control and be either inducible or repressible. Try sketching out all possible types— negative inducible, negative repressible, positive inducible, and positive repressible. To do so, learn the meanings of positive and negative control and inducible and repressible; then use logic to work out the details of whether the regulatory protein is a repressor or an activator and whether it is produced in an active or inactive form. You can check your answers against Table 16.2, where the important features of these four types of operons are summarized. Another useful exercise is to think about the effects of mutations at various sites in different types of operon systems.
Although it is a useful learning device to think of operons as either positive or negative and either inducible or repressive, in reality both positive and negative controls often exist in the same operon.
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Few funk groups have had as far-reaching an influence as New Orleans band The Meters, the project of keyboardist/vocalist Art Neville, and the famed house band of Allen Tousaint. During their mid-60s-to-late-70s heyday they released a heavy mixture of instrumental and vocal albums and singles of Louisiana-inflected soul, R&B, and funk music that continues to inspire and marvel, and get covered by groups and artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jaco Pastorius, Widespread Panic, and even The Grateful Dead.
The Meters had already made a name for themselves by 1969, as a backing act for the likes of Lee Dorsey and Betty Harris, but their own legacy as a group began that same year with the release of their self-titled album debut. Their distinct New Orleans swing set themselves apart from the other funk groups of the time, as they plowed their way through a bevy of groovy instrumental tracks, including interpretations of songs by Sly Stone and Buddy Buie. The Meters was additionally noteworthy for the inclusion of the track "Cissy Strut", which became a signature tune for the group, a Billboard Hot 100 hit, and a staple of hip-hop production, having been sampled in tracks by N.W.A., A Tribe Called Quest, 2 Live Crew, and Del The Funky Homosapien, to name but a few. A staple of the genre, that set a path for years and years of funk music innovation and influence.
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This article is about NASA's space vehicle.
Space Shuttle Atlantis on the launch pad prior to the STS-115 mission.
NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System (STS), was the United States government's manned launch vehicle from 1981 to 2011. At launch, it consisted of three main assemblies: a reusable Orbiter Vehicle (OV); a large, expendable External Tank (ET); and two relatively slender, partially reusable Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). Technically, this entire combination of assemblies is called the "Space Shuttle" (or the "Stack"), although at times the Orbiter alone is referred to as the Space Shuttle.
The Shuttle was the first orbital spacecraft designed for partial reusability. The tank and boosters were jettisoned during ascent; only the Orbiter went into space. The vehicle was launched vertically like a conventional rocket, and the orbiter glided to a horizontal landing, after which it could be refurbished for reuse.
The Orbiter carried astronauts and payloads such as satellites or space station parts into low earth orbit. It provided crew rotation for the International Space Station (ISS) and performed servicing missions. It was used to return large payloads from the ISS to Earth, as the Russian Soyuz spacecraft has limited capacity for such return payloads. Each Shuttle was designed for a projected lifespan of 100 launches, or 10 years, operational life.
The Space Shuttle was retired from service upon the conclusion of the final flight of Atlantis on July 21, 2011.
Each Space Shuttle consisted of three main parts: The Orbiter Vehicle, the External Tank, and the two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The main person responsible for design of the STS was Maxime Faget, who had previously overseen designs of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft.
Normally, five to seven astronauts would ride in the Orbiter, although eight have been carried and eleven could be accommodated in an emergency landing. When the Orbiter's mission is completed, the crew fires its maneuvering thrusters to drop out of orbit and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. During its descent and landing, the Orbiter acts as a glider and makes a completely unpowered ("dead stick") landing. Five spaceworthy Orbiters have been built, of which three remain.
The Orbiter resembles an aircraft with double-delta wings, swept 81° at the inner leading edge and 45° at the outer leading edge. Its vertical stabilizer's leading edge is swept back at a 50° angle. The four elevons, mounted at the trailing edge of the wings, and the rudder/speed brake, attached at the trailing edge of the stabilizer, with the body flap, control the Orbiter during descent and landing.
The Orbiter has a large, 60 by 15 ft (18 m by 4.6 m) payload bay, comprising most of the fuselage. The payload capacity is 50,000 pounds (lb) (22,700 kilograms). Three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) are mounted on the Orbiter's aft fuselage in a triangular pattern. The three engines can swivel 10.5 degrees up and down and 8.5 degrees from side to side during ascent to change the direction of their thrust and steer the Shuttle as well as push. The orbiter structure is made primarily from aluminum alloy, although the engine thrust structure is made from titanium alloy.
The crucial factors in the size and shape of the Orbiter were the requirements that it be able to accommodate the largest planned spy satellites and have the cross-range recovery range to meet classified U.S. Air Force missions. Factors involved in opting for "reusable" solid rockets and an expendable fuel tank included the desire of the Pentagon to obtain a high-capacity payload vehicle for satellite deployment, and the desire of the Nixon administration to reduce the costs of space exploration by developing a spacecraft with reusable components.
The first orbiter, Enterprise, was not built for actual space flight but was used only for testing purposes. Enterprise was followed by four operational space shuttles: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. Challenger was destroyed on launch in 1986, and Endeavor was built as a replacement. Columbia was destroyed on re-entry in 2003.
The External Tank (ET) provides approximately 535,000 U.S. gallons (2.025 million liters) of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant to the SSMEs. It is discarded 8.5 minutes after launch at an altitude of 60 nautical miles (111 km), and then burns up on re-entry. The ET is constructed mostly of ⅛ inch thick aluminum-lithium alloy.
The external tanks of the first two missions were painted white, which added an extra 600 pounds (270 kg) of weight to each ET. Subsequent missions have had unpainted tanks showing the natural orange-brown color of the spray-on foam insulation. The orange-brown color results from ultraviolet light from the Sun striking the foam insulation over time.
Two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) each provide 2.8 million lbs of thrust at liftoff, which is 83 percent of the total thrust needed for liftoff. They are jettisoned two minutes after launch at a height of about 150,000 feet (45.7 km), then deploy parachutes and land in the ocean to be recovered. The SRB cases are made of steel about ½ inch (1.27 cm) thick.
Structural overview of the Space Shuttle.
Early Shuttle missions took along the GRiD Compass, arguably one of the first laptop computers. The Compass sold poorly, because it cost at least $6000, but offered unmatched performance for its weight and size. NASA was one of its main customers.
The Shuttle was one of the earliest craft to use a computerized fly-by-wire digital flight control system. This means no mechanical or hydraulic linkages connect the pilot's control stick to the control surfaces or reaction control system thrusters.
A primary concern with digital fly-by-wire systems is reliability. Much research went into the Shuttle computer system. The Shuttle uses five identical redundant IBM 32-bit general purpose computers (GPCs), model AP-101, constituting a type of embedded system. Four computers run specialized software called the Primary Avionics Software System (PASS). A fifth backup computer runs separate software called the Backup Flight System (BFS). Collectively, they are called the Data Processing System (DPS).
Atlantis deploys its landing gear before landing on a selected runway, in a manner similar to a common aircraft landing.
The design goal of the Shuttle's DPS is fail operational/fail safe reliability. After a single failure the Shuttle can continue the mission. After two failures it can land safely.
The four general-purpose computers operate essentially in lockstep, checking each other. If one computer fails, the three functioning computers "vote" it out of the system. This isolates it from vehicle control. If a second computer of the three remaining fails, the two functioning computers vote it out. In the rare case of two out of four computers simultaneously failing (a two-two split), one group is picked at random.
The Backup Flight System (BFS) is separately developed software running on the fifth computer, used only if the entire four-computer primary system fails. The BFS was created because although the four primary computers are hardware redundant, they all run the same software, so a generic software problem could crash all of them. Embedded system avionic software is developed under totally different conditions from public commercial software, the number of code lines is tiny compared to a public commercial software, changes are only made infrequently and with extensive testing, and many programming and test personnel work on the small amount of computer code. However, in theory it can still fail, and the BFS exists for that contingency.
The software for the Shuttle computers is written in a high-level language called HAL/S, somewhat similar to PL/I. It is specifically designed for a real time embedded system environment.
The IBM AP-101 computers originally had about 424 kilobytes of magnetic core memory each. The CPU could process about 400,000 instructions per second. They have no hard disk drive and load software from magnetic tape cartridges.
In 1990, the original computers were replaced with an upgraded model AP-101S, which has about 2.5 times the memory capacity (about 1 megabyte) and three times the processor speed (about 1.2 million instructions per second). The memory was changed from magnetic core to semiconductor with battery backup.
During STS-101, Atlantis was the first Shuttle to fly with a glass cockpit.
Internally, the Shuttle remained largely similar to the original design, with the exception of the improved avionics computers. In addition to the computer upgrades, the original vector graphics monochrome cockpit displays were replaced with modern full-color, flat-panel display screens, similar to contemporary airliners like the Boeing 777. This is called a "glass cockpit." In the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project tradition, programmable calculators are carried as well (originally the HP-41C). With the coming of the ISS, the Orbiter's internal airlocks have been replaced with external docking systems to allow for a greater amount of cargo to be stored on the Shuttle's mid-deck during Station resupply missions.
The Space Shuttle Main Engines have had several improvements to enhance reliability and power. This explains phrases such as "Main engines throttling up to 104 percent." This does not mean the engines are being run over a safe limit. The 100 percent figure is the original specified power level. During the lengthy development program, Rocketdyne determined the engine was capable of safe reliable operation at 104 percent of the originally specified thrust. They could have rescaled the output number, saying in essence 104 percent is now 100 percent. However, this would have required revising much previous documentation and software, so the 104 percent number was retained. SSME upgrades are denoted as "block numbers," such as block I, block II, and block IIA. The upgrades have improved engine reliability, maintainability and performance. The 109 percent thrust level was finally reached in flight hardware with the Block II engines in 2001. The normal maximum throttle is 104 percent, with 106 percent and 109 percent available for abort emergencies.
The three nozzles of the Main Engine cluster with the two OMS pods and the vertical stabilizer above.
For the first two missions, STS-1 and STS-2, the external tank was painted white to protect the insulation that covers much of the tank, but improvements and testing showed that it was not required. The weight saved by not painting the tank results in an increase in payload capability to orbit. Additional weight was saved by removing some of the internal "stringers" in the hydrogen tank that proved unnecessary. The resulting "light-weight external tank" has been used on the vast majority of Shuttle missions. STS-91 saw the first flight of the "super light-weight external tank." This version of the tank is made of the 2195 aluminium-lithium alloy. It weighs 7,500 lb (3.4 t) less than the last run of lightweight tanks. As the Shuttle cannot fly unmanned, each of these improvements has been "tested" on operational flights.
The SRBs (Solid Rocket Boosters) have undergone improvements as well. Notable is the adding of a third O-ring seal to the joints between the segments, which occurred after the Challenger disaster.
Several other SRB improvements were planned in order to improve performance and safety, but never came to be. These culminated in the considerably simpler, lower cost, probably safer, and better performing Advanced Solid Rocket Booster which was to have entered production in the early to mid-1990s to support the Space Station, but was later canceled to save money after the expenditure of $2.2 billion. The loss of the ASRB program forced the development of the Super Light Weight external Tank (SLWT), which provides some of the increased payload capability, while not providing any of the safety improvements. In addition, the Air Force developed their own much lighter single-piece SRB design using a filament-wound system, but this too was canceled.
STS-70 was delayed in 1995, when woodpeckers bored holes in the foam insulation of Discovery's external tank. Since then, NASA has installed commercial plastic owl decoys and inflatable owl balloons which must be removed prior to launch. The delicate nature of the foam insulation has been the cause of damage to the tile heat shield and heat wrap of the shuttle during recent launches. NASA remains confident that this damage, while linked to the Columbia space shuttle disaster on February 1, 2003, will not jeopardize the objective of NASA to complete the International Space Station (ISS) in the projected time allotted.
A cargo-only, unmanned variant of the Shuttle has been variously proposed and rejected since the 1980s. It is called the Shuttle-C and would trade re-usability for cargo capability with large potential savings from reusing technology developed for the Space Shuttle.
On the first four Shuttle missions, astronauts wore modified U.S. Air Force high-altitude full-pressure suits, which included a full-pressure helmet during ascent and descent. From the fifth flight, STS-5, until the loss of Challenger, one-piece light blue nomex flight suits and partial-pressure helmets were worn. A less-bulky, partial-pressure version of the high-altitude pressure suits with a helmet was reinstated when Shuttle flights resumed in 1988. The LES ended its service life in late 1995, and was replaced by the full-pressure Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES), which resembles the Gemini space suit worn in the mid-1960s.
To extend the duration that Orbiter can stay docked at the ISS, the Station-Shuttle Power Transfer System (SSPTS) was installed. This modification allows Orbiter to use power provided by the ISS and to preserve its consumables onboard.
Space Shuttle Challenger's rollout from Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to be stacked with External tank and SRB's for launch. (NASA photo).
The launching of a shuttle required not only technical and personnel readiness but also appropriate weather conditions. For instance, the shuttle would not be launched under conditions in which it could be struck by lightning. Aircraft are often struck by lightning with no adverse effects because the electricity of the strike is dissipated through its conductive structure and the aircraft is not electrically grounded. Like most jet airliners, the shuttle is constructed mainly of conductive aluminum, which normally protects the internal systems. However, at takeoff, the shuttle sends out a long exhaust plume as it ascends, and this plume can trigger lightning by providing a current path to ground. Although the shuttle might safely endure a lightning strike, a similar strike caused problems on Apollo 12, so for safety, NASA chooses not to launch the shuttle if lightning is possible.
Water is released onto the mobile launcher platform on Launch Pad 39A at the start of a rare sound suppression system test in 2004. During launch, 300,000 gallons are poured onto the pad in only 20 seconds.
On the day of a launch, after the final hold in the countdown at T minus 9 minutes, the Shuttle goes through its final preparations for launch, and the countdown is automatically controlled by a special computer program at the Launch Control Center known as the Ground Launch Sequencer (GLS), which stops the count if it senses a critical problem with any of the Shuttle's on-board systems. The GLS hands off the count to the Shuttle's on-board computers at T minus 31 seconds.
At T-minus 10 seconds, hydrogen igniters are activated under each engine bell to quell the stagnant gas inside the cones before ignition. Failure to burn these gases can trip the onboard sensors and create the possibility of an overpressure and explosion of the vehicle during the firing phase. The main engine turbopumps are also commanded to begin charging the combustion chambers with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at this time. The computers reciprocate this action by allowing the redundant computer systems to begin the firing phase.
The three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) start at T minus 6.6 seconds. The main engines ignite sequentially via the shuttle's general purpose computers (GPC's) at 0.12 second intervals. The GPC's require that the engines reach 90 percent of their rated performance to complete the final gimbal of the main engine nozzles to liftoff configuration. When the SSMEs start, the water from the sound suppression system flashes into a large volume of steam that shoots southward.
Shuttle launch of Atlantis at sunset in 2001. The sun is behind the camera, and the plume's shadow intersects the moon across the sky.
All three SSMEs must reach the required 100 percent thrust within three seconds to initiate the SRB firing command. If the onboard computers verify normal thrust buildup, at T minus 0 seconds, the SRBs are ignited. At this point the vehicle is committed to takeoff, as the SRBs cannot be turned off once ignited. After the SRBs reach a stable thrust ratio, pyrotechnic nuts are detonated by radio controlled signals from the shuttle's GPC's to release the vehicle. The plume from the solid rockets exits the flame trench at near the speed of sound, often causing a rippling of shockwaves along the actual flame and smoke contrails. At ignition, the GPC's mandate the firing sequences via the "Master Events Controller," a computer program integrated with the shuttle's four redundant computer systems.
There are extensive emergency procedures (abort modes) to handle various failure scenarios during ascent. Many of these concern SSME failures, since that is the most complex and highly stressed component. After the Challenger disaster, there were extensive upgrades to the abort modes.
When watching a launch, look for the "nod" ("twang" in NASA lingo). After the main engines start, but while the solid rocket boosters are still clamped to the pad, the offset thrust from the Shuttle's three main engines causes the entire launch stack (boosters, tank and shuttle) to flex forward, about 2 m at cockpit level. As the boosters flex back to their original position, the launch stack springs slowly back upright. This takes approximately 6 seconds. When it is perfectly vertical, the boosters ignite and the launch commences.
Shortly after clearing the tower, the Shuttle begins a "roll-and-pitch" program to set its orbital inclination, and so that the vehicle is below the external tank and SRBs, with wings level. The vehicle climbs in a progressively flattening arc, accelerating as the weight of the SRBs and main tank decrease. To achieve low orbit requires much more horizontal than vertical acceleration. This is not visually obvious since the vehicle rises vertically and is out of sight for most of the horizontal acceleration. The near circular orbital velocity at the 380 km (236 miles) altitude of the International Space Station is 7.68 km per second (27,648 km/h, 17,180 mph), roughly equivalent to Mach 23 at sea level. For missions towards the International Space Station, the shuttle must reach an azimuth of 51.6 degrees inclination to rendezvous with the station.
Around a point called "Max Q," where the aerodynamic forces are at their maximum, the main engines are temporarily throttled back to avoid overspeeding and hence overstressing the Shuttle, particularly in vulnerable areas such as the wings. At this point, a phenomenon known as the "Prandtl-Glauert Singularity" occurs, where condensation clouds form during the vehicle's transition to supersonic speed.
At 126 seconds after launch, explosive bolts release the SRBs and small separation rockets push them laterally away from the vehicle. The SRBs parachute back to the ocean to be reused. The Shuttle then begins accelerating to orbit on the Space Shuttle main engines. The vehicle at that point in the flight has a thrust to weight ratio of less than one—the main engines actually have insufficient thrust to exceed the force of gravity, and the vertical speed given to it by the SRBs temporarily decreases. However, as the burn continues, the weight of the propellant decreases and the thrust-to-weight ratio exceeds 1 again and the ever-lighter vehicle then continues to accelerate toward orbit.
The vehicle continues to climb and takes on a somewhat nose-up angle to the horizon—it uses the main engines to gain and then maintains altitude while it accelerates horizontally towards orbit. At about five and three-quarter minutes into ascent, the orbiter rolls heads up to switch communication links from ground stations to Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.
Finally, in the last tens of seconds of the main engine burn, the mass of the vehicle is low enough that the engines must be throttled back to limit vehicle acceleration to 3 g, largely for astronaut comfort.
Before complete depletion of propellant, as running dry would destroy the engines, the main engines are shut down. The oxygen supply is terminated before the hydrogen supply, as the SSMEs react unfavorably to other shutdown modes. Liquid oxygen has a tendency to react violently, and supports combustion when it encounters hot engine metal. The external tank is released by firing explosive bolts and falls, largely burning up in the atmosphere, though some fragments fall into the Indian Ocean. The sealing action of the tank plumbing and lack of pressure relief systems on the external tank helps it "break up" in the atmosphere. After the foam burns away during reentry, the heat causes a pressure build-up in the remaining liquid oxygen and hydrogen until the tank explodes. This ensures that any pieces that fall back to Earth are small.
To prevent the shuttle from following the external tank back into the atmosphere, the OMS engines are fired to raise the perigee out of the atmosphere. On some missions (such as STS-107 and missions to the ISS), the OMS engines are also used while the main engines are still firing. The reason for putting the orbiter on a path that brings it back to Earth is not just for external tank disposal. It is one of safety; if the OMS malfunctions, or the cargo bay doors cannot open for some reason, the shuttle is already on a path to return to Earth for an emergency abort landing.
A computer simulation of the outside of the Shuttle as it heats up to over 1,500 °C during re-entry.
Almost the entire Space Shuttle reentry, except for lowering the landing gear and deploying the air data probes, is normally performed under computer control. However, the reentry can be and has (once) been flown entirely manually. The approach and landing phase can be controlled by the autopilot, but is usually hand flown.
The vehicle begins reentry by firing the OMS engines, while flying upside down backside first, in the opposite direction to orbital motion for about three minutes giving roughly 200 mph of delta-v. The resultant slowing of the Shuttle lowers its orbital perigee down into the atmosphere. The shuttle flips over by pulling its nose up (which is actually "down" because it's flying upside down). This OMS firing is done roughly halfway around the globe from the landing site.
The vehicle starts significantly entering the atmosphere at about 400,000 ft (120 km) at around Mach 25 (8.2 km/s). The vehicle is controlled by a combination of RCS thrusters and control surfaces, to fly at a 40 degree nose-up attitude producing high drag, not only to slow it down to landing speed, but also to reduce reentry heating. In addition, the vehicle needs to bleed off extra speed before reaching the landing site. This is achieved by performing s-curves at up to a 70 degree roll angle.
In the lower atmosphere, the Orbiter flies much like a conventional glider, except for a much higher descent rate, over 10,000 feet (3 km) per minute. At approximately Mach 3, two air data probes, located on the left and right sides of the Orbiter's forward lower fuselage, are deployed to sense air pressure related to vehicle's movement in the atmosphere.
Discovery touches down at Edwards Air Force Base at the end of STS-114.
When the approach and landing phase begins, the Orbiter is at a 10,000-ft (3048 m) altitude, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from the runway. The pilots apply aerodynamic braking to help slow down the vehicle. The Orbiter's speed is reduced from 424 mph (682 km/h) to approximately 215 mph (346 km/h), (compared to 160 mph for a jet airliner), at touchdown. The landing gear is deployed while the Orbiter is flying at 267 mph (430 km/h). To assist the speed brakes, a 40 ft (12.2 m) drag chute is deployed either after main gear or nose gear touchdown (depending on selected chute deploy mode) at about 213 mph (343 km/h). It is jettisoned as the Orbiter slows through 69 mph (111 km/h).
After landing, the vehicle stands on the runway for several minutes to permit the fumes from poisonous hydrazine, used as a propellant for attitude control, to dissipate, and for the shuttle fuselage to cool before the astronauts disembark.
Conditions permitting, the Space Shuttle will always land at Kennedy Space Center. However, if the conditions make landing there unfavorable, the Shuttle can touch down at Edwards Air Force Base in California or at other sites around the world. A landing at Edwards means that the shuttle must be mated to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and returned to Cape Canaveral, costing NASA an additional 1.7 million dollars. A Space Shuttle (STS-3, Columbia) has also landed once at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, but this is often a last resort, as NASA scientists believe that the sand could cause damage to the shuttle's exterior.
Space Shuttle Atlantis transported by a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), 1998 (NASA).
Space Shuttle Endeavour being transported by a Boeing 747.
A list of additional landing sites is given below.
Crew: Eight (Commander, Pilot, Co-pilot,two Mission Specialists, and three Payload Specialists), two for minimum.
Below is a list of major events in the Space Shuttle orbiter fleet.
September 17, 1976 Enterprise Prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise was rolled out of its assembly facility in Southern California and displayed before a crowd several thousand strong.
February 18, 1977 Enterprise First flight; Attached to Shuttle Carrier Aircraft throughout flight.
August 12, 1977 Enterprise First free flight; Tailcone on; lakebed landing.
October 26, 1977 Enterprise Final Enterprise free flight; First landing on Edwards AFB concrete runway.
January 28, 1986 Challenger Disaster starting 73 seconds after launch; STS-51-L; all seven crew members died.
February 1, 2003 Columbia Disintegrated during re-entry; STS-107; all seven crew members died.
Atlantis orbiter's final welcome home, 2011.
NASA retired the Space Shuttle in 2011, after 30 years of service. The Shuttle was originally conceived of and presented to the public as a "Space Truck", which would, among other things, be used to build a United States space station in low earth orbit in the early 1990s. When the US space station evolved into the International Space Station project, which suffered from long delays and design changes before it could be completed, the service life of the Space Shuttle was extended several times until 2011, serving at least 15 years longer than it was originally designed to do. Discovery was the first of NASA's three remaining operational Space Shuttles to be retired.
The final Space Shuttle mission was originally scheduled for late 2010, but the program was later extended to July 2011 when Michael Suffredini of the ISS program said that one additional trip was needed in 2011 to deliver parts to the International Space Station. The Shuttle's final mission consisted of just four astronauts—Christopher Ferguson (Commander), Douglas Hurley (Pilot), Sandra Magnus (Mission Specialist 1), and Rex Walheim (Mission Specialist 2); they conducted the 135th and last space Shuttle mission on board Atlantis, which launched on July 8, 2011, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center on July 21, 2011, at 5:57 AM EDT (09:57 UTC).
Atlantis is on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, near Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was delivered to the Visitor Complex on November 2, 2012.
Discovery was delivered to the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012. On April 17, 2012, Discovery was flown atop a 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft escorted by a NASA T-38 Talon chase aircraft in a final farewell flight. The 747 and Discovery flew over Washington, D.C. and the metropolitan area around 10 am and arrived at Dulles around 11 am. The flyover and landing were widely covered on national news media.
Endeavour was delivered to the California Science Center in Los Angeles, California on October 14, 2012. It arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on September 21, 2012, concluding a two-day, cross country journey atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft after stops at Ellington Field in Houston, Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso and the Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
Enterprise (atmospheric test orbiter) was on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center but was moved to New York City's Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in mid-2012.
↑ Irene Klotz, NASA shuttle tank an eyesore but ready to fly. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
↑ pages.total.net, GRiD Compass 1101. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
↑ Roscoe C. Ferguson, Robert Tate, and Hiram C. Thompson, Implementing Space Shuttle Data Processing System Concepts in Programmable Logic Devices. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
↑ Jim Dumoulin, Woodpeckers damage STS-70 External Tank. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
↑ NASA, NASA—Countdown 101. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
↑ NASA, Hold-Down Posts. Retrieved November 22, 2007.
