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Doctors Take Virtual Reality Tours Inside Patients
Virtual reality 3D CT is not new, says Geoffrey D. Rubin, MD, associate professor of radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. At a previous meeting, they "did a fly through of the sinus. I think that we continue to see a lot of 'gee whiz' images but the real perspective on this work is that it is now five years since we first saw the technology. So, are we making great leaps? Is it improving treatment?"
Rubin says that he has not yet seen evidence of that much anticipated improvement. He cautions against "every year reinventing the wheel." The goal, he says, is to advance treatment. Rubin says the area where the "breakthrough with 3D CT may come is virtual colonoscopy." He says that doctors who do colonoscopy -- in which a scope is inserted into the colon as a screening test for colon cancer -- seem to be those most interested in the technology.
"I think the reason for that is that we can do so much more with 3D CT than one can do with traditional colonoscopy. We can straighten out the colon" which gives the specialists novel perspectives, he says. Additionally, using virtual colonoscopy eliminates the need for sedation and thus may make the procedure more acceptable to patients.
Penrod and Johnson agree that patients may drive acceptance of "virtual reality" imaging because the noninvasive nature is appealing to many patients.
Currently, Johnson says the inner ear program is being used mainly as an educational tool. He says, however, that he is planning a large-scale study to compare the accuracy of the program with more traditional techniques.
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They are used by thousands of smokers who are either looking to kick the habit or just for a healthier alternative.
But new research has found electronic cigarettes don't in fact help quit smoking and they still posed a potentially serious health risk because they contained nicotine.
The report warns the gadgets, sometimes known as e-cigarettes, should not be used by young people as it still delivered nicotine to the body and could lead to them taking up real cigarettes.
The Italian Health Ministry issued the warning in a report today described the e-cigarette as 'less toxic' but warned it was not 'totally innocuous'.You'll note that author James Rush uses the words "research" and "report", yes? ABC news went further and mentioned a "study". Because it's very scientific, so it is ... or that's what someone wants you to believe, anyway.
You see, via Steve Vape, it turns out that the study to back up the Italian Ministry's report can't be found.
In order to verify the accuracy of the report issued by the Italian Ministry of Health and determine which scientific methods were used to form the study's conclusion, this writer was unable to find any information on their website in either English or Italian. If anyone has the actual link to the report, please leave it in the comment section.One person who did leave a comment was Riccardo Polosa, Chief Scientific Advisor to LIAF (Lega Italiana AntiFumo).
The report was commissioned end of September 2012 by the Ministry of Health. I doubt they have conducted (or commissioned) a study in such a short period of time…. It is more likely to be antismoking (antiecig) activists propaganda in response to the very positive Xmas sales of electronic cigarettes in Italy. The report is likely to be a collection of opinions rather than a proper study of adequate scientific quality.
LIAF have posted a formal request to the ISS to review the content and scientific accuracy of the report as there is no trace of such a document in their website!Now, we've all heard of 'science by press release' whereby claims are highlighted to the media which bear little resemblance to the study in question, but at least there is usually a study to speak of.
In this case, the Mail and other news outlets have written a pile of tosh based on what appear to be merely ill-informed - or, perhaps more accurately, policy-convenient - government opinions posing as deep scientific probing.
Still, it might keep a few thousand people smoking and lead to more healthy pharmaceutical nicotine replacement therapy sales in the future, eh?
Trebles all round.
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The paintings and rock sculptures in the Ajanta caves, a Buddhist monastic complex in the Maharashta state of India, are a testimony to the golden age of Buddhism in India and a unique artistic achievement.
The Ajanta caves are located in the western Indian state of Maharashta, cut into the cliff face above the spot where the river Waghora draws a harmonious half-moon through lush vegetation. Discovered by English officers during a tiger hunt in 1819, the caves are in such a remote spot (the nearest towns are Jalgaon and Bhusawal, 60 and 70 kms away respectively) that it was only in 1983 that they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The English officers named the caves after the nearby village of Ajinṭhā.
Some sixty miles away the caves have a sister site – the Ellora caves – which house 34 rock-cut Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples. However the Ajanta caves predate those at Ellora by 600 years, and are a testimony to the golden age of Buddhism in India. Chiselled out of the living rock over a period that runs from the turn of the II century BC to the V or VI century AD, these artificial caves open up onto the cavea of an immense natural theatre created by the horseshoe bend in the Waghora River. Access to the caves was originally via ladders or steep staicases cut into the cliff which led up from the river to the cave openings. Today, they can be easily reached via a walkway that runs across the cliff face.
There are twenty-nine caves, the majority of which were Viharas, (Buddhist monastery halls of residence) with five Chaitya-grihas (stupa halls) containing Buddhist shrines, an ideal place for meditation in silence and semi-darkness. The Viharas, usually rectangular in shape, were used for prayer and daily living, with small cubical sleeping cells for the monks cut into the walls and a shrine at the far end housing a statue of the Buddha carved into the rock. At the centre of the viharas, lines of columns formed a perimeter around a square, creating a cloister effect At one time these halls of residence were occupied by as many as 200 monks and artisans.
The entire site is a single sanctuary dedicated to Buddha and all his majesty is celebrated in the massive columns, the Majestic naves and also the numerous votive reliefs and ornaments. The most splendid feature is the painting cycles and sculpted reliefs which completely cover the caves’ walls and vaults. There is an equilibrium between bright colours and soft lines, sensual images of lovers and images of impeturbable sages.
The paintings had a didactic function, imparting to the community the teachings of Buddha and his experiences during his various reincarnations (as recounted in the jataka – the stories of the lives of Buddha). Devotees were supposed to walk through the cave and ‘read the paintings’, which were used as a medium of communicating Buddha’s teachings about ‘life through successive rebirth’. According to one of the inscriptions in Cave 17, the whole complex of sculptures and wall paintings were designed to “cause the attainment of well-being by good people as long as the sun dispels darkness by its rays”. Neverheless, the definition of “good people” was not limited to devoted ascetics and these halls of meditation could also be frequented by aristocrats who had embraced Buddhism.
The Ajanta wall paintings are famous for their masterful line-work, the use of natural pigments, the artistry achieved with only primitive tools, the sensual forms, and the harmony of the overall composition. The end result, we must remember, would have been viewed in semi-darkness with perhaps just some weak oil lamps to help make out the figures. These masterpieces at Ajanta were executed more or less in two phases. An initial phase is made up primarily of the fragments in caves 9 & 10, from the second century B.C.
The second phase of paintings started around V and VI centuries A.D. and continued for the next two centuries. There appear to have been a multitude of artists at work and both the style and quality are varied. It is in this second phase that we find the depictions of the jataka – the stories that recount the lives of Buddha. Renowned worldwide for their exquisite beauty, the various Bodhisattvas depicted in Cave 1 include Vajrapani (protector and guide, a symbol of Buddha’s power), Manjusri (manifestation of Buddha’s wisdom) and Avalokitesvara (symbol of Buddha’s compassion). The ceiling decoration invariably consists of decorative patterns, geometrical as well as floral.
The craftsmen’s unquestionable mastery of brush technique along with their apparent familiarity with wealthy or noble subject matter led experts like Walter M Spink – Professor Emeritus, History of Art, at the University of Michigan and a world authority on the Buddhist rock cut caves at Ajanta – to suppose that these talented painters may have ‘painted in palaces and temples, hence the great familiarity that the artists show with the details of a wealthy court.’
The highly accurate pictorial technique used in Ajanta and the method of execution makes these wall paintings unique in the world. For many years these pictures were called frescoes, but this is an erroneous term in this case, and they are now referred to as murales, due to the fact that they were painted on a dry surface.
A layer of clay was mixed with cow dung and powdered rice hunk and, it has been suggested, also urine. This was first applied to the chipped rock surface. When it dried, a second coat of lime plaster was applied with a trowel. The lines of the image were then drawn in pink, brown or black, and the colours filled in with big brushes, made from the hair of squirrel tails. These colours were made from pebbles and vegetables found on the nearby hillside which were crushed and ground and then mixed with glue.
The main colours used were red ochre, yellow ochre, brown ochre, lamp black, white and lapis lazuli which was imported from Northern India, central Asia and Persia. The green was made by mixing this lapis lazuli with Indian yellow ochre. In the pictorial cycles, all the characters are bright and multi-coloured but are never repeated, a fundamental concept in Indian art. Ceilings, walls and pilasters are all covered with overlapping figures, brought to life by the artists with strong and contrasting colours.
The paintings are meant to transmit a rythmic equilibrium indicating the harmony of a society in which the smallest gestures and desires have a specific place in a vision of the world that is much larger and devoid of disquiet. These wonderful murales, miraculously still intact thanks to the many centuries during which the caves remained undiscovered, are the only surviving examples of Indian art of ancient Buddhist India. The majority of these murales are over 1,500 years old. It is extraordinary to think that ten centuries before the European Renaissance, these anonymous artists already knew the principles of perspective depth and realism in their art. The expressions and the emotions captured on the faces of the characters are amazingly real and modern.
Ludovico Pisani is an archaeologist currently studying at the University of Rome. He has worked on a variety of archaeological digs: that of Lucus Feroniae (Capena), Tor Vergata (Rome), Pyrgi (Santa Severa) and Gabii (Rome). He has also worked with the State Department of Archaeology in southern Etruria and Rome. He is currently working with the Vatican Museum.
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Piezoelectricity is the ability of some materials (notably crystals and certain ceramics) to generate an electric potential in response to applied mechanical stress. This may take the form of a separation of electric charge across the crystal lattice. If the material is not short-circuited, the applied charge induces a voltage across the material. The word is derived from the Greek piezein, which means to squeeze or press.
The piezoelectric effect is reversible in that materials exhibiting the direct piezoelectric effect (the production of electricity when stress is applied) also exhibit the converse piezoelectric effect (the production of stress and/or strain when an electric field is applied). For example, lead zirconate titanate crystals will exhibit a maximum shape change of about 0.1 percent of the original dimension. The effect finds useful applications, such as the production and detection of sound, generation of high voltages, electronic frequency generation, microbalances, and ultra fine focusing of optical assemblies.
The pyroelectric effect, where a material generates an electric potential in response to a temperature change, was studied by Carolus Linnaeus and Franz Aepinus in the mid-eighteenth century. Drawing on this knowledge, both René Just Haüy and Antoine César Becquerel posited a relationship between mechanical stress and electric charge; however, experiments by both proved inconclusive.
The first demonstration of the direct piezoelectric effect was in 1880, by the brothers Pierre Curie and Jacques Curie. They combined their knowledge of pyroelectricity with their understanding of the underlying crystal structures that gave rise to pyroelectricity to predict crystal behavior, and demonstrated the effect using crystals of tourmaline, quartz, topaz, cane sugar, and Rochelle salt (sodium potassium tartrate tetrahydrate). Quartz and Rochelle salt exhibited the most piezoelectricity.
The Curies, however, did not predict the converse piezoelectric effect. The converse effect was mathematically deduced from fundamental thermodynamic principles by Gabriel Lippmann in 1881. The Curies immediately confirmed the existence of the converse effect, and went on to obtain quantitative proof of the complete reversibility of electro-elasto-mechanical deformations in piezoelectric crystals.
For the next few decades, piezoelectricity remained something of a laboratory curiosity. More work was done to explore and define the crystal structures that exhibited piezoelectricity. This culminated in 1910, with the publication of Woldemar Voigt's Lehrbuch der Kristallphysik (textbook on crystal physics), which described the 20 natural crystal classes capable of piezoelectricity, and rigorously defined the piezoelectric constants using tensor analysis.
The first practical application for piezoelectric devices was sonar, first developed during World War I. In France in 1917, Paul Langevin and his coworkers developed an ultrasonic submarine detector. The detector consisted of a transducer, made of thin quartz crystals carefully glued between two steel plates, and a hydrophone to detect the returned echo. By emitting a high-frequency chirp from the transducer, and measuring the amount of time it takes to hear an echo from the sound waves bouncing off an object, one can calculate the distance to that object.
The use of piezoelectricity in sonar, and the success of that project, created intense development interest in piezoelectric devices. Over the next few decades, new piezoelectric materials and new applications for those materials were explored and developed.
Piezoelectric devices found homes in many fields. Ceramic phonograph cartridges simplified player design, were cheap and accurate, and made record players cheaper to maintain and easier to build. The development of the ultrasonic transducer allowed for easy measurement of viscosity and elasticity in fluids and solids, resulting in huge advances in materials research. Ultrasonic time-domain reflectometers (which send an ultrasonic pulse through a material and measure reflections from discontinuities) could find flaws inside cast metal and stone objects, improving structural safety.
During World War II, independent research groups in the United States, Russia, and Japan discovered a new class of human-made materials, called ferroelectrics, which exhibited piezoelectric constants many times higher than natural materials. This led to intense research to develop barium titanate and later lead zirconate titanate materials with specific properties for particular applications.
Development of piezoelectric devices and materials in the United States was kept within the companies doing the development, mostly due to the wartime beginnings of the field, and in the interests of securing profitable patents. New materials were the first to be developed—quartz crystals were the first commercially exploited piezoelectric material, but scientists searched for higher-performance materials. Despite the advances in materials and the maturation of manufacturing processes, the United States market had not grown as quickly. Without many new applications, the growth of the United States' piezoelectric industry suffered.
In contrast, Japanese manufacturers shared their information, quickly overcoming technical and manufacturing challenges and creating new markets. Japanese efforts in materials research created piezoceramic materials competitive to the U.S. materials, but free of expensive patent restrictions. Major Japanese piezoelectric developments include new designs of piezoceramic filters, used in radios and televisions, piezo buzzers and audio transducers that could be connected directly into electronic circuits, and the piezoelectric igniter which generates sparks for small engine ignition systems (and gas-grill lighters) by compressing a ceramic disc. Ultrasonic transducers that could transmit sound waves through air had existed for quite some time, but first saw major commercial use in early television remote controls. These transducers now are mounted on several car models as an echolocation device, helping the driver determine the distance from the rear of the car to any objects that may be in its path.
Many materials, both natural and man-made, exhibit the piezoelectric effect. These materials include:
Piezoelectric crystals are now used in numerous ways:
Direct piezoelectricity of some substances like quartz, as mentioned above, can generate potential differences of thousands of volts.
The principle of operation of a piezoelectric sensor is that a physical dimension, transformed into a force, acts on two opposing faces of the sensing element. Depending on the design of a sensor, different "modes" to load the piezoelectric element can be used: Longitudinal, transversal and shear.
Detection of pressure variations in the form of sound is the most common sensor application, for example, piezoelectric microphones (sound waves bend the piezoelectric material, creating a changing voltage) and piezoelectric pickups for electrically amplified guitars. A piezo sensor attached to the body of an instrument is known as a contact microphone.
Piezoelectric sensors especially are used with high frequency sound in ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging and also industrial nondestructive testing (NDT).
For many sensing techniques, the sensor can act as both a sensor and an actuator—often the term transducer is preferred when the device acts in this dual capacity, but most piezo devices have this property of reversibility whether it is used or not. Ultrasonic transducers, for example, can inject ultrasound waves into the body, receive the returned wave, and convert it to an electrical signal (a voltage). Most medical ultrasound transducers are piezoelectric.
In addition to those mentioned above, various sensor applications include:
As very high voltages correspond to only tiny changes in the width of the crystal, this width can be changed with better-than-micrometer precision, making piezo crystals the most important tool for positioning objects with extreme accuracy—thus their use in actuators.
The piezoelectrical properties of quartz are useful as standard of frequency.
Types of piezoelectric motor include the well-known traveling-wave motor used for auto-focus in reflex cameras, inchworm motors for linear motion, and rectangular four-quadrant motors with high power density (2.5 watt/cm³) and speed ranging from 10 nm/s to 800 mm/s. All these motors work on the same principle. Driven by dual orthogonal vibration modes with a phase shift of 90°, the contact point between two surfaces vibrates in an elliptical path, producing a frictional force between the surfaces. Usually, one surface is fixed causing the other to move. In most piezoelectric motors the piezoelectric crystal is excited by a sine wave signal at the resonant frequency of the motor. Using the resonance effect, a much lower voltage can be used to produce a high vibration amplitude.
The TU Darmstadt in Germany researches ways to reduce and stop vibrations by attaching piezo elements. When the material is bent by a vibration in one direction, the system observes the bend and sends electric power to the piezo element to bend in the other direction.
Such an experiment was shown at the Material Vision Fair in Frankfurt in November 2005. Several panels were hit with a rubber mallet, and the panel with the piezo element immediately stopped swinging.
The research team sees future applications in cars and houses to reduce noise.
Of the thirty-two crystal classes, twenty-one are non-centrosymmetric (not having a centre of symmetry), and of these, twenty exhibit direct piezoelectricity (the 21st is the cubic class 432). Ten of these are polar (such as spontaneously polarize), having a dipole in their unit cell, and exhibit pyroelectricity. If this dipole can be reversed by the application of an electric field, the material is said to be ferroelectric.
In a piezoelectric crystal, the positive and negative electrical charges are separated, but symmetrically distributed, so that the crystal overall is electrically neutral. Each of these sites forms an electric dipole and dipoles near each other tend to be aligned in regions called Weiss domains. The domains are usually randomly oriented, but can be aligned during poling (not the same as magnetic poling), a process by which a strong electric field is applied across the material, usually at elevated temperatures.
When a mechanical stress is applied, this symmetry is disturbed, and the charge asymmetry generates a voltage across the material. For example, a 1 cm cube of quartz with 500 lbf (2 kN) of correctly applied force upon it, can produce a voltage of 12,500 V.
Piezoelectric materials also show the opposite effect, called converse piezoelectric effect, where the application of an electrical field creates mechanical deformation in the crystal.
Piezoelectricity is the combined effect of the electrical behavior of the material:
Where D is the electric displacement, is permittivity and E is electric field strength, and Hooke's Law:
Where S is strain, s is compliance and T is stress.
These may be combined into so-called coupled equations, of which the strain-charge form is:
where d represents the piezoelectric constants, and the superscript E indicates a zero, or constant, electric field; the superscript T indicates a zero, or constant, stress field; and the subscript t stands for transposition of a matrix.
The strain-charge for a material of the 6mm crystal class (such as a poled piezoelectric ceramic, for example, PZT) may also be written as:
Although the above equations are the most used form in literature, some comments about the notation are necessary. Generally D and E are vectors, that is, Cartesian tensor of rank-1; and permittivity is Cartesian tensor of rank-2. Strain and stress are, in principle, also rank-2 tensors. But conventionally, because strain and stress are all symmetric tensors, the substript of strain and stress can be re-labeled in the following fashion: ; ; ; ; ; . (Different convention may be used by different authors in literature. Say, some use ; ; instead.) That is why S and T appear to have the "vector form" of 6 components. Consequently, s appears to be a 6 by 6 matrix instead of rank-4 tensor. Such a re-labeled nonation is often called Voigt notation.
All links retrieved May 1, 2015.
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
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smem is an open source application that can be used to find out which processes or users are using the physical memory. It gives numerous reports on memory usage on Linux systems. Unlike existing tools, smem can report proportional set size (PSS), which is a more meaningful representation of the amount of memory used by libraries and applications in a virtual memory system.
Because large portions of physical memory are typically shared among multiple applications, the standard measure of memory usage known as resident set size (RSS) will significantly overestimate memory usage. PSS instead measures each application’s “fair share” of each shared area to give a realistic measure.
– system overview listing
– listings by process, mapping, user
– filtering by process, mapping, or user
– configurable columns from multiple data sources
– configurable output units and percentages
– configurable headers and totals
– reading live data from /proc
– reading data snapshots from directory mirrors or compressed tarballs
– lightweight capture tool for embedded systems
– built-in chart generation
Install Smem On Debian/Ubuntu/Linux Mint
Smem can be installed in a Linux systems that meets the following requirements.
– Kernel version greater than 2.6.27.
– Python 2.4 or higher.
– the matplotlib library for chart generation (optional, auto-detected).
You can install Smem on Debian and its derivatives using the following command:
$ sudo apt-get install smem
The above command will install Smem along all required dependencies.
Here are some Smem usage examples.
Smem reports physical memory usage, taking shared memory pages into account. Unshared memory is reported as the USS (Unique Set Size). Shared memory is divided evenly among the processes sharing that memory. The unshared memory (USS) plus a process’s proportion of shared memory is reported as the PSS (Proportional Set Size). The USS and PSS only include physical memory usage. They do not include memory that has been swapped out to disk. Memory can be reported by process, by user, by mapping, or systemwide. Both text mode and graphical output are available.
Let us see what it will give when we run the following smem command without any options in Terminal:
As you see in the above screenshot, the Smem command is displaying the complete Physical memory usage used by each process and by user respectively.
Let us see more examples of smem usage with some options.
To view the system wide memory usage, use the flag -w.
$ smem -w
Area Used Cache Noncache firmware/hardware 0 0 0 kernel image 0 0 0 kernel dynamic memory 406376 -308904 715280 userspace memory 1541180 655556 885624 free memory 95076 95076 0
To view the memory usage by each user, use parameter -u.
$ smem -u
User Count Swap USS PSS RSS sk 46 132772 812852 820534 875004
To view the memory usage by mapping, enter the following command:
$ smem -m
To know more about Smem use man pages.
$ man smem
Or simply use the -h flag with smem command:
$ smem -h
It’s also possible to display the the bar and pie graphs of memory usage. To view the bar graph, use the following command:
$ smem --bar pid -c "pss uss"
To view the pie graph, use the following command:
$ smem --pie name -s rss
Smem seems to be a promising tool that can be used to inspect the usage of our physical memory. Also it’s very easy to use and it has lot of options to get more useful information about the RAM usage.
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The effects of video games:
An index to evidence-based articles on Parenting Science
© 2010 - 2014, Gwen Dewar, all rights reserved
What are the effects of video games?
Video games are highly
interactive and adaptive, and often induce a sense of psychological
"flow" in players -- that sense of effortless concentration that makes
Such features make for compelling entertainment, and
promising educational applications. But they might also lead some
players to spend too much time on the couch. And there is
also the worry that the content of certain video games--particularly
those with violent themes--might have a negative effect on behavior.
But what's proven, what's conjecture, and what's hype?
these pages, I review studies concerning the possible effects of video
games--good and bad. Currently, these articles include the following:
The possible benefits of video games
Educational video games is a look at the very limited research addressing the use of video games as tutorials and instructional drills. In this article, I also provide a list of links to free online games designed by educational organizations.
"Playing helper and hero" considers an interesting experiment designed to test whether role-playing simulation games make people more willing to take risks and help people in trouble.
The possible negative effects of gaming
"The effects of video games on school achievement" discusses links between game-playing and poor academic performance in school. As I note in this article, there's no reason to think that gaming is intrinsically harmful. Rather, it appears that games displace time spent on homework and studying.
"The effects of violent video games" explores the controversy about violent content: Does it contribute to aggressive behavior or anti-social attitudes? The evidence is mixed, and the case against violent games may be overblown. But intriguing experiments suggest that games do have an immediate, unpleasant impact on our attitudes.
In addition, I've written about the mixed effects that video games may have on children's attention skills:
The effects of video games: Other resources
Psychologist Craig A. Anderson has spent many years studying the effects of video games. His academic
includes links to a variety of articles, reports, and interviews on the subject.
Anderson's colleague, Douglas A. Gentile, has created an
excellent public website
devoted to his research on the effects of the media--including video games--on behavior.
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CG-16 Leahy class
Modern US Navy Guided Missile Cruisers perform primarily in a Battle Force role. These ships are multi-mission (AAW, ASW, ASUW) surface combatants capable of supporting carrier or battleship battle groups, amphibious forces, or of operating independently and as flagships of surface action groups. Due to their extensive combat capability, these ships have been designated as Battle Force Capable (BFC) units.
These futuristic-looking U.S. cruisers were the first double-ended guided-missile launching surface ships in the U.S. Navy. They originated at the suggestion of Admiral Sanders, Chairman of the Long-Range Shipbuilding and Conversion Committee. Ships Characteristics Board Project Number 172 was promulgated as requiring a double-ended missile frigate. Two designs were considered: one based on a hull like the Norfolk (DL 1) and the other on a long forecastle-deck ship. In the interests of costs, seakeeping, and stability, the long forecastle-deck design was chosen.
One of the principal missions of these ships, like their predecessors, the Farragut Class (DLG 6), was to form part of the anti-air and antisubmarine screen for carrier task forces. They were expected to be able to control aircraft from the carrier, vectoring them to their assigned targets. With no 5-inch gun aboard, two 3-inch/50 twin mounts were the only gun battery. The gun aspects were sacrificed to achieve a higher number of SAM's. These ships carried two Terrier missile launchers, one forward and one aft. There were some early problems with the Terrier missiles that were very complex with 100 vacuum tubes and 1,000 resistors, all of which had to function under wildly varying conditions of shock, humidity, temperature, and pressure. The missile weighed over a ton and achieved supersonic speed within three seconds. After launch, the missile was captured by a radar beam and handed off to a guidance beam which the Terrier missile rode to its target. One commanding officer of Leahy commented on the missile control radars, "two of the four were installed were usually spare parts lockers for the two years that I was aboard.
The spartan antisubmarine weapons system featured the Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes and an ASROC launcher with no reloads for either. The ASROC required the AN/SQS-23 sonar system, which was mounted in a bow dome.
The endurance in these ships was increased, which was one of the major reasons for the growth in length over the DLG 6 Class. During a high-speed deployment of a carrier task force, the Leahy retained a higher percentage of her total fuel than did the heavy cruiser Boston (CAG 1). Although the steam propulsion plant of the DLG 6 was retained, the electrical plant experienced major growth because of the increases in the power requirements from the missile launchers and their requisite electronics.
These ships introduced the "Mack" (combined stack and mast) on which the new radars could be mounted without smoke interference. To provide a measure of ballistic protection and notch-tough steel, the sheer strake and outer deck strake on the 01 Level were constructed of HY 80 while the hull itself was HTS.
These vessels were equipped with a knuckled hull forward to protect the forward Terrier launcher from green seas washing aboard. They were excellent sea boats. The knuckle forward allows a very hollow, flared forefoot area without excessive beam at the weather deck. It is a common feature of 20th century cruisers and appears to have originated with the British Kent or County class in 1928.
The Leahy class were the first close escorts of the Midway (CVA 41) and Forrestal (CVA 59) carriers. Compared to the earlier Farragut class, the increased endurance improved their ability to stay with these carriers and provide the air and submarine defenses that these ships required. This increased capability also was reflected in the fact that the Leahy's and following DLG/DLGN were assigned captains (O-6) as commanding officers (following cruiser practice) instead of commanders (O-5) as the Farragut's had.
The Leahy-class Guided Missile Destroyer Leader [DLG], as with other similar ships were reclassified as Guide Missile Cruisers [CG] on 30 June 1975. The class was given an AAW upgrade during the late-1960's and early 1970's, with Terrier launchers modified to fire Terrier or Standard SM-1ER missiles. The 3"/50 guns were replaced by 8 Harpoon missiles, the Terrier launchers were upgraded to fire the Standard SM-2ER missile, and 2 Phalanx CIWS were added. All were upgraded under the late-1980's New Threat Upgrade (NTU) program, which included combat system capability improvements to the ship's Air Search Radars (SPS-48E and SPS-49), Fire Control Radars (SPG-55B), and Combat Direction System (CDS). These improvements provided an accurate means of coordinating the engagment of multiple air targets with SM-2 Extended Range missiles. During the NTU overhaul, all spaces were renovated, berthing and food service areas were refurbished, and the engineering plant was fully overhauled.
The entire class was taken out of service in the early 1990's, stricken and transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal.
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/cg-16.htm
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The 1908 race riot is part of Springfield's history and should not be ignored. That's the view of Tim Farley, executive director of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The bureau recently published a brochure detailing the events of Aug. 14 and 15, 1908, when white rioters rampaged, forcing thousands of black residents to flee Springfield, many never to return. Two black men -- Scott Burton, a barber, and William Donnegan, a retired shoemaker -- were among those murdered during the riot.
The bureau's eight-page brochure contains five black-and-white photographs provided by the Illinois State Historical Library (now part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). The brochure encourages tourists to take "a historic and emotion-filled journey" through the central downtown area, and includes a walking tour map that shows the movement of the mob during the two-day riot.
The first stop is at Seventh and Jefferson, the site of the old county jail, where a white mob congregated to demand the release of two black prisoners accused of crimes against whites. In an effort to prevent a lynching, the county sheriff had the two men secretly transported to Bloomington. Deprived of a chance to lynch the two prisoners, the white crowd exploded, destroying black- and Jewish-owned businesses.
"The race riot brochure was the first thing I did as executive director," says Farley, who began his duties on Sept. 1, 2003. "The visitors bureau needed to produce a decent-looking piece on the riot."
Farley says it's critical for the city and its visitors to learn the history of the riot, which played a pivotal role in the nation's history.
"Let's remember that the race riots led to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People," Farley says. That distinction could be an opportunity for the city, he says. "The centennial of the race riots is coming up in four years. I'm hoping that the NAACP Convention will be held here in Springfield in 2008."
The city of Springfield has erected eight markers to indicate the route of the mob during the two days of rioting. A couple markers have been temporarily removed because of construction of the presidential library, but Farley expects they'll be back soon.
Springfield needs to promote a variety of persons, places, and events, Farley says. "I was in Berlin recently. I learned that Abraham Lincoln is popular in Europe, but he is not as popular as Route 66. That's because Route 66 represents the American dream to people in Europe."
"Springfield can't be satisfied with having two or three tourist attractions. We really have to have nine or 10," Farley says.
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://illinoistimes.com/article-1004-mob-appeal.html
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Connected vehicles are cars with direct access to the Internet. They consume, create, supplement, direct, and share digital information with everything from traffic lights to home appliances. And though many may not realise this, the connected car is possibly the most visible and familiar aspect of the Internet of Things.
For years, smart vehicles have quietly synced with our daily lives – linking to our mobile phones through Bluetooth, enabling faster journey times by analysing real-time traffic news, offering safety nets such as roadside emergency assistance. Some cars even carry on-board Wi-Fi.
More recently, driverless cars have dominated headlines. Google’s Self Driving Cars Project is coming to London for trial; their artificial intelligence system has won approval from safety regulators in the US, meaning it could be considered the driver under federal law; and their chip makers, ARM Holdings, have also reported on the ‘great opportunity’ of connected cars as they move away from smartphones.
The connected car is here
It’s clear the connected cars industry is no longer nascent.
In fact, connected car technology is speeding into the next generation.
Many of today’s cars have the computing power of twenty or more personal computers. They feature over 100 million lines of programming code, processing up to 30 gigabytes of data every hour.
Not only has this seen a rise in interest from investors – the global market for ‘connected cars’ is predicted to grow from €40.3bn (£31.3bn) in 2016 to €122.6bn (£95.2bn) by 2021 – but it is creating significant opportunities for businesses and consumers alike.
The biggest growth is expected to be in safety features (€49.3bn/£38.3bn), including smart collision technology and emergency call systems such as the now mandatory eCall. This is followed by autonomous driving technology (€39.6bn/£30.7bn) as well as in-car products that enhance mobility and vehicle management (€12.7bn/£9.9bn). The latter includes products such as AutoTrip, which uses connected technology to automate data logging and transform how businesses interact with their car fleets.
At the moment, there is a lack of reliable data on how corporate fleets work. Around twenty per cent of mileage data is inaccurate and almost always significantly delayed. By making this process more accurate and efficient, digitising driver mileage opens up a raft of possibilities for companies. Not least of these would be a more streamlined service, saving resources and allowing for finances to go where better used.
Moreover, with machine learning and algorithms, this data can provide tailored solutions to solve such issues within a system. There would be no need for a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to efficiency as the data would allow administrators to harness the information and apply it directly to their own situation.
The Internet of Cars
The Internet of Cars is addressing similar pain points across many motor-dependent businesses. With applications for creating a more sustainable transport ecosystem, we will see an increase in products that can track emissions, in-car data, and much more.
After all, vehicle and mobility management products will continue to boom and as they do they will reduce operating costs and increase ease of use for drivers and fleet owners. They will track performance and maintenance needs. They will help vehicles move from place to place in a greener ways due to rising congestion and pollution. They will generate long-term incremental revenue.
This is why the technology available today will shape tomorrow. It has the potential to do much more than accelerate the rate at which driverless cars hit the roads.
