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With Eyes on the Moon, Students on Earth Prepare for NASA's 12th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race April 8-9
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
News release: 05-026
They're working in classrooms, garages and shops all across the country -- and beyond -- inspired by past space explorers and future space missions. They're trying to figure out the best way to design, build and race a human-powered buggy capable of traveling around a half-mile track on Earth.
These high school and college students are preparing for NASA's 12th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race in Huntsville, Ala., April 8-9. Seventy-two teams from 20 states, Puerto Rico and Germany will take on a course that will test not only their physical endurance, but the reliability and strength of the moonbuggies. In 2004, 55 teams from 18 states and Puerto Rico participated in the competition.
The Moonbuggy challenge is to design a human-powered vehicle no more than 4-feet high, 4-feet long and 4-feet wide and light enough for its two drivers to carry. Buggies, unassembled prior to the race, must be quickly assembled on race day by two operators -- one male, one female. Those drivers must power and drive the vehicle against the clock, over a half-mile obstacle course of simulated moonscape terrain at the U.S. & Rocket Center in Huntsville.
The high-school and college teams participating in the Great Moonbuggy competition gain invaluable experience that could qualify them to become the nation's next generation of astronauts, designers, engineers and scientists. They could be contributing to the goals of the Vision for Space Exploration which includes returning the Space Shuttle to flight, completing the International Space Station, traveling to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
But it's more than just a race. It's the continuation of a challenge faced and conquered more than 40 years ago by the NASA team which designed Lunar Rovers -- vehicles that were compact, durable and able to handle the rigors of the tough, unflinching environment of the Moon. Astronauts used separate Lunar Rovers on the final three Moon missions -- Apollo 15, 16 and 17 -- to travel 52.51 miles, gather 620.6 pounds of rock and soil samples, and return them to Earth.
"The spirit of those space pioneers is still alive in these young people who compete in the Great Moonbuggy Race," said Durlean Bradford, the race coordinator and an education specialist in the Academic Affairs Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. "They work on their moonbuggies for months and learn about design, engineering and manufacturing. And sometimes they even have to make repairs on the buggies during the race."
Although the moonbuggy racers don't haul soil and rock, they do encounter many of the same design and engineering problems faced by the original lunar rover team. But the challenges don't break their spirits.
"They give it their all," Bradford said of the students. "They approach the project with the same level of enthusiasm you find on a football or basketball team. The crowd cheers them on, they get pumped up and really compete. They also know what they are doing is giving them great skills they can use in their future careers."
Prizes are awarded not only for the fastest vehicles, but also to the team whose design represents the best technical approach to solving the engineering problem of navigating a simulated lunar surface.
For more event details, race rules, information on the course and photos from previous competitions, visit:
For information about other NASA education programs on the Internet, visit:
For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:
For more information:
+ Photos - 2004 High School Winners
+ Photos - 2004 College Winners | <urn:uuid:11fc7925-4267-4c44-ab3f-33650a9e16dd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2005/05-026.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00092-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948571 | 780 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Achalasia is a rare condition where the movement of food through the esophagus and into the stomach is impaired due to failure of some of the esophageal muscles to relax. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) which is a ring of muscles that control the passage of food between the esophagus and stomach are hypertonic meaning that it it remains contracted. Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder in that the coordinated movement of foods through the esophagus (gullet) is impaired.
How does achalasia work?
When food enters the esophagus, a series of coordinated muscle contractions known as the peristaltic wave pushes food down the esophagus. At the end of the of the esophagus, the LES (also known as the cardiac sphincter) should open and allow food to enter the stomach. The LES is an important structure that prevents the stomach (gastric) contents from emptying into the esophagus and causing damage due to gastric acid.
With achalasia, the peristaltic wave is disrupted and the LES does not relax and open. With time, the body of the esophagus becomes progressively dilated and this appears as a balloon-like esophagus (gullet) with a stricture at the bottom (LES) which can be seen upon conducting a barium swallow x-ray (refer to the picture below).
The cause of achalasia is unknown but certain findings have provided some answers as to how it occurs. There seems to be a defective release of nitric oxide by nerve cells that should prompt the LES to relax (inhibitory neurons). There also appears to be a degeneration of the myenteric plexus which innervates the esophagus. This indicates the the nerves signals to the muscles of the esophagus are impaired and cannot coordinate the opening and closing of the LES.
What are the signs and symptoms of achalasia?
The most common symptom reported by achalasia patients is dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). This develops gradually and may only be noticed when consuming solid foods. In the early stages of achalasia, dysphagia may not be constant but rather occurs in episodes that passes on its own. Some patients initially report the symptoms as indigestion which eases after walking or standing up.
Regurgitation of food is a common feature as well as gagging. As the condition progresses, there is pulmonary aspiration where the esophageal contents enter the airways. This more frequently occurs at night (nocturnal) and may cause the patient to wake up coughing with a choking sensation. Aspiration can eventually lead to a host of respiratory symptoms and conditions.
There is a sensation of pressure in the chest just behind the breastbone (retrosternal) which may sometimes be described as heartburn although it is not due to acid reflux. Esophageal spasms result in chest pain. As the condition progresses, the patient may only eat semi-solid foods or drink liquids for nourishment. Loss of weight is eventually seen in most achalasia patients. | <urn:uuid:63da08f0-cf51-46b2-aac1-5adab84693dc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.healthhype.com/what-is-achalasia-esophagus-lower-esophageal-sphincter-les.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396027.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00038-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944541 | 661 | 3.65625 | 4 |
NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G2 - Imperiled
Reasons: Endemic to a small portion of the southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain; typically collected in low numbers; few recent collections. Trend data indicate a loss of a large majority of historical local breeding populations, with only two relatively good populations remaining (Apalachicola National Forest and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, both in Florida Panhandle). Adult and larval habitats continue to be threatened by conversion to other uses.
Intrinsic Vulnerability: Moderately vulnerable
Environmental Specificity: Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. | <urn:uuid:57af8cfa-1452-46a6-900b-6fb3cf18fc26> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.eol.org/data_objects/26622940 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396224.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00122-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.847467 | 133 | 2.71875 | 3 |
NIH Stem Cell Libraries and Projects
Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC)
The goal of the Mammalian Gene Collection at NIH is to provide full-length open reading frame (FL-ORF) clones for human, mouse, and rat genes. As part of this effort, several human cDNA libraries from embryonic stem cell lines have been constructed. All sequences are deposited into GenBank, and the cDNA clones are available from the I.M.A.G.E. Consortium. The following hES cell lines generated these MGC libraries:
The Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP)
The goal of the NCI's Cancer Genome Anatomy Project is to determine the gene expression profiles of normal, precancer, and cancer cells. All data is publicly available, and the website has developed unique bioinformatic tools to analyze the vast amount of data generated. One method used to measure gene expression is Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE). CGAP has adopted a novel approach, SAGE Genie, for reliably matching SAGE tags, either 10bp (short) or 17 bp (long), to known genes.
CGAP has constructed several embryonic stem cell libraries (short and long) for SAGE analysis and offers a unique opportunity within the SAGE Anatomic Viewer tool to compare the expression of an individual gene among these libraries. The following five hES cell lines were used to prepare 5 long and 1 short SAGE Genie libraries: | <urn:uuid:a4f91a87-7196-4775-af35-7e5e5253cbab> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://stemcells.nih.gov/research/pages/genes.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00036-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917513 | 303 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Proteomics/Protein Identification - Mass Spectrometry
Contact wikipedia user Riticeninjas regarding contributions/corrections.
- Mass Spectrometry Overview
Mass spectrometry is a technique in which gas phase molecules are ionized and their mass-to-charge ratio is measured by observing acceleration differences of ions when an electric field is applied. Lighter ions will accelerate faster and be detected first. If the mass is measured with precision then the composition of the molecule can be identified. In the case of proteins, the sequence can be identified. Most samples submitted to mass Spectrometry are a mixture of compounds. A spectrum is acquired to give the mass-to-charge ratio of all compounds in the sample. Mass spectrometry is also known as 'mass spec' or MS for short. Mass spectrometry throws light on molecular mechanisms within cellular systems. It is used for identifying proteins, functional interactions, and it further allows for determination of subunits. Other molecules in cells such as lipid components can also be defined.
A mass spectrometer is composed of several different parts: a source that ionizes the sample, the analyzer that separates the ions based on mass-to-charge ratio, a detector that "sees" the ions, and a data system to process and analyze the results. You can also measure relative abundance of an ion using mass spectrometry. Different compounds have differential ionization capabilities and therefore intensity of your ion is not a direct correlation to concentration.
Mass spectrometry can be a high throughput analytical method due to the ability for a mass spectrum to be measured rapidly and with minimal sample handling as compared to gel methods.
It is an analytical method which has a variety of uses outside of proteomics, such as isotope and dating, trace gas analysis, atomic location mapping, pollutant detection, and space exploration
- History of Mass Spectrometry
The history of this technique finds its roots in the first studies of gas excitation in a charged environment, more than 100 years ago. This pioneering work led to the identification of two isotopes of neon (neon-20 and neon-22) via mass to charge ration discrimination by J.J Thomson in 1913. Over the next fifty years the fundamental basis of the technique was further developed. After the coupling of gas chromatography to Mass Spectroscopy in 1959 by researches at Dow Chemical, the full potential of the technique as a highly accurate, quantitative method for exploring compounds was realized, spurring a wave of developments which continue to the present day. The precision of mass spectrometry led to the discovery of isotopes.
- Implications of Mass Spectrometry for Proteomics Applications
The technique of mass spectrometry is a valuable tool in the field of proteomics. It can be used to identify proteins through variations of mass spectrometry techniques. The most common first approach to proteomics is a bottom-up approach in which the protein is digested by a protease, such a trypsin, and the peptides are then analyzed by peptide mass fingerprinting, collision-induced dissociation, tandem MS, and electron capture dissociation. Once the peptides masses have been determined the mass list can be sent to a database, such as MASCOT, where the list is compared to the masses of all known peptides. If enough peptides match that of a known protein you can identify your protein. If the masses of your peptides do not match a known protein you can sequence your peptide by de novo sequencing using MS/MS methods; where you isolate your peptide and break it along the peptide bond backbone forming y and b ions from which you can determine the sequence. The advantages of the bottom-up approach are that the small size of tryptic peptide ions is easy to handle biochemically than entire protein ions because of their relatively small masses that are easier to be determine. Beside bottom-up approach, another approach is top-down. In top-down approach, the complete proteins are directly analyzed by using mass spectrometer without solution digestion as bottom-up does. The advantages of the top-down approach are that it can sometime provide the complete coverage of the protein. But since whole proteins are hard to handle biochemically compared to small peptide pieces, it makes top-down approach difficult to analyze.
Another use of mass spectrometry in proteomics is protein quantification. By labeling proteins with stable heavier isotopes you can in turn determine the relative abundance of proteins. Companies now produce kits, such as iTRAQ (Applied Biosystems), in order to do this at a high-throughput level.
One of the most powerful ways to identify a biological molecule is to determine its molecular mass together with the masses of its component building blocks after fragmentation. There are two dominant methods for doing this. The first is electrospray ionization (ESI), in which the ions of interest are formed from solution by applying a high electric field. This is done by applying a high electric field to the tip of a capillary, from which the solution will pass through. The sample will be sprayed into the electric field along with a flow of nitrogen to promote desolvation. Droplets will form and will evaporate in a vacuumed area. This causes an increase in charge on the droplets and the ions are now said to be multiply charged. These multiply charged ions can now enter the analyzer. ESI is a method of choice because of the following properties: (1)The "softness" of the phase conversion process allows very fragile molecules to be ionized intact and even in some non-covalent interactions to be preserved for MS analysis. (2)The eluting fractions through liquid chromatography can then be sprayed into the mass spectrometer, allowing for the further analysis of mixtures. (3)The production of multiply charged ions allow for the measurement of high-mass biopolymers. Multiple charges on the molecule will reduce its mass to charge ratio when compared to a single charged molecule. Multiple charges on a molecule also allows for improved fragmentation which in turn allows for a better determination of structure. The second is matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) in which the molecular ions of interest are formed by pulses of laser light impacting on the sample isolated within an excess of matrix molecules. This enables the determination of masses of large biomolecules and synthetic polymers greater than 200,000 Daltons without degradation of the molecule of interest. The advantages of MALDI are its robustness, high speed, and relative immunity to contaminants and biochemical buffers.
A type of mass spectrometer often used with MALD is TOF or Time of Flight mass spectrometry. This enables fast and accurate molar mass determination along with sequencing repeated units and recognizing polymer additives and impurities. This technique is based on an ultraviolet absorbing matrix where the matrix and polymer are mixed together along with excess matrix and a solvent to prevent aggregation of the polymer. This mixture is then placed on the tip of a probe; then the solvent is removed while under vacuum conditions. This creates co-crystallized polymer molecules that are dispersed homogeneously within the matrix. A pulsing laser beam is set to an appropriate frequency and energy is shot to the matrix, which becomes partially vaporized. In turn the homogeneously dispersed polymer within the matrix is carried into the vapor phase and becomes charged. To obtain a superb signal-to-noise ratio, multiple laser shots are executed. The shapes of the peaks are improved and the molar masses determined are more accurate. Fianlly,in the TOF analyzer the molecules from a sample are imparted identical translational kinetic energies because of the electrical potential energy difference. These ionic molecules travel down an evacuated tube with no electrical field and of the same distance. The smallest ions arrive first at the detector, which produces a signal for each ion. The cumulative data from multiple laser shots yield a TOF mass spectrum, which translates the detector signal into a function of time, which in turn can be used to calculate the mass of the ion.
In addition to these ionization techniques, highly powerful mass analyzers have been developed. These analyzers measure the mass/charge ratio of intact ionized biomolecules, as well as their fragmentation spectra, with high accuracy and high speed. The measurement of fragmentation spectra is called tandem MS or MS/MS. In conjunction with single stage MS (with intact precursor ions) tandem MS can be utilized to help elucidate a protein since the problem of elucidation will reduce to assembling the puzzle pieces of the fragmented protein.
American Society for Mass Spectrometry - What is MS?, http://www.asms.org/whatisms/p4.html
Mass Spectrometry in the Postgenomic Era Annual Review of Biochemistry Vol. 80: 239-246 (Volume publication date July 2011) DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-110810-095744 https://ted.ucsd.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_767_1%26url%3D
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Chemical Sciences http://scs.illinois.edu/massSpec/ion/esi.php
University of Southern Mississippi School of Polymers and High Performance Materials http://www.psrc.usm.edu/mauritz/maldi.html | <urn:uuid:7822c5fe-8bca-4013-a741-daf09775b49d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Mass_spectrometry | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00077-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92161 | 1,994 | 3.484375 | 3 |
1. Pocket PC (pocket personal computer) is a generic label that is sometimes used to describe a mobile device that provides many of the same functions as a desktop computer. Informally, the term is used as a synonym for smart phone or personal digital assistant (PDA). The term is considered by many industry experts to be outdated.
2. Pocket PC is a a hardware specification from Microsoft for a small, handheld computing device that uses the Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. Microsoft refers to the pocket PC that runs the Microsoft Windows Mobile Classic operating system as a Windows Mobile Classic device. | <urn:uuid:7e3358dc-73b2-48cc-a9b0-1e56981fcdec> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/pocket-PC-pocket-personal-computer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00084-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923121 | 119 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Seen a black bear recently? You're not alone
Published 11:33 pm, Sunday, June 13, 2010
When temperatures climb, residents can expect black bear populations to follow suit, wildlife experts said.
"There has been a rise in forest land," Rego said, adding that 150 years ago, Connecticut was farmland with only 20 to 25 percent forested. "We are approximately 60 percent forest now," he said.
Rego said that despite the increase, it's easy to evade dangerous encounters. The biggest step residents can take to avoid contact with a bear is to remove attractants, such as garbage and bird feeders, from outside the home.
On May 26, the DEP was forced to shoot an aggressive black bear found on the porch of a house in Tolland. No residents were hurt during the incident.
"There is very minimal risk of an attack," Rego said. "I don't know of any injuries to humans by bears in the state."
Rego stressed that euthanasia of bears is rare, with an average of two or less per year over the past five years.
While black bears typically avoid humans, males travel far during the summer in search of females. This wandering could land them on doorsteps all over the state.
However, southwestern Connecticut is not a place the animals characteristically roam. While in the past year there have only been minimal sightings in southwestern counties, there have been 207 sightings in Canton alone, according to Connecticut's DEP's website.
"We typically find them in northwest towns," Rego said. "We get regular reports of bears as far south as Milford, and recently in Bethany. As you travel south, the frequency of sightings decrease."
"Bears here are few and far between," Kies said. "People come to us, and they think the big bad wolf or bear are around the corner. We let them know where the bears might live and what to do."
Rego said he hopes any bear sightings will be reported to the DEP.
"I think there are lots of sightings that go unreported, as compared to the number that do go reported," he said. "Probably two to three times as many."
For information about bears in Connecticut, visit www.ct.gov/dep | <urn:uuid:6ce71afe-85cb-4a47-8b06-8dd3b32d7d30> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Seen-a-black-bear-recently-You-re-not-alone-522661.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00124-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979364 | 473 | 2.625 | 3 |
Engineering, Building, and Architecture
Not many museums collect houses. The National Museum of American History has four, as well as two outbuildings, 11 rooms, an elevator, many building components, and some architectural elements from the White House. Drafting manuals are supplemented by many prints of buildings and other architectural subjects. The breadth of the museum's collections adds some surprising objects to these holdings, such as fans, purses, handkerchiefs, T-shirts, and other objects bearing images of buildings.
The engineering artifacts document the history of civil and mechanical engineering in the United States. So far, the Museum has declined to collect dams, skyscrapers, and bridges, but these and other important engineering achievements are preserved through blueprints, drawings, models, photographs, sketches, paintings, technical reports, and field notes.
"Engineering, Building, and Architecture - Overview" showing 1 items.
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- Company Name
- Albert Ramond and Associates Inc.
- Record ID
- Data source
- Smithsonian Libraries | <urn:uuid:acbb7e45-d518-4dd3-b44a-6bfd3722f2f8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/engineering-building-and-architecture?edan_start=0&edan_fq=name%3A%22Albert+Ramond+and+Associates+Inc.%22&edan_fq=place%3A%22Illinois%22 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397213.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00132-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927684 | 215 | 2.890625 | 3 |
(NAPSI)--Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that most children should eat more fruits and vegetables, which contain essential nutrients that may help protect against chronic diseases. But how can parents, schools and other caregivers get kids to chow down?
Cut up fruit before serving it, suggests Mark Schuster, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher with the Prevention Research Centers (PRC) Program, a nationwide network of 37 academic research centers funded by the CDC to find ways to help people get and stay healthy.
Dr. Schuster, while leading the University of California at Los Angeles PRC, partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in developing Students for Nutrition and Exercise (SNaX), a program in which middle school students promote healthy eating and physical activity among their peers. During testing of SNaX, Dr. Schuster (now at Harvard Medical School) and colleagues discovered that in general, kids don't like to bite into whole fruit. "But if you cut it up for them, even though it's the exact same fruit, instead of going in the trash can, it goes into their mouth," he says.
Dr. Schuster is now preparing SNaX for use throughout LAUSD and beyond. But LAUSD is already using some key features, including the cut fruit component.
Parents should model healthy eating habits, says Becky Mozaffarian, M.S., M.P.H., a researcher at the Harvard University PRC. Fruits and vegetables should always be readily available in the home. "Try keeping a supply of cut-up fruits and veggies in the refrigerator, at eye level, for snacking," she says.
Mozaffarian helped develop Food & Fun After School 2nd Edition, a curriculum that outside-of-school programs can use to promote physical activity and healthier food to children. The YMCA has committed to using Food & Fun nationwide as part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Partnership for a Healthier America initiative. The curriculum is available free at www.foodandfun.org.
"Serve a fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack," says Mozaffarian. "Even if children don't touch the fruit or vegetable at first, one day they just might try it. Don't give up."
For more information about the PRC Program, go to www.cdc.gov/prc.
Parents and caregivers should:
• Introduce fruits and veggies early in life.
• Involve children in fruit and veggie purchases.
• Involve children in preparing fruit and veggie snacks.
• Offer salad bars.
• Involve students in taste tests.
• Pay attention to presentation. For example, a package with condensation on the plastic cover may look unappetizing.
See www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone for recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables, depending upon age, sex and physical activity level. | <urn:uuid:5428a459-b73b-436b-ac38-f60971d89947> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.nj.com/north_american_precis_syndicate/2012/08/giving_kids_a_taste_for_fruits_and_vegetables.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00183-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936624 | 612 | 3.390625 | 3 |
NEW YORK April 15, 2007 Results of two studies funded by Project A.L.S. and appearing in today's advance online publication of Nature Neuroscience demonstrate that embryonic stem cells may provide a new tool for studying disease mechanisms and for identifying drugs to slow ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Both studies were completed by researchers participating in an ongoing collaboration with the Project A.L.S./Jenifer Estess Laboratory for Stem Cell Research, the world's first and only privately funded laboratory focused exclusively on stem cells and ALS.
The complementary studies, led by Kevin Eggan, of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and Serge Przedborski, of Columbia University Medical Center compellingly demonstrate that embryonic stem cells can be used to create an in vitro model of ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease that selectively destroys motor neurons, messenger cells responsible for virtually all voluntary movement.
Until now, scientists have not known whether motor neurons in ALS die because of a problem within the cellor from outside the cell. The study by Eggan's group describes successful use of a novel embryonic stem cell-based model for ALS that will help scientists to answer this and other questions. Utilizing this model both Eggan and Przedborski's groups observed that non-neuronal cells called astrocytes may have a toxic effect on motor neurons in ALS.
The Columbia study provides further evidence that astrocytes are toxic to motor neurons in ALS. The Columbia team's discovery of astrocyte-toxic mediators provides not only an insight into how the damage associated with ALS occurs, and a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of the disease but also provides a target for potential new therapies aimed at slowing motor neuron degeneration in ALS.
"That's what happens when scientists from major institutions work together toward shared goals. Project A.L.S. prides itself on b
Contact: Patricia Harrington | <urn:uuid:6a1e115e-d73a-41e9-a402-41dd0145cc72> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://news.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-3/Stem-cells-provide-new-tool-for-studying-disease-and-identifying-ALS-drugs-1903-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00189-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913811 | 393 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Birthplace: Dunse, Scotland
Location of death: Long Island, NY
Cause of death: Natural Causes
Remains: Buried, Colden Family Cemetery, Queens, NY
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Physicist, Government
Party Affiliation: Whig
Executive summary: Colonial scientist and statesman
Cadwallader Colden was a noted 18th century physicist, botanist, merchant, physician, and historian who also compiled astronomical tables and wrote on psychology, mathematics, cancer and yellow fever. He is generally cited as the author of the first scientific texts published in the colonies, and his better-remembered works include an attempt to expand on the work of Isaac Newton, and a finding that filth and foul air had been contributing factors in an epidemic that swept New York City. He corresponded with Carolus Linnaeus and was a friend of Benjamin Franklin, until politics drove them apart. He served as surveyor-general and later as Governor of the province of New York (though Lieutenant Governor was his official title).
In his public posts Colden was strictly loyal to England. When he announced that he would enforce the Stamp Act, he was first burned in effigy, then imprisoned by the New York City Council until he agreed not to collect the hated tax. Perhaps as a result of this, he was disdainful of proposals for democracy, equating it with mob rule. He was the featured speaker at the Manhattan unveiling of a statue of King George III, and in another controversy, he ordered a political opponent, one Alexander McDougall, to be arrested and charged with seditious libel.
After hearing reports of the 1775 Battle of Lexington and Concord, Colden feared that his royalist ties could cost him his life, and retired from the public arena. He died in his home shortly after the American radicals declared their 1776 independence from the Crown. The statue of King George, dedicated by Colden, was later melted to make bullets for the Revolutionary War, and after the war his estate was seized and sold by the government.
His son, David Colden, was forced to flee to Canada, and his daughter, Jane Colden, died before the war but is is generally acknowledged as America's first female botanist. Colden's grandson, Cadwallader David Colden, served with distinction in the War of 1812, and was later New York District Attorney from 1798-1810, Mayor of New York City from 1818-1821, and a US Congressman from 1821-23.
Father: Alexander Colden (minister, b. 1664, d. 1738)
Mother: Janet Hughes Colden (d. 1731)
Wife: Alice Chrystie Colden (m. 1689, m. 1715)
Son: David Colden
Daughter: Jane Colden (botanist)
High School: Royal High School, Edinburgh, Scotland
Theological: University of Edinburgh (1705)
Governor of New York (1760-61, 1763-65, 1769-70, and 1774-75)
New York State Official Surveyor General (1718-21)
American Philosophical Society
Author of books:
The History of the Five Indian Nations (1727)
Principles of Action in Matter (1751)
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Copyright ©2014 Soylent Communications | <urn:uuid:f74913b8-8aae-422d-a031-f5fbe94b409f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nndb.com/people/322/000163830/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00128-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962484 | 729 | 2.578125 | 3 |
What Cooks Do
Cooks prepare fresh vegetables.
Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.
Cooks typically do the following:
- Ensure the freshness of food and ingredients
- Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes
- Bake, grill, or fry meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods
- Boil and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods
- Arrange, garnish, and sometimes serve food
- Clean work areas, equipment, utensils, and dishes
- Cook, handle, and store food or ingredients
Cooks usually work under the direction of chefs, head cooks, or food service managers. Large restaurants and food service establishments often have multiple menus and large kitchen staffs. Teams of restaurant cooks, sometimes called assistant cooks or line cooks, work at assigned stations equipped with the necessary types of stoves, grills, pans, and ingredients.
Job titles often reflect the principal ingredient cooks prepare or the type of cooking they do—vegetable cook, fry cook, or grill cook, for example.
Cooks use a variety of kitchen equipment, including broilers, grills, slicers, grinders, and blenders.
The responsibilities of cooks vary depending on where they work, the size of the facility, and the level of service offered. However, in all establishments, they follow established sanitation procedures when handling food. For example, they store food and ingredients at the correct temperatures to prevent bacterial growth.
The following are examples of types of cooks:
Restaurant cooks prepare a wide selection of dishes and cook most orders individually. Some restaurant cooks may order supplies, set menu prices, and plan the daily menu.
Fast-food cooks prepare a limited selection of menu items in fast-food restaurants. They cook and package food, such as hamburgers and fried chicken, to be kept warm until served. For more information on workers who prepare and serve items in fast-food restaurants, see the profiles on food preparation workers and food and beverage serving and related workers.
Institution and cafeteria cooks work in the kitchens of schools, cafeterias, businesses, hospitals, and other institutions. For each meal, they prepare a large quantity of a limited number of entrees, vegetables, and desserts, according to preset menus. These cooks usually prepare meals in advance and seldom take special orders.
Short-order cooks prepare foods in restaurants and coffee shops that emphasize fast service and quick food preparation. They usually prepare sandwiches, fry eggs, and cook french fries, often working on several orders at the same time.
Private household cooks, sometimes called personal chefs, plan and prepare meals in private homes, according to the client’s tastes and dietary needs. They order groceries and supplies, clean the kitchen, and wash dishes and utensils. They also may cater parties, holiday meals, luncheons, and other social events. Private household cooks typically work for one full-time client, although some are self-employed or employed by an agency, regularly making meals for multiple clients. | <urn:uuid:ee98eaef-78d3-4a06-913a-ae8587288524> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Food-Preparation-and-Serving/Cooks.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00099-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945888 | 648 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Big wads of plastic in the ocean that stretch for miles and disintegrating polar ice caps are the kind of news stories that tend to make us feel hopeless regarding conservation efforts. Why bother to change our light bulbs to compact fluorescents if our planet’s imminent demise is a speeding train that can’t be stopped?
The reason we have these feelings is probably the work of environmentalists themselves. They’re sending the wrong messages, if you ascribe to the new field of neuro-conservation.
Instead of focusing the spotlight on results of scientific studies that prove our planet is rapidly warming, or on statistics about alarming species extinction rates, they should be talking about how an ocean view will make us feel happy or standing among trees will arouse our feelings of peacefulness.
After all, selling us emotions is what marketing professionals have been doing for decades. They know that we don’t just buy a car; we buy how that car makes us feel — wealthier, greener or more in control. Using the tenets of neuro-conservation may just be the boost that environmentalists need to gain support for their causes in a world that’s overrun with more scientific data than we know what to do with — or pay attention to.
Hooked on a feeling
When it comes to purchasing a product, selecting a service provider or supporting a political candidate, people make decisions based on emotions. Coca-Cola uses happiness to sell beverages and Travelers Insurance uses love (and cute dogs) to sell insurance. But conservationists tend to present economics, facts and figures. And it’s not working.
Take, for instance, the issue of global warming. A recent survey conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication asked U.S. adults ages eighteen and older about the causes, impacts and potential solutions related to global warming and how our climate system works. Just 8 percent had enough knowledge to earn a grade of A or B on the set of questions. And while 63 percent believe that global warming is real and happening, 49 percent incorrectly think that the space program contributes to it, 47 percent erroneously say that fossil fuels are the fossilized remains of dinosaurs, and 42 percent are convinced that since scientists can’t predict the weather more than a few days in advance, they can’t possibly foretell the climate of the future.
This, after environmentalists have been calling the public’s attention to the dangers of climate change — with reams of statistics and reports — for decades. Neuro-conservationists believe environmentalists need to sell emotions, much as product marketers do.
If stress causes disease, for example, and disease reduces well-being, a reduction of stress will increase wellness. And if sitting on the beach and looking at the ocean reduces stress (which we know it does), then sitting on the beach should be regarded as a public health tool — and a less expensive one than prescription drugs. It follows, then, that instead of showing piles of junk in our oceans or dead fish, the environmentalists’ message should depict happy and stress-free people enjoying a clean beach. That, in turn, will lead to a more integrated, enlightened public policy and conversation about the environment, and access to coasts would be considered as city planning is carried out.
An article published in ScienceDaily, titled “The Healing Effects of Forests,” reported on a study conducted in Finland that found that after stressful or concentration-demanding situations, people recover faster and better in natural, green settings — such as forests — than in urban settings. Feelings of depression, anger and aggressiveness were lessened, and there was an increase in a feeling of overall happiness. Even ADHD symptoms in children were reduced.
Given the psychological research that confirms that direct contact with nature leads to increased mental health and psychological development, some people, such as Richard Louv, author of the book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, have stated that “land conservation can now be viewed as a public health strategy.”
The eco-community, however, is not taking advantage of such emotional selling points. Dr. Kelly McGonigal, author of the book The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It, notes that pictures are more powerful than words, but cautions that environmentalists who show the horrific scope of a problem with a devastating photo often end up alienating the very people they wish to inspire. It’s what Dr. McGonigal refers to as a “compassion collapse,” in which people wind up feeling powerless and then disengage from the issue.
After all, the idea that the ocean provides psychological benefits seems well known by marketers and realtors; otherwise, why would we spend our vacations by the sea or pay a higher premium for a home with an ocean view? But if we love the ocean so much, why then are so many of us now disconnected from it, and why do so many of our actions damage it?
Applying neuro-conservation methods to conservation messages offers great hope for motivating people to care about and act upon environmental issues. Positive emotions trump fear any day, and feel-good promises top lengthy and rational statistics and arguments. Why not harness those emotional rushes for the good of the planet?
What do you think? Do environmentalists need to change their media messages? Because I think a commercial starring Brad Pitt staring out to sea with a smile on his face is in order…
Feature photo: Direct contact with nature leads to increased mental health. Land conservation should be viewed as a public health strategy. ©John T. Andrews
We asked experts, authors and readers like you to share their stories of Hope. Every day for the next month, you’ll find new tips for optimism on Gaiam Life, the Stream of Consciousness blog and our social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. And don’t miss the GaiamTV.com Hope Film Festival, with FREE films all month long. | <urn:uuid:f886b33e-2bb8-4c68-a95e-1a50323bf65e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.gaiam.com/is-neuro-conservation-the-new-hope-for-environmental-messages/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00171-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944492 | 1,248 | 2.796875 | 3 |
3.1. Application Delegate
3.4. Request Body
3.5. Response Body
3.6. Request Lifetime
5.1. URI Scheme
6.1. Application Errors
6.2. Server Errors
This document defines OWIN, a standard interface between .NET web servers and web applications. The goal of OWIN is to decouple server and application and, by being an open standard, stimulate the open source ecosystem of .NET web development tools.
OWIN is defined in terms of a delegate structure. There is no assembly called OWIN.dll or similar. Implementing either the host or application side the OWIN spec does not introduce a dependency to a project.
In this document, the C#
syntax is used to notate some delegate structures. However, the delegate
structure could be equivalently represented with F# native functions, CLR
interfaces, or named delegates. This is by design; when implementing OWIN,
choose a delegate representation that works for you and your stack.
This document refers to the following software actors:
· Server – The HTTP server that directly communicates with the client and then uses OWIN semantics to process requests. Servers may require an adapter layer that converts to OWIN semantics.
· Web Framework – A self-contained component on top of OWIN exposing its own object model or API that applications may use to facilitate request processing. Web Frameworks may require an adapter layer that converts from OWIN semantics.
· Web Application – A specific application, possibly built on top of a Web Framework, which is run using OWIN compatible Servers.
· Middleware – Pass through components that form a pipeline between a server and application to inspect, route, or modify request and response messages for a specific purpose.
· Host – The process an application and server execute inside of, primarily responsible for application startup. Some Servers are also Hosts.
Broadly speaking, a server invokes an application (providing as arguments an environment dictionary with request and response headers and bodies); an application either populates a response or indicates an error.
The primary interface in OWIN is called the application delegate or AppFunc. An application delegate takes the IDictionary<string, object> environment and returns a Task when it has finished processing.
using AppFunc = Func<
IDictionary<string, object>, // Environment
Task>; // Done
The Environment dictionary stores information about the request, the response, and any relevant server state. The server is responsible for providing body streams and header collections for both the request and response in the initial call. The application then populates the appropriate fields with response data, writes the response body, and returns when done.
The headers of HTTP
request and response messages are represented by objects of type
IDictionary<string, string>. The requirements below are
predicated on RFC 2616
If the request indicates there is an associated body the server SHOULD provide a Stream in the “owin.RequestBody” key to access the body data. Stream.Null MAY be used as a placeholder if there is no request body data expected. If the request Expect header indicates the client requests a 100 Continue, it is up to the server to provide this. The application MUST NOT set “owin.ResponseStatusCode” to 100. 100 Continue is only an intermediate response and using it would prevent the application from providing a final response (e.g. 200 OK). The server SHOULD send the 100 Continue on behalf of the application if the application starts reading from the stream before data starts arriving.
The server provides a response body Stream with the “owin.ResponseBody” key in the initial environment dictionary. The headers, status code, reason phrase, etc., can be modified up until the first write to the response body stream. Upon first write, the server validates and sends the headers. Applications MAY choose to buffer response data to delay the header finalization.
The full scope or lifetime of a request is limited by the several factors, including the client, server, and application delegate. In the simplest scenario a request’s lifetime ends when the application delegate has completed and the server gracefully ends the request. Failures at any level may cause the request to terminate prematurely, or may be handled internally and allow the request to continue.
The “owin.CallCancelled” key is associated with a CancellationToken that the server uses to signal if the request has been aborted. This SHOULD be triggered if the request becomes faulted before the AppFunc Task is completed. It MAY be triggered at any point at the providers discretion. Middleware MAY replace this token with their own to provide added granularity or functionality, but they SHOULD chain their new token with the one originally provided to them.
When the host process starts there are a number of steps it goes through to set up the application.
1. The host creates a Properties IDictionary<string, object> and populates any startup data or capabilities provided by the host.
2. The host selects which server will be used and provides it with the Properties collection so it can similarly announce any capabilities.
3. The host locates the application setup code and invokes it with the Properties collection.
4. The application reads and/or sets configuration in the Properties collection, constructs the desired request processing pipeline, and returns the resulting application delegate.
5. The host invokes the server startup code with the given application delegate and the Properties dictionary. The server finishes configuring itself, starts accepting requests, and invokes the application delegate to process those requests.
The Properties dictionary may be used to read or set any configuration parameters supported by the host, server, middleware, or application.
Applications often require the ability to reconstruct the complete URI of a request. This process cannot be perfect since HTTP clients do not usually transmit the complete URI which they are requesting, but OWIN makes provisions for the purpose of reconstructing the approximate URI of a request.
This information is usually not transmitted by an HTTP client and depending on network configuration it may not be possible for an OWIN server to determine a correct value. In these cases, the server may have to manually configure or compute a value.
In the context of an HTTP/1.1 request, the name of the server to which the client is making a request is usually indicated in the Host header field-value of the request, although it might be specified using an absolute Request-URI (see RFC 2616, sections 5.1.2, 18.104.22.168).
Servers may have the
ability to map application delegates to some base path. For example, a server
might have an application delegate configured to respond to requests beginning
"/my-app", in which case it should set the
"owin.RequestPathBase" in the environment dictionary to
"/my-app". If this server receives a
"/my-app/foo", the “
owin.RequestPath” value of the environment
dictionary provided to the application configured to respond at
"/my-app" should be
The following algorithm can be used to approximate the complete URI of the current request:
var uri =
if (Environment["owin.RequestQueryString"] != "")
uri += "?" + (string)Environment["owin.RequestQueryString"];
The result of this algorithm may not be identical to the URI the client used to make the request; for example, the server may have done some rewriting to canonicalize the request. Further, it is subject to the caveats described in the URI Scheme and Hostname sections above.
A URI uses percent
encoding to transport characters outside its normally allowed character rules (RFC 3986 section 2).
Percent-encoding is used to express the underlying octets present in a URI
component, whose octets are interpreted via UTF-8 encoding. Most web server
implementations will perform percent-decoding on paths in order to perform
request routing (as they rightly may, see: RFC 2616 section 5.1.2,
and OWIN follows this precedent. The request query string in OWIN is presented
in its percent-encoded form; a percent-decoded query string could contain
'=' characters, which would render
the string unparseable.
While there are standard exceptions such as ArgumentException and IOException that may be expected in normal request processing scenarios, handling only such exceptions is insufficient when building a robust server or application. If a server wishes to be robust it SHOULD consistently address all exception types thrown or returned from the application delegate or body delegate. The handling mechanism (e.g. logging, crashing and restarting, swallowing, etc.) is up to the server and host process.
An application may generate an exception in the following places:
An application SHOULD attempt to trap its own internal errors and generate an appropriate (possibly 500-level) response rather than propagating an exception up to the server.
After an application provides a response, the server SHOULD wait to receive at least one write from the response Stream before writing the response headers to the underlying transport. In this way, if instead of a write to the Stream the server gets an exception from the application delegate Task, the server will still be able to generate a 500-level response. If the server gets a write to the Stream first, it can safely assume that the application has caught as many of its internal errors as possible; the server can begin sending the response. If an exception is subsequently received, the server MAY handle it as it sees fit (e.g. logging, write a textual description of the error to the underlying transport, and/or close the connection).
When a server encounters errors during a request’s lifetime it SHOULD signal the CancellationToken it provided in “owin.CallCancelled”. The server MAY then take any necessary actions to terminate the request, but it SHOULD be tolerant of completion delays of the application delegate.
Future updates to this standard may contain breaking changes (e.g. signature changes, key additions or modifications, etc.) or non-breaking additions. While addressing specific changes is the responsibility of later versions of the standard, here are initial guidelines for expected changes:
· This standard uses Semantic Versioning as described at http://semver.org/ (e.g. Major.Minor.Patch).
· Breaking changes to the API signatures or existing keys will require incrementing the major version number (e.g. OWIN 2.0)
· Adding new keys or delegates in a backwards compatible way only requires incrementing the minor version number (e.g. OWIN 1.1).
· Making corrections and clarifications to the document alone only requires incrementing the patch version number and last modified date (e.g. OWIN 1.0.1).
· The “owin.Version” key in the startup Properties and request Environment dictionaries indicates the latest version of the standard implemented by the server and may be used to dynamically adjust behaviors of applications.
· All implementers SHOULD clearly document the full version number(s) of the OWIN standard they support.
· The keys listed in CommonKeys.html are strictly optional. Additions may be made there without directly affecting the OWIN standard or version number. | <urn:uuid:d27b225f-6ed0-4210-96a7-c796167472ca> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://owin.org/spec/spec/owin-1.0.0.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00003-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.849805 | 2,363 | 2.578125 | 3 |
In Lancaster County, a school district is making sure every student has a school meal, regardless of how much money is in their account.
Can you imagine your child in tears? Most likely embarrassed because he or she didn’t get the same lunch at school as others? In Central PA, administrators have a systematic approach to keeping students fed. If a student’s account doesn’t have enough money to cover a meal, elementary students may still charge one breakfast meal and three lunch meals. Secondary students may charge one lunch meal. If the student’s account is not in good standing, and he or she has charged their allowable meals, food services will provide an alternate meal made up of a cheese sandwich and fruit juice.
Hempfield School District Food Services Director, Brian Rathgeb says, “We want every child to have the lunch of the menu. We don’t want to have to offer an alternative lunch because there’s a negative account.”
In addition, when accounts are running low or are underfunded, the cashier will hand the student a lunch envelope and not how much money is remaining in his or her account. A letter will also be mailed home to indicate the insufficient balance.
The district also has an online meal payment system. It allows parents to create a free account to view student purchases and receive automatic account alerts. Parents can also deposit money in their child’s account. | <urn:uuid:c0d25965-5920-4ddc-b50e-d2538c74c633> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://fox43.com/2014/02/07/lancaster-county-school-makes-sure-every-child-gets-a-tray-of-food-at-lunch/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00044-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970625 | 296 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The great lesson of the 2009 influenza pandemic was that new, deadly flu strains wouldn’t necessarily emerge from the pathogenic hotbox of an Asian animal market. They could start in the western world’s own backyard, percolating from the incubators of modern farms.
Yet despite the fact that pig farms hosted, and arguably fueled, the evolution of the last pandemic strain, pigs are largely overlooked in influenza surveillance. Researchers who track flu’s evolution — in people, poultry, and even camels and whales — in order to understand its behavior lack reliable data on a vast, teeming viral reservoir. It’s a hog-sized blind spot.
“If we want to know what’s coming in the flu world, it’s important to know what’s out there,” said Stephen Morse, a Columbia University epidemiologist and co-director of USAID’s Emerging Pandemic Threats program. “By the time you see human cases, it’s really too late.”
A striking example of swine surveillance shortcomings comes from the most recent pandemic, which emerged in April 2009 and had global infection rates of about 15 percent before vaccines were available.
Though 2009 H1N1, the strain that became globally known as swine flu, may not have jumped directly from pigs to humans — it could have spent some time in another species, such as chickens — the likelihood is high, and there’s no question its ancestors spent years on North American pig farms.
That can’t be learned simply by looking at 2009 H1N1 alone: Flu mutates rapidly, and the number of changes its genes accumulate in just a few months makes it nearly impossible to say which mutations were key. The only other way to gain comparable insight is for researchers to genetically engineer more-pathogenic flu strains, a highly controversial approach that might not produce realistic mutants.
“It was the first time in history that we could get the ancestor of a pandemic and see what animal changes were needed for it to become a human pandemic,” said Raul Rabadan, a Columbia University biomedical informaticist who helped identify the pandemic strain’s origins. “Getting data from the experiments that nature does for us is essential.”
But when Rabadan’s team looked for swine flu samples gathered from Mexican pigs in 2009, just before or right after the human pandemic, at a time when near-relatives would be expected to circulate on local farms, they found just a single sequence from one pig.
It was a strangely low number. Though it’s theoretically possible that H1N1 was nowhere to be found in Mexico’s swine herds, it’s much more plausible that almost nobody was looking, or that they didn’t report what they found.
Smithfield Farms, the world’s largest pork producer and the owner of a factory farm near the flu outbreak’s epicenter, claimed to have privately tested its herd and found no flu, but the testing wasn’t independently confirmed and conflicts of interest were blatant.
The Pan American Health Organzation, the international health agency responsible for sampling swine after the outbreak, doesn’t appear to have done so. Sheer post-outbreak confusion and personnel shortages are a possible reason, but there was also political pressure to dissociate the flu from swine farming. (Neither Smithfield nor PAHO replied to repeated requests for comment.)
“All we have is that one isolate from the beginning of the pandemic. It seems to give more information about the pandemic’s origin, but it’s only one isolate. It’s only one datapoint,” said Rabadan. With that sequence his team puzzled out a pandemic family tree that dated a last swine ancestor of the human pandemic strain to October 2008, but it was a low-resolution finding. More specific insights into the pandemic flu’s crucial genetic jump were lost.
“In this day and age, with such incredible advances in sequencing and surveillance technology, you’d think that a question like this, we’d be able to answer it quickly,” said National Institutes of Health epidemiologist Martha Nelson. “The fact that it remains outstanding is tremendously frustrating.”
Yet if PAHO and Smithfield, and arguably the Mexican and U.S. governments, failed in sampling swine during the outbreak, their neglect was hardly atypical. Despite widespread recognition that industrial hog farms, in which animals are raised in crowded, overmedicated conditions, are evolution-accelerating incubators of new diseases that are shipped transcontinentally and overseas, swine flu surveillance has traditionally lagged behind human and bird surveillance.
Since 2009, swine flu surveillance in the United States and some other countries has improved, at least somewhat. “There are some companies that have been incredibly active,” said Nelson. “It’s increased a lot since the pandemic. It’s increased in the South American countries.” The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the Department of Agriculture, have also pushed for more testing on farms.
Despite these efforts, the patchwork remains. In the first three quarters of 2011 — the most recent data available — the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, a collaboration of federal and state laboratories that offer animal disease testing services to farmers, tested 1,426 U.S. swine herds. The total number of herds is close to 70,000.
Part of the reason so few herds are tested is the nature of swine flu itself. Though pigs are susceptible to flu infections, the symptoms are typically less severe than in humans. “If the animals aren’t even particularly sick, you may not even know it’s going on,” said Gregory Gray, head of the University of Florida’s Global Pathogens Laboratory.
If infections are noticed, there’s still few incentives for farmers. Testing is entirely voluntary, and while infected animals may not seriously threaten a farm, news that flu’s been found can ruin business. Even if people can’t get flu from eating bacon, they’ll still stop buying it. Testing’s benefits for pork producers are minimal.
“People get leery when they see that their livelihoods could become affected,” said Lisa Becton, director of Swine Health Information and Research at the National Pork Board.
For now, the compromise solution is to keep testing data anonymized so that flu strains can’t be traced anywhere more specific than to a state. That, however, limits the sequences’ scientific value. This dilemma remains unsolved, though it’s less pressing than the need for U.S. swine surveillance to be routine and part of a larger, global surveillance network. In many other countries, swine surveillance is even patchier.
“From the pathogen’s point of view, it’s circulating in the whole U.S. population, moving across borders easily through trade and migrating birds. It moves globally every year,” said disease ecologist Peter Daszak, president of the EcoHealth Alliance. “We don’t have a good picture of the whole story. That’s a huge problem. It’s like feeling around for the elephant in a dark room. We don’t really know what’s out there and where it is.”
Daszak’s group is part of the OneHealth Initiative, a strategy for coordinating disease surveillance efforts around the world. That level of of testing and information-sharing is necessary to develop the ability to predict which viruses will become dangerous, he said.
For now that’s impossible, but “in ten years, we should be able, when we got to China or Malaysia and find a virus in a bat or a tree shrew, to get a sequence and know whether it would be pathogenic if it infected people,” Daszak said. “This should be a race-to-the-moon type project.”
Image: Rennett Stowe/FlickrGo Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article. | <urn:uuid:2175b98b-0004-40a4-ad6a-6e2bf03c9183> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wired.com/2012/06/missing-swine-flu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00106-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955861 | 1,742 | 3.40625 | 3 |
- mustard (n.)
- late 13c. (late 12c. as a surname), from Old French mostarde "mustard, mustard plant" (Modern French moutarde), from moust "must," from Latin mustum "new wine" (see must (n.1)); so called because it was originally prepared by adding must to the ground seeds of the plant to make a paste. As a color name, it is attested from 1848.
Mustard gas, World War I poison (first used by the Germans at Ypres, 1917), so called for its color and smell and burning effect on eyes and lungs; chemical name is dichlordiethyl sulfide, it contains no mustard, and is an atomized liquid, not a gas. To cut the mustard (1907, usually in negative) is probably from slang mustard "genuine article, best thing" (1903) on notion of "that which enhances flavor."
I'm not headlined in the bills, but I'm the mustard in the salad dressing just the same. [O.Henry, "Cabbages and Kings," 1904] | <urn:uuid:825fd65b-6886-4be6-9150-8e82b976b23a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=mustard&allowed_in_frame=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951495 | 232 | 3.109375 | 3 |
I had my eyes opened to the massive problem of plastics pollution in the U.S. just a few nights ago at a film series sponsored by the Plastic Pollution Coalition called 'Is Plastic Washed Up?'
The event featured footage from the recent expedition to Midway Island where photographer Chris Jordan documented the massive plastic pollution problem in the Pacific Ocean. It also screened the amazing film Tapped, which brings to light the dirty secrets of the bottled water industry. Here's the trailer:
The problem is simply too massive to allow a gradual reduction in single-use disposable plastics. Every five minutes, 2 million plastic bottles are thrown away, using 750 million gallons of crude oil per year. In the U.S. only 20 percent of those bottles are recycled.
The Plastic Pollution Coalition supports container laws. States that have a 5-cent container deposit see 80 percent recycling rates, and the one state (Michigan) that has a 10-cent deposit, sees 97 percent recycling rates. But as expected, major bottlers like Coca Cola and PepsiCo are against a national container law for fear that the extra cost will deter consumer spending.
Whether or not such a law goes through, PPC feels it is time U.S. consumers to start saying "no" in the first place to disposable plastics. In addition to the environmental impacts, more reports are coming out that confirm everyone's worst fear -- plastic bottles do in fact leach chemicals into your water. Some of these chemicals are linked to infertility, cancer and autism.
You can sign their SUPER Hero Pledge here and join Jackson Brown in banishing those nasty plastic bottles from your grocery cart. | <urn:uuid:93272000-d1b8-440a-a096-6fc66b4cf5cc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/refuse-the-new-r | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00041-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942998 | 334 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Damasked - (dam'-askd) A field or charge covered with small squares. [See DIAPER.]
Dancette - (daN'-sa'-tay) Divided into large zigzags; resembling the zigzag molding peculiar to Norman architecture.
Dancetté differs from indented in that the former has deeper and wider notches.
Dancy - dan'sy) The same as DANCETTE.
Dauphin - (dau'-fin) [French.] The title of the eldest son of the King of France or the heir apparent to the throne under the old monarchy.
The title is said to have come from the following circumstance: Humbert II Lord of Vinne, who bore for a crest a dolphin (O. Fr. daulphin ), in the ninth century, bequeathed his lordship as an appanage to the French throne on condition that the eldest son always bore the title Dauphin of Viennois.
Debased - Turned over; inverted.
DEBASED HERALDRY - Unheraldic. There are a number of examples that could be placed under this head. For instance, one grant of arms shows negroes working on a plantation; another has Chinamen carrying cinnamon; a Bishop of Elybore, among other things, three kings, on bezants, crowned, robed sable, doubled ermine, a covered cup in the right hand and a sword in the left, both or; the grant to Lord Nelson, as well as some of his officers, were altogether unheraldic.
Debruised - (de-bruzd") Applied to a bend when placed over an animal in such a manner as to seem to restrain its freedom.
Dechausse - (day-sho'-say) [French.] The same as DISMEMBERED.
Decked - Said of a bird when its feathers are trimmed or edged with a small line of another color.
Declinant - (dek'-lin-ant) Used in describing a serpent whose tail is represented straight downward. (Also called Declivant.)
Declivant - (dek'-liv-ant) The same as DECLINANT.
Decouple - (de-koup'-lay) [French.] Parted; severed. (The same as UNCOUPLED.)
Decrement - (dec'-re-ment) The wane of the moon from full to last quarter. [See DECRESCENT.]
Decrescent - (de-kres'-sent) Said of the moon when in her decrement. When the crescent is borne with its points toward the sinister side of the shield it is termed decrescent.
Defamed - An epithet applied to an animal which has lost its tail.
Degraded - This word describes a cross that has steps at each end, diminishing as they ascend toward the center.
CROSS DEGRADED AND CONJOINED - A plain cross having degraded steps joined to the sides of the shield.
Delf - One of the abatements; a mark of disgrace, indicating that a challenge has been revoked or one's word broken. The delf is represented by a square-cut sod of earth, turf, etc. [See also ABATEMENT.]
Delve - (delv) The same as BILLET.
Demembre - (da-mem'-bray) [French.] The same as DISMEMBERED.
Demi - Said of any charge borne half, as a demi-lion. (Also written deny.)
Demi-garter - [See PERCLOSE.]
Dent - Indented. (Universal Dict.)