↑ Mike Wall, 35 Years Ago: NASA Unveils First Space Shuttle, 'Enterprise' Yahoo! News, September 17, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
↑ NASA Updates Shuttle Target Launch Dates For Final Two Flights NASA. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
↑ Consolidated Launch Manifest NASA. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
↑ Space Shuttle Mission Archives NASA. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
↑ NASA's Shuttle and Rocket Launch Schedule NASA. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
↑ John Pike, Space Shuttle may continue through next year – Roscosmos Globalsecurity.org, May 13, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
↑ "Rare Four-Member Crew to Fly Final Shuttle". FoxNews.com, July 3, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
↑ Launch and Landing NASA. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
NASA Space Shuttle News Reference - 1981 (PDF document).
Lecture Series on the Space Shuttle from MIT OpenCourseWare.
Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites.
This page was last modified on 13 October 2015, at 21:39.
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diabetes and psoriasis, a disease which at first glance have nothing in common. In fact, each of them can trigger the appearance of another.
What is the connection between psoriasis and diabetes?
Psoriasis is called the disease of the skin, which is characterized by the presence of a systemic inflammatory process.
For the treatment of severe exacerbations and in our country it is customary to use a group of drugs, such as corticosteroids.
Corticosteroids are hormonal drugs used in the treatment as anti-inflammatories. They have a positive effect on the course of the disease, quickly eliminating the symptoms. However, at the same time corticosteroids, as hormones, affect the amount of glucose in the blood, in the direction of its increase. As a result of regular use of steroid drugs, the risk of developing diabetes is increased by 35%.
the diabetes in turn is a predisposing factor for the development of psoriasis. It should be noted that the emerging psoriasis on the background of diabetes, often has a very severe course. In the majority of cases occur such forms as exudative psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Thus, the presence of psoriasis could easily trigger the development of diabetes and Vice versa. The presence of one of the disease burdens for the other.
it should be noted that psoriasis can have a connection only with diabetes mellitus type II, while it has no correlation with type I diabetes. Resistance to the action of insulin, which is present in diabetes type II, is a response to a systemic inflammatory process that is characteristic of this skin disease.
the First thing you should pay attention to is on a diet aimed at combating obesity. In addition, it is necessary to eliminate other factors causing the worsening of the condition in both diseases: Smoking cessation and alcohol intake.
Drug treatment should not include oral corticosteroids. It is very important to drugs to help deal with psoriasis had no effect on carbohydrate metabolism. It should be emphasized that corticosteroids may not be used, in any form, whether intravenous or local use of ointments.
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0.97871 |
You are a detective in your first assignment, find all the stolen objects.
Police Line Investigator is a hidden object game. You are a detective in your first assignment. The house was broken into while the owners were at a party. You must find out which objects were stolen.
Find the objects by clicking on them with the mouse.
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"We have had a very positive experience working with Organized Change. They designed a survey for one of our global teams to help design an organizational change and develop scenarios for our strategies. Organized Change is a dependable collaborator who can be relied upon to help us meet our goals.
Almost all of us belonged to some sick organization or another and at times all of us feel frustrated with them. Unfortunately, many of us are untrained in diagnosing what is going wrong in an organization. All we know is that it isn't working well.
That sick feeling is from the Stewed Tomato Surprise you had last night, or that disastrous meeting this morning.
and recommend a prescription for what ails us.
The process has four steps as described below: 1) get started; 2) assess; 3) choose treatments and use them; and 4) periodically evaluate.
As in any situation, the first step is to recognize that a problem exists. Doctors call them symptoms; Organizations call them problems. These problems can range from declining productivity, quality or market share; dropped, disappearing projects that start marvelously well and end up in a black hole; increased absenteeism or turnover; group-related problems, such as frequent "Abilene paradoxes", groupthink, poorly run meetings, and frequent head-on collisions of style and priorities among management.
At this point, people as patients and organizations as clients often diagnose themselves and take over-the-counter medications. Organizations take the equivalent: a few people go to a seminar and put on some training programs once they come back. This works only if you want symptomatic relief!
Organizations often go through the above process many times and for awhile they feel better. Unfortunately, the underlying causes haven't been assessed and changed, so the problem won't go away. People in organizations at this time get another disease: programitis. Programitis is the feeling of cynicism and indifference that happens when organizations plant different buzzword into the minds of employees without following through on implementation. After a few cycles, employees expect nothing from management, and the initial enthusiasm they have drains away.
Certainly the behavioral changes needed for teamwork must be done by employees and their management; In other words, the patient has to take his medicine. However, resources may be needed outside the organization to objectively assess the patient's health, provide guidance on treatment options and encourage the patient when he is feeling down. Outside resources are especially indicated when previous attempts by management to solve the problem either don't work or work only for a short time. These well-intentioned but short-lived solutions might include firing or transferring individual team members, training some of the team in meeting management skills, or browbeating/castigating the team.
Whoever this outside resource is, s/he should be politically neutral, knowledgeable in team assessment, and able to give guidance on the many treatment options. This person might be from another division, a sister company, or a professional consulting firm. This person should speak frankly and communicate the problems that your employees feel but are hesitant to say.
Symptoms within just a few groups. These causes generally focus around the goals, roles and relationships in the team. The team's charter or purpose may be vague, or in conflict with group members (or their department's) priorities. Who gets to do what, group membership, poor group skills and as well as personality conflicts are also potential causes.
Symptoms between and within groups. Specific issues can arise between teams that create negative effects inside those teams. Such issues include disagreement over responsibilities, allocation of scarce resources, struggles for political power and the like. A typical triangle of conflict is between Marketing, Engineering and Manufacturing.
Symptoms across most of your organization. If illness is prevalent in your company, it implies that organizational systems are a primary cause of the symptoms. Organizational systems such as the organizational structure, compensation, management style, performance appraisal, employee selection process, authority/communication patterns, as well as organizational mission, vision and goals are the major(but often overlooked) causes of organizational ill health. A rule of thumb is that the more widespread the organizational sickness, the more likely that these systems are causing it.
Treatments for within-group issues include role clarification, goal setting and problem solving; individual coaching or removal of members; training in small group skills; and possibly disbanding the group.
Methods to treat inter-group issues include 1) inter-group teambuilding, where warring departments discuss their conflicts and agree upon solutions; 2) establishing cross-functional teams and matrix organizations to deal with "bridge" issues that cut across organizational lines; 3) and merging or dissolution of the groups.
Methods to treat organization-wide teamwork problems include changing organizational structure to a more product or customer-based focus, and away from the functional stovepipes; instituting gainsharing or profit sharing instead of individual merit reviews; changing market focus and the organization's strategic plan; and including line workers on the design and development of products.
Increasing organizational health is not a one-shot effort, but is continuous and on-going. Measures of success (such as re-assessing organizational health) should be established, and periodic checkups done at one, three, six and 12 months. If the organization progresses, these checkups can become less frequent; they may be more frequent if organizational health start to go downhill, or if the company faces new challenges.
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Convert Unix Timestamp to Date - Unix Timestamp is a method to record time as the running total of seconds. This time count starts at Unix Epoch on 1 st January, 1970 at UTC. As a result, the Unix Time stamp is a matter of seconds between a particular date and the Unix Epoch. The point that should be mentioned in this case, is that this point of time technically does not change irrespective of your location on the globe. This is a very important computing system that allows tracking and sort information regarding any particular date. It is interpreted in the same way regardless of region. Whichever time zone it belongs to, it will be calculated from the same point in time. If you are using a web app that is used over varied time zones, then you need a Timestamp to reflect individual time and date setting of the users. Two encoding layer makes up Unix Time. The two layers work individually to produce the result.
The Unix Timestamp Converter converts a Unix Timestamp to human readable date, separating the date in day, month, year, hour, minutes, seconds and milliseconds. It allows you to do the inverse as well. You can transform a human readable date to the Epoch or Unix Timestamp code. The converter also displays the current Epoch or Unix Timestamp in both seconds and milliseconds. In a number of modern and advanced programming languages use Epoch or Unix Timestamp as a starting point of the time from when they start to calculate the inner date value. For instance, in Java the java.lang.date is set with number of milliseconds that have elapsed since Epoch or Unix Timestamp.
It is sometimes becomes important to convert the Epoch or Unix Timestamp to date. For this you have to take help of any Epoch or Unix Timestamp to date converter. On internet you may find many of them, still, some are reliable and error free where some not. You have to choose one of them. In the given box you have to copy the Epoch or Unix Timestamp and the result will instantly be produced.
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I'm a freshman in college who is interested in becoming a family lawyer. What should I major in besides psychology?
Political Science and Pre-Law majors are always great areas of study when considering a career as an attorney. Although you believe a family law attorney is the discipline you would like to pursue, it would not be until your second or possibly even third year of law school that you would begin to pursue such electives.
The majority of your law school education is spent preparing you to understand the legal framework of any particular jurisdiction and overarching legal concepts which transcend individual disciplines. Accordingly, in your first year of law school you typically take the core courses of Property, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Torts and some type of Legal Writing Course.
During the next few semesters, you're typically just handling the basics which include Evidence, Criminal Procedure and Corporations. Once you make it through the core courses, then you get to delve into the Family Law type of courses, but often times you don't take more than two to three courses in that specific discipline.
Thus, it is my recommendation to take as many classes as possible which teach you about government, how the Constitution is setup, and civics in general. Take a lot of writing courses, and read as much about critical thinking and writing as possible. You're going to do a ton of reading and writing in Law School--and in the practice of law in general, so the more practice you have in advance the better.
I agree with the previous mentor, Mario.
I'm interested in law studies. I want to know the right major for me!
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Bot: Sorry, abc is not the correct answer.
Bot: Sorry, 5 is not the correct answer.
Bot: Great, 4 is the correct answer!
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0.993152 |
What is carbon monoxide used for?
I know all about it being poisonous etc but I'm wondering what it is sold and hired for? I have done some research online but I can't find any purpose for it at all, does anyone here know?
Best Answer: It has applications as an industrial chemical production reagent.
Large quantities of aldehydes are produced by the hydroformylation reaction of alkenes, carbon monoxide, and H2. Hydroformylation is coupled to the Shell Higher Olefin Process to give precursors to detergents. Methanol is produced by the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. In a related reaction, the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide is coupled to C-C bond formation, as in the Fischer-Tropsch process where carbon monoxide is hydrogenated to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. This technology allows coal or biomass to be converted to diesel.
In the Monsanto process, carbon monoxide and methanol react in the presence of a homogeneous rhodium catalyst and hydroiodic acid to give acetic acid. This process is responsible for most of the industrial production of acetic acid.
An industrial scale use for pure carbon monoxide is purifying nickel in the Mond process.
Carbon monoxide is used in modified atmosphere packaging systems in the US, mainly with fresh meat products such as beef, pork, and fish to keep them looking fresh. The carbon monoxide combines with myoglobin to form carboxymyoglobin, a bright cherry red pigment. Carboxymyoglobin is more stable than the oxygenated form of myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, which can become oxidized to the brown pigment, metmyoglobin. This stable red color can persist much longer than in normally packaged meat. Typical levels of carbon monoxide used in the facilities that use this process are between 0.4% to 0.5%.
The technology was first given "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 for use as a secondary packaging system, and does not require labeling. In 2004 the FDA approved CO as primary packaging method, declaring that CO does not mask spoilage odor. Despite this ruling, the process remains controversial for fears that it masks spoilage. In 2007 a bill was introduced to the United States House of Representatives to label modified atmosphere carbon monoxide packaging as a color additive, but the bill died in subcommittee. The process is banned in many other countries, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and the European Union.
In biology, carbon monoxide is naturally produced by the action of heme oxygenase 1 and 2 on the heme from hemoglobin breakdown. This process produces a certain amount of carboxyhemoglobin in normal persons, even if they do not breathe any carbon monoxide.
Following the first report that carbon monoxide is a normal neurotransmitter in 1993 , as well as one of three gasses which naturally modulate inflammatory responses in the body (the other two being nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide), carbon monoxide has received a great deal of clinical attention as a biological regulator. In many tissues, all three gases are known to act as anti-inflammatories, vasodilators and encouragers of neovascular growth. However, the issues are complex, as neovascular growth is not always beneficial, since it plays a role in tumor growth, and also the damage from wet macular degeneration, a disease for which smoking (a major source of carbon monoxide in the blood, several times more than natural production) increases the risk from 4 to 6 times.
Can you eat a squirrel killed using carbon monoxide gas?
Carbon monoxide risk using calor gas heater?
Friend killed himself by carbon monoxide poisening using barbecue?
How to make use of Carbon monoxide???
Do carbon monoxide detectors use radiation?
Should climate change protesters in London be banned from flying ?
What happens if all the engines stop working?
What to think of this?
Hi everyone I arrived to Ottawa today Does anyone lives in Ottawa? can u tell me about it I know the people here are nice anything else?
Hey look, another tornado just hit America. Do you think the Chinese will be ecstatically trilled to their bones?
Will Notre Dame ever be the same thing again?
Who carries the seed? The man or the woman?
Hey, I don’t really know how this works but I’m 18 and have been recently kicked out by my mother , I’m currently confused on what to do.?
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is a sports nutrition consultant.
How can we convince more people to eat less meat?
As a nutritionist I like to see you taking the step towards veganism and start replacing animal foods for plant-based foods with paying attention for some essential nutrients like vitamin B12. Experiment with different products and recipes to discover new tastes, flavours and textures and you will be surprised!
What about the combination veganism and sports? There are many athletes performing on a plant based diet. Google it! There are athletes running ultramarathons and athletes building muscle mass on a vegan diet. These people are living examples we don’t need animal products to live an active life.
To conclude; A vegan diet is the only diet I know that is healthy and sustainable for yourself and for the animals. Start today.
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My patient is a 2-year old female/spayed Labrador Retriever who was initially examined 2 months ago because of anorexia and vomiting. Routine serum chemistry panel showed prerenal azotemia, hyperkalemia (potassium of 7.4 mEq/L; reference range, 3.5-5.7 mEq/L), hyponatremia (sodium, 127; reference range, 136-148 mEq/L) and a Na/K ratio of 18 (normal <27). An ACTH stimulation test revealed a low basal cortisol (0.2 μg/dl) with no response to ACTH stimulation (0.3 μg/dl). This lack of a cortisol response coupled with the classic serum electrolyte changes was considered diagnostic for primary hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's disease).
I started the dog on oral prednisone (0.15 mg/kg once daily) for glucocorticoid coverage. For mineralocorticoid supplementation, I administered a single dose of desoxycorticosterone pivalate (DOCP; Percorten-V, Novartis) at the recommended dose of 2.2 mg/kg intramuscularly.
The dog has done very well, with a complete clinical response. We have monitored the dog's serum chemistry panel at 15, 25, 35, and 51 days after the initial Percorten-V injection, but the dog's serum potassium value remains within the high-normal range (between 4.5-5.5).
Now on day 53, the dog is acting more lethargic and is not eating well. I just instructed the owner to administer the second Percorten-V injection; the owner is a nurse so they are able to give the injection at home.
I'm confused. Does this dog have Addison's disease or is my diagnosis incorrect? Can Addison's disease ever go into remission? Why is the serum potassium concentration still within the normal range?
In answer to your second question: No, dogs with true primary hypoadrenocorticism have destruction of all layers of the adrenal cortex and do not ever go into remission. These dogs require life-long replacement of the missing adrenocortical hormones (3-5).
In answer to your last question, I do not know for certain why an occasional dog will have a prolonged response to the Percorten-V injection, but it certainly does occur. Remember that circulating potassium concentrations are controlled by factors other than just aldosterone. That's one reason we sometimes see dogs with "atypical" Addison's dogs that have persistently normal serum potassium concentrations but no measurable aldosterone concentrations (6-9). Most of those dogs will eventually go on to develop hyperkalemia or hyponatremia, but in some dogs it may take months.
Dogs like this indicate that there are mechanisms which allow normal potassium and sodium balance to be maintained even without the presence of circulating aldosterone. This phenomenon is also recognized in human medicine, where it has been shown that up to 25% of human patients with primary hypoadrenocorticism may have normal serum potassium concentrations. However, all of these Addison's patients will have a high plasma renin to aldosterone ratio, which indicates a failing zona glomerulosa (10,11).
Hyperkalemia itself will increase potassium excretion; this may help maintain normal serum levels of potassium.
A high renal tubular flow rate with increased distal delivery of potassium can increase the urinary excretion of potassium and again help maintain normokalemia.
An increased sensitivity of the distal tubule to aldosterone will enhance the urinary excretion of potassium. Again, this would help maintain the whole body levels of potassium.
Insulin may also act to compensate for aldosterone deficiency by promoting the transfer of potassium from the extracellular to intracellular space, thus maintaining normokalemia.
Based on my studies done 2 decades ago, it's clear that most dogs with Addison's disease can be maintained quite well with DOCP when given at much lower monthly doses than 2.2 mg/kg/injection (4,5). In one study (4), the final median dose of DOCP needed in 33 dogs was 1.69 mg/kg/month, with a range of 0.75-3.4 mg/kg/month (Figure 1, below).
Figure 1: Initial and final maintenance doses of DOCP (Percorten-V) administered to 33 dogs with Addison's disease.
Data is displayed as "box plots," in the the whiskers represent the main body of data (i.e., the range). The box represents the interquartile range for the 25th to75th percentile (the middle half of the data). The horizontal bar through the box is the median value. Outlying data points are represented by open circles.
If this was my case, I would not waste any more time or money trying to determine the longest interval you can go between Percorten-V injections. Remember, it's not necessary for hyperkalemia to redevelop before the next injection; in fact, you don't want that to ever happen! Rather, I recommend that you treat with low dose of Percorten-V once monthly. It's very difficult to "overdose" Percorten-V, so we don't have to worry about giving the injections too frequently, especially when we are giving a smaller monthly dose.
How low can you go with the monthly Percorten-V injections? I'd start by lowering the dose by about 10-20% and then check the serum electrolytes again in a month. If they remain normal, then I'd continue to decrease the dose by another 10-20%. Again, in my studies, over half the dogs did very well on a monthly dose of Percorten-V <1.6 mg/kg. Almost all dogs need a monthly dose of at least 1.0 mg/kg/month to maintain normal serum electrolytes on a long-term basis (Figure 1).
Peterson ME, Kintzer PP, Kass PH. Pretreatment clinical and laboratory findings in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism: 225 cases (1979-1993). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 1996;208:85-91.
Feldman EC, Nelson RW. Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's disease). In: Feldman EC, Nelson RW (Eds). Canine and Feline Endocrinology and Reproduction, 3rd Edition. WB Saunders. St. Louis, Missouri, 2004, pp 394-439.
Baumstark ME, Mueller C, Boretti FS, et al. Evaluation of aldosterone concentrations in dogs with Addison's disease (abstract). Proceeding of the 2011 ACVIM Forum.
Oelkers W, Diederich S, Baehr V. Diagnosis and therapy surveillance in Addison's disease: rapid adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) test and measurement of plasma ACTH, renin activity, and aldosterone. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 1992;75:259-264.
Shiah CJ, Wu KD, Tsai DM, et al. Diagnostic value of plasma aldosterone/potassium ratio in hypoaldosteronism. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association 1995;94:248-524.
Harvey TC. Addison's disease and the regulation of potassium: the role of insulin and aldosterone. Medical Hypotheses. 2007;69:1120-1126.
Gagnon RF, Halperin ML. Possible mechanisms to explain the absence of hyperkalaemia in Addison's disease. Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation 2001;16:1280-1284.
I am a member of a dreaded online Yahoo support group for Owners of Dogs with Addison's Disease, called Addison Dogs. Our group has more than 5000 members with 1 or more Addison Dogs. I am not a Vet but we do have vets who are members of our group. Some have Adogs of their own or some just coming looking for information for their practice. We even have a few who contribute to the group.
In our group we see many dogs with the prolonged response to percorten when the dose is started at 1mg per lb. The longest I have personally seen a dog go on the initial dose of percorten was 101 days before lytes verified the dog required more. We see from 10 to 25 newly diagnosed dogs a week on our list and about 25% have prolonged response to percorten. Even dogs without prolonged response are able to have their dose of percorten reduced significantly over the first year of treatment. Seeing dogs on less than .5mg per lb is not uncommon at all.
Convincing Vets to reduce the percorten dose in response to lytes testing is actually the difficult part..
I don't have "published" data to back this up just my experience seeing several thousand ADogs being treated. There is also a low dose percorten study being published soon. Our group also now keeps records of the doses of percorten by weight in a database and while not scientific it does show that low dose percorten does work.
When you consider how expensive percorten can be reducing the dose in response to lytes testing makes percorten treatment much more affordable. If more Vets would actually start percorten off at .75mg per lb it would go a long way to finding the lowest effective dose sooner. Thanks for allowing me to comment. Thanks for helping to get more info out there on Canine Addison's.
I agree that most dogs with Addison's can be controlled on a monthly dose of Percoten-V that is between 50-75% of the manufacturer's recommended dosage.
As a dog-mom of one of those A-Dogs currently thriving on a lower Percorten dose, (1ml/mo. for an 80 lb, 8 year old Yellow Lab, plus 1mg of Pred daily), I delight in any discussion on the subject of starting lower with Percorten and/or weaning down for dogs with Addison's.
Thank you for the great info on Canine Addison's and lowering the percorten dose. It makes such a huge difference to our dogs. I wish I had had access to this info when my dog was diagnosed at 1 yr of age. Percorten was not available in Canada then ( it is now thankfully ) and using florinef was a rock road for us. Percorten is a miracle drug. I will be sharing your article!
I am also a member of the online support group AddisonDogs. I have two dogs with Addison's-one diagnosed in 2004 (and started at the low end of the recommended starting guideline) and one we adopted knowing he had AD. My 86# ADog is thriving on .7ml of Percorten every 28 days and my 43# girl gets .8ml. Just goes to show every dog is different but both are on much lower doses than most vets think can work.
Most problems I see with our almost 5000 members are getting vets to check electrolytes and base dosing on the results and prescribing therapeutic versus replacement doses of pred.
Thanks for discussing canine Addisons-knowledge is power.
Although it's long after this article was posted, I'm just seeing it for the first time now. Dr. Peterson, prior to this blog post, I brought my Addison's dog, Mac, to see you for a consult. We live in another state, so regular visits weren't an option. I'm so happy to see that you've had experience with low-dose Percorten & that you believe it works. There is a study that's been accepted for publication that shows you can safely start dogs on half or slightly less than half of the standard 1 mg/lb dose & then you can reduce from there based on the electrolytes. This has helped Mac feel so much better. When he used to get too much Percorten, his potassium would be pretty low. When it's low - even if it's in the low-normal range - Mac has less energy & stamina. Back then, Mac would always come in last place in a dog race with his brother & his friend. He's now on 0.55ml & he's about 65 pounds. Now, his brother & his friend are chasing him & having a hard time keeping up! Mac is a different dog on low-dose Percorten. He's also much, much better on less Pred. He's down to 1mg daily & we may still be able to reduce it a little bit further. I'm so happy to have stumbled across this! My understanding is that there are many, many dogs out there following low-dose Percorten & it really works well. Thanks!
I agree that we don't want to serum potassium to be to low, so that's a good reason to lower the Percorten dose. In addition, as I've discussed on other blog posts, many Addison's dogs are overdosed on prednisone/prednisonlone. Most dogs will do better on daily doses of 0.1 mg/kg/day or even less. Some dogs do well on every other day pred, etc.
I've not seen too many dogs be well controlled on monthly doses of 0.5 mg/kg of Percorten (that's roughly what you are giving Mac). But as long as you are monitoring serum electrolytes and renal function, there is absolutely no "lower limit" to the drug dosage. We must administer only amount of drug that is needed to replace the missing hormones -- no need to give so much more.
My 9 year old Lab was diagnosed with Addison's this summer and is doing well on percorten after having been on florinef for the first few months. I am having difficulty figuring out how much prednisone to give. His weight is 67 lb and he was panting terribly at night - even waking himself up with a respiratory rate of about 140/min (!). I couldn't figure out if it was from too much or too little prednisone. I now have him on only 1 mg a day but he is a little subdued. If I increase the dose, his panting is worse. Any suggestions on improving his "mojo" without increasing the night time panting?
Most dogs do well prednisone or prednisolone at the dosage of around 0.1 mg/kg/day. So that calculates out to around 2.5-5.0 mg each day.
If a dose of 1 mg is causing your dog to be lethargy, that makes sense — that is a very low dose.
If the panting is caused by the prednisone, then you might be better off with a different glucocorticoid preparation. Talk to your veterinarian about switching to either methylprednisolone (2 mg per day) or cortisolne acetate (12.5 mg twice daily).
If you don't have an xray or ECG, your vet may want to do that, just to rule out concurrent lung or heart disease.
Dr. Peterson the Study, "Lower initial dose desoxycorticosterone pivalate for treatment of canine primary hypoadrenocorticism" has now been published by Dr. Julia Bates, DVM, DACVIM.