It has the potential to disrupt motoring completely: to change the way we drive and the way we live.
Alexander Nicholson is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of AutoTripLeave a comment on this article
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.itproportal.com/2016/02/13/connected-cars-accelerate-into-smarter-future/
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en
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Houston Feb 4, 2006
Philly April 18-20, 2006
Summer June 26-29, 2006
Houston Teacher Workshop June 27-28, 2007
Using Math Software Tools in the Middle School Classroom
a workshop for middle grades teachers
Cynthia Lanius, Rachel Klein, and Carolyn Swann, Facilitator
Thursday, June 28, 2007
||To get started today, review
Using what was introduced Day 1, try this:
- Login to Math Tools
- Search or browse for a useful tool
- Save it to My MathTools
- Post to a discussion
- Rate some tools and possibly write some comments
Set the Adjustable Spinner as above. Play the game 5 times and calculate the winnings. Predict the score for each player after playing the game 300 times. Play the game 300 times and the scores.
Player 1 wins 10 points when the spinner stops at yellow.
Player 2 wins 16 points when the spinner stops at blue.
Player 3 wins 24 points when the spinner stops at red.
- Explore the tool.
- Reflect on the importance and challenge of the math and the value that the tool adds to the exercise.
- Talk about the math together.
- How would you extend the activity?
||Grade Groups: Selecting and Aligning
Create a set of recommended tools for your grade.
(Please use this online form to submit resources.)
- Tool: Zap the Aliens
- Tool: Building Houses with Side Views
- Tool: Geoboard
- Tool: Secret Worlds: The Universe Within Powers of Ten
- Tool: Pie Chart
- Tool: Fraction Pieces
- Tool: Multiplying Fractions
- Tool: Arithmetic Four
- Tool: Function Machine [Shodor's Project Interactivate]
- Students investigate very simple functions by trying to guess the algebraic form from inputs and outputs.
- Tool: Function Machine [National Library of Virtual Manipulatives]
- This virtual manipulative is designed to teach the concept of a function. It does so by allowing you experiment with various functions.
- Tool: The Maze Game [Shodor's Project Interactivate]
- This activity allows the user to practice their point plotting skills by having them move a robot through a mine field to a target location.
- Tool: Cutouts, Nets [Freudenthal Institute]
- Dynamic net for constructing Platonic solids. Slider adjusts from flat to solid; it is interesting to see the shapes materialize from the flat nets.
- Tool: Balance applets
- A series of balance applets of increasing difficulty.
- tPoW: Munching Bugs
- Help Sam the Chameleon use a special rule to find the bugs he can eat.
- tPoW: Temperature Change
- Use the given information to find the temperature.
- tPoW: Galactic Exchange II
- By using the vending machine to buy food, determine the relative values of the coins.
||Explore NSDL Middle School Portal
||Introducing Continuing Online Work
- Facilitating Workshops
- Working with Students on PoWs
The "two days" follow-up work during the school year will be conducted online, and will consist of a number of activities and opportunities for online collaboration and participation. It will represent the equivalent of a minimum of two days of work. The nature of the work will vary depending on the interests of the participants.
- Outline next year's plan for you and your class. Include a communication plan with Math Forum staff for support.
- Draft a presentation/workshop and support plan for your staff. Include a communication plan with Math Forum staff.
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://mathforum.org/nsdl_mathtech/houston_sum2007/agenda2.html
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en
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Washington, Apr 2: The bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract, known as gut microbiota, may play a key role in regulating weight, according to a new study.
Gut microbiota, the trillions of bacteria that populate the human gastrointestinal tract, perform a variety of chores.
These “friendly” microbes help extract calories from what we eat, help store these calories for later use, and provide energy and nutrients for the production of new bacteria to continue this work.
According to John DiBaise, M. D., a Mayo Clinic Arizona gastroenterologist and lead author of the study, several animal studies suggest that gut microbiota are involved in regulating weight and that modifying these bacteria could one day be a treatment option for obesity.
One study cited by the authors observed that young, conventionally reared mice have a significantly higher body fat content than a laboratory-bred, germ-free strain of mice that lack these bacteria, even though they consumed less food than their germ-free counterparts.
When the same research group transplanted gut microbiota from normal mice into germ-free mice, the germ-free mice experienced a 60 percent increase in body fat within two weeks, without any increase in food consumption or obvious differences in energy expenditure.
Another animal study reviewed by the authors focused on the gene content of the gut microbiota in mice. Finding more end products of fermentation and fewer calories in the feces of obese mice led researchers to speculate that the gut microbiota in the obese mice help extract additional calories from ingested food.
“These results suggest that differences exist in the gut microbiota of obese versus lean mice, raising the possibility that the manipulation of gut microbiota could be a useful strategy for regulating energy balance in obese people,” said DiBaise.
“In particular, it is essential to demonstrate unequivocally whether differences in gut microbiota in obese versus lean people are the cause or the result of obesity,” says Dr. DiBaise.
The study is published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. (ANI)
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.topnews.in/health/gut-bacteria-may-play-key-role-regulating-weight-21731
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en
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This video gives more detail about the mathematical principles presented in Discrete Random Variables.
This video shows how to work step-by-step through one or more of the examples in Discrete Random Variables.
Defines types of random variables and discusses probability distributions.
This lesson plan covers What are Variables? and includes Teaching Tips, Common Errors, Differentiated Instruction, Enrichment, and Problem Solving.
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<urn:uuid:7cdd78a3-8009-4d96-9cb3-cb64ec0face2>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.ck12.org/probability/Discrete-Random-Variables/?difficulty=basic&by=ck12
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en
| 0.843863
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Agave plants, also called Century plants, grow as perennial succulents. Varieties thrive in almost every planting zone, and range from small, container-size plants to large accent landscaping plants. Most Agaves feature sharp, thorn-like spikes on their leaves, making them hard to care for or transplant. The plant flowers on a long stalk, and can sometimes take seven years between blooming. Its ability to resist drought makes the Agave a popular landscaping plant in areas with water restrictions. Care for Agave plants by preparing the soil and applying a regular fertilizer.
Choose a location that receives full sun to partial afternoon shade. If the plant is very young it will need more shade; mature plants can take full sun. The area must drain well. Ensure your variety of agave plant it will thrive in your climate, or plant in a container.
Dig a hole three times the diameter and the same depth as the plant container. Remove all weeds and grass from the area.
Amend the soil with 1 part sharp sand and 1 part leaf mold or shredded bark to create a well-draining soil. Add a slow-release fertilizer to the amended soil, following the manufacturer's directions.
Remove the plant from the container and carefully place it in the planting hole. Keep the plant at the same level it was in the container. Adjust the soil to move the plant up or down.
Fill in around the root ball with the amended soil and hand-tamp it down firmly. Water the soil well to settle it around the roots and add more soil if needed due to settling.
Water the agave plant when the top inch of the soil dries out. Drying time depends on the heat, hours of sun per day and wind. Long, deep watering once a week is better than a little water every day.
Fertilize with a 20-20-20 fertilizer in the fall after planting and each spring and fall thereafter. Follow manufacturer's directions on amount to apply.
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<urn:uuid:9778a363-0811-4259-ac02-c0a9650ebef5>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.gardenguides.com/97094-care-agave-plants.html
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en
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Any doctor, suspecting that his or her patient may have diabetes, can be quickly confirmed by obtaining a urine sample for its “glucose” levels. Blood samples are also frequently used to determine whether high glucose levels are present. This requires an overnight fast and is the most reliable testing’s used. However the quickest way is having your finger “pricked” with a small device called a lancet by the attending nurse or doctor. If you’re doing your test at home a lancet works fine as long as you have the other necessary home-remedy paraphernalia like “test strips” and a meter that displays your blood sugar level.
A diabetic should use a “log book” in order to keep tabs on how well they are controlling blood sugar levels. This information should also be available to your primary care doctor so they know whether all the things they asked you to do like, exercise, food and diet, along with medication is working in your favor. The most common time to test blood sugar levels is before you retire for the evening or before meals.
Metformin is a prescription drug that is used to help keep diabetics blood sugar stabilized. It’s usually prescribed specifically to treat type 2 diabetes. Metformin can be ingested orally and can be used in association with insulin or any other doctor recommended medications. However you should observe caution using metformin. It is not for type 1 patients, and never used if you are allergic, have liver disease or a history of heart disease.
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<urn:uuid:a515afc3-bb6d-4863-a68c-4c7468a9f19a>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.greenpassport.us/test-diabetes.html
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00061-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.94643
| 323
| 2.640625
| 3
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Here's what you need:
- whole milk
- food coloring
- liquid dish soap
- pie plate
Pour the milk into the pie plate just enough to completely cover the bottom. Let it settle for a minute. Put a drop (or two) of each color of food coloring into the milk, near the center (but not on top of each other). Dip the end of your q-tip into the liquid dish soap and put that right into the center of the milk. Hold it there and watch the magic. Younger kids will want to stir it, but encourage them to just hold the q-tip in one place. Or pick up the q-tip and place it in another part of the plate to see what happens.
What is happening:
The fat and protein molecules in the milk are very sensitive to change. When you add the soap to the milk the molecules go crazy and move around. By adding the food coloring we can actually see how these fats and proteins act when combined with soap.
What happens if you try it in water or low-fat milk?
P.S. If any of you locals are ever interested in fun liquid nitrogen experiments (ice cream, perhaps?) let me know. I can totally hook you up!
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<urn:uuid:eebab188-1402-49ce-ae70-0af00a3e8ba0>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://whoknewidgothisfar.blogspot.com/2011/02/little-explorers-milk-magic.html
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393533.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00034-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.938331
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Hip flexors - the most underdeveloped muscle group in strength training
Bruce Ross explains the problems with developing strong hip flexors
Despite their importance to a wide range of athletic and sporting activities, the hip flexors are the most neglected major muscle group in strength training. It is very rare to find training programs that include hip flexor exercises. By contrast there is usually a great deal of emphasis on exercises for the leg extensors.
There are some obvious reasons for this comparative neglect.
The principal muscles involved in hip flexion are the psoas and the iliacus, collectively known as the iliopsoas. Because they are relatively deep-seated rather than surface muscles they may have been overlooked by bodybuilders who have traditionally been the major innovators in strength training. Secondly, there are no obvious ways to adequately exercise them with free weights. Finally, these muscles do not have the obvious functional importance of their extensor counterparts. Yet, as antagonists, both hip and knee flexors perform a vital role in controlling the rate of descent and ascent in leg extension exercises such as the squat.
There is no corresponding problem of underdevelopment with the muscles responsible for knee joint flexion, the hamstring group. Because they cross two joints they are active in both leg extension and leg flexion. They act to flex the knee joint and also to extend the hip joint. Therefore they tend to be strengthened by complex leg extension exercises. Also hamstrings can be developed and strengthened through the use of the leg curl apparatus.
Strong hip flexors provide an advantage in a wide range of sports and athletic activities. In sprinting high knee lift is associated with increased stride length and therefore considerable attention is given to exercising the hip flexors. However, they are usually not exercised against resistance and consequently there is unlikely to be any appreciable strength increase.
Hip flexor strength is directly relevant to a range of activities in football. Kicking a ball is a complex coordinated action involving simultaneous knee extension and hip flexion, so developing a more powerful kick requires exercises applicable to these muscle groups. Strong hip flexors can also be very advantageous in the tackle situation in American football and both rugby union and rugby league where a player is attempting to take further steps forward with an opposing player clinging to his legs.
In addition those players in American football and rugby who have massively developed quadriceps and gluteus muscles are often unable to generate rapid knee lift and hence tend to shuffle around the field. Having stronger flexors would significantly improve their mobility. It is commonly asserted that marked strength disparity between hip extensors and hip flexors may be a contributing factor in hamstring injuries in footballers.
It is interesting to speculate on whether hip extensor/flexor imbalance might also be associated with the relatively high incidence of groin injuries. Other sports where increased iliopsoas strength would appear to offer benefits include cycling, rowing and mountain climbing, in particular when scaling rock faces.
The problem in developing hip flexor strength has been the lack of appropriate exercises. Two that have traditionally been used for this muscle group are incline sit-ups and hanging leg raises, but in both cases the resistance is basically provided by the exerciser's own body weight. As a consequence these exercises can make only a very limited contribution to actually strengthening the flexors.
Until now the only weighted resistance equipment employed for this purpose has been the multi-hip type machine. When using this multi-function apparatus for hip flexion the exerciser pushes with the lower thigh against a padded roller which swings in an arc. One difficulty with this apparatus is that the position of the hip joint is not fixed and thus it is difficult to maintain correct form when using heavy weights or lifting the thigh above the horizontal.
With the release of the MyoQuip HipneeFlex there is now a machine specifically designed to develop and strengthen the leg flexors. It exercises both hip and knee flexors simultaneously from full extension to full flexion. Because the biomechanical efficiency of these joints decreases in moving from extension to flexion, the mechanism is configured to provide decreasing resistance throughout the exercise movement and thus appropriate loading to both sets of flexors.
Hip Flexor exercises using the MyoQuip HipneeFlex
The exercise movement involves the feet being drawn back from a fully extended position to a fully flexed position. Thus both hip and knee flexors are exercised through a range where the included angle at the joints varies from 180º to around 30º.
The arc through which the foot engagement device moves is designed to closely parallel the path that the feet would normally traverse if drawn back without resistance. It also creates a natural tendency for the two joint angles to vary synchronously so that they are both under continual load.
The absence until now of effective techniques for developing the hip flexors means that we do not really know what benefits would flow from their full development. However, given that in elite sport comparatively minor performance improvements can translate into contest supremacy, it is an area that offers great potential.
This article first appeared in:
The reference for this page is:
About the Author
Bruce Ross is a retired academic who has been President of Sydney University Sport for the past 14 years. He has a background in rugby, both playing and coaching, and in strength development. His company, MyoQuip Pty Ltd is focussed on identifying and exploiting areas where current strength-increasing technology is inadequate or nonexistent.
The following Sports Coach pages provide additional information on this topic:
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<urn:uuid:7dde4b5b-5155-40a2-a599-af3bf8074b14>
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CC-MAIN-2016-26
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http://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni32a4.htm
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It’s that time of year again, finals! We know how stressful this time is as a student and how devastating it can be if your digital work is lost. So, we would like to offer our advice in hopes to save some of you from the stress of lost data.
1. Use Google Apps whenever possible
If you are creating a word document, presentation or spreadsheet consider using Google Apps. Google Apps automatically save your work as you work so you don’t have to remember to save as you go along. Plus it has an easy to use revision history to restore to an older version. If you are new to using Google Apps check out our instructional tools to help you get started.
2. Save in more than one place
Flash drives, external hard drives and files can get corrupted or damaged. We always recommend saving your work to multiple locations. You can upload you work to Google Drive and save to your Campus Drive (Y:Drive) besides your personal devices. If you work in the Labs on campus, saving to the desktop should only be used as a third location or to move files. Work saved on the desktop or local drive in the labs will be cleared when the computer is rebooted or you log off, this data cannot be restored.
3. Save often
We know that with a deadline hanging over your head you can get end up in the zone and forget to save your work as you go along but you will thank yourself later, if something goes wrong. It may help to set timer to remind you to save every 15 minutes. Listening to Pandora without an Adblocker, why not save every time a commercial interrupts your jams.
4. What to do if worst does happen
For some reason you were unable to follow tips 1-3 and the worst happens; a file is lost or damaged. Keep calm and try the following:
- Open the program the file was created in and see if you can open it from “Open Recent”
- Perform a search on the PC or Mac for the document or another version of it.
- Perform a google search for a solution if you are getting a specific error.
If all is truly lost, have a good cry, then it’s time to contact your instructor and to get back to work. First take ownership of what happened and accept it, in other words don’t blame the person that kicked your flash drive or the computer for crashing. Bad things happen and all we can do is learn from our part in the mistake. Your instructor may be more understanding if you accept your role and approach them with a request for an extension by demonstrating you learned from what happened.
Category: IT NEWS
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By guest blogger Amy Broadway
Earlier this May, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus escaped from a partially boarded-up home in Cleveland, Ohio. The nation suspects 52-year-old Ariel Castro individually kidnapped the women over a decade ago, imprisoning them in his home and psychologically and physically torturing them until their escape.
Cuyahoga County assistant prosecutor Brian Murphy said that Castro made “premeditated, deliberate and depraved decisions to snatch three young ladies … to be used in whatever self-gratifying, self-serving way he saw fit”. (CNN staff 2013)
Let us assume that Castro committed these crimes. Just reading about it in the news emotionally pains us. For years Castro heartlessly ignored three people’s visible suffering, using them as props for his private horror film. How could anyone possibly behave this way? Castro’s actions demonstrate an extreme inability to empathize with others, or what Simon Baron-Cohen calls empathy erosion.
Empathy erosion occurs when people fail to attend to the humanity—the feelings, interests, kinship, etc—of others. Either they don’t cognitively understand others’ feelings or they aren’t emotionally affected by others’ feelings. We all vary on the empathy spectrum at any given time, but some people persistently express poor or absent capacities to empathize. In your romantic relationships, you may want to avoid people who lack empathy. If your partner doesn’t empathize with you or other people, trying to be in a relationship with him is a losing battle.
When you empathize, you attend to the feelings of those outside of you. You understand another person as a separate individual with needs and desires unrelated to your own. At the same time, you appreciate what it would be like to be that other person. Rather than thinking from a singleminded, “me”, perspective, you adopt “a double-minded focus of attention”. (Baron-Cohen 2012)
Some people cognitively empathize but fail to affectively empathize. Ariel Castro knew that Amanda Berry felt pain when she watched TV footage of her family looking for her. That was why he made her watch it. However, he was not moved by her pain. On the other hand, some people, such as those with autism, may have trouble cognitively understanding someone else’s feelings at first. But once they learn of that person’s feelings, they are affected by this information.
Levels of empathy vary for most of us. Fleeting emotions, such as rage or fear, may diminish our ability to empathize. Typically, though, when we’re able to successfully interact with others, we do so because we’re able to understand their feelings. On the other hand, some people have personality traits that ensure they lack empathy all of the time, even under average circumstances. You may have dated some of these people, but I hope not.
Perhaps, like Echo, you are in love with someone who is in love with himself. A narcissistic personality by definition has difficulty suspending his single-minded focus of attention. Since he sees the world only in how it relates to his needs and desires, he has little room to consider the interests of those around him. Trying to build a partnership with a narcissist is likely deeply unsatisfying, since narcissists do not see the intrinsic value of other people.
Another example of common empathy erosion occurs in people who hate particular groups, such as homosexuals or women. A man who hates women, for instance, fails to the see the individual behind a woman’s sex. Losing sight of the humanness of women, a misogynist may see a woman as a conquest and merely a tool for making himself feel better.
Not everyone who lacks affective empathy is as dangerous as Ariel Castro. There are people who ostensibly function in romantic relationships and yet do not really care about the feelings of their lovers. By nature, those who lack empathy do not relate to others as human beings. If you want healthy, rather than sick, romantic relationships, avoid people who don’t care about your feelings and and practice attending to the humanity of your partners.
Baron-Cohen, Simon. 2012. The Science of Evil: Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty.
CNN Staff. 2013. “Three long-missing women freed in Cleveland: Latest developments”, CNN.
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Fracking Wrecks America's Bedrock
Clear and Present Dangers
Current environmental policies must be realigned to safeguard our health, sustain planetary life-support systems and free us from dependence upon fossil fuels.
Under the misleading banner of clean and green, the global natural gas rush is on, and nowhere more so than in the United States. We are literally shattering America’s bedrock to bring methane out of the Earth and consuming enormous quantities of precious fresh water to do so, without any clear knowledge of the health or environmental consequences. Due to economies of scale and required infrastructure, fracking is an all-or-nothing proposition, and each state decides its own fate.
The Marcellus Shale forms a 600-mile-long basement foundation for communities spanning New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. As the largest natural gas deposit in the country, it has become ground-zero for high-volume, slickwater hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Many more states are equally vulnerable (see GaslandTheMovie.com/map).
In a two-to-200-foot-thick bedrock layer up to a mile below Earth’s surface, the shale and its captured methane, uranium, mercury, arsenic and lead have remained locked in place for millions of years. Above it lie drinking water aquifers.
Prior to the 21st century, capturing methane gas bubbles dispersed within such a horizontal formation, instead of a vertical well, was deemed uneconomical and labeled unrecoverable. Now, modern drills can bore down steel piping, some portions encased in cement, and direct pressure-packed explosions of up to 10,000 pounds per square inch of water, sand and chemicals into the rock, fracturing it. Next, hundreds of chemicals are injected to reduce friction (thus the term slickwater) so that the fracking fluid can flow easily. The mixture includes acids, rust and scale inhibitors and pesticides to kill microbes, plus sometimes gelling agents, petroleum distillates, glycol ethers, formaldehyde and toluene.
The result is that gas flows back up the borehole along with 30 to 60 percent of the injected cocktail of water and chemicals. The rest is left behind. Fracking a gas well once requires 2 to 8 million gallons of fresh water, 10,000 to 40,000 gallons of chemicals and at least 1,000 diesel truck trips. Wells can be fracked multiple times before they run dry.
Between 34,000 and 95,000 wells are envisioned for New York State alone, according to Cornell University Engineering Professor, Anthony Ingraffea, with 77,000 likely over the next 50 years. While New York residents are watching the result of fracking in other states and have elected a temporary moratorium on fracking, Pennsylvania has issued thousands of permits since 2004.
Continued unknowns stir debate. Meanwhile, scientists across leading institutions are certain of five universal impacts.
First, fracking industrializes rural landscapes, clearing and fragmenting vital woodlands and wetlands. It diminishes capacities to host migratory birds and other wildlife, filter rainwater and prevent flooding while causing more erosion and runoff, sending sediments into waterways.
~ M.Z. Jacobson and M.A. Delucci, “A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030,” Scientific American, 2009
Second, fracking brings urban-style air pollution to the rural countryside. Studies like those from the Colorado School of Public Health, along with monitoring data from Utah’s extensively fracked Uinta Basin, show that drilling and fracking operations release ozone-making, smog-producing volatile compounds. These gases, along with combustion byproducts, are linked to cancer and heart disease in adults and, in children, to lowered IQ, preterm birth, asthma and stunted lung development. The airborne contaminants from gas drilling such as in the Haynesville Shale, in Louisiana and Texas, can travel up to 200 miles from wellheads, according to a 2010 study published in Environmental Science and Technology.
Third, accidents happen, necessitating the evacuation of surrounding communities. In Pennsylvania, in less than three years of fracking, 1,500 environmental violations have been recorded, including an exploded well that streamed poisonous fluid for 16 hours. In many cases, petroleum products, fracking chemicals or flowback fluids have entered creeks, streams or groundwater, according to reports published in Science magazine and The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Fourth, fracking makes huge volumes of Earth’s limited fresh water disappear forever. Instead of drawing down a community’s reservoir or depleting a regional aquifer as part of nature’s normally restorative fresh water cycle, a single fracking well permanently removes several million gallons of fresh water from aquifers and poisons it all with chemicals. Much of it will be entombed in geological strata up to a mile or more below the water table.
Fifth, sooner or later, the gas will run out, while the environmental damage remains.
Known and Unknown Dangers
Beyond these certainties lie questions. Drilling proponents may claim that there have been no confirmed cases of drinking water contaminated by fracking. Yet in Pavillion, Wyoming, residents noticed a few years ago that their water was yellow, cloudy and oily, bubbled and smelled like chemicals. Some people felt sick.
A joint investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found petrochemicals— including diesel fuel, benzene, cyclohexane, methane, propane and ethane, plus traces of arsenic and a microbe-inhibiting pesticide—in 20 water wells. The EPA recommended that residents not drink their water. Turning on a fan while showering to avoid possible methane explosions was also suggested.
Fracking enjoys special exemptions from many regulations—the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Superfund Act and National Environmental Policy Act—that govern other types of industrial activities. Fracking also gets a pass on federal right-to-know laws, because natural gas operations do not report their air and water emissions under the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. A special amendment to the 2005 Energy Policy Act grants fracking exclusion from the Safe Drinking Water Act, which authorizes the EPA to regulate all injection of toxic chemicals into the ground. Thus, a drilling company doesn’t have to disclose the formulation of its fracking fluids.
Eco-Horrors and Economics
Biologist Theo Colborn and her research team at The Endocrine Disruptor Exchange report that of the 353 chemicals tested as presumed ingredients of fracking fluid, 60 percent can harm the brain and nervous system, 40 percent are endocrine disrupters and one-third are both suspected carcinogens and developmental toxicants.
What should we do with this lethal fluid—a million or more gallons with every wellhead? The trend, say gas industry service providers like Halliburton, is to recycle it, but flowback water gets more poisonous with every reuse. At some point, this highly concentrated toxic liquid still has to be disposed of via designated underground wells or municipal sewage-treatment plants or else it’s clandestinely dumped.
~ Marcellus Protest, a Pennsylvania alliance to halt fracking operations
Then there’s the lure of fracking’s economics. In many cases, a homeowner can receive $5,000 per acre, plus 12 to 20 percent royalties, from leasing land to a gas company. The Marcellus Shale may be worth a trillion dollars and possibly provide enough natural gas to supply the nation’s consumption for six years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s most recent estimates. (It’s unknown how much gas is recoverable or how often wells may need to be refracked to stimulate production.)
No study of the cumulative impact of fracking on public health or agriculture, including its full lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, has been conducted; it’s an economic gamble and a bona fide environmental crime.
A Community Speaks Out
In New York’s Tompkins County, 40 percent of the land acreage covering the Marcellus Shale is leased to gas drillers. Local feelings are mixed. Some people just wish the whole practice would go away. Some find fracking such a vile and preposterous idea that they don’t believe it will really happen. Others, seeking personal gain or believing that it’s inevitable, plan to “ride the tiger,” hoping for greater future oversight.
At a recent community meeting, candidates for mayor and the village board declared their unified opposition to fracking. Soon afterward, at a packed town meeting on fracking at the village library, someone noted that a nearby community had successfully turned away frack waste trucked in from Pennsylvania that was headed to an old well for disposal. An elderly man declared passionately, “We have to be ready to lie down in front of the trucks.”
Biologist Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D., is the acclaimed author of Living Downstream, now also a documentary film, and Having Faith, on the threat of environmental toxins to infant development. A visiting scholar at New York’s Ithaca College, she often testifies at hearings. She adapted this article from Raising Elijah: Protecting Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis, reprinted courtesy of Da Capo Press.
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Turbo Pascal Description
Turbo Pascal,the world-standard Pascal compiler, adds Object-Oriented Programming. Combining the Simplicity of Apple's Object Pascal language with The Power and efficiency of C++ to create Turbo Pascal,the object-oriented programming language for the rest of us. Turbo Pascal came in two versions: Turbo Pascal (the base product), and Turbo Pascal Professional (included Turbo Assembler and Turbo Debugger).
Turbo Pascal Features
* Static & dynamic objects
* Constructors and Destructors
* Object constants
* Compiles @ > 34,000 lines/minute
* New integrated environment tutorial
* Hypertext Help with copy & paste
* Enhanced SMART linker & Overlay manager
* Support for Intel 8087, 80287, 80387 math co-processors
* Integrated source-level debugging
Turbo Pascal Screenshots
Screenshots are not available currently.
What's New in Turbo Pascal 7.0
Release notes are not available currently.
Turbo Pascal Requirements
No additional system requirements.
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The Brown-headed Cowbird
was originally a bird of the Great Plains, following herds of bison and feeding
on the insects that were stirred up. It has undoubtedly benefited greatly
from man's alteration of the landscape and introduction of grazing cattle in all
parts of the country. Cowbirds' claim to fame, however, is its
characteristic brood parasitism. As with all cowbirds, it lays its eggs in
the nests of other species, leaving the host species to raise its young.
Over 125 different species have been known to unwittingly raise the young of
Brown-headed Cowbirds. Many species, such as Kirtland's Warbler, are
endangered or threatened, partially because of cowbird parasitism. A male
is shown in the photo to the right.
Habitat: Prefers open to semi-open habitats, including woodland
edges, riparian areas, farms, prairies, and residential areas.
Diet: Seeds and insects.
Behavior: Primarily forages by walking along the
ground. They also often associate with cattle, horses, or wild bison,
following the large animals and picking off insects stirred up. They
will also sometimes perch on the backs of these large mammals, and it is
thought they may pick ticks and insects off of the animals' backs.
Nesting: May through August. No nesting occurs,
Brown-headed Cowbirds lay eggs in the nests of other bird species. One
female can be a very prolific egg-layer, laying one egg per day in the nest of
another bird for up to a month or more.
Song: Series of low bubbly notes followed by thin
Migration: Populations throughout most of the Northern U.S. and higher elevations of the
West move southward in the fall.
Similar Species: In South Dakota, adult male distinctive, with
obvious brown head. At a distance could possibly be confused with Brewer's
Blackbird. Also similar to other cowbird species
not found in South Dakota, including Shiny
Cowbird and Bronzed Cowbird.
Bird Feeders: Will attend feeders for
various seeds and grains
Cornell University's "All About Birds - Brown-headed Cowbird"
eNature.com: Brown-headed Cowbird
Photo Information: July 7th, 2008 - Pactola
Reservoir, Black Hills of South Dakota - Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or
text links below for additional, higher-resolution Brown-headed Cowbird photos.
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Following the failure of the launch vehicle carrying Echo 1, Echo 1A (commonly referred to as Echo 1) was placed in orbit and used to redirect transcontinental and intercontinental telephone, radio, and television signals. Its success proved that microwave transmission to and from satellites in space was possible and demonstrated the promise of communications satellites. Also, because of its large area-to-mass ratio, it provided data for the calculation of atmospheric density and solar pressure. With a diameter of 30.5 m, Echo 1A was visible to the unaided eye over most of the Earth and brighter than most stars. The 41.1-meter-diameter Echo 2 – the first joint American/Soviet collaboration in space – continued the passive communications experiments, enabled an investigation of the dynamics of large spacecraft, and was used for global geometric geodesy.
Although NASA abandoned passive communications systems in favor of active satellites following Echo 2, the Echo program demonstrated several ground station and tracking technologies that would be used by active systems.
Related category SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES
Home • About • Copyright © The Worlds of David Darling • Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy • Contact
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This Secondary Area lies in the semi-arid and arid zones of the state of South Australia, defined by the range of its one endemic species, Chestnut-breasted Whiteface Aphelocephala pectoralis, which is widely but locally distributed in fewer than 40 localities. The key habitat is chenopod shrubland in stony environments which, in places, is being destroyed by opal mining and degraded by livestock and rabbit grazing. A. pectoralis is classified as Vulnerable because its population is unlikely to exceed 6,000 individuals and there is some evidence of decline (Garnett 1993).
|Chestnut-breasted Whiteface (Aphelocephala pectoralis)||NT|
|IBA Code||Site Name||Country|
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2016) Endemic Bird Area factsheet: South Australian desert. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/06/2016
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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|Is editing our own DNA morally acceptable?|
PHILADELPHIA — A number of serious diseases exist because of defects or mutations in our DNA. Curing such diseases could in principle be carried out by rewriting the DNA to fix the mutated base pairs. Yet until recently scientists have remained stymied in their attempts to directly modify genes in a living animal.
|Fr. Tad Pacholczyk|
Findings described in the March 30, 2014 issue of Nature Biotechnology, however, reveal that a gene-editing technique, known as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), can be used successfully in mice to reverse disease symptoms for a liver defect known as type I tyrosinemia.
In humans, this potentially fatal ailment affects about one in 100,000 people. CRISPR, which enables researchers to snip out the mutated piece of DNA and replace it with the correct sequence, holds the potential for treating other genetic disorders as well.
Correcting mutations in DNA to remedy a serious medical defect would certainly be desirable and permissible. In 2008, in a document called Dignitas Personae, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith agreed that trying to restore “the normal genetic configuration of the patient or to counter damage caused by genetic anomalies” would be morally acceptable as long as the person being treated will not “be exposed to risks to his health or physical integrity which are excessive...”
Our ability to rewrite the human genome at will through precise DNA editing techniques, however, does raise substantial concerns about misusing the technology. In fact, researchers are already discussing the possibility of going beyond therapies and treatments, and instead, using CRISPR and other gene-alteration technologies to enhance human characteristics.