Dentelle - (den-tel') [French.] The same as INDENTED.
Depressed - The same as DEBRUISED.
Descending - Said of an animal or bird the head of which is represented turned toward the base of the shield.
Descent - Coming down from above. Example: A lion in descent == with its head toward the base point and its heels toward one of the corners of the chief, as if in the act of leaping down from some high place.
Detriment - (det'-ri-ment) Used sometimes to describe the moon on the wane or in eclipse.
Developed - Unfurled, as colors flying.
Device - An emblem, intended to represent a family, person, action or quality, with a suitable motto. It generally consists in a metaphorical similitude between the thing representing and the person or thing represented.
Devouring - The same as VORANT.
Dexter - The right; situated on the right. The dexter side of the shield is that opposite the left hand of the spectator.
DEXTER CHIEF POINT - A point in the upper right-hand corner of the shield.
Diaper - (di'-a-per) A ground pattern, usually in squares or lozenges.
Diapered - (di'a-perd) A shield diapered is one covered with a ground pattern, generally of squares or lozenges, with a flower scroll work or other ornament in each compartment. The idea is supposed to have been copied from the linen cloths of Ypress.
While there are a number of early examples of diapered shields, it cannot be called strictly heraldic.
Diadem - An arch rising from the rim of a crown and uniting with other arches to form a center, which serves to support the globe and cross or fleur-de-lis as a crest.
Difference - Some figure or mark added to a coat of arms to distinguish one family from another. Modern marks of difference, or Marks of Cadence are:
8. Cross Moline
Differenced - Marked or distinguished by a difference.
Dimidiate - (di-mid'-i-ate) To represent the half of any charge.
Dimidiation - [See DIMIDIATE.]
Diminution - (di-mi-nu'-shon) The defacing of some particular point in an escutcheon.
Diminutive - (di-min'-u-tive) Something smaller than the regular size; on a smaller scale. For instance, the diminutive of the Bend is the Bendlet, being half its width.
Dingwall - One of the pursuivants of the Lord Lyon's Court. Scotland.
Disarmed - Applied to a bird or beast deprived of claws, teeth or beak.
Disclosed - A term used to describe a bird when its wings are spread open on each side, but the points downward.
DISCLOSED ELEVATED - The same as disclosed, except that the points are elevated.
Dismembered - Applied to birds having neither feet nor legs; also, to animals whose members are separated.
Displayed - Said of any bird of prey borne erect, with the wings expanded. Applied especially to the eagle.
Distillatory - (dis-til'-la-tory) A charge borne by the Distillers' Company, and usually blazoned: "A distillatory double armed, on a fire, with two worms and bolt receivers." (Ogilvie.)
The distillatory is an apparatus used for distillation.
Disveloped - (dis-vel'-opd) Displayed, as a standard or colors when open and flying. (Universal Dict.)
Dog - The dog figures in heraldry in various forms and under different names. The alaund, or hunting dog, seems to have been the most popular. Lord Dacre used it as a supporter. Henry VIII had his arms and badge placed on the collars of his hunting dogs. In the brass of Sir Brian Stapleton at Ingham the knight rests his foot on a dog. The earls of Shrewsbury use the talbot, or mastiff, to support their shield. Burton of Falde bore three talbot's heads erased or, while Mauleverer of Allerton Mauleverer had three greyhounds on his shield.
The dog is generally blazoned as a talbot.
Dolphin - (dol'-fin) The dolphin is heraldically a fish, irregardless of what it may be zoologically or astronomically. When used as a charge it may be extended and natant or hauriant, etc. Fishacre of Fishacre bore "Gules, a dolphin natant argent." The dolphin was the emblem of the Dauphins of France. [See also DAUPHIN.]
Dominion - [See Arms of Dominion, under ARMS.]
Dormant - In a sleeping posture.
Dorsed - The same as AVERSANT.
Doubling - The lining of robes of state; also the mantlings borne around the achievement of arms.
Dragon - The dragon is of ancient date and played a prominent part in early romance, though little used in English heraldry. He is usually depicted with four legs and wings, a long barbed tail, usually knotted, and a body protected by scales. When the dragon is drawn without wings he is called a lindworm; without feet, a serpent; when he hangs by the head, it represents a conquered dragon.
Dragonnee - (dra-gon'-nay) A fabulous beast, the upper part resembling a lion, and the lower part the wings and tail of a dragon.
Drops - The same as GUTTEES.
Dublin - One of the heralds of the Office of Arms, Ireland.
Ducal coronet - The head attire of a duke, consisting of a circle of chased gold, with eight strawberry leaves on its upper edge, a cap of crimson velvet, terminating at the top with a gold tassel. When a coronet is used in a crest it is generally the ducal.
Duke - The highest rank in the peerage of Great Britain.
Dwale - (dwal) The tincture sable, or black, when blazoned according to the fantastic system in which plants are substituted for the tinctures.. (Webster.)
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Back to Homepage | <urn:uuid:22021b77-2ec5-41d4-912a-b637280aa16e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.digiserve.com/heraldry/pimb_d.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00094-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915965 | 2,168 | 2.828125 | 3 |
More Women Committing Crime
August 12, 1999
While overall crime rates are dropping nationwide, women are committing more felony crimes and violent crimes, according to Justice Department statistics.
- Since 1980, the number of women in state and federal prisons has increased more than fourfold.
- Drug offenses, vandalism and assaults by women have increased annually for the last three years.
- While young men commit the majority of violent crimes, the number of crimes by women is increasing at a faster rate than that of men.
- In 1997 the number of female prisoners rose 6.2 percent, compared to 5.2 percent of males -- with most of the increase due to drug-related crime -- and 79,624 women were incarcerated in state and federal prisons.
Experts agree that many women who commit crimes most likely grew up in a single-parent home or an environment in which violence was prevalent; they frequently have shown violence toward their siblings and have been labeled troublemakers in school; and they regularly used drugs or alcohol.
Source: Kristan Trugman, "While Overall Crime Rates Drop, More Women Are Committing Crimes," Insight, August 16, 1999.
Browse more articles on Government Issues | <urn:uuid:cb565e62-59f6-45f9-b1c5-56757b713750> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=11464 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00117-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959806 | 245 | 2.625 | 3 |
Every year an estimated 100,000 tourists participate in manatee swim-with programs that promote direct encounters in manatee lagoons. Studies indicate that approximately half of these human-manatee interactions constitute harassment, with tourists routinely observed poking, chasing, standing on or kicking manatees, as well as separating mothers from calves.The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) actually licenses the swim-with program with special use permits that it issues to local operators in the Crystal River area, north of Clearwater. Despite news stories, videos and other reports, FWS has not revoked permits or taken more than token action to curb abuses, such as
- Widespread non-compliance with FWS recommended guidelines advising against touching the mammals; and
- The 2007 recommendation by the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission that FWS adopt regulations prohibiting the touching of animals, and requiring that divers not approach animals closer than 10 feet and back away from animals that approach them.
FWS has taken the attitude that because no manatee has yet been killed by a swimmer, no agency action is required. As a consequence, the manatee is the only endangered species that is treated like it belongs in a petting zoo.
Citing the anti-harassment mandates of laws such as the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, PEER is pursuing legal action to force FWS to stop giving out commercial swim-with permits, adopt rules that prohibit tourists from touching manatees and safeguard key manatee breeding and resting areas. | <urn:uuid:360321d7-fe61-4c46-9d60-2952e40a1678> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.peer.org/campaigns/wildlife-protection/manatees/swim-with-harrassment.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394605.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00078-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934712 | 330 | 2.703125 | 3 |
1918-CGC Seneca’s crew attempted to bring the torpedoed British collier Wellington into Brest, France. Eleven of Seneca‘s crew, sent as a boarding party aboard the collier, were lost when Wellington foundered in a gale on 16 September 1918.
1939-The longest continually-operating Coast Guard Auxiliary unit, Flotilla 63, was first chartered in Onset, Massachusetts.
1988- Hurricane Gilbert hit Mexico. Coast Guard units assisted in rescue and evacuation operations on 18-20 of September. Coast Guard aircrews lifted 109 victims from flood waters to safety.
(Source: USCG Historian’s Office) | <urn:uuid:4ab14950-d9c1-4761-b45f-4b63b3ea4bcd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.marinelink.com/news/september-history-coast335533.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00163-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920185 | 143 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Women have played an integral part in Virginia from its beginnings, yet their contributions have often been overlooked in the history books. Through the annual Virginia Women in History program, the Library of Virginia recognizes and celebrates eight women—past and present—for their accomplishments in all walks of life.
The Virginia Foundation for Women started the popular Virginia Women in History educational program in 2000 and in 2006 transferred it to the Library of Virginia, which now sponsors statewide activities that include educational resources and activities tied to the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) as well as a traveling exhibition. Every March, which Congress has designated as National Women’s History Month, the honorees are recognized during an evening program at the Library of Virginia. Virginia Women in History is supported by the Virginia Business and Professional Women’s Fund. | <urn:uuid:85182ac5-b085-4328-b17a-2eaa46b7c9aa> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/vawomen/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394605.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00111-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971162 | 164 | 2.734375 | 3 |
The modern Japanese Imperial Guard is a far cry from what it used to be but is no less effective at its primary duty of protecting the Emperor of Japan, the Imperial Family and their residences. The modern Japanese Imperial Guard was formed in 1867 as part of the Imperial Japanese Army. Their style was very French though after 1870 the Japanese imported German military experts to train them. The Imperial Guard served in the victory over Russia and was greatly expanded, including two brigades made up entirely of natives of the island of Formosa (Taiwan). During World War II Imperial Guard units were sent to serve in southern China and in the occupation of French Indochina (Vietnam). Later Imperial Guard troops fought in the victorious campaigns in Malaya and Singapore. Their reputation was tarnished over these events when evidence was produced after the war at war crimes trials that members had participated in several atrocities. With the Japanese surrender in 1945 and the occupation of Japan by the United States the Imperial Guard was abolished (as was the Imperial Japanese Army as a whole) but in 1947 it was reformed as part of the National Police Agency.
The modern Imperial Guard of the Police Agency consists of some 900 members and are charged with the protection of the Emperor, his family and properties. They also train as fire-fighters to be prepared for any fires in the Imperial Palace complex. Men and women alike serve in the guard today and are a highly trained, proud and efficient security force that has been called on to fend off potential attackers and recently had to perform the unusual task of dealing with a drunken, naked foreigner who decided to go for a swim in the imperial moat! | <urn:uuid:0acd5459-e669-408d-843f-964309e9189e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://madmonarchist.blogspot.com/2009/07/royal-guardians-profile-japanese.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397567.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00090-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986536 | 329 | 2.96875 | 3 |
State and Local Report Cards
What is a report card?
Report cards can be a powerful and effective tool for accountability and program improvement if properly used and implemented. There are many types of report cards, but for the purposes of NRS, our focus is on report cards that assess performance. Report cards that allow meaningful evaluation have the following characteristics:
- Include outcome and other data,
- Provide a basis for evaluation of that data, and
- Present contextual data or interpretive information that aid interpretation and promote understanding.
How are report cards used?
Report cards can be used in several different ways to
- Evaluate program quality,
- Promote program improvement, and
- Inform and advocate for the program.
These tools can be produced with local or state-level information depending on the purpose. Local report cards usually include a broader range of outcome measures to evaluate a program. The evaluative standards for local report cards may include past program performance, performance of similar programs, or the local performance standard for the program. State report cards, on the other hand, provide a more limited set of outcomes and use an evaluated standard such as state past performance, state performance standards, or national averages.
Developing a report card for adult education
- Define purpose and audience - determine the message you want the report card to convey and speak to the audience that you are trying to reach.
- Select measures - identify the outcome and other measures that reflect the performance of your program(s).
- Select evaluative criteria or rubric - report cards present data in some type of comparison format that invites evaluation, which may reflect data on past performance, a performance target, or the average performance of other programs.
- Design and format - communicate your message by presenting it in a format that is well-organized, readable, and simple.
- Disseminate and promote program improvement - developing a distribution strategy includes using multiple methods to get your information out and the important step of bringing information back to the programs for continuous quality improvement.
Examples of report cards
- New York - The report card developed and used by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) is a rubric that combines several elements of program performance to create a single score to rank each local agency within four quartiles of unacceptable, marginal, adequate, or exemplary.
- North Carolina - North Carolina is using its report cards as examples of how local programs may highlight their program successes. Two sample report cards are provided below. Additional materials and templates may be found at: www.nccommunitycolleges.edu.
- Tennessee - The scorecard used by Tennessee's Division of Adult Education is a tool for evaluating and improving state and local program performance, while providing information on the impact of adult education on a local, state, and national level. Several examples of state and local report cards are provided below. Additional materials and templates may be found at: http://aeonline.coe.utk.edu/technology.htm#05-06sccrd
For more information:
Visit the NRS Summer Institute training on developing state and local report cards for adult education on this Web site for an informative guide, hands-on tools, and other resources for developing a report card.
Contact adult education programs in other States where report cards are in use to obtain examples and hear about how these report cards are disseminated.
Follow this link to learn more about file formats, file viewers, and support for the visually impaired. | <urn:uuid:43e3abff-ade3-4497-8162-6e35f2f1230a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nrsweb.org/reports/insights/report_cards.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906214 | 716 | 3.796875 | 4 |
Be prepared to hear a fascinating piece of natural history about the Mediterranean great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). Story is fascinating for multiple reasons. First, great whites are one of the most charismatic, vulnerable, cryptic and misunderstood predator fish species. Second, the story takes place in a quite unexpected location. Altınoluk is a town on the northern Aegean coast of Turkey. It is located to the south of Troy on a legendary sea route known as the Argonaut route where Jason and the Argonauts went on an epic adventure in search of the golden fleece.
Evolutionarily, sharks are very ancient going back to 400 million years. Great whites however have evolved quite recently during the Miocene period at about 20 million years ago. Shark biologists have debated for more than 150 years whether the ancestral origin of the great whites were from the Megalodons. A recent study of a 4 million year old shark fossil from Peru have shown that great whites were more related to mako sharks and didn’t evolve from Megalodon sharks.
As a biologist who studied gene flow hearing about extreme cases have always inspired me. In July 2008 fishermen of Altınoluk contacted marine scientists about two newborn great white sharks they caught. A research team from the Bosphorus and the Istanbul University collaborated with an international team of shark scientists and made a genetic analysis on the tissue taken from the pups. Results published in 2010 have confirmed that sharks were not siblings. When their genetic make-up were compared against a global database it turned out that they were most related to the Australian population. Further genetic analysis also revealed another very striking fact. The Mediterranean population remained isolated for about 450 thousand years. This is indeed an ancient and epic walkabout from an ocean half a world away literally.
On July 6th 2011, fishermen of Altınoluk caught another great white pup and this time it was alive. Before releasing her back to nature they did a great job of documenting this extremely rare and endangered specimen. Biologists have had some curiosity whether certain locations in the Mediterranean may serve as a nursery for great white sharks. Generally for top predators greatest mortality for the young comes from predation. Females may prefer to give birth to their young in places where adult population is minimal so that their pups find refuge. For example the Sicilian channel, near the Italian island of Lampedusa, is one such location where both pregnant females and newly born great whites have been reported. With three pups caught in trammel nets for two consecutive summers Altınoluk must be marked on the map as a nursery for the great white. For instance, Boncuk Bay in southwestern Turkey is a known nursing ground for the sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus):
A journey from New Zealand to the eastern Mediterranean? This is literally half a world away. Lets review possible scenarios for how this ancient shark walkabout might have happened. Strait of Gibraltar is the only natural gate through which species can enter to colonize the Mediterranean. As expected Eastern Mediterranean is the last place for an Atlantic species to colonize (but this hypothesis is clearly not true for the great white). There’s no geological evidence that Mediterranean was connected to the Red Sea within the past few hundred thousand years. Therefore we will have to dismiss the Lessepsian colonization (unless there’s a yet undiscovered underground sea tunnel as Jules Verne famously fantasized in Arabian Tunnel chapter of his book 20 Thousand Leagues Under the Seas) from the Red Sea.
The most likely explanation is that a few individuals probably drifted north in the Atlantic from South Africa. At around 400 – 450 thousand years ago sea levels were 20m higher than today. The well-known strong Agulhas currents can do this trick. Once sharks drift that way up the only seaway they could follow resembling their natural eastbound migration towards Australia is through the Gibraltar. The rest is a classic case of population dynamics known as founder effect in which a population starts with a small number of individuals and as a consequence the genetic diversity is rather poor. Ecologically, the Mediterranean is a very low productivity sea. Narrow base of the food web makes it energetically rather difficult for large apex predators to survive. Perhaps in the past they were able to sustain themselves by preying upon the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) an endangered species with a restricted population in the Eastern Mediterranean. Therefore if there is a resident population the adult density must be very low. Great white sightings in the Mediterranean are extremely rare.
Individuals tagged by satellite transmitters have shown that adult sharks migrate pretty regularly between Australia and South Africa. Similar long distance migration along east-west axis has been documented by the Monterey Bay Aquarium where a tagged female great white made a return trip between California and Hawaii. This shark was tagged near Point Reyes on November 30th in 2004. She stayed along the California coast for several months and in February went straight to Hawaii, one of the well-known offshore winter/spring destination for great white sharks. She swam in a very straight line at a constant speed of around 100 km per day completing her journey in about a month. From February to June, the shark remained near the Hawaiian Islands regularly diving to 500 m. In June the tag stopped logging due to battery failure. The tag was found by a beachcomber only 40 miles from where it was tagged around Christmas of 2005. Apparently, the tag came loose after the shark had returned to California. A two year satellite telemetry work done by researchers at Marine Science Research Institute has shown that pregnant females travel between the mating area at Guadalupe Island and nursery in Baja California.
Satellite tagging data collected from adult great whites began to reveal a 3 dimensional picture of their movement patterns. We are mostly accustomed to their surface swimming which has become a stereotype for all sharks. In the less deep waters along the coast great whites could be found at any depth. One of those curious patterns is “yo-yo swimming” where individuals have been recorded to make repeated dives and climbs from surface to seabed. They also have been recorded swimming along the ocean floor. They may do “spike dives” often around dawn and dusk. In the open ocean, on the other hand, they may swim on the surface or several hundred meters deep, sometimes diving as deep as 1000 meters.
Despite their low numbers, sharks have an interesting reproductive biology and great whites can maintain a population for a long time. We know almost next to nothing about the reproductive behavior of great whites but a video of nurse sharks may give us an idea (see below). In the absence of males female sharks can make babies by doubling the chromosomes of their eggs through a process known as parthenogenesis. Sharks have XY genetic determination system just like humans. Therefore pups born this way will always be female and will not re-stock the depleted male population.
There has been quite a few attempts to tag juvenile great white. In 2001 Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research managed to attach a tag and collected 27-days-long recording of a baby great white. In 2008 a very detailed report of juvenile great white sharks tagged in Australia was published by CSIRO. Virtually nothing is known about juvenile sharks in other seas including the Mediterranean. Therefore as a nursery site Altınoluk requires immediate attention of shark biologists. First week of July is a critical time for catching live pups for satellite tagging.
Squished among three continents the Mediterranean is a special sea with very different ecological and geological properties from other temperate seas. It has a quite adventurous geological history. To illustrate, imagine this extreme event that took place 5.6 million years ago. During a period known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis the Mediterranean lost its connection to the Atlantic. The crisis lasted about 300 thousand years and by the end of it the entire basin dried completely. Then a crack appeared in Gibraltar and the basin re-filled rapidly in just a few thousand years.
Productions made about great whites almost invariably are obsessed with the size of this charismatic fish. Here in Nature Documentaries we are proud to present you the opposite end of the spectrum: the smallest great white ever documented on film.
Finally, this most awe-inspiring breach sequence from BBC in slow motion reminds us that, now critically endangered the Mediterranean monk seal is probably among the prey list for the great whites of the Egean. Also be informed that contrary to the common belief sharks do get cancer: | <urn:uuid:985bd363-d01a-4adf-b1f8-a36ad3a3fbcf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://naturedocumentaries.org/1404/juvenile-great-white-shark/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00003-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963585 | 1,740 | 3.078125 | 3 |
All taxes paid directly to state authorities by the taxpayer are direct taxes, income tax, wealth tax, corporation taxes are the examples of direct taxes. These types of tax are calculated on directly on the individual’s earnings or wealth.
Sales tax, Value added tax, excise duties are examples of indirect taxes. The burdens of these taxes are passed on by the supplier to the final buyer. Mode of collection is indirect form the tax payer, and rightly called indirect taxes.
Merits of Indirect Taxes
Indirect taxes are easy to implement as these are not related directly to the taxpayer income and depends on levied if the purchase or that particular transaction take place for which tax will due. Tax payer feels comfortable to pay tax on individual transaction. Usually taxpayer even doesn’t know that if he is paying any type of tax.
It is easy to make changing in the tax pattern and rates as compare to direct taxes. Policy makers normally balance their deficit budget through indirect taxes.
Collection of indirect tax is certain as when there will be a sale of finish product the government generates revenue. Indirect taxes are used to change the buying behavior of consumers. Like tobacco and liquor have the high tax rates.
Demerits of Indirect Taxes
There is always a fluctuation in people buying behavior which disturbs the government budgeted income. The government forecasted cash flow is not certain if there is recession in the economy or the people buying pattern will change.
Difficulty in tax calculation and collection are the drawbacks of indirect taxes. As these taxes start form raw material and the burden keep passing on to the final consumer but if any intermediary manipulate his transaction statistics there will be loss of revenue.
Merits of Direct Taxes
Direct taxes are the main income sources of government. These taxes are easy to calculate on income and wealth of individuals and businesses. Direct taxes finance government affairs to run smoothly. These taxes help government to start and continue public welfare operations.
Demerits of Direct Tax
The implementation or direct tax is a tough job as people are resistant and show wrong assessment of their income and avoid tax payment. Direct tax has the negative impact of individual income and decrease the amount of disposable income. The collection is difficult as compare to indirect tax where consumer do not feel a direct burden of tax. Cost of collection of direct tax is greater than indirect tax. Chang in the rate and pattern is also difficult for direct taxes as compare to indirect taxes. | <urn:uuid:fd3cbbba-dba6-4320-a637-0cfa5ea983a5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.mba-tutorials.com/economics/884-direct-and-indirect-taxesmerits-and-demerits.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00159-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957122 | 497 | 3.765625 | 4 |
"The Lower Paleolithic (earlier) hunters were skilled hunters of large game animals, as were Upper Paleolithic (later) humans at this site," UA anthropology professor Mary C. Stiner said.PNAS doi:10.1073/pnas.0900564106
"This might not seem like a big deal to the uninitiated, but there's a lot of speculation as to whether people of the late Lower Paleolithic were able to hunt at all, or whether they were reduced to just scavenging," Stiner said. "Evidence from Qesem Cave says that just like later Paleolithic humans, the earlier Paleolithic humans focused on harvesting large game. They were really at the top of the food chain."
Cooperative hunting and meat sharing 400–200 kya at Qesem Cave, Israel
Mary C. Stiner et al.
Zooarchaeological research at Qesem Cave, Israel demonstrates that large-game hunting was a regular practice by the late Lower Paleolithic period. The 400- to 200,000-year-old fallow deer assemblages from this cave provide early examples of prime-age-focused ungulate hunting, a human predator–prey relationship that has persisted into recent times. The meat diet at Qesem centered on large game and was supplemented with tortoises. These hominins hunted cooperatively, and consumption of the highest quality parts of large prey was delayed until the food could be moved to the cave and processed with the aid of blade cutting tools and fire. Delayed consumption of high-quality body parts implies that the meat was shared with other members of the group. The types of cut marks on upper limb bones indicate simple flesh removal activities only. The Qesem cut marks are both more abundant and more randomly oriented than those observed in Middle and Upper Paleolithic cases in the Levant, suggesting that more (skilled and unskilled) individuals were directly involved in cutting meat from the bones at Qesem Cave. Among recent humans, butchering of large animals normally involves a chain of focused tasks performed by one or just a few persons, and butchering guides many of the formalities of meat distribution and sharing that follow. The results from Qesem Cave raise new hypotheses about possible differences in the mechanics of meat sharing between the late Lower Paleolithic and Middle Paleolithic. | <urn:uuid:6983a922-e175-45d5-b6fb-c4e4d55231b1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://dienekes.blogspot.com/2009/08/lower-paleolithic-hunters-from-qesem.html?showComment=1251621019245 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393997.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00123-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968076 | 480 | 3.8125 | 4 |
NEW ORLEANS -- Dispersed across the nation, survivors of Hurricane Katrina are suffering such severe psychological distress that the federal government has launched the broadest - and probably the most costly - counseling program in the nation's history.
An estimated 500,000 people need some form of mental health service, which could include treatment for post-traumatic stress, substance abuse counseling, anti-anxiety medication and art therapy for children too young to talk out their grief.
The federal government has allocated $141 million to serve evacuees scattered among at least two dozen states, said Seth Hassett, who directs the emergency response unit of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Officials are negotiating a separate grant for Louisiana; it could be as high as $70 million. That would bump the total cost of hurricane counseling well above the $178 million appropriated for the mental health needs of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Cost aside, the Katrina response is proving to be the agency's toughest challenge ever, Hassett said.
In New Orleans, even people trained to offer solace break down easily and often: A hospital nurse, a school psychologist, a paramedic, a counselor all lose composure as they talk about Katrina.
"The truth is, we are not OK. We are so definitely not OK," said Burke Beyer, 31, who leads a federally funded team of counselors in New Orleans.
Experts recognized from the start that Katrina would be traumatic. The storm killed more than 1,300 people, submerged 80 percent of New Orleans, flattened neighborhoods, and forced friends and relatives apart. But the full scope of the mental health crisis is emerging now.
The half-year mark should be a milestone; many residents expected recovery to be well under way. Instead, their lives are still a mess, their city is still in ruins, and they can see no end to the chaos.
Federal officials estimate that 25 percent to 30 percent of hurricane survivors in hard-hit cities such as New Orleans will suffer what is defined as "clinically significant" mental health problems. An additional 10 percent to 20 percent need psychological help but aren't classified as clinically ill.
Lyn Shraberg, who directs the nonprofit Cope Line in New Orleans, hears the strain in call after call. Before the storm, her counselors handled at most three suicidal or severely depressed callers a day. Now, they get 12 to 14 a day.
Nationally, calls to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline are up 60 percent since Katrina.
Adding to the unease, hurricane season is approaching. Yet it feels as though Katrina has just blown out of town. The streets are still strewn with the moldering remnants of upturned lives: a red teddy bear, a striped blouse, a half-used jar of poultry seasoning. The Red Cross still sends vans through the streets with free food.
"For many people, strange as it may sound, it's still the week after the storm," said Anthony Speier, a psychologist who directs the state's mental health programs for disaster victims. "They have not had a break to regroup, to rebuild resilience."
Professional help is hard to find. Before Katrina, the metropolitan region had about 550 hospital beds devoted to mental health patients. Now there are at most 200, said Joe Eppling, director of behavioral health services at East Jefferson General Hospital.
Much of the region is still thinly populated: Barely 40 percent of New Orleans' population has returned. So in theory the number of hospital beds should be adequate. But mental health crises are so common these days that Eppling has to keep some patients in the emergency room for days before a psychiatric bed opens up.
Even patients who don't need to be admitted to the hospital face long waits for care. Private psychiatrists are booking appointments four to six months out.
To build residents' coping skills, the state has directed its share of federal grants to a program it calls Louisiana Spirit. In the New Orleans region, outreach workers go door to door offering free counseling, distributing self-help guides - and giving plenty of pep talks.
A recent pupil survey at Belle Chasse Primary School in Plaquemines Parish revealed overwhelming anxiety. Asked how they were feeling, kindergarteners drew frowning faces dripping tears. Second- and third-graders wrote down their fears:
"I'm worried that I will never see my family again."
"What will we do? Where will we go?"
Stephanie Simon writes for the Los Angeles Times. | <urn:uuid:cda5a3da-0b71-43a4-9495-24cf072877ea> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-03-19/news/0603190023_1_katrina-new-orleans-mental-health | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00107-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960259 | 930 | 2.703125 | 3 |
What Is California Thursdays®?
The program, part of the Center’s California Food for California Kids® initiative, was developed and piloted in partnership with the Oakland Unified School District during the 2013–14 school year. It expanded to 15 districts in 2014, to 42 districts in 2015, and to 58 districts (which together serve more than 283 million meals a year) in 2016.
Visit the California Thursdays website to learn more
Participants in the program understand the value of offering appealing school meals that support student health and academic achievement, contribute to local economies, protect the environment, and help kids learn where their food comes from.
The goal of serving one freshly prepared meal per week is an achievable step. At the same time, it requires changes throughout nutrition services operations. (For instance, CEL’s Rethinking School Lunch planning framework identifies 10 related pathways for food service reform.) To assist adopters of the California Thursdays program, the Center for Ecoliteracy has created compelling, relevant marketing and communications materials and is consulting with participants as they launch their programs.
The network of participating districts includes Albany City Unified, Alvord Unified, Antioch Unified, Arvin Union, Brentwood Union, Buckeye Union, Cajon Valley Union, Calaveras Unified, Chico Unified, Chula Vista Elementary, Conejo Valley Unified, Davis Joint Unified, Del Norte County Unified, Elk Grove Unified, Encinitas Union, Escondido Union, Fallbrook Union Elementary, Fontana Unified, Grass Valley, Hemet Unified, Julian Union, La Honda–Pescadero Unified, La Mesa-Spring Valley, Lodi Unified, Los Angeles Unified, Manteca Unified, Millbrae Elementary, Monterey Peninsula Unified, Mt. Diablo Unified, Napa Valley Unified, Natomas Unified, Nevada Joint Union, Oak Park Unified, Oakland Unified, Oakley Union Elementary, Oceanside Unified, Pacific Elementary, Pajaro Valley Unified, Palm Springs Unified, Pittsburg Unified, Ravenswood City Elementary, Rescue Union, Riverside Unified, Sacramento City Unified, San Diego Unified, San Francisco Unified, San Ysidro Unified, Santa Clara Unified, Santa Cruz City Schools, Sonoma Valley Unified, Sweetwater Union High, Tracy Unified, Turlock Unified, Tustin Unified, Upland Unified, Vista Unified, West Contra Costa Unified, and Woodland Joint Unified.
California Thursdays is generously supported by TomKat Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, California Department of Food and Agriculture, The California Endowment, Panta Rhea, Tides Foundation, New Priorities Foundation, and donors to the Center for Ecoliteracy. | <urn:uuid:3c76a419-8732-42f6-9673-8de2047444a6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ecoliteracy.org/article/what-california-thursdays%C2%AE | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00194-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.822426 | 548 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Treatment for a Heart Attack
Treatment options include:
- Anti-platelet medications to prevent formation of blood clots in the arteries
- Anti-coagulant medications to prevent growth of blood clots in the arteries
- Clot-dissolving medications to open blocked arteries
- Supplemental oxygen to increase the supply of oxygen to the heart's muscle
- Medications to decrease the need for oxygen by the heart's muscle
- Medications to prevent abnormal heart rhythms
- Coronary Angioplasty with or without stent placement
The primary goal of treatment is to quickly open the blocked artery and restore blood flow to the heart muscle, a process called reperfusion. Once the artery is open, damage to heart muscle ceases, and the patient becomes pain free. By minimizing the extent of heart muscle damage, early reperfusion preserves the pumping function of the heart. Patients have the best outcomes if the artery can be reopened within four to six hours of a heart attack. Any delay can result in more widespread damage to heart muscle and a greater reduction in the ability of the heart to pump blood. Patients with hearts that are unable to pump sufficient blood develop heart failure, decreased ability to exercise, and abnormal heart rhythms. The amount of healthy heart muscle remaining after a heart attack is the most important determinant of the future quality of life and longevity.
Anti-platelet agents are medications that prevent blood clots from forming by inhibiting the aggregation of platelets. Platelets are fragments of cells that circulate in the blood. Platelets begin the formation of blood clots by clumping together (a process called aggregation). Platelet clumps are then strengthened and expanded by the action of clotting factors (coagulants) that result in the deposition of protein (fibrin) among the platelets. Aggregation of platelets occurs at the site of any injury or laceration, but it also occurs at the site of rupture of cholesterol plaques in the walls of coronary arteries. Formation of clots at the site of an injury or cut is a good thing because it prevents excessive loss of blood, but clots inside coronary arteries block the arteries and cause heart attacks.
There are three types of anti-platelet agents -- aspirin, thienopyridines and the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. These agents differ in their mode of action, anti-platelet potency, speed of onset of action and cost.
Aspirin inhibits the activity of the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase inside platelets. Cyclo-oxygenase is an enzyme whose activity is necessary for the formation of a chemical, thromboxane A2, that causes platelets to aggregate. Aspirin, by inhibiting the formation of thromboxane A2, which prevents platelets from aggregating and thereby prevents the formation of blood clots.
Aspirin alone has its greatest impact on improving survival among patients with heart attacks. Numerous studies have shown that aspirin reduces mortality (by 25%) when given to patients with heart attacks. Aspirin is easy to use, safe at the low doses used for anti-platelet action, fast acting (with an onset of action within 30 minutes), and cheap. Aspirin is given at a dose of 160 mg to 325 mg immediately to almost all patients as soon as a heart attack is recognized. It also is continued on a daily basis indefinitely after the heart attack. The only reason for not using aspirin is a history of intolerance or allergy to aspirin.
Aspirin is taken daily following a heart attack to reduce the risk of another heart attack. (Preventing further heart attacks is called secondary prevention, while preventing the first heart attack is called primary prevention). The ideal daily dose of aspirin for secondary prevention has not been established. Some doctors recommend 160 mg; others recommend 81 mg. The reason for this difference has to do with aspirin's occasional long-term side effect of bleeding (for example from stomach ulcers). Even though the risk of major bleeding with long-term, moderate dose aspirin (325 mg/day) is low (less than 1%), this risk can be lowered slightly by using an even lower dose (160 or 81 mg/day).
Thienopyridines such as ticlopidine (Ticlid) and clopidogrel (Plavix) inhibit the ADP receptor on the surface of platelets. Inhibiting the ADP receptors on the platelets prevent the platelets from aggregating and causing blood clots to form. The theinopyridines are more potent anti-platelet agents than aspirin. Clopidogrel (Plavix) is used far more commonly than ticlopidine (Ticlid) because ticlopidine can, in rare instances, cause low platelet and/or white blood cell counts.
Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors
The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors such as abciximab (Reopro) and eptifibatide (Integrilin) prevent aggregation of platelets by inhibiting the glycoprotein receptors on the platelets. They are the most potent anti-platelet agents, approximately 9 times more potent than aspirin, and three times more potent than the thienopyridines. The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are also the most expensive anti-platelet agents. The currently FDA-approved glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors have to be given intravenously. They usually are given along with aspirin and heparin. They are quick acting; their anti-platelet effects are achieved within minutes of infusion. These inhibitors have become important in the treatment of patients with heart attacks, patients with unstable angina, and patients undergoing PTCA with or without stenting.
Coagulants (clotting factors) are proteins produced by the liver. Clotting factors are responsible for "cementing" clumps of platelets together to form a stronger and larger clot. Anti-coagulants such as intravenous or subcutaneous (under the skin) heparin, subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin, and oral warfarin (Coumadin), prevent the formation of blood clots either by inhibiting the production of clotting factors or by interfering with the action of the clotting factors.
Heparin prevents the formation and growth of blood clots by inhibiting the action of clotting factors that cement the clumps of platelets together. Heparin is given either intravenously or as a subcutaneous injection.
Low molecular weight heparin
Low molecular weight heparins such as enoxaparin (Lovenox) and dalteparin (Fragmin), are sub-fractions of heparin with longer-lasting effects than heparin. They can be given every 12-24 hours as subcutaneous injections (like insulin).
Warfarin (Coumadin) prevents the formation of blood clots by inhibiting the production of clotting factors by the liver. Warfarin must be taken orally and is slow acting; it can take days to achieve an adequate anti-coagulant effect. Warfarin's anti-coagulant effect is dose-related, that is, its effect is greater with larger doses. Because of its slow onset of action, Coumadin is not commonly used immediately for the treatment of heart attacks. Instead, it is used orally on a long-term basis in selected patients after heart attacks to prevent blood clots.
While anti-platelet agents and anti-coagulants prevent the formation of blood clots, they cannot dissolve existing blood clots and hence cannot be relied upon to open blocked arteries rapidly. Clot-dissolving drugs (also called fibrinolytic or thrombolytic medications) actually dissolve blood clots and can rapidly open blocked arteries. Intravenous administration of clot-dissolving drugs such as tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) or TNK can open up to 80% of acutely blocked coronary arteries. The earlier these drugs are administered, the greater the success at opening the artery and the more effective the preservation of heart muscle. If clot-dissolving drugs are given too late (more than six hours after the onset of the heart attack), most of the muscle damage already may have occurred.
If a hospital does not have a catheterization laboratory with the ability to perform PTCA, or if there are logistic reasons why PTCA will be delayed, clot-dissolving drugs can be promptly administered to achieve reperfusion. PTCA then may be performed in patients who fail to respond to the clot-dissolving drugs. (If prompt PTCA and stenting are available, it has been demonstrated that they are preferable to clot-dissolving drugs to open arteries.)
Nitroglycerin is the most common nitrate used in the treatment of heart attacks. It can be given sublingually (under the tongue), as a spray, as a paste applied over skin, and intravenously. Intravenous nitroglycerine has a rapid onset of action and is commonly used in the initial (first 48 hours) treatment of heart attacks. Nitroglycerine is a vasodilator (blood vessel dilator), which opens arteries by relaxing the muscular wall of the artery. Nitroglycerine dilates coronary arteries as well as other blood vessels throughout the body. By dilating blood vessels, nitroglycerine lowers blood pressure, decreases the work that the heart must do, lowers the demand by the heart for oxygen, prevents coronary artery spasm, improves blood flow to the heart muscle, and potentially minimizes the size of the heart attack. Nitroglycerine is especially helpful in patients with heart attacks who also have heart failure or high blood pressure.
Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, another class of blood vessel dilators, often are given orally after a large heart attack to improve the healing of heart muscle. Examples of ACE inhibitors include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Zestril and Prinivil), and ramipril (Altace). These medications lower the blood pressure and reduce the workload of the heart, thereby helping the damaged heart muscle to recover. They are especially helpful in patients who have recovered from heart attacks but have high blood pressure, heart failure, major damage to the left ventricle, and diabetes mellitus.
Beta-blockers such as propranolol (Inderal), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), andatenolol (Tenormin) usually are given early during a heart attack and are continued long-term. Beta blockers antagonize the action of adrenaline and relieve stress on the muscles of the heart. Beta-blockers decrease the workload of the heart by slowing the heart rate and decreasing the force of contraction of heart muscle. Decreasing the workload decreases the demand for oxygen by the heart and limits the amount of damage to the heart muscle. Long-term administration of beta-blockers following a heart attack has been shown to improve survival and reduce the risk of future heart attacks. Beta-blockers also improve survival among patients with heart attacks by decreasing the incidence of life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms, for example, ventricular fibrillation. Beta-blockers can be given intravenously in the hospital and then can be taken orally for long-term treatment.
The side effects of beta-blockers are wheezing (worsening of breathing in patients with asthma), abnormally slow heart rate, and exacerbation of heart failure (especially in patients with significant damage to their heart muscle); however, in patients with chronic heart failure, beta blockers have recently been demonstrated to be helpful in decreasing symptoms and prolonging life.
Oxygen also is commonly administered during the acute phase of a heart attack as are narcotics such as morphine; these agents aid in the reduction of discomfort and actually help minimize the amount of heart damage. | <urn:uuid:455a2318-4a45-4c71-a941-c5cb4298cdb3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.fmh.org/TreatmentforaHeartAttack | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397749.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00147-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919204 | 2,521 | 2.609375 | 3 |
My name is Cullen Jones. I have been fortunate enough to be a member of the US Olympic swim team that won a gold medal at last summer’s Olympics in Beijing. My teammates and I have spent most of our lives training and dreaming about that opportunity. But for me, that dream almost never happened because at the age of 5, I nearly drowned at a water park.
Every year, thousands of families across the country will be devastated by the unexpected and preventable loss of a child from drowning. I was fortunate and as a result, I learned the life saving skill of swimming.
As Memorial Day Weekend approaches, pools around the country will officially open for the summer. But do all the kids at our pools, water parks, and beaches know how to swim? Unfortunately, many do not.
There are some staggering statistics of which you may not be aware. Although drowning affects everyone, African-American kids drown at a rate 2.6 times higher than Caucasian kids and drowning is the second-leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1-14 years. Almost 60 percent — six out of 10 — African American and Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim. Across the U.S., approximately 5,000 drowning and near-drowning accidents happen each year. In Texas alone, 300 people drowned last year.
But here’s the catch — drownings are preventable. We can do something about them. I got involved to help break the cycle. Research shows kids are more likely to learn to swim if they have awareness and admiration for a competitive swimmer. So as a swimmer who is African American, I feel it is part of my responsibility to be that role model and make that difference. There are no more excuses or reasons why kids can’t learn to swim. It’s time for action and that’s why I’m here.
What can we do about it? EVERYTHING. We can STOP this from happening! How? We’ve got to get kids into pools and teach them how to swim, and not just think about swimming as something kids do for fun or for sport. It’s a life skill that every kid needs — that can mean the difference between LIFE and DEATH.
Parents, would you let your child ride in a car without a seatbelt? Would you send them into a football game without a helmet? Well, then why would you let them be in or around the pool without the life saving skill of knowing how to swim?
Do something about it today. Look up a local learn-to-swim group in your community —makeasplash.org lists local partners — or check the yellow pages, go online, or ask people you know where you can get your child involved. If you know other parents whose kids don’t swim, let them know about the resources that exist and support them in getting their children the water safety skills they need.
Kids, if you can’t swim, talk to your parents about it and help them understand how important this is for you. If they need help paying for it, log on to “Make a Splash” and click on “Find a Provider” to find low to no cost lessons in your area. If you have friends who can’t swim, let them know how easy it can be for them to learn.
I will be in Houston on Wednesday, May 20, alongside ConocoPhillips, the USA Swimming Foundation, and Make A Splash, to kickoff a national six-city event series, “Make a Splash with Cullen Jones, presented by ConocoPhillips.” We will be educating parents and kids about the availability of low to no-cost swimming lessons, ensuring ALL kids regardless of economic or ethnic background have the opportunity to learn life-saving swimming skills, regardless of their ethnic or economic background. We will be meeting with Houston’s community leaders, 1,000 elementary school children from Aldine School District, giving five children their first swim lesson, and throwing out the first pitch at the Astros game for “Make a Splash Day.”
Join me in this crusade. You never know when your child will be around water. A drowning can happen in seconds. I know. It almost happened to me.
Go to makeasplash.org to find more information about learn to swim lessons in your area. | <urn:uuid:af940b54-432f-4e5c-99d5-2e8662f75e07> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2009/05/an-olympians-plea-for-pool-safety/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00058-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961587 | 910 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Length: 3 Days
Time: 9am - 4pm
Free Retakes: 8 Months
Prior programming experience and a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. Previously taken jQuery helpful.
What is Programming or Scripting?
- I'm a designer...why learn about programming?
- How understanding programming can be helpful
- What are my options?
- What languages are used?
- Which should I learn?
- What tools do I use to create/write these languages?
- What does it cost and where does it go?
Getting started programming
- Basic HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and how it translates to the web
- Learn to read and understand simple code
- How Dreamweaver and other apps generate HTML
- Working with HTML markup tags
- What is a statement?
- Anatomy of a statement
- Commenting your code
- Creating variables to store program information
- Naming conventions
- Types of data
- Associative Arrays
- Manipulating data with operations
- Conditional statements and loops
- If, if-else and else-if statements
- Switch statements
- For loops
- while loops
- do while loops
- Creating reusable code with functions
- returning data
- Creating complex structures as Objects
Working with the HTML document
- Understanding the DOM (document object model)
- How the DOM is language-independent and can interact with other documents
- Retrieving the page element you want
- Changing HTML tag attributes
Working with events
- Event Handlers that trigger actions
- Event Listeners
- Browser inconstencies
- Starting, stopping and timing animations
- Creating linear animations
- Adding easing for more natural movement
Enhancing forms with scripting
- Form validation
- Making fields required
- Using Regular Expressions
- Custom Controls | <urn:uuid:662a4462-8023-42fb-bd79-4fd214f673db> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ascendtraining.com/outline.php?id=280 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00037-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.801057 | 381 | 2.6875 | 3 |
GDD 101: Google Documents
AIT Online Registration website.
The real-time collaboration of documents in Google Docs makes it ideal for group assignments, revision cycles, and shared notes. Built-in tools like auto-save and revision history, comments, and an equation editor are useful for students and teachers alike.
- Introduction to Cloud Computing
- Use Docs in the classroom
- Work with documents
- Manage documents with multiple editors
- Basic formatting
- Advanced formatting
- Create and share templates
- Create an archive with Docs
- Run a paperless classroom with Docs | <urn:uuid:ba4d50b4-878d-4752-bb2f-3c2565e8e411> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.jsums.edu/instructionaltech/google-docs/google-docs-syllabus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396100.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00133-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.794499 | 124 | 2.921875 | 3 |
We are presented with some coercion functions and asked
Ex 4.1: Why is inchToPixel x not defined as 100 * round
It is instead defined as round(100 * x). This is because if
rounding was done on the input parameter, then whether it was, say, 1.01
or 1.99, the answer would be the same: 100*(round 1.01) = 100*1 = 100.
Ex 4.2 Why is pixelToInch n not defined as intToFloat
Similarly, this is to do with fixity/order of application of
expressions: The version above would first try to evaluate
n/100, which will fail, as n is an Integer, and
“/“ isn't defined for Ints.
That's it for the exercises. I played along with the examples, which
basically amounts to copying out of the book – actually I think that's
more instructive than just reading or getting the source code off the
internet, because it helps develop finger-memory.
Well, he does leave a “you may wish to define these functions on your
own as an exerciseâ€, but right now, I'm going to bed instead. | <urn:uuid:7fbf7595-c7e9-4eb0-be3a-5fee1f0a06d8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://greenokapi.net/blog/2007/05/22/chapter-4-shapes-ii-drawing-shapes-short/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00138-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952379 | 266 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Facts and interesting information about Medieval Life,
specifically, Medieval Villein
A Medieval Villein was initially one of a class of feudal serfs who initially held the legal status of freemen in their dealings with all people except their lord. A medieval village or manor usually contained several classes of laborers, consisting of the Medieval Villein, the serf and peasant. There might be a number of freemen, who paid a fixed rent, either in money or produce, for the use of their land. Gradually the distinction between the Medieval Villein and the serf disappeared. Most of the peasants were serfs or villeins. The serf and the Medieval Villein laboured in the lord's household or at work on his domain. Under feudalism the lords and nobles of the land had certain rights over Medieval Villeins which included the right of jurisdiction, which gave judicial power to the nobles and lords and the right of hunting. For more interesting information about rights in Medieval Times click the following link:
Definition of the Medieval Villein
The Medieval Villein was a peasant who worked his lord's land and paid him certain dues in return for the use of land, the possession (not the ownership) of which was heritable. The dues were usually in the form of labor on the lord's land. The Medieval Villein was expected to work for approximately 3 days each week on the lord's land. A Medieval Villein was one bound to work on a certain manor, and thus attached to the soil, and sold with it into the service of whoever purchased the land.
Medieval Peasant Women
The Peasants Revolt
Daily Life of a Medieval Villein
The daily life of a Medieval Villein was hard. The Medieval Villein had to labor on the lord's domain for two or three days each week, and at specially busy seasons, such as ploughing and harvesting the Medieval Villein had to do extra work. The daily life of a Medieval Villein was dictated by the requirements of the lord of the manor. A Medieval Villein also had to make certain payments, either in money or more often in grain, honey, eggs, or other produce. When a Medieval Villein ground the wheat he was obliged to use the lord's mill, and pay the customary charge. In theory the lord could tax his villeins as heavily and make them work as hard as he pleased, but the fear of losing his tenants prevented him from imposing too great burdens on the daily life of the Medieval Villein.
The Villeins and their Common Use of Non-arable Land
Besides the Medieval Villein holding farm land, which in England averaged about thirty acres, each Medieval Villein had certain rights over the non-arable land of the manor. A Medieval Villein could cut a limited amount of hay from the meadow. He could turn so many farm animals such as cattle, geese and swine on the waste. A Medieval Villein was also given the privilege of taking wood from the forest for fuel and building purposes. The holding of a Medieval Villein included a house in the village.
The clothes of a Medieval Villein
The clothes of a Medieval Villein were basic and practical. The clothing or dress of a Medieval Villein consisted of:
- A blouse of cloth or skin fastened by a leather belt round the waist, from his belt there hung a sheath for a knife
- An overcoat or mantle of thick woollen material, which fell from his shoulders to half-way down his legs
- Short woollen trousers,
- A woollen hat
- Gloves were only worn for their practical clothing value and were padded for use in tasks such as hedging
- Shoes or large boots were worn on his feet
Medieval Life: Medieval Villein
The Medieval Times website provides interesting facts, history and information about the life of people who lived during the Middle Ages which scatter the Medieval History books including the subject of Medieval Villein. The Medieval Times Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts about the fascinating subject of the lives of the people who lived during this historical period. The content of this article on Medieval Villein provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework for history courses and history coursework. | <urn:uuid:a04c7e52-e8a3-4aaf-8d5a-5d33e7e1ac0e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-life/medieval-villein.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394937.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00081-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965543 | 917 | 3.875 | 4 |
In that function f(x), x can be any real number. So the domain of f(x) is all real numbers. The range of f(x) is also all real numbers. Which leaves me wondering what the question is.
I don't understand how the answer is "x is greater than or equal to 0." I already solved it algebraically but don't see how the answer is x > 0. Please show me how to get that answer.
Note: The book is not wrong, the teacher said it was a trick question and the answer is x is greater than or equal to 0. But we must show work on how to get that.
I think the question is, what's the range of
The domain of a function is the range of its inverse, so we can take the inverse of .
The domain of that inverse is all real numbers... so that should be the range of the original. I'm not sure I see why the range should be > 0.
Sorry for not being so clear about the problem.
I was referring to what is the range of that problem. In the back of the book it says x is greater than or equal to 0. However I got the same answer as satis did and don't fully understand why the answer is x > 0.
Same goes for this problem I got on the test. I got it wrong because I put range is all real numbers (y^2 + 3 = x) when the answer is "All real numbers greater than or equal to 0".
Range is (3,∞). Oh I see how how the answer of range is x is greater than or equal to 0. If possible, how would you know that is the limit though. Would I need to graph it like you did, or could I have solved it mathematically solving for x in that equation f(x) = sqrt x-3. | <urn:uuid:a422e4d9-f84b-453e-8b08-7a79025853c2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://mathhelpforum.com/pre-calculus/128243-range-trick-question.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00136-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977391 | 392 | 3.921875 | 4 |
Building an Electric Vehicle Here in the USA
In tackling climate change, a diverse transportation sector can contribute greatly to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2008, the transportation sector accounted for 28% of U.S. GHG emissions, according to the EIA. In achieving the goal of reducing emissions, transportation policy must reduce GHG emissions from travel without compromising the mobility of Americans. To that end, electric vehicles provide a much-needed alternative to gasoline and diesel powered cars.
Carmakers are responding to this challenge by designing plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) and all electric vehicles (EVs). Nissan’s Leaf, a new electric vehicle, is slated to hit showrooms throughout the U.S in late 2010. One of two Leafs seen in public was on display last week at the Washington Auto Show where the Green Car Journal named the Leaf its 2010 Green Car Vision Award winner.
At first, Nissan will likely place prospective buyers on a waiting list, but it anticipates ramping up Leaf production at a factory it is retooling in Smyrna, Tennessee. The company secured a $1.4 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) last week to prepare the plant to manufacture the vehicles and the advanced batteries that will power them. DOE points out that the facility will “create up to 1,300 American jobs and conserve up to 65.4 million gallons of gasoline per year.” The 150,000 vehicle-per-year factory positions the U.S. as a leader in the next generation of low-emissions vehicle manufacturing.
At the DC auto show, the Nissan representative shared details about the vehicle along with the company’s program to distribute it worldwide. Nissan is partnering with Better Place, an innovative electric vehicle services provider, to sell the Leaf in Denmark and Israel in 2011. The company intends to make modifications to the Leaf’s chassis to support Better Place’s battery switch stations. The Leaf will also meet SAE’s J1772 standard for electric vehicle charging. Lastly, by laminating the lithium-ion battery packs in order to make them self-cooling, Nissan solved a complex technical problem without using a computer control system. More information about the Leaf is available on Nissan’s website.
The L.A. Time reports Nissan hints at a sticker price of less than $30,000, before accounting for the $7,500 federal tax credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles provided in the Recovery Act. No pricing information was available at the auto show.