My own dog is one that is using low dose Percorten, he currently weighs 75lbs and takes 0.5ml every 28 days. He started on florinef and required ever increasing doses so we switched to percorten. He was stable on 1ml every 28 days for more than 3 years and then his K dropped low enough he was having side effects. Over the next few months his dose was reduced to .5ml and his lytes and kidney function are perfect.
I have an 11 lb. 10yr old male Terriercross of somesort. He overdosed on his cushings medications in August 2013 and went into Addisons crisis. It was a near death experience for him. He is also diabetic. We have spent the last 3 months stabilizing his Addisons and Diabetes. Currently he is on 2.5 tabs of Florinef 0.1mg BID ( as well as 5.6 units Vetsulin BID). This Florinef dose has had to be continually increased by approx half tab BID every 3 weeks to keep his electrolytes within proper ratio and range. We may have to increase it yet again, I do not know that it has stabilized completely yet. With guidance from Elizabeth and others from the Addison supports groups, it has been strongly suggested that I transition to low dose Percorten in order to stabilize Murphy's electrolytes permanently and quicker and to avoid him getting more steroid than he actually needs in the Florinef. The steroid component is what is important to me. I do not want him getting more steroid than he needs, in order to avoid negative long term effects. He shows no signs of too much steroid at this time. Would you suggest switching to low dose percorten at this time or staying with Florinef as my dog is finally somewhat stable and feeling good. Is the steroid in Florinef any less hard on them than the prednisone?
I would definitely get your dog off of the florinef and replace it with the Percorten-V. A glucocorticoid is a glucocorticoid-- it makes no difference to an Addison's dog if this activity comes from prednisone or from the fludrocortisone (Florinef).
If you are having problems controlling the serum electrolytes, I would not start with low dose Percorten. Rather, I'd use a higher initial dose until stable and then lower the dose, if possible.
It would seem my Great Dane may need a dose adjustment. He's 2 yrs old and 155lbs, was diagnosed with addison's as a puppy under 1 year. He is consistently going 3 months between percorten shots before indicating he needs more. Also on 10mg prednisone daily. My major concern is that he seems to be losing his fur - his coat has thinned out and is patchy on his rear end. Belly and lower legs have very little fur. Our Vet checked him out and thought the coat problem could just be part of his disease. I'm wondering if this can be an indication of too much percorten vs. prednisone? Each time I try to bring down the pred dose his appetite goes off and he won't eat his food. He's been getting a full 4ml vial of percorten every 90 days which I think was recommended dose for his weight at the time of injections (around 140lbs). I dropped it 20% with the last injection and 2 months later he has a normal blood test. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. thank you!
At 10 mg of prednisone a day, that amount of glucocorticoid is too much (twice the human maintenance dose). Given chronically, that can certainly lead to signs of iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's syndrome), which is caused by too much glucocorticoid drug administered. Signs of iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome include hair loss, thin skin, and enlargement of the abdomen.
With Percorten-V, I find it best to continue to give the drug at least every month or so, but to try to lower the monthly dose if we can based on serum sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations and kidney values. Pharmacologically, there is no way that the Percorten-V can be maintained in a dog's body for 3 months, so your dog likely has little to no mineralocorticoid in his system.
Even if the serum electrolytes are normal, Percorten should be given at around monthly intervals, once we prove that the diagnosis is indeed true primary Addison's and life-long mineralocorticoid supplementation will be required.
The poor appetite is troublesome. This could be due to the lack of Percorten-V but could be also due to something else going on with your dog. In any case, this should all be investigated. Simply increasing the prednisone will cover up the problem and may help the appetite, but in the end, is really only doing harm. Dogs with Addison's should never require this much prednisone on a long term basis in order to maintain a normal appetite.
My 7 year old pug was diagnosed with Addison's three years ago. He is 13lbs. He was stable for a number of years on 0.5cc of Percorten. Last summer he developed increased thirst and urination, so his dose was decreased to 0.3cc. He improved until a few months ago when the sx recurred. I recently increased him back to 0.4cc to see if the sx improved, but they have not. I don't know if his dose is too high, too low, or unrelated to his symptoms. Please help! I would appreicate any input you could provide.
The Percoten dosage is based upon determination of serum electrolytes. In general, increasing or decreasing the dosage should not affect the thirst.
Talk to your veterinarian about monitoring the serum sodium, potassium, chloride and renal function.
Thanks very much for your reply. His electrolytes have always been normal since initiating percorten.
My 5 year old toy poodle, Bailey, was diagnosed with primary Addison's on February of this year. She was started on .4cc of percorten, but dropped down in March 10% to approx. .35cc because her potassium (K) level was staying at 3.8-3.9 and the vet wants her at the mid-range which is 4.15. We are now on day 49 of percorten and Bailey is still at 3.9 for her K. My vet believes in low dose percorten, but she is recommending I wait three weeks more and see if Bailey's K will come up to that mid-point range or we see signs of the beginning of a crisis, then she said she would give her the injection, but drop her to .3cc of percorten. I don't want Bailey to go into a crisis! What would you do? Do I take her back in now and request to have her lytes tested again and no matter if her K is still the same (3.9), we give her the percorten but definitely at .3cc or less? FYI...Bailey has not been herself since this started. She eats fine, stools are good, but her energy level is down (not peppy like she used to be) and she has gained almost 4lbs. Also, she is taking .7 mg of liquid prednisolone once a day. Thank you for any advice you can give me. My vet is not sure how to handle this either.
As noted in this blog post, a dog can maintain normal levels of potassium despite no mineralocorticoid secretion. I like to treat dogs with Percorten once a month, at a low dose (around <1-1.5 mg/kg in most cases). It is almost impossible to create hypokalemia at that dose. Withholding Percorten for weeks will guarantee that the dog will not have enough mineralocorticoid in the circulation.
For pred, I use the smallest dose possible, generally around 0.1 mg/kg/day. To much or little Percorten or pred could cause lethargy - much of this is trial and error.
My 14 year old dog has Addisons, and has been doing well since diagnoses in early 2014. She has an injection of Percorten every 24 or 25 days and prednisone once a day. I forgot to take her in yesterday (day 24) for her injection of Percorten and now she will need to wait until day 27 (Monday) when the vet is open again. Will she be ok?
Your dog should be fine.
Our 8 year old toy poodle has Addisons,she was diagnosed 5 days ago. She was given her 1st Percorten injection yesterday. Also on prednisone 5mg. 1/2 tablet in am. The problem is she drinking and urinating a lot. Would it be safe to cut the dosage of prednisone back? She is 9 pounds.
The calculated maintenance dose of prednisone for a 9 pound dog would be 0.4-0.8 mg per day, much lower than the 2.5 mg you are giving now. That could certainly explain the increase in thirst and urination. I'd start by cutting the dose in half and see how she does with the appetite and attitude.
I have an 8 year old ADog, poodle, 30 lbs. he recently had an ACL strain, gastric upset (ate nothing for 3 days, now great on Pepcid BID) and a new pup in the house. So he is stressed and I upped his daily prednisone from 0.5mg to 0.75 mg to help. He was due for Percorten 1 week ago but his Na/K was 32, both right in the middle. 2 days later, K was down and the ratio was 47. Today the K remains down but Na is also down so ratio is 37. Na is approaching the lower limit of normal. K not elevated at all. So do I give Percorten? Usually 0.75mg. The blood draws were clean.
We don't determine if percorten is needed only on the basis of a low sodium or high potassium. If you and your vet are positive about the diagnosis, I would give the injection.
Thanks. ACTH test did confirm, so will do.
My vet just told me from the blood test he thinks my dog has addisons but he's not sure yet. I already had a dog with Addisons and I still have some percorten left over. He said not to jump the gun and give my dog percorten and just go with the pred until he knows for sure. The thing is she won't eat anything and keeps throwing up the pred. I'm thinking about just giving her a shot of percorten to see if it helps. My question is could I do harm to her if I give her the percorten but then she ends up not having Addisons? Only 2 dogs I ever owned and they both end up with addisons! What are the odds!
It won't hurt your dog to give one injection. But if the serum electrolytes are normal, I can't see how it would help either.
Dr. Peterson, I just got done reading your article and it's very insightful. As Elizabeth and Debbie brought out from the Addison Dog Group, this is valuable information that all A Dogs and vets should research to make them more knowledgeable to their dogs and patients. Our Basset Hound Charlie is 3 1/2 years old now and was diagnosed with Addison's when he was 2 years old and Addison Group was a tremendous help getting Charlie on a low dose Percorten plan. He is now 69 lbs and takes .8mg every 30 days and he is due for a shot on Monday 4-4-16 along with electrolytes to see how he is doing. He also only takes 1.25 MG of Prednisone each day and he is a very active dog and still has a great appetite. I still would like to see Charlie drop to .6mg on the Percorten shot but my vet doesn't want to go that low. I will see how his appointment goes on Monday to see what she says. Again, great article and insight. If anyone still hasn't joined the Addison Dog Group, I highly recommend it since you will hear individual stories each day of other ADog owners going through the same thing we all go through but we love our dogs and we want the best for them. Thanks Elizabeth and Debbie including the whole Addison Moderator Group for all your hard work and Dr. Peterson for bringing this up on his forum.
My 13 year old daushaund spaniel has had addisons since she was 4. She started getting seizures last month. I noticed the two seizures are right around the time of her due precortin injection. Lab work revealed high liver counts. Sonogram didn't reveal tumor or cyst. We are holding off on liver biopsy. Could her seizures be related to her Addison's disease or is this just a coincidence? Just seems like the timing of her seizures are around the time she needs her precortin. Thanks for your help.
No, seizures are not seen either with Addison's or Percorten.
With my dog it was the Prednisone that made her tired. I backed down the Prednisone until I stopped giving it and she's doing much better.
Dr's give out prednisones like candy but it is nasty stuff for humans and animals.
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is this an opportunity to buy or add to your existing position?
Rider168, i find your charts to be very informative.. may i ask where you get them or what software you use for it? Just curious.
I'm a newbie at stock trading/investing, and i want to learn more about the workings and psychology of these "erratic" stocks like LIHC, PX, etc. Not sure if GERI falls under the same group.
I looked at the data from your chart. Again, im no expert (I cant even understand what that chart means). I just got the data from MACQ's Buy and Sells and tried to make sense of it using layman's logic..
In any case, I just simply want to understand the psychology of these transactions. As one poster said, Does Macq know something we dont?
MACQ BUYS 7,000,000 shares @ 2.858 ave on Jul 20.
next day, Jul 21, they SOLD 2,000,000 at a LOSS @ 2.5.
1) Is this some kind of intentional manipulation of price?
2) of course, they still have overall gains since they had about 80-90 Million shares bought lower than that.
3) maybe im just looking too much into it, perhaps someone needed money at that day to buy other positions.
Still overall, MACQ has around 80 million shares left, bought at ave of 2.423 (if based on "as of December 2010" charts.
1) What do you think they'll do next? Buy MORE or start selling slowly? with a current price of 2.84 thats around 40 cents profit per share. At 80M shares thats already P 32,000,000 pesos profit since they acquired shares on Dec 22, 2010.
2) Of course, they cant just dunp all shares at once since the price will drop like a rock. So what is the usual strategy for this?
3) Is this all some strategy? Is this what you guys call "Jockeying"?
If it is, who could be behind it? I hear names like CHUCKY and JAP all the time (and already researched who they are). Is there anyone else infamous for doing this?
4) If not a strategy, then maybe its possible they do know something? like an upcoming merger, project or something? whats in the grapevine?
Do you think this stock is still a Buy at this price point?
The software i'm using for the top buyers/sellers is proprietary and still under development and no plan yet to distribute it publicly... (less headache so that I can focus more in trading) . For the charts, i'm using amibroker with customized database plugin.
Well, It could be different clients of MACQ. Actually the purpose of stats is to get the idea of who's buying or selling based on the volume and the average price and it may or may not classify whether the big boys or institutions are accumulating based on a per day buying and selling transactions.
That is exactly the idea of the top buyers/sellers stats...why they are buying or selling?
I was just marveling at this simple chart you made where one can try to psychoanalyze a particular broker's buying patterns..
Bought some GERI today and keeping fingers crossed..
Its really hard to say if it will continue going down tomorrow or climb back up.. what do you think?
Simula na ng bagong kabanata. WATCH THIS!
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Is cost and complexity holding you back from building that Information Security Management System you have been planning for years?
Building an Information Security Management System aligned to standards such as the ISO 27000 group is challenging, as guidance provided in the standards can be abstract and the defined control objectives are not easily actionable. Experts to guide you in the processes are often hard to come by and quite expensive. These factors drive anticipated cost up and lead many security professionals to delay the implementation time after time.
Alyne provides tailored control sets to help you easily and confidently implement an ISMS and assess current maturity of the security management function at critical milestones along the way. It’s also a great way to obtain transparency of an other organisation’s IT security management capability quickly.
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Clarify proof that was typo-ridden and arguably incorrect.
-par « plus exactement ».
+l'affirmation commençant par « plus exactement ».
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Given a positive integer, , find and print the number of pairs of positive integers , where , that exist such that the equation (where and are positive integers) has at least one solution.
A single positive integer denoting .
Print a single integer denoting the number of such pairs.
There are two such pairs: and .
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On and on. the indefatigable island tortoise can live for more than 150 years, and is able to survive for months without food and water. Over the years, this gentle giant of the Galapagos has developed a symbiotic relationship with other animals that share its home, including birds that feed on ticks attracted to the tortoise. But it has not been as fortunate with its relationship with humans, who harvest the tortoise for meat and oil and also introduced species like rats and goats that destroy its young and compete with it for food. The question is how long can the tortoise go on?
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Bleak conditions in wheat translated into additional corn and soybean acres. During the same 2015 to 2017 period, total corn and soybean acres increased 9.7 million. This was during a time of low corn and soybean prices and expanding ending stocks. In other words, wheat’s woes spilled over into corn and soybean production.
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Maslow organized human needs into a hierarchy - a ranking of items in order of importance. Put the needs in order of importance according to Maslow's theory. The least important should show at the bottom of the list, number 5, and the most important should show at the top of your list, number 1.
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A postcolonial interpretation of The Tempest is an interpretation which has gained popularity in the latter half of the twentieth century. This particular reading of the play implies that Shakespeare was consciously making a point about colonialism in the New World in the guise of the magician Colonialism and imperialism are major themes in the Tempest.
Throughout the play the characters usurp power from each other. Analyze a Confronting Colonialism in A Tempest A Tempest by Aime Cesaire is an attempt to confront and rewrite the idea of colonialism as presented in Shakespeares The Tempest.
He is successful at this attempt by changing the point of view of the story. Works Cited Cefalu, Paul A. " Rethinking the discourse of colonialism in economic terms: Shakespeare's The Tempest, captain John Smith's Virginia narratives, and the English response to vagrancy. " Shakespeare wrote The Tempest between 1610 and 1611, 30 to 31 years after Michel de Montaigne published an essay titled" On Cannibals" in 1580. Aug 01, 2005 The three narratives in questions are" The Epic of Gilgamesh, " " The Tempest, " and" Things Fall Apart.
" All of the main characters of these narratives experience Colonialism in the tempest essay questions as a result of actions taken by the This essay will discuss a postcolonial approach to colonialism in The Tempest in relation to the view that the character Caliban represents American Indians or the Other. For over a century, a number of critics have tried to interpret the various elements of post colonialism present in the Tempest.
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Many nonprofit hospitals across the nation are facing financial challenges, and they may soon face higher borrowing costs.
Here are five things to know about the financial pressure nonprofit hospitals are facing.
1. Nonprofit hospitals and health systems issue tax-exempt bonds to finance capital projects. Under the House Republicans' tax plan, interest on newly issued private-activity bonds would no longer be tax-exempt.
2. This change would reduce financing options for some healthcare organizations by raising the cost of capital, according to S&P Global Ratings. "From a credit perspective, higher borrowing rates can lead to budget imbalances, a challenge for all, and a hallmark of struggling credits," said S&P.
3. The move to eliminate tax exemptions for new private-activity bonds is not included in a bill passed by Senate Republicans Dec. 2.
4. The threat of higher borrowing costs comes as nonprofit hospitals' finances are already under pressure. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, at least 26 nonprofit hospitals across the nation are already in default or distress. These facilities have notified bondholders of financial challenges, such as having too little cash on hand, that make bankruptcy more likely, according to the report.
5. Many of the nonprofit hospitals under the most financial pressure are in rural areas with "older, poorer and sicker" patient populations, Margaret Elehwany, vice president of government affairs and policy at the National Rural Health Association, told Bloomberg. She said approximately 44 percent of rural hospitals operate at a loss.
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How Much Gold Is There in India?
Those interested in gold are always on the lookout for news regarding the amounts of gold held by Central Banks around the world.
Abundant gold held by Central Banks is generally supposed to further the cause of a return to the gold standard, but strong Central Banks only represent a stronger hold of bankers upon the populations which they have been exploiting; the driving interest of the top bankers in the world is to retain their unwarranted privileges: the public interest is not a priority by any means.
Central Banking was conceived as a way to allow bankers to increase their profits by lending long (at more profitable interest rates) and borrowing short (at low rates paid to savers on their savings). Greed was the motive for creating Central Banks, as these institutions were there to save bankers from the results of their greed - the guaranteed illiquidity of banks when they engage in borrowing short and lending long, known as "Duration mismatch". Banks that are properly run do not require, and never have required, of a Central Bank, because they do not indulge in duration mismatch.
The top bankers of the world have had enough influence to pervert the supposedly immutable Rules of Accounting, as set out by the most prestigious academics. I discovered this early in my career, when I found out that though our Auditors - then prestigious "Arthur Andersen" - did not allow my private business to count as income the interest on credit to customers, to be paid in the short-term to my company, the Banks on the other hand were (and are) allowed to post the interest to be earned on their long-term loans as income. In Accounting, some entities are more equal than others.
Large amounts of gold held by Central Banks are definitely not in the public interest. What is of the greatest importance, is gold in the hands of the people, which would make a return to the gold standard viable.
India is a great example of a country where large amounts of gold are in the hands of the population - 1.3 billion human beings, at least.
We hear about gold held by India's Central Bank, but rarely hear about at the fact that Indians have been saving gold for thousands of years; the Indians regard gold with religious awe, as it actually forms part of Hinduism.
I think these numbers are quite conservative. I may be grossly underestimating the accumulations of more modest size: for instance, there may very well be several million Indians who own 320 oz of gold, and there may also very well be many millions - perhaps 100 million - who own 32 oz. There are many fabulously wealthy Indians in India, and their families have been accumulating gold for hundreds of years. There is enormous gold wealth in India, although there are, perhaps, 1 billion who are poor. I am still leaving out of the calculation, 200 million Indians.
So the above table is just a guess.
If any country is ready for the gold standard, it is India. India is reputed to be a country with a highly corrupt bureaucracy; furthermore, flaunting regulations is built-in to the Indian psyche - a condition which protects personal freedom. Indians are not supposed to travel on the roofs of railroad cars, and yet they do it all the time!
Civil disobedience can be a sign of a healthy nation - it depends on what is being disobeyed. Avoiding income taxes is totally justified. The Premier Modi of India is trying to corral the Indians into paying income taxes - only a small percentage of Indians cannot avoid the tax - by declaring most of the paper money in the hands of Indians as illegal. So the Indians are desperately trying to get their wealth transferred into gold. The poor little brain of Modi is - unfortunately for India - attempting the change the way of thinking and of living of over one billion Indians, a way of life that Indians have followed for thousands of years. "Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread".
Times are changing. Great economic turmoil is set to affect our world, due to fundamental problems arising from declining available energy to sustain the world's needs. As an example, ExxonMobil appears to be headed for bankruptcy. (See https://srsroccoreport.com/end-of-the-u-s-major-oil-industry-era-big-trouble-at-exxonmobil) This will be a severe shock for Americans, when it comes.
Those who are wiser are acquiring gold at bargain prices, at good prices and at high prices. The price means nothing. But it does require some wisdom to understand this.
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Does the famous Nanaimo bar come from New York? Must I solve every mystery for you, for free in my spare time?
Some say the recipe goes back to the 1930s, perhaps from a recipe called Chocolate Fridge Cake that may have appeared in the Vancouver Sun newspaper. Despite searches, no evidence yet supports this connection, or at least it has not gone under the name "Nanaimo Bar(s)." Others hold that it comes from New York in the 1930s. Still others say it goes back to the coal-mining days of early Nanaimo, when it was sent to the miners from their friends and relatives in the United Kingdom as a gift; once more, no evidence is available to support this theory. The miners who came to the west coast of Canada were, for the most part, from Northern England, and no recipe like Nanaimo Bar can be traced to these locations. In short, this coal-mining connection is almost certainly legend rather than fact, and suited to promote Nanaimo's heritage. Other believe it was brought by Dutch settlers in early 1900s; no evidence has been found to support this, and it is a suspect origin.
Carol Ferguson, author of the cookbook "A Century of Canadian Home Cooking" (1992), suggests that the recipe was first called "Nanaimo Bar" in the Vancouver Sun newspaper in the early 1950s (though no evidence yet supports this), having derived from recipes published in a "The Women's Auxiliary to the Nanaimo Hospital Cook Book" (1952). The latest research shows that there is a clear connection between a recipe in this 1952 "Nanaimo Hospital Cook Book" and the c.1957-58 "Brechin United Church" recipe - they are the same recipe. The difference is that in the "Nanaimo Hospital Book" it is called "Chocolate Slice" (submitted by Mrs. E. MacDougall), not "Nanaimo Bars." There is also be an intermediary recipe that appears in 1955 in Victoria, British Columbia, in a cookbook published by St. Aidan's United Church - it is called "Mrs. Gayton's Bars" and is more or less identical to the other two recipes. The mystery remains: When was this recipe dubbed the "Nanaimo Bars"?
Below is a list of possible Nanaimo Bar ancestors and descendants, with year and source. Unless the recipe is very close to a recognized, genuine Nanaimo Bar recipe, it is not included. A question mark ("?") indicates an unsubstantiated date or source. If you have any leads, or copies of the following, please contact us.
1936? CHOCOLATE FRIDGE CAKE: Vancouver Sun?
1950-55? NAMAO NIBBLINGS: Cookbook published by Officers' Wives of RCAF Station Namao (Edmonton)?
1950s? GEORGIA STREET SLICES: Successful Farming Magazine?
1950s? DOMINOES/DOMINO BARS: Dairy Farmers of Canada?
1957? UNBAKED TEATIME BARS: Farmers Magazine (April 1957)?
RIBBON SQUARES: date and source unknown.
Place softened butter, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and egg in bowl. Set the bowl in a dish of boiling water. Stir well until butter has melted and mixture resembles thin custard.
Combine graham wafer crumbs, coconut and nuts, blending well. Add to custard mixture. Pack evenly in 9-inch square pan, spread with icing.
Icing - Cream 1/4 cup butter, add 3 tablespoons milk which has been combined with 2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder. Blend in 2 cups icing sugar. Spread over chocolate base, let stand about 15 minutes or so to harden somewhat.
Then melt 4 square semi-sweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter and spread over custard icing. When set, cut into bars.
"As a pastor's wife in Canada, I was served these Nanaimo Bars," writes Mrs. Jane Sandberg. "They are very easy to make as they are not baked but chilled. They are a rich and delicious dessert."
Melt 1/2 cup butter in saucepan. Blend in granulated sugar, cocoa, vanilla, egg, crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press mixture into a 9-in. square pan. Cream 1/4 cup butter until light and add dry pudding mix, milk and confectioners' sugar, blending well. Spread mixture on top of crumb mixture and chill thoroughly. Melt chocolate with 1 tbsp. butter, stirring to blend. Spread over chilled mixture. Chill, then cut into bars.
Mrs. Brown has two favorites, and both are recipes that her mother brought home from Canada. One is called Nanaimo Squares, the other Coconut Bars.
"The Nanaimo Squares are a frozen dessert and are so rich they almost taste like candy," Mrs. Brown said.
THE SQUARES have a firm bottom layer flavored with cocoa, coconut and chopped walnuts. This is topped by a delicious butter cream mixture which in turn has bitter chocolate spread over all.
Place the first four ingredients in a pan over low heat, stirring constantly until butter melts. Cool , add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Press firmly into an 8-inch square pan.
Cream butter. Soak custard powder in milk. Add alternately with the sugar in the butter. Spread on top of chocolate base in pan.
Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Pour over the filling. Chill. Yield: 36 squares. This will freeze nicely, Cut into squares before freezing.
So the eight Calgary women, members of a bridge club that met weekly, spiced their book, available locally for 7.95, with jokes and riddles to encourage a few chuckles from the cooks in the kitchen.
They also included their favorite recipes, collected from friends and relatives over the years, such as Grampa Mac's Oyster Stew, Isla's Icing or Verna's Chocolate Squares.
Mona's Mothers's Mother's Best Friend's Favorite (sic), given below, and George (commonly known as Nanaimo Bars) were also given.
"We thought we'd liven the book up with a few jokes and a few of these recipes," says Mary Korman, a member of the group.
The recipe George came to the group by way of a freind's mother, she says.
Whenever she made her squares, the children would always say, "This is real George, mom," an expression meaning 'terrific'.
Combine, put in nine-inch square pan and chill for 1/2 hour.
Combine all ingredients, beating until smooth and fluffy. Then spread carefully on top of first layer.
Melt chocolate and butter together, then spread over second layer and chill.