For example, one possible direction would be to engineer changes in the genes of human muscles so that they could be worked harder and longer, thereby enhancing the performance of athletes and soldiers.
This kind of human re-engineering would cross an important line: instead of helping human beings who are struggling against serious diseases, scientists would now begin manipulating human beings for ulterior motives. As Dignitas Personae puts it, “such manipulation would promote a eugenic mentality and would lead to indirect social stigma with regard to people who lack certain qualities, while privileging [others].” The document also notes how attempting to create a new type of human being could unmask a dark and troubling ideology “in which man tries to take the place of his Creator,” resulting in an “unjust domination of man over man.”
The remarkable tools becoming available not only for genetic therapies but also for human enhancement projects and embryonic manipulation raise daunting ethical concerns about the subjugation of man to his own technology, and call for thoughtful measures and vigilance to ensure the proper use of these techniques now and in the future.
The writer is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Mass., and serves as the Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.
Article Comment Submissions
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- Resource Centers
Experts Revise Guidelines for Whooping Cough Vaccination
In September, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released revised recommendations for the use of Tdap vaccine to protect against pertussis in older children and adults.
According to the AAP, pertussis is easily transmitted and causes severe, uncontrollable coughing. Although it primarily affects adolescents and adults, it can be a serious threat to infants who are too young to be immunized. Pertussis is often transmitted by older, unvaccinated family members, friends, and relatives.
Recommendations from the policy statement, published in the October 2011 issue of Pediatrics, are as follows:
• There is no minimum interval required between receipt of a tetanus toxoid or diphtheria toxoid containing vaccine and Tdap when Tdap is otherwise indicated.
• A single dose of Tdap should be given to children aged 7 to 10 years who have incomplete or unknown pertussis vaccine history.
• A single dose of Tdap should be given to adults of any age who have not received Tdap previously, who are health care workers, or who have or anticipate having close contact with an infant younger than 12 months.
• A single dose of Tdap may be given in place of the tetanus and diphtheria toxoid vaccine to any person aged 65 years or older who has not previously received Tdap.
To access the guidelines, visit http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/128/4/809.
Some Parents Still Hesitant to Follow Recommended Vaccine Schedule
More than 1 in 10 parents of young children use an alternative vaccination schedule, according to a new study, which also found that a significant number of parents who use the recommended schedule are likely to switch to an alternative schedule.
In the study, which is published in the October 2011 issue of Pediatrics, researchers from the University of Michigan interviewed 771 parents of children aged 6 months to 9 years. Of those parents, 13% reported deviating from the recommendations, and 2% refused all vaccines. Of those who used an alternative schedule, 41% said they developed the schedule, 15% used a schedule developed by a friend, and 8% reported using a well-known alternative schedule.
The researchers found that using an alternative vaccine schedule was strongly associated with not having a regular health care provider for the child, and that the vaccines most commonly delayed were the measles-mumps-rubella (45%) and diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (43%) vaccines.
A large minority (30%) of parents using an alternative schedule said they had initially followed the recommended vaccination schedule, with most switching because it “seemed safer.” Additionally, 1 in 4 parents who followed the regular vaccination schedule said they believed delaying vaccination was still safer.
These results, according to the authors, highlight the need to develop strategies to prevent the spread of attitudes and beliefs that counter vaccination.
“Small decreases in vaccine coverage are known to lead to dramatic increases in the risk of vaccine preventable disease outbreaks,” said Amanda Dempsey, MD, PhD, MPH, of the University of Michigan. “Not following the recommended schedule leaves kids at risk for these diseases unnecessarily.”
Cold and Flu Season Poses Risks for Children with Asthma
Having a cold or the flu can exacerbate symptoms of asthma, according to researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who found that 30% of children admitted to the hospital with the flu have asthma, and are at an increased risk for developing pneumonia.
Triggers such as common cold, a change in the weather, allergens that children are exposed to, and cigarette smoke can cause already irritated airways to become even more agitated, said Beth Allen, MD, a physician of pulmonary medicine. “Colds are the number one thing that lands kids with asthma in the hospital. They’ll come down with a cold, start having a cough on day two, and by day three, they’re pretty sick and can experience a severe asthma flare-up.”
Dr. Allen and colleagues have witnessed a surge in the number of children who visit the emergency department during cold and flu season at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. To help reverse this trend, she suggests that parents make sure that children are caught up on flu shots and get a checkup during the fall. She also recommends that parents closely monitor children who are prescribed a daily asthma controller, and work with their child’s physician to develop a written asthma action plan to help prepare for different situations that could affect children’s health.
“Parents should be able to recognize the symptoms, know which medicines to use if they develop, and know when to call the doctor if that medicine is failing,” she said.
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Ambulance train, early 1860s. New York Public Library.
A few months after the Civil War began, on July 4, 1861, a group of patriotic young volunteers stood in the shadow of the Capitol, waiting to be sworn into the Union Army on a 90-day enlistment. Among them was William W. Keen. Less than three weeks later, and with only nine months of medical training, Keen stood clueless, in his blue uniform with the green sash of a medical officer, near the battlefield at Bull Run in Virginia.
“It was an exceedingly hot day, and we marched and halted in the thick dust under a broiling sun until about noon. . . . During the entire engagement, I never received a single order.” Inside a church he and fellow soldiers placed two boards on boxes in front of a pulpit for an operating table. Hearing that the Confederates were about to overrun the makeshift hospital, Keen’s patient, a soldier with a fractured humerus from a Minié ball (a powerful new rifled bullet), jumped up and ran for the woods, his bandage unraveling from his arm as he went. Keen later wrote, “My experience in this battle is a good illustration of the utter disorganization, or rather want of organization, of our entire army at the beginning of the war.”
Had Keen received an adequate briefing before battle, he would still have been left frustrated with a medical infrastructure unchanged in its essentials since the Mexican War of the 1840s. His experience typified the Federal government’s lack of preparedness in wartime. In fact, the lack of infrastructure, particularly ambulances, meant that many Bull Run casualties waited for days on the battlefield before soldiers or civilians removed them to hospitals.
At Bull Run, Keen received a crash course in misery. Battlefield hospitals were triage centers: stacks of amputated limbs marked the surgeons’ tents. Soldiers with severe abdominal or chest injuries were left to die: no surgical intervention was possible without the sure consequence of infection. The soldier’s life may have been punctuated with combat terror, but disease and illness afflicted far more troops than did battlefield wounds. Germ theory and antisepsis entered medicine only after the war. Counting deaths from wounds or disease, the war claimed between 600,000 and 700,000 lives, more than the number of soldiers killed in all other American wars combined. Beyond battlefield wounds, soldiers suffered malnutrition (including scurvy), dysentery, typhus, typhoid, respiratory illnesses, rheumatism, and outbreaks of malaria, yellow fever, and even smallpox (despite the prevalence of vaccination).
By the end of the war a radical reorganization of the medical field had occurred. The Medical Department could boast of an ambulance system, a sequence of care facilities from battlefield surgery to general hospitals, evacuation of the sick and wounded by train, and a nascent nursing profession. A new system—of government-funded pharmaceutical research and manufacturing—had taken hold. The demand for new chemical and botanical sources for medicines and for the production of reliable vaccines accelerated laboratory-based research and guided postwar pharmacology—including the growth of major manufacturing firms John Wyeth and Eli Lilly. In addition, Civil War pharmacology produced competing therapies and bitter disagreements that brought the Union Army surgeon general to court-martial and established the position of one of the most versatile and effective medicines of the late 19th century: quinine.
On July 21, however, Keen was unable to benefit from these future developments. During the fall of 1861 he went to Philadelphia to complete his formal studies, which at that time required a year of anatomy classes, which was then repeated and followed by several years of apprenticeship with an established physician. Keen returned to the army to find the medical service invigorated. The military had created a cadet corps, a comprehensive examination procedure, and a training school, and decided rank and assignments based on merit. Although Keen had a good knowledge of materia medica—pharmacy—the army’s organization of medicine might have impressed him with its diversity and complexity. Physicians generally relied on the Supply Table—the army’s standard table of drugs, their effects, and their preparation for use. During the war the army created a system that began with acquiring raw materials (eventually creating its own laboratories), included quality control, continued with the preparation and distribution of medicines to armies in the field or to hospitals, and went on to a method of prescribing and dispensing to ill soldiers.
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BOSTON, November 8, 2010 California pistachios took center stage at this year's American Dietetic Association's annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE), the industry's premier conference where thousands of registered dietitians gather to learn about innovative nutrition research and emerging health trends.
Pistachios led with a strong presence with new research on the importance of mindful eating and, for the first time ever, participating in a session on emerging green food issues and solutions designed to sustain the environment along with good health.
The S-L-O-W Down Shell
Dr. James Painter, a behavioral eating expert for more than 18 years and professor and chair of School of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern Illinois University presented his latest research in this area; two studies on "The Pistachio Principle," which encompasses these mindful eating techniques.
"The research shows that our perception of how much food we need to become satiated and maintain a healthy body weight is skewed by many environmental factors," says Dr. Painter. "We eat more food if we eat off of a bigger dinner plate; we'll eat more potato chips if they come in a larger bag." Painter added that mindless eating essentially means we are ignoring hunger cues that tell us to stop, but said that small behavioral changes can help people eat less without feeling deprived.
In Painter's first study, 140 subjects self selected a portion of pistachios as they entered the classroom and the weight of the selected portion was recorded. At the end of the class, the weight of the remaining pistachios was recorded and subjects were surveyed to determine their fullness and satisfaction.
In condition one, the subjects were offered in-shell pistachios and consumed an average of 125 calories. In condition two, subjects were offered shelled pistachios and consumed an average of 211 calories, a difference of 86 calories. Those who snacked on in-shell pistachios consumed 41 percent fewer calories compared to those who snacked on shelled nuts and fullness and satisfaction ratings were not significantly different. The shell changed the package of the pistachios, adding volume and it slowed consumption, allowing for hunger cues to be activated, reducing overall calorie intake.
Visual Cue to Cut Calories
In Painter's second study, 118 subjects were offered pistachios to eat at their desk over an eight hour period beginning each day with a 16 ounce bowl filled with four ounces of in-shell pistachios. Another 16 ounce bowl was provided to place the empty shells. Every two hours pistachios were added in two-ounce increments, as needed. In condition one, the shells remained in the bowl until the end of the day and subjects consumed an average of 216 calories. In the second condition, the bowl with empty shells was emptied every two hours and subjects consumed an average of 264 calories, a difference of 48 calories. In the first condition subjects ate 23 percent fewer calories, yet fullness and satisfaction ratings were not significantly different between conditions.
Eating in-shell pistachios helps consumers become more mindful of their snacking behaviors, reducing overall calorie intake without feelings of deprivation.
These and other studies underscore the notion that pistachios are a great snack to add to any weight management plan because they are a good source of protein and fiber. Pistachios also offer 49 kernels per serving more than any other nut. Comparatively, almonds have 23 in a serving, walnuts 14 halves and cashews, 18.
Pistachios Lead Green Revolution
Also at FNCE this year, America's Green NutritionistTM, Kate Geagan, M.S., R.D. and Jackie Newgent, R.D., author of "The Big Green Cookbook" presented "The Green Revolution Happening in Food: Are You Ready?" The session covered how industry and consumer trends are affecting climate change and offered green, R.D.-approved, snack ideas specifically highlighting pistachios as a eco-friendly snack.
"Pistachios are Mother Nature and dietitian approved," said Kate Geagan, M.S., R.D. "Pistachios are naturally nutritious and as a plant-based food with minimal ingredients they are a sensible and sustainable snack choice for our health and our environment."
Reasons to Go Green with Pistachios:
|Contact: Kelly Plowe, M.S., R.D.|
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Connected Learning Is:
An approach to education. It is not a learning theory. It is not a specific set of teaching techniques, and it is not bound by specific educational environments or contexts. Connected learning is a set of powerful design principles that engage, empower, and equip students to learn effectively, purposefully, and continuously throughout their lives.
The MacArthur Foundation, The Digital Media and Learning Research Hub, and the Connected Learning Alliance have developed a shared understanding of connected learning which they promote through websites, webpages, and reports. As defined by these organizations, connected learning consists of six core concepts that can be visualized in this infographic. They are: interest-powered, peer-supported, academically-oriented, production-centered, shared purpose, and openly-networked. Though we have adapted the core concepts to fit the Virginia Commonwealth University context, ALT Lab agrees with and supports the six principles. For that reason we have identified the Connected Learning Alliance core concepts in the margins of our case studies when and where they arise. What follows are brief definitions of the connected learning core concepts, heavily informed by the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub and the Connected Learning Alliance but flavored with the ALT Lab experience of higher and adult education at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Interest-Powered. Students engage more fully and learn more deeply when they can connect content to their short-term and long-term goals–academic, professional, or personal.
Peer-Supported. Connected learning encourages students to cultivate and experience the benefits of collective intelligence. Because the effective cultivation of collective intelligence requires skill, the best learning environments provide students with opportunities to practice through participation in peer-led learning, assessment, and feedback.
Shared Purpose. “Shared purpose” is a foundational aspect of communities of practice, or groups of people who work together to achieve a shared goal.
Academically-Oriented. The best learning experiences encourage students to tap into their personal interests in ways that drive academic success, civic engagement, or professional development.
Production-Centered. New digital media are particularly effective tools for creating meaningful products that can be shared with a wider audience. Connected learning takes advantage of new digital media to enable experiential or hand-on learning in exciting and meaningful contexts.
Openly Networked. Refers to the opportunity for students to connect classroom learning with other aspects of living, working, or “doing” across space, time, and multiple spheres of influence or community. The use of digital technologies often makes open networking possible, because it provides incomparable access for learners across both space and time.
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- A new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers has found that as much as 50% of all food produced around the world never reaches a human stomach due to issues as varied as inadequate infrastructure and storage facilities through to overly strict sell-by dates, buy-one-get-one free offers and consumers demanding cosmetically perfect food.
With UN predictions that there could be about an extra three billion people to feed by the end of the century and an increasing pressure on the resources needed to produce food, including land, water and energy, the Institution is calling for urgent action to tackle this waste.
The report ‘Global Food Waste Not Want Not' found that:
• between 30% and 50% or 1.2-2 billion tonnes of food produced around the world each year never reaches a human stomach;
• as much as 30% of UK vegetable crops are not harvested due to them failing to meet exacting standards based on their physical appearance, while up to half of the food that’s bought in Europe and the USA is thrown away by the consumer;
• about 550 billion m3 of water is wasted globally in growing crops that never reach the consumer;
• it takes 20-50 times the amount of water to produce 1 kilogram of meat than 1 kilogram of vegetables;
• the demand for water in food production could reach 10–13 trillion m3 a year by 2050. This is 2.5 to 3.5 times greater than the total human use of fresh water today and could lead to more dangerous water shortages around the world;
• there is the potential to provide 60-100% more food by eliminating losses and waste while at the same time freeing up land, energy and water resources.
Dr Tim Fox, Head of Energy and Environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said:
“The amount of food wasted and lost around the world is staggering. This is food that could be used to feed the world’s growing population – as well as those in hunger today. It is also an unnecessary waste of the land, water and energy resources that were used in the production, processing and distribution of this food.
“The reasons for this situation range from poor engineering and agricultural practices, inadequate transport and storage infrastructure through to supermarkets demanding cosmetically perfect foodstuffs and encouraging consumers to overbuy through buy-one-get-one free offers.
“As water, land and energy resources come under increasing pressure from competing human demands, engineers have a crucial role to play in preventing food loss and waste by developing more efficient ways of growing, transporting and storing foods.
“But in order for this to happen Governments, development agencies and organisation like the UN must work together to help change people’s mindsets on waste and discourage wasteful practices by farmers, food producers, supermarkets and consumers.”
By 2075 the UN predicts that the world’s population is set to reach around 9.5 billion, which could mean an extra three billion mouths to feed. A key issue to dealing with this population growth is how to produce more food in a world with resources under competing pressures – particularly given the added stresses caused by global warming and the increasing popularity of eating meat – which requires around 10 times the land resources of food like rice or potatoes.
The world produces about four billion metric tonnes of food per year, but wastes up to half of this food through poor practices and inadequate infrastructure. By improving processes and infrastructure as well as changing consumer mindsets, we would have the ability to provide 60-100% more food to feed the world’s growing population.
The Global Food Waste Not Want Not report recommends that:
1. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) works with the international engineering community to ensure governments of developed nations put in place programmes that transfer engineering knowledge, design know-how, and suitable technology to newly developing countries. This will help improve produce handling in the harvest, and immediate post-harvest stages of food production.
2. Governments of rapidly developing countries incorporate waste minimisation thinking into the transport infrastructure and storage facilities currently being planned, engineered and built.
3. Governments in developed nations devise and implement policy that changes consumer expectations. These should discourage retailers from wasteful practices that lead to the rejection of food on the basis of cosmetic characteristics, and losses in the home due to excessive purchasing by consumers.
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Here to return to
THE LITERARY TREATMENT OF NATURE
THE literary treatment of natural history themes is, of course, quite different from the scientific treatment, and should be so. The former, compared with the latter, is like free-hand drawing compared with mechanical drawing. Literature aims to give us the truth in a way to touch our emotions, and in some degree to satisfy the enjoyment we have in the living reality. The literary artist is just as much in love with the fact as is his scientific brother, only he makes a different use of the fact, and his interest in it is often of a non-scientific character. His method is synthetic rather than analytic. He deals in general, and not in technical truths, — truths that he arrives at in the fields and woods, and not in the laboratory.
The essay-naturalist observes and admires; the scientific naturalist collects. One brings home a bouquet from the woods; the other, specimens for his herbarium. The former would enlist your sympathies and arouse your enthusiasm; the latter would add to your store of exact knowledge. The one is just as shy of over-coloring or falsifying his facts as the other, only he gives more than facts, — he gives impressions and analogies, and, as far as possible, shows you the live bird on the bough.
The literary and the scientific treatment of the dog, for instance, will differ widely, not to say radically, but they will not differ in one being true and the other false. Each will be true in its own way. One will be suggestive and the other exact; one will be strictly objective, but literature is always more or less subjective. Literature aims to invest its subject with a human interest, and to this end stirs our sympathies and emotions. Pure science aims to convince the reason and the understanding alone. Note Maeterlinck’s treatment of the dog in a late magazine article, probably the best thing on our four-footed comrade that English literature has to show. It gives one pleasure, not because it is all true as science is true, but because it is so tender, human, and sympathetic, without being false to the essential dog nature; it does not make the dog do impossible things. It is not natural history, it is literature; it is not a record of observations upon the manners and habits of the dog, but reflections upon him and his relations to man, and upon the many problems, from the human point of view, that the dog must master in a brief time: the distinctions he must figure out, the mistakes he must avoid, the riddles of life he must read in his dumb dog way. Of course, as a matter of fact, the dog is not compelled “in less than five or six weeks to get into his mind, taking shape within it, an image and a satisfactory conception of the universe.” No, nor in five or six years. Strictly speaking, he is not capable of conceptions at all, but only of sense impressions; his sure guide is instinct — not blundering reason. The dog starts with a fund of knowledge, which man acquires slowly and painfully. But all this does not trouble one in reading of Maeterlinck’s dog. Our interest is awakened, and our sympathies are moved, by seeing the world presented to the dog as it presents itself to us, or by putting ourselves in the dog’s place. It is not false natural history, it is a fund of true human sentiment awakened by the contemplation of the dog’s life and character.
Maeterlinck does not ascribe human powers and capacities to his dumb friend, the dog; he has no incredible tales of its sagacity and wit to relate; it is only an ordinary bull pup that he describes, but he makes us love it, and, through it, all other dogs, by his loving analysis of its trials and tribulations, and its devotion to its god, man. In like manner, in John Muir’s story of his dog Stickeen, — a story to go with “Rab and his Friends,” — our credulity is not once challenged. Our sympathies are deeply moved because our reason is not in the least outraged. It is true that Muir makes his dog act like a human being under the press of great danger; but the action is not the kind that involves reason; it only implies sense perception, and the instinct of self-preservation. Stickeen does as his master bids him, and he is human only in the human emotions of fear, despair, joy, that he shows.
In Mr. Egerton Young’s book, called “My Dogs of the Northland,” I find much that is interesting and several vivid dog portraits, but Mr. Young humanizes his dogs to a greater extent than does either Muir or Maeterlinck. For instance, he makes his dog Jack take special delight in teasing the Indian servant girl by walking or lying upon her kitchen floor when she had just cleaned it, all in revenge for the slights the girl had put upon him; and he gives several instances of the conduct of the dog which he thus interprets. Now one can believe almost anything of dogs in the way of wit about their food, their safety, and the like, but one cannot make them so entirely human as deliberately to plan and execute the kind of revenge here imputed to Jack. No animal could appreciate a woman’s pride in a clean kitchen floor, or see any relation between the tracks which he makes upon the floor and her state of feeling toward himself. Mr. Young’s facts are doubtless all right; it is his interpretation of them that is wrong.
It is perfectly legitimate for the animal story writer to put himself inside the animal he wishes to portray, and tell how life and the world look from that point of view; but he must always be true to the facts of the case, and to the limited intelligence for which he speaks.
In the humanization of the animals, and of the facts of natural history which is supposed to be the province of literature in this field, we must recognize certain limits. Your facts are sufficiently humanized the moment they become interesting, and they become interesting the moment you relate them in any way to our lives, or make them suggestive of what we know to be true in other fields and in our own experience. Thoreau made his battle of the ants interesting because he made it illustrate all the human traits of courage, fortitude, heroism, self-sacrifice. Burns’s mouse at once strikes a sympathetic chord in us without ceasing to be a mouse; we see ourselves in it. To attribute human motives and faculties to the animals is to caricature them; but to put us in such relation with them that we feel their kinship, that we see their lives embosomed in the same iron necessity as our own, that we see in their minds a humbler manifestation of the same psychic power and intelligence that culminates and is conscious of itself in man, — that, I take it, is the true humanization.
We like to see ourselves in the nature around us. We want in some way to translate these facts and laws of outward nature into our own experiences; to relate our observations of bird or beast to our own lives. Unless they beget some human emotion in me, — the emotion of the beautiful, the sublime. — or appeal to my sense of the fit, the permanent, — unless what you learn in the fields and the woods corresponds in some way with what I know of my fellows, I shall not long be deeply interested in it. I do not want the animals humanized in any other sense. They all have human traits and ways; let those be brought out — their mirth, their joy, their curiosity, their cunning, their thrift, their relations, their wars, their loves — and all the springs of their actions laid bare as far as possible; but I do not expect my natural history to back up the Ten Commandments, or to be an illustration of the value of training-schools and kindergartens, or to afford a commentary upon the vanity of human wishes. Humanize your facts to the extent of making them interesting, if you have the art to do it, but leave the dog a dog, and the straddle-bug a straddle-bug.
Interpretation is a favorite word with some recent nature writers. It is claimed for the literary naturalist that he interprets natural history. The ways and doings of the wild creatures are exaggerated and misread under the plea of interpretation. Now, if by interpretation we mean an answer to the question, “What does this mean?” or, “What is the exact truth about it?” then there is but one interpretation of nature, and that is the scientific. What is the meaning of the fossils in the rocks? or of the carving and sculpturing of the landscape? or of a thousand and one other things in the organic and inorganic world about us? Science alone can answer. But if we mean by interpretation an answer to the inquiry, “What does this scene or incident suggest to you? how do you feel about it?” then we come to what is called the literary or poetic interpretation of nature, which, strictly speaking, is no interpretation of nature at all, but an interpretation of the writer or the poet himself. The poet or the essayist tells what the bird, or the tree, or the cloud means to him. It is himself, therefore, that is being interpreted. What do Ruskin’s writings upon nature interpret? They interpret Ruskin — his wealth of moral and ethical ideas, and his wonderful imagination. Richard Jefferies tells us how the flower, or the bird, or the cloud is related to his subjective life and experience. It means this or that to him; it may mean something entirely different to another, because he may be bound to it by a different tie of association. The poet fills the lap of Earth with treasures not her own — the riches of his own spirit; science reveals the treasures that are her own, and arranges and appraises them.
Strictly speaking, there is not much in natural history that needs interpreting. We explain a fact, we interpret an oracle; we explain the action and relation of physical laws and forces, we interpret, as well as we can, the geologic record. Darwin sought to explain the origin of species, and to interpret many palæontological phenomena. We account for animal behavior on rational grounds of animal psychology; there is little to interpret. Natural history is not a cryptograph to be deciphered, it is a series of facts and incidents to be observed and recorded. If two wild animals, such as the beaver and the otter, are deadly enemies, there is good reason for it; and when we have found that reason, we have got hold of a fact in natural history. The robins are at enmity with the jays and the crow blackbirds and the cuckoos in the spring, and the reason is, these birds eat the robins’ eggs. When we seek to interpret the actions of the animals, we are, I must repeat, in danger of running into all kinds of anthropomorphic absurdities, by reading their lives in terms of our own thinking and consciousness.
A man sees a flock of crows in a tree in a state of commotion; now they all caw, then only one master voice is heard, presently two or three crows fall upon one of their number and fell him to the ground. The spectator examines the victim and finds him dead, with his eyes pecked out. He interprets what he has seen as a court of justice; the crows were trying a criminal, and, having found him guilty, they proceeded to execute him. The curious instinct which often prompts animals to fall upon and destroy a member of the flock that is sick, or hurt, or blind, is difficult of explanation, but we may be quite sure that, whatever the reason is, the act is not the outcome of a judicial proceeding in which judge and jury and executioner all play their proper part. Wild crows will chase and maltreat a tame crow whenever they get a chance, just why, it would be hard to say. But the tame crow has evidently lost caste among them. I have what I consider good proof that a number of skunks that were wintering together in their den in the ground fell upon and killed and then partly devoured one of their number that had lost a foot in a trap.
Another man sees a fox lead a hound over a long railroad trestle, when the hound is caught and killed by a passing train. He interprets the fact as a cunning trick on the part of the fox to destroy his enemy! A captive fox, held to his kennel by a long chain, was seen to pick up an ear of corn that had fallen from a passing load, chew it up, scattering the kernels about, and then retire into his kennel. Presently a fat hen, attracted by the corn, approached the hidden fox, whereupon he rushed out and seized her. This was a shrewd trick on the part of the fox to capture a hen for his dinner! In this, and in the foregoing cases, the observer supplies something from his own mind. That is what he or she would do under like conditions. True, a fox does not eat corn; but an idle one, tied by a chain, might bite the kernels from an ear in a mere spirit of mischief and restlessness, as a dog or puppy might, and drop them upon the ground; a hen would very likely be attracted by them, when the fox would be quick to see his chance.
Some of the older entomologists believed that in a colony of ants and of bees the members recognized one another by means of some secret sign or password. In all cases a stranger from another colony is instantly detected, and a home member as instantly known. This sign or password, says Burmeister, as quoted by Lubbock, “serves to prevent any strange bee from entering into the same hive without being immediately detected and killed. It, however, sometimes happens that several hives have the same signs, when their several members rob each other with impunity. In these cases the bees whose hives suffer most alter their signs, and then can immediately detect their enemy.” The same thing was thought to be true of a colony of ants. Others held that the bees and the ants knew one another individually, as men of the same town do! Would not any serious student of nature in our day know in advance of experiment that all this was childish and absurd? Lubbock showed by numerous experiments that bees and ants did not recognize their friends or their enemies by either of these methods. Just how they did do it he could not clearly settle, though it seems as if they were guided more by the sense of smell than by anything else. Maeterlinck in his “Life of the Bee” has much to say about the “spirit of the hive,” and it does seem as if there were some mysterious agent or power at work there that cannot be located or defined.
This current effort to interpret nature has led one of the well-known prophets of the art to say that in this act of interpretation one “must struggle against fact and law to develop or keep his own individuality.” This is certainly a curious notion, and I think an unsafe one, that the student of nature must struggle against fact and law, must ignore or override them, in order to give full swing to his own individuality. Is it himself, then, and not the truth that he is seeking to exploit? In the field of natural history we have been led to think the point at issue is not man’s individuality, but correct observation — a true report of the wild life about us. Is one to give free rein to his fancy or imagination; to see animal life with his “vision,” and not with his corporeal eyesight; to hear with his transcendental ear, and not through his auditory nerve? This may be all right in fiction or romance or fable, but why call the outcome natural history? Why set it down as a record of actual observation? Why penetrate the wilderness to interview Indians, trappers, guides, woodsmen, and thus seek to confirm your observations, if you have all the while been “struggling against fact and law,” and do not want or need confirmation? If nature study is only to exploit your own individuality, why bother about what other people have or have not seen or heard? Why, in fact, go to the woods at all? Why not sit in your study and invent your facts to suit your fancyings?
My sole objection to the nature books that are the outcome of this proceeding is that they are put forth as veritable natural history, and thus mislead their readers. They are the result of a successful “struggle against fact and law” in a field where fact and law should be supreme. No doubt that, in the practical affairs of life, one often has a struggle with the fact. If one’s bank balance gets on the negative side of the account, he must struggle to get it back where it belongs; he may even have the help of the bank’s attorney to get it there. If one has a besetting sin of any kind, he has to struggle against that. Life is a struggle anyhow, and we are all strugglers — struggling to put the facts upon our side. But the only struggle the real nature student has with facts is to see them as they are, and to read them aright. He is just as zealous for the truth as is the man of science. In fact, nature study is only science out of school, happy in the fields and woods, loving the flower and the animal which it observes, and finding in them something for the sentiments and the emotions as well as for the understanding.
With the nature student, the human interest in the wild creatures — by which I mean our interest in them as living, struggling beings — dominates the scientific interest, or our interest in them merely as subjects for comparison and classification.
Gilbert White was a rare combination of the nature student and the man of science, and his book is one of the minor English classics. Richard Jefferies was a true nature lover, but his interests rarely take a scientific turn. Our Thoreau was in love with the natural, but still more in love with the supernatural; yet he prized the fact, and his books abound in delightful natural history observations. We have a host of nature students in our own day, bent on plucking out the heart of every mystery in the fields and woods. Some are dryly scientific, some are dull and prosy, some are sentimental, some are sensational, and a few are altogether admirable. Mr. Thompson Seton, as an artist and raconteur, ranks by far the highest in this field, but in reading his works as natural history, one has to be constantly on guard against his romantic tendencies.
The structure of animals, their colors, their ornaments, their distribution, their migrations, all have a significance that science may interpret for us if it can, but it is the business of every observer to report truthfully what he sees, and not to confound his facts with his theories.
Why does the cowbird lay its egg in another bird’s nest? Why are these parasitical birds found the world over? Who knows? Only there seems to be a parasitical principle in Nature that runs all through her works, in the vegetable as well as in the animal kingdom. Why is the porcupine so tame and stupid? Because it does not have to hunt for its game, and is self-armed against all comers. The struggle of life has not developed its wits. Why are robins so abundant? Because they are so adaptive, both as regards their food and their nesting-habits. They eat both fruit and insects, and will nest anywhere — in trees, sheds, walls, and on the ground. Why is the fox so cunning? Because the discipline of life has made him cunning. Man has probably always been after his fur; and his subsistence has not been easily obtained. If you ask me why the crow is so cunning, I shall be put to it for an adequate answer. It seems as if nobody could ever have wanted his skin or his carcass, and his diet does not compel him to outwit live game, as does that of the fox. His jet black plumage exposes him alike winter and summer. This drawback he has had to meet by added wit, but I can think of no other way in which he is handicapped. I do not know that he has any natural enemies; yet he is one of the most suspicious of the fowls of the air. Why is the Canada jay so much tamer than are other jays? They belong farther north, where they see less of man; they are birds of the wilderness; they are often, no doubt, hard put to it for food; their color does not make them conspicuous, — all these things, no doubt, tend to make them more familiar than their congeners. Why, again, the chickadee can be induced to perch upon your hand, and take food from it, more readily than can the nuthatch or the woodpecker, is a question not so easily answered. It being a lesser bird, it probably has fewer enemies than either of the others, and its fear would be less in proportion.
Why does the dog, the world over, use his nose in covering the bone he is hiding, and not his paw? Is it because his foot would leave a scent that would give his secret away, while his nose does not? He uses his paw in digging the hole for the bone, but its scent in this case would be obliterated by his subsequent procedure.
