text
stringlengths 199
648k
| id
stringlengths 47
47
| dump
stringclasses 1
value | url
stringlengths 14
419
| file_path
stringlengths 139
140
| language
stringclasses 1
value | language_score
float64 0.65
1
| token_count
int64 50
235k
| score
float64 2.52
5.34
| int_score
int64 3
5
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A user of the program only interacts with a program through the user interface so it makes sense to spend a significant amount of time during requirements to ensure that the user interface makes sense, that all functionality is included, and that the most commonly used functionality is easily accessible. The easiest way of doing this is using a screen prototype. There are a variety of methods of making screen prototypes which range from simply drawing the interface with a pen and paper to building “working” prototypes in a higher level language like Visual Basic which allows rapid screen design. However, each of these extremes has serious drawbacks. A pen and paper prototype does not allow users to interact with the prototype and it is more difficult to change. A “working” prototype done in a programming language like Visual Basic can lead the client to believe that the program is nearly complete and that development should not take very long or it can lead the client to believe that changes to the prototype will be costly making them reluctant to make necessary suggestions to improve the program.
Between these two extremes lies screen design applications which allow you to draw the screens and model interactions between screens. High quality prototyping tools allow you to enter sample data and allow users to move between screens by pressing buttons so they can easily understand the interface and its functionality. Most prototyping tools produce the final output in an HTML format so they can be easily shared even if a client is not in the same office where requirements are being developed.
When looking for a prototyping tool, make sure to select a tool which is easy enough to use that you can easily prototype screens while your customer is in the room. This will allow you to brainstorm and make changes to the screens without delays. A prototyping tool should already have common controls already defined to maintain design standards and improve the appearance of your screens. Being able to enter sample data in each screen can allow the customer to pinpoint areas that may be incorrect.
|
<urn:uuid:124a4bb4-88e2-45c9-922b-7b4b77052fed>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.developerfusion.com/article/6766/secrets-of-successful-software-requirements/3/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00075-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.950813
| 386
| 3.078125
| 3
|
Chapter X.—The Manner in which Josephus mentions the Divine Books.
1. 675 “We have not, therefore, a multitude of books disagreeing and conflicting with one another; but we have only twenty-two, which contain the record of all time and are justly held to be divine.
2. Of these, five are by Moses, and contain the laws and the tradip. 145 tion respecting the origin of man, and continue the history 676 down to his own death. This period embraces nearly three thousand years. 677
3. From the death of Moses to the death of Artaxerxes, who succeeded Xerxes as king of Persia, the prophets that followed Moses wrote the history of their own times in thirteen books. 678 The other four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the regulation of the life of men.
4. From the time of Artaxerxes to our own day all the events have been recorded, but the accounts are not worthy of the same confidence that we repose in those which preceded them, because there has not been during this time an exact succession of prophets. 679
5. How much we are attached to our own writings is shown plainly by our treatment of them. For although so great a period has already passed by, no one has ventured either to add to or to take from them, but it is inbred in all Jews from their very birth to regard them as the teachings of God, and to abide by them, and, if necessary, cheerfully to die for them.”
These remarks of the historian I have thought might advantageously be introduced in this connection.
6. Another work of no little merit has been produced by the same writer, On the Supremacy of Reason, 680 which some have called Maccabaicum, 681 because it contains an account of the struggles of those Hebrews who contended manfully for the true religion, as is related in the books called Maccabees.
7. And at the end of the twentieth book of his Antiquities 682 Josephus himself intimates that he had purposed to write a work in four books concerning God and his existence, according to the traditional opinions of the Jews, and also concerning the laws, why it is that they permit some things while prohibiting others. 683 And the same writer also mentions in his own works other books written by himself. 684
8. In addition to these things it is proper to quote also the words that are found at the close of his Antiquities, 685 in confirmation of the testimony which we have drawn from his accounts. In that place he attacks Justus of Tiberias, 686 who, like himself, had attempted to write a history of contemporary events, on the ground that he had not written truthfully. Having brought many p. 146 other accusations against the man, he continues in these words: 687
9. “I indeed was not afraid in respect to my writings as you were, 688 but, on the contrary, I presented my books to the emperors themselves when the events were almost under mens eyes. For I was conscious that I had preserved the truth in my account, and hence was not disappointed in my expectation of obtaining their attestation.
10. And I presented my history also to many others, some of whom were present at the war, as, for instance, King Agrippa 689 and some of his relatives.
11. For the Emperor Titus desired so much that the knowledge of the events should be communicated to men by my history alone, that he indorsed the books with his own hand and commanded that they should be published. And King Agrippa wrote sixty-two epistles testifying to the truthfulness of my account.” Of these epistles Josephus subjoins two. 690 But this will suffice in regard to him. Let us now proceed with our history.
Against Apion, I. 8. The common Christian tradition (since the first century, when it was stated in the fourth book of Ezra xiv. 44 sq.) is that Ezra was the compiler of the Old Testament canon. This, however, is a mistake, for the canon was certainly not completed before the time of Judas Maccabæus. Josephus is the earliest writer to give us a summary of the books of the Old Testament; and he evidently gives not merely his own private opinion but the commonly accepted canon of his day. He does not name the separate books, but he tells us that they were twenty-two in number (the number of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), and gives us the three divisions, so that we are able to ascertain his canon in detail. It was doubtless as follows:—
1–5. Books of Moses.
7. Judges and Ruth.
11. Ezra and Nehemiah.
14. Jeremiah and Lamentations.
17. Twelve Minor Prophets.
22. Song of Songs.
The earliest detailed list of Old Testament books is that of Melito (given by Eusebius, IV. 26), which is as follows:—
Books of Moses
Four of Kings.
Song of Songs.
Twelve Minor Prophets.
Melito says nothing of the number twenty-two, and, in fact, his list, as he gives it, numbers only twenty-one. His list really differs from Josephus only in omitting the Book of Esther. This omission may be accidental, though it is omitted by Athanasius and Gregory Nazianzen. He makes no mention of Nehemiah, but that is doubtless included with Ezra, as in the case of Josephus canon. His canon purports to be the Palestinian one, and hence we should expect it to be the same as that of Josephus, which makes it more probable that the omission of Esther was only accidental. Origen (in Eusebius, VI. 25) tells us that there were twenty-two books in the Hebrew canon; but his list differs somewhat from that of Josephus. It is as follows:—
1–5. Books of Moses.
7. Judges and Ruth.
11. Ezra I. and II.
15. Song of Songs.
16. [Twelve Minor Prophets (Rufinus).]
18. Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Epistle.
“Besides these also the Maccabees.”
The peculiar thing about the list is the omission of the Twelve Minor Prophets and the insertion of the Epistle of Jeremiah. The former were certainly looked upon by Origen as sacred books, for he wrote a commentary upon them (according to Eusebius, VI. 36). There is no conceivable reason for their omission, and indeed they are needed to make up the number twenty-two. We must conclude that the omission was simply an oversight on the part of Eusebius or of some transcriber. Rufinus gives them as number sixteen, as shown in the list, but the position there assigned to them is not the ordinary one. We should expect to find them in connection with the other prophets; but the various lists are by no means uniform in the order of the books. On the other hand, the Greek Epistle of Jeremiah (Baruch vi.) did not stand in the Hebrew canon, and can have been included by Origen here only because he had been used to seeing it in connection with Jeremiah in his copy of the LXX. (for in ancient mss. of the LXX., which probably represent the original arrangement, it is given not as a part of Baruch, but as an appendix to Lamentations), and hence mentioned it in this book without thinking of its absence from the Hebrew canon. Origen adds the Maccabees to his list, but expressly excludes them from the twenty-two books (see Bk. VI. chap. 25, note 5). Meanwhile the Talmud and the Midrash divide the canon into twenty-four books, and this was probably the original Jewish division. The number twenty-two was gained by adding Ruth to Judges and Lamentations to Jeremiah. The number thus obtained agreed with the number of letters in the alphabet, and was therefore accepted as the number sanctioned by divine authority, and the division was commonly adopted by the early Fathers. This is Stracks view, and seems better than the opposite opinion, which is advocated by many, that the number twenty-two was the original. It is easier to see how twenty-four might be changed to twenty-two than how the reverse should happen. So, for instance, Jerome in his preface to the translation of Samuel and Kings, makes the number twenty-two, and gives a list which agrees with the canon of Josephus except in the three general divisions, which are differently composed. It will be seen that these various lists (with the exception of that of Origen, which includes the Epistle of Jeremiah and appends the Maccabees) include only the books of our canon. But the LXX. prints with the Old Testament a number of Books which we call Apocrypha and exclude from the canon. It has been commonly supposed, therefore, that there was a regular Alexandrian canon differing from the Palestinian. But this is not likely. An examination of Philos use of the Old Testament shows us that his canon agreed with that of Josephus, comprising no apocryphal books. It is probable in fact that the LXX. included in their translation these other books which were held in high esteem, without intending to deliver any utterance as to the extent of the canon or to alter the common Jewish canon by declaring these a part of it. But however that was, the use of the LXX., which was much wider than that of the Hebrew, brought these books into general use, and thus we see them gradually acquiring canonical authority and used as a part of the canon by Augustine and later Fathers. Jerome was the only one in the West to utter a protest against such use of them. Both Athanasius and Cyril of Jerusalem added to the canon Baruch and the Epistle of Jeremiah; but opinion in the Orient was mostly against making any books not in the Hebrew canon of canonical authority, and from the fourth century the Eastern Fathers used them less and less. They were, however, officially recognized as a part of the canon by numerous medieval and modern synods until 1839, when the larger Catechism of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Church, the most authoritative standard of the Græco-Russian Church, expressly excluded them. The Latin Church, meanwhile, has always regarded the Apocrypha as canonical, and by its action at the Council of Trent has made them a part of the official canon. See Stracks article in Herzog, translated in Schaff-Herzog; also Harmans Introduction to the Holy Scripture, p. 33 sqq. The subject is discussed in all Old Testament introductions.145:676
Literally, “the tradition respecting the origin of man (ἀνθρωπογονίας) down to his own death.” I have felt it necessary to insert the words, “and continue the history,” which are not found in the Greek, but which are implied in the words, “down to his own death.”145:677
Among the Jews in the time of Christ a worlds era was in use, dating from the creation of the world; and it is this era which Josephus employs here and throughout his Antiquities. His figures are often quite inconsistent,—probably owing, in large part, to the corrupt state of the existing text,—and the confusion which results is considerable. See Destinons Chronologie des Josephus.145:678
These thirteen books were:—
2. Judges and Ruth.
6. Ezra and Nehemiah.
9. Jeremiah and Lamentations.
12. Twelve Minor Prophets.
As will be seen, Josephus divided the canon into three parts: first, the Law (five books of Moses); second, the Prophets (the thirteen just mentioned); third, the Hagiographa (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles). The division of the canon into three such parts is older than Josephus; at the same time, his division is quite different from any other division known. Jeromes is as follows:—
1. Law: five books of Moses.
2. Prophets: Joshua, Judges and Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Lamentations, Ezekiel, Twelve Minor Prophets (eight books).
3. Hagiographa (Holy writings): Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, Daniel, Chronicles, Ezra, Esther (nine books).
The division which exists in our Hebrew Bibles differs from this of Jeromes only in transferring Ruth and Lamentations to the third division, and thus making twenty-four books. This is held by many to be a later form, as remarked above, but as Strack shows, it is rather the original. In the LXX., which is followed in our English Bible, the books are arranged, without reference to the three divisions, solely according to their subject-matter. The peculiar division of Josephus was caused by his looking at the matter from the historical standpoint, which led him to include in the second division all the books which contained, as he says, an account of events from Moses to Artaxerxes.145:679
The Artaxerxes here referred to is Artaxerxes Longimanus who reigned b.c. 464 to 425. It was under him that Ezra and Nehemiah carried on their work and that the later prophets flourished. Malachi—the last of them—uttered his prophecies at the end of Artaxerxes or at the beginning of Darius reign. It was commonly held among the Jews that with Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi the prophetical spirit had departed from Israel, and the line was sharply drawn, as here by Josephus, between them and the writers of the Apocrypha who followed them.145:680
εἰς Μακκαβαίους λόγος ἣ περὶ αὐτοκρ€τορος λογισμοῦ: De Maccabæis, seu de rationis imperio liber. This book is often called the Fourth Book of Maccabees, and was formerly ascribed to Josephus. As a consequence it is printed with his works in many editions. But it is now universally acknowledged to be spurious, although who the author is we cannot tell.145:681
Ant.XX. 11. 3. See the previous chapter, note 7.145:683
See the same note.145:684
See the same note.145:685
The passage referred to, which is quoted just below, is found in his Life, §65, and not in the Antiquities. But we can see from the last paragraph of the Antiquities that he wrote his Life really as an appendix to that work, and undoubtedly as Ewald suggests, issued it with a second edition of the Antiquities about twenty years after the first. In the mss. it is always found with the Antiquities, and hence the whole might with justice be viewed as one work. It will be noticed that Eusebius mentions no separate Life of Josephus, which shows that he regarded it simply as a part of the Antiquities.145:686
Justus of Tiberias was the leader of one of the factions of that city during the troublous times before the outbreak of the war, while Josephus was governor of Galilee, and as an opponent he caused him considerable trouble. He is mentioned frequently in Josephus Life, and we are thus enabled to gather a tolerably complete idea of him—though of course the account is that of an enemy. He wrote a work upon the Jews which was devoted chiefly to the affairs of the Jewish war and in which he attacked Josephus very severely. This work, which is no longer extant, was read by Photius and is described by him in his Bibl. Cod. 33, under the title, βασιλεῖς ᾽Ιουδαῖοι οἱ ἐν τοῖς στέμμασι. It was in consequence of this work that Josephus felt obliged to publish his Life, which is really little more than a defense of himself over against the attacks of Justus. See above, note 1.146:687
Josephus has just affirmed in a previous paragraph that Justus had had his History written for twenty years, and yet had not published it until after the death of Vespasian, Titus, and Agrippa, and he accuses him of waiting until after their death because he was afraid that they would contradict his statements. Josephus then goes on to say in the passage quoted that he was not, like Justus, afraid to publish his work during the lifetime of the chief actors in the war.146:689
Agrippa II. See above, Bk. II. chap. 19, note 3. Agrippa sided with the Romans in the war and was with Vespasian and Titus in their camp much of the time, and in Galilee made repeated efforts to induce the people to give up their rebellion, that the war might be avoided.146:690
These two epistles are still extant, and are given by Josephus in his Vita, immediately after the passage just quoted by Eusebius. The first of them reads as follows (according to Whistons translation): “King Agrippa to Josephus, his dear friend, sendeth greeting. I have read over thy book with great pleasure, and it appears to me that thou hast done it much more accurately and with greater care than have the other writers. Send me the rest of these books. Farewell, my dear friend.”
|
<urn:uuid:afc69875-3daf-4644-a234-67c89b106ed6>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/201/2010079.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397428.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00047-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.974259
| 3,791
| 2.859375
| 3
|
How to play Sudoku Challenge Game
1.Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9 without repetition.
2. You will be given a random puzzle and there is one and only one solution.
3. The time you consume in solving puzzle will be your score(lowest is best).
Sudoku Challenge game controls
fire = left_mouse;jump = na;movement = mouse;
The aim of the puzzle is to enter a digit from 1 to 9 in each cell of a 9x9 grid made up of 3x3 sub grids, starting with various digits given in some cells. Each row, column, and subgrid must contain only one instance of each digit.
|
<urn:uuid:67ad66f9-1839-4218-9a07-4d60e53b0010>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.mobiletoones.com/free-online-games/board-games/11168/sudoku-challenge-flash-game.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393146.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00020-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.898841
| 158
| 3.21875
| 3
|
People with disabilities comprise the world’s largest minority group and they face significant barriers to employment. But in most cases they are eager and willing to work, and can significantly increase a company’s productivity. This article looks at the example of the Centre for Persons with Disability Livelihoods in India with its market-oriented approach to help disabled youth get a job in the formal sector.
Gitanjali Gems operates a diamond cutting, polishing, and jewellery-making business in Hyderabad, India. Given the lack of trained manpower, the company faces a major challenge. In this context, Gitanjali Gems has made training and hiring disabled youth an integral part of the company’s human resource strategy. The turnover rate for its disabled employees is 1 percent compared to the industry average of 10-15 percent. In most months, a disabled employee wins the productivity award, even though they constitute only 12 percent of the company’s current workforce of 2,500. With productivity and cost advantages on its side, Gitanjali Gems is planning to triple its workforce in the next two years and aims to recruit 1,000 people with disabilities as a central component of its growth strategy. Madhusudhan Reddy, Gitanjali Gems’ vice president of human resources, says, “Most employers suffer from preconceived notions about the disabled, so they see only weaknesses. They are differently abled, not disabled – once you frame them that way, you see their strengths.”
Around the world, people with disabilities face significant barriers to employment. The best way to help them is often to help them secure a decent job – something the Centre for Persons with Disability Livelihoods (CPDL) has been doing successfully with Gitanjali Gems and other clients. CPDL is a public-private partnership between Youth4Jobs (Y4J), a private-sector foundation, and the government that uses a market-oriented approach to help disabled youth get a job in the formal sector.
About 600 million people live with a disabilities according to the International Labor Organization, which promotes decent work as the most effective way of getting out of the vicious cycle of marginalisation, poverty, and social exclusion. Poor people are more at risk of acquiring a disability due to lack of good nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, and safe living and working conditions. People with disabilities face barriers to education, employment, and public services that could otherwise help them escape poverty. Buildings and transportation are often inaccessible. They also often suffer from social discrimination, stereotypes, and exclusion. As in the general population, there are strong gender and geographic differences among people with disabilities; women and girls in rural areas are often the most disadvantaged.
Persons with Disability in India
In India, there are an estimated 70 million people with disabilities – 5 percent of the country’s population. Of these, only about 100,000 (1.5%) have succeeded in getting employment in the formal industrial sector. In Indian society, there is a deep-rooted social stigma toward body impairment or disfigurement as “inauspicious,” thus limiting interaction between people with disabilities and the rest of society. Unfortunately, there are many barriers for people with disabilities to enter the labour force and get a decent job:
• Lack of adequate education, training, and employment services
• Fears, stereotypes, and discrimination, particularly among employers
• Psychological issues caused by social exclusion
• Lack of effective legislation and policy support for their human and civil rights
• Lack of information about people with disabilities, which can render them ‘invisible’ and forgotten
• Lack of access to assistive devices, technology, accommodations, support services, and information
• Inaccessible buildings and transportation systems
On its own, the government has initiated a plethora of programs to promote employment for them, but the impact to date has been negligible. In 2008, for example, the Indian Finance Minister allocated $360 million for a program to reimburse employers who provide jobs to disabled workers. The aim was to create 100,000 jobs per year, but after three years, the program had generated only 465 jobs.
CPDL’s Bold Vision
The ambitious vision of the CPDL is to make inclusive employment of people with disabilities the norm in Indian companies. The organization was jointly founded in 2010 by Youth4Jobs, a not-for-profit organization that works across India to train impoverished young people and harness India’s demographic dividend, and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), which is part of the Rural Development Department of the state government of Andhra Pradesh. CPDL is an unusual partnership between government and a group of committed team members with a private sector background. The vision, strategy, and the public face of the program have been crafted by the private sector team, whose salaries are paid by the private foundations. The government pays for the training costs, both at CPDL as well as the partner organizations. The rent for the CPDL offices and training facilities is raised from philanthropic sources by the private sector team; there is no intermediary NGO involvement. The private sector team works independently with full autonomy. Since the government does not pay their salaries, the relationship of the team with their government counterparts is not hierarchical.
CPDL’s expertise lies in working on the entire labour value chain, taking young people with disabilities from unemployment/underemployment to a formal sector job. This involves identifying and motivating new workers, training them to meet the demands of the market, inviting companies to recruit them, and mentoring them in their new workplace. CPDL offers training in ten different sectors: hospitality, retail, banking and finance, business process outsourcing, information technology, telecommunications, healthcare, textiles, and manufacturing. The youth are channelled to the most appropriate sector, based on their competencies and abilities; for example, illiterate youth tend to go into manufacturing and textiles, those with basic literacy into hospitality, and more educated young people into information technology.
CPDL has developed a customized curriculum based on practical situations that people with disabilities will encounter once employed. It also involves companies from the first day of training, which both sensitizes the companies and provides exposure to the students. Company staff give guest lectures, share their training modules, and mentor the youth in the classroom. Youth learn English communication and basic computer skills. Soft skill building is also an integral part of the curriculum, and includes lessons on grooming, health, hygiene, and body language. The last fifteen days of the program include specific sector trainings, depending on job vacancies and youth aspirations. Sectors include high-growth areas such as retail, hospitality, IT and IT-enabled services, and finance.
Y4J has formed a network of 200 companies with which it works, including firms such as McDonald’s, KFC, ITC Hotels, HDFC Bank, Tata Teleservices, and Unilever. The work of CPDL extends well beyond the classroom into the workplace. The team works closely in suggesting and ensuring simple workplace adjustments are made and in conducting workshops for sensitizing supervisors and managers in companies.
After the recruiting company has assessed worker competencies, they make job placements; no special concessions are made for the disabled other than simple workplace adjustments. Companies are beginning to realize that people with disabilities are an underused labour resource capable of hard work – in fact, they are generally eager to prove that their disability is not a deterrent to performance, leading to higher productivity. Disabled youth are also very loyal to employers, and firms find that they quickly recover any expenditure made in infrastructure adjustments and hiring costs. The companies also get a government subsidy that amounts to about 15 percent of the payroll cost of hiring people with disabilities. Aside from financial benefits, companies also get a public relations boost, and the disabled workers feel good about the competency-based approach.
Many companies hire a few persons with disability or fund some training as part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. But the impact of these efforts is too little. Unless companies hire people with disabilities because it makes business sense and realize the value of an inclusive workforce, these CSR initiatives will not be sustainable nor have a large-scale impact. CPDL is working towards its vision of making inclusive employment of people with disabilities the norm in Indian companies.
Between October 2010 and December 2012, CPDL trained 3,200 young people with disabilities. Of these, 72 percent have successfully gained employment. Ninety percent of the recruiting companies are first-time employers of workers with disabilities. The employed youth’s incomes range from Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 100,000 (about $900-$2,000) per annum. All of them are the first members of their family to hold white-collar jobs. Both the youth and their families have been transformed by this experience.
People with disabilities comprise the world’s largest minority group. Organizations can replicate the CPDL model wherever market opportunities exist. It demonstrates that when companies, government, and disabled communities come together on one platform, it is a win-win for everyone. Companies get an alternative pool of loyal trained youth; governments move closer to their Millennium Development Goals, and the disabled youth and their families escape the vicious cycle of poverty.
Aneel Karnani is a professor at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He is the author of the book Fighting Poverty Together: Rethinking Strategies for Business, Governments, and Civil Society to Reduce Poverty (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).
Kevin McKague is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. His book Making Markets More Inclusive was published by Palgrave in 2014.
Meera Shenoy is the founder of the Youth4Jobs Foundation. She is a team member of the NSDA (National Skill Development Agency) and is senior advisor, UNDP, for its work on youth skilling and employment.
|
<urn:uuid:979f439c-f759-4e0c-875a-2293bad45147>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.worldfinancialreview.com/?p=4293
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00015-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.96081
| 2,064
| 2.546875
| 3
|
|Laliberte, Andrea - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV|
|Winters, Craig - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV|
Submitted to: Journal of Applied Remote Sensing (JARS)
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 3, 2008
Publication Date: October 8, 2008
Citation: Rango, A., Laliberte, A., Winters, C. 2008. Role of aerial photos in compiling a long-term remote sensing data set. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing. 2, 023541. Interpretive Summary: When it is necessary to study long-term effects (e.g. of climate change) or evaluate effectiveness (e.g. of rangeland remediation treatments) many serious problems are encountered in obtaining a long-term data base. Remote sensing data is often preferred, but satellite sensors often do not have adequate spatial and temporal resolution. Aerial photo data sets extending back to the mid 1930s are often overlooked. Such a data set was obtained by searching various archives across the country and then scanning, geopositioning, categorizing, and storing the 5123 photos for use by scientists, mangers, and students. Such data bases are possible across the country and they are especially valuable for use on public lands and for use by graduate students needing long-term data sets for their research.
Technical Abstract: Long-term data sets are important in the fields of ecology, hydrology, rangeland science, and geography. Remote sensing is an especially important component of such studies when spatial and temporal capabilities are important considerations. In many cases, satellite remote sensing is not adequate because of resolution or length of observation considerations. However, aerial photography, which extends back into the mid 1930s, is often overlooked. In order to find relevant imagery, considerable effort needs to be expended because the aerial photos over a particular study area can be scattered in a large number of archives across the country. Once the photos are assembled, digital scanning, proper documentation, storage, and a searchable data base are necessary to make easy and effective use of the aerial photos. The aerial photo data are of immense value to researchers, natural resource managers, students, and the general public.
|
<urn:uuid:01800b04-950c-4823-8b6e-d5b0267cb561>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=220054&pf=1
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00200-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.909956
| 462
| 3.1875
| 3
|
What was once a symbol of Caracas' bright financial future is now the world’s tallest slum: Venezuela's Tower of David. Squatters took over this unfinished 45-story skyscraper in the early 1990s, after its construction was stopped due to a banking crisis and the sudden death of the tower’s namesake, David Brillembourg.
Now, as the government is grappling with a citywide housing shortage, many residents have spent most of their life within the walls of David. And despite the tower’s reputation as being a hotbed of crime, residents have managed to build a self-sustaining community complete with a communal electrical grid and aqueduct water system.
Few cameras have been allowed into the depths of the tower, so watch as Vocativ captures a rare in-depth access to residents' daily lives.
Seen first on The Atlantic Cities.
|
<urn:uuid:fdb58520-efcf-4c89-a61a-f0b955f94500>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.archdaily.com/420345/inside-the-world-s-tallest-slum-venezuela-s-tower-of-david/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00127-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.968193
| 186
| 2.6875
| 3
|
Technology for disaster mitigation
A number of factors make early warning systems effective, and technology can play an important role in strengthening each of them.
Advances in high-performance computing and ‘cloud’ computing have made it possible to develop more complex modelling of hydrological and seismological risk. Emergency managers have used tools that take advantage of computing technology, for example, the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System, the Humanitarian Early Warning Service, UN Global Pulse and SARWeather.
Automated monitoring and warning services allow emergency managers and others to subscribe to e-mails or texts for alerts, but also provide other systems with a standards-based warning message. The most common standard for sharing alerts is the Common Alert Protocol (CAP), which many agencies and countries have adopted.
Low-tech specialized weather radios, sirens and public loudspeakers are rapidly joined by e-mails, SMS or twitter messages as channels for warning, arguably contributing to reducing the death toll of disasters. Google started sharing CAP-based alerts and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency has started leveraging features of the mobile network systems to start broadcasting early warning messages. More effort must go into covering the ‘last mile’ of early warning.
Even in countries with less developed early warning systems, technology is already playing a key role in improving the ability of communities to become more resilient to disasters. But although the past decade has seen great advances in the development of early warning systems, a number of issues still need to be addressed, including lack of
• topical coverage of observation systems for hazard types
• technical capacity and sustainability
• data interchange standards and procedures
• open access to data
• collaborative efforts in driving early warning and forecast technologies forward.
Getting baseline risk data for communities in disaster-prone low- and middle-income countries is often very difficult. To explore new approaches to address this issue the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, in partnership with other agencies, has been piloting an effort to capture information about buildings and building types in earthquake-prone areas in Indonesia.
Another important aspect in enabling resilient societies is to make the baseline risk data publicly available – the focus of the World Bank’s Open Data for Resilience Initiative; the move towards open access to data follows an increased push worldwide for increased transparency in all sectors of life.
In the international humanitarian community, NetHope, in partnership with a number of agencies and companies, launched the Open Humanitarian Alliance in May 2013, focusing on promoting transparency and information sharing.
Technology for disaster preparedness
Once a country has a good understanding of the risks it faces, the next step to strengthen resiliency is to prepare for risks. This includes creating contingency plans to save lives and property, as well as preparing response and rescue services.
One of the initial technology-related investments that many disaster-prone low- and middle-income countries have undertaken is a database of all the resources – human, technical and information – which authorities can call upon during a crisis. A good example of such a database is the India Disaster Resource Network, which contains more than 92,500 records.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs uses the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team, a group of more than 250 emergency managers from around the world. The IFRC has a similar system, with in excess of 1200 emergency personnel in its Field Assessment and Coordination Team (FACT) and Emergency Response Units (ERUs) rosters.
Among humanitarians, learning and knowledge-sharing websites have replaced guide books. This change has led to a more open discussion and the involvement of a broader community of humanitarian actors. Some of the first handbooks, processes and reports written by a large set of contributors are now seen through an open, collaborative effort, rather than the more typical author, editor, reviewer process.
With the introduction of social networks, the concept of ‘communities of practice’ has also taken off.
Over the past two decades, we have seen a concentrated effort within the humanitarian community to provide training across the globe. This effort has been very resource-intensive, relying upon people taught in person at workshops and courses. More recently, online training courses, consisting of a combination of audio and visual material in conjunction with automated online testing, have emerged as a first wave of technology-supported training.
Technology for disaster response and recovery
In the immediate aftermath of disaster, humanitarian action needs to be prompt and targeted, and taking the right decisions can make the difference between life and death. Yet it is during these times that decision-makers frequently have to make uninformed decisions, most often due to lack of information.
Initial efforts in leveraging technology to improve situational awareness involved the use of geographical information systems (GIS). However, these systems were expensive and the availability of trained GIS experts was very limited. As a result, situational awareness information provided through maps was often too late to be useful.
During these early years, the ‘common operational picture’ was the holy grail of situational awareness. By bringing all the information available about the situation to a single map, all the decision-makers would make good decisions. The truth was that because of the expertise required to create these geospatial situational awareness maps, they often became overloaded or were incomplete.
In 2005, the release of Google Earth revolutionized the field of geospatial information. A few months earlier, Google released Google Maps, which other web sites could integrate. Humanitarian workers quickly started employing them to create their own situational awareness tools. Geospatial-based situational awareness tools now became available to users all around the world.
Subsequent digital volunteer efforts have shown the value of situational awareness gathering using human sensors on the ground. Immediately after Typhoon Bopha hit the Philippines in December 2012, digital volunteer groups used social media to provide humanitarian organizations with an early indicator of where the damage was.
Although the aid community has emphasized the importance of good assessments, very few commonly accepted methodologies exist, and this has hampered the application of technology. The different methodologies developed by individual agencies and sectors cannot be compared easily against the results of other assessments.
A high number of mobile data collection solutions initially appeared on the market, but most organizations have built solutions around a few popular providers. For the most part, humanitarian agencies have found that these solutions have been easily adopted by staff. In most places, these mobile-based data collection systems have also been well accepted by the affected communities. But there are challenges.
In the past decade, some individual humanitarian response organizations have set up information systems to capture information about needs and response, but these systems are seldom designed to share information with other humanitarian organizations. At present, if information is shared, it is generally through PDFs and maps.
At the same time, the availability of voice and data connectivity to humanitarian organizations has improved radically. Satellite-based connectivity is commonplace in humanitarian organizations’ response kits, while the resilience and availability of mobile networks providing data services have increased dramatically. This was evident in the Japan tsunami of 2011 and Typhoon Bopha in the Philippines in 2012.
Attempts to improve information sharing and coordination of humanitarian response have focused mainly on the creation of websites and portals that are either geographical or sectoral. With the introduction of the inter-agency cluster system in 2005, lead agencies set up websites focused on their sector. Although this has improved access to information, it still requires the decision-maker to read a large number of documents.
National disaster management agencies in high-income countries have taken coordination a step further than the international humanitarian community. A number of solutions improve information sharing within emergency operation centres at either the local or the national level. These systems often include a link into the resource database mentioned earlier, and allow for resource mobilization and tracking.
The IFRC has used its Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) to coordinate efforts within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.
Aid workers are now encouraged to use social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter to provide an insight into the humanitarian operations. With increased availability of cheaper bandwidth, humanitarian organizations now also share images from the affected areas through social networking sites. Similarly, the availability of low-cost, high-definition video cameras has pushed organizations towards providing short video clips from the field.
Social media are now central to fund-raising in most humanitarian organizations.
Most humanitarian organizations agree that it is important to involve the affected communities more in the humanitarian response. A community-driven response also ensures that the community itself better protects those who are helping and eases security issues.
The digital age has enabled a qualitatively different model of humanitarian response. Whereas political leaders and aid agencies, often far away from an emergency, once made assumptions about the needs of people in crisis, those people now have the tools to communicate their own expectations.
Factors limiting effective use of technology in humanitarian action
A number of issues currently limit the effectiveness of technology adoption in the humanitarian context, including:
• Cost of implementing technology solutions
• Lack of trust in technologies by users
• Digital literacy
• Technology acceptance by government and humanitarian organizations
• Reaching affected communities
• Simplicity of solutions
• Incentives for participation in technology-based community solutions
• Demographic representation of the communities participating in solutions.
|
<urn:uuid:0f6e980c-26db-4467-9029-4a097ce6db8b>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://worlddisastersreport.org/en/chapter-4/index.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.94174
| 1,894
| 3.453125
| 3
|
Skip to comments.Higgs Boson Confirmed: Separating Fact from Hype (article)
Posted on 04/04/2013 12:23:46 PM PDT by fishtank
Higgs Boson Confirmed: Separating Fact from Hype by Jake Hebert, Ph.D. *
Scientists announced last week that they likely confirmed the existence of a particle called the Higgs boson.1 One media outlet said this of the Higgs boson: "It helps solve one of the most fundamental riddles of the universe: how the Big Bang created something out of nothing 13.7 billion years ago."2
But is this really true?
As noted in one of our online articles, there is a tendency for people to intuitively think of subatomic particles as being like wee-little marbles.3 However, a branch of physics called quantum field theory views particles as being "ripples" in quantities called fields. Many people may be familiar with the concept of a field from high school or college physics classes. The magnetic field surrounding a bar magnet is a well-known example: the fact that iron filings placed near the magnet align themselves along the magnetic field lines enables one to conceptually visualize the field surrounding the magnet. There is a field associated with the Higgs particle called the Higgs field. This field is somewhat different from more familiar examples of fields and is a particular kind called a scalar field.
The Standard Model is a theory that describes the relationships among elementary particles and three of the fundamental forces (it does not include gravity). Until this recent discovery, the existence of all the other particles in the Standard Model had been confirmed. Thus the confirmation of the Higgs' existence is a "big deal" in the physics community.
But why are some claiming that the Higgs boson helps to explain how the Big Bang supposedly created the universe? The reason involves something called inflation theory.
Early versions of the Big Bang model had serious problems. In order to address these particular problems, theorists invoked something called inflationa hypothetical, short-lived "growth spurt" right after the supposed Big Bang during which the universe increased enormously in size. Originally, theorists thought that inflation ended very quickly after the Big Bang. However, they later concluded that inflation, once it began, would never completely stop. Rather, different regions of space would stop inflating at different times. This would generate infinitely many pocket or bubble universes, of which our universe is only one in a vast multiverse. In this newer view, inflation is the "spark" or "fuse" that caused the "blowing up" of our universe. Thus inflation, in a sense, is the cause of the Big Bang.4
How does this relate to the Higgs boson? Inflation theorists believe that inflation caused the Big Bang, and that inflation was caused by a scalar field. As noted earlier, the Higgs field is a scalar field. Hence, the discovery of the Higgs boson supposedly helps explain how the Big Bang allegedly created the universe.
However, there is a huge problem with this claim. Manyif not mostBig Bang theorists do not believe that the Higgs field caused the Big Bang! Rather, they believe that the Big Bang was caused by another (still hypothetical) scalar field whose existence has not been confirmed. That the Higgs field is not the field that caused the alleged Big Bang has been acknowledged even by staunch believers in the Big Bang, including theoretical physicist and Big Bang "evangelist" Lawrence Krauss and leading inflationary theorist Paul Steinhardt.5,6,7
In fairness, most physicists have not been making such exaggerated claims regarding the Higgs boson. In fact, some seem to be somewhat embarrassed by the particle's irreverent nickname "the God particle."8 However, because of some articles in the popular press, as well as some extremely confusing (if not outright misleading) statements by theoretical physicist and popular author Michio Kaku,9,10 many people are now under the mistaken impression that the Higgs boson caused the Big Bang, and that the Big Bang has been all but proven. Yes, secular physicists hope that a better understanding of the Higgs scalar field will help them understand how another (still unknown) scalar field "blew up" the universe, but this is a far cry from breathless suggestions that the discovery of the Higgs is the death-knell of Christianity!
Although the confirmation of the existence of the Higgs boson is a victory for the Standard Model, this in no way "proves" the Big Bang, which is still riddled with enormous theoretical difficulties.
Landau, E. Scientists more certain that particle is Higgs boson. CNN. Posted online March 16, 2013.
Heilprin, J. Higgs Boson Discovery Confirmed After Physicists Review Large Hadron Collider Data at CERN. The Huffington Post. Posted online March 14, 2013.
Hebert, J. The Higgs Boson and the Big Bang. Acts & Facts. 41 (9): 11-13.
Guth, A. Did the Universe Have a Beginning? Eternal Inflation: Introduction Cosmic Questions Smithsonian Institution Debate. Couterbalance. Accessed March 18, 2013.
Steinhardt, P. The Inflation Debate. Scientific American. 304 (4): 36-43.
Krauss, L. What is the Higgs boson and why does it matter? NewScientist. Posted online December 13, 2011.
Falk, D. Canadian physicist Robert Orr on the Big Bang breakthrough. The Globe and Mail. Posted online July 6, 2012.
Moskowitz, C. What should 'God Particle' Be Renamed? Physicists Weigh In. LiveScience. Posted online December 14, 2011.
Kaku, M. The Spark That Caused the Big Bang. The Wall Street Journal. Posted online July 5, 2012. What is a Higgs Boson? Physicist Michio Kaku responds. YouTube video, 2:47, CNN. Posted online July 4, 2012.
* Dr. Hebert is Research Associate at the Institute for Creation Research and received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Article posted on March 22, 2013.
Image from article.
dr sheldon cooper is impressed.
Ok. That was a really really dumbed down explanation. But given the complexity of the subject matter, I’m not surprised.
Every solution the ego develops is merely another problem. The whole universe is an illusion. Get over it.
Are we still “here”? Did we get sucked into a black hole?
Fairytail for grown-ups.
But nicely done. My quandry is with the multiverse. If our universe is the product of same it seems to me we must return to the original task, the origin of the multiverse. It is one and the same issue. As are a multitude of universes, unknowable except in the most theoretical sense. The very idea is akin to the conundrum, “Can we both exist and not exist simultaneously”? Thyere is by definition no way to test the syllogism.
“how the Big Bang created something out of nothing”
Then the “Big Bang” was the creator. That’s what it says.
Sorry bud. the “Big Bang” is not a sufficient explanation for the existence of the universe. If there was a “Big Bang” (there wasn’t) then the “Big Bang” was what happened to the universe after it came into existence.
Other ludicrous theories: “The universe pops in and out of existence.”
“there is a multiverse and our universe is but one of many”
Does this mean Obama is going to get another Nobel Prize?
As you are undoubtedly gathering, the anomaly's systemic, creating fluctuations in even the most simplistic equations.
I would guess that the number of serious physicists (not armchair phyicists or those with a political agenda) who believe that proof of the existance of the Higgs boson is the “death knell of Christianity” can be counted on two hands.
OTOH, there are probably even less serious physicists who believe in Young Earth theories.
Most simply appreciate the advancement of the science through the confirmation of a theory.
“dr sheldon cooper is impressed.”
Hawking disproved Cooper’s theory. Simple math error. Sort of like the Nork Nuke program. They estimated the US mainland was 4000 kilometers away. They should have calculated for miles.
Every solution the ego develops is merely another problem. The whole universe is an illusion. Get over it.
We could just be living in a simulated universe running on god’s desk....
Let’s see the math on your proof.
I just want them to tell me where the Big Bang came from.
Stopped reading here. Major red flags. What other kind of physicist is there?
Scientists attribute our existence to the Higg’s field because it is through its interaction with particles that mass emerges. No mass, no matter, no stars, no planets, no chemistry, no biology, no people. I don’t believe it was ever considered part of inflation theory.
The Big Bang theory of cosmology is accepted by scientists because they have satellite pictures of it taken shortly after it took place. The light has been distorted somewhat over 13.7 billion years but its quite measurable. Scientists call it the surface of last scattering or Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).
They were able to measure the CMB temperature and found that it was nearly identical everywhere. This was a problem because it was too widely dispersed in space to have allowed the temperature to equalize over such a large region. Alan Guth figured this could be explained if it had started out much smaller and expanded rapidly. He calculated the expansion rate and called this inflation theory. Later scientists confirmed that his theory agreed with the CMB temperature maps they had made using the WMAP satellite.
In quantum theory anything that isn’t forbidden must occur. If inflation happened once it must be an eternal process creating multiple universes with various physical laws. In some of these conscious beings have evolved to appreciate their good fortune.
I’ve done quite a bit of work in quality, 6-sigma, auditing, and manufacturing. One of the issues I’ve repeatedly found with our engineers when delivering new things is that they don’t understand or apply gage repeatability and reproducibility when developing so when it gets to the floor we have to ask for changes to meet what the process can actually achieve and measure.
As a Physics major I cannot recall one time conducting GRR in a lab and most of the scientists I studied with or worked with later in life were remiss to spend costly lab time doing it either.
The only reason I bring this up is that I’m starting to wonder if some of the “unknowns” that we still have aren’t actually accounted for by the measurement process variation. If this variability failed to be taken into account in the core science (not in regards to heisenberg either) it would have significant impact to what is being said or assumed.
“It’s turtles all the way down, mister!”
And there are those that the Bible’s theorem is unbelievable. “In the Beginning, God created Earth.”
Makes as much sense as a buffalo theory (Hee Hee bosun?)
It’s been a long day and I’ve just finished (I hope) with this years tax return, so I’m a little punchy.
I misspelled boson (bosun). Sorry
|
<urn:uuid:81b9bf04-0dce-4bcd-9b7d-84f2d71cfcc8>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3004201/posts
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00033-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.950802
| 2,473
| 2.796875
| 3
|
The Transition to a New Economy After the Second Industrial Revolution
During the Second Industrial Revolution, 1860-1900, many new technologies, including electricity, were invented. These inventions launched a transition to a new economy, a period of about 70 years of ongoing, rapid technical change. After this revolution began, however, several decades passed before measured productivity growth increased. This delay is paradoxical from the point of view of the standard growth model. Historians hypothesize that this delay was due to the slow diffusion of new technologies among manufacturing plants together with the ongoing learning in plants after the new technologies had been adopted. The slow diffusion is thought to be due to manufacturers' reluctance to abandon their accumulated expertise with old technologies, which were embodied in the design of existing plants. Motivated by these hypotheses, we build a quantitative model of technology diffusion which we use to study this transition to a new economy. We show that it implies both slow diffusion and a delay in growth similar to that in the data.
Document Object Identifier (DOI): 10.3386/w8676
Published: Andy Atkeson & Pat Kehoe, 2002. "The transition to a new economy after the Second Industrial Revolution," Proceedings, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, issue Nov. citation courtesy of
Users who downloaded this paper also downloaded these:
|
<urn:uuid:a066a06d-313e-4c5a-876a-14e20612b927>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.nber.org/papers/w8676
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00044-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.945216
| 267
| 2.953125
| 3
|
Photosynthesis is the main life process of plants, the means by which they manufacture the energy to conduct all other life functions. The sunlight captured by the green cells in the leaves produce plant sugars and energy. Respiration, foliage growth, root development, turgor pressure and reproductive activity all play off this basic process of light capturing and conversion.
Photosynthesis converts the light energy from the sun into a chemical energy that can be stored and dispersed throughout the plant to carry out all of the interdependent life processes. The light energy captured by cells in the leaves mixes with carbon dioxide and water in the cells to make sugar. This process cannot occur if the plant does not receive sunlight, and all of the life processes will be slowed or altered if only minimal light is available.
Water in the plant and taken up by the plant roots is used along with the energy from light to run the photosynthetic process. Plants under drought stress either from lack of soil irrigation or from dessication from sun, high winds, arid climates or high heat will strain to complete photosynthesis. The internal turgor pressure in water-based tissues called phloem holds the plant and leaves in an upright position where they can absorb optimal sunlight. Under drought stress, the plant can wilt and collapse, reducing the surface area the plant has to soak up the sunlight and conduct photosynthesis.
Plants take carbon dioxide in through openings on the underside of the leaves called stomata. The stomata open and close to take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Under plant stress from excessive heat and/or drought stress, the stomata do not open, and a secondary, less-efficient survival process kicks in called the Calvin cycle, where the plants' basic processes are turned inward and stomata remain closed until environmental conditions become more favorable and night comes, the weather cools and moisture is more plentiful. This restricts the flow of carbon dioxide, water and light energy to carry out the photosynthesis process, slowing all plant functions over the short term.
|
<urn:uuid:58b1e6b0-c582-41b4-8361-1af5080d4a2d>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.gardenguides.com/89633-factors-affecting-photosynthesis-green-plants.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00141-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.927497
| 413
| 4
| 4
|
Plant Sterols and Pregnancy
Since the amount of DHT in the body can be decreased by plant sterols, pregnancy problems could potentially occur if a pregnant woman uses plant sterol products. DHT is important for male genital development, which means that plant sterols may cause abnormalities of the external genitals of a male fetus. Talk to your healthcare provider about plant sterols and pregnancy to further discuss the risks.
Plant sterols are cholesterol-like compounds found in low amounts in many plant-based foods. They are also used in some dietary supplements and added to "functional foods" (such as margarine-like spreads or juices designed to lower cholesterol). Although a normal intake of plant sterols through a healthy diet is considered safe, foods or supplements with added plant sterols are not usually recommended for pregnant women.
There is no evidence that plant sterol products are safe (or unsafe) for pregnant women. Theoretically, plant sterols could cause problems based on their effects on certain hormones. Plant sterols may block the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), thereby decreasing the amount of DHT in the body. Since DHT is important for male genital development, taking high doses of plant sterols during pregnancy could theoretically cause problems, such as abnormalities of the external genitals of a male fetus. However, this has not yet been shown to be a problem, and it is likely that large doses would be necessary to produce such effects.
If you are pregnant, it is always a good idea to have a discussion with your healthcare provider before taking any medication or supplement (or even functional food), including plant sterol products. The only accepted medical uses of plant sterols are for high cholesterol (and perhaps for an enlarged prostate), problems that are unlikely to occur in women of childbearing age. Since the full risks are not currently known and since there is probably little benefit of plant sterols for pregnant women, it is generally not recommended that pregnant women take plant sterol products.
|
<urn:uuid:70decff9-ae00-4191-acde-aac6f006c389>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://heart-disease.emedtv.com/m/plant-sterols/plant-sterols-and-pregnancy.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395166.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00021-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.967981
| 409
| 2.6875
| 3
|
Those cosmetic innovations of the 1910s of lipstick, eye-shadows, mascara and pan-sticks etc from brands like Maybelline and Max Factor were now to be seen on dressing tables and handbags across America and Europe. In Japan, still not under the spell of fascism, Shiseido was producing their own unique beauty products for the ‘modern Japanese woman‘. The 1920s was the era of the Flapper, a time when nice girls could be bad – at least in the evenings!
Makeup played a huge part in helping women recover from the horrors of the war, and assert their new sense of feminine power. Helena Rubinstein famously said ‘ If you can show me a woman who doesn’t want to look young and beautiful – well, I’m afraid she isn’t in her right mind. Women all want it – and we admit that they do !’
Download original makeup and beauty guides from the golden eras.
Gallery – Makeup Mirror – Women of the 1920’s.[peg]
In 1909 Gordon Selfridge had opened the first cosmetics counter to allow women to ‘try before you buy’ and by the 1920s, every pharmacy and department store in the world had makeup counters. The earlier stigma attached to makeup and ‘harlots’ was gone and women felt at ease perusing the latest powders, vanishing creams, pan sticks, lipsticks and mascaras ( or mascaros as they were known in the 1920s).
Hollywood stars like Clara Bow made the cupids bow lip – a self shaping lipstick developed by Helena Rubinstein – popular and the image of the 1920s woman with her bow lips and dark eyes peering out from under her cloche hat has defined the look to this day. Shaping the mouth became a major pastime for women, with metal lip tracers being sold to help achieve the perfect pout. The defining look was a youthful glow to contrast the ivory pale skin, with creams, rouge papers and various liquids being sold.