The three most important issues to Americans today are the economy, jobs, and terrorism according to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. If one makes the logical connection between protecting against terrorism and promoting energy security, Nissan is timely in releasing the Leaf in 2010. With the Leaf, the company will create American jobs to manufacture an affordable vehicle that lowers U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Nick Nigro is a Solutions Fellow | <urn:uuid:9dd479f3-9de8-422c-99ca-a307e3ce4fb2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.c2es.org/blog/nigron/building-electric-vehicle-here-usa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399428.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00169-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925389 | 624 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Debbie from NC writes:
What are ActiveX controls?
Hi, Debbie. Thanks for the great question.
ActiveX controls are basically small programs designed by Windows to allow Windows, Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer to run applications within their environment, similar to Java applets. By using ActiveX controls rather than changing the basic programming of the module, they can make small changes without overhauling the entire program. Mozilla Firefox also has an add-on that allows their users to access ActiveX programs.
The downside to ActiveX is that it leaves these programs vulnerable to malware attacks, which are called “drive-bys”. They can also be used by computer predators to remotely take control of your computer. You CAN disable all ActiveX controls by going into Internet Properties in your control panel. To open your control panel, click the Start button and then “Control Panel”.
You may have to click an intermediate window that says “Network and Internet”. Under Internet Options, you’ll see an option that says “Manage Browser Add-ons”.
Once you get into the Browser Add-ons window, click the “Security” tab. Under that, you’ll see a slider bar to set the level of your automatic security.
Mine is set to “medium-high”, because that’s where I’m the most comfortable. If you grab that slider and push it all the way up to “High”, you’ll block all incoming ActiveX controls. The downside to this is that some internet sites will no longer function properly.
Another (and in my opinion, better) way to do this is to simply stay away from sites that your virus scanner deems as being unsafe. You will get a pop-up that advises you of this and gives you the option of visiting the site anyway.
Hope that this helps. | <urn:uuid:065a5aa6-837e-4e5b-8bd4-579aa80b04cd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.worldstart.com/what-the-heck-are-activex-controls/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393997.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00170-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925365 | 398 | 2.59375 | 3 |
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Once in a great while, a natural history book changes the way people look at the world. In 1838, John ames Audubon s Birds of America was one...In 1934, Roger Tory Peterson produced Field Guide to the Birds...Now comes The Sibley Guide to Birds.
Thus did The New York Times, in 1999, greet David Allen Sibley s monumental book, which has quickly been established nationwide as the peerless, standard bird identification guide.
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is the new landmark book from David Allen Sibley. Designed to enhance the birding experience and to enrich the popular study of North American birds, the book combines more than 795 of his full-color illustrations with authoritative text by 48 expert birders and biologists. In this new guide Sibley takes us beyond identification, to show us how birds live and what they do.
Introductory essays outline the principles of avian evolution, life cycle, body structure, flight dynamics, and more. The 80 family-by-family chapters describe the amazing range of behavior dictated by birds biology and environment. Among the subjects covered and illustrated are:
--molts and plumages --habitats --food and foraging --vocalizations and displays --courtship and breeding --rearing of young --migration and movements --scientific groupings --introduced species --accidental species --anatomy --flight patterns --nests and eggs --conservation --global distribution
Accessibly written, superbly designed and organized, and brilliantly illustrated, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior is an indispensable source of information on the avian life around us.
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Plentiful spring snow and rain, combined with recent hot temperatures on the Front Range, set the stage for an unusually high number of mosquitoes this summer – and potentially high rates of West Nile virus infection among birds, horses and humans, a Colorado State University expert says.
Chet Moore, who has studied mosquito-borne diseases for more than 50 years, noted that the combination of above-average precipitation and high temperatures is a recipe for a large mosquito population that could quickly transmit West Nile virus far and wide.
These conditions make prevention important. Key steps include: draining standing water in the yard and garden; wearing long sleeves and pants, especially at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active; and using insect repellent with DEET. For more tips, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s “Fight the Bite” website at www.fightthebitecolorado.com.
The virus first appeared in the United States in 1999 and soon spread across the country, hitting Colorado hardest in 2003. Birds harbor the virus, and it is commonly spread by mosquitoes that bite infected birds and then seek blood meals from mammals, such as horses and people.
Two Culex mosquito species that are prevalent in Colorado have been found to be particularly effective vectors.
Most people infected with West Nile virus do not develop symptoms, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Others have flulike symptoms, including fever, vomiting, headaches and body aches. In severe cases of infection – typically about 1 percent of the total reported nationwide – people develop serious neurologic illness, such as encephalitis or meningitis; this illness is sometimes fatal.
In 2013, there were 322 reported cases of West Nile virus infection and seven deaths among humans in Colorado; most illness was reported on the northern and central Front Range. Nationwide, there were 2,469 reported cases of illness and 119 deaths, according to the CDC.
There are no vaccines available to prevent West Nile virus infection in people. However, horses can be vaccinated against the disease, and owners are encouraged to vaccinate their animals annually.
Moore believes Front Range municipalities that opt for mosquito spraying to prevent the spread of virus should not wait until the first human cases of West Nile virus infection are confirmed. That’s because it might take two weeks for symptoms to appear, plus additional time for test results, he said, and during that time the virus can spread significantly. Timing of preventative measures to support public health should be based on surveillance of the virus in mosquito populations, he advised.
Moore has overseen West Nile mosquito surveillance in Northern Colorado for the past five years, and has sent weekly reports to health officials with Larimer County, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and the CDC.
Moore was “hooked on bugs at an early age” thanks to an uncle who was an entomologist, and he soon learned the dangers posed by mosquitoes.
“Mosquito-transmitted diseases are among the biggest problems globally in terms of human disease and mortality,” he said.
The buzzing insects transmit a number of viruses that can cause potentially fatal diseases. In addition to West Nile, these include Dengue fever, Rift Valley fever and malaria. “Someone dies from malaria every 30 seconds around the world,” Moore noted.
There are a number of weather variables that could influence mosquito populations and the spread of West Nile virus this summer. For instance, flooding could scour some sites of mosquito eggs. If the weather becomes hot and dry, mosquitoes will have shorter lifespans. If bird species enjoy a baby boom, there would be a higher host population, with the potential for the virus to spread farther and faster.
One thing is clear: West Nile virus is much less prevalent in Colorado’s high country. That’s because the Culex mosquitos that carry the virus stick to lower elevations. “They’re more flatlanders,” he said.
To monitor the spread of West Nile virus, Moore and a team of fellow researchers in the CSU Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology test mosquito specimens collected by a contractor. Specimens come from 53 traps that attract mosquitoes using light and dry ice, which mimics human breath by emitting carbon dioxide, or using trays containing fermented hay.
“Everybody has their own recipe for the hay infusion,” Moore said. “Some add yeast powder and liver powder. A lot of it is witchcraft.” | <urn:uuid:e8ba75c9-d915-494b-969e-9b45fc409dfe> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.northfortynews.com/csu-researcher-west-nile-virus-could-have-a-bite-this-summer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396875.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00077-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953133 | 931 | 3.53125 | 4 |
Alexander Hamilton & James Madison
Pacificus (Alexander Hamilton)
[Hamilton’s argument appeared in the Gazette of the United States, published in Philadelphia, on June 29, 1793. All italics are from the original.]
As attempts are making very dangerous to the peace, and it is to be feared not very friendly to the constitution of the UStates–it becomes the duty of those who wish well to both to endeavour to prevent their success.
The objections which have been raised against the Proclamation of Neutrality lately issued by the President have been urged in a spirit of acrimony and invective, which demonstrates, that more was in view than merely a free discussion of an important public measure; that the discussion covers a design of weakening the confidence of the People in the author of the measure; in order to remove or lessen a powerful obstacle to the success of an opposition to the Government, which however it may change its form, according to circumstances, seems still to be adhered to and pursued with persevering Industry.
This Reflection adds to the motives connected with the measure itself to recommend endeavours by proper explanations to place it in a just light. Such explanations at least cannot but be satisfactory to those who may not have leisure or opportunity for pursuing themselves an investigation of the subject, and who may wish to perceive that the policy of the Government is not inconsistent with its obligations or its honor.
The objections in question fall under three heads-
1 That the Proclamation was without authority no .
2 That it was contrary to our treaties with France no .
3. That it was contrary to the gratitude which is due from this to that country; for the succours rendered us in our own Revolution.
4. That it was out of time and unnecessary.
In order to judge of the solidity of the first of these objection[s], it is necessary to examine what is the nature and design of a proclamation of neutrality.
The true nature & design of such an act is-to make known to the powers at War and to the Citizens of the Country, whose Government does the Act that such country is in the condition of a Nation at Peace with the belligerent parties, and under no obligations of Treaty, to become an associate in the war with either of them; that this being its situation its intention is to observe a conduct comfortable with it and to perform towards each the duties of neutrality; and as a consequence of this state of things, to give warning to all within its jurisdiction to abstain from acts that shall contravene those duties, under the penalties which the laws of the land (of which the law of Nations is a part) annexes to acts of contravention.
This, and no more, is conceived to be the true import of a Proclamation of Neutrality.
It does not imply, that the Nation which makes the declaration will forbear to perform to any of the warring Powers any stipulations in Treaties which can be performed without rendering it an associate or party in the War. It therefore does not imply in our case, that the UStates will not make those distinctions, between the present belligerent powers, which are stipulated in the 17th and 22d articles of our Treaty with France; because these distinctions are not incompatible with a state of neutrality; they will in no shape render the UStates an associate or party in the War. This must be evident, when it is considered, that even to furnish determinate succours, of a certain number of Ships or troops, to a Power at War, in consequence of antecedent treaties having no particular reference to the existing war, is not inconsistent with neutrality; a position well established by the doctrines of Writers and the practice of Nations.
But no special aids, succours or favors having relation to war, not positively and precisely stipulated by some Treaty of the above description, can be afforded to either party, without a breach of neutrality.
In stating that the Proclamation of Neutrality does not imply the non performance of any stipulations of Treaties which are not of a nature to make the Nation an associate or party in the war, it is conceded that an execution of the clause of Guaruntee contained in the 11th article of our Treaty of Alliance with France would be contrary to the sense and spirit of the Proclamation; because it would engage us with our whole force as an associate or auxiliary in the War; it would be much more than the case of a definite limited succour, previously ascertained.
It follows that the Proclamation is virtually a manifestation of the sense of the Government that the UStates are, under the circumstances of the case, not bound to execute the clause of Guarantee.
If this be a just view of the true force and import of the Proclamation, it will remain to see whether the President in issuing it acted within his proper sphere, or stepped beyond the bounds of his constitutional authority and duty.
It will not be disputed that the management of the affairs of this country with foreign naitons is confided to the Government of the UStates.
It can as little be disputed, that a Proclamation of Neutrality, where a Nation is at liberty to keep out of a War in which other Nations are engaged and means so to do, is a usual and a proper measure. Its main object and effect are to prevent the Nation being immediately responsible for acts done by its citizens, without the privity or connivance of the Government, in contravention of the principles of neutrality.
An object this of the greatest importance to a Country whose true interest lies in the preservation of peace.
The inquiry then is- what department of the Government of the UStates is the prop[er] one to make a declaration of Neutrality in the cases in which the engagements [of] the Nation permit and its interests require such a declaration.
A correct and well informed mind will discern at once that it can belong neit[her] to the Legislature nor Judicial Department and of course must belong to the Executive.
The Legislative Department is not the organ of intercourse between the United States and foreign Nations. It is charged neither with making nor interpreting Treaties. It is therefore not naturally that Organ of the Government, which is to pronounce the existing condition of the Nation, with regard to foreign Powers, or to admonish the Citizens of their obligations and duties as founded upon that condition of things. Still less is it charged with execution and observance of those obligations and those duties.
It is equally obvious that the act in question is foreign to the Judiciary Department of Government. The province of that Department is to decide litigations in particular cases. It is indeed charged with the interpretation of treaties; but it exercises this function only in the litigated cases; that is where contending parties bring before it a specific controversy. It has no concern with pronouncing upon the external political relations of Treaties between Government and Government. This position is too plain to need being insisted upon.
It must then of necessity belong to the Executive Department to exercise the function in Question- when a proper case for the exercise of it occurs.
It appears to be connected with that department in various capacities, as the organ of intercourse between the Nation and foreign Nations- as the interpreter of the National Treaties, in those cases in which the Judiciary is not competent, that is in the cases between Government and Government-as the power, which is charged with the Execution of the Laws, of which Treaties form a part-as that Power which is charged with the command and application of the Public Force.
This view of the subject is so natural and obvious-so analogous to general theory and practice-that no doubt can be entertained of its justness, unless such doubt can be deduced from particular provisions of the Constitution of the UStates.
Let us see then if cause for such doubt is to be found in that constitution.
The second Article of the Constitution of the United States, section 1st, establishes this general Proposition, That “The EXECUTIVE POWER shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
The same article in a succeeding Section proceeds to designate particular cases of Executive Power. It declares among other things that the President shall be Commander in Chief of the army and navy of the UStates and of the Militia of the several states when called into the actual service of the UStates, that he shall have power by and with the advice of the senate to make treaties; that it shall be his duty to receive ambassadors and other public Ministers and to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.
It would not consist with the rules of sound construction to consider this enumeration of particular authorities as derogating from the more comprehensive grant contained in the general clause, further than as it may be coupled with express restrictions or qualifications; as in regard to the cooperation of the Senate in the appointment of Officers and the making of treaties; which are qualificaof the general executive powers of appointing officers and making treaties: Because the difficulty of a complete and perfect specification of all the cases of Executive authority would naturally dictate the use of general terms-and would render it improbable that a specification of certain particulars was designed as a substitute for those terms, when antecedently used. The different mode of expression employed in the constitution in regard to the two powers the Legislative and the Executive serves to confirm this inference. In the article which grants the legislative powers of the Governt. the expressions are-“All Legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the UStates;” in that which grants the Executive Power the expressions are, as already quoted “The EXECUTIVE PO shall be vested in a President of the UStates of America.”
The enumeration ought rather therefore to be considered as intended by way of greater caution, to specify and regulate the principal articles implied in the definition of Executive Power; leaving the rest to flow from the general grant of that power, interpreted in conformity to other partsthe constitution and to the principles of free government.
The general doctrine of our Constitution is that the EXECUTIVE POWER of the Nation is vested in the President; subject only to the exceptions and qu[a]lifications which are expressed in the instrument.
Two of these have been already noticed- the participation of the Senate in the appointment of Officers and in the making of Treaties. A third remains to be mentioned the right of the Legislature “to declare war and grant letters of marque and reprisal.”
With these exceptions the EXECUTIVE POWER of the Union is completely lodged in the President. This mode of construing the Constitution has indeed been recognized by Congress in formal acts, upon full consideratioin and debate. The power of removal from office is an inportant instance.
And since upon general principles for reasons already given, the issuing of a proclamation of neutrality is merely an Executive Act; since also the general Executive Power of the Union is vested in the President, the conclusion is, that the step, which has been taken by him, is liable to no just exception on the score of authority.
It may be observed that this Inference wbe just if the power of declaring war hadbeen vested in the Legislature, but thatpower naturally includes the right of judgwhether the Nation is under obligations to mawar or not.
The answer to this is, that however true it may be, that thright of the Legislature to declare waincludes the right of judging whether the Nbe under obligations to make War or not-it will not follow that the Executive is in any case excluded from a similar right of Judgment, in the execution of its own functions.
If the Legislature have a right to make war on the one hand-it is on the other the duty of the Executive to preserve Peace till war is declared; and in fulfilling that duty, it must necessarily possess a right of judging what is the nature of the obligations which the treaties of the Country impose on the Government; and when in pursuance of this right it has concluded that there is nothing in them inconsistent with a state of neutrality, it becomes both its province and its duty to enforce the laws incident to that state of the Nation. The Executive is charged with the execution of all laws, the law of Nations as well as the Municipal law, which recognises and adopts those laws. It is consequently bound, by faithfully executing the laws of neutrality, when that is the state of the Nation, to avoid giving a cause of war to foreign Powers.
This is the direct and proper end of the proclamation of neutrality. It declares to the UStates their situation with regard to the Powers at war and makes known to the Community that the laws incident to that situation will be enforced. In doing this, it conforms to an established usage of Nations, the operation of which as before remarked is to obviate a responsibility on the part of the whole Society, for secret and unknown violations of the rights of any of the warring parties by its citizens.
Those who object to the proclamation will readily admit that it is the right and duty of the Executive to judge of, or to interpret, those articles of our treaties which give to France particular privileges, in order to the enforcement of those priveleges: But the necessary consequence of this is, that the Executive must judge what are the proper bounds of those priveleges-what rights are given to other nations by our treaties with them-what rights the law of Nature and Nations gives and our treaties permit, in respect to those Nations with whom we have no treaties; in fine what are the reciprocal rights and obligations of the United States & of all & each of the powers at War.
The right of the Executive to receive ambassadors and other public Ministers may serve to illustrate the relative duties of the Executive and Legislative Departments. This right includes that of judging, in the case of a Revolution of Government in a foreign Country, whether the new rulers are competent organs of the National Will and ought to [be] recognised or not: And where a treaty antecedently exists between the UStates and such nation that right involves the power of giving operation or not to such treaty. For until the new Government is acknowledged , the treaties between the nations, as far at least as regards public rights, are of course suspended.
This power of determ[in]ing virtually in the case supposed upon the operation of national Treaties as a consequence, of the power to receive ambassadors and other public Ministers, is an important instance of the right of the Executive to decide the obligations of the Nation with regard to foreign Nations. To apply it to the case of France, if the[re] had been a Treaty of alliance offensive [and] defensive between the UStates and that Coun[try,] the unqualified acknowledgment of the new Government would have put the UStates in a condition to become an associate in the War in which France was engaged-and would have laid the Legislature under an obligation, if required, and there was otherwise no valid excuse, of exercising its power of declaring war.
This serves as an example of the right of the Executive, in certain cases, to determine the condition of the Nation, though it may consequentially affect the proper or improper exercise of the Power of the Legislature to declare war. The Executive indead cannot control the exercise of that power-further than by the exer[c]ise of its general right of objecting to all acts of the Legislature; liable to being overruled by two thirds of both houses of Congress. The Legislature is free to perform its own duties according to its own sense of them-though the Executive in the exercise of its constitutional powers, may establish an antecedent state of things which ought to weigh in the legislative decisions. From the division of the Executive Power there results, in referrence to it, a concurrent authority, in the distributed cases.
Hence in the case stated, though treaties can only be made by the President and Senate, their activity may be continued or suspended by the President alone.
No objection has been made to the Presidents having acknowledged the Republic of France, by the Reception of its Minister, without having consulted the Senate; thought that body is connected with him in the making of Treaties, and though the consequence of his act of reception is to give operation to the Treaties heretofore made with that Country: But he is censured for having declared the UStates to be in a state of peace & neutrality, with regard to the Powers at War; because the right of changing that state & declaring war belongs to the Legislature.
It deserves to be remarked, that as the participation of the senate in the making of Treaties and the power of the Legislature to declare war are exceptions out of the general “Executive Power” vested in the President, they are to be construed strictly-and ought to be extended no further than is essential to their execution.
While therefore the Legislature can alone declare war, can alone actually transfer the nation from a state of Peace to a state of War-it belongs to the “Executive Power,” to do whatever else the law of Nations cooperating with the Treaties of the Country enjoin in the intercourse of the UStates with foreign Powers.
In this distribution of powers the wisdom of our constitution is manifested. It is the province and duty of the Executive to preserve to the Nation the blessings of peace. The Legislature alone can interrupt those blessings, by placing the Nation in a state of War.
But though it has been thought adviseable to vindicate the authority of the Executive on this broad and comprehensive ground-it was not absolutely necessary to do so. That clause of the constitution which makes it his duty to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed” might alone have been relied upon, and this simple process of argument pursued.
The President is the constitutional EXECUTOR of the laws. Our Treaties and the laws of Nations form a part of the law of the land. He who is to execute the laws must first judge for himself of their meaning. In order to the observance of that conduct, which the laws of nations combined with our treaties prescribed to this country, in reference to the present War in Europe, it was necessary for the President to judge for himself whether there was any thing in our treaties incompatible with an adherence to neutrality. Having judged that there was not, he had a right, and if in his opinion the interests of the Nation required it, it was his duty, as Executor of the laws, to proclaim the neutrality of the Nation, to exhort all persons to observe it, and to warn them of the penalties which would attend its non observance.
The Proclamation has been represented as enacting some new law. This is a view of it entirely erroneous. It only proclaims a fact with regard to the existing state of the Nation, informs the citizens of what the laws previously established require of them in that state, & warns them that these laws will be put in execution against the Infractors of them.
Helvidius (James Madison)
[Madison’s rebuttal to Hamilton appeared in a series of articles that appeared in the Gazette of the United States between August 24 and September 18, 1793. All italics are from the original.]
Let us examine.
In the general distribution of powers, we find that of declaring war expressly vested in the Congress, where every other legislative power is declared to be vested, and without any other qualification than what is common to every other legislative act. The constitutional idea of this power would seem then clearly to be, that it is of a legislative and not an executive nature.
This conclusion becomes irresistible, when it is recollected, that the constitution cannot be supposed to have placed either any power legislative in its nature, entirely among executive powers, or any power executive in its nature, entirely among legislative powers, without charging the constitution, with that kind of intermixture and consolidation of different powers, which would violate a fundamental principle in the organization of free governments. If it were not unnecessary to enlarge on this topic here, it could be shewn, that the constitution was originally vindicated, and has been constantly expounded, with a disavowal of any such intermixture.
The power of treaties is vested jointly in the President and in the Senate, which is a branch of the legislature. From this arrangement merely, there can be no inference that would necessarily exclude the power from the executive class: since the senate is joined with the President in another power, that of appointing to offices, which as far as relate to executive offices at least, is considered as of an executive nature. Yet on the other hand, there are sufficient indications that the power of treaties is regarded by the constitution as materially different from mere executive power, and as having more affinity to the legislative than to the executive character.
…that treaties when formed according to the constitutional mode, are confessedly to have the force and operation of laws, and are to be a rule for the courts in controversies between man and man, as much as any other laws. They are even emphatically declared by the constitution to be “the supreme law of the land.”
So far the argument from the constitution is precisely in opposition to the doctrine. As little will be gained in its favour from a comparison of the two powers, with those particularly vested in the President alone.
As there are but few it will be most satisfactory to review them one by one.
“The President shall be commander in chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia when called into the actual service of the United States.”
There can be no relation worth examining between this power and the general power of making treaties. And instead of being analogous to the power of declaring war, it affords a striking illustration of the incompatibility of the two powers in the same hands. Those who are to conduct a war cannot in the nature of things, be proper or safe judges, whether a war ought to be commenced, continued, or concluded. They are barred from the latter functions by a great principle in free government, analogous to that which separates the sword from the purse, or the power of executing from the power of enacting laws….
Thus it appears that by whatever standard we try this doctrine, it must be condemned as no less vicious in theory than it would be dangerous in practice. It is countenanced neither by the writers on law; nor by the nature of the powers themselves; nor by any general arrangements or particular expressions, or plausible analogies, to be found in the constitution.
Whence then can the writer have borrowed it?
There is but one answer to this question.
The power of making treaties and the power of declaring war, are royal prerogatives in the British government, and are accordingly treated as Executive prerogatives by British commentators. …
Leaving however to the leisure of the reader deductions which the author, having omitted, might not choose to own, I proceed to the examination of one, with which that liberty cannot be taken.
“However true it may be, (says he,) that the right of the legislature to declare war includes the right of judging, whether the legislature be under obligations to make war or not, it will follow that the executive is in any case excluded from a similar right of judging in the execution of its own functions.”
… A concurrent authority in two independent departments, to perform the same function with respect to the same thing, would be as awkward in practice, as it is unnatural in theory.
If the legislature and executive have both a right to judge of the obligations to make war or not, it must sometimes happen, though not at present, that they will judge differently. The executive may proceed to consider the question today; may determine that the United States are not bound to take part in a war, and, in the execution of its functions, proclaim that declaration to all the world. Tomorrow the legislature may follow in the consideration of the same subject; may determine that the obligations impose war on the United States, and, in the execution of its functions, enter into a constitutional declaration, expressly contradicting the constitutional proclamation.
In what light does this present the constitution to the people who established it? In what light would it present to the world a nation, thus speaking, through two different organs, equally constitutional and authentic, two opposite languages, on the same subject, and under the same existing circumstances?
But it is not with the legislative rights alone that this doctrine interferes. The rights of the judiciary may be equally invaded. For it is clear that if a right declared by the constitution to be legislative, leaves, notwithstanding, a similar right in the executive, whenever a case for exercising it occurs, in the course of its functions; a right declared to be judiciary and vested in that department may, on the same principle, be assumed and exercised by the executive in the course of its functions; and it is evident that occasions and pretexts for the latter interference may be as frequent as for the former. So again the judiciary department may find equal occasions in the execution of its functions, for usurping the authorities of the executive; and the legislature for stepping into the jurisdiction of both. And thus all the power of government, of which a partition is so carefully made among the several branches, would be thrown into absolute hotchpot and exposed to a general scramble…. | <urn:uuid:3392a5ce-7070-4df7-b00b-636e6bfe4a0d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/the-pacificus-helvidius-debate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00131-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966115 | 5,226 | 2.875 | 3 |
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
|Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
French: Accord commercial anti-contrefaçon
Spanish: Acuerdo Comercial Anti-Falsificación
|Signed||1 October 2011|
|Effective||Not in force|
|Condition||Ratification by six states|
|Depositary||Government of Japan|
|Languages||English, French and Spanish|
|Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement at Wikisource|
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a multinational treaty for the purpose of establishing international standards for intellectual property rights enforcement. The agreement aims to establish an international legal framework for targeting counterfeit goods, generic medicines and copyright infringement on the Internet, and would create a new governing body outside existing forums, such as the World Trade Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the United Nations.
The agreement was signed in October 2011 by Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States. In 2012, Mexico, the European Union and 22 countries which are member states of the European Union signed as well. One signatory (Japan) has ratified (formally approved) the agreement, which would come into force in countries that ratified it after ratification by six countries.
Industrial groups with interests in copyright, trademarks and other types of intellectual property said that ACTA was a response to "the increase in global trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyright protected works". Organizations such as the Motion Picture Association of America and International Trademark Association are understood to have had a significant influence over the ACTA agenda.
Organisations representing citizens and non-governmental interests argued that ACTA could infringe fundamental rights including freedom of expression and privacy. ACTA has also been criticised by Doctors Without Borders for endangering access to medicines in developing countries. The secret nature of negotiations has excluded civil society groups, developing countries and the general public from the agreement's negotiation process and it has been described as policy laundering by critics including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Entertainment Consumers Association.
The signature of the EU and many of its member states resulted in widespread protests across Europe. European Parliament rapporteur Kader Arif resigned. His replacement, British MEP David Martin, recommended that the Parliament should reject ACTA, stating: "The intended benefits of this international agreement are far outweighed by the potential threats to civil liberties". On 4 July 2012, the European Parliament declined its consent, effectively rejecting it, 478 votes to 39, with 165 abstentions.
- 1 Negotiations
- 2 Signatures and ratifications
- 3 ACTA committee
- 4 Treaty content
- 4.1 Chapter I: Initial Provisions and General Definitions
- 4.2 Chapter II: Legal Framework For Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
- 4.2.1 Section 1: General Obligations with Respect to Enforcement
- 4.2.2 Section 2: Civil Enforcement
- 4.2.3 Section 3: Border Measures
- 4.2.4 Section 4: Criminal Enforcement
- 4.2.5 Section 5: Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Environment
- 4.3 Chapter III: Enforcement Practices
- 4.4 Chapter IV: International Cooperation
- 4.5 Chapter V: Institutional Arrangements
- 4.6 Chapter VI: Final Provisions
- 5 Criticism
- 6 Requests for disclosure
- 7 Protests and petitions
- 8 See also
- 9 References
- 10 Further reading
- 11 External links
Negotiations for the ACTA treaty are not part of any international body. ACTA was first developed by Japan and the United States in 2006. Canada, the European Union (represented in the negotiations by the European Commission, the EU Presidency and EU Member States) and Switzerland joined the preliminary talks throughout 2006 and 2007. Official negotiations began in June 2008, with Australia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Singapore joining the talks. The Senate of Mexico voted unanimously to withdraw Mexico from ACTA negotiations on 30 September 2010.
|Round||Location||Date||Participants and discussion topics||Refs|
|1||Geneva||3–4 June 2008||Participants: Australia, the European Union, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore and United Arab Emirates|||
|2||Washington, D.C.||29–31 July 2008|||
|3||Tokyo||8–9 October 2008|||
|4||Paris||15–18 December 2008|||
|5||Rabat||16–17 July 2009||Participants: Australia, Canada, the European Union (represented by the European Commission, the EU Presidency (Sweden) and EU Member States), Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and the USA
Topics: international cooperation, enforcement practices and institutional issues.
|6||Seoul||4–6 November 2009||Topics: enforcement in the digital environment and criminal enforcement.|||
|7||Guadalajara||26–29 January 2010|||
|8||Wellington||12–16 April 2010||Topics: border measures, enforcement procedures in the digital environment, criminal enforcement, civil enforcement, and transparency.|||
|9||Lucerne||28 June – 1 July 2010|||
Leaks, publications and consultations
ACTA first came to public attention in May 2008 after a discussion paper was uploaded to WikiLeaks. According to a European Union commentary however there was at that stage no draft, but the document constituted initial views as they had been circulated by some of the negotiating parties. Leaked details published in February 2009 showed the 6 chapter-division also present in the final text. Most discussion was focused on the "Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights" (IPR) chapter 2, which had the four sections also present (but slightly differently named) in the final version: Civil Enforcement, Border Measures, Criminal Enforcement and Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement in the Digital Environment. Apart from the participating governments, an advisory committee of large US-based multinational corporations was consulted on the content of the draft treaty, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the International Intellectual Property Alliance (which includes the Business Software Alliance, Motion Picture Association of America, and Recording Industry Association of America). A 2009 Freedom of Information request showed that the following companies also received copies of the draft under a nondisclosure agreement: Google, eBay, Intel, Dell, News Corporation, Sony Pictures, Time Warner, and Verizon.
On 23 March 2010, the entire "18 January 2010 consolidated text" of sections 2.1 and 2.4 (Civil Enforcement, and Special Measures Related To Technological Enforcement Means and the Internet) along with the demands of each negotiator was leaked to the public.
The negotiating parties published the then-current draft on 20 April 2010. In June 2010, a conference with "over 90 academics, practitioners and public interest organizations from six continents" concluded "that the terms of the publicly released draft of ACTA threaten numerous public interests, including every concern specifically disclaimed by negotiators." A group of over 75 law professors signed a letter to President Obama demanding that ACTA be halted and changed. A full consolidated text of the proposed ACTA, dated 1 July 2010, apparently coming from the civil liberties committee (LIBE) of the European Parliament was leaked providing the full text from the Luzern round of negotiations, including the name of the negotiating parties along with their positions.
The revised and final text, dated 15 November 2010, was leaked on 16 November 2010 by several websites.
On 16 April 2010, the negotiating countries issued a joint statement that they had reached unanimous agreement to make the consolidated text, as established at that round of negotiation, available to the public by 21 April. It was also decided to not release individual negotiating positions of countries. The final draft text was published on 20 April 2010. The final text was released on 15 November 2010, and published on 15 April 2011 in English, French and Spanish.
Negotiation mandates and positions
A draft Report from 26 August 2008 by the European Commission tried to establish a mandate from the European Parliament for the negotiation of ACTA. On 25 September 2008 the Council of the European Union adopted a resolution in support of ACTA. In November 2008 the European Commission described ACTA as an attempt to enforce intellectual property rights and states that countries involved in the negotiations see intellectual property rights as "a key instrument for their development and innovation policies". It argues:
|“||The proliferation of intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements poses an ever-increasing threat to the sustainable development of the world economy. It is a problem with serious economic and social consequences. Today, we face a number of new challenges: the increase of dangerous counterfeit goods (pharmaceuticals, food and drink, cosmetics or toys, car parts); the speed and ease of digital reproduction; the growing importance of the Internet as a means of distribution; and the sophistication and resources of international counterfeiters. All these factors have made the problem more pervasive and harder to tackle.||”|
In March 2010, a leaked draft negotiation text showed that the European Commission had proposed language in ACTA to require criminal penalties for "inciting, aiding and abetting" certain offenses, including "at least in cases of willful trademark counterfeiting and copyright or related rights piracy on a commercial scale." In a report published on 11 March 2009, the European Parliament called on the European Commission to "immediately make all documents related to the ongoing international negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) publicly available".
The European Parliament resolution of 10 March 2010 on the transparency and state of play of the ACTA negotiations stated that "according to documents leaked, the ACTA negotiations touch on, among other things, pending EU legislation regarding the enforcement of IPRs (COD/2005/0127 – Criminal measures aimed at assuring the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRED-II)) and the so-called "Telecoms Package" and on existing EU legislation regarding e-commerce and data protection." The resolution furthermore states, "whereas the ongoing EU efforts to harmonise IPR enforcement measures should not be circumvented by trade negotiations which are outside the scope of normal EU decision-making processes." Also, that the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs), including patent, trademark, and copyright law, must be "accomplished in a manner that does not impede innovation or competition, undermine IPR limitations and personal data protection, restrict the free flow of information or unduly burden legitimate trade."
The resolution called for the European Commission and the European Council to "grant public and parliamentary access to ACTA negotiation texts and summaries, in accordance with" the Lisbon Treaty and "Regulation 1049/2001 of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents." In the resolution, the European Parliament "deplores the calculated choice of the parties not to negotiate through well-established international bodies, such as WIPO and WTO, which have established frameworks for public information and consultation". The European Parliament asserted that under the Treaty of Lisbon the European Commission needed to provide "immediate and full information" to the European Parliament on international treaties, such as ACTA. The resolution also "stresses that, unless Parliament is immediately and fully informed at all stages of the negotiations, it reserves its right to take suitable action, including bringing a case before the Court of Justice in order to safeguard its prerogatives".
Signatures and ratifications
As of 26 December 2014, the treaty was signed -but not all ratified- by 31 states as well as the European Union. Japan was on 4 October 2012 the first to ratify the treaty.
The treaty is according to Article 39 open for signature until 1 May 2013 for the participants involved in the negotiations as well as all members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) of which the participants agree. It enters into force after subsequent ratification by six states (Article 40). After 1 May 2013, WTO members that did not sign, may accede to the convention after approval by the ACTA committee (Article 43).
A signing ceremony was held on 1 October 2011 in Tokyo, with the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea signing the treaty. The European Union, Mexico, and Switzerland attended but did not sign, professing support and saying they will do so in the future (the European Union and 22 of its member states did so in January 2012). In May 2012, the Swiss government announced that it would withhold its signature while deliberations in the EU are pending. In early July 2012, Claude Heller, Mexican Ambassador to Japan, signed the treaty. On 23 July, the Senate of Mexico rejected the decision the Cabinet of the country took.
The European Union and its 28 Member States share competency on the subject of this convention. This means that entry into force on its territory requires ratification (or accession) by all states, as well as approval of the European Union. Approval of the European Union involves consent of the European Parliament as well as the Council. On 26 January 2012, the European Union and 22 Member States signed the treaty in Tokyo. According to depositary Japan, the remaining members (Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Netherlands and Slovakia) were expected to sign it on the completion of their respective domestic procedures. On 3 February 2012, Poland announced it halted the ratification process as it "had made insufficient consultations before signing the agreement in late January, and it was necessary to ensure it was entirely safe for Polish citizens." Also, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and non-signatories Germany, Slovakia and Slovenia have indicated to have stopped the process of becoming a party to the treaty. On 17 February 2012, the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, announced that Poland will not ratify ACTA. On 21 February 2012, a news report noted that "many countries in Europe that have signed the treaty have set aside ratification in response to public outcry, effectively hampering the ratification and implementation of the treaty."
When Poland announced its intentions to sign the treaty on 18 January 2012, a number of Polish government websites, including those of the President and Polish Parliament, were shut down by denial of service attacks that started 21 January, akin to protests against SOPA and PIPA that had happened two days previously. Notwithstanding the ongoing protests, the Polish ambassador to Japan signed the treaty.
On 22 February 2012, the European Commission asked the European Court of Justice to assess whether the ACTA agreement violates the EU's fundamental human rights and freedoms, thereby resulting in delay for the ratification process in the EU. However, INTA, the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament, in view of its exclusion from the negotiations, the secrecy of the negotiations, and the recent protests, moved to have its vote on the ratification take place in June or July 2012 as planned, in spite of the European Commission's objections.
We have recently seen how many thousands of people are willing to protest against rules which they see as constraining the openness and innovation of the Internet. This is a strong new political voice. And as a force for openness, I welcome it, even if I do not always agree with everything it says on every subject. We are now likely to be in a world without SOPA and without ACTA. Now we need to find solutions to make the Internet a place of freedom, openness, and innovation fit for all citizens, not just for the techno avant-garde.— European Commissioner Neelie Kroes
On 29 May 2012 the Dutch House of Representatives in two non-binding resolutions called upon the Dutch government not to sign ACTA and not to submit it to the House for ratification. In addition it requested the government not to vote in favor of similar treaties in the future.
The European Commission confirmed on 20 December 2012 that it was withdrawing Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) referral to the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU). This ended ACTA’s process at EU level and confirms rejection of the treaty by the EU.
On 26 January 2012, after the signing of 22 European Member States Kader Arif, the European Parliament's rapporteur for ACTA, resigned, saying "I want to send a strong signal and alert the public opinion about this unacceptable situation. I will not take part in this masquerade.". He was replaced by David Martin.
On 12 April 2012, David Martin recommended that the European Parliament should reject ACTA, saying the intended benefits were far outweighed by the risks, and "given the vagueness of certain aspects of the text and the uncertainty over its interpretation, the European Parliament cannot guarantee adequate protection for citizens' rights in the future under ACTA."
ACTA was discussed in five parliamentary committees, all of which voted to reject the ACTA treaty, as follows:
|Development committee (DEVE)||Reject||17||1||3|
|Civil Liberties (LIBE)||Reject||36||1||21|
|Legal Affairs (JURI)||Reject (amended from "approve" recommendation by the rapporteur)||12||10||2|
|International Trade (INTA, lead committee)||Reject||19||12|
These recommendations of the top 4 committees served as advice for the International Trade Committee, the lead committee on ACTA. On 21 June 2012, this committee recommended 19–12 that the EP reject the treaty. The full European Parliament voted on the issue on 4 July 2012 and declined consent to ACTA, effectively rejecting it, with 478 against to 39 in favour, and 165 abstentions.
It has been reported that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has stated they will not use the fast track negotiating authority (Trade Promotion Authority) to implement ACTA, but the form of a "sole executive agreement" instead. While on 6 March 2012 Legal Adviser of the Department of State Harold Koh refused to back USTR's theory that it could enter any agreement that does not change U.S. law (but binds Congress not to change it) without Congressional consent, Koh described ACTA as a "congressional-executive agreement" that Congress approved of ex-ante, citing the PRO-IP Act. This proposed method of adoption has encountered criticism in Congress. According to Senator Ron Wyden: "There are questions of constitutional authority surrounding whether the administration can enter into this agreement without Congress's approval ... Either way, when international accords, like ACTA, are conceived and constructed under a cloak of secrecy, it is hard to argue that they represent the broad interests of the general public. The controversy over ACTA should surprise no one." More recently, on 20 March 2012, Senator Wyden noted, "I believe Congress should approve binding international agreements before the U.S. is obligated to comply with those agreements. This [is] a point where the administration and I disagree and is particularly true on matters that impact our nation’s ability to implement policies that encourage innovation."
|“||We believe that ACTA will help protect the intellectual property that is essential to American jobs in innovative and creative industries. At the same time, ACTA recognizes the importance of online privacy, freedom of expression and due process, and calls on signatories to protect these values in the course of complying with the Agreement.||”|
ACTA establishes the ACTA committee in Article 36 as its own governing body outside existing international institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or the United Nations. With regards to the reason for not pursuing ACTA through the G8, WTO, WIPO or other formal existing structures the European Commission explains that a free-standing agreement provides the most flexibility "to pursue this project among interested countries", while stating that "the membership and priorities of those organizations (G8, WTO, and WIPO) simply are not the most conducive to this kind of path breaking project."
The finalized agreement text was published on 15 April 2011 and includes six chapters with 45 articles:
Chapter I: Initial Provisions and General Definitions
This Chapter describes the scope of the agreement as well as relations to other agreements. It asserts that obligations from other agreements still exist with entry into force of this agreement (Article 1) and that the agreement applies only those intellectual property rights existing in the country applying the treaty (Article 3). Countries may impose stricter measures than the treaty requires (Article 2) and should share (confidential) information for law enforcement purposes (Article 4). The treaty explicitly also applies to free zones (Article 5).
Chapter II: Legal Framework For Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
The legal framework set out in Chapter II is divided in five sections.
Section 1: General Obligations with Respect to Enforcement
General obligations are requirements to implement the provisions in law, to have fair procedure as well as "proportionality between the seriousness of the infringement, the interests of third parties, and the applicable measures, remedies and penalties" (Article 6).
Section 2: Civil Enforcement
The sections provides that rights holders have access to civil or (if they exist) administrative procedures (Article 7) and to have the possibility for judges "to issue an order against a party to desist from an infringement" (Article 8). They may also require in civil procedure pirated copyright goods and counterfeit trademark goods to be destroyed (Article 10). According to Article 11, they may ask (alleged) infringers to provide information on the goods it "controls". Article 9 states that a Party's judicial authorities may consider inter alia any legitimate measure of value submitted by a rights holder, including lost profits, the value of infringed property as per market price, or the suggested retail price. This clause has received considerable criticism for its validity, as well as its similarity to previously controversial attempts at establishing precedent to the same effect. According to the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure, the principle does not "reflect the economic loss suffered by the right holder". In a Business Line opinion piece, a professor from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade's Centre for WTO Studies also explained that it would lead to "excess valuation" in infringement suits.
Section 3: Border Measures
At borders, officials may act on suspect goods on their own initiative or upon request of a "rights holder". For goods in transit, the requirements do not have to be enacted by a state (Article 16). "Small consignment" for commercial use are included in the border provisions, while "goods of a non-commercial nature contained in travellers’ personal luggage" are excluded from the scope (Article 14).
Section 4: Criminal Enforcement
Article 23: Criminal Offences
At least "wilful trademark counterfeiting or copyright or related rights piracy on a commercial scale" should be punishable under criminal law.
According to European Digital Rights, the article "provides an extremely low threshold" when considering that the scope includes "acts" and because consequences for infringement can include criminal penalties. EDRi also outlines an absence of definitions for associated constructs, such as "aiding and abetting", "commercial scale", and "economic advantage", which it describes as "simply inappropriate in a key provision, on whose meaning the proportionality and the legality, of the Agreement rests".
Article 24: Penalties
Penalties that Parties should have in their criminal system should "include imprisonment as well as monetary fines", which are sufficiently high for discouragement of actions forbidden under the treaty.
Section 5: Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Digital Environment
Article 27: Enforcement in the Digital Environment
In the digital environment, also Civil and Criminal enforcement should be available "to permit effective action against an act of infringement of intellectual property rights which takes place in the digital environment" (Article 27, paragraph 1). Furthermore, infringement over digital networks (possibly including "the unlawful use of means of widespread distribution for infringing purposes") should be enforced in a manner, which "preserves fundamental principles such as freedom of expression, fair process, and privacy" (Paragraph 2). Against circumvention of systems to prevent copying measures should be implemented (Paragraph 6).
Critics of this article, such as the European Digital Rights, have raised concerns that its emphasis on the role of corporations in enforcement "promotes the policing and even punishment of alleged infringements outside normal judicial frameworks", while failing to "ensure effective remedies against such interferences with fundamental rights" despite "vague references to 'fair process' in the text [that] are not backed up by mandatory processes requiring respect for the Rule of Law" in Article 21 of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty.
Chapter III: Enforcement Practices
Article 28: Enforcement Expertise, Information, and Domestic Coordination
Parties are expected to cultivate expertise within agencies tasked with enforcing intellectual property rights, promote internal coordination, and facilitate joint actions. They are also compelled to collect and utilize statistical data, as well as "other relevant information concerning intellectual property rights infringements", to prevent and combat infringement as necessary. The article also indicates that parties shall "endeavour to promote, where appropriate, the establishment and maintenance of formal or informal mechanisms, such as advisory groups, whereby [their] competent authorities may receive the views of right holders and other relevant stakeholders."
Article 29: Management of Risk at Border
Parties may consult stakeholders or the intellectual property authorities of another party to identify and mitigate risks. Information, including but not limited to information that assists in identifying and targeting suspicious shipments, may be shared between parties for the purposes of border enforcement. Should an importing party seize infringing goods, it may supply such information to assist an exporting party in pursuing infringers.
Chapter IV: International Cooperation
Chapter V contains three articles:
- Article 33: International Cooperation
- Article 34: Information Sharing
- Article 35: Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
Chapter V: Institutional Arrangements
In Article 36, the ACTA committee is established as governing body of the treaty in which all parties are represented. The body is not involved in individual cases, but monitors implementation, can formally propose changes to the convention (on the suggestion of a Party) and decides on the admittance of WTO-members which were not present at the negotiations. The committee decides by consensus. Parties establish a contact point (Article 37) which acts as a primary contact with regards to the execution of the treaty and are required to "shall accord sympathetic consideration" to requests for cooperation on matters regarding the convention (Article 38).
Chapter VI: Final Provisions
Chapter VI is the treaty's last chapter. It outlines principles and procedures regarding the treaty's status and execution.
Article 39: Signature
The article specifies that the agreement remains open for signature until 1 May 2013 by its negotiators, as well as any other World Trade Organization member that the negotiators support by consensus.
Article 40: Entry into Force
Conditions necessary for the treaty to become effective are defined, which include six parties submitting instruments of ratification, acceptance, or approval to the depositary, as well as a thirty-day interim waiting period.
Article 41: Withdrawal
The process for withdrawal is outlined, which entails a party submitting written notification to the depositary and becomes effective 180 days after receipt. This process would also be subject to various national guidelines.
Article 42: Amendments
Parties may submit proposed amendments to the Committee for review, which would then determine whether or not the proposed amendment should be presented for potential ratification, acceptance, or approval. Successful amendments would become effective 90 days after all parties have provided their respective instruments of ratification, acceptance, or approval to the depositary.
In a report to the Australian Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Kimberlee Weatherall, an associate professor at the University of Queensland, assessed the article in saying "it might be argued that the text of ACTA could be fleshed out through guidelines on an ongoing basis, with possible amendments in the longer term." Citing the relationship with Article 33, she added that "it might further be argued that the exhortations to 'promote cooperation, where appropriate, among [the Parties'] competent authorities', particularly in conjunction with the existence of regular meetings and exchange of information about enforcement practices, creates the basic framework within which more detailed mechanisms can be developed over time".
Article 43: Accession
After the date in Article 39 passes, any WTO member nation may seek to accede into the agreement. The terms of acceptance would be decided by the Committee on an individual, case-by-case basis. The treaty would enter into force for successful applicants thirty days after receipt of its instrument by the depositary.
Article 44: Texts of the Agreement
The treaty makes equally authoritative English, French and Spanish versions of the text, which for the purposes of signature are part of a single document.
Article 45: Depositary
Opponents have criticized the act for its adverse effects on fundamental civil and digital rights, including freedom of expression and communication privacy. The Electronic Frontier Foundation among others, have derided the exclusion of civil society groups, developing countries and the general public from the agreement's negotiation process and have described it as policy laundering. The signature of the EU and many of its member states resulted in the resignation in protest of the European Parliament's appointed rapporteur (Kader Arif), as well as widespread protests across Europe.
Secrecy of negotiations
The Electronic Frontier Foundation opposes ACTA, calling for more public spotlight on the proposed treaty. Since May 2008 discussion papers and other documents relating to the negotiation of ACTA have been uploaded to WikiLeaks, and newspaper reports about the secret negotiations swiftly followed.
In June 2008, Canadian academic Michael Geist, writing for Copyright News, argued that "Government Should Lift Veil on ACTA Secrecy", noting that before documents leaked on the Internet, ACTA was shrouded in secrecy. Coverage of the documents by the Toronto Star "sparked widespread opposition as Canadians worry about the prospect of a trade deal that could lead to invasive searches of personal computers and increased surveillance of online activities". Geist argued that public disclosure of the draft ACTA treaty "might put an end to fears about iPod-searching border guards" and that it "could focus attention on other key concerns including greater Internet service provider filtering of content, heightened liability for websites that link to allegedly infringing content, and diminished privacy for Internet users". Geist also argued that greater transparency would lead to a more inclusive process, highlighting that the ACTA negotiations have excluded both civil society groups as well as developing countries. Geist reported that "reports suggest that trade negotiators have been required to sign non-disclosure agreements for fear of word of the treaty's provisions leaking to the public". He argued that there is a need for "cooperation from all stakeholders to battle counterfeiting concerns" and that "an effective strategy requires broader participation and regular mechanisms for feedback".
In November 2008, the European Commission responded to these allegations as follows:
|“||It is alleged that the negotiations are undertaken under a veil of secrecy. This is not correct. For reasons of efficiency, it is only natural that intergovernmental negotiations dealing with issues that have an economic impact, do not take place in public and that negotiators are bound by a certain level of discretion. However, there has never been any intention to hide the fact that negotiations took place, or to conceal the ultimate objectives of the negotiations, the positions taken in European Commission Trade 5/6 the negotiations or even details on when and where these negotiations are taking place.
The EU and other partners (US, Japan, Canada, etc.) announced their intention to start negotiations of ACTA on 23 October 2007, in well publicised press releases. Since then we have talked about ACTA on dozens of occasions, including at the European Parliament (INTA committee meetings), and in numerous well-attended seminars. Commission organised a stakeholders' consultation meeting on 23 June in Brussels, open to all – industry and citizens and attended by more than 100 participants. US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other ACTA partners did the same.
As another indicator of the way that the ACTA process was handled by the EU, the Council of Ministers officially adopted ACTA at a meeting of the Fisheries Council.
To coincide with the negotiation round InternetNZ, a nonprofit organisation, held a PublicACTA event on 10 April 2010 to discuss the known and likely content of the ACTA draft agreement and to develop a statement on ACTA. At the event, the Wellington Declaration was developed by over 100 participants, and was published the following day along with a petition for its endorsement. By 13 April, it had received 6,645 signatures. The Wellington Declaration and the petition was given to the government of New Zealand, which delivered the Declaration to the other negotiating countries.
Threats to freedom and human rights
An open letter signed by many organizations, including Consumers International, European Digital Rights (EDRi, an umbrella group for 32 European civil rights and privacy NGOs), the Free Software Foundation (FSF), the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), ASIC (French trade association for Web 2.0 companies), and the Free Knowledge Institute, states that "the current draft of ACTA would profoundly restrict the fundamental rights and freedoms of European citizens, most notably the freedom of expression and communication privacy." The FSF argues that ACTA will create a culture of surveillance and suspicion. Aaron Shaw, Research Fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, argues that "ACTA would create unduly harsh legal standards that do not reflect contemporary principles of democratic government, free market exchange, or civil liberties. Even though the precise terms of ACTA remain undecided, the negotiants' preliminary documents reveal many troubling aspects of the proposed agreement" such as removing "legal safeguards that protect Internet Service Providers from liability for the actions of their subscribers", in effect giving ISPs no option but to comply with privacy invasions. Shaw further says that "[ACTA] would also facilitate privacy violations by trademark and copyright holders against private citizens suspected of infringement activities without any sort of legal due process".
The FSF has published "Speak out against ACTA", stating that the ACTA threatens free software by creating a culture "in which the freedom that is required to produce free software is seen as dangerous and threatening rather than creative, innovative, and exciting." ACTA would also require that existing ISPs no longer host free software that can access copyrighted media; this would substantially affect many sites that offer free software or host software projects such as SourceForge. Specifically, the FSF argues that ACTA will make it more difficult and expensive to distribute free software via file sharing and peer-to-peer (P2P) technologies like BitTorrent, which are currently used to distribute large amounts of free software. The FSF also argues that ACTA will make it harder for users of free operating systems to play non-free media because digital rights management (DRM) protected media would not be legally playable with free software.
On 10 March 2010, the European Parliament adopted a resolution criticizing the ACTA with 663 in favor of the resolution and 13 against, arguing that "in order to respect fundamental rights, such as the right to freedom of expression and the right to privacy", certain changes in the ACTA content and the process should be made.