The foregoing is one way to interpret or explain natural facts. Everything has its reason. To hit upon this reason is to interpret it to the understanding. To interpret it to the emotions, or to the moral or to the æsthetic sense, that is another matter.
I would not be unjust or unsympathetic toward this current tendency to exalt the lower animals into the human sphere. I would only help my reader to see things as they are, and to stimulate him to love the animals as animals, and not as men. Nothing is gained by self-deception. The best discipline of life is that which prepares us to face the facts, no matter what they are. Such sweet companionship as one may have with a dog, simply because he is a dog, and does not invade your own exclusive sphere! He is, in a way, like your youth come back to you, and taking form — all instinct and joy and adventure. You can ignore him, and he is not offended; you can reprove him, and he still loves you; you can hail him, and he bounds with joy; you can camp and tramp and ride with him, and his interest and curiosity and adventurous spirit give to the days and the nights the true holiday atmosphere. With him you are alone and not alone; you have both companionship and solitude. Who would have him more human or less canine? He divines your thought through his love, and feels your will in the glance of your eye. He is not a rational being, yet he is a very susceptible one, and touches us at so many points that we come to look upon him with a fraternal regard.
I suppose we should not care much for natural history, as I have before said, or for the study of nature generally, if we did not in some way find ourselves there; that is, something that is akin to our own feelings, methods, and intelligence. We have traveled that road, we find tokens of ourselves on every hand; we are “stuccoed with quadrupeds and birds all over,” as Whitman says. The life-history of the humblest animal, if truly told, is profoundly interesting. If we could know all that befalls the slow moving turtle in the fields, or the toad that stumbles and fumbles along the roadside, our sympathies would be touched, and some spark of real knowledge imparted. We should not want the lives of those humble creatures “interpreted” after the manner of our sentimental “School of Nature Study,” for that were to lose fact in fable; that were to give us a stone when we had asked for bread; we should want only a truthful record from the point of view of a wise, loving, human eye, such a record as, say, Gilbert white or Henry Thoreau might have given us. How interesting White makes his old turtle, hurrying to shelter when it rains, or seeking the shade of a cabbage leaf when the sun is too hot, or prancing about the garden on tiptoe in the spring by five in the morning, when the mating instinct begins to stir within him! Surely we may see ourselves in the old tortoise.
In fact, the problem of the essay-naturalist always is to make his subject interesting, and yet keep strictly within the bounds of truth.
It is always an artist’s privilege to heighten or deepen natural effects. He may paint us a more beautiful woman, or a more beautiful horse, or a more beautiful landscape, than we ever saw; we are not deceived even though he outdo nature. We know where we stand and where he stands; we know that this is the power of art. If he is writing an animal romance like Kipling’s story of the “White Seal,” or like his “Jungle Book,” there will be nothing equivocal about it, no mixture of fact and fiction, nothing to confuse or mislead the reader.
We know that here is the light that never was on sea or land, the light of the spirit. The facts are not falsified; they are transmuted. The aim of art is the beautiful, not over but through the true. The aim of the literary naturalist is the true, not over but through the beautiful; you shall find the exact facts in his pages, and you shall find them possessed of some of the allurement and suggestiveness that they had in the fields and woods. Only thus does his work attain to the rank of literature.
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Potnia was the most important goddess in Greece in the Late Bronze Age, which is called Mycenaean (1600 - 1100 BCE). She is mentioned on the tablets with Linear scripts B from Knossos and Pylos as PO-TI-NI-JA with many epithets. Some of these adjectives are of local provenience, where some of them characterize the sphere of her influence.
In Mycenaean monuments, Potnia appears with many attributes: the snakes, the double axes, the lions, the doves, the griffin, as well as other kinds of animals and sacred features. Sometimes standing alone they have to indicate the presence of the goddess.
Potnia is the protector of nature, vegetation, fertility and in this case she is closely related to the Minoan Mother of the Mountains. During Late Helladic III period (after 1400 BCE) Potnia is depicted more war-like. Armed with weapons, wearing a helmet, she is accompanied by the griffin.
J.Chadwick believes that Potnia was connected with the cult of the Earth Mother, dominated from Early Helladic time over all Aegean religion. He supposes this cult continued with a variety of names into the classical period. M.P. Nilson presumed the role of Potnia in Greek classical religion was taken over by Athena, Rhea and Hera.
I think the position of Potnia and her attributes were changing in the harmony with needs of Mycenaean community. Beside her primary function of the goddess of nature, vegetation and fertility, she had to be powerful and warlike to protect Mycenaean palaces and their cities against the enemies. That is why Mycenaeans paid great attention to the weapons, showing Potnia with helmet or sword, and it is not to be wondered that one adjective of Potnia on the tablet from Pylos was connected with bronze-smiths. In Greek Olympian religion the place of Potnia disappeared. Her role and her divine attributes spread out between many goddesses.
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|Page tools: Print Page Print All RSS Search this Product|
FEATURE ARTICLE: BURIAL AND CREMATION TRENDS IN SA
Deaths recorded in the Adelaide statistical division has increased from about 8,000 in 1992 to about 9,100 in 2008 although as a percentage of state deaths this has remained reasonably constant at about 73%.
Total cremations performed by ACA and CPCA have fluctuated slightly around an average of about 5,150 per year. Total burials performed by ACA and CPCA has declined from about 1,800 burials per year in the early 1990's to about 1,450 burials in 2009.
The proportion of burials in South Australia has slowly decreased from 43% in 1995 to 34% in 2009. This contrasts with the combined ACA and CPCA totals where the proportion has only changed slightly with a decrease from about 25% to 22% over the same period. The Adelaide proportion is consistent with the experience in the United Kingdom and other capital cities in Australia where between 20 to 25 percent of metropolitan deaths result in burials while the remainder are cremated (CPCA, 2009).
The ABS publishes population projections to illustrate the change in population that would occur if certain assumptions about future levels of fertility, mortality, internal migration and overseas migration were to prevail over the projection period. For more information, see Population Projections, Australia, 2006 to 2101 (cat. no. 3222.0).
For South Australia, the number of deaths per year is projected to increase from about 12,500 in 2009 to between 17,500 and 23,000 by 2056.
There has been a steady increase in the number of deaths per year since 1956 and it has been projected that this rate will continue to slowly increase to about 14,700 deaths per year in 2025. For the following 20 years the number of deaths is projected to increase more rapidly as the 'baby boomers' age and by 2056 it is projected that the rate of increase will slow with the total number being approximately twice present values in both Series B and Series C estimates.
It can be expected that the increase in deaths will also result in an increase in the number of burials per year. As shown earlier in this article, the proportion of burials is 34% in South Australia and 22% in Adelaide. This proportion has been decreasing over the last 20 years and may continue to decrease.
As the proportion of burials may continue to slowly decline, three different burial proportions have been used to project possible high, medium and low numbers of future burials. If the proportion only declines slightly from the current SA proportion then the number of burials in 2056 is projected to be 6,850. If the proportion declines to about the metropolitan proportion of 22%, the number of burials in 2056 is projected to be about 5,150; and if the proportion declines substantially to 15%, the number of burials in 2056 is projected to be about 3.400.
There is no standard density of burial plots in cemeteries in South Australia. As a guide, CPCA currently has approximately 2,300 plots per hectare allowing for space between plots and infrastructure. It is possible to have multiple burials per plot and to reuse plots after the expiration of licences (usually between 50 and 99 years) but there is cultural resistance to this in some community sectors.
Based on the burial projections discussed in the previous section, and using the CPCA density of burials, it is estimated that at least 2 hectares of burial land will be required in South Australia each year. The availability of cemetery land in the north of Adelaide and regional South Australia, reuse of burial plots, changing community requirements and the emergence of new technologies may reduce the requirement for new cemetery land.
Over the last 20 years the number of deaths in South Australia has increased by about 14%, cremations have increased about 29% and burials have decreased about 15%. The proportion of burials has been decreasing and is currently about 34% of state deaths. This proportion is substantially lower at 22% for the two major cemetery and crematoria providers in Adelaide.
The number of deaths each year is projected to double by 2056 from current levels and may equate to about 5,000-7,000 burials and an annual requirement of at least 2 hectares of land.
ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) 2008, Population Projections, Australia, 2006 to 2101 (cat. no. 3222.0).
ABS 2009, Deaths, Australia, 2008 (cat. no. 3302.0).
ACA (Adelaide Cemeteries Authority) 2009, Submission to draft 30-year Plan for Greater Adelaide #433.
CPCA (Centennial Park Cemetery Authority) 2009, Submission to draft 30-year Plan for Greater Adelaide #167 .
CPCA, Collated SA Industry Statistics Deaths/Burials/Cremations, n.p.
Government of South Australia 2007, South Australia's Strategic Plan.
Government of South Australia 2010, The 30-year Plan for Greater Adelaide.
South Australian Births, Deaths And Marriages Registration Office, Annual Statistical Reports 1995 - 2009.
These documents will be presented in a new window.
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Bleeding time is a crude test of hemostasis.
It indicates how well platelets interact with blood
vessel walls to form blood clots. Bleeding time is used
most often to detect qualitative defects of platelets.
The bleeding time test is usually used on patients who
have a history of prolonged bleeding after cuts, or
who have a family history of bleeding disorders.
There are several methods to perform the bleeding time
- Ivy method: is the traditional
format for this test. In the Ivy method, a blood pressure
cuff is placed on the upper arm and inflated. A lancet
or scalpel blade is used to make a stab wound on the
underside of the forearm. The time from when the stab
wound is made until all bleeding has stopped is measured
and is called the bleeding time. Every 30 seconds,
filter paper or a paper towel is used to draw off
the blood. The test is finished when bleeding has
- Template method: a template is
placed over the area to be stabbed and two incisions
are made in the forearm using the template as a location
- Duke method: a nick is made in
an ear lobe or a fingertip is pricked to cause bleeding.
A normal bleeding time for the Ivy method is less than
five minutes from the time of the stab until all bleeding
from the wound stops. Some texts extend the normal range
to eight minutes. Normal values for the template method
range up to eight minutes, while for the modified template
methods, up to 10 minutes is considered normal. Normal
for the Duke method is three minutes.
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I am back again with more bird migration research. This paper is focused more closely on the predator prey relationships, specifically on the response of prey species to the abundance of predators. This is somewhat related to my research on the related timing of migration between predator species and prey species. I am not sure if I can specifically use this paper as it is more behavioral at an individual level as my work is more focused on population level reactions. It's interesting none the less.
CIMPRICH, D., WOODREY, M., & MOORE, F. (2005). Passerine migrants respond to variation in predation risk during stopover Animal Behaviour, 69 (5), 1173-1179 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.07.021
Predator-prey interactions at migratory stop-over points is interesting for a number of reasons. The prey birds must manage the risk of predation against their need for large quantities of food to support their journey. Complicating the situation is that they are in unknown territory with unknown risks. The shrubs may be different, the food may be different, and even the predators may be different.
The researchers studied two prey species (Blue-grey Gnatcatchers (Polioptila caerulea) and American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)) and one predator species (Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)). The "Sharpie" is definitely one of my study species, but the prey mix will be different for my study due to geographic location. Their study used both observational techniques and manipulative techniques in an interesting way. For the manipulative they created a balsa wood airplane which resembled a sharp-shinned hawk and launched it 4m over the heads of some prey birds under observation. This produced consistent reactions to real sharpies flying low over the foraging area. This allowed the researchers to add to the natural migration rate of Sharpies over the site and measure the response.
The results indicate that both prey species moved deeper into the woods as the number of predators flying over per hour increased. The Blue-grey Gnatcatchers also moved at slower rates during higher volumes of predators. It did not appear that the increased presence of predators decreased their foraging rate significantly. This illustrates that the predators changed how they foraged, but not the rate, answering the question on how they balance the risk with their urgent need to build their fat stores.
While this might to be directly useful in my work, the paper did present a couple of interesting references to other papers which promise to be quite helpful. The continued exposure to field and statistical methods is also helping me get my mind around the daunting task ahead of me.
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December 13, 2012
Kenshiro: The Robot With A Skeleton And Muscles
Michael Harper for redOrbit.com — Your Universe Online
Robots have been doing our work for years now. As scientists make advancements in the field of robotics, they´ve been able to make these robots smarter and smaller, giving them even more jobs to do. Robots have even been made to break land speed records and run like speedy jungle cats.Now, researchers at the University of Tokyo are showing off a robot that not only looks human, it´s also built like one.
Named Kenshiro, this robot features a skeletal system and a sort of muscular system built out of gears and pulleys. Kenshiro started as Kojiro who, in 2010, was built to closely resemble the musculoskeletal system of the human body. With these new additions, Kenshiro is said to mimic the body of the average 12-year old Japanese boy. At just over 5 feet tall and 110 pounds, Kenshiro´s body has nearly all of the human body´s major muscles represented in its robotic frame.
According to IEEE Spectrum, Kenshiro has 50 pulley muscles in its legs, 76 in its trunk, 12 in its shoulders and 22 in its neck. No other humanoid robot has this many “muscles” built into their frame.
According to Yuto Nakanishi, the head of the project, one of the trickier aspects to building Kenshiro was keeping the weight down.
In an earlier project, Nakanishi and team built a tendon-driven robot named Kenzoh. This robot´s upper body weighed in at just under 100 pounds. By the time the rest of Kenzoh would have been build, it would have weighed more than 220 pounds.
Nakanishi and team weren´t interested in building an obese robot, so they decided to pay close attention to the weight ratios of a typical human child.
To get the muscle action just right, the University of Tokyo team also paid close attention to muscle torque and joint speeds. With these factors nailed down, Kenshiro is now 5 times stronger than it was as Kojiro, enabling it to perform some gymnastic-style leg lifts. Kenshiro could be stronger, of course, but with bigger motors comes more weight, something which the team was not willing to sacrifice.
Nakanishi´s team also discovered that using pulley systems for muscles is a good analog for the real thing, combining the right amount of torque and fluidity.
It only takes one motor to drive these pulley muscles, thus keeping down on Kenshiro´s total weight and making it more stable.
These muscles also give the robot a full 64 degrees of freedom, with 13 degrees in the neck, 13 degrees in the arms, 7 degrees in the legs and 11 in the spine.
Kenhiro´s bone structure has also been built with an eye towards weight. The team chose aluminum bones not only to be lightweight, but to also add more rigidity to the entire structure.
Up next, Nakanishi plans to continue work on his entry into the DARPA Robotics Challenge. He plans to enter another humanoid robot into the competition, which will be used as a rescue robot to carry injured or wounded humans out of harm´s way.
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In a recent contest, aimed at producing new innovative designs from which a solar powered construction can be developed, in this case an elevated highway, Italian designers came up with the breathtaking concept, so called Solar Wind Bridge.
The idea of using a bridge to produce energy from both the Sun and wind seems a no brainer as with their normally tall structures they are constantly exposed to these elements. This makes the design more than realistic and the motion that the concept should be constructed a sensible one.
From the report by Gizmag we are informed that the design will consist of a road stretching 12.4 miles (20km) constructed with plastic coated solar cells that will harness energy from the sun and be able to produce 11.2 million kWh a year, along with 26 wind turbines built in the bridges structure below capable of producing 36 million kWh per year. Enough to power around 15,000 homes. You can read the full article from Gizmag here.
Renewable energy constructions are becoming more and more a necessity nowadays, calling for designers and architects alike to bring to the table what they have dreamt up. With new technology advancing as it is, these designs are becoming less of a dream and more of a reality. Some concepts even being looked upon as works of art, like the Lunar Cubit Solar Pyramids. Take a look at this concept design and see for yourself.
What do you think about these designs? Let us know your thoughts.
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VETERAN war correspondent Kate Adie risked life and limb to deliver news of terror attacks and conflicts from around the world.
Now the former BBC chief news correspondent has turned her attention to the forgotten achievements of women contributing to the Great War.
Kate says putting herself in the firing line was nothing compared to the contribution of women in her latest book, Fighting On The Home Front: The Legacy Of Women In World War I.
Among those supporting the men in the trenches were Scotswomen enlisted as munitions workers at massive factories.
Glasgow provided Britain’s first female tram driver, while women became welders and caulker riveters in the yards.
OBE Kate hopes her book will give an insight into how the war changed the role of women.
“The war offered unexpected opportunities for women to get new jobs,” she said.
“The Clydeside was phenomenally important where women were the very first to get into the shipyards and into engineering plants.
“Small numbers of women had been campaigning for a good 10 to 15 years beforehand to get the vote.
“But it didn’t really affect the working woman. It was more of an intellectual exercise.
“In 1914-18, everything changed at home.
“So many men were away.
“Women had to take on responsibilities.
“They had to change their way of life and even changed their appearance.
“Glasgow was a wonderful example. Glasgow has the kudos of having the first lady tram driver.
“This was revolutionary.
“Until then, there had been conductresses who wore wonderful, long tartan skirts.”
Not everybody enjoyed the idea of women helping the war effort.
“It was done amid vast prejudice,” Kate said. “There was a nastiness about it. It was said that women didn’t have the intelligence or strength.
“On trolley buses they had to hook the poles on the wires.
“People were disparaging and said they couldn’t do it.
“A lot of people despised women’s abilities.
“Men just didn’t want them but so many skilled men had gone off to the war they had no choice.
“Women tram drivers in Glasgow went ahead and proved they could do it.”
Kate added: “Women from Glasgow were recruited into munitions and went down to Gretna, which was the biggest munitions plant in the country.
“For many women this was the first time they had been out on a Saturday night.
“They were being paid more than they would normally earn.
“The munitions plants in Scotland and England formed football teams, partly because life in the factories was so hellish.
“It was physically hard work and dangerous, and after being crammed together for 10 or 12-hour shifts there was a real need for the women and young girls to get some exercise.
“This was at a time when women were told exercise wasn’t good for them.
“The teams played football and the matches for war charities attracted huge crowds and got write-ups in the sports columns.”
Kate also learned about Edinburgh doctor Elsie Inglis who was told to “go home and sit still” when she turned up at the war office and offered to supply doctors and nurses to the front.
Elsie persisted and went on to run field hospitals.
“Women who went as voluntary nurses and doctors were just behind frontline positions doing battlefield surgery,” Kate said.
“A great number of the women coped brilliantly.
“Reading their letters that were written by candlelight reveals they were steadfast under fire.
“The ambulance drivers astounded the men because they drove into places to collect wounded soldiers.
“Some of the women were famous at home but after the war their names faded.
“Instead, people discussed the military manoeuvres and the horrors of war.”
Women were also used to make sure the men enlisted.
Kate said: “Women were targeted to get recruitment going.
“There were posters saying things like, ‘Women Of Scotland, Where Are Your Boys?’ and ‘Is Your Best Boy In Khaki?’
“In previous conflicts, men went off to war as professional soldiers and fought a long way away in the empire.
“The Great War touched everybody. East coast towns were attacked by German destroyers.
“Women and children were killed. This hadn’t happened before. The country attacked.
“War was supposed to happen on the battlefield, not the streets.
“Women were involved in the war whether they liked it or not.”
Northumberland-born Adie, who began her career as a technician on Radio Durham, worked as a producer before becoming a reporter.
She was as a junior working a late shift for the BBC when the SAS stormed the Iranian embassy.
First on the scene, she went on to become one of the BBC’s top correspondents.
She resigned as chief news correspondent 10 years ago.
Now living in Dorset, the 68-year old faced sexism at work.
“I went to civil wars in small countries and to more formal, traditional military operations such as Gulf War I and Gulf War II, and several others,” she said.
“I found the British military fine. If you manage to spend six months in a desert with 43,000 blokes and come out of it saying, ‘That was great’, that gives you some idea.
“But if you are in a country with a society where women are treated like animals, such as Afghanistan, where women have little status, few rights and are treated as dirt in rural and primitive areas, then you as a female are going to have to confront practical difficulties.”
However, she refuses to describe herself as having been brave in squaring up to warlords.
“No, I’m not brave,” she said. “I’ve never used the word.
“I run fast and hide behind things. Journalists go as far as they should in order to bring the story back. That’s the bottom line.”
Despite being shot at, Kate said: “You don’t put yourself in danger.
“You are not there to be heroic. You’re there to find out what is going on.”
Reporting the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, she suffered a gunshot wound to
She was also shot at by a Libyan and wounded in Bosnia.
“I have been very lucky,” said Kate.
“I have been nicked and grazed and I have taken shrapnel as well.
“I run fast and I hide but not fast enough at times.”
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Lunch boxes are like socks. Even if you try to keep tabs on them, the lids and containers end up being mismatched and grungy by the time school is out. By now, many parents are in the market for a new one, and back-to-school sales are full of sparkling plastic lunch boxes in candy colours – all marked “BPA-free.”
The label means that the product does not contain bisphenol A, a synthetic compound associated with a litany of health problems, from cardiovascular disease to poor brain development and an increased risk for certain cancers. BPA is among the most widely used chemicals in the plastics industry, found in everything from dental sealants to cash-register receipts and the lining of tin cans.
But growing evidence suggests that BPA-free products are no safer than the hard plastics they replaced. In fact, some chemical alternatives may be more potent than BPA.
In 2008, Health Canada made global headlines by banning the sale of polycarbonate baby bottles containing bisphenol A. Canada went a step further in 2010, declaring BPA a toxin (the designation allows the government to develop regulations around a chemical’s use).
Despite this move, the agency has maintained ever since that “current dietary exposure to BPA through food packaging uses is not expected to pose a health risk to the general population, including newborns and infants.”
But manufacturers realized that no consumer would touch a food container made with a recognized toxin with a 10-foot pole. Before long, BPA-free became the consumer products industry standard.
Now, it turns out that chemicals used instead of BPA, including bisphenol S and F, may act in similar ways to BPA. In rats and mice, BPA is known to disrupt the endocrine system, the network of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth, brain function and reproduction.
An analysis published in March in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives evaluated 32 studies on how bisphenol S and F behaved in Petri dishes and living organisms. Based on existing research, the authors wrote, “BPS and BPF are as hormonally active as BPA, and they have endocrine-disrupting effects.”
Deborah Kurrasch, an assistant professor of medical genetics at the University of Calgary, found that zebrafish exposed to both BPA and BPS showed an overgrowth of nervous tissue, and signs of hyperactivity. Trace amounts of BPS increased neuron cell growth in zebrafish by 240 per cent.
“Our results show that BPA-free products are not necessarily safer,” concluded her study, published in January in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
George Bittner, a neurobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, has been testing plastic containers for synthetic estrogens (which are believed to disrupt the endocrine system) for more than a decade. “If what you substitute for BPA has estrogenic activity, you haven’t solved a thing except a marketing problem,” says Bittner, who set up his lab using a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
BPA-free is not a safety standard. Federal authorities in Canada and the United States do not test plastics, nor do they require chemical companies to test the toxicity of new materials, including BPA replacements, before they hit the market.
What’s more, manufacturers do not have to reveal the chemical formulations of plastics that come in contact with food. “We have no idea what’s in these products,” said Frederick vom Saal, a specialist in endocrine disruption at the University of Missouri at Columbia who has done extensive research on BPA.
Hundreds of studies have demonstrated BPA’s toxicity in rodents. But as of yet, scientists have been unable to prove without a doubt that BPA and similar chemicals cause disease in humans. Researchers cannot dose human sub1jects with BPA for ethical reasons. Nearly 100 epidemiological studies have shown a link between BPA in humans and an increased risk for diabetes, reproductive problems and developmental effects, but studies like these can only identify correlations, not causes.
Some researchers have challenged whether BPA at current levels poses a public health threat.
In a study published in April in the journal Pediatrics, a team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health noted that the vast majority of U.S. newborns had been exposed to BPA. But after analyzing the form of BPA found in urine samples, the researchers suggested that infants can rid their bodies of the chemical.
Vom Saal called the study’s conclusion “inane.” He pointed out that a basic assumption in pharmacokinetics – the study of how drugs move in, through and out of the body – is that one can evaluate the presence of a drug or chemical in the body only “based on measuring blood,” not urine.
He believes that many studies on BPA are funded by the chemical industry, which has a vested interest in promoting the idea that BPA and BPA alternatives are safe at low levels. In 2006, vom Saal did an analysis of BPA-related studies and found that 11 out of 11 industry-funded studies determined the chemical to be relatively safe, while 109 of 119 studies that had no industry funding did see negative effects on health.
While the health effects of long-term exposure to BPA and BPA alternatives are uncertain, there is little doubt that the plastics we use every day are leaching synthetic estrogens.
In a 2014 study, Bittner’s lab in Austin, Tex., tested 50 BPA-free products from companies including Camelback, Nalgene and Lock&Lock. The study found that almost all leached estrogenic chemicals, regardless of whether the plastics were exposed to heat, steam pressure or ultraviolet rays, conditions known to increase the release of chemical compounds.
Plastics considered more chemically inert, such as polypropylene used in yogurt containers, or the polyethylene used to make plastic bags, may also release harmful chemicals, depending on how they are formulated. Even the colours added to plastics may increase estrogenic activity, Bittner said.
Some researchers question why BPA and BPA alternatives are being singled out, considering the array of chemicals that enter our water supply, including synthetic estrogens from hormonal contraceptives as well as antidepressants and other pharmaceutical drugs.
The relative harm from different sources of synthetic estrogens “really is unknown,” Bittner said. One reason to focus on estrogenic chemicals in plastics is that the problem could be easily solved. “It’s a simple matter of using certain chemicals and not others in the manufacturing process, and then testing the products to see if they release chemicals with estrogenic activity,” he said. “It’s not expensive.”
As it stands, glass or stainless-steel food containers are considered safer than plastic or silicone. But even if parents use only non-plastic lunch boxes, more often than not, the breads, cheeses, carrots and snacks they pack for their kids were purchased in soft plastic bags, or from hard plastic bulk bins. All are manufactured using an array of chemicals that may – or may not – be harmful.
Parents are increasingly concerned that there are no safe plastics, says Manda Aufochs Gillespie, author of Green Mama: Giving Your Child a Healthy Start and a Greener Future. To meet growing demand for products that do not release harmful chemicals, numerous companies have come out with stylish food containers made of truly inert materials such as glass, stainless steel, cotton and beeswax. Here are Gillespie’s top picks.
Durable lunch wares from this Vancouver-based company include stainless-steel drinking straws and double-walled insulated tiffins, perfect for keeping leftovers hot. onyxcontainers.com
Stainless-steel bento boxes with brightly coloured lids come with one, two or three compartments. The thermal container for hot liquids has a wide mouth to help children spoon out soups without spilling. lunchbots.com
This range of stainless-steel lunch kits has a cult following thanks to its tiny snack compartments, insulated carrying cases and cute little magnets to stick on the front. planetbox.com
These washable cotton bags in fun prints come in different sizes; GoGo says snacks such as apple slices end up tasting fresher than those stored in plastic bags. gogobags.ca
Made of canvas coated in beeswax, this flexible, washable material is a lovely alternative to plastic wrap, and can be reused for up to a year. Great for wrapping sandwiches, cheese slices and other nibbles. abeego.com
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The Spanish influence on California took hold between the mid-18th and early 19th centuries, as a result of the ""mission system,"" an offshoot of Spanish colonization. With both religious and economic purposes in mind, the Spanish government set out to convert local natives in Alta California to Catholicism and to train them in farming and industrial skills, which would support the mission communities of religious leaders, soldiers, and converted natives. This anthology looks at the founding of twenty-one California missions, the controversial relationship between the missionaries and the neophytes, and the impact of Spanish architecture and daily lifestyles at the missions of California.
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November 19, 2012
Mutations in genes that modify DNA packaging result in form of muscular dystrophy
A recent finding by medical geneticists sheds new light on how facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy develops and how it might be treated. More commonly known as FSHD, the devastating disease affects both men and women.
FSHD is usually an inherited genetic disorder, yet sometimes appears spontaneously via new mutations in individuals with no family history of the condition.
“People with the condition experience progressive muscle weakness and about 1 in 5 require wheelchair assistance by age 40,” said Dr. Daniel G. Miller, University of Washington associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Genetic Medicine. Miller and his worldwide collaborators study the molecular events leading to symptoms of FSHD in the hopes of designing therapies to prevent the emergence of symptoms or reduce their severity.
In the Nov. 11 online issue of Nature Genetics, Miller and Dr. Silvere M. van der Maarel of Leiden University in The Netherlands, along with an international team, report their latest findings on the role of epigenetic modifications in causing the disease. In Seattle, Dr. Stephen Tapscott of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was also a major contributor to the project. He is a UW professor of neurology and a researcher at the UW Center for Human Development and Disability.
Epigenetics refers to mechanisms that influence how the genome is regulated and how, where and when genes act — all without altering the underlying DNA sequence. The flexibility of DNA packaging – its wrapping, which can be tightened and loosened, and its chemical tags – is one of the epigenetic forces on the genome. This packaging is called the chromatin structure and is one way specialized cells such as those in our muscles allow groups of genes to be shut off, or be available for expression.
Patients with FSHD, usually have a deletion of genetic material that reduces the number of copies of a repeated DNA sequence arrayed on chromosome 4. The deletion alters the chromatin structure of the region and allows the muscle-toxic DUX4 genes within each repeat to be inappropriately activated.
“Most genetic mutations reduce the production of a protein, or a mutated gene might produce a detrimental protein,” Miller said. “FSHD is unusual because it is most often caused by genetic deletions that paradoxically result in the production of DUX4 in the wrong tissue at the wrong time.”
Scientists have previously shown that the genetic deletions in FSHD somehow caused an epigenetic change – an alteration in one of the mechanisms that control a gene’s activity. The relaxation of the tightly wound chromatin structure allowed the otherwise sealed code in the gene to be read and the toxic DUX4 to be produced in skeletal muscle.
“Our study builds on this model and identifies a new mechanism that allows this relaxation and DUX4 production to occur. Production of DUX4 in muscle cells can be viewed as a molecular switch. We’ve discovered that the switch that turns on DUX4 expression can be activated in different ways but the mechanism of muscle destruction by DUX4 remains the same. Identifying different ways the switch can be activated is a crucial step toward therapy development because it allows us to apply multiple and different strategies to prevent activation of the switch.” Miller said.
Five percent of FSHD-affected individuals have array lengths, longer than 10 copies (the threshold for chromatin relaxation) of the DNA sequence in question making them appear to lack the genetic mutation that normally causes FSHD.
However, these unusual individuals lacked repression of DUX4 code-reading in their skeletal muscle cells because of a mechanism other than copy number.
“Breakthroughs in scientific discovery are often achieved by studying individuals with unusual disease presentations,” Miller said. The researchers identified individuals without the usual FSHD-disease causing DNA deletion but who still lacked repression of the DUX4 code reading.
Dr. Rabi Tawil at the University of Rochester made the clinical diagnosis in these people and established cultures of muscle cells from biopsies. Dr. Richard Lemmers working in van der Maarel’s laboratory demonstrated that the chromatin structure was relaxed despite a normal number of repeat units on chromosome 4. With the help of Dr. Michael Bamshad, UW professor of pediatrics, and Dr. Deborah Nickerson, UW professor of genome sciences, Miller and his group sequenced and analyzed the protein coding portions of the genomes of individuals with FSHD caused by this uncommon mechanism.
The researchers discovered that these individuals had causative mutations in the Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes Hinge Domain 1 gene. Mutations in this gene cause decreased levels of the SMCHD1 protein and result in relaxation of the chromatin structure surrounding the muscle cells’ DNA allowing toxic DUX4 to be generated.
“The discovery linking mutations in the SMCHD1 gene with FSHD is particularly satisfying,” Miller said, ‘because the normal form of SMCHD1 has an established role in repressing the reading of portions of the DNA code. SMCHD1 Is involved in silencing one of the two X chromosomes in females and in turning off repetitive elements in other parts of the genome.
Understanding the FSHD-causing mechanism of SMCHD1 mutations, Miller said, suggests ideas for therapeutic strategies to suppress the production of the muscle-damaging DUX4 and for treatments for the more common forms of FSHD.
This work was supported by grants from the NIH (NINDS P01NS069539; CTSA UL1RR024160; NIAMS R01AR045203; NHGRI HG005608 and HG006493), NGI Horizon Valorization Project Grant (Nr 93515504), The University of Washington Center for Mendelian Genomics (1U54HG006493), the MDA (217596), the Geraldi Norton and Eklund family foundation, the FSH Society, The Friends of FSH Research, EU FP7 framework program agreements 223026 (NMD-chip) and 223143 (TechGene), and the Stichting FSHD.