Gallery – The Makeup Looks of the 1920’s.[peg]
Make-up for Black women.
Kathy Lee Peiss in her book Hope in a Jar noted:
“If pale and creamy was the desired skin, the solution for white women lay in an array of powders, paints, and bleaches. But what were the ramifications for black women? Peiss examines the hair and skin products sold and marketed to black women. Two of the largest companies within the black community did not sell hair straighteners or bleaches.”
The Key Makeup Looks of the 1920’s.
The 1920s woman was the first to truly create an artificial face. Startling eyes, scarlet lips and a pale pallor – thanks to buckets of powder resembling that of a corpse.The consumer boom in makeup – simplified women’s requirements and a handbag carried all any daring flapper needed. Cake mascara – applied with a brush and the ever present push up tube lipstick.
- Eyes – kohled eyeshadow for the more daring girls
- Eyebrows – Plucked for the first time and drawn downward towards the temple.
- Lips – lips were smaller than the natural outline and fashioned into the ‘cupid’s bow’ shape.
- Lashes – mascara was the new rage and no woman could resist enhancing her lashes.
- Rouge – Applied in circles rather than angular. The effect was a rounded face.
- Nails – The big name was Revlon and the popular style was the ‘moon manicure’ leaving the tip in painted.
Gallery – Makeup Adverts of the 1920’s.[peg]
Contrary to popular belief the art of plucking eyebrows did not take off until the early 1930s, again to some extent popularized by Hollywood bombshells such as Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy.
No – the 1920s look for the most part was one of femininity and beauty routine – day and night.
Most women did not go for the so called flapper look – but instead the idea of facial contouring was gaining interest and soon 1920s makeup and beauty books displaying detailed tutorials for women were being sold. One notable makeup tool that appeared in the 1920s was eyeliner – inspired by the huge interest in all things Egyptian, following the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The First “Swivel” Lipstick.
Now a staple in every woman’s handbag, the lipstick tube – purportedly invented in 1915 – with a side lever to push up the lipstick, was challenged by a patent by a James Mason Jr in 1923 – with his “swivel lipstick container”.
Gallery – Cosmetic Patents of the 1920’s.[peg]
A Popular makeup brand which made its mark in the 1920s was Tre-Jur – under the lead of cosmetic entrepreneur Albert Mosheim. Other notable makeup brands who joined the ranks of Tre-Jur, Max Factor, Coty, Rubinstein and Arden in the 1920s included Tangee Lipsticks (1922), Peggy Sage (1925), Charles of the Ritz (1926) and Bonnie Bell (1927), Kissproof (1927)
© 2012 – Stevie McGlinchey – Glamourdaze.com
Vintage Makeup Guides – The 1920’s Look.
Cosmetics in the 1920s.
Pinterest – 1920s makeup & Beauty
An Original Flapper’s Guide to 1920s Makeup.
Makeup – Women’s studies.
The 1920s Image – Review.
Classic Beauty – The History of makeup.
Patent Images – via Google Patents
Plus – the excellent – Collecting Vintage Compacts
(2 patents by Mosheim – 1357412 and 1498475.
Gordon – 1419671, Miles – 1451740 and Kasdan – 1503955)
|
<urn:uuid:398e1f77-dc7c-4af0-9051-7bfdc2890353>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://glamourdaze.com/history-of-makeup/1920s
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396147.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00098-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.946429
| 1,248
| 2.984375
| 3
|
ASTM F2732 - 11 Standard Practice for Determining the Temperature Ratings for Cold Weather Protective Clothing
Citing ASTM Standards
Citation data is made available by participants in CrossRefs Cited-by Linking service. A comprehensive list of citations to this standard are listed here.
There are currently no referencing documents for this standard.
Referenced ASTM Standards
The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.
F1291 Test Method for Measuring the Thermal Insulation of Clothing Using a Heated Manikin
F2370 Test Method for Measuring the Evaporative Resistance of Clothing Using a Sweating Manikin
|
<urn:uuid:7ac185bf-0dad-4641-90c4-ca04ff188962>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.astm.org/DATABASE.CART/STD_REFERENCE/F2732.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00087-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.857135
| 143
| 2.578125
| 3
|
By Mark Ward
Technology correspondent, BBC News
By 1971 the fledgling internet had spanned the US.
It has often been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For the internet, that first step was more of a stumble.
At 2100, on 29 October 1969, engineers 400 miles apart at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and Stanford Research Institute (SRI) prepared to send data between the first nodes of what was then known as Arpanet.
It got the name because it was commissioned by the US Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (Arpa).
The fledgling network was to be tested by Charley Kline attempting to remotely log in to a Scientific Data Systems computer that resided at SRI.
Kline typed an "L" and then asked his colleague Bill Duvall at SRI via a telephone headset if the letter had arrived.
Kline typed an "O". Duvall said that arrived too.
Kline typed a "G". Duvall could only report that the system had crashed.
They got it working again by 22:30 and everything went fine. After that first misstep, the network almost never put a foot wrong. The rest has made history.
Watching remotely in Washington 40 years ago was Dr Larry Roberts, the MIT scientist who worked out the fundamental technical specifications of the Arpanet. The engineers who built the hardware that made Arpanet work, did so to his design.
But, he told BBC News, the initial reaction to setting up Arpanet was anything but positive.
"They thought it was a horrible idea," he said.
The Interface Message Processors (IMPs) helped to shuttle data around the Arpanet
Bob Taylor, head of Arpa's Information Processing Techniques Office, wanted Arpanet built to end the crazy situation of every institution he funded demanding ever more computer power and duplicating research on those machines.
"At the time computers were completely incompatible and moving data was a huge chore," he said.
The resistance came about because those institutions wanted to keep control of their computer resources. But, said Dr Roberts, they soon saw that hooking up to Arpanet meant a huge increase in the potential computer power they had at their disposal.
"They quickly learned that there was a tremendous gain for them," said Dr Roberts. It also fulfilled Bob Taylor's goal of cutting spending on computers.
Back in those days, long before the utility of the net was demonstrated, Dr Roberts and his colleagues had an inkling that remarkable things would happen once such a network were built.
"We knew that if we could connect all the data we were collecting that would change the face of research and development and business," he said.
The Arpanet became the internet in the 1970s but the change was largely cosmetic. The fundamental technological idea that made it work, known as packet switching, was demonstrated on that October evening.
The motivation for developing packet switching also had a financial element. Computer networks were in used prior to the creation of Arpanet but not many people used them.
"The cost was enormous because we were doing it so inefficiently," said Dr Roberts. "We knew we needed something to share that rather than have it as a dedicated session."
The inspiration for packet switching partly came from the Post Office
Analysis by Dr Roberts showed that only one fifteenth of the capacity of a telephone line used to remotely connect to a mainframe was used.
Far better, he reasoned, was to find a way to divide up that capacity among many computers.
Dr Roberts was not alone in building a network using these principles. Packet switching got its name thanks to late British scientist Donald Davies who was creating a network that used this technique at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).
Not only did it make it easier, and cheaper, to use telephone lines it helped speed up the passing of data.
"If you have packets arriving in little pieces you can very quickly sort them," said Roger Scantlebury, one of Dr Davies' colleagues. "But if you have a huge message you have to wait for that to finish before anything else can happen."
Rather than just theorise, Dr Davies and his colleagues put their work into action.
"When we first started we were just going to build something to show it would work, but fairly quickly Donald realised that in order for it to have any impact it needed to be a proper working system, and we actually built the network which went live at the start of 1970," he said.
He told the BBC News: "When we first put the network together at NPL, we weren't constrained by telephone wires, so we built high capacity links and everyone had 1.5 megabytes, which at the time everyone said was crazy."
From those first two nodes, Arpanet quickly grew and by December of 1969 it had four nodes. By 1972 it had 37 and then started the process of connecting up networks to each other and the internet, a network of networks, came into being.
Dr Roberts has spent his professional life involved in networks and is not done yet. He is currently driving a Darpa research project to get the net ready for the next 40 years.
The work is concentrating on ways to improve security, enshrine fairness so no-one can hog capacity and guarantee quality of connection to support exquisitely time sensitive applications such as remote surgery.
There's no doubt that the net's first step was the start of a giant leap.
|
<urn:uuid:4e759283-b049-4dcc-92a5-51bb0fb2b316>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8331253.stm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00041-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.984259
| 1,144
| 3.046875
| 3
|
The mixer and IF subsystem receive the 38.9MHz IF input and provide RSSI (Receive Signal Strength Indicator) output (Voltage output) based on the signal strength of the IF input. For example, 40dBµV of signal input gives an RSSI of 1VDC while 60dBµV of signal input gives an RSSI of 2VDC, and so on. The RSSI is a linear voltage with respect to the input signal strength. The microcontroller detects the RSSI voltage through an external ADC and displays the strength of the RF signal on the LCD display.
An FM IF demodulator block demodulates the audio signal from the IF output and provides the audio signal to audio amplifier.
Typically, an 8- or 16-bit microcontroller is used for this application. External EEPROM on the board stores the last channel number as well as favorite channel numbers. The microcontroller displays the signal strength of the RF channel on the LCD or graphical display.
The user can tune any single TV channel using the microcontroller and display the strength of the RF signal on the LCD display or the signal strength of all the channels can be displayed on a bar graph using a graphical LCD.
The user can measure the different parameter of RF inputs (C/N ratio, TILT/SLOPE ratio) using the microcontroller and an external ADC, as well as measure the strength of audio carriers by re-tuning the tuner at the appropriate audio frequency. The user can hear the sound through the loudspeaker (1W) of any channel by tuning the tuner to the audio frequency of the particular channel. The user can hear the audible level tone in proportion to the level measured for hands-free operations. User can select any two channels above and below to discover undesired signal levels quickly.
The microcontroller controls the volume of the speaker through an external 8-bit DAC (Digital to Analog converter). It will increase, decrease or mute the volume of the speaker through this external DAC and audio amplifier.
Power Supply Block:
The power supply block consists of a 9V/12V rechargeable battery as a power source.
It uses an onboard LDO (Low dropout) regulator to step down the DC voltages. The microcontroller detects the battery voltage and provides status information (LOW BAT and CHARGING) using the front panel LEDs.
Microcontroller in Optical signal measurement uses below blocks:
. Microcontroller in Optical signal measurement application.
Optical Input Section:
The optical input section receives the optical input through a shielded optical cable (ST, FC, SC type). The optical signal input range is -94dBm to -27dBm. The photodiode supports wavelengths of 1300 nm – 1550nm, 2.5 GHz. The optical signal level meter measures optical power at 1310nm and 1550nm wavelengths, with the selection of 1310nm and 1550nm done by the microcontroller.
The photodetector receives the optical signals at 1310nm and 1550nm wavelengths and convert them in to the RF signal; i.e., the photodetector converts the optical signal into a current output
. This current output is converted into a voltage by external Transimpedance amplifiers (TIA). The microcontroller reads this voltage through external 8-/16-/20-bit ADCs.
Typically, an 8-/16-bit microcontroller is used for this application. External EEPROM on the board store reference power levels for each wavelength. The microcontroller displays the signal strength of the optical signal (dBm, dB, µW, and mW) on the LCD or graphical display.
Users can measure the different parameter of optical inputs (dBm, dB, µW, and mW) at 1310nm and 1550nm wavelengths, using an external TIA and ADC.
The microcontroller controls the tone of an external buzzer using an internal PWM. Users can access optical signal information thorough a UART interface. The microcontroller detects the battery voltage and provides its status (LOW BAT and CHARGING) on the front panel LEDs.
|
<urn:uuid:509a841c-8576-4d20-9534-df526caf7e68>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?piddl_msgorder=asc&doc_id=1280176&page_number=2
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00075-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.811271
| 858
| 3
| 3
|
A short time ago I reported in these columns about the war memorial at Dinslaken; today, too, the talk is to be about a war memorial. Dinslaken lies in Germany, but the monument of which I shall speak today stands in a small city of France. That tells practically the whole story. What follows can only be detail.
The war monument of Dinslaken was noteworthy in that upon it—hewn in stone—were chiseled the names of all the citizens of Dinslaken who gave their lives for their Fatherland in the World War. Among these hundred dead men there were three Jews; their names were suppressed. The mothers of these Jews had to learn to realize that their children had suffered and died in vain. Their names are not carved in stone, their names fade away; moreover, their sacrificial death is disgraced just as was that of another Jew 1900 years ago.
In France, on the other hand, a Minister of the Republic Minister of the Republic unveiled a war memorial which bears but one name — the name of a Jew. The name of Rabbi Bloch.
In one of the murderous battles around Arras, Rabbi Bloch was killed…. He was killed as he brought a crucifix to a dying French soldier. The soldier—he is one of the millions of unknown soldiers — fell, mortally wounded, in a storm attack. His comrades pushed on; the thousand instruments of mass murder howled and shrieked about the dying man. He, a man of faith, a pious Catholic, felt his end draw near. He was alone on the field which in German language usage is called both the “field of honor” and the “battlefield.” In his ears the noises of battle and the cries of his dying comrades were already mingling with the music of the heavenly spheres. The soldier called for a crucifix. Just then he saw walking, far away on the battlefield, a man in whom he thought he recognized a priest. The priest moved about among the bloody seed of this storm attack: among the wounded and the dying. Our soldier called to him, and the man came. Whether or not the dying man knew who the person approaching him was cannot be determined.
It was Army Rabbi Bloch.
If the dying soldier had been a National Socialist, he might have discerned that the clergyman was no Catholic priest but one who cared for the souls of that “murderous and degraded people,” the Jews. But the soldier dying on that battlefield near Arras made no distinction, and in a failing voice asked Rabbi Bloch for a crucifix, for a cross, that he might hold it in his hands when he died.
The rabbi bent towards the soldier, heard his wish: he got up and ran. The eyes of the soldier followed him. After a few minutes he came back upon the battlefield, brought the soldier the crucifix, and—in the very instant in which he held the cross out towards the soldier a shell burst and tore up Rabbi Bloch.
At the spot where this occurred a Minister of the French Republic recently unveiled a soldier’s monument. It will stand as long as stone endures — or until National Socialists come there.
This story is a sentimental legend, although it has the advantages of being true; hundreds of wounded and dying saw it and bore witness to it. But although this legend is sentimental (and originated at a time when despite all murderous animosities the character of great nations had not yet sunk to today’s pitiable state of mockery and superstition), this legend should not be forgotten. It should be preserved and told in the story books of children, and a poet should describe it, as Lessing once gave form, in his “Nathan der Weise,” to the story of the three rings.
Not because it was a Jew who sacrificed himself to the religious need of a member of another faith, but because the wisdom of this legend is much deeper, being perhaps the most profound wisdom there is: it shows respect for the God, the ideal, the philosophy of life of one’s fellow man. Respect of the “You” found realization in this legend.
There was a time when National Socialists in Germany were given small prison sentences as punishment for desecrating Jewish cemeteries, breaking synagogue windows and soiling the objects used in the religious ceremonies. During that time it came to pass that a troop of National Socialists fought with a group of political opponents, with the result that the workers were victorious. The National Socialists, who had been put to flight, sought refuge in a synagogue. That was in 1931, in Dortmund. They were safeguarded in the synagogue until their opponents had grown calm and gone away.
As has been said, the names of the Jewish dead found no place on the monument at Dinslaken. The Jews, the light of whose eyes was destroyed in the war were expelled from the German associations for the blind.
I live on foreign soil. For the name of my father, who died for Germany in the war, was wiped away, removed, a thousand times disgraced.
My father fell on the same battlefield and during the same week in which Army Rabbi Bloch was torn up by a shell. I believe that the monument to Army Rabbi Bloch bears the invisible name of my father and of the 12,000 German Jews who died in the World War.
|
<urn:uuid:4899a3de-ee7c-4a38-bc23-e0e1da5bb79a>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.jta.org/1934/10/14/archive/rabbi-bloch
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00072-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.983219
| 1,148
| 2.84375
| 3
|
INEQUALITY OF CONDITION
Where individuals have very different amounts of wealth, status and power. This is a characteristic of all complex modern societies. Equality of condition is often present in hunter-gatherer society. Inequality of opportunity occurs where differences in individual possession of wealth, status and power result in definite advantages and disadvantages in the pursuit of personal success. Inequality of condition undermines equality of opportunity, which is an important value.
"Sympathy is rarely strong where there is a great inequality of condition." - Macaulay.
Reducing inequality of condition is the central aim of huge and expensive welfare states, with not only income support for the poor, but excellent education and health care at all income levels. Britain is somewhat less serious, and the USA hasn't been serious since Roosevelt. We cannot have equality of opportunity without equality of condition. Inequality of condition, like soft discrimination, hurts a child throughout a child's life. inequality of condition in part reflects previous unequal opportunities, which is unjust.
Equality of opportunity is, of course, quite consistent with inequality of condition. But is not the same as two runners given an even start, and equally good tracks. Inequality of condition does not necessarily = inequality of opportunity. When it comes to general measurement of inequality of condition, inequality of consumption is probably more appropriate than inequality of income.
In American political discourse, a distinction is often made between inequality of condition and inequality of opportunity. The former involves the distribution of valued rewards in society, while the latter has to do with access to these rewards. In terms of scientific work, much more progress has been made on the study of inequality of condition than on the study of inequality of opportunity. This paper proposes an approach to defining and measuring inequality of opportunity that avoids many of the problems found in previous research. My method: allows the measurement of inequality of opportunity at both the individual and group levels. The approach is illustrated utilizing occupational data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Studies. - Measuring opportunity - KRYMKOWSKI Daniel H. - Mathematical Sociology in Japan and America. Conference, Honolulu.
|
<urn:uuid:6d2449fe-31cc-4f79-8ce3-9b4e43a56367>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://sociologyindex.com/inequality_of_condition.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00011-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.96021
| 431
| 3.703125
| 4
|
See Texas A&M Green Roof Project website.
A section of the Langford A building’s rooftop was transformed fall 2012 into a green roof with succulents, grasses and a weather station by an interdisciplinary group of Texas A&M students in phase one of a three-year research initiative.
The three-year, $300,000 project is led by Bruce Dvorak, assistant professor of landscape architecture, Don Conlee, associate professor of atmospheric sciences and Astrid Volder, associate professor of horticultural sciences. It's funded by a Texas A&M Tier One Program grant aimed at enhancing students' preparation for the workplace and society through high-impact learning experiences.
“Large-scale green roofing across a campus or urban region is a way to mitigate the risk associated with urban land-use change,” said Cam Bartzen, an environmental studies major who helped install the green roof, on a project blog. “They allow urban areas to benefit from natural processes rather than being blocked from them. The vegetative cover absorbs carbon monoxide, cools buildings in the summer, insulates them in the winter and increases local biodiversity,”
Green roofs also absorb storm water and decrease runoff, improve air quality and turn an unused space into a potential commercial or recreational space.
Students built the green roof from scratch, propagating plants, building modules, installing roof protection tiles, a drainage layer, soil, an irrigation system and the weather station.
“Most of the plants are succulents, which are very good at conserving water,” said Kirk Laminack, a graduate horticulture student who helped install the green roof. “They keep a lot of water in their stems and conserve it so they can survive droughts.”
Succulents, he added, are accustomed to hot climates but sometimes the winter is what kills them, not the summer, because it gets too cold.
“The species we planted are limited not only by heat and rainfall but by the thinness of the substrate we’re using,” said Teresa McIntyre, a horticulture major. “Using just a few inches of substrate is an important part of the experiment because many people who want a green roof cannot afford the higher cost of using deeper soil and most buildings cannot handle the added weight.”
The weather station on the roof will keep track of weather conditions.
“I’m now confident I can build a greenroof without instructions and I understand the science behind its environmental benefits,” said Bartzen.
The project builds on Dvorak’s earlier Langford green roof research, which he began in 2009.
Installation is scheduled to continue in the spring 2012 semester with the addition of herbaceous plants, which die completely at the end of the growing season or when they have flowered or fruited, and then grow again from seed.
The project also calls for students to design and build a living wall, a vegetated wall that achieves benefits similar to green roofs and investigate its performance.
|
<urn:uuid:8586182a-d675-486c-a581-6d09a10ab7d2>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2012/12/10/green-roof-project/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00142-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.945992
| 640
| 3.15625
| 3
|
A new study from NASA postulates that if life ever existed on Mars, it was probably underground.
Ever since clay minerals were discovered on Mars in 2005, scientists have thought warm and wet conditions that could have supported life may have existed, according to NASA. That's because clay is formed when water and rock interact with one another.
SEE SLIDESHOW BELOW FOR INFRARED IMAGES
But researchers analyzing orbiter data from over 350 areas of the planet's surface have found that the type of clay that's formed underground is abundant on Mars, while the type of clay that's formed above the surface is rare.
And conditions on Mars aren't especially conducive to water above the planet's surface.
But there's a problem with Mars' atmosphere - it is not thick enough now for water to be retained on Mars' surface, and there is no scientific consensus that it was ever thick enough in the past to have allowed water to remain on the surface.
According to NASA, the study, which is published in the current issue of the journal Nature, backs up a hypothesis that warm water was present only on the planet's surface for geologically short periods of time.
But don't worry -- this doesn't rule out the possibility of life on the red planet.
"If surface habitats were short-term, that doesn't mean we should be glum about prospects for life on Mars, but it says something about what type of environment we might want to look in," Bethany Ehlmann, the lead author of the paper and a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. "The most stable Mars habitats over long durations appear to have been in the subsurface. On Earth, underground geothermal environments have active ecosystems."
But we can't rule anything out. Space.com notes that just because the water on the surface was only present for a short time doesn't mean it couldn't have been habitable.
NASA's Curiosity rover, a mobile science lab that will continue to study whether or not there was life on the red planet, is set to launch on November 25.
The rover vehicle Opportunity, which is currently operating on the surface of the red planet, has sent back some stunning pictures. Last month, NASA released a video composed of images taken during the Opportunity's three-year trek.
ABC News reported in August that NASA has been looking for evidence of water on Mars for 15 years.
LOOK: Clay Minerals in Craters and Escarpments on Mars:
SUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW
Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day. Newsletters may offer personalized content or advertisements.Learn more
|
<urn:uuid:1303cc15-6002-4a06-af3d-763c773a2d8b>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/03/life-on-mars-under-ground-water_n_1074035.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00016-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.966955
| 546
| 4.28125
| 4
|
|Reference||STATE OF THE ART||Stan Augarten|
|Putting the Planar Process to Good Use|
The First Planar IC
By now there were two completely different ways to make ICs: one based on Kilby's methods; the other on the planar process developed by Hoerni and Noyce of Fairchild. Although Kilby's work was well received by the electronics industry, his ICs suffered from recurrent problems: optimizing certain parts, like resistors, was impossible for various technical reasons; wiring the constituents together was expensive and difficult; and contamination was still a threat. The planar process resolved every one of these dilemmas and rapidly became the one and only way to make ICs; even Texas Instruments (TI) was forced to adopt Hoerni and Noyce's techniques.
Now that it had a convenient method of manufacturing ICs, Fairchild quickly went to work on its first line of commercial chips, a family of logic chips called resistor-transistor logic (RTL). Logic ICs are the Boolean decision-makers of computers and other electronic devices and were formerly made of discretes wired together on circuit boards. RTL is only one of many different types of logic circuits and consists of transistors and resistors arrayed to carry out NOT-OR and NOT-AND functions. RTL is now obsolete, having been replace by other logic circuit that perform these functions more efficiently.
Fairchild's first logic chips were announced in March, 1961 and were bought by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as well as by numerous commercial firms. TI's versions appeared at about the same time and ended up with the U.S. Air Force and in the Minuteman Missile. Although only a few thousand chips were sold by TI and Fairchild in 1962, that year marked the beginning of mass production of ICs.
|Resembling a primitive organism, the IC is one of the most basic of all chips - a "flip-flop," so-called because the introduction of a suitable pulse makes the chip "flip" into one electrical state until another pulse causes it to "flop" back to its original condition. Computers use flip-flops as counters. The chip has four bipolar transistors (the bright blue nose-cone-like features toward the center of the photo) and five resistors (the bright blue horizontal and vertical bars). The white bars are aluminum connectors, normally attached to the external world by wires (not shown here) soldered to the pads at the edge of the device. The irregular black specks are imperfections in the chip's surface. Actual size: 0.06 inches in diameter.|
|STATE OF THE ART
©Copyright Stan Augarten
|This book is provided for general reference. The National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution make no claims as to the accuracy or completeness of this work.|
|page:||Index 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76|
|
<urn:uuid:9462516c-370c-4d2f-9500-3f877a7649d1>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/augarten/p10.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00148-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.951405
| 648
| 3.484375
| 3
|
Computer model could improve some drugs’ efficacyPublished On: Mon, Sep 24th, 2007 | Bioinformatics | By BioNews
Sep 24 : A team of researchers has developed a computer model that could help advance a class of drugs based on antibodies, molecules key to the immune system.
According to researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this model could help envisage structural changes in an antibody that will improve its effectiveness.
The team has already used the model to build a new version of cetuximab, a drug normally used to treat colorectal cancer, that binds to its target with 10 times greater affinity than the original molecule.
The work is a result of a partnership between MIT Professors Dane Wittrup and Bruce Tidor.
“New and better methods for improving antibody development represent critical technologies for medicine and biotechnology,” says Wittrup, who holds appointments in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Chemical Engineering.
Starting with a particular antibody, the MIT model observes many possible amino-acid substitutions that could happen in the antibody. It then calculates which substitutions would bring about a structure that would form a stronger interaction with the target.
“Combining information about protein (antibody) structure with calculations that address the underlying atomic interactions allows us to make rational choices about which changes should be made to a protein to improve its function,” said Shaun Lippow, lead author of the paper.
“Protein modeling can reduce the cost of developing antibody-based drugs, as well as enable the design of additional protein-based products such as enzymes for the conversion of biomass to fuel,” he added.
Janna Wehrle, who oversees computational biology grants at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially supported the research, said: “Making drugs out of huge, complicated molecules like antibodies is incredibly hard. Dr. Tidor’s new computational method can predict which changes in an antibody will make it work better, allowing chemists to focus their efforts on the most promising candidates.”
Traditionally, researchers have developed antibody-based drugs using an evolutionary approach. They remove antibodies from mice and further evolve them in the laboratory, screening for improved effectiveness. This can lead to improved binding affinities but the process is time-consuming, and it restricts the control that researchers have over the design of antibodies.
In contrast, the MIT computational approach can quickly calculate a huge number of possible antibody variants and conformations, and predict the molecules’ binding affinity for their targets based on the interactions that occur between atoms.
Using the new approach, researchers can predict the effectiveness of mutations that might never arise by natural evolution.
“The work demonstrates that by building on the physics underlying biological molecules, you can engineer improvements in a very precise way,” said Tidor. (ANI)
|
<urn:uuid:9c918ae1-82fb-4392-aec5-850989a7bc67>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://news.bioscholar.com/2007/09/computer-model-could-improve-some-drugs-efficacy.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398216.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00029-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.935574
| 594
| 2.6875
| 3
|
The Montessori method of education was created by Dr. Maria Montessori, Italy’s first woman physician. Early in the 20th century, Dr. Montessori developed her educational concepts and tested them at a center in Rome.
Dr. Montessori cherished the uniqueness of each child and discovered that children learn best within environments that support individual development. She found that when children are in a home-like setting filled with developmentally appropriate materials, they become independent self-motivated learners.
The Primary goal of a Montessori program is to help each child reach his or her full potential. The “whole child” approach taken by Dr. Maria Montessori fosters growth in all areas because the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive needs of a child are seen as inseparable. This approach encourages joy of learning and development of self-esteem.
In a Montessori classroom, learning occurs in an inquiring, cooperative atmosphere. Social interaction among the children is encouraged, thereby promoting peer teaching and cooperative learning.
A nurturing environment is fostered in the classroom, providing children with a physically and psychologically safe place for learning.
Montessori students of mixed ages are together in the classroom. They are guided to create their own personal learning plans, choosing from the diverse materials, activities, and experiences available to them. They are allowed a large block of time for the individual work period. Their experiences as Montessori students promote respect for themselves, others, and their environment.
|
<urn:uuid:0f098161-f96f-4bdf-9fc0-3a064d5a1a4f>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://montessori4children.com/about/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00009-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.958318
| 309
| 4
| 4
|
Definitions of final
a. - Pertaining to the end or conclusion; last; terminating; ultimate; as, the final day of a school term.
a. - Conclusive; decisive; as, a final judgment; the battle of Waterloo brought the contest to a final issue.
a. - Respecting an end or object to be gained; respecting the purpose or ultimate end in view.
The word "final" uses 5 letters: A F I L N.
No direct anagrams for final found in this word list.
Words formed by adding one letter before or after final (in bold), or to afiln in any order:
e - finale i - finial l - infall s - finals v - flavin
Shorter words found within final:
ai ail ain al alif an ani anil fa fail fain fan fil fila fin flan if in la lain li lin na naif nail nil
List shorter words within final, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in final, plus an optional blank or existing letter
List all words starting with final, words containing final or words ending with final
All words formed from final by changing one letter
Other words with the same letter pairs: fi in na al
Browse words starting with final by next letter
Previous word in list: finagling
Next word in list: finale
Some random words: pya
|
<urn:uuid:aad1b618-3658-44ce-b039-76bec7f9aaf8>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.morewords.com/word/final/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399428.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00194-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.724531
| 296
| 2.625
| 3
|
Stories for children should be of all kinds—folktales, funny, exciting, astounding stories, and tales of every day life.
An essential step in language acquisition and learning to read is hearing good books read aloud. Parents and teachers who read aloud to children are teaching literacy concepts by the act of sharing a good story. Listening to a story allows children to ponder, make comments, and ask questions. It allows the word, the reader, and the listener to connect in unique ways.
Be flexible enough to leave a book that doesn’t interest. This doesn’t mean the first paragraph or the first page. If it’s a chapter book give the story 2 to 3 chapters to develop. This is especially true of science fiction or fantasy. The author needs the time to develop the setting and characters. If it’s a picture book give the story 2 to 3 pages. After that if the child is still not interested, leave the book behind. Not every book is meant for every child. We want children to enjoy books, not suffer through a story that bore them.
Even after children learn to read on their own they still enjoy having a story read aloud. Hearing a good story read well, is an excellent way to encourage independent reading. Children can generally hear and understand vocabulary and story complexities 2 grade levels above their reading level. Not every book are best read aloud. Some books are perfect for a quiet read. There are many books that are perfect for reading aloud, perhaps before bedtime or at the end of the school day. Many times children will hear a story and then want to read it for themselves.
Don’t be afraid to ask your child to bring other ideas to the story. Ask them to write or draw a different ending to the story, how a character felt during a scene, or create a 3-D representation of a poem. My youngest son loved making book covers. He would take construction paper, crayons, and glue and make a new picture for the front cover and then write a review on the back of his book jacket. In this reading, writing, art activity his love of literature was strengthened.
Children want to read what makes them laugh, cry, shiver, or gasp. They enjoy stories that reflect what they have felt. How did a story character deal with a particular situation? They long to live through the adventures of the characters. Poetry allows children to hear playful language. For children, reading must be enjoyed in a world of imagination, wonderment, and emotion.
|
<urn:uuid:ad789ab4-bbe1-4c62-9756-7e7cb931c566>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art11436.asp
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395546.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00143-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.959437
| 522
| 4.0625
| 4
|
The Science of Cheeseburgers
In 1924, according to his obit in TIME magazine, 16 year old Lionel Clark Sternberger, "experimentally dropped a slab of American cheese on a sizzling hamburger while helping out at his father's sandwich shop in Pasadena, thereby inventing the cheeseburger."
Thank you Mr. Sternberger for a great taste combo and an American icon.
A cheeseburger can be crafted from practically any other hamburger style with the simple addition of cheese, and many cheeses will do. There are only two important guidelines:
1) The cheese must be melted. It cannot be cold or hard.
2) The chosen cheese must enhance the composition of the sandwich, not clash with it. There are two ways to go with adding dairy to your cow: Melting cheese, or spreading cheese.
Let's discuss the melting method first.
How to add the cheese
Whatever cooking method you use, the cheese is the last thing to go on. Most of the cheeses below melt quickly, within 2 minutes. So you should only apply it after one side is finished cooking, when you are within 2 minutes of finishing the other side.
If you are grilling your burger, lay the cheese on top, and then close the lid so the cheese will melt. Depending on the cheese, 2 to 3 minutes should do it. Be careful not to overcook the meat while melting the cheese. You might even want to move the patty off direct heat while you melt the cheese. Another trick is to cap the burger like they do in some diners. Just add the cheese, put a metal mixing bowl over the burger, and it should melt in as little as 30 seconds. A coffee can or baking pan will work fine.
In a frying pan, put the lid on, but not tight. Leave a good sized crack so steam can escape. If you don't have a lid, cover the pan with a metal baking pan or cookie sheet.
On a griddle, use a metal bowl or pan to trap the heat and melt the cheese.
Under a broiler, pull the burgers out, lay on the cheese, and slide it back under the broiler, about 2" below the heat source. Leave the door open and stand there and watch, because it can melt quickly. As soon as it starts to bubble, you're done.
Here's another trick. If you are using caramelized onions, sautéd mushrooms, or even raw onion, put them on before the cheese. As the cheese melts it will help anchor the toppings in place so they don't fall off as easily.
Cheeses for melting
The issues surrounding the selection of a cheese are: Taste, meltability, color, and cooking method.
The prototypical American cheeseburger has a slice of bright yellow American cheese or cheddar. My fave is sharp cheddar for flavor and tradition. Better still, a smoked cheddar.
But there's no reason why you can't use another melting cheese. Smoked gouda, Muenster, jack, pepper jack, brie, provalone, cambozola, and havarti are good choices. Just don't mask the meat with too much. Slice it 1/8" thick (or grate it and pile it on 1/4" thick because there's a lot of air in grated cheese). Add more if you wish, but remember, the thicker the cheese, the longer it takes to melt, so factor that into your cooking time.
Gruyere is nice but it doesn't melt well, so grate it first. Crumbled blue cheese is popular, although it doesn't melt well either. It is especially good if you can put it under a flame to broil and brown it a bit, and I like it best on top of thin apple slices and caramelized onions.
Cheeses for spreading
Another approach is to use a spreadable cheese that doesn't need to be melted. It can go on the underside of the bun top, or right on the patty in a blob so it can spread with heat and pressure from the bun.
Pimento cheese spread is very popular in the South, particularly South Carolina and Georgia. My faves are my home-made boursin (laced with garlic), or herbed fresh chevre (herbaceous and tangy). The Cherry Cricket in Denver is famous for their Cricket Burger with a slab of cream cheese and some minced jalapeño on top.
Other options include cheddar spread with port wine, blue cheese spread, beer cheese, or amp it up by mixing cream cheese with chili sauce or horseradish. Or try the chevre with a balsamic reduction instead of ketchup.
Toppings and bottomings
For more ideas
Hard core cheeseburger lovers will get a few more laughs and learn a thing or two from Kevin Pang's The Cheeseburger Show.
The Cheese & Burger Society is a fun site sponsored by Wisconsin Cheese and it has some creative combos and beautiful pictures.
|
<urn:uuid:31933770-60f9-48a4-ad8a-073197c36c76>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://amazingribs.com/recipes/hamburgers/zen_of_cheeseburgers.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399117.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00145-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.926811
| 1,055
| 2.609375
| 3
|
Department Chair, Dr. Lawrence Stanberry, Discusses the Global Health Initiative
The Millennium Development Goals were established by the United Nations in 2000 to deal with the issues of extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease in the 190 developing countries of the world. Goal number 4 was to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by the year 2015. Despite some successes, the outlook is grim. A child born in a developing country is over 13 times more likely to die within the first five years of life than a child born in an industrialized country. Moreover, thirty-seven percent of under-five deaths occur in the first month of life.
The Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University has a long history of participation in international activities (summarized here). As we look to the future, we plan to expand and better coordinate our global health activities. The major focus of the Department is on capacity building. We want to assist regions and countries to become self sufficient in educating healthcare providers and delivering care to their populations. There are five areas of highest immediate priority for the Department:
- Refinement of our newly implemented curriculum for pediatric residents to educate them about the scope, epidemiology and management of healthcare challenges in developing countries (see below).
- Formalizing the structure and organization of our pediatric resident global health electives in developing countries. The Department is committed to electives in the Dominican Republic and Uganda, but residents may apply for electives in other programs that are well established and supervised.
- Completion and implementation of a "global health track" for residents interested in careers in international health.
- Nurturing a collaborative research initiative with the School of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia to bring simple technologies to developing countries aimed at decreasing neonatal mortality. Our future goal is to develop cooperative research projects with physicians in developing nations. Our expectation is that residents on electives will participate in a research study in cooperation with healthcare providers in the host country and Columbia faculty.
- Continued development of our adolescent medicine curriculum for developing world healthcare providers. In many parts of the world pediatric care is limited to children 12 years of age and younger; adolescents are cared for in adult clinics and hospital wards. The aim of the Columbia adolescent medicine curriculum is to provide developing world practitioners who interface with the adolescent patient a culturally appropriate in depth understanding of adolescent development and demonstrate how this understanding can improve the clinical care of the adolescent patient.
This section of our website (sorted by country on the left hand side) provides a "snapshot" of our Department's activities. It is an area that is rapidly evolving and we invite questions about our programs.
Global Health Curriculum
The Global Health Program of the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University is in an exciting phase of development. A curriculum has been established, sites for pediatric resident overseas electives are being identified and a process is being developed to insure that the overseas elective is a valuable educational experience.
The elective is open to selected 2nd and 3rd year Pediatric residents. The aim is to provide an educational and cultural experience that will influence the course of residents' careers whether that be in the United States or overseas. Since most residents will continue on to careers in the U.S., it is our intention that this experience will better enable them to care for underserved and immigrant members of their practice and that academic interest will be broadened to include pressing issues in resource poor areas of the world. A few individuals will find their life's work in this experience. The specific goals of this elective are to:
- Improve the health of children through partnerships with pediatric institutions outside of the US through bidirectional educational experiences
- Heighten awareness of diverse socio-cultural determinants of health care
- Understand diseases that are uncommon in resource rich areas
- Increase consideration of Pediatrics in a resource poor area as a possible career choice
The curriculum consists of a series of lectures over an 18-month period that address pressing issues in the developing world. The overseas elective is generally a 4-week block in the 2nd or 3rd year of the training program. It consists of a hands-on mentored clinical experience and a project of the resident's design with appropriate mentoring. Plans for the elective are made 9 months to a year before departure. The site of the elective and the project are reviewed and approved by the Pediatric Residency Training Director. Our Pediatric Residents have done overseas electives in the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and other sites. Detailed information on the Dominican Republic and Ugandan sites can be found on the Community Pediatrics web site, then click on Training, Global health Elective.
Future Plans include development of a Global Health reading elective and journal club and for a 4-year Pediatric Global Health training tract that would allow two residents to spend 6 months in their 4th year at an overseas site to complete a project that would become the basis for a career in Global Health.
Global Health Curriculum Table
- Pediatric Morbidity & Mortality in the Developing World, now and in the future
- Growth, Development, Nutrition & Malnutrition
- Newborn Survival
- Vaccine Preventable Diseases
- Epidemiology, Prevention & Treatment of Tuberculosis
- Epidemiology, Prevention & Treatment of Malaria
- Epidemiology, Prevention & Treatment of HIV
- Epidemiology, Prevention & Treatment of Parasitic Diseases
- Diarrheal Diseases & Access to Clean water
- The role of environmental factors in child health
- Sexuality & Adolescence
- Orphans, Families, internally displaced families, child labor, trafficking & Refugees
- The Ethics of International Aid
- How do you develop a career in Global Health?
- Responding to International Humanitarian Crises
- The Role of Governments, and the World Health Organization in addressing Global Health Issues
|
<urn:uuid:90864247-a82c-45dc-874c-6fc56e2340a7>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/pediatrics/global-health
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00192-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.938228
| 1,191
| 2.953125
| 3
|
Food -- a perfect medium to teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts. Pick and choose from a curriculum that incorporates real life experience into virtual and hands-on labs, classroom discussion guides, presentations and videos. Not only do students learn a STEM concept, they increase their awareness of food and agriculture careers that are related to the safety of the food supply.
Begin the virtual labs by clicking on each of the graphics below. Each lab will open in a new window and may take some time to load depending on your internet connection. If using a computer, you will need to have Adobe Flash Player installed. Accessing the labs on some mobile devices or tablets may require a flash browser, such as Puffin Web Browser.
Investigating a Food Toxin
“There’s mold in my food – is it safe to eat?” Virtually experience how farmers and food processors use science concepts to inspect corn for a mold that can produce a dangerous toxin.
- Unit Guide
- Procedure for QuickTox™ Kit for Aflatoxin Bulk Grain [PowerPoint Download]
- ELISA BASICS Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [PowerPoint Download]
The Good, Bad and Ugly
“Why do we pasteurize milk?” Virtually inspect a dairy processing facility and use hands-on labs to engage in microbiology concepts that are used by food and dairy scientists.
- Unit Guide
- Comparing Raw & Pasteurized Milk and Testing Surfaces for Microbial Contamination [PowerPoint Download]
- Lab Protocol: Gram Staining Yogurt Sample or Milk (raw or pasteurized) [PowerPoint Download]
- Using a Microscope (Oil Immersion) [PowerPoint Download]
Manipulating the pH Level in Food
“Is food really an acid?” Virtually experience the research and development of Sensational Salsa.
- Unit Guide
- Procedure for Acidifying Salsa [PowerPoint Download]
- Procedure for Isoelectric Point of Milk: Making Curds & Whey [PowerPoint Download]
- Measuring and Manipulating the pH Level of Egg Yolks [PowerPoint Download]
- Procedure for Testing the pH of Various Foods [PowerPoint Download]
South Dakota State University (SDSU) and New Mexico State University (NMSU) produced this project as part of a Higher Education Challenge Grant "Innovative STEM instruction techniques to increase the number and diversity of students in food safety related majors". SDSU served as the lead institution for the overall project developing the content and curriculum while contracting with NMSU leading the digital creation of classroom media, animations and interactive educational technologies. North Dakota State University serves as the outside evaluator of the project. This project was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2011-38411-30625 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This project was supported in part by the USDA NIFA grant numbers 2008-38411-19055, NDSU serving as the lead instution contracting with SDSU and NMSU. Virtual Lab creative presentation © 2010 The NMSU Board of Regents. Note: NMSU grants South Dakota State University an irrevocable, royalty-free, non-transferable, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, make derivative works, display and perform publicly any copyrights or copyrighted materials first developed and delivered under this Agreement.
Project PI – Dr. Joan Hegerfeld-Baker (former SDSU Extension Food Safety Specialist)
Co-PI Dr. Sanjeev Anand
|
<urn:uuid:7fda5d74-fc0a-4a32-86af-d9015441ba14>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://igrow.org/healthy-families/food-safety/food-safety-scientist/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00092-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.85715
| 750
| 3.734375
| 4
|
Richard's Favorite Way to Heat
What You'll Learn
Radiant floors have changed the way Americans think about comfort. The principle is essentially the same as an old-fashioned radiator, except that instead of heating a large hunk of metal, the mass being heated is the floor itself, via hot-water pipes or electric wires under the surface. Not only is the heat more gentle and efficient, says Richard, it's more comfortable because humans prefer their feet to be warmer than their heads. "Forced-air heat does the opposite: it gives you cold feet and a hot head."
In-floor heating goes back at least to ancient Roman baths, where fires heated the air under stone floors. Modern in-floor heating uses loops of PEX pipe, either buried in poured concrete or fitted into grooved panels on top of a wood subfloor, as shown above. The same principle can be used outdoors to melt snow on a driveway or walkway.
|
<urn:uuid:7228c535-d745-4ca4-9285-b1ed01327175>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1207278-4,00.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00199-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.94633
| 194
| 2.625
| 3
|
Theodore Roosevelt (18581919). Through the Brazilian Wilderness. 1914.
of the houses; men stood in front of them. The biggest house was enclosed by a stockade of palm-logs, thrust end-on into the ground. Cows and oxen grazed round about; and carts with solid wheels, each wheel made of a single disk of wood, were tilted on their poles.
We made our noonday halt on an island where very tall trees grew, bearing fruits that were pleasant to the taste. Other trees on the island were covered with rich red and yellow blossoms; and masses of delicate blue flowers and of star-shaped white flowers grew underfoot. Hither and thither across the surface of the river flew swallows, with so much white in their plumage that as they flashed in the sun they seemed to have snow-white bodies, borne by dark wings. The current of the river grew swifter; there were stretches of broken water that were almost rapids; the laboring engine strained and sobbed as with increasing difficulty it urged forward the launch and her clumsy consort. At nightfall we moored beside the bank, where the forest was open enough to permit a comfortable camp. That night the ants ate large holes in Millers mosquito-netting, and almost devoured his socks and shoe-laces.
At sunrise we again started. There were occasional stretches of swift, broken water, almost rapids, in the river; everywhere the current was swift, and our progress was slow. The prancha was towed at the end of a hawser, and her crew poled. Even thus we only just made the riffle in more than one case. Two or three times cormorants and snake-birds, perched on snags in the river or on trees alongside it, permitted the boat to come within a few yards. In one piece of high forest we saw a party
|
<urn:uuid:37684b03-dbe9-4df9-b048-e631e33ad135>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.bartleby.com/174/pages/page164.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00008-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.981876
| 395
| 2.84375
| 3
|
Click the Banner above for over 650 pages of Christian Education Material
from Gramma Cherbear
RESURRECTION EASTER COOKIE RECIPE!
Make Resurrection Cookies on Easter Sunday with your children teaching the true meaning of EASTER! Explaining the Resurrection of Jesus!
Visit the many pages in Cherbear's Den that present the Gospel to Kids!
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory,
the glory of the One and Only, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Help & permission from Parents!
1- cup whole pecans
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 300 (this is important-don't wait 'til you're half-done with the recipe)
1. Place the pecans in the baggie and let the kids beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3
2. Put the vinegar into a mixing bowl. Let each child smell the vinegar. Explain that when Jesus was on the cross and He became thirsty, He was offered vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30
3. Add the egg whites to the vinegar. The eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life so that we could have life.
Read John 10:10-11
4. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand and let them taste it. Put the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27
5. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16
6. Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3
7. Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body was laid to rest.
Read Matt. 27:57-60
8. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off.
9. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the door. Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed.
Read Matt. 27:65-66
10. Go to bed. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight and that Jesus followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20-22
11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. the cookies are hollow! ON THE FIRST EASTER, Jesus' followers were amazed to find His tomb empty.
Read Matt. 28: 1-9
- I do not know the creator of this wonderful recipe for Easter Cookies. But I do know The Creator that made it possible. Glory, Honor and Praise to Jesus the King!
- If you know who wrote it and can offer proof of copyright or origin, please contact me, so I can give credit where credit is due!
- Dear Cherbear:
- I plugged in "Easter cookies" on google.com because I forgot where I got the recipe on-line. Your website came up as well as the original website where I found the recipe a couple of years ago (or more).
- The website is www.domestic-church.com.
- At the bottom of the recipe it reads:
- "This recipe is by Wanda Long and appeared in Home Life magazine."
- You've probably already received this information from somebody else, but I thought I'd pass it along, just in case you hadn't heard.
- Dearest Diane,
- I had not received this information and am so happy to have it. I think it is important for proper credits to go to those whom God has chosen to use as He indeed shows us more of Himself in all He creates through us.
- Gramma Cherbear
- Let's go on a Easter Cookie Recipe Hunt!
- If you have one, please send your link.
|
<urn:uuid:2dcca551-77f8-411f-b92d-65fcd9524a43>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.cherbearsden.com/cookies.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00134-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.951753
| 948
| 2.984375
| 3
|
Nearly 80% of children between the ages of 0 and 5 who use the Internet in the United States, do so on at least a weekly basis, according to a report released Monday from education non-profit organizations Joan Ganz Cooney Center and Sesame Workshop.
The report, which was assembled using data from seven recent studies, indicates that young children are increasingly consuming all types of digital media, in many cases consuming more than one type at once.
Television Still Rules Amongst Preschoolers
Television use dwarfs internet use in both the number of children who surf the web and the amount of time they spend on it. The analysis found that during the week, most children spend at least three hours a day watching television, and that television use among preschoolers is the highest it has been in the past eight years. Of the time that children spend on all types of media, television accounts for a whopping 47%.
Infants Watch At Least Two Hours A Day
Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF):
• two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day
• kids under age 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
8 – 18-Year-Olds Pack In 10 Hours And 45 Minutes Of Screen Time Daily
And, even more scary: 8-18 year-olds today devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.