Criminalising generic medicine
According to French EP member Kader Arif, "The problem with ACTA is that, by focusing on the fight against violation of intellectual property rights in general, it treats a generic drug just as a counterfeited drug. This means the patent holder can stop the shipping of the drugs to a developing country, seize the cargo and even order the destruction of the drugs as a preventive measure." He continued, "Generic medicines are not counterfeited medicines; they are not the fake version of a drug; they are a generic version of a drug, produced either because the patent on the original drug has expired, or because a country has to put in place public health policies," he said.
A number of countries such as India and African nations have histories of seeking generic cheaper versions of expensive drugs for infections such as HIV, something that has often been resisted by pharmaceutical companies. "There are international agreements, such as the TRIPS Agreement, which foresees this last possibility," he said. "They're particularly important for developing countries which cannot afford to pay for patented HIV drugs, for example." Arif has stated ACTA would limit the freedom of countries such as India to determine their own medical choices.
Also the non-governmental organization Médecins Sans Frontières has taken a stance against ACTA as a part of their Access Campaign, a campaign promoting the development and access to "life-saving and life prolonging medicines". In their report A blank cheque for abuse: ACTA & its Impact on Access to Medicines, Médecins Sans Frontières concludes that ACTA has "fatal consequences on access to medicines", furthermore that the agreement "does nothing to address the problem of poor quality and unsafe medicines" and finally that ACTA "undermines existing international declarations to protect public health", circumventing the Doha Declaration. Michael Gylling Nielsen, the executive of the Danish division of Médecins Sans Frontières, has in a statement to the media said that "In the end, this is a question of life and death", elaborating his point by mentioning the "possible consequenses" of the treaty that "the hundreds of thousands of people who for example have HIV/AIDS not will get the treatment they need".
Nate Anderson with Ars Technica pointed out that ACTA encourages service providers to collect and provide information about suspected infringers by giving them "safe harbor from certain legal threats". Similarly, it provides for criminalization of copyright infringement on a commercial scale, granting law enforcement the powers to perform criminal investigation, arrests and pursue criminal citations or prosecution of suspects who may have infringed on copyright on a commercial scale. It also allows criminal investigations and invasive searches to be performed against individuals for whom there is no probable cause, and in that regard weakens the presumption of innocence and allows what would in the past have been considered unlawful searches.
Since ACTA is an international treaty, it is an example of policy laundering used to establish and implement legal changes. Policy laundering allows legal provisions to be pushed through via closed negotiations among private members of the executive bodies of the signatories. This method avoids use of public legislation and its judiciary oversight. Once ratified, companies belonging to non-members may be forced to follow the ACTA requirements since they will otherwise fall out of the safe harbor protections. Also, the use of trade incentives and the like to persuade other nations to adopt treaties is a standard approach in international relationships. Additional signatories would have to accept ACTA's terms without much scope for negotiation.
From 16–18 June 2010, a conference was held at the Washington College of Law, attended by "over 90 academics, practitioners and public interest organizations from six continents". Their conclusions were published on 23 June 2010 on the American University Washington College of Law website. They found "that the terms of the publicly released draft of ACTA threaten numerous public interests, including every concern specifically disclaimed by negotiators." A group of over 75 law professors signed a letter to President Obama demanding a host of changes to the agreement. The letter alleges that no meaningful transparency has been in evidence.
Parallels with SOPA and PIPA
Connor Adams Sheets of the International Business Times outlined five categories where digital rights advocates compared but expressed greater concern about ACTA than SOPA. Among these were the treaty's broader international nature, its fundamental lack of transparency, the relative ease of enactment, the degree of support by signatories, and a lack of visibility on the global political stage. Forbes writer E.D. Kain compared the characteristics of ACTA with that of SOPA and PIPA, noting that they were each "defined by [their] opacity: secret negotiations, closed door talks, no public discussion."
Requests for disclosure
In September 2008, a number of interest groups urged parties to the ACTA negotiations to disclose the language of the evolving agreement. In an open letter, the groups argued that: "Because the text of the treaty and relevant discussion documents remain secret, the public has no way of assessing whether and to what extent these and related concerns are merited." The interest groups included: the Consumers Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Essential Action, IP Justice, Knowledge Ecology International, Public Knowledge, Global Trade Watch, the US Public Interest Research Group, IP Left (Korea), the Canadian Library Association, the Consumers Union of Japan, Consumer Focus (UK) and Médecins Sans Frontières' Campaign for Essential Medicines. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Knowledge filed a Freedom of Information Act request which was denied.
The submission agreed that reducing counterfeiting is important where it endangers consumer health or safety, or constitutes commercial scale infringement. However, the coalition urged that pursuit of that goal should not threaten legitimate commercial, social, innovative and creative activities, the rights of consumers or the free flow of information. The coalition noted the current proposed treaty raised serious concerns with respect to transparency, increased customs search powers, increased penalties for IP infringement, and lack of due process.
The coalition consisted of:
- the Australian Digital Alliance – a public interest copyright organisation advocating for an appropriately balanced copyright regime;
- the Australian Library and Information Association – the peak professional organisation for the Australian library and information services sector;
- Choice – a not-for-profit consumer organisation that campaigns on behalf of Australian consumers; and
- the Internet Industry Association – Australia's national Internet industry organisation that provides policy input to government and advocacy on a range of issues.
The University of Ottawa's Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic filed an Access to Information Act request to see the government's position but received only a document stating the title of the agreement, with everything else blacked out.
In November 2008, the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure requested secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) documents from the EU Council, specifically naming twelve documents to be published. The request was denied by the EU council, stating that "disclosure of this information could impede the proper conduct of the negotiations, would weaken the position of the European Union in these negotiations and might affect relations with the third parties concerned". In March 2010, the European Parliament passed a resolution demanding greater transparency in public affairs, which among other things called on the European Commission to make public all documents relating to the negotiations.
In August 2005, a coalition of NGOs and individuals formed to request more transparency in ACTA negotiations. At briefings held by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) on 16 December 2009, representatives from the coalition organisations supported the New Zealand negotiators stated desire to call for more transparency. In December 2009 two New Zealand members of Parliament, Clare Curran (Labour) and Peter Dunne (United Future) also publicly questioned the need for secrecy.
In March 2010, Tech Liberty, a New Zealand digital civil rights organisation, received a response to its Official Information Act request on ACTA. It was given letters from the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade plus the May 2008 cabinet paper in which the New Zealand government agreed to participate in ACTA. Portions of the cabinet paper, and answers to questions posed by TechLiberty, were withheld including the venue for the April 2010 ACTA negotiations, the cabinet discussion paper on participation in ACTA, and all copies of draft negotiation texts, and all documents expressing New Zealand's negotiating position. This information was withheld under Official Information Act provisions allowing for withholding of information where it would prejudice the international relations of the Government of New Zealand, where it would affect the privacy of natural persons, where it was required to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs, and where withholding information was required to enable the government to carry on negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations).
In April 2010 a coalition of NZ organisations ran the PublicACTA event immediately prior to the negotiation round held in Wellington New Zealand. At the PublicACTA event participants drafted the Wellington Declaration. The Wellington Declaration was delivered to the New Zealand negotiators, who provided it to representatives from all the other negotiating countries. Following the Wellington negotiation round in April 2010 the text of ACTA was released publicly. This was the only time this occurred during the ACTA negotiations.
Both the Bush administration and the Obama administration had rejected requests to make the text of ACTA public, with the White House saying that disclosure would cause "damage to the national security." In 2009, Knowledge Ecology International filed a Freedom of Information Act request in the United States, but their entire request was denied. The Office of the United States Trade Representative's Freedom of Information office stated the request was withheld for being material "properly classified in the interest of national security." US Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) penned a letter on 23 November 2009, asking the United States Trade Representative to make the text of the ACTA public.
Protests and petitions
Petition on the Wellington Declaration
Following the drafting of the Wellington Declaration on 10 April 2010, a petition was signed by over 7,000 people worldwide in the first three days.
First public demonstrations in Poland
After Poland's announcement on 19 January 2012 that it would sign the treaty on 26 January, a number of Polish government websites were shut down by denial of service attacks that started on 21 January. Websites included those of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the President, and the Sejm. On 23 January the website of the Prime Minister of Poland was hacked. The content of the page was replaced by a video where the internet users were called to oppose the threats to privacy that were attributed to ACTA. Over a thousand people protested in front of the European Parliament office in Warsaw on 24 January. On 25 January, at least 15,000 demonstrated in Kraków, 5,000 in Wrocław, with considerable protests in cities across the country. Polish social sites Demotywatory.pl, JoeMonster.org, Kwejk.pl, AntyWeb.pl and Wykop.pl announced that they were considering a blackout similar to the SOPA-inspired 2012 Wikipedia blackout to protest Poland's plan to sign the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. A poll conducted on 27 January by Millward Brown SMG/KRC indicated that 64% of Poles opposed the agreement's signing, 60% believed the treaty would fail to achieve its primary objective, and 50% thought that it would curtail essential freedoms. On 27 January, protesters across the country numbered in the tens of thousands. Following the demonstrations, Interia.pl and RMF FM facilitated 1.8 million emails to members of parliament related to ACTA, with 97% of those participating being opposed to the treaty.
EU Rapporteur's resignation
Kader Arif, European parliament's rapporteur for ACTA, resigned from his position on 26 January 2012 denouncing the treaty "in the strongest possible manner" for having "no inclusion of civil society organizations, a lack of transparency from the start of the negotiations, repeated postponing of the signature of the text without an explanation being ever given, [and] exclusion of the EU Parliament's demands that were expressed on several occasions in [the] assembly," concluding with his intent to "send a strong signal and alert the public opinion about this unacceptable situation" and refusal to "take part in this masquerade."
On 23 January the Inspector General for the Protection of Personal Data of Poland recommended not to sign ACTA considering it to be a threat to the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Poland.
On 26 January 2012 a group of Polish politicians expressed disapproval of the treaty by holding up Guy Fawkes masks during parliamentary proceedings. Images of this event quickly spread on the Internet. Mike Masnick of Techdirt resultantly noted that the handmade masks were themselves symbolically "counterfeit," as Time Warner owns intellectual property rights to the masks and typically expects royalties for their depiction. Polish opposition right-wing party Law and Justice subsequently called for a referendum on ACTA.
Later, the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that ratification was "suspended." More recently, on 17 February 2012, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland was "abandoning plans for ratification" and now views his earlier support for ACTA "as a mistake." Prime Minister Tusk has also sent a letter to his fellow leaders in the EU urging them "to reject ACTA."
Helena Drnovšek-Zorko, Slovenian ambassador to Japan, issued a statement on 31 January 2012 expressing deep remorse for having signed the agreement. "I signed ACTA out of civic carelessness, because I did not pay enough attention. Quite simply, I did not clearly connect the agreement I had been instructed to sign with the agreement that, according to my own civic conviction, limits and withholds the freedom of engagement on the largest and most significant network in human history, and thus limits particularly the future of our children," she said.
Slovenian members of hacktivist group Anonymous announced opposition against the treaty's signing and posted video threats on various websites against government officials and Nova Ljubljanska Banka, accusing the latter of corruption.
According to police estimates, 3000 Slovenians subsequently protested at Congress Square in Ljubljana and around 300 in Maribor on 4 February 2012. The Nova Ljubljanska Banka was also taken offline for about one hour by a cyber attack.
Almost 12,000 people signed up for the Facebook event to demonstrate against ACTA. Several thousand Swedes protested in cities across Sweden on 4 February 2012. A smaller protest with a few hundred participants was also arranged in central Stockholm, Helsingborg and Jönköping on 11 February 2012 to coincide with the global protests that day. Another protest subsequently took place in Gothenburg on 25 February 2012 with over 1,000 participants showing up for the demonstration at Gotaplatsen. Amongst other speakers was the Canadian-born Laura Creighton, vice-president of the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure (2008–present), residing in Gothenburg since around 2002.
The Swedish Pirate Party and its Member of the European Parliaments (MEPs) Christian Engström and Amelia Andersdotter and as its party leader Anna Troberg have also been involved in arranging the Swedish protests., including the later demonstrations on 9 June 2012 in Stockholm and Gothenburg which were held at the same time as demonstrations in other parts of the world. The Green Party of Sweden and their MEP Carl Schlyter have also worked against ACTA, as well as the Left Party and their MEP Mikael Gustafsson.
Protests in Europe on 11 February 2012
|Wikinews has related news: Anti-ACTA activists protest across Europe|
On 11 February 2012, protests were held against ACTA in more than 200 European cities. On 21 February 2012, a news report noted that "many countries in Europe that have signed the treaty have set aside ratification in response to public outcry, effectively hampering the ratification and implementation of the treaty." Protests in Germany attracted over 10,000 participants, while up to 8,000 Bulgarians protested in Sofia.
On 18 February 2012, a petition at jestemprzeciwacta.pl seeking a referendum in Poland had reached more than 415,300 signatures. A similar world-wide petition at Avaaz collected over 2.5 million signatures since 25 January. A petition directed at United Kingdom citizens, hosted by the UK Government's Directgov website, has reached over 14,500 signatures as of 18 February. A petition directed at Estonian citizens has reached over 7,200 signatures as of 18 February.
In the United States, several ACTA-related White House petitions have been created. One petition, "End ACTA and Protect our right to privacy on the Internet," was created 21 January 2012 and reached the threshold of 25,000 signatures within a month's time. This petition ended 9 June with 47,517 total signatures logged. Afterwards, in June 2012, Ambassador Miriam Sapiro (Deputy US Trade Representative), on behalf of the White House Staff, presented the official White House position in response to the petition. Another petition, "Please Submit ACTA to the Senate for Ratification as Required by the Constitution for Trade Agreements," was created 22 January 2012 but did not reach the threshold of 25,000 signatures within a month's time. With about 12,850 signatures logged at month's end, this petition was "expired" as of 21 February.
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- "ACTA — Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement". European Commission. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- Raphael Satter and Vanessa Gera (17 February 2012). "US sites hacked as objections grow to piracy deal". MSNBC. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
- "Bulgaria Freezes ACTA, Waits to Hear EU Orders". Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency). 14 February 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- Petr Krčmář (6 February 2012). "Česká vláda pozastaví ratifikaci ACT" [Czech government suspends ratification of ACTA]. Root.cz. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
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- Danuta Pavilenene (16 February 2012). "Lithuania halts ratification of ACTA". The Baltic Course. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- "Deutschland wird Acta-Abkommen vorerst nicht unterzeichnen" [Germany will not sign ACTA]. Die Zeit. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
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- "End ACTA and Protect our right to privacy on the Internet". White House petition. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
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The preamble of ACTA, as well as the 'Digital Chapter' specifically promotes policing and enforcement through 'cooperation' between private companies. This is an obvious violation of Article 21 of the TEU which re-states the EU's obligation to support democracy and the rule of law in its international relations.
- Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, Article 41
- "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: Australian Treaty National Interest Analysis" (PDF). 2011. p. 7.
- Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, Article 42
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- "Actaavtalet "dödar" i tredje världen" [Acta Agreement "kills" in the Third World]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 11 February 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, Section 4: Criminal Enforcement" (PDF). European Commission Directorate General for Trade. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
- Nate Anderson (2 June 2008). "The real ACTA threat (it's not iPod-scanning border guards)". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
- Connor Sheets (24 January 2011). "ACTA vs. SOPA: Five Reasons ACTA is Scarier Threat to Internet Freedom". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- E.D. Kain (28 January 2012). "Final Draft of ACTA Watered Down, TPP Still Dangerous on IP Rules". Forbes. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: Fact or Fiction?". Wired. 15 September 2008.
- "What is ACTA?". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 November 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
- "Principles for ACTA negotiations" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2009.
- "FFII opposes stealth legislation, demands ACTA documents" (Press release). Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- "EU Council refuses to release secret ACTA documents" (Press release). Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- "European Parliament resolution of 10 March 2010 on the transparency and state of play of the ACTA negotiations". European Parliament. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- acta.net.nz (20 March 2010). "acta.net.nz coalition". Retrieved 20 March 2010.
- Clare Curran (12 April 2009). "What's the need for Secrecy?". New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- Peter Dunne (12 April 2009). "Dunne: What are we signing up to, Mr Power?". United Future. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- Thomas Beagle (17 March 2010). "TechLiberty's Official Information Act request on ACTA". TechLiberty. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
- New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development (5 July 2008). "NZ's MED 2008 Cabinet paper on ACTA" (PDF). TechLiberty. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
- Declan McCullagh (7 May 2010). "Google attorney slams ACTA copyright treaty". Cnet. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- James Love (12 March 2009). "Obama Administration Rules Texts of New IPR Agreement are State Secrets". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
- US Senators Sanders and Brown (23 November 2008). "Letter To The United States Trade Representative" (PDF). Knowledge Ecology International.
- ""Baśka z klatki B" na stronie premiera. Ostrzeżenie od hakerów." ["Barbara of the B block" on the Prime Minister's website. A warning from the hackers.]. Newsweek Polska. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- "Demonstracja przeciwko ACTA w Warszawie" [Demonstration against ACTA in Warsaw]. Polska Times (in Polish). 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
- "Protesters rally across Poland to express anger at international copyright treaty". The Hamilton Spectator. 25 January 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- "Polskie serwisy niedostępne przez 24h" [Polish sites unavailable for 24 hours]. Rzeczpospolita. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- "Warsaw demonstrators protest ACTA". Polskie Radio. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 27 January 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- "Poland: Thousands protest signing of anti-piracy agreement". Channel 6 News Online. 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 28 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
- "1,8 miliona maili w sprawie ACTA!" [1.8 million e-mails on ACTA!]. Interia.pl (in Polish). 29 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- "GIODO: ACTA niebezpieczne dla konstytucyjnych praw i wolności" [GIODO: ACTA a threat to constitutional rights and freedoms]. tvn24.pl after PAP. 2012-01-23. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- Vanessa Gera (26 January 2012). "Poland signs copyright treaty that drew protests". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- Parmy Olson (27 January 2011). "Amid ACTA Outcy, Politicians Don Anonymous Guy Fawkes Masks". Forbes. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- Mike Masnick (26 January 2012). "Polish politicians don Guy Fawkes / Anonymous masks to protest ACTA signing". Techdirt. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- Nick Carbone (29 August 2011). "How Time Warner Profits from the 'Anonymous' Hackers". Time. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- Charles Arthur and agencies (27 January 2012). "Acta protests break out as EU states sign up to treaty". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- Alice Trudelle (17 February 2012). "Polish government asks European Parliament not to sign ACTA". Warsaw Business Journal. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- Helena Drnovšek-Zorko (31 January 2012). "Why I signed ACTA". Metina lista. Archived from the original on 4 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
- "Video: Anonymous: NLB bo okusila našo jezo!" [NLB will taste our wrath!]. 24ur.com. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
- "Protesters Decry ACTA, Want to Stop Ratification". Slovenian Press Agency. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- "3.000 grl proti Acti in napad na NLB" [3000 protest against NLB and ACTA]. Zurnal24.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 10 February 2012.
- "Vakna Sverige! Stå upp för er frihet!" [Wake up Sweden! Stand up for your freedom!]. Facebook. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- Jennie Danielsson and Sofia Eriksson (4 February 2012). "Demonstrationer mot antipiratavtal" [Demonstrations against anti-piracy agreement]. Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- Peter Vinthagen Simpson (4 February 2012). "Swedes out in force to protest anti-piracy law". The Local. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- "Protester mot ACTA-avtal" [Protests against the ACTA agreement]. Sveriges Radio. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- "Anti-ACTA Day of Action February 11 Protest". International Business Times. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- "Göteborgsprotest mot ACTA" [Gothenburg protest against ACTA]. Facebook. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- "Demonstration mot ACTA i Göteborg" [Demonstration against ACTA in Gothenburg]. Sveriges Television. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
- "ACTA demonstration Gothenburg (25/2 2012) speech Laura Creighton". YouTube. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- "Demonstrationer mot Acta-avtalet" [Demonstrations against ACTA agreement]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 4 February 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "Idag demonstrerar Europa mot ACTA och för nätfrihet" [Today Europe demonstrates against ACTA and for Internet freedom]. mynewsdesk.com. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "Nya demonstrationer mot Acta-avtalet" [New demonstrations against ACTA]. Sveriges Television. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "Riksdagen måste säga nej till Acta-avtalet". Aftonbladet. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "Snart ligger ACTA på sophögen!" [Soon ACTA will be on the garbage heap!]. Left Party. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- "The ACTA Action Center". Access Now. 11 February 2012.
- "Anti-ACTA day: Angry crowds take action". Russia Today. 11 February 2012.
- "Zehntausende demonstrieren in Europa gegen ACTA" [10,000 demonstrate in Europe against ACTA]. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- Erik Kirschbaum and Irina Ivanova (13 February 2012). "Protests erupt across Europe against ACTA". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- "Bulgaria Says 'ACTA La Vista, Baby!'". Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency). 11 February 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- "Będzie referendum ws. ACTA? Już 200 tys. podpisów" [Will there be a referendum on ACTA? There are already 200,000 signatures]. Onet.pl (in Polish). 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- "Nie dla ACTA" [No to ACTA] (in Polish). Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- Alastair Stevenson (30 January 2012). "ACTA: One Million Sign Protest Petition against Trade Agreement". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- "Say No to ACTA". Directgov. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- "EI ACTA-le" [No to ACTA]. Petitsioon.ee. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (June 2012). "The Role of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)". We the People White House petitioning system. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- "Please Submit ACTA to the Senate for Ratification as Required by the Constitution for Trade Agreements". White House petition. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- Matthews, D.; Žikovská, P. (2013). "The Rise and Fall of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA): Lessons for the European Union". International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law 44 (6): 626–655. doi:10.1007/s40319-013-0081-y.
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Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
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Official ACTA sites
- Japan: Depositary site Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Australia: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
- Canada: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- European Union: European Commission (EC)
- Japan: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
- New Zealand: Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)
- United States: United States Trade Representative (USTR)
Authoritative treaty text
- English version, finalized, released on 15 November 2010, published on 15 April 2011
- Treaty in EU Languages, Official languages English, French and Spanish, as well as translations into all languages of the European Union, except Croatian.
- ACTA tracking articles by Michael Geist
- ACTA Blog of FFII
- EFF's Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement page
- GamePolitics’ ACTA news aggregation page
- KEI's Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement page
- La Quadrature du Net's Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement page
- Open Rights Group's wiki summary of the Treaty
- Site for NZ coalition calling for transparency in ACTA
- PublicACTA − the open consultation event in NZ on 10 April
- Public Knowledge Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement page
- Proposed ACTA Changes sent to the USTR. (Red Line Edit)
- What is ACTA?
- White House Petition – To End ACTA And Protect Internet Privacy, created 21 January 2012
- White House Petition – To Submit ACTA To The (US) Senate For Ratification, created 22 January 2012
- It’s Evolution, Stupid Peter Sunde (Co-Founder, The Pirate Bay) – Wired, 10 February 2012. | <urn:uuid:fd053703-1fd1-4d4a-83c0-8085329d29c1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404405.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00049-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919915 | 17,696 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Hives is an allergic skin reaction causing localized redness, swelling, and itching.
Hives is a reaction of the body's immune system that causes areas of the skinto swell, itch, and become reddened (wheals). When the reaction is limited to small areas of the skin, it is called "urticaria." Involvement of larger areas, such as whole sections of a limb, is called "angioedema."
Hives is an allergic reaction. The body's immune system is normally responsible for protection from foreign invaders. When it becomes sensitized tonormally harmless substances, the resulting reaction is called an allergy. An attack of hives is set off when such a substance, called an allergen, is ingested, inhaled, or otherwise contacted. It interacts with immune cells called mast cells, which reside in the skin, airways, and digestive system.When mast cells encounter an allergen, they release histamine and other chemicals, both locally and into the bloodstream. These chemicals cause blood vessels to become more porous, allowing fluid to accumulate in tissue and leading to the swollen and reddish appearance of hives. Some of the chemicals released sensitize pain nerve endings, causing the affected area to become itchy and sensitive.
A wide variety of substances may cause hives in sensitive people, including foods, drugs, and insect bites or stings. Common culprits include:
- Nuts, especially peanuts, walnuts, and Brazil nuts
- Fish, mollusks, and shellfish
- Food additives and preservatives
- Penicillin or other antibiotics
- Flu vaccines
- Tetanus toxoid vaccine
- Gamma globulin
- Bee, wasp, and hornet stings
- Bites of mosquitoes, fleas, and scabies.
Urticaria is characterized by redness, swelling, and itching of small areas of the skin. These patches usually grow and recede in less than a day, but maybe replaced by others in other locations. Angioedema is characterized by more diffuse swelling. Swelling of the airways may cause wheezing and respiratory distress. In severe cases, airway obstruction may occur.
Hives are easily diagnosed by visual inspection. The cause of hives is usually apparent, but may require a careful medical history in some cases.
Mild cases of hives are treated with antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine(Benadryl). An oatmeal bath may also relieve itching. More severe cases may require oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone. Topical corticosteroids arenot effective. Airway swelling may require emergency injection of epinephrine(adrenaline).
Most cases of hives clear up within one to seven days without treatment, providing the cause (allergen) is found and avoided.
Preventing hives depends on avoiding the allergen causing them. Analysis of new items in the diet or new drugs taken may reveal the likely source of the reaction. Chronic hives may be aggravated by stress, caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco; avoiding these may reduce the frequency of reactions. | <urn:uuid:2fbbf298-957c-4224-8c23-aaa3082d2c8b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/11/Hives.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00159-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93502 | 650 | 4.1875 | 4 |
Let’s face it: Kids get sick. All the time. No matter how many times you wash their hands or how much sanitizer you use, sooner or later, your toddler is going to pick up a bug — maybe an ear infection, sore throat, or a gastrointestinal woe — that requires antibiotics. And while antibiotics are wonderful for wiping out bacterial infections, broad-spectrum antibiotics (those that kill the good bacteria that help us stay healthy along with the disease-causing bacteria) can come with a very inconvenient, very unpleasant drawback: Diarrhea. Y-u-c-k! Talk about adding insult to your already uncomfortable, unhappy toddler. One way to manage antibiotic-related diarrhea while your child is on antibiotics (besides investing in extra-absorbent diapers) is to give your toddler probiotics, which are live, active, good bacteria. Research shows that some probiotics for children can reduce antibiotic-related diarrhea by 75 percent. For this reason, pediatricians often recommend that kids take probiotics whenever they’re on antibiotics. Want to know more about probiotics for children? Check out these answers to your top questions.
What, exactly, are probiotics?
If you’ve ever gotten a urinary-tract infection (UTI) or visited a foreign country and came home with travelers’ diarrhea, you’ve encountered bacteria that can make you sick. But there are millions of other bacteria (aka beneficial bacteria or good bacteria) that live peacefully in our intestines and keep us healthy. Probiotics, most of which come from one of two groups of bacteria called Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, are live microorganisms similar to the good-deed-doers we already have inside us. Breast-fed children and children born vaginally tend to have more of both groups of beneficial bacteria in their guts than formula-fed children and those delivered by C-section (breastfeeding fosters the growth of good bacteria, and babies who are delivered vaginally are exposed to a healthy dose of beneficial bacteria as they pass through the birth canal). Outside of our bodies, you can find probiotics in supplement form or in certain foods, like yogurt.
What do probiotics for children do?
Since some antibiotics wipe out good bacteria with the bad bacteria, you can think of probiotics as the reserve corps — the reinforcements sent in to bulk up the numbers of helpful bacteria and crowd out the illness-causing bacteria. These good little soldiers also help strengthen the intestinal lining so that bad bugs can’t cross into the bloodstream, and they may change the intestinal environment, making it more acidic and therefore less desirable for bad bacteria.
Can probiotics for children help with other conditions?
It’s possible. Researchers are studying probiotics and their effect on a grab bag of conditions, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, stomach ulcers, allergies and eczema, UTIs and vaginal infections, colds, flu, ear infections, bladder cancer, tooth decay, and even high cholesterol and high blood pressure. But for now, at least, the strongest evidence for probiotics is for preventing and relieving the kind of diarrhea that comes with antibiotics and the infectious diarrhea that can be picked up at day care and while traveling.
Will any probiotic supplement off the shelf work?
That’s hard to say. One strain that’s consistently shown to work with various types of diarrhea is Lactobacillus GG. But there are lots of bacteria strains in supplement form within the Lactobacillus group and the Bifidobacterium group, and it’s unclear which strains may be equally effective. Something else to think about: Probiotics are considered dietary supplements, which are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That means there can be a lot of variability in manufacturing, and it can be hard to know exactly what you’re getting (what’s tested in a research study and what’s in a given bottle at your local drugstore may or may not be the same thing). Your best bet when figuring out which bacteria strain (or which supplement) to choose is to ask your pediatrician to recommend a specific brand of probiotic for children. And while you’re at it, ask how frequently you should give the probiotic to your toddler (especially if the package instructions are unclear).
Another option is to try to get some additional probiotics from foods such as yogurt. While it’s much harder to get as many probiotics from food as you would from a concentrated supplement, it’s always good to get what you can from food. Look for yogurt brands that contain “live, active cultures” (it will say that on the carton, and some may specifically advertise that they contain Lactobacillus GG, aka LGG). Also, choose low-fat, low-sugar brands. Take note of the expiration date since the probiotic potency can diminish with time. You can also find probiotics in fermented dairy drinks and soy products like soy milk, miso, and tempeh.
See more toddler eating and nutrition tips. | <urn:uuid:47d5f41d-63c9-4ad5-8dc1-7378535b4b7f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler-nutrition/probiotics-for-children.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393093.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00198-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934299 | 1,070 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Public Education in Sumter County
Sumter County's two public school districts were consolidated into one unified school district in 2011. The new Sumter School District serves more than 17,000 students, runs about 30 schools, and has a total annual budget approaching $100 million.
The Vision of Sumter School District is to develop and cultivate internationally competitive who embrace diversity, act responsibly , and contribute to the community and society.
The Mission of Sumter school District is to provide an intellectual and safe environment, which equips students to be responsible, successful, and productive citizens in a global society.
Sumter School District enrolls more than 17,000 students in grades preschool through 12 and employs over 3,000 staff members. The district includes 16 elementary schools, seven middle schools, three high schools, two alternative learning programs, and the Early Head Start program. The International Baccalaureate Diploma and Middle Years programs are available at Sumter High School and Bates Middle School, respectively. All of the district’s schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and by the State Department of Education.
For more information, please visit the Sumter School District Web Site.
|Public School District
|Sumter School District
|State of S.C.
|Source: SC Dept. of Education | <urn:uuid:aef9fd29-91ca-4915-871d-6d56a55bd46e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.sumteredge.com/index.php/public_ed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00125-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939863 | 270 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Definition of Squaw root
1. Noun. Tall herb of eastern North America and Asia having blue berrylike fruit and a thick knotty rootstock formerly used medicinally.
Group relationships: Caulophyllum, Genus Caulophyllum
Generic synonyms: Bush, Shrub
Squaw Root Pictures
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Lexicographical Neighbors of Squaw Root
Literary usage of Squaw root
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. King's American Dispensatory by John King, Harvey Wickes Felter, John Uri Lloyd (1905)
"... Wall- roth (Orobanche americana, Linné), or American broomrape, Squaw-root, or Cancer-root. Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—An astringent. ..."
2. Plant Names, Scientific and Popular, Including in the Case of Each Plant the by Albert Brown Lyons (1900)
"Squaw-root, Squaw- drops, Cancer-root, Earth-club, American Broom-rape, Clap- wort. Improperly called Beech-drops, as it grows in Oak woods. ..."
3. Southern Wild Flowers and Trees: Together with Shrubs, Vines and Various by Alice Lounsberry (1901)
"SQUAW-ROOT. CANCER.ROOT. ... more showy in its purple-ancl- white, striped bloom than the squaw-root, chooses to grow on the beech rather than the oaks. ..."
4. Introduction to Botany by William Chase Stevens (1902)
"squaw root or Cancer Root. (Gr., konos, cone; photis, scale. ... squaw root. Stems usually clustered, 3 to 10 inches high, light brown, covered with ..." | <urn:uuid:5d9c5999-ef64-4a43-84a7-cc6f21094459> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/squaw_root | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00128-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.854019 | 420 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Cancer and chemotherapy seem to go hand-in-hand in this country: You've got cancer? You need chemo. According to the Associated Press a new gene test challenges this preconception:
Claudia Lowry had a scary decision: Could she safely skip chemotherapy after surgeons removed her breast cancer?
Tens of thousands of women undergo chemo for breast cancer every year when they don't really need it, but doctors don't have an easy way to tell who can gamble on skipping the harsh drugs.
A simple gene test now promises to help women like Lowry make that nerve-wracking choice -- and a major government study is enrolling more than 10,000 patients around the country to see just how well it does the job.
Some doctors already feel many patients can do well without chemotherapy:
"Most of the patients are advised to have chemotherapy. Most of the patients are going to do very well without it," says Dr. Sheila Taube of the National Cancer Institute. "So how can we spare the patients that don't need it?"
Breast cancer is only the opening salvo. Researchers are furiously developing whom-to-treat gene tests for colorectal cancer -- particularly for early Stage 2 disease that doctors fear is being under-treated -- and other malignancies, too.
Today's guidelines for cancer treatment seem to be terribly inefficient:
More than 100,000 U.S. women a year are found to have early breast cancer that has a remarkably good prognosis: The tumors are small, haven't spread, and are hormone-sensitive. The vast majority would survive with surgery, radiation and hormone treatment. Yet guidelines today recommend chemotherapy as well for most of those women to catch the few who need more aggressive help.
In other words, 100 women get chemo, and the risk of harsh, sometimes life-threatening, side effects, to prevent two or three of them from relapsing.
Dr. Fuhrman is no stranger to this discussion, having voiced his opinions on chemotherapy in previous posts: Re-Examining Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer and Diet, Chemotherapy, and the Truth: How to Win the War on Cancer | <urn:uuid:06ec7637-5400-4757-8100-88493134c635> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/breast-cancer-chemo-not-always-the-best-option.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396875.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00183-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960147 | 447 | 2.515625 | 3 |
This cute Stegosaurus looks confused! Let your child decide why as he colors in this prehistoric scene.
Help this triceratops out by coloring him in the way he might have looked during the dinosaur days!
A coloring sheet of an enchodus, an extinct fish that lived in the sea in ancient times.
This Apatosaurus coloring page features the fascinating plant-eating dinosaur! Learn a few facts about him then bring out the crayons and color him in.
This dinosaur may look dangerous, but don't worry! It only eats plants! Color him in the way you think he looked as he walked the earth many eons ago.
Color the Ankylosaurus as he moseys along. This big, armored dinosaur roamed North America before going extinct.
This Pachycephalosaur looks friendly enough to color. This coloring page is perfect for any kid who can't get enough of dinosaurs and lizards!
Check out this pteranodon fishing in an ancient ocean! Your child will love coloring this ancient winged reptile.
This Parasaurolophus coloring page will allow your dinosaur fanatic to get acquainted with this dino wearing some seriously distinctive head gear! | <urn:uuid:f7b7b526-2d84-4154-b39d-d509958a0bc7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.education.com/collection/frogdogdog/dinosaur-coloring/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00116-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929338 | 248 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Fossil fuels are carbon or hydrocarbon fuels, derived from what was living material, and found underground or beneath the sea. The most common forms are coal, oil and natural gas. They take millions of years to form. Their energy is only released upon burning, when the carbon and hydrogen within them combine with the oxygen in air to form carbon dioxide (CO2 ), or carbon monoxide (CO) and water (H2O). Other elements within the fuels (such as sulfur or nitrogen) are also released into the air after combining with oxygen, causing further pollution with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide gases. In the case of coal, ash particles are also a problem.
Related category• FUELS
Home • About • Copyright © The Worlds of David Darling • Encyclopedia of Science • Contact | <urn:uuid:37ce0541-e4bd-4bd6-9086-ecb28e5c22e3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/F/AE_fossil_fuels.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00080-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911055 | 161 | 3.78125 | 4 |
Photograph by Rolex Awards/Thierry Grobet
Erika Cuéllar works to protect the wild environment of South America’s Gran Chaco region by training local people as parabiologists armed with professional scientific conservation skills. She co-coordinates the Bolivian Committee for the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN, and is a 2012 recipient of the Rolex Award for Enterprise.
South America’s Gran Chaco region spans an exceptionally complex mix of habitats, climates, topography, and species. Equally complex: preserving it from the onslaught of uncontrolled development that could transform the landscape forever. Erika Cuéllar’s innovative solutions and sheer passion bring new hope to the wildlife and people of this imperiled wilderness jewel.
Cuéllar empowers those who live in the Gran Chaco to be hands-on stewards of conservation by training them as parabiologists. Communities nominate participants for the 800-hour course covering everything from basic biology, mathematics, and other sciences to producing maps, using computers and GPS, designing research projects, collecting data, and presenting results. Those who pass the final exam bring their professional skills into the forests, wetlands, and grasslands. They make census reports of birds and mammals, deploy and analyze data from camera traps and radio-tracking devices, create maps calculating species’ densities, and monitor changes in wildlife numbers.
Their training helps save human lives, too. “These areas are so far from any medical center, people often die of appendicitis or snake bites that could be treated,” Cuéllar explains. “We include classes in first aid that can make a real difference in these cases.”
Parabiologists also play a crucial role in sharing conservation information with their communities to guide decisions about managing land and wildlife. The Gran Chaco covers territory in Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, and a sliver of Brazil. Great swaths of that land and populations of species have been destroyed by unregulated cattle ranching, logging, farming, railway construction, sport hunting, and other threats often spearheaded by wealthy city dwellers.
Indigenous people in Cuéllar’s native Bolivia felt such strong connection to the wilderness that they convinced the government to create a 3.4-million-hectare protected area in 1997. “Thanks to them, a large portion of the Gran Chaco is still healthy, but in Paraguay and Argentina, it is far more fragmented,” she reports.
“These local people are so intelligent and capable, but many spend half the year in the city working for next to nothing. I want to give them the chance to be professionals, stay home with their families, and take care of their own territory. People who have earned a parabiologist certificate are trusted liaisons with the outside world and placed in charge of conservation projects,” says Cuéllar. “Four went on to become park rangers and another is dealing directly with the government about land projects in his area. Our program instills confidence and pride and proves the extraordinary value of their local knowledge.”
Cuéllar has made one iconic South American species the symbol for her efforts. In Bolivia, the guanaco, wild ancestor of the llama, has dwindled to only 200 animals scattered in three isolated populations. “I spotlight them as a central conservation objective, because it’s easy to see how endangered they have become. But they stand for the entire assemblage of creatures that depend on the Gran Chaco—jaguar, puma, eight species of armadillos, endemic wild pigs, a multitude of bird and reptile species, and many more.”
Her efforts helped outlaw hunting of guanaco, and today she explores repopulating genetically inbred and isolated herds through breeding with herds in Paraguay. She also experiments with ways to recover the guanaco’s grassland habitat, overrun by free-range cattle and invasive plants. She’s asking the local government municipality to create a protected reserve for guanaco, while at the same time creating new, environmentally sustainable ways for local people to earn income.
Now she faces her biggest challenge yet: saving the entire Gran Chaco region by extending grassroots efforts up through all levels of Bolivia’s government and beyond to create a multinational endeavor between Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina.
“I’m working to bring authorities and organizations across all three countries together to establish priorities, obtain a baseline on the current situation, agree on a common methodology, and expand our training program," Cuéllar says. "Governments need to provide a formal structure and officially recognize our education initiative if preservation projects are to succeed long term.
“I receive emails from people all over the world who want to apply our parabiologist approach to their regions. I’m so happy to think it can be a prototype," she says. "I truly believe it’s crucial to integrate people who live next to protected areas into the conservation process. It’s working!”
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After 500 years Bolivia's indigenous people—many from the sky-high Altiplano—return to power in a restless nation.
Erika Cuéllar says that training local people in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina is the only way to conserve the biodiversity of one of South America's last great wildernesses, the Gran Chaco.
Erika Cuéllar's campaign to save the guanaco is ultimately about conservation of one of South America's great wilderness.
In Their Words
Empowering local people to participate in conservation is crucial. They can have such a direct impact on preserving the wilderness that surrounds them.
The Gran Chaco, a hot, relatively inhospitable environment, has the second largest forest in South America after the Amazon.
Our Explorers in Action
Meet female explorers who have pushed the limits in adventure, science, and more. | <urn:uuid:e46309a4-c9d1-487c-b2c7-dfbbebe72588> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/erika-cuellar/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00070-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923968 | 1,395 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Children are naturally inquisitive and love to explore their world. Infants tend to put everything in their mouths and toddlers grab whatever looks interesting. Adolescents may experiment with drugs and other mind-altering substances. Consider these facts about poisonings in the United States:
Peak calls to poison control centers occur between 4 and 10 p.m. In fact, dinnertime is such a busy time of day for most families, that many times parents do not supervise their children as closely as usual. This is a common time of day for childhood poisonings to occur and has led poison center staff to call this time of day "the arsenic hour."
The good news is that prompt treatment can prevent most serious reactions. And, of course, poison prevention is always the best cure.
Be prepared for a poisoning emergency by posting the poison center telephone number by every phone in your home.
The national, toll-free poison control center locator number is 1-800-222-1222. From here, you will be automatically redirected to the nearest Poison Center in your area.
If you have a poisoning emergency, call your local poison center immediately.
If the child has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911, or your local emergency medical services (EMS).
Click here to view the
Online Resources of Common Childhood Injuries & Poisonings | <urn:uuid:969282b9-66d2-4949-9131-31fbc5d15698> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nyhq.org/diw/content.asp?PageID=P02814&More=DIW&language=Chinese | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392069.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00196-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938845 | 278 | 3.28125 | 3 |
...the barbarians, who forced beautiful Europe to get down Zeus’ “back” and made her a prostitute.
...the unworthy Europeans, who in 1945 “took Europe down” from “Mount Olympus” and in 2012 relinquished “enslaved” Europe to the Phoenician loan sharks.
The method to understand history is a lot similar to the one used for geography. It is easy or difficult to understand their gist depending on the “distance” one takes to examine their data. This particularity is the reason for some of their paradoxes …The common paradoxes. It is possible for someone to understand everything looking at just a few details and to not understand a thing even though endless data are available. This is true, no matter how weird it may sound. A simple person may understand totally the history of the human kind with just the minimum knowledge and a historian with endless knowledge may feel completely confused.
This is exactly why we compared it to geography. It is possible that even a totally ignorant person may look at a world map and be able to “understand” the meaning of huge “geographical” distance, like the one between Athens and Beijing and at the same time a person with rich knowledge on the matter may get lost in an urban forest in Beijing ...be unable to understand it as a total, because the means to change level may not be available ...in this case the necessary means may be just a map.
Things are simple. A walker looking at his/her feet may know absolutely “precisely” where he/she steps but he/she does not know where he/she is going; he/she may know the “cells” of geography, but he/she ignores its “organism”; he/she may know the “trees”, but he/she does not see the “forest”. All the supercomputers of the world are not enough to “save” the data for a step-by-step analysis of the route from Athens to Beijing and at the same time and exactly for the same reason, a paper towel may be good enough for someone to sketch the main data of this route. This is exactly what happens with history. In just a few words, if they are the appropriate ones, someone could understand things, that he/she may not discover on his/her own even if he/she “devours” libraries full of books.
What are we meaning to say with all these? That the evolution of human history is not as complicated as some would like it to be ...as some would like to make it look like, because it would be in their interest if it was complicated ...as some politicians would like to present it to justify their decisions that were disastrous for the people and beneficial for themselves ...as some bourgeois historians would like it to be so that they justify their scientific "earnings" ...all these people who have interest in its artificial complexity, since they benefit from the continuous repetition of the same things.
Some people can play it safe and pretend to be gifted “leaders” because of these repetitions. Some others pretend to be shrewd “investors” and others to be wise “prophets”, because of these repetitions. All these people make their living by supposedly “seeing further into the future” than the rest of the people, but in fact they can “see” nowhere, since history repeats itself in circles. Ridiculous "Magellans" looking at their soles and not the horizon ..."Semi-blind short-sighted" people, who can absolutely tell the difference between the mud, asphalt or sand they step on, but they cannot see where they are going to.
These are the people that the system has been training for centuries to lead the human kind. They are taught the complexities that are in the system’s interest but not the simple things that are in the humanity’s interest. People who know everything but the useful things. People who know what was the colour of Napoleon’s undershirt but don’t even suspect who were those who profited from the CDS of his defeat at Waterloo. All these happen in absolute safety, because it is a great "fraud" and the outcome is certain ...a great fraud covering immense interests ...interests that, if uncovered, will make people rise against their exploiters and kill them.
This is why we mentioned the similarity between geography and history. Someone with the appropriate knowledge can explain to people in just a few words the human history …can explain to them the role that they play in this (hi)story ...can explain to them exactly when and where they have accomplished great and important things and exactly when they had losses. Of course, here lays the phenomenon of verbal irony. The current failure to understand historic data leading to disaster has mostly to do with the people who is said to have the greatest “experience” in the world …the people of Europe …Europe that for the last two millennia ruled the Planet.
This “experienced” people reached a point to not be able to understand what is going on. The people who “invented” all the forms of modern imperialism is today imperialism’s greatest victim. The people who “invented” history science cannot understand how this works. The people of Europe cannot even understand the consequences of its own acts, because it has had the leading part for the last centuries in the global play. It cannot even understand when and how it “keeps failing”. It feels confused for the simplest reason that European people does not understand what is happening. It trusts traitorous leaders and does not have the criteria that would have been expected from its experience in order to avoid “thin ice”.
This people that “gave birth” to the most important and powerful people of the history, today is controlled by history's “trashes”. The people who once-upon-a-time “gave birth” to Alexander the Great, Pericles, Leonidas, but also Cesar, Traianus or Charlemagne, ended up to be controlled by the "prole" of the great "gutter" ...by illiterate "trashes" like Hitler and Stalin in the past or Merkel, Schauble, Cameron and Sarkozy today ...by the venal stalking horses of the Jewish ghetto “rats” in Berlin and Warsaw.
Within less than half a century this supposedly experienced people “lost” two great wars against two different enemies and didn’t even understand it. Europeans lost easily the battle for the global leadership to both the Americans and the Jews. The people who used to be invincible reached a point where it cannot even resist …a point where it does not even realize when it is getting attacked and by whom. The people that for more than two thousand years has been ruling the Planet, became its greatest "victim” ...a victim of its own fabrications and needs ...a victim of the “knowledge” it taught to sly “students”. It got “blinded” by those whom it taught to “see".
In 1945, in the name of "European” democracy, Europeans lost their freedom. Some others played with the fascists and they succeeded. In the name of the protection of the democracy in Europe from the Nazi or the Stalinists, European peoples surrendered totally to the Americans. They acquired a “guardian” and therefore they lost their freedom. Half a century later, Jews played the same sly game. Today, in the name of United Europe, European peoples lose their own countries.
The people who decided to “unify” their countries to serve one common interest, have finally lost their countries. Those who were not free due to their first defeat, now they are trying to be “unified” in the most absolute way under the guidance of their bosses. Actually, now they are “unifying” their debts, since they are the only things that really belongs to them. The prior victimizers of the Planet became its greatest victims. This is only reasonable. When you cannot understand the reason for which the loan sharks “push” you to the Union, it is impossible to understand the reason why, when you reach to it, the only thing left for you are debts. Jewish loan sharks are those who decided the European Union and today they are its masters.
Let’s take things up from the beginning to make clear to our readers what we have been meaning to say. We are starting by looking at a distant “map” of the European history …Distant enough to see its whole course but at the same time close enough to not lose track of its “leading roles”. So, we are starting from finding out which event is a really important historic event for Europe and which is not. We are starting from an elementary “clearing up” of the useless historic “floatsam and jetsam” that we are bearing in our heads and which has no importance. Out of the supposedly complex European history only a few dates are really important. What is described by the history science as “important”, it is usually an unimportant repetition that interests only those who are implicated in it and no one else.
For example, an important event for the European history was when Leonidas decided to raise his defence in Thermopylae against the Persian “storm” that was threatening Europe. An important event was when Alexander the Great “galloped” all over Asia. Charlemagne, Napoleon or Peter the Great were unimportant, as impressive as their accompanying phenomena were. Why is that? Because importance lays in the “course” of Europe and not in its interior “layout” that depended on the “galloping” of unimportant men in Europe. No matter how much blood was mixed with mud, the “unimportant” kings of the important Europe remain at the same level …The level defined by Europe itself and its position in the World.
This is the same logic used to judge not only the men but also the great events that were supposed to mark the history of Europe. The Battle of the Granicus River was important for Europe because it had set the grounds for its domination for over a millennium. The fall of Constantinople was unimportant because it just caused a change in the internal correlations of Europe. The battle at Waterloo was unimportant for the same reasons. Trafalgar sea battle was also unimportant. This means that a significant event for Europe and its history is considered to be whatever affects its position in the World and not its internal correlations.
Events and persons who change these correlations are of secondary significance and they are significant just for the peoples that benefit or are affected from them without this causing any change in the general European interests. The battle at Waterloo has without a doubt a great significance for the French and the British people, so does Trafalgar sea battle. But, on the European level these two historic events have no importance. They have no importance, because they haven’t affected the rank of Europe and its peoples in the global hierarchy. Europe would continue to rule the World whichever country had won at the mud of Waterloo or on the waters of Trafalgar.
However, to be able to understand and assess all these facts as they deserve, one should know the position of Europe throughout the human history ...One should know the changes in this position in connection with history ...should know the great key events of the human history and not the unimportant “stops” in between ...in the example in the beginning of the text one should know where "Athens" is and finally where "Beijing" is and he/she should not be affected by the in-betweens ...should not conceive a “blocking” outside “Ankara” as a “stop”. One should not be interested if a “train” got lost in the “Teheran” station or if a “bridge” collapsed on the road towards the end. All the in-between events are unimportant. They are unimportant because they do not affect the general situation. They could have taken place or not without bearing no affect at all to the development of things.
Through this “prism”, Europe is a great “station” in the human history …The “station” immediately after Asia where the great human power systems began. This is why Greeks were the absolutely important people for Europe. This is the reason why, Greeks were for centuries the model for the rest of the European people to compare with. It was the people who had the intelligence, the bravery and also the ability not only to resist the Asian attack, but also to strike back and take from Asia its world ruling position …to bring down its power and transfer it in Europe. It was the absolutely successful model for Europe …The “father” of Europe. Therefore this is why Greeks were also the “godfathers” of Europe. No one else could “baptize” Europe if not they who gave to Europe its global role.
It was them who protected Europe when there was a need and who put it on the top of the world when they could. Simple things like that. The Greeks, as a European people, managed to “defend” Europe all alone and it was them who attacked Asia looking for victory ...The Greek victory that was at the same time a European victory as well. These acts were important because the world –and therefore Europe- would have been different today, if the Greeks had lost the “war” to the Persians ...the world would have also been different if they had not won outside Babylon ...it would have been different, because Rome would not have existed and so would not have existed its affect to the human and the European history.
So 480 BC is an important year for Europe. Why is that? Just because the Asian world leadership could not get into Europe. It is a milestone because up to that point the battles between the “Titans” of that era had been set. The two leading empires of the ancient world have collided and they have “ended up” in a situation. Asian Babylon had imposed absolutely on the African Egypt and it was at last free to claim Europe as well. Its king was considered at that time as a living “God”. It was at the same time the king of Babylon and the Pharaoh of Egypt …The absolute ruler of the Afro-Asian world. He attacked Greece aiming at Europe. Greeks as the European defenders of the borderland resisted this almighty “God” and saved Europe.
323 BC, the year Alexander the Great died, was also important. Why is that? Because his death “locked” the new era. A European man gad “seized” the greatest empire of the World and the history of the human kind moved on to the next “chapter”. From the era of Asia we passed to the era of Europe. Europe up to that point had been threatened by Asia or African Egypt and now it became the absolute ruler. There was a transfer of the European human resources to the Asian territory and the “banks” for Europe’s subsequent ruling were created. European Greeks who moved to Asia and Africa as overlords were the ones who gave the time, the knowledge and the power for Rome to “build” the Europe we all know today. Rome “built” the Europe we know, because the Greeks have “blocked” the giants of the East. It is not pure luck that the Romans considered Alexander to be the thirteenth god.
This is the reason why the Greek awesome kid was a very important factor in the European history. This is why all the European legends and myths had Alexander as their reference point. The Greek and therefore the European ruler of the world was he, who led Europe to the “top” of the world. For more than two thousand years, Europe has been the absolute ruling power in the world. The power “moved” from one capital to another, but it always remained within the “walls” of Europe and its omnipotence was solid. Power moved from Rome to New Rome and from there it got to the rest of the capitals. The last holder of the European ruling was London …the Roman Londinium.
For two thousand years, Europeans collected unlimited profits from the “galloping” of Alexander the Great …from the “galloping” of the Greek “bull” who took beautiful Europe onto his back and raised her on the “Olympus” of glory and power. Latin, French, Spanish, British and Russian people saw the world from a “higher” position due to the Greek achievement. Even the Finnish people today, who are supposed to “reproach” the Greeks, we don’t know what type of igloo would they be in today, if it wasn’t for the Greeks.