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||Ventricular Septal Defect and the Adult Patient
This common congenital heart defect may occur by itself or in association with other anomalies. Some examples of the latter are Tetralogy of Fallot, Double Inlet Left Ventricle, and Truncus Arteriosus. This discussion is concerned with cases in which one or more ventricular septal defects (VSDs) occur without the presence of other kinds of heart defect.
A VSD is a hole in the muscle wall between the two ventricles that allows the movement (shunting) of blood from one ventricle into the other. The direction of shunting will normally be from the left to the right because of the higher pressures in the left heart. In general, the larger the defect, the more shunting of blood will occur.
The left to right shunting of blood through the VSD causes increased blood pressure in the right ventricle and heavy pulmonary blood flow. If untreated, this can cause irreversible changes in the pulmonary circulation as well as a right to left shunt through the VSD and the development of Eisenmenger Complex. The high pulmonary blood flow can also lead to volume overload in the left side of the heart, resulting in enlargement (dilatation) of the left atrium and left ventricle. Over time, this enlargement can lead to congestive heart failure or the occurrence of arrhythmias (irregularities of the heart's rhythm).
Small ventricular septal defects, which did not close spontaneously in childhood, result in a distinctive heart murmur. Larger defects may cause shortness of breath and other problems caused by excessive pulmonary blood flow. Over time, this may lead to pulmonary vascular disease. Accordingly, it is important that larger VSDs are diagnosed and closed surgically as early in life as possible.
The prognosis for patients whose VSDs either closed spontaneously or through surgery before the development of pulmonary vascular disease is excellent, with no exercise restrictions and normal life expectancy. Less than 6% of operated patients will require a follow-up operation to close new or residual VSDs. The later in life a larger VSD is closed, the more likely high pulmonary blood pressure and its attendant complications and lifestyle restrictions will be.
Current forms of VSD repair are usually comparatively low risk procedures. However, some earlier surgical treatments and techniques may lead to complications in later life. These include the development of ventricular dysfunction, aortic regurgitation, arrhythmias, and heart block. Therefore, the operated VSD patient should be checked periodically for the development of symptoms.
Small VSDs that remain open may cause difficulties as a patient ages. Endocarditis (infection of the heart's internal lining) may occur. Arrhythmias (especially atrial fibrillation) may develop, often because of enlargement of the left atrium. The aortic valve may be damaged if the VSD is adjacent to it, resulting in regurgitation and the potential need for valve repair or replacement. There may also be a decrease in exercise tolerance and there is the risk of sudden death. If the symptoms are sufficiently serious, a VSD may be closed late in life. This may be done through open-heart surgery or through a cardiac catheterization procedure, depending on the size of the defect and other factors.
Those patients who received early VSD repair will require medical follow-up. Patients with small open VSDs may be monitored by their local physicians. However, those with moderate to large-sized defects, or with pulmonary vascular disease, are usually advised to undergo regular examination at an adult congenital heart disease center. All patients with open VSDs, whether unoperated or as residual defects after treatment, will be prescribed antibiotics to guard against endocarditis.
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Wikipedia doesn’t have a stellar reputation for scholarly accuracy, but its staggering collection of 20 million articles in 283 languages has nonetheless made it the go-to reference for the world’s students—it’s even the most plagiarized source on college campuses. Now, a growing number of professors are bucking the anti-Wikipedia trend and assigning a new kind of homework: editing the site’s articles.
According to the Wikimedia Foundation blog, professors from nine nations are participating in the two-year-old Wikipedia Education Program, which allows them to assign articles to their students. In the United States, about 50 classes are participating in the editing effort. Student contributors “are expected to put in as much work into the Wikipedia assignments as they would put into a term paper or other large assignment,” the program’s founders say. The students are guided through the editing process by their professor, trained in-person “campus ambassadors,” and virtual mentors.
Read the whole story: GOOD Magazine
Leave a comment below and continue the conversation.
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By giving us your feedback, you can help improve your www.NOAA.gov experience. This short, anonymous survey only takes just a few minutes to complete 11 questions. Thank you for your input!Give my feedback
September 17, 2015
Bloom of Karenia brevis (red tide) leads to large fish kill in Texas. (Credit: With permission from The Brazosport Facts)
NOAA announced today 12 new research grants totalling nearly $2.1 million that will go to organizations from around the country seeking to address harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia, two of the most scientifically complex and economically damaging coastal issues.
Hypoxia and harmful algal blooms have become a national concern. Outbreaks of toxic algal blooms along the Pacific coast have shut down commercial and recreational shellfishing in portions of three states. Also, the large oxygen-depleted “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico imperils valuable commercial and recreational fisheries, and the persistent Lake Erie bloom has threatened public water supplies and the area’s $12.9 billion tourism industry.
“Understanding and predicting if an algal bloom will become toxic remains one of the biggest technical challenges,” said Mary Erickson, director of NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, which is providing the funding. “These projects will help communities and agencies understand, detect, and predict toxic algae and hypoxia. They are part of a larger NOAA effort to develop a national network of ecological forecasts to protect communities and make them more resilient to these threats.”
The grants will allow these organizations to implement new monitoring technologies to address emerging HABs, and investigate the role of climate change, nutrient pollution, and other factors to better predict and manage blooms. They will also improve upon current monitoring and seasonal forecasting for HABs, as well as apply robotic technology to improve hypoxia monitoring. A list of the grants can be found here.
Distribution of dissolved oxygen in bottom water west of the Mississippi River delta (July 28–August 3, 2015). Black line denotes area with less than two milligrams of oxygen per liter of bottom water. (Credit: With permission from Nancy N. Rabalais, LUMCON, and R. Eugene Turner, LSU)
“Advancing NOAA’s ecological forecasting initiatives depends on sound science-based information that private and public officials need to make critical decisions to protect public health, understand environmental impacts, and mitigate economic damages to activities that are a vital part of the region’s economy,” said Russell Callender, Ph.D., acting assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service.
Every U.S. coastal state has suffered a bloom of harmful algae over the last decade, and species have emerged in new locations that were not previously known to have problems. A small percentage of blooms produce toxins or grow excessively, threatening the coastal environment posing human and animal health threats. HAB toxins may kill fish or shellfish directly and can lead to illness and death in some marine birds and mammals, including humans.
Scientists deploy an Environmental Sample Processor to detect toxic Alexandrium blooms in the Gulf of Maine. (Credit: NOAA)
During blooms, shellfisheries are monitored for HAB toxins by state agencies, and, when necessary, are closed to protect human health. Because of the monitoring, commercially available shellfish are safe to eat. Even blooms that are not toxic can cause damage by suffocating fish, blocking light from bottom-dwelling plants, or depleting the oxygen in the water.
Hypoxia, or low oxygen, can occur naturally but is often caused by poor water quality from human activities, such as excessive nitrogen or phosphorus pollution from agriculture fertilizer runoff, sewage, urban runoff, or other practices. Today, more than half of the studied U.S. estuaries have experienced hypoxia.
The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science delivers ecosystem science solutions for NOAA’s National Ocean Service and its partners, bringing research, scientific information and tools to help balance the nation’s ecological, social and economic goals.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our other social media channels.
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Monday, December 7, 1998 Published at 18:44 GMT
Venice behind barriers
Venice under water - flood prevention discussed for decades
By Southern Europe Correspondent Orla Guerin
They might be designed to hold back the high tides, but they have not yet been tested against the flood of criticism they are likely to raise.
Critics say the barriers will only exacerbate the problems by causing environmental damage.
And things can get a lot worse. Back in 1966, when Venice was hit by the most serious floods in its history, the water rose to 1.8 metres (six feet). In recent years the flooding has been less dramatic, but more frequent.
Last year, for example, floodwaters transformed St Marks into a stunning outdoor swimming pool.
The project would cost some £1bn, but John Millerchip of the Programme to Safeguard Venice says that even at this price it would far from being an overall solution.
Opponents also argue that the barriers would damage the unique eco-system of the lagoon, which might be an important issue for Italy's Environment Minister, a prominent green. Pro-barrier groups fear he might throw out the plan, or at least try to buy some more time.
"The time for the analysis, the discussion, the scientific investigation is over. Now politicians have to take their own responsibility and have to decide."
For the thousands of tourists, though, the high tides are part of the attraction. But crossing St Mark's Square via makeshift pathways, or changing into wellington boots in the middle of a road is not so much fun for Venetians, who are leaving the city at the rate of 50 a week.
Abandonment is now a real threat to Venice, as well as a slow death by drowning.
In 1997 the centre of the city was flooded 80 times. According to experts, in 50 years' time there could be flooding every day.
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In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched experiments designed to combine the H5N1 virus and human flu viruses and then see how the resulting hybrids affected animals so that they could assess the chances that such a "reassortant" virus might emerge and determine how dangerous it would be.
Their reasoning was that the worst fears of infectious disease experts - that the H5N1 avian influenza virus circulating in parts of Asia might combine with a human-adapted flu virus, namely if someone with a flu virus also contracted the avian virus - might result in a deadly new flu virus that could spread around the world. A pandemic of the kind not seen in almost a hundred years.
Because of the risks in creating viruses with the potential to spark a pandemic, the work was done in a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory at the CDC in Atlanta. People are always concerned that something may have been created in research that has contaminated outside areas so the biosafety levels, compiled from CDC documents, are outlined below.
From the earliest days of microbiological research, laboratorians have recognized that acquiring infections from the agents they manipulated was a recognized occupational hazard. The most commonly-acquired lab infections were caused by bacterial agents; as microbiologists learned to culture animal viruses, they also found ways to become infected with these agents .
Guidelines evolved as a means of protecting microbiological workers based on these data and an understanding of the risks associated with various manipulations of many agents transmissible by different routes. These guidelines work from the premise that safe work sites result from a combination of engineering controls, management policies, work practices and procedures and, occasionally, medical interventions. The different biosafety levels developed for microbiological and biomedical laboratories provide increasing levels of personnel and environmental protection.
Crucial to safe working conditions are the various types of specialized equipment available to serve as primary barriers between the microorganism and the laboratorian. These range from simple gloves and other personnel protective equipment to simple (sealed centrifuge heads) or complex (biosafety cabinets) containment devices.
Biosafety Level 1
BSL-1 is appropriate for working with microorganisms that are not known to cause disease in healthy human humans. This is the type of laboratory found in municipal water-testing laboratories, in high schools, and in some community colleges teaching introductory microbiology classes, where the agents are not considered hazardous . The lay-out of a typical BSL-1 laboratory is shown below.
There is a door that can be closed to keep visitors out of the lab while work with the agents is in progress. Hazard warning signs may be posted on the door indicating any hazards that may be present, including radioactive materials, lazar lights, high noise emitting equipment, or toxic chemicals. There is a hand-washing sink available, preferably near the door.
Persons working in the lab should wear a lab coat to protect their street clothes. It is a recommended practice to wear gloves while manipulating the agents. Additional protective equipment may include working behind a splatter shield or wearing eye or face protection. At BSL-1, no special precautions are needed.
Hand washing is one of the most important procedures that can be used by laboratorians to prevent removal of unwanted microbiological agents, radioactive materials, or chemicals from the laboratory environment. Use of liquid soap is generally preferable to bar soap; twenty seconds of vigorous lathering will remove most of these materials very effectively.
Biosafety Level 2
The agents manipulated at BSL-2 are often ones to which the workers have had exposure to in the community, often as children, and to which they have already experienced an immune response. Unlike the guidelines for BSL-1, there are a number of immunizations recommended before working with specific agents. Most notable is Hepatitis B virus immunization which is recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for persons, including laboratorians, at high risk of exposure to blood and blood products.
The supervisor of a BSL-2 laboratory should be a competent scientist who has a technical understanding of the risks associated with the microbiological agents in use. The supervisor limits access to those persons who have received the appropriate immunizations and establishes the personal protective standards for the laboratory; he/she is also responsible for developing the lab’s biological safety manual. Laboratory personnel should be aware of the potential hazards associated with the work and be proficient in the specified practices and procedures.
Biosafety Level 3
BSL-3 is suitable for work with infectious agents which may cause serious or potentially lethal diseases as a result of exposure by the inhalation route. BSL-3 laboratories should be located away from high-traffic areas. Examples of agents that should be manipulated at BSL-3 are M. tuberculosis (research activities), St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Coxiella burnetii.
The current main BSL-3 laboratories are located in a unique high containment building. BSL-3 laboratories are characterized by having a double-door entry (shown here as an ante-room; other configurations are also used). Because the agents manipulated at BSL-3 are transmissible by the aerosol route, particular attention is given to air movement in these labs. Air moves from areas of lesser contamination to areas of higher contamination, such as from the corridor into the laboratory. Air movement is also single pass; exhaust air is not recirculated to other rooms.
All work that may create aerosols or splatter is done inside a biological safety cabinet. Wall, ceiling and floor penetrations are sealed to keep aerosols in and to keep gaseous decontaminants in. Centrifuge tubes are placed into containment cups or heads in the biological safety cabinet (BSC), transferred to the centrifuge, spun, then returned to the BSC to be unloaded. In some laboratories the centrifuges themselves are enclosed in a vented area to minimize possible aerosol exposures created in the event of a centrifuge failure. Vacuum lines are protected with HEPA filters so that maintenance personnel are not exposed to infectious aerosols.
Depending on the nature of the work being done in the BSL-3 laboratory, additional personnel protective devices may be worn, such as respirators . When pulmonary protection is required, the laboratorians need to have appropriate medical evaluations and be trained in proper fit testing and care of their respirators.
Supervisors of BSL-3 laboratories should be competent scientists experienced in working with the agents. They establish criteria for entry into the laboratory, restrict access, develop appropriate practices and procedures, and train the laboratorians. They are also responsible for developing the laboratory safety manual. The lab personnel must rigorously follow the established guidelines, demonstrate proficiency in performing their various procedures, and receive appropriate training. They must participate in specified medical surveillance programs, and report all incidents that constitute potential exposures.
"The 1, 2, 3's of Biosafety Levels", Jonathan Y. Richmond, Ph.D., Director, Office of Health and Safety Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA 30333, adapted from the CDC/NIH 3rd edition of Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories
"CDC to mix avian, human flu viruses in pandemic study", Robert Roos, Center for Infectious Disease Research&Policy Academic Health Center -- University of Minnesota
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In another of Schopenhauer’s aphorisms on books and writing, he starts out by distinguishing two types of book, which “can never be more than a reproduction of the thoughts of its author. The value of these thoughts lies either in the material, that is in what he has thought upon, or in the form, i.e. the way in which the material is treated, that is in what he has thought upon it.” He finds that the latter indicates a superior quality of authorship:
…the merit of a writer who is worth reading is the greater the less it owes to his material, and even the more familiar and much-employed this material is. Thus, e.g., the three great Greek tragedians all employed the same material.
But again, not everyone’s taste is as good as Schopenhauer’s. And again, his criticism of the public is contemporary-sounding—so much so that it makes this sort of attitude seem ridiculous. I’m sympathetic to his complaint, but what exactly are we lamenting if he saw the same things in 185– that we can see now?
The public is much more interested in the material than in the form. It displays this tendency in its most ridiculous shape in regard to poetic works, in that it painstakingly tracks down the real events or personal circumstances which occasioned the work, and these, indeed, become more interesting to it than the works themselves, so that it reads more about than by Goethe and studies the Faust legend more assiduously than Faust.
Then again, you don’t hear many people complaining about the public’s interest in the Faust legend these days.
I think a lot of readers would disagree with Schopenhauer’s priorities here, but I am not one of them.
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HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To beat the heat during the hot months of summer, cold drinks and frozen treats are frequently consumed. However, for many people, that sip of an iced beverage or a spoonful of ice cream can trigger a painful sensation to their exposed teeth. Experiencing this type of reaction may indicate you have hypersensitivity or "sensitive teeth."
Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) member Dr. David Tecosky says the summer months are notorious for bringing a rise in patient complaints of tooth sensitivity due to the increased consumption of cold refreshments. Many of these patients do not know the source of this sensitivity, only that it is uncomfortable and they want relief.
"The causes of sensitive teeth are manifold—sometimes, it can be from more than one initiating event or series of events, Dr. Tecosky said. "Receding gums exposing tooth roots, followed by abrasion of the roots by brushing and manipulation of the tooth surface, can increase the likelihood and frequency of tooth sensitivity. Clenching and grinding of teeth could initiate internal cracks in the tooth enamel or restorations, which will cause sensitivity when prompted by changes in temperature, or even to chewing normally."
A recent study by the American Dental Association (ADA) reveals the problem of sensitive teeth is more common than you think. The study, which was conducted within 37 different U.S. dental offices, indicates that one in eight people have sensitive teeth.
While anyone can experience sensitive teeth, the following conditions put you at a greater risk:
- Frequently drinking soda, whether regular or diet versions.
- People who have gastric reflux, indicated by sour stomach, sour taste in the mouth, frequent heartburn. The stomach acids introduced into the mouth increase the acid content of the saliva, dissolving tooth enamel, increasing sensitivity.
- Eating an excess of sweets, acidic foods and drinks, including citrus fruit and tomato products, have increased erosion of enamel, increasing the sensitivity.
- Clenchers and tooth grinders tend to have more sensitive teeth.
There are several options for treatment of sensitive teeth. The type of treatment used will depend on what is causing the sensitivity and how severe the case is. The most conservative and inexpensive option to prevent mild surface sensitivity is over-the-counter desensitizing toothpaste.
More intense cases may be treated in-office. A treatment recommended may consist of the application of a fluoride gel or varnish to strengthen the tooth enamel and reduce transmission of sensations. Other techniques include bonded restorations, a crown or an onlay to correct a flaw or decay which results in sensitivity.
Should you have gum recession, your dentist may suggest a surgical gum graft to repair lost gum tissue to protect the root and reduce sensitivity. In severe cases in which no other treatments provide relief, a root canal may be recommended.
PDA encourages you to practice proper oral hygiene and visit your dentist for regular check-ups to prevent the development of sensitive teeth. Contact your dentist if you have any questions about your general dental health or concerns about tooth sensitivity.
About the Pennsylvania Dental Association
Founded in 1868, the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) is comprised of approximately 6,000 member dentists. It is a constituency of the American Dental Association (ADA), the largest and oldest national dental society in the world. PDA's mission is to improve the public health, promote the art and science of dentistry and represent the interests of its member dentists and their patients. PDA is the voice of dentistry in Pennsylvania. For more information on PDA, visit our website at padental.org.
SOURCE Pennsylvania Dental Association
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Neutrino mixing angles from T2K and MINOS
By Hamish Johnston
Less than a fortnight ago we brought you news that the T2K experiment in Japan has caught the first glimpse of muon neutrinos changing (or oscillating) into electron neutrinos as they travel 300 km under Japan.
Now researchers at the MINOS experiment in the US have seen the same neutrino oscillation. The MINOS physicists sent a beam of neutrinos more than 700 km underground from Fermilab in Chicago to the Soudan Underground Laboratory in Minnesota. At Soudan, the team detected a total of 62 electron neutrinos, which is 13 more than they should have seen if some muon neutrinos had not changed to electron neutrinos.
Neutrinos exist in three “flavours” – muon, electron and tau – that change or “oscillate” from one to another as they travel in space. The oscillation strength between different types of neutrino is characterized by three “mixing angles” – known as theta-12, theta-23 and theta-13. Theta-12 and theta-23 have already been measured but theta-13 requires the observation of the muon-electron neutrino oscillation.
More data are required before theta-13 can be nailed down – you can see the uncertainties in the T2K and MINOS results in the diagram. Then physicists will try to measure the same quantity for anti-muon and anti-electron neutrinos. Comparing the two angles could help physicists understand why there is much more matter than antimatter in the universe.
You can read Fermilab’s announcement here.
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Cancer-causing dioxins polluting Canada’s Arctic region have been linked for the first time to specific incinerators and smelters thousands of miles south in the United States, Canada and Mexico, a study released on Tuesday said.
The authors said a number of major sources of dioxin emissions have been restricted since the research undertaken in Nunavut territory for the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) from July 1, 1996, to June 30, 1997.
But Greg Block of the Montreal-based organization said the study “demonstrates that we should revise our concept of neighbors. In a very real sense, because of the long-range atmospheric transport of substances like dioxins, the Inuit people of the far north are our neighbors.
“They receive pollutants, a problem not of their making, that can impact on their very way of life and culture.”
Pollutants in Meat, Breast Milk
Dioxins, which are produced by chemical processes such as metal refining, the chlorinated bleaching of pulp and paper and burning certain materials, have been linked in other studies to cancer, birth defects and neurological, reproductive and immune system damage in people and animals.
Researchers for NACEC, a group established under the North American Free Trade Agreement, were not required to study the health effects on humans and wildlife.
However, a summary of the study headed by scientist Barry Commoner of Queens College, City University of New York, stated that “for years, dioxins have been detected in the Arctic diet of fish, seal and caribou meat and recently, in Inuit mothers’ breast milk. The sources of dioxins clearly migrate from somewhere else, but where they come from has not been known until now.”
Diet Change Not an Option
Sheila Watt-Cloutier, president of the non-profit Inuit Circumpolar Conference Canada group, said at the news conference that some have suggested the Inuit change their diets to avoid exposure.
“But for us in the Arctic as a people who are traditionally tied to the land, this really is not an option,” she said. “We have no alternative to traditional food...the environment is our supermarket and we cannot and will not abandon the land.”
Researchers used the remote Nunavut territory in Arctic Canada, which has few local sources of dioxins, to demonstrate how pollutants travel to areas far away from the source of emissions. Eight locations were identified as receptors of dioxins in the territory covering the eastern Arctic.
“People tend to forget that dioxin that moves from the south somewhere to Nunavut is being deposited all the way en route and the weather patterns from every source in the Midwest can very well be carried into the desert states,” Commoner told reporters “The consequence is that this process is really disseminating dioxin and other pollutants pretty uniformly over the entire globe from Mexico on up to the Arctic Circle.”
U.S., Mexico to Blame
Commoner and his team used an adaptation of a computer model developed by the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Called the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (Hysplit-4), it tracked “puffs” of dioxins in the air released at locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Of the 23 classes of dioxin sources identified in the study, only six accounted for 90 percent of all dioxin emissions in North America, the report’s summary stated. Those were municipal solid waste incinerators, backyard trash burning, cement kilns burning hazardous waste, medical waste incinerators, secondary copper smelters and iron sintering plants.
The report said of 44,000 emission sources identified in North America as causing pollution in Nunavut, the United States accounted for 62 percent, Mexico accounted for 30 percent and Canada for 8 percent. Dioxin sources within Nunavut accounted for less than 0.02 percent of the total.
The study said an estimated two to 20 percent of dioxin pollution in Nunavut areas originated outside North America, mainly in Japan, France, Belgium and Britain.
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by Trevor Griffey
Above a green sloping hill on which stand four huge crosses an endless line of white-robed Klansmen move in single file and closed ranks… The white lines extend and open until they form a square covering the space of five acres. Klansmen standing shoulder to shoulder. Suddenly a figure appears on the brow of the hill riding a brown horse. A young voice heralding the stars passes the word “Every Klansmen will salute the Imperial Cyclops.” Ten thousand hands are raised beyond the ring denoting the presence of Klansmen not taking part in the Ceremonial, thousands of hands over fifty acres of ground from cars packed in solid columns of tens, twenties, and hundreds.
The huge Ku Klux Klan rally described in the above passage from a Klan newspaper brought together tens of thousands of spectators to witness the initiation of as many as 1900 new members to this secret society devoted to white supremacy and Christian patriotism. The “Imperial Cyclops” honored at the event, to which thousands of Klansmen (probably not ten thousand) raised their hands in salute, was none other than William J. Simmons, the man who founded the Ku Klux Klan revival on Stone Mountain, Georgia in 1915 and introduced a new and terrifying symbol into Klan rituals: the burning cross. But this massive Klan rally did not take place in the U.S. South. It took place at Wilson’s Station, near Renton Junction, just outside Seattle, on July 14, 1923.
This was the first “Konvention” held in the state of Washington, and it attracted between twenty and fifty thousand spectators (depending on whether you asked the Klan or its opponents). It would be followed by two additional fifty thousand person “Konventions” in Issaquah and Yakima in the Summer of 1924 (July 26 and August 9, respectively), along with at least a dozen smaller rallies and parades that drew hundreds and sometimes thousands of spectators around the state from 1923 to 1926. These public events served to initiate and recruit new members, make a public show of political power by a secret society, and spread the Klan’s propaganda to a curious and supportive audience.
But most people who attended “Konventions” did not vow allegiance to a secret society of vigilantes, nor perhaps even think too deeply about the Klan’s history as a terrorist organization that laid the foundation for Jim Crow segregation in the South. From scattered evidence we have, it seems that many of the thousands of people who attended Klan rallies came out of curiosity or to be entertained.
At a time when most Washington residents lived in small towns and rural areas far from big cities, and worked in farming, fishing, timber, and mining industries, massive Klan rallies were not merely political. They were a novelty. Klan organizers capitalized upon this by turning their political events into forms of entertainment through pageantry, fireworks, singing, 21 gun salutes, patriotic reenactments of events from American history, and religious sermons.
Klan rallies used entertainment as a vehicle for Klan propaganda in the hopes of recruiting new members. As aggressive self-promoters, the Klan then spread overstated attendance figures from these rallies and overwrought descriptions of their pageantry to generate a buzz and claim a legitimacy that few outside observers actually thought the organization deserved.
Technological novelty played into the notion that the Klan was offering its audience a modern spectacle. Their mass events began with a modern fireworks display of bombs that exploded into three K’s and parachuted American flags from the sky. Klansmen paraded in military formation at night time with red, white, and blue torches. They not only used burning crosses, but also had a forty foot tall electric cross for their largest events. Their speeches used electrified outdoor public address systems that were still relatively uncommon in the early 1920s. All this provided the backdrop through which one Klan speaker claimed at the July 14 rally that the Klan’s “progress is the phenomena of the age. It is the best, biggest, and strongest movement in American life.”
The scale of the events were themselves a form of spectacle, as commentators regularly noted. Unprecedented traffic jams locked up miles of rural roads leading to Klan rallies helping to spread the impression of massive crowds. Stewart Holbrook’s memoir, Far Corner, described the July 26, 1924 Issaquah rally in a way that emphasized this sense of stupendous scale and organization as the main feature outside observers took away from these events:
On the plains of Issaquah one night, I ran head-on into what Seattle papers next day said were thirty thousand Klansmen engaged in holding a Konklovation and initiating a class of three thousand new members. I can believe it. An immense field was swarming with white-robed figures, while over them played floodlights. Loudspeakers gave forth commands and requests. Highway traffic was being directed by robed Klansmen. I was more than two hours getting through the jam.
Political controversy also brought out skeptical observers. Washington state passed an anti-KKK law in 1923 that prohibited the wearing of masks at rallies, and Klan organizers often played up the possibility that they might disobey the law in part to drum up interest in seeing whether there would be a confrontation between police and the Klan (almost always, the Klan resorted to wearing hoods with their faces uncovered).
Before the massive Seattle/Renton rally, the Klan went so far as to request that the Governor send the state guard to protect their event from the King County sheriff. The Auburn Globe-Republican later reported that attendees were "attracted chiefly by curiosity and by the lingering suspician [sic] that an exciting clash might occur between Klansmen and representatives of Sheriff Matt Starwich's office."
A few weeks before an August 9, 1924 rally scheduled for Yakima, the Governor refused to grant permission to the Klan to meet at the Washington state fairgrounds. As a result, many likely attended the event at a private farm partly to see why this organization was so controversial, and the Klan later boasted to the Governor that this prohibition had helped make the attendance there "record breaking."
In small numbers Klan opponents also attended these rallies to monitor the xenophobic, white supremacist movement. The Yakima Morning Herald’s reporting on a Klan presentation at Yakima’s Capitol Theater on March 22, 1923 not only described the speeches of Klan leaders, but also noted that the audience included “a few negroes and Japanese”, who almost certainly were not there to support the Klan.
Historians have ignored these 50,000 person events and downplayed the significance of the Washington state Klan because the organization lost probably 90 percent of its members in the year after its 1924 super-rallies. This fact is supposed to attest to the overall liberal nature of the Pacific Northwest, as if the Klan rallies had been mere passing fads. What little has been written about these rallies has been for small regional historical societies or provided material for a chapter in a book called “Eccentric Seattle.”
By emphasizing the bizarre and the marginal, and by measuring the Klan’s success in political rather than cultural terms, these histories have overlooked what is perhaps the more disturbing aspect of this part of Washington state history. While Klan robes and jargon about Kligrapps and Konventions may have been exotic or even preposterous, and the Klan itself ultimately proved to be unpopular, the massive attendance at Klan rallies also demonstrated the everyday quality of white supremacy and Christian nationalism in the Pacific Northwest. They showed that the politics of intolerance could be made remarkably palatable by simply dressing it up as a form of entertainment.
At Klan rallies, common expressions of American patriotism were saturated with KKK references in an attempt to make the two synonymous, and mass spectacles served as a vehicle through which an otherwise arcane set of secret society initiation rituals and bizarre Klan jargon could be made tolerable. It was a way of hiding the Klan’s distinctive form of intolerance in plain view, making it unremarkable or even normal. The speaker at the Seattle/Renton July 14 rally could call forth “an army of Christ” to “demand the continued supremacy of the White Race as the only safeguard of the institutions and civilization of our country”, yet this language of racist Christian patriotism went unchallenged and unreported in local media and individuals’ memoirs which focused more on attendance figures and traffic jams.
The Ku Klux Klan did not invent white supremacy or Christian patriotism, or even pioneer their fusion. It failed in its political ambitions, but it also demonstrated how people’s everyday racism, fear of foreigners, and intolerant Christianity could be channeled through mass marketing and popular entertainment into a toxic politics of hate masked as the highest form of patriotism.
“The Story of the Ceremony on the Night of July 14.” Watcher on the Tower. July 21, 1923, p. 3
“The Greatest Outdoor Klan Konvention Ever Held in the U.S.A.” Watcher on the Tower. June 20, 1923, p.8.
The Watcher on the Tower claimed 50,000, while local papers claimed closer to 20,000. For samples of these more skeptical accounts, see David Norberg. “Ku Klux Klan in the Valley: A 1920s Phenomena.” White River Journal: A Journal of the White River Valley Museum. January, 2004. http://www.wrvmuseum.org/journal/journal_0104.htm
“The Story of the Ceremony on the Night of July 14.”
Stewart H. Holbrook. Far Corner: A Personal View of the Pacific Northwest. NYC: MacMillan, 1952. p. 10
"Auburnites View Klan Initiation," Auburn Globe-Republican, 20 July 1923, page 7. Cited in David Norberg. “Ku Klux Klan in the Valley: A 1920s Phenomena.”
Letter from Tyler A. Rogers, KKK “Field Representative” to Governor Louis Hart, August 15, 1924. Louis Hart Papers. Washington State Archives. Box 2J-1-34. Folder Ku Klux Klan.
“Klan Lecturer Draws Crowds.” Yakima Morning-Herald. March 23, 1923. pp 1-3
J. Kingston Pierce. Eccentric Seattle: Pillars and Pariahs Who Made the City Not Such a Boring Place After All. Pullman, WA: Washington State University Press, 2003.
“The Story of the Ceremony on the Night of July 14.”
Seattle Rally: July 14, 1923
(Click on image to view articles from the Seattle KKK paper, Watcher on the Tower)
Advertisement for KKK rally. Watcher on the Tower, June 20, 1923, p.8.
Official KKK description of the rally. Watcher on the Tower, July 21, 1923, pp3-7
"The Ceremony Through the Eyes of a Woman." Watcher on the Tower, July 21, 1923, p. 5.
Editorial by Luther I. Powell, "Exalted Cyclops" of the Seattle Klan No. 4. Watcher on the Tower, July 21, 1923, p. 10.
Correspondence exchange between the Klan and the Governor about whether the Klan rally on July 14 would need state protection from a hostile local Sheriff. July, 1923. Courtesy of the Washington State Archives. (pdf file)
Yakima Rally, August 9, 1924
(Click on image to view articles)
Yakima Morning Herald, July 26,1924, p.8
Yakima Morning Herald, August 6,1924, p.8
Yakima Morning Herald, August 6,1924, p.8
Yakima Daily Republic, August 9,1924, p.1
Yakima Morning Herald, August 10,1924,pp 1-10
Yakima Daily Republic, August 11,1924,p.2
Letter from Ku Klux Klan representative to Governor Louis Hart ridiculing the Governor for denying the Klan the use of the State Fairgrounds. August 15, 1924. Courtesy Washington State Archives.