Heavy television viewing may even be partially responsible for the rising number of children who use the Internet. Parents in one study indicated that more than 60% of children under age three watch video online. That percentage decreases as children get older (the report suggests this is because school-age children have less time at home), but even 8- to 18-year-old children reported in another study that they consume about 20% of their video content online, on cellphones, or on other portable devices like iPods.
Is All This Screen Time Good For Kids?
The report doesn’t attempt to solve the more-than-decade-old debate of whether all of this screen time is good for children. Instead, it preaches balance: “My mother used to say that too much of anything isn’t good for you, whether it be eating only protein, shooting hoops all day or ‘always being connected’ to the digital world,” said Dr. Lewis Bernstein, executive president at Sesame Workshop, in a press release.
A Couple Of Big Questions:
Is all that time in front of screens good for children?
And are parents or caregivers around both to monitor the use of technology and to teach kids how to be media-savvy?
What do you think?
|
<urn:uuid:504a986d-cc78-421e-af21-c992a1d96f90>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.care2.com/causes/is-your-baby-computer-savvy-80-percent-are.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404826.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00020-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.942923
| 695
| 3.140625
| 3
|
The New York City cab is more than just a car that happens to be painted yellow.
Born of the hardscrabble ambitions of poor and immigrant workers in the 19th century, the cab rose to become a mighty symbol of a metropolis that always seemed to be on the go.
The status of cab driving as a profession grew steadily in the mid-20th century as the vehicles became more splendidly comfortable with the introduction of the Checker and the almost-gorgeous DeSoto Skyliner. But it wasn't too long before the reputation of the cab industry took a nosedive. By the 1970s, cabs were described as dirty and cramped, their drivers rough outsiders that maneuvered the streets with psychopathic urgency.
Much has changed since then; cabs have gotten better, and so has the reputation of the drivers. And if the number of taxi-inspired souvenirs at gift shops is any indication, the cab is as inseparable from the city's narrative as the State of Liberty.
Here's a brief history of the taxi in photos, from the earliest horse-drawn cabs to the Taxi of Tomorrow.
Horse-drawn hacks of the 19th century: A bad rep is born
The first taxicabs to ply the streets of New York City were horse-drawn carriages like this hansom cab that became widely used in the early 19th century. Licensed by the city, many of the early taxi drivers were African Americans or Irish immigrants, eking out a living as small entrepreneurs.
Being a taxi driver was already considered a low-rung job that could, if you worked hard enough, help advance a person's social status. But the hacks of the day, toiling in the nighttime hours in their black cabs, had a bad reputation for cheating fares and abetting nighttime crime -- earning the nickname of "nighthawks."
However, they also became symbols of a glamorous urban landscape. One boy arriving in the city wrote of his "first impression of New York was a single horse, drawing the swank, two-wheeled hansom cab. "(Credit: New York Public Library / Alice Austen)
Electric cabs of the late 19th century: A failed experiment
Cab companies began to innovate in the late 19th century, introducing gas power and even steam-powered automobiles. But they failed to win over consumers until the introduction of the electric hansom cab. The Electric Carriage and Wagon Company was largely responsible for introducing these cabs into the city to compete directly with horse-drawn carriages. By 1899, the company had a fleet of 100 in the streets.
But these newfangled cabs had major drawbacks: daily mileage averaged about 11 miles per cab, and the costs of maintaining them were such that they were considered a money loser. While some electric cabs continued to be used around Central Park well into the early 1900s, the experiment had largely failed.(Credit: Museum of the City of New York)
Yellow Cab Company, 1920s: Cabbies selected for 'cheerful kindliness'
The Yellow Cab Company, founded by John Hertz, came to dominate taxi business in the city by the early 1920s by the sheer size of its iconic yellow fleet. The company introduced automatic windshield wipers and telephone-dispatched taxis. He apparently was also passionate about his drivers showing "courtesy," with the Press Club of Chicago, where the company was based, making much of how the drivers were "carefully selected for their cheerful kindliness."
Hertz sold the manufacturing arm of the company to General Motors, which continued to produce yellow cabs like the one shown here, from 1929. The taxi has a 6-cylinder engine and 3-speed transmission.
The Yellow Cab Company was eventually acquired by Checker Cab Manufacturing Co., which would become a behemoth in the taxi industry for decades to come.(Credit: New York State Museum)
Checker Cabs of the 1920s: Shiny new models hit the streets
Checker cabs were already numerous on the streets of the city in the 1920s, operated by independents in competition with the Yellow Cab Company.
The Chicago-based Checker Cab Manufacturing Co., led by the ambitious Morris Markin, pushed the company to introduce new models of taxicabs and expand manufacturing.
New models included the H and H2, as well as the Model K introduced in October 1928 and priced at $2,500. This shiny new marvel had hydraulic brakes, a six-cylinder engine and safety glass.(Credit: Checker Motors Corporation Factory Photo)
DeSoto taxicabs: Riding in style (with sunroofs!)
In the 1930s, DeSoto Motor Company introduced its famous Skyliner taxicabs in New York City. Operated by the Sunshine Radio System, these cabs were notable for their sunroofs.
The DeSoto taxicabs quickly became famous for their comfort and spaciousness, and this continued into the 1940s with the SkyView, an example of which is shown here.
The cabs featured retractable roofs but included a barrier in the trunk "to prevent transport of dead bodies," according to "Taxi! A Social History of the New York City Cab Driver," by Graham Russell Gao Hodges.(Credit: Randy Lloyd via Flickr (CC BY-SA)))
1950s Checker cabs: Roomy and handsome
By the 1950s, hundreds of cab companies operated in the city. By far the largest organization with the largest fleet was Parmelee, controlled by the Checker Cab Manufacturing Co. Cars ran up into the thousands -- $2,600 per Checker or $3,100 for a DeSoto SkyView. But it was the Checker cab that would become the standard for taxis, with its roomy comfort and handsome looks. Either way, prosperity for cabdrivers was fleeting and hard-won. (Credit: Checker Cab Manufacturing Co.)
Diversity of cabs in the 1960s: Car makers battle it out
The 1960s saw a proliferation of cabs. Now you had Dodge, Ford, Chevrolet and Studebaker cabs plying the roads for hails. But by the end of the decade, Dodges and Fords were dominant. One of the most common, featured in period movies like "Rosemary's Baby," was the Dodge Coronet. Of course, the old Checkers cabs continued to roam the streets, offering comforts beyond the usual taxis. (Credit: William Castle Productions / Rosemary's Baby)
Gypsy cabs emerge in response to racism: 'We go anywhere'
African Americans developed the gypsy cab -- non-medallion taxis -- for the first time in the 1960s, according to "Taxi! A Social History of the New York City Cabdriver." The growth of the service soared on demand in the outer boroughs where medallion cabs often refused to go.
There was more than a tinge of racism to the actions of the city's official fleet of cabs; they often refused to take fares to black neighborhoods or low-income areas. Gypsy cabs filled the gaps.
"Not yellow," some had painted on their sides. "We go anywhere."
The City Council passed a law in 1968 prohibiting non-medallion cabs from using the colors yellow, orange, red or gold.(Credit: Andy Blair via Flickr (CC BY-SA))
The 1970s: A 'sleazy' low point in cab comfort, cleanliness
In 1974, Time magazine described the city's cabs as "among the world's sleaziest: cigarette butts and paper coffee cups on the floor, dirty windows, leprous upholstery, chewed gum and sticky candy wrappers on ripped seats."
Another article that appeared in Time a couple years later was no less charitable, arguing that "In New York City, nothing is more onerous than debt and taxis." The writer complained of a "claustrophobic bulletproof shield between driver and passenger" and said the entire design of the cab was aimed at forcing the customer into "a paralytic yoga position: fists clenched into the white-knuckles mode, knees to the chin."
Though Checkers were still widely available, there was a new dominant vehicle: that old workhorse, the Dodge, as seen in the 1970s Jack Nicholson film "The Last Detail."
In 1970, the city also passed a law making yellow the official color for all medallion taxis.(Credit: Columbia Pictures / The Last Detail )
Ford's Crown Victoria triumphs over all in the 1990s
By the 1990s, the battle to dominate the taxi cab industry came down to two dull but pragmatic vehicles: the Chevrolet Caprice and the Ford Crown Victoria.
While these cars didn't have the flair of cabs of earlier decades, they tended to endure the heavy use of cab drivers. Police also used Crown Victorias, and once those were retired they could be recycled as cabs.
But some people criticized the four-door sedans known as "Crown Vics" for their soft suspensions and awkward back seating. The Caprice was retired from production in 1996, leaving the Crown Vic the cab of choice for much of the rest of the 1990s and into the 2000s.(Credit: Getty Images / Spencer Platt)
Hybrids, minivans, SUVs and more in the 2000s
In the 2000s, the face of the city's cab fleet diversified significantly, with hybrids, minivans and SUVs being introduced. Toyota, Honda and Isuzu vehicles could be seen roaming for passengers.
Still, the Crown Vic remained the old standby even as plans were being made to replace the entire fleet with all-hybrid vehicles or a so-called "Taxi of Tomorrow" promoted by City Hall. But court battles and politics delayed progress toward either.
Nevertheless, the Crown Vic was finally put out of production in 2011, forcing cabbies to select alternatives. The Taxi and Limousine Commission has approved dozens of vehicles for use, from the Toyota Prius to the Dodge Caravan.(Credit: Getty Images)
Uber, Lyft: Ride sharing disrupts the taxi industry in the 2010s
In 2011, Uber announced it was launching its ride sharing service in New York City, ushering in a new era of disruption in the taxi service industry.
By allowing anyone to basically be a taxi driver with their own private vehicle and making it easy to click for a ride using a mobile phone app, Uber began establishing a new network of cabs outside the medallion system. Drivers were plucked from the existing livery cab business, and vehicles didn't have to be of any particular color.
The company immediately faced scrutiny from regulators, but it was soon clear that the demand for the service was outpacing policy. Meanwhile, fellow competitors like Lyft began to operate in the city.
By 2015, the Taxi and Limousine Commission said its data showed that the number of Uber vehicles was outpacing the number of yellow cabs. Uber and its ilk were also being blamed for a drop in medallion prices.(Credit: Getty Images / David Ramos)
Green in 2013: Rise of the outer-borough taxi
After decades when medallion taxis were painted yellow, a new color was introduced to the palette of cab driving in 2013: green.
The city had created a new class of medallion taxis to serve the outer-boroughs, and made the decision to go with a color that would make sure anyone trying to hail one would know the difference.
The decision to introduce the green taxis meant greater service in the outer-boroughs, where taxis had been limited and black livery cabs had long been dominant. The black cars could only be hailed by phone call; the green cabs could be hailed on the street like a yellow cab.(Credit: TLC)
What's next: The Taxi of Tomorrow
The city's fleet of 13,587 yellow medallion cabs will likely look a lot more uniform in the years ahead. That's because policy makers have been pushing to require operators replace retiring cabs with the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow, a Nissan NV200. Taxi operators who choose not to buy hybrids must choose the NV200.
The boxy minivan-like vehicle was chosen after an international competition back in the Bloomberg years, but its rollout was held up by litigation until December 2014.
The Nissan NV200 packs a formidable set of features: cargo room for luggage, USB charging ports, sliding doors, lights that alert other drivers that doors are opening and even a transparent roof that "gives riders stunning views of city sights and skyscrapers," the company crowed.
In January 2016, the fleet is required to begin migrating to wheelchair accessible cabs with a goal of making 50% or more accessible by 2020.(Credit: Nissan)
|
<urn:uuid:59293044-4146-4a44-85c6-0762f0e9bf60>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.amny.com/transit/nyc-taxis-through-the-years-from-horse-drawn-cabs-to-hybrids-and-beyond-1.10037203
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393533.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00062-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.971065
| 2,658
| 3.15625
| 3
|
We know what effect recessions and booms tend to have on our bank accounts. But what about our feelings and wellbeing? The equation should be simple, right? Recession = sad. Economic boom = happy! But it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Recent research says that those who graduate during recessions are happier in the long run—satisfied with being employed unlike boom-time graduates who wonder if they should be doing better. Emily Bianchi, associate professor at Emory’s Goizueta Business School, likens this to research showing that bronze medalists at the Olympics are happier than silver medalists (who wonder why they didn’t win gold).
But what about the rest of us? New research from Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and Michael Norton, professors at the London School of Economics and Harvard respectively, looks at four decades of data (collected from more than 150 countries, including one dataset from the Centers for Disease Control and covers 2.5 million U.S. respondents) to investigate the relationship between life satisfaction and the business cycle. What they found was that well-being is two to eight times more sensitive to negative economic times: Psychologically, a recession hurts a lot more than a boom helps.
De Neve says that this “untold story” is one of the unaccounted costs of a recession. But why do we feel worse during recessions? This asymmetry can be explained by what economists call "loss aversion"—the human tendency to feel losses more strongly than gains, as demonstrated by the research of economists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky.
The most extreme example of De Neve and Norton's finding is Greece: When GDP grew 50 percent from 1981 to 2008, happiness went up 5 to 10 percent. When the recession hit, well-being in Greece not only reversed all previous gains, but dropped to the lowest on historical record.
The research touches on an even bigger question: Does more money mean more happiness? According to what's known as the Easterlin Paradox, the answer is no: Over the long-run, happiness does not go up with income. In the last decade, however, that contention has been debunked, defended, and debunked again. But De Neve and Norton's research seems to stand on Easterlin's side of the debate, that taking into account the magnitudes of change in wellbeing, recessions undo the gains from boom periods.
"When considering the available longer term data that cover entire business cycles, it would appear that wellbeing reports have not risen in most of the world’s economically developed nations, despite having their real GDP almost doubling over the past four decades," they write.
|
<urn:uuid:17b884b9-77c1-4ef8-8874-22cf83d0f9f9>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/why-dont-boom-times-make-people-happier/381258/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00010-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.962225
| 552
| 2.515625
| 3
|
Normally internet connections can be shared by home users by using ICS (internet Connection Sharing) or by making an Ad-hoc network to allow other devices to share a single connection. Other alternative methods require connecting multiple computers by using Ethernet cables connected to the modem. While you can use a Wi-Fi router for connecting an Android or Symbian phone to the internet, your router might not be able to support too many devices. MHotSpot is a portable application which simplifies the process of sharing your wireless network connection with other computers and devices such as Android, Symbian phones, printers and Tablet PC. MHotSpot does not have any complex settings and can share an available wireless network at your home or office.
To get started, you will require sharing your WiFi connection from the Network and Sharing Center. To do that, access Wireless network connection settings from right-click context menu and click Status.
Once done, click Properties and choose the Sharing tab. From here, click check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection” option and select your wireless internet connection from the list. Click OK for the changes to take effect.
Launch MHotSpot and click Start to begin sharing your wireless internet connection.
This will allow you to connect multiple devices to your computer for using the internet. Your PC name will appear in the list of available wireless connections. You can connect multiple device to your PC and hence, create a wireless hotspot at home or office. Click the Stop button to stop the wireless connection.
For more information, check out the video below.
MHotSpot works on Windows Vista and Windows 7.
|
<urn:uuid:20f873e4-fa7f-428f-b20e-0c41a0d55980>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/make-your-pc-a-wifi-hotspot-with-mhotspot/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00087-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.862212
| 337
| 2.625
| 3
|
IF President Reagan is trying to find a way out of a protectionist gun fight with Congress, he should study the Tariff of 1828, which was one of those really good protectionist walls for the United States. That 19th-century tariff killed about 14 birds with one stone. For one thing, it was an act, according to one contemporary, that pertained to ``manufactures of no sort of kind, but the manufacture of a President of the United States.'' Andrew Jackson came into the White House, thanks in part to the strategies of his supporters on the 1828, election-year tariff.
The pro-Jackson maneuverers proposed an enormously high tariff in 1828, the theory being that it would please the protectionists but would also delight their enemies because it would be defeated. Jackson, a man for all factions, would be the beneficiary. However, the measure passed and was quickly dubbed the Tariff of Abominations. And while flags flew at half-mast in towns that opposed the legislation, Jackson got none of the blame and was elected President.
Afterward Jacksonian supporters tried to appease the disaffected by tinkering with the tariff. Such critics as Vice-President John C. Calhoun would not accept this ploy, and in 1832 he became the only vice-president in US history to resign and run for the Senate. Because Calhoun was no political friend (he had served as veep under the previous administration), Jackson was able to choose his own vice presidential nominee in 1832 when he ran for reelection.
Perhaps the biggest boon of the Tariff of 1828 was the enormous income it provided the federal government. In fact, the revenue was so great that Jackson's administration by 1835 was rid of the entire national debt, thereby presenting to the world ``an unprecedented spectacle,'' according to the Secretary of the Treasury.
While the 1828 tariff wasn't perfect, President Reagan would probably like to have the problem that Jackson warned against: ``The experience of other nations admonished us to hasten the extinguishment of the public debt; but it will be in vain that we congratulated each other upon the disappearance of this evil if we do not guard against the equally great one of promoting the unnecessary accumulation of public revenue.''
Thomas V. DiBacco is a historian at the American University, Washington.
|
<urn:uuid:3962cbdb-f070-4df1-8487-702e4fc740a8>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.csmonitor.com/1985/1029/etarri.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402516.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00071-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.976777
| 474
| 2.796875
| 3
|
As society looks toward a future with rising sea levels and more frequent and severe storms, the United States can also expect to see more frequent and severe flooding along rivers and coastlines. That means property owners will increasingly turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its National Flood Insurance Program to bail them out.
But why does the federal government underwrite 5.6 million flood insurance policies — in many cases at highly subsidized rates?
Originally, the National Flood Insurance Program was intended to provide insurance to people who could not get flood insurance from private insurance companies. In the past, flood insurance was not easy to come by, since private insurers had largely left that market. Beyond providing insurance, the program was also tasked with mapping out the nation's most flood-prone areas and helping communities prepare for and avoid damage from flooding. In a sense, the program was intended to manage the nation's flooding risk.
But in practice, the program has not managed that risk very well. One could argue that it has, in part, incentivized the development of infrastructure along floodplains and coastal areas. At best, the program has failed to provide a disincentive.
Just last week the National Academy of Sciences published a report about the National Flood Insurance Program — looking specifically at how levees are addressed by the program. But, this report also includes a good overview of the program since its inception and its many past problems, which include:
- Discounts for the riskiest structures: Nineteen percent of policyholders receive discounts on federal flood insurance simply because the property was built before the first flood insurance maps were produced, or because no elevation data existed to determine flooding risks.
- Grandfathering: When the federal government updates flood maps to reflect greater flood risks, current policyholders often pay the same premiums, or a discounted rate, even if they've been found to be at higher risk of flooding.
- A short-sighted system for balancing the books: The federal government calculates its potential financial exposure from flooding by looking at the average flood losses from previous years, while discounting damages from major events that they consider to be statistical outliers, like hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. This "average historical loss" is then used to adjust premiums to balance the books for a given year, while overlooking the longer-term financial risk.
- Outdated maps: The flood maps used to determine the areas most likely to flood are outdated, although FEMA is in the process of updating them. The new maps rely on more up-to-date hydrological data, elevation data and land-use information. Not surprisingly, the newer maps show that more areas are at risk from flooding. But even these updated maps fail to incorporate climate-related impacts like sea-level rise or more intense storms, which would expand the extent of the flood-prone area even further.
- Treatment of levees: Problems have existed, and persist, with how the National Flood Insurance Program treats properties behind levees. Essentially, if a levee is certified to provide protection against a 100-year flood, then properties behind the levee can purchase flood insurance at a lower price — or not purchase it at all. This has created a perverse incentive to build levees, which convey a false sense of security to property owners. Also, there's the question of whether a levee built to withstand a 100-year flood is adequate, given that 100-year floods have an annoying way of occurring more frequently than once every hundred years, and that's probably going to get worse as the climate warms.
Given these shortcomings, it's not surprising that the program will be between $25 billion and $30 billion in debt once all claims from Hurricane Sandy are paid out. It's a program that is almost designed to fail.
Reforms have been made. Just last year, the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act begins to address some of the problems described above, but a lot more needs to be done. Those common sense reforms are getting a lot of push-back as property owners find out that they will pay higher premiums that more accurately reflect their flood risk.
Americans should ask, "What is the purpose of the National Flood Insurance Program?"
The way the program has evolved, its purpose seems to have less to do with fixing problems associated with flooding, and more to do with prolonging those problems.
The program's purpose should be to prepare the United States for a future where flooding is going to be more frequent and severe. It should provide a social safety net for flood victims. It should be there to help people get their lives back together and to perhaps relocate to a safer location, outside the area where floods are most likely. It should be guiding the nation to a place where Americans are less at risk, particularly as the climate warms.
But so far, it has failed to deliver.
This article was adapted from the blog post What is the Purpose of the National Flood Insurance Program?, which will appear as the first installment of a series on NRDC's blog Switchboard. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on LiveScience.com.
|
<urn:uuid:ae74d91c-3aa6-4c91-8361-afe640e39f57>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.livescience.com/38649-why-have-national-flood-insurance.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398209.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00160-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.96371
| 1,060
| 3.265625
| 3
|
Signs of autism have been found in fish swimming in water contaminated with psychoactive medications.
Scientists identified patterns of gene activity in the fathead minnows that mimicked those seen in susceptible humans with the developmental disorder.
The findings suggest a potential environmental trigger for autism in genetically vulnerable people, the study authors said.
Researchers from Idaho State University in the US exposed fish to the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) and two other chemicals. These were venlafaxine, another antidepressant, and carbamazepine, used to control seizures.
Concentrations were comparable with the highest estimated environmental levels.
The genetic pathways affected were the same as those associated with "idiopathic" autism spectrum disorders whose cause is unknown.
Experts suspect the disorders were brought about by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
The new findings are published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.
Lead scientist Dr Michael Thomas said: "While others have envisioned a causal role for psychotropic drugs in idiopathic autism, we were astonished to find evidence that this might occur at very low dosages, such as those found in aquatic systems."
|
<urn:uuid:98f635e8-f0d1-492e-9ad2-7c254f7464bf>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/autism-signs-in-fish-astonishing-7826429.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393463.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00137-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.962627
| 237
| 2.828125
| 3
|
- freely available
Mapping Irrigated Areas of Ghana Using Fusion of 30 m and 250 m Resolution Remote-Sensing Data
AbstractMaps of irrigated areas are essential for Ghana’s agricultural development. The goal of this research was to map irrigated agricultural areas and explain methods and protocols using remote sensing. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data and time-series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were used to map irrigated agricultural areas as well as other land use/land cover (LULC) classes, for Ghana. Temporal variations in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) pattern obtained in the LULC class were used to identify irrigated and non-irrigated areas. First, the temporal variations in NDVI pattern were found to be more consistent in long-duration irrigated crops than with short-duration rainfed crops due to more assured water supply for irrigated areas. Second, surface water availability for irrigated areas is dependent on shallow dug-wells (on river banks) and dug-outs (in river bottoms) that affect the timing of crop sowing and growth stages, which was in turn reflected in the seasonal NDVI pattern. A decision tree approach using Landsat 30 m one time data fusion with MODIS 250 m time-series data was adopted to classify, group, and label classes. Finally, classes were tested and verified using ground truth data and national statistics. Fuzzy classification accuracy assessment for the irrigated classes varied between 67 and 93%. An irrigated area derived from remote sensing (32,421 ha) was 20–57% higher than irrigated areas reported by Ghana’s Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA). This was because of the uncertainties involved in factors such as: (a) absence of shallow irrigated area statistics in GIDA statistics, (b) non-clarity in the irrigated areas in its use, under-development, and potential for development in GIDA statistics, (c) errors of omissions and commissions in the remote sensing approach, and (d) comparison involving widely varying data types, methods, and approaches used in determining irrigated area statistics using GIDA and remote sensing. Extensive field campaigns to help in better classification and validation of irrigated areas using high (30 m ) to very high (<5 m) resolution remote sensing data that are fused with multi temporal data like MODIS are the way forward. This is especially true in accounting for small yet contiguous patches of irrigated areas from dug-wells and dug-outs.
Share & Cite This Article
Gumma, M.K.; Thenkabail, P.S.; Hideto, F.; Nelson, A.; Dheeravath, V.; Busia, D.; Rala, A. Mapping Irrigated Areas of Ghana Using Fusion of 30 m and 250 m Resolution Remote-Sensing Data. Remote Sens. 2011, 3, 816-835.View more citation formats
Gumma MK, Thenkabail PS, Hideto F, Nelson A, Dheeravath V, Busia D, Rala A. Mapping Irrigated Areas of Ghana Using Fusion of 30 m and 250 m Resolution Remote-Sensing Data. Remote Sensing. 2011; 3(4):816-835.Chicago/Turabian Style
Gumma, Murali Krishna; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Hideto, Fujii; Nelson, Andrew; Dheeravath, Venkateswarlu; Busia, Dawuni; Rala, Arnel. 2011. "Mapping Irrigated Areas of Ghana Using Fusion of 30 m and 250 m Resolution Remote-Sensing Data." Remote Sens. 3, no. 4: 816-835.
Notes: Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.
|
<urn:uuid:60bacd34-3817-46c6-ba6d-045c5a08f0e8>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/3/4/816
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00148-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.916851
| 810
| 2.765625
| 3
|
We love the app's premise: Set your phone down on a table, as you normally might, and it'll just silently record what's going on in your environment using your device's built-in accelerometer. If something starts happening that's a bit out of the ordinarylike, say, a miniature earthquakeyour device will note the movement and forward the seismic activity along to a bunch of researchers.
While you'll probably know real quick if an actual earthquake is happening, the app, MyShake, is designed to improve early warning systems for earthquakes by creating a giant, distributed network of sorts. The network would use the information relayed by a ton of deviceslike, say, smartphonesto bolster the "handful" of actual early warning systems deployed worldwide.
"To harness the full potential of crowdsourcing, scientists must use sensors that are already being used by consumers, develop systems that can harness the data from these sensors with minimal impact to the owners, and provide the owners with real benefits to participating," reads a paper, published to Science Advances, from the UC Berkeley researchers that developed the methodology (and worked with Deutsche Telekom to build the app)
"MyShake uses the accelerometers on common smartphones, which is freely available from the Google Play store for easy installation and automatic update, and uses minimal power, meaning phones only need to be recharged daily as commonly practiced, and participation leads to delivery of earthquake hazard information and could include the delivery of earthquake-shaking alerts."
Unfortunately, your contributions to the distributed network won't be very helpful if you're the only one in a particular area running MyShake. Similarly, the app won't give meaningful results if you're carrying your smartphone around in your pocket or purse all day long. The smartphone has to be on a flat surface, as researchers spent lots of time calibrating the app to separate shaking that's possibly the result of seismic activity from normal smartphone movement. The app also works best when around 300 devices in a 69-by-69 mile area are participating. So, if you're living in an earthquake-prone area, it might be time to start convincing your friends to help out.
According to Popular Mechanics, around 60 percent or so of devices in a given area have to report seismic activity before a warning is triggered for other participating devices that might be in the same location as said earthquake. (Though this warning feature isn't built into the app currently, the UC Berkeley researchers are looking to add it once the app itself gains more traction.)
Once you plug in your device, and assuming you're connected to some Wi-Fi network, the app will upload a more complex data dump for analysis after any earthquake activity it detects. That includes anything the app recorded one minute prior or four minutes after the seismic activity. This should give researchers much more localized data than what today's seismic activity stations can provideeven in 3D, if a number of people in a particular building are running the app simultaneously, for example.
"In the future, existing [earthquake early warning] systems that use traditional seismic and geodetic networks could benefit from MyShake just as MyShake could benefit from integration of data from traditional networks. As described above, observations from even one traditional seismic station could help reduce uncertainties in MyShake earthquake estimates. Likewise, a handful MyShake phone triggers could be used to confirm a preliminary earthquake detection from one or two traditional network station triggers; most traditional EEW systems require several stations to trigger before issuing an alert," reads the paper.
"Finally, and perhaps most importantly, MyShake could deliver alerts in regions that have little in the way of traditional seismic networks. This includes Haiti and Nepal that both had recent devastating earthquakes, and other high hazard regions such as Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines."
|
<urn:uuid:84f2a804-cba9-45c6-9fc1-65a41c754d34>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2499314,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00073-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.951601
| 785
| 2.71875
| 3
|
Thorium presents a different radioactive way.
A few weeks before the tsunami struck Fukushima's uranium reactors and shattered public faith in nuclear power, China revealed that it was launching a rival technology to build a safer, cleaner, and ultimately cheaper network of reactors based on thorium.
This passed unnoticed –except by a small of band of thorium enthusiasts – but it may mark the passage of strategic leadership in energy policy from an inert and status-quo West to a rising technological power willing to break the mould.
If it begins to overheat, a little plug melts and the salts drain into a pan. There is no need for computers, or the sort of electrical pumps that were crippled by the tsunami. The reactor saves itself
If China's dash for thorium power succeeds, it will vastly alter the global energy landscape and may avert a calamitous conflict over resources as Asia's industrial revolutions clash head-on with the West's entrenched consumption.
China's Academy of Sciences said it had chosen a “thorium-based molten salt reactor system”.
The liquid fuel idea was pioneered by US physicists at Oak Ridge National Lab in the 1960s, but the US has long since dropped the ball. Further evidence of Barack Obama's “Sputnik moment”, you could say.
Chinese scientists claim that hazardous waste will be a thousand times less than with uranium. The system is inherently less prone to disaster.
“The reactor has an amazing safety feature,” said Kirk Sorensen, a former NASA engineer at Teledyne Brown and a thorium expert.
“If it begins to overheat, a little plug melts and the salts drain into a pan. There is no need for computers, or the sort of electrical pumps that were crippled by the tsunami. The reactor saves itself,” he said.
“They operate at atmospheric pressure so you don't have the sort of hydrogen explosions we've seen in Japan. One of these reactors would have come through the tsunami just fine. There would have been no radiation release.”
Thorium is a silvery metal named after the Norse god of thunder. The metal has its own “issues” but no thorium reactor could easily spin out of control in the manner of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, or now Fukushima.
Professor Robert Cywinksi from Huddersfield University said thorium must be bombarded with neutrons to drive the fission process. “There is no chain reaction. Fission dies the moment you switch off the photon beam. There are not enough neutrons for it continue of its own accord,” he said.
Dr Cywinski, who anchors a UK-wide thorium team, said the residual heat left behind in a crisis would be “orders of magnitude less” than in a uranium reactor.
The earth's crust holds 80 years of uranium at expected usage rates, he said. Thorium is as common as lead. America has buried tons as a by-product of rare earth metals mining. Norway has so much that Oslo is planning a post-oil era where thorium might drive the country's next great phase of wealth. Even Britain has seams in Wales and in the granite cliffs of Cornwall. Almost all the mineral is usable as fuel, compared to 0.7 per cent of uranium. There is enough to power civilization for thousands of years.
I write before knowing the outcome of the Fukushima drama, but as yet none of 15,000 deaths are linked to nuclear failure. Indeed, there has never been a verified death from nuclear power in the West in half a century. Perspective is in order.
We cannot avoid the fact that two to three billion extra people now expect – and will obtain – a western lifestyle. China alone plans to produce 100m cars and buses every year by 2020.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said the world currently has 442 nuclear reactors. They generate 372 gigawatts of power, providing 14 per cent of global electricity. Nuclear output must double over twenty years just to keep pace with the rise of the China and India.
If a string of countries cancel or cut back future reactors, let alone follow Germany's Angela Merkel in shutting some down, they shift the strain onto gas, oil, and coal. Since the West is also cutting solar subsidies, they can hardly expect the solar industry to plug the gap.
BP's disaster at Macondo should teach us not to expect too much from oil reserves deep below the oceans, beneath layers of blinding salt. Meanwhile, we rely uneasily on Wahabi repression to crush dissent in the Gulf and keep Arabian crude flowing our way. So where can we turn, unless we revert to coal and give up on the ice caps altogether? That would be courting fate.
US physicists in the late 1940s explored thorium fuel for power. It has a higher neutron yield than uranium, a better fission rating, longer fuel cycles, and does not require the extra cost of isotope separation.
The plans were shelved because thorium does not produce plutonium for bombs. As a happy bonus, it can burn up plutonium and toxic waste from old reactors, reducing radio-toxicity and acting as an eco-cleaner.
Dr Cywinski is developing an accelerator driven sub-critical reactor for thorium, a cutting-edge project worldwide. It needs to £300m of public money for the next phase, and £1.5bn of commercial investment to produce the first working plant. Thereafter, economies of scale kick in fast. The idea is to make pint-size 600MW reactors.
Yet any hope of state support seems to have died with the Coalition budget cuts, and with it hopes that Britain could take a lead in the energy revolution. It is understandable, of course. Funds are scarce. The UK has already put its efforts into the next generation of uranium reactors. Yet critics say vested interests with sunk costs in uranium technology succeeded in chilling enthusiasm.
The same happened a decade ago to a parallel project by Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). France's nuclear industry killed proposals for funding from Brussels, though a French group is now working on thorium in Grenoble.
Norway's Aker Solution has bought Professor Rubbia's patent. It had hoped to build the first sub-critical reactor in the UK, but seems to be giving up on Britain and locking up a deal to build it in China instead, where minds and wallets are more open.
So the Chinese will soon lead on this thorium technology as well as molten-salts. Good luck to them. They are doing Mankind a favour. We may get through the century without tearing each other apart over scarce energy and wrecking the planet.
The Telegraph, London
|
<urn:uuid:723735d4-ac44-4ead-9e9e-160d93588d83>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/the-reactor-that-saves-itself-safe-nuclear-does-exist-and--china-leads-the-way-with-thorium-20110323-1c6eb.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00174-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.949628
| 1,393
| 3.125
| 3
|
Workplace injuries and deaths cause a significant impact to Canadians and businesses; ill and injured workers can face long-term health effects, families and friends lose loved ones. In the 20 year period from 1993 to 2012 an average of 902 lives were lost each year.
Ensure that workplace safety stays top of mind through learning the fundamentals of workplace health and safety with courses like Parachute’s Passport to Safety, participating in recognizing the Day of Mourning, and striving to prevent workplace deaths, illnesses and injuries.
National Day of Mourning – April 28
The National Day of Mourning, a day to remember lives lost in the workplace and resolve to prevent future tragedies, is held annually on April 28. It was officially recognized by the federal government in 1991 and has since spread to about 80 countries around the world. Read Louise Logan's, Parachute President & CEO, 2015 Statement of Support.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety hopes that the annual observance of this day will strengthen the resolve to establish safe conditions in the workplace, and prevent injuries and deaths. As much as this is a day to remember those who have died, it is also a call to protect the living. Businesses are asked to participate by declaring April 28 a Day of Mourning and to strive to prevent workplace deaths, illnesses and injuries.
Passport to Safety
Parachute’s Passport to Safety is an online national safety test, and certification program for workers. All of our online tests provide a base for becoming smarter and safer workers. It is a catalyst for change intended to prevent needless workplace injuries and preventable deaths and promote a culture of change driven by knowledge and awareness through youth and workers of all ages.
Learn more about our online courses and/or sign up for a course now at passporttosafety.parachutecanada.org.
Government of Canada Labour Program
Newfoundland & Labrador Labour Relations Agency
Nova Scotia Labour & Advanced Education
Prince Edward Island Department of Environment, Labour and Justice
New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board
Commission de normes du travial Quebec
Ontario Ministry of Labour
Manitoba Labour and Immigration
Saskatchewan Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Alberta Job, Skills, Labour and Training
British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
Yukon Department of Community Services
Northwest Territories Education, Culture and Employment
Northern Territories Federation of Labour
Nunavut Department of Justice
|
<urn:uuid:4486d98b-3651-406a-8bd1-2c81152b978b>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.parachutecanada.org/injury-topics/topic/C372
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00124-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.930262
| 508
| 2.765625
| 3
|
4.0 LUNAR SURFACE SCIENCE
The following experiments associated with the Apollo lunar surface
experiment package are discussed in this section: suprathermal ion
detector, cold cathode gage, passive seismometer, lunar surface
magnetometer, solar wind spectrometer, heat flow, and lunar dust detector.
Other experiments and activities discussed consist of a laser ranging retro-reflector
experiment, a solar wind composition experiment, lunar geology,
soil mechanics, and lunar gravity measurement. Additionally, the operation
of the lunar drill, used in conjunction with the heat flow experiment and
to obtain a deep core sample, is described. A comprehensive discussion of
the preliminary scientific results of this mission are contained in
reference 2. References to descriptions of the experiment equipment are
contained in Appendix A.
4.1 SUMMARY OF LUNAR SURFACE ACTIVITIES
Because of the variety of surface features, the Hadley-Apennine landing
site permitted extensive diversified geologic exploration and sampling.
During the approximately 67 hours on the surface, the crew conducted a 33-
minute standup extravehicular activity as well as three extravehicular
activities for experiment operations and lunar roving vehicle traverses. The
timelines for the three extravehicular activity periods are contained in
table 4-1. The actual and planned traverse routes are shown in figures 4.1
and 4-2, which are actual photographs of the lunar surface taken with the
TABLE 4-1.- EXTRAVEHICULAR TRAVERSE EVENTS
TABLE 4-1.- EXTRAVEHICULAR TRAVERSE EVENTS - Concluded
The outbound route of the first extravehicular traverse was southwest
across the mare to the edge of Hadley Rille, south along the edge of the
rille to Elbow Crater (station 1, fig. 4-1); then along the edge of the
rille to an area near St. George Crater (station 2). The return route was
past Elbow Crater and directly across the mare to the lunar module. After
returning to the lunar module, the crew deployed the Apollo lunar surface
experiment package, the laser ranging retro-reflector, and the solar wind
composition experiment (fig. 4-3). The extravehicular activity was
approximately 6 hours 33 minutes in duration and the traverse covered a
distance of 10.3 kilometers (5.6 miles).
The second extravehicular activity was southeast across the mare to the
Apennine front (stations 6 and 6a) northwest to Spur Crater (station 7) and
north to the area of Dune Crater (station 4). The return was north across
the mare to the Apollo lunar surface experiment package site (station 8) and
then to the lunar module. The duration of the second extravehicular activity
was approximately 7 hours 12 minutes, and the distance traveled was 12.5
kilometers (6.8 miles).
The third extravehicular activity included a 5.1-kilometer (2.8-mile)
traverse. The outbound trip was west to Scarp Crater (stations 9
and 9a) and
northwest along the edge of the rille (station 10). The return was east
across the mare to the lunar module. The duration of the third
extravehicular activity was approximately 4 hours and 50 minutes.
Figure 4-1.-Actual lunar surface traverse routes
Figure 4-2.-Planned lunar surface traverse routes.
4.2 APOLLO LUNAR SURFACE EXPERIMENTS PACKAGE CENTRAL STATION
The site selected for emplacement of the central station was
approximately 110 meters (360 feet) west-northwest of the lunar module.
During erection of the central station, the rear-curtain-retainer removal
lanyard broke, requiring the Lunar Module Pilot to remove the pins by hand.
(See section 14.4.2 for further discussion.)
Initial acquisition of a downlink signal from the Apollo lunar surface
experiment package was reported by the Canary Island station prior to
antenna installation. Initial data were received in the Mission Control
Center at 1850 G.M.T. (125:18:00) on July 31 and, within 1 hour, all
instruments were turned on and operationally checked out. (The initial
acquisition of data was earlier than expected because the shorting plug was
inadvertently activated.) The radioisotope thermoelectric power source is
providing 74.5 watts, the highest output of any Apollo lunar surface
experiment package, and sufficient to operate the large complement of
instruments. During the first lunar-night operation, the system reserve
power registered as low as 1 watt. The solid-state timer, used
for the first time on an Apollo lunar surface experiments package has
generated all scheduled 18-hour pulses to initiate certain automatic
Six days after startup, on August 6, the experiment package was
subjected to its first lunar eclipse. This was a total eclipse and the
package was closer to the center of the umbra than any previous Apollo lunar
surface experiments package during any previous eclipse. During the eclipse,
sun shield temperature of the central station dropped from plus 140 F to
minus 143 F with accompanying rates of change of temperatures up to
260 F per
hour. The central station engineering measurements provided data on the
varying solar intensity throughout the eclipse. The instrument measured a
lunar surface temperature change of 330 F during the eclipse. There was no
indication of significant dust collection on the instrument's solar cells as
a result of the lunar module ascent.
The system continues to exhibit normal performance. Equipment
temperatures during both lunar day and lunar night are within design
Figure 4-3.-Apollo lunar surface experiment deployment
4.3 PASSIVE SEISMIC EXPERIMENT
The passive seismic experiment was deployed approximately 2.7 meters
(9 feet) west of the experiment package central station and has functioned well
since its initial activation on July 31, 1971. One deviation from nominal
operation has occurred. The instrument internal temperature fell below the
predicted 126 F as the Apollo 15 site entered the first lunar night. This will
not detrimentally affect the operation of the instrument except that
degradation of gravity tidal data from the experiment is expected.
Photographs of the instrument show the shroud skirt to be raised up at
several places (fig. 4-4). Heat loss due to the uneven shroud accounts for the
low night temperature.
Figure 4-4.- Passive seismic experiment deployment
The installation of this experiment at Hadley Rille provides a widely
spaced network of seismic stations on the lunar surface which is essential for
the location of natural lunar events. The first event to be recorded on all
three Apollo Lunar surface experiment package stations was the impact of the
lunar module ascent stage approximately 93
kilometers (50 miles) west of the Apollo 15
station. The signal generated by this impact spread slowly outward,
reaching the Apollo 15 station in 28 seconds, and reaching the
Apollo 12 and 14
stations, located to the southwest at distances of 1130 kilometers
(610 miles) and 1049 kilometers (566 miles), respectively, in about 7 minutes (fig. 4-5).
The fact that this small source of energy was detected at such great range
strongly supports the hypothesis that meteoroid impacts are being detected
from the entire lunar surface.
Two moonquakes were detected at all three stations during the moon's
travel through its first perigee following activation of the Apollo 15 station.
Preliminary analysis places the focus of one of these moonquakes 400
kilometers (216 miles) southwest of the Apollo 15
station. It is believed that the second moonquake was 1000 kilometers
(540 miles) southwest of the Apollo 12 and 14 stations and was 800 kilometers
(432 miles) deep.
The S-IVB impact extended the depth to which lunar structure can be
determined by seismic methods to nearly 100 kilometers (54
miles). From this
and previous data from impacts of spent vehicles, it now appears that a
change in composition occurs at a depth of 25 kilometers (13.5 miles) beneath
the surface. This implies that the lunar crust is equivalent to the crust
of the earth, and about the same thickness.
Two meteoroid impacts were recorded at the Apollo 15 station during
the first 2 weeks of its operation. One of these impacts was recorded
at all three stations and was located by triangulation. Fourteen impact
events were recorded by the Apollo 12 and 14 stations during this period.
Signals were also recorded that were caused by events and activities
associated with lunar surface operations, particularly the movements of
the lunar roving vehicle and the ascent from the lunar surface. The lunar
roving vehicle was detected at ranges up to 5 kilometers (2-7 miles) with
an accuracy within approximately 0.5 kilometer (0.27 mile). As in
previous missions, numerous signals were also recorded from venting of
gases and thermal "popping" within the lunar module.
Figure 4-5.- Apollo landing sites and impact locations on the lunar surface
4.4 LUNAR SURFACE MAGNETOMETER EXPERIMENT
The lunar surface magnetometer was deployed approximately
15 meters (48 feet) west-northwest of the Apollo lunar surface experiment package central
station. The experiment was initially commanded on near the end of the first
extravehicular activity. A-11 operations of the experiment have been nominal.
The electronics temperature has reached a high of 157 F at lunar noon, and a
low of 41 F during lunar night. The instrument is routinely commanded into
a calibration mode every 18 hours by the central station timer. The one-time
site survey was successfully-completed on August 6. The remanent magnetic
field at the site is lower than that measured at the Apollo 12 and 14 sites.
The eddy current produced by the interaction of the solar wind with the lunar
surface has been measured.
4.5 SOLAR WIND SPECTROMETER EXPERIMENT
The solar wind spectrometer was deployed
4 meters (13 feet) north of
the Apollo lunar surface experiment package central station and was
activated near the end of the first extravehicular activity. The
instrument recorded engineering and background data for approximately
2 earth days before the seven dust covers were removed.
The instrument recorded normal magnetospheric plasma data until the
instrument passed into the geomagnetic tail of the earth. As expected, the
plasma level in the geomagnetic tail was below the measurement threshold of
the instrument (and essentially no solar wind plasma was detected) Upon
emerging from the geomagnetic tail, the instrument was switched to the
extended-range mode with no operational problems. The instrument will be
left in this mode for correlation of data with the Apollo 12 solar wind
spectrometer which is also operating in the same mode. A comparison of
samples of simultaneous data from the two instruments has already
demonstrated differences in the electron and proton components of the solar
wind plasma that strikes the surface of the moon at the two stations. The
solar plasma levels during the lunar night, as expected, were below the
measurement threshold of the instrument.
4.6 HEAT FLOW EXPERIMENT
Deployment of the heat flow experiment was started on the first
extravehicular activity and completed on the second extravehicular activity.
A minor problem was experienced in removing two Boyd bolts that fasten the
heat flow experiment components to the subpallet and problems were
encountered in drilling the holes for two probes and emplacing the second
probe. Refer to sections 4.11 and 14.4.1 for further discussion. The
electronics box was placed about 9 meters (30 feet) north-northeast of the
central station. The first probe hole was drilled about 4 meters (12 feet)
east of the electronics box and the second, about 4.5 meters (15 feet) west
of the box. The first hole was drilled to a depth of about 172 centimeters
(70 inches) and probe 1 was emplaced during the first extravehicular
activity, but the drilling of the second hole and emplacement of probe 2 was
deferred because of time constraints. Drilling was resumed at the second
hole during the second extravehicular activity and a hole depth of about 172
centimeters (70 inches) was again achieved; however, damage to a bore stem
section (sec. 14.4.1) prevented probe 2 from reaching the bottom of the
hole. The first heat flow experiment probe extends from a point 47 centimeters (19
inches) below the surface to a point 152 centimeters (62
inches) below the surface. Because of the damage to the bore stem in the
other hole, the second probe extends from the surface to 105 centimeters (43
inches) below the surface
The experiment was turned on at 1947 G.m.t., July 31, and valid
temperature data were received from all sensors. Because of the shallow
emplacement of probe 2, high near-surface temperature gradients will keep the
differential thermometers on the upper section off-scale during most of a
lunar day-night cycle. The lower section of probe 2 and both the upper and
lower sections of probe 1 are returning valid data on subsurface
temperatures. Sensors on these sections that are shallower than 80
centimeters (32 inches) are seeing the effects of the diurnal cycle of
surface temperature, but these variations are well within the range of
measurement. Lunar surface temperatures are being obtained from five of the
eight thermocouples in the probe cables that are just above or on the lunar
surface because of the shallow emplacement.
Data for the reference thermometer sampled with the probe 2
thermocouple measurement went off-scale high at 1027 G.m.t. August 7;
however, the data from this reference thermometer is also sampled with the
probe 1 thermocouple measurement, and is valid. Therefore, no data have been
4.7 SUPRATHERMAL ION DETECTOR EXPERIMENT
The suprathermal ion detector experiment was deployed and aligned
approximately 17 meters (55 feet) east-northeast of the Apollo lunar surface
experiment package central station. Some difficulty was encountered during
deployment when the universal handling tool did not properly interface with
the experiment receptacle and, as a result, the instrument was dropped. The
instrument was initially turned on near the end of the first extravehicular
activity and operated normally, returning good scientific data. After about
30 minutes of operation the instrument was commanded to "standby" to allow
outgassing. The dust cover was removed by ground command prior to the second
extravehicular activity. Subsequently, the instrument was commanded on for
five periods of approximately 30 minutes each to observe the effects of: (1)
depressurization for the second extravehicular activity, (2)
depressurization for the third extravehicular activity, (3) depressurization
for equipment jettisoning, (4) ascent, and (5) lunar module ascent stage
impact. During some of this time simultaneous observations of intense
magnetosheath ion fluxes were made by all three suprathermal ion detector
instruments now on the moon. The high voltage was commanded off prior to
the hotter part of the first lunar day
to allow further outgassing and was commanded back on shortly before lunar
4.8 COLD CATHODE GAGE EXPERIMENT
The cold cathode gage experiment was deployed about 0.3 meter (1 foot)
northeast of the suprathermal ion detector experiment. The instrument was
turned on and the seal was commanded open 3 minutes prior to the end of the
first extravehicular activity. Upon initial turn-on, the gage indicated full-
scale, and during the first half hour, the output became slightly less than
full-scale. Subsequently, the high voltage was commanded off to allow
The experiment was operated five more times simultaneously with the
suprathermal ion detector experiment for periods of approximately 30
minutes each. The purpose of the operations was to observe the effects of
the lunar module depressurizations for the second and third extravehicular
activities and equipment jettison, the effects of the lunar module ascent
from the lunar surface, and lunar module ascent stage impact. In each of
the three depressurizations, the output of the experiment was driven to
full-scale for approximately 30 seconds. The response to the lunar module
depressurizations was very similar to that obtained during the Apollo 14
mission. The lunar module ascent resulted in the longest full-scale output
seconds). The exhaust from the lunar module ascent was
detected for approximately 17 minutes.