All Europeans benefited from the Greeks. All European peoples collected profits from the Greek triumph. They had the whole world on their “sting” because the Greeks offered it to them. For as long as Europe remained on the “top” of the world due to the victory of the Greeks, its internal state had no importance. The inland wars –and therefore the battles between the kings of Europe- were battles among the heirs and these battles have a secondary importance when they do not affect the “throne” itself.
By looking at the current position of Europe in the global “chessboard” one could comprehend that this “throne” has been long gone. Europe is today the “shadow” of its former self. It has nearly ended up to be a “supporting actor” in the human history play. So what’s the conclusion? Something important and extremely tragic has happened at the expense of Europe and we just have not realized it yet. Something happened in between and we did not realize it. In the oversupply of unimportant historic data we lost what really matters. Human kind changed “station” and we did not even realized it. The global power has changed continent and we, the Europeans, never realized when was it that we lost the battle.
It is therefore a sure thing that something important has happened and the power of the planet moved to another continent. At some point Europe has to have lost the war so that American Washington decides for the future of the World. After the important Greek triumph there should also have been an important debacle for Europe. It is impossible to lose the world supremacy without a corresponding colossal defeat. There should have been a great mistake and we did not realize it. Somewhere between the unimportant wars, we lost the important one. One obviously stupid European offspring in his/her effort to change the internal correlations spoiled the “family” fortune. There is no other explanation. One of the many internal European battles should have consequences to the whole European presence in the world affairs.
Now you can understand the meaning of what we said before which might have seemed exaggerating ...what we said above that it is in the interest of some people to control suffocatingly the history "science". Some powerful factors of history are interested in mixing the important with the unimportant facts so that peoples don’t understand what is really going on. They have interest in making history appear as a totally complicated “science” that is only for the “scientists” and not for the common people. You can see that it is only reasonable for some people to have misinterpreted the historic facts because otherwise some leaders would have been executed in squares all over Europe.
Within the frameworks of this intentional historic wrong information we seek the reasons of the current historic ignorance of the European people. Within the needs of the new powerful people we seek the reasons for the “falsification” of historic details. It has resulted to the situation we are facing today. Europeans lost the battle of world leadership and did not even realize it. It is phenomenal and unheard not only for the modern people in the years of information but even unacceptable for the primitive people. It is as if an Asian man did not know what meant the seizing of Babylon by the European Alexander.
Where can we seek such a colossal defeat? But in a colossal war. The world leadership is not lost in a conflict at a random outpost at the border. A war of the same proportions is required for such a loss and that could be only a World War. Who does not know the World Wars that started in Europe? Even though one knows them, one cannot assess them. Why is that? Because there is a huge difference between them. The First World War was a completely unimportant interior European war, since it did not affect Europe’s “course”. On the contrary, the Second World War was the most important because it ruined Europe. What the Greeks had achieved in “Thermopylae” by stopping the attack from the East that the Europe had sustained from the Asians, the Europeans did not manage to do with the attack from the West that Europe sustained from the Americans
The Second World War was the “end” of the Europe’s world leadership and the “beginning” of the America’s world leadership. The Second World War meant for the European empire what the attack of Alexander the Great had meant for the Asian empire. It was the beginning of the end. If you understand the importance of this war, you can start seeing some things that many people unfortunately do not pay attention to. So, based on the new “point of view” –due to the “distance” taken- you can start detecting those responsible for the European “defeat”. Have the Americans ever attacked Europe? Of course not! Therefore who were those whose stupidity opened the “door” to the Americans and handed over the “sceptre” of Europe?
The only ones who really changed the “course” of the European history with their actions, were the Germans. But unfortunately for them they were the negative lead roles in this situation. They have changed the history of Europe at the expense of Europe, for the simplest reason that they were the most useless and unworthy Europeans. It was them whose actions and stupidities “brought” Americans in Europe and “dispatched” the supremacy to America …Exactly the opposite to what the Greeks had succeeded who are known to history as having the exact opposite characteristics. If the intelligence and the ability of the Greeks “had brought” Global power to Europe, then is the stupidity and the inability of the Germans that “lost” this Global power for Europe.
Why are we talking about stupidity? Because there is no other explanation for what we see. Their short-term “success” so much in the 40s as in our decade are nothing more than “supporting acting” to ephemeral “heavies”. Under the directions of their foreign and non-European “bosses”, Germans occasionally pretend to be the leaders because this is in their “bosses’” interest. We are talking about pure stupidity, because Germany is a European power. It is a separate entity, but it does not cease to belong to the European “family”. Its special interests might be different to those of the rest of the European people, but its general interests are still European. This means that it is in Germany’s interest to protect the German interests but mostly to protect the European interests.
This exactly is a delicate point. Here comes the elementary question, which, if answered, automatically reveals all the hidden roles of the leading men. European Germany serves or threatens Europe’s interests? The role Germany played in the historic course of Europe may be conceived using the simple legal method. There’s no need to make a historic analysis. Simple legal thought is needed to reveal everything. Qui Bono?, Who Benefits? It is of little importance what seems to be the answer when it is not answering the question itself. It does not matter whether Germany tried to “conquer” Europe for its own benefit. What really matters is what was the benefit of the one who made Germany try it. If for instance the American domination in Europe started right after Germany’s failure to dominate, some “questions” are raised since it was the Americans who financed Germany to start its effort.
Do you understand what we are meaning to say? When the one who benefits from the failed actions of another one, is the same one who suggested and financed them, then things are not what they look like …Someone is “fooling around” with the ambitions of a fool and takes advantage of the consequence of the fool’s actions …someone fools around with the instincts of a beast and destroys what the clever ones created. Things are simple. By playing it smart one "sets" a complex European china "tower" and someone sly goes and "pinches" the German idiot and moving instinctively he brings everything down.
A bunch of “kids” playing on the sand builds a great tower and admires it. It admires its creation and someone sly goes and “pinches” the silliest of them and “throws” this kid on the sensitive creation. This is what has happened in Europe. What took endless intelligence, heroism and ability for all the Europeans to build as a team, some stupid Germans brought it down in just a few years …Some illiterate Germans who growled weird “heil’s”.
It was easy for the Americans to take advantage all of them because the Americans knew their characteristics. And if it wasn’t them who knew them, there were others who did and were ready to cooperate with them …the Jews. They took advantage of the fact that Germany had been behaving like a mindless “beast” due to the social Marxism that was powered by the Jews and funded by the Britains. Germany with its educated urban and capitalist class fully stricken, it was an easy adrift of any ambitious imperialist. With the illiterate pleb of the pubs and the mines being the dominating social power of Germany, it was easy to lead Germany against Europe. Germany was the silly one who was standing really close to the European china “tower” of power, so it was really easy to “pinch” Germany and take advantage of its stupid reaction. It was easy to turn it against not its national enemies but against Europe.
And this is what they did. They financed illiterate and unschooled supporting actors –like Hitler and his gang- and they destroyed Europe. They had flattened it and therefore –with their “rights” as lender and ally- they set their “foot” on Europe. What Greeks had done in Asia using guns, Americans did it in Europe using money. They penetrated the “heart” of their enemy and took power from him. It was easy to take advantage of Germany and mislead it to its anti-European mistake, because they knew what they had to do.
They knew how they could take advantage of the Germans because they had their insiders. Even the imperialistic “fairy tales” of Germany were something they thought of …Most of them were created as an “alibi”. This means that what we know as Nazi “fairy tales” were not something the Germans thought of. They “had borrowed” them from the Americans and the Jews who were financing them …They “had borrowed” them from the Rockefellers and the Prescott Bushes.
We are talking about weird things of endless beauty. We are talking about illiterate supporting actors, who spent their intelligence in parades and marches. They only thing they knew was to salute. All the rest were given to them ready in “cribs”. When Hitler talked to the hailing German plebs, his bosses in Washington should have had a good laugh with it. These inebriated “twits” with the American and Jewish financing built the military camps in order to protect and also to give “alibi” and validity to the Jews in the after the war American era of Europe.
Those who pretended to be the “master” Aryan race, were in their majority what they accused the others to be …illiterate, homosexuals, perverts, deformed, bulimics, cripples etc… If someone looks at the leaders of Nazi shall understand who professed the “master” race. We are talking about true “Orcs” who destroyed the European achievement –which was founded by the Greeks- by promising at the same time Greek intellectual and physiological “vigour”. All these men were paid by the Americans so that the latter could “get into” Europe, without having to collide with it directly.
So, there is not a mystery regarding the European defeat. The stupid member of the “family” is to blame for the great “fiasco”. Germans were financed to undertake a war that was lost right before it even begun. The plan was to make Germany surrender to its lenders and Europe in its turn to its transatlantic “ally” It was something never seen before in the history of Europe and this the Germans’ achievement. The Germans were the first who opened the “gates” of Europe to the non-Europeans. They borrowed money from foreigners to make a war with their “brothers” and they did not know who would profit from it at the end. The result is what we face today …Americans conquered Germany and tutored Europe. It was in their interest that the secondary German actors undertook this a priori lost war. Therefore, this is why they took part in the war against the Germans. They fought against those whom they had been financing to lose …Things are simple …There is no mystery in that that requires for secret information or complex thinking.
This tragic “error” made the Germans a very important factor of the European history …as important as the Greeks but –unfortunately for them- having the opposite sign. This is why we use the “airplane” geographical approach of history. The whole world since 323 BC until the middle of the last century was still just outside “Athens”. Caesars, Napoleons, Charlemagnes of the Europe had their interfamilial “mess” in the “forests” of this “Athens”. In 1945 –because of the Germans- we “flew” to “Beijing”. The Greeks brought the human history to the “Athens” “station” and the Germans made it “fly away” from Europe and land to “Beijing”. Because of them, human history changed “station” and abandoned Europe.
If Greeks were the absolutely successful Europeans, Germans were the absolute failures. If Greeks have always been the absolute model for the rest of Europe, then German are entitled to become the absolute anti-model. If it was due to the Greeks that Europe gained everything, it is due to the Germans it lost everything. Because of them Europe got taken down from its “throne”. The world leadership has been lost for the Europeans. What Europe had won due to the Greek extreme effort has been lost because of the Nazi extreme stupidity …An extreme stupidity, that shall remain as a permanent German “disability” for as long as some people would nail Germany under the power of its Marxist plebs.
…An extreme stupidity that would become a “sacred” doctrine for the American dominants of Europe. They would not have allowed Germany to recover and become again a normal country in any way. Since 1945, German society has been absolutely controlled so that it did not produce anything. Whatever able or useful or dangerous is destroyed upon creation. If one tries to remember an important German of the second half of the last century, soon enough he/she shall come to the conclusion that there is none …Germany is not allowed to “produce” even great singers. There is a great lack of meritocracy in Germany which is absolutely planned by the people controlling them.
This is why such a vast and so populated country has no important people to show for the last century in all fields. Those presented as the “strong” Germans are just accountants and “screwdriver specialists”. This is why Germany is governed by people who could not even survive in other countries. Germany is a dead “land” ...A "sterile" mother, who cannot give birth to anything important since this is something that would threaten its owners ...condemned to “give birth” to Merkel, Schauble, Reichenbach and Fuchtel. We are talking for really deformed and retarded “Orcs” …Stupid men who are restricted by working hours, orders and regulations and the system has persuaded them that this is the absolute ability.
The latter is a really important aspect because Germany’s role would not have expended its resources in just serving the American interests. Its “infrastructure” is useful to imperialism. When someone really dump exists, this one is useful to all the foxies. As it one imperialist used this at the expense of others, every aspiring imperialist can use it too. Why would we say something like that? Because American world leadership is proved to be short …There is no comparison to the European domination for over a thousand years. Within less than fifty years, American world leadership showed signs of decay. Having faults in its “structure” right from the beginning, it could not have lasted longer.
Some usurpers saw this shortcoming and surprised America. All of a sudden, --in Europe’s absence—Americans got “attacked” within their territory. By whom? ...By their partners who were above suspicion ...By Jews ...By the Asia-originating Jews ...By the countrymen of Xerxes’ father in law, who had persuaded him to attack Europe and the Greeks ...By the sons of Esther, the daughter of Mordecai. We are talking about the absolute historic scenario. We are talking about the absolute “overthrow” that even Hollywood hadn't staged. The Asians who had failed to conquer Europe coming from the East, are trying again after thousands of years to do the same thing coming from the West. Today they are trying to do from America what they had been failing to do by being next to Europe.
This takes place at a time when Israel exists as a country in Asia and Zionism rules all over the Western world ...Israel that ceased to exist when the Greek overlords under the Antiochus’ guidance had "annihilated” it. This is the state in which today Jewish “raise” the New Order of Things …Asia is trying to take back the power that once lost by changing its tactics. After failing to conquer Europe using military means, Asia tries to do it now using money. In this pursuit, they need the Germans.
Germans are proved to be the easy solution to breach Europe’s "kerkoporta (a postern used in the fall of Constantinople)”. Whoever wishes to “set foot” on Europe and demolish it, the only thing he/she has to do is to “fool” the Germans. For a second time in less than fifty years, Europe’s idiots become the victims of foreigners and they serve their interests at the expense of Europe …it is for the second time that they take money from foreigners and they turn against their European “brothers” under their lenders’ orders …it is for the second time that the family’s fool takes “candies” from the “child abuser” of the neighbourhood in exchange to get him into the “bedroom” where the younger “siblings” sleep …In the “bedroom” which is common today due to the European Union.
Due to the German behaviour, Europe has become the “bedroom” where Jewish loan sharks rape the Europeans. The first time, they have served the Americans at the expense of the Europeans and the second time round they serve the Asian Jews at the expense of the European people again. It is because of them that in 1945 the American occupation of Europe started and in 2012 –again it is them to blame- the Jewish occupation begins …An occupation that did not come out of the blue but it was the result of a war attack. In 1989, Jew Greenspan levelled his “assault” against both USA and Europe from his position in FED …the cheap money “assault”, the result of which is now obvious. Cheap money destroyed the productivity of the western countries and forced them into unemployment. Peoples without employment got involved in huge debts and now, loan sharks are infesting their countries.
This is a game Jews couldn’t have played without the help of Germany …Without the first “willing” player. It is again because of stupid and unnecessary financing that Germany “fell into the trap” and turned again against Europe …the play is same, only this time it has different “bosses”. In the Second World War, Germany was financed by the American to start a world war that was a lost cause right from the start. It destroyed everything and at the same time it brought its American lenders to Europe. Today, something similar is happening. It got financed again by the FED that belonged to the Jew Greenspan to bring Europe to his countrymen loan sharks. The Jews by knowing Germany’s needs and complexes, they could play with them. This is why they put Germany in the adventure of reunification …the adventure of the so-called national “engagement” which was diligently made even more expensive. What for? …To finance it …To force the unified now Germany into unbelievable debts. Why did they over-indebt Germany? …to leave it with just one “way” of salvation.
This “way” is to over-indebt the rest of Europe’s peoples ...the peoples who did not have the criminal naivety to borrow money from the Jewish loan sharks of the USA on their own free will and without any reason. Germany was the insider who “captured” Europe on behalf of the Jews. In order to get free from its debt, Germany levelled an unseen corruption assault against Europe. There is no corruption affecting one European country that Germany is not behind it. Why is that? So that the Germany-corrupted European leaders would over-indebt their countries for Germany to be able to “sell” its products to them and therefore to be able to settle its debts.
…Germany betrayed Europe once again. Germany handed all the European countries over to the Jewish loan sharks, by naively believing that this way they would let Germany free. Germany put the European family at the “target” of the “markets” and it is collecting profits every time one of its members gets “executed”. The loan sharks who pretend to be the “hunters” are shooting safely in the European “hen house” because Germany has managed to “raise walls around” Europe. One after the other, Europeans are destroyed so that Merkel can pay the stupid and artificial German debts to the loan sharks.
As in all previous instances, once again its “fairy tale” is extremely misleading. Nazi Germany who used to destroy Europe in the name of the Greek ideals, does the same thing today. The surrendered, corrupting, competitive after receiving subsidies and extremely anti-European Germany pretends to be the unrivalled European power that fights for the European unity and against the corruption. This country that took advantage of the unification to serve its national interests, requires from the other countries to sell themselves out in the name of this unification. This country that even today keeps corrupting anyone around it, it threatens the corrupted ones. It “vomited” over a whole continent and now it is looking for the “spot” on its victims to punish them.
Nowadays, Germany raves on an everyday basis against Greece. The accusations of the Germans against the Greeks are on the agenda. Lately, the word “Griechenland” should be by far the most used word in the German political speech. German politicians –and not just them—make accusations against the Greeks on an everyday basis. They accuse the Greeks even in the most dangerous and unjust way regarding the collective responsibility. They accuse them using the same racist rhetoric that they used in the past against the Jews and this is what condemned them in the minds of the people all over the world. After apologizing hypocritically for a million times, they came back with their familiar characteristics. As soon as they regained their powers, they started again the same old games …”Greeks” are useless, lazy, thieves etc.
Why do they keep making this organized and unfair, of course, defamatory campaign? For many important and unimportant reasons ...Reasons that are relevant to the simple psychological needs of the supporting actors and reasons of great importance in practice for the leading actors as well. There are plenty insignificant reasons connected to the anti-Greek feelings of the German leaders. Reasons always existed and they shall exist in the future too. Besides, it is a usual phenomenon to target the famous and the able men and when talking about peoples the Greek people is such. As the Persian poet says …”Stones and sticks are thrown only at fruit-bearing trees”.
This means that it is a purely psychological matter that Germans react so offensively against anything negative with regards to Greece. These reasons are even more useful in their analyses because they are usually the most revealing ones. Why is that? Because they are connected to the emotional and instinctive reactions …such reactions that do not take the time to get “filtered” through the pseudo-cultural filters of politically correct behaviours. They are reactions that are connected to envy which –when functions as “motive”- reveals other things as well.
In our opinion, the current anti-Greek hatred, that characterizes the ridiculous modern German leaders, is only normal. By managing the country, with the most unattractive and appalling history in Europe, they are trying to devalue anyone they consider having exactly the opposite features. Furthermore, there is a personal matter as well. Why is that? Because most of these leaders are ex-Stalinists and as such they hate those who invented Democracy. Most of them are “castrated” accountants and bureaucrats and therefore they are consumables for history and they cannot resist the temptation to “throw stones” at the immortal parts of it. If you are a nobody, there is a gain to connect your name with someone immortal even by insulting him.
Not even in her wildest dreams, a woman with “bad taste” named Merkel could have imagined to have the chance to upbraid and lecture the Greeks for some time in her skinflint life. It is obvious that she takes delight every time she uses the word “Griechenland”. It is obvious that this “bush pig” takes delight every time she reproaches those who adored Aphrodite and praised human beauty. The reason for that is simple. Castrates have always hated stallions. Those who finish last have always hated the first. The total losers have always been trying to defame the absolute winners. There no need for much explanation. German Nietzsche has explained this better than us.
Nevertheless, the important reasons that the organized anti-Greek hysteria that exists in Germany are different. They are related with the real needs of their real bosses and not with the psychological problems the supporting actors face. Germans may aim their “bile” at Greece but they would never dare to assault Greece using so much ferocity. They are too European to dare “attacking” Europe’s “womb”.
Actually, Germans are the first and simply the most enthusiastic “audience” for this anti-Greek mania. Those who really rave against Greeks are others. Germans’ bosses are those raving and not Germans themselves who are just pretending to “lend an ear” …Miserable willing audience. The few Germans appearing to blame the Greeks are just making their living. They are making “their living” like that poor adopted Vice-chancellor. All these people have to serve their bosses and execute their orders.
But why did the Jews create this anti-Greece mania? Europe’s “conqueror” fear of just one thing …they fear of the Greeks …They fear of those who not only did they resist to the Europe’s “falling” but they regained their forces and won all its former enemies. It is these Greeks the Jews are afraid of ...Asian Jews since we should not forget that they are the true children of Babylon that had attacked Europe and lost the war to the Greeks. These are the Greeks that the Asian Jews have as a target and simply the Germans as their most faithful European slaves are "engaged" to accuse their ancient enemies. The accusations against the Greeks are a salaried job for the Germans.
Why is it and Jews have a problem with the Greeks? Because they are entrapped in a dead-end. While in the first phase, they have managed to “pass” through the Greek "passage", they have to face a worse situation ...a situation that shall bring them to a new confrontation with them ...a much worse and more dangerous confrontation than the previous one. Why is that? Because the Jews know the Greeks. They know them better than anyone else because they have been walking along with them for thousand years. They know when Greeks may be dangerous. They know that they cannot be fooled twice with the same trap and certainly not when the elapsed time is not great. They also know that "pressure" works like “oxygen” for the Greeks. They know that Greeks become dangerous when they have to fight when they have no other choice. It would be easier for you to understand the difficulty that they have been facing, if you watched the movie “The Beast of War". Nothing else could have described the current situation better than this smart movie. How could you picture the situation? Jews, leaders of the almighty New Order “vehicle", initially passed very easily through the Greek “passage”. With the well known arrogance and pride that characterizes them, not only did they not respect the Greeks but also they have tried to humiliate them. They believed that it would not cause them any damage to offend them by walking all "over" them. They had available all armours and they did not hesitate to use them provocatively. All went well and they were not afraid of anything.
But they had not anticipated one thing …the most important thing …That after the Greek "passage” there was a dead end. They had not anticipated the chance that the New Order planning might not work. They had not anticipated the worst option that could happen to them ...the chance to get in a dead end and after having destroyed the Greeks to have to turn back to their own "places" ...which means that they would have to pass again their “narrow passage” but now the Greeks would be in a wild state of mind. This scares them and this is why we focused on the fact that they know the Greeks well enough. They know that when they meet again, things shall not be just difficult but it would a total nightmare for them.
Actually, they have already “lost" the war. We don't just profess that the Greeks SHALL win this battle ...Winning is not even at stake ...The Greeks have already won ...They won when the battle started ...When their “generals” realized what was happening and they undertook the management of the situation on their own. It does not matter what the common Greek citizen knew or did not know. What really matters is what the people who would undertake the management of the emerging crisis knew at that time. This has happened in the early 90s, when the New Order of Things have been levelling its global assault ...When Jews were planning the invasion of Prescott Bush’s son in Iraq ...When Jews were passing through the Greek “passage” by making Simitis and Papadimos to take the well-known swaps of Goldman Sachs.
However, this time is long gone. Jews are still “riding” the “vehicle” of the global banking system but this “vehicle" is not as powerful as it used to be …it is “crawling” having umpteen problems and has to pass “through” Greece …to “pass" either using Troika policies or PSIs. The “guns” that could not destroy this vehicle back then, now can. But guns are still the same. The victorious guns are the same ones since their “manufacture” regardless of the fact that they did not have the same “range” or efficacy back then, because conditions did not allow it. Do you understand what we are meaning to say? "Guns” exist already and the Jewish loan sharks cannot “leave” but they have to "return". But returning would signify their defeat. Simply, this is not visible right now. It is not visible for the ignorant people, but for those initiated, this is something more that certain. Knowledge ensures victory and the Greeks have already had this knowledge. Things are simple. A child is born when he/she gets out of his/her mother’s womb and not when neighbours see this child. What is the meaning of this in this case? That it does not matter when the world shall know this development and therefore when the battle shall take place. What really does matter is that the Greeks have already won this battle, even though they have not realized it yet. It is just a matter of time for the New Order of things to collapse and the human kind to get into the New Era …unfortunately for “Orcs” this New Era is the humanistic Aquarius age, and therefore it is the Greek era.
It is just a matter of time for the Planet to “see” the great battle between two of the top factors of the human history, the Greeks and the Jews. A battle bearing huge consequences since its outcome shall define the operation mode of the global system. Its outcome shall define the way in which the whole human kind and not just Europe shall live in the future. Now you can understand why all occultists all over the world consider the year 2012 so much critical. You can understand why “Armageddon” with its worldwide consequences shall take place at the Eastern “corner” of the Mediterranean sea.
Soon enough, many shall "bite their lips” and many lips shall be “sealed” because they dared to say unfit things. The solid and eternal meritocracy of history cannot be doubted by any clown because it is just in his interest. History shall repeat itself in a far greater scale and therefore the benefit for the leading roles shall be much greater. If ancient Greeks won the battle against the barbarity of the East in favour of Europe, then modern Greeks are those who are meant to win the battle against the barbarity of both Eastern and Western world in favour of the human kind. The world has become a little “village” and in this “village” everyone knows what the character of the others is.
The German traitors of Europe along with the Phoenicians from Asia may have forced Europe to get down from the "back” of the Greek “bull”, but it remains to be seen how they shall pull it through with the “bull”.
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Ground Water, continued
The addition of water to the zone of saturation is known as groundwater recharge. Groundwater recharge in Ford County is derived from precipitation within the county, from influent streams and irrigation ditches, and from subsurface inflow from areas to the west of the county.
Recharge from Local Precipitation
Most of the groundwater recharge in Ford County is derived from precipitation. Of the total annual precipitation of 20.5 inches in Ford County, part runs off through surface channels and is drained from the area by Arkansas River, part is evaporated, part is transpired by plants, and part seeps downward to the zone of saturation and recharges the groundwater reservoir. When the amount of water absorbed in the soil zone is greater than can be held against the pull of gravity, the balance will move downward to the zone of saturation. Usually the belt of soil moisture is largely depleted by the end of the growing season, owing to the removal of much of the available water in this belt by evaporation and transpiration. Consequently, this deficiency must first be satisfied before recharge takes place.
Theis (1937, pp. 564-568) presented evidence to show that the average annual groundwater recharge from rainfall in the southern High Plains is somewhat less than half an inch. The surficial materials in the upland parts of Ford County are comparable to those of the southern High Plains, although the total annual precipitation is somewhat greater. That the recharge by rainfall penetration in Ford County probably averages somewhat less than half an inch a year is suggested by the following considerations: (1) Most of the rainfall occurs during the growing season when the amount of water lost by transpiration and evaporation is the greatest; (2) the downward movement of water is impeded in upland areas north of Arkansas River by cemented beds of caliche in the Ogallala formation and in upland areas south of the river by the relatively impervious Kingsdown silt; and (3) some of the water remains in depression for long periods after heavy rains, showing that very little water percolates downward at these points. No figures are available regarding the annual amount of evaporation in Ford County, but at Hays (about 70 miles northeast of Dodge City) the annual evaporation from a free water surface amounted to about 101 inches for the period April through October, 1939, as recorded by the U.S. Weather Bureau. It seems likely, therefore, that a rather large proportion of the annual precipitation in Ford County is lost through evaporation.
A part of the precipitation that falls is lost through runoff streams, the amount being determined largely by the intensity of the rainfall, the slope of the land, the porosity of the soil, and the type and amount of vegetative cover. Conditions generally a much more favorable for rainfall penetration during a gentle rain of long duration than during a torrential downpour when the rate of runoff is high.
The slope of the land is an important factor in determining the amount of runoff, and, in general, the steeper the slope the greater the runoff. The slope of the land surface in most parts of Ford County is relatively gentle, but steep slopes occur along some of the major streams.
The type of soil also determines in part the proportion of the precipitation that will be lost as runoff and the part that will percolate into the underground reservoir. In general, runoff is greater in places where the soils are tightly compacted and fine-grained than in places where the soils are sandy and loosely compacted.
A vegetative cover decreases the velocity of the runoff thereby offering a better opportunity for part of the water to seep into the ground.
The most favorable areas in Ford County for groundwater recharge seem to be the areas of sand dunes and the shallow-water areas along stream courses (pl. 1). A large percentage of the precipitation that falls on the sand dunes percolates downward rapidly with little loss by evaporation. There is little or no runoff in the areas of sand dunes, as indicated by the almost total lack of drainage channels.
Recharge from Precipitation from Outside the Area
The general slope of the land surface, the dip of the Ogallala formation, the slope of the water table (pl. 1), and the direction of movement of the groundwater are all in an easterly to southeasterly direction; hence, recharge from precipitation that occurs in areas to the west and northwest of Ford County eventually moves into the county and contributes to the available supply of ground water.
Although the Dakota formation is exposed at several different places in Ford County, much of the water that it contains undoubtedly enters the formation from areas of outcrop outside the county. As the regional dip of the Dakota is northeastward, the most logical intake area would be confined to localities southwest of Ford County where the Dakota formation crops out. The Dakota is exposed over wide areas in southeastern Colorado, notably in Las Animas County. Water derived from precipitation falling on the outcrops and from streams flowing across the outcrops is absorbed and flows eastward through the formation into Kansas. Opportunity is afforded for water from the Dakota formation to migrate upward into the Ogallala formation at places where the two formations are in contact and where the Dakota water is under greater head than the Ogallala water. The Dakota is known to be directly overlain by the Ogallala in parts of this area (see log of test hole 4 on p. 208), but in parts of northeastern Ford County where relatively impermeable shale separates the Dakota formation from the Ogallala formation there is no opportunity for movement of water from the Dakota into the Ogallala. In the southern part of the county where the Rexroad member of the Ogallala formation rests directly on the Dakota formation (see logs of test holes 10, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20 and 21, pp. 212-222) the possibilities are very good for movement of water from the Dakota into the overlying Ogallala.
Recharge from Streams and Lakes
Two factors determine whether or not a stream is capable of supplying water to the underground reservoir: (1) the water surface of the stream must be above the water table; and (2) the material above the water table must be sufficiently permeable to permit downward percolation of the water. Streams that satisfy these conditions are called influent streams (fig. 7). Arkansas River is effluent most of the time, as shown by the water-table contours (pl. 1), but as pointed out on page 42, it becomes influent during occasional periods of flood flow.
With the exception of Sawlog creek and its tributaries, most of the smaller streams in Ford County hose water to the underground reservoir during certain periods of the year when they are carrying runoff. The stream channels in several of the streams south of the river are cut in the Kingsdown silt which is relatively impermeable, so that very little water percolates downward to the zone of saturation. The amount of recharge resulting from occasional stream flow in Mulberry creek is not definitely known but is believed to be rather small.
Evidence of recharge from a small ephemeral stream is furnished by the record of water-level fluctuation in well 123, situated about 200 yards east of a small dry tributary to Coon creek (pl. 2). The depth to water level in the well ranges from about 37 to 40 feet. The water level in well 123 rose abruptly starting about the middle of May, 1940, and reached its highest stage of the year in the latter part of June, 1940, the rise amounting to 3.5 feet. This unusual rise seems to be the result of recharge following rather heavy rainfall in April and May. Water was still standing in the bottom of the tributary drainage at the time that the well was measured on June 19, indicating that part of the rise in water level might have occurred as a result of recharge from the stream.
The possibility of recharge from impounded bodies of surface water is provided whenever the level of such, water bodies is above the water table. Ford County Lake and Hain Lake (pl. 1) have been created by damming tributary drainages that have cut into the Ogallala formation. When the lakes are full, therefore, there may be some opportunity for percolation of water through the Ogallala to the underlying water table. The magnitude and rate of recharge from such, sources is not definitely known, but the controlling factors include the height of the lake surface above the water table, the amount of water in storage, and the permeability of the reservoir basin.
Recharge from Irrigation Ditches and Irrigated Lands
In the Arkansas valley rather large quantities of water are pumped from wells or diverted from the river for irrigation. Some of this water seeps into the ground and is added to the zone of saturation. Thus, groundwater recharge may take place in the vicinity of irrigation ditches, and irrigated fields. The effect of seepage from two irrigation ditches upon the water level in a nearby observation well (364) in the Arkansas valley is shown in figure 10 and is discussed on p. 66.
Summary of Recharge
Much of the annual recharge to the groundwater reservoir in Ford County is derived from precipitation that falls on the county and in part from precipitation on outcrop areas outside the county, and from seepage from the Arkansas River at times when it is influent. A part of the local precipitation enters the ground through areas of sand dunes and sandy soil, and small amounts through channels of normally dry streams during periods of flood flow. Some of the water that enters the Dakota formation from precipitation on its outcrops ultimately may recharge the Ogallala formation at places where the two formations are in contact. The amount of average annual recharge cannot be determined on the basis of existing data, but it is probable that only a small percentage of the average annual rainfall of 20.5 inches reaches the zone of saturation.
Groundwater is discharged in Ford County by transpiration and evaporation, seepage into effluent streams, springs, underflow that leaves the county, and by wells. The rate at which it is discharged varies with many factors, but especially with the stage of the water table and with the season of the year. Local differences in conditions cause more groundwater to be discharged in some parts of the county than in others. More groundwater is pumped from irrigation wells in the Arkansas valley than in the upland parts of the county. More water is withdrawn from the zone of saturation by plants by evaporation in areas adjacent to Arkansas River and other perennial streams than in areas where the water table lies at great depth. Natural discharge of groundwater also takes place in the form of water moving slowly out of the county toward the east, as indicated by the water-table contours on the map, plate 1. The water moving out of the county as underflow along the Arkansas valley represents one phase of this type of ground-water discharge. The amount of water that moves out of the county is approximately the amount that enters from the west plus whatever additions to or subtractions from the groundwater reservoir have been made within the county.
It is probable that before any water was pumped from wells in Ford County, the annual discharge of groundwater by natural processes was approximately equal to the annual recharge. Artificial discharge by pumping represents an additional amount of water taken from the underground reservoir without any increase in the amount of replenishment. The development of the groundwater resources of Ford County necessarily will cause some lowering of the water table until the natural discharge through springs and seeps into perennial streams and underground movement of water out of the county is decreased by an amount equal to the withdrawal by pumping. Such adjustments, however, will proceed slowly over a period of many years with only a gradual regional lowering of the water table, as the amount of water in storage is very large. Although quantitative estimates are available for the amount of water discharged from wells in Ford County, the amount of natural discharge is not definitely known.
Transpiration and Evaporation
The roots of plank may draw water directly from the zone of saturation and discharge the water into the atmosphere by the process of transpiration. The rate at which water is withdrawn from the zone of saturation varies with the type of plants, the depth to the water table, the climate and the season of year, the character of the soil, and possibly other factors. The limit of lift by ordinary grasses and field crops is not more than a few feet, but some types of desert plants have been known to send their roots 60 feet or more below the surface to reach the water table (Meinzer, 1923. p. 82). In parts of the county along the valley margins and on the uplands; where the water table is considerably below the reach of the roots of most plants, water is withdrawn from the belt of soil moisture, thereby depleting the supply of soil moisture, but in the Arkansas valley and some of the other stream valleys many of the plants draw water directly from the zone of saturation. Evaporation of water directly from the zone of saturation is confined almost exclusively to the dry bed of Arkansas River and to the land immediately adjoining the stream, where the water table is very shallow. Most of this water is drawn from the zone of saturation and is evaporated at the top of the capillary fringe. In areas where the water table lies at considerable depth no water from the zone of saturation is lost by direct evaporation; in such places only the soil moisture is evaporated. The amount of water discharged by plant transpiration in the Arkansas valley and other parts of Ford County is not definitely known. Wenzel (Lugn and Wenzel, 1938, p. 151) estimated that in the Platte River valley between Chapman and Gothenburg, Nebraska:
"If an average of 12 inches of supplemental water is used annually by the plants whose roots extend to the zone of saturation, the resulting quantity of water discharged by transpiration ... would amount to about 390,000 acre-feet a year, or about 12 times the quantity of water pumped annually from wells."
It is believed that the total quantity of water withdrawn by plant transpiration in the Arkansas valley in Ford County is rather large, but probably is less than in the central Platte valley in Nebraska. The areas bordering Arkansas River in which the water table lies within 10 feet of the surface are much smaller in extent than in the Platte valley.
Seepage into Streams
A stream that stands lower than the water table may receive water from the zone of saturation, and is known as an effluent stream. The principal streams that receive groundwater discharge in Ford County are Arkansas River, during periods of low flow, and Sawlog and Crooked creeks.
As pointed out under the discussion of shape and slope of the water table, groundwater moves in toward the Arkansas valley from both sides as shown by the water-table contours on plate 1. Thus, except at flood stage, the Arkansas River is a gaining stream throughout its course in Ford County; that is, it is effluent with respect to the water table. Where tributary streams have out their channels below the general water table, their flows are also augmented by groundwater during most of the year. Seepage of groundwater occurs along the banks of these streams and in some instances groundwater is discharged through springs along the valley sides. Although water has been observed in the channel of Crooked Creek in that part of its course in Ford County, the stream bed is known to be dry for long periods at points downstream, near Fowler, Meade County. At the county line the creek is entrenched about 15 feet below the general land surface and its channel may or may not be below the water table. Groundwater may be discharged into Crooked Creek during part of the year, but it is probable that stretches of the creek in Ford County would go dry during a part of the year if it were not for several small dams that have been constructed to impound water for stock and for irrigation.
Discharge by Springs
In Ford County some water is discharged through springs. Most of the springs observed are in the northern part of the county along Sawlog creek and its tributaries, and no springs were observed south of the Arkansas valley. The water table under the south uplands lies at considerable depth, and in general the channels of tributary streams lie above the water table; hence, few, if any, opportunities for springs exist. The total quantity of water discharged by springs in Ford County is not definitely known, but it is thought to be small as compared to discharge by other means. The known springs are described below under Recovery.
Discharge from Wells
Discharge of groundwater from wells in Ford County constitutes the principal discharge from the groundwater reservoir. In 1938, approximately 10,435 acre-feet of water was pumped from irrigation wells in the Arkansas valley and from industrial and public supply wells in the county Most of the rural residents of the county derive their domestic and livestock supplies from wells but the total volume of water pumped from these wells is comparatively small.
Kansas Geological Survey, Ford County Geohydrology
Web version April 2002. Original publication date Dec. 1942.
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The URL for this page is http://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/Geology/Ford/05_gw3.html | <urn:uuid:1f2e6402-d880-4761-a10b-8f82b01756d2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/Geology/Ford/05_gw3.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404382.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00012-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9595 | 3,577 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Teething - Topic Overview
What is teething?
Your baby is teething when his or her first set of teeth, called primary teeth , break through the gums.
When does teething typically start?
Teething usually begins around 6 months of age. But it is normal for teething to start at any time between 3 months and 12 months of age. By the time your child is about 3 years old, he or she will have all 20 primary teeth.
The lower front teeth usually come in first. Upper front teeth usually come in 1 to 2 months after the lower front teeth. See a picture that shows when the primary teeth come in .
What are the symptoms?
Some babies are fussier than usual when they are teething. This may be because of soreness and swelling in the gums before a tooth comes through. These symptoms usually begin about 3 to 5 days before the tooth shows, and they disappear as soon as the tooth breaks the skin. Many babies don't seem to be affected by teething.
Babies may bite on their fingers or toys to help relieve the pressure in their gums. They may also refuse to eat and drink because their mouths hurt.
Many babies drool during teething, which can cause a rash on the chin, face, or chest.
Mild symptoms that get better usually are nothing to worry about. Call your doctor if your baby's symptoms are severe or don't get better.
How can you help your baby be more comfortable while teething?
Here are some tips to help your baby feel better while teething:
- Use a clean finger (or cold teething ring) to gently rub your baby's gum for about 2 minutes at a time. Many babies find this soothing, although they may protest at first.
- Provide safe objects for your baby to chew on, such as teething rings.
- If needed, give your baby an over-the-counter pain reliever that is labeled for his or her specific age. Read and follow all instructions. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20, because it has been linked to Reye syndrome, a rare but serious disease.
Do not use teething gels for children younger than 2. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns against using teething gels that contain the medicine benzocaine because it can harm your child. | <urn:uuid:46a18191-2198-4676-b813-02e230a2c07d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/tc/teething-topic-overview?src=rsf_full-3550_pub_none_xlnk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00143-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955376 | 507 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Yesterday John Gruber linked to an infographic, “Unboxing the iPad Data” by John Kumahara and Johnathan Bonnell. In terms of graphic design it’s visually pleasing, but it falls short in a few areas and highlights common challenges in designing infographics. These are problems that occur all the time in visualizations, so let’s see what we can learn from this example.
I know it’s easy to misinterpret criticism, so I want to emphasize that these are comments about this particular graphic, not about the authors’ skills or ability.
People understand numbers. So when you are evaluating a visualization one of the most important questions is whether the graphic is better than just the numbers. The most successful visualizations show trends, outliers, and insights that a table of numbers wouldn’t.
In some places “Unboxing the iPad Data” clearly shows the numbers of interest. In others, it obscures them for the sake of design.
The fact that Apple sold 300,000 devices and 1,000,000 applications in the first weekend is a big deal—so these should be big numbers. Instead you have to read the fine print to see that 1 actually means 1 million.
Equally large are numbers that few people care about, like the number of respondents or the specifics of the Likert scale used.
When the numbers speak for themselves, rely on them without decoration. Clearly show what is important.
Certain aspects of color are a subjective matter. One designer thinks this shade of red is the right choice; another thinks it’s ugly. But there is a science to the perception of color. We know that some colors catch people’s eyes more than others. I would argue that these pie charts would be more readily perceptible if the colors were swapped.
The intense saturation of the light blue makes it look like it is highlighting something. Here the portion of interest is the small white wedge representing 15%, but the white is overpowered by the blue.
(There is the separate question of whether these pie charts help us understand the difference between the 8% and 15% range represented in the left-most column. The small pie charts are attractive, but does this small multiples grid of pie charts help the viewer understand this dataset better than a table of these numbers alone?)
A similar issue affects the bar chart. Here the viewer must compare between likely (represented by white) and unlikely (represented by blue). Again, the blue stands out and draws the user’s attention.
A minor detail in the bar chart is the orientation of the text. In the U.S., we are more comfortable turning our heads right to read things instead of left. Think of a bookshelf—how do you turn your head to read the books’ titles? My preference (preference!) would be to rotate the labels on this bar chart 180°.
Designers must be careful that their infographics accurately depict meaningful information. Here, for example, we see that the peak rate of tweets about the iPad was 26,668 in an hour.
The depiction juxtaposes this number against a timeline that suggests the peak occurred between 11:00am and 12:00pm. If this is the case, then the segment should be labeled so that the viewer can learn this readily. On other hand, if we don’t know the time of the peak, then this illustration is misleading because it implies a fact where there is ambiguity.
The segment of this infographic that depicts the cost of apps for the iPhone and iPad is less clear still.
The accompanying text reads:
The other notable difference between the iPad and the iPhone, are the app prices. The average price of the initial iPad apps ran around $4.99 (according to Mobclix) while the iPhone apps averaged a steady $1.99.
I’ve looked at this pie chart for some time and I can’t figure out what it is showing. The ratio of average app price to the total average app price? Even if that were the case, 5/7 is 71% and this chart is split into 60% and 40% segments.
There are a variety of visual variables a designer can use to encode a given set of data. Among these are length, position, angle, area, color, lightness, and others. Some of these are better suited to certain kinds of data than others, and some are more readily perceptible than others (see Cleveland and McGill’s “Graphical Perception” for extensive details and experiments).
Look at this area comparison of percentage of iPads sold. Before we even consider the accuracy, look at these two circles and ask yourself how much bigger is circle B than circle A? Go ahead, just type your guess in the box.
The circle on the right is times bigger than the one on the left.
The area of the circle on the left is 1075 pixels (d = 37, r = 18.5, A = 1075 px) and the circle on the right is 7390 pixels (d = 97, r = 48.5, A = 7390). That’s 6.8 times bigger. You said x.x, so you were off by x.%
People are much better at comparing length and position than comparing area. This is a very common mistake (one I’ve made myself). Before you represent a variable with area, you should consider that you may be handicapping people’s ability to compare the data.
Area is hard to understand, but it’s hard for designers to get it right as well. Consider the legend for this map:
Are these circles the right size? Let’s construct a table and find out:
|Nominal Size||Diameter||Radius||Area||× 1%|
The rightmost column shows the area of the circle compared with the area of the 1% circle. It turns out that the area of the 20% circle is 53 times bigger than the area of the 1% circle—more than 2.5 times bigger than it should be. Comparing areas is hard; it’s harder with an inaccurate legend. The difficulty of accurately representing area is another reason to avoid using it.
Maps are such a common form of visualization that we use them even when they are not helpful. On top of that, they’re hard. Maps’ static nature make it hard to show important dimensions of data.
The size of maps is fixed, which can be at odds with what your are trying to communicate. In the map shown above much of the interesting data is crammed into the northeast because that’s where those states are located. Meanwhile, a bunch of sparsely populated states in the northwest of the map use up space without communicating anything.
Data on maps is constrained by realities the map itself cannot express. There’s no convenient way to show population data. Does California have a giant circle because Californians buy more iPads than their counterparts across the country? Or is it because California has more people than any other state?
Here the map isn’t clearly better than just the numbers. A table listing the sales numbers for each state, possibly along with the per capita sales per state, would express the point with greater clarity and more succinctly. In the end, that’s the goal, right? | <urn:uuid:f259831c-fafa-4240-8cdf-aa38f5734561> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ryangreenberg.com/archives/2010/04/ipad-infographic.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00072-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938112 | 1,533 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Challenges and Opportunities in the Hydrologic Sciences (2012)Water Science and Technology Board
Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review; while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy. Learn more on our expert consensus reports.
New research opportunities to advance hydrologic sciences promise a better understanding of the role of water in the Earth system that could help improve human welfare and the health of the environment. Reaching this understanding will require both exploratory research to better understand how the natural environment functions, and problem-driven research, to meet needs such as flood protection, supply of drinking water, irrigation, and water pollution. Collaboration among hydrologists, engineers, and scientists in other disciplines will be central to meeting the interdisciplinary research challenges outline in this report. New technological capabilities in remote sensing, chemical analysis, computation, and hydrologic modeling will help scientists leverage new research opportunities.
- New capabilities in areas such as imaging Earth, chemical techniques to measure molecules in water and in organisms, and increased computational power, will allow hydrologic scientists to answer new research questions. In particular, there are four areas where progress is revolutionizing hydrologic science—chemical analytical instrumentation, remote sensing, embedded sensor systems, and computation.
- Three major areas define key scientific challenges and opportunities in the coming decade: the water cycle, the nexus between water and life, and clean water for people and ecosystems. These three research topics are intriguing areas of study and offer the potential for significant progress by taking advantage of new techniques, technologies and instrumentation.
- The Water Cycle, An Agent of Change: The water cycle—the movement of water through evaporation, transport through the atmosphere, precipitation, and river and groundwater flow—is central to the processes that formed Earth and continue to influence its evolution. Understanding how water has acted throughout the history of Earth, today, and in the future, and how water cycles work on other planets, will broaden the understanding of how Earth's water cycle functions.
- Water and Life: The evolution of life on Earth likely began with the formation of liquid water, and has been shaped by the availability and flow of water ever since. Over geologic timescales, changes in hydrology have been a major force in natural selection. Hydrologists can provide insight on how changes land masses and in the biosphere impacted the hydrologic cycle in earth's deep past. Across the modern Earth, annual precipitation and temperature help explain variations in vegetation cover and the distribution of many organisms.
- Clean Water for People and Ecosystems: Water transports vast quantities of dissolved chemicals and suspended matter through ecosystems. As the global population grows, demand for clean water continues to increase. There are few untapped sources of clean freshwater in the places on Earth where most people live, and therefore it's likely that greater water treatment and reuse will be necessary in the future.
- There is a need for interdisciplinary hydrologic research that takes advantage of cutting edge technological capabilities to grapple with the complex water related challenges of today and tomorrow. As technology to probe the mysteries of the Earth advances, as computer models become more and more sophisticated, as research relies on ever more extensive data for modeling and analysis, and as no single discipline provides the entire knowledge base for advancing hydrologic sciences in the 21st century, building mechanisms for sharing knowledge, equipment, models, data, and science requires a fostering platform and relevant resources.
- Improved knowledge of the chemical and biological processes that affect the supply and quality of the planet's water resources does not necessarily translate into improved water management. In order to better connect science and decision making, sustained interactions are needed among scientists, engineers, water managers, and decision makers, called translational hydrologic science.
- A range of capabilities with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies exist that play a critical role in hydrologic sciences that are key to tackling the challenges and opportunities in this report. The hydrologic community is well served by these capabilities including the funding of standard grants by the Hydrologic Science Program within the NSF, collaborative, community building efforts, instrumentation and facilities, and various educational programs.
- The next generation of hydrologic scientists and engineers will need to be prepared for a more interdisciplinary scientific arena, with a portfolio of new and emerging technologies available. It will be important to cultivate hydrologic scientists and engineers with the skills to work easily in interdisciplinary teams, practical experience in both the laboratory and the field, and exposure to new technologies. | <urn:uuid:e398253a-7ba7-40ac-a27b-0a0c58588cca> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://dels-old.nas.edu/Report/Challenges-Opportunities-Hydrologic/13293?bname= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00016-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931287 | 953 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Pisgah Center sets programs
Published: Sunday, February 27, 2005 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, February 27, 2005 at 12:00 a.m.
The Southern Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina provide a unique collection of multiple eco-systems that are habitat for the greatest biodiversity of plants and animals in the Southeastern United States.
Animals and plants that depend on this type of hydrology, geology and climate have provided resident peoples with shelter and sustenance for more than 8,000 years of known history. For various reasons, many of these natural resources are becoming rare and in danger of extinction.
During the month of March, the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education in Pisgah National Forest north of Brevard will be presenting programs and activities which speak to these wonderful unique natural resources, their protection, and responsible preservation of traditional mountain culture.
On Saturday, March 5, beginning at 1 p.m. "Inside the Illegal Plant & Animal Trade" will be presented for the general public ages 8 and older in the classroom. In this program participants will discover that poaching and the illegal trade of plants and animals is not limited to elephant ivory, rhinoceros horns, or other exotic animals in tropical locations. In Western North Carolina, land managers and law enforcement officers must protect, on a daily basis, species like black bears, carnivorous plants and the legendary plant, ginseng. Join U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Gary Peeples, of WNCW radio's popular "Southern Appalachian Creature Feature," in an exploration of the illegal plant and animal trade, both here in WNC and around the world and methods used by law enforcement to apprehend and deter violators.
The Davidson River as well as the upper reaches of the French Broad and the more southern Green River make WNC a nationally renowned destination for anglers of all ages. PCWE will provide expert instructors to teach fly-fishing skills and other related topics. On Sunday, March 6, "An Introduction to Fly-fishing" for ages 16 and up will begin at noon. This program will present the basics of fly-fishing. Topics covered will include equipment, casting techniques, aquatic ecology and fly identification. Equipment and materials will be provided, but students should wear shoes and clothing suitable for entering the water. This class is limited to six participants, and a $20 reservation fee is required at registration but is fully refunded upon class attendance.
For those wanting more advanced fly-fishing related skills, "Fly-tying for the Intermediate," for ages 16 and up, will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 20 in the classroom. This course will include a review of basic fly-tying and will introduce some more-advanced techniques. Participants will be allowed to work at their own pace and skill level and will leave the class with a fly they have tied. Equipment and materials are provided. The class size is limited to six participants with a $20 reservation fee being collected at registration and fully refunded upon class attendance.
Our mountain waterways have been through many changes through the centuries that have changed a once-pristine habitat for sensitive trout and other aquatic species into almost barren, lifeless streams. On Saturday, March 19, at 10 a.m., the resurrection of these damaged waterways will be explained to ages 12 and older in "Mountain Trout Management Techniques." A Fisheries Biologist from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will present this informative discussion outlining the current management techniques and strategies being used to increase and maintain healthy mountain trout populations in WNC.
For turkey hunting enthusiasts, a special skills program, "Talkin' Turkey," will be presented on Saturday, March 12, beginning at 9 a.m. for ages 10 and up. This program will focus on tips for hunting wild turkeys. Experienced turkey hunters will discuss the history of wild turkeys in N.C., hunting methods and equipment, calling techniques, safety concerns and other helpful strategies and tips. Once a threatened species in parts of the state, wild turkey populations have recovered through relocation and management programs across the state.
The continuing monthly series of Nature Nuts (children ages 3 to 7 and their parents) and Eco-explorers (ages 8 to 13) will feature wild species and rare habitat. On March 10 and March 23 (1-3 p.m.), March 13 (2-4 p.m.), and March 24 (9-11 a.m.), Nature Nuts will enjoy games, stories and activities about "Wild Turkeys." On Thursday, March 24 (1-3 p.m.), the Eco-explorers will focus on "Vernal Pools," elusive and ephemeral spring treasures.
All programs at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education are free (unless noted), but pre-registration is required. PCWE is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It is closed on all state holidays except Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.
The center and its activities are programs of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and supported through fees collected from hunters and anglers. The facility includes a universally accessible outdoor exhibit trail, wildflower garden, wetlands exhibit, interpretative classroom, gift shop and outdoor pools of trout.
The Center is located on FS road 475 just off U.S. 276 north, 7 miles into Pisgah National Forest. For additional information, to arrange group programs or to register for special events and courses, call 877-4423.