I just came across this posting (I see it’s old) and was very impressed...I just went to Victoria (Near Nanaimo) and sampled some very good Nanaimo bars and am now trying to learn more about their history for an article on my dessert website! This was very helpful and I just wanted to say thanks.
Gee, you would have though my name might have mentioned with the above Nanaimo Bar History/Mystery material, since most of it is based on my research and the two expage internet sites I put up years ago (but have disappeared). I am in possession of a hard copy of the earliest version of the recipe that has “Nanaimo Bars” as its name--the Joy Willgress version from the very early 1950s in the “His Hers Favorite Recipes Compiled by the Women’s Association of the Brechin United Church” (Brechin is part of Nanaimo). Good luck, and great site.
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Companies implementing innovation programs often forget to focus on their employees. These programs are often top-down rather than inside-out trying to harness the innovation capacities of each and every employee in the company. In this blogpost and the accompanying image I try to show that there is another way by outlining an "Innovation Competence Process".
The image illustrates the process which is one specific way to tap into the innovation capacities of people in and around a company by building on an approach coming from knowledge management. I learnt about this approach from Geoff Parcell, formerly at BP and author of the best seller "Learning to Fly: Practical Knowledge Management from Leading and Learning Organizations Organizations". At BP Geoff helped to save millions of dollars through a particular people-centric knowledge management process and then he was brought into UNAIDS to help apply the approach to HIV/AIDS. I worked with Geoff at the Constellation where we applied the approach to HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Diabetes. It was a fascinating experience.
However, I think the process has enormous value for many fields, such as harnessing innovation capacities in companies. Why? Because it builds on people's strengths and their existing experience and it aims at putting these people in connection with others to learn & share.
Appreciate: the most important basic principle of this process is the true appreciation of everybody's capacity to contribute to innovation - from the secretary to the CEO. Innovation can come from the centre of a company or from its periphery - empowering and encouraging people to participate in the innovation sphere is essential. Though this might sound mundane this rule is violated time and again, because hierarchies and titles prevail.
Self-Assess: Once the basic principles are set, the group seeking to improve its innovation competences should proceed to a self-assessment done in an open participatory discussion (the process only works if everybody has a say and is listened to...). A set of statements such as "we include everybody in the innovation process", "we regularly brainstorm" or "we frequently try out new things" should be discussed and ranked on a scale from 1 ("we acknowledge the necessity") to 5 ("is a natural process in our organization"). For example, if a department realizes that they should try out new and innovative processes to achieve better results they would rank themselves at level 1 for the question "we frequently try out new things". Check out the self-assessment framework (pdf) we had used for AIDS Competence on the Constellation's website. Replace the title by "Self-Assessment Framework for Innovation Competence" and replace the statements to be disscussed by issues relevant to innovation and you'll get the principle (give me feedback if you try to set-up such a innovation self-assessment framework - I can help you).
Prioritize: The outcome of the self-assessment is the recognition of strenghts and weaknesses in the innovation process of a group or organization. Naturally, the self-assessment exercice should be followed by the constitution of an action plan to improve innovation competence. It answers the question of where an organization puts its energy. Resources should only be put in 2-3 areas to avoid non-realistic and unachievable plans. Doing the same self-assessment as outlined above a few months later shows if any achievements has been made. This follows the important rule of "you have to be able to measure it to manage it" and gives a powerful visual representation of changing innovation competences within an organization.
Reach Out: After constituting the action plan and prioritizing the group should reach out in order to find others that can share their experience. For example, if a department realizes that they need to try out new and innovative processes to achieve better results they should look for other departments inside their company or other groups outside the company that have become champions in overcoming lethargic states in process innovation. Finding theses countreparts to learn from works best if they have also gone through a self-assessment - the assessment will show that they have ranked themselves very highly.
Connect, Share & Learn: After finding interesting countreparts based on the self-assessment of one's innovation competences the energy should go into connecting, sharing and learning. There is nothing more powerful than benefitting from the experience of somebody who has already gone through similar issues and problems... Obviously, a group should also share its innovation strenghts and experience with others. The basic principle here: Everybody has something to learn and something to share.
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Can “Madame” be used instead of “Madam”?
In President Trump's letter to Speaker Pelosi, he addressed Pelosi as "Madame Speaker".
However, in an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert mentioned that "Madame" with the "e" is incorrect.
"Trump made a mistake in the very first line by misspelling Pelosi's name. He wrote 'Dear Madame Speaker'. Nancy Pelosi is actually 'Madam Speaker' without the 'e'".
Personally, I am accustomed to using "Madam" but is "Madame" with the 'e' still correct? And is it commonly used in the United States?
[...] a title equivalent to Mrs. for a married woman not of English-speaking nationality [emphasis mine].
I suspect this dates back to the days when French was the official language of international diplomacy, which began around the 14th century all the way to through post-WWII period when English started taking over. You do still see remnants of this literal lingua franca in settings like the Olympics, where all announcements are made in English, French, and the language of the host country.
So Jiang Qing, the wife of Mao Zedong, was often referred to as Madame Mao, because this would have been the form of address in formal diplomatic settings. Again, French isn't the dominant diplomatic language today, so you'd probably be less likely to hear Madame used for a contemporary political figure.
Even putting aside the decline in the use of French, when talking about internal politics, the rules of international diplomacy shouldn't apply. As English-speakers, we should use Madam as an honorific for an English-speaking person.
I could imagine Madame being used as a joke to invoke the old-fashioned, very formal international diplomacy mood in a sarcastic way. If done deliberately, it has a little bit of the same effect of calling a non-royal person "your majesty" sarcastically, although it's not nearly as strong or insulting (a lot would depend on tone of voice if it were spoken). This is one reason that people are drawing attention to this particular usage by the President - it does have a possibility of a tiny hint of sarcasm, although it could also just be an unintentional error.
Google Books claims almost half a million written instances of madam speaker (matching all permutations of capital/lower case M/S), compared to just 2300 hits for madame speaker.
Where the term is specifically part of a French woman's "name" (as in Madame Bovary), it would be normal to include that extra e (as the French themselves do). When it's a "gender-specific" alternative to "adverbial" Mister as a term of address (as in Mister Speaker, Mr President), or Dear Sir/Madam introducing a letter or email, you probably shouldn't include it.
Colbert had it correct.. Madame refers to a married French lady but can also be used slightly more broadly when referring to a older lady of distinction of non-British, non-American heritage and in that case it is independent of marital status.
"Madam" can also refer to the highest ranking woman in a house, so where you would say "Is the Master of the House home?" for a man you would say "Is the Madam of the house home?" but this usage is old fashioned now and would be markedly odd.
In this case the word is being used to to feminize an American gender neutral rank "Speaker" and is referring to an American woman so "Madam Speaker" is the correct usage.
"Madam" refers to a woman of refinement, and "Madame" is a title used for a married Frenchwoman. I would say it both can be used and have the same context and meaning, the origin is the only thing that changes.
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Johannes Althusius (1557 - August 12, 1638) was a Calvinist philosopher and theologian. He is most famous for his 1603 work, "Politica Methodicae Digesta, Atque Exemplis Sacris et Profanis Illustrata" (Latin for "Politics Methodically Digested, Illustrated with Sacred and Profane Examples"); revised editions were published in 1610 and 1614. The ideas expressed therein have led many to consider him the first true federalist, as the intellectual father of modern federalism and also an advocate of popular sovereignty.
Althusius was born in 1557, to a family of modest means in Diedenshausen, Wittgenstein-Berleberg (now Thionville, France), a Calvinist town in Westphalia. Under the patronage of a local count, he began his studies in 1581, concentrating in law, theology, philosophy, and logic, first in Cologne, then in Paris and Basel, and eventually in Geneva. The breadth of this education introduced Althusius to a myriad of thinkers in various fields, including Aristotle, Calvin, Grotius, Bodin, Machiavelli, and Peter Ramus; he also became familiar with many lesser known scholars and theorists, and Politica is heavily indebted to them, citing close to 200 books in all, and doubtlessly influenced by many more.
In 1594, after completing his studies, Althusius joined the law faculty at the Protestant Academy of Herborn, and was appointed president of the College of Herborn three years later, also beginning his political career by serving as a member of the Nassau (Germany) county council. For the next several years, he became involved in various colleges throughout the area, variously serving as their president and lecturing on law, theology, and philosophy, and in 1603, he was elected to be a municipal trustee of the city of Emden, in Eastern Frisia, where he ultimately made his fame.
By the time Althusius began his formal studies in 1581, the Dutch Revolt against Spain had already come to a head, and it was not to be settled until Dutch independence was recognized in 1609. Because the nature of the conflict was largely religious – Calvinist states rebelling against their Catholic overlords – it was of especial interest to Calvinist political thinkers such as Althusius, and it was perhaps this that initially prompted him to write Politica, the first edition of which he completed in 1603. It is not only considered to this day the most fully developed scheme of Calvinist political theory, but also the only ever systematic theoretical justification of the Dutch Revolt.
The first edition of Politica was received with wide acclaim in Emden and in the Netherlands beyond; it presented an attractive political theory for the city, and was no doubt instrumental in Althusius’s securing the position of city Syndic in 1604, which placed him at the helm of Emden’s governance until his death.
Johannes Althusius died on August 12, 1638, in Emden, East Friesland (Germany).
In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, Emden in East Friesland (now Germany) was at the crossroads of political and religious activity in the region. A prosperous seaport situated between the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire, with convenient maritime access to England, Emden was a prominent city in the politics and policy of all three nations, and was thus able to retain a significant amount of political freedom. It was located within the overlapping territories of the Catholic Hapsburg emperor and a Lutheran provincial lord, but its population was mainly Calvinist, and the city had a strong Calvinist spirit. Emden also played host to two Protestant synods, first in 1571 and again in 1610, and was widely regarded as the ‘Geneva of the North’ or the ‘alma mater’ of the Dutch Reformed Church. These attributes made the city the ideal place for Althusius to propose his particular brand of political philosophy; Emden’s theological and political prominence coupled with its yen for religious and civic independence made the Althusian political theory both topical and popular.
^ a b c d e f "Johannes Althusius - Encyclopaedia Britannica" (biography), Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006, Britannica.com webpage: Britannica-JohannesA.
Covenant Connection: From Federal Theology to Modern Federalism, ed. Daniel J. Elazar and John Kincaid, 31-54. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2000.
Community and Federalism. Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1999.
Journal of Political Science 36 (June 2003): 275-293.
Theorist." Studies in Political Thought 1 (Winter 1992): 75-93.
Concepts. Edited by Seymour Martin Lipset, 221-223. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2001.
von Gierke, Otto. The Development of Political Theory. Translated by Bernard Freyd.
New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1939.
This article about a German writer or poet is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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To understand the Bible we need to understand how the different kinds of literature in the Bible actually work. We have different kinds of literature in own our culture, and we understand how they work. For example, when we read George Orwell's novel 1984, we know we are not reading a history of the the 1980's. There is truth in that book, but it does not function in the same way that a history book functions. We know what to expect when we read a comic book, and we know it works differently then a how-to guide. The various types of literature we find in the Bible have some features that are different from what we know from our own culture, and so we have to make some effort to try to understand how they work.
For example, we need to know that the patriarchal narratives are not intended to be taken as direct instructions on how we should live our lives. Sometimes we read about very admirable behavior, but in other cases the examples we find are negative, and are not there for us to "go and do likewise."
The proverbs we find in the Bible are wise sayings that will generally prove to be true, but are not legal commandments - you would generally be foolish to ignore them, but that's their point. The Ten Commandments, on the other hand, are not merely helpful hints for hopeful Hebrews - they are moral laws that apply to us, and are not there for us to take or leave as we might wish.
You will also find some information on how various literary types work in a particular book of the Bible if you look up that book in a good Bible dictionary, and read what it says. You find much more detail in a good commentary or a Biblical Introduction, but for starters, your Bible dictionary should be sufficient to point you in the right direction.
We will come back to this in more detail in a subsequent series.
Sometimes people ask whether or not we should take the Bible literally. The answer is that we should take it as literally as it is intended to be taken. There are many things in Scripture that clearly were not intended to be taken literally. For example, in the apocalyptic visions of the book of Revelation, read about a "fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads" (Revelation 12:3), but we are not expecting to encounter such a literal beast in the future. This is a symbolic vision, and we have to try to understand what the symbols mean to properly understand the text. But "You shalt not commit adultery" has a literal meaning, and we don't get to dismiss that literal meaning by interpreting it figuratively.
It is also true, however, that the same text can often be understood on more than one level. The fact that there can be more than one level of meaning does not negate the more obvious meanings of the passage - it just means that there can be additional meanings found in the same text.
But to simplify things a bit, just keep in mind that there is the level of meaning that is clearly intended by the text, but often there is a less obvious spiritual meaning of a text that you will find brought out in the services of the Church, and in the writings of the saints. You in fact see New Testament writers reading the Old Testament in precisely this way as well, and so this is not something that the Church made up, but comes from Christ and the Apostles (for example, in Galatians 4, St Paul uses an allegorical interpretation of the story of Sarah and Hagar, which begins in Genesis 16 and ends in Genesis 21).
Becoming familiar with the more obvious meanings of Scripture will enable you to better grasp the deeper meanings you will find in the services and the Fathers.
When reading Scripture, it is important to read particular parts of Scripture in their proper context.
The immediate context of a passage within a book.
The context within the book as a whole.
The context within the entirety of Scripture.
With the exception of the Psalms, the chapter and verse divisions we have in our Bibles today are not original, or really all that ancient. Chapter divisions go back to the 13th century, and the verse divisions we know today were in place by the 16th century. These divisions usually make sense, but sometimes they actually can be deceptive, because they seem to mark a break between one chapter (or even one verse) and the next, when the break may not really be there in the text itself.
The Church has an older system of dividing the Gospels and Epistles into shorter readings that are read liturgically on a given day, and in a particular service. These divisions are called "pericopes," which literally means "a cutting-out." "Pericope" is a Greek word. The word in Church Slavonic is "зача́ло" (zachalo).
Biblical scholars also speak of pericopes, but while the idea is very similar, there is a bit of a difference. Liturgical pericopes can vary. The same passage of Scripture might be divided up differently, for different liturgical occasions, because different aspects of the passage are being emphasized. When we speak of an interpretive (or exegetical) pericope, these do not change, though sometimes there may be some debate about where the lines should be drawn.
Interpretive pericopes are smaller sections of a book that represent a complete unit of the whole (for example, a distinct story, or parable). Sometimes these will follow chapter divisions, but often they will not. Usually, a given chapter of the Bible will have more than one of these subsections.
To see what we are talking about here, let's take a look at the Sermon on the Mount. Where does it begin? The sermon itself begins in Matthew chapter 5, but actually the end of chapter 4 is really the introduction. So you have sort of a preface that begins in Matthew 4:23 and ends in Matthew 5:2. In verse 3 the sermon begins, and does not conclude until chapter 7, verse 27, and then you have an afterword in 7:28-29 that sums up the response of the hearers to the sermon. But between Matthew 5:2 and 7:27 there are a number of interpretative pericopes that make up the total sermon, and should be examined both as distinct sections, but also in their broader context within the sermon. So for example, you would want to look at the Beatitudes as a distinct pericope (Matthew 5:3-12). Christ's discussion of how we are to be salt and light (5:13-16) is another pericope, etc.
You can see verbal ques and shifts of thought that will mark were one section begins and ends. Sometimes it is not always so clear where one section ends and another begins, because one section is closely linked with the next. It is not crucial that you always get these divisions precisely right, you just want to keep them in mind, because the most immediate context of a verse is crucial to understanding what is being said. Fortunately, most contemporary bibles actually provide section headings that usually will tell you at least where the editors think these sections begin and end, and in the Orthodox Study Bible, for example, I think you will generally find these divisions to be accurate and helpful. See, for example, the NKJV's headings in the Sermon on the Mount.
You should also keep in mind, that it is often the cases that several pericopes in a row have a collective function in a book. That is certainly true of the Sermon on the Mount, but you see it in many other places as well. For example, in the Gospel of Luke, you have the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son all grouped together, and they all have similar points, but they are also distinct units.
And when we speak of interpreting a passage in the light of its context in the entirety of Scripture, this works in two ways. On the one hand, other passages of Scripture often shed light on a passage. But on the other, we do not believe that Scripture contradicts itself, and so if you interpret a passage in a way that contradicts what the Scriptures as a whole teach, you are reading it wrong.
One of the most important ways that we must read the Scriptures in the proper context is by reading them in the context of the Church.
We have already talked about one way that we do this, and that is by ensuring that we interpret the Scriptures in a way that is consistent with the teachings of the Church. And we have also talked a bit about how to use the commentaries of the Fathers as we are able, and have access to them. But beyond that, while it is important for us to read the Scriptures on our own, we also need to study them together with others in the Church. We do this in the context of our immediate families - every home being a little Church. We should also do this in our parishes. If there is a Bible study that you can participate in, this should be helpful. You also do this by attending the services, hearing the Scriptures read in the services, and also hearing them interpreted in the services of the Church, and by your priest or bishop when he preaches on them.
In St John Chrysostom's time, people had multiple opportunities to hear sermons. The local bishop would often preach, and any of the priests might preach as well. St John often preached sermons every day, as is evident from his homilies on the book of Genesis. Few today would have any opportunities remotely close to that. However, with the printing press and the internet, we have access to collections of sermons like that, and a lot more. Not only can you read the sermons of many Fathers and saints of the Church online or in books, but you can read and listen to sermons from contemporary clergy. Also many clergy podcast verse by verse Bible commentaries and Bible studies that they conduct in their parishes.
The opportunities are vast, in fact so vast that you could allow the vastness to overwhelm you. But if you are not sure where to start with such things, you can speak to your parish priest, and ask for pointers, and then go from there.
And again, don't try to do too much all at once. Focus on doing something, and doing it consistently.
In the future, there will be a follow-up series of posts that will talk about how to dig deeper into the Scriptures.
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0.991123 |
If you want to deliver a web application (or just a web page) as a part of a client application, you can do it using WebView. The WebView class is an extension of Android's View class that allows you to display web pages as a part of your activity layout. It does not include any features of a fully developed web browser, such as navigation controls or an address bar. All that WebView does, by default, is show a web page.
A common scenario in which using WebView is helpful is when you want to provide information in your app that you might need to update, such as an end-user agreement or a user guide. Within your Android app, you can create an Activity that contains a WebView, then use that to display your document that's hosted online.
Another scenario in which WebView can help is if your app provides data to the user that always requires an Internet connection to retrieve data, such as email. In this case, you might find that it's easier to build a WebView in your Android app that shows a web page with all the user data, rather than performing a network request, then parsing the data and rendering it in an Android layout. Instead, you can design a web page that's tailored for Android devices and then implement a WebView in your Android app that loads the web page.
To add a WebView to your app, you can either include the <WebView> element in your activity layout, or set the entire Activity window as a WebView in onCreate().
// it with Base64, and load the data.
"<html><body>'%23' is the percent code for ‘#‘ </body></html>"
Note: There are restrictions on what this HTML can do. See loadData() and loadDataWithBaseURL() for more info about encoding options.
Handling events that impact content rendering, such as errors on form submissions or navigation with WebViewClient. You can also use this subclass to intercept URL loading.
WebSettings provides access to a variety of other settings that you might find useful. For example, if you're developing a web application that's designed specifically for the WebView in your Android app, then you can define a custom user agent string with setUserAgentString(), then query the custom user agent in your web page to verify that the client requesting your web page is actually your Android app.
In this example, the WebAppInterface class allows the web page to create a Toast message, using the showToast() method.
When the user clicks a link from a web page in your WebView, the default behavior is for Android to launch an app that handles URLs. Usually, the default web browser opens and loads the destination URL. However, you can override this behavior for your WebView, so links open within your WebView. You can then allow the user to navigate backward and forward through their web page history that's maintained by your WebView.
Note: For security reasons, the system’s browser app doesn’t share its application data with your app.
That's it. Now all links the user clicks load in your WebView.
Now when the user clicks a link, the system calls shouldOverrideUrlLoading(), which checks whether the URL host matches a specific domain (as defined above). If it does match, then the method returns false in order to not override the URL loading (it allows the WebView to load the URL as usual). If the URL host does not match, then an Intent is created to launch the default Activity for handling URLs (which resolves to the user's default web browser).
When your WebView overrides URL loading, it automatically accumulates a history of visited web pages. You can navigate backward and forward through the history with goBack() and goForward().
The canGoBack() method returns true if there is actually web page history for the user to visit. Likewise, you can use canGoForward() to check whether there is a forward history. If you don't perform this check, then once the user reaches the end of the history, goBack() or goForward() does nothing.
During runtime, activity state changes occur when a device’s configuration changes, such as when users rotate the device or dismiss an input method editor (IME). These changes will cause a WebView object's activity to be destroyed and a new activity to be created, which also creates a new WebView object that will load the destroyed object's URL. To modify your activity’s default behavior, you can change how it handles orientation changes in your manifest. To learn more about handling configuration changes during runtime, read Handling configuration changes.
Caution: To keep your app more secure, it's best to prevent popups and new windows from opening. The safest way to implement this behavior is to pass "true" into setSupportMultipleWindows() but not override the onCreateWindow() method, which setSupportMultipleWindows() depends on. Keep in mind, however, that this logic also prevents any page that uses target="_blank" in its links from loading.
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0.999997 |
I watch my favorite person die.
when polite conversation cannot describe this.
This second poem was written around the same time, maybe on the same visit.
You say you like mine better.
This last one I wrote a year ago, visiting her in the assisted living home where (on a good day) she knows I'm a Heather and that a Heather is a good thing but not that I'm her grandaughter or that I live in New York or really much of anything that's going on around her.
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0.967063 |
My husband and I will be staying in Bernese-Oberland area for 5 days. Below is a detailed itinerary. Which PASS would be the best for our needs. Thank you very much!
I would probably get the 4-day Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland, as it includes almost all transportation for free, so no tickets needed. On the day that the pass is not valid (day 1 or 5), you would need a regular ticket. If you travel to or from Zurich via Lucerne (Golden Pass route) on a day covered by your pass, you only need tickets for the short leg from Zurich Airport to Lucerne: CHF 28 per person. See here for pass details and the Swiss Railways website for prices.
Another option is the Swiss Half Fare Card, which gets you 50% off all trips. See here for details.
If you need to be sure what works out cheapest, please find the instructions here.
Will I be able to purchase the Regional-Pass Bernese Oberland at the airport in Zurich or should I purchase it at the train station in Lauterbrunnen?
It's available online or at rail stations in the region. Please see the pass page for all purchase options. It's probably available at the airport too, but I'm not 100% sure.
one last question.. besides Swiss francs, can you use euros in Switzerland as well?
Swiss half fare card = 120 CHF + return journey to Wengen 85 CHF + half price on all journeys on days 2 to 4 except Kleine Sheidegg to Jungfraujoch return 120 CHF = 325 CHF + journeys on days 2 to 4. You can work these out from the SBB website...go to timetable, search the journey, select any option and click on fare...then use the drop down menu and choose half fare option.
All journeys except Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch on days 2 to 4 would have to come to more than CHF 138 (with the haslf fare discount) for the regional pass to be better than the half fare card.
No liability is accepted for any errors or oversights - please check figures and pass validities yourself!
I am having problems pastinlinks to Swiss half fare card and regional pass validity maps but perhaps they are elsewhweere on this site.
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0.997643 |
NEXT ARTICLE Who have we beaten most in the capital?
Hundreds of relatives of the 96 football fans killed in the Hillsborough disaster today gathered in a packed courtroom for the start of the fresh inquests into their loved ones' deaths.
Feelings ran high as the families, along with a raft of journalists and lawyers, came to the long-awaited hearing in a specially fitted office building on the outskirts of Warrington, Cheshire.
Vice-chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, Jenni Hicks, said the inquest had been 'a long time coming', while Charlotte Hennessy who lost her father in the tragedy hoped it was 'the beginning of the end'.
A potential jury of 11 along with a pool of extras was selected, ready for tomorrow when they are due to be sworn in and coroner Lord Justice Goldring intends to open the case.
Sending the group home overnight, he told them: "An enormous amount, as you know, has been written and said and published about the Hillsborough disaster and there have been programmes on television and on the radio and there are vast amounts of material on the internet.
"There may be a great temptation for you to read articles which have been published or watch programmes which have taken place, or search for material about the disaster on internet or on social networking sites.
"My direction is simple, I repeat it, you must not.
"It is vitally important for any jury that their deliberations and conclusions are based only on the evidence which they hear."
The jurors, who were warned that the inquest could take a year, had already filled in questionnaires to decide their suitability to hear the case, and today were asked to say if they supported Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest or Liverpool.
They were also given a list of witnesses to see if they know any of them.
Lord Justice Goldring said: "Each of you has filled out a questionnaire which I have. I shall only ask questions arising from it where that is appropriate. I want to add two things. First the case may well take 12 months, in other words longer than the nine months which was foreshadowed on the questionnaire.
"Second if your name is called and you are a supporter of Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest or Liverpool I shall ask you to indicate."
Relatives of those who died were emotional as they arrived at the much-fought-for hearing earlier today.
Ms Hicks said: "It's been a long time coming. I've had an emotional weekend."
Ms Hennessy, who lost her father James Robert Hennessy in the disaster when she was six years old, said: "It's finally here. I don't know if excited is the right word to use, but finally we're here and it's going to happen.