The high voltage was turned off until just prior to the first lunar
sunset to permit additional instrument outgassing. As the instrument and the
lunar surface cooled during lunar night, the output of the gage gradually
decreased to 10E-12 torr. This value is very near that observed on the Apollo
14 gage during lunar night. Two gas clouds of unknown origin were observed
at the Apollo 15 site at 0400 and 1930 G.m.t. on August 15; these may be
associated with Apollo 15 hardware left on the lunar surface.
4.9 LASER RANGING RETRO-REFLECTOR EXPERIMENT
The laser ranging retro-reflector was deployed during the first
extravehicular activity approximately 43 meters (140 feet) west-southwest of
the Apollo lunar surface experiment package central station. Leveling and
alignment were accomplished with no difficulty. The McDonald Observatory
team initially acquired a return signal from the Apollo 15 instrument August
3, 1971, when atmospheric conditions first permitted ranging. Based on
successful acquisition on every attempt, and the receipt of four
to five consecutive returns during a number of operations, the return signal
strength appears higher than returns from the Apollo 11 and 14
retroreflectors (fig. 4-5). No degradation of the retro-reflector appears to
have resulted from lunar module ascent engine firing.
4.10 SOLAR WIND COMPOSITION EXPERIMENT
The solar wind composition experiment, a specially prepared aluminum
foil designed to entrap noble gas particles, was deployed at the end of the
first extravehicular period and retrieved near the end of the third
extravehicular period. The experiment was deployed approximately 15
meters (50 feet) southwest of the lunar module for a total foil exposure time of
41 hours and 8 minutes. Upon retrieval, the foil could not readily be rolled up
mechanically and had to be rolled manually. This problem has been
experienced on previous missions but does not affect the experiment. The
returned hardware showed that the edge of the foil had rolled onto the reel-
handle, which caused enough friction to stop the mechanical wind-up. Good
data on the abundance of the isotopes of helium and neon in the solar wind
have already been obtained.
4.11 LUNAR SURFACE DRILL OPERATION
The lunar surface drill, used for the first time on the lunar surface,
provided a means for one crewman to emplace the heat flow experiment probes
below the lunar surface and collect a subsurface core. For the heat flow
experiment, the bore stems used in drilling remained in position in the
lunar soil and functioned as an encasement to preclude cave-in of
unconsolidated material. The subsurface core was obtained by drilling six
core stems into the lunar soil. The stems were then removed and capped for
return to earth.
The performance of the drill power-head and the core stem was good.
However, full depth penetration with the bore stems was a problem and
extraction of the core stems from the hole was difficult (see sec. 14.4.1).
The two bore stem holes were drilled to a depth of about 172 centimeters (70
inches) instead of the desired 294 centimeters (120 inches), with one of the
bore stem strings probably sustaining damage at a point slightly above the
first joint [about 105 centimeters (43 inches) below the surface] (see fig.
4.12 LUNAR GEOLOGY
4.12.1 Landing Site
The lunar module landed on an undulating cratered plain adjacent to
the high and steep-sloped Apennine Mountains
( fig. 4-7).
Most of the
craters in the vicinity of the landing site are subdued and are rimless
or have low raised rims. Rock fragments and boulders are abundant along
the rim of Hadley Rille and around a few of the fresher craters.
4.12.2 Extravehicular Traverses
Areas visited during the extravehicular activities that are defined
on photogeologic maps were the mare surface of Palus Putredinis; the
Apennine Mountain Front; Hadley Rille; and a cluster of secondary
The standup extravehicular activity provided the geologic and terrain
setting for later traverse updating, and allowed the crew to familiarize
themselves with landmarks. Good photographs were obtained of the landing
site and the Hadley Delta area by using the 60-mm and 500-mm focal-length
is typical of the photographs obtained.
On the first extravehicular traverse, station 1 and 2 tasks were
performed as planned. Refer to figures 4-1 and 4-2 for locations of stations
on actual and planned traverse routes. The radial sample was collected at
Elbow crater (station 1). Documented samples and a comprehensive sample,
including a double-core, were collected near St. George crater (station 2).
Station 3 on the planned traverse was not visited because of time
The traverse time allowed during the second extravehicular activity was
shortened because of the time required to complete the Apollo lunar surface
experiment package site tasks that were not completed during the first
extravehicular activity. Therefore, the planned traverse to the east along
the front was shortened and only three stations along the front, 6, 6a, and 7
(Spur Crater), were visited. Several documented samples were collected at
stations 6 and 6a, and a single core was collected at station 6.
Documented samples and a comprehensive sample were collected at station 7.
The planned stop at station 4 (Dune crater) was accomplished on the return from the
The start of the third extravehicular activity was delayed and, as a
result, was shortened from 6 to 4 1/2 hours. The shortening of the
extravehicular period, plus the time required to remove the deep core
sample from its hole, required that the traverse to the North Complex and
mare station 14 be omitted. However, the premission-planned traverse to
stations 9 and 10 at Hadley Rille was made. A sample was collected from the
upper portion of a bedrock ledge exposed near station 9a. Documented
samples were collected at stations 9 and 9a, and a rake sample and a double
core were collected at station 9a.
4.12.3 Summary of Geology
Samples were collected that appear to be representative of the
Apennine Front, the mare in the vicinity of the landing site, bedrock from
the rim of Hadley Rille, and a possible ray associated with Aristillus or
Autolycus. Some breccias were collected that appear similar to those
collected on Apollo 14; others appear to be indurated regolith. Abundant
glass, found as coatings on the rock surfaces and in fractures, is
associated with the breccias. Also collected were basaltic rocks ranging
from vesicular and scoriaceous to dense with phenocrysts greater than a
Layered bedrock ledges are exposed in the upper parts of Hadley Rille.
These are probably a cross-section of mare flows and possibly bedded
pyroclastic materials. At least some of the samples from station 9a (fig. 4-
1) are probably representative of the upper part of the mare stratigraphic
Planar structures in the Apennine Front occur in different
orientations from one mountain to the next, which suggests rotation of
large blocks along the faults that are shown on the premission maps. The
faults and associated rotation were probably caused by the impact event
that produced the Imbrium Basin.
The equipment used during the geology portion of the extravehicular
activities performed well with the following exceptions:
a. Excessive time was required for the gnomon to damp.
b. Sample return container 2 did not seal properly because part of
a collection bag was caught in the seal area between the knife edge and
the indium seal.
c. The Lunar Module Pilot's camera did not advance film properly
near the end of the second extravehicular activity. The camera failed
again during the third extravehicular activity after six pictures had
been taken. (See section 14-5.4 for further discussion.)
d. Problems with the drilling were experienced as described in
e. The polarizing filter for the Hasselblad electric data camera
could not be installed because of excessive dust in the bayonet fitting.
f. Both retractable tethers (Yo-yo's) failed (sec. 14.5.7).
g. The tongs were difficult to operate during the third
extravehicular activity; however, a backup pair was supplied for such a
contingency and these operated satisfactorily.
A total of 1152 photographs was taken on the lunar surface with the 60-
mm and 500-mm focal-length cameras. At least one 360-degree 60-mm panorama
was taken at every station except stations 3 and 4. Apollo 15 was the first
mission using the 500-mm focal length lens mounted on the 70-mm Hasselblad
electric data camera hand-held by a crewman. Good photography was obtained
of distant photographic targets such as the Apennine Front and across and
inside Had-ley Rille.
4.13 SOIL MECHANICS EXPERIMENT
The soil mechanics experiment provided data on the physical
characteristics and Mechanical properties of the lunar surface and subsurface
soil. Activities during Apollo 15 unique to the soil mechanics experiment
were performed during a compressed timeline at station 8 (fig. 4-1) near the
end of the second extravehicular activity with only one crewmember available
to do the work instead of two as scheduled. The Lunar Module Pilot excavated
the soil mechanics trench, exposing a Vertical face to an estimated depth of
a little more than 1 foot without apparent difficulty. The vertical face
exposed a fine-grained, cohesive, gray material with small white fragments
and larger fragments of glass. Stratification was not observed. Digging of
the trench was followed by six of seven planned measurements using the self-
recording penetrometer. These tests consisted of four cone penetration
resistance tests and two plate load tests. No time was available for the
detailed planned photographic documentation of these activities, nor was the
television camera on the lunar roving vehicle in a suitable position to
provide a high degree of detail.
Data from the penetrometer tests were intended to provide
quantitative information on the physical properties of the lunar soil to
depths up to 74 centimeters (30 inches). The data, now under study, will
probably not provide the quantitative detail on physical properties
originally anticipated because of the following reasons: (1) The soil
structure at the site had greater penetration resistance than had been
anticipated (2) A particularly resistant layer was encountered at a depth
of only a few centimeters; (3) The lunar surface plate on the penetrometer
failed to stay in the proper position during four of the tests because the
friction between the reference plate bushing and the shaft was less than
had been anticipated.
The average depth of lunar roving vehicle tracks was on the order of 1
centimeter (1/2 inch), in agreement with predictions based on terrestrial
wheel/soil interaction tests performed on simulated lunar soil.
illustrates vehicle tracks, footprints, and excavated areas.
The large number of photographs and the numerous observations made by
the crew concerning the interactions between the lunar surface and (1) the
crew, (2) the lunar module, (3) the lunar roving vehicle, and (4) the
experiment packages and handtools will be of value to the soil mechanics
experiment. The core tubes, which were modified for this mission,
4.14 LUNAR GRAVITY MEASUREMENT
Accelerometer data telemetered to earth between lunar module
touchdown and inertial measurement unit powerdown were obtained to
determine the observed lunar gravity. Nineteen measurements were taken
during four operating periods. The time spans and sequence of the periods
were: 658 seconds, 240 seconds, 12 seconds, and 269 seconds. Lunar gravity
at the landing site will be calculated from the reduced data.
|
<urn:uuid:e6a72806-d086-4c61-b296-4f3798538cf6>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://next.nasa.gov/alsj/a15/a15mr-4.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00119-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.931504
| 6,277
| 3.15625
| 3
|
- Loaf pan
- Pack snow into a loaf pan. (If the snow is powdery, sprinkle a little water on it before packing it into the pan.)
- Turn the pan upside down and tap the bottom lightly to release the brick. Use snow bricks to build a fort.
- Bricks laid with their long sides together will make a sturdy structure.
- Pack snow in the gaps between the bricks as you lay them.
More on: Activities for Kids
Copyright © 2001 by Patricia Kuffner. Excerpted from The Children's Busy Book with permission of its publisher, Meadowbrook Press.
To order this book visit Meadowbrook Press.
|
<urn:uuid:6e6fa388-5e38-4487-beac-f2aee4445c74>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://fun.familyeducation.com/winter/outdoor-games/37219.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00180-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.893242
| 139
| 2.9375
| 3
|
Mar 26, 2013 - From staff reportsTaking advantage of available vaccines can help prevent cervical cancer while following expert screening recommendations can help ensure cervical cancer is treatable, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
In 2010, 23 Wyoming women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and 11 women died of the disease.
Dr. Wendy Braund, state health officer and Public Health Division senior administrator with the Wyoming Department of Health, said two HPV vaccines are available. Either HPV vaccine is routinely recommended for 11- or 12-year-old girls, and "quadrivalent" HPV vaccine is routinely recommended for 11- or 12-year-old boys. Vaccination is also recommended for 13- through 26-year-old females and 13- through 21-year-old males who have not completed the vaccine series.
"We also know cervical cancer is highly curable when found and treated early," Braund said.
Get your copy of The Ranger online, every day! If you are a current print subscriber and want to also access dailyranger.com online (there is nothing more to purchase) including being able to download The Mining and Energy Edition, click here. Looking to start a new online subscription to dailyranger.com (even if it is for just one day)? Access our secure SSL encrypted server and start your subscription now by clicking here.
|
<urn:uuid:9580131a-f515-49e3-b56a-bb78840bd69d>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.dailyranger.com/story.php?story_id=6486&headline=Officials-recommend-HPV-vaccine
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396100.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00135-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.959448
| 273
| 2.671875
| 3
|
Microbial activity is essential to good soil health. Good bugs break down organic matter, solubilize calcium and other granular fertilizers. The problem is…the microbial population is constantly under pressure. Heat, fungicides, pesticides, compaction and water logged soil kill off good healthy bugs and decrease the populations.
Not to worry, Mother Nature always brings them back. But…this takes time. By adding microbes to the soil you can SPEED UP the recovery time and get those populations back to where they need to be. Let’s face it, you need them.
Historically, the only way to do this was buy some “bugs in a jug” or an equally suspect product that looked like sawdust. Most of us have tried it once or twice but couldn’t cost justify doing all the time. Although there are some good products out there, using it once or twice was never enough to “see something.”
With the Triterra system, you can produce live, active, microbial culture on-site, every day. The unit produces more than 30 Trillion microbes everyday. (That’s the equivalent of hundreds of gallons of these “bugs in a jug” products). The microbes can be put out via sprayer, fertigation or discharged daily into irrigation holding ponds and watered into the soil.
For more information download the Triterra brochure.
|
<urn:uuid:86775692-5aca-4c23-ba1f-2f9df57fac25>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.pinnacleturf.net/product-triterra.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00085-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.914043
| 292
| 2.890625
| 3
|
Darlene Stocker, Labor Program Coordinator, is working within the Labor Program and in conjunction with the campus community to assist students in resolving conflicts within the campus community. Please review the attached Peace Zone for information regarding a promising process currently being reviewed.
What is conflict?
Conflict occurs when individuals or groups are not obtaining what they need or want and are seeking their own self-interest. Sometimes, the individual is not aware of his/her need and unconsciously starts to act out. Other times, the individual is very aware of what he/she needs and actively works at achieving a goal. There are many cycles involved in conflict. Do you recognize them?
Is all conflict bad? Can we escape conflict?
No, conflict is a part of life. How we handle conflict determines whether it is perceived as good or bad. Yes, you can escape conflict but it doesn’t really change the fact that the conflict exists.
If we can’t successfully resolve our conflicts individually, what are the alternatives? Peer Mediation and/or Mediation can be used to assist in resolving conflicts.
As quoted by Lois B. Hart (January 1991)
Live Life Fully
Learn From Conflict
If you have training needs or questions, please contact Darlene via email or by phone 859-985-3981.
|
<urn:uuid:0703cf9f-3e58-4843-83ea-03ec2e580715>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
https://www.berea.edu/labor-program-office/conflict-resolution/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397567.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00158-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.947728
| 272
| 2.59375
| 3
|
Pectus Excavatum describes an abnormal formation of the rib cage that gives the chest a caved-in or sunken appearance.
Pectus excavatum is a congenital (present at birth) abnormality that can be mild or severe. It usually develops during pregnancy. It is caused by too much growth of the connective tissue that joins the ribs to the breastbone. This causes the sternum to malform inward. The child typically has a depression in the center of the chest over the sternum, and this may appear quite deep.
If pectus excavatum is severe, it may affect the heart and lungs, making exercise difficult. Also, the appearance of the chest may cause psychological difficulty for the child.
Your child will be given several medications to help control his/her pain. Some medications are taken 'as needed'. Others are given at specific times. Take all medication as directed.
Most patients say that the pain is worse at night and also first thing in the morning.
It is more comfortable to sleep in a semi-upright position, like in a recliner. This may provide better rest for 3-4 weeks.
No rigorous physical activity for 4 weeks after surgery.
Walking is excellent exercise and should be encouraged.
Encourage good posture. NO slouching!
No heavy lifting (>5 lbs) for 3 months after surgery. This includes backpacks for school.
No contact sports or gymnastics for 3 months after surgery.
Return to school 2-3 weeks after surgery or sooner if your child is ready.
Due to federal government laws regarding privacy (HIPPA), we cannot release information regarding your child's health without your permission. Please obtain written notes for school/work prior to leaving the hospital.
Shower five days after surgery
Swimming is permitted 2 weeks after surgery
Steristrips are covering the small incisions. Leave them in place for 1 week. If they are still intact after 2 weeks, remove them.
Your child should obtain a Medic Alert Bracelet.
- The inscription should read: "Surgical steel bar in place under sternum."
- On the accompanying card should be written: "CPR can be performed. May require more external force. If defibrillation is needed, paddle placement needs to be anterior/posterior."
- The bracelet will also assist at security check areas.
Call the Pediatric Surgery office 410-328-5730:
If you have questions or concerns regarding your child's recovery, please call the nurse practitioners between 8am and 4pm daily. After hours and on weekends, call the surgeon on call 410-328-5730 if you have an emergency.
Reasons to call:
- Temperature greater than 101°
- Redness, drainage or extreme swelling at the incisions
- Significant bleeding from the incisions
- Worsening chest pain, especially with deep breaths
- Pain, not controlled by the medicine
- Difficulty breathing
- Continual cough
- Injury to the chest
|
<urn:uuid:c5fbd853-0ab0-45ea-a210-1eedd10e9636>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://umm.edu/programs/childrens/services/surgery/conditions/pectus-excavatum
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398873.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00057-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.915078
| 628
| 2.765625
| 3
|
|Location||India, Andhra Pradesh|
|Central coordinates||81o 23.42' East 16o 47.53' North|
|IBA criteria||A1, A4i, A4iii|
|Altitude||0 - 5m|
|Year of IBA assessment||2004|
Site description Kolleru is a large, natural, shallow, freshwater lake with associated marshes, situated between the Krishna and Godavari Rivers, c. 55 km east of Vijayawada and c. 25 km northwest of the coastline. The surface area of the lake is determined by the volume of monsoon run-off and is subject to wide fluctuation as water levels rise and fall. At maximum flooding of 3 m, the area of the lake is over 90,000 ha. At 1 m, it may fall to 13,000 ha. The lake drains into the Bay of Bengal through the Upputeru river. Occasionally, small amounts of salt water enter the otherwise freshwater lake through this river. The surrounding areas are mostly under agriculture. Kolleru was declared a Ramsar Site in November 2002. It regularly supports more than 50,000 waterfowl, due to which it was selected as an IBA. The vegetation is luxuriant and about 19 species of hydrophytes belonging to 13 angiosperm families are recorded (Seshavataram et al. 1982 quoted in Rao and Rao 1987). Almost the entire surface is covered with emergents and floating aquatics such as Ipomoea aquatica, Ottelia alismoides, Nymphoides indicum, Limnophila indica, Utricularia sp., Potamageton crispus, Nechamandara alternifolia, Chara sp. and Nitella sp. The surrounding areas are under intensive cultivation. Cultivated Coconut trees are abundant in this area.
AVIFAUNA: The site contains about 160 species of birds (Rao and Rao 1987). At one time, it was famous for a breeding colony of Spot-billed or Grey Pelican Pelecanus philippensis. Neelakantan (1949) and Gee (1960) described the Aredu-Sarepalle pelicanry. Aredu village near Kolleru had the largest known breeding population of Spot-billed Pelican in India, thanks to the protection provided by villagers (Krishnan 1981), but unfortunately this pelicanry disappeared in the 1970s due to unknown reasons. In the early 1960s, there were 1,500 nests. In 1968, less than 400 remained and by 1974, the colony had disappeared (Anon. 1991). The Spot-billed Pelican is now found occasionally in this lake. However, Kolleru still attracts thousands of waterfowl. During the mid-winter waterfowl count of 1988, more than 17,000 birds were reported from around 30% of the lake area (Scott 1989). The following year, 25,000 waterfowl were recorded, but this was probably due to better methodology used in counting (Anon. 1991). The most abundant duck was the Garganey Anas querquedula. Up to 10,000 were counted (Scott 1989). According to Wetlands International (2002), 1% biogeogrphic population threshold for this species is 2,500, so about 4% of the total non-breeding Garganeys of South Asia winter in this site. Similarly, about 1,000 Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans were counted, which also constitutes 4% of the known breeding population of South Asia because, according to Wetlands International (2002), there could be over 125,000 Asian Openbill in South Asia. Other common birds are the Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, Larger Whistling Duck D. bicolor, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Wigeon A. penelope, Northern Shoveler A. clypeata, Common Teal A. crecca, Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina, Purple Moorhen Porphyrio porphyrio, Pond Heron Ardeola grayii, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, Coot Fulica atra, Little Grebe or Dabchick Tachybaptus ruficollis, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis, Chestnut Bittern I. cinnamomeus, Black Bittern Dupetor flavicollis, Whitebreasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus and Blue-breasted or Slaty-breasted Rail Gallirallus striatus.
OTHER KEY FAUNA: The lake supports rich fish fauna, including some endemic subspecies.
Sixty-three species of fish belonging to 29 families have been recorded in commercial catches (Dutt S. 1983, quoted in Rao and Rao 1987).
However, due to poor management and over-exploitation, the fish catch is going down. For instance, in 1974, nearly 7,000 tonnes was caught, but the catch decreased to 3,000 tonnes in 1985 (Anon. 1991).
|Species||Season||Period||Population estimate||Quality of estimate||IBA Criteria||IUCN Category|
|Garganey Spatula querquedula||-||2004||present||-||A4i||Least Concern|
|Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans||-||2004||present||-||A4i||Least Concern|
|Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis||resident||2004||present||-||A1||Near Threatened|
|A4iii Species group - waterbirds||unknown||2004||20,000 individuals||unknown||A4iii|
|2003||high||not assessed||not assessed|
|Good - based on reliable and complete / representative data|
|Agriculture and aquaculture||annual & perennial non-timber crops - small-holder farming||happening now||some of area/population (10-49%)||very rapid to severe deterioration||high|
|Agriculture and aquaculture||livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming||happening now||small area/few individuals (<10%)||moderate to rapid deterioration||low|
|Agriculture and aquaculture||marine and freshwater aquaculture - industrial aquaculture||happening now||some of area/population (10-49%)||moderate to rapid deterioration||high|
|Biological resource use||fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: large scale||happening now||majority/most of area/population (50-90%)||moderate to rapid deterioration||high|
|Biological resource use||gathering terrestrial plants - unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target)||happening now||small area/few individuals (<10%)||moderate to rapid deterioration||low|
|Biological resource use||hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - intentional use (species being assessed is the target)||happening now||small area/few individuals (<10%)||very rapid to severe deterioration||low|
|Climate change and severe weather||drought||happening now||small area/few individuals (<10%)||slow but significant deterioration||low|
|Human intrusions and disturbance||recreational activities||happening now||small area/few individuals (<10%)||moderate to rapid deterioration||low|
|Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases||invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - named species||happening now||some of area/population (10-49%)||slow but significant deterioration||medium|
|Pollution||garbage & solid waste||happening now||small area/few individuals (<10%)||slow but significant deterioration||low|
|Pollution||industrial & military effluents - type unknown/unrecorded||happening now||small area/few individuals (<10%)||moderate to rapid deterioration||low|
|Protected area||Designation||Area (ha)||Relationship with IBA||Overlap with IBA (ha)|
|Kolleru||Sanctuary||67,300||is identical to site||67,300|
|Kolleru Lake||Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)||90,100||unknown||0|
|IUCN habitat||Habitat detail||Extent (% of site)|
|Artificial - terrestrial||-|
|Land-use||Extent (% of site)|
|Notes: Agriculture - aquaculture ponds; Fishing|
Acknowledgements Key contributor: IBA team.
Anonymous (1991) India’s Waterlogged Wealth. Sanctuary Asia 11(2): 84-92.
Dutt, S. (1983) Fishes of Lake Kolleru. In: Ecodevelopment of Kolleru lake. Status and approach document of INCOR, Visakhapatnam.
Gee, E. P. (1960) The breeding of the grey or spotted billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis philippensis Gmelin. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 57(2): 245-251.
Krishnan, M. (1981) Birds of Southern India. Illustrated Weekly of India. Vol. C II 23: 26-31.
Neelakantan, K. K. (1949) A South Indian Pelicanry. J. Bombay. Nat. Hist. Soc. 48 (4): 656-666.
Rao, G. R. and Rao, J. V. R. (1987) Kolleru Lake - Its Diversity and Avifauna. Cheetal 27(1&2): 47 - 48 Scott, D. (ed.) (1989) A Directory of Asian Wetlands. IUCN. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, U.K., Seshavataram,V., Dutt, B. S. M. and Vanu, P. (1982) An ecological study of the vegetation of the Kolleru. Bul. Bot. Surv. Ind. 24(1-4): 70-75.
Wetland International (2002) Waterbird Population Estimates: Third Edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12. Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Contribute Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2016) Important Bird and Biodiversity Area factsheet: Kolleru Lake Wildlife Sanctuary. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 01/07/2016
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
|
<urn:uuid:f851225a-e1d8-48df-be01-737a5d5672d3>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=18022
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402699.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00177-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.813242
| 2,342
| 2.921875
| 3
|
Researchers say they have a new vaccine helps to prevent HIV infection. It is being hailed as a landmark moment, especially after recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible.
It is regarded as a major breakthrough in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Researchers in Thailand say an experimental vaccine they have created cuts the risk of becoming infected with the disease by more than 31 percent.
"In the international scientific and medical communities around the globe, this trial will be recognized as a testament to Thailand's ability to successfully execute a complicated vaccine trial, the largest ever attempted, that ended with a credible conclusion, and that brought us one step closer to an HIV vaccine," explained U.S. Ambassador Eric G. John.
It was the world's largest aids vaccine trial ever conducted. The study followed 16,000 heterosexual volunteers who had no special risk of AIDS infection.
The United States Army, which helped to lead the study, says the benefit of the vaccine is modest, but it is the first evidence that a safe and effective preventive vaccine could be possible.
Researchers say while they are surprised and very pleased with the results of the vaccine, they warn more research is needed.
|
<urn:uuid:3269f228-3265-4945-b238-2c303ad04b08>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2009/September/Vaccine-Helps-Prevent-HIV-Infection-/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.974354
| 241
| 3.203125
| 3
|
Definition of Ulcer, esophageal
Ulcer, esophageal: A hole in the lining of the esophagus (tube-like organ leading from the throat to the stomach) corroded by the acidic digestive juices secreted by the stomach cells. Ulcer formation is related to H. pyloridus bacteria in the stomach, anti-inflammatory medications, and smoking cigarettes. Ulcer pain may not correlate with the presence or severity of ulceration. Diagnosis is made with barium x-ray or endoscopy. Complications of ulcers include bleeding and perforation. Treatment involves antibiotics to eradicate H. pyloridus, eliminating risk factors, and preventing complications.Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionary
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2013
Get the latest treatment options.
|
<urn:uuid:e7450ba6-0471-4589-9610-95391dd38d0b>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5894
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396875.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00058-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.871468
| 171
| 3.390625
| 3
|
The “Wonderful Benefits Of Corn For Health” report penned by Kenn Paquette provides people with tips on how to use corns properly.
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) March 24, 2014
Corn is one of the most popular and versatile vegetables. It also is also a rich source of several nutrients. “Wonderful Benefits Of Corn For Health,” a new report created by Kenn Paquette on the site HealthReviewCenter.com shows health and nutrition benefits of corn, and detailed instructions on how to use it properly. In the first part of this article, people will discover some reasons why they should love corn such as:
- Eating corn can help reduce the risk of heart diseases, and prevent a buildup of homocysteine.
- Corn is a rich source of beta-cryptoxanthin that plays an important role in slowing down bone loss associated with aging, and lowering the risk of inflammatory diseases involving lung cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- It is packed with several vitamins including niacin and vitamin C that support cardiovascular health.
- It contains the folic acid that is an important factor in preventing neural-tube birth defects.
- Consumption of corn in ordinary amounts of 1-2 cups can control blood sugar levels in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- It contains many B-complex vitamins including vitamin B5, vitamin B1, thiamin, riboflavin, and pyridoxine.
- Corn can support the growth of friendly bacteria, and help improve digestive system.
- Corn helps lower the risk of intestinal problems, and the risk of colon cancer.
- It is a good source of antioxidant phytonutrients such as caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, anthocyanins, and coumaric acid.
- It may decrease the risk of cardiovascular problems such as arrhythmia, heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes.
- It help reduce high blood pressure levels
- It is a good source of the mineral manganese
- It is loaded with zeaxanthin, lutein and beta-carotene that help promote healthy vision.
In the second part of this article, Kenn Paquette reveals to people some positive effects of corn on health. The author indicates that corn can help control diabetes, prevent digestive ailments like constipation and hemorrhoids, and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In the final part of this writing, people will find out some corn recipes such as Grilled Corn With Cheese and Lime, Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad With Avocado and Parmesan, Honey Chicken Skewers With Grilled-Corn Salad, and other recipes.
Thanh Pham from the site HealthReviewCenter.com says, “Wonderful Benefits Of Corn For Health is a good report that helps readers understand more about benefits of corn on health. This report also covers tips to select and store corn, tips for preparing corn, and healthy ways of cooking corn.”
If people want to get more detailed information from the “Wonderful Benefits Of Corn For Health” article, they should visit the website: http://healthreviewcenter.com/blog/benefits-of-corn/
About Kenn Paquette: Kenn Paquette is an editor of the website HealthReviewCenter.com. In this website, Kenn Paquette provides people with a collection of articles on topics such as health, business and lifestyle. People could send their feedbacks to Kenn Paquette on any digital product via email.
|
<urn:uuid:ddc953fe-6b45-4c25-9740-d94a62fdd15c>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.prweb.com/releases/benefits-of/corn/prweb11695332.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00164-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.9119
| 753
| 2.78125
| 3
|
When most people look at soil, they just see dirt. When I look at soil, I see billions of microorganisms crawling atop one another, consuming the dead in a feasting frenzy that stops for nothing save a deep freeze. I see microbes and their enzymes, the digestive juices that break down, transform and release all the energy tied up in our planet’s terrestrial ecosystems.
Through their remarkable ability to decompose nearly anything that comes their way, soil microbes collectively represent a planetary recycling factory, one that takes carbon from dead organic matter back to the atmosphere as CO2. Soils “exhale” CO2 for the same reason you and I do. We’ve eaten something, broken down the carbon bonds that hold it together, and extracted all the energy that we could. CO2 is the generic waste product of cellular metabolism, the last bit of carbon that our own metabolic inefficiency precludes us from using. Ecologists have coined the term soil respiration to describe the collective exhaling of microbial carbon decomposition.
Click "source" to read more.
|
<urn:uuid:0251d828-bc12-4a51-9201-708f7841a47d>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.microbeworld.org/component/jlibrary/?view=article&id=12538
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00180-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.926566
| 221
| 3.28125
| 3
|
February 12, 2009, came and went without much fanfare in Cleveland, Ohio. I venture to say that few people were aware that there was anything noteworthy about that day. Yet February 12, 2009, marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of two people who have had a profound impact on the world as we know it: Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. How intriguing that these two giants of influence upon world civilization were born, one in the United States, and the other in England, on the very same day!
Abraham Lincoln is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest President, that the United States has ever had. His issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation and his steady hand of leadership following that provocative act was masterful, to say the least. His attitude of forgiveness and reconciliation towards the Confederacy did much to set the tone for healing the deep-seated wounds that had divided the regional factions of this country for generations. His ability to translate lofty ideals into practical and effective strategies of leadership is admired to this day. Indeed, Lincoln’s philosophy and leadership style have provided a conscious and intentional role model for President Barack Obama and his administration. Abraham Lincoln is a leader well worth studying, a statesman well worth emulating.
On the same day that Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, across the pond another person who would influence the world in a profound way was also born: Charles Darwin. Initially studying to become a priest in the Church of England, Darwin developed a deep interest in naturalism.(1) During a visit to South America and the Galapagos Islands, he examined the fossil remains of ancient organisms and observed the diversity of life forms in isolated environments. Building on these observations and based on additional work over more than twenty years, Darwin developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. In 1859, he published these ideas in his profoundly influential book, The Origin of Species.
Darwin proposed that all living species are descended from a small set of common ancestors — perhaps just one ancestor. He held that variations within a species occur randomly, and that the survival or extinction of each organism depends upon its ability to adapt to its environment.
Darwin’s view engendered immediate and intense controversy, especially in religious circles, a controversy with has continued to this day and shows no signs of abating. Darwin himself was concerned about the effect of his theory on religious belief, and took pains in The Origin of Species to point out a possible harmonious interpretation: “I see no good reason why the views given in this volume should shock the religious feelings of anyone,” he wrote, “A celebrated author and divine has written to me that he has gradually learned to see that it is just as noble a conception of the deity to believe that he created a few original forms capable of self-development into other and needful forms, as to believe that he required a fresh act of creation to supply the voids caused by the actions of his laws.”(2) Darwin concludes his book by saying, “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simply a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.”(3) While Darwin’s personal religious beliefs seem ambiguous and varied, it is worthy of note that far from being ostracized by the religious community of his time, Charles Darwin was buried in Westminster Abbey.(4)
While no serious biologist today doubts the theory of evolution to explain the marvelous complexity and diversity of life, a recent Gallup poll indicates that only one-third of Americans believe that the theory of evolution is well supported, with the remainder being equally divided between those who agree that it has not been well supported and those claiming that they just don’t know enough to affirm evolution or reject it.(5) These statistics have remained essentially unchanged over the past twenty years.
The theory of evolution rests on two basic ideas: 1) that all of life is related, and 2) that species change over time. First of all, scientists insist that all of life is related. If you hug a tree, you are hugging a relative, a very distant relative, but a relative, nonetheless! From the outset, one of the objections to the idea that we are all related is the idea that human beings are descended from apes and monkeys. Thomas Huxley, a contemporary of Darwin’s, is reported to have said that he was not ashamed to have a monkey for an ancestor, only ashamed to be related to anyone who obscured the truth!(6) Scientists reassure us that we’re not descended from apes and monkeys the way those species are now. It’s that we share common ancestors.
How do we know this? The same way we know whether people are related to one another. Everybody knows, (thanks to courtroom television!), that DNA can be used to determine paternity. Because children share the DNA of their parents, we can tell whether people are related by seeing if their DNA is the same. This principle works across all living things.
While the study of genes and the DNA which comprise them has been going on for years, the Human Genome Project, completed in 2003, revealed more about the interrelatedness of life than humanity had previously known. It was discovered, for example, that while there are 3.1 billion letters of the DNA code arranged across 24 chromosomes comprising the human genome, there are only about 20 – 25,000 protein coding-genes. That was especially shocking in light of the fact that the gene count for other, simpler organisms such as worms, flies, and simple plants seem to be in about the same range as that for humans, approximately 20,000 protein-coding genes. Francis Collins, who headed the Human Genome Project until last August, comments, “Many of us were shocked to discover that God writes such short stories about humankind.”(7)
Another striking, and I believe, theologically profound finding coming from the Human Genome Project is that at the DNA level, all the different members of our human species are 99.9 percent identical!(8) That similarity applies regardless of which two individuals from around the world you wish to compare. Take a look at the person to the right of you, and to the left of you. Ninety-nine point nine percent of your DNA is exactly the same! Thus, by DNA analysis, we are truly members of one family.
The second fact of evolutionary biology is that species change. This was what Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands and what scientists (and non-scientists) observe all the time. The size, shape and color of plants and animals change through time and space, demonstrating the difference between living things and nonliving things. A chemical species, such as water, never changes. At sea level, water always boils and freezes at the same temperature. Water is always colorless. There was never a time or a place where pure water was red or green, for example. But s
pecies of living things change over time.
In her recent book, Evolution and Christian Faith, Joan Roughgarden, professor of biological sciences and geophysics at Stanford University, says, “The single-tree-of-life and species-change discoveries are the bottom-line, take-home facts. I believe these two facts must be taught in any science curriculum today. Not teaching these,” she states, “Will cripple the minds of children, as though asking them to find a place in modern society after being raised by wolves.”(9)
Far from being at odds with religion in general and the Christian faith in particular, I find the two major premises of evolutionary biology quite compatible with orthodox thinking. First, all of life is related. The most accepted theory of the creation of the world among scientists at the current time is the Big Bang theory, which states that at a single moment, approximately fourteen billion years ago, the universe began.(10) Of course, the Big Bang theory begs the question of what came before that, and who or what was responsible for the forces coming together that created the universe in the first place.
Francis Collins writes, “The Big Bang cries out for a divine explanation. It forces the conclusion that nature had a defined beginning. I cannot see how nature could have created itself. Only a supernatural force that is outside of space and time could have done that…. For the Judeo-Christian tradition, the opening words of Genesis are entirely compatible with the Big Bang.”(11) Genesis 1:1 tells us that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Theology has long held that the universe was created by God out of nothingness (ex nihilo). Astronaut Robert Jastrow, in his book, God and the Astronomers, states, “At this moment it seems as though science will never be able to raise the curtain on the mystery of creation. For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”!(12)
The creation-poem set in the Garden of Eden describes God creating all the species of plants and animals. Does Genesis 1 contradict evolution’s tree of life? No, Genesis does not specify one way or the other about whether the plants and animals God placed on earth are related to one another. They are, however, all designed and made by the same Creator. Genesis does not tell us how God created; it only tells us why: God created humanity in God’s image for fellowship with God.
All of life is related, a fact which has now been proven by science, a fact which has broad implications as communication increases and the world continues to shrink before our very eyes. All of life is related, we realize as we to irreparable damage to the land, water and to the species of plant and animal life that God has created over millions of years. All of life is related, we need to remember as we seek solutions to problems that threaten to destroy the very breath of life that God breathed into our nostrils at the dawn of creation.
That brings me to the second fact of evolutionary biology that is also quite compatible with the Christian Gospel: that species change over time. Scientists have observed mutation occurring in plants and insects and other species through laboratory experimentation and the examination of fossils. Change is vital to the survival of living things. Change is also fundamental to our belief system. Change is a cornerstone of the Christian Gospel.
I have chosen Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus to illustrate my point. Nicodemus was intrigued by the teaching of Jesus and the way of life he demonstrated. Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, for he didn’t want to admit to the other intellectuals of his day that his education and his profession had not brought him the happiness and the satisfaction for which he yearned. Nicodemus sensed that there might be something more that he was missing. Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again, that he needed to accept God’s lordship of all things and start looking at life through fresh, new eyes. The most important part of life, according to this Jewish teacher, is not what we can get, but what we can give. We can begin living a new life not someday when we die, but here and now, today.
We don’t know whether Nicodemus came to faith immediately or whether the process took a while. But we do know that after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus came with Joseph of Arimathea to claim and care for the body of Jesus. Nicodemus, formerly afraid to be seen with Jesus for fear of what people would think, was now willing to risk his reputation and his very life in order to care for the body of his crucified Lord. A profound change had taken place in his life.
Whether or not the account in Acts is totally accurate, we know that another man was changed dramatically, as Saul, the persecutor of Christians, became Paul, the Apostle, the greatest missionary the Christian church has ever known. Again, a change of heart and life is a fundamental result of the Gospel message.
Species can change. It was the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, who urged his followers not to be satisfied with where they were in their spiritual lives, but to go on to perfection. Citing Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect,” John Wesley urged a continual striving, a continual process of change and growth causing the Christian believer to evolve, if you will, toward the person God intends us to be.
For some, the change is profound and dramatic. The Apostle Paul is a prime example. For others, the change is more subtle and gradual. But for all living things, change is essential, not only to our growth, but to our survival in God’s world. It is true in the physical realm; I submit it is also true in the realm of the spirit.
Some people have the gift of storytelling. When Professor Harrell Beck lectured on the origins of the Hebrew Bible, he made the story so real that I wanted to sneak a peak to the corner of the room to which he was gesturing. I wanted to catch a glimpse of the Bedouin shepherds and the campfire they had built to take the chill off the night air. (I found later that others in the class had experienced the same feeling.) Dr. Beck said that when he went to speak at local churches (which was frequently), he wanted to take a Bible, and rip off the back cover, to demonstrate the fact that God did not stop speaking in the second century A.D., nor have the acts of the Apostles ceased. “The Bible is still being written today!” He would proclaim in a thundering voice. Species can change. Species do change!
In his book, The Language of God, Francis Collins tells about being asked to head the Human Genome Project. At the time, he was quite happy at the University of Michigan, and commented that never imagined himself a federal employee! “I initially indicated no interest,” he wrote, “But the decision haunted me. There was only one Human Genome Project. This was going to be done only once in human history. If it succeeded, the consequences for medicine would be unprecedented. As a believer in God, was this one of the moments when I was somehow being called to take on a larger role in a project that would have profound consequences for our understanding of ourselves? … I have always been suspicious of those who claim to perceive God’s will in moments such as this, but … the potential consequences for humankind’s relationship with the Creator could hardly be ignored. Visiting my daughter in North Carolina in November of 1992, I spent a long afternoon praying in a little chapel, seeking guidance about this decision. I did not ‘hear’ God speak — in fact, I have never had that experience. But during tho
se hours… a peace settled over me. A few days later, I accepted the offer.”(13)
Collins’ work has demonstrated and confirmed the theory of Charles Darwin, that all of life is related and that species change. As Harrell Beck so dramatically proclaimed to our seminary class, the Bible is still being written today! God is still speaking; God is still creating; the Bible is still being written. What will your chapter say? How will you demonstrate your awareness of your relationship to all of creation? How will you respond to God’s call to continue to evolve and let God create in you the person that God desires you to be?
I believe that as long as we are living, we are always evolving. May we always seek to grow in the image and likeness of God.
1. Collins, Francis. The Language of God. New York: Free Press., p. 96.
2. Darwin, Charles. The Origin of Species. , p. 452.
3. Ibid., p. 459.
4. Collins, p. 98.
5. Ibid., p. 147.
6. Ibid., p. 98.
7. Ibid., p. 125.
9. Roughgarden, Joan. Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2006., pp. 24-25.
10. Ibid., p. 64.
11. Ibid., p. 67, 82-83.
12. Ibid., p. 66.
13. Ibid., p. 118-119.
Senior Pastor at Church of the Saviour, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
|
<urn:uuid:d3d9522b-79bc-4b73-a53a-a3e91a633c27>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://blogs.bu.edu/sermons/2009/08/02/always-evolving/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00047-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.971705
| 3,555
| 3.6875
| 4
|
The Church Fathers on the Genesis Flood
Published: 28 February 2012(GMT+10)
Central to the account of early earth history provided in the Bible is the global Flood in the days of Noah, described in Genesis 6–9. For modern young-age creationists, the Flood provides a framework for understanding the origin of the sedimentary rock layers and the fossils contained in them.
Although some critics have alleged that young-age creationism is a theological novelty that arose only in the last century or so,1 it can be demonstrated that belief in a worldwide Flood with geological effects was not a twentieth-century innovation. From the earliest days of the Christian church, the universality of the Flood was accepted on the testimony of the biblical text, and fossils were sometimes regarded as evidence of the cataclysm.
From the earliest days of the Christian church, the universality of the Flood was accepted on the testimony of the biblical text, and fossils were sometimes regarded as evidence of the cataclysm.
This can be readily illustrated by reviewing the writings of the Church Fathers on this subject. Here are some extracts from them.
Justin Martyr (103–165) affirmed the universality of the Flood when he wrote that ‘the whole earth, as the Scripture says, was inundated, and the water rose in height fifteen cubits above all the mountains’.2
Theophilus (c. 115–185), Patriarch of Antioch, noted the belief of the Greek philosopher Plato that the Flood ‘extended not over the whole earth, but only over the plains, and that those who fled to the highest hills saved themselves.’
He also drew attention to pagan myths about the preservation of Deucalion and Pyrrha in a chest and the notion that there had been a second flood in the days of Clymenus.
But he rejected these ideas saying: ‘But Moses, our prophet and the servant of God, in giving an account of the genesis of the world, related in what manner the flood came upon the earth, telling us, besides, how the details of the flood came about, and relating no fable of Pyrrha nor of Deucalion or Clymenus; nor, forsooth, that only the plains were submerged, and that those only who escaped to the mountains were saved. And neither does he make out that there was a second flood: on the contrary, he said that never again would there be a flood of water on the world; as neither indeed has there been, nor ever shall be.’3
Furthermore, he wrote, ‘the flood lasted forty days and forty nights, torrents pouring from heaven, and from the fountains of the deep breaking up, so that the water overtopped every high hill 15 cubits. And thus the race of all the men that then were was destroyed, and those only who were protected in the ark were saved; and these, we have already said, were eight. And of the ark, the remains are to this day to be seen in the Arabian mountains. This, then, is in sum the history of the deluge.’4
Tertullian (c. 160–225), the prolific Carthaginian apologist, spoke of fossils in the mountains testifying to a time when the globe had been covered by water. ‘There was a time when her whole orb, withal, underwent mutation, overrun by all waters. To this day marine conchs and tritons’ horns sojourn as foreigners on the mountains, eager to prove to Plato that even the heights have undulated.’5
Gregory of Nazianzus (329–389) described Noah as one ‘entrusted with the saving of the whole world from the waters’ and as having escaped the destruction ‘in a small ark’.6
John Chrysostom (c. 347–407), Archbishop of Constantinople, wrote concerning the Flood: ‘See the precision of Scripture, how it not only taught us the year of the deluge but also made clear the month and the day.’
Furthermore, commenting on Genesis 7:11, he said: ‘See the extent of the considerateness Sacred Scripture employs here too, describing everything in a human manner: it is not that there are sluice gates in heaven, but rather that it describes everything in terms customary with us, as if to say that the Lord simply gave a direction and immediately the waters obeyed their Creator’s command, fell out of the heavens on all sides and inundated the whole world.’7
Augustine (354–430), Bishop of Hippo, rejected the exclusively allegorical interpretations of the Flood account by commentators who supposed ‘that there could not be a flood so great that the water should rise fifteen cubits above the highest mountains’.8
Pseudo-Eustathius (c. 375–500) even pointed to fossils as evidence of the Flood: ‘Since the waters covered the summits of the mountains, they were covered over and hidden by their flowing. For in these times of ours also, on the summit of Mt. Lebanon, men who cut stone for marking boundaries find various types of marine fishes, which must have been gathered together in the caves of the mountains when they were caught in the mud.’9
Procopius of Gaza (c. 465–528) did likewise: ‘It can be shown clearly in many other ways that a universal flood came upon the earth, by which those people are persuaded who believe with difficulty that these things were explained by Moses. For even today, in mountains that are lofty and difficult to climb, marine remains are found, that is, shells and fragments of tortoise shells and other such things, which even we ourselves have seen.’10
In fact, the only Church Father known to have adopted the view that the Flood was a local event seems to have been Pseudo-Justin (identified by some with Theodoret of Cyrus, c. 393–457).11
The historical evidence suggests that when John Whitcomb and Henry Morris wrote their classic book, The Genesis Flood, in 1961, launching the modern creationist movement and reviving the idea that the fossil-bearing portion of the geological record is a testimony to Noah’s Flood, they were not dreaming up some novelty.
They were in fact part of a lineage of scholarly biblical interpretation stretching back into antiquity. They were standing on the shoulders of giants.
Paul Garner is a Researcher and Lecturer with Biblical Creation Ministries (www.biblicalcreationministries.org.uk).
- For example, Roberts, M.B., The roots of creationism, Faith and Thought 112(1):21–35, 1986. Return to text.
- Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 138. Return to text.
- Theophilus of Antioch, Apology to Autolycus 3.18–19. Return to text.
- Theophilus of Antioch, Apology to Autolycus 3.19. Return to text.
- Tertullian, On the Pallium 2.3. Return to text.
- Gregory of Nazianzus, Second Theological Oration 18. Return to text.
- John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis 25.10. Return to text.
- Augustine, City of God 15.27. Return to text.
- Pseudo-Eustathius, Commentary on the Hexameron. Return to text.
- Procopius of Gaza, Commentary on Genesis. Return to text.
- Pseudo-Justin, Questions and Answers to the Orthodox. Return to text.
|
<urn:uuid:644f8f2c-8cb7-46db-ba36-617882ea08c0>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://creation.com/church-fathers-flood
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00170-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.957436
| 1,595
| 3.1875
| 3
|
Barefoot world atlas app
TRIALLING IPADS IN GEOGRAPHY
Reading photos effectively
• The students used Popplet to annotate photos and create
links between the photos.