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Alphabet: An Illustrated Learning Book Of Letters For Children To Enjoy
This is a wonderful book that can be used to familiarize a small child with the Alphabet. The names of the children correspond with the letter of the page.
This story is written specifically to be read to a young child. The lines of the story have a rhythm and each of the pages has a rhyme.
Each of the illustrations in this book is very colorful and fun. So get this book now! More
A FUN WAY FOR CHILDREN AGES 2 TO 5 YEARS OLD TO LEARN THE ALPHABET
AN ALPHABET RHYMING STORY
Each letter corresponds to a child's name. There are Amelia and Ali, Billy and Charlie. That's ABC for you and me.
Darcy and Dan make the letter D and Elliot and Edgar go for E. Frankie lost his frankfurter and Gregory and Greg complete the letter G. Hillary and Harold hold their mother's hand and that completes the letter H. There are so many names, I wonder if your name is included in this alphabet rhyme.What other names could you think of to complete the alphabet? Download and find out!
Hear what others have to say:
"I love it that they use children's names to teach the alphabet. My daughter now recognizes letters through names of family and friends." - A. King.
"Beautiful illustrations. What a quaint way to teach children the alphabet." - Jasmin Y.
"My daughter and I have fun when I read this aloud to her. We play games by coming up with different names that correspond to the letter." - Riku N.
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Definitions of gauze
n. - A very thin, slight, transparent stuff, generally of silk; also, any fabric resembling silk gauze; as, wire gauze; cotton gauze.
a. - Having the qualities of gauze; thin; light; as, gauze merino underclothing.
The word "gauze" uses 5 letters: A E G U Z.
No direct anagrams for gauze found in this word list.
Words formed by adding one letter before or after gauze (in bold), or to aeguz in any order:
m - zeugma p - upgaze s - gauzes
Shorter words found within gauze:
ae ag age ague eau gae gaze zag
List shorter words within gauze, sorted by length
Words formed from any letters in gauze, plus an optional blank or existing letter
List all words starting with gauze, words containing gauze or words ending with gauze
All words formed from gauze by changing one letter
Other words with the same letter pairs: ga au uz ze
Browse words starting with gauze by next letter
Previous word in list: gausses
Next word in list: gauzelike
Some random words: bra
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Kids treated with antibiotics before their first birthday have increased risk of asthma, researchers reported.
And the risk increases the more often antibiotics are prescribed, according to Kenneth Mandl, MD, of Harvard Medical School, and colleagues.
The finding supports the so-called hygiene and microbiota hypotheses put forward to explain the increasing prevalence of asthma, Mandl and colleagues concluded online in Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
The association doesn't prove that antibiotic use causes asthma, they cautioned, since it could also be true that some other factor causes both asthma and the need for antibiotics.
But the finding is sufficiently strong that doctors should be careful when prescribing antibiotics for infants, they argued.
Indeed, that's the take-home message of the study, commented Martha Hartz, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. It "reinforces to pediatricians and family practitioners that overuse of antibiotics has its downsides," she told MedPage Today. "Unless a child needs an antibiotic, if there's some way around it that's not harmful or life-threatening to the child, they should be avoided."
The study had a large number of patients and relied on objective measures of antibiotic use and asthma incidence, Hartz said. But she cautioned that the results might not apply to all children.
"This was largely an urban population," she noted, but children in rural areas tend to have less risk of asthma, perhaps because they are exposed to a wider range of pathogens, such as the endotoxin from animal stool.
She also noted that the researchers did not control for several important possible confounders, such as family smoking and whether a child's birth was vaginal or by C-section.
The hygiene hypothesis has been around for several years as a possible explanation for the increase in asthma seen in Western countries, Mandl and colleagues noted.
Indeed, the idea has also been suggested as an explanation for the increase in allergies such as peanut allergy, which tripled over a decade, according to a recent study.
The hypothesis is that reduced exposure to microbes during childhood leads to an increased risk of atopic disease in childhood. But the researchers noted the evidence also supports the idea that perturbation of the gut biota -- perhaps by antibiotics -- leads to a disturbed immune system.
The antibiotic link has some animal evidence to support it, Mandl and colleagues noted, but previous studies of antibiotic exposure and childhood asthma have had inconsistent results. In particular, lower respiratory tract illness in infancy has tended to confound any observations, they noted.
To try to clarify the issue, they conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of children enrolled in a nationwide health insurance plan in the U.S.
In all, the data included medical insurance claims for some 1.6 million children from Jan. 1, 1999, through Dec. 31, 2006, and the study population was the 62,576 children continuously enrolled in the plan from birth through at least age 5.
The main objective was to examine the association between antibiotic use in the first year of life and the development of transient wheezing (defined as asthma that did not persist beyond age 3), late-onset asthma (beginning after age 3), and persistent asthma (beginning in the first 3 years of life and persisting through one or more years after age 3).
The researchers also investigated the effect of early-life respiratory infections on the three asthma phenotypes.
Nearly one in five children -- 18.5% -- developed wheezing or asthma between infancy and age 7, they reported, and the prevalence of the three types was roughly similar: 5,460 cases (or 8.7%) were transient, 6,418 (or 10.3%) were late-onset, and 5,946 (or 9.5%) were persistent.
In addition, some 26,693 children (or 42.7% of the study population) had at least one course of antibiotic in the first year of life, with a mean of 1.1 courses.
And 12,131 (or 19.4%) and 27,537 (or 44%) had at least one episode of lower or upper respiratory tract infection, respectively.
The researchers found that use of antimicrobials in the first year of life was associated with transient wheezing (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% CI 1.9-2.2, P<0.001). Antibiotic use was also linked with an increased risk of persistent asthma (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.5-1.7, P<0.001).
On the other hand, there was no association with late-onset asthma, Mandl and colleagues reported.
The associations remained after excluding children who had asthma or respiratory tract infections in the first year of life, premature infants, and those with cystic fibrosis.
Moreover, in that population, Mandl and colleagues observed a significant dose-response for both transient and persistent asthma, although the odds of late-onset disease remained insignificant.
For instance, when children got five or more antibiotic courses, the odds ratio for persistent asthma rose to 1.9 (95% CI 1.5-2.6, P<0.001), compared with a per-course odds ratio of 1.1.
For all three asthma types, the risk was higher in children who had lower or upper respiratory tract infection in the first year of life, Mandl and colleagues found.
Lower respiratory tract infection in particular led to markedly higher risks: the odds ratios for transient and persistent asthma were 6.1 and 5.1, respectively. The risk of late-onset asthma was also significant but lower, with an odds ratio of 1.4.
There were also "significant but modest" associations between upper respiratory tract infections and all three asthma types, Mandl and colleagues reported.
The research had support from the National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia. The authors did not disclose any relevant commercial relationships.
- Reviewed by F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE Instructor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and ImmunologySource Reference: Ong M-S, et al "Consequences of antibiotics and infections in infancy: bugs, drugs, and wheezing" Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.anai.2014.01.022.
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Metal Finishing Industry
Alternative Methods of Metal Deposition
Methods for depositing metal coatings such as chromium, nickel, cadmium, and copper in traditional electroplating processes have inherent pollution problems. Several alternative technologies exist to coat a substrate with metal without using electrolytic solutions or plating baths. These technologies do not eliminate the use of metal coatings, but they do eliminate the use of non-metal toxic components such as cyanide from the plating process. They also can reduce the amount of metal-contaminated wastewater and sludge that is generated from plating. These alternative technologies include thermal spray coating, vapor deposition, and chemical vapor deposition (EPA 1995).
In the future, these technologies might play a greater role in metal finishing operations. However, many of these alternative processes have high unit-plating costs and, therefore, are used only for special applications where the cost of coating is not a major consideration. Another drawback to alternative metal deposition methods is that metal overspray or tailings from remachining thick coatings from the alternative processes can actually increase waste generation (Davis 1994).
Alternative technologies for metal finishing have several features in common that distinguish them from conventional technologies. A general overview of each feature is presented below:
Table 24 presents a summary of the various alternative coating technologies and their applications and limitations. Table 25 compares these alternatives to their conventional counterparts and presents information on the status of the technology; the surface preparation required; the relative capital and operating costs; and the relative environmental, health, and safety (EHS) risks (EPA 1995).
C=Commercial, P=Pilot plant, R=Research; EHS=Environmental, health, and safety
The basic steps involved in any thermal coating process are:
The basic parameters that affect the deposition of metals in thermal spray applications include the particle's temperature, velocity, angle of impact, and amount of reaction with gases during the deposition process. As with traditional electroplating, part geometry also influences how the surface coating is deposited. Several industries use thermal spray coatings as a substitute for plating. They include:
u Tungsten carbide replacement of chrome plating on oil field piston rods: Prior to the adoption of thermal spraying, there were considerable problems with chrome flaking. The flakes would work themselves into the cylinders, causing additional wear on the piston and cylinder. The tungsten carbide substitute has shown excellent wear characteristics and does not require recoating as the chrome finish did (except when damaged externally, resulting in longer operational life).
u Replacement of chrome-plated water rolls in the printing industry: Ceramic coatings applied by thermal spraying have replaced chrome-plated water rolls. Ceramic rolls are used because of their excellent wetting action. Chrome-plated rolls required acid etching and the use of volatile isopropyl alcohol to increase wetting action. The use of the ceramic rolls has reduced or, in some cases, eliminated the need for wetting agents. Since the rolls do not flake, they do not contaminate the water or ink (Gansert 1989).
Three basic categories of thermal spray technologies are combustion torch (e.g., flamespray, high-velocity oxy fuel, and detonation gun), electric (wire) arc, and plasma arc.
Flame spraying involves feeding gas and oxygen through a combustion flame spray torch. A coating material in powder or wire form is fed into the flame. The coating is heated to near or above its melting point and accelerated by the combustion of the coating material. The molten droplets flow together on the surface of the workpiece to form the coating. Platers can use this technique to deposit ferrous-, nickel-, as well as cobalt-based alloys and ceramics. Companies use combustion torches to repair machine-bearing or seal areas and to provide corrosion and wear resistance for boilers and structures (EPA 1995).
Combustion torch deposits are noted for their relatively high porosity, low resistance to impact or point loading, and limited thickness (0.5 to 3.5 millimeters). Advantages include low capital costs, simplicity of use, and relative ease of operator training. In addition, the technique uses materials efficiently and has low maintenance requirements (EPA 1995).
With high-velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) systems, the coating is heated to near or above its melting point and is deposited by a high-velocity combustion gas stream. Continuous combustion of fuels typically occurs in a combustion chamber, enabling higher gas velocities. Typical fuels include propane, propylene, or hydrogen. This technique might be an effective substitute for hard chromium plating for certain jet engine components. Typical applications include worn parts reclamation and machine buildup, abradable seals, and ceramic hard facings (EPA 1995).
This technique has high-velocity impact. Coatings applied with HVOF exhibit little or no porosity. Deposition rates are relatively high, and the coatings have acceptable bond strength. Coating thicknesses range from 0.000013 millimeters to 3 millimeters. Some oxidation of metallics or reduction of oxides can occur, altering coating properties (EPA 1995).
Combustion torches and detonation guns mix oxygen and acetylene with a pulse of powder containing carbides, metal binders, and oxides. This mix is introduced into a water-cooled barrel about 1 meter in length and 25 millimeters in diameter. A spark initiates detonation, resulting in expanding gas that heats and accelerates the powder materials so that they are converted into a plastic-like state at temperatures ranging from 1,100 degrees Celsius to 19,000 degrees Celsius. A complete coating is built up through repeated, controlled detonations (EPA 1995).
This technique produces some of the densest thermal coatings. Platers can use almost any metallic, ceramic, or cement materials that melt without decomposing to coat parts. Typical coating thicknesses range from 0.05 millimeters to 0.5 millimeters, but both thinner and thicker coatings can be achieved. Because of the high velocities in this application, the properties of the coatings are much less sensitive to the angle of deposition than most other spray coatings (EPA 1995).
This technology is used with a narrow range of coating materials and substrates. Oxides and carbides commonly are deposited. Because of the high-velocity impact of depositing materials such as tungsten carbide and chromium carbide, combustion torches and detonation guns can be used only on metal substrates (EPA 1995).
During electric arc spraying, an electric arc forms between the ends of two wires that are made of coating material. The arc continuously melts the ends of the wire while a jet of gas (e.g., air or nitrogen) blows the molten droplets toward the substrate. Platers can use electric arc spraying for simple metallic coatings such as copper and zinc and for some ferrous alloys. Coating deposits can be applied thinly or thickly depending on the end use. Electric arc spray coatings have high porosity and low bond strength. Industrial applications include coating paper, plastics, and other heat-sensitive materials. It is also used in the production of electromagnetic shielding devices and molds (EPA 1995).
Plasma spraying involves the introduction of a flow of gas (usually argon-based) between a water-cooled copper anode and a tungsten cathode. A direct current arc passes through and is ionized to form a plasma. The plasma heats the powder coating to a molten state. Compressed gas propels the material to the workpiece at high speeds. Materials suitable for plasma spraying include zinc, aluminum, copper alloys, tin, molybdenum, some steels, and numerous ceramic materials. Platers can use plasma spraying to achieve thicknesses from 0.3 to 6 millimeters depending on the coating and substrate materials.
With proper process controls, this technique can produce coatings with a wide range of selected physical properties including coatings with a wide range of porosities (EPA 1995).
Companies can use plasma spraying to deposit molybdenum and chromium on piston rings, cobalt alloy on jet engine combustion chambers, tungsten carbide on the blades of electric knives, and wear coatings on computer parts (Kirk-Othmer 1987).
Vapor deposition technologies include processes that put materials into a vapor state via condensation, chemical reaction, or conversion. Manufacturers use these processes to alter the mechanical, electrical, thermal, optical, corrosion resistance, and wear properties of substrates. They also use vapor deposition technologies to form freestanding bodies, films, and fibers and to infiltrate fabric-forming composite materials (EPA 1995).
This section describes physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In PVD, the workpiece is subjected to plasma bombardment. In CVD, thermal energy heats gases in a coating chamber, driving the deposition reaction. Vapor deposition processes usually take place within a vacuum chamber (EPA 1995).
Physical vapor deposition involves dry vacuum deposition methods in which a coating is deposited over the entire object rather than in certain areas. All reactive PVD hard coating processes combine:
The primary PVD methods are ion plating, ion implantation, sputtering, and laser surface alloying. The production of metals and plasma differs in each of these methods (EPA 1995).
Plasma-based plating is the most common form of ion plating. In plasma-based plating, the substrate is placed in close proximity to a plasma. Ions then are accelerated from the plasma by a negative bias onto the substrate. The accelerated ions and high-energy neutrons from the charge-exchange processes in the plasma deposit the coating on the surface substrate with a spectrum of energies (EPA 1995).
This technique produces coatings that typically range from 0.008 millimeters to 0.025 millimeters. Advantages of ion plating include the excellent surface covering ability, good adhesion, flexibility in tailoring film properties (e.g., morphology, density, and residual film stress), and in-situ cleaning of the substrate prior to film deposition. Disadvantages include tightly controlled processing parameters, potential contamination activated in the plasma, and potential contamination of bombarded gas species into the substrate and coating (EPA 1995).
Ion plating can deposit a wide variety of metals including alloys of titanium, aluminum, copper, gold, and palladium. Manufacturers use plasma-based ion plating in the production of X-ray tubes, piping threads used in chemical environments, aircraft engine turbine blades, steel drill bits, gear teeth, high-tolerance injection molds, aluminum vacuum-sealing flanges, and decorative coatings and for corrosion protection in nuclear reactors. In addition, ion plating is widely used as an alternative to cadmium for applying corrosion-resistant aluminum coatings. Compared to other deposition processes, ion plating is relatively inexpensive (EPA 1995). Capital costs are high for ion plating, creating a significant barrier to its use. Ion plating is used mainly in value-added equipment such as expensive injection molds rather than inexpensive drill bits (EPA 1995).
Ion implantation does not produce a discrete coating; rather, the process alters the elemental chemical composition of the surface of the substrate by forming an alloy with energetic ions. A beam of charged ions of the desired element is formed by feeding a gas into the ion source where electrons, emitted from a hot filament, ionize the gas and form a plasma. An electrically biased extraction electrode focuses the ions into a beam. If the energy is high enough, ions alloy with the substrate instead of onto the surface, changing the surface composition. Three variations of ion implantation have been developed: beam implementation, direct ion implantation, and plasma source implementation (EPA 1995).
Cleaning is critical to the success of this technology. Platers must pretreat (e.g., degrease, rinse, and ultrasonically clean) the substrate to remove any surface contaminants prior to implantation. The process is performed at room temperature. Deposition time depends on the temperature resistance of the workpiece and the required dose (EPA 1995).
Platers can use ion implantation for any element that can be vaporized and ionized in a vacuum chamber. The benefits of this process include high reliability and reproducibility, elimination of post-treatment, an easily controlled process, and minimal waste generation. Ion implantation does not produce a stable finish if the coating is exposed to high temperatures. When this happens, implanted ions diffuse from the surface because of limited depth of penetration. Commercial availability of this technology is limited by a lack of familiarity, scarcity of equipment, and the need for strict quality control. Manufacturers commonly use nitrogen to increase the wear resistance of metals because nitrogen easily produces ion beams (EPA 1995).
Implantation is used primarily as an anti-wear treatment for components of high value such as biomedical devices (e.g., prostheses), tools (e.g., molds, dies, punches, cutting tools, and inserts), and gears and balls used in the aerospace industry. Other industrial applications include depositing gold, ceramics, and other materials into plastic, ceramic, and silicon and gallium arsenide substrates for the semiconductor industry (EPA 1995).
The initial capital cost of ion implantation is relatively high although large-scale systems have proven cost effective. An analysis of six systems manufactured by three companies found that coating costs range from $0.04 to $0.28 per square centimeter. Depending on throughput, capital costs range from $400,000 to $1.4 million and operating costs range from $125,000 to $250,000 (EPA 1995).
Sputtering and Sputter Deposition
Sputtering is an etching process that alters the physical properties of a surface. In this process, a gas plasma discharge is set up between two electrodes: a cathode plating material and an anode substrate. Positively charged gas ions are attracted to and accelerated into the cathode. The impact knocks atoms off the cathode, which impact the anode and plate the substrate (Davis 1994). A film forms as atoms adhere to the substrate. The deposits are thin, ranging from 0.00005 millimeters to 0.01 millimeters. The most commonly applied materials are chromium, titanium, aluminum, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, gold, and silver. Three techniques for sputtering are available: diode plasmas, RF diodes, and magnetron-enhanced sputtering (EPA 1995).
Sputter deposition provides a versatile process for depositing metals, alloys, compounds, and dielectrics on surfaces. Manufacturers have used this technology to apply both hard and protective industrial coatings. Areas requiring future research and development include better methods for in-situ process control, stripping, and understanding of process controls that affect coating properties (EPA 1995).
Sputter-deposited films are used routinely in decorative applications such as watchbands, eyeglasses, and jewelry. The electronics industry relies on heavily sputtered coatings and films (e.g., thin film wiring on chips and recording heads as well as magnetic and magneto-optic recording media). Companies also use sputter deposition to produce reflective films for large pieces of architectural glass and decorative films for plastic used in the automotive industry. The food packaging industry uses sputtering to produce thin plastic films for packaging. Compared to other deposition processes, sputter deposition is relatively inexpensive (EPA 1995).
Laser Surface Alloying/Laser Cladding
Increasingly, lasers are being used for surface modification. Surface alloying is one of the many kinds of alteration processes that use lasers. This technology is similar to surface melting, but it promotes alloying by injecting another material into the melt pool that alloys into the melt layer. Surface characteristics of this technology include high-temperature performance, wear resistance, improved corrosion resistance, better mechanical properties, and enhanced appearance (EPA 1995).
One of many methods of laser surface alloying is laser cladding. The overall goal of laser cladding is to selectively coat a defined area. In laser cladding, a thin layer of metal (or powder metal) is bonded with a base metal via a combination of heat and pressure. Specifically, ceramic or metal powder is fed into a carbon dioxide laser beam above the surface of a substrate, melted in the beam, and transferred to the substrate. The beam welds the material directly into the surface region, providing a strong metallurgical bond. Powder feeding is performed using a carrier gas in a manner similar to that used for thermal spray systems. Large areas are covered by moving the substrate under the beam and overlapping deposition tracks. Pretreatment is not vital to the successful application of laser cladding coatings although the surface might require roughening prior to deposition. Grinding and polishing generally are required after the coating is applied (EPA 1995).
This technique can apply most of the same materials as thermal spraying technologies. Materials that are easily oxidized are difficult to deposit without using inert gas streams and envelopes. Deposition rates depend on laser power, power feed rates, and traverse speed. Coating thicknesses can range from several hundred microns to several millimeters. If the density is too high, however, cracking and delamination can occur as is the case with aluminum and some steels. This technology also is unable to coat areas that are out of the line of sight. Although laser processing technologies have been in existence for many years, industrial applications are limited, partly because of high capital costs (EPA 1995).
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a subset of PVD as described above. Over time, the distinction between PVD and CVD has blurred as new technologies have been developed. Chemical vapor deposition includes sputtering, ion plating, plasma-enhanced CVD, low-pressure CVD, laser-enhanced CVD, active reactive evaporation, ion beam, laser evaporation, and other variations. The variations are distinguished by the way that the precursor gases are converted into the reactive gas mixtures (EPA 1995).
In CVD processes, a reactant gas mixture comes in contact with the substrate. Gas precursors are heated to form the reactive gas mixture. The coating is delivered by another precursor material, known as a reactive vapor, that can be dispensed in either a gas, liquid, or solid form. Gases are fed to the chamber under normal pressures and temperatures while solids and liquids require high temperatures and/or low pressures. Once in the chamber, energy is applied to the substrate to facilitate the coatings reaction with the carrier gas. The basic steps in the CVD processes are:
Substrate pretreatment is important in vapor deposition, particularly in CVD. Pretreatment involves using mechanical and chemical means to minimize pretreatment before placing the substrate in the deposition reactor. Substrates must be cleaned prior to deposition and the deposition reactor chamber must be clean, leak-tight, and free of dust and moisture. Cleaning is usually performed using ultrasonic cleaning and/or vapor degreasing. To improve adhesion, vapor honing might follow. During the coating process, operators must maintain surface cleanliness to prevent particulates from accumulating in the deposit. Manufacturers use mild acids or gases to remove oxide layers formed during heat-up. Post-treatment can include heat treatment to facilitate diffusion of the coating material (EPA 1995).
Companies use CVD mainly for corrosion and wear resistance. CVD usually is applied to obtain specific properties that are difficult to obtain with other processes. CVD's ability to control the microstructure and/or chemistry of the deposited material makes it important for some applications. The microstructure of CVD deposits depend on the chemical makeup and energy of atoms, ions, or molecular fragments; chemical composition and surface properties of the substrate; substrate temperature; and presence or absence of a substrate bias voltage. The most commonly used metals in CVD coatings are nickel, tungsten, chromium, and titanium carbide (EPA 1995).
Companies also use CVD to deposit coatings and to form foils, powders, composite materials, free-standing bodies, spherical particles, filaments, and whiskers. The majority of applications are in electronics production including structural applications, optical, opto-electrical, photovoltaic, and chemical industries. Startup costs are high (EPA 1995).
Davis, Gary A. et al. 1994. The Product Side of Pollution Prevention: Evaluating the Potential Safe Substitute. Cincinnati, OH: Risk Reduction Laboratory, Office of Research and Development.
EPA. 1995. Waste Minimization for Metal Finishing Facilities. Washington, DC: Office of Solid Waste.
Freeman, Harry J. 1995. Industrial Pollution Prevention Handbook. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, Inc.
Gansert, Daren, and George Grenier. 1989. Substituting Thermal Spraying for Electroplating.
Metal Waste Management Alternatives. Pasadena, CA: Alternative Technology Section, Toxic Substances Control Division, California Department of Health Services.
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In late October, Icelanders voted in an advisory referendum on whether their country should adopt a draft Constitution that would replace principles established in 1944. The ballot included six yes-or-no questions on a range of policy changes, but one question in particular caught our attention:
In the new Constitution, do you want natural resources that are not privately owned to be declared national property?
Iceland’s answer was an overwhelming “yes.” 81% voted in favor of declaring the commons precisely what they are: the commons, or valuable assets that belong to everyone.
As Iceland continues to recover from its economic collapse in 2008—a result of the country’s banks, which were all but unregulated at the time, borrowing more than their country’s gross domestic product from international wholesale money markets—it is clear that citizens are beginning to recognize the value of what they share together over the perceived wealth created by the market economy.
But that’s not all. The best news is that if the Icelandic Parliament accepts the non-binding referendum, conditions will be ripe for building a strong commons-based society: Icelanders will not only have a whole new way of measuring wealth, but also a Constitutional provision for protecting what belongs to them all for today and future generations.
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Last week, President Bush appeared to yield some ground on the issue of global warming. He proposed a series of meetings among the major producers of greenhouse gases to discuss long-term plans to reduce emissions. Some interpreted his intervention as an attempt to delay the implementation of existing climate goals, but it came as a rare acknowledgment that a problem even exists.
This week, it seems that things are back to normal. The administration plans to reduce the ability of scientists to monitor the status of the Earth's climate by satellite. Data from satellites has been a major tool for assessing the scope of climate change.
A confidential report to the White House, obtained by The Associated Press, warns that U.S. scientists will soon lose much of their ability to monitor warming from space using a costly and problem-plagued satellite initiative begun more than a decade ago.In this case, it is hard to tell whether the fault lies with planning and execution or with political interference. Given the recent record on climate matters, the latter would not surprise me at all. The House Committee on Science and Technology will be holding hearings on the satellites, so we should find out more in the near future.
Because of technology glitches and a near-doubling in the original $6.5 billion cost, the Defense Department has decided to downsize and launch four satellites paired into two orbits, instead of six satellites and three orbits.
The satellites were intended to gather weather and climate data, replacing existing satellites as they come to the end of their useful lifetimes beginning in the next couple of years.
The reduced system of four satellites will now focus on weather forecasting. Most of the climate instruments needed to collect more precise data over long periods are being eliminated.
Instead, the Pentagon and two partners — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA — will rely on European satellites for most of the climate data.
"Unfortunately, the recent loss of climate sensors ... places the overall climate program in serious jeopardy," NOAA and NASA scientists told the White House in the Dec. 11 report obtained by the AP.
They said they will face major gaps in data that can be collected only from satellites about ice caps and sheets, surface levels of seas and lakes, sizes of glaciers, surface radiation, water vapor, snow cover and atmospheric carbon dioxide.
NASA and NOAA agreed in April to restore sensors that will enable the satellites to map ozone. NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher said that would give scientists a better idea of the content and distribution of atmospheric gases.
But seven other separate climate sensors are still being eliminated or substantially downgraded by lower-quality equipment to save money, according to the report to the White House. Most of the satellites, which were scheduled to launch starting next year, have been delayed to between 2013 and 2026.
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Conserving water is becoming increasingly important, and it has become a necessity in areas that are suffering from drought. According to the UN, by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water-stressed conditions, as a result of water shortages from climate change and rising levels of water use due to a growing population.
Reducing your water use will not only lower your water bills and help prevent potential water shortages. It also reduces the strain on municipal water systems and infrastructure (e.g., sewer, water treatment and distribution), which helps reduce the energy, maintenance, and the associated taxes required to run and expand those systems. Using less water can also save you money on your energy bill, because electricity or gas is used to heat your water. Water conservation also leaves more water available for critical uses, such as drinking, growing food, and fighting fires; and it keeps more water in lakes, rivers, and streams for aquatic species and other wildlife.
These are some of the ways that you can reduce your household water use, both indoors and outdoors:
- Replace your toilets, faucets, and showerheads with high-efficiency (WaterSense labeled) plumbing fixtures, or at least add aerators to your faucets, and if you have an old toilet, put a small water bottle (filled with water, with the cap on) into the toilet tank for displacement. Switching to high-effiiency fixtures results in significant water savings.
- Do not let faucets run longer than is necessary for your task. Don’t leave it running while brushing your teeth, shaving, or soaping up your hands or dishes. And when you turn a faucet off, make sure that it is turned all the way off.
- Try to take short showers, and/or don’t take a shower every day (if you aren’t really dirty—from work, exercise, recreation, etc.).
- When using a clothes washer or dishwasher, only wash fairly full loads (or select a light-load setting for small loads). If you’re buying a new washer, select a high-efficiency (Energy Star) and water-saving model. Front-loading washing machines are much more efficient than top-loading machines.
- Wash dirty dishes immediately or soak them before hand-washing, so that they can be washed off more easily and quickly (requiring less water).
- If a faucet is dripping or if your toilet is running (for too long after it has been flushed), have the leak fixed right away. A leaking toilet can waste more than 50 gallons of water each day, and a dripping faucet or showerhead can waste up to 1,000 gallons of water per week (according to ResourceVenture.org). Also check for washing machine or dishwasher leaks (usually found where the hose is connected to the machine or at the shut-off valve). Familiarize yourself with the water shut-offs behind your toilet, sinks, and washing machine, as well as the water shut-off for the entire house, so that you know how to turn off the water when needed.
- As the saying goes, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” There’s generally no need to flush a toilet after it’s only been peed in one time. Hold off on flushing until the toilet has been peed in 2-3 times or has been used for “doing #2.”
- Compare your water bills (or water meter readings) from month to month and from year to year, to monitor the results of your conservation efforts and to look for any sudden spikes in water use, which could be caused by leaks.
OUTDOORS (yard / lawn / garden):
- Water your yard/garden during the coolest, least windy, and/or least sunny time of the day (usually overnight or early morning, ideally after midnight / before dawn) to avoid losing a lot of water via evaporation. And be sure to avoid over-watering; many plants do not need to be watered every day, and some rarely need to be watered at all.
- When you add new plants, trees, or other vegetation, select drought-tolerant or native/adapted plants that require little, if any, irrigation. To get information on how to choose the best plants for your area, click here.
- Putting mulch (including fallen leaves or wood chips) on your garden or landscaped areas can help the soil retain moisture longer.
- Turf grass typically requires much more water than groundcover or shrubs, so the less lawn area you have, the less watering you will need to do. If adding or reseeding grass areas, select a drought-tolerant, native grass variety or consider replacing the grass area with groundcover or native plants. As an added bonus, most types of groundcovers and some types of grasses will only grow a few inches tall, so they would rarely if ever need to be mowed.
- If you are installing an irrigation system, choose a high-efficiency irrigation system. Drip, micro, and bubbler irrigation systems are more efficient than spray or sprinkler irrigation, because they deliver water directly to plants’ roots, minimizing evaporative water loss. If you use a hose to water, use a shut-off/trigger nozzle on it so that the hose doesn’t continue to run when it isn’t aimed at the plants to be watered.
- If you have an irrigation system or sprinklers, make sure that all spray or drip spouts are oriented in such a way that they are watering planted areas only and are not watering the sides of buildings, pathways or other paved areas. In addition to wasting water, allowing water to pool up on pavement can make it slippery to walk on an can degrade the pavement over time.
- Also, for irrigation systems, perform (or have an irrigation specialist perform) regular system checks and maintenance, to make sure there are no leaking heads, pipes, or valves. Make sure the irrigation system is not watering the lawn/yard/garden during (or immediately preceding or following) rainy days. Even on dry days, make sure the system is not over-watering the plants or over-saturating the soil. If the irrigation timer runs on a battery, make sure it is working and change the battery as needed; if the battery is dead, the system could allow non-stop watering (which would waste a lot of water). Re-program the system seasonally and as necessary to adjust to weather conditions. Winterize the system before the first frost of each year. If issues arise, consider hiring an irrigation professional to do an irrigation audit.
- Consider adding rainwater collection barrels/tanks at downspouts (or a bucket in your shower or yard, or a greywater system) for use in watering your yard/garden.
- Sweep your sidewalks and driveway (and other paved areas), rather than hosing them down.
- Avoid washing your car frequently, and if/when you must wash it, take it to a carwash that recycles its water.