"I'm really, really nervous. It's been a long, long fight.
"Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end. I was a bit of a emotional wreck this weekend, I've not slept a wink. But this is the beginning now, hopefully it can be put right."
Today's proceedings were also shown in an annex in the court building, as well as in a private room for relatives in Liverpool.
The inquest site in Birchwood Business Park is a specially fitted office block that includes a 4,300 sq ft courtroom with seating for 286 members of the public and 92 advocates.
Later in the week, after the coroner has opened the case, a series of 'pen portraits' of all the victims will be presented to the court over the next month.
Britain's worst sporting disaster happened on April 15, 1989 during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest as thousands of fans were crushed on the ground's Leppings Lane terrace.
Verdicts of accidental death from the original Hillsborough inquest in March 1991 were quashed in December 2012, after the Hillsborough Independent Panel delivered its final report on the disaster earlier that year.
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0.966947 |
We'll hear argument next on in 87-6997, Eugene John Carella v. California.
Appellant was convicted of grand theft after failing to return a rental car by the date set out in the rental agreement.
The question presented is whether two California statutes pursuant to which the jury was instructed to presume commission of the offense from proof of certain predicate facts deprived him of due process of law.
It is our position, as the State of California now concedes, that these instructions violated the bedrock due process principal that the prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The facts of the case can be summarized very briefly.
Appellant rented a car from a Los Angeles rental agency on March 25th, 1985, left a substantial deposit and agreed to return it by May 3rd of that year.
When the car was not returned by that date, the rental agency made several efforts to contact him and eventually reported the car as stolen.
Appellant was arrested on June 27th, 1985, and the car was found that same day in the parking lot adjoining the business address he had provided at the time he rented the car.
He was charged with two offenses under the California code.
He was charged with grand theft and a related offense under the vehicle code.
At the close of the evidence, the jury was instructed that grand theft required an intent to deprive the owner of permanent possession; that a conviction under the lesser offense would be authorized even if temporary deprivation was intended; and that embezzlement was a form of grand theft.
In addition, over appellant's objection, the trial court instructed the jury on two statutory presumptions at issue in this appeal.
The jury was told first that whenever a person intentionally and wilfully keeps a rental car more than five days beyond the expiration of the rental agreement, he shall be presumed to have embezzled it, embezzlement, again, being a species of grand theft in California.
In addition, the jury was told that intent to commit theft by fraud is presumed from failure to return rental property within 20 days of the mailing of a demand letter.
After seeking further clarification on the meaning of these presumptions, the jury deliberated for an additional nine minutes and then returned a verdict of guilty on the grand theft charge and acquitted him of the lesser offense under the vehicle code.
One of the most basic safeguards against the wrongful deprivation of liberty is the requirement that the prosecution prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
It is our submission today that the instructions to appellant's jury violated that rather simple but fundamental principle.
In clear, unmistakable, unqualified language, the jury was told that if it concluded that appellant had wilfully kept a car more than five extra days, it was to find that he was a thief.
As a consequence of that instruction, the jury was authorized to return a verdict of guilty, even though the prosecution had not proven him guilty.
We think that that instruction is plainly unconstitutional under the decisions of this Court.
Indeed, as the state of California now concedes, in that respect, this case is indistinguishable from this Court's decisions in Francis v. Franklin and Sandstrom v. Montana.
Mr. Cerf, I take it the State now says, though, that the error in the case might be harmless.
It does suggest that, uh, and indeed, I believe that is the only remaining issue in the case, unless, and let me turn my attention to that, if I may.
Oh, I thought Sandstrom applied a harmless error analysis, didn't it?
--Sandstrom, I believe, did not.
In any event, I, I think, uh, it was certainly open to that.
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0.99152 |
Rotating CylinderI first thought the bright light was a satellite. It was coming from the northeast, heading southeast, and moving very fast. As the object came nearer, I noticed that it was cylindrical in shape, and seemed to be rotating. It appeared as though something was revolving around the bottom of the object, and a dimmer light would appear on the bottom left of the object, as it rotated. The object started heading towards the east, and then I lost sight of it behind some clouds.
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0.955017 |
The Cathedral Church of St George is a Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul. Since about 1600 it has been the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the senior patriarchate of the Greek Orthodox Church, and of the Ecumenical Patriarch, recognised as the spiritual leader of the world's Eastern Orthodox Christians.
The church is located in the Fener (more traditionally Phanar) (Lighthouse) district of Istanbul, north-west of the historic centre of old Constantinople. It is a relatively small church, particularly given its status in world Christianity.
The church is open to the public from 8.30am to 4pm, but strict security screening is in place. It is visited by a stream of pilgrims from Greece and other Orthodox countries. Behind the church are the offices of the Patriarchate and the Patriarchate Library. The Church, which was part of a convent or monastery before becoming the seat of the Patriarch, is outwardly unimpressive, but its interior is lavishly decorated in the style much loved by Orthodox Christians.
The Patriarch Matthew II (1596-1603) moved the Patriarchate to the former convent of St George in the Phanar in about 1600. The city had been in the hands of the Ottoman Turks since 1453 and its population was largely Muslim. The Phanar district became the recognised centre of Greek Christian life in the city.
The church has been reconstructed many times and little remains of its original structure. The Patriarch Timothy II (1612-1620) rebuilt and enlarged the church in 1614. It was again reconstructed under Patriarch Callinicus II the Acarnan (1694-1702). In the early 18th century (sources vary on the exact date) the church was badly damaged by fire. In 1720 Patriarch Jeremias III (1716-1726, 1732-1733), wrote to Neophytos, Metropolitan of Arta: "By the mercy and will of the All-Good God, the lords, may God grant them long life, were moved and they gave us permission to rebuild from the very foundations the holy church of our Patriarchal and Ecumenical Throne, and so we have started this building with the help of God." The restoration works of Jeremias III were continued by Patriarch Paisius II (Patriarch several times between 1726 and 1752).
There was another great fire in 1738, when the church again suffered severe damage. It was not until 1797 that Patriarch Gregory V was able to begin large-scale restoration work. The current state of the church largely dates from this rebuilding. The church has the plan of a three-aisled basilica with three semicircular apses on the east side and a transverse narthex on the west. The interior is divided into three aisles by colonnades, with the tall pews of ebony wood placed along the line of the columns. This arrangement leaves ample space in the nave for the performance of the liturgy. In the holy bema, behind the altar, the synthronon is arranged in a semicircle along the curved wall of the apse, with seats for the Archpriests and a central higher throne of marble for the Patriarch.
Further changes were made to the church under Patriarch Gregory VI (1835-1840), when the roof was raised to its present height. From this restoration dates the neo-Classical marble doorway with the ornamental door-frames, which makes the front exterior of the church look rather unlike most other Orthodox churches, which are usually designed in the Byzantine style. The last major rebuilding was carried out by the Patriarch Joachim III (1878-1912). The marble pavement of the sanctuary was replaced, the synthronon was renovated, marble caskets were made for the depositing of the holy relics, the icon-frames were repaired and the ecclesiastical collection was enriched with liturgical vessels and vestments, all donated by Orthodox Christians, mostly from outside the Ottoman Empire.
The church was again damaged by a fire in 1941 and for political reasons it was not fully restored until 1991. Its most precious objects, saved from each successive fire, are the patriarchal throne, which is believed to date from the 5th century, some rare mosaic icons and relics of Saints Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. Some of the bones of these two saints, which were looted from Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, were returned to the Church of St George by Pope John Paul II in 2004.
Since the fall of the Ottomans and the rise of modern Turkish nationalism most of the Greek Orthodox population of Istanbul has emigrated, leaving the Patriarch in the anomalous position of a leader without a flock, at least locally. Today the Church of St George serves mainly as the symbolic centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and as a centre of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians. The church is financially supported by donations from Orthodox communities in other countries.
On December 3, 1997, a bomb attack seriously injured a deacon and damaged the Patriarchal Cathedral. This was one of the many terrorist attacks against the Ecumenical Patriarchate, its churches and cemeteries in Istanbul in recent years, which were condemned by the Turkish people, and the efforts to bring the terrorists into justice are continuing by the Turkish officials.
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0.999943 |
The Naantali Church was originally part of the Catholic Convent of St. Bridget. The convent was built between years 1443 and 1462 and church probably later in the end of 15th century. Nowadays the church is the only remaining building of the convent, which was closed during Reformation in 1540s. Naantali Church is damaged several times by fire and the present interior is mostly from the modern times except the pulpit (1622) and artefacts. There are lot of medieval items in church, for example crucifix from the monastery, wooden statues and magnificent altarpiece.
The church is situated in the old town of Naantali, which is mostly built in the 18th and 19th centuries. Finnish National Board of Antiquities has named the church and old town area as national built heritage.
Naantalin keskiaikainen kivikirkko on aina omanlaisensa nähtävyys, onhan se Turun Tuomiokirkon jälkeen toiseksi suurin keskiaikainen kivikirkkomme. Alunperin kirkko rakennettiin kirkonmäellä sijainneen katolisen Birgittalaisluostarin kirkoksi. Luostarin rakennukset purettiin jo 1600-luvulla kuninkaan määräyksestä, mutta kirkko onneksi on edelleen pystyssä. Harmillisesti osuttiin juuri Naantalin musiikkijuhlien aikaan paikalle, ja soittajien harjoittelun vuoksi lähempi sisäkuvaaminen jäi edelleen odottamaan hamaan tulevaisuuteen.
As often it is, the church literally takes the highest ground there.
Nice little church with excellent view on the sea and the Moomin island.
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0.950053 |
We present computationally simple association tests based on haplotype sharing that can be easily applied to genome-wide association studies, while allowing use of fast (but not likelihood-based) haplotyping algorithms, and properly accounting for the uncertainty introduced by using inferred haplotypes. We also give haplotype sharing analyses that adjust for population stratification. We apply our methods to a genome-wide association study of rheumatoid arthritis available as Problem 1 of Genetic Analysis Workshop 16. In addition to the HLA region on chromosome 6, we find genome-wide significant signals at 7q33 and 13q31.3. These regions contain genes with interesting potential connections with rheumatoid arthritis and are not identified using single single-nucleotide polymorphism methods.
The large number of markers tested in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) has forced a simplification of analytic approaches. While sophisticated methodology may be used to adjust for multiple comparisons and population stratification, the sheer number of tests in a GWAS requires that each test be fairly simple; currently, most studies are analyzed by computing a simple test such as the Cochran-Armitage trend test at each locus. Methods that account for the special features of genetic association studies, yet remain computationally feasible for genome-wide analysis, are desirable because they may lead to increased power to detect associations. Haplotype sharing is a simple concept that attempts to translate between population genetics and genetic epidemiology. In brief, for recent mutations that cause disease, we would expect that haplotypes of case participants would be more similar to each other in the immediate region of a mutation than they would be to the haplotypes of control participants, suggesting a comparison of sharing in a region between cases and controls. We have recently proposed a class of computationally simple association tests based on haplotype sharing that can be easily applied to case-control studies on the genome-wide scale. The computational simplicity allows for quick assessment of genome-wide significance while adjusting for population stratification via a stratified analysis employing the two-step method of Epstein et al. . We apply this methodology to the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) whole-genome association data available as Problem 1 of Genetic Analysis Workshop 16.
where γ is a -dimensional vector that defines the member of the class and w z is a scalar weight function. Implicit in these definitions is a "working" model φ (h|g) the probability of diplotype h given multilocus genotype g. This model is used when we compute , and , the distribution of haplotypes consistent with the ith individual's observed genotype data, under phase ambiguity. It is not hard to show that (1) can be derived as the efficient score of a model within the class of models previously studied by Allen and Satten . As a consequence, they remain valid even if the "working" model φ (h|g) is misspecified. Further, it is not necessary to adjust the variance of our test statistic to account for uncertainty in haplotype frequencies. We exploit these facts by choosing computationally fast, though perhaps inconsistent, estimates of φ (h|g) secure in the fact that such a choice will not affect the validity of our testing procedure. Here we consider two members of the class given by Eq. (1): first, the "p" statistic in which γ z = , and the "cross" statistic in which γ z = ( ).
For the "cross" statistic the situation is a bit more complex. We can show that is distributed as a mixture of independent χ2 variates with weights given by the eigenvalues of . We approximate this distribution using the three-moment approximation of Imhoff , which has the computational advantage of only depending on the trace of ( ) m for m = 1, 2, 3.
We applied our proposed haplotype sharing methodology to the RA data provided in Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 Problem 1. This data set has been described elsewhere but, in brief, contains genotypes that include over 545,000 unique SNPs for 868 patients with RA and 1194 controls.
Following Fellay et al. , we excluded data from SNPs that had extensive missingness (missingness >10), deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p-value < 0.001 in controls), and low minor allele frequency (<0.2%). After this quality control (QC) filtering, 530,817 SNPs remained. Using the software package PLINK , we confirmed that all pairs of individuals shared less than 12.5% of SNP alleles (the threshold used by Fellay et al.) identically by descent. Thus, no individuals were excluded for cryptic relatedness. No individuals were excluded for missingness.
We used a computationally efficient estimator of the distribution of haplotypes given the observed genotype data φ (h|g). The phasing program ent was used to impute a single diplotype for each chromosome of each study participant. For a given window, the empirical distribution of the imputed haplotypes composed of SNPs in the window was used as a simple haplotype frequency estimator. Haplotype frequency estimates computed in this way were then used in specifying the "working" model for φ (h|g), assuming Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We note that although we imputed individual haplotypes as a simple way to estimate φ (h|g), that when computing , , and , we summed individual contributions over φ (h|g), and therefore, explicitly accounted for phase ambiguity. As discussed above, misspecification of φ (h|g) will not affect the validity of the haplotype-sharing tests.
We used the stratification score of Epstein et al. to adjust our analyses for confounding due to population stratification. In Epstein et al. , partial least squares (PLS) were used to estimate the stratification score. Here we used a modified principal-component (PC) approach in place of PLS. This modified PC approach captures the large-scale genetic variation in the data by minimizing the influence of a few high linkage disequilibrium (LD) regions from dominating the first few PCs. This is accomplished by excluding SNPs that reside in regions of known high LD from the PC analysis and then further pruning the PC SNP set to minimize the LD between the remaining SNPs . Using the first few PCs, four individuals (D0009459, D0011466, D0012257, and D0012446) were found to be significant outliers, suggesting appreciable non-white ancestry. These individuals were excluded from subsequent analyses and when the PC analysis was repeated, no further outliers were identified. The first ten PCs were then used in a logistic model of disease to estimate each individual's stratification score--their predicted probability of being a case given the genomic information contained in the PCs. Four strata were then formed based on the quantiles of the stratification scores, for use in a stratified haplotype-sharing analysis. For each locus k, we used the sample size in the zth stratum as the weight function w z in Eq. (1).
The final analysis data set consisted of 517,843 autosomal SNP genotypes that passed QC from 868 case participants with RA and 1190 control participants. To this data set we applied two stratified haplotype-sharing tests: the cross test and the p test. Each test was calculated using a sliding window of seven SNPs. We measured inflation of test statistics due to residual population stratification by the variance inflation factor (VIF), defined as ratio of the median of the observed and expected chi-square statistics across the genome. Permutation tests were conducted by randomly permuting case/control labels within each strata and then capturing the minimum p-value of each statistic across the genome for each permutation. We estimated genome-wide significance by comparing the observed p-values to this permutation distribution.
We first confirmed the stratification score controlled for inflation due to population stratification. An unadjusted single locus analysis showed a VIF of 1.44, suggesting that significant stratification exist in these data. The stratified p and cross tests had VIFs of 1.03 and 1.04, respectively, suggesting minimal residual inflation. The results of these stratified haplotype sharing analyses across autosomal SNPs are given in Figure 1.
Manhattan plot of -log 10 ( p -value)s of haplotype sharing tests for autosomal SNPs passing QC filtering. Solid horizontal line represents Bonferroni genome-wide threshold. Dashed horizontal line represents genome-wide threshold estimated via permutation.
Outside the HLA region on chromosome 6, the p test shows no further regions associated with RA. However, the cross test implicated two genomic regions having -log10(p-value)s that exceed the permutation-based genome-wide threshold. These regions are: 7q33 (windows centered at rs6467709, rs6964837, rs834092, rs834082, rs834067, rs1646366, rs834063, and rs864434), and 13q31.3 (window centered at rs9584093). Each of these regions contain genes with interesting potential connections with RA. The region on chromosome 7 is adjacent to the pleiotrophin gene (PTN), which has been found to be up-regulated in synovial tissues from patients with RA . The region on chromosome 7 contains glypican 6 (GPC 6). Glypicans have been shown to be expressed differentially in chronically inflamed synovium .
Apart from the HLA region on chromosome 6, none of the regions implicated in our analysis were found by a single-locus GWA analysis that was appropriately corrected for population stratification . This suggests that haplotype-based methods should have a role in the analysis of GWAS. The current approach of single-locus tests, possibly followed by a small-scale application of haplotype methods in candidate regions or regions where the single-SNP results are significant or almost significant may miss regions where a haplotype-based approach would find a signal. More generally, the strategy of evaluating haplotype methods by evaluating their performance in regions implicated by single-SNP methods may result in the false impression that single-SNP methods out-perform haplotype-based methods.
The Genetic Analysis Workshops are supported by NIH grant R01 GM031575 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
ASA acknowledges support from grants R01 MH084680 and K25 HL077663 from the National Institutes of Health.
ASA and GAS conceived the study and planned the analyses. ASA analyzed the data. ASA and GAS wrote the manuscript.
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0.999995 |
What are typical loan broker fees or range of fees? I was quoted a fee (which I thought was rather high) that is due only upon closing of the loan (if the loan does not closed, there is no fee). He told me this fee is normal in the broker industry especially since he is not collecting commission from the lender. Also is it typical for the broker agreement to include a non circumvent clause for 36 months (i thought that is a long time as well). Lastly, how can I check the reputation or to see if there are any complaints for the broker? I checked bbb.org and it was not listed and could not find anything doing an online search. Any recommendations or suggestions what to ask or what to look for when seeking/ speaking to a loan broker.
My first suggestion would be to avoid the broker all together - you can do everything this person does - and it won't cost you an extra fee.
Broker fees usually depend on the type of loan and amount being sought. I have seen fees as low as 1% and as high as 10% depending on the deal - the more risk of the deal the more time it will take on behalf of the broker and the larger the fee.
I still suggest you try to find a business loan on your own - thus no fees.
The clause is typical as the broker wants to control you as you move forward - again - I would suggest go it alone - there are many funding resources open to your business where you can deal directly with the lender!!
I do like the fact that your broker does not charge a fee until funding - that is a good sign on his/her reputation - you have contacted the BBB - have you also contacted the BBB where the broker lives? You can also check with his/her chamber of commerce. But, in th end - go with your gut feeling.
Phanio.......you're correct to a degree. Sure an online stock trading source versus a full time stock broker.
excessive upfront "dd" fees....of course not. Unfortunately the days of just going to the bank are over.
People need options and are not aware of all their options.
My thought is the same as wilfin. I work with a company named HomeCoast Capital and we have over 230 different sources, including our own capital. I think 360 months is excessive and would stay away from paying up front fees, unless you just want the broker to be a "stalking horse" for you. Then, he should be paid for his time.
Really, it is going to depend on how good the broker is, but he may save you a lot of time and money in the long run. You could search for a year in today's climate and keep getting turned down. It is better to have someone doing that work for you.
I agree wilfin - if you have the means to pay the broker's fees. If you don't - you have to roll up your sleves and do-it-yourself. There is a wealth of information on the web and other places regarding funding options for small businesses - in fact, that is the purpose of our website - to provide information and resources for small business owners seeking funding. But, there is a wealth of information besides our website. If you can't pay the fees or are like me and refuse to pay broker fees (especailly if I know that I can do it myself) - then you have to be willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen. If you truly believe in your business and yourself - this should be easy for you.
If you don't mind paying someone else to do it for you - then by all means - just make sure you will get results before you pay!
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0.961 |
Did men invent the idea of the doghouse, or did women? I looked up the roots of the phrase on handy Wikipedia and wasn't able to locate how the term began. On wisegeek.com I found a definition which says, "In the doghouse refers to currently being out of favour with someone of importance." I would guess the concept was created by the female side of the spectrum, because men would likely not invent a place to be banished to.
Are any women out there ever sent to the doghouse? I know in my house it's a location reserved for my husband. Not because I don't ever do anything wrong (not as often as he does, that's for sure) but because he can't be bothered to expend the energy to punish me when we've had a fight. When he gets mad at me, his anger comes quickly and then blows over. He gets it off his chest and life moves on. As a woman, I nurse my grievances like babies. Perhaps that's why the doghouse exists - women are not ready to let go that quickly. We feel that men need some time to reflect on their wrongdoing. We always hope he'll come back to us, contrite and sheepish, and ask to be forgiven.
I'm almost 12 years into marriage and I'm slowly realizing that when my husband is in the doghouse, he's not dreaming up ways to make it up to me. He's probably spending his alone time thinking about the new putter on the market, or what size skis he should be using, or if he has the courage to get the tattoo he's always wanted but his wife abhors the idea of. Then, when I miss him and can't stand the silence between us any longer, I go to spring him from the doghouse and hope to hear his well-crafted apology. Usually he just smiles, and tries not to speak of it again, and I can see somewhere in his eyes the putter, skis and tattoo he's been dreaming of. Sigh.
I'm not convinced we'll ever get what we want from each other. Men and women are simply two different breeds. We will always have conflict and opposite ways of dealing with the same problem. Men will blow and move on, women will nurse and punish.
This website is going to be helpful for relationships, because men want to keep the women in their lives happy and women want to stay happy. We don't necessarily need gifts to stay happy, but gifts means that our man is thinking about us, and caring for us, and that's what the gift means to us. It doesn't have to be a big ticket item (although those are okay too), but it has to take some effort from our men.
A website like this will give you lots of options for a small outlay of effort. Pick something, and give it to us with that sheepish smile when you want to escape the doghouse or avoid going into it. We'll know that you love us, and we'll be happy, for a little while at least.
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0.909899 |
What do 당신 think would have happened had Voldemort replaced Aro as the head of Volturi?
They would be a terrifying force in the 'Vampire World' like the author intended.
he woud've feed all the cullens to Nagini.
The Volturi might actually have a chance of being scary before Voldemort did away with them.
The cullens would be dead, the volturi would go death-eater and bellatrix would be ruling the world with him. Simple as.
Volturi would be absolutly gone, as would the Cullens.
Nagini would have a lifetime supply of food, as well.
If Voldemort replaced Aro as the head of the Volturi then the entire Vampire race would 더 많이 than likely be destroyed since they aren't "pure-blood wizards".
Maybe Twilight would get some real drama at last.
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0.999987 |
42 U.S.C.S. § 1983 does not itself confer the jury right. § 1983 authorizes a party who has been deprived of a federal right under the color of state law to seek relief through "an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress." There is no statutory jury right under § 1983 based solely on the authorization of "an action at law."
In a suit under 42 U.S.C.S. § 1983, a jury verdict for respondent developer alleging unlawful deprivation of property was upheld, because the reasonableness of petitioner city's rejection of a development plan was primarily a factual issue to be resolved by the jury. Respondent made repeated attempts to obtain petitioner's approval of site plans for beachfront property but was unable to obtain approval. Respondent brought suit under § 1983, alleging that it had been denied all economically viable use of the property without compensation and that the decision to reject the development proposal did not substantially advance a legitimate public purpose. The jury found for respondent, and the appellate court affirmed the judgment.
Is whether deprivation of use of property advance legitimate public interests a question proper for submission to a jury?
The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the question of whether deprivation of use of property advanced legitimate public interests was an issue involving factual considerations normally resolved by juries. Because § 1983 did not in itself confer a right to jury trial, the court applied a U.S. Const. amend. VII analysis. A lawsuit under § 1983 was a tort action to which the right of jury trial applied.
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0.989144 |
Help me help you sell homes. According to data from a Survey, video marketing creation is not only growing among business marketing professionals, it is also a preferred way to consume. 80 percent of people say they prefer video over other marketing tools.
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0.999999 |
Answer this question quick, without thinking about it: What's your favorite thing?
Got that in your head? Good. Now, follow-up: What's your favorite part of your favorite thing?
I did a quick impromptu survey around the office and got a pretty good range of responses.
Tracie's favorite thing is turkey, and her favorite part of the turkey is the skin. Respectable answer, undoubtedly influenced by the fact that she's been working on our Thanksgiving survival guide for the last couple of weeks.
Jamie, who was sipping rye, wearing an oversized scarf, and dancing in place to the sweet beats of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, said that dancing in a rolling office chair is what does it for her. Why? Because the range of motion is double, no triple, no quadruple the standard human range.
Ed took a more philosophical approach and went with "rooting for your team," because "when you're rooting for your team, there's no ambiguity." I find that statement slightly ambiguous.
I called up my wife and asked the same question. She settled on fried hot dog stars, and it's the crispy and salty bits that do it for her.
Robyn gave the most Robyn answer and said that sleep is her favorite thing, and that her favorite part of sleep is "the sleeping."
My answer to that question changes with the season and with the company I'm in (particularly when my wife is within earshot), but this time of year, it's simple: Stuffing is my favorite thing, and my favorite part of stuffing is the crispy edge bits.