• Photos where placed in adropbox folder and then
students could download them onto the Ipad.
• You can also create flow diagrams using Popplet.
Creating a video in one lesson
• The students created a video on the Great Barrier Reef using
imovie. They incorporated key facts, covered the issues it
faces and how it is managed.
• They saved images from the web and they then added a voice
over or added text to the images.
Using imovie to create
• The students made play-do models and created small
animations using imovie.
• They simply took loads of photos of their models and then
uploaded them on to imovie, then added text or a voice over.
• We used a free online polling site to grade each others work
and see the results instantly.
Record creations step by step –
drawings and audio
Year 9 Fair Trade Project
Creating everything on one device.
• Imovie used to make TV adverts – one to raise the
awareness of fair trade & one to advertise their chocolate
• Ipads used to video and take photos.
• Strip designer app for adverts.
• Tumblr used to create a blog.
• Safari used to access the web and to use free logo design
sites, research current fair trade products and also to set up
• Their group work can be stored
on drop box and accessed from
Useful tool in the field
Woodland Reserve Investigation
Photos taken of different biotic and abiotic components with the camera.
Notes on docs to go.
Leaf snap app used to take photos of leaves & find out the type of leaf.
Possible to record their notes using audiboo.
Folders for each group created on drop box and once back in the
classroom, they could upload their notes and photos to the drop box
account so they could access and work on it at home.
Year 8, 10 & 12 Fieldwork
• All student surveys filled out on the Ipad.
• Made collating a lot easier.
• All results added to the drop box folder so
students could access at home.
• Photos taken & 360° panoramas with photosynth
• Video of high street transect, which could be later
or annotated on youtube.
• Audio summary of the site with audioboo.
Creating a web site of our field trip
• Students recorded videos
and took photos at the main
sites each day.
• They also took notes on the
ipads at the sites and then
wrote diary entries in the
• Everything was uploaded
from the ipads to the
website each evening and
parents could see what their
children were up to on a
• Independent research using Safari, Hitpad app and OECD
• Create revision sheets and upload them into Google docs or
upload to dropbox.
• CloudOnbrings Microsoft Office® to
youriPhone&iPad and links it to your Box, Dropbox,
Google Drive and SkyDriveaccounts.
|
<urn:uuid:c0accea1-2183-4cf6-8984-99efb88da510>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.slideshare.net/clemaitre/trialling-ipads-in-geography-2013-27617775
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00098-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.899025
| 692
| 3.34375
| 3
|
While the Prophet Joseph Smith was working on the inspired revisions of the Bible in 1831, he asked the Lord for understanding about the ancient patriarchs having more than one wife. At that time the Prophet began to receive revelation in answer to his inquiries. In subsequent years, the Lord commanded the Prophet and other Latter-day Saints to live the principle of plural marriage. In July 1843, while the Church was headquartered in Nauvoo, Illinois, the Prophet recorded the revelation he had received. Doctrine and Covenants 132 addresses the Lord’s teachings regarding plural marriage, including counsel to Joseph and Emma Smith.
Suggestions for Teaching
The Lord reveals the principle of plural marriage
Begin by explaining that while Joseph Smith was working on the inspired translation of the Old Testament in 1831, he read about some of the ancient prophets practicing plural marriage (also called polygamy). Under this practice, one man is married to more than one living wife. The Prophet studied the scriptures, pondered what he learned, and eventually took his questions about plural marriage to Heavenly Father in prayer.
Write Genesis 16:1–3 on the board. Explain that these verses describe the actions of Sarai and Abram, later known as Sarah and Abraham. Invite a student to read these verses aloud. Ask the class to follow along and think about any questions they might have about this event in Abram and Sarai’s life.
Invite students to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:1 silently, looking for what the Prophet Joseph Smith asked as he studied passages in the Old Testament concerning the practice of plural marriage. Ask students to report what they find. (You may want to explain that the word concubine is a term used to describe women in the Old Testament who, in the time and culture in which they lived, were legally married to a man but had a lower social status than a wife. Concubines were not part of the practice of plural marriage in our dispensation.)
Write the following question on the board: Why would the Lord command righteous men and women to obey the principle of plural marriage at certain times?
Explain that in their study of Doctrine and Covenants 132, students can find answers to the question on the board and other questions they may have concerning plural marriage. Invite them to write down the doctrines and principles they discover during their study today.
Invite a few students to take turns reading aloud from Doctrine and Covenants 132:34–36. Ask the class to follow along, looking for why Abraham and Sarah began to practice plural marriage.
According to verse 34, why did Sarah give Abraham another wife? What does this teach us about the principle of plural marriage? (As students respond, write the following principle on the board: Plural marriage is approved of the Lord only when He commands it.)
What did Sarah and Abraham’s obedience help to fulfill? (The Lord’s promises to Abraham, including the promise that Abraham would have posterity as numerous as the stars [see Genesis 15:5].)
To help students further understand the principle you have written on the board, suggest that they write Jacob 2:27, 30 in their scriptures near Doctrine and Covenants 132:34. Invite a student to read these verses aloud. Point out that monogamy (marriage between one man and one woman) is God’s standard for marriage unless He commands otherwise.
Invite a student to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:37–38 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for phrases that describe instances when the Lord commanded the practice of plural marriage. Ask students to report what they find.
Summarize Doctrine and Covenants 132:39, 41–43 by explaining that the Lord affirmed that when people practice the principle of plural marriage according to His commandment, they are not guilty of the sin of adultery. However, if anyone practices plural marriage under any circumstances that the Lord does not command, they are guilty of adultery. (Note that the word destroyed in verse 41 indicates that those who violate their sacred covenants will be separated from God and from His covenant people [compare Acts 3:22–23; 1 Nephi 22:20].)
Invite students to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:40 silently and look for what the Lord said He was going to do.
According to verse 40, what was the Lord going to do? (Restore all things. Explain that “all things” refers to the laws and ordinances of the gospel that had been revealed in previous dispensations. Write the following principle on the board: The commandment to live the law of plural marriage in the latter days was part of the restoration of all things. [See also Acts 3:20–21.])
Invite a student to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:45, 48 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what the Lord conferred upon Joseph Smith to bring about the restoration of all things.
What did the Lord confer upon Joseph Smith to bring about the restoration of all things? (The keys and power of the priesthood.)
What do we learn from verses 45 and 48 about plural marriage? (As students respond, write the following principle on the board: Plural marriage can be authorized only through the priesthood keys given to the President of the Church.)
Explain that early in this dispensation, as part of the restoration of all things, the Lord commanded some of the early Saints to practice plural marriage through the priesthood keys held by the Prophet Joseph Smith and subsequent Presidents of the Church—Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff. In 1890, President Woodruff, acting with those same priesthood keys, received revelation that the practice of plural marriage should end (see Official Declaration 1).
The Lord counsels Joseph and Emma Smith concerning plural marriage
Explain that the Prophet Joseph Smith was reluctant to begin the practice of plural marriage. He stated that he did not begin the practice until he was warned that he would be destroyed if he did not obey (see “Plural Marriage,” Historical Record, May 1887, 222). Because of a lack of historical documentation, we do not know about Joseph Smith’s early attempts to comply with the commandment. However, by 1841 the Prophet had begun to obey the commandment and to teach it to some members of the Church, and over the next three years he married additional wives in accordance with the Lord’s commands. The Prophet Joseph Smith’s obedience to the Lord’s commandment to practice plural marriage was a trial of faith for him and his wife Emma, whom he loved dearly.
Invite a student to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:49–50 aloud. Ask the class to look for the blessings the Lord promised Joseph Smith.
What blessings did the Lord promise Joseph Smith?
According to verse 50, why did the Lord promise these blessings to Joseph Smith?
Invite a student to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:52 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for counsel the Lord gave Emma Smith.
According to verse 52, what was Emma counseled to receive? (“All those that have been given unto my servant Joseph” refers to those who had been sealed to Joseph Smith.)
Explain that in addition to commanding Emma to receive those who had been sealed to her husband, the Lord commanded her to abide in His law and forgive Joseph of his trespasses. Invite students to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:56 silently to learn what the Lord promised Emma Smith.
What did the Lord promise Emma if she would obey His commands?
Explain that in 1841, Joseph Smith began to teach other faithful men and women the principle of plural marriage. They also struggled initially to understand and accept this principle. For example, when Brigham Young first learned of the commandment to enter plural marriage, he said that he felt that he would rather die than take plural wives (see Susa Young Gates and Leah D. Widtsoe, The Life Story of Brigham Young , 321). Although these faithful Church members were hesitant and frustrated about the command at first, they received individual confirmations through the Holy Ghost and accepted the principle of plural marriage. Vilate Kimball, the first wife of Elder Heber C. Kimball, received and embraced the doctrine of plural marriage and “could not doubt the plural order of marriage was of God, for the Lord had revealed it to her in answer to prayer” (Helen Mar Kimball, in Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball , 325; see also pages 326–28).
Practicing plural marriage brought additional challenges. Because the practice was initially kept very quiet, rumors began to spread about Church leaders marrying additional wives. These rumors greatly distorted the truth, slandered the names of the Prophet and other Church leaders, and contributed to increased persecution against the Saints.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 132:63 aloud, beginning with the phrase “for they are given unto him.” Before you read, explain that this verse helps us understand one reason why the Lord commanded Joseph Smith and others to practice plural marriage. Ask the class to follow along, looking for that specific purpose.
What commandment does the Lord refer to in verse 63? (The commandment to multiply and replenish the earth.) What does it mean to multiply and replenish the earth? (To have children.)
Point out the following phrase in verse 63: “for herein is the work of my Father continued.”
How does having children allow parents to be part of the continuing work of Heavenly Father?
As part of this discussion, you may want to read the following statement by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“When a child is born to a husband and wife, they are fulfilling part of our Heavenly Father’s plan to bring children to earth. The Lord said, ‘This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ [Moses 1:39]. Before immortality, there must be mortality” (“Children,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 28).
Based on what you have learned from verse 63, what is one reason why the Lord has at times instituted the practice of plural marriage? (After students respond, write the following principle on the board: The Lord has at times instituted plural marriage to provide further opportunities for His people to raise up righteous children unto Him. You may want to refer again to Jacob 2:30.)
Refer to the question you wrote on the board near the beginning of the lesson: Why would the Lord command righteous men and women to obey the principle of plural marriage at certain times? You may want to invite students to summarize for the class what they have learned from their study of Doctrine and Covenants 132 and Jacob 2:27, 30 that helps them to answer this question.
Conclude by sharing your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and that he received and obeyed revelation from God.
Commentary and Background Information
Doctrine and Covenants 132. How to approach a study of plural marriage
Much unreliable information pertaining to plural marriage exists on the Internet and in many print sources. Be cautious and wise with such information. Some authors who write about the Church and its history present information out of context or include partial truths that can be misleading. The intent of some of these writings is to destroy faith.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles warned:
“There have always been a few who want to discredit the Church and to destroy faith. Today they use the Internet.
“Some of the information about the Church, no matter how convincing, is just not true” (“Trial of Your Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 41).
In studying about plural marriage, it is important to remember the pattern the Prophet Joseph Smith followed in his gospel learning. He studied, pondered, and prayed to gain knowledge.
Doctrine and Covenants 132:1. “The principle and doctrine” of plural marriage
The following accounts help to clarify the feelings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church members when plural marriage was first introduced.
Eliza R. Snow, who was sealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, recorded the details of the Prophet Joseph teaching the principle of plural marriage to her brother Lorenzo Snow. She noted the anguish and pain that the principle caused Joseph Smith and that he only moved forward in establishing the principle because of divine revelation:
“The Prophet Joseph unbosomed his heart [to Lorenzo Snow], and described the trying mental ordeal he experienced in overcoming the repugnance of his feelings, the natural result of the force of education and social custom, relative to the introduction of plural marriage. He knew the voice of God—he knew the commandment of the Almighty to him was to go forward—to set the example, and establish Celestial plural marriage. He knew that he had not only his own prejudices and prepossessions to combat and to overcome, but those of the whole Christian world stared him in the face; but God, who is above all, had given the commandment, and He must be obeyed. Yet the Prophet hesitated and deferred from time to time, until an angel of God stood by him with a drawn sword, and told him that, unless he moved forward and established plural marriage, his Priesthood would be taken from him and he should be destroyed! This testimony he not only bore to my brother, but also to others—a testimony that cannot be gainsayed [contradicted]” (Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow , 69–70).
President Brigham Young explained:
“If any man had asked me what was my choice when Joseph revealed that doctrine, provided that it would not diminish my glory, I would have said, ‘let me have but one wife.’ …
“… I was not desirous of shrinking from any duty nor of failing in the least to do as I was commanded, but it was the first time in my life that I had desired the grave, and I could hardly get over it for a long time. And when I saw a funeral I felt to envy the corpse its situation, and to regret that I was not in the coffin. …
“… But the saints who live their religion will be exalted, for they never will deny any revelation which the Lord has given or may give, though, when there is a doctrine coming to them which they cannot comprehend fully, they may be found saying, ‘the Lord sendeth this unto me, and I pray that he will save and preserve me from denying anything which proceedeth from him, and give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself’” (in “Provo Conference,” Deseret News, Nov. 14, 1855, 282).
Vilate Kimball, President Heber C. Kimball’s first wife, received a testimony of plural marriage. Her daughter Helen recounted:
“‘My mother often told me that she could not doubt the plural order of marriage was of God, for the Lord had revealed it to her in answer to prayer.
“‘In Nauvoo, shortly after his return from England, my father, among others of his brethren, was taught the plural wife doctrine. …
“‘My father realized the situation fully, and the love and reverence he bore for the Prophet were so great that he would sooner have laid down his life than have betrayed him. This was one of the greatest tests of his faith he had ever experienced. …
“‘My mother [Vilate Kimball] had noticed a change in his manner and appearance, and when she inquired the cause, he tried to evade her questions. At last he promised he would tell her after a while, if she would only wait. This trouble so worked upon his mind that his anxious and haggard looks betrayed him daily and hourly, and finally his misery became so unbearable that it was impossible to control his feelings. He became sick in body, but his mental wretchedness was too great to allow of his retiring, and he would walk the floor till nearly morning, and sometimes the agony of his mind was so terrible that he would wring his hands and weep like a child, and beseech the Lord to be merciful and reveal to her this principle. …
“‘The anguish of their hearts was indescribable, and when she found it was useless to beseech him longer, she retired to her room and bowed before the Lord and poured out her soul in prayer to Him who hath said: “If any lack wisdom let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.” …
“‘Before her was illustrated the order of celestial marriage, in all its beauty and glory, together with the great exaltation and honor it would confer upon her in that immortal and celestial sphere, if she would accept it and stand in her place by her husband’s side. She also saw the woman he had taken to wife, and contemplated with joy the vast and boundless love and union which this order would bring about, as well as the increase of her husband’s kingdoms, and the power and glory extending throughout the eternities, worlds without end.
“‘With a countenance beaming with joy, for she was filled with the Spirit of God, she returned to my father, saying: “Heber, what you kept from me the Lord has shown me.” She told me she never saw so happy a man as father was when she described the vision and told him she was satisfied and knew it was from God.
“‘She covenanted to stand by him and honor the principle, which covenant she faithfully kept, and though her trials were often heavy and grevious to bear, she knew that father was also being tried, and her integrity was unflinching to the end. She gave my father many wives, and they always found in my mother a faithful friend’” (in Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball , 325–28).
President John Taylor said of the time when the principle of plural marriage was introduced:
“I had always entertained strict ideas of virtue, and I felt as a married man that this was to me, outside of this principle, an appalling thing to do. … It was a thing calculated to stir up feelings from the innermost depths of the human soul. I had always entertained the strictest regard of chastity. … Hence, with the feelings I had entertained, nothing but a knowledge of God, and the revelations of God, and the truth of them, could have induced me to embrace such a principle as this” (in B. H. Roberts, The Life of John Taylor, Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , 100).
Doctrine and Covenants 132:18–20. The eternal nature of marriage
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who remarried after his first wife died, explained in an interview that on the subject of the eternal nature of marriage, we know some things and do not know other things:
“There are a lot of people that live on this earth that have been married to more than one person. Sometimes those marriages have ended with death; sometimes they’ve ended with divorce. What does the next life mean to them in relation to a covenant they once made and so on? I don’t think those people have much of an answer for that question. It might not bother them because they don’t believe that people will live as married couples in the next life. And if they don’t make and live for the covenants to do that, [as for themselves] they’re right! But for people who live in the belief, as I do, that marriage relations can be for eternity, then you must say, ‘What will life be in the next life, when you’re married to more than one wife for eternity?’ I have to say I don’t know. But I know that I’ve made those covenants, and I believe if I am true to the covenants that the blessing that’s anticipated here will be realized in the next life” (in “Elder Oaks Interview Transcript from PBS Documentary,” July 20, 2007, mormonnewsroom.org).
Doctrine and Covenants 132:38–39. David and Uriah
The Lord declared that David sinned in taking Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. David later orchestrated the death of Uriah to hide his sin. As a result, David fell from his exaltation. The inclusion of David’s example in Doctrine and Covenants 132:38–39 underscores the strict laws governing the practice of plural marriage. Even in times when the Lord instituted this practice and commanded His people to live it, they were required to do so according to His commandments and the direction He gave to His servants who held the necessary priesthood keys.
Doctrine and Covenants 132:51–56. What was Emma Smith commanded not to partake of?
“No indication is given here or elsewhere of what the Lord had commanded the Prophet Joseph to offer to his wife, but the context seems to suggest that it was a special test of faith similar to the test of Abraham’s faith when the Lord commanded him to sacrifice Isaac. Beyond that, it is useless to speculate” (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, 2nd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2001], 334).
|
<urn:uuid:d3e04cdf-4b04-45fc-8c9a-e2fe0130d731>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history-seminary-teacher-manual-2014/section-6/lesson-140-doctrine-and-covenants-132-1-2-34-66?lang=eng
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394987.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00150-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.974555
| 4,537
| 3.75
| 4
|
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Bruce Knight says up to $1.7 million will be available through competitive grants to develop and evaluate technological tools for fish and wildlife habitat improvements.
“This grant competition provides an opportunity to enhance critical fish and wildlife habitat on private agricultural lands,” Knight said. “With most of the nation's nearly 1.4 billion acres of privately-owned land involved in agriculture, these grants underscore the importance of cooperative conservation efforts to enriching fish and wildlife habitat.”
Individual grants will range from $10,000 to $200,000. Selected applicants may receive up to 50 percent of the project cost. Applicants must provide nonfederal matching funds for at least 50 percent of the project cost, up to half of which may come from in-kind contributions. An exception allows for limited resource and beginning farmers and ranchers, tribes, and community-based organizations representing these groups to obtain up to 75 percent of project matching funds from in-kind contributions.
NRCS will distribute the funds through a national competitive process. Fiscal 2006 funds will come from NRCS' existing conservation operations budget. Potential applicants include state and local governments; federally recognized tribes; and non-governmental organizations, including colleges and universities. In their project proposals, applicants will be asked how they will develop, test, implement and transfer innovative solutions that benefit fish and wildlife on cropland, grassland, forestland, rangeland, riparian areas, wetlands, streams, rivers, vernal pools and areas where farmland and urban land meet.
Projects can be single- or multi-purpose and can run from one to three years.
For more information about the wildlife announcement of funding, visit the e-Grants Web site at http://www.grants.gov.
|
<urn:uuid:e24e165e-2808-445c-b778-91c2afab961c>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://deltafarmpress.com/usda-grants-ready-improve-wildlife-habitat
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00197-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.901672
| 370
| 2.59375
| 3
|
Is there an underlying code in the universe?
It’s impossible for mere mortals to comprehend such a large number, which is larger than a count of every particle in the universe. But it has nonetheless appeared in a number of fundamental ratios.
The number first appeared about a decade ago, when scientists were studying the phenomenon of dark energy, which scientists believe is causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate. Now according to physicist Scott Funkhouser of The Citadel, the number has popped up five other times:
He lists five other instances in which the ratios between various cosmic quantities turn out to be equal to 10^122, give or take a factor of ten (which matters very little at such huge scales, and could be due to errors in our understanding of the numbers involved).
For example, the ratio of the mass of the observable Universe to that of the smallest possible ‘quantum’ of mass is about 6×10^121. And the number of ways in which the particles of the current Universe can be arranged throughout space (a measure of entropy) is 2.5×10^122.
This isn’t just numerological number juggling. “If you take the basic parameters of the Universe there are only so many ways you can put them together to make ‘pure numbers’ with no units,” Funkhouser says — and less still ones that have any obvious physical interpretation. So the fact that even a handful of these give ratios that are so huge and yet so similar seems significant. “It is unlikely for chance alone to be responsible for generating so many pure numbers from just several fundamental parameters,” says Funkhouser.
So what’s really going on here?
Despite what the article says, it really could be simple numerology, which strikes me as the most obvious explanation. But this also could be telling us something about the underlying principles of the universe. Heck, according to the fellows at The Speculist, it could even be an inkling of the source code of the computer program in which “the universe” was written.
|
<urn:uuid:a9e0691d-e34d-4e51-9f89-142049f5eff2>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2008/02/the-god-numeral-absurdly-large-number-keeps-popping-up/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393093.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00020-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.949416
| 436
| 3.34375
| 3
|
images courtesy of Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts. Above: a picture placed upon the machine; below: the machine explaining a game; bottom: a game in action (though the player seems to have left).
Note: This page is about the exhibit, not the free software project. If you are interested in using or developing the program, visit the code page.
Te Tuhi Video Game Machine was built for, and exhibited at, Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts, in Manukau City, New Zealand. The machine turns pictures drawn by gallery visitors into video games, which can be played immediately. It tends to make 2D, birds eye view games involving pursuit, consumption, evasion and occasionally shooting. Almost any picture can be turned into a game, but some will be boring or unplayable.
Using the video game machine
First you draw a picture (on paper) of the game you want to play. It is usually best to keep the characters separate from each other, and not draw too much background. If you draw background or frames or writes labels the machine will probably think these bits are game characters and make them squirm around.
You put the picture on top of the machine, which takes a photo.
After a few seconds, the computer will describe the game to you, explaining the rules and telling you what role each piece has. Some games have magic food in them that alters the rules of the game as it is played. You have to pay attention to these instructions, because the game might not turn out as you expected—for example, a figure you drew to be a helpful ally might turn out to be a nasty monster, or vice versa.
You play the game. If it is a good game, you can replay it as often as you like. A few seconds after you stop the machine will forget your game and wait for the next picture.
How it works
The machine splits the image into constituent parts, which it sorts into teams based on some kind of similarity. There will always be one team of one, which is destined to be your character. If there are not many image parts then each might be in its own team, but this is rare.
The machine concocts arbitrary rules for the behaviour and interaction of teams, and sets up agents to think on behalf of each image part, including the one that is you. It then plays the game by itself, at high speed, to see what will happen. If the game ends too quickly, or seems like it will never end, the rules are randomly adjusted. This continues until a game is found that finishes in about the right length of time. This process is repeated a few times (in parallel actually), and the best seeming game is chosen.
The minds of the agents are fine-tuned, using a similar process.
The machine runs Debian Linux. The software is written in Python and C, using PyGame/SDL, PIL and custom libraries.
The program was written by Douglas Bagnall and is available under the Gnu General Public License. Another page describes the how to download, install, and perhaps contribute to the code.
|
<urn:uuid:77741623-8990-4fd3-b2b0-5c6f9b0a98c2>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://halo.gen.nz/tetuhi/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397797.77/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00194-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.964911
| 644
| 2.703125
| 3
|
Gundaphorus and his Parthians, it will be remembered, were ousted from Taxila and the land of five rivers about the middle of the first century A.D.. The new arrivals were from western China. They are known today as the Kushans, after the name of the dynasty established by the dominant clan. They had earlier overrun the lands west of the Indus and then pressed on southeastward, taking not only the eastern Parthian territories but extending their rule into India as far as Mathura, east of Delhi. This great Kushan empire, extending from Samarkand and Tashkent to the plain of the Ganges was the meeting place of Greco-Roman, Persian, Indian, and Chinese interests and influences. One of the Kushan rulers took on the grand titles of all the other empires: Caesar, King of Kings, Great King, Son of God -- the four whose lands stretched across the whole Eurasian continent.
The Kushan empire was a holy land for Buddhists, and was the ground in which Northern Buddhism (Mahayana, or Great Vehicle) developed. A leading sage and poet of the first century A.D. was Asvaghosa, whose life of Sakyamuni was highly revered. Asvaghosa relates that the Buddha-to-be entered as a thought into his mother's womb, and, after birth (through her side), took seven steps, saying: "I am born for supreme knowledge, for the welfare of the world -- thus, this is my last birth." Attendant Brahmins assured his father, king of the Sakya clan, that the boy (who had the signs of a Great Person, such as a topknot protuberance and a hairy tuft between the eyes) would have a remarkable future as a powerful ruler.
But one sage told the king that his son would follow another path open to a Great Person: he would forsake the kingdom, be indifferent to worldly things, attain the highest truth through great exertions, and "shine forth as a sun of knowledge to destroy the darkness of illusion in the world."
The king was not pleased with the thought of thus losing his heir and did everything he could to give the young prince a life of pleasure. He set the youth up in a separate walled house, where he was shielded from seeing the miseries of the world, surrounded him with seductive girls, guarded him from troublesome teachers who might lead his thoughts to more spiritual matters. The prince took a wife and had a child. But one day, riding out of the palace, he happened to see a blind man, a leper, a dead man, and a mendicant.
Siddhartha became intensely aware that life is transitory and full of suffering. He left his family and took to a life of extreme asceticism (the approved course for a holy man), but decided that "truth" was not thus to be found. He then sat in deep meditation for forty-nine days under a pipal tree, resisting temptations of power and riches, achieved enlightenment, preached his first sermon outside Benares, and spent the rest of his long life spreading the Four Noble Truths: life in this world is suffering and impermanence; cravings are the source of that suffering; cessation of cravings is the remedy; that cessation can be brought about by following his eight-fold path -- involving wisdom, moral speech, moral action, and meditation.
The story of the Buddha's life underwent an extraordinary transmutation as it moved west and became what is one of the most widespread legends ever told -- the story of Barlaam and Josaphat. More than sixty translations, versions, or paraphrases have been identified. It was altered to fit the religious climate of each language and culture. As it moved westward, the story was adopted and adapted by Manicheans in central Asia, and then it became Christianized.
In its new version, Barlaam was a Christian monk who had converted Josaphat (the name was a linguistic development from the word Bodhisattva -- one capable of Buddhahood). It may be that Georgian Christians in the Caucasus were the first to give the story a Christian cast, in the sixth or seventh century. A Christian version in Greek was known at least as early as the eighth century. A papal librarian translated it into Latin in the ninth century and it later gained wide popularity throughout the West.
The Ethiopic version is found in one of the surviving texts. It opens with a reference to Thomas's mission in India, and so do Greek and Syriac texts. There follows the story of Josaphat, the son of an Indian ruler whose priests were alarmed by the spread of Christianity. When he was born, all the sages and astrologers predicted a splendid future for him except one, who foretold that he would become a Christian.
To prevent such an outcome, the king brought up his son in secluded palaces and protected him from all contacts with the world. But a Christian sage, Barlaam, disguised himself as a merchant and inveigled his way into the youth's presence. He taught the prince Christian doctrine and finally converted and baptized him. The king tried to win back his son by every means he could think of, including an offer of half his kingdom. All the king's efforts failed. Josaphat abandoned his princely life and became an ascetic in the desert, joined there by his preceptor, Barlaam. The severely ascetic flavor of Barlaam and Josaphat and the story's glorification of monastic life presumably made it useful to Manicheans. The tale became a great favorite among Christian monks in the Middle Ages.
Barlaam and Josaphat were treated in Europe as Christian saints throughout the Middle Ages, and their story became part of the thirteenth-century Golden Legend , or Lives of the Saints. The Genoese bishop who collected and published the work wrote that "Barlaam fell asleep in peace about the year of the Lord 380." Barlaam and Josaphat were not fully canonized until the sixteenth century. Their day was fixed as November 27. Thus the historic Buddha and his guru became Christian saints, although no one seems to have made the Buddhist connection until scholars pointed it out late in the nineteenth century. The two have now been desanctified.
For explorers of Thomas traditions, the Ethiopic version of Barlaam and Jehosaphat is of particular interest. It opens, as we have noted, with a description of the apostle's missionary trip to India. As in the Acts of Judas Thomas , the Twelve are sent "unto all peoples."
Thomas, great in holiness, . . was sent to the country of India, and he preached unto the Indians the preachings of salvation. . . . And Thomas destroyed and made to be forsaken the country that had been wont to offer up sacrifices to graven images, and he converted the people thereof from their error.
The Ethiopic text goes on to say that after numerous companies of monks were established in Egypt, reports of their abstinence reached India, "and at length the Indians made themselves like unto [the Egyptian monks] in the beauty of their life and works." As we now know, it is far more likely that the exact opposite happened, that the example moved the other way; Buddhist monastic establishments were set up in the land of Gundaphorus long before their Christian counterparts came into being in Egypt.
One other possible Thomas connection with Barlaam and Josaphat piques the interest of those searching for the origins of legends concerning the apostle. K. S. Kekelidze, a historian from Georgia in the Caucasus, has speculated that the first Christian version of the tale was in Syriac, in the middle of the seventh century, and that it was devised for a specific purpose. Various Nestorian bishops in Persia, he suggests, were trying to break loose from the catholicos in Seleucia-Ctesiphon and create their own catholicos. In order to succeed they had to have some document that would establish their own line to an apostle and thereby counter the Nestorian claim that Thomas was their founder.
In Kekelidze's hypothesis, the tale of Barlaam and Josaphat, available in Persian, was converted into a Christian story. Thus its two principals could be hailed as the original evangelists to the East. Kekelidze suggests that the Syriac version, having served its purpose, was later consigned to the dust heap. Considering how the legend of Thomas's founding (at least by proxy) of the church in Edessa was concocted in the Abgar-Jesus correspondence, we may find it quite credible that Barlaam and Josaphat temporarily served as founders for a Christian group in search of a separate identity.
The Buddha's translation into a Christian saint apparently came three or four centuries after Ephraim had welcomed the bones of Judas Thomas to Edessa and praised his missionary work among Indians. In itself, then, it is not necessarily convincing evidence of a commerce in ideas as well as goods, eastward and westward, across southwest and south Asia, in the earlier Christian centuries. There are, however, persuasive signs of such an early mobility in religious thought. One example worth noting is found in Mithraism.
Mithraism was a mystery religion that swept through the Roman empire in the first three centuries A.D., found from England to the eastern Mediterranean. It is interesting to us mainly as an example of how, in the centuries spanning the beginning of the Christian era, a religion with roots in India and Iran spread into the Roman world. Its rites and beliefs were carefully guarded from the uninitiated. Modern scholars trying to penetrate its secrets have had to rely almost entirely on archeological evidence, which fortunately is plentiful.
The shrine for cult worship was a cave, or structure built to resemble a cave, called a mithraeum . Hundreds of examples, rich in figures sculpted in the round or in relief, have been found around the rim of the Mediterranean and in Turkey. Mithraea in their largest numbers, however, have been found on the central and northern European frontiers of the Roman empire, for Mithraism became especially the religion of the Roman legions. Only males could be initiated. No shrine has been found in Edessa, although it became a Roman colony in the third century. A mithraeum of that period, however, has been found at Dura Europos, a city on the lower Euphrates that was long an outpost of the Roman empire.
The "tauroctony," a bull-killing, is the central carving in the shrines. The figure shows Mithra atop a bull, holding the animal's head back by the nostrils or horns and thrusting a dagger into its heart. Another figure often found in the shrines is a lion-headed man, naked and winged, usually holding a rod and key and standing on an orb, with a serpent encircling his body. There continues to be much scholarly speculation as to what ideas once lay behind this widespread mystery cult. It is clear that originally Mithra (or Mithras ; Mitra in Sanskrit, "Mihr" in Persian) was a god in the pantheon of the Aryans who had invaded southwestern Asia in the second millennium B.C., before they divided into two streams -- Indian and Iranian. By the third Christian century he had evolved in the Roman world into the sun-god, Sol Invinctus -- a name Constantine adopted, one that was sure to be popular with his troops. So far as is now known, Mithra appears as the bull-slayer only in his Roman manifestation.
Early in the twentieth century European scholars put forward an elaborate reconstruction of Mithraism which was for a long time widely accepted as authoritative. Mithraism, it was said, was an adaptation from the native Iranian religion of Zoroaster, concerned with the struggle between the two, almost equally strong, principles of good and evil, light and darkness. The underlying myth, in this view, was that the divine hero, Mithra, had been ordered as an agent of the Good Principle to kill the bull; he did so in a cave, and its blood fecundated the earth, giving rise to plants and a new race of humankind. The scorpion, dog, and serpent that appear in the tauroctony were considered to be agents of the Evil Principle, sent to stop life at its source.
The lion-headed man was regarded as a representation of Zurvan, the supreme divine force, endless Time and boundless Space, father of both of the principles at work in the cosmos -- Orhmazd (Good) and Ahriman (Evil). Mithra, in this view, had a role similar to that of the Logos among Stoics and Christians. He was the creature and agent of Ohrmazd, establishing and maintaining order in nature; having fashioned the world of life as demiurge, he was to continue to watch over it faithfully. Purified by dedication to virtue and by sacrifices, by meals that initiates shared, and by ablutions, devotees could hope that their souls would ascend through seven planetary spheres to their resting place.
Origen, head of the Christian catechitical school in Alexandria (about 2ll-232), wrote of the Mithraic belief that a soul passes through the barriers of the seven planets in its ascent to its true home, and "There is a ladder with seven gates and at its top an eighth gate" He appears to refer to seven grades of initiation, noted by other Christian writers and confirmed by mithraea found in the twentieth century.
Behind the relatively open and public symbols of Mithraism, in sculpture and architecture, some scholars supposed there was a hidden theology of atonement and salvation through a redeemer figure characteristic of other mystery religions, akin to Christianity. And Christians of the second and third century did indeed regard Mithraism as a rival religion. The Carthaginian polemicist Tertullian attacked it as a parody of his own faith.
In recent years different lines of interpretation of archeological evidence have raised new questions. Would not such features as animal sacrifice have been unacceptable to Zoroastrians and inconsistent with Zoroastrian myths? Isn't the the connection of the Roman Mithras to the ancient Aryans' Mithra so tenuous that they can hardly be said to belong to the same religious tradition? Aren't the astrological symbols so dominant in Mithraic cult art that the nature of the cult must be sought therein.?
One group of scholars has emphasized the parallels between figures appearing in the tauroctony and the planets and constellations known to astronomers of the time: the scorpion which had been regarded as an agent of Evil is simply the constellation Scorpio; the dog is Canis; the serpent is Draco; and so on. A band showing the full array of zodiacal signs is a frequent element in sculpted scenes of the tauroctony. The constellation Leo is the "home" of the sun god. David Ulansey has found in the tauroctony a "star map," and suggested that Stoic philosophers found in it a representation of the immensely long world cycles of the cosmos -- of creations, fadings away, and recreations -- also found in Indian speculation.
Scholars are agreed, however, that there are connections between Roman Mithraism and Indo-Iranian religious symbols and ideas. Certainly Romans, at the time Mithraism was thriving in their midst, thought it to be of Persian origin. For our purposes, the phenomenon of a religion, with roots in Iran and India, developing a new outlook and mythology, sweeping through the Roman world in the first three Christian centuries, is significant as another sign of the geographic connectedness of the Roman and Persian worlds, of the porous nature of the cultural border between them, of the cultural interchanges between the two.
Click here for general information on this book, The Gnostic Apostle Thomas.
Click here to return to table of contents.
Click here to go to Chapter 22.
Click here to go to notes on this chapter, Chapter 21.
Click here to go back to Chapter 20.
The Gnostic Apostle Thomas (c) 1997 Herbert Christian Merillat.
|
<urn:uuid:eada5cad-89a8-48ac-a3e6-b74373068fd5>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.gnosis.org/thomasbook/ch21.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00165-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.976204
| 3,396
| 2.984375
| 3
|
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that the statewide burn ban has been lifted from DNR-protected lands earlier than anticipated.
The heavy rainfall throughout the state has eased the summer fire danger and the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's September 2010 outlook calls for below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation.
DNR urges continued caution with all potential fire sources, including tools, vehicles, camp stoves and other equipment and activities. Forest landowners may now conduct silvicultural burning subject to the conditions of their written burning permit or under DNR rules for burning without a permit.
The conditions allow DNR to remove the statewide burn ban before Sept. 30, 2010. The burn ban was ordered on July 15, 2010, to reduce the number of wildfires caused by escaped debris burns and recreational fires on forest land. These fires can cause extensive damage to natural resources and property, and can cost the state millions of dollars in fire suppression costs.
This year was the first that Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark issued a Commissioner's Order calling for a statewide burn ban on all DNR-protected lands.
Burn barrels illegal
The use of burn barrels in Washington state is illegal. Backyard fires that get out of control are a leading cause of wildfires caused by people. Those who burn fires illegally are held responsible for the cost of putting out the wildfire caused by their outdoor burning.
|
<urn:uuid:cd4ce1bf-66e4-4770-b3f6-aa1aa9978558>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.whitesalmonenterprise.com/news/2010/sep/21/dnr-lifts-state-burn-ban/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00035-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.944654
| 283
| 2.796875
| 3
|
Lowered BP after "no salt added" diet
By Joene Hendry
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Simply avoiding pre-salted foods and not adding salt to foods can result in a modest but statistically significant reduction in blood pressure, study findings suggest.
A modest reduction in dietary salt, measured by sodium content in the urine by about 35 percent and lowered daytime blood pressure by 12.1 mm Hg systolic and 6.8 mm Hg diastolic in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) not taking anti-hypertensive medications, reports Dr. Javad Kojuri. Blood pressure readings at night were slightly lower.
Kojuri and Dr. Rahim Rahimi, both from Shiraz University in Iran, assessed blood pressure and 24-hour urinary sodium excretion in 60 individuals before and after instructing them to follow a 'no salt added' diet for 6 weeks.
Twenty subjects who did not follow the diet were used as a comparison group ("controls"). All of the subjects were similar in age, gender, weight, blood pressure, and initial urinary sodium excretion.
The average age was 49, half were men, and all of the patients had mild to moderate hypertension, according to the report, published in the medical journal BMC Cardiovascular Disorders.
After 6 weeks, the researchers noted a significant reduction in urinary sodium excretion in those on the diet, compared with those not on the diet.
The blood pressure reductions were seen even in the 50 percent of the patients who consumed a medium amount (3 to 7 grams/day) of dietary salt and the 25 percent of the patients who ingested 7 or more grams per day. Only 21 percent of the subjects consumed less than 3 grams of salt daily.
These results provide strong support for universal salt reduction in all hypertensive individuals, the researchers conclude, but the limited size of this study "mandates larger scale, population based studies to (further) evaluate the effect of a 'no salt added' diet," Kojuri told Reuters Health.
SOURCE: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, November 2007
|
<urn:uuid:ad07987b-c793-4e86-9e5d-5538d125afaf>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/25314
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396222.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00011-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.935186
| 430
| 2.515625
| 3
|
How are we different?
I am sure that it will be a surprise for you to learn that 99.9% of genes are identical for every person on earth. This means that the differences we see at birth don’t depend on whether that child has a specific gene inherited from you bit rather, differences are as a result of tiny variances in single genes.
The power of the womb
DNA does not produce life. It is the womb that, despite fertilization, will determine embryos attachment and nourishment. Both whilst the embryo is growing in the womb and after birth, differences perceived between children are not so much about the tiny variable sin single genes but also die to specific genes being “activated” in some humans and not in others.
This “activation” in only certain genes is affected by many different factors during our lives including lifestyle, hormones, exposure to carcinogens and, among other factors, the normal physiological working of the body. How we feel, think and react also causes certain genes to be expressed and others reserved. One example of many is the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer that has been lined to a woman’s specific exposure to estrogen and progesterone ad the affects that these hormones have on cell differentiation.
These mechanisms that are expressed in some people and not in others are outside the gene and termed epigenetic factors. The expression of genes begins in the womb. The woman carrying the child; her internal environment is responsible for how the baby’s genes are expressed. This early stage of life, the first 40 weeks or so, begins to shape the characteristics of the child birthed.
The extent of Epigenetics
Epigenetics is a field of biology dealing with information held above and beyond the gene.
http//en.wikipedia.org “In biology, the term epigenetics refer to changes in phenotype (appearance) or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence, hence the name epi – (Greek: over; above) – genetics. These changes may remain through cell divisions for the remainder of the cell’s life and may also last for multiple generations. However, there is no change in the underlying DNA sequence of the organism; instead, non-genetic factors cause the organism’s genes to behave (or “express themselves”) differently.”
Scientific evidence has shown that genes and DNA are not responsible for the ultimate uniqueness of human beings. Some schools of thought have suggested the even “as we think” will affect expression of the gene. Genes may be expressed or remain dormant depending on energetic signals outside the cell, from our positive or negative thoughts.
Science Daily (13 April 2009) “A certain laboratory strain of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has white eyes. If the surrounding temperature of the genetically identical embryos, which are normally nurtured at 25 degrees Celsius, is briefly raised to 37 degrees Celsius, the flies alter hatch with red eyes. If these lies are again crossed, the following generations are partly red-eyed – without further temperature treatment – even though only white-eyed flies are expected according to the rules of genetics.
The concept of epigenetics offers an explanation of this result. Epigenetics examines the inheritance of characteristics that are not out in the DNA sequence.
Another well documented example is that of the Agouti mice which are fat, yellow in colour and prone to cancer and diabetes. When the pregnant mice are nourished with a diet rich in folic acid, B12 and choline they give birth to healthy slim, brown offspring; as do these mice in turn.
The effect of epigenetics on donor egg conception
Remembering that 99.9% of a baby’s genes are identical to all other humans, 0.1% results in the variations we see in humans.
A baby conceived using a donor egg (roughly the size of a full stop) gets his/her genes from the donor; she gets the “instructions” on the expression of those genes from the woman who carries him/her to term.
This means that a baby conceived using donor egg has 3 biological parents: a father, the egg donor and the woman that carries the pregnancy. The child who is born would have been physically & no doubt emotionally different had another woman carried that child. In other words the birth mother influences what the child is like at a genetic level – it IS her child. She has had a “say” in her offspring as does the donated egg and the sperm used to fertilized.
In horse breeding for example, it’s not uncommon to implant a pony embryo into the womb of a horse. The foals that result, are different from nomal ponies. They’re bigger. These animals’ genotype – their genes – are the same as a pony’s, but their phenotype – what their genes actually look like in the living animal – is different. Taken from a booklet published by Freedom Pharmacy “Perhaps the greatest myth surrounds pregnancy. Many believe the uterus is simply an incubator. Nothing could be further from the truth. The most important aspect of all pregnancies – including egg donation pregnancies- is that as the fetus grows, every cell in the developing body is built out of the pregnant mother’s body. Tissue from her uterine lining will contribute to the formation of the placenta, which will link her child. The fetus will use
her body’s protein, then she will replace it. The fetus uses her sugars calcium, nitrates, and fluids, and she will replace them. So, if you think of your dream as you dream house, the genes provide merely a basic blueprint, the biological mother takes care of all the materials and construction, from the foundation right on up to the light fixtures. So, although her husband’s aunt Sara or the donor’s grandfather may have genetically programmed the shape of the new baby’s earlobe, the earlobe itself is the pregnant woman’s “flesh and blood”. That means the earlobe, along with the baby herself, grew from the recipient’s body. That is why the child is her biological child.”
“A miracle is a miraculous gift from God, no matter how one received it.”
|
<urn:uuid:f22a61c7-293a-4588-9f20-ff4c66bec54d>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://eggdonorsblog.giftovlife.com/epigenetics
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00162-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.949936
| 1,317
| 3.390625
| 3
|
North Hamgyong: citizens take progress into their own hands
Across the border from North Hamgyong province lies China. This proximity to a foreign country means North Hamgyong province offers its residents increased opportunities for contact with the outside world. These conditions are aided by the fact that North Hamgyong province lies far from the capital city of Pyongyang and its centralised surveillance systems.
One defector from the elite city of Pyongyang tells us, “North Hamgyong province seems a much better place for life than the city of Pyongyang.” He continued by saying that as long as you have the trust of relevant authorities, you can lead a decent life in Pyongyang. However, with one careless mistake made in Pyongyang, individuals can disappear without a single trace.
In Pyongyang, the systems of surveillance and thought-control rule over the city. There is no room to express any form of dissent and it is difficult to engage in activities that go against the sanctioned ideologies. In contrast, North Hamgyong province offers relative freedom. Due to its geographical proximity to China, foreign goods are easier to come by. In the isolated country of North Korea, the diversified origins of goods undeniably goes hand in hand with the diversification of worldviews.
Another defector tells us how much of a shock it was for him when he witnessed life in North Hamgyong province. He had passed through en route to his escape from the country. In his home province, the family had barely enough watered down congee for eating; yet, in North Hamgyong province there was rice. At home, he could never afford to buy bread; yet in North Hamgyong province, residents could afford imported bread from China.
He finished by saying how if the regime allowed freedom of movement (North Koreans cannot change their place of residence without explicit permission from the authorities), he would have settled in North Hamgyong province rather than have chosen to defect.
He is not alone. According to sources from inside the country, North Koreans have even started to talk about the possibility of ‘defecting’ to North Hamgyong province.
In a developed country such as South Korea, the government contributes to the development of newly planned cities through public amenities such as hospitals or schools. In North Korea however, the state plays no role in such new developments. The cities of the future are being built by the citizens themselves. Moreover, North Korea’s new cities are built by those who understand the concept of a free economy: this runs fundamentally against the state policy of Juche.
In North Korea, cities thrive and new cities bloom in places that are located furthest away from the state’s control.
|
<urn:uuid:06cd00d3-2f1b-428f-8090-eea0e90f947c>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://newfocusintl.com/north-hamgyung-province/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00066-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.973901
| 550
| 2.703125
| 3
|
Mother Goose is believed to be the authoress of children’s tale and nursery rhymes and interestingly figures as a character of a rhyme titled “Nursery Rhyme”. The origin of Mother Goose stories and nursery rhymes can be found in the early books of 1500-1600.The collection of nursery rhymes is generally published as “Mother Goose Rhymes”. Mother Goose is often illustrated in books as an old country woman wrapped in a shawl and donning a tall hat resembling the peasant costume worn customarily in early 20th century Wales. In some literature, Mother Goose is portrayed as a goose wearing a bonnet.
The history of the Mother Goose records a noblewoman, Bertrada II of Laon of the 8th century who married the King of the Franks and gave birth to a son, known in history as Charlesmagne who founded the Holy Roman Empire. Bertrada was know as a patroness of children and was solely responsible for educating her son. She came to be known as Bertha Greatfoot or Queen Goosefoot. By the 17th century the concept of Mother Goose, emerged among the peasants and nobility in France, as a fairy mother who narrated fairy tales to children. Charles Perrault’s book “Tales of my Mother Goose” published in 1695 was among the first books on Mother Goose stories.
The Mother Goose rhymes and stories are attributed to many sources written by famous authors and passed down through generations in folklore fashion. As a result, many stories got published without crediting the original author. Mother Goose is usually portrayed as an old lady either perched on a flying goose or reading stories to children. Her name is synonymous with fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Mother Goose has characteristics similar to witches as is evident by the early illustrations where she is depicted wearing a witch’s hat and riding on a broomstick.
The American readers may be familiar with “The Real Mother Goose” which is a classic collection of short poems many of them adapted from popular rhymes and songs of folk lore. “The Real Mother Goose” is one of the earlier collections of nursery rhymes for children. The book is extensively illustrated in pen and watercolor by Blanche Fisher Wright. In 1919 the book sold 3,600,000 copies and came to occupy the twentieth place in the list of All-Time Bestselling Hardcover Children's Books. "The Real Mother Goose" was copyrighted originally in 1916 and now comes under public domain.
There are many Mother Goose collections available now which include tales that originated in the past as folklore meant for children. Some of the Modern Mother Goose Collections include “Mother Goose in Prose" by L. Frank Baum, “Mother Goose and her Fabulous Puppet Friends” by Diane Ligon, “New Adventures of Mother Goose” by Bruce Lansky, “Black Mother Goose” by Elizabeth Murphy, "Christian Mother Goose"by Marjorie Ainsborough Decker ,among others. Some regionally flavored Mother Goose collections include “Texas Mother Goose”by David Davis, “The Alaska Mother Goose” by Shelley Gill and “An Appalachian Mother Goose” by James Still.
|
<urn:uuid:e26ed3b7-64e3-45ae-a182-76923aa3ff51>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.innovateus.net/innopedia/how-did-mother-goose-fairy-tales-originate
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403823.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00007-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.956441
| 667
| 3.328125
| 3
|
It is a must that every early childhood educator spends time learning and memorizing a wide variety of fingerplays.