At a broader level, two of the most effective ways to reduce water use (indirectly but significantly) are: to reduce your energy use (because the generation of electricity typically requires enormous amounts of water), and to reduce or eliminate your consumption of meat (because raising meat animals, especially corn-fed factory-farmed beef cows, requires enormous amounts of water) as well as your consumption of milk and other dairy products (and also non-dairy soy milk, almond milk, and rice milk), which are also water-intensive to produce.
For more information on water conservation, visit these websites:
- H2OUSE: Water Saver Home
- Water—Use It Wisely
- An overview on water use from WaterSense
- NRDC’s water info
- EPA’s water info
- EPA’s Greenscaping (eco-landscaping) info
- Alliance for Water Efficiency
- UN’s water programs/info
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Historic vote protects sharks and manta rays at CITES
“This is a historic moment, where science has prevailed over politics, as sharks and manta rays are being obliterated from our oceans. This decision will put a major dent in the uncontrolled trade in shark meat and fins, which is rapidly destroying populations of these precious animals to feed the growing demand for luxury goods.”
“These timely decisions to have trade in sharks and manta rays regulated by CITES show that governments can muster the political will to keep our oceans healthy, securing food and other benefits for generations to come – and we hope to see similar action in the future to protect other commercially exploited and threatened marine species, both at the national and international level.”
Governments on Thursday reaffirmed the stronger protections for three species of hammerheads, in addition to porbeagles, oceanic whitetips, and two species of manta rays. The sharks and manta rays were listed on CITES’ Appendix II, seeking to regulate their international trade to sustainable levels.
Victory! Better protection through #CITES for sharks and manta rays upheld. Big sigh of relief after this historic moment.— WWF News (@WWFnews) March 14, 2013
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In a Pelton Turbine or Pelton Wheel water jets impact on the blades of the turbine making the wheel rotate, producing torque and power. Learn more about design, analysis, working principle and applications of Pelton Wheel Turbine.
Hydraulic Turbines are being used from very ancient times to harness the energy stored in flowing streams, rivers and lakes. The oldest and the simplest form of a Hydraulic Turbine was the Waterwheel used for grinding grains. Different types of Hydraulic Turbines were developed with the increasing need for power. Three major types are Pelton Wheel, Francis and Kaplan Turbine.
Design of Pelton Wheel Turbine
The Pelton Turbine has a circular disk mounted on the rotating shaft or rotor. This circular disk has cup shaped blades, called as buckets, placed at equal spacing around its circumference. Nozzles are arranged around the wheel such that the water jet emerging from a nozzle is tangential to the circumference of the wheel of Pelton Turbine. According to the available water head (pressure of water) and the operating requirements the shape and number of nozzles placed around the Pelton Wheel can vary.
Working Principle of Pelton Turbine
The high speed water jets emerging form the nozzles strike the buckets at splitters, placed at the middle of a bucket, from where jets are divided into two equal streams. These stream flow along the inner curve of the bucket and leave it in the direction opposite to that of incoming jet. The high speed water jets running the Pelton Wheel Turbine are obtained by expanding the high pressure water through nozzles to the atmospheric pressure. The high pressure water can be obtained from any water body situated at some height or streams of water flowing down the hills.
The change in momentum (direction as well as speed) of water stream produces an impulse on the blades of the wheel of Pelton Turbine. This impulse generates the torque and rotation in the shaft of Pelton Turbine. To obtain the optimum output from the Pelton Turbine the impulse received by the blades should be maximum. For that, change in momentum of the water stream should be maximum possible. That is obtained when the water stream is deflected in the direction opposite to which it strikes the buckets and with the same speed relative to the buckets.
Pelton Turbine Hydroelectric Setup
A typical setup of a system generating electricity by using Pelton Turbine will have a water reservoir situated at a height from the Pelton Wheel. The water from the reservoir flows through a pressure channel to the penstock head and then through the penstock or the supply pipeline to the nozzles, from where the water comes out as high speed jets striking the blades of the Pelton Turbine. The penstock head is fitted with a surge tank which absorbs and dissipates sudden fluctuations in pressure.
For a constant water flow rate from the nozzles the speed of turbine changes with changing loads on it. For quality hydroelectricity generation the turbine should rotate at a constant speed. To keep the speed constant despite the changing loads on the turbine water flow rate through the nozzles is changed. To control the gradual changes in load servo controlled spear valves are used in the jets to change the flow rate. And for sudden reduction in load the jets are deflected using deflector plates so that some of the water from the jets do not strike the blades. This prevents over speeding of the turbine.
Hydraulic Turbines transfer the energy from a flowing fluid to a rotating shaft. Turbine itself means a thing which rotates or spins. To know more about what are Hydraulic Turbines, what is the working principle of Hydraulic Turbines and how are they classified, read on through this article series.
- Hydraulic Turbines: Definition and Basics
- Hydraulic Turbines: The Pelton Turbine
- Hydraulic Turbines: Francis Turbine
- Hydraulic Turbines: Kaplan Turbine
- Cavitation in Hydraulic Turbines: Causes and Effects
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Welcome home! Please contact firstname.lastname@example.org
if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations
must be manually approved which may take up to 48 hours. Can't log in?
Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Buddhism & realism vs. Mathieu Ricard & optimism
From my undertanding of Buddhism, one should learn to see things as they really are. This includes realistic expectations about the future. Therefore, I think that optimism, an overestimation of the likelihood of positive future events, conflicts with Buddhism - just like pessimism, which is an underestimation of the probability of favourable events.
Because of this understanding I have, I was surprised to see that Mathieu Ricard (famous Buddhist monk and French interpreter for the Dalai Lama) dedicated an entire chapter on praising the benefits of optimism in his book titled "Happiness".
Also, while he mentions several studies on the advantages of optimism, he does not mention one of the studies that has associated optimism with inappropriate risk-taking (e.g. reckless driving).
What is your opinion on this?
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Imagine you are a sixth grader.
Each of your classmates is going to the computer lab for a math lesson on ratios and proportions. They sit down at their computers, launch the tutoring program and get to work.
Everyone but you – because you can’t see the screen: you’re blind.
You’ve tried screen reading software but it hasn’t worked very well. Your teacher has tried to help but no one in the school really knows how to set up, maintain and trouble-shoot assistive technologies.
The program isn’t available in braille, so you end up doing some basic worksheets instead of participating with your classmates.
The growth of online learning has thrown up new challenges for those with visual impairment as the learning tools are often not available. It’s also been a challenge for those working on making websites accessible to the visually impaired. It takes extra work and testing.
Now, the Animal Watch Vi Suite (AWViS) project based at The University of Arizona, is developing a math tutoring program for middle school students who have mild, moderate or severe visual impairments.
I am part of a group of researchers combining the software program with more traditional resources such as large print or braille books, to enable visually impaired students access new technology.
A new app for visually impaired
We have developed an iPad app that is supplemented with print and braille materials. We decided on an iPad app when we realized that tablet devices were starting to become a potential alternative to the desktop computers that are typically found in schools.
Students who are blind can touch the left side of the iPad screen to hear the math problem, or the right side to hear a description of the picture illustrating the problem.
The good thing is that most students with visual impairment have some vision.
Students with low vision can double-tap to enlarge the print to the size that is right for them.
The app provides students with support for their math problem solving. Students get three attempts on each word problem. Those with some vision can use an integrated Scratch Pad for working out the solution.
If a student is unable to solve a problem, he or she can watch a screen-capture, fully-narrated video showing the solution, turning a failure point into a learning opportunity. The narrator describes each step so that the explanation can be understood by a student who is blind.
Students always have the option to “give up” on a problem if it is too difficult, but they rarely do.
Why an animal app works well
Problem sets involving endangered or invasive species, such as the Snow Leopard, California Condor, Poison Frog and Burmese Python, among others, are used to cover different math topics. The reason we used animals to create word problems is to provide additional science learning.
For example, the module on unit conversion focuses on the Burmese Python. Students learn that these snakes are endangered in their native Asia but are becoming an invasive pest in Florida.
People who bought the snakes as pets because of their beautiful patterned skin often did not realize that the snakes could grow to be the size of telephone poles. When released illegally into the Everglades, the massive snakes thrived, and are displacing native species.
In this unit, students solve word problems about the length and girth of the snakes, the distance that they can travel and the value of their skin for leather goods.
Providing this background information is especially important for students who do not always have the opportunity to learn about the world through pictures. The animal sounds have proved to be especially popular.
Because math problems with graphics often appear on math achievement tests, we designed 20% of the word problems to involve maps, charts or graphs that contain information the student needs to find in order to solve the problem.
For example, on one problem in the Polar Bear unit, the student must use a line graph to identify the change in sea ice in the summer from 40 years ago to today. Students can view the graphics on the iPad and listen to an audio description by touching the tablet surface, or they can refer to hard copies with embossed lines, textures and print or braille labels.
Many students do find it hard to view the graphics on the tablet screen. Most rely on the hard copies while listening to the audio on the iPad.
Elsewhere too, researchers are developing new tools to fill this emerging need. Ed Summers, who is himself blind, is leading a team of developers at the SAS Institute in North Carolina to make software more accessible for the visually impaired.
Derrick Smith at the University of Alabama in Huntsville is leading a project to develop online professional development training to help math teachers understand the needs of students with visual impairment.
Students have found the app useful
Such apps are finding a wide reach. This year, 65 students with visual impairment are using the AWViS materials in their schools in 22 states. Feedback from both students and teachers has been very positive.
One theme is that the technology seems to promote students’ independence. One said,
“When [I worked on paper] my teacher had to help me once in awhile. When I used the app she didn’t help me as much. With the app I didn’t really have to ask for her to help me.”
Teachers said students seemed more engaged with the app and less likely to ask for help or reassurance.
Almost every student reported preferring the app to his or her typical learning medium.
“I liked the app better. I was able to use the hints which you don’t get in the print. It was easy once I figured it out."
The scratch pad was really helpful.” “I used the hints and solution videos. They helped me understand it better.” “I liked knowing if I got the answer right with the app.”
With the growth of new technologies, there is an increasing demand for knowledge. Just recently, the online education provider edX settled with the US Justice Department, agreeing to make its Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) accessible to students with disabilities.
There is an urgent need to work on more technologies to ensure that everyone has a way of accessing knowledge.
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The government of Zimbabwe is intensifying its efforts to fight HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Officials are collecting data from about 15,000 randomly selected households to measure the burden of HIV across the African country and the impact of HIV prevention, care and treatment services.
The Ministry of Health Friday launched the program in Bulawayo, the country's second largest city. The survey is known as the Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment, or ZIMPHIA, for short.
The government says the results will serve as a baseline to measure progress toward the United Nations' treatment targets designed to end the AIDS epidemic. Officials also say the findings will help to focus programs and resources toward populations at greatest risk for HIV and in most need of services.
"Both results [from the survey] - HIV negative and positive - are linked to prevention initiatives or care treatment and support," said Dr. Mutsa Mhangara, one of the people heading up the program. "ZIMPHIA also aims to measure the population access to HIV services like health facilities...These are some of the measures which will be measured to say to what extent our population is getting these services."
ZIMPHIA is part of an initiative being funded by the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by PEPFAR, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Dr. Beth Tippett Barr, the CDC's country director in Zimbabwe says so far, the survey is going well.
"It has been implemented in three districts. It will be interesting to see in Bulawayo," said Barr. "This is the first time that it is coming to an urban environment. In some ways, it might be easier because people are close together; in some ways it might turn to be harder as people are busy trying in all sorts of directions trying to have things done. So we will see."
The survey was formally launched in Harare in September. Zimbabwe is one of the countries hard hit by HIV, although the infection rate has been falling, largely due to financial and technical support from Western countries.
The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, estimates that Zimbabwe has an HIV adult prevalence of 15 percent. It says about 1.6 million there are living with the AIDS virus.
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By Mark Winegar updated on 01/31/2013
“Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards - the things we live by and teach our children - are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings.” - Walt Disney
Does this work of engaging students in higher order thinking with iPads comply with the Common Core Standards? In a word, YES.
I found the Common Core Standards documented online for the public at the Common Core State Standards Initiative website. It was a pleasant surprise to see the prominence of higher order thinking they contain as early as kindergarten.
In analysis we break information into parts by identifying motives or causes, make inferences and find evidence to support generalizations. Kindergarteners begin with these Common Core objectives for Reading Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details. Kindergarteners begin with objectives like (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.1) “With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a [informational] text.”, (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.2) “With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.”, and (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.K.3) “With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.”
Analysis becomes more sophisticated as students progress through grades. Juniors (11th grade) and seniors (12th grade) are expected to (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1) “Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.”. Also when completing (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2) “Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.” and (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3) ”Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.”.
The states obviously value analytical skills.
Synthesis involves compiling information in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions.
Kindergarteners are asked to synthesize when they (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.1) ”Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...)”. High schoolers are required to (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9) “Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.” before graduating.
The Governors also recognize the value of synthesis.
Evaluation occurs when we present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set of criteria.
Once again our kindergarteners are initiated to the skills of higher order thinking when they are asked to (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.1) “Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).” and more. Upperclassmen are expected to perform evaluative tasks when they (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2) “Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.”.
The standards listed here are just a small sample of the objectives requiring higher order thinking.
The states are demanding instruction in higher order thinking. Clearly there is work to be done here.
Begin by using the Common Core Standards are your curricular guideline. Bookmark the website in your browser. You can also download the standards to your smartphone or tablet (see Flipping Tip: Use the Common Core). Then peruse the blog series.
I am available if you need help.
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LINEAR AEROSPIKE SR-71 EXPERIMENT COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL FIRST FLIGHT
Oct. 31, 1997
Release: 97-41 Printer Friendly Version
A NASA SR-71 today successfully completed its first flight as part of the NASA/Rocketdyne/ Lockheed Martin Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
The SR-71 took off at 8:31 a.m. PST. The aircraft flew for one hour and fifty minutes, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 before landing at Edwards at 10:21 a.m. PST, successfully validating the SR-71/linear aerospike configuration.
"We had an excellent flight," Dryden LASRE Project Manager Dave Lux said. "Everything went just as we expected."
"For a first flight, this is about as good as they come," Dryden Center Director Ken Szalai said.
Lockheed Martin LASRE Project Manager Carl Meade added, "We are extremely pleased for the whole team."
Linear Aerospike rocket engines are going to power the X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator, scheduled to fly in 1999.
LASRE is designed to gather data on the aerospike's exhaust plume as it travels through the transonic region of flight. Linear aerospike rocket engines have been laboratory and ground tested many times over the past thirty years, but have never flown until now.
LASRE is a one-tenth-scale, half-span model of the X-33. The model contains eight thrust cells of an aerospike engine and is mounted on a housing known as the "canoe," which contains the gaseous hydrogen, helium and instrumentation gear. The model, engine and canoe together are called the "pod." The entire pod is 41 feet in length and weighs 14,300 pounds.
This flight is the first in a series of ground-based and in-flight qualifications tests. Following these tests, a decision will be made to proceed to data-collection flights of the linear aerospike or to pursue more ground testing at the U. S. Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate, formerly Phillips Laboratory.
A "typical" LASRE data-collection flight will consist of the SR-71 taking off to rendezvous with a tanker aircraft for aerial refueling. Then, the SR-71 with the piggyback LASRE pod will climb up to a predetermined altitude between 20 and 80 thousand feet. The linear aerospike will then be fired for the collection of in-flight data on the performance of the engine. The LASRE pod carries enough fuel for one aerospike rocket engine firing per flight, which will last two to three seconds.
The flight research missions will measure the rocket engine's performance, from subsonic speeds up to Mach 3, or approximately 2,200 miles per hour. Among the important flight test points scheduled will be the data gathered as the SR-71 passes through the so-called transonic region, from roughly Mach 0.8 to Mach 1.2, or approximately 750 miles per hour. The flight research missions will be used to gather accurate data on the interaction of the X-33 model's airflow with that of the linear aerospike engine and it's exhaust plume. This data will also help determine the efficiency of the rocket engine. The aerospike engine is expected to produce approximately 7,000 pounds of thrust. The total cost of the LASRE program is approximately $20 million.
Linear Aerospike Engine Technology
Linear aerospike rocket engines have been around for more than thirty years. Based on a concept developed by the Air Force's Propulsion Directorate in the early 1960s, Rocketdyne, now Boeing North American - Rocketdyne, developed the technology for both linear and annular aerospike engines during the mid-1960s, ground testing various designs into the 1970s. Rocketdyne proposed the aerospike engine for use on the Space Shuttle, but the engine was turned down because the technology was considered too immature at the time. Since then, Rocketdyne has accomplished 73 laboratory and ground test firings, with over 4,000 seconds of operation of this type engine. Rocketdyne has spent over $500 million over the years to test and improve aerospike engine technology. Recent improvements funded by the Air Force in the early 1990s made it possible to improve the manufacturing of aerospike engine thrust cells, while modern performance sensors and monitoring controls enable split-second engine control. The linear aerospike engine is very similar to normal rocket engines in it's plumbing and accessories, utilizing similar components, such as turbopumps. However, one of the major differences, and the most notable, is the absence of a bell-shaped nozzle. The linear aerospike engine uses the atmosphere as part of it's nozzle, with the surrounding airflow containing the rocket's exhaust plume. This keeps the engine at optimum performance and efficiency along the entire trajectory of ascent to orbit. Traditional rocket engines cannot compensate for atmospheric changes, from low altitude and high atmospheric pressure, to high altitude and low atmospheric pressure. So, they are designed for a particular performance range in an effort to get the best performance from them.
Another major difference is that linear aerospike engines are 75 percent smaller than normal rocket engines of comparable thrust. The smaller design means less engine weight and less engine support structure required, which allows for lighter spacecraft. This will result in lower cost to launch a vehicle into orbit.
X-33 and the Reusable Launch Vehicle Program
The X-33 is a technology demonstrator for a Single-Stage-To Orbit (SSTO) Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). The RLV technology program is a cooperative agreement between NASA and industry. The goal of the RLV technology program is to enable significant reductions in the cost of access to space, and to promote the creation and delivery of new space services and other activities that will improve U.S. economic competitiveness. The program implements the National Space Transportation Policy, which is designed to accelerate the development of new launch technologies and concepts to contribute to the continuing commercialization of the national space launch industry.
The RLV program consists of both the X-33 and the X-34 technology demonstrators. The smaller X-34 will test the feasibility of launching small commercial and scientific payloads aboard a reusable rocket.
--nasa-- Note to Editors:
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The IUCN Red List has a long established history as the world's most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
It is based on an objective system of assessing the risk of extinction for a species.
Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as threatened.The IUCN Red List is not just a register of names and associated threat categories.
It is a compendium of information on the threats to the species, their ecological requirements, where they live, and information on conservation actions that can be used to reduce or prevent extinctions.
Although only 2.7 percent of the world's 1.8 million described species have been assessed so far, the IUCN Red List provides a useful snapshot of what is happening to species today and highlights the urgent need for conservation actionBirds are the best known group with less than one percent of species classified as Data Deficient,meaning that we do not have enough information to say if they are threatened or not.
However, for many groups, we cannot say what the situation is for a large proportion of species and many of them could well be threatened: 47 percent of 1,045 species of sharks and rays, 35 percent of marine mammals and 24 percent of amphibians are Data Deficient.
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The moon over Baikal glittered in different way, like you are looking at sable fur'
This is the clearest evidence that our ancestors speared and killed the extinct giant.
'How did the weapon enter the body of the animal going through thick skin and flesh, and hit the bone?'. Picture: Kate Baklitskaya, Go East
These unique photographs seen by the world for the first time show the wounded vertebrae of the woolly mammoth found in Siberia. Forensic evidence proves the hole was made by a spear or javelin, meaning the huge creature was slain by ancient man some 13,470 years ago.
It does not answer the conundrum that still puzzles scientists: why did the mammoths vanish from the face of the planet? Man's butchery may have been a factor, but can it really be the only one? Our exclusive pictures from Khanty-Mansiysk show the remains of a mammoth located a dozen years ago close to the confluence of the rivers Ob and Irtysh in the west of Siberia.
The images show the thoracic vertebrae of a mammoth, which in all probability was marooned in a clay swamp when the hunters went in for the kill.
It is believed the weapon was thrown with great force at the creature. The vertebrae is pierced by a cone-shaped hole resulting from the penetration of a notched point, and there are fragments of quartzite flakes lodged inside, according to Russian scientists.
Pictures of the find until now have not been seen outside Russia or the scientific community.
The depth of the spear hole is 23.5 mm and the width is between 7-10mm. Pictures: Kate Baklitskaya, Go East
The discovery was made at the Lugovskoe 'mammoth graveyard' by scientists Alexander Pavlov and Eugeny Mashchenko in a swampy area where thousands of bones of mammals - mainly mammoths - have been unearthed by scientists since the 1990s. It remains unclear to what extent our ancestors ate the woolly mammoth when other, perhaps more succulent, food sources were available. Yet a related discovery last year in Lugovskoe was the remains of a 13,270 year old fireplace belonging to early men in this region.
The current theory is that mammoth bone was burned with charcoal, the fat from the bone giving a superior heat. Anton Rezvy, 39, head of the palaeontological department of the Khanty-Mansiysk Museum of Nature and Man, explained: 'The vertebra was found in Lugovskoe mammoth cemetery.'
The museum now holds the holed vertebrae.
'This cemetery was not some place where mammoths were coming to die. It was just a natural place with a lot of blue clay which is rich with salt, and the scientists believe that the mammoths came there for the salt that contained in the clay, and that many of them got struck there.
'At Lugovskoe we found several thousand bones and we also studied the place using ground penetrating radar to define how much is left. We believe that there are still dozens of thousands of mammoth bones buried here. The vertebrae that our museum expedition found in autumn 2002 has a hole in it, and you can see the it was hit by a manmade made weapon. If you look closely inside the hole, you can see the piece of a stone flake. Such stone flakes were used by people of the Paleolithic Age to make weapons'.
Lugovskoe mammoth graveyard, the remains of northern steppe elephant, a forebear of the mammoth, and a sreet view of Khanty-Mansiysk museum of Nature and Man. Pictures: Kate Baklitskaya, Go East
The depth of the spear hole is 23.5 mm and the width is between 7-10mm. 'Ancient man probably used a spear or dart,' Anton said. 'Many people ask how did the weapon enter the body of the animal going through thick skin and flesh, and hit the bone'.
He is convinced that the animal was alive, not dead, when it was forcibly struck by the weapon. 'There is much proof that ancient man used the mammoth for food, for example, there are traces of mammoth found on an ancient knife. But the direct proof, like this, that man was actually hunting the mammoth can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
'There is a dispute about how much humans influenced the extinction of the mammoth. Were mammoths actually hunted down by humans, or did the the animals become extinct because of cold? Some scientists use our find to prove the theory that man was the main reason for the mammoth's extinction.
'But it is hard to make such an assumption is this particular case, because we have to take into consideration that the mammoth remains were found in a muddy area where many of them were getting stuck. So even if the humans were hunting them here, it was more killing animals that were already stuck in the mud and had no way to escape'.
'The vertebrae that our museum expedition found in autumn 2002 has a hole in it, and you can see the it was hit by a manmade made weapon. If you look closely inside the hole, you can see the piece of a stone flake'. Picture: Kate Baklitskaya, Go East
Anton doesn't rule out that elsewhere humans may have been more of a factor but says that 'in Russia most scientists believe that it was the climate conditions that was the greatest influence. 'At the same time in eastern Europe there are ancient human camp sites found with a lot of mammoth bones around it. The scientists dispute how they got there. Were ancient man hunting the mammoth actively or just collecting the mammoth bones and using them?
'I personally think that both humans and the climate could have influenced the mammoth's fate, but still we do not have enough proof to be sure humans were hunting the mammoth all that much', Anton said.
He is intrigued by the discovery of a mammoth bone-burning fire, which he has reconstructed in his impressive museum.
'The 'coals' are not only wooden, but also comprise mammoth bone. So we can make a conclusion that the ancient people used mammoth bone to keep themselves warm as it contained fat, and the fire would last longer.
'We made a reconstruction of the fire place, of how it looked long ago when people used to sit around it, do some manual work or eat and throw mammoth bones into the fire, mixing them with charcoal. The white coal you see is actually bone'.
'We made a reconstruction of the fire place, of how it looked long ago when people used to sit around it, do some manual work or eat and throw mammoth bones into the fire, mixing them with charcoal. The white coal you see is actually bone'. Below, Anton Rezvy, head of the palaeontological department of the Khanty-Mansiysk Museum of Nature and Man. Pictures: Kate Baklitskaya, Go East
The museum also has remains of northern steppe elephant, a forebear of the mammoth, which lived between 500,000 and 700,000 years ago, and is believed to have evolved in Siberia during the early Pleistocene epoch.
'It was found near Irtysh River close to the town of Gornopravdinsk, Khanty-Mansiysk region, which is around 120km from Khanty-Mansiysk,' said Mr Rezvy.
'It is unique because it is the most northern find of a full skeleton of this elephant, which proves that these animals lived here. There are not many of them found in the world. These elephants mostly lived in Eurasia, and now we can say that they lived in the northern territory of the continent as well.
'Perhaps this is not the most impressive characteristic, but this is also the smallest of the steppe mammoth that were found.
'Even though it's an elephant it's only 3.5 metres tall which was a normal size for a woolly mammoth as well. The steppe elephants in general were around 5 metres tall. Yet it is not a baby. This is a grown up male aged around 35 years old.
'It is quite rare when a skeleton is found like this, a full skeleton. Such discoveries can be counted in dozens around the world'.
The reconstruction of the tip of the spear - or the dart - that hit the vertebrae, courtesy Khanty-Mansiysk museum of Nature and Man:
Pictures show child from Middle Ages as he is unwrapped after his remains were 'accidentally preserved' close to Arctic.
Scientists intrigued over 'space rock' found 35 years ago, before being dumped in a geologist's fish tank.
Experts say no sign of any human settlements close to 'largest necropolis in Asia for the extinct beasts'.
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3. Developing Community-Specific Delinquency Prevention Plans|
After conducting a thorough risk and resource assessment, a community is better equipped to make data-driven decisions concerning the types of prevention strategies needed to address their most pressing concerns. The Community Prevention Grants Program requires grantees to develop a 3-year delinquency prevention plan that addresses priority risk factors, strengthens protective factors, fills identified gaps in services, and coordinates existing services systems. The plan is intended to reflect the community's risk, protection, and resource profile. For example, a community with serious academic failure as a key underlying problem would turn to programs focused on curriculum and instructional change, rather than policing strategies. Further, the program model encourages communities to draw upon "promising" programs and strategies in the family, school, community and individual/peer domains that have been shown through research to be effective in reducing risk factors and promoting positive youth development.
All 619 local Title V grantees have developed 3-year delinquency prevention plans as part of their grant applications and are currently at various stages of their implementation. Exhibit 8 presents examples of priority risk factors and selected service delivery programs and systems change approaches adopted by communities to address them. Many of these prevention programs and approaches not only address the environmental risk factors in the community but also enhance protective factors for individual children and youth. They foster protection or resiliency by providing opportunities, skills, and recognition, which support pro-social bonding processes, and also by communicating healthy beliefs and clear standards. For example, the Second Steps Leadership Program in Missouri helps youth build anger management and communication skills, provides opportunities and recognition for youth performance, and also promotes bonding between youth and their mentors. The community policy forums in Pennsylvania address protective factors by establishing clear community standards regarding the non-tolerance of drug use.
In addition to having different risk profiles, the grantee communities vary greatly in their characteristics (e.g., rural versus urban, size, population characteristics) and existing prevention and intervention systems to address delinquency and other problem behaviors. The locally-developed program plans reflect the diversity of communities and frequently integrate local strengths and culture into the prevention strategies. For example, Madison County in southeastern Idaho has heavily involved their strong faith community to work in conjunction with local radio stations and schools to promote positive values, such as honesty, in an integrated fashion. In Kauai, Hawaii, community groups planned a traditional "hukilau" event that brought together community members of various ethnicities and cultural backgrounds to "huki," or pull nets of fish, and established a foundation for continued community building. The Community Prevention Grants Program encourages and supports communities to frame solutions that best meet their unique conditions, resources, and needs.
With its emphasis on building comprehensive prevention plans around data-driven risk and resource assessments, the Community Prevention Grants Program requires many communities to make a significant paradigm shift -- a shift in how they think about prevention, planning, and bringing about community change. Early evaluation findings, however, suggest that some communities may not:
To help communities with the development of effective delinquency prevention plans, OJJDP will offer future Title V grant applicants the Promising Approaches segment of the Communities That Care training. Promising Approaches is designed to help community teams better match prevention approaches to the unique risk and protective factor profiles of their communities (Developmental Research and Programs, 1999). During this training, community teams learn about prevention programs and system change strategies with demonstrated effectiveness in reducing risk factors while enhancing protective factors, assess the suitability of these programs and strategies for their communities, and finally, create action plans for implementing new programs or enhancing existing resources. Many States agree that Promising Approaches has been the "missing link" between the RRA training and the development of effective delinquency prevention plans.
Sample Risk Factors and Community Prevention Approaches
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Peace Treaty of Versailles (Articles 428 - 433: Guarantees) (28 June 1919)
As a guarantee for the execution of the present Treaty by .
Germany, the German territory situated to the west of the Rhine,
together with the bridgeheads, will be occupied by Allied and
Associated troops for a period of fifteen years from the coming
into force of the present Treaty.
If the conditions of the present Treaty are faithfully carried out
by Germany, the occupation referred to in Article 428 will be
successively restricted as follows:
(1) At the expiration of five years there will be evacuated: the
bridgehead of Cologne and the territories north of a line running
along the Ruhr, then along the railway Julich, Duren, Euskirchen,
Rheinbach, thence along the road Rheinbach to Sinzig, and reaching
the Rhine at the confluence with the Ahr; the roads, railways and
places mentioned above being excluded from the area evacuated.
(2) At the expiration of ten years there will be evacuated: the
bridgehead of Coblenz and the territories north of a line to be
drawn from the intersection between the frontiers of Belgium,
Germany and Holland, running about from 4 kilometres south of Aix-
la-Chapelle, then to and following the crest of Forst Gemund, then
east of the railway of the Urft valley, then along Blankenheim,
Valdorf, Dreis, Ulmen to and following the Moselle from Bremm to
Nehren, then passing by Kappel and Simmern, then following the
ridge of the heights between Simmern and the Rhine and reaching
this river at Bacharach; all the places valleys, roads and railways
mentioned above being excluded from the area evacuated.
(3) At the expiration of fifteen years there will be evacuated: the
bridgehead of Mainz, the bridgehead of Kehl and the remainder of
the German territory under occupation.
If at that date the guarantees against unprovoked aggression by
Germany are not considered sufficient by the Allied and Associated
Governments, the evacuation of the occupying troops may be delayed
to the extent regarded as necessary for the purpose of obtaining
the required guarantees.
In case either during the occupation or after the expiration of the
fifteen years referred to above the Reparation Commission finds
that Germany refuses to observe the whole or part of her
obligations under the present Treaty with regard to reparation, the
whole or part of the areas specified in Article 429 will be
reoccupied immediately by the Allied and Associated forces.
If before the expiration of the period of fifteen years Germany
complies with all the undertakings resulting from the present
Treaty, the occupying forces will be withdrawn immediately.
All matters relating to the occupation and not provided for by the
present Treaty shall be regulated by subsequent agreements, which
Germany hereby undertakes to observe.
As a guarantee for the execution of the provisions of the present
Treaty, by which Germany accepts definitely the abrogation of the
Brest-Litovsk Treaty, and of all treaties, conventions and
agreements entered into by her with the Maximalist Government in
Russia, and in order to ensure the restoration of peace and good
government in the Baltic Provinces and Lithuania, all German troops
at present in the said territories shall return to within the
frontiers of Germany as soon as the Governments of the Principal
Allied and Associated Powers shall think the moment suitable,
having regard to the internal situation of these territories. These
troops shall abstain from all requisitions and seizures and from
any other coercive measures, with a view to obtaining supplies
intended for Germany, and shall in no way interfere with such
measures for national defence as may be adopted by the Provisional
Governments of Esthonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
No other German troops shall, pending the evacuation or after the
evacuation is complete, be admitted to the said territories.