And how can we maximize those crispy edge bits?
The idea is simple: Prepare a batch of stuffing and, rather than baking it in a casserole, which offers only one plane for crisping, cook it in a waffle iron.
Frankly, I wasn't positive this was going to work at first. I think the fact that my stuffing is essentially a savory bread pudding, with a broth and egg custard base, helped it waffle up nicely.
The process takes about twice as long as it takes to cook a regular waffle, but when all is said and done, it comes out with a wonderfully crisp exterior and a tender, moist core that retains just a hint of its custardy base.
As for saucing, the obvious choice was gravy, and that's what I went with at first, but then Jamie had the brilliant idea of serving it with gravy and maple syrup.
We used this fancy-pants stuff from Canada, with a French label and everything, so, in addition to being f&%king delicious, our humble stuffing waffles also felt all sophisticated.
So, listen: Either you're turned on by the idea of a stuffing waffle or you're not. If you aren't, well, I can't help but feel a little bit sorry for you, missing out on what should be one of life's greatest pleasures and all. But if you are, then I can honestly tell you that this was one of the most delicious things I've made all year, and I cook a lot.
And now I'm sitting here thinking about how awesome it'll be in a leftover-turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving.
Note: Thanks to Twitterer @pwillen1, who tweeted about this process!
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0.984354 |
My objective is to see if there are bush dogs in Manaus and to find out what is suitable as the study site for the research on bush dogs. In addition, I investigate the filtering system of manatee pool.
For the survey of bush dogs, I went to Manaus, Brazil, to collect information of bush dogs from people who are studying experimental forest of National Institute of Amazonian Research, called ZF-2. As a result, I heard that a pack of bush dogs is living in the jungle of the ZF-2. Based on that information, I made a search for the bush dogs. I directly walked transect of ZF-2 and went up the Amazon river by boat. However, because I could go there for only a few days, I could not see the bush dog. I need more research to judge whether or not I can study bush dogs in the jungle of the ZF-2.
As the results of the investigation on the filtration system of the manatee pool, the weight of the feces excreted by 4 manatees in a day was found to be 744. 2 grams in wet weight (595. 3 grams in dry weight). In addition, I found that there are two causes water dirty. The first cause is the large amount of foods and mud attached to it. The second cause is the large outbreak of cyanobacteria due to very nutritious water. These data are expected to help in the installation of a new water filtration system of captive manatee pool.
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0.996763 |
What's the difference between a music industry executive and a death-row inmate? The inmate has better prospects. CD sales have plummeted over the past few years. The new chief of Sony Music recently predicted sales would drop 15% this year alone. The villain according to the music industry is rampant file-sharing over the Internet. While they scramble to figure out how to save their necks, there's no shortage of shouted advice for the hapless industry. Most of this boils down to: Go digital or die. What's needed say some pundits is a whole new paradigm of making and selling music centered around the Internet. Unfortunately this advice is dead wrong. What the music industry needs is a good old-fashioned dose of business sense. The industry's biggest problem isn't piracy. It's two things: First, consumers no longer believe they're getting fair value when they pay $20 or more for a CD. Compare a music CD to a DVD. Both sell for roughly the same price, but a DVD has a 2 hour movie plus background notes, commentaries and other bonus materials. You're lucky if you get more than 40 minutes of music on a CD. Secondly, the music industry is suffering from an enormous self-inflicted public relations disaster. And all because of its misguided attempts to stamp out file-sharing.
The public relations quagmire illustrates an axiom for digital goods which we can call the Jackboot Paradox. The fiasco started with Napster. When Napster invented file-sharing it was one of the most innovative technologies of the Internet. But instead of adopting it, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) launched a lawsuit and killed the company. That didn't stop piracy. Instead an even more powerful file-sharing program came along: Morpheus. In less than 12 months, Morpheus had more users than Napster ever did. Morpheus was named after the cyber-hero in the movie The Matrix who battles an evil, inhuman empire. The name should have been a hint to music industry executives. They missed it. Record companies introduced a series of ill-advised countermeasures: new CDs that weren't playable on PCs, demands for more royalties on blank CDRs, demands for the power to hack into users' computers to root out music pirating, more lawsuits against file-sharing portals. In the meantime pirating has exploded. At its peak, Napster's file servers were busily servicing a million file-swappers at any given moment in the day. Today, only three years after Napster's demise, the leading file-swapping program is Kazaa. It attracts upwards of four million simultaneous users. Here is the Jackboot Paradox: Authoritarian acts against piracy results in more piracy. The more stomping the record industry does, the more users feel justified in downloading, ripping and burning. The solution isn't more countermeasures, the solution is to go to the root of problem: restore the value that consumers want in the music that they buy.
The industry hasn't been oblivious to its public relations quagmire. Recording industry associations have fallen over themselves launching ad campaigns telling us that piracy wrong. Is it any surprise these aren't working? One unfortunate campaign tried to equate piracy with drunken driving. (Puh-leeze!). And how do you square the industry's law-and-order message with the embarrassing fact that in 2000 the Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. charged the five major record companies with price-fixing? (The cost to consumers of this abuse of monopolistic power? US$480 million over three years). A fundamental business truth is that once a public relations problem gets so big that it threatens your bottom line, words are no longer enough. Only actions will do.
1. Cut the price of CDs. Finding and downloading music from the Net still involves hassle. If the price of CDs were lower, more people would be willing to save their time by buying instead of pirating. Not convinced this is a viable strategy? Check out Naxos. It sells a line of well-regarded classical musical CDs for less than $10. And it's profitable.
2. Provide more content. If someone's going to sell me a $20 CD, I think I would like not only the songs but also the artist's verbal commentary on the music, the lyrics and the sheet music. (Another message to the music industry: there is huge pent-up demand for making music rather than just listening to it, make it easier for us and we'll pay you). Again, fill the CD with enough content so that it's a bargain compared to the time and effort you would need to scrounge it from the Net.
3. Make the CD something worth collecting. Back in the days of vinyl, having a good album was more than just having a bunch of songs on a disc. You had liner notes and lyrics (printed in a size that's easily legible) and cover art that was really art. (The Andy Warhol cover art for one of the Velvet Underground's albums became an icon of the 60s, can anyone point to a CD cover that's as famous?) Despite our love for digital everything, deep down we still want to buy attractive objects and that's one thing you can't download over the Internet. Some vinyl albums have become valuable collector items, you can't say the same thing about CDs. CDs are designed and packaged for the convenience of the music industry not the consumer. There's no better symbol of record company lethargy than the super-fragile CD jewel case, something which has been around for decades but is surely one of the worst consumer packaging designs ever conceived.
4. Stick to your knitting but do it better. In all the handwringing it's easy to forget that creating and selling great music is what it's all about. Unfortunately, the music industry as a whole is horribly inefficient. Less than 10% of CD titles released by the major record companies pay their own way. It's a sad commentary on the industry's complacency that this statistic has been used to justify high CD prices rather than as a problem that needs fixing -- and quickly.
None of these ideas have anything to do with "going digital". Forget going digital, go analog. Focussing on the analog - packaging, collectibility, efficiency and pricing takes the music industry out of the digital file-swapping minefield. It's too late in the game for the industry to compete head-to-head against the file-sharing services. The industry's latest answer to the file-sharers, pressplay and MusicNet will be colossal flops.
Why's that? First, file-sharing services like Kazaa, iMesh, and Grokster provide a wildly greater selection of music for free. Pressplay charges US$18/month for limited downloading on a narrower choice of music. Second, it's not just about music. Kazaa and its brethren also gives its users access to video, software and image files. Unless the music industry wants to get into the distribution of Pamela Anderson's home movies, it'll have a hard time dislodging Kazaa from the user desktop. Finally, the music industry's Net initiatives are doomed for the same reason why a new word-processing program would never beat Microsoft Word. There's a gigantic installed base. More than 175 million copies of Kazaa have been downloaded. Something like MusicNet may have had a chance in the early days of Napster but not now. Going back to business sense again: If you want to go head-to-head against a heavily entrenched incumbent, anything short of a resoundingly superior product means failure. The Net will play an important part in the future of selling music but pressplay and their ilk isn't it.
What are the chances that the music industry will pull itself out of its free fall? Imminent death focuses the attention admirably so there's reason for optimism. Whether change comes from within the industry or whether an imaginative outsider will light the way, changes are inevitable. Those who insist on the jackboot will fall by the wayside. Those who realize that it's all about bringing value back into an industry that's lost it, will prevail.
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0.999998 |
Context: Conventional lipids in young Indians with Coronary Artery Disease. Aims: To study distribution of conventional lipids and their quantification in demographic subgroups of Indians with Premature Coronary Artery Disease (PCAD). Settings and Design: PCAD Registry is a Prospective Multisite Descriptive Observational study of Indians aged below 40 years with Coronary Artery Disease. This Lipid sub study is based on preliminary data of first year of the PCAD registry. Methods and Material: Of 1380 patients registered in PCAD registry, 1061 satisfied entry criteria. Conventional lipids were estimated using commercially available kits. Each of risk factor subgroups were compared by statistical analysis of lipid values. Statistical significance was derived by independent t-test or one-way ANOVA wherever appropriate. The distribution of different lipid profile parameters was visualised by nonparametric density plot. The data was analysed by statistical software R version 3.5.0. Results: A total of 1380 patients were registered. of which 1061 patients satisfied the entry criteria and were enrolled for the lipid analysis study. The mean age of all patients registered was 34.27 (±4.30) years. Mean total cholesterol of entire study population was 171.95 ± 47.11, LDL was 116.39 ± 84.81 mg/dl, HDL was 34.50 ± 9.64, TG was 165.18 ± 87.11, non-HDL was 138.09 ± 46.18. Conclusions: Among all the conventional lipid parameters, low HDL-C along with high TGs seems to be more relevant for premature coronary artery in Indians. Primary cardiovascular disease prevention for Young Indians cannot be solely on the basis of LDL-C. All risk factors should be considered together. Larger sample population studies are needed to draw population specific cutoff values for risk factors and to discover novel risk factors (CTRI/2018/03/012544).
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0.998803 |
After a period of relative calm in the markets, in recent days the increase in volatility in the stock market has resulted in renewed anxiety for many investors. From February 1–5, the US market (as measured by the Russell 3000 Index) fell almost 6%, resulting in many investors wondering what the future holds and if they should make changes to their portfolios. While it may be difficult to remain calm during a substantial market decline, it is important to remember that volatility is a normal part of investing. Additionally, for long-term investors, reacting emotionally to volatile markets may be more detrimental to portfolio performance than the drawdown itself.
Exhibit 1 shows calendar year returns for the US stock market since 1979, as well as the largest intra-year declines that occurred during a given year. During this period, the average intra-year decline was about 14%. About half of the years observed had declines of more than 10%, and around a third had declines of more than 15%. Despite substantial intra-year drops, calendar year returns were positive in 32 years out of the 37 examined. This goes to show just how common market declines are and how difficult it is to say whether a large intra-year decline will result in negative returns over the entire year.
In US dollars. US Market is measured by the Russell 3000 Index. Largest Intra-Year Gain refers to the largest market increase from trough to peak during the year. Largest Intra-Year Decline refers to the largest market decrease from peak to trough during the year. Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks, and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes.
If one was to try and time the market in order to avoid the potential losses associated with periods of increased volatility, would this help or hinder long-term performance? If current market prices aggregate the information and expectations of market participants, stock mispricing cannot be systematically exploited through market timing. In other words, it is unlikely that investors can successfully time the market, and if they do manage it, it may be a result of luck rather than skill. Further complicating the prospect of market timing being additive to portfolio performance is the fact that a substantial proportion of the total return of stocks over long periods comes from just a handful of days. Since investors are unlikely to be able to identify in advance which days will have strong returns and which will not, the prudent course is likely to remain invested during periods of volatility rather than jump in and out of stocks. Otherwise, an investor runs the risk of being on the sidelines on days when returns happen to be strongly positive.
Exhibit 2 helps illustrate this point. It shows the annualized compound return of the S&P 500 Index going back to 1990 and illustrates the impact of missing out on just a few days of strong returns. The bars represent the hypothetical growth of $1,000 over the period and show what happened if you missed the best single day during the period and what happened if you missed a handful of the best single days. The data shows that being on the sidelines for only a few of the best single days in the market would have resulted in substantially lower returns than the total period had to offer.
In US dollars. For illustrative purposes. The missed best day(s) examples assume that the hypothetical portfolio fully divested its holdings at the end of the day before the missed best day(s), held cash for the missed best day(s), and reinvested the entire portfolio in the S&P 500 at the end of the missed best day(s). Annualized returns for the missed best day(s) were calculated by substituting actual returns for the missed best day(s) with zero. S&P data © 2018 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global. All rights reserved. One-Month US T- Bills is the IA SBBI US 30 Day TBill TR USD, provided by Ibbotson Associates via Morningstar Direct. Data is calculated off rounded daily index values.
While market volatility can be nerve-racking for investors, reacting emotionally and changing long-term investment strategies in response to short-term declines could prove more harmful than helpful. By adhering to a well-thought-out investment plan, ideally agreed upon in advance of periods of volatility, investors may be better able to remain calm during periods of short-term uncertainty.
Returns among non-US equity markets were even higher. The MSCI World ex USA Index, which reflects non-US developed markets, logged a 24.21% return and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index a 37.28% return2, making this the fifth highest return in the index history.
In 2017, the small cap premium4 was generally positive in developed ex US markets and negative across US and emerging markets. The profitability premium5 was positive across US, developed ex US, and emerging markets, while the value premium6 was negative across those markets.
Even over extended periods, underperformance of the value premium or any other premium is within expectation and not unusual. Over a 10-year period ending in March 2000, value stocks underperformed growth stocks by 5.61% per year, as measured by the Russell 1000 Value and Russell 1000 Growth indices.
This underperformance quickly reversed course and by the end of February 2001, value stocks had outperformed growth stocks over the previous one-, three-, five-, 10-, and 20-year periods. Premiums can be difficult if not impossible to predict and relative performance can change quickly, reinforcing the need for discipline in pursuing these sources of higher expected returns.
Both US and non-US fixed income markets posted positive returns in 2017. The Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index gained 3.54%. The Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index (hedged to USD) gained 3.04%.
Yield curves were upwardly sloped in many developed markets for the year, indicating positive expected term premiums. Realized term premiums were indeed positive both globally and in the US as long-term maturities outperformed their shorter-term counterparts.
Credit spreads, which are the difference between yields on lower quality and higher quality fixed income securities, were relatively narrow during the year, indicating smaller expected credit premiums. Realized credit premiums were positive both globally and in the US, as lower-quality investment-grade corporates outperformed their higher-quality investment-grade counterparts. Corporate bonds were the best performing sector, returning 6.42% in the US and 5.70% globally, as reflected in the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Bond Index (hedged to USD).
There has been much discussion in the news recently about new nominal highs in stock indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500.
When markets hit new highs, is that an indication that it’s time for investors to cash out? History tells us that a market index being at an all-time high generally does not provide actionable information for investors. For evidence, we can look at the S&P 500 Index for the better part of the last century. Exhibit 1 shows that from 1926 through the end of 2016, the proportion of annual returns that have been positive after a new monthly high is similar to the proportion of annual returns that have been positive after any index level. In fact, over this time period almost a third of the monthly observations were new closing highs for the index. Looking at this data, it is clear that new index highs have historically not been useful predictors of future returns.
Given that the level of an index by itself does not seemingly have a bearing on future returns, you may ask yourself a more fundamental question: What drives expected returns for stocks?
One way to compute the current value of an investment is to estimate the future cash flows the investment is expected to deliver and discount them back into today’s dollars. For an investment in a firm’s stock, this type of valuation method allows expectations about a firm’s future profits to be linked to its current stock price through a discount rate. The discount rate equals an investor’s expected return. A simple, but important, insight we glean from this is that the expected return from holding a stock is driven by the price paid for it and what its investors expect to receive.
Stock prices are the result of the interaction of many willing buyers and sellers. It is extremely unlikely that in aggregate, those willing buyers apply negative discount rates to the expected profits of the firms they are purchasing. Why? Because there is always a risk that expected profits will not materialize or that the price might decline because of unanticipated future events. If investors apply positive discount rates to the cash flows they expect to receive from owning a stock, we should expect the price of that stock to represent a level such that its expected return is always positive. Unless the expected cash flows are persistently biased downward or upward, we can expect this to be the case.
There is little evidence, though, that the aggregate expectations of investors that set market prices have been persistently biased downward or upward. Many studies document that professional money managers have been unable to deliver consistent outperformance by outguessing market prices. In the end, prices set by market forces are difficult to outguess. The market does a good job setting prices, and we can assume that the expected return investors have applied when setting prices are not biased.
Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the price of a stock, or the price of a basket of stocks like the S&P 500 Index, should be set to a level such that its expected return is positive, regardless of whether or not that price level is at a new high. This helps explain why new index highs have not, on average, been followed by negative returns. At a new high, a new low, or something in between, expected returns are positive.
Today’s prices depend on expected returns and expectations about future profits. If either expected returns or expectations about future profits change, prices will also change to reflect this new information. Changes in risk aversion, tastes and preferences, expectations about future profits, or the quantity of risk can all drive changes in expected returns. All else equal, an increase in expected returns is reflected through a drop in prices. A decrease in expected returns is reflected through a rise in prices. Thus, realized returns can differ from expected returns.
This means there is a probability that the realized return on any stock, an index like the S&P 500, or the market as a whole can be negative even when expected returns are positive. But what can we say about the relation between the probability of a negative realized return and an investor’s holding horizon?
Exhibit 2 shows rolling 10-year performance of the equity market premium (equity returns minus the return of one-month US Treasury bills, considered to be short-term, risk-free investments). In most periods it was positive, but in several periods it underperformed.
There is uncertainty around how long periods of underperformance like this may last. Historically, however, the probability of equity returns being positive increases over longer time periods compared to shorter periods. Exhibit 3 shows the percentage of time that the equity market premium was positive over different time periods going back to 1928. When the length of the time period measured increases, so does the chance of the equity market premium being positive. So to answer our question from before: as an investor’s holding period increases, the probability of a negative realized return decreases. This is why it is important to choose a level of equity exposure that you can stay invested in over the long term.
By themselves, new all-time highs in equity markets have historically not been useful predictors of future returns. While positive realized returns are never guaranteed, equity investments have positive expected returns regardless of index levels or prior short-term market returns. The collective wisdom of market participants and their competitive assessment of expected returns and risks allow investors to rely on the information contained in prices to inform their investment decisions and assume positive expected returns from stocks. Historically speaking, over longer time horizons, the odds of realized stock returns being positive have increased. This is one reason why investors should consider investing a long-term commitment: Staying invested and not making changes based on short-term predictions increases your likelihood of success.
Every 4 years during the presidential elections, investors often ask these two questions.
"How do the presidential elections impact market returns?"
"Is there any kind of pattern that could help predict future market returns?"
On average, market returns have been positive in election years and the subsequent year. It is also difficult to identify systematic return patterns in election years. Market expectations associated with election outcomes are immediately embedded in security prices which is why trying to get ahead of that curve is such an uphill battle.
Experienced investors understand that successful investing is more about participating in long-term growth versus gambling to predict short-term market movements.
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0.999314 |
I am looking to translate a rental agreement and am trying to translate the phrase "or as otherwise stipulated below." It is used in the context - "This is a month-to-month agreement that begins ---- and ends with a 30 day notice by either party or as otherwise stipulated below."
"O como se convenga de otra manera a continuación".
"O como sea acordado de otra manera a continuación.".
I'm sure that mine are less than idiomatic to some ears, and so I hope it will be adjusted by a native speaker.
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0.943476 |
How do I find out why there were police helicopters in my area?
Hearing the roar of a police helicopter flying over your home can be unnerving. Has there been a serious car accident, a lost child, or are police chasing a suspect? Use some common resources to find out.
Police incident reports are generally public record, but the way a police station disseminates public information varies from force to force and even by department. Most information needs to be approved by a supervisor before it's released to the public, and if the helicopter search was part of an ongoing investigation, police may not release the information immediately.
Call and ask -- but don't call 999 -- that's strictly for emergencies. Most police forces have a non-emergency phone number posted on their website. An Internet quick search should get you the number. Once you're connected, ask to speak to the duty sergeant. Identify yourself as a member of the public who has a question about an incident near your home. Outside office hours and at weekends, most police forces will automatically transfer your call to a duty officer. You may have to leave a message and wait to be called back.
A good way to find out what the police are doing in your neighbourhood is to call a local newsroom. Every newspaper and many television stations have at least one staffer monitoring police incidents. If the police have called in the choppers, it's likely an incident that reporters have been monitoring. If not, they'll be interested and will probably thank you for tipping them off about a big story. Find the phone number for the newsroom on the Internet or in the newspaper (usually on the inside front page) and ask for a crime reporter or the news desk.
You have a right to know what police are doing in your area, providing releasing the information doesn't prejudice criminal proceedings. If the police don't tell you and the media isn't able to answer your questions, you may have to submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act. This could take time, however, so try calling the police and the newsroom again..
Laurie Schroeder has been a journalist since 1996, working primarily for Calkins Media as a court and crime writer for the "Bucks County Courier Times" and "Intelligencer." She holds an Associate of Arts in liberal arts from Bucks County (Pa.) Community College and is a fellow of the Knight Center of Specialized Journalism at the University of Maryland.
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0.999975 |
Compare hotels in Italy, find the best deal and save money up to 50%.
Italy power plug : do I need a travel adapter?
You're going to travel to Italy and you don't know if your electric devices (your computer, mobile phone, battery charger...) will be able to work there?
To know if you need a travel plug adapter to go to Italy, you have to consider 3 things : the shape of the plugs, the voltage and the frequency of the current delivered by electrical outlets in Italy.
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0.946746 |
In 1975, the state of Arkansas was tapped by the federal government to be one of four main entry points for Indochinese refugees. The presence and availability of the facilities at Fort Chaffee, located adjacent to Fort Smith (Sebastian County), made it an ideal location for processing tens of thousands of Indochinese seeking refuge from their war-torn country.
When the United States evacuated its remaining personnel from Vietnam in the spring of 1975, it left in its wake a wide segment of the Indochinese population who had assisted the American military and political effort. Without the American presence, they were left vulnerable to retaliation by the North Vietnamese government. Many fled in the days and weeks leading up to the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Those who did not make it out by plane before the fall of Saigon either fled by dangerous methods such as boat or attempted to walk to safety. Many were captured and sent to so-called reeducation camps that were in essence concentration camps.
The U.S. Army was notified on April 25, 1975, that Fort Chaffee would be used as a relocation center, and the first Indochinese arrived at Fort Chaffee just seven days later on May 2, 1975. The first plane carried seventy refugees, and they were met by a handful of dignitaries, including Governor David Pryor. Within twenty-two days, there were 25,812 refugees, which made the fort effectively the eleventh-largest city in the state. By the last day of the program just seven months later, on December 20, 1975, 50,809 refugees had been processed through Fort Chaffee.
The Indochinese population that arrived was a very heterogeneous one, consisting of Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, and Hmong. From the local perspective, however, they were often mistakenly perceived to be one homogenous cultural group. Compared to the documented and undocumented immigrants fleeing their country of origin due to poor economic times, such as the Irish during the potato blight of the 1840s or Latinos in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, this is a very different group. As many were political refugees, they were granted permanent, legal residence in the United States.
Refugees were quickly rotated out of Fort Chaffee as sponsors or host families around the United States were secured. Many agencies worked to this end. The United States Catholic Conference alone found sponsors for 20,000 of the refugees. At the peak of the airlift, some days saw as many as seventeen flights landing at Fort Smith Municipal Airport. There were 415 flights in total. By June 14, 1975, there were 6,500 Army Reserve personnel working at the fort. It is estimated that several millions of dollars were pumped into the local economy as a result of the relocation program.
The American responses to these refugees were as mixed as the American response to the Vietnam War in general. Local reactions to the anticipated arrival of tens of thousands of Indochinese refugees went from one extreme to the other. Newspaper accounts from the eve of their arrival reflect a range of responses from the xenophobic and racist to the hospitable and charitable. While some actively protested the refugees’ presence—citing fears that Fort Chaffee would become a permanent residence for the refugees, who might then take away jobs from the local population—others fully supported efforts to assist in educating the refugees and helping them make a life in Fort Smith. Indeed, many of the refugees became on good terms with the local population as families sponsored them, and some married into the local Fort Smith population.
There was an active effort at Fort Chaffee to assist the refugees in making the transition to living in the United States. On May 4, 1975, two days after the first refugees’ arrival, a Vietnamese newspaper, the Tan Dan, began publication. On October 16, 1975, a bilingual radio station, K224AG/FM, was established to broadcast information to the refugees. The local college, Westark Community College (now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith), set up classes for teaching English. In addition to education programs, forms of entertainment were provided, such as a rodeo and an Independence Day celebration intended to help acclimate the new arrivals to American ideals.