What is the purpose of a fingerplay?
Fingerplays serve a variety of purposes…
• They help capture a young child’s attention;
• They engage the child in the learning process;
• They promote the young child’s imagination and creativity;
• They increase a young child’s language, vocabulary, and listening skills;
• They involve and promote the development of fine motor skills;
• They help the teacher give directions and instruction.
• They provide entertainment for down time.
An example of a fingerplay
Links to Grow On
Little Fingers that Play by Deborah J. Stewart
|
<urn:uuid:cdeb222d-0172-4bab-b410-d9d5601b080a>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.teachpreschool.org/2009/04/what-is-a-fingerplay/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.907862
| 154
| 3.234375
| 3
|
A swimmer jumps 2 feet north and 5 feet east of the corner of the pool. The ripple effect traveled four feet from the center. Model an equation of a circle for the set of points that could be the center of the cannon ball. The corner is the origin at (0,0), and the center is at (5,2) with a radius of 4 feet. I need to find the standard equation using the distance formula.
|
<urn:uuid:415eeac8-83a5-4d1b-a2f8-f0524864344f>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://mathhelpforum.com/pre-calculus/17108-how-did-happen.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00174-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.937686
| 89
| 2.78125
| 3
|
Diabetes drug Metformin is one of the most affordable and widely prescribed prescription drugs available for the treatment of diabetes type 2. Could it also help delay aging and extend the lifespan of healthy individuals?
A study published today in Cell revealed that it certainly can — at least if you’re a tiny worm called Caenorhabditis elegans. Lead researcher Dr Filipe Cabreiro from the UK’s University College London, said, “Overall, treatment with Metformin adds up to six days of life for the worm which is equivalent to around a third of its normal lifespan.”
The research indicated that Metformin affects the metabolism of gut bacteria, which in turn keeps the worm from digesting as many nutrients from its food. In other words, it has the same effect on the worm’s body as going on a calorie-restricted diet, which science already knows leads to longer life in some animals.
Metformin is cheap because it’s a generic that was first approved for human use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 1958 and later approved specifically as a diabetes drug in 1995. According to CNN, the patent expired in 2002.
For years, such older drugs were ignored by big pharmaceutical companies because the lower prices and lack of an exclusive patent meant less room for profit.
However, governments around the world have changed their policies to encourage the so-called rescue of affordable drugs. Several of those studies have focused on Metformin’s use in fighting cancer. For instance, a Mayo Clinic study published in December revealed that women with diabetes who were being treated with Metformin survived longer with ovarian cancer than the women who didn’t have diabetes — even though their bodies had to fight two diseases instead of just one.
However, while the thought of increasing one’s own lifespan by one-third is interesting, the researchers noted that the diabetes drug might not work for that purpose in humans as well as it does in worms. The effect was wiped out, even in C. elegans, if sugar was added to the diet. And, of course, most humans now taking Metformin do have elevated blood sugar levels.
That’s the whole reason why they were prescribed the diabetes drug. Metformin already fights aging in worms. But it may need work to fight aging in humans.
[Metformin packaging photo by “Ash” via Wikipedia Commons]
|
<urn:uuid:cc6c6063-1fa5-4763-ada5-960a53549135>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.inquisitr.com/593858/diabetes-drug-metformin-slows-aging-but/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00016-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.971356
| 508
| 3.109375
| 3
|
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Gut bacteria from individuals with and without diabetes differ substantially and can be used to accurately discriminate between those with and without the disease, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in Nature.
Junjie Qin, Ph.D., from BGI-Shenzhen in China, and colleagues performed a metagenome-wide association study on gut microbial DNA from 345 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes and controls without diabetes. The results were validated in an independent set of 200 Chinese individuals.
The researchers found that gut bacteria from individuals without diabetes were enriched in various butyrate-producing bacteria and markers for cell motility and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. In contrast, gut bacteria from individuals with diabetes were enriched in opportunistic pathogens and proteins involved in processes including sulfate reduction, oxidative stress resistance, and drug resistance. Gut bacteria from individuals with diabetes also had reduced cell motility, butyrate biosynthesis, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. Based on 50 gene markers, the authors developed a type 2 diabetes classifier that could accurately discriminate between 23 patients with and without diabetes.
"The present study highlights how the gut microbial composition, traditionally considered to be factors of environmental origin, differs between type 2 diabetes patients and non-diabetic control subjects in a Chinese population," Qin and colleagues conclude.
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
|Previous: Physicians' Gut Feelings Should Not Be Dismissed||Next: Conditional Reprogramming Can Help ID Pathogenic Viruses|
Reader comments on this article are listed below. Review our comments policy.
|
<urn:uuid:72915f2b-b62e-45f8-aefa-2c096ffda709>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/pb/32334
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00061-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.934626
| 337
| 2.921875
| 3
|
- Shop Online
- Join and Give
About This Artwork
Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Mithradates VI of Pontus and Bithynia, 90-89 BC
Reign of Mithradates VI of Pontus and Bithynia, 120–63 B.C.
Diam. 3.1 cm; 16.87 g
REV: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΙΘΡΑΔΑΤΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ
"King Mithradates Eupator"
(In field: ΗΣ Θ)
"Year 208 month 9"
Gift of Martin A. Ryerson, 1922.4928
Coinage of Hellenistic Rulers
The Hellenistic period spans the nearly three hundred years between the death of Alexander the Great of Macedonia (323 B.C.) and that of Cleopatra VII of Egypt (30 B.C.), a descendant of one of Alexander’s generals. The term Hellenistic is derived from Hellas, an ancient Greek word for Greece. It is used to describe both chronologically and culturally the era following Alexander’s conquest of Egypt and Asia, which resulted in the spread of Greek culture across a vast area. The melding of local and Greek artistic styles with the luxurious materials captured in the conquered lands resulted in magnificent artwork, including elegant coinage.
Following Alexander’s death, his empire was divided among his generals, who established independent kingdoms in Egypt; Persia; the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea, including Syria and Palestine; Greece and Macedonia; and Thrace. Almost immediately the generals began to covet each other’s land and power.
Kingdom of Pontus
Mithridates of Pontus VI (r. 120–63 B.C.) was the last of the Hellenistic kings to fend off the encroaching Romans. He issued this coin during his temporarily successful military campaign to free Greece from Roman rule. Like others before him, Mithridates purposely adopted the tousled hair and fierce gaze of the young Macedonian king (see no. 1). However, at the time this coin was struck, Mithridates was 50 years old, demonstrating that well over two centuries after Alexander’s death, his portrait was still the archetypal image for kings.
—Permanent collection label
"Power Struggles: Cleopatra's Relatives and Their Rivals," Gallery 155 (Coin Case), November, 2001 - 2007.
The Art Institute of Chicago, Dionysos Unmasked: Ancient Sculpture and Early Prints, Gallery 150 and 154, July 31, 2015 - February 15, 2016.
Karen B. Alexander. "From Plaster to Stone: Ancient Art at the Art Institute of Chicago." in Recasting the Past: Collecting and Presenting Antiquities at the Art Institute of Chicago, by Karen Manchester, (Art Institute of Chicago/Yale University Press, 2012), p.29.
|
<urn:uuid:20313afa-106e-45ae-aa60-3d3b303e8e84>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/5773
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402516.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00177-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.90153
| 660
| 2.703125
| 3
|
This blog post is part of my ongoing “60 Books in 60 Days” encounter with the Penguin Great Ideas series. From mid-December to mid-February, I will read one book in the series each night and post a blog entry about it the next morning. For more on this beautifully designed series, visit Penguin’s page about the books.
The Communist Manifesto
by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels (1818-1883, 1820-1895)
“The bourgeoisie, during its rule of scarce one hundred years, has created more massive and more colossal productive forces than have all preceding generations together. Subjection of Nature’s forces to man, machinery, application of chemistry to industry and agriculture, steam-navigation, railways, electric telegraphs, clearing of whole continents for cultivation, canalization of rivers, whole populations conjured out of the ground–what earlier century had even a presentiment that such productive forces slumbered in the lap of social labour?”
A slim book that has had a wide and deep effect: fomenting rebellion against dictatorship and oppression in the modern era, while ultimately inflicting upon the masses that which it sought to obliterate. This excellent edition also includes the prefaces to various foreign editions and “The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (sections I and VII)”.
In re-reading The Communist Manifesto, my foremost thought was how directly this little text had affected the lives of millions of people–given them hope, given them an honest living, and given them death and suffering on a grand scale. I kept thinking about Vasily Grossman’s amazing novel Life and Fate, which chronicles the lives of Russians caught up in the battle of Stalingrad, including frequent flashbacks to more peaceful but just as difficult times. Hitler and Stalin are evoked skillfully, without the usual baggage that accompanies such portrayals. Grossman was a Soviet journalist during the siege of Stalingrad, and it shows in the writing–his details, such as flocks of starlings that begin to mimic the sounds of mortar fire, are haunting. His portrayal of communism at its worst is heartbreaking and complete. When during a period of reform, Grossman lobbied for the publication of his novel, he was told it would harm the Soviet Union more severely than Doctor Zhivago and could not possibly be made public for at least 250 years. It was finally published when snuck out on microfiche to the West. By then, Grossman had been dead for almost 20 years. There is, then, the human cost of this little book–both as documented by Grossman and lived by Grossman.
At the same time, it is hard to argue that the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China were ever truly communist, having killed off the grand ideas put forth by Marx and Engels with large doses of fascism, despotism, and dictatorship. And the appeal of the text is clear: it offers up a kind of utopian equality for those willing to work hard. It provides concrete details and commonsense discussion to support the struggle to reach that shining, soft-lit future. Indeed, almost everything in the book about capitalism has been proven true, except that Marx and Engels were not seeing the Big Picture (how could they?). They could not imagine a future in which capitalism could actually bring about the death of the planet. Thus, there’s now a kind of antiquated whimsy to a passage like “…not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself; it has also called into existence the men who are to wield those weapons.” The focus of the line “forged the weapons that bring death to itself” should be more universal.
That much set forth in this book is not actually achievable by actual human beings simply means that neither Marx nor Engels were Absurdists, nor understood that they were contributing evidence to the Documenters of Absurdism with what amounts to an insane future vision based on a fallacy: the basic goodness of human beings. Had they been pragmatists, perhaps it would have been different. Had they lived in a world of specific detail rather than abstract theory, perhaps it would have been different. Had they recognized that human beings are basically animals, and often trick their brains into thinking they are acting out of logic when actually they are acting out of emotion and instinct…well, then, perhaps things would have been different. (Darwin is still downstream, at least in this series…)
As an exercise in discussing the conflict between different classes of people, The Communist Manifesto is more useful despite its generalities: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on in an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes.” This statement provides the framework for a discussion that has been ongoing ever since–and one that has led to fascinating permutations of theory and opinion.
However, what it does not do is recognize that although we are in fact types, bound by environment and heredity, we are also individuals. A binary system that automatically infers that one class is no good will eventually require conflict with that class–in this case, eradication or dissolution of that class.
In this way, ironically, The Communist Manifesto is no different than those various religious, usually Christian, tracts that also use a binary system to describe the world and the people in it. (Kempis in The Inner Life, for example, setting up an opposition between nature and grace.) This essential opposition is created by starting from a simplification, a new paradigm: “Our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, possesses, however, this distinctive feature: it has simplified the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat.” Too simple, too pat. Too easy to manipulate–and here, too, The Communist Manifesto breaks bread with religion, in that arguably no other text other than the Bible has brought such misdirected violence down upon the world.
Despite these generalizations, I am impressed by how well Marx and Engels diagnosed the problems with industrialization and anticipated the problems with modern capitalism (especially this idea of constant consumption and consolidation of means of production), magnified by scale since their own times–and also struck dumb by how that accuracy clashes so violently with a certain naiveté and myopia in their suggestions for treatment. In the communistic future, there will be no property, massive centralization, the evaporation of class distinctions: “In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an association,* in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all.” Yes, and there will be a shining light on a hill, and a white rhino shall ride out from under the mountain, and Frodo will destroy the one ring and all of the hobbits will live happily ever after in the big bad world. It’s audacious, this manifesto. It makes me think of Marx and Engels as idealistic, starry-eyed dreamers who would’ve sat in the back of the theater weeping at sentimental films like Beaches. Gawky kids playing capitalists and communists in the backyard.
All of this said, there’s no victory here, of one system over another, no matter that we live in an era in which we believe capitalism and free markets have triumphed over communism and its ideas.** Pure capitalism is as absurd an idea as pure communism, because it too is an absolute that makes ridiculous generalities about human behavior. No matter what negative can be said about it, The Communist Manifesto offered a window onto a better place for people who were and are still being oppressed by ruling elites. It may not have worked, for a variety of reasons, on the grandest scale, but its influence is still felt in certain countries in South America and elsewhere. A person–that specific of all details–can read this text and internalize ideas that do not have to be enacted on a country-wide scale.
Meanwhile, capitalism, as we now experience it in the United States, provides nothing but the succor of materialism–that swift-fleeting joy in our hearts over purchasing the next new thing, and of being told, in fact, that purchasing that next new thing will not only bring us happiness but also save our country. Although the physical and psychic damage inflicted by this state of affairs is not as systematic or as brutal as the tactics of, for example, the Soviets, it is more insidious, because we do not understand that it is happening to us and cannot recognize the ways in which it is killing us. At the very least, The Communist Manifesto, read in combination with a heavy dose of Grossman, begins to open our eyes.
* An association that is impossible on that grand scale. The only way in which such a system might work would be to break the world into thousands of small, homogenous countries, and even then there would be a hundred ethnic brushfire wars within a week.
** My own preference is for a democratic system informed by both socialism and communism, which understands where people are more likely to perform for the common good and suppress their more selfish impulses. A system, furthermore, that does not tout the glories of the free market and globalization in all cases. A system that promotes both individual and personal responsibility in all things.
Today, The Communist Manifesto serves more as a warning about the dangers of capitalism than as a compelling argument for communism.
Question for Readers
If you had final say on a system of government for your country, what would it look like?
Next up, Arthur Schopenhauer’s uplifting musical On the Suffering of the World…
|
<urn:uuid:6b082f80-ab6d-4020-b62e-cd6495838f88>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/2008/12/27/60-in-60-13-marx-and-engels-the-communist-manifesto-penguins-great-books/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00074-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.963973
| 2,114
| 2.640625
| 3
|
Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2002, ISBN: 521780640X; 294pp.; Price: £47.50
California State University, Los Angeles
Date accessed: 27 June, 2016
As the first densely researched and vividly argued social history of Soviet women workers in the 1930s, Goldman’s monograph fills a long-standing gap in the existing historiography. Until the early 1990s, due to the lack of access to archives in the former Soviet Union, researchers were completely dependent on published sources, such as journals, newspapers, memoirs, and monographs. In these circumstances, too often researchers reiterated the Soviet image of themselves as the creators of the first planned economy in history. The totalitarian school of history credited the Stalinist state with possessing an uncanny degree of efficiency, as well the power to enforce compliance from every level of party and state organizations. Thus Soviet scholarship claimed that by the 1930s the state had solved the 'woman problem', by instituting wide-ranging affirmative action policies. As a result Soviet women were highly educated, fully employed, and enjoyed unprecedented professional success in every field of human endeavour.(1) Western scholarship argued to the contrary that when the Bolsheviks abolished the Zhenotdel in 1930, it signaled the repudiation of all feminism whether of the Marxist or liberal variety. While women were employed in industry and agriculture in unprecedented numbers, they were relegated to inferior positions, and rarely advanced to positions of power in either the Soviet government or the Party. At the same time retrograde social policies were instituted such as the ban on abortions, and the valorization of the role of woman as the mainstay of the nuclear family. They were responsible for both the professional success of the husband and the socialist upbringing of the children. Soviet women were yoked to a double shift that spelled the end to all feminist dreams and utopias.(2)
Naturally, there were exceptions to this line of argument and both Sheila Fitzpatrick and Roberta Manning have argued that during the 1930s the Stalinist state attempted to promote women to administrative positions in the collective farms, and encouraged them to pursue professional rather than matrimonial success.(3) And Richard Stites, in his work, asserted that after the death of Stalin, a commitment to women’s emancipation resurfaced as component of the Soviet ideology.(4) But by and large, very few scholars have undertaken any detailed investigations into the social history of women in the 1930s. Most of the recent scholarship is more interested in evaluating the symbolic importance of the 'New Soviet Women', than in exploring the historical conditions that she actually inhabited.(5) Finally, historians of Soviet industry and labour have overwhelmingly ignored the gendered dimension of Stalinist industrialization and the subsequent feminization of the workforce as an important historical phenomenon.(6) To date very few detailed works have been published that have utilized archival documents to analyze the recruitment of women during the First Five-Year Plan.(7) And far from seeing this as epiphenomenal, Goldman argues that the mobilization of women to industry was a crucial factor that facilitated both the accumulation of capital, as well as the creation of the infamous coercive labour legislation of the 1930s.
The strength of the volume lies in the fact that instead of positing two undifferentiated and unitary subjects – that is, the Soviet state and Soviet women – Goldman explores the politics of local and central organizations that played a role in formulating policies towards women. At same time she marshals a variety of women’s voices including those of workers, feminist activists, economists, and other policy makers, and in the process breaks down the polarized image of the Soviet state and society. Goldman’s monograph forms a natural corollary to her earlier pioneering work, in which she argued that the failure of the Bolsheviks to recreate the patriarchal family along democratic lines was due as much to the conservatism of Russian women, as it was to the traditional values that the state espoused.(8) While the Party was rapidly coming to the conclusion that the traditional family structure, based as it was on unpaid female labour, provided the cheapest way to raise Soviet children, the lack of institutional support forced proletarian and peasant women to rely on the contributions of husbands and fathers. The material reality of the 1920s led to a revision of the Bolshevik policy of liberating women from the patriarchal family.
Goldman shows that during the NEP era, as demobilized soldiers returned from the war front, they replaced women workers in various trades and industries. Female joblessness was further exacerbated by the fact that factories and state agencies radically decreased spending on childcare institutions and communal dining halls thus making it harder for women to obtain gainful employment. Women workers were concentrated in the lowest paid jobs requiring the least skills, and these were usually clustered in the textile and other light industry. Labour exchanges routinely discriminated against them, and women were paid less than men for fulfilling the same labour quotas. While trade unions explained the wage differential by referring to women’s lack of skills and training, they were rarely sent for advanced training or even hired as apprentices. Unions sought to protect the existing unequal gender status quo on the factory floor. Despite the entreaties of the Zhenotdel, the Party refused to champion the women’s cause in industry, as it struggled to maintain the purity of an all-male urban proletarian base.
With the onset of the First Five-Year Plan, the Party continued to underestimate the value of female labour. Goldman explains that the Party policy of excluding women and non-proletarian workers from the work force slowed the rapid mobilization of labour required for the successful fulfillment of the First Five-Year Plan. In January of 1930, in the face of bitter protests from female activists, the Party eliminated the Zhenotdel, arguing that the rapid improvement of women’s status under communism eliminated the need for special attention. While the Party sought to channel women’s activism to fulfilling the new goals of rapid industrialization, it destroyed the very organization that might have facilitated its production goals. During this period, soviets, trade unions and factory management proved incapable of mobilizing and utilizing women in a planned and effective manner.
But if in 1928 women held 28.6 percent of industrial jobs, with the onset of First Five-Year Plan women workers flooded Soviet industry in unprecedented numbers and by 1935, women constituted 42 percent of all industrial workers. Goldman’s book explores the key reasons for the unprecedented influx of women workers to industry and details the complex interactions of the Party, VTsSPS (All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions), and the Commissariat of Labour (NKT), as they tried to integrate the new workers. Although the collectivization of agriculture was intended to produce a steady supply of cheap food for the industrial worker, the actual process led to disastrous harvests and food shortages. As the state was unable to control the rising prices, it was forced to institute rationing and socialize the retail trade. Government efforts in these areas served to accentuate rather than ameliorate the situation, as cooperatives failed to adequately service consumer demands. Similarly, planned purges of wreckers in the food trade did little to lessen the scarcity of food supplies and consumer goods. As wages fell and prices rose, working class women from urban areas, as well as peasant recruits, streamed into heavy industry and found jobs in socialized dining, education, healthcare and administration in order to sustain their families. From the Party’s point of view, the employment of urban women compensated for the falling wages of male workers and obviated the need to build new housing, and invest in the development of urban services that the additional in-migration of labour would have required. According to Goldman 'Women due to their strategic placement within the working-class family, made an enormous contribution to capital accumulation and investment in industrialization.' (p. 105)
At the same time that the real wages fell, the Soviet economy, in the throes of the First Five-Year Plan, developed an enormous appetite for labour that could not be filled by the existing cadres of skilled male workers. As demands for new workers poured in from every branch of industry, NKT was unsuccessful in formulating a coherent policy to recruit women to industry or train them for new jobs. Instead, the flow of women workers to various industries was unplanned, chaotic, and proceeded on an ad hoc basis. As the NKT failed to provide clear guidelines, individual enterprises and trades bypassed the incompetent labour exchanges and hired the wives, widows, and teenage children of workers in a desperate attempt to reach their quotas. Workers brought female family members to work, and more frequently women themselves appeared at factory gates and construction sites. By late 1930, even though the Party and the NKT had begun to realize that women were a valuable labour resource that was politically more reliable than disgruntled recruits from the countryside, it failed to draft a comprehensive plan that would address the issues of female employment, training and education, and the socialization of household labour in an equitable manner.
Ignoring the suggestions of feminist activists from the KUTB (Committee to Improve the Labour and Life of Working Women) that were located in local soviets, the central planners divided the economy by gender and established -dominated sectors in the service industries where the pay was low. In branches of heavy industry such as metallurgy, machine building, and construction, while women made rapid gains, they were equally segregated. This central policy of creating blocs of exclusively female workers had an adverse effect. In areas, where skilled male workers were replaced by women these policies exacerbated existing deep-seated male prejudices against women workers. Despite Party injunctions to hire more women in heavy industry, factory management continued to hire women for the jobs requiring fewest skills, often in areas entirely unrelated to production, such as haulage, repair, and cleaning. Managers did not want to train women to take on skilled work, and promotions were far and few. On the factory floor, male co-workers harassed female employees, both physically and sexually, creating hostile and threatening work situations. And with the abolition of the Zhenotdel, there was no other institution that could take up the issue of inequality in the workplace.
By 1932-33, during the inception of the Second Five-Year Plan, women comprised almost 100 percent of the incoming workers and by 1936, 75 percent of the new workers were women. According to Goldman, during this period the authorities were able to institute a draconian system of labour legislation because of the availability of women workers. She argues that the Party was able to create the punitive passport system, slow down rural migration to the cities, and purge the working class of undesirable non-proletarian elements, because it could rely on the existing reserves of female labour. As a result, urban women were recruited in increasingly larger numbers, both in traditionally female-dominated industries such as textiles, as well as in heavy industry such as lumber, metal and machine production. According to Goldman, while women were over-represented in poorly paid and unskilled positions, they were also to be found in well-paid skilled positions in various branches of industry.
In conclusion Goldman argues that both socialist development in the Soviet Union, and capitalism in Western Europe, resulted in a similar sexual division of labour where women were overwhelmingly to be found in positions that were low-waged. While this finding does not surprise us, Goldman in an interesting twist makes a counter argument: that the Party in the 1930s, contrary to received wisdom, did function as a champion for women’s issues:
For a brief period, the Party’s campaign to involve women, the growing need for skilled labour, and the feminism of the women’s activists came together to create new and vast opportunities for hundreds and thousands of women workers. (p. 282)
The Party made efforts to enroll women in technical training programs, and institutes of higher education. The Party replaced men with blocs of skilled women workers, and even facilitated women’s entry into management position. Finally, in an effort to control and revitalize factory management, women workers were encouraged to speak publicly about problems in the workplace.
Goldman’s competent analysis of women’s testimonies about their horrendous work experiences forms the most fascinating section of the book. The Party’s efforts were neither sustained, nor were they disinterested, but nonetheless, they resulted in the creation of affirmative action policies that helped publicly renegotiate the status of a hitherto disadvantaged minority. One wishes that Goldman had gone further in analyzing the paradoxical goals and policies of the Party that simultaneously improved the status of women even as it forestalled the establishment of gender equity in the workplace. Her nuanced paradigm will provide new insight into the history of women under Stalinism. This volume will be of great interest to students of Russian history as well as women’s studies, and the archival references will be an invaluable starting point for future scholars. One wishes that the author had included a complete bibliography in the text.
- Chirkov, P. M. Reshenie zhenskogo voprosa v SSSR 1917-1937gg (Mysl; Moscow, 1978).Back to (1)
- See for example, Janet Evans, 'The Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the women’s question: the case of the 1936 Decree 'In Defense of Mother and Child'', Journal of Contemporary History, 16:4 (1981), 757-75; Mary Buckley, Women and Ideology in the Soviet Union (University of Michigan Press; Ann Arbor, MI, 1989).Back to (2)
- Sheila Fitzpatrick, 'Middle-class values and Soviet life in the 1930s', in Terry Thompson and Richard Sheldon eds, Soviet Society and Culture (Westview Press; Boulder, CO, 1988), pp. 20-38; Roberta Manning, 'Women in the Soviet countryside on the eve of World War II, 1935-1940', in Beatrice Farnsworth and Lynne Viola, eds, Russian Peasant Women, (Oxford University Press; Oxford & New York, 1992), pp. 206-35.Back to (3)
- Richard Stites, The Women’s Liberation Movement in Russia: Feminism, Bolshevism and Nihilism, 1860-1930 (Princeton University Press; Princeton, 1978).Back to (4)
- Victoria Bonnell, Iconography of Power (University of California Press; Berkeley, 1997); Lynne Attwood, Creating the New Soviet Woman: Women’s Magazines as Engineers of Female Identity, 1922-1953 (St. Martin’s Press; New York, 1999); Susan Reid, 'All Stalin’s women: gender and power in the Soviet Art of the 1930s', Slavic Review, 57:1 (1998), 133-73, on 172; Choi Chatterjee, Celebrating Women: Gender, Festival Culture, and Bolshevik Ideology. 1919-1939 (University of Pittsburgh Press; Pittsburgh, 2002).Back to (5)
- Lewis Siegelbaum and Ron Suny, eds, Making Workers Soviet: Power, Class, Identity (Cornell University Press; Ithaca, 1994); Stephen Kotkin, Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as Civilization (University of California Press; Berkeley, 1995).Back to (6)
- Thomas Gregory Schrand, 'Industrialization and the Stalinist Gender System: Women Workers in the Soviet Economy, 1928-1941' (Ph.D. diss., University of Michigan, 1994); Melanie Ilic, Women Workers in the Soviet Interwar Economy. From 'Protection' to 'Equality' (St. Martin’s Press; New York, 1999).Back to (7)
- Wendy Z. Goldman, Women, the State and Revolution: Soviet Family Policy and Social Life, 1917-1936 (Cambridge University Press; Cambridge, 1993).Back to (8)
|
<urn:uuid:6d834b34-010c-49b0-88fb-1651c386bd68>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/315
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396459.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00075-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.959533
| 3,289
| 2.703125
| 3
|
for National Geographic News
Cancer isn't just an affliction of the modern world, new research suggests. Scientists behind the preparation of a fossil belonging to a new Tyrannosaurus rex relative believe they may have discovered the first known fossilized brain tumor.
Tumors are rare, even in living animals. But as a soft tissue, the average tumor's chance of making it to the fossil stage is even slimmer, said researchers behind the find, making the discovery highly unusual.
The golf-ball-sized brain tumor appears as a spongy mass inside the skull cavity of a 72-million-year-old Gorgosaurus fossil, now on display at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis in Indiana. The probable tumor would have affected the animal's balance and caused other damage, explaining the many crippling wounds and fractures recorded in her skeleton.
"This is the most damage I've ever seen in a skeleton where the animal survived," said paleontologist Peter Larson of the Black Hills Institute for Geological Research in Hill City, South Dakota. "We were amazed by just how many pathologies, or healed injuries, this animal has," he said.
Larson and Children's Museum curator of natural history, Dallas Evans, announced the find at last month's Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference in Mineapolis/St Paul.
Amateur fossil hunters Cliff and Sandy Linster first discovered the female meat-eater, near Choteau, Montana, in 1997. The specimen, dated to the late Cretaceous Period, was found among the remains of hundreds of fossilized Maiasaura, a type of herd-living, duck-billed dinosaur.
Species in the genus Gorgosaurus were T-rex's slightly smaller, longer-limbed, and more slender cousins. They still packed a hefty punch, however: The average specimen was 25 feet (7.6 meters) in length, weighed a ton (0.9 metric ton) or more, and was equipped with over 60 four-to-five-inch-long (ten-to-thirteen-centimeter-long) serrated teeth. Just 20 Gorgosaurus specimens have ever been found, all in North America. This specimena previously unknown speciesis one of the most complete.
Black Hills Institute researchers were first alerted to the unusual features of this fossil when they set about preparing and cleaning it for the Children's Museum. Alongside multiple healed fractures, Larson and colleagues first noticed an unusual rounded mass in the fossil's cranial cavity earlier this summer. "We found a weird mass of black material in the braincase," said Larson. "It was very bizarre. I'd never seen anything like it."
Totally stumped as to what that mass might be, Larson and colleagues requested the assistance of veterinary pathologists from the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company, a Children's Museum funder also based in Indianapolis.
Further probing with x-rays and an electron microscope revealed that the mass was originally formed from bony material, said Rachel Reams of Eli Lilly, but it didn't appear to be attached to the Gorgosaurus's skull. Ruling out the possibility that the mass was formed from skull fragments that fell into the brain cavity, the team decided that it was probably an extraskeletal osteosarcomaa type of bone-producing tumor that can form in soft tissues.
SOURCES AND RELATED WEB SITES
|
<urn:uuid:470deea5-74d1-4a52-a644-439f69762f6c>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/11/1124_031124_dinocancer.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393093.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00194-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.953114
| 704
| 3.796875
| 4
|
If you have a fracking story in your beat, getting information about what's in the controversial fracking fluids may be like pulling teeth. But there are a few resources that can help.
Hydrofracturing, or "fracking," is a technique used to enhance gas and oil production from wells drilled into shale formations. Typically, directional drilling is used to place a perforated pipe horizontally in a hydrocarbon-rich geological layer, and then a cocktail of chemicals and water is pumped into it at a very high pressure to fracture the rock, releasing gas or oil. Drilling companies have tended to resist disclosure of the ingredients in their fracking fluids, claiming their formulas, like that for Coca-Cola, are trade secrets. Current law prevents the federal government from forcing public disclosure. But companies have given some ground on disclosure gradually as public fears of contamination of their wellwater have mounted. Disclosure requirements in active fracking states, while not perfect, are ahead of the federal government.
One helpful resource is the "FracFocus" chemical disclosure registry. It's a database meant to list known fracking wells and the chemicals used in their fracking fluids. It is run by the Ground Water Protection Council and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. It is not perfect, either, but it offers a starting point for further questions about the situation in your area. It allows you to look up wells either by map or location, but it helps to know the well you are looking for before you start.
EPA itself is trying to collect better data about what's in fracking fluid. In response to a petition, EPA told Earthjustice and other groups November 23, 2011, that it would begin rulemaking under the Toxic Substance Control Act to get toxicity information on fracking fluids. The agency sent a draft advance notice of proposed rulemaking to the White House Office of Management and Budget this winter. But despite President Obama's declaration in his January 2012 State of the Union Message that he would seek fracking fluid disclosure, OMB so far has just sat on the EPA draft ANPR without doing anything.
The Interior Department has announced that it will require fracking fluid disclosure for all new gas and oil leases on public lands.
And there's now an app for that — thanks to ProPublica, whose reporters, especially Abrahm Lustgarten, have dogged the fracking story for years. Well, NPR called it an app, and it can be browsed on a mobile phone, even if it is not the kind of program that runs on a smartphone per se. It's full of simple, clear information about chemicals in fracking fluid.
- "States Back Website for Fracking Disclosure," Politico, April 15, 2012, by Talia Buford.
- "What the Frack Is in That Water?" ProPublica, March 7, 2012, by Lena Groeger.
- "Obama Calls on Energy Companies to Disclose the Ingredients of Fracking Fluid," OilPrice.com, January 26, 2012, by Daniel J. Graeber.
- "EPA Announces Plan to Collect Fracking Fluid Data," NewsInferno, November 29, 2011.
- "Will Pennsylvania Reverse Its Gag Order on Fracking Chemicals?" Mother Jones, April 16, 2012, by Jaeah Lee.
- "What The Frack's in the Ground? A State-By-State Look at Fracking Disclosure Regulations," StateImpact (NPR), accessed April 18, 2012.
- "The Best WatchDog Journalism on Fracking," ProPublica, April 6, 2012, by Blair Hickman and Cora Currier.
- ProPublica Fracking Series Portal Page.
- Letter from EPA Assistant Administrator Stephen A. Owens to Earthjustice attorney Deborah Goldberg, November 23, 2011.
- "Previous Stories: SEJ WatchDogs of December 14, 2011 and January 25, 2012.
|
<urn:uuid:763392ad-dc7c-41d0-8862-9ca026b467a4>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.sej.org/print/publications/watchdog-tipsheet/data-accumulates-slowly-whats-fracking-fluid
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396027.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00122-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.946628
| 801
| 2.859375
| 3
|
What is an Ankle Sprain? An ankle sprain is an injury to one or more ligaments in the ankle, most often on the outside of the ankle. Ligaments are bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. They keep the joints connected together. In the ankle joint, ligaments provide stability by limiting side-to-side movement.
Some ankle sprains are much worse than others. The severity of an ankle sprain depends on whether the ligament is stretched, partially torn, or completely torn, as well as on the number of ligaments involved. Ankle sprains are not the same as strains, which affect muscles rather than ligaments.
What Causes a Sprained Ankle?
Sprained ankles often result from a fall, a sudden twist, or a blow that forces the ankle joint out of its normal position. Ankle sprains commonly occur while participating in sports, wearing inappropriate shoes, or walking or running on an uneven surface.
Sometimes ankle sprains occur because of weak ankles, a condition that some people are born with. Previous ankle or foot injuries can also weaken the ankle and lead to sprains.
Sprains are divided into several groups depending on the severity of damage to the involved ligament.
How Do We Grade Our Ankle Sprains?
A Grade I (First Degree) sprain is the most common and requires the least amount of treatment and recovery. The ligaments connecting the ankle bones are often over-stretched, and damaged microscopically, but not actually torn. The ligament damage has occurred without any significant instability developing.
Grade I Sprain
A Grade II (Second Degree) injury is more severe and indicates that the ligament has been more significantly damaged, but there is no significant instability. The ligaments are often partially torn.
Grade II Sprain
A Grade III (Third Degree) sprain is the most severe. This indicates that the ligament has been significantly damaged, and that instability has resulted. A grade III injury means that the ligament has been torn.
Grade III Sprain
Signs and Symptoms The signs and symptoms of ankle sprains may include:
- Pain or soreness
- Difficulty walking
- Stiffness in the joint
These symptoms may vary in intensity, depending on the severity of the sprain. Sometimes pain and swelling are absent in people with previous ankle sprains-instead, they may simply feel the ankle is wobbly and unsteady when they walk. Even if you don't have pain or swelling with a sprained ankle, treatment is crucial. Any ankle sprain-whether it's your first or your fifth-requires prompt medical attention.
If you think you've sprained your ankle, contact us or a foot and ankle surgeon for an appointment as soon as possible. In the meantime, immediately begin using the "R.I.C.E." method-Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation-to help reduce swelling, pain, and further injury.
Why Prompt Medical Attention is Needed
There are four key reasons why an ankle sprain should be promptly evaluated and treated by a foot and ankle surgeon:
1. An untreated ankle sprain may lead to chronic ankle instability, a condition marked by persistent discomfort and a "giving way" of the ankle. You may also develop weakness in the leg.
2. You may have suffered a more severe ankle injury along with the sprain. This might include a serious bone fracture that could lead to troubling complications if it goes untreated.
3. An ankle sprain may be accompanied by a foot injury that causes discomfort but has gone unnoticed thus far.
4. Rehabilitation of a sprained ankle needs to begin right away. If rehabilitation is delayed, the injury may be less likely to heal properly.
In evaluating your injury, the foot and ankle surgeon will take your history to learn more about the injury. He or she will examine the injured area, and may order x-rays, an MRI study, or a CT scan to help determine the severity of the injury.
Non-Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation
- Immobilization. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may receive a short-leg cast, a walking boot, or a brace to keep your ankle from moving. You may also need crutches.
- Early Physical Therapy. Your doctor will start you on a rehabilitation program as soon as possible to promote healing and increase your range of motion. This includes doing prescribed exercises.
- Medications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may be recommended to reduce pain and inflammation. In some cases, prescription pain medications are needed to provide adequate relief.
- Icing. You may be advised to ice your injury several times a day until the pain and swelling resolves. Wrap ice cubes, or a bag of frozen peas or corn, in a thin towel. Do not put ice directly on your skin.
- Compression Wraps. To prevent further swelling, you may need to keep your ankle wrapped in an elastic bandage or stocking.
When you have an ankle sprain, rehabilitation is crucial-and it starts the moment your treatment begins. Your foot and ankle surgeon may recommend one or more of the following treatment options:
When is Surgery Needed?
In more severe cases, surgery may be required to adequately treat an ankle sprain. Surgery often involves repairing the damaged ligament or ligaments. The foot and ankle surgeon will select the surgical procedure best suited for your case based on the type and severity of your injury as well as your activity level.
After surgery, rehabilitation is extremely important. Completing your rehabilitation program is crucial to a successful outcome. Be sure to continue to see your foot and ankle surgeon during this period to ensure that your ankle heals properly and function is restored.
|
<urn:uuid:17188748-ac42-4d9c-8ac6-afeb0be0c0f7>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://marylandpodiatrist.net/baltimore_podiatrist_ankle_sprains.cfm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00148-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.952959
| 1,200
| 3.46875
| 3
|
When it comes to thin-skinned fruits and vegetables like apples and celery, you know organic is the way to go. Browse through your local supermarket, however, and you’ll notice nearly every packaged food has an organic counterpart. While you’d love to buy 100 percent organic 100 percent of the time, that’s not always possible (or within your budget). So how do you decide?
“The two most important things to consider in the production of food is the use of pesticides and the presence of GMOs,” says Sonya Lunder, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group. GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are increasingly showing up in our food supply. According to an EWG report, Americans eat more than their weight in GMO food per year—193 pounds on average.
Some early studies suggest GMOs could alter the bacterial balance in our gastrointestinal tract and contribute to obesity and other health issues. Meanwhile, pesticide residues have been linked to attention and learning problems and pediatric cancer in kids as well as nervous system damage, reproductive dysfunction, and disease in adults.
To avoid GMOs and pesticides, choose organic versions of these 10 packaged foods whenever possible.
As a whole grain, high fiber, and low calorie snack, popcorn hardly seems harmful. Look again: 88 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. is genetically engineered, reports the Environmental Working Group. “Almost all field corn is genetically modified to contain a bacteria, called bacillus thuringensis, that’s also an insecticide,” Lunder says. Each American consumes about 25 pounds of corn per year, according to the National Corn Growers Association.
In studies, chemicals in the lining of microwave popcorn bags and faux butter flavoring have been associated with lung disease as well as Alzheimer’s disease. As if you needed another reason to start popping organic corn, the FDA says microwave popcorn is one of the foods still most likely to contain trans-fats, an ingredient you won’t find in organic varieties.
What do beets and cookies have in common? A lot more than you might imagine. Sugar beets are one of the leading raw materials used to make refined sugar in the U.S. The raw sugar beet juice is processed to create sugar crystals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 95 percent of sugar beets are genetically modified—up from 60 percent in 2009. “Although organic cookies don’t always contain less calories or fat than non-organic cookies, you’re avoiding several genetically modified ingredients, including sugar from sugar beets and corn that’s used in high-fructose corn syrup,” Lunder says.
Malathion is an ingredient in shampoos designed to kill head lice in humans and fleas in pets. Where else it shows up: in your toast. Gross! The chemical is an insecticide that kills bugs that typically feed on grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. In one study, the FDA detected malathion on bread and flour-based foods including biscuits, tortillas, muffins, crackers, pasta, and cereal. More research is needed, but studies show malathion may be associated with cancer and changes to the immune system, and can be transferred from a pregnant mother to the developing fetus.
Think you eat healthy? Follow these tips for picking out safe, nutritious foods every time you go shopping.
Flip over a bottle of salad dressing and one of the first ingredients you’ll see on the label is canola oil. Unless it’s organic, chances are the canola oil is a genetically modified variety since 90 percent of canola (also known as rapeseed) in the U.S. is genetically engineered, according to the Institute for Responsible Technology.
Pesticides are also an issue with this crop. Canola is genetically modified to be tolerant to one of two different types of herbicide, glyphosate and gluphosinate. “This means they can be sprayed with higher doses of the chemicals to kill nearby weeds without affecting the plants,” Lunder says. Scientists have also found varieties of canola growing in the wild that are tolerant to both types of weeds, meaning the GMO crops have bred and spread on their own.
Americans consume 75 percent of their tomatoes in processed forms such as ketchup, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Each year, tomatoes appear on the Environmental Working Group’s list of the Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with pesticides. In studies, a single sample of cherry tomatoes tested positive for 13 different pesticides. When you buy organic, you’re not only avoiding all of those chemicals, you’re getting more nutritional bang for your buck. A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that organic ketchup contains higher levels of antioxidants than its conventional counterpart.
When the USDA recently evaluated hundreds of samples of baby food made with green beans, pears, and sweet potatoes, they found significant pesticide residue. Alarmingly, 92 percent of the pear samples tested positive for at least one pesticide, and 26 percent contained five or more. They even detected the fungicide iprodione, which the EPA has labeled a probable human carcinogen. “Kids’ bodies are more sensitive to the effects of pesticides, so it’s even more important to avoid those that could have harmful effects on their health and neurological development,” Lunder says.
To avoid the most pesitcide-ridden produce items, check out these 5 Foods You Should Always Buy Organic.
Meatless burgers often pack in a slew of different soy-based products including soybeans, soy flour, soy protein, soy sauce, and soy lecithin (a soybean oil extract). Today, 93 percent of soybeans in the U.S. are genetically modified, compared with a mere 17 percent in 1997. “Soy is genetically engineered to be resistant to weed killers like Roundup, which is a health concern as well as an ecological one,” Lunder says. “We’re seeing more herbicide-resistant weeds, so farmers have to use larger quantities and more toxic chemicals to fight the weeds around the plants that we eat.”
In addition to soy, not all fish are healthy. Here are 12 Fish You Should Never, Ever Eat.
Among the ingredients most likely show up in your cereal bowl include wheat, barley, corn, corn syrup, canola oil, and sugar—all ingredients likely to be genetically modified or doused in pesticides. Not even “natural” cereal will cut it, according to a report by the nonprofit Cornucopia Institute. “Natural” means the food contains no artificial ingredients, such as preservatives. However, the farms and manufacturing plants that produce those ingredients aren’t prohibited from using pesticides and genetically engineered crops.
While you’re at it, pour some organic milk over your organic cereal. Non-organic dairy cows are often treated with the genetically engineered hormones called recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) or recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST). They’re injected into the cows to increase milk production. According to the American Cancer Society, milk from cows treated with rBGH has higher levels of IGF-1, a hormone that stimulates cell growth. Some studies suggest it could contribute to prostate, breast, colorectal, and other cancers in humans.
Apples regularly appear on the Dirty Dozen list, and this year they earned the top spot. Unless you buy organic applesauce, it’s likely to be swimming in several different pesticides. According to a report by the FDA, nearly every one of the 19 pesticide residues they tested for appeared in jarred applesauce. “If this is a food your family, especially your kids, frequently eat, it’s worth going out of your way to buy organic in order to avoid these chemicals,” Lunder says. Keep in mind that many fruit-based squeeze pouches start with an applesauce base, so look for organic varieties of those, too.
To learn which produce you should always buy organic, download our Organic Fruits and Veggies Shopping Guide.
|
<urn:uuid:cf0aa4d7-b28c-4e15-902d-292179d3151d>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/12/20/10-packaged-foods-should-always-buy-organic.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00011-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.934921
| 1,711
| 3.140625
| 3
|
A compiler is a compter program that translates a computer program written in one computer language (called the source language) into an equivalent program written in another computer language (called the output, object, or target language).
Introduction and history
Most compilers translate source code written in a high level language to object code or machine language that may be directly executed by a computer or a virtual machine. However, translation from a low level language to a high level one is also possible; this is normally known as a decompiler if it is reconstructing a high level language program which (could have) generated the low level language program. Compilers also exist which translate from one high level language to another (cross compilers), or sometimes to an intermediate language that still needs further processing; these are sometimes known as cascaders.
Typical compilers output so-called objects that basically contain machine code augmented by information about the name and location of entry points and external calls (to functions not contained in the object). A set of object files, which need not have all come from a single compiler provided that the compilers used share a common output format, may then be linked together to create the final executable which can be run directly by a user.
Several experimental compilers were developed in the 1950s, but the FORTRAN team led by John Backus at IBM is generally credited as having introduced the first complete compiler, in 1957. COBOL was an early language to be compiled on multiple architectures, in 1960.
The idea of compilation quickly caught on, and most of the principles of compiler design were developed during the 1960s.
A compiler is itself a computer program written in some implementation language. Early compilers were written in assembly language. The first self-hosting compiler -- capable of compiling its own source code in a high-level language -- was created for Lisp by Hart and Levin at MIT in 1962. The use of high-level languages for writing compilers gained added impetus in the early 1970s when Pascal and C compilers were written in their own languages. Building a self-hosting compiler is a bootstrapping problem -- the first such compiler for a language must be compiled either by a compiler written in a different language, or (as in Hart and Levin's Lisp compiler) compiled by running the compiler in an interpreter.
During the 1990s a large number of free compilers and compiler development tools were developed for all kinds of languages, both as part of the GNU project and other open-source initiatives. Some of them are considered to be of high quality and their free source code makes a nice read for anyone interested in modern compiler concepts.
Types of compilers
A compiler may produce code intended to run on the same type of computer and operating system
("platform") as the compiler itself runs on. This is sometimes called a native-code
compiler. Alternatively, it might produce code designed to run on a different platform.
This is known as a cross compiler. Cross compilers are very useful when bringing up a
new hardware platform for the first time (see bootstrapping). A "source to source compiler"
is a type of compiler that takes a high level language as its input and outputs a high level
language. For example, an automatic parallelizing compiler will frequently take in a high level
language program as an input and then transform the code and annotate it with parallel code
annotations (e.g. OpenMP) or language constructs (e.g. Fortran's
- One-pass compiler, like early compilers for Pascal
- The compilation is done in one pass, hence it is very fast.
- Threaded code compiler (or interpreter), like most implementations of FORTH
This kind of compiler can be thought of as a database lookup program.
It just replaces given strings in the source with given binary code.
The level of this binary code can vary; in fact, some FORTH compilers
can compile programs that don't even need an operating system.
- Incremental compiler, like many Lisp systems
Individual functions can be compiled in a run-time environment
that also includes interpreted functions. Incremental compilation
dates back to 1962 and the first Lisp compiler, and is still
used in Common Lisp systems.
- Stage compiler that compiles to assembly language of a theoretical machine, like some Prolog implementations
This Prolog machine is also known as the Warren abstract machine (or WAM).
Byte-code compilers for Java, Python (and many more) are also a subtype of this.
- Just-in-time compiler, used by Smalltalk and Java systems
Applications are delivered in bytecode,
which is compiled to native machine code just prior to execution
- A retargetable compiler is a compiler that can relatively easily be modified to generate code for different CPU architectures. The object code produced by these is frequently of lesser quality than that produced by a compiler developed specifically for a processor. Retargetable compilers are often also cross compilers. GCC is an example of a retargetable compiler.
- A parallelizing compiler converts a serial input program into a form suitable for efficient execution on a parallel computer architecture.
Compiled vs. interpreted languages
Many people divide higher-level programming languages into compiled languages and interpreted languages. However, there is rarely anything about a language that requires it to be compiled or interpreted. Compilers and interpreters are implementations of languages, not languages themselves. The categorization usually reflects the most popular or widespread implementations of a language -- for instance, BASIC is thought of as an interpreted language, and C a compiled one, despite the existence of BASIC compilers and C interpreters. There are exceptions, however; some language specifications assume the use of a compiler (as with C), or spell out that implementations must include a compilation facility (as with Common Lisp).