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], inflammation of the intestine characterized by the frequent passage of feces, usually with blood and mucus. The two most common causes of dysentery are infection with a bacillus (see bacteria
) of the Shigella
group, and infestation by an ameba
, Entamoeba histolytica.
Both bacillary and amebic dysentery are spread by fecal contamination of food and water and are most common where sanitation is poor. They are primarily diseases of the tropics, but may occur in any climate.
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Pathology
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Fuel treatment is mandated by the need to protect communities and municipal watersheds and manage ecosystems. Analysis to support fuel treatment decisions is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (1969). As pointed out in the 1998 Joint Fire Science Plan, “managers need better information on the distribution and amount of fuels across vegetation types, as well as the impacts of these fuel structures and changing fire regimes on fire hazard, potential fire severity, and ecosystem structure and function.” In order to use the best available fire science, managers need access to high-quality fuel information. FuelCalc was developed to address these issues.
The FuelCalc software provides two major capabilities. First, FuelCalc converts inventory data into surface and canopy fuel characteristics. Those characteristics are then used to model potential fire behavior, fire effects, and smoke production. Site-specific, inventory-based data greatly strengthens the scientific foundation of fuel treatment decisions. Second, FuelCalc provides a means of designing fuel treatment alternatives and simulating the effects of those treatments on fuel characteristics. The user can specify criteria such as: thin from below to a residual canopy bulk density of 0.05 kg/m3, or thin from below to a residual basal area of 100 sq ft/acre, and FuelCalc identifies the number, volume, and characteristics of trees to be removed, as well as compute the activity fuels that would be generated by such a thinning. This analysis combines the work of the JFSP-funded Canopy Fuels Study (1999) with earlier work by Brown and Johnston (1976). Additionally, both a custom and a standard fire behavior fuel models are provided for the post-treatment fuelbed, allowing immediate calculation of the effects of the fuel treatment on expected fire behavior.
"FuelCalc Reference Guide" (version 1.0.0) [ pdf - 547 kb]
“FuelCalc: A method for Estimating Fuel Characteristics” [pdf 640 kb]
FuelCalc 1.0—coming soon (est. December 1, 2008)
Tutorials—coming soon (est. December 31, 2008)
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| 0.903758
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|
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) video gallery offers an assortment of videos that complement our mission to advance science education and research programs.
Videos capture the experiences of some of the students and faculty who have participated in one of the more than 150 science education programs we administer for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other government agencies. Other videos highlight ORISE's capabilities in the areas of science and training.
For questions about a particular video, contact one of our communications representatives listed in the right column.
The Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) has developed informational videos that address specific questions about radiation exposure.
Are you a teacher interested in excelling in STEM area research? The ACTS program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory creates a cadre of outstanding science and math teachers by infusing them with content knowledge, enthusiasm and scientific research experience.
Research participants placed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory through science education programs administered by ORISE share how access to world-class research facilities and staff has catapulted their careers in science and technology.
The Tennessee Science Bowl is a fast-paced, academic competition where teams of high school students from across the state of Tennessee to match their wits in math and science.
Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Laboratory: The Process (5:09)
Cytogenetic biodosimetry is used to identify damage to chromosomes in individuals who have been exposed to ionizing radiation.
Beryllium Awareness Video (15:10)
Beryllium is a metal used in many industries, including aerospace, defense and nuclear weapons production. Inhaling beryllium as dust or fumes from machining or manufacturing activities can cause sensitivity in some individuals that can evolve into chronic beryllium disease (CBD), formerly known as berylliosis.
Chelsea DeCapua (3:41)
Chelsea DeCapua used geographic information systems to identify new ways to improve emergency response while performing research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Colleen Iversen (3:30)
Tennessee doctoral student and Wesely award winner Colleen Iversen pursued research that considers how excess carbon dioxide affects plants.
S. Hakan Armagan (4:01)
Omaha, Neb., science teacher S. Hakan Armagan, recently completed his third year with DOE’s Academies Creating Teacher Scientists program at ORNL’s Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility.
Patricia Hatch and Shawnta Lloyd (2:54)
Dr. Patricia Hatch and Shawnta Lloyd focused their research on ricin, a natural toxin designated as a possible agent of biological warfare by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ashley Anderson and Amber Stoesser (5:41)
Ashley Anderson used organizational behavior to examine why some ethnic minorities resort to terrorism, and why others do not. Amber Stoesser, created interesting and innovative curricula for teaching the next generation of terrorism researchers.
DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Profiles
Mark Croce, an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, spent a summer at Los Alamos National Laboratory working in the Nuclear Science and Safeguards Technology Division.
Brian Taylor, third-year graduate student at Case Western Reserve University, studied robotics as a participant in the DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program.
Vijay Jain and Jinju Yi
Biochemistry majors Vijay Jain and Jinju Yi developed a “smart chip” detector that has been used for early detection of cancer marker proteins and to detect viruses.
Communications Specialist, Communications
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| 0.883535
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| 3
| 3
|
Suppose you decide to make a trek to the North Pole. You can't catch a plane there. So instead, you pull out your compass, watch the needle swing northward and plot a path, right? Wrong. To get to the North Pole, or true north, just following your compass needle won't work.
If you want to get from a point at the bottom of a map to one at the top, you need to head true north. True north is a geographical direction represented on maps and globes by lines of longitude. Each line of longitude begins and ends at the Earth's poles and represents direct north and south travel.
Compasses, on the other hand, direct you to magnetic north, a point in the arctic regions of Canada that continually shifts location based on the activity of the Earth's magnetic fields. Fluid iron in the planet's core acts like a huge bar magnet, creating a relatively weak magnetic field. The force of that magnetic field has a horizontal component in the direction of magnetic north. A compass needle is magnetized and freely suspended to allow that horizontal force to pull it toward magnetic north as well.
But the Earth's magnet isn't perfectly aligned with the geographical poles. For that reason, there is a difference between true north on a map and the north indicated by your compass. That difference is called the magnetic declination and is measured by the angle between true north and magnetic north when plotted on a map.
Magnetic declinations vary from place to place, depending on the intensity of the Earth's magnetic fields. For instance, if you hold out a compass in New Zealand, magnetic north will be about 20 degrees east of true north, whereas the declination in Los Angeles is 12 degrees. Geographical lines do exist where true north and magnetic north are aligned, and these are called agonic lines. In North America, one currently runs through the panhandle of Florida up to the Great Lakes and into the Arctic Ocean.
Given these irregularities, how will you ever reach the North Pole or a true north destination? Read on to find out how you can do it -- any time of day and with man-made and natural navigation tools.
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The Catholic Worker movement was founded in 1933 by Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day in New York City to implement the teachings of the Gospels and Catholic social teaching, especially as presented in the social encyclicals.
The first project of Peter and Dorothy was the foundation of the Catholic Worker newspaper.
A basic concept of their movement was hospitality and Dorothy and Peter and a few others began to house the homeless immediately. The movement grew and many other houses of hospitality began across the United States.
Core to the Catholic Worker movement was pacifism. From the beginning Peter and Dorothy developed the the basis, the roots, of theology of Catholic pacifism.
Personalism, the focus on the human person made in the image and likeness of God, was primary. Inspired by Emmanuel Mounier and Jacques Maritain and others, it was related to the implementation of Matthew 25, “What you did for the least of the brethren you did for me.” Each person is to be received as Jesus. As St. Benedict had taught many centuries ago, the guest is Christ.
The Catholic Worker also had interest in agronomic communities, where Workers would grow their own food and participate in crafts. The Catholic Worker movement has no national organization or headquarters.
Casa Juan Diego, the Houston Catholic Worker, is one of over one hundred Catholic Worker communities which exist today.
Aims and Purposes of the Catholic Worker Movement:
By Dorothy Day (1897-1980)
For the sake of new readers, for the sake of men on our breadlines, for the sake of the employed and unemployed, the organized and unorganized workers, and also for the sake of ourselves, we must reiterate again and again what are our aims and purposes.
Together with the Works of Mercy, feeding, clothing and sheltering our brothers and sisters, we must indoctrinate. We must “give reason for the faith that is in us.” Otherwise we are scattered members of the Body of Christ, we are not “all members one of another.” Otherwise our religion is an opiate, for ourselves alone, for our comfort or for our individual safety or indifferent custom.
We cannot live alone. We cannot go to Heaven alone. Otherwise, as Péguy said, God will say to us, “Where are the others?” (This is in one sense only as, of course, we believe that we must be what we would have the other fellow be. We must look to ourselves, our own lives first.)
If we do not keep indoctrinating, we lose the vision. And if we lose the vision, we become merely philanthropists, doling out palliatives.
The vision is this. We are working for “a new heaven and a new earth, wherein justice dwelleth.” We are trying to say with action, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are working for a Christian social order.
We believe that all people are brothers and sisters in the Fatherhood of God. This teaching, the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ, involves today the issue of unions (where people call each other brothers and sisters); it involves the racial question; it involves cooperatives, credit unions, crafts; it involves Houses of Hospitality and Farming Communes. It is with with all these means that we can live as though we believed indeed that we are all members one of another, knowing that when “the health of one member suffers, the health of the whole body is lowered.”
This work of ours toward a new heaven and a new earth shows a correlation between the material and the spiritual, and, of course, recognizes the primacy of the spiritual. Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul. Hence the leaders of the work, and as many as we can induce to join us, must go daily to Mass, to receive food for the soul. And as our perceptions are quickened, and as we pray that our faith be increased, we will see Christ in each other, and we will not lose faith in those around us, no matter how stumbling their progress is. It is easier to have faith that God will support each House of Hospitality and Farming Commune and
supply our needs in the way of food and money to pay bills, than it is to keep a strong, hearty, living faith in each individual around us–to see Christ in him. If we lose faith, if we stop the work of indoctrinating, we are in a way denying Christ again.
We must practice the presence of God. He said that when two or three are gathered together, there He is in the midst of them. He is with us in our kitchens, at our tables, on our breadlines, with our visitors, on our farms. When we pray for our material needs, it brings us close to His humanity. He, too, needed food and shelter. He, too, warmed His hands at a fire and lay down in a boat to sleep.
When we have spiritual readings at meals, when we have the rosary at night, when we have study groups, forums, when we go out to distribute literature at meetings, or sell it on street corners, Christ is there with us. What we do is very little. But it is like the little boy with a few loaves and fishes. Christ took that little and increased it. He will do the rest. What we do is so little we may seem to be constantly failing. But so did He fail. He met with apparent failure on the Cross. But unless the seed fall into the earth and die, there is no harvest.
And why must we see results? Our work is to sow. Another generation will be reaping the harvest.
When we write in these terms, we are writing not only for our fellow workers in thirty other Houses, to other groups of Catholic Workers who are meeting for discussion, but to every reader of the paper. We hold with the motto of the National Maritime Union, that every member is an organizer.
We are upholding the ideal of personal responsibilty. You can work as you are bumming around the country on freights, if you are working in a factory or a field or a shipyard or a filling station. You do not depend on any organization which means only paper figures, which means only the labor of the few. We are not speaking of mass action, pressure groups (fearful potential for evil as well as good). We are addressing each individual reader of The Catholic Worker.
The work grows with each month, the circulation increases, letters come in from all over the world, articles are written about the movement in many countries.
Statesmen watch the work, scholars study it, workers feel its attraction, those who are in need flock to us and stay to participate. It is a new way of life. But though we grow in numbers and reach far-off corners of the earth, essentially the work depends on each one of us, on our way of life, the little works we do.
“Where are the others?” God will say. Let us not deny Him in those about us. Even here, right now, we can have that new earth, wherein justice dwelleth!
The Catholic Worker, February 1940
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Radio announcers, radio programmers, disc jockey, deejay, DJ, disc jock – these are some of the several other names referring to a person who entertains the audience by playing a recorded music either on air via the radio, or live. The name has evolved through the years and now they are popularly called DJs, from the combination of disc which means disc record and jockey, which means a machine operator. DJs were first known as the people behind the cool voice in radio stations, the one who plays a requested song. They were given a small room which becomes their studio. Aside from playing music for radio listeners, they also talk about the weather condition, current events and sports news, and would also talk about topics other than music. A full-time disc jockey works for a minimum of four hours five to six hours a week.
Disc jockeys are supposed to be good talkers. I became one because I have been good with talking even before my DJ years. You should be able to talk about anything under the sun. In order to do so, you must be updated with current events and most especially with music. You should be able to keep track of the happenings of a music artist so that it would be easy to discuss about the particular artist on air and even with a live audience. More often than not, DJs goes on-air without a script, in other words, spontaneity comes with the job. No matter how engrossed you are with a particular topic, you should also be vigilant with the time allotted to you, to fit everything on your time which includes, talk, commercial and music. Air time is quite expensive, not only in television but in radios, too, so you have to do your act right on schedule.
DJ booths are equipped with tools for playing music and adjusting sound. A more elaborate station may include more advanced equipment to make better sounding music. There are several techniques that are used by disc jockeys to get a better blending and mixing of recorded music, they include:
Cueing Equalization Audio Mixing (Mixing from two or more sources)
These techniques are used by the DJs in creating a more complex kind of music. Although the complexity of creating a specially recorded music depends mostly on the availability of equipment in the DJs booth, it does not hinder them from discovering new blending and new transition.
I realized that being a disc jockey is not only about talking on air every day. There are aspects of being a DJ other than being confined in the four walls of a radio booth. Being a disc jockey is being able to explore the music world in a different light. You can be a disc jockey in several other fields.
The first radio DJ was first heard in the early 1900s. Back then, radio broadcasting included the airing of live or pre-recorded music. Radio DJs focuses mostly on entertaining listeners, introducing new sound and playing them through the radio station. They are also in-charge to do other tasks including short spot reports, a little bit of news, and some other important announcements. Apart from simple mixing of music, they do not usually focus on them unlike with club DJs who rely on the smooth transition in-between songs with the use of several techniques.
What you commonly see in nightclubs, bars raves or parties is the club DJ. They select and play music using multiple turntables to create a more danceable tune. Club DJs would employ the turntable techniques which include slip-cueing, phrasing and beatmatching. In the 1930s to the 1950s, some composers experimented in using the turntable to create an experimental sound. Instead of using an ordinary musical instrument, these composers turned to turntable to come up with a more modern music. Today, the technique is more commonly known as turntablism and can be observed distinctively in hip hop type of songs.
Once I was done as an employee at CheckMaid, I decided to get into DJ’ing as a mobile DJ. Mobile DJs entertain audience in any part of the city. They are not confined in one place or station because they bring along with them portable sound system. They play music in various types of events, in various places. Majority of professional disc jockeys belong to this type.
VJ or video jockey became popular in the 1980s when MTV, a cable television network, was launched. The program was devoted to music videos and they were introduced by youthful looking VJs. VJs become even popular when discos and nightclubs become a passé and most entertainment hubs provided MTV-style dancing instead.
In the mid-80s, there was a dramatic change in the banquet and wedding business. The popularity of DJ music replaced the live bands that even the popular bandleaders during that time started shifting towards DJ rhythms. Their exposure to the crowd helped a lot in choosing crowd pleasing selection of music that became a hit during weddings.
You may confuse the job of a disc jockey to just being confined in a radio booth. Although the most common DJs work in a radio station with a headset, a microphone and an equipment to play music with, they also do other things. Disc jockeys do not merely talk non-stop or play music all day long. There are other duties of a disc jockey that does not involve playing music. You may write a script or edit one before reading it on air, you can write commercials, make the news layout, or even look for people who can be interviewed on air. In some instances, disc jockeys are even requested to make an appearance in schools for a talk, or in some parties to do live entertainment. The life of a disc jockey can also be exciting, and if you think you can be thrilled with the prospect of entertaining people, like me, you too can have a career in being a disc jockey. All you need is to work hard and love the job, and everything else will follow.
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Lactic Acid Dehydrogenase (LDH)
Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) is an enzyme that helps produce energy. It is present in almost all of the tissues in the body and its levels rise in response to cell damage. LDH levels are measured from a sample of blood taken from a vein.
Why It Is Done
LDH levels help diagnose lung disease, lymphoma, anemia, and liver disease. They also help determine how well chemotherapy is working during treatment for lymphoma.
Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) is an enzyme that helps produce energy. Results may vary widely from lab to lab.
Normal LDH levels range from 140 units per liter (U/L) to 280 U/L or 2.34 mkat/L to 4.68 mkat/L.
What To Think About
Many diseases can cause increases in LDH levels. Other tests are usually needed to confirm a diagnosis.
Complete the medical test information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this test.
Primary Medical ReviewerAnne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerDouglas A. Stewart, MD - Medical Oncology
Current as ofSeptember 9, 2014
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Aloha examined in new book by curriculum group
In Aloha Chun addresses the topic of love and affection and the evolution of the use of the related word, aloha. Through his research, which included the use of numerous primary sources, Chun has found that the meaning of aloha goes far beyond a simple greeting such as hello and goodbye. In fact, he asserts, aloha has undergone a post-contact transformation, so that its original meaning is now merely a secondary meaning.
He looked at how aloha has been used by Hawaiians before and after contact with explorers and, later, with missionaries. He followed the meaning of the word through history, looking at how it was used by Hawaiians and others and discovering what aloha really meant in traditional Native Hawaiian culture before European visitors came ashore in 1778.
Chun has taught Hawaiian language and folklore and has worked as a cultural specialist and educator at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health and the Queen Liliʻuokalani Childrenʻs Center. He was also a CRDG cultural specialist in the Pihana Nā Mamo Native Hawaiian Education program. Chun’s publications include translations of Hawaiian newspapers, books on traditional medicinal practice, biographies of early nineteenth century Hawaiian scholars, Hawaiian history and childrenʻs song- and story-books.
The Ka Wana Series, a set of publications developed through Pihana Nā Mamo, is designed to assist parents, teachers, students and staff in their study and modern-day application of Hawaiian customs and traditions. The Ka Wana Series covers a range of subjects including ethics and philosophy, leadership, education, health, management, protocol and religious beliefs. Each volume is illustrated with historical documents accompanied by detailed cultural descriptions or with photographs of contemporary cultural practices. Go to CRDGʻs website for information on the complete Ka Wana series.
- UH Manoa develops free app for early literacy skill development
- The untold story of a Nisei spy
- Kathleen Berg named CRDG director
- New book chronicles account of WWII Japanese American spy
- New aquatic science curriculum now online
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If heaven loved not the wine,
A Wine Star would not be in heaven;
If earth loved not the wine,
The Wine Spring would not be on the earth.
Wine reaches beyond the boundaries of one country or one region, and it is treasured wherever one goes. In this poem, Li Po expresses his love for wine. But more importantly, the wine is loved by heaven and earth – two words that came up in the third volume of Drops of God (a story focused on the search for the twelve apostles of wine in order to discover the drops of god). The key to the wine is the unification of three elements – heaven, earth, and man. This concept of heaven and earth is crucial to wine, to the very essence of the greatest of wines – as the twelve apostles and the drops of god are to be the paramount of wine – crosses all groups, all ages, and all beliefs. But it is in this idea of heaven, earth, and man that wine finds meaning.
The first step is to look at heaven. In Li Po’s poem, he argues that heaven must love wine, and this is clearly seen in the idea that there is a wine star. But what does that say about wine? Heaven is often related to yang – it is the breath of life. So in heaven, among the greatest essences of our souls, it is the spark of life. But it also, as yang suggests, is the breath of life itself. Connecting this to the idea expanded in Drops of God, heaven breathes life into the wine, is the spark that gives the wine life. Of course, in the manga, heaven is the rain and the sun, the life breathing elements of growing and life.
Next, there is the earth. The earth treasures wine by providing it a spring. The yin of the earth is the material nature of existence. Though commonly associated with death, yin is also a female characteristic, and as the woman nurtures, so does the earth. As the earth nurtures, wine is born. The terrior holds the wine and nourishes it through the soil. So the earth plays a fascinating role as well.
But this doesn’t take into account the star or the spring; interesting choices for the poem. I am, honestly, struggling with the star. Stars are important elements to any culture, as they are both light within a darkened sky – a sense of hope in the darkest hour – but they are also guides – the North Star falls into this category. So, with that idea, the wine star must be what we can grasp to for hope. Li Po and his comrades were quite obsessed with wine. They would have found it a treasure, and treasure in this world is hope of a greater existence beyond the material. I would suppose that the star, as hope, provides a joy beyond joys. I wonder, then, if he is thinking of intoxication. Mild intoxication from wine can come easy and is often punctuated by a lighter state. This is not pure drunkenness; this is a state of relaxation that may come with controlled indulgence. But this then leads to the guide. The wine guides us to the joy and hope. This may be Li Po’s star.
As for Li Po’s spring, that is interesting. The spring is often a force of yang, as the water flowing from the earth is more life giving than nurturing. Springs, without knowledge of their true origins, seem to spring from the earth and so give life. This goes against the yin image of earth. At the same time, without water there is no continued existence, referring back to the idea of nurturing. Even more so, many cultures, especially Eastern ones, would relate the spring water to that of cleanliness, especially that of purification. As we know, springs usually are the result of water exiting an aquifer, a naturally occurring formation that often cleans water. So, both scientifically and metaphorically, the spring purifies, so I wonder if wine does as well.
This can easily all be brought together. Wine, like our very souls, is complicated in that it is yin and yang. It is life giving, a guide to hope, but it also nurturing and purifying. Wine guides us through our material existence; it relieves us from the world and its troubles by washing them away in a pure stream. Once we are purified, we can find the joy beyond the material world; w find joy, the light in the darkness. Wine is a beautiful treasure. It is heaven and it is earth. But it is when it comes in contact with man, than it reaches its full potential and promise. As Drops of God proclaims, the greatest of wines are a culmination of heaven, earth, and man, so we are given leave to enjoy.
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With the advent of modern computers a decade later, police turned to electronic facial identification techniques, or e-fits, a computerised method of synthesizing images to produce facial composites of wanted criminals based on eyewitness descriptions.
What does EFIT stand for?
EFIT stands for Electronic Facial Identification Technique (law enforcement software; Alexandria, VA)
This definition appears somewhat frequently and is found in the following Acronym Finder categories:
- Information technology (IT) and computers
- Military and Government
- Business, finance, etc.
See other definitions of EFIT
We have 3 other meanings of EFIT in our Acronym Attic
- Electronic Flight Instrument System Comparator Unit
- Education Forum International School of English (California)
- England France Ireland Scotland Germany and Aboriginal Lands
- Electric Field-Induced Second-Harmonic
- Electric Field Induced Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy
- Electronic Flight Instrument System Signal Generator
- Eastern Finland International Summer Term (applied sciences coursework)
- EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) System Partition (computer operating system)
- Edinburgh Functional Impairment Test
- Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (wave propogation)
- Engineer, Furnish, Install and Test
- Engineer, Furnish, Install, Test & Maintain
- European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment
- Everton Football in the Community (Liverpool, UK)
- Earth First Journal (est. 1979; Tuscon, AZ)
- École Française de Journalisme (French: French School of Journalism)
- Educating for Justice (est. 2000)
- Environmental Foundation of Jamaica
- Equipment Financing Journal (R.H. Caruso & Co.)
- European Federation of Journalists
Samples in periodicals archive:
E-fit is short for Electronic Facial Identification Technique.
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This species probably has a very small population. Remaining habitat is declining, and all severely fragmented subpopulations are considered to be very small (Collar et al. 1992). As a result, the species is listed as Endangered.
SACC. 2006. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: #http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html#.
Distribution and populationPoospiza alticola
15.5 cm. Grey-and-rufous finch. Dark slaty head with long eyebrow and white moustache. Whiter throat and underparts, with rufous sides of breast becoming cinnamon on sides of belly and crissum. Grey-brown upperparts. Duskier wings and tail. Pale edging to wing-coverts and flight feathers. Juvenile dusky upperparts, throat and breast. Less rufous underparts. Similar spp. Chestnut-breasted Mountain-finch P. caesar has rufous breast. Voice A high pitch harsh cheet-weet cheet-weet.
is restricted to the high Andes of north-central Peru
(south Cajamarca, east La Libertad and east Ancash), where it is largely rare to uncommon (Clements and Shany 2001). Most reports are from the Cordillera Blanca, Ancash, where it is common at Morococha (G. Servat in litt.
1999, W.-P. Vellinga in litt.
and within Huascarán National Park (Clements and Shany 2001, G. Engblom in litt
. 2001). High-altitude woodlands are now highly fragmented and diminishing (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996). Even in apparently optimal habitat, this species usually occurs at low densities (1-4 individuals per day have been recorded at several sites), and the population is probably very small (Frimer and Møller Nielsen 1989). Population justification
The population is estimated to number 1,000-2,499 individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size. This is consistent with recorded population density estimates for congeners or close relatives with a similar body size, and the fact that only a proportion of the estimated Extent of Occurrence is likely to be occupied. This estimate is equivalent to 667-1,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 600-1,700 mature individuals.Trend justification
Recent data on population size and trend are lacking, but on-going active threats imply that population declines are likely to be continuing at a slow rate.Ecology
It occupies shrubby forest and mixed Polylepis
woodland at 3,100-4,600 m (Schulenberg et al
. 2007), rarely to 2,900 m (Clements and Shany 2001)
, and in some areas it is apparently a Gynoxys
(Compositae) specialist, or even dependent on the plant (G. Servat in litt.
. The species's abundance is apparently not related to forest extent (G. Servat in litt.
1999), nor to the abundance of Tit-like Dacnis Xenodacnis parina
, an apparent competitor. It feeds on sugary secretions (although this is disputed [G. Servat in litt.
1999]) and insects from the undersides of Gynoxys
leaves (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996, G. Servat in litt.
, and from Polylepis
(G. Servat in litt.
1999). Breeding probably occurs in December-February. Threats
Cutting for firewood and a lack of regeneration, caused by burning and intensive grazing, are reducing mixed Polylepis
woodlands (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996). Gynoxys
itself has been variously described as unpalatable, favoured for grazing (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996)
, and particularly vulnerable to grazing of shoots, which prevents regeneration (G. Servat in litt.
1999). Other factors include the change from camelid to sheep- and cattle-farming, and erosion and soil degradation caused by agricultural intensification, road construction and the inadequacy of afforestation projects (particularly the use of exotic tree species) (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996). Conservation Actions Underway
High-altitude forests have been surveyed and conservation measures taken (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996)
, although they have yet to deliver any benefits to the species (H. Lloyd in litt.
. It occurs in Huascarán National Park, Ancash, but habitat degradation continues, even within this reserve (Frimer and Møller Nielsen 1989, Fjeldså and Kessler 1996
. Conservation Actions Proposed
Survey to determine its distribution and population size (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996 (G. Servat in litt.
, especially on the east slope of the Cordillera Blanca (W.-P. Vellinga in litt.
. Survey the extent and degree of isolation/connectivity of Polylepis
in north-central Peru, and determine the effect of fragmentation on this species (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996
(G. Servat in litt.
1999). Improve and clarify the management plan for Huascarán National Park (Frimer and Møller Nielsen 1989, Fjeldså and Kessler 1996
, H. Lloyd in litt.
2007). Encourage local people to take a leading role in land-use management and restoration schemes (Fjeldså and Kessler 1996
(G. Servat in litt.
Clements, J. F.; Shany, N. 2001. A field guide to the birds of Peru. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.
Collar, N. J.; Gonzaga, L. P.; Krabbe, N.; Madroño Nieto, A.; Naranjo, L. G.; Parker, T. A.; Wege, D. C. 1992. Threatened birds of the Americas: the ICBP/IUCN Red Data Book. International Council for Bird Preservation, Cambridge, U.K.
Fjeldså, J.; Kessler, M. 1996. Conserving the biological diversity of Polylepis woodlands of the highland of Peru and Bolivia. NORDECO, Copenhagen.
Frimer, O.; Mo1ller Nielsen, S. 1989. The status of Polylepis forests and their avifauna in Cordillera Blanca, Peru. Technical report from an inventory in 1988, with suggestions for conservation management.
Schulenberg, T. S.; Stotz, D. F. ; Lane, D. F.; O'Neill, J. P.; Parker III, T. A. 2007. Birds of Peru. Prnceton University Press, Prnceton, NJ, USA.
Further web sources of information
Detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.
Detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note, taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.
Explore HBW Alive for further information on this species
Recuento detallado de la especie tomado del libro Aves Amenazadas de las Americas, Libro Rojo de BirdLife International (BirdLife International 1992). Nota: la taxonomoía y la categoría de la Lista Roja de la UICN pudo haber cambiado desde esta publicación.
Search for photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection
Text account compilers
Gilroy, J., Pople, R., Sharpe, C J
Engblom, G., Lloyd, H., Servat, G., Vellinga, W.
IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.
BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Poospiza alticola. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 02/07/2016.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2016) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 02/07/2016.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000)
Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004)
Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
Additional resources for this species
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When I was younger, I remember thinking that bacteria was a bad word. It represented something that should be avoided at all costs. Now, I know better. In recent years, we've all heard a lot about probiotics, from health reports on the news to marketing blurbs on our favorite yogurts.
In fact, our intestines have more than 500 types of bacteria. Some are beneficial, and some are not. Our diet and lifestyle can help to keep the balance of good and bad bacteria in check. One way to do this is to consume beneficial bacteria, also known as probiotics.
The World Health Organization defines probiotics as "live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host."
Many studies have evaluated the potential health benefits of probiotic use, and the results have been quite promising. For example, some research shows that two common types of beneficial bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria, may regulate cancer growth and even promote cancer cell death, according to a 2008 study in the journal Cellular Microbiology. Other work revealed that probiotics may enhance the effects of the vaccine against rotavirus vaccine — the most common cause of severely dehydrating diarrhea in infants and children, according to a 2008 study in the journal Vaccine.
But how can we get more probiotics into our diets without adding another pill to our daily routine? Here are three ways to increase your body's beneficial bacteria-load naturally.
1. Eat more yogurt. Choose a yogurt that contains fewer than 10 grams of sugar per serving. Greek yogurt is typically low in sugar, so this is a good choice. [8 Tips for Fighting Sugar Cravings]
2. Get to know your kraut. Raw sauerkraut is an amazing source of probiotics. Just be sure to buy your kraut in the refrigerated section to get the biggest benefit. You can even make your own. In her book "Beauty Detox Solution," (Harlequin, 2011) nutritionist Kimberly Snyder shares a recipe for what she calls Probiotic Enzyme Salad, which is a type of sauerkraut.
3. Fiber up! You may be wondering how beneficial bacteria can survive in your body. How do these microorganisms eat? Well the answer is, they eat what you eat. Your dietary choices can determine whether you feed the good bacteria, or the bad ones. Beneficial bacteria thrive on things like fiber, while harmful bacteria thrive on sugars and alcohols. So consume more fiber-packed foods, such as leafy greens, oatmeal and whole grains.
Healthy Bites appears weekly on Live Science. Deborah Herlax Enos is a certified nutritionist and a health coach and weight loss expert in the Seattle area with more than 20 years of experience. Read more tips on her blog, Health in a Hurry!
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A great art and numeracy lesson to accompany a great little story
Esio Trot was published in 1990 and was one of the last stories Roald Dahl wrote that was released in his lifetime. It tells the story of Mr Hoppy, his great love, Mrs Silver, and a little tortoise called Alfie.
This lesson plan will be great fun for your students and anyone who is a fan of Esio Trot as it gives them the chance to create a classroom of tortoises, arranged into sets or order of size.
And stay tuned - we'll have more Esio Trot lesson plans available very soon...
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IndexEnergy definitionTypes of energyEnergy sourcesRenewable and non renewable energyEnviromental impactEnergy power stations
Types of energyMechanical energyElectrical energyElectromagnetic energySound energyChemical energyNuclear energyThermal or calorific energy
Mechanical energyMechanical energy is energy that is produced bythe position and motion of a body, can bepotential and kinetic.-Kinetic energy is produceed by the motion of anobject-Potencial energy is produced when an objectmove from its stable position of equilibrium.
Electrical energyThe electrical energy produced by the motion of electrical charges through a lead wire.
Electromagnetic energy Is the energy that is produced from electromagnetic radiation.This energy istransported by electromagnetic waves. One of this is the luminous energy.
Sound energyThe sound energy is the energy that carry sound waves. It comes from the vibrational energy ofsound focus and spreads to the medium particles that cross in the form of kinetic energy and potential energy.
aChemical energy is a form of potentialenergy. Is the energy involved in thebond formed between two atoms. Eachatom in a chemical compound involvesdifferent amounts of