Life at Fort Chaffee was at moments quite difficult for refugees. On June 20, 1975, a group of eighty Vietnamese held a demonstration to let their frustration be known at what they felt to be a long time waiting to be processed. Two days later, a second demonstration was held by 600 refugees. This time, however, it was in counter to the previous protest, thanking the Americans for all that they were doing to assist them. Additional strain was created at the fort because several top-ranking South Vietnamese government officials were among the refugees. Some refugees could not contain the animosity they felt toward these officials who, they felt, had lost their country to the North Vietnamese. Overall, the Provost Marshal report indicates that the refugees were the perpetrators and victims of cases of five rapes, twenty-two cases of aggravated assault, 266 cases of larceny, and two suicide attempts. There were 517 offenses in all, less than half of which, 212, were perpetrated by the refugees. Operation New Life took on literal meaning as there were 325 children born to refugees at the fort during this short stay. Life for the refugees at Fort Chaffee mirrored the life of a real city.
A small fraction of the total refugees who went through Fort Chaffee made their home in Fort Smith, as most were relocated to other states. As the 1975 refugees found their niche in Fort Smith, subsequent migrations of Indochinese found their way to the city. In the 1980s, additional programs of the United States assisted more individuals in escaping the fallout of the war. With an established Indochinese population, Fort Smith was an attractive choice for some of these later refugees.
In 2002, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith conducted oral history interviews with refugees, military personnel, and relief agency staff to document and preserve this moment in the history of Fort Chaffee and its local and national impact. In the 2000 Census, there were only 4,039 Asian Americans counted in Sebastian County (and this figure includes Asian Americans from places outside of Indochina as well), making up a mere 3.6 percent of the population. But the social landscape of Fort Smith was indelibly changed as the refugees gradually established themselves: Buddhist temples, as well as Vietnamese, Laotian, and Hmong grocery stores and restaurants, opened; business establishments reoriented themselves to accommodate new clientele, featuring signs in Lao or Vietnamese; Vietnamese and Laotian New Year’s celebrations are well-attended annual events; and the native tongues of these refugees are heard often in Fort Smith.
Freeman, James. Changing Identities: Vietnamese Americans 1975–1995. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Press, 1995.
———. Nuevo South: Latinas/os, Asians, and the Remaking of Place. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2017.
———. “Yellow Peril in Arkansas: War, Christianity, and the Regional Racialization of Vietnamese Refugees.” Kalfou: A Journal of Comparative and Relational Ethnic Studies 3 (Fall 2016): 230–252.
Lewis, David. Oral History Transcription, History of Westark College. April 26, 2002. Pebley Historical and Cultural Center. University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Southeast Asian Relocation Collection. Pebley Historical and Cultural Center, Boreham Library. University of Arkansas Fort Smith, Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Wiggins, Melanie Spears. “Escape to America: Evacuees from Indochina arrive in Fort Smith-1975–1979.” Journal of the Fort Smith Historical Society 31 (April 2007): 14–29.
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0.869662 |
Besides, Ninpden, Bansenshukai, and Shoninki. What other historical ninjutsu texts exist? I am just referring to specifically historical ninjutsu texts not like a book that mentions it in passing. How about re-prints?
Presumably you already have the English-language books by Hatsumi, Hayes, and Turnbull. Consequently, your next step is to learn to read Japanese. G. Cameron Hurst, in his article on ninjutsu that appears in _Martial Arts of the World_ (ABC-CLIO, 2001), recommends the following Japanese-language texts.
_Bansen Shukai_. 1982. In _Nihon Budo Taikei_. Vol. 5. Kyoto: Dobosha. 422-535.
Fujita, Seiko. 1936. _Ninjutsu Hiroku_. Tokyo: Chiyoda Shoin.
Okuse, Heishichiro. 1982. "Ninjutsu." In _Nihon budo taikei_. Vol. 5. Kyoto: Dobosha.
-----. 1959. _Ninjutsu hiden_. Tokyo: Heibonsha.
-----. 1963. _Ninjutsu: Sono rekishi to ninja_. Tokyo: Jimbutsu Oraisha.
-----. 1964. _Ninpo: Sono hiden to jitsurei_. Tokyo: Jimbutsu Oraisha.
Watanabe, Ichiro. 1984. "Iga-ryu." In _Encyclopedia Nipponica 2001_. Tokyo: Shogakukan.
-----. 1984. "Ninjutsu." In _Encyclopedia Nipponica 2001_. Tokyo: Shogakukan.
Yamaguchi, Masashi. 1963. _Ninja no seikatsu_. Tokyo: Yuzankaku.
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0.958318 |
Owls are distinctive birds that fascinate birders and non-birders alike, but what is so special about owls that they capture our imagination, interest and even our religions and superstitions? Learning the unique owl characteristics that make these birds stand out can help birders better understand and appreciate every owl they see.
There are roughly 225 species of owls in the world, depending on how various geographic populations and subspecies are classified. These birds come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, but they are all related and belong to one of two scientific bird family classifications. The Strigidae owls are the typical owls or true owls, and this family includes the majority of owl species. They are heavily camouflaged birds and have large heads and round or oval facial disks. The Tytonidae owls, or barn owls, have more typically countershaded plumage and heart-shaped facial disks, and their body shape is a bit more tapered and slender than the true owls. Regardless of which family these birds belong to, however, they are always able to capture birders' interest.
Owls are very widespread, and different owl species can be found worldwide, though none are present in Antarctica. Even in regions where multiple owls species can be found in the same types of ranges and habitats, these birds are typically solitary and uncommon. While most owl species prefer forests and woodlands, these birds can be found in a wide range of habitats, from open regions such as deserts, tundra, and grasslands to more dense marshes and bogs. Some owl species have even adapted to living in suburban and urban areas, giving birders everywhere the opportunity to go owling and add owls to their life list.
Owls have many physical characteristics that make them distinct from other birds. Understanding those physical differences can help birders more easily recognize when they see an owl, and these are the first clues necessary for owl identification.
Facial Disk: An owl’s face is distinctly shaped with a disk-like structure that surrounds the bill and eyes. The bird can use its facial muscles to slightly alter the shape of this disk and funnel sound more efficiently to its ears, greatly amplifying its hearing. The exact shape and color of the facial disk is a great field mark for identifying owls.
Forward Eyes: Owls have forward facing eyes that give them binocular vision with improved depth perception and the ability to judge distances. Their eyes are large and are locked in the skull, which means the owl has to turn its head to move its eyes – the eyes cannot rotate independently. Owls can rotate their heads up to 270 degrees for a wide field of vision.
Ear Tufts: Ear tufts are distinctive longer feathers on the side of the head that can look like ears or horns, though they are not associated with hearing in any way. Not all owls have ear tufts, but it is believed that the tufts can help with the bird’s camouflage by breaking up its outline to blend in better with its environment. The position of the tufts can also be a form of communication between owls, especially mates.
Keen Hearing: While all birds have good senses, owls have especially acute hearing that can help them locate the small scuffling of prey from great distances even in poor light or complete darkness. Some owls have their ears placed asymmetrically on their heads, an arrangement that can help them triangulate prey position more quickly and accurately.
Foot Structure: Many owls have feathered feet to help with insulation and to serve as minor protection from the bites or scratches of captured prey. The feathers on the feet also work similar to whiskers and help the birds detect when prey is within their grasp. Owl toes are also unique, and the outermost forward toe can rotate to face the back to hold prey more efficiently.
The ways owls behave can also help set them apart. While different owls have evolved different behaviors that best suit their habitat, hunting and other needs, these types of behaviors can also be clues for birders to find, identify and appreciate owls.
Activity Period: Many owls are crepuscular or nocturnal, as opposed to other raptors that are more strictly diurnal. Owls have evolved keen senses to help them hunt more efficiently in low light conditions, either at night or in twilight or dawn periods. Owls are also often active when the moon is bright.
Diet: Owls are carnivorous and eat a wide variety of other animals, including rodents, insects, fish and larger mammals. Very few owls are avivorous, however, because the birds they would eat as prey are not active when owls typically hunt.
Pellets: After eating, owls regurgitate pellets filled with indigestible fur, bones and other material they cannot pass through their digestive tracts. Ornithologists often dissect owl pellets to study the birds’ feeding preferences and diet composition.
Flight: Owls can fly virtually silently because of a fringe on the leading edge of their primary feathers that helps muffle sound. Their wings are broad and large for their body size to help the birds stay aloft with minimal effort, which also reduces flight noises.
Voice: The classic “hoot” call is not the only sound owls make. Many owls have a wide range of vocal sounds, including hisses, whistles, screeches, screams, and purrs. Owls will also use bill clacks for communication, especially when agitated.
Aggression: Many owls are extremely territorial, particularly around active nests. Birders should always be cautious when near an owl nest, because the parent birds may attack anything – and anyone – they might consider a threat to their owlets.
Owls are unique and amazing birds with many specialized characteristics and behaviors. Birders who better understand those traits can more easily find owls, properly identify them and enjoy what makes an owl an owl.
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0.911272 |
Why go for a Chinese takeout when you can easily make this at home.
Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste, salt, soy sauce, vinegar , oil, pepper.
Just before frying add corn flour and egg to it and deep fry until golden . Remove it on kitchen paper.
Heat oil in a wok and add ginger garlic paste to it.
Add cubed capsicum and spring onion bulb to it and stir fry.
Add chicken and toss well.
Finish it by adding spring onion greens.
Serve it with burnt chili garlic rice or noodles or have it as an appetizer.
A balance should be created while seasoning with salt , pepper, vinegar, sugar and MSG.
MSG or mono-sodium glutamate helps in extraction of flavor of various ingredients and as per popular belief it is not harmful to the body .
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0.961851 |
The Republic of Afghanistan (Dari: جمهوری افغانستان, Jǝmhūri Afġānistān; Pashto: د افغانستان جمهوریت, Dǝ Afġānistān Jumhūriyat) was the name of the first Afghan republic, created in 1973 after Mohammed Daoud Khan deposed his cousin, King Mohammad Zahir Shah, in a non-violent coup. Daoud was known for his progressive politics and attempts to modernise the country with help from both the Soviet Union and the United States, among others.
In 1978, a military coup known as the Saur Revolution took place, instigated by the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, in which Daoud and his family were killed. The "Daoud Republic" was subsequently succeeded by the Soviet-allied Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
In July 1973, while Mohammed Zahir Shah was in Italy undergoing eye surgery as well as therapy for lumbago, his cousin and former Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud Khan staged a coup d'état and established a republican government. Daoud Khan had been forced to resign as prime minister by Zahir Shah a decade earlier. The king abdicated the following month rather than risk an all-out civil war.
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA; Dari: جمهوری دمکراتی افغانستان, Jumhūri-ye Dimukrātī-ye Afghānistān; Pashto: دافغانستان دمکراتی جمهوریت, Dǝ Afġānistān Dimukratī Jumhūriyat), renamed in 1987 to the Republic of Afghanistan (Dari: جمهوری افغانستان; Jumhūrī-ye Afġānistān; Pashto: د افغانستان جمهوریت, Dǝ Afġānistān Jumhūriyat), existed from 1978 to 1992 and covers the period when the socialist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) ruled Afghanistan. The PDPA came to power through a coup known as the Saur Revolution, which ousted the government of Mohammad Daoud Khan. Daoud was succeeded by Nur Muhammad Taraki as head of state and government on 30 April 1978. Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, the organiser of the Saur Revolution, introduced several contentious reforms during their rule, the most notable being equal rights to women, universal education and land reform. Soon after taking power a power struggle began between the Khalqists led by Taraki and Amin and the Parchamites led by Babrak Karmal. The Khalqists won and the Parcham faction was purged from the party. The most prominent Parcham leaders were exiled to the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union.
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0.951232 |
Main achievements: Identification of the DNA molecular structure. Discovery of the DNA double helix.
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer who made critical contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. Her DNA work achieved the most fame because DNA plays an essential role in cell metabolism and genetics, and the discovery of its structure helped her co-workers understand how genetic information is passed from parents to their offspring. Franklin is best known for her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA which led to the discovery of the DNA double helix.
According to Francis Crick, her data were key in determining the structure and formulating Crick and Watson's 1953 model regarding the structure of DNA. Franklin's images of X-ray diffraction confirming the helical structure of DNA were shown to Watson without her approval or knowledge. This image provided valuable insight into the DNA structure, but Franklin's scientific contributions to the discovery of the double helix are often overlooked. Unpublished drafts of her papers (written just as she was arranging to leave King's College London) show that she had independently determined the overall B-form of the DNA helix and the location of the phosphate groups on the outside of the structure. Moreover, it was a report of Franklin's that convinced Crick and Watson that the backbones had to be on the outside, which was crucial since before this both they and Linus Pauling had independently generated non-illuminating models with the chains inside and the bases pointing outwards. However, her work was published third, in the series of three DNA Nature articles, led by the paper of Watson and Crick which only hinted at her contribution to their hypothesis. Watson has suggested that ideally Franklin would have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Maurice Wilkins. After finishing her portion of the work on DNA, Franklin led pioneering work on the tobacco mosaic virus and the polio virus. She died in 1958 at the age of 37 of ovarian cancer.
Franklin was born in Notting Hill, London, into an affluent and influential British Jewish family. Her father was Ellis Arthur Franklin (1894–1964), a politically liberal London banker who taught at the city's Working Men's College, and her mother was Muriel Frances Waley (1894–1976). Rosalind was the elder daughter, and the second child in the family of five children. Her father's uncle was Herbert Samuel (later Viscount Samuel), who was the Home Secretary in 1916 and the first practising Jew to serve in the British Cabinet. Her aunt, Helen Caroline Franklin, was married to Norman de Mattos Bentwich, who was the Attorney General in the British Mandate of Palestine. She was active in trade union organisation and the women's suffrage movement, and was later a member of the London County Council. Franklin herself later became an agnostic. Her uncle, Hugh Franklin was another prominent figure in the suffrage movement, although his actions embarrassed the Franklin family. From early childhood, Franklin showed exceptional scholastic abilities. She was educated at St Paul's Girls' School where she excelled in science, Latin and sports. Her family was actively involved with a Working Men's College, where her father taught electricity, magnetism, and the history of the Great War in the evenings and later became the vice-principal. Later Franklin's family helped settle Jewish refugees from Europe who had escaped the Nazis. Franklin went up to Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1938 and studied chemistry within the Natural Sciences Tripos. One of the demonstrators who taught her was the spectroscopist W.C. Price. Later, he was one of her senior colleagues at King's College. In 1941 she was awarded Second Class Honours in her Finals. This was accepted as a bachelor's degree in the qualifications for employment. Cambridge started to award the titular B.A. and M.A. to women in 1947, and the previous women graduates received these retroactively. Franklin was awarded a research fellowship and, according to an entry on the web site of the Dolan DNA Learning Center of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, "She spent a year in R.G.W. Norrish's lab without great success." Resigning from Norrish's Lab, Franklin fulfilled the requirements of the National Service Act by working as an Assistant Research Officer at the British Coal Utilisation Research Association (BCURA). The BCURA was located on the Coombe Springs Estate, near Kingston upon Thames on the southwestern outskirts of London. Professor Norrish was a wartime advisor to BCURA. John G. Bennett was the Director. Marcello Pirani and Victor Goldschmidt, both refugees from the Nazis, were consultants and lectured at BCURA while Franklin was there. She studied the porosity of coal, comparing its density to that of helium. Through this, she discovered the relationship between the fine constrictions in the pores in coals and the permeability of the pore space. By concluding that substances were expelled in order of molecular size as temperature increased, Franklin helped classify coals and accurately predict their performance for fuel purposes and in the production of wartime devices (i.e. gas masks). This work was the basis of her Ph.D. thesis The physical chemistry of solid organic colloids with special reference to coal for which Cambridge University awarded her a Ph.D. in 1945. It was also the basis of several papers. The French scientist Adrienne Weill was one of Franklin's tutors at Newnham. At the end of the war, according to Anne Sayre, author of Rosalind Franklin and DNA, Franklin asked Weill to let her know of job openings for "a physical chemist who knows very little physical chemistry, but quite a lot about the holes in coal". At a conference in the autumn of 1946, Weill introduced Franklin to Marcel Mathieu, a director of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the network of institutes that comprise the major part of the scientific research laboratories supported by the French government. This led to Franklin's appointment with Jacques Mering at the Laboratoire Central des Services Chimiques de l'Etat in Paris. Franklin joined the labo (as referred to by the staff) of Mering on 14 February 1947 as one of the fifteen chercheurs (researchers). Mering was an X-ray crystallographer who applied X-ray diffraction to the study of rayon and other amorphous substances, in contrast to the thousands of regular crystals that had been studied by this method for many years. He taught her the practical aspects of applying X-ray crystallography to amorphous substances. This presented new challenges in the conduct of experiments and the interpretation of results. Franklin applied them to further problems related to coal, in particular the changes to the arrangement of atoms when it is converted to graphite. Franklin published several further papers on this work. It became part of the mainstream of work on the physics and chemistry of coal, covered by a current monograph, the annual and other publications. Mering also continued the study of carbon in various forms, using X-ray diffraction and other methods.
In January 1951, Franklin started working as a research associate at King's College London in the Medical Research Council's (MRC) Biophysics Unit, directed by John Randall. Although originally she was to have worked on X-ray diffraction of proteins and lipids in solution, Randall redirected her work to DNA fibres before she started working at King's since Franklin was to be the only experienced experimental diffraction researcher at King's in 1951. He made this reassignment, even before she started working at King's, because of the following pioneering work by Maurice Wilkins and Raymond Gosling – a Ph.D. student assigned to help Franklin. Even using crude equipment, these two men had obtained an outstanding diffraction picture of DNA which sparked further interest in this molecule. Wilkins and Gosling had been carrying out X-ray diffraction analysis of DNA in the unit since May 1950, but Randall had not informed them that he had asked Franklin to take over both the DNA diffraction work and guidance of Gosling's thesis. Randall's lack of communication about this reassignment significantly contributed to the well documented friction that developed between Wilkins and Franklin. Franklin, working with Gosling, started to apply her expertise in X-ray diffraction techniques to the structure of DNA. She used a new fine focus X-ray tube and microcamera ordered by Wilkins, but which she refined, adjusted and focused carefully. Drawing upon her physical chemistry background, Franklin also skillfully manipulated the critical hydration of her specimens. When Wilkins inquired about this improved technique, Franklin replied in terms which offended Wilkins as Franklin had "an air of cool superiority". Franklin's habit of intensely looking people in the eye while being concise, impatient and direct unnerved many of her colleagues. In stark contrast, Wilkins was very shy, and slowly calculating in speech while he avoided looking anyone directly in the eye. In spite of the intense atmosphere, Franklin and Gosling discovered that there were two forms of DNA: at high humidity (when wet), the DNA fibre became long and thin; when it was dried it became short and fat. These forms were termed DNA "B" and "A" respectively. Because of the intense personality conflict developing between Franklin and Wilkins, Randall divided the work on DNA. Franklin chose the data rich A form while Wilkins selected the "B" form because his preliminary pictures had hinted it might be helical. He showed tremendous insight in this assessment of preliminary data. The X-ray diffraction pictures taken by Franklin at this time have been called, by J. D. Bernal, as "amongst the most beautiful X-ray photographs of any substance ever taken". By the end of 1951 it was generally accepted at King's that the B form of DNA was a helix, but after she had recorded an asymmetrical image in 1952 May, Franklin became unconvinced that the A form of DNA was helical in structure.
In July 1952, as a practical joke on Wilkins (who frequently expressed his view that both forms of DNA were helical), Franklin and Gosling produced a death notice regretting the 'death' of helical crystalline DNA (A-DNA) During 1952, Rosalind Franklin and Raymond Gosling worked at applying the Patterson function to the X-ray pictures of DNA they had produced. This was a long and labour-intensive approach but would yield significant insight into the structure of the molecule. By January 1953, Franklin had reconciled her conflicting data, concluding that both DNA forms had two helices, and had started to write a series of three draft manuscripts, two of which included a double helical DNA backbone (see below). Her two A form manuscripts reached Acta Crystallographica in Copenhagen on 6 March 1953, one day before Crick and Watson had completed their model. Franklin must have mailed them while the Cambridge team was building their model, and certainly had written them before she knew of their work. On 8 July 1953 she modified one of these "in proof", Acta articles "in light of recent work" by the King's and Cambridge research teams. The third draft paper on the "B" form of DNA, dated 17 March 1953, was discovered years later amongst her papers, by Franklin's Birkbeck colleague, Aaron Klug. He then published an evaluation of the draft's close correlation with the third of the original trio of 25 April 1953 Nature DNA articles. Klug designed this paper to complement the first article he had written defending Franklin's significant contribution to DNA structure. He had written this first article in response to the incomplete picture of Franklin's work depicted in Watson's 1968 memoir, The Double Helix. As vividly described in The Double Helix, on 30 January 1953, Watson travelled to King's carrying a preprint of Linus Pauling's incorrect proposal for DNA structure. Since Wilkins was not in his office, Watson went to Franklin's lab with his urgent message that they should all collaborate before Pauling discovered his error. The unimpressed Franklin became angry when Watson suggested she did not know how to interpret her own data. Watson hastily retreated, backing into Wilkins who had been attracted by the commotion. Wilkins commiserated with his harried friend and then changed the course of DNA history with the following disclosure. Without Franklin's permission or knowledge, Wilkins showed Watson Franklin's famous photograph 51. Watson, in turn, showed Wilkins a prepublication manuscript by Pauling and Corey. Franklin and Gosling's photo 51 gave the Cambridge pair critical insights into the DNA structure, whereas Pauling and Corey's paper described a molecule remarkably like their first incorrect model.
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0.922129 |
Can fish oil really lower your cholesterol better than statins?
I've promoted fish oils as a safe and easy means to lower your cholesterol for many years. Some have asked if fish oils work as well as the statin drugs. And the answer I always give is: "They work better." And now a new study has proven this to be true.
The study shows that fish oils raise HDL (good) cholesterol better than the statin drug Lipitor. This is especially true for obese and insulin-resistant men. HDL cholesterol removes excess cholesterol from the cells in your arteries. Low HDL levels can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly for the obese and insulin resistant.
In the six-week study, researchers gave 48 men fish oils and Lipitor, both separately and combined. Fish oil and Lipitor together greatly lowered triglycerides and raised HDL cholesterol levels.
But fish oil by itself was the only treatment to raise HDL cholesterol. It altered the production and catabolism rates of HDL apolipoproteins (catabolism is the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules). Lipitor did not increase this effect on its own. And the drug appears to stop fish oil's ability to do this. When they combined the two, they had no effect on HDL.
So if you want to lower your cholesterol to healthy levels, fish oils are the way to go. Not only are they safe, they're more effective than statins. And they protect many other parts of your body, such as your brain.
Ref: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2006; 84(1): 37-43.
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0.999722 |
Add resistance by using hand weights to increase the intensity of your workout.
Regularly working out with weights offers your body a range of benefits. Not only does it help to improve your strength and maintain good balance and coordination, it also assist in retaining muscle mass and healthy bone density.
An exercise ball and two small hand weights.
Start with eight to 10 repetitions of each exercise. Gradually increase to 12.
How-to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, weights in your hands and arms by your sides. Bend the elbow of one arm and bring your fist to shoulder height. Lower. Repeat on opposite side.
How-to: Sit on an exercise ball with your back straight and, with the weights in your hands, hold your arms in out to the side with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. Engage your core and press the hand weights up and together over your head until they gently touch in a controlled movement. Slowly lower your arms to the start position. Repeat.
How-to: Holding a weight with both hands, stand with your feet parallel and directly beneath your shoulders. Bend knees to a 90-degree angle and lower your bottom. Keep the weight evenly distributed through your heels and your knees above your feet. Squeeze your glutes as you go back up, pushing through your heels as you straighten your legs in between each squat.
How-to: Start with your back straight, weights in your hands and arms by your sides. Leading with your left heel, take a big step forward and lunge down, bending both legs. Push up through your left heel and come back to standing. Repeat on the other side.
How-to: Sit on an exercise ball and look forward. Hold the weight behind your head. Raise your hands up towards the ceiling and straighten your arms. Bring your arms down again slowly, keeping your elbows tucked in.
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0.95037 |
"She Wandered Through the Garden Fence"
"Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)"
"Salad Days (Are Here Again)"
"Conquistador" is a song by the British psychedelic rock band Procol Harum. Written by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid, it originally appeared on the band's 1967 self-titled debut album. It was later released as a single from the band's 1972 live album Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. It is one of the band's most famous and popular songs and their third Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (after 1967's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Homburg"), peaking at number 16.
The song's lyrics were written by Keith Reid, and its music was composed by Gary Brooker, who also sang. It was featured on the band's 1967 album, Procol Harum. The song is unusual in that the music was written before the lyrics; according to Reid, "99 out of 100 of those Procol Harum songs were written the words first, and then were set to music." He explained that Brooker had written a piece of Spanish-flavored music before the band had officially formed, and Reid decided to write lyrics about a conquistador. In August 1971, Procol Harum was invited to perform with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in Edmonton, Alberta. "Conquistador" was added to the set with little time to spare, and the orchestra had no time to rehearse. Nonetheless, they began the concert with the song, and the concert was captured on the album Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, of which "Conquistador" was the lead single.
with which the selection closes just before its instrumental trumpet coda, which gives it a mariachi-esque but mournful sound.
The song is featured heavily and with great importance in the movie New York Stories in Martin Scorsese's opening short film, Life Lessons.
Besides "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Conquistador" was the band's highest charting single. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 29 July 1972, exactly five years to the date after "A Whiter Shade of Pale" ascended to its #5 peak, and helped catapult the album into the top five. "Conquistador" peaked at #22 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was generally well received by music critics. Bruce Eder of Allmusic praised it as "the most accessible song" on Procol Harum Live In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, adding that "nothing else [on the album] matches it for sheer, bracing excitement." It was listed on Dave Thompson's 1000 Songs that Rock Your World.