In the past, compilers were divided into many passes1 to save space. A pass in this context is a run of the compiler through the source code of the program to be compiled, resulting in the building up of the internal data of the compiler (such as the evolving symbol table and other assisting data). When each pass is finished, the compiler can free the internal data space needed during that pass. This 'multipass' method of compiling was the common compiler technology at the time, but was also due to the small main memories of host computers relative to the source code and data.
Many modern compilers share a common 'two stage' design. The front end translates the source language into an intermediate representation. The second stage is the back end, which works with the internal representation to produce code in the output language. The front end and back end may operate as separate passes, or the front end may call the back end as a subroutine, passing it the intermediate representation.
This approach mitigates complexity separating the concerns of the front end, which typically revolve around language semantics, error checking, and the like, from the concerns of the back end, which concentrates on producing output that is both efficient and correct. It also has the advantage of allowing the use of a single back end for multiple source languages, and similarly allows the use of different back ends for different targets.
Often, optimizers and error checkers can be shared by both front ends and back ends if they are designed to operate on the intermediate language that a front-end passes to a back end. This can let many compilers (combinations of front and back ends) reuse the large amounts of work that often go into code analyzers and optimizers.
Certain languages, due to the design of the language and certain rules placed on the declaration of variables and other objects used, and the predeclaration of executable procedures prior to reference or use, are capable of being compiled in a single pass. The Pascal programming language is well known for this capability, and in fact many Pascal compilers are themselves written in the Pascal language because of the rigid specification of the language and the capability to use a single pass to compile Pascal language programs.
Compiler front end
The compiler front end consists of multiple phases itself, each informed by formal language theory:
- Lexical analysis - breaking the source code text into small pieces ('tokens' or 'terminals'), each representing a single atomic unit of the language, for instance a keyword, identifier or symbol names. The token language is typically a regular language, so a finite state automaton constructed from a regular expression can be used to recognize it. This phase is also called lexing or scanning.
- Syntax analysis - Identifying syntactic structures of source code. It only focuses on the structure. In other words, it identifies the order of tokens and understand hierarchical structures in code. This phase is also called parsing.
- Semantic analysis is to recognize the meaning of program code and start to prepare for output. In that phase, type checking is done and most of compiler errors show up.
- Intermediate language generation - an equivalent to the original program is created in an intermediate language.
Compiler back end
While there are applications where only the compiler front end is necessary, such as static language verification tools, a real compiler hands the intermediate representation generated by the front end to the back end, which produces a functional equivalent program in the output language. This is done in multiple steps:
- Compiler Analysis - This is the process to gather program information from the intermediate representation of the input source files. Typical analysis are variable define-use and use-define chain, data dependence analysis, alias analysis etc. Accurate analysis is the base for any compiler optimizations. The call graph and control flow graph are usually also built during the analysis phase.
- Optimization - the intermediate language representation is transformed into functionally equivalent but faster (or smaller) forms. Popular optimizations are in-line expansion, dead code elimination, constant propagation, loop transformation, register allocation or even auto parallelization.
- Code generation - the transformed intermediate language is translated into the output language, usually the native machine language of the system. This involves resource and storage decisions, such as deciding which variables to fit into registers and memory and the selection and scheduling of appropriate machine instructions along with their associated addressing modes (see also Sethi-Ullman algorithm).
- A pass has also been known as a parse in some textbooks. The idea is that the source code is parsed by gradual, iterative refinement to produce the completely translated object code at the end of the process. There is, however, some dispute over the general use of parse for all those phases (passes), since some of them, e.g. object code generation, are arguably not regarded to be parsing as such.
- Compilers: Principles, Techniques and Tools by Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, and Jeffrey D. Ullman is considered to be the standard authority on compiler basics, and makes a good primer for the techniques mentioned above. (It is often called the Dragon Book because of the picture on its cover showing a Knight of Programming fighting the Dragon of Compiler Design.)
- Understanding and Writing Compilers: A Do It Yourself Guide by Richard Bornat is an unusually helpful book, being one of the few that adequately explains the recursive generation of machine instructions from a parse-tree. Having learnt his subject in the early days of mainframes and minicomputers, the author has many useful insights that more recent books often fail to convey.
- What is "compile"? from the developer's encyclopedia
- Building and Testing gcc/glibc cross toolchains
- Citations from CiteSeer
- The comp.compilers newsgroup and RSS feed
- Let's Build a Compiler by Jack Crenshaw (1988 to 1995) "a non-technical introduction to compiler construction"
- Simple compiler source from the "Compilers 101" group. One page, easy to follow.
- Parallel Compilers
|
<urn:uuid:5d2055a3-d3c4-47b3-892f-8291b1c549c0>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.compilers.net/paedia/compiler/index.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00142-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.928872
| 2,454
| 3.265625
| 3
|
HOME FRUIT PRODUCTION-GUAVA
Julian W. Sauls
Professor & Extension Horticulturist
Guava is a small tree with a spreading, broad top that develops from a short trunk. It is native to the American tropics but has become naturalized in practically all tropical and subtropical climates of the world. Despite severe freezes of the 1980's, guavas continue to thrive in yards across the Lower Rio Grande Valley. While it has little commercial potential, a small planting is being tried in Cameron County it can be successfully grown, with adequate cold protection, in other areas of South Texas.
Because it is of tropical origin, guava grows best in tropical and subtropical areas that are frost-free. While young trees can be killed by temperatures in the middle to upper 20's, older trees can tolerate slightly colder temperatures without much damage. Even if killed to the ground by freezing weather, the tree will usually regrow from underground portions.
Although of primary interest in the Valley, guava should grow nearly everywhere in Texas that oranges or grapefruit thrive, provided that the trees receive adequate cold protection for their size.
SOIL AND SITE SELECTION
Guava is adapted to a wide variety of soils and should thrive in any soil that has good internal and surface drainage. Soil salinity is not a major concern, although the leaves will commonly exhibit tipburn and perhaps marginal necrosis during the summer months because of salt accumulation in the affected tissue.
The planting site should be chosen with cold protection in mind. Generally, the south side of the house is the warmest location in a residential site.
Probably all of the guavas grown locally are unnamed seedlings, although there are superior varieties being grown in Florida . 'Supreme' is white-fleshed, 'Blitch' and 'Patillo' are pink-fleshed and 'Ruby' is red-fleshed. Other varieties and unnamed hybrids also exist and most are probably superior to the local seedlings. Yellow-fleshed types also exist.
Guava fruit shape ranges from round or ovoid to pear-shaped. Size varies from little more than an ounce to nearly a pound. The skin is usually pale yellow at maturity and may range from thin to thick. Seediness varies from few to many. Flavor may be sweet to highly acid, with a very distinctive aroma which ranges from strong and penetrating to mild and pleasant. While some fruit may be borne almost year-round, especially following very warm winters, most fruit matures in the summer.
Although guava does not reproduce true-to-type from seed, seedlings are commonly used. Seeds should be planted immediately upon extraction from mature fruit.
Air layering is probably the easiest way to propagate a limited number of plants. Both veneer grafting and chip budding are successful, given young, vigorous, seedling rootstocks and scion wood that comes from terminal growth which is still green and quadrangular (in cross-section). Leafy cuttings will root well under mist propagation.
PLANTING AND ESTABLISHMENT
Guava trees may not achieve maximum potential size in Texas, so a spacing of 10 to 12 feet from adjacent trees should be adequate. Newly planted guavas should be watered at planting and once or twice weekly as needed for several weeks. Watering is most easily accomplished by constructing a water ring several inches high and thick atop the soil around the tree. The water ring will gradually erode away over the next several months, at which time the tree can be considered established.
Delay fertilization until new growth commences, then apply monthly into September. Simply scatter the fertilizer on the ground and water thoroughly. With ammonium sulfate (21-0-0), use one-half cup monthly in the first year, one cup monthly in the second year and two cups monthly in the third year. For other fertilizer analyses, adjust the rate accordingly based upon the relative content of nitrogen.
The soil underneath and around the young tree should be maintained completely free of all weeds and grasses, since the young tree cannot compete well for water and nutrients until it is much larger. Organic mulches are excellent for use under guava trees to eliminate weeds and to conserve moisture.
Cold protection is essential for survival of young guava trees. Soil banks are excellent for freeze protection for several years--put them up in late November and remove them in early March. Protection of the top can be achieved using covers such as blankets or tarps--just drape the cover over the tree, pull the corners outward and anchor them to the ground. It is neither necessary nor desirable that the cover reach the ground. In very severe cold, any additional, practical heat source under the tented tree will provide almost complete freeze protection.
MATURE TREE CARE
Cultural practices are conducted to maintain good growth and production. Irrigation, nutrition, weed/grass control and cold protection are the major cultural practices. Essentially, these practices are the same as for other established fruit trees.
Irrigate slowly and deeply as needed based on soil type and prevailing weather. Weekly to biweekly soakings during the summer should be adequate.
Fertilization should be at the rate of one to two cups of 21-0-0 per inch of trunk diameter annually, split into equal applications in February, May and August. Simply scatter the fertilizer on the ground and water thoroughly. Other nutrient elements are rarely necessary under Texas conditions.
Maintain weed and grass control with a systemic herbicide or with organic mulches that should be replenished as necessary. Cold protection may also be necessary as described above.
Pruning should be unnecessary except to remove dead or damaged branches or to thin out branches that overlap with others. Pruning of freeze damage should be delayed until the extent of the damage can be ascertained in the spring following the damage.
PRODUCTION, MATURITY AND USE
Vegetatively propagated trees will bear within three years, seedlings shouldn't take any longer. Larger fruit are primarily produced on vigorous shoots of two to three years of age. The primary season of maturity is summer, although some fruit may mature at other times of the year. Since fruit maturity is variable during the summer, mature fruit will be available every couple of days. Maturity is characterized by a change of the skin color from greenish to yellow and a concomitant softening of the fruit.
Vigorously growing young guava trees can produce half a bushel of fruit in the third season, increasing to several bushels on mature trees.
Guava is an outstanding source of Vitamin C, which probably exceeds that of orange juice. Fruit can be readily frozen and it is well suited to processing. The sweeter selections are more commonly eaten fresh, while the stronger flavored selections are more commonly used in jam, jelly, paste and other products.
While a number of pests affect guavas in Florida, none have been documented in the Valley. Root-knot nematodes can cause serious damage to the roots of young guava trees, but their effect can be lessened by good cultural care and heavy organic mulching.
Tip burn and marginal necrosis (browning) of the leaves are caused by saline soil and water conditions common in South Texas, even though guava trees are generally considered to be salt tolerant. Symptoms are more severe on older leaves and during the summer months.
The Mexican fruit fly could infest the fruit, but the overall suppression program in the Valley should help to keep this pest to a minimum.
In addition to the common guava (Psidium guajava L.) there are other species which produce edible fruit, the most notable of which is the Cattley or strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine). The plant is more of a large, bushy shrub and it is slightly more cold hardy than common guava. The fruit of Cattley guava is round, rarely longer than 1.5 inches, with a red to reddish purple color and contains numerous small, hard seeds. The yellow Cattley guava is considered to be slightly sweeter than the red types. Both kinds have whitish, juicy pulp that is mildly sub-acid and slightly aromatic.
There are no apparent varieties of either of the Cattley guavas, but selections of either type come fairly true from seed. Production usually commences in the second or third year, with heavy fruiting occurring in five or six years. Aside from the differences noted here, Cattley or strawberry guava should be treated the same as common guava.
Other species include the Brazilian guava, (Psidium guineense Sw.) the Costa Rican guava [Psidium friedrichsthalianum (Beng.) Nied.] and Psidium araca Raddi, but they have not achieved any prominence outside their place of origin except in arboretums and private collections.
It should be noted that the feijoa or pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana Berg) is not a guava at all, despite the similarity of its fruit to those of the various species of guavas.
Home | Texas Citrus Industry | Citriculture | Pest Management | Harvest and Handling | Marketing
Orchard Economics | Resources | Urban Citrus and Subtropical Fruits
Texas Citrus and Subtropical Fruits is maintained by Julian W. Sauls.
Web design by Gretchen Chaffin.
|
<urn:uuid:661bea8f-af63-4767-96cf-f237f66aa604>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/guava.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00149-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.947715
| 1,963
| 3.625
| 4
|
More articles about
The myth of apathy
19th June, 2008
Don’t pronounce too harshly upon those who seem not to care about the environment, advises Renée Lertzman. They may only be paralysed by the size of the problemPublic apathy is fast becoming one of the hottest topics in environmental circles. It would appear that people do not seem to care or be moved to action in the face of urgent ecological threats. Running a close second to apathy is the topic of denial; the stunning way in which people can literally deny or pretend things are not as they are, creating enormous barriers and psychological blocks for making necessary change. But what if the ways we are thinking about apathy and denial are themselves misguided, and potentially damaging? What if the issue is not about caring too little, but perhaps caring too much?
Is it possible that our anxieties about ecological problems, and the existential dilemmas they raise regarding how we are to live, can be so great as to be unmanageable or unthinkable? Might we unconsciously deny what is staring us in the face because what is at stake is too painful to consider?
Psychoanalysts would argue that extreme anxiety can lead us unconsciously to deny or pretend the problem is not there, or that it is the responsibility of someone else. This is a well-known phenomenon known as a ‘defence mechanism’, where we ‘defend’ against painful or threatening emotions or thoughts with mechanisms such as denial, projection, paranoia, grandiosity or an acute sense of inferiority. Analysts have been exploring defences for decades, both on individual and social levels.
Despite its reputation as being a rather esoteric field, psychoanalysis offers a sophisticated approach for understanding the process of change and the ‘resistance’ that can arise when confronting painful material. From the psychoanalytic perspective, the psyche is very adept at protecting its sense of safety and avoiding what is painful or anxiety-producing. Moreover, the experience of loss (evidenced not only in the loss of loved ones, for example but also of a place, species or favourite tree), if not properly acknowledged, can lead to numbing and a chronic sense of melancholia. We know a great deal about the complicated ways in which behaviour is often informed by unconscious motivations, desires, wishes and fantasies, and yet we still adhere to a simplistic notion that the absence of action is equivalent to an absence of caring. Why is this the case?
The notion of ‘public apathy’ was coined in the 1940s, when a study published in Public Opinion Quarterly by Herbert Hyman and Paul Sheatsley blamed the failure of public information campaigns on ‘public apathy’. The public was thereby constructed as unfeeling or uncaring when it came to certain pressing social issues. This blaming of the public for inaction or inability to be ‘responsive’ has stuck in environmental circles, as increasingly urgent campaigns are launched into what seems like a black hole of public engagement.
The Greek root apathia, means literally without [a] suffering or feeling [path or pathos]. The Oxford English Dictionary defines apathy as: ‘Freedom from, or insensibility to, suffering; hence, freedom from, or insensibility to, passion or feeling; passionless existence, and the popular’. An understanding of apathy from a psychoanalytic perspective, however, turns the popular conception on its head. It is not so much about a freedom from suffering or feeling, but rather a strategy to manage and cope with such experiences by defending against them.
We want to believe that there is a causal link between information and action, but research has shown that there is nothing straightforward about this relationship. A recent study published in the journal Risk Analysis by Paul Kellstedt and his colleagues at Texas A&M demonstrated that levels of ‘informedness, confidence in scientists, and personal efficacy’ regarding global warming interact so that the ‘more informed respondents both feel less personally responsible for global warming, and also show less concern for global warming’.
How is it possible to know more about global warming but feel less concern? This finding has been demonstrated in other social psychology studies, such as the work of Professor Jon Krosnick and his colleagues at Stanford University. Their study about attitudes related to global warming, published in 2006, found that ‘people stop paying attention to a problem when they realize there is no easy solutions for it… and people may judge as nationally serious only those problems about which they think action should and can be taken.’
Interestingly, what these studies suggest is that when it comes to understanding environmental behaviour, we need to look beyond attitudes and values. There may be other factors getting in the way of our becoming more engaged with the future of the environment. This is not a new idea. In the early 1970s, a few voices within psychoanalysis and psychotherapy were trying to alert us to a different way of looking at the problem.
Drawing on decades of clinical work with psychotic patients, American psychoanalyst Harold Searles strongly believed that the environmental movement needed to understand the ‘psychic mechanisms’ underlying the appearance of apathy. Far from being an absence of pathos, or feeling, inner feelings of anxiety, fear or powerlessness manifest as a lack of action or a paralysis. He compared such feelings to the vulnerability and fragility we experienced as infants in our earliest years. British psychoanalyst Hanna Segal expressed it as an ‘operation of denial’. In relation to nuclear threat, she describes ‘a particular form of splitting… In this split we retain intellectual knowledge of the reality, but divest it of emotional meaning.’
We know that being unresponsive to our ecological situation is lethal and disastrous. Perhaps it is now time to turn our attention more fully to insights generated from decades of clinical psychoanalytic and therapeutic practice. Rather than act like a disciplinarian therapist who shouts at a patient for being too slow, neurotic or unable to face the truth, we can learn lessons from how good psychoanalytic practice works: by finding the right ways both to inform and inspire, and stimulating action rather than paralysis.
This goes beyond ‘feel-good’ campaigns that focus solely on solutions and consumer choices – it means creating communication strategies that can acknowledge the truly terrifying and overwhelming nature of the myriad ecological threats we face, while at the same time steering us towards practical actions.
People heal and make change when they feel supported, understood and challenged. A good place to start may be with doing away with the concept of ‘public apathy’ altogether.
Renée Lertzman is completing her PhD in critical psychology at Cardiff University, and is a Fellow at the Biodiversity Project, an environmental communications organi-sation in Madison, Wisconsin
This article first appeared in the Ecologist June 2008
Using this website means you agree to us using simple cookies.
|
<urn:uuid:4eb58d25-58fa-41d6-864d-ea51ee8d0a32>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/other_comments/269433/the_myth_of_apathy.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396027.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00178-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.948521
| 1,433
| 2.625
| 3
|
Humans & Nature
The Wild River Speaks
This month's Gila River Festival spins the stories of New Mexico's last free-flowing river
by Donna Stevens
Tales of America's splendor encouraged a flood of immigration to the New World, and later lured pioneers to pack their wagons and settle the West. The history of the Gila River region is a classic saga of opportunity, clashes of cultures, paradise found and lost, greedy villains, and ordinary people who had greatness thrust upon them.
The Eighth Annual Gila River Festival, Sept. 13-16 in Silver City and along the river, will feature the theme of "The Wild River Speaks." It provides an opportunity to learn about the Gila's cultural and natural history through stories shared in diverse ways, from field trips and presentations to maps and conversations. The festival also offers attendees the chance to hear some of the new voices of the Gila — those committed to conservation, preservation of sense of place, appreciation and stewardship — and to tell our own stories of our relationship to New Mexico's last wild river.
Chapter One, In Which We Set the Scene
Since time immemorial, Native Americans have inhabited southwest New Mexico and the banks of the Gila River. Hohokam, Mimbreños, Salados, Pimas and Apaches all left ample evidence of their lives here. Thousands of Mimbreños lived and farmed in the Cliff-Gila Valley from about 1200 to 1400 AD, then disappeared from the valley due to long-term drought. The Gila watershed is the common home for all the bands of the Chiricahua Apache, and the Gila River and its source, the Nadazai (Mogollon Mountains), are sacred to them. Apache leader Geronimo stated in his autobiography, "In that country that lies around the headwaters of the Gila River I was reared."
Our first written account of the Gila River comes from the Spanish military explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, on his search for the lost cities of Cíbola. He recounted coming upon a "deep and reedy stream" somewhere north of present-day Tucson.
Writing Water's Secrets
"There are two easy ways to die in the desert: thirst or drowning. This place is stained with such ironies, a tension set between the need to find water and the need to get away from it. The floods that come with the least warning arrive at the hottest time of the year, when the last thing on a person's mind is too much water. It is everything here. It shimmers and rises and consumes and offers and drops completely away, changing everything." — from The Secret Knowledge of Water by Craig Childs
Some years back, a friend handed me a book, saying "You've gotta read this." It was Craig Childs' The Secret Knowledge of Water. I had the good fortune of reading it at the Rio Embudo, a tributary of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico. While the Rio Embudo is a modest-sized river, it has a large presence, rushing noisily around big boulders to its destination. In stark contrast with this river's proximity, I was transported to the Sonoran Desert, enthralled with Childs' descriptions of tinajas, or watering holes, whose presence means forestalling death in the borderlands. If they happen to be filled with water, that is.
I was at Rio Embudo to assist my companions with a stream survey, where I begrudgingly interrupted my reading to weave a 300-foot tape measure through the streamside vegetation. As soon as I finished, I'd eagerly return to the book, enchanted. After returning The Secret Knowledge of Water to my friend, I immediately ordered my own copy, which I lend out often, saying, "You've gotta read this."
Craig Childs has written other fascinating books, too, among them House of Rain and Finders Keepers, both about ancient civilizations of the Southwest and the mysterious and coveted artifacts they left behind. The Animal Dialogues, Soul of Nowhere and The Way Out relate his compelling adventures in the wild and chance encounters with wildlife.
For three years, the Gila River Festival has invited Craig Childs to come to Silver City, and apparently the third time really is the charm. On Sept. 14, at 7:45 p.m. at WNMU's Fine Arts Center Theater, Childs will give the festival keynote presentation, "Watercourse: A Conversation with a Moving Element."
During the Mexican-American War, 1846-1848, Kit Carson led the Army of the West through the Gila region and Captain A.R. Johnston recorded in his journal tracks of bear, beaver and Indian ponies in the mud beside the Gila. Later botanic, ethnographic and boundary survey expeditions conducted by Lt. William Emory and John Russell Bartlett paint an idyllic picture of the Gila area. Indeed, later landscape portraits painted from field sketches from these trips would be used to draw Easterners westward to settle the Gila Valley around Phoenix.
On his 1846 expedition to the California coast, Emory passed through San Vicente de la Cienega, now present-day Silver City, and described it in his journal as "beautiful in the extreme; a succession of high, rolling hills, with mountains in the distance. The soil rich and waving with grama." Once he reached the Gila in the now-famous meeting with Apache chief Mangas Coloradas, at the confluence of present-day Mangas Creek and the Gila, Emory says, "We heard the fish [most likely roundtail chub, now state endangered] playing in the water. They are in great abundance. The growth of trees and weeds was very luxuriant; the trees chiefly cotton-wood, a new sycamore, mesquite."
Rivers have been so heavily used by people for hundreds of years that it is difficult to imagine what the Gila looked like. Historically, the riparian forest was a constantly changing mosaic of often discontinuous, multi-age cottonwood and willow communities. Floods produced multiple channels and sandbars, washed away stands of trees, and created wetlands and patches of different plant communities and age classes. Portions of the riparian forest would have contained wetlands such as marshes, wet meadows and oxbow sloughs. Wetlands created by beaver dams historically slowed down flood waters and increased groundwater infiltration, as well as provided valuable habitat for waterfowl.
The Gila used to flow 649 miles from the headwaters in the Sierra de Gila, as the mountains were called by the Spanish, through the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts of present-day New Mexico and Arizona; it reached the Colorado River at Yuma. Spanish navigator Hernando Alarcón sailed up the Colorado and the Gila rivers in 1540, trying to meet up with Coronado's expedition. Alarcón's maps show the Gila as the "Miraflores" or "Brazos de las Miraflores."
When Emory reached the confluence of the Gila and the Colorado on his 1846 expedition, he said that the Gila discharged about half of the flow of the Colorado, but its water was clearer. The Gila's natural discharge to the Colorado is about 1,900 cubic feet per second, but today — due to upstream dams and diversions to supply water to 5 million people and to irrigate crops — the Gila is mostly a dry wash from Phoenix downstream. It joins the Colorado only during spring snowmelt and monsoon rains.
Chapter Two, In Which Different Peoples Meet,
With Disastrous Consequences for One Group
In the 1500s through early 1800s, Spaniards, and later Mexicans, traveled north, looking for riches and opportunity; they found it, more or less, but they encountered strong resistance as well. The Spanish established missions and later garrison presidios to protect villages and ranchos from Apache incursions. Likewise, when would-be settlers from the East arrived in the Gila in the mid-1800s in search of virgin land, they found it already inhabited by Native Americans. Early miners and farmers clashed with Apaches. For more than 300 years, the Apache defended their homeland from European conquest. It was only after they were nearly exterminated, and the survivors sent to distant reservations, that mining developed into a profitable industry in the area and farming could take hold to feed the booming population.
In the late 1800s, with the "Indian Wars" winding down, Mormons settled the Gila Valley and found old Native American irrigation ditches, some of which they repaired and pressed into service again for watering corn and wheat. Wetlands were drained and the remaining beavers trapped, so that farmers could farm the rich alluvial soils of the Gila River's floodplain.
Chapter Three, In Which Paradise Is Found — and Then Lost
Lured by lush native grasses and open range, ranchers imported cattle, and it didn't take long for cattle numbers to far exceed what the land could actually support. During the extended drought of the late 1800s, as cattle died of starvation in huge numbers, the damage was done. This new land use ushered in another chapter of the Gila's story, a sad tale of watershed degradation.
During this time, the Lyons-Campbell Ranch, headquartered in Gila, controlled 1 million acres of open range with 60,000 head of cattle. Dams and diversions were constructed on Duck Creek, a tributary to the Gila River, for irrigated agriculture.
Chapter Four, In Which Paradise Is Partially Regained
In 1905, as a result of watershed impairments caused by overgrazing and excessive timber cutting, Congress established the Forest Service. The philosophy of Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the Forest Service, was "to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run."
Responding to the changing needs of the times, the Forest Service's mission has evolved into managing these public lands for multiple uses such as water, forage, wildlife, wood and recreation.
Chapter Five, In Which We Meet Young Aldo
One of the first people to recognize the poor condition of the Gila's drainages was Aldo Leopold, considered by many to be the father of the conservation movement. Young Leopold arrived in the Southwest in 1909, fresh out of Yale Forestry School, to begin his job as a forest ranger. In those days, long before computers, rangers spent considerable time in the forest, and Leopold became a quick study of nature's processes.
1 | 2 | ALL
|
<urn:uuid:c2953803-b72f-46d9-aec5-a746d64369eb>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.desertexposure.com/201209/201209_wild_river.php
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00139-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.959209
| 2,234
| 3.046875
| 3
|
Installing Linux on your PC
The easiest method is convert a PC having a single hard-drive into an exclusively
Linux-based machine. This would necessitate losing everything on that hard-drive
and installing Linux on it. Many people, however, own only one PC, and would
like to continue using that PC as a Windows box. If you are of that type, you
should consider setting up your (or a) PC as a "dual-boot" machine,
capable of booting either into Windows or Linux.
There are two ways to do this, neither is very complicated. The simplest is
if your PC has two hard-drives. Just move everything off the smaller-capacity
drive onto the larger, then run the Linux installer, being careful to install
Linux on the (now redundant) smaller-capacity drive. After the installation,
you can use the PC's BIOS to select which drive to boot from.
The more complicated (but still easy) method is to provide a spare partition
on a hard-drive onto which to install Linux. The main difficulty here is that
most people, when installing Windows, do not provide multiple partitions; their
hard-drive consists of a single, large partition, with Windows already installed
on it. In that case, you'll have to create a new partition by shrinking the
existing one. The trick is to do this without losing any of the data on the
Partition Magic (and similar software) repartitions hard-drives without
losing data (hopefully!) It rearranges the data on a partition so that it is
clustered to "one side" of the partition, and then changes the partition
definition table on the drive. The end result is that you have free space on
your drive onto which you can install Linux.
Using Partition Magic
- Place the CD in your drive.
- Run the installer.
- You will be asked to create two "rescue" floppy diskettes. Make
sure you do this, in case something goes wrong during the repartitioning.
- When asked, DO NOT register the software, as the serial numbers are already
registered with EMU.
- Run Partition Magic.
- You want to use the "Resize/Move" operation to change the size
of your existing DOS partition. The program shows a small graphic of your
existing partitions, below which is a text menu of the partitions (there is
probably just one, the DOS partition). Select it, then choose to resize it.
- Shrink the DOS partition so that you create at least 3GB of free space on
your hard-drive (5 or 6 would be much better.) You do not want to define
a new partition within the free space (the Linux installer will do that),
just leave the space "free" (unoccupied).
- You have to click on the "apply" button. Eventually you'll get
a dialog box telling you the system has to reboot into DOS mode, or some such.
- The machine should reboot into Windows. If you look at the properties of
your hard-drive icon (C:) you should that the disk space is smaller than it
The process is fairly straightforward.
- Use the BIOS to ensure that your machine always tries to boot from the CD-drive
before looking to the hard-drive.
- Put Linux CD 1 in the CD-drive.
- Reboot your machine.
- You should see the Linux installer start up.
- Follow the directions for installing a "Workstation" version of
- When you get to the section concerning partitioning you will be asked "Remove
all data on this drive?" Click NO. You want to select "keep all
existing partitions and install Linux on existing free space". Also,
here you will be offered the opportunity to have the installer automatically
partition. Accept that, but also make sure you check the "review partitions"
checkbox. The automatic scheme creates a single large "/" partition.
On the next page you will be able to add other partitions (e.g., /home, /var,
- In "Network configuration", you will probably want to use DHCP
if your PC is connected to an existing network (i.e., a cable modem, DSL,
etc.) Otherwise you can manually set it to an address different from that
of any other machines in your home.
- When you get to the section in which you specify a superuser password, you
should also make sure to create a regular user account. It is good practice
to never log directly into a linux box as the superuser (i.e., "root")
Instead, log in as a regular user, then use the "su" command from
a terminal window to temporarily switch to superuser mode. Alternatively,
whenever you try, as a regular user, to run a tool or application that requires
superuser capabilities, you will be prompted to enter the root password.
- In the "Firewall Configuration" section, you should enable SSH
- When you get to the section concerning selection of packages, choose to
manually select them, because you will want to make sure that the installation
includes Apache and MySQL. You do not need DNS server, Mail server, News server,
etc., unless you really want to set up a server for those services--and I
don't think you do.
- After all the packages are installed (which can take about an hour), you
will be asked to provide a floppy that will be configured so that you can
use it to boot into Linux mode explicitly.
- When you are all done, reboot the machine. After the BIOS finishes you should
get a GRUB or LILO window allowing you to select which system you will boot
to: DOS (Windows) or Linux.
Here are some URL's for other issues related to Linux installation and dual-booting.
Linux can access other filesystem partitions:
Dual booting linux/NT: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/mini/LILO-3.html#ss3.2
, and: http://classes.csumb.edu/CST/CST434-01/world/DualBoot.html
(though I think this last one is obsolete with newer versions of RedHat.)
Dual booting to many other OS's:
|
<urn:uuid:a6043652-f78a-4f9b-ad29-999147e2acb0>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.emunix.emich.edu/~evett/E-Commerce/Installing_Linux.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395039.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00097-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.87411
| 1,344
| 3.09375
| 3
|
You are hereIntegrated, observation-based carbon monitoring for wooded ecosystems
Integrated, observation-based carbon monitoring for wooded ecosystems
Overall goal: Address carbon-relevant science questions by developing an empirical approach to monitor carbon stocks and fluxes in woodlands of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Approach: In a statistical framework known as GNN (Gradient Nearest Neighbor modeling), we create maps of forest condition by combining time-series Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data with plot data from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. We will then use high-quality estimates of biomass mapped at fine scales using laser imaging (lidar) to determine the reliability of our maps.
Presentation for June 19 project update meeting: Presentation file (Large: 60Mb)
Processing status. See how our underlying Landsat processing is going.
Attribution of change: Follow this link to learn more about how we make maps estimating what caused a given kind of forest change.
Science and management questions:
- How much have forest carbon pools or fluxes been affected by natural processes (insects, fire, wind, growth) versus anthropogenic processes (harvest, land-use change)? Are the relative impacts of those processes constant or changing as policy and climate also change?
- How have those processes of change been distributed across forest types, ownerships, management approaches, and policy periods?
- Has forest management intended to reduce susceptibility to insect and fire actually reduced vulnerability of carbon pools to unplanned loss a regional scale?
These science questions will be addressed by analysis of a set of key deliverables. These include annual, 30m resolution maps in Washington, Oregon, and California of:
- Forest aboveground live and dead carbon pools (Mg/ha)
- Changes in those pools from year to year
- Forest disturbance year and magnitude
- Agent of disturbance: clearcuts, partial cuts, insect mortality, fire, urbanization
- Forest regrowth rate and time period
- Forest type and condition
- Uncertainty estimation based on accumulated errors in monitoring as well as comparison with small-footprint lidar maps
|
<urn:uuid:1ec838ca-8344-4768-be1b-6f2b8e2ffffe>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://landtrendr.forestry.oregonstate.edu/content/integrated-observation-based-carbon-monitoring-wooded-ecosystems
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00063-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.898971
| 448
| 2.671875
| 3
|
ṬARFON (Greek, Τρύφων Yer. Bik. 64c):
Tanna of the third generation, living in the period between the destruction of the Temple and the fall of Bethar. He was of priestly lineage, and he expressly states that he officiated in the Temple with the priests (Yer. Yoma iii. 7); in the pride of his rank he used to demand the heave-offering even after the Temple had fallen (Tosef., Ḥag. iii., end). His devotion to his mother was such that he used to place his hands beneath her feet when she was obliged to cross the courtyard barefoot (Ḳid. 61b), while his generosity made him return to the father the redemption-money for the first-born, although it was his priestly perquisite (Tosef., Bek. vi. 14). Once, in a time of famine, he took 800 wives so that they might, as wives of a priest, exercise the right of sharing in the tithes (Tosef., Ket. v. 1). On one occasion, when from his window he saw a bridal procession evidently of the poorer classes, he requested his mother and sister to anoint the bride that the groom might find more joy in her (Ab. R. N. xli., end). Although he was blessed with riches, he possessed extraordinary modesty; in one instance he deeply regretted having mentioned his name in a time of peril, since he feared that in using his position as teacher to escape from danger he had seemingly violated the rule against utilizing knowledge of the Torah for practical ends (Ned. 62b).As Halakist.
Although as a halakist R. Ṭarfon was an adherent of the school of Shammai, only two passages describe him as following its teachings (Yeb. 15b; Yer. Sheb. iv. 20), and he always inclined toward leniency in the interpretation of those halakot of Shammai which had not actually been put into practise (Kil. v. 6; Yeb. xv. 6; Ket. v. 2); often he decided in direct opposition to the Bet Shammai when it imposed restrictions of excessive severity (Yeb. xv. 47; Naz. v. 5). R. Ṭarfon was also the author of independent halakot, one being on the form of benediction when quenching thirst with water (Ber. vi. 8), and another on the benediction for the eve of the Passover (Pes. x. 6). The majority of his rulings, however, deal with subjects discussed in the orders Nashim, Ḳodashim, Ṭohorot, and NeziḲin. In those found in Ṭohorot his tendency is always toward severity, while in Neziḳin are found his sayings on lost objects and usufruct (B. M. iv. 3, v. 7), the payment of debts, the money due a woman when she receives a bill of divorce (Ket. ix. 2, 3), and damage caused by cattle (B. K. ii. 5, and the baraitot connected with this passage, p-26). If he had belonged to the Sanhedrin, the death-penalty would have been abolished (Mak. i. 10; comp. Frankel, "Der Gerichtliche Beweis," p. 48, Berlin, 1846). R. Ṭarfon engaged in halakic controversies with R. Akiba (Ket. 84a; Pes. 117, 118), but the two agreed with regard to a tosefta (Miḳ. i.; Ḳid. 66; Yer. Yoma. i. 1; Ter. iv. 5; Mak. i. 10; Ker. v. 3), with R. Simeon (Men. xii. 5; possibly, however, an error for R. Akiba), and R. Eleazar ben Azariah (Yad. iv. 3). Other sayings of his have been preserved which were accepted without controversy (Pes. 117a, 118a; Giṭ. 83a); and two of his apothegms are especially noteworthy as indicating his intense earnestness: "The day is short, the labor vast, the toilers idle, the reward great, and the Master urgent" (Ab. i. 15); "It is not thy task to complete the work, neither art thou a free man that thou canst withdraw thyself; if thou hast learned much, great shall be thy reward, for He that doth hire thee will surely repay thee for thy toil; yet the requital of the pious is in the future" (Ab. i. 17). In the discussion as to the relative importance of theory and practise, Ṭarfon decided in favor of the latter.Incidents of His Life.
When Eliezer ben Hyrcanus was sick, and a deputation was sent to him, R. Ṭarfon acted as the spokesman, addressing him as follows: "Master, thou art of more worth to Israel than the sun, for that gives light only on earth, while thou dost shed thy rays both in this world and in the world to come" (Sanh. 101a; Mek., Baḥodesh, xi. [ed. Weiss, p. 80a]). In like manner heled a number of scholars in a visit to R. Ishmael ben Elisha, upon the death of the sons of the latter (M. Ḳ. 28b); and when Jose the Galilean, R. Ṭarfon, R. Eliezer ben Azariah, and R. Akiba assembled to decide on the disputed sayings of Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Ṭarfon was the first speaker (Tosef., Giṭ. vii.; Giṭ. 83a). He was one of those whose names occurred in the depositionof Gamaliel II., and it is expressly stated that he was addressed as "brother" by the other scholars. He is said to have dwelt at Jabneh, although it is evident that he lived also in Lydda (Ta'an. iii. 9; B. M. iv. 3; Ḥag. 18a).
R. Ṭarfon was accustomed to open his haggadic discourses with a halakic question (Tosef., Ber. iv. 16). In his own upper chamber at Jabneh it was decided that benevolence should be practised according to the injunction of Ps. cvi. 3 (Esth. R. vi. 2, 5). ṬTarfon held that God did not allow His glory to overshadow Israel until the people had fulfilled a task (Ab. R. N. ii.), and that death can overtake one only when he is idle (comp. Gen. xlix. 33).Domestic Life.
On festivals and holy days R. Ṭarfon was accustomed to delight his wife and children by preparing for them the finest fruits and dainties (Yer. Pes. 37b). When he wished to express approval of any one, he would say, "'A knop and a flower' [Ex. xxv. 33]; thou hast spoken as beautifully as the adornments of the candlestick in the Temple"; but when it was necessary to upbraid another, he would say, "'My son shall not go down with you'" (Gen. R. xci.), repeating the words of Jacob to his sons in Gen. xlii. 38. When he perceived that his two nephews, whom he was instructing personally, were becoming careless, he interrupted his lecture and regained their attention by saving, "Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Johanna" (instead of Keturah; Gen. xxv. 1), whereupon his pupils interrupted him by exclaiming, "No, Keturah!" (Zeb. 26b). His chief scholars were R. Judah ('Er. 45b; Yeb. 101b), Simeon Shezari (Men. 31b), and Judah ben Isaiah ha-Bosem (Ḥul. 55b).
R. Ṭarfon was extremely bitter against those Jews who had been converted to the new faith; and he swore that he would burn every book of theirs which should fall into his hands (Shab. 116a), his feeling being so intense that he had no scruples against destroying the Gospels, although the name of God occurred frequently in them.
- Frankel, Hodegetica in Mischnam, pp. 101-105, Leipsic, 1859;
- Brüll, Einleituna in die Mischna, i. 100-103, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1876;
- Bacher, Ag. Tan. pp. 342-352;
- Hamburger, R. B. T. ii. 1196;
- Derenbourg, Hist. pp. 379 et seq.
- A list of the misbnayot which mention R. Tarfon is given by Schürer, Gesch. ii. 378, note 137;
- of the Tosefta passages in which his name occurs, by Zuckermandel in his edition of the Tosefta;
- of similar sections in the Mekilta, Sifra, and Sifre, by Hoffmann, Zur Einleitung in die Halachischen Midraschim, p. 85, Berlin, 1887.
|
<urn:uuid:3b91ec6b-4bad-4d80-8db6-313b4966ce56>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14247-tarfon
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397695.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00055-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.969771
| 2,073
| 2.640625
| 3
|
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Set in nineteenth-century Ireland, the story focuses on the arrival of British Soldiers to a small Gaelic Community. Their mission is to perform an ordinance survey but the language barrier leads them to problems. Gaelic place names get replaced with English ones causing conflict and misunderstanding with the local people. Although humour and pathos are used throughout the play, it still seriously tackles a universal problem that is affecting the human condition.
|
<urn:uuid:40be1592-305c-4672-a335-2598fe996189>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.whatsonstage.com/newcastle-upon-tyne-theatre/shows/translations_23859/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395546.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00141-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.955038
| 89
| 2.828125
| 3
|
A Catholic theologian, born at Gmünd, Swabia, 1549; died at Mainz, 11 Sept., 1615. He studied at the German College, Rome, from 1567 to 1575; on 28 Oct., 1573, as dean of the students he gave a short address before Pope Gregory XIII , when he visited the newly organized academy. He was ordained in St. John Lateran on Easter Saturday, 1575, and returned to Germany in the summer of that year; on his way home he was made doctor of theology at Bologna (11 June 1575). He was summoned to Mains by the Elector Daniel Brendel von Homburg, where he was active in the reform of the clergy. From there he was sent by the elector to Erfurt, to assist the suffragan bishop Nicolaus Elgard in his efforts for the restoration of Catholicism. His sermons on the doctrine of the Eucharist, preached at Erfurt in Lent, 1579, involved him in sharp controversy with the Protestant preachers. He was sent to Rome in 1582 to bring the pallium for the new archbishop, Wolfgang von Dalberg. The latter brought him back again to Mains, and employed him on important affairs, notably on the visitation of monasteries. Also in 1601 and 1604 he brought from Rome the confirmation and the pallium for the succeeding archbishops, Adam von Bicken, and Schweikart von Cronenberg. Under all these archbishops, the last of whom appointed him his spiritual counsellor, he was tirelessly engaged in defending the Catholic Faith, both by preaching and writing, until his death. He was provost of St. Moritz, dean of the Liebfrauenstift, canon of St. Victor's and St. Peter's, all in Mains; and canon of St. Severus' at Erfurt. After 1575 he also had a canonry in the cathedral chapter at Breslau. He did not visit Breslau until 1599, and then only for a short time, while taking part in the election of a bishop ; he then went to Rome to bring the confirmation of the elected bishop. His polemical and apologetic writings are: — "De festo Corporis Christi in honorem Jesu Christi" (Mains, 1580); "Augenschein des Jesuiter Spiegels, so neuwlich zu Erffurdt in truck aussgangen" (Cologne, 1582); "De sacramentis, mille sexcenti errores, vaniloquia et cavillationes eorum, qui hoc tempore ab Ecclesia secesserunt catholica, cum brevi eorum refutatione; plerique collecti ex Kemnitio" (Mains, 1593); "Brevis discussio et refutatio sexcentorum errorum, quos duo Prædicantes Saxonici Tilemannus Heshusius et Joannes Olearius Pontificiis hoc est Christianis Catholicis vanissime hactenus attribuerunt" (Mainz, 1604).
The Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed between 1907 and 1912 in fifteen hard copy volumes.
Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.
No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.
Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912
Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online
|
<urn:uuid:88487e41-1603-48e3-963e-556002c4d4fa>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=7986
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00147-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.9391
| 1,037
| 2.546875
| 3
|
Night of the Caimans
Under the cloak of darkness in the world's largest wetland in Brazil, the author experiences a chilling feeding frenzy
Tui De Roy
EVER SO SLOWLY, unblinking red eyes glide along the silent black surface of the tropical swamp, like faintly glowing embers in the penumbra of dusk. Then, without warning, Clop! Massive toothy jaws snap shut—the sound of an ancient reptilian dinner.
Deep in the steamy interior of southern Brazil, the night belongs to the caimans—and to the mosquitoes that are targeting this fair-skinned photographer, trying to stand still by her tripod. This is the Pantanal, a 40,000-square-mile, land-locked basin that makes up the world's largest wetland ecosystem. Much of this area is flooded during the six-month rainy season from October to April, when its waters give birth to the mighty Paraguay River that empties into the Atlantic. Also hailed as the most wildlife-rich wetland in the Americas—and arguably on the planet—it is home to everything from tapirs, jaguars and giant otters to snail kites and jabiru storks. But none of the Pantanal's wildlife has as colorful—and checkered—history as the caimans.
Six of the world's 21 species of Crocodilians are found in South America. The Paraguayan, or common, caiman is a smaller relative of the American alligator, reaching a length of ten feet at most. It is the widest ranging of the South American species; today, hundreds of thousands of the animals are found in the Pantanal. This was not always the case, however.
Like the rest of the crocodile clan, the caiman has been heavily hunted by poachers for its hide. But the lowest point for the species came more recently than for most others because its smaller size and excessively bony skin made it less desirable to tanneries producing fancy leather goods for world markets.
Fifteen years ago, even after protective legislation was passed in Brazil and international regulations were implemented to control trade in caiman skins, the Pantanal remained a hotbed for armed gangs of poachers and smugglers. An estimated one million caiman skins a year were being exported by the gangs. In response, the Pantanal's land owners—private cattle ranchers whose enormous holdings have produced beef since the late 1800s—joined forces. Their aim was threefold: to protect themselves, their livestock and the wildlife that normally thrives on these private estates, many of which cover hundreds of thousands of acres.
Photo: © MARK JONES
LIVING FOSSILS: Basking in the sun, Paraguayan caimans remain largely motionless during the heat of the day in the Pantanal.
Fossils show that the species has survived virtually unchanged since long before the dinosaurs became extinct.
The caiman's teeth are self-replacing and its stomach juices are so potent—considered the most acidic of any animals alive today—that it can digest every last morsel of prey it swallows.
Banding together, the landowners succeeded in driving out most of the poachers, and today, with family ties in this expansive wilderness running back generations, many ranchers feel deep respect and attachment to the wild animals in their custody. Some have turned to ecotourism as a means of drawing attention to these riches.
Roberto Klabin is one of them. His ranch at the very edge of the Pantanal, named the Caiman Ecological Refuge, receives wildlife enthusiasts like myself from around the world. "Ten years ago you would have been lucky to see just one or two caimans in a week here," says Klabin, pointing at the many fat reptiles dozing on the lakeshore in front of his rambling ranch house.
The timing of my Pantanal stay coincides with the early dry season in July, and everywhere ponds and waterways are shrinking as they begin to dry out in their annual cycle of renewal. For the caimans, which are remarkably adaptable to all sorts of habitat from open swamp to forested riverbank, this means finding a secure location where water will remain available until the next rainy season.
Several dozen have taken up residence in a shallow watercourse serving as outflow to a large marshy lake, where I watch them daily. Only the tiniest of trickles still runs, but it is enough to govern the caimans' day. I find their slow and unobtrusive lifestyle, virtually unchanged for at least 80 million years, utterly fascinating.
With bone-plated hides and massive, crushing jaws, they make formidable predators. Their teeth are self-replacing and their stomach juices so potent—possibly the most acidic of any animals in the world today—they can digest every last morsel they swallow, bones, shell and all. Unlike mammals, their metabolism does not run in high gear, so they don't need constant food input to generate body heat. Instead, they can store energy as fat in their tails for months or even years between meals.
The caimans have complex social lives where large males dominate smaller individuals, with postures and hierarchy helping them avoid dangerous and energy-draining fights. And unlike all other reptiles outside the crocodilian family, female caimans make devout mothers. They will guard their nests and young with their lives, responding to the cries of tiny hatchlings by digging them out of the warm fermenting vegetation mounds they build especially to incubate their eggs.
Simply observing life at a caiman hole puts me into a time frame where the clock seems to tick far more slowly than elsewhere in the world. Not long after sunrise, the heat and humidity are already suffocating. But the caimans are in their element, heaped onto the sodden, spongy bank like so many flood-tossed rotting logs. They are basking in the sun to reach their preferred body temperature of 90 to 95 degrees F. Fifty or 60 strong, they lay so still they look like they could be made of stone, reminding me of the term "living fossils," a nickname they've earned for their ancient evolutionary history. Indeed, fossils show they have survived virtually unchanged since long before the dinosaurs went extinct.
As the day grows hotter, one by one the caimans open their jaws wide to let airflow cool their moist maws. By noon the heat is unbearable. As I retreat to the shade of the forest, the caimans slither quietly into the tepid swamp water for a while, reemerging later in the afternoon. Only toward the end of the day does a sparkle of impending activity light up in their slit-eyed faces, even though they haven't budged for hours.