Hank Panchyshyn's columns appear weekly in the Times-News. E-mail him at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Phytoplankton are the food utilized by the worlds largest and longest living animals and fish. Blue whales, bowhead whales and many other types of whales all eat plankton. These species live between 80 and 150 years old and maintain great strength and endurance throughout their lives. The largest fish is a plankton eating whale shark that lives for over 150 years, grows up to 14 meters long, weighs up to 15 tons, and is sexually active until it dies.
Benefits of Marine phytoplankton
Phytoplankton nutrients are PH 8-8.5 and highly alkaline. There is much study and practice in holistic health regarding body ph balance -alkaline versus acidic. If a body is in an extreme acidic state disease, infections, and damage may proliferate. The acidic condition strains the body and compels it to take minerals -including sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium from bones and vital organs. Scientifically, PH means potential hydrogen and measures the H+ Hydrogen ions in the body -basically measuring voltage. The determination of alkaline forming or acidic forming is NOT what is taken in organic form, but what is 'left over' in inorganic matter (ie. ash) after digestion.
General Nutrition- Contains ultra-potent lipids to enhance brain function
Cardiovascular Health - Supports a healthy heart
Cholesterol - Clinically tested to reduce cholesterol
Blood Sugars - Stabilizes blood sugar levels
Neurological Support - Mental alertness, ADHD, Parkinson's, and general dementia
Joint Health - Relieves pain and inflammation
Skin Care - Psoriasis & Dermatitis
Vision - More effective than Lutein
Liver Health - Supports a healthy liver
Sleep - Supports good sleeping habits
Energy - Increases energy
The elements and electrolytes in plankton are custom designed to nourish the entire human body. The composition of human plasma is similar in composition to seawater. Over reliance on land-based food sources often leads to deficiencies in micronutrients and trace elements. Our bodies need these elements to perform as nature intended.
The world renowned physicist, Dr. Fritz Popp, found that living things transmit small packets of light called photons. We are able to see the sparkling photon light produced by the phosphorescence in the ocean when the water is stirred at night. Since we are almost entire made up of water, we should only put into our bodies those foods and nutrients that have the highest quality, most positive frequency of energy.
Phytoplankton, the foundation of life in the ocean, the forerunner of life on land, and the sustainer of our atmosphere, has an extremely high energy frequency in addition to its nutritional content. Eating closer to the base of the food web (primary producers), transfers more energy and nutrients to you. Many people consuming Marine Phytoplankton report significantly increased levels of energy and vitality.
Algae Nutritional Properties
Scientists theorise that some 3 1/2 billion years ago, the appearance of tiny organisms with the ability to convert sunlight, warmth, water and minerals into protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and amino acids marked the beginning of life.
These tiny organisms are phytoplankton, the single-cell plants that are the basis of all other life forms on planet earth. They are the 'vegetation' of the ocean.
And not only do they provide important nutrition for humans, but phytoplanktons are responsible for making up to 90% of Earth's oxygen.
So this little known organism provides essential life support to us directly - as a source of valuable vitamins and minerals - and indirectly, as a source of our oxygen.
Phytoplankton is the foundation of the food chain. Essentially, it is a comprehensive whole food that can nutritionally sustain all living creatures on Earth. Directly or indirectly It is the source of nourishment for almost all sea life.It is the beginning of the food chain with huge nutritional benefits potentially exceeding all other foods.
Marine Phytoplankton is more readily absorbed by the cells of the body than Spirulina or Chlorella where the nutrients can be of most benefit. Marine Phytoplankton is a single-celled aquatic organism or micro-algae. It is not a plant, seaweed, fungus or herb. Over 80 billion of these tiny single cell organisms can fit inside just one drop of phytoplankton elixir.
Many users of Pure Marine Phytoplankton have experienced an increase of energy, an amazing sense of well-being, inhibited cancer growth, normal regulation of blood sugar levels, decreased blood pressure, improved skin conditions, strong immune function…and more.
A - Z Benefits
Here are some examples of how phytoplankton benefits humans:
Alanine - Activates muscles. Immune system booster.
Arginine - New muscle builder. Supports immune system. Detoxifies the liver.
Asparagine - Immune system booster. Brain energizer.
Aspartic Acid - Assists in making healthy DNA. Immune system booster.
Betacarotene - Immune system booster. Defends against free radical attack. Aids digestion. Vision enhancement. Cornea protector.
Bioflavinoids - Immune system booster. Removes toxins from skin cells.
Biotin - Promotes healthier looking hair.
Boron - Promotes stronger bones. Improves mental clarity. Assists with unclogging arteries.
Calcium - Promotes stronger bones. Calms nerves. Improves cholesterol levels.
Chlorophyll - Promotes bowel regularity. Cleanses interstitial tissues.
Chromium - Moderates existent diabetes. Prevents adult-onset diabetes
Cobalt - Repairs nerve cells. Helps produce red blood cells.
Copper - Eases Arthritis. Helps produce red blood cells.
Cysteine - Detoxifies carcinogens.
Essential Fatty Acids - Reduces cardiovascular disease.
Electrolytes - Helps kidneys regain. Optimum function.
Fiber - Eliminates toxic wastes.
Fluorine - Fights tooth decay. Improves bone density.
Folic Acid - Increases mental focus. Prevents anemia.
Germanium - Helps control Espstein-Barr virus.
Gamma Linolenic Acid - Lowers cholesterol.
Glutamic Acid - Reduces alcohol/sugar craving.
Glutamine - Increases mental focus.
Glutathione - The body's master antioxidant. Defends against free radical attacks.
Glycine - Calms nervous system.
Glycogen - Boosts physical stamina.
Histidine - Enhances nutrient absorption. Removes toxic metals.
Iodine - Assists with maintaining regulating body weight.
Iron - Decreases anemia. Increases emotional health. Increases physical energy.
Isoleucine. Build muscle. Helps repair the liver.
Lecithin - Dissolves cholesterol deposits. Improves short-term memory.
Leucine - Reduces Hypoglycemic symptoms.
Linoleic Acid - Combats viral infections.
Lysine - Helps prevent osteoporosis.
Magnesium - Promotes tranquility. Moderates mood swings. Reduces migraine headaches.
Manganese - Assists joint mobility.
Methionine - Enhances memory. Mood elevator. Removes heavy metals.
Molybdenum - Increases longevity.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) - Stress reducer. Lowers cholesterol. Assists in reversing atherosclerosis.
Nickel - Promotes cellular growth and reproduction.
Nucleic acids - Memory enhancement.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Increases cell membrane flexibility. Cholesterol dissolving properties. Reduces cardiovascular diseases.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids - Relieves arthritis symptoms. Skin tone improvement. Reduces cardiovascular disease.
Pantohenic Acid (Vitamin B5) - Reduces morning pain caused by arthritis. Reduces toxicity from alcohol. Defender against free radicals.
Phenylalanine - Improves mental clarity. Sugar cravings reducer.
Phosphorous - Assists with healthy teeth. Increases bone fracture repair.
Potassium - Hypertension reducer. Blood pressure control.
Proline - Increases learning ability. Assists repairing torn cartilage.
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) - Immune system booster. Relieves PMS.
Riboflavin - Boosts physical energy. Defends free radical attacks. Reduces eye fatigue.
RNA - Improves mental focus.
Selenium - Strengthens immune system. Relieves anxiety.
Serine - Enhances skin beauty.
Silicon - Skin tightening.
Sodium - Assists preventing sunstroke.
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) - Assists in preventing free radical activity.
Substance P - Increases mental focus.
Thiamine (Vitamin B1) - Increases energy. Improves mental attitude. Tension reliever.
Theonine - Immune system enhancer. Ameliorates skin tone.
Tyrosine - Improves emotional health. Enhances mental alertness. Increases memory ability.
Valine - Promotes muscle tissue building.
Vanadium - Assists in controlling blood sugar levels.
Vitamin B12 - Increases physical energy. Enhances mental focus. Assists with nervous system repair.
Vitamin C - Promotes healthier gums. Reduces risk of cancer. Reduces duration of common cold.
Vitamin E - Immune system booster. Promotes healthy nerve tissue.
Zinc - Supports prostate health. Strengthens immune system. Reduces outbreaks of acne. Increase memory access. Reduces common cold symptoms.
Marine Phytoplankton administration
Take 1 tsp of Our pure phytoplankton powder.
Mix slowly with a few drops of filtered water,
It is easier if you use slightly warm water (not hot or you will damage the precious algae.
Take this paste in small amounts during the day, more may be taken if your body receives it well. Also makes a wonderful mask to give it a healthy glow!
Keep it covered in a cool place.
Take 1/4 tsp pure phytoplankton powder,
Add to 1 glass of filtered water, wait three minutes then drink.
You may also add to your drink bottle but be sure to add phytoplankton to water, saves a lot of cleaning!
To jazz this drink up a little, try a pinch of ginger and/or replace 1/2 the water with fruit juice.
You may drink this 3 times a day. Serves one.
Basic smoothie drink:
Juice from 2 oranges or 1 cup of fruit juice
1/2 cup pure water
1/4 – 1/2 tsp pure phytoplankton powder
Blend and drink.
To add a little more substance try some sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds.
Blend well. Serves one.
Pure Marine Phytoplankton elixir 30ml $33.00
Pure Marine Phytoplankton powder 50gm dry powder $75.00 (daily dosage is 1 gm) | <urn:uuid:cb7adb81-8c4c-4e8c-a166-d9a40538ea80> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://cosmicelixir.blogspot.com/2011/07/marine-phytoplankton.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00154-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.842974 | 2,377 | 3 | 3 |
Toni Beardon has chosen this article introducing a rich area for
practical exploration and discovery in 3D geometry
A half-cube is cut into two pieces by a plane through the long diagonal and at right angles to it. Can you draw a net of these pieces? Are they identical?
What shape would fit your pens and pencils best? How can you make it?
What is the shape and dimensions of a box that will contain six cups and have as small a surface area as possible. | <urn:uuid:b8517527-5ca1-40b3-9025-9d1e686d9764> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nrich.maths.org/public/leg.php?code=109&cl=3&cldcmpid=1381 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397695.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00013-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937982 | 103 | 3 | 3 |
Provided by: irda-utils_0.9.18-10ubuntu2_i386
irnet - IrNET protocol device
File /dev/irnet is used to access and configure the IrNET protocol part
of the Linux-IrDA stack.
IrNET is a protocol allowing to create TCP/IP connections between two
IrDA peers in an efficient fashion, and generally to enable standard
networking over IrDA. It is a thin layer, passing PPP packets to IrTTP
and vice versa. It uses PPP in synchronous mode, because IrTTP offer a
reliable sequenced packet service (as opposed to a byte stream). In
fact, you could see IrNET as carrying TCP/IP in a IrDA socket, using
PPP to provide the glue.
The main difference with traditional PPP over IrCOMM is that it avoids
the framing and serial emulation which are a performance bottleneck. It
also allows multipoint communications in a sensible fashion. And
finally, it can automatically handle incomming connections through
The main difference with IrLAN is that we use PPP for the link
management, which is more standard, interoperable and flexible than the
IrLAN protocol. For example, PPP adds authentication, encryption,
compression, header compression and automated routing setup. And, as
IrNET let PPP do the hard work, the implementation is much simpler than
IrNET connections are initiated and managed with pppd(8). File
/dev/irnet also offer a control channel. Reads from /dev/irnet will
return various IrNET events. Write to /dev/irnet allow to configure
the IrNET connection.
If your system does not have /dev/irnet created already, it can be
created with the following commands:
mknod -m 644 /dev/irnet c 10 187
chown root:root /dev/irnet
You will also need to have IrNET support in your kernel or as module
and the Linux-IrDA stack installed and configured (see irattach(8)).
File /dev/irnet is supposed to only be used with the PPP line
discipline or for accessing the control channel, other use are
unsupported. IrNET support multiple concurent connections (limited by
the IrDA stack), all those connections are multiplexed on a single
/dev/irnet device (as opposed to IrCOMM which as one device per
Writing commands to /dev/irnet allow to configure the IrNET connection
being made. This need to be done through pppd(8) (see below for
examples). Commands are separated by comas.
Connect to the IrDA device which IrDA nickname is <peer>. The
IrDA nickname is a string up to 31 characters.
Connect to the IrDA device which IrDA address is <peer>. The
IrDA address is a 32 bits hexadecimal number.
Restrict connections to the local IrDA interface which IrDA
address is <port>. The IrDA address is a 32 bits hexadecimal
Reading from /dev/irnet will show various IrNET events. This is
usually done with the command cat /dev/irnet.
Found Dump of the current IrNET discovery log.
New IrNET device discovered.
Previously discovered IrNET device no longer present.
This computer successfully established an IrNET connection to a
A peer successfully established an IrNET connection to this
A peer attempted to connect to this computer, but no IrNET
connection was waiting for it.
This computer attempted to connect to a peer, but no IrNET
connection was waiting for it.
Blocked link with
The IrDA link of the IrNET connection is currently blocked.
A peer successfully terminated an IrNET connection with this
This computer successfully terminated an IrNET connection with a
File /proc/net/irda/irnet will also show the current state of the
various IrNET connections.
Start a IrNET server accepting any incomming connection:
pppd /dev/irnet 9600 local noauth nolock passive
Start a IrNET client connecting to any IrDA peer:
pppd /dev/irnet 9600 local noauth nolock
Start a IrNET client connecting to the IrDA peer called MyIrDANode:
pppd /dev/irnet 9600 local noauth nolock connect "echo name
Start a IrNET server accepting incomming connection from peer with IrDA
address 0x12345678 only on IrDA port 0x87654321:
pppd /dev/irnet 9600 local noauth nolock passive connect "echo
daddr 0x12345678 , saddr 0x87654321"
Jean Tourrilhes - email@example.com
irda(7), irnetd(8), pppd(8), irattach(8), irdadump(8). | <urn:uuid:9479cdd1-d103-4728-ab81-53c0909adcb6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/precise/man4/irnet.4.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00097-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.855478 | 1,071 | 2.78125 | 3 |
HP Rules is a rule engine that lets you separate conditional logical statement from your source code and from the database, placing the conditional logic in reusable files, where you can define and manage them independently.
This article demonstrates how to:
- Install PHP Rules and execute rules stored in text files or a database
- Create your own rules, starting from a particular case
- Evaluate a rule stored in a text file
- Evaluate a rule stored in a database
Download and Install PHP Rules
You can download PHP Rules here. At the bottom of that page, you'll see a section titled "Download and install PHP Rules." To install PHP Rules follow these steps:
- Download the rules.zip archive.
- Unzip the archive in the htdocs directory.
- Configure the database from the htdocs/rules/system/application/config path according to your local parameters.
- Set the hostname, username, password, etc.
- Create a new database named "rules" in MySQL.
- Run the index.php script from the rules/index.php path.
- To install the two examples select the "install wizard" link (see Figure 1).
- Finally, click the Install the Demo Database button (see Figure 2).
On the http://localhost/rules/index.php/rules/install/db page you'll find links to the two examples as shown in Figure 3.
Using PHP Rules
As the two examples illustrate, you must first create Rule and RuleContext files to get the resulting proposition. The Rule file contains simple statements of facts written using propositions, operators, and variables, while the RuleContext file contains data you want to test against the rule, stored either as plain text or in a database. The Rule file evaluates the RuleContext file and returns a Boolean value that represents whether the information in the RuleContext conforms to the Rule.
In this article, the Rules files correspond to the examples. You can download all the sample code for this article. The two text files SuitableForScholarship.rul and SuitableForScholarship.txt.con, and the relational database file SuitableForScholarship.sql.con are stored in the rules/data directory. The rule examples determine whether a student is suitable for a scholarship, testing against RuleContext data stored in both text files and the database. The rules that a student must meet to get a scholarship are:
- The student should have an annual grade point average equal to 9.5.
- OR the student should have participated in a national contest AND won first prize.
- The student should be in high school.
- The parents must agree that the student should apply for the scholarship.
The Rule file that structures the rules described above is SuitableForScholarShip.rul:
# Rule establishing when a student can
# gets an international scholarship
studentAnnualAverage EQUALS 9.5
studentIsParticipatingToContest IS true
studentIsGettingFirstPrize IS true
studentIsInHighschool IS true
studentParentsAreAgree IS true
|Author's Note: Rules are case sensitive; miscapitalizing rule keywords or phrases such as "is TRUE" or "Is True" or "equals" will raise an error.|
Notice that the SuitableForScholarShip.rul file is a plain text file with a .rul extension. The rules themselves are written using Reverse Polish Notation (RPN). You can find more about RPN here.
"Translating" these rules from the bottom up you get something like this:
(studentParentsAreAgree AND studentIsInHighschool) AND
((studentIsGettingFirstPrize AND studentIsParticipatingToContest) OR
|Author's Note: Both the examples in this article use the |
SuitableForScholarShip.rul file, but with different RuleContext files. | <urn:uuid:eb7ff86a-4eed-4a5f-b618-2e04e7bd3857> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.devx.com/webdev/Article/42441 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00073-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.831295 | 820 | 2.671875 | 3 |
People who took beta-carotene were protected from sunburn by a sun-protection factor of up to four (SPF4). Researchers reviewed seven studies covering 135 participants who took beta-carotene from three to 24 weeks with doses of 10 mg (equivalent to 17,000 IU of vitamin A) per day to 180 mg (equivalent to 300,000 IU of vitamin A) per day. Doctors said the dose did not matter as much as did the duration of taking beta-carotene, which began to protect the skin after 10 weeks and increased with each additional month. The scientists noted that beta-carotene protects the whole body constantly at the cellular level and can complement but not replace topical sunscreens. Beta-carotene can protect areas of skin missed by sunscreen and provides a base of UVB protection. Doctors believe that beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress from UVB rays.
Reference: Photochemistry and Photobiology; 2008, Vol. 84, No. 2, 284-8. | <urn:uuid:9e2b0855-7c36-4984-8786-819a12235350> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nutritionexpress.com/article+index/newsletters/2008+newsletters/showarticle.aspx?id=1031 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00198-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961784 | 212 | 3.015625 | 3 |
The focus is not upon the harm we do, but instead on the interactions we have with the environment. There are two pages in the end of the People and the Environment title that provide information on how "people hurt the environment" and how "people help the environment."
This series is unusual in that each title seems to actually be two types of books in one. There is the very basic introduction for kindergarten and first graders that shows the interactions between the environment and either plants, animals, or people. These are worthwhile additions to the collections and make for excellent introductions to the topic of interactions.
Then in each title there are the two double-page spreads that provide more in-depth information on the problems our environment is facing. In the title Animals and the Environment, the pages on Animal Facts could have come before the page on Wisconsin’s Gray Wolf in my personal opinion. I was reading along, "Animals use the environment in many ways." Then turned the page to find a graph showing the recovering wolf population in Wisconsin.
I was a little confused. But, then, that’s just me. I enjoyed reading the animal facts page, although I wanted to argue with them about beavers making problems for humans. Who has more rights to dam the rivers? Humans or animals? Are we too controlling and end up causinHmmmmm. I needed to wake up and think this morning.
The Plants and the Environment title is my favorite. It fills in a need for a different type of plant information book. The pages showing how plants and animals help other plants were very appropriate.
Again, the last 2 double-page spreads provided more in-depth information on a specific topic – forests. I might save those two pages for use on our lesson on trees, forests, and environment damage to our temperate forests and rainforests. Individual readers may appreciate them, but if I am sharing these with a small group, I might hesitate on focusing on the last two pages.
Fortunately the beginning sections of these books are strong enough to join my beginning reader nonfiction titles. I will continue to add First Step Nonfiction titles to my collection. | <urn:uuid:946eeb26-0c31-48d4-b003-fe4100ef7f55> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blogs.slj.com/practicallyparadise/2008/03/31/review-first-step-nonfiction-on-the-environment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404826.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00064-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947182 | 440 | 3.0625 | 3 |
EDUC 03 IS - Educational Technology
This is an introduction to using computers and information technology in education. The various uses of computers and technology in education are examined with an emphasis on creating all types of digital media: text, images, audio, and video. The student will become familiar with common productivity tools, and will identify useful education-related Internet resources. The student will look at how information technology is being used in today's classrooms.
EDUC 03 IS - Educational Technology - Details | <urn:uuid:aa93091a-1be2-45b9-aee5-6b15bbee702b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.briarcliff.edu/academics/a-z-course-listing/educ-03-is/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400572.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00130-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904357 | 98 | 3.125 | 3 |
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to centre: centre of gravity, dictionary
n., v. -tred, -tring. Chiefly Brit.
The middle of a two-dimensional shape or area is the part that is furthest from its sides, edges, or boundaries.
Centre is used in a similar way, but it usually refers to a more precise point or position. For example, in mathematics you talk about the centre of a circle, not the 'middle'.
In American English, this word is spelled center.
The middle of a road or river is the part that is furthest from its sides or banks.
The middle of an event or period of time is a period which is halfway between its beginning and its end.
Past participle: centred
|Noun||1.||Centre - a low-lying region in central France|
|2.||centre - an area that is approximately central within some larger region; "it is in the center of town"; "they ran forward into the heart of the struggle"; "they were in the eye of the storm"|
area, country - a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography); "it was a mountainous area"; "Bible country"
financial center - the part of a city where financial institutions are centered
hub - a center of activity or interest or commerce or transportation; a focal point around which events revolve; "the playground is the hub of parental supervision"; "the airport is the economic hub of the area"
inner city - the older and more populated and (usually) poorer central section of a city
medical center - the part of a city where medical facilities are centered
midfield - (sports) the middle part of a playing field (as in football or lacrosse)
seat - a center of authority (as a city from which authority is exercised)
midstream - the middle of a stream
|3.||centre - a point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure|
bight - the middle part of a slack rope (as distinguished from its ends)
bowels - the center of the Earth
center of gravity, centre of gravity - the point within something at which gravity can be considered to act; in uniform gravity it is equal to the center of mass
core - the center of an object; "the ball has a titanium core"
navel point, navel - the center point or middle of something; "the Incas believed that Cuzco was the navel of the universe"
nombril - the center point on a shield
point - the precise location of something; a spatially limited location; "she walked to a point where she could survey the whole street"
core - the central part of the Earth
nucleus - the positively charged dense center of an atom
nucleus - (astronomy) the center of the head of a comet; consists of small solid particles of ice and frozen gas that vaporizes on approaching the sun to form the coma and tail
|4.||centre - a place where some particular activity is concentrated; "they received messages from several centers"|
place, property - any area set aside for a particular purpose; "who owns this place?"; "the president was concerned about the property across from the White House"
nerve center, nerve centre - a center that provides information and control; "the nerve center of the diamond industry is in Amsterdam"
capital - a center that is associated more than any other with some activity or product; "the crime capital of Italy"; "the drug capital of Columbia"
|5.||centre - the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering|
chocolate candy - candy made with chocolate
|6.||centre - the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story"|
essence, heart and soul, inwardness, nitty-gritty, pith, substance, gist, kernel, nub, meat, sum, core, center, heart, marrow
cognitive content, mental object, content - the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned
bare bones - (plural) the most basic facts or elements; "he told us only the bare bones of the story"
hypostasis - (metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality
haecceity, quiddity - the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other
quintessence - the purest and most concentrated essence of something
stuff - a critically important or characteristic component; "suspense is the very stuff of narrative"
|7.||centre - the object upon which interest and attention focuses; "his stories made him the center of the party"|
object - the focus of cognitions or feelings; "objects of thought"; "the object of my affection"
conversation piece - something interesting that stimulates conversation
crosshairs - a center of interest; "the war on terrorism has put Saddam Hussein in the crosshairs"
cynosure - something that strongly attracts attention and admiration; "if he was the cynosure of all eyes he didn't notice"
eye-catcher - a striking person or thing that attracts attention
|8.||centre - a cluster of nerve cells governing a specific bodily process; "in most people the speech center is in the left hemisphere"|
neural structure - a structure that is part of the nervous system
auditory center - the part of the brain (in a fold of the cerebral cortex of the temporal lobe on both sides of the brain) that receives impulses from the ear by way of the auditory nerve
olfactory brain, rhinencephalon - a center in the cerebral hemispheres that governs the sense of smell in lower animals; in humans it seems to mediate complex emotional behavior
Broca's area, Broca's center, Broca's convolution, Broca's gyrus, convolution of Broca - the motor speech center in the left hemisphere of the brain in most people
Wernicke's area, Wernicke's center - the auditory word center; located in the posterior part of the superior temporal convolution in most people
superior colliculus - an essential visual center between the retina and the striate cortex
inferior colliculus - an essential auditory center in the midbrain
respiratory center - the center in the medulla oblongata and pons that integrates sensory information about the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and determines the signals to be sent to the respiratory muscles
|9.||centre - a building dedicated to a particular activity; "they were raising money to build a new center for research"|
building, edifice - a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place; "there was a three-story building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice"
burn center - a center where patients with severe burns can be treated
call center, call centre - a center equipped to handle a large volume of telephone calls (especially for taking orders or serving customers)
civic center, community center - a center where the members of a community can gather for social or cultural activities
control center - the operational center for a group of related activities; "the general in command never left the control center"
service club - a recreational center for servicemen
settlement house - a center in an underprivileged area that provides community services
student center - a center for student activities at a college or university
|Verb||1.||centre - move into the center; "That vase in the picture is not centered"|
|2.||centre - direct one's attention on something; "Please focus on your studies and not on your hobbies"|
engross, engulf, steep, soak up, immerse, absorb, plunge - devote (oneself) fully to; "He immersed himself into his studies"
cerebrate, cogitate, think - use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments; "I've been thinking all day and getting nowhere"
rivet - hold (someone's attention); "The discovery of the skull riveted the paleontologists"
recall - cause one's (or someone else's) thoughts or attention to return from a reverie or digression; "She was recalled by a loud laugh"
think - focus one's attention on a certain state; "Think big"; "think thin"
zoom in - examine closely; focus one's attention on; "He zoomed in on the book"
centrecenter (US) [ˈsentəʳ]
in the centre → en el centro
the man at the centre of the controversy → el hombre sobre el que gira la polémica
the centre of attention → el centro de atención
the centre of attraction → el centro de atracción
a centre of intrigue → un centro de intrigas
centre forward N (Sport) → (delantero/a m/f) centro mf
centre of gravity N → centro m de gravedad
centre party N (Pol) → partido m centrista
centre spread N (Brit) (Press) → páginas fpl centrales
centre stage N (Theat) → centro m del escenario
to take centre stage → adquirir protagonismo, pasar a un primer plano
centrecenter [ˈsɛntər] (US)
to be at the centre of sth (= of key importance to) → être au cœur de qch
centre, (US) center
centre, (US) center:
centrecenter (Am) [ˈsɛntəʳ]
centre(American) center (ˈsentə) noun
centre→ وَسَط střed center Zentrum κέντρο centro keskus centre središte centro 中心 중심 centrum sentrum centrum centro центр mitt ศูนย์กลาง merkez trung tâm 中心
- What's the best way to get to the downtown area? (US)
What's the best way to get to the city centre? (UK)
- How do I get to the center of ...? (US)
How do I get to the centre of ...? (UK)
- How far are we from the downtown area? (US)
How far are we from the town centre? (UK)
- Please take me to the conference center (US)
Please take me to the conference centre (UK)
- Please take me to the downtown area (US)
Please take me to the city centre (UK) | <urn:uuid:5d3265e5-cda7-467e-92da-a862584d0c48> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.thefreedictionary.com/centre | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00136-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.869017 | 2,431 | 3.53125 | 4 |
The main symptoms of Parkinson's – tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement – are also the main symptoms of a number of conditions that are grouped together under the term parkinsonism.
Idiopathic Parkinson's disease - or Parkinson's - is the most common type of parkinsonism. Unlike some other forms which have specific causes it is not known why idiopathic Parkinson's occurs. Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown.
The main symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement.
The specialist confirmed I have Parkinson's. Now I'm having treatment and I'm feeling much better.
Anne, diagnosed in 2009
Symptoms and the rate at which the condition progresses vary from person to person. This can make diagnosis difficult.
An early diagnosis means that treatment for Parkinson's can begin sooner, which may be more effective.
Doctors may diagnose idiopathic Parkinson's by seeing if there is a response to Parkinson's medication. If symptoms improve, your specialist may confirm an idiopathic Parkinson's diagnosis.
Read more on how Parkinson's is diagnosed in our Diagnosing Parkinson's information sheet.
Vascular parkinsonism is one of the atypical forms of parkinsonism.
It affects people with restricted blood supply to the brain - usually older people who have problems with diabetes. People who have had a stroke may experience vascular parkinsonism.
Symptoms of vascular parkinsonism may include difficulty speaking, making facial expressions or swallowing.
Other signs can include problems with memory or confused thought, cognitive problems and incontinence.
Like Parkinson's, vascular parkinsonism is a progressive condition, with symptoms developing and changing over time.
A small number (around 7%) of people diagnosed with parkinsonism have developed their symptoms following treatment with particular medication.
Drugs - known as neuroleptic drugs - used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders block dopamine. These drugs are thought to be the biggest cause of drug-induced parkinsonism.
The symptoms of drug-induced parkinsonism tend to be static. Only in rare cases do they change in the manner that the symptoms of Parkinson's do.
Most people will recover within months, and often within hours or days, of stopping the drug that is the cause.
Our Drug-induced parkinsonism information sheet lists the drugs that are known to cause the condition.
My wife's clarity of mind can vary drastically. But when she has a good spell, these times are of great value to me.
David, who's wife has dementia with Lewy bodies
Symptoms differ slightly from Parkinson's and include problems with memory and concentration, attention, language and the ability to carry out simple actions.
People who have dementia with Lewy bodies commonly experience visual hallucinations and some Parkinson's-type symptoms, such as slowness of movement, stiffness and tremor.
Dementia with Lewy bodies is also a progressive condition, which means that the symptoms can become worse over time. Currently, there is no cure or treatment for the condition.
There is no conclusive evidence that Parkinson's is a hereditary condition that can be passed on within families, apart from in exceptionally rare cases.
It is thought that although it is not directly inherited, some people may have genes that increase the possibility of developing Parkinson's.
People who have genes that are prone to Parkinson's may be more likely to develop the condition when combined with other factors, such as environmental toxins or viruses.
At present, it is estimated that up to 5% of people with Parkinson's may have a genetic cause.
The role genetics may play in the development of Parkinson's is currently the subject of much research.
Our Inherited Parkinson's and genetic testing information sheet gives more information.
You can also read about research we're funding into the causes of Parkinson's.
The term early onset Parkinson's is used when people are diagnosed under the age of 40.
Juvenile Parkinson's is a term used when the condition affects people under the age of 20.
Read more in our Juvenile Parkinson's information sheet.
A diagnosis indicating that someone doesn't have Parkinson's but does have another unknown condition can be unsettling.
In some cases the symptoms that allow doctors to make a specific diagnosis appear slowly, over a longer period of time, as the condition develops.
If tremor is the only symptom and it seems different from the tremor found in Parkinson's, then a person may be diagnosed with essential tremor, dystonic tremor, indeterminate tremor or atypical tremor.
Some symptoms may lead to a diagnosis of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
There are organisations that offer help and support for people diagnosed with these conditions and their families:
Information last updated August 2014. Next update available August 2017. | <urn:uuid:8b587628-40c8-4e2a-a050-d5e4faa02f79> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/content/types-parkinsons-and-parkinsonism | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397748.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00122-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952111 | 1,020 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Looking Forward in the Backyard Orchard
Posted: October 13, 2012
You may be wondering what that means for next year. Before we look ahead, let’s take a moment to look back at this past growing season. We had a few dry spells, but overall we had good soil moisture throughout the growing season. We had ample sunshine and near normal temperatures. Overall it was a good growing season, and the trees were not stressed. So what did the trees do with all that energy that would have gone into growing the fruit? Some of it went into additional growth, but some of it was stored for next year.
We are set up for a good tree fruit year in 2013. Of course there are no guarantees, especially when it comes to growing tree fruit. There are many factors that go into making a good fruit crop. Some weather related occurrences that could easily take away a good fruit crop include warm spells in late winter, late frosts, extended rainy periods, drought, and hail. Assuming we have “normal” weather in 2013, we should have a good harvest. You can expect the trees to have lots of bloom and an above average amount of fruit on the trees. The tree will use that extra energy it stored up this year to make lots of new little fruit next spring. If this happens, then it is important that you take the time to thin the fruit down to a level that the tree can handle. Typically for apples, pears, and peaches, that would be one fruit every 8” of branch. If too much fruit is left on the tree and it has to put too much energy into maturing that large crop of fruit, then just the opposite situation will happen the following spring. The tree will have very little energy and will not set fruit. Once this cycle, called bi-annual bearing, starts, it is difficult to stop. Keeping the fruit crop balanced from year to year is not hard. Prune your trees every year. Keep the fruit load from becoming too heavy by thinning-use the 8” rule. Keep a moderate amount of fertility in the soil-too much nitrogen can be a problem. Lime periodically. Most importantly, enjoy the miracle of growing your own fruit.
For more information contact your local extension office. In Lackawanna County call 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu
John Esslinger, Extension Educator
Penn State Extension | <urn:uuid:84851a01-47b9-4ebf-933c-9b145f363f98> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://extension.psu.edu/lackawanna/news/2012/looking-forward-in-the-backyard-orchard | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00180-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970601 | 503 | 2.765625 | 3 |
A curious question for the amateur historian: Why did the countries of
Scandinavia, a democratic region whose people share close ethnic and cultural
ties, have such conflicting attitudes toward the Jews during World War II? While
Denmark later earned a place card at the table of the “Righteous Among Nations”
for saving nearly all its Jews, Sweden prioritized its interests over
righteousness, upholding strict immigration policies that prevented Jews from
readily entering the country as they sought to escape Nazi
Meanwhile, Norway witnessed a moral lapse among its people and
its police, as Norwegian citizens actively helped the Nazi occupiers to gather
and to deport their Jews.
One would expect to find greater affinity among
the attitudes of Scandinavia’s people.
And indeed, regardless of what the
answer to this question might be, that is precisely what we are witnessing today
as anti- Semitic and anti-Zionist sentiments spread across the
Two separate trends are at play. First, for quite some time,
Scandinavia has witnessed anti-Semitic sentiment emanating from its political
Left, which frequently voices anti- Zionist views and questions Israel’s right
to exist. This is nothing new for Europe, as our researchers have dated this
trend back to the early 1960s.
Second, anti-Semitic sentiment has been
widely observed among specific groups of Muslims residing in Europe and
Scandinavia, which is mixed with, or hidden by anti-Zionism.
trends are a dangerous mix for Scandinavian Jews – a veritable Molotov cocktail
that threatens their well-being and their livelihood, and presents a threat to
greater European tolerance.
Recently, we witnessed yet another incident
of anti-Semitism in Scandinavia – now in Swedish politics, and just a year since
the last such controversy.
Few have forgotten the scandals surrounding
former Malmo mayor Ilmar Reepalu, a member of the Social Democrats party. His
anti-Semitic diatribes were an annual occurrence before his resignation this
His repertoire came to include denials of hostile attacks against
Malmo Jews, calls for local Jews to leave for Israel, and demands for the local
Jewish community to renounce Israel’s actions in Gaza. These statements resulted
in only brief public outcries.
And now today, Sweden is once again
embroiled in an anti- Semitism scandal.
The latest scandal ensued after
Omar Mustafa, the chairman of the Islamic Association in Sweden, was elected to
the governing board of the Social Democrat party – the country’s largest party
and the leader of the opposition. As the media accused him and his association
of anti-Semitism, misogyny and homophobia, he was forced to
Interestingly, though, it wasn’t his anti-Semitism that lost him
his seat, pundits say.
Rather, it seems it took his backward views on
homosexuality and women’s rights to do the trick.
According to the media,
during Mustafa’s tenure with the Islamic association, he invited two
anti-Semites, Salah Sultan and Ragheb al-Serjany, to speak at a Stockholm
While the first told a pro-Palestinian television channel
that Jews regularly kill Christians and use their blood for unleavened bread
during Passover, the second accused Jews of controlling all international
Instead of fessing up to his misguided beliefs, apologizing and
hoping the public’s short-term memory would live up to its reputation, Mustafa
said he would still invite the men to speak if he had to do it all over again.
He also lambasted his critics, declaring that they are “looking to hand down a
life sentence of anti-Semitism to anyone who utters a word of criticism against
the state of Israel.”
Asinine, but this statement demonstrates a failure
to discern between legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies and a hatred of
Sparking further controversy, Mustafa has also expressed fierce
anti-Israel rhetoric. At the time of the Israeli-led operation in Gaza in 2011,
he advocated a Swedish military attack against Israel, writing on his Twitter
page: “Send Swedish JAS (fighter) planes against Israel now!” As such radical
views are not broadly supported within the Social Democrats, the question must
be asked as to why the party turned a blind eye to Mustafa’s misguided views.
Such statements should have been a serious cause for concern.
Lisa Abramowicz, the secretary-general of the Swedish-Israeli Information
Center, told The Jerusalem Post, his anti-Semitism did not suffice to have him
removed from the governing board. Rather, it was most probably his misogyny and
After Mustafa’s forcible resignation, several influential
politicians spoke out in support of his cause.
Peter Weiderud, a fellow
party member who heads the Christian Association of Social Democrats, declared
that Mustafa was forced to resign for being a Muslim. Moreover, he said, Mustafa
should have been allowed to remain at the helm of the board because the Islamic
Association in Sweden has not “come as far as we have in its political agenda or
In short, according to Weiderud, Sweden must readily accept
views that are less progressive if they are voiced by politicians hailing from
“less politically mature” organizations.
Thus, in a desperate attempt to
appear progressive and as having an inclusive, multicultural agenda, the Social
Democrats have insulted both Swedish Muslims and Swedish Jews.
because he is a Muslim, Mustafa should be expected to have less progressive
views and Swedes should start to get used to them because, like it or not, they
will soon feature more frequently in the public arena.
disconcerting is the fact that Mustafa is not the only elected official
affiliated with the Islamic Association in Sweden. Former chairman Abdirizak
Waberi is now a member of parliament representing the Swedish ruling party, the
Moderates. But somehow, despite his fiercely misogynist views and his dream to
live in a country ruled by Sharia law, he has escaped the public’s
What we are witnessing today in Sweden is worrying, but even
more so in the broader Scandinavian context. Journalists have for years reported
on the increasingly threatening situation for Jews across the region. In Sweden,
the government has proved unable to control anti-Zionist rallies, resulting in
violence against Jews.
In Norway, the media is marked by an anti-Israeli
climate, occasionally spilling over at times into feelings of hatred toward
Jews. And in Denmark, the Copenhagen municipality refused to let a Zionist
organization partake in an international food festival, claiming the Israeli
flag was provocative.
Through these actions, we are seeing how
Scandinavian governments themselves are partially to blame for the increasing
anti-Semitism across the region. According to Liam Hore of The Tower monthly
magazine, these governments “encourage radicalism and irrationality through
their foreign and domestic policies, and fail to address anti-Jewish hate crimes
when they occur.”
Scandinavia’s vibrant civil society needs to address
the growing anti-Semitism in the region now. We must point out injustices
exactly when they occur and we must do so without paying mind to the type of
political correctness that benefits one community at the expense of
When a member of the government openly decries the Jewish people
and the state of Israel in the most vulgar terms, Jewish commentators should not
be the only voices raised against such anti-Semitism.
greatest responsibility to tackle this issue lies with our officials, they too
frequently neglect their obligations, thus creating an increasingly hostile
environment – yes, for Jews, but more so for Europe’s hard-won tradition of
The author is a researcher at the Institute of Security and
Development Policy, Stockholm. | <urn:uuid:22456ad3-c1f6-43ee-b00c-2315f62fb6d3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/Scandinavia-No-one-bid-anti-Semitism-farewell-311639 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00158-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953773 | 1,680 | 2.515625 | 3 |
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West Nile Virus Activity --- United States, 2007
West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of arboviral encephalitis in the United States. Originally identified in Africa in 1937, WNV was first detected in the western hemisphere in 1999 in New York City. Since then, WNV has caused seasonal epidemics of febrile illness and neurologic disease in the United States. This report summarizes national WNV surveillance data for 2007. WNV transmission to humans or animals expanded into 19 counties that had not reported transmission previously and recurred in 1,148 counties where transmission had been reported in previous years. A total of 1,227 cases of WNV neuroinvasive disease (WNND) and 117 deaths were reported. These findings highlight the need for ongoing surveillance, mosquito control, promotion of personal protection from mosquito bites, and research into additional prevention strategies, including a WNV human vaccine.
WNV data are reported to CDC through ArboNET, an Internet-based arbovirus surveillance system managed by state health departments and CDC. State and local health departments 1) collect reports from health-care providers and clinical laboratories regarding cases of WNV disease in humans; 2) collect reports of WNV presumptive viremic blood donors (PVDs)* from blood collection agencies; 3) collect and test dead birds, often focusing on corvids (e.g., crows, jays, and magpies), which have high mortality attributed to WNV infection; 4) collaborate with veterinarians to collect reports of WNV infection in nonhuman mammals; and 5) collect mosquitoes to test for evidence of WNV infection. Human WNV disease cases are classified as 1) WNND (i.e., meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis); 2) West Nile fever (WNF), which is symptomatic WNV disease that does not affect the nervous system; or 3) an unspecified clinical syndrome. WNF reporting is highly variable by jurisdiction, depending on the level of interest in reporting and use of diagnostic testing; therefore, most of this report focuses on WNND cases, which are thought to be more consistently identified and reported because of the severity of the illness.
During 2007, a total of 3,630 cases of WNV disease in humans were reported from 775 counties in 44 states (i.e., 25% of the 3,142 counties in the United States). Of these cases, 1,227 (34%) were WNND, 2,350 (65%) were WNF, and 53 (1%) were unspecified clinical syndromes. A total of 352 PVDs were identified through routine screening of the blood supply. Of these PVDs, 281 (80%) were asymptomatic, five (1%) subsequently developed WNND, and 66 (19%) subsequently had WNF.
Overall, the incidence of WNND in the United States was 0.4 per 100,000 population. The highest incidence of WNND occurred primarily in the west-central United States (Figure 1); the five states with highest incidence were North Dakota (7.7 cases per 100,000 residents), South Dakota (6.2), Wyoming (4.6), Montana (4.0), and Colorado (2.2). Among all states, WNND peaked during the first week in August, and 1,086 (89%) cases were reported during July--September (Figure 2). This seasonality was consistent with trends observed in the preceding 7 years.
Of the 1,227 WNND cases, 729 (59%) occurred in males. The median age of patients was 57 years (range: 1 month--97 years), with increasing incidence among older age groups (Figure 3). Overall, 1,089 (89%) patients were hospitalized (median age: 59 years; range: 1 month--97 years), and 117 (10%) died (median age: 77 years; range: 43--96 years). A total of 765 (62%) WNND cases were classified as encephalitis, 452 (37%) as meningitis, and 63 (5%) as acute flaccid paralysis; 53 of these cases were classified as acute flaccid paralysis coincident with encephalitis or meningitis.
In 2007, a total of 2,182 dead WNV-infected birds were reported from 315 counties in 35 states and Puerto Rico; 157 counties in 28 states and Puerto Rico reported infected birds but no clinically apparent human disease. The number of reported WNV-infected birds peaked during the first week of September. Corvids accounted for 1,690 (77%) of the birds; most states targeted corvids for surveillance. Since 1999, WNV infection has been reported in 321 avian species, including four species (Bronzed Cowbird, Cackling Goose, Le Conte's Thrasher, and Northern Pintail) in which WNV was identified for the first time during 2007.
Of 507 reported cases of WNV disease among nonhuman mammals, 471 (93%) occurred in equines, and 36 (7%) occurred in other species (squirrels , canines [five], and unspecified species [four]). Equine cases were reported from 320 counties in 35 states and Puerto Rico; Texas reported 20% of all equine cases. The number of reported WNV-infected equines peaked in mid-August.
A total of 8,215 mosquito pools from 371 counties in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico tested positive for WNV. Among the WNV-positive pools, 6,286 (77%) were made up of Culex mosquitoes thought to be the principal vectors of WNV transmission (e.g., Cx. pipiens, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. restuans, Cx. salinarius, and Cx. tarsalis). Unidentified or other species of Culex mosquitoes made up 1,746 (21%) pools, and non-Culex species (e.g., Aedes spp., Anopheles spp., Coquillettidia perturbans, Culiseta spp., and Uranotaenia sapphirina) made up 106 (1%) pools. Data from 2007 included the first report of WNV infection in Culex bahamensis, which was collected in Puerto Rico. The number of reported WNV-infected mosquito pools peaked during mid-August.
Reported by: NP Lindsey, MS, JA Lehman, JE Staples, MD, N Komar, ScD, E Zielinski-Gutierrez, DrPh, EB Hayes, MD, RS Nasci, PhD, M Fischer, MD, Div of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases; M Duffy, DVM, EIS Officer, CDC.
In 2007, the reported incidence of WNND in the United States was 0.4 per 100,000 population. This incidence is similar to that reported in 2004 (0.4), 2005 (0.4), and 2006 (0.5), but substantially lower than the reported incidence for 2002 (1.0) and 2003 (1.0) (1,2). The relative stability in the number of reported WNND cases during the past 4 years likely represents endemic WNV transmission in the continental United States. However, because of variation in vectors, avian amplifying hosts, human activity, and environmental factors (e.g., temperature and rainfall), predicting future WNV transmission intensity is difficult (3,4).
Reported cases of WNND are thought to be the most accurate indicator of WNV activity in humans. WNND reporting is thought to be more complete because of substantial associated morbidity and mortality, whereas WNF likely is underdiagnosed and underreported. Serologic surveys indicate that approximately 20% of WNV infections result in WNF and 0.7% of WNV infections result in WNND (5). Based on these estimates, approximately 175,000 WNV infections and 35,000 WNF cases occurred in the United States in 2007. Only 2,350 WNF cases were reported to ArboNET in 2007, representing <10% of the estimated number of WNF cases.
In 2007, evidence of WNV human disease again was detected in all geographic regions of the continental United States. Although the highest incidence of WNND continued to occur in the west-central United States (6), Idaho reported only 10 WNND cases in 2007, a 93% decrease from the 139 cases reported in 2006 (7). This illustrates the wide annual variability and focality of WNV transmission. Human WNV infection was identified for the first time in Puerto Rico in 2007 among three asymptomatic blood donors (8).
ArboNET integrates arboviral diagnostic testing and reporting to produce timely, actionable data that public health professionals use to tailor effective prevention and control messages at the local level. Continued surveillance is important in monitoring potential changes in WNV epidemiology and for providing early warning for local WNND outbreaks. In addition, ArboNET is well positioned to help identify and manage future introductions of exotic arboviruses. For example, cases of ill travelers entering the United States who are likely viremic with nonendemic arboviruses (e.g., dengue virus and chikungunya virus) are reported to ArboNET (9).
WNV vaccines are licensed for use in horses and are being evaluated currently in phase 2 human clinical trials (10). Because no WNV vaccine is available currently for use in humans, prevention depends on personal protective measures. Use of repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 provides effective protection against mosquitoes. Long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks provide barrier protection against mosquito bites, and many fabrics can be treated with permethrin to provide an additional level of protection. Avoiding outdoor exposure during dusk and dawn, when Culex mosquito species are more active, will decrease the likelihood of WNV exposure. Household measures, such as installing and repairing window screens and covering or draining water-holding containers to reduce mosquito breeding sites, can decrease further the risk for WNV exposure.
Additional information on effective prevention of WNV infection is available from CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm. An overview of current year WNV transmission activity is available at http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_us_human.html.
This report is based, in part, on data provided by ArboNET surveillance coordinators in local and state health departments and ArboNET technical staff, Div of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, CDC.
* A PVD is a person whose blood tested positive when screened for the presence of WNV. PVDs are followed up by the blood collection agency with additional tests to verify their infection. Some PVDs go on to develop symptoms after donation, at which point they are considered to have WNV disease.
A sample of mosquitoes (usually no more than 50) of the same species and sex, collected within a defined sampling area and period.Figure 1
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Date last reviewed: 7/3/2008 | <urn:uuid:22c1fdc0-44d8-43d1-82a0-16f4f2e15924> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5726a2.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397864.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00139-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936739 | 2,624 | 3.265625 | 3 |
|Title:||Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|
|Alternative Title(s):||Kyoto Protocol|
|Entry Into Force Date:||2005-02-16|
|Description:||In 1997, 160 nations met in Kyoto to negotiate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to the terms of the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The resulting agreement is this document, which sets forth specific limits on emissions.
The site also includes a frequently-updated Status of Ratification and several guides to the climate change process and instruments.
The HTML version is available only in English, while the PDF version is available in the other official languages.
|Legal Citation:||UN Doc FCCC/CP/1997/7/Add.1, Dec. 10, 1997; 37 ILM 22 (1998)|
|Amends:||United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|
|EISIL Categories:||Home >
International Environmental Law >
Protection of the Atmosphere
|Document Creator:||Secretariat for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|
|Site Administrator:||Secretariat for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change| | <urn:uuid:0746afe3-372b-41ef-acc0-83d77b590e3d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.eisil.org/index.php?id=427&t=link_details&cat=448 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397111.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00022-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.671094 | 245 | 3.09375 | 3 |
National Parks to Plug In
What comes to mind when you think of winning combinations? Peas and carrots? Peanut butter and jelly?
Now you can add national parks and cleaner cars to the list.
Spotting an EV during your next outdoors trip to a park just got a little likelier with the National Park Service’s recent announcement that five parks will be phasing alternative fuel vehicles into their fleets. NPS believes the plan will save the agency an estimated 16,000 gallons of gas and prevent about 83 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere each year.
"Not only will a switch to cleaner vehicles reduce air pollution and oil use at our pristine national parks, but they will show millions of tourists what may be possible for their next car purchase," said Gina Coplon-Newfield, Sierra Club's Director of Green Fleets & Electric Vehicles Initiative.
The $1.1 million plan, in partnership with the Energy Department, will green fleets and lessen oil dependency: Shenandoah will introduce an EV and a plug-in hybrid to its fleet, in addition to three EV chargers; San Antonio Missions National Historical Park will incorporate an electric utility truck into its fleet and install two EV chargers for the public; Blue Ridge Parkway plans to replace its vehicles that date back to 1989 with eight hybrids; and Golden Gate National Recreation Area plans to install five EV chargers for the public to use, as well as for the park’s fleet of five EVs.
The push for cleaner cars is a component of President Obama's overall plan to green the country's fleets. Last summer, the Obama administration instructed federal agencies that 100 percent of newly purchased light-weight vehicles needed to be alternative fuel vehicles. NPS's new commitment follows a successful pilot program that replaced buses in Yellowstone and ranger vehicles in Grand Tetons with hybrids and EVs.
Cleaning up fleets in our country's parks makes a whole lot of sense. Air pollution in these special places is an ongoing problem. And focusing on fleets will lead the way to cleaner transportation options for all Americans who want to get off oil.
-- Brian Foley | <urn:uuid:63013205-24da-4664-a75e-48e6e6b72b12> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2012/06/national-parks-electric-cars-fleets.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393997.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00053-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935534 | 430 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Researchers at the University of North Carolina say America's children are eating more unhealthy snacks and consuming more calories.
The new nutrition study published in the March issue of Health Affairs found that kids snack an average of three times a day.
"Our study shows that some children, including very young children, snack almost continuously throughout the day," said Barry M. Popkin, PhD, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in a news release.
Specifically, the report shows children are eating an average of 168 more calories per day than kids did in 1977.
According to the study, they're eating more french fries as their snack and not enough fruits and vegetables.
"Such findings raise concerns that more children in the United States are moving toward a dysfunctional eating pattern, one that can lead to unhealthy weight gain and obesity," Popkin said.
The study's researchers reviewed national surveys of 31,000 children 2 to 18-years old from the 1977 to 2006. | <urn:uuid:aaedba43-d809-4a25-8db2-f4a5cfaf400e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2010/March/Study-US-Kids-Overdosing-on-Snack-Food/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402479.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00159-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967993 | 201 | 2.65625 | 3 |
A Swedish study which has followed 800 women aged 38 and up since 1968 has found a link between mid-life stress in women and the increased risk of getting Alzheimerís disease. Stressors like divorce, death of a loved one and caregiving tend to overwhelm women in midlife. Moreover the lead author of the study, Lena Johannson from the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology in Gothenburg University in Sweden, claims that the same probably holds true for men.
Having read this study, I feel the doom of yet another Alzheimerís predictor: Chronic stress. For who at mid-life can possibly live stress-free, untouched by the realities of daily living which include loss and grief? This study is stressing me out!
The best way to deal with this distressing news is to learn how to cope and maximize brainpower.
- Exercise the stress hormones out of your body in order to prevent or dissipate the inflammatory response which can damage the brain. Also, exercise in order to build new neurons in the brain and create neuroplasticity. You can keep on increasing brain cells by changing up your workout routine.