A cover by Killdozer appears on their 7" single "Michael Gerald's Party Machine presents..."
Percy Faith and His Orchestra and Chorus covered the song on their 1972 album Day by Day.
^ Eder, Bruce. "Procol Harum review". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ "Conquistador by Procol Harum". Songfacts. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ a b c d Eder, Bruce. "Live In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra review". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
^ Thompson 2011, p. 138.
^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc)|format= requires |url= (help). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Best of 1972 songs and music, on". Musicandyears.com. 12 November 2010. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
Thompson, Dave (2011). 1000 Songs that Rock Your World. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. ISBN 1-4402-1422-0.
This page was last edited on 19 January 2019, at 07:04 (UTC).
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0.999883 |
Passing the exam will validate your ability to deploy, manage, and operate scalable, highly available, and fault-tolerant systems on AWS.
The successful completion of the exam will validate your ability to deploy, manage, and operate scalable, highly available, and fault-tolerant systems on AWS. You’ll be able to implement and control the flow of data to and from AWS, as well as select the appropriate AWS service based on computer, data, or security requirements. Additionally, you’ll have the ability to identify appropriate use of AWS operational best practices, estimate AWS usage costs and identify operational cost control mechanisms and migrate on premises workloads to AWS.
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0.998841 |
Is anyone tracking the incidence of type 1 diabetes in the population? I think we all know that the numbers are rising, but I am curious as to whether there are any numbers out there. What are some of the possible causes for the increase in number of children diagnosed?
In the United States, to the best of my knowledge, there is no central organization tracking the incidence of type 1 diabetes because it is not a reportable disease -- that is, doctors do not report new onsets to the Centers for Disease Control. In several other countries, however, type 1 diabetes is reportable and there are good data on incidence.
There is much speculation about why the incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing and several studies are underway to identify environmental triggers.
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0.983424 |
Recording bass guitar - With or without effects?
While not so common or gargantuan as those of guitar players, the effects arsenal of a bassist is a delicate topic you shouldn't consider too lightly. In fact, when a musician goes through the trouble of inserting one or several effects in the signal path, it's not just for the sake of it, it actually contributes to creating his or her own sound. But be careful, as cool as they can be, these effects can become a real headache for the music producer and/or the audio engineer.
The first concern has to do with the quality of the effects themselves. Especially since most of them are far from being studio quality effects. Which means they generate hum, noise, hiss... Indeed, some effects make so much noise that trying to achieve a decent signal level with them can prove to be a real conundrum. And if you don't deal with this during the recording, it will inevitably make the mixing session a true nightmare.
So, now that you are aware of the issue, how can you get away without harm? Well, the solution is pretty simple actually, and it only has advantages, as you are about to see.
To avoid any of the problems detailed above, you should record the bass amp and the signal directly from the instrument, before it goes into any pedals. This way you will get at least one completely "clean" signal. As you see, it couldn't be easier, and I'm pretty sure by now you have already guessed what to do next. But can you really grasp all the benefits this entails?
First of all, it allows you to let the bassist play with all his favorite toys without meddling with his sound. This means he or she will be able to play like he/she would under normal circumstances, which will make it easier for him/her to focus on what's really important: the performance.
What's more, despite what I wrote above, it just might happen that the sound you capture form the amp, with all the effects, suits perfectly the production you are working on! If that's the case, you will have less work afterwards, which can't be a bad thing.
But if the amp take doesn't really work for you, you can always use the clean take to track it again with the reamping technique. The cherry on the cake is that, even if the amp take isn't that useful, you can always use it as a reference when reamping/mixing down, in order to respect the sound of the musician and adapting it to the needs of the song.
To finish, I know many of you are asking yourselves whether it was really necessary to dedicate an entire article to this issue. I asked myself the same question several times. And in the end, I came to the conclusion that it was because even if the solution is very simple, the issue is crucial.
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0.997283 |
A mental illness is about extremity. A personality disorder, on the other hand, is sometimes a precursor to a mental illness. The traits that are characteristic for a certain personality disorder may develop at some point to their extreme; and if they do, a personality disorder becomes a mental illness. For example, people with schizopathic personality disorder may develop a mental illness called schizophrenia, if and when the traits of a schizopathic disorder such as social withdrawal and hallucinations get to the point when a person cannot control them. Personality disorders in general can be regarded as risk factors for mental disorders.
Personality disorders usually feature a number of patterns that are present in the course of the entire life of a person. Usually the signs and the symptoms of personality disorders can be spotted in early childhood. Mental illnesses, on the other hand, can manifest themselves at any point during the life of a person and are usually not diagnosed earlier than during one’s twenties.
A mental illness can be as heavy as a serious physical illness. A mental illness often has a biomedical cause and requires hospitalization or total control over a patient. A mental illness also requires treatment with medication. A personality disorder, on the other hand, cannot be compared to a physical illness. Personality disorders rarely have biomedical cause. A person suffering from a personality disorder leads a seemingly normal life and usually doesn’t need medications.
@erikbransteen Is it true that Trump has an undiagnosed mental illness? He can't get help for it unless he asks for help for his psychology.
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0.988959 |
Why do people choose to camp during winter when it is freezing cold? Well, there are many benefits of camping during winter. Not only do you enjoy snow-capped views but also avoid bugs, crowd, enjoy silence and even get the opportunity to know the wood.
When it is rainy or there is ice covering the ground, campers wonder how they can create fire when the wood is wet. If you have no experience or the right information on how to start a bonfire when the branches and wood are wet, you might end up feeling cold.
On top of having your heavy blankets, clothes, jackets and other winter gear, you might also need to set a fire. Not only does it provide you with warmth but also a great time to bond with your family or friends.
If you don't know how to create fire with wet wood, I'm glad you came across this post that explains everything in details. Read on to find more information.
Starting a fire when it is rainy can be mind-boggling. It gets even worse if you have no idea where to start. Before we begin, let us know some of the essential items that you need to start a fire with wet wood.
This is a crucial item that you need to start a fire. Tinder refers to a small and lightweight item that is easy to ignite. Your tinder should be highly combustible and able to burn longer. This makes it easy to catch flame so that you can star kindling the fire.
You can bring your own tinder from homemade of things like paper, balls with Vaseline, steel wool, wood barks, wood shaving, cotton ball among others.
Kindling is as important as the tinder and it can consist of smaller branches and twigs. The nest thing is to catch the fire from tinder and hold it long enough to burn wood and logs.
Without a fire starter, it can be a nightmare to start fire in the woods; unless you want to go the primitive way. Some of the best fire starters that you should carry when going for camping, hiking or any other outdoor activity include a bic lighter, waterproof matches, dry tree back, magnesium rod, paper just to mention a few.
Finding dry wood when it is raining can be tough. Gather a piece of wet or dry wood that you will use to start a fire. I would advise you to look for wood pieces covered by other trees, and it has been there for quite some time. However, finding such wood can also be tough.
You will have to cut the wood into smaller pieces so a wood splitter is an essential item that you should not miss. You can either use an ax, hatchet or knife depending on what you have.
After gathering all the items you need, the next thing is to begin creating the fire. Follow the following tips to create a bonfire when camping during winter.
There is no way you are going to create fire on wet ground. You need to create a fire bed so that you can have a convenient environment of setting the fire. There are different things that you can use to create a fire bed, and one of them is rocks.
If there is a river nearby, you can collect some small to medium sized rocks to create the foundation of the fire. Alternatively, you can stack up dry twigs and branches on top of each other to create a fire bed.
You can make kindling from twigs and branches. If it is hard to find the twigs and the branches, you can split a log and then shave the inside. Even if the wood is dry on the outside, when you split the wood, the inside is normally dry.
After creating the fire bed and gathering your wood, the next thing you should do is to stack the tinder. Take larger logs and place them against each other at an angle of 30 degrees.
Make sure that you leave a void in the middle. Additionally, there should be sufficient flow of air so that there is breathing space for the fire. You will also use the area to place the tinder and kindling inside to create the fire.
Take your kindling and then place it in the middle of the tinder and then ignite. The kindling catches flames fast and the smaller pieces of tinder will now begin to burn. To get the fire started, start with a few pieces and add more as the fire burns.
You don't have to add the split logs at once because you can put off the fire. I understand that the wood you collected is wet so the initial flame is meant to dry the logs before they start burning. When the smaller logs are burning, add the bigger logs slowly and keep building a fire.
To get a decent size of fire, you can add the logs in a span of 10 to 15 minutes. When the fire is burning, now you can keep adding the wood as required.
Do not keep yourself cold in the woods reason being you don't know how to start a fire with wet wood. If you are a serious outdoor person, then you should learn the tips and tricks of starting a fire with wet wood. I know that at first, it will not be an easy task so you will have to try a couple of times. However, with more practice everything becomes easy.
If you have the required items and the right knowledge starting a fire during winter conditions becomes easy. Repeating this process in different real situations several times will make you a pro. So, enjoy your outdoor stay and keep warm regardless of the weather.
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0.991012 |
You're a help desk technician for your company. Sarah is an executive at your company. Because Sarah travels frequently, she uses a Windows XP Professional portable computer that has a smart card reader. Sarah asks you to configure her computer so that she can dial in to the company network when she is out of the office. The company security policy states that dial-in users must use smart cards when they connect to the network, and that the users must use the strongest form of encryption possible. The company security policy further states that client computers must disconnect if the routing and remote access server does not support both smart card authentication and the strongest possible authentication.
You need to configure the dial-up connection properties on Sarah's computer to dial in to the company network. Your solution must ensure that company security policies are enforced.
Select the Advanced (Custom Settings) security option.
Select the Maximum Strength Encryption item from the data encryption list.
Select the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) option, and select Smart Card or other Certificate from the EAP list.
Select the Require Data Encryption check box.
You're a help desk technician for your company. Mary is a member of your company's sales department. Mary asks you to configure her XP portable computer so that she can dial in to the company network when she is out of the office. The company uses two servers for Routing and Remote Access: One is a Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, and the other is a Windows NT 4.0 Server. Each server contains four modems. Each modem connects to a dial-up telephone line, and a single telephone number distributes incoming calls across the eight telephone lines.
Company security policy requires that dial-up logon credentials be encrypted and use the maximum possible security when they are transmitted. You need to ensure that Mary can dial in and log on by using her domain user account. You also need to ensure that company security policy is enforced.
How should you configure the security settings for the dial-up connection?
Select the Typical (Recommended Settings) option. Select the Require Secured Password list item from the validation list.
Select the Typical (Recommended Settings) option. Select the Require Data Encryption (Disconnect If None) check box.
Select the Advanced (Custom Settings) option. On the Advanced Security Settings tab, clear all check boxes except the MS-CHAP v2 check box.
Select the Typical (Recommended Settings) option. Select the Automatically Use My Windows Logon Name and Password (and Domain) check box.
You're the desktop administrator for your organization. All employees have Windows XP Professional computers. All employees are members of the local Users group on their own computers. A user in the marketing department has a removable disk cartridge drive on his computer. The disk cartridge contains an unsupported, third-party file system. When he tries to save data to the disk cartridge, the user is prompted to reformat the disk cartridge. However, he receives an Access Denied error message when attempting to reformat.
You need to enable the user to save data to the disk cartridge. What should you do?
Grant the user Allow-Full Control permission on the disk cartridge.
Instruct the user to format the cartridge as FAT32.
Remove the Read-Only attribute from the disk cartridge.
Configure the local security settings to enable the user to format and eject removable media.
You're a help desk technician for Parker Research. All employees use Windows XP Professional computers. A user named Amy reports a problem browsing the Internet. She says that she cannot use a search to browse to www.parkerresearch.com. You use Remote Assistance to examine search engines on Amy's computer. When you try to use the search engine, you receive the following warning message: You cannot send HTML forms. When you try to use other search engines on Amy's computer, you receive the same message. Amy verifies that she is able to use the search engine to browse the company intranet without problems.
You need to ensure that Amy can use any search engine to browse the Internet from her computer. What should you do?
On Amy's computer, open the Security properties for Microsoft Internet Explorer. Add www.parkerresearch.com to the Trusted Sites list. Clear the Require Server Verification for All Sites in This Zone check box.
Inform Amy to use https:// instead of http:// when typing the URLs for the search engines. Tell Amy to ensure that Internet Explorer displays a lock icon in its status bar, before she submits information in a form on a Web page.
On Amy's computer, open the Security properties for Internet Explorer. In the security settings for the Internet zone, select the Submit Non-Encrypted Form Data option.
Tell Amy to click the Search button on the Internet Explorer toolbar and then type her search keywords in the Web form displayed by Internet Explorer.
You're a help desk technician for Loftware, Inc. Loftware, Inc. maintains a secure intranet Web site at intranet.loftwareinc.com. All employees use Windows XP Professional computers. A user named Kate reports that she cannot access the secure Web site by using Internet Explorer. When she types http://intranet.loftware.com into the Internet Explorer address bar, an error message reports that a digital certificate is not from a trusted source. You verify that the intranet Web server is using a digital certificate issued by your company's Enterprise CA (certificate authority). The Enterprise CA is located on a server named certificates.loftwareinc.com.
You need to ensure that Kate can access the secure intranet Web site without receiving an error message. What should you do?
On Kate's computer, open the Security properties for Internet Explorer. Add intranet.loftwareinc.com to the Trusted Sites list.
Ask a network administrator to modify the properties for IIS (Internet Information Services) on intranet.loftwareinc.com and set the SSL port number to 443.
On Kate's computer, open the Security properties for Internet Explorer. Open the Trusted Sites dialog box and select the Require Server Verification for All Sites in This Zone check box.
On Kate's computer, open Internet Explorer's list of certificates. Import a copy of the certificate used by the intranet.loftwareinc.com server into Kate's Trusted Publishers Certificates store.
You're a help desk technician for your company. Your company uses a custom database application to analyze revenue information. The database application saves data to files with a .dcp file extension. The .dcp files are stored in the same shared folder as many shared Microsoft Word 2002 documents. Your supervisor informs you that the application's .dcp files are becoming corrupted. Each time the files get corrupted, they must be restored from a tape backup, which is time- and resource-consuming. Users with portable computers often select the Word 2002 documents in the shared folder to be made available offline. You find that several users also select the .dcp files to be made available offline.
You need to ensure that users cannot make .dcp files available offline. Your solution must not affect user access to the other files in the folder. What should you do?
Ask a network administrator to modify the file permissions on the .dcp files to assign all users the Deny-Change permission.
Modify the file share that contains the .dcp files and disable offline file caching.
Ask a network administrator to modify the domain security policy by adding the .dcp file type to the File Not Caching domain group policy.
Use Remote Assistance to disable offline files on the local computer policy of all portable computers.
You're the administrator of your company's network. The network includes an Active Directory domain. A new employee named Jane is hired to help deploy Windows XP Professional to 150 new computers. You create a new domain user account for Jane and add the account to the Domain Users group. Jane can install Windows XP Professional on the new computers, but she cannot add the computers to the Active Directory domain.
You verify that the computers are connected to the network and that they are receiving IP configuration information from the company's DHCP server. You need to ensure that Jane can add the new computers to the Active Directory domain. You also need to be sure Jane does not receive any unnecessary security privileges on the network. What should you do?
Add Jane's domain account to the Server Operators domain user group.
On a domain controller, use the Local Computer Policy MMC to add Jane's domain user account to the Add Workstations to Domain user right policy.
Use the Delegation of Control Wizard to grant Jane's domain user account the right to create new objects in the computers container.
Install the Active Directory users and computers MMC on Jane's Windows XP Professional computer. Add Jane's domain user account to the domain Administrators domain user group.
You're a help desk technician for your company. All users have Windows XP Professional computers. Eight users run a custom application named Payroll on their computers. Payroll stores user passwords in a file named Secure.ini. By default, the Secure.ini file is stored in a folder named C:\Winnt\PayrollApp. The actual location and name of the file can be changed by an administrator. Each Secure.ini file is unique. Each computer contains a single logical drive C: formatted as NTFS in order to comply with the company's security policy.
You need to be sure that the Secure.ini files get encrypted. What should you do?
Create a folder named C:\Files. Copy the Secure.ini file to the C:\Files folder. In the properties of the C:\Files folder, select the option to encrypt the contents of the folder. Accept the default settings on the Confirm Attributes Changes dialog box. Configure Payroll to use the C:\Files\Secure.ini file.
In the Properties of the C:\Winnt\PayrollApp folder, use Windows Explorer to select the option to encrypt the contents of the folder. Accept the default settings on the Confirm Attributes Changes dialog box.
Have a network administrator share a new encrypted folder named SecureFiles on a network server. Permit users to read the files contained within the folder. Copy the Secure.ini file from each computer into the SecureFiles folder. On each computer, configure Payroll to use the Passwords.ini file in the SecureFiles folder.
Create a folder named C:\Files. Move the Secure.ini file to the C:\Files folder. Instruct the user of each computer to open the properties of the C:\Files folder and select the option to encrypt the contents of the folder. Accept the default settings on the Confirm Attributes Changes dialog box. Configure Payroll to use the C:\Files\Secure.ini files.
You're a help desk technician for your company. Mike and Valerie are users in your company's sales department. Mike and Valerie both use Windows XP Professional laptop computers. They also use Internet Explorer to connect to a Web-based Internet email service. Mike reports that he is required to provide a username and password each time he accesses that Web site. Valerie, however, is not required to log on each separate time she accesses the Web site because the site remembers her username and password.
You need to configure Mike's computer so that the Web site can remember his username and password. How should you configure Internet Explorer on Mike's computer?
Set the privacy configuration for first-party cookies to Accept.
Modify the security configuration on Mike's laptop so that the Internet email Web site is included in the Trusted Sites list.
Modify the privacy configuration so that the Always Allow Session Cookies check box is selected.
Set the security level for the Internet zone to medium on Mike's computer.
You and Steve are the desktop administrators for your company. You install a printer on your Windows XP Professional computer. You share this printer on the company network.
You want to ensure that only members of the ITAdmins local group can use this printer, and that only you and Steve can manage the printer and all print jobs. You also want to ensure that members of the ITAdmins local group can manage only their own print jobs. How should you configure security on this printer?
Grant Allow-Print permission to the ITAdmins group. Grant Allow-Manage Documents permission to your user account and Steve's user account.
Grant Allow-Print permission to the ITAdmins group. Grant Allow-Manage Documents and Allow-Manage Printers permissions to your user account and Steve's user account.
Grant Allow-Manage Documents permission to the ITAdmins group. Grant Allow-Manage printers permission to your user account and Steve's user account.
Grant Allow-Print permission to the ITAdmins group. Remove Allow-Manage Documents permission from the Creator Owner group. Grant Allow-Manage Printers permission to your user account and Steve's user account.
You're the desktop administrator for Computers, Ltd. A graphics designer named Paul saves all his files in the My Documents folder on his Windows XP Professional computer. Paul now needs to work on several different computers each day to complete his work. He needs to be able to access his files at any time. You implement a roaming user profile and home directory for Paul. However, Paul mentions that when he uses his roaming profile, it takes more than 10 minutes for him to log on to other computers.
You need to reduce the amount of time it takes for Paul to log on to other computers when using his roaming profile. What should you do?
Log on as a local administrator on Paul's computer. Edit the local group policy to exclude directories in roaming profiles.
Change the UNC path of Paul's roaming profile to his home directory folder.
Log on as a local administrator on Paul's computer. Change the roaming profile to a local profile.
Log on as a local administrator on Paul's computer. In the properties of the My Documents folder, change the target folder location to Paul's home directory.
You're the desktop administrator for your company's research department. The IT manager for the research department creates a custom policy that will apply to a custom application that is loaded on the department's Windows XP Professional computers. He deploys this policy by using Group Policy. When you inspect the research department's computers, you find out that the application has not been modified by the policy.
You want to examine the Windows XP Professional computers to find out whether the custom policy is affecting the correct location in the Registry. Which command should you run?
You're the desktop administrator for Compco, Ltd. The company's network contains 800 Windows XP Professional computers. All the computers are members of a single Active Directory domain. The computers' hard disks are formatted as NTFSv5. Compco's software developers release a new custom application. The application uses a .dll file named AppLibrary.dll, which is installed in a folder named \Program Files\Compco\CompcoApp. The company's software help desk technicians complain that many users experience problems when they use the application. You notice that the AppLibrary.dll file was deleted on the client computers. Compco's software developers recommend that you modify the file permissions on AppLibrary.dll so that users have only Read permission on the file.
You need to ensure that all users have only Read permission on the AppLibrary.dll file on all 800 Windows XP Professional computers. What should you do?
Write a logon script that moves the AppLibrary.dll file into the Windows\System32 folder. Ensure that Windows file protection is enabled on all 800 Windows XP Professional computers. Apply that logon script to all domain user accounts.
Use the Security Configuration and Analysis console to create a new security template that modifies file permissions on AppLibrary.dll. Use the Active Directory group policy to import and then apply the template to all 800 Windows XP Professional computers.
Repackage the customer application in a Windows Installer package. Have a domain administrator create a GPO that advertises the package to all domain user accounts.
Write a VBScript file named Fix.vbs that modifies the file permissions on AppLibrary.dll.
What component of the Active Directory Structure used with Microsoft Windows XP is a distinct named set of attributes that represent a network resource, such as a user or computer account?
What component of the Active Directory structure used with Microsoft Windows XP is a logical grouping of objects, such as computers, accounts, domains, or OUs?
What component of the Active Directory structure used with Microsoft Windows XP is a container used to organize objects of a domain into logical administrative groups?
What component of the Active Directory structure used with Microsoft Windows XP holds all network objects and information about only all objects it contains, and acts as a security boundary?
What component of the Active Directory structure used with Microsoft Windows XP is a hierarchical grouping of one or more domains that share a contiguous namespace?
What component of the Active Directory structure used with Microsoft Windows XP is a hierarchical grouping of one or more domain trees that have different namespaces?
What component of the Active Directory structure used with Microsoft Windows XP is a geographical grouping of one or more IP subnets connected by high-speed links?
What item in Active Directory used with Microsoft Windows XP contains a formal definition of contents and structure of Active Directory, such as classes, class properties, and attributes?
What item in Active Directory used with Microsoft Windows XP is a central repository of information about all objects in an entire forest?
What item in Active Directory used with Microsoft Windows XP uniquely identifies an object within the entire Active Directory forest?
What item in Active Directory used with Microsoft Windows XP identifies an object only within a single domain?
What item in Active Directory used with Microsoft Windows XP is a unique 128-bit character string assigned to objects when they're created?
What item in Active Directory used with Microsoft Windows XP is the common, friendly name given to a user account?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in local group can perform all administrative tasks on the local system?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in local group can use Backup to back up and restore data on the local computer?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in local group can be used for granting temporary access to resources?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in local group can only create and modify local user accounts on the local computer, share resources, install programs, and install device drivers, among other simple tasks?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in local group can log on locally through the Remote Desktop Connection?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in local group can perform only everyday tasks for which it has been assigned permissions?
Which Microsoft Windows XP built-in local group includes all users and computers that have been authenticated?
Which Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group includes all users that have logged on through Task Scheduler?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group is best described as a placeholder in an inheritable ACE?
Which Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group includes all users that have logged in using a standard 56Kbps phone connection?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group is best described as including authenticated users and guests?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group is best described as including all users logging on locally or through a remote desktop connection?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group is best described as a service account that's used by the operating system?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group is best described as including all security principals that have logged on as a service, with membership in this group controlled by the operating system?
What Microsoft Windows XP built-in system group is best described as including all users who have logged on to a Terminal Services server that uses Terminal Services version 4.0 application compatibility mode?
GPedit.msc is the replacement for the POLEdit.exe used in earlier Windows versions.
Group policies can be stored locally.
Group policies are more flexible than system policies.
System policies are more flexible than group policies.
Group policies can be stored in Active Directory.
Which security template for Microsoft Windows XP is a compatibility template, and is also referred to as the Basic template?
Which security template for Microsoft Windows XP is a more secure template in regard to account policy and auditing?
Which security template for Microsoft Windows XP is a highly secure template provided for Microsoft Windows XP workstations running in native mode only?
Which security template for Microsoft Windows XP applies the default settings to the root of the system drive that Windows XP was originally installed with?
EFS is available only on NTFSv5 partitions.
EFS is transparent to the end user.
EFS uses public key encryption.
EFS uses shared key encryption.
An appointed recovery system agent can open the files as well.
Copy the file as normal and it will remain encrypted.
Copy the file as normal and it will become unencrypted.
Move the file as normal and it will become unencrypted.
Move the file as normal and it will remain encrypted.
They are visible to the administrator only.
They are visible to all users.
You're the desktop administrator for your company. The company's network consists of 20 Microsoft Windows XP computers. All hardware and installed applications are the same on each computer. A user named Steve in the marketing department forgets his password on a regular basis, causing you much concern and administrative effort regarding security.
Create a password reset disk for Steve, and instruct him in its use.
Assign Steve the password of password, and click the setting for User Cannot Change Password.
Assign Steve the password of noexpire, and click the setting for Password Never Expires.
Assign Steve the password of logon, and click the setting for User Must Change Password at Next Logon.
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