Now the whole of the Pantanal appears to awaken from its daytime stupor. With the setting sun turning crimson as it plunges through heavy layers of muggy air, elegant marsh deer emerge from the shadows to graze among the reeds, and giant anteaters scuttle across higher ground in search of termite mounds and ant nests. Collared fish eagles take up positions overlooking their favorite ponds and plumbous ibis probe the swamps for invertebrates. Ear-piercing flocks of emerald parakeets settle in the crowns of leafless pink blossoming trees, while the deeply raucous cries of electric blue hyacinth macaws proclaim their intention to feed on oily palm nuts.
The caimans, too, are on the move, their rousing so gradual I hardly notice it at first. One by one they slither and glide toward the lake overflow where a thin film of water cascades down the embankment. They seem to know that with darkness tiny fish will be running downstream. Without shoving or jostling—barely moving at all, in fact—each of the creatures takes up a position in the current, mouth agape, letting the water and fish swirl through their formidable gleaming teeth.
By the time the brief tropical dusk fades from gold to silver, and finally to hints of copper, the caimans form a perfect fan in the flow. They present a contiguous fanged barrage through which the fry must pass. Even the sound of the water flow has changed as it gurgles over and between row upon row of waiting teeth. Entire schools of small fish discover the trap too late, leaping frantically as jaws clamp shut at the slightest contact. It is an eerie scene, one I find all the more electrifying because of the contrast between the caimans' day and night demeanor. From lazy daytime lounging, they are transformed into stealthy predators concentrating on their task with chilling purposefulness.
Slipping off my boots, I tiptoe quietly into the shallow stream, facing the scene head-on. By staying in the darkest shadows, I manage to get within about six feet of the reptiles, with only a couple of them spotting me and retreating to deeper water. In my flashlight beam, dozens of caiman eyes shine as bright as rubies. Their pupils, now dilated wide and circular, give them visual acuity on par with owls.
Deep into the night, the reptiles' feeding frenzy on the tiny, two-inch fish continues. Clop, clop, clop. The incongruous primal feeding sounds mingle with other nocturnal cries and the incessant whine of swarming mosquitoes. Eventually, the bloodsucking insects, not the hungry reptiles, drive me away. By morning, on many a Pantanal stream bank like this one, caimans will once again be resting peacefully, back from the brink and here to stay.
New Zealand-based photojournalists Tui De Roy and Mark Jones contribute regularly to this magazine.
|
<urn:uuid:7044e616-8d70-49c6-a745-bedbe98d3967>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2003/Night-of-the-Caimans.aspx
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00185-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.951129
| 2,041
| 3.203125
| 3
|
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born at Portsea, near Portsmouth, England. He was originally a journalist, but also wrote
fictional sketches of London life and novels. He held private theatrical events at his London home as well. The collection
consists of 19th century English playbills for plays written by Dickens or adapted from novels by Dickens, as well as 9 plays
in which Dickens appeared as an actor.
Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 at Portsea, near Portsmouth, England; moved with his parents to Chatham and then
London; attended Wellington House Academy, and at 15 became an office boy in the Holborn law firm of Ellis and Blackmore;
went into journalism, becoming by 1832 a general reporter for the True Sun and parliamentary reporter for the Mirror of Parliament; began to write fictional sketches of London life for magazines, leading to the publication of Sketches by Boz (1836); became a novelist with Pickwick papers, serialized in 1836-37; held private theatrical events at his London home,
and between 1847-57 the amateur company that he formed appeared in public more then 60 times; other published works include
Oliver Twist (1837-39), Dombey and Son (1846-48), David Copperfield (1849-50), Bleak House (1952-53), A Tale of Two Cities (1859), and Great Expectations; he died at Gad's Hill on June 9, 1870.
1 box (0.5 linear ft.)
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including
copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds
the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.
|
<urn:uuid:9a46cffc-3992-44e1-8fa8-441b4d6b4a23>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf0p3003mt/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00060-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.975603
| 418
| 2.546875
| 3
|
Keyword SearchSearch for number plates using any keyword!
Enter your name, year of birth, occupation, hobby or even your business
Prefix Number PlatesNumber plates that have the year letter at the beginning of the registration, for example B21 VAN.
Current Number PlatesCurrent style number plates were introduced in September 2001 and they follow the 2 digit year identifier, 3 letters format, for example XX10 VEU (Kiss Kiss Love You).
- Letters First
- Numbers First
Dateless Number PlatesRegistrations which can be transferred to any age of vehicle, for example 70 NNX.
Number Plate Meaning
Here at Speedy Reg we are dedicated to providing you with helpful information on number plates. This page is about the language of number plates and is designed to help you decide on how best to substitute letter of digit combinations. At the end of the page is a useful guide to the most common substitutes to help you with your decision process.
There are many different types of languages when looking at number plates. They include
1) Roman numerals
2) substituting letter or digit combinations with something that looks similar to words
3) a combination of both techniques. Doubles or triples can also be used to great effect see (77 instead of 7 or AAA instead of A) to create appropriate combinations of number plates.
The use of Roman Numerals in Plate Design
Roman numerals are a numeral system of ancient Rome based on letters of the alphabet, which are combined to indicate the sum of their values. The main Roman numerals used when creating a car registration include V, X, L, and M. V, is the Roman symbol for 5, X means 10, L means 50, and M is 1,000. The Roman numeral that cannot be used in the language of plate speak is I meaning 1. However, in the language of number plates, I is replaced with 1 due to there visual similarity and meaning, this allows you can to create a larger range of birthday ages and lucky number combinations.
Substituting letter or Digit Combinations
The main idea behind substituted letters and numbers when designing a private number plate and vice versa is to trick the brain into seeing combinations of recognisable symbols. This happens because typically a person goes briefly blind up to 200 times a minute, each time the eyes move while looking at a scene as if in strobe light, with objects jumping around, the mind blends the images so they seem continuous. This is how the process of substituting letter or digit combinations works and the language of number plates was born.
The main list of replacements in plate design is shown below, but like any list it is not completely definitive. For example, the number 11 can represent the letters H, M, N or U and the number 2 can represent the letters R or Z.
Speedy Reg can help you create and look for your ideal personalised number plate. This includes using your own language or if you are looking for a highly desirable number and letter combination. The main difficulty in creating a number plate language is the rules on spacing with year and letter combinations. Speedy Reg can again help you create and look for your ideal number plate. To find out more please contact one of our friendly customer service operators on 02866 387124 and they will be happy to help you buy the perfect personalised number plate.
You can create some excellent combinations of names and ages. For example, a primary number plate of X1 JON has been sold or is currently not available, but by replacing O for D. You can create the combination X11 JDN which is currently on sale for £494.00 from Speedy Reg.
Please use the below list and then complete our online search to see if your combination is available, if you still require more assistance before you purchase please contact us on 02866 387124 for more information on personalised number plates.
A list of Common Substitutes of Letter or Digit Combinations
- A 4
- B 8 or 13
- D 0
- E 3
- G 6
- H 11
- I 1
- L 1 or I
- N 1V
- O 0
- Q 0 or O
- R 12
- S 5
- T 7
- U V
- V U
- W VV
- Y 7
- 0 D or O
- 1 I or L
- 3 E
- 4 A
- 5 S
- 6 C or G or B
- 7 T or Y
- 8 A or B
- 9 G
|
<urn:uuid:1b470317-2866-41a6-b86c-7e793bb05bed>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.speedyreg.co.uk/number-plate-languages
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403502.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00047-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.877243
| 949
| 2.703125
| 3
|
Stargazers will have a clear view into the backyard of our nearest planetary neighbour, writes Stephen Cauchi.
Australian stargazers are primed for one of the biggest astronomical events in recent times as Earth and our neighbouring planet, Mars, next week make their closest approach in nearly 60,000 years.
Already the brightest object in the night sky apart from the moon, Mars will be closest to Earth on Wednesday at 7.51pm. The Red Planet, which is about half the size of Earth, will then be just 55.76 million kilometres away. The last time it was that close was 59,619 years ago.
Weather permitting, Australians and others in the southern hemisphere will get the best view as Mars traces a high arc in the night sky. In the northern hemisphere, it will be near the horizon, where atmospheric turbulence can mist the view. The moon will be at its darkest this week, adding to the spectacle.
"Historically, it's an incredibly important event because purely on numbers alone it brings it closer than in recorded history," said Perry Vlahos, president of the Astronomical Society of Victoria.
"We're also hoping to bring to the public some really good views because they won't see it this closely again."
So how was the 60,000-year figure arrived at? Earth takes one year to orbit the sun; Mars, further away from the sun, takes about 23 months. That means Earth "laps" Mars on their circuits around the sun every 26 months, in what is known in astronomical jargon as an opposition - when the two planets are at their closest.
If planetary orbits were precisely regular, each opposition would be exactly the same distance. However, the Earth's distance from the sun can increase or decrease by nearly 2 per cent of the average; Mars's distance varies by more than 9 per cent.
When the furthest part of Earth's orbit from the sun lines up with the closest part of Mars's orbit, the opposition is closer than usual. Hence the excellent views of Mars at the moment and at other close oppositions - in 1971 the opposition was within 1 per cent of next Wednesday's distance. Earthlings will have to wait another 284 years for a closer look at Mars.
Even for the inexperienced stargazer, the Red Planet is easy to spot. It outshines all the stars, and has an orange tinge. It rises in the east at sunset and sets in the west at dawn. At its highest - between midnight and 1am - it is slightly north of a point directly overhead.
Mr Vlahos said the south polar ice cap should be visible through some telescopes, although springtime in the southern half of Mars meant it was rapidly melting.
He said the rest of Mars would look dusty orange, with its vast expanses of sand and rock visible as dark green markings. Mars's tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos, cannot be seen through normal telescopes.
Three space probes have been launched - two by the United States, one by Europe - to take advantage of the close approach. The missions, which aim to find liquid water and microbial life, will land in December and January.
Research published yesterday in the journal Science, however, casts doubt that large oceans or lakes once existed on Mars.
US scientists have found that the Red Planet lacks the tell-tale carbonate rocks that would indicate if such bodies of water had ever existed.
Stephen Cauchi is The Age science reporter.
|Print this article Email to a friend||Top|
In this section
|text | handheld (how to)||
Copyright © 2003 The Age Company Ltd
|advertise | contact us|
|
<urn:uuid:29aa4048-b6af-4aba-a948-bd051c1ffa18>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/22/1061529333958.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394414.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00030-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.953204
| 757
| 3.046875
| 3
|
Prof. Judith Donath
The nature of human identity - how we think of ourselves, how we perceive others - is a mutable concept, changing with the rise and fall of religious beliefs, social mores, philosophical theories. Today, we live in a world in which science and technology are among the most powerful forces reshaping our culture - and thus our definitions and perceptions of identity. In this seminar, we will examine the impact of science and technology on identity.
The instructor's course page may be viewed at http://smg.media.mit.edu/classes/IdentitySeminar/
Judith Donath. MAS.963 Techno-identity: Who we are and how we perceive ourselves and others, Spring 2002. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare), http://ocw.mit.edu (Accessed). License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA
|
<urn:uuid:c27c944f-0208-4c9f-8a8e-8e7a787e320a>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/media-arts-and-sciences/mas-963-techno-identity-who-we-are-and-how-we-perceive-ourselves-and-others-spring-2002/index.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00140-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.822369
| 185
| 2.609375
| 3
|
header (plural headers)
- The upper portion of a page (or other) layout.
- If you reduce the header of this document, the body will fit onto a single page.
- Text, or other visual information, used to mark off a quantity of text, often titling or summarizing it.
- Your header is too long; "Local Cannibals" will suffice.
- Text, or other visual information, that goes at the top of a column of information in a table.
- That column should have the header "payment status".
- (informal) A font, text style, or typesetting used for any of the above.
- Parts of speech belong in a level-three header. Level-two headers are reserved for the name of the language.
- a brick that is laid sideways at the top of a wall or within the brickwork with the short side showing; compare stretcher
- This wall has four header courses.
- a horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
- a machine that cuts the heads off of grain etc
- They fed the bale into the header.
- (soccer) the act of hitting the ball with the head
- His header for the goal followed a perfect corner kick.
2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
- The Black Cats had a mountain to climb after James Morrison's header and Shane Long's neat side-foot finish gave Albion a 2-0 lead five minutes in.
- a headlong fall or jump
- The clown tripped over the other clown and took a header.
- (computing) the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
- The header includes an index, an identifier, and a pointer to the next entry.
- (networking) the first part of a packet, often containing its address and descriptors
- The encapsulation layer adds an eight-byte header and a two-byte trailer to each packet.
- A raised tank that supplies water at constant pressure, especially to a central heating and hot water system
- A pipe which connects several smaller pipes.
- Common practice is to use plastic pipes with iron headers.
- (text used to mark off a quantity of text): head, heading
- (brick that is laid sideways): bonder, coping, cope
- (horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening): lintel
upper portion of a page layout
text used to mark off a quantity of text
brick that is laid sideways
horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening
machine that cuts the heads off of grain
headlong fall or jump
soccer: act of hitting the ball with the head
(computing) the first part of a file or record that describes its contents
|
<urn:uuid:38290a1b-f624-487f-880a-6fa697a973f4>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/header
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396875.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00138-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.832825
| 598
| 3.1875
| 3
|
The lichen collection of the Michigan State University Herbarium (MSC) totals nearly 110,000 accessioned specimens from many regions of the world. Specifically, there are excellent holdings from North America (Eastern seaboard of the US and Canada, Great Lakes region, the Pacific Coast of Canada, and alpine areas of the Rocky Mountains), southern South America, (Falkland Islands, Juan Fernandez Islands, Tierra del Fuego, Isla de los Estados, Brunswick Peninsula, Straights of Magellan), New Zealand (South Island, Campbell Island, Auckland Islands), the Kerguelen Islands, the Caribbean Islands and the Canary Islands. The herbarium also maintains over 10,000 exsiccati specimens, many of which are not otherwise available in North America. This extensive collection was assembled largely through the efforts of Dr. Henry A. Imshaug, the curator of the Cryptogamic Herbarium from 1958-1990, but has never been easily accessible because material from the lichen collection was rarely available on loan, whereas more recently the collection was inactive because it lacked a curator. However, a recent U. S. National Science Foundation (NSF) award (DEB-9808735) has lead to the re-activation of the collection, which is now fully available to researchers.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY HERBARIUM
Dr. Imshaug was hired as Assistant Curator of the cryptogamic collection in 1956, at the same time as Dr. John H. Beaman became Curator of the Michigan State University Herbarium (MSC). Two years later the cryptogamic collections were consolidated into a separate administrative unit and Dr. Imshaug was named Curator of the Cryptogamic Herbarium, with Dr. Beaman continuing as Curator of the Beal-Darlington Herbarium. The Cryptogamic Herbarium held only lichens, non-lichenized fungi and bryophytes whereas all the vascular plants, including the gymnosperms and pteridophytes, were held in the Beal-Darlington Herbarium. At the time of separation the collections were said to comprise about 115,000 specimens of vascular plants and nearly 40,000 lichens, bryophytes and fungi.
In the summer of 1968, the Herbarium moved to its present location in the Plant Biology Building - an area built to permit expansion of the collection - and both herbaria experienced rapid growth. At the time of Dr. Imshaug’s retirement in 1990, the cryptogamic collection was estimared to number over 145,000 fully accessioned specimens, with an additional 200,000 unmounted specimens remaining in separate research collections. The accessioned specimens were superbly curated – only 100% rag paper used, one specimen per herbarium sheet, neatly typed labels that for the Sub-Antarctic collections included a map indicating the location from which the specimen was collected, and all arranged in color-coded folders for geographical area. Unfortunately, the unaccessioned specimens were less well-curated and required a considerable amount of re-organization.
Dr. Imshaug retired in 1990, and in 1993 the Cryptogamic Herbarium was decommissioned as an administrative unit and the collection incorporated back into the main Michigan State University Herbarium. Since then, the MSU Herbarium has undertaken a program to reorganize the lichen collection and to address the many curatorial problems associated with the un-accessioned collections.
The herbarium director at the time of reintegration, Dr. Jose Panero, instigated a program to reorganize the lichen collection: long overdue loans were returned, approximately 60,000 specimens were sent out on exchange or as gifts, and thousands of unfiled, unaccessioned specimens were organized and refiled. Dr. Panero also applied for an NSF Award to install a compactor and hire a collections assistant to complete the re-organization of the lichen collection. Although this proposal was rejected, a revised version was successfully submitted by his successor, Dr. Alan Prather.
The NSF award and cost-sharing from Michigan State University provided funding for the installation of a compactor system in the room housing the lichen collection. This room now holds 195 cabinets, an increase in storage space of over 50%, and has adequate space to accession the backlog of specimens, those obtained via exchange with other institutions, and collections from MSU researchers. Dr. Alan Fryday, a specialist lichenologists, was originally hired on the NSF award to curate the lichen collection but was soon transferred to the permanent herbarium staff as the Assistant Curator. The award provided money for curatorial improvements, including accessioning many of the backlog specimens and re-organizing the collection. The Australasian collections have been separated from the Old World specimens, with which they were previously filed, and the whole collection is now filed, within each genus, by species and then color-coded geographic regions (i.e. N. America, Michigan, Caribbean Islands, Central & South America, Australasia and Old World), rather than by species within geographical region. The final stage in re-organizing the accessioned collections was to update the nomenclature used and refile specimens under their most current name. A recount of the collection was also undertaken, which resulted in a revised estimate of around 110,000 lichen specimens
In 2003, a further NSF Award was made to the herbarium to computerize the label data from the complete lichen collection. This project is now completed, with over 112,000 specimens entered into a searchable on-line specify database. This has allowed us to confirm our earlier estimate of the numbers and geographical distribution of our holding. During the course of this second award we have continued to accession collections, which are identified to at least genus, into the herbarium, thus reducing the backlog and setting aside dupicates for distribution to other herbaria.
A large number of lichen collections remain unaccessioned. These are almost entirely additional collections of Dr. Imshaug and his students, and are stored in cardboard shoe boxes, mostly inside herbarium cabinets. Dr Imshaug and his students prepared pre-printed labels for most of the specimens and these are, in most cases, included in the packets. They also identified a large proportion of these specimens to, at least, genus and wrote the identifications directly on the packets. However, these determinations are in need of revision due to taxonomic and nomenclatural advances made during the intervening years and much work remains to be done before they can be reliably accessioned into the herbarium. The unaccessioned collections number ca. 20,000 specimens and, although it is difficult to determine how many are duplicates, it is anticipated that when these collections have been processed around half (c. 10,000 collections) will be accessioned into MSC and the remainder distributed to other herbaria.
The geographical distribution of the accessioned specimens in the lichen collection of MSC is given in Table 1. Previous lichen collections from many of these areas were often made by botanists who did not specialize in lichenology and, consequently, they collected mainly conspicuous macrolichens and largely overlooked, or ignored, the numerous crustose microlichens, especially those growing on rock. Dr. Imshaug paid due attention to these groups and, in the case of many of the austral and Caribbean localities, the collections in MSC are the most thorough ever made from these area.
By far the largest proportion of specimens accessioned into the collection are from North America, with approximately half of these (c. 27,000 collections) originating from the Great Lakes Region, mainly Michigan and Ontario. These figures have been obtained from the records of the collectors and it is possible that they are an over-estimate because, until the collection is databased, we have no way of checking if all these collections were actually accessioned into MSC. A further c. 18,000 collections are from northwestern North America with important collections from Alaska (c. 1,000), the northwest USA (c. 4,750), and British Columbia (3,250). Eastern North America is less well represented although MSC does hold Brodo’s collections from Long Island (4,020) and Taylor’s from Maine and Nova Scotia (2,505). The collections from the Caribbean Islands were mostly made between 1952 and 1963 and total nearly 15,000 specimens. These include over 3,000 collections from Jamaica, c 2,500 from Puerto Rico (made by Landrón in 1967-68) and over 1,000 from Haiti and The Dominican Republic. There are also significant collections from Cuba, St Lucia, St Vincent, Tobago, Trinidad and Dominica.
The Southern Hemisphere collections are mainly from southern South America or the Australasian Sub-Antarctic Islands. The South American holdings include significant collections from the Juan Fernandez Islands (1,624), the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2,738), the Brunswick Peninsula and the Straights of Magellan in southern Chile (4,013), and Tierra del Fuego (2,193) and Isla de los Estados (Staten Island) (3,554) in southern Argentina. From Australasia there are large collections from South Island, New Zealand (2,319), the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic islands, Campbell Island (2,998) and the Auckland Islands (1,636) as well as Kerguelen Island in the southern Indian Ocean (1,893).
The MSC lichen collection includes specimens from approximately 4000 taxa, but in addition to its overall size, geographical diversity, and comprehensive coverage it also includes an extensive collection of exsiccati, many type specimens and numerous other collections of historical significance. There are over 10,000 specimens among the exsiccati, including about 70 sets - though not all are complete. It is difficult to estimate the number of types in the collection, but over 120 potential types have been located while performing unrelated curatorial duties. Both the exsiccati and type specimens are housed separately from the main body of the collection.
Dr. Imshaug was an extremely careful and thorough worker. He was also a perfectionist who did not publish ‘interim’ results or describe new species on their own. He preferred to tie everything up in one definitive package and, consequently, his published output was low. His prodigious knowledge of lichens, thorough familiarity with the literature, and careful research resulted in his discovering numerous new species, and even genera, among his collections and over 100 of these taxa were given herbarium names under which they were accessioned and filed. He was working towards major lichen floras of the Great Lakes Region and the Sub-Antarctic, the latter, in particular, an extremely optimistic undertaking for one person, and he fully intended to publish these names when his work was completed. Some of the new taxa that he discovered have subsequently been described under different names (e.g. the genus Poeltidea Hertel, the genus and species Labyrintha implexa Malcolm, Elix & Owe-Larsson, and the species Chroodiscus australis Kantvilas & Vezda), while material of others has now been loaned to workers specializing in specific genera (e.g. Lecidea, Placidiopsis, Placopsis, Rinodina).
The value of the collection is demonstrated by the many publications that have been based, at least partly, on MSC specimens in recent years. In addition to use in taxonomic and floristic studies (Fryday 2000a, Guderley 1999, Lindbolm 1997, Messuti, & Archer 1998, Stenroos 1996, Wetmore 1994 & 1996 and Wetmore & Kärnefelt, 1999), new species have been described (Fryday & Common in press, Kantvilas & Vezda 2000, Messuti & Archer 1999), distributions modified (Fryday 2000b & d), and major disjunctions discovered (Ahti 1998, Fryday 2000c). Specimens from MSC have also been distributed as part of an exsiccati (Wetmore 1999).
The Michigan State University Herbarium is actively growing and between 1993-1998 lichens have accounted for 62% of the total number of accessions. During this period, the number of accessioned lichens has increased by over 18 000 and we anticipate that lichens will continue to be accessioned at this, or an even higher, rate as the back-log of collections is processed and additional material is received in return for that sent out on exchange.
After an interlude of 10 years since Dr. Imshaug’s retirement lichenological research and curation is again being pursued at Michigan State University. The first author has been appointed to the permanent position of assistant curator of the herbarium and is actively engaged in curating Dr. Imshaug’s collection. He is also describing new species and working towards checklists/catalogues of the regions visited by Dr. Imshaug and his students.In addition, as a preliminary step towards data-basing the complete lichen collection, supplemental funding has been provided by the NSF to produce an annotated checklist of the Lichens of Michigan. This has recently been accepteded for publication (Fryday et al. in ed.) and is also available, in a different format, on this web-site. The collection of lichen exsiccati is also in the process of being entered into a data-base.
Over the last two years many lichenologists have visited the lichen collection at MSC to conduct specimen based research, many of them courtesy of the NSF award to MSC to re-activate Dr. Imshaug’s collection. MSC also now has an active loans and exchange program. Loans have been made to numerous herbaria and researchers world-wide, and duplicate material distributed to many others. Many of these gifts were of more than 500 specimens and several of over 1,000. As the backlog of material from North and South America, the Caribbean, and Australasia is processed, more material will be distributed as exchange and we welcome exchange material in return that enhances the current geographical foci of the lichen collection. We anticipate, and hope, that the number of loans and visits will increase as lichenologists become aware of the reactivation and availability of Dr. Imshaug’s valuable collections.
|
<urn:uuid:ade134b6-58fa-4b76-bb92-91ef8d7a5c05>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.herbarium.msu.edu/lichen_coll.html
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00134-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.954037
| 3,070
| 2.578125
| 3
|
For the first time ever, psychologists have treated an individual for internet addiction disorder caused by overuse of Google Glass. The patient had been exhibiting withdrawal symptoms when not using the device, and even dreamt he was wearing it.
It's debatable as to whether "internet addiction disorder" (IAD) is indeed a thing. It's not listed in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), but it's listed in the appendix as a condition worthy of further investigation. Some psychologists do recognize it, however, characterizing it as the problematic use of online videogames, computer use, and mobile handheld devices. Individuals with IAD exhibit severe emotional, social, and mental dysfunction in a number of areas of daily activities owing to their overuse of technology and the internet.
The patient, a 31-year old US navy serviceman, had been using the device for no less than 18 hours a day, removing it only to sleep and wash. He complained of feeling irritable and argumentative without it, and began to suffer from involuntary movements, cravings, and memory problems. And in the two months since he bought Glass, he started to experience dreams as if viewed through the device's small grey window.
Perhaps revealingly, the man has a history of depression, social anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder; he may have a psychological proclivity towards addictions and addiction-like behaviors.
And in fact, he was being treated at the Navy's Substance Abuse and Recovery Program (SARP) for alcoholism when psychologists began noticing how frustrated and irritable he would become when not allowed to use Glass (in addition to taking away drugs and alcohol, all electronic devices are confiscated as part of the treatment).
He told the psychologists that he was going through withdrawal from his Google Glass and that it was greater than the alcohol withdrawal he was experiencing. The man used the device to improve his performance at work, where it allowed him to become more efficient at his job of making inventories of convoy vehicles for the Navy.
...exhibited a notable, nearly involuntary movement of the right hand up to his temple area and tapping it with his forefinger [as if in an effort to turn on the device].
In turn, the patient was put on a 35-day treatment course, resulting in a noticeable reduction in irritability, along with a reduction in the hand movements towards his temple. His short-term memory and clarity of thought process also improved, but he did continue to experience the odd dream of him looking through the device.
A True Addiction Disorder?
"There's nothing inherently bad about Google Glass," noted psychologist Andrew Doan in a Guardian article. "It's just that there is very little time between [the rush of using the device]. So for an individual who's looking to escape, for an individual who has underlying mental dysregulation, for people with a predisposition for addiction, technology provides a very convenient way to access these rushes. And the danger with wearable technology is that you're allowed to be almost constantly in the closet, while appearing like you're present in the moment."
Personally, I think a case can be made that this represents a true addiction. What concerns me in particular is the ensuing irritability, impairments to short-term memory, and lack of mental clarity.
But it needs to be said that Glass — like other augmentative or wearable computing devices — does in fact alter our experience in the world and how we engage with our environment and others. What's more, it becomes a kind of extension to the human mind and body. For some would-be cyborgs, including University of Toronto professor Steven Mann, it's like removing a limb.
We therefore need to exercise caution when potentially over-thinking the addictive qualities of things we use and need on a daily basis in order to function in the modern world.
Read the entire scientific study here.
Image: Hattanas Kumchai/Shutterstock.
|
<urn:uuid:8fecfd14-19a1-44f7-a9e6-72e539596450>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://io9.gizmodo.com/apparently-google-glass-addiction-is-now-a-thing-1646548150
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398209.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00198-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.968791
| 812
| 2.59375
| 3
|
Needle-Free Vaccine for Ear Infections Could Also Help Reduce Use of Antibiotics
Source Newsroom: Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science
Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Some types of ear infections may one day be as rare as polio and smallpox thanks to a vaccine that’s being developed by a team of researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The vaccine – which targets the bacteria responsible for nearly one half of all ear infections – won’t be delivered by a needle jab, but absorbed through the skin via a small, dime-sized patch.
“For a child, a non-needle vaccine has obvious benefits, but our research also shows that delivering the therapy through the skin sets off beneficial immune responses we might not see otherwise,” said Laura Novotny, Chief Research Associate at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's.
The team’s latest animal study data, published in Vaccine, shows that when the experimental vaccine is applied to the outer ear, it appears to pack a one-two punch against nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), attacking key parts of the bacteria’s defenses and kick-starting the body’s own immune system to help clear out the infection.
This dual mechanism helps explain earlier animal research conducted by the team that showed the vaccine could be used as a either a preventative or a treatment for ear infections, which are commonly treated with antibiotics. However, NTHI bacteria build biofilms, sticky protective covers that evade antibiotics and allow the bacteria to flourish in the middle ear, nasal passages and lungs to cause repeat infections.
“There are kids that have seven or eight ear infections before their first birthday, and these chronic infections can cause language and developmental delays. To have an option that could help break the reinfection cycle and reduce antibiotic use is significant,” said Novotny who is also the study’s co-author.
The experimental therapeutic appears to target key proteins used by the bacteria to build biofilms and cling to the cells lining the middle ear. The investigators observed the vaccine helped the body mount a local defense that zeroed in on those proteins, and also rallied systemic molecular defense mechanisms that helped further eliminate the infection.
“We think it’s the first time anyone has shown that a topical application of an agent can trigger both a local and systemic immune response against ear infections caused by NTHI,” said Novotny, who received a grant in 2012 to help refine the development of an adhesive patch from the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), an NIH-supported research partnership between The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s.
The vaccine research team, led by Lauren Bakaletz, PhD, Director of the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s, has been collaborating with John Clements, PhD of Tulane University for several years to identify and exploit weaknesses in the NTHI bacterial cell structure to create a vaccine. Bakaletz is considered one of the nation’s foremost experts in the underlying molecular mechanisms of microbial infections of the respiratory tract and microbial biofilms.
“Recent studies indicate that a few of the vaccines that kids currently get may offer some protection, but with more than 700 million ear infections in the US each year, and the growing concern over antibiotic resistance, clearly there are opportunities to develop something better,” said Bakaletz, who is also a professor of Pediatrics and of Otolaryngology at the Ohio State College of Medicine.
Middle ear infections are very common in children under the age of four, and each year, an estimated one billion cases of acute and chronic infections occur worldwide. While ear infections aren’t typically deadly in developed countries, they cause quality of life and economic problems that have lifelong impacts including language and developmental delays. The researchers are hopeful that the simplicity of the patch could make it an ideal candidate for a global vaccination program.
“The patch could be truly impactful in developing countries, where costs for widespread vaccinations can be an issue,” said Novotny. “Syringes and trained medical professionals who can administer a vaccine can be expensive – but the patch could reduce material and resource costs significantly.”
Ultimately, researchers envision creating a vaccine patch similar to the kind placed behind the ear to prevent motion sickness. As a vaccine for children, the patches would be stuck behind both ears or on the back of the neck, and possibly worn for just one day. Novotny says that so far, there have been no side effects seen in animal subjects that have worn the patch.
The team hopes to begin testing the skin patch will be ready for testing in humans in the not too distant future, and to use the insights on NTHI bacteria they’ve observed to help inform other research on biofilms and infectious disease.
# # #
About The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science
Dedicated to turning the scientific discoveries of today into the life-changing health innovations of tomorrow, The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) is a collaboration of experts including scientists and clinicians from six Ohio State Health Science Colleges, Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Funded by a multi-year Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health, OSU CCTS provides financial, organizational and educational support to biomedical researchers as well as opportunities for community members to participate in credible and valuable research. The CCTS is led by Rebecca Jackson, M.D., Director of the CCTS and associate dean of research at Ohio State. For more information, visit http://ccts.osu.edu.
About Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Ranked 7th of only 12 children’s hospitals in U.S.News & World Report’s 2012-13 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” and among the Top 10 on Parents magazine’s 2013 “Best Children’s Hospitals” lists, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare networks providing care for infants, children, adolescents and adult patients with congenital disease. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital faculty train the next generation of pediatricians, scientists and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities in the U.S., supporting basic, clinical, translational and health services research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. In June 2012, the hospital celebrated completion of the largest pediatric expansion project in United States history including the addition of a third research building. All three research buildings include approximately 525,000 square feet dedicated to research. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org/Research.
About the Clinical and Translational Science Awards
Launched in 2006 by the NIH, and currently residing in the National Center for the Advancement of Translational Sciences (NCATS), the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program created academic homes for clinical and translational science at research institutions across the country. The CTSA’s primary goal is to accelerate discoveries towards better human health by speeding up the time it takes for basic science to turn into useable therapeutics and to train the next generation of clinicians and translational researchers.
The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program (grants 8UL1TR000090-05, 8KL2TR000112-05, and 8TL1TR000091-05) The CTSA program is led by the NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). The content of this release is solely the responsibility of the CCTS and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
|
<urn:uuid:bfd5fdf8-db45-4f5d-a906-bf30e7c55214>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.newswise.com/articles/needle-free-vaccine-for-ear-infections-could-also-help-reduce-use-of-antibiotics
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392069.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00074-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.933572
| 1,721
| 3.671875
| 4
|
Kenya is getting ready to spend $1.3 billion on geothermal energy development. While the country has more than 22 years of experience using the Earth’s natural heat to generate technology, this new project is expected to produce 280 megawatts from four separate geothermal generators each capable of pumping out 70 megawatts.
A joint venture between Kenya Electricity Generating Company and engineering firm Sinclair Knight Merz, the construction will require drilling into subterranean hot springs in order to direct steam to turn turbines. This is a bold break away from Kenya’s most plentiful source of electrical power: hydroelectric dams. Less than a quarter of its energy comes from oil-burning plants. Geothermal looks like the next area for rapid expansion, right now accounting for like 9 percent of the country’s power mix.
When it comes to energy development in Kenya, it’s not just a question of where it comes from — it’s also a matter of who it goes to. Right now, only about 10 percent of the nation’s population has electricity in their homes. Given how fast it hopes to grow its economy, Kenya needs to not only generate far more power, it needs to build up the infrastructure necessary to transmit it on a much larger scope.
Perhaps for these reasons, the European Development Bank and the World Bank have stepped up to finance the project. Their support should lower the cost of the power produced for average Kenyans (and help them maintain energy independence), and it should go a long way toward meeting the world community’s energy and emissions reduction goals. The German Development Bank, the African Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency are also chipping in to help the Kenyan government afford the project.
The geothermal facilities in question are expected to be up and running by 2013. While they will be capital intensive, geothermal has proven itself to be up to 90 percent efficient and reliable around the clock in Kenya. With energy consumption expected to jump 10 percent (8,000 megawatts) in the next two decades, this couldn’t be happening at a better time.
|
<urn:uuid:112abb2e-f8b1-490a-aeaf-b02a0fbe0dcc>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://venturebeat.com/2010/02/12/kenya-turns-to-geothermal-with-new-1-3b-international-aid/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397567.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00192-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.919897
| 431
| 3.1875
| 3
|
Mixed in with the swirling cloud of misinformation about global warming is also a bit of blather regarding the onset of a new Ice Age. What the promoters of a new big freeze are talking about is a glacial period, since technically we are still in the midst of an ice age—the Pleistocene. A number of scientists have warned that the planet might be headed for a new period of glacial growth based on Earth's recent history. Over the past half million or so years there has been a series of short (15-20k year) warm period sandwiched between longer (70-100k year) glacial episodes. Make no mistake, global cooling is much worse than global warming, so this really matters to our descendants and the whole human race. Now, a new study in Nature says that we maybe off the hook, glacial wise. Not only that, human activity might be the reason.
On October 14, 2015, Dr Patrick Moore delivered the Global Warming Policy Foundation annual lecture in London. An ecologist and environmentalist for more than 45 years, Moore was one of the founding members and a leader of Greenpeace. After 15 years he left the organization because he felt its mission and message had changed. “Over the years the 'peace' in Greenpeace was gradually lost and my organization, along with much of the environmental movement, drifted into a belief that humans are the enemies of the earth.” Since then, Dr. Moore has been a consistent voice for sanity in ecological matters. In his address he asserts that CO2 is not evil rather it is the currency of life and the most important building block for all life on Earth. Human emissions of carbon dioxide have helped save plant life on our planet. “We are not the enemy of nature but its salvation,” he proclaimed.
A lot has been written about melting ice caps and new mini-ice ages recently. Seems that science can't decide if we are going to drown in rising oceans or starve because summer will be a thing of the past. This leaves the layperson justifiably confused as to who to believe—the climate change alarmists who back rapid global warming or those who warn of a new glacial period. There is little certainty when it comes to science but one thing that can be counted on is our ignorance. Quite simply, scientists cannot predict with any certainty what Earth's climate will do next. If someone tries to tell you different they are lying.
The past week has witnessed the advent of a new climate change offensive by know nothing progressives, led by the triumphantly ignorant U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry. Kerry and his boss, the equally scientifically naive Barrack Obama, have publicly stated that climate change “is a scientific fact” and that the argument is over. This stunning display of politically motivated, willful belief over scientific rigor demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of scientists and the scientific method. Contrary to popular belief, science is seldom sure of anything and scientists often spend years debating ideas that just don't prove to be true in the end. An illustrative example is the Hollow Earth theory, which suggests that within the bowels of our planet are other, habitable worlds awaiting discovery.
Climate alarmists are constantly warning that Earth is going to warm up, driven they say by the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. To bolster their claims they point to the Pliocene, a time 4-5 million years ago, when the planet was 4-8°C hotter and CO2 levels were 400ppm or higher. This is the climate we are heading for, the global warming supporters say—but it that really true? Superficially it seems a plausible assertion, but as it turns out there is much more here than CO2 and temperature. It is not just the average temperature but the distribution of temperature at different latitudes, both over land and sea, that controls the climate. It is the temperature gradient that drives storms and affects weather patterns and it was much different during the Pliocene. Moreover, climate models do not generate a Pliocene like climate when run with higher CO2 levels, which means climate scientists are missing something important about the way Earth's climate system works.
Scientists have long suspected that the orbital cycles of our planet are responsible for the periodic climate variation that causes alternating glacial and interglacial periods. Milankovitch's theory of orbital cycles suggests that summer insolation at high northern latitudes drives the glacial cycles. Moreover, statistical analyses have demonstrated that the glacial cycles are indeed linked to eccentricity, obliquity and precession. Now, researchers have confirmed that a combination of two of the Milankovitch cycles conspire to start and stop ice ages. The 100,000-year eccentricity cycle amplifies the influence of the 23,000-year wobble of Earth's spin axis called precession. The new modeling also suggests that the great accumulation of mass by the North American ice sheet causes the abrupt end of glacial periods. CO2 is involved, but is not determinative, in the evolution of the 100,000-year glacial cycles say the scientists.
Scientists who study climate will tell you that today's warm temperatures and mild conditions are not normal for Earth during the past several million years. Our planet has been in a general cooling trend for 35 million years and in the grip of an Ice Age for the last 1.6 million years. What's more, this Ice Age, known as the Pleistocene, consists of relatively short periods of warmth, called interglacials, separated by much longer periods of bitter cold, referred to as glacials. The recorded history of humankind covers only the later half of the most recent interglacial warming, though our ancient ancestors did leave messages in the form of cave art that date back to much colder times, times when the Ice Age held the world fast in its frozen embrace. Predicting the timing and duration of these periods remains a problem for scientists. Why the glacial periods should last around 100,000 years, as they have for the last million years or so, is called the 100-kyr problem. Now, a group of researchers claim they know the answer.
Instrument data from the last 160 years indicate a general warming trend during that span of time. However, when this period is examined in the light of palaeoclimate reconstructions, the recent warming appears to be a part of more systematic fluctuations. Specifically, it is an expected warming period following the 200-year “Little Ice Age” cold period. Moreover, a new study of the natural variability of past climate, as seen from available proxy information, finds a synthesis between the Milankovitch cycles and Hurst–Kolmogorov (HK) stochastic dynamics—a result that shows multi-scale climate fluctuations cannot be described adequately by classical statistics.
Given the ongoing controversy over global warming the question of whether humans can change Earth's climate is a familiar one. Lost in the fight over anthropogenic global warming is a more subtle and possibly more important question—how has climate changed people. In recent decades, the fossil record of hominin evolution and behavior, though still incomplete, has improved greatly. Triggered by a recent National Research Council (NRC) report, a perspective article in the journal Science poses the question, “did climate change shape human evolution?”
Climate alarmists have been slow to learn that their over-reliance on computer models and unproven theories has harmed their public credibility. In an attempt to counter the richly deserved bad press that climate science has been garnering these days, a number of global warming true believers are trying a different, more fact based approach to scaring the public. One such attempt recently appeared in the journal Science—not as a paper describing original research but as a perspective article. In it, a Senior Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, in Boulder, Colorado, attempts to “weave together” some carefully selected “threads in the discussion of climate” to arrive at a very familiar and unconvincing conclusion.
Much has be written and even more said about stopping climate change. The total foolishness of such a quest is obvious to anyone with even the most cursory understanding of Earth's climate over the Past 65 million years. The more science learns about the ever changing nature of climate the more capricious nature appears and the less significant the labors of H. sapiens are revealed to be. To place the ludicrous arguments and unsubstantiated fears of climate catastrophists in perspective, it is instructive to survey Earth's climate since the demise of the dinosaurs—the geological time period called the Cenozoic Era. During this long span of time, Earth's climate has undergone a significant and complex evolution. If one truth has been discovered by human science it is that Earth's climate is always changing, driven, as one set of researchers put it, by trends, rhythms and aberrations—the mechanisms of climate change.
A new paper, penned by a group of known warmist scare mongers, claims to have proof that CO2 is the control knob that regulates Earth’s temperature. Andrew A. Lacis, Gavin A. Schmidt, David Rind, and Reto A. Ruedy, all from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, are boasting they have experimental proof that “carbon dioxide is the single most important climate-relevant greenhouse gas in Earth’s atmosphere.” Even though this climate alarmist cabal admits that H2O, in the form of water vapor and clouds, accounts for 75% of greenhouse warming, they still claim that that CO2 is king. Why? Because water's contributions are supposedly caused by feedbacks involving carbon dioxide. How have they proven that? By fiddling around with the same biased computer climate models that their other fictitious claims are based on.
Around 3 million years ago, Earth's climate started growing colder. Glaciers began forming in high northern latitudes, while surface waters cooled in parts of the equatorial Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At the same time, climate sensitivity to variation in the tilt of Earth's axis—called obliquity—increased substantially. Since that time, changes in sunlight associated with obliquity have caused variation in global ice volume and equatorial sea surface temperatures (SST). Inexplicably, variations at the equator occurred a few thousand years before those in high latitudes and thus could not have been a direct consequence of the waxing and waning of glaciers. Two new papers in the June 18, 2010, issue of Science attempt to explain the true causes of climate change.
Since the Mid-Brunhes Event, around 430,000 years ago, interglacial periods have grown warmer and their CO2 levels higher. Research confirms that Croll and Milankovitch were right: Earth's orbital cycles seem to be the cause of these documented cases of true global warming, with CO2 playing a supporting role, not the lead. Many of the catastrophic events warned of by climate change alarmists turn out to be well within the range of natural variation. Moreover, new findings indicate that the effects of the cycle induced changes, through their impact on the environment in the Southern Hemisphere, are not correctly accounted for in the IPCC models.
The debate over anthropogenic global warming—a theory propounded by the UN IPCC—is often portrayed as an argument between deniers and true believers. The deniers supposedly claim that there is no global warming, man made or otherwise, and that the whole theory is a plot by left-wing agitators and closet socialists bent on world domination. The true believers, conversely, accept every claim of pending future disaster uttered by scientists and activists alike. As with most controversies both extreme positions are wrong and the truth lies somewhere in-between. As a scientist, I have studied the evidence and find the case for imminent, dangerous, human caused global warming unconvincing—here is why I am an AGW skeptic.
|
<urn:uuid:955ccac3-2ffa-4817-b096-ccd652f25da0>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://theresilientearth.com/?q=category/blog-tags/milankovitch
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398516.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00111-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.951944
| 2,470
| 2.78125
| 3
|
Home > Wright brothers & flight before they made history...
Show image list »
Wright brothers & flight before they made history...
Item # 577646
February 22, 1902
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, February 22, 1902
* Wright brothers & flight before they made history
* Pre Kitty Hawk North Carolina
Almost never have we seen any national attention given to the Wright brothers before their historic flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in December of 1903. Indeed, half of the newspapers we have had from that historic month never reported the flight that changed the world.
Here is a rare article titled "Some Aeronautical Experiments" in this respected national science periodical which begins:
"Mr. Wilbur Wright, of Dayton, Ohio, recently read a most interesting paper before the Western Society of Engineers, entitled 'Some Aeronautical Experiments', and the paper was afterward published in the Journal of the Society...we are enabled to present a series of engravings illustrating the article. Mr. Wright's attention was drawn to the study of aeronautical problems a number of years ago..." with much more (see photos).
Equally as intriguing is that this article contains 5 photos of the Wright brothers' early flying machines. A very rare opportunity for a nice items on the Wright brothers before their names would be marked in history forever.
Complete in 16 pages, little close cut at the margin, but otherwise in good condition.
Category: The 20th Century
|
<urn:uuid:ba28f18e-cb03-47a6-83c7-ff5c1ba1e6ed>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/577646
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402516.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00005-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.933896
| 304
| 3.40625
| 3
|
The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, Vol. I., ed. by J. Williams Ab Ithel, , at sacred-texts.com
Question. What material did God use in the formation of the world, namely, the heaven and the earth, and other things known and conceived?
Answer. The manred, that is, the smallest of all the small, so that a smaller could not be, which flowed 3 in one sea through all the Ceugant--God being its life, and pervading each atom, and God moving in it, and changing the condition of the manred, without undergoing a change in
p. 262 p. 263
[paragraph continues] Himself. For life is unchangeable in all its motions, but the condition of that which is moved is not one and the same. Therefore, because God is in every motion, (ymmod,) one of God's Names is MODUR, 1 and the condition that is moved is called Moduransawdd. 2
261:3 p. 260This explains the component rhed, which occurs in the word "manred;"--q. d. the flowing particles.
263:1 p. 262 "The Mover."
263:2 "The condition of the Mover."
|
<urn:uuid:87a07f60-29f2-4651-a4d3-49391aa6bec2>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/bim1/bim1107.htm
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393093.59/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00057-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.931136
| 266
| 2.546875
| 3
|
Churchill, a residential suburb, is 3 km south-west of central Ipswich. Its western and eastern boundaries are the Bremer River and Deebing Creek, and its main thoroughfare is the Warwick Road from Ipswich. The suburb was named after the county of Churchill (1845).
Churchill's proximity to the Bremer River made it suitable for a livestock saleyards (later the site of Ipswich's first agricultural show) and a soap and candle works (c1870) in Lobb Street, near Perry Street. The Ipswich to Harrisville railway line (1882) ran roughly parallel to Lobb Street, near which an abattoir operated. A post office was opened in 1892 and a State primary school in 1923.
Several houses in Churchill are early twentieth century and of the later war period. A primary school was opened in 1923 in Warwick Road. Opposite the school is Lobley Park, which has a war memorial recording the death of J.A. Lobley in World War I. A golf course lies along the Deebing creek in the north of Churchill.
In addition to the Bremer River on its west, Churchill’s eastern boundary is the Deebing Creek. Both can flood, and in 2011 their waters covered stream-side open spaces and invaded industrial land and some houses.
Churchill's census populations have been:
|
<urn:uuid:8fc4a7cc-8ed6-4e2d-ba70-8340ea03f659>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://queenslandplaces.com.au/churchill
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00135-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.960893
| 283
| 2.5625
| 3
|
It may seem that the age of the supercomputer a la Cray-1 has long passed. But that’s not entirely true–we just don’t hear about them as often. For example, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are visualizing supernova, protein structures, and other complex phenomena using supercomputers.
The scientists there are using a technique called software-based parallel volume rendering, which interprets the billions of data points collected from MRIs, X-rays, or research simulations. They’re also working on equations that could search for sudden density changes–for example, separating bone from muscle data–in order to generate complex visualizations.
Using parallel computing, such as with Argonne’s Blue Gene/P supercomputer, scientists can create images using the computer’s 160,000 cores. (Try that on a Core i7.) The above image is a rendering of a supernova–specifically, the mechanisms behind a star’s violent collapse, with different colors and transparencies depicting different values of entropy. (Image credit: ANL)
|
<urn:uuid:c6dbaf8a-b2e2-4d1e-bc8f-b3b2b95bfb31>
|
CC-MAIN-2016-26
|
http://www.geek.com/geek-cetera/scientists-employing-supercomputers-for-complex-visuals-1365805/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396875.58/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00079-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.879058
| 238
| 4.15625
| 4
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.