- Find a hobby to stimulate the mind and at the same time give you a creative outlet to compensate for the loss and destruction.
- Get social. There is great power in numbers. Since evolutionary times people have been tribal seeking protection and belonging. Friends can be your best therapists.
- Adhere to a healthy meal plan. The diet which is good for your heart is good for your brain.
- Make sure that you see a doctor for optimum vision and hearing. Your sensory input keeps your brain alert. When a visual or hearing pathway is not working, it will no longer serve your brain and you will lose it.
- Manage cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. Keep insulin levels stable.
- Statin medications with long term use may ward off dementia according to John Hopkins researchers.
- Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made a discovery that, if replicated in humans, suggests a shortage of zinc may contribute to diseases like Alzheimerís and Parkinsonís, which have been linked to defective proteins clumping together in the brain.
For more information on caregiving read my book, Changing Habits: The Caregivers' Total Workout. To listen to archived radio shows with guest experts visit Turn On Your Inner Light Radio Show | <urn:uuid:47a6fae4-c013-4b4a-8c14-225bb5823986> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art181723.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918107 | 485 | 2.59375 | 3 |
GNU/Linux Desktop Survival Guide
by Graham Williams
NIS is used to share password files among a collection of machines. This ensures all users have access to all machines and have the same user id and group ids. The group of machines is referred to with a domain name (nothing to do with a network domain name though). One machine in the group must be a master server and the rest are nis clients of that server. You can also have slave servers but we'll ignore that one for now. | <urn:uuid:fba39af8-0458-48ac-9c6b-4a3c03a9a5cb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/Using_NIS.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00140-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916674 | 104 | 2.59375 | 3 |
For the PDF version of this article, click here.
Many utilities now use helicopters to conduct transmission line inspections to identify conductor and component damage and corrosion. This condition-based monitoring forms part of asset management strategy. The inspection task is a two-stage operation: video recording followed by video inspection to identify the damage. The inspection is particularly difficult for staff trying to spot conductor damage resulting from a lightning strike (for example, arc marks or cut strands). Research at the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI; Tokyo, Japan) has resulted in the development of a system that automatically detects conductor damage and improves the overall effectiveness of this condition-monitoring procedure.
The Automatic Detection System
The video system is set up and tracked as follows:
- Storage of videos in DV format using an HDD
Figure 1 shows the hardware configuration of the developed system. The system requires taking digital video (DV) from a helicopter, which is then transferred to a hard disk drive (HDD). Following the video storage in the HDD, the process of detecting conductor damage can begin.
It is preferable to input the videos directly into the computer, simultaneously detecting the damage. However, because the developed system is not a real-time process system, damage detection demands all frames be processed. A missing frame is not allowed because this is equivalent to overlooking damage. When video data are stored in the HDD, it uses an IEEE 1394 interface and stores it in a DV format that includes a time code. Using the time code, a viewer can correlate the recorded video with that stored in DV format on the HDD and make a direct comparison.
- Reference point for an initial position on an inspected conductor
During video recording, the position on the cable in the images changes. To check the cable, it is necessary to select it correctly from the image. Figure 2 shows the initial position of the conductor shown as “input” — a single point being specified. The developed system calculates the position of the conductor using three points, the other two being determined automatically.
- Conductor tracking in each image
The position of the conductor is calculated automatically from the initial position based on the similarities among the brightness pattern of the images, which can be determined mathematically.
To extract the contour of the cable, the image area to be used is narrowed (Fig. 3). Generally, when a contour is selected, you find the difference in brightness between two adjacent pixels and define the point where the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold as a part of the contour. By narrowing the area, the calculation time is reduced to a sixth of that required if the whole image was used.
Next, to check whether the conductor contour has an ideal shape, an ideal conductor shape is determined and used when a cut strand or wire is detected. The ideal conductor shape defined by a line of points is calculated by a line-fitting process using least-squares approximation. This fitting process eliminates all points not on the contour.
Detection of a Damaged Conductor
The detection process comprises two parts: The brightness check detects arc marks and the shape check detects cut strands or wires.
- Brightness check
After determining the ideal conductor shape, the average brightness of a conductor image on each vertical pixel is calculated. Figure 4 shows a sample image, the average brightness in a conductor image and the threshold of brightness of an undamaged conductor. Next, the average brightness of the conductor and the standard deviation are calculated. If arc marks are found on the conductor, then the average brightness at this the arc position is beyond the threshold.
- Shape check
When there is a cut wire/strand on the conductor (Fig. 5A), the contour appears like that shown in Fig. 5B. The system searches for this type of contour, and the result is shown in Fig. 5C. The line-fitting process is shown in Fig. 5D from which the ideal conductor shape is calculated. Figure 5E compares the actual and ideal conductor contours.
Performance Check on System Developed
To confirm the performance of the detection system developed, it was applied to 20- to 10-second line inspection videos that contained arc marks and a cut wire. In total, some 6000 images (20 videos × 10 seconds × 30 images/second) were checked.
The detection results given in Table 1 show that 97.8% of the images (5509 + 358) were correctly processed. The results also indicate that 362 images contained damaged conductors, but the system incorrectly misread 129 images as arc marks.
|Result — No Damage||5509||4|
|Result — Damage||129||358|
The developed system is installed on a personal computer, and following the transfer of the videos to the computer, it checks the images for arc marks and cut wires/strands on the transmission line conductor. The arc marks are detected by statistical analysis of the conductor brightness, while the cut wires/strands are detected using conductor shape information.
The statistical analysis uses the mean brightness of the conductor and its standard deviation. In the event the conductor brightness is beyond the threshold range, the system classifies the position as an arc mark. Shape information is obtained from a comparison between a real and ideal cable contour. If the difference between the contours exceeds 10 pixels, the system judges that the conductor has a cut wire/strand.
Because the developed system detected all conductor positions with an arc mark or cut wire/strand, it has proven to be a useful tool for processing the data collected during transmission line aerial inspections. Currently, this development for asset management is on trial at two Japanese utilities.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Shinya Okuda and Michihiko Sugimoto of Shikoku Electric Power Co. Inc. for offering their aerial images.
Yuichi Ishino joined the Central Research Institute of Electric Power industry (CRIEPI) in 1991. He researches vision-based monitoring systems for utility equipment.
Dr. Fujio Tsutsumi received a Ph.D. in information science and electrical engineering (ISEE) from Kyushu University, Japan, in 2003, and he joined CRIEPI in 1990. He researches visualization for large volumes of data and human interface. | <urn:uuid:172ed648-64c3-41bb-97e6-f162d6e2a9c1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://tdworld.com/distribution-management-systems/criepis-aerial-inspection-transmission-conductor | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00125-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906758 | 1,294 | 2.59375 | 3 |
- UN Agencies and the Seed Protection initiative in the Central African Republic25/05/2016
- FAO's work on protecting, saving & restoring agricultural livelihoods23/05/2016
- World Humanitarian Summit, Istanbul, Turkey, 23-24 May, 201620/05/2016
- FAO’s response to Nepal earthquakes04/05/2016
- Ethiopia's farmers urgently need seed to withstand El Niño drought impacts, feed the country29/04/2016
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A FAO project in Burundi: ''Support to post-harvest fisheries technology'' - Short version
Fisheries play an important role in the economic and social life in Burundi. Yet, about 10 to 15% of the harvest was lost during the processing phase. Fish drying, which is the most common processing technique in the country, was done generally on bare ground. This has led to partial or total alteration of the products, and has considerably reduced both income and livelihoods all along the value chain.
In response to these issues, FAO and the Burundi Fisheries Directorate started a project of 282,000 US dollars to improve fish processing method and reduce losses. In 2004, Mvugo, a fishing village located in the South on the shore of lake Tanganyika, was chosen as the pilot site of the project where a demonstration platform for improved technologies has been constructed. For less than a year during the implementation of the project, practical sessions for fish operators have been held on this site which was provided with various fish preservation and processing equipments.
Specifically, the use of raised racks for fish drying was highly promoted. Women had a particular advantage during those training sessions. As a result, the beneficiary fishing communities have adopted the improved fish processing technique which has led to increased yield productivity of the sector and higher incomes for the fish processors as a result of greater consumers' confidence in dried fish products. | <urn:uuid:4417776f-d053-4235-97a5-a43a65565638> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.fao.org/emergencies/resources/videos/video-detail/en/c/239102/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393997.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00176-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954547 | 394 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) NewsPrinter Friendly Version
SWAP to determine where the sun and ice worlds meet
San Antonio -- June 8, 2004 -- The Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument aboard the New Horizons spacecraft is designed to measure the interactions of Pluto and Charon with the solar wind, the high-speed stream of charged particles flowing out from the sun. Understanding these interactions will expand researchers' knowledge of the astrophysical processes affecting these bodies and that part of the solar system.
The space science community understands the extremes (called the bounding states) of solar wind interactions with planets, comets and other bodies, but no one knows what kind of interaction is present at Pluto. Comet Borrelly represents a strong interaction with the solar wind, while Venus represents a weak one.
"We expect solar wind interactions at Pluto to lie somewhere between the strong and weak extremes," says SWAP Principal Investigator Dr. David J. McComas, a senior executive director at Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®).
After taking measurements at Pluto, researchers plan to use the SWAP data to define basic parameters about the system. For example, once researchers know how such material comes off Pluto, they can then estimate the amount of Pluto's atmosphere that escapes into space. This will reveal insights into the structure and destiny of the atmosphere itself.
SWAP would go on to take similar measurements at Charon and at least one Kuiper belt object; however, the team expects those interactions to be much weaker simply because the atmospheres of these objects are expected to be less extensive and not likely to emit much material.
Another of the many Pluto mysteries is where the interactions of the solar wind will occur around the planet, so science plans call for SWAP to take continuous measurements as it nears and passes Pluto.
"We know when and where to use some of the instruments to take an image or a measurement at Pluto," says McComas. "Solar wind interactions, however, present quite a challenge because we're trying to measure this invisible thing surrounding Pluto at an uncertain distance from it."
"The science we expect SWAP to perform is impossible to accomplish without actually going to Pluto-Charon and directly sampling its environment. That capability is something that NASA pioneered and which, to this day, only the United States can do," says Dr. Alan Stern, principal investigator of New Horizons and an executive director at SwRI.
The incredible distances of Pluto from the sun required that the SWAP team build the largest aperture instrument ever used to measure the solar wind. It allows SWAP to make measurements even when the solar wind is very tenuous. The instrument also combines a retarding potential analyzer (RPA) with an electrostatic analyzer (ESA) to enable extremely fine, accurate energy measurements of the solar wind.
"Should the interaction between Pluto and the solar wind turn out to be very small, the RPA and ESA combination will allow us to measure minute changes in solar wind speed," says Scott Weidner, the SWAP instrument manager and an SwRI principal scientist.
The various instruments aboard New Horizons were designed and are being built independently, yet they are expected to work together to reveal significant new insights about Pluto, Charon and their Kuiper belt neighbors. SWAP measures low energy interactions, such as those caused by the solar wind. Its complement, the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation, or PEPSSI, will look at higher energy particles, such as pickup ions. The top of SWAP's energy range can measure some pickup ions, and PEPSSI picks up where SWAP leaves off to see the highest energy interactions.
The sun and its solar wind affect the entire solar system and should create
interesting science opportunities for SWAP throughout
its planned nine-year voyage to Pluto. SWAP will operate for more than a month
each year and will sample heliospheric pickup ionsions that originate in interstellar space and get ionized when they come near
the sun. Other pickup ions come from material inside
the solar system. Researchers have shown that even collisions between Kuiper
belt objects result in tiny grains that drift toward
the sun, evaporate and become ionized. The Cassini spacecraft, when it reaches
Saturn this July, will allow researchers to observe
"We'll be out to 30 AU before New Horizons even reaches Pluto. While we're targeting a Kuiper belt object, we could be anywhere from 30 to 50 AU, where the influence of heliospheric pickup ions becomes greater and greater in the solar wind," says McComas. "On the journey out to Pluto, we'll be able to validate or disprove the outer source theory, which is an exciting warm up to reaching Pluto itself."
Editors: The SWAP instrument is currently under construction at Southwest Research Institute and is scheduled for delivery this summer to the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (Laurel, Maryland) for integration with the spacecraft electronics and structure. For more information about SWAP and the other instruments flying aboard the first mission to the last planet, visit the New Horizons website at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/.
For more information, contact Maria Stothoff, Communications, (210) 522-3305, Southwest Research Institute, PO Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510. | <urn:uuid:537a304f-67f4-49a8-9c3a-17f75fdc1817> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.swri.org/9what/releases/2004/SWAP.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00198-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917269 | 1,106 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Bat House Basics
One of the best ways to control insects is by adding a bat house to your area. To ensure the house is right for you, first check the design and size. According to research, larger bat houses that accommodate 100 to 300 bats, often called nursery houses, tend to have higher occupancy rates than the smaller houses. All landing areas and partition surfaces should be rough, so bats can easily grip the area. Look for homes with vents if your average July temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Your bat house should be placed within 1/4 mile of a natural water source such as a stream, river, or lake. Bats tend to fly along forest or water edges, and bat houses located in these areas tend to be found more quickly than those in other locations.
Bat houses may be placed on trees, poles, or buildings. Boxes mounted on poles or buildings tend to have a higher occupancy than those mounted on trees. For mounting on buildings, wood or stone buildings are best, and your bat house should be mounted under the eaves with some sun exposure. You should mount your house 15-20 feet above the ground, away from any streetlights or other light sources at night. It should also not be placed in a brightly lit area.
You should place your bat house where it will receive at least six hours of sun if you live in a region where average July temperatures range from 80 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a region where average July temperature are less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, you should mount your bat house where it will receive at least 10 hours of sun daily.
You may mount your box at any time of the year. Bat houses mounted in the spring are often occupied more quickly than those placed at other times. If you are evicting a colony of bats from a building, a box should be mounted several weeks prior to the eviction. | <urn:uuid:83680d43-28ef-44b5-a49f-f5b32cc9aef1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/LC.asp?ID=24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00091-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956942 | 381 | 2.875 | 3 |
Grooming Your Horse
Grooming Basics | Brushing Your Horse | Bathing Your Horse | Caring for Your Horse's Feet
- Ideally, you should groom your horse daily and after exercise.
- Grooming helps keep your horse's skin and haircoat healthy and strengthens the bond between you and your horse.
- Use a leather halter and/or quick-release cross-ties while grooming your horse so that if he panics, you are both less likely to be hurt.
- Some horses enjoy bathing more than others. If your horse does not like to be bathed, consult your veterinarian or a certified animal behaviorist about how to condition him to accept it.
- Thoroughly cleaning your horse's feet daily is an essential part of grooming.
Grooming does more than make your horse look good. Brushing, bathing, and clipping help keep your horse's skin and haircoat healthy. Ideally, you should groom your horse daily and after exercise. Although daily grooming is time consuming, the effort benefits both you and your horse by strengthening the bond between you and keeping you aware of your horse's overall health.
Groom your horse in an area that allows easy access to all parts of your horse. For bathing, choose an area that will not get muddy or slippery. Use a leather halter and/or quick-release cross-ties while grooming your horse so that if he panics, you are both less likely to be hurt.
Brushing Your Horse
Brushing your horse helps to remove dirt and loose, dead hair and to distribute essential oils through the haircoat.
You will need a variety of tools to do the job properly:
- Rubber curry comb
- Stiff-bristled (dandy) brush (if your horse has a long haircoat)
- Soft-bristled brush (works well for short haircoats)
- Grooming mitt
- Mane comb
- Terrycloth towel
It's a good idea to keep all your grooming tools in a carrier. If you have more than one horse, it is very important to use a separate set of grooming tools for each one to decrease the chance of spreading disease.
Horse owners have their own preferences regarding where to start grooming their horses. Some like to start with the head; others, with the feet. Follow whatever routine works for you and your horse. Wherever you start, use the brushes in the following order.
- Begin brushing by using the rubber curry comb to “scrub” your horse's neck and body. This loosens dead hair and dirt and spreads out skin oils. Do not use this comb on your horse's face or legs, where the skin is fragile. You can use the grooming mitt (gently) on your horse's legs and face.
- Next, brush the body and legs with the brush in the same direction as the hair, using a long, sweeping motion to remove the dirt and hair. If your horse's face needs to be brushed, use only a soft brush and gentle strokes. Some horses prefer a towel to clean their face.
- Finally, to make your horse shine, finish off by rubbing him down with the towel.
Also comb out your horse's mane, using a comb that does not break too many hairs. Comb or brush your horse's tail carefully, standing to one side. NEVER stand directly behind a horse.
Bathing Your Horse
Bathing is an important part of caring for your horse, but some horses enjoy bathing more than others. If your horse does not like to be bathed, consult your veterinarian or a certified animal behaviorist about how to condition him to accept it.
Bathe your horse after brushing, on a warm day, in an area that will not get muddy or slippery (a shower stall is ideal; a rubber mat may be helpful). If you do not have a helper, tie your horse loosely to a post or railing with a quick-release knot. Use a bucket of water or a hose with a shower-type sprayer; if possible, use warm water. Shampoo is not always necessary, and shampooing can dry out your horse's skin. Ask your veterinarian about what kind of shampoo you should use for your horse and how often.
Make sure your horse sees and accepts what you are doing before you spray him, and never spray water directly in your horse's face. Use a damp sponge or cloth to clean your horse's face. Work from the ground up to get your horse wet all over and from the top down to rinse. To help your horse dry, use a sweat scraper or the side of your hand to squeeze water out of the hair coat, moving in the direction of hair growth. Then use towels to dry your horse further. Walking your horse until dry may help keep him from rolling in the dirt right after the bath.
Ask your veterinarian about the best way to care for your horse's hooves during and after bathing so that they do not become brittle.
Caring for Your Horse's Feet
Thoroughly cleaning your horse's feet daily is an essential part of grooming. Use a hoof pick and a brush to remove all dirt and other objects from your horse's feet. Consult your veterinarian or a farrier about other types of foot and hoof care your horse might need. | <urn:uuid:2261a91c-6166-457b-a1a3-3963eab7ea0b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.vetsecure.com/williamssebbyvetclinic.com/articles/380 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395548.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00004-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932333 | 1,093 | 2.75 | 3 |
The saying too much of a good thing is proving to be right when it comes your child's morning bowl of cereal.
That's based on a new report by the Environmental Working Group, a health research organization out of Washington D.C. The report says millions of children are taking in unhealthy amounts of nutrients each morning. Doctors say this is because the suggested intake amounts on the labels are actually calculated for adults.
"The R.D.A's for vitamins and minerals are different for adults than they would be for a child. Our size is different, you know, we're not growing and they are, you know are needs are just different, " said Gundersen Health System's Registered Dietitian, Valerie Pampuch.
Too much Vitamin A., Zinc, and Niacin which are commonly found in fortified cereal can cause damage to your liver, immune system, while bringing a long a number of other health issues.
The FDA is now updating nutrition fact labels, something it hasn't done since 1968. | <urn:uuid:af7a85a3-f009-4927-953f-0c8e809dffe7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.news8000.com/news/fortified-cereals-may-cause-health-risks-to-kids/26649424 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00109-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955823 | 208 | 3.078125 | 3 |
- Activity 3 - Displaying the Issues of the Centennial Era
In 1876, the centennial of the Declaration of Independence was celebrated by millions of Americans who visited a vast Exhibition held in Philadelphia. Many others knew of this event through widely distributed illustrations. Statues, exhibit halls, and the overall layout of the exhibition grounds were designed with care to facilitate the enjoyment of visitors and to speak to them about the nation and its achievements.
In this part of the lesson, examine images from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition as primary sources of the history of the event and its time.
The Centennial of 1876 represents America's telling the story of the nation's accomplishments to its citizens and to the rest of the world. Examine the images -- whether of buildings, monuments, works of art, machinery, or artifacts -- in light of this motive. What does each image say about our then 100-year-old nation? What did Americans want to say to the rest of the world in each of these products?
Students analyze the image, recording their thoughts on the Primary Source Analysis Tool. Before the students begin, select questions from the teachers' guide Analyzing Photographs and Prints to focus and prompt discussion and analysis.
The Corliss Engine was useful as a source of power and important as a reflection of national pride. It was a large steam engine that stood in the center of the hall, dominating the space and siezing the attention of visitors, and supplying the power that drove the hundreds of machines on display in Machinery Hall of the Exhibition. Its importance was emphasized by its central position and imposing size, but also by the decision of the Exhibition organizers to officially open the celebration by having President Ulysses S. Grant and Emperor Dom Pedro of Brazil start the engine.
1. As a whole class, examine the image of the Corliss Engine, perhaps the most impressive item displayed at the Centennial. Analyze this image.
2. Choose one image from the collections listed below. You will be part of a collaborative team made up of 4-6 students who choose images from the same category.
- Maps and Views of the Centennial Exhibition
- Monuments of the Centennial Exhibition
- Exterior Views of Buildings
- Interior Views of Buildings
- Cartoons and Illustrations of the Centennial Exhibition
- Fill out a Primary Source Analysis Tool for your choice.
- Share the results of your study with your team.
- With your team, write three hypotheses about American life or ideas in 1876 which can be supported by evidence drawn from the study of two or more images.
- Report your results to your class.
3. As a class, consider:
- What are the strengths of these images as historical evidence of American life or ideas in 1876?
- What are their weaknesses?
- How did the exhibits at the Centennial Exhibition function as history for Americans in 1876?
- How do they function as history for you and your classmates in the twenty-first century?
Historians interpret any moment in the past by examining as much evidence from as many different perspectives as they can gather. Using evidence in this way enables them to appreciate the diversity and complexity of life at any time.
Activity 1 of this project asked you to study the maps, buildings, and items used to celebrate the Centennial. These items were evidence of how America chose to celebrate. Activity 2 asks you to assess how evidence of the political and social issues of 1876 compares or contrasts with that of the Exhibition. As you turn your attention from the ideals of the celebration to the issues of real life, consider these questions:
- What social issues were Americans concerned about in 1876?
- What were the major issues being contested in the Presidential Election of that year?
- What was politics like in 1876?
- What were the civil rights challenges of the era?
- How did issues involving women, African Americans, and immigrants reflect the challenges posed by the diversity of American society?
- Working in teams, choose one category of images for close examination.
- Working alone or with your group, consider each image in your category carefully.
- Complete the Primary Source Analysis Tool for each image in the category.
- As a team, formulate hypotheses that consider each image in terms of its historical context.
What do the images tell us about the significance of this topic in the history of the Centennial Era?
How do the images support what you already knew about the era?
How do the images differ from what you already knew about the era?
Describe the Americans whose lives were shaped by this particular topic. To what extent was their situation known or understood by the rest of the nation?
- The Election of 1876
- Political Corruption
- Women's Issues
- African-American Issues
- Farmer's Issues
This part of the project invites you to construct a museum exhibit that tells the history of the topic you studied in Activity 2. Here's your opportunity to undertake the work of historians as you interpret the story of your topic for your classmates. Consider whether 1876 should be remembered as a year to celebrate the accomplishments of a century of independence, or a time when the American dream was facing profound threats. The question to address in planning your response is:
- What are the key elements of the issue, and how does an analysis of this issue provide insight into American society in 1876?
- Your thinking in response to this question will be presented in two forms:
1. an essay in which you explore an image from Activity 2 of the project and
2. a collaboratively designed model of an exhibit that uses images and captions to explain the significance of this issue in the context of its time.
1. Your product is to be a well researched essay in which you select one of the images presented in Activity 2 of the lesson and use historical and visual sources to:
- tell the story behind the image
- analyze its significance in the history of the Centennial Era
2. Your model is to be a plan for a museum exhibit in the form of a room that consists of four walls illustrated with images and words.
- Using primary source images, present an accurate and balanced representation of the issue your group studied in Activity 2.
- Draw from your research essay and those of your teammates to plan your exhibit.
- The images used can be from any historical source, but the origin of each must be clearly documented.
- The exhibit - the four walls - must include a minimum of twelve images. Written captions, presented in miniature form in the model and also submitted in list form on a sheet of paper, must clearly explain the point of each image.
The room you are designing can be imagined to be any size, but for the purpose of this model, it must be represented in the form of an intact cardboard box no smaller than 8.5 X 11 inches on any side. Think of this box as a room turned inside out. The sides of the box represent the walls of the room, although shown on the outside of the box for ease of display. The sides are to be covered with plain paper prior to the attachment of any design items. The top of the box is the ceiling of the room. The bottom of the box is the floor of the exhibit.
A successful exhibit will have the following characteristics:
- The issue being presented in this exhibit will be immediately apparent.
- The significance of this issue in the history of America in 1876 will be apparent.
- The exhibit design will use images and captions to "tell the story" of this issue and explain its significance.
- The exhibit will engage the viewer by how the issue is presented.
- The exhibit will contain a minimum of twelve images, eight of which did not appear in the "America at the Centennial" lesson.
- A separate page will present the captions, thumbnails of the images associated with each caption, and the appropriate bibliographic citation for each image.
- The exhibit will be completed on time and all work will be done in a neat manner with attention given to scale and visibility.
- The exhibit will be the result of a successful team collaboration, giving attention to each team member's work on Activity 2 of the lesson.
Each exhibit will be graded using the project rubric. | <urn:uuid:1006995f-6a02-41ff-8248-6d560458a80c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/centennial/procedure.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00044-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952282 | 1,714 | 4 | 4 |
The research is conducted as an empirical study which explains how environmental disclosure varies across European countries and reflects factors that explain this variation at the European Union level. The paper identifies and analyze five factors that explain the varies of environmental disclosure across European Union Countries: strength of auditing and accounting standards, government mandated disclosure of environmental performance and pollutant release, development, number of companies which had implemented ISO 14001/EMAS, eco-label awards obtained by companies within the country, environmental performance. After the empirical and theoretical analyze we can conclude that the introduction of mandatory environmental disclosure is the most efficient way to increase the quantity and the quality of environmental disclosure at the European Union level. This study is not a research of some particular entities regarding environmental disclosure. The paper discusses environmental disclosure as an average of all the environmental disclosure of all the entities within a European Union country. The paper is of interest to anyone involved in the process of environmental disclosure, either as entity or other user of environmental information’s.
Analyze Of Enviromental Discolsure Within European Union Countries (285.1 KiB, 1,395 hits) | <urn:uuid:6c3c57be-d31b-457e-8230-0d99fb3c3694> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.scientificpapers.org/economics/analyze-of-enviromental-discolsure-within-european-union-countries/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393533.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00019-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927725 | 226 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Kudzu was first brought over to the United States from Asia for the Centennial Celebration in 1876. Heralded as having great beauty, it became rather popular. And it was only several decades later that problems were discovered. The southeastern United States is a more conducive environment for the growth of kudzu than were the regions of Japan from which it was brought; during the summer, kudzu can grow as much as a foot per day. None of the insects that are the natural predators were brought over with the ivy. Most herbicides actually cause the plant to grow more readily, and those that are effective against it, often take years to kill off the kudzu. Now more than 7 million acres of the Southeast are covered in kudzu.
For some bemusing thoughts of mine on kudzu being a harbinger of the apocalypse, follow me over here. | <urn:uuid:1c74143f-ae96-4f04-8cc6-9485e4aaf3fd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://blog.al.com/magic-city-marquee/2012/07/kudzu_an_invasive_species.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393533.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00022-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98946 | 182 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Humans and Neanderthals split from a common ancestor roughly half a million years ago. While many anthropologists will tell you we don’t really know who that common ancestor was, others will say we do: the species Homo heidelbergensis, or something very much like it. An even smaller portion will point to another possibility: a controversial species called Homo antecessor.
H. antecessor, which first came to light in the 1990s, is known almost entirely from one cave in northern Spain’s Atapuerca Mountains. While working at the Gran Dolina site from 1994 to 1996, a team of Spanish researchers found 80 fossils belonging to six hominid individuals that lived roughly 800,000 years ago. The hominids’ teeth were primitive like those of Homo erectus, but aspects of the hominid’s face—particularly the shape of the nasal region and the presence of a facial depression above the canine tooth called the canine fossa—were modern, resembling features of modern people. The unique mix of modern and primitive traits led the researchers to deem the fossils a new species, H. antecessor, in 1997.
In 2008, the researchers expanded the timeline of the species . At another cave site in Atapuerca, Sima del Elefante, scientists unearthed a partial lower jaw, as well as a few dozen stone tools, dating to about 1.2 million years ago. Outside of Spain, the only other potential evidence of H. antessor
fossils are stone tools found at a nearly 800,000-year-old English archaeological site named Happisburgh that might have been made by the species.
H. antessor‘s discoverers—including José Bermúdez de Castro of Spain’s National Museum of Natural Sciences, Juan Luis Arsuaga of the Universidad Complutense in Madrid and Eudald Carbonell of the University of Tarragona—say the species’ similarities with modern people, and its age, make it the best known candidate for the common ancestor of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. They suggest H. antecessor may have evolved from a population of H. erectus living in Africa more than 1.5 million years ago and then migrated to Europe, journalist Ann Gibbons reported in Science when H. antecessor was first announced. Although the species has yet to be discovered in Africa, an African origin for H. antecessor may be necessary if it was indeed the direct ancestor of modern humans, which all fossil evidence suggests originated in Africa. Furthermore, the researchers say H. heidelbergensis is too similar to Neanderthals to be a direct ancestor of modern humans. Instead, H. antecessor gave rise to H. heidelbergensis, which then gave rise to Neanderthals.
But many anthropologists are not on board with this scenario. One problem is that most of the known H. antecessor specimens represent children, Gibbons reported. Only two of the six individuals found at Gran Dolina are thought to be adults, about 20 years old. Since most of the features tying H. antecessor to modern people were found in juveniles—whose bodies and physical features change as they grow up and go through puberty—it’s possible that H. antecessor adults didn’t really look much like H. sapiens at all. And if that’s the case, then it’s hard to argue the species had an ancestor-descendent relationship with us. The issue won’t be settled until researchers find good examples of complete adult H. antecessor fossils. | <urn:uuid:d9177d71-5cae-4469-bdee-0fa8b7b31b11> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/homo-antecessor-common-ancestor-of-humans-and-neanderthals-143357767/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00134-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941603 | 758 | 4.1875 | 4 |
Tuna is a highly migratory species that is found in all major oceans of the world. Bumble Bee sources globally, so our tuna can come from any of the oceans as well. While our tuna comes from all oceans, as a participant in International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) we are capable of tracing our tuna products from capture to plate including the name and flag of fishing vessels, fish species, ocean of capture corresponding to tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization area, fishing trip dates, fishing gear employed, date the company took ownership of the fish and each species by weight.
What kind of tuna is in my can or pouch? And where does it come from?
The answer to this is that it depends on what type of product you have. Our white meat tuna products only contain albacore while our light meat products primarily consist of skipjack. Learn more about the type of tuna in each of these products white meat (albacore) or light meat.
How is tuna caught?
Again, the answer to this depends largely upon the type of tuna. The primary methods of catching the fish that goes into our light meat products is purse seining while longline fishing is the method used to catch the albacore that goes into our white meat products. Read more about the respective fishing methods – purse seine or longline.
How does tuna get from the ocean to my can or pouch?
After fish are caught via one of the methods noted above, the fish are cleaned, packed into cans and cooked in the can. Read more about how tuna is processed – tuna processing.
Watch a video on canned tuna processing.
How does Bumble Bee support the sustainable management of tuna stocks?
Bumble Bee is committed to responsible, sustainable fishing practices and global resource management. As our primary business is seafood, it is imperative – in fact, it is inherent to our mission – we adhere to practices and policies that ensure long term sustainability of our fisheries resources.
The primary channel for Bumble Bee’s efforts for tuna sustainability is the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). The ISSF is a unique partnership among global scientists, tuna processors representing nearly 75 percent of the world’s packaged tuna production, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – the leading environmental organization. The ISSF mission is to undertake science-based initiatives for the long term sustainability of tuna stocks, reduction of by-catch and promotion of ecosystem health, largely by supporting the conservation recommendations of tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMO) scientific committees.
More can be learned about all of Bumble Bee sustainability programs here | <urn:uuid:e3f53de8-eeb1-4bec-9cb5-dc9d039412b7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bumblebee.com/sustainability/seafood-school/tuna-101/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00096-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927137 | 540 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Before World War II almost everything was constructed of metal or wood. After the war, plastic was more popular because it was lower in cost, more accessible, easy to mold and more durable. It also didn’t have to be cast like metal.
For more than 100 years, toys were tinplate with a lithograph finish. After World War II, however, when plastic was the normal medium, the Japanese opted to manufacture toy vehicles using tinplate.
These were approximately 4-30 inches and used the tab and slot joining, which had been used for many previous decades.
These were not reissues of older-style vehicles but were a new product. The cars were equipped with wind-up or battery-operated mechanisms.
Large numbers of these were produced at many Japanese plants.
Domination. During the occupation of Japan and for about 20 years afterwards (approximately 1950-1970), the Japanese dominated the toy business throughout the world.
By extreme mass production, avid attention to marketing and dedication to the finest details on their new tinplate toy vehicles, the sales were successful. This is the same approach the Japanese used to rebuilt their nation’s economy.
Nevertheless, all the expenses for such undertakings far overstepped the profit and the Japanese could no longer sell the toys profitably at a competitive price.
Also the manufacturers worldwide preferred plastic children’s toys due to the danger of cuts by tinplate.
Therefore, an era of tinplate toys came to an end in 1970.
High production. During those 20 years of high production, Japan also produced tinplate robots, airplanes, rockets, animated animal characters, trains and ships.
Their lithographed tinplate automobiles were the finest not only in mechanical operation, but were quite realistic in detail, paint finish, interiors and clear windows.
Most of the automobile replica toys were American makes and a few were futuristic designs.
Due to the use of plastic, these Japanese tinplate toy automobiles will always remain the best constructed in the last half of the 20th century. Undoubtedly such quality will rarely, if ever, be seen again – especially in tinplate and also in this price range.
During those two decades, Japan produced some of the most delightful looking toys of any era. Toy manufacturers used their vivid imaginations in every facet of the toy business.
Look to future. The toy automobile production procedures were later emulated in their full-sized automobile businesses – a miniature beginning to larger successes.
An example of these toy automobiles was the ATC 1962 Chrysler Imperial sedan, which is now rare but a fine specimen of the Japanese toy manufacturers.
It was loaded with many extras especially the two individually mounted tail lights, similar to the actual car.
It also had outside rear view mirrors, recessed dual grille head lights, a completely detailed interior and all the extras that Detroit manufacturers made in the original automobile.
This example sold for five figures in early 1990. This toy car was 16 inches long. | <urn:uuid:357229f4-1bcc-402c-870b-5e98048701e2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/japanese-tinplate-vehicle-toys-gave-a-preview-of-future-automobiles/6390.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00116-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976152 | 610 | 2.65625 | 3 |
There are events planned all over the United States tomorrow in support of Immigrant and Workers rights.
To me, May Day is always associated with the Haymarket Massacre.
FROM U.S HISTORY
The following day, May 4, a large rally was planned by anarchist leaders to protest alleged police brutality. A crowd of 20,000 demonstrators was anticipated at Haymarket Square, where area farmers traditionally sold their produce. Rain and unseasonable cold kept the numbers down to between 1,500 to 2,000. The gathering was peaceful until a police official, in contravention of the mayor's instructions, sent units into the crowd to force it to disperse. At that juncture, a pipe bomb was thrown into the police ranks; the explosion took the lives of seven policemen and injured more than 60 others. The police fired into the crowd of workers, killing four.
A period of panic and overreaction followed in Chicago. Hundreds of works were detained; some were beaten during interrogation and a number of forced confessions was obtained. In the end, eight anarchists were put on trial and seven were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. Four were hanged in November 1887, one committed suicide and three were later pardoned by Illinois governor, John Peter Altgeld.
Clearly the ranks of the Knights of Labor and other unions were filled with many socialists and anarchists; some were committed to violent disruption of the capitalist system. However, no evidence was provided at the time, nor has any been discovered since, which connected the eight convicted workers to the bomb-throwing.
Widespread fear of unionism and other radicalism influenced most of the public to support harsh treatment of the accused.
The Haymarket Riot was a signal event in the early history of American labor. It was largely responsible for delaying acceptance of the eight-hour day, as workers deserted the K.O.L. and moved toward the more moderate American Federation of Labor. For many years the police at Haymarket Square were regarded as martyrs and the workers as violent anarchists; that view moderated to a large extent in later times. (as evidence was made public).
I REALIZE THE FLIER ADDRESSES 'WORKING MEN'. CHECK OUT LUCY PARSONS FOR A TRUE HERA. | <urn:uuid:e3b9421f-a66a-4d5c-a9a6-b78a7651f2bb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://lolodiklo.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402516.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00076-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982168 | 465 | 2.796875 | 3 |
NEW! Photonics ProdSpec
– Change the way you research and buy photonics products!
- Dark matter halos may contain stars
LOS ANGELES and IRVINE, Calif. – Stars kicked to the edges of space during violent collisions and mergers with other galaxies can get tossed into large, invisible cocoons of dark matter, which might explain why astronomers say they see more light in the universe than it seems they should.
The findings suggest that the halos of dark matter surrounding galaxies are not completely dark after all but contain a small number of stars, according to UCLA and University of California, Irvine, scientists.
Satellites have detected more infrared light radiating from the sky than known galaxies could account for. Scientists have suggested that this mysterious, sandpaperlike smattering of light comes from sources too dim for observatories to see directly – i.e., from very distant unknown galaxies. A second hypothesis credits the emanating light to unknown galaxies that are not so far away – faint galaxies whose light has been traveling to us for only 4 billion or 5 billion years.
“The idea of not-so-far-away faint galaxies is better, but still not right,” said Edward L. “Ned” Wright, a UCLA professor of physics and astronomy. “It’s off by a factor of about 10; the ‘distant galaxies’ hypothesis is off by a factor of about 1000.”
The image on the left shows a portion of our sky, called the Boötes field, in infrared light, while the image on the right shows a mysterious background infrared glow captured by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope in the same region of sky. Using Spitzer, researchers detected this background glow, which spreads across the whole sky, by masking out light from galaxies and other known sources of light. (The masks are the gray, blotchy marks.) The scientists say that this light is coming from stray stars torn from galaxies. When galaxies tangle and merge, stars often get kicked out in the process. The stars are too faint to be seen individually, but Spitzer may be seeing their collective glow.
Now, using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, Wright and colleagues have produced an infrared map of a region of the sky in the constellation Boötes. The light has been traveling to us for 10 billion years. The scientists contend that the small number of stars that were kicked to the edges of space may be the cause of the infrared light “halos” across the sky and may explain the mystery of the excess emitted infrared light.
As crashing galaxies became gravitationally entangled with one another, “orphaned” stars were tossed into space. It is these stars, the researchers say, that produce the diffuse, blotchy scatterings of light – dubbed fluctuations by Wright – emitted from the galaxy halos that extend well beyond the outer reaches of galaxies.
“Galaxies exist in dark matter halos that are much bigger than the galaxies; when galaxies form and merge together, the dark matter halo gets larger, and the stars and gas sink to the middle of the halo,” Wright said. “What we’re saying is one star in a thousand does not do that and, instead, gets distributed like dark matter. You can’t see the dark matter very well, but we are proposing that it actually has a few stars in it – only one-tenth of 1 percent of the number of stars in the bright part of the galaxy. One star in a thousand gets stripped out of the visible galaxy and gets distributed like the dark matter.”
Much higher percentages of intra-halo light, as large as 20 percent, have been found in large clusters of galaxies, he said.
“Presumably, this light in halos occurs everywhere in the sky and just has not been measured anywhere else,” Wright said. “If we can really understand the origin of the infrared background, we can understand when all of the light in the universe was produced and how much was produced.”
Research with the James Webb Space Telescope once it is in operation should provide further insight because it will be able to see much more distant, fainter galaxies, he said.
The findings were reported in Nature (doi: 10.1038/nature11474).
- The scientific observation of celestial radiation that has reached the vicinity of Earth, and the interpretation of these observations to determine the characteristics of the extraterrestrial bodies and phenomena that have emitted the radiation.
- The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
MORE FROM PHOTONICS MEDIA | <urn:uuid:bf19aced-b842-4b9a-88ee-9731426dbe6c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=52952 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403502.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00180-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930756 | 1,036 | 3.484375 | 3 |
versão On-line ISSN 0378-4738
Water SA vol.37 no.4 Pretoria Out. 2011
J OlivierI,*; JS VenterII; CZ JonkerI
IDepartment of Environmental Sciences, UNISA, Private Bag X6, Florida 1710, South Africa
IICouncil for Geoscience, Private Bag X112, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
In many countries thermal springs are utilised for a variety of purposes, such as the generation of power, direct space heating, industrial processes, aquaculture and many more. The optimal use of a thermal spring is largely dependent upon its physical and chemical characteristics. This article focuses on the thermal and chemical features of 8 thermal springs located in the northern part of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Field data and water samples were collected from Evangelina, Tshipise, Sagole, Môreson, Siloam, Mphephu, Minwamadi and Die Eiland for analysis of physical and chemical parameters. The temperatures at source vary from 30ºC to 67.5ºC. The springs are associated with faults and impermeable dykes and are assumed to be of meteoric origin. The mineral composition of the thermal waters reflects the geological formations found at the depth of origin. None of the spring waters are fit for human consumption since they contain unacceptably high levels of bromide ions. Six springs do not conform to domestic water quality guidelines with respect to fluoride levels. Unacceptably high values of mercury were detected at Môreson and Die Eiland. Spring water at Evangelina is contaminated with selenium and arsenic. It is important to keep such limitations in mind when determining the ultimate use of the thermal springs.
Keywords: thermal springs, South Africa, macro and micro-elements, geological controls
A spring is described as a concentrated discharge of ground water that appears at the surface as a current of flowing water (Todd, 1980). Springs that discharge water which has a temperature above that of the normal local groundwater are called thermal springs (Todd, 1980). Thermal springs are natural geological phenomena that occur on all continents. Archaeological evidence shows that thermal springs have been in use for religious and/or medicinal purposes since before 2000 BC in India and for hundreds of years in Crete, Egypt, China, Japan, Turkey and many European and Middle-Eastern countries (Encarta Encyclopaedia, 1997). Many thermal springs developed into flourishing centres of religion, culture and health, such as those at Bath in England, Vichy in France and Baden-Baden in Germany.
The socio-economic importance of thermal springs has fluctuated over time (Booyens, 1981; Sanner, 2000; Atkinson and Davidson, 2002; Edmunds, 2004), but over the past few decades there has been an unprecedented resurgence of interest in this resource, mainly due to a diversification in the application of the waters (Christopher and Armstead, 1978; Samsudin et al., 1997). In addition to the increasing popularity of spas and the growing importance attached to the 'natural' health industry (Smith and Puczkò, 2009), thermal spring waters are increasingly being used for power generation, industrial processing, agriculture, aquaculture, bottled water and the extraction of rare elements (Vimmerstedt, 1998; Lund, 2000; Baradács et al., 2001; Lund and Freeston, 2001; Shevenell et al., 2002; Bahati, 2003; Hellman and Ramsey, 2004; Petraccia et al., 2005). In 2005, 72 countries reported on the direct utilisation of geothermal energy (Lund et al., 2005). According to Lund (2010), in 2009, global direct-use projects were estimated to have had an installed thermal capacity of 50 583 MW, with a thermal energy usage of 121 696 GWh per annum. A relatively recent development is the identification and use of thermophilic bacteria for possible industrial purposes (Zvauya and Zvidzai, 1995; Mawaza and Zvauyva, 1996; Mawadza et al., 2000; Haring et al., 2005; Narayan et al., 2008).
In contrast to other countries, South African thermal springs are some of the most under-researched and under-utilised of all natural resources. However, the increasing recognition of the value of geothermal resources suggests that there will be a rekindling of interest in South African thermal springs in the near future. However, it is important that care should be exercised in the type of development that occurs. For example, it cannot be assumed that all spring water is pure, since many naturallyoccurring minerals are harmful or even dangerous to human and animal health. A number of studies have found that geothermal water may contain toxic elements such as arsenic and mercury (Mandal and Suzuki, 2002; Romero et al., 2003; Churchhill and Clinkenbeard, 2005), radio-active elements (Kempster et al., 1996; Baradács et al., 2001) and pathogenic organisms such as the meningitis-causing Naeglerias fowleri (Sugita et al., 1999; Izumiyama et al., 2003; Craun et al., 2005) and Legionella pneumonia (Miyamoto et al., 1997).
To date over 90 thermal springs have been identified in South Africa, of which the Limpopo Province has more than any of the other provinces. A number of hot springs in Limpopo have been developed for recreational and tourism purposes, and at some water is bottled and sold for therapeutic purposes. At places, the thermal spring is the sole source of water for the entire resort. A few thermal springs remain in private hands for exclusive use by the land owner. There are a few - predominantly those located in previous homelands - that remain completely undeveloped. The availability of current scientific information on these resources is a prerequisite for sound decision-making regarding their use and development. However, most research on South African thermal springs was conducted during the 1910s and 1950s. The past 50 to 100 years have seen considerable changes in land use but it is not known whether these have had an impact on thermal springs of the region.
This article presents current information on 8 thermal springs located in the northern part of the Limpopo Province. Since the optimal use of a thermal spring is largely dependent on its physical and chemical characteristics, the article focuses on these aspects. Information is provided on the geological features of the study areas in view of their impact on the physical location of the springs and on their chemical characteristics. Due to the fact that most developed thermal springs have been sealed off and pumps installed, flow rates could not be measured and are not discussed. Information from previous research has been included where possible so as to give an overview of the characteristics of thermal springs in the northern Limpopo Province, and to provide a benchmark for the present research.
A comprehensive overview of previous research on South African thermal springs is provided in Olivier et al. (2008). The contribution of researchers such as Rindl (1916) and Kent (1949; 1952; 1969) are discussed, as well as theories on the origin, geographical distribution patterns and classification systems used for thermal spring waters. This article is the second reporting on the physical and chemical characteristics of South African thermal springs.
At least 24 of the 83 thermal springs and boreholes identified by Kent (1949) are located in the Limpopo Province (Fig. 1). They occur in 2 main regions, namely in the region of the Waterberg in the south and in the vicinity of the Soutpansberg in the north. Isolated springs are found to the east of the escarpment. This paper focuses on 8 thermal springs in that part of the province which is located north of the 24ºS line of latitude, excluding those in the Kruger National Park.
Data and methodology
Perusal of published sources (Rindl, 1916; Janish, 1931; Kent, 1949; Winfield, 1980) and a variety of maps, including topographical maps and those produced by Kent (1949), Boekstein (1998) and Hoole (2001), indicate the existence of 20 thermal springs in the study area, namely Paddysland, Tugela, Evangelina, Icon, Vetfontein, Masecula, Windhoek, Mphefu, Chipise, Gordonia, Klein Chipise, Souting, Letaba, Sulphur Springs, Stindal, Adrianskop, Masequa, Siloam (Sendedzane), Minwamadi and Makutsi.
There appears to be some confusion in the naming of some of the springs. A number of springs have undergone changes in use, ownership and name and some of the springs could only be identified by means of comparison of geographical coordinates. For instance, Klein Chipise (Tshipese) is now called Sagole; Gordonia seems to coincide geographically with Môreson, and Letaba is now the popular holiday resort of Die Eiland. Other springs were recognisable from their original names, only their spelling having changed. Chipise is currently spelt Tshipise, and Mpefu has changed to Mphephu. In other instances, the identification of springs was more difficult. One such case in point is the spring near Mphephu. Kent (1949) mentions that the spring at Mpefu has 2 eyes located 1.5 km apart. In Winfield's report on the thermal springs of Venda, he lists 2 springs, namely, Mpefu and Siloam (Sendedzane), in close proximity to each other and having more-or-less the same geographical co-ordinates. Moreover, the description of Winfield's Siloam (Sendedzane) spring coincides with that of Kent's Mpefu. It is therefore assumed that Mpefu, Siloam and Sendedzane are one and the same.
The majority of the thermal springs are located in the far northern and north-western part of Limpopo. Stindal, Tugela, Paddysland, Evangelina, Icon, Sulphur springs, Vetfontein, Masequa, Masecula and Windhoek are located to the west of the main road linking South Africa to Zimbabwe (the N1), while Tshipise, Môreson, Sagole, Mphephu and Minwamadi are located to the east of the N1 between Louis Trichardt and Musina (Messina). These 15 springs are clustered together in a SW-NE belt coinciding with the central and western parts of the Soutpansberg range. Adrianskop is located in the bed of the Olifants River to the south of Polokwane, while Souting, Die Eiland and Makutsi are located to the east of the escarpment.
Field trips were undertaken during 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010 to gather data from the springs in the northern part of Limpopo. According to local residents, the spring at Icon has dried up due to the extraction of large amounts of groundwater for agricultural production (Chidley, 1985). Apparently Masequa has also dried up while the thermal sources at Sulphur springs, Tugela, and Windhoek are thermal boreholes and not naturally-occurring springs. Vetfontein, Paddysland, Stindal, and Makutsi could not be located. The Souting springs issue within an extensive wetland. When visiting Mphephu, local residents indicated the presence of another hot spring, not previously documented by Kent. This will be referred to as Siloam, after the nearest village.
This article reports on the physical and chemical characteristics of 8 thermal springs visited during the field trips: Evangelina, Mphephu, Siloam, Minwamadi, Tshipise, Sagole, Môreson and Die Eiland. Information obtained from literature was used to augment data that could not be gathered during these field trips. Where possible, the temperature of the water was measured at the source of the springs using a laboratory quality glass mercury thermometer. In some cases, the source of the spring had been enclosed and was not accessible. Water samples were collected at source and stored at low temperatures (around 4ºC) in 1-litre sample bottles before being submitted to the Institute for Soil, Climate and Water at the Agricultural Research Council in Pretoria for chemical analysis. No gas samples were collected. It was not possible to collect flow rate data, since pumps have been installed at the majority of developed thermal spring resorts. Past flow rate data were obtained from Kent (1949), Kent and Russell (1950) and Hoffmann (1979) and have been included for the sake of completeness.
Results and discussion
Geographical characteristics of selected thermal springs
Mphephu and Siloam lie within the Nzhelele valley which is surrounded by the Soutpansberg mountain range. The Nzhelele River drains the area and flows north-westwards towards the Nzhelele Dam. The Mphephu thermal spring is situated at the foot of the northern flank of the Tswime Mountain at an elevation of around 850 m. There are 2 eyes approximately 1.5 km apart. The westernmost eye has been sealed off and the water used to fill the pools at the Mphephu holiday resort. During 2004, the temperature was measured from leaks of pipes near the source. A pool has subsequently been constructed at one of the eyes and the temperature of water bubbling from the ground could be measured.
The second eye is undeveloped and has been used by the Dopeni community for bathing ever since the Mphephu Resort was closed for general public use. Men and women are allocated specific times to bath in this thermal spring. Bars of soap were observed in the water and hence it was not possible to collect representative samples from the spring itself. The water flow rate appeared to be very low but constant, while irregular surges of gas escaped at intervals.
This hot spring is situated in the Siloam village on the property of one of the members of the community. Siloam is situated approximately 2 km northeast of Mphephu at the foot of the south-western flank of the Tonondwe Mountain. The spring emerges on the bank of a small stream running through the settlement. Although the community members indicated that neither its flow rate nor the temperature has changed over the past 40 years, measurements since 2003/4 indicated that both have decreased over the past 7 years. Mineral encrustations were observed in pipes leading from the spring.
This spring is located within the Honnet Nature Reserve, approximately 36 km from Musina, just off the R525 to the Kruger National Park. The Tshipise hot spring is situated at the foot of a 188 m high hill, surrounded by fairly flat terrain. It is a very well-known and popular holiday resort with 58 chalets, many camping sites, a restaurant and numerous conference and recreational facilities. The actual spring has been changed into a tourism feature. A concrete structure with glass windows has been constructed around the source. This allows visitors to view the water as it bubbles from the ground and the variety of multicoloured algae growing on the sides and floor of the spring.
Water samples were collected from a tap located close to the source.
Môreson (previously Gordonia)
The Môreson hot spring is located approximately 5 km to the north-northwest of Tshipise on the R508 to Musina. It is presently administered as a private shareholding scheme. A total of 47 of the 50 stands have been developed. Some of the units/ stands can be rented from individual owners. The thermal spring has been fitted with a pump which is used to fill the swimming pool(s).
Sagole, previously known as Klein Tshipise, is situated at Sagole village, approximately 57 km to the east of Tshipise. Thick growths of algae cover submerged rocks and the sides of the water course. Waters from the spring flow northwards into the Tshipise River.
During the 1970s and 80s the spa was developed as a holiday destination. It was less frequented than Tshipise, mainly due to its relative inaccessibility and the limited scale of development. Since then it has fallen into disrepair, although some efforts are currently being made to regenerate the spa. When visited in 2006, the spring was used as a waste dump by locals, but the area is being cleaned up.
At the time of the first field trip in 2003/4, Evangelina was being developed as a holiday resort with conference facilities. Boreholes had been sunk to augment the hot spring. Unfortunately the original source of the spring had been enclosed. Borehole- and spring-water was being used to fill a large open-air swimming pool. Temperatures ranging from 34 to 45ºC were measured from the various boreholes.
Die Eiland thermal spring, formerly known as Letaba, is located in the Limpopo lowveld, close to the Great Letaba River. It was utilised by local inhabitants as a source of salt long before European settlement. The salt was obtained by 'lixivating the mud through which the water issued and evaporating the resultant solutions over open fires in clay pots' (Kent, 1942: 35). According to Kent (1942), the spring has 5 eyes, issuing over a distance of 30 m. Temperatures of the eyes range from 37ºC to 42ºC.
The thermal spring has been developed as a resort. It boasts an indoor Hydro Spa, with water temperature regulated at 38ºC, as well as bubble jet baths and saunas (Boekstein, 1998). There are also more than 100 self-catering chalets, caravan sites, a restaurant, a few shops and many more recreational and sports facilities. It has the added tourism benefit of being surrounded by the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve and within easy driving distance of a number of other tourist attractions.
Minwamadi lies on the Nzhelele Dam road, about 15 km from the Wyllies Poort junction with the Thohoyando road, near the village of Khabu. The spring arises a few hundred meters from the Nzhelele River, on the west-facing flank of the Maangami range. It is completely undeveloped and seems to be known only to local communities in the immediate vicinity of the spring.
The geology of the study area includes various lithologies of the Soutpansberg Group and Karoo Supergroup, as well as the Goudplaats-Hout River Gneiss Suite and the Beit Bridge Complex.
The surface geology at Dopeni and Mphephu is indicated as mainly sandstone and quartzite of the Wyllies Poort and Nzhelele Formations of the Soutpansberg Group (Messina Map Sheet (Geological Survey, 1981)). Barker et al. (2006) describe the Wyllies Poort Formation as a predominantly clastic succession, and comprising mainly sandstone and quartzite (resistant to weathering), with minor conglomerate shale and basaltic lava. According to the South African Committee for Stratigraphy (Barker et al., 2006), the basalts of the Musekwa Formation outcrop in the Siloam Valley. This basal lava layer was previously considered to be part of the Nzhelele Formation. The layer of basalt is followed by argillaceous and arenaceous sediments (Brandl, 1981).
Barely 5 km from Mphephu, the thermal spring at Siloam is underlain by basaltic lava of the Sibasa Formation. The basalt is responsible for the more undulating topography to the south of the Soutpansberg (Brandl, 1981). The Sibasa Formation contains minor interbedded quartzite, shale and conglomerate (Barker et al., 2006). Minwamadi is situated on the slopes of the mountain flanking the Nzhelele River. According to the Messina Map Sheet (Geological Survey, 1981), the underlying geology is sandstone, quartzite and red shaly sandstone of the Nzhelele Formation.
Even though Tshipise, Sagole (Klein Tshipise) and Evangelina are geographically far apart, all 3 thermal springs are underlain by rocks of the Karoo Supergroup. Sagole is underlain by sedimentary rocks and Tshipise by volcanic rocks of the Letaba Formation.
Kent (1969) described the reason for the thermal spring at Evangelina as a fault in Archaean granite-gneiss. According to the Alldays Map Sheet (CGS, 2000), the thermal spring is underlain by amphibolite and minor granulite of the Malala Drift Gneiss Suite.
Sagole is associated with the Klein Tshipise Fault, which locally is the contact between Karoo Supergroup rocks (Madzaringwe- and Mikambeni Formations) to the north and basalt of the Nzhelele Formation (Musekwa Formation) to the south of the fault (Messina Map Sheet (Geological Survey, 1981)). The Nzhelele Formation forms part of the Soutpansberg Supergroup. The Madzaringwe Formation comprises mainly micaceous sandstone, siltstone and shale (Johnson et al., 2006). Some coal seams may be present in this formation (Brandl, 1981). The Mikambeni Formation consists of mudstone, black shale and laminated sandstone with occasional thin coal seams (Johnson et al., 2006). The basaltic lava is described by Brandl (1981) to be greenish grey, slightly amygdaloidal and with fine to coarse grain sizes.
Tshipise is located close to the confluence of 2 faults, one of which is called the Tshipise Fault (Messina Map Sheet (Geological Survey, 1981). According to Kent (1969), the Karoo Supergroup rocks have a thickness of 2 100 m, and are underlain by Archaean granite. The Letaba Formation immediately underlying the spring at Tshipise comprises mainly basalt. The spring also lies close to a dolerite intrusion, and to the contact between the Letaba Formation and the Gumbu Group of the Beit Bridge Complex which underlies the spring at Môreson. The Gumbu Group comprises mainly calc-silicate rocks and marble (Brandl, 1981).
The underlying geology at Die Eiland (Letaba) and Souting (Soutini) is grey biotite gneiss and micmatite of the Goudplaats Gneiss (Tzaneen Map Sheet (Geological Survey, 1985)).
Table 1 summarises the geology and geological structures associated with the thermal springs under discussion. Information was obtained from literature and from perusal of geological maps of the area.
It should, however, be kept in mind that the surface geology does not necessarily reflect the true origin of the spring water or explain its particular characteristics. The origin must be sought and/or can be inferred from the chemical composition of the water, its temperature and the local geothermal gradient, and knowledge of the structural geology of the area.
Table 2 lists the temperature measured at source (where the hot water issues at the Earth's surface). The second column indicates temperatures measured during the field trips in 2004, whereas the third column gives the corresponding temperatures as obtained from literature.
Two of the springs in the northern part of Limpopo can be classified as scalding, six are hot, and six are warm. The temperatures of another six are not known. Perusal of Fig. 1 and Table 2 indicates that there is no spatial correlation between the location of springs and their thermal characteristics. Tshipise, for instance, has a temperature of 58ºC, while Môreson, about 8 km away, is only around 40ºC. A difference of around 20ºC occurs between Mphephu (43ºC) and Siloam (60+ºC), less than 5 km apart.
It is generally assumed that Brandvlei is the hottest thermal spring in South Africa (64ºC). However, in 2004 Siloam was 3.5ºC hotter. Contrary to the situation at other springs, both the temperature and flow rates at Siloam have decreased over the past few years, measuring only 62ºC in 2010. At the other springs, the temperatures are essentially the same as they were in the 1940s and 1950s. It is expected that these will remain the same in the foreseeable future.
Major elements and ions
Thermal springs are usually mineralised to a greater or lesser extent depending on the characteristics of the geological formations associated with the circulating groundwater (Todd, 1980). The results of the chemical analyses of water samples collected from the 8 springs in this study are given in Table 3. Where available, data for 2004 and 2010 are given. Water quality standards provided by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) 1999 for Class 1 potable water are given to facilitate evaluation of water quality.
With minor exceptions, the 2004 and 2010 values are similar and do not indicate any significant variation during this 6-year period. It is therefore most probable that the composition of the other springs has also remained constant over the short term.
Water samples from the 8 northern Limpopo springs share a number of chemical characteristics. With the exception of Minwamadi, the springs have a pH of around 8; are neutral (neither corrosive nor depositional: pHs - pH = -1 to +1) and have sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of more than 1. The latter indicates that they are not suitable for irrigation. According to Bond's classification (1946), Mphephu, Minwamadi, Siloam, Tshipise and Sagole are temporary hard carbonate waters (C) while Evangelina and Die Eiland are highly mineralised chloride-sulphate waters (A). Mazor and Verhagen (1983) classify Die Eiland and Tshipise as saline waters (936 to 2 364 mg/ TDI). Using this criterion, Evangelina's water would also be classified as saline. In terms of major ions, only water from Minwamadi and Sagole are suitable for human consumption - the other springs having fluoride values exceeding the recommended South African Guidelines for Domestic Water Quality (DWAF, 1996) value of 1 mg/.
A comparison of present research findings with those for Tshipise and Evangelina given by Kent in 1949 (Table 3, in brackets), reveals that the mineral compositions of the waters have remained largely constant over the last 60 years. Minor differences are probably due to differences in collection methods and analytical techniques, rather than fundamental changes in water chemistry. The reason for the difference between Mazor and Verhagen's data (1983) for Die Eiland and that obtained during field trips conducted for this study is not known.
A Piper diagram (Fig. 2) is used to illustrate the chemical character of the thermal spring waters and to identify the degree of correspondence between the source areas of the springs. The explanation of the Piper diagram is based on that of Johnston (1975) as given in Lloyd and Heathcote (1985).
This diagram indicates that Môreson and Tshipise have very similar hydrochemical characteristics and therefore may share a common source area. The same principle seems to apply to Sagole and Siloam, despite their geographic distance apart.
Môreson and Tshipise are typical sodium chloride brines, while, surprisingly, Die Eiland and, to a lesser extent, Evangelina, seem to share characteristics of sea water. The unusual composition of water at Die Eiland was also commented upon by Kent in 1942 (p. 40) who suggested a number of possible sources of the elements of this water. Most of the ions in the Eiland hot springs could have been acquired from the granite, and, to a lesser degree, diabase and basic rocks such as amphibolites present in the granite. 'The Cl-, however, is not so readily accounted for' (Kent, 1942:40). Kent speculates that juvenile or rejuvenated water may contribute to the spring's flow and that there is a distinct possibility that it may be derived from cyclic salts dissolved by meteoric water. Kent also noted that part of the Cl-may have been derived from connate salts in the Karoo strata of the Lebombo Group. These salts could be blown in from the Indian Ocean 180 km to the east of Die Eiland. The difference between the cation composition of spring water and sea water may have come about from reactions between clays and base-exchange silicates.
Waters from Siloam, Sagole, Mphephu and Minwamadi have higher concentrations of HCO3 and CO3 ions than the other springs, which are higher in Cl-. In terms of cation concentrations, Minwamadi differs from the other springs in that it is richer in Mg ions. The Na+ concentrations are very high at Môreson, Tshipise, Siloam, Sagole, and Die Eiland. None of the springs is rich in calcium and sulphate ions.
Most of the springs - with the possible exception of Minwamadi, Evangelina and Die Eiland - are typically those found in dynamic basin environments (Lloyd and Heathcote, 1985). The latter 3 springs fall just into the upper half of the diamond-shape figure. The dominant processes, at all except Mphephu and Minwamadi, are dissolution and mixing. It is surprising that waters from Minwamadi appear to be associated with recent dolomitic water since this spring is located in the Soutpansberg range. It is possible that it has been contaminated by human activity.
Influence of geology on chemical characteristics
The rocks forming the Soutpansberg Mountains consist of redcoloured sandstones and are underlain by voluminous basaltic lavas with interlaid volcanic ash beds of rhyolite (McCarthy and Rubidge, 2005). The high Na+ concentrations at all springs, except for Die Eiland, Evangelina and Mimwamadi, probably originate from quartz and sodium-rich plagioclase feldspars from the sandstones and shales. At Minwamadi, the Mg2+ and Ca2+ may be associated with basaltic intrusions. These ions are also more abundant in waters from Mphephu than those from Siloam and might derive from sandstones, quartzites and some basaltic intrusions. The geology at Evangelina is extremely complex and it is thus difficult to speculate on the origin of the minerals in these waters. The unusual composition of Die Eiland has been mentioned by Kent (1942; 1949) and has been discussed above.
According to Mazor and Verhagen (1983), less saline waters issue from crystalline rocks while the saline waters are associated with sedimentary rocks. However, according to the surface geology and that at depth, this does not seem to apply to northern Limpopo springs, with the possible exception of Evangelina.
Water samples from the 8 thermal springs visited were analysed for 29 trace elements by the Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ARC, Pretoria). The information given in Table 4 comprises the most comprehensive dataset available to date.
Target ranges for domestic water quality for some of the trace elements are listed in Columns 2 and 3 as given by Mamba et al. (2008). The World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Union (EU) standards have been included since South African (SA) standards are at times less stringent than those used in other countries. WHO and EU standards are important in the event of bottling the water for the international market or for consumption by overseas visitors.
According to SA drinking water standards, all 8 thermal springs from the northern part of Limpopo contain 'unacceptably' high values of bromine while mercury levels exceed drinking water standards at Die Eiland and Môreson. The concentrations of selenium are also high at Die Eiland, Evangelina and Môreson. Evangelina has the poorest water quality of the 8 springs, exceeding recommended levels for bromine, selenium, and arsenic, and has very high levels of mercury, iodine, strontium, boron, titanium and vanadium. The water quality at Die Eiland is almost as poor, exceeding SA recommended levels for bromine, mercury and selenium. High concentrations of lithium, strontium and vanadium are also present at Die Eiland, relative to the other springs. The 'best' water qualities are found at Minwamadi, Sagole and Tshipise - even though they do not meet S A water quality standards for bromide. It should be noted that it is immaterial whether the elements in the water originate from the geological formations or from other sources: the fact remains that the long-term ingestion of water from these sources may be hazardous to human health.
Summary and conclusion
This article expands and enhances the present knowledge of the physical and chemical characteristics of 8 thermal springs in the northern region of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, and permits comparison with earlier findings so as to identify temporal variations in water quality over the last 50 to 60 years.
The springs are all of meteoric origin and range from warm to scalding in temperature. The mineral composition of the thermal waters probably reflects the geological formations that occur at the depth of origin of the thermal spring water rather than surface geology, since adjacent springs have disparate chemical properties. This implies that springs located in the same area may not have the same development potential.
The differences between pHs and pHs values of most of the spring waters (except Minwamadi) are small (less than ±1), indicating that they are neither corrosive nor depositional in nature. However, SAR values of >1 counter-indicate their use for irrigation. Unacceptably high levels of fluoride are present in water from all of the thermal springs, except Minwamadi and Sagole, and none of the springs conforms to drinking water standards in terms of their bromine concentrations. The waters from the 8 thermal springs in the northern part of Limpopo are thus not fit for human consumption. The quality of waters from Die Eiland, Môreson and Evangelina are especially suspect in view of the relatively high selenium content.
Comparison of the physical and chemical characteristics of waters from Tshipise and Evangelina shows relatively little variation in temperature and the concentrations of major ions and trace elements. In contrast, the flow rate and temperature at Siloam has decreased considerably over a period of only 6 years. This seems to be coupled with lower rainfall over the region. At present no information is available on the residence time of waters that emerge as thermal springs. It is thus not known whether changes in land use may affect the mineral composition of the waters. Nevertheless, care should be taken in the type of land use practised in thermal spring catchment areas. It is clear that the present use of untreated thermal spring water for domestic purposes and as bottled drinking water is undesirable and may even be illegal. In addition, the use of thermal spring water for recreational purposes such as swimming should be closely monitored.
It is thus important that the physical and chemical composition of thermal springs be monitored on a regular basis and that any developers of thermal springs, albeit for present or future activities, should take cognisance of the chemical properties of the springs and should implement appropriate measures to minimise risk.
This research formed part of a NRF-funded project: Focus Area Sustainable Livelihoods (GUN: 2054058) in 2004, as well as a Water Research Commission project (WRC project No. K5/1959/1) in 2010). The support of these organisations, as well as that of the University of South Africa (2003), are gratefully acknowledged. We also wish to thank Ingrid Booysen (UP) for drafting the map.
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Received 15 February 2011; accepted in revised form 5 September 2011. | <urn:uuid:83213b67-7fd3-4c2e-995d-a5d6c9fb45fd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1816-79502011000400001&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00063-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901947 | 10,643 | 3.515625 | 4 |
No Child Left Behind is one of those laws made like a Bismarckian sausage. The more the public knew what was in it, the more unappealing it was and difficult to swallow, politically. The idea of some such legislation was proposed by President George W. Bush in January of 2001. Many schools were not doing a good job of educating America’s young. Something, anything, had to done. The original legislation, The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 , was coauthored by Representatives John Boehner (R-OH), George Miller (D-CA), and Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH). Passed by both houses of Congress, by June 14, 2001, President Bush signing it into law on January 8, 2002.
Everyone involved seemed delighted. Look at all of those smiles. The president had looked for a bipartisan bill. He got that, but bipartisan means no one was truly happy with it. Conservatives had sought real reform of the education system, including parental choice and liberals wanted more money and strength for teacher’s unions. The result really pleased no one and left some matters wide open because the legislators simply could not agree what must be done. Chester Finn, at the time:
To avoid deadlock, Senate-House conferees punted some sticky issues to the Education Department to resolve. Among them: determining what constitutes acceptable state tests; establishing criteria by which to approve a state’s school accountability plan; defining “qualified” teachers; and deciding how broadly to interpret a clause that lets schools avoid sanctions if their students make lesser gains than those required under the bill’s “adequate yearly progress” provision. With such weighty matters come many smaller issues, and their handling will determine what effect this legislation actually has in millions of separate classrooms.
It has been awful. We are all sick of NCLB, which is like a sausage flavored as both a spicy Bratwurst and Bob Evans Maple Breakfast all at once. It is a great example of bipartisanship and the kind of legislation that is produced when everyone agrees that, “Something must be done!” and democratically tries to do everything everyone wants all at once rather than do anything coherent that might offend someone.
Now something must be done about NCLB, but instead of tossing the whole darn thing and starting over through the current divisive Congress, the Obama Administration is taking the executive route and granting waivers, the latest to Washington and Wisconsin. At what point does this waiver process nullify the law? That is the question asked in “No Child Law Whittled Down by White House , by Motoko Rich. Having had enough with political impasse, “The waivers appear to follow an increasingly deliberate pattern by the administration to circumvent lawmakers, as it did last month when it granted hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants a reprieve from deportation . The administration has also unveiled policies to prevent drug shortages, raise fuel economy standards and cut refinancing fees for federally insured mortgages. ”
I’ll let the other issues go for now. Yet what surprise is there in Progressives letting experts take matters in hand when there is little chance of compromise between the two parties in the legislative process? After all, something must be done and we can safely leave what that is to the experts who had done such a wonderful job interpreting and implementing NCLB over the last twelve years. Perhaps as a result, the waivers contain much in the way of real reform. From Fox News ,
Washington’s waiver application emphasized its embrace of new national education standards, the state’s new teacher and principal evaluations, and its efforts to take a broader look at student achievement beyond reading and math by also testing for writing and science.
The waiver agreement requires that by 2018, Washington cut in half achievement gaps between various ethnic and economic groups, when compared with 100 percent passage rates. For example, if one group had 74 percent passing reading in 2011, that group would need to have 87 percent passing by 2018.
The agreement adds another requirement for Title I schools, which are high-poverty public schools that get extra money from the federal government to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind.
We see tinkering with a failed recipe here. A little more of this and a little less of that and the main point is that schools at risk get more money. Let’s consider that. Federal spending on K-12 education has about doubled since 2001. State and local spending have certainly not declined. Where is the value in increased spending? In my state of Ohio, districts now spend between $8,000 and $15,000 per student per year. I read from critics that we are 46th in the country in spending on education. It seems like a lot of money to me, but the results are not pleasing. Of the students who go on to college, 43-46% need some sort of remediation in math or English. Current modes of K_12 education do not seem productive. Reform is needed more than money. But please, no more experimentation. As Thomas Sowell recently noted, “Education may be the only field of human endeavor where experiments always seem to succeed as judged by their advocates.”
I suppose there is a difference between literacy and functional literacy. Statistics for literacy in the U.S. indicate that 95% of our population is literate. What is the standard of literacy? Perhaps that is our problem. We ask so little of our students. Sowell’s article speaks to that. We need to do something about the delivery of education, but not just anything. Perhaps, since real decline in quality have occurred in the years since the federal government became more fully engaged in regulating education, the answer might be taking the federal government out of public education. That would be a radical reform.Rather than liberating students, we could liberate the system, at least until we can see what works and what doesn’t. At the moment we have a bad recipe for education and need something in better taste with more nutrition.
UPDATE: This , by David Brooks, about how Henry V would have fared in a modern public school. It’s no place for warriors.
Thanks to Joe Knippenberg. | <urn:uuid:bf082daf-01d6-40ba-aaee-00c9d0a429d8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2012/07/what-is-the-recipe-for-deconstructing-nclb | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397865.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00151-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971906 | 1,294 | 2.5625 | 3 |
October 29, 2007
Wind Farms Generate Bird Worries
The rapid expansion of wind energy farms in the Columbia River Gorge's shrub steppes could put hawks, eagles and other raptors on a collision course with fields of giant turbines and their 150-foot blades.
By year's end, more than 1,500 turbines will be churning out electricity in the gorge, a windy corridor at the forefront of a nationwide effort to produce cleaner energy. Until now, most of the projects have gone up in wheat fields -- cultivated land that long ago drove away the rodents that raptors hunt.But as wind energy developers move into wilder areas along the gorge's ridge lines, near canyons and amid shrub-covered rangeland, the potential for conflict rises. If bird studies confirm the fears of Oregon and Washington state wildlife biologists, the green-minded Northwest might be forced to weigh its pursuit of pollution-free energy against the toll on raptors and other birds.
The numbers sound small: Nationwide, collisions kill about 2.3 birds of all varieties per turbine per year, studies show. In the Northwest, it's about 1.9 birds per turbine. That could mean more than 3,000 bird deaths a year in the gorge.
But birders say those numbers are meaningless because the totals make no distinction between abundant and rare species. Golden eagles and ferruginous hawks -- a threatened species in Washington -- already are few in number, said Michael Denny of the Blue Mountain Audubon Society, and even a few fatalities could prove devastating.
"We'll have certain species in sharp local decline," Denny said. "If you lose breeding populations like the ferruginous hawk, you're not going to see them recover."
Raptors generally fly 300 to 400 feet above the ground -- about the height of most wind turbines. Hawks and eagles ride the thermals off the high windy ridges above the Columbia River as they search for ground squirrels and pocket gophers. Some are migratory and others are resident birds.
Raptors are known for their keen eyesight and might learn to negotiate the turbines and their spinning blades, studies suggest. But hunting and migrating instincts are so ingrained and so intense that the birds might not see the obstacles until it's too late, biologists say.
The shrub steppes and grasslands that cover large swaths along the river east of the Cascades are classic raptor habitat, said David Anderson, a district biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "We have concerns we're losing that habitat."
But even the cultivated areas with wind farms have bird experts worried. In Oregon's Sherman County, several hundred turbines stretch through wheat fields outside the small town of Wasco, creating one of the highest concentrations of wind farms in the gorge.
"They're going up so fast, we're worried about the cumulative effects," said Keith Kohl, a wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's mid-Columbia district.
Energy companies conduct wildlife studies before pegging a specific site for development. They submit their findings to state or county authorities, who decide whether projects will go forward.
In some cases, regulators have required developers to shift turbine locations, establish buffer zones or set aside acreage exclusively for wildlife.
Often, developers must patrol their wind farms and record bird kills.
"We pride ourselves on building projects that adhere to the requirements," said Darin Huseby, Northwest regional director for developer enXco Inc., a California-based company with several projects in Klickitat County. "We want to be a net benefit to the environment."
Bird experts don't know how many raptors fly above the steppes, but it's a well-documented and well-traveled migratory route. It's also known breeding territory for golden eagles. At least one pair nest within two miles of a wind project under construction in south-central Klickitat County, and birders fear the worst.
"They're going to get whacked," said Denny, the Blue Mountain Audubon Society representative, who tried to stop the 97-turbine project, called Windy Point. "They'll fly right into those turbines."
A report by the federal Bonneville Power Administration suggests that annual bird fatalities in the gorge would be similar to the Northwest rate. The BPA reviews wind projects before hooking them into its transmission network. The report concluded that "cumulative mortalities in the Pacific Northwest region are relatively insignificant" compared with total bird populations in the area.
So far, developers have found three dead ferruginous hawks at operating wind farms, two in Washington and one in Oregon.
Portland-based PPM Energy recorded one of those kills at Big Horn, its 133-turbine project in Klickitat County. To compensate, the company agreed to help pay for a study that will tag several ferruginous hawks with radio transmitters and chart their movements.
During the permit process, PPM also agreed to exceed requirements for setbacks from a canyon frequented by raptors, and it bought 455 acres for a turbine-free conservation area, said Jan Johnson, a PPM Energy spokeswoman. "We know it's a community that loves its birds, and we take that seriously."
Washington biologists already have placed radio collars on golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and Swainson's hawks to track the birds in Klickitat County.
Preliminary mapping of wind turbines and tagged raptors has yielded "compelling results," said Bill Weiler, a habitat biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "It shows high concentrations of raptors in areas where turbines are proposed."
Other birds also could be in danger. Some of the turbines under construction at Goodnoe Hills in Klickitat County skirt an oak grove. One will rise less than 100 feet from the tree line, despite biologists' request for a 300-foot setback.
Lewis's woodpeckers, ash-throated flycatchers and owls are among the birds that perch and nest in the oaks, Weiler said. "Oak woodlands are magnets for birds. It's habitat that should be buffered."
Huseby of enXco, a partner in developing Goodnoe Hills, said the close-in turbine was a mistake. To compensate, he said, the company has agreed to pay for further bird studies and to fence the base of the turbine so animals that attract birds stay away.
The company has acted responsibly, Huseby said, but the public must be the final arbiter.
"The reality of our economy, our way of life is that we need to build certain facilities to provide electricity," and they will have certain effects on the environment, he said. "It's a societal question: What degree of (bird) mortality are they willing to accept?" | <urn:uuid:3b715db4-3fe0-4f0a-8d83-7047331b892d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1122105/wind_farms_generate_bird_worries/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00194-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946529 | 1,438 | 2.828125 | 3 |
A single run on the Applied Biosystems SOLiD 3 sequencer can generate more than 20 billion base pairs of sequence. Mass spectrometry systems now have the capability to generate thousands of spectra from a single sample. High-throughput chemical genomics platforms can screen cell lines against thousands (or in some cases, millions) of different compounds in a few days. This level of analysis—which can be measured in terabytes of data—is no longer the realm of large, multi-lab initiatives. Indeed, even smaller lab groups are now generating reams of information on a daily basis. Like it or not, biology has moved into the fast-paced, high-throughput, modern world. And though this move has created unique possibilities for researchers in all fields, there are issues that accompany such large-scale data generation that will need to be solved, and quickly.
The ability to generate these expansive datasets quickly and cheaply has really given biology a new outlook on life. The recent expansion of DNA sequencing technology and capability is just one example. Having moved in a very short time from the celebrated completion of the 13-year Human Genome Project in 2003 at a price of $1 billion, today an individual genome can be sequenced for less than $50,000 in a time frame of several weeks—some companies even anticipate that the cost could be as low as $5,000 as early as next year, and that the sequencing time frame will eventually reach a single day. The effect of this technology boom has transformed the world of personal genomics and medicine, and enabled the eventual integration of a patient's genomic information with their clinical profile and medical history to gain new insights into the genetic basis of human disease. But personal genomics could soon begin to generate data at a pace and volume which, five years ago, any biologist would not have dreamed possible. While this is good news for many scientists when it comes to the potential to make new discoveries, the difficulty emerges in both protecting and sharing this information among scientists and clinicians.
Several databases have been established for scientists to share the results of their sequencing efforts, along with many other databases catering to microarray datasets (such as Gene Expression Omnibus), mass spectrometry studies (such as Open Proteomics Database at the University of Texas), and clinical imaging efforts [including the National Cancer Institute's integrated Cancer Bioinformatics Grid (caBIG)]. These databases, and those that are sure to emerge in the coming years, fulfill a critical need since the datasets they contain can provide different information to researchers depending on how these datasets are analyzed. But coordinating data sharing and access among researchers can be a challenge and will take time and effort to perfect.
Recently, a group of researchers led by a biostatistician at Yale School of Public Health used data from the National Institutes of Health database of genotypes and phenotypes (dbGaP) for a study that was accepted into the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Although researchers are often asked to sign an agreement (called a Data Use Certificate) which states that for one year, dbGaP data will not be used by anyone other than the depositing scientist, their article was accepted and appeared prior to the end of that one-year embargo period. To their credit, all involved took quick action to retract the paper and an investigation is moving ahead now to determine how the breach occurred. Sharing data via large databases is an important mechanism to move science forward, but so too is protecting the rights of those who did the work to produce these datasets in the first place. Going forward, both journals and funding agencies will have to be more scrupulous when reviewing manuscripts or grants that are contingent on dataset analysis; they must consider how these datasets were obtained for analysis in the first place, as well as how they will be made available to other researchers to validate and expand upon the results.
There is little doubt that biologists will continue to push the proverbial envelope, and in doing so obtain larger and larger dataset sizes. Storing this data and sharing it among peers is going to be a key discussion point for years to come, but the value of all researchers having access to such treasure troves of information is one that far outweighs the occasional setbacks that will take place as we move forward. | <urn:uuid:a9819d3a-ce5c-4393-a0a0-da3fea1e8688> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.biotechniques.com/BiotechniquesJournal/2009/November/New-World-Data/biotechniques-180380.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402516.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00189-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956468 | 870 | 3.03125 | 3 |
What dust collector owner and/or operator doesn’t want to see lower total emissions, longer filter life or compressed air savings? Yet, many lack a basic understanding of differential pressure, which could guide them towards the changes that would help them realize these savings. This article addresses differential pressure as it relates to dry dust collection systems.
WHAT IS DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE?
Differential pressure is the difference in pressure from the dirty side (filter side or dirty air plenum) to the clean side (clean air plenum) of a dust collector. It is a measure of all resistances to airflow between the two chambers of the collector and typically includes the loss through the orifices of the tubesheet, the resistance of the clean filter media, and the resistance of dust collected on the filter media.
WHAT DOES DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE TELL US?
Changes in the differential pressure are an indication of physical changes in the filters. A sudden drop in differential pressure drop may alert us that a filter leak or rupture has occurred. A sudden increase in differential pressure drop may be an indication that our cleaning system has stopped functioning, or a material discharge device is no longer operating correctly.
A more gradual increase in differential pressure drop may be a result of the additional resistance accumulated dust on the filters is placing on airflow going through the dust collector. You can use the reading of this resistance to determine the relative condition of the filters as the dust builds up on the filters and to initiate cleaning of the filters when needed.
HOW DO YOU MEASURE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE?
Differential pressure is measured using a variety of gauges including: *Magnehelic® Gauges, *Photohelic® Gauges, or digital electronic pressure drop indicators. These gauges typically measure differential pressure in units of inches of water gauge (“w.g.) though other scales such as mm of water, mm of mercury, or pascals are used.
Gauges like the Magnehelic Gauge measure differential pressure, but have no electronic control capabilities. Other gauges like the Photohelic Gauge or digital electronic pressure drop indicators can both measure the differential pressure and offer the capability to use an output to control filter cleaning based on differential pressure.
HOW DOES A TYPICAL CLEANING SYSTEM WORK?
A typical cleaning system for the filters within dust collectors uses compressed air. The cleaning system consists of an air manifold mounted on the collector connected to a compressed supply. Attached to the manifold are diaphragm valves that have tubes (blowpipes) that go into the collector and are lined up with each filter set. Inside each diaphragm valve is a rubber diaphragm that holds equal pressure on both sides of the diaphragm valve sealing the manifold from each blowpipe.
Attached to the collector is also a solenoid enclosure with generally the same number of solenoid valves as there are diaphragm valves. A tube, typically a 0.25-inch diameter, connects each solenoid valve to a diaphragm valve.
A timer board is part of the system wired to the solenoid valves. The timer board typically requires 110 VAC to operate and, when energized, sends sequential signals to each of the solenoid valves. The solenoid valve plunger assembly allows air to escape through an outlet port when energized, allowing air to bleed off the back of the diaphragm valve. This action allows compressed air from the manifold to enter the blowpipe directing the air into the filters to facilitate cleaning. This pulse of compressed air has a very short duration (typically 100 milliseconds) that cleans the filters from the inside, knocking the dust off the outside surface of the filter. This sequence occurs roughly every 10 seconds, as the timer cycles through each of the solenoid valves. After energizing the last solenoid, the timer board cycles back to the first solenoid, repeating the sequence.
HOW CAN YOU USE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE TO CONTROL FILTER CLEANING?
Differential pressure measured by a Photohelic Gauge or other electronic pressure drop indicators, can allow you to use low and high set points to control the cleaning cycle so it will start only when the differential pressure reaches a high point, and will stop when the differential pressure reaches a low set point.
For example: If the high setting is 4-inches w.g. and the low setting is 2-inches w.g., the cleaning cycle will start when the differential pressure reaches 4-inches w.g. and will continue to cycle until the differential pressure reaches the low setting of 2-inches w.g. when the cleaning cycle will stop. Cleaning will not start again until the differential pressure reaches 4-inches w.g.
The benefits of cleaning based on differential pressure include compressed air savings opportunities, lower total emissions, longer life on solenoids and diaphragms valves, and potentially longer filter life. If the collector only cleans when differential pressure exceeds a high set point, the consumption of expensive compressed air is less than if the cleaning system runs continuously. Cleaning filters only when required means they are pulsed less frequently, so it takes longer before the total wear-and-tear of pulsing damages the filters. If the filters are also quality surface-loading filters, each pulse is more effective at cleaning, and you need fewer pulses to reach the low differential pressure set point. This reduction in the frequency of pulsing has the added benefit of leaving an effective dust layer on the filter to increase average efficiency. Since the filter can be pulsed when the increase in differential pressure from an excessive dust load is created, the collector runs at higher efficiency longer.
The **Delta-P Plus® Controller
also has down-time cleaning that allows you to clean the filters after shutting off the main fan to the collector. You can set the duration of time you would like the filters to clean, and the unit will automatically shut off after the duration is complete. This feature is very beneficial because unit cleaning cannot be accidentally left on overnight while a process is not running, which could potentially damage the filters and needlessly consume compressed air. When this feature is used, there should be an inlet blast gate placed on the inlet duct work, and it should be closed during downtime cleaning. Closing the blast gate will limit the ability for dust to migrate out the inlet, without the suction of the fan on.
Because each application is different, the cleaning control set up will be dependent upon the type of dust generated, the loading on the filters, and the hours per day of usage. For example: A very fine, uniform dust particle size with heavy loading on the filters, such as from laser or plasma cutting, may dictate a continuous cleaning cycle to allow filters to recover when the differential pressure starts to increase. A dust that has a larger particle size (not sub-micron particulate) and a broad range of particle sizes may be set up with low and high settings so the collector only pulses when required. This can be advantageous to any worker who may have to be close to the dust collector during cleaning cycles.
WHAT OTHER IMPACT DOES DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE HAVE?
When selecting fans for a particular application, you must make some assumption for a typical differential pressure, typically 4 to 5-inches of water gauge. This assumed differential pressure plus whatever additional static loss is in the ductwork before and after the collector determines the total static requirement for the fan. If the estimated ductwork static loss is 3-inches and the estimated differential pressure drop across the filters at end of life is 5-inches, you might recommend a fan offering 9 to 10-inches of water gauge static capability at the required airflow. This allows the fan the ability to overcome the differential pressure on the filters when they start to build with dust. Because clean filters will not have 5-inches of static resistance, we recommend a control damper or Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) on the motor to allow you to maintain air volumes at design levels so the system holds capture velocity at the hood, carrying velocity in the ducts and design flow to the collector.
When you inquire when to change filters in your dust collector, the suggestion is often made to do so when the differential pressure reading across the filters exceeds the capacity designed into the fan selection (5-inches in our example), and when the filters can no longer be cleaned to the low differential pressure reading. At that point, it becomes necessary to change filters in order to reestablish design flow. If the system operates with a differential pressure higher than accounted for in the fan selection, there may be a loss of suction at the hood collecting the generated dust. The capture efficiency would then no longer be acceptable, though this is not always the case.
If the fan has sufficient static capability, differential pressure may not cause any immediate problems with dust capture. If this is the case, there is not an immediate need to change filters, and the high and low set points on the cleaning control system can be adjusted upward.
While dust collection applications and scenarios vary widely, most operators would benefit from an increased understanding of differential pressure. Informed operators have the opportunity to make a difference and positively impact the company’s bottom line. | <urn:uuid:d6a2ac70-30da-48bb-a659-75544e0cafdb> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www2.donaldson.com/torit/en-us/pages/technicalinformation/differentialpressure.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00141-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919393 | 1,915 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Cities have long been thought of as incubators of progress. In his Great Society speech in 1964, Lyndon Johnson reminded Americans of the growing importance of cities to national and societal development, calling them "the frontiers of imagination and innovation." A similar perspective, albeit five decades prior, was shared by Ezra Pound, who believed the metropolis to be the mother of all great art. Truly, for many, the city is an Ideal -- an object of hope, desire, and aspiration. It's also one helluva great place to meet singles.
For these reasons and countless more, hyper-urbanization has become a prevalent characteristic of modern culture. In fact, 2007 marked the first year in human history in which more than half of the global population lives in an urban area, and the transformation continues at full tilt.
As urbanization is proving to be such a powerful (and perhaps irreversible) force, a recent study by scientists at the University of Michigan on the affects of urban living on the human brain should be of serious interest to at least a handful of people - as it may conflict with some of our basic feelings and beliefs about our cities. Unfortunately for this new urban majority, the study reveals an inconvenient truth: the city is dimming our wits.
In an effort to discover how exposure to city living affects the human brain, these psychologists at UofM split their subjects into two groups: one group took a walk through an arboretum, while the other strolled down the streets of Ann Arbor. Afterward, the students were exposed to a battery of psychological tests, many of which evaluated the brain's ability to process, retain, and recall information. Their findings showed that the group exposed to a natural environment out-performed those who strolled through Ann Arbor by at least 20 percent across the board.
The reasons for this discrepancy are numerous. Primarily, we often forget that cities are, simply put, unnatural. For the most part, they tend not to blend into their immediate surroundings (cough, Las Vegas, cough), or integrate at all really, nor do they traditionally make effective use of proximate natural resources. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the features that make cities "unnatural" have adverse psychological effects on the brain.
For example, on a basic level, it takes our brains quite a bit of energy to sort out the complex and often overwhelming stimuli washing over us on the typical city block. Factor in crowds, traffic, lights, noise, and there's little wonder why our brains spend most of their energy on maintaining concentration. Obviously, the brain is limited in resources and is forced to prioritize; when there's a whole mess of irresistible, artificial information to be processed quickly, the mind does so at the expense of other areas of cognition. The profusion of stimuli taxes our self-control and our attention, making it more difficult to resist temptations and unhealthy choices.
As an animal that evolved in grasslands, forests, and rural jungles, it is fascinating (and perhaps unsurprising) to learn that human beings might not yet have the mental dexterity to cope with the concrete streets. Someday, no doubt, our brains will adapt to the challenges and requirements of a multimedia-permeated urban landscape -- but we're not there quite yet.
Luckily, the cure in the short-term is simple, and it doesn't involve moving to the suburbs. The Michigan study reveals that a visual cue as simple as a picture of a mountain or a river -- anything from nature -- can have a positive affect on viewers suffering from mental fatigue and over-stimulation. So how about an Ansel Adams poster? Natural images inside, combined with the simple act of taking a walk outside, improves our ability to sustain mental and emotional control - and our mood - exponentially. Nature, surprise, surprise, is restorative and may hold a few answers to important riddles, just as it did for ole Isaac Newton.
With this in mind, it is interesting to consider how "study drugs" have extended beyond the university campus - that their widespread use has begun to constitute something more than a trend. Their popularity might lead one to conclude that concentration is more difficult to achieve in today's culture than ever before. Or perhaps we put a greater value on performance today as a result of a better understanding of the extent to which concentration is integral to this performance.
Whatever the cause, Ritalin and Adderall, the most common attention-deficit drugs, raked in a combined $4.7 billion in 2007. A generation of kids (probably the same rascals that caused Facebook to be valued at $15 billion and that demand free music) has come of age in academic settings where these drugs are proliferated and accepted. And it's more than just students. Now, according to BusinessWeek, these drugs are at the tipping point, poised to go mainstream.
Interestingly, multiple psychological studies prior to the Michigan report have found that children with attention deficit disorder display fewer symptoms in natural settings than in those that are not. So, if the character of today's cities is contributing to our collective lack of attention, and if you feel that there are a few unresolved health and ethical issues in a Ritalin-cure, all the more reason to build that summer shack in a place that has a few deciduous and/or coniferous trees. Or we might begin encouraging the people who pull the strings to incorporate a greater amount of simplicity and biomimicry into urban development. After all, green is good.
In conclusion: if someone you care about is currently living in a city, ask him or her when he or she last saw "a star." If their answer sounds anything remotely like, "Well, yesterday I saw that famous dude from that MTV show on his laptop in Starbucks," then your mission is clear: buy them a canoe. Or at least a turtle. | <urn:uuid:56191d85-72f0-45de-b6ed-1c4de27e3936> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rip-empson/how-city-living-makes-us_b_157019.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397111.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00056-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957657 | 1,205 | 2.875 | 3 |
Every year in BC forest companies and government agencies spend millions of dollars to eliminate broadleaf species including aspen and birch from replanted conifer plantations.
This vast conversion of our forests from bio-diverse stands with many broadleaf species to conifer monocultures is required by law, signed off on by Registered Professional Foresters, and is supported by the Association of British Columbia Professional Foresters.
The result is a plantation forest with far less biodiversity than before. Without broadleaf trees and shrubs, many species of northern forests could not survive.
The reason this is done is because forest industry in the Central Interior does not utilize aspen. Consequently aspen is considered a “pest” and government requires it’s elimination. Due to existing stocking standards, mixed forests are technically illegal. Unless the lumber company wants to face a penalty for failing to “reforest”, they have to eliminate all so called “weed” trees including aspen. Converting mixed stands to monocultures is considered sustainable forestry and is certified by organizations such as SFI.
A long-standing practice, we’ve sprayed or manually brushed over 1.3 million hectares of forest across the Province since 1980, an area a third the size of Vancouver Island. We still spray around 15,000 hectares a year today, mostly in the Central Interior.
This is a website that seeks to provide information on this activity and to pose a few questions:
- Why is it illegal to grow mixed forests with deciduous and coniferous components in BC?
- Will lodgepole pine monocultures survive as our climate warms?
- What if aspen and birch make our forests more resilient?
- Are we sure aspen and birch won’t have increasing commercial values into the future?
- Why won’t industry utilize aspen west of the Rockies?
- How do we know that aspen and birch and the many other shrubs we kill don’t play a critical role in maintaining healthy soils?
- How do we know that the fire-proof aspen and birch won’t play a role in suppressing wildfires as warmer conditions prevail?
- Why are we applying a chemical to public forests that is a known toxin to frogs, insects and invertebrates, and which kills food for many animals and has a known impact on wildlife populations?
- Why does the professional association of foresters in BC condone this practice? | <urn:uuid:66dfc820-9719-4365-bae8-0c55800a1359> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://stopthespraybc.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00192-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948763 | 516 | 3.359375 | 3 |
Teenagers and people in their 20s are more likely to get sunburned and sit out during the hottest part of the day than those who are older, research shows.
More than half (54%) of 16 to 30-year-olds go out into the sun daily during summer, compared with 44% of those aged 31 to 45, a survey found.
Almost one in five (17%) never avoid the hottest part of the day (11am to 3pm), compared with 9% of 31 to 45-year-olds, 6% of those aged 46 to 60 and 7% of over-60s.
When asked if they allow their skin to burn, 19% of younger people do so more than once a year, compared with 6% of those aged 31 to 60 and 3% of over-60s.
Almost a quarter (23%) of younger people also never wear a cover-up or hat to protect their skin, compared with 8% of those in their 30s and early 40s.
Even young people who have experienced skin cancer or had a family member with the disease are no less likely to go out in the sun or burn than those with no history.
The study of 1,000 people is being presented at the British Association of Dermatologists' (BAD) annual conference in London.
Cancer Research UK figures show that rates of malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, have tripled among those aged 15 to 34 since the late 1970s.
Then, there were 1.8 cases of melanoma per 100,000 people in this age group, rising to 5.9 now.
Nina Goad, from BAD, said young people could feel under pressure to look tanned, while older people may take into account the ageing effects of the sun.
She added: "With so much education - both in schools and in publicity campaigns - aimed at young people, it is a real worry that this age group are still either ignorant to, or choosing to ignore, sun safety messages."
Dr Antonia Lloyd-Lavery, from Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust dermatology department, said: "Our results indicate that younger patients are less likely to practise safe sun exposure.
"Furthermore, our results suggest that those with a personal or family history of skin cancer may not have received critical education on safe sun exposure from the medical profession.
"UK-based health awareness programmes should therefore particularly target younger age groups.
"In addition, healthcare professionals must ensure that opportunities are taken to reinforce the importance of safe sun exposure among patients." | <urn:uuid:0b629bfd-04da-44ed-ab70-4cb2106f1bd8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/teenagers-more-likely-to-sunburn-2306501.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00145-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975628 | 533 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Kymer's conjecture does
have evidence but it is rational rather than empirical evidence.
We know that intelligent beings exist.
We know that such beings can not only master mechanical engineering but subtle invisible forces like electricity.
We know that much of that reproduces the alleged phenomena of magic.
We know that such beings can master flight in a variety of ways, including interplanetary flight.
We play the music, tell the stories, reproduce the artwork and extol the virtues of primitive societies we mopped up. We are a bit sad we absorbed them so quickly.
We have some conjectures, not proven, but compatible with scientific knowledge that faster-than-light flight might be done.
Simply, we know these things because we have already done them. Except for that last one there.
We have probabilistic conjectures that planetary life may exist elsewhere and last long enough to have a species with the above characteristics.
Given all these knowns we have not inconsiderable Occam weight
But as the Greeks put it, on the other hand
We have seen earthsized planets in stellar systems that did not have a jupiter anchoring them. That is, Jupiter is so huge that it takes up 71% of the mass of the solar planets. Saturn takes up 21%. Earth .3%. All the planets have to be losing orbital velocity from interstellar hydrogen. This happens in proportion of mass to crosssectional area. Jupiter slows the least. Each time Earth passes Jupiter it gets an upward tug that counteracts that. So we have detected at least one solar system where an earthsized planet has drifted downwards till it is hot as our Mercury. Microbial life may have arisen but it is gone now. One of our knowns is that a planet must have a stable environment for 4 or 5 billion years for life like us to arise. There won't be many.
We also treat space flight as an extension of sailing. But what does that cost? People have taken a rowboat across the Atlantic a few times. Sailing is dirt cheap. Unless interstellar flight can be discovered to be that cheap it's not going to happen except as an experiment. It's fun to pretend that an anachronism like stem bolts will be valuable to ship but think of it, with the technology of the Star Trek future they could manufacture anything at all in a local solar system.
I've spent enough time and space on this post. I'm sure you can all come up with other realistic improbabilities that way against ancient contacts. | <urn:uuid:4df9cb0c-7636-4e9c-b987-d29cb0c58c9c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/forums/index.php/topic,21999.msg490510.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00017-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949481 | 517 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Despite late season snow in the Colorado high country, Grand Valley water providers are once again stressing the importance of conserving water to customers. The Drought Information Project, or DRIP, is a collaboration between the valley's four domestic water providers. It kicked off it's 2005 campaign Tuesday, for its second year.
During the innagurral campaign a year ago, water users were asked to reduce usage by 20%, and according to water provider reports, per–capita consumption is the lowest it's been in five years. DRIP organizers say that is a sign that the public is responding.
They add, while the numbers are encouraging, people in the Grand Valley are still not as efficient as they could be.
Suggestions to conserve water include:
1) Watering your lawn only when needed
2) Checking plumbing for leaks and drips
3) Buying appliances that use less water
4) Cutting down your shower time by just a few minutes
© KKCO NBC 11 News - All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:09b5c603-7d9c-4a9c-a446-4a2f070b9524> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nbc11news.com/news/headlines/2040827.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00150-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962198 | 209 | 2.765625 | 3 |
News & Policies >
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 6, 2008
Fact Sheet: U.S.-Russia Strategic Framework Declaration
President Bush and President Putin issued on April 6, 2008, in Sochi a Declaration setting forth a framework for strategic cooperation between the United States and Russia. The Declaration outlines key elements of ongoing and new strategic initiatives between the two countries, including steps to promote security in the face of new and emerging threats; prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction; combat global terrorism; and advance economic cooperation. The Strategic Framework Declaration also acknowledges differences between the two countries, while agreeing to discuss these differences in a forthright manner without allowing these differences to prevent cooperation in other important areas.
The Declaration also commits both governments to respect the rule of law, international law, human rights, tolerance of diversity, political freedom, and a free market approach to economic policy and practices.
Among the areas of cooperation identified in the Strategic Framework Declaration are:
Missile Defense. The leaders expressed their interest in creating a system for responding to potential missile threats in which Russia and the United States and Europe will participate as equal partners.
Russia has made clear that it does not agree with the decision to establish sites in Poland and the Czech Republic and reiterated its proposed alternative. Yet, it appreciates the measures that the United States has proposed and declared that if agreed and implemented such measures will be important and useful in assuaging Russian concerns.
We agreed to intensify our dialogue after Sochi on issues concerning missile defense cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally.
Post-START. The leaders agreed to develop a legally-binding arrangement following expiration of the START Treaty in December 2009. The Declaration notes the substantial reductions already carried out under the START Treaty and the Moscow Treaty, which remains in effect and was an additional important step in reducing numbers of deployed nuclear warheads.
INF Treaty. In connection with the INF Treaty that eliminated the two countries' intermediate- and shorter-range missiles, the leaders agreed to engage in a high-level dialogue to analyze intermediate- and shorter-range missile threats and inventory options for dealing with them.
Arms Sales. The U.S. and Russia will cooperate to prevent conventional arms sales that threaten international security and to deny conventional arms to terrorists.
Defense Technology Cooperation. The U.S. and Russia agreed to finalize agreement on defense technology cooperation, including measures to counter IEDs.
Preventing the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction
Preventing Nuclear Proliferation. The Declaration affirms the governments' commitment to a broad range of activities to prevent nuclear proliferation, including the July 3, 2007 Declaration on joint actions to strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime and promote the expansion of nuclear energy without the spread of sensitive fuel cycle technologies; the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, which supports development of the next generation of civil nuclear capability that will be safe and secure; the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, which brings together 67 participating countries in efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons; initiatives to create reliable access to nuclear fuel without proliferation risk; signature of and efforts to bring into force an Agreement on Cooperation in Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy; and completion by the end of 2008 of the agreed-to nuclear security upgrades under the two Presidents' Bratislava Nuclear Security Initiative.
Iran. The United States and Russia remain committed to diplomatic efforts to achieve a negotiated solution guaranteeing that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes. They call on Iran to comply with the requirements of the IAEA Board of Governors and the UN Security Council, including its resolutions 1737, 1747, and 1803 that demand full and verifiable suspension of enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.
North Korea. The two countries will continue to cooperate to implement UNSCR 1718 and the Six-Party agreements on North Korea's nuclear weapons and nuclear programs to achieve the ultimate goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Proliferation Security Initiative. The two countries reaffirm their commitment to this initiative, which seeks to prevent and deter trafficking in WMD, their delivery means and related materials; and agree to work together to prevent and disrupt proliferation-related finance.
Combating Global Terrorism
The two leaders affirmed Russian-American partnership against terrorism. They agree to intensify their bilateral and multilateral efforts to fight against this common and global threat, both directly against terrorist groups and against their financial and criminal practices.
Strategic Economic Cooperation
WTO. The United States and Russia are committed to achieving WTO accession for Russia as soon as possible and on commercially meaningful terms. With a major effort, especially between now and June, and with the cooperation of other parties, and by meeting the terms for WTO accession, Russia can qualify for membership and thus accession to the WTO can be achieved this year. In conjunction with the WTO negotiations, the Administration will work with Congress to enact legislation on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia this year.
Economic Dialogues: The U.S. and Russia agreed to create new government-to-government and business-to-business dialogues to enhance trade and investment relations, improve contacts between our business communities, and increase prosperity. It was agreed that our economic dialogues will aim to identify impediments to trade and investment, improve transparency of the business and investment environment, and strengthen rule of law.
Bilateral Investment Treaty: The U.S. and Russia agreed to advance efforts on a new Bilateral Investment Treaty that will promote a stable and predictable framework for investment, to the benefit of the business communities in both countries.
Energy Dialogue. The United States and Russia will work together to enhance energy security and diversify energy supplies through economically-viable routes, consistent with the G8 St. Petersburg principles, which include creation of open, transparent, efficient and competitive energy markets. They will also launch a new energy dialogue to develop lower-carbon emission energy sources, and collaborate on energy efficiency initiatives.
Combating Climate Change. The United States and Russia will work together with all major emitting economies to advance key elements of the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to achieve a comprehensive post-2012 framework that includes greenhouse gas limitation or reduction commitments by all major economies consistent with their national circumstances and to address emissions in key sectors.
# # # | <urn:uuid:d92baeb7-5df3-43be-96e0-2329c22e0908> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080406-5.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397795.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00019-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931518 | 1,287 | 2.515625 | 3 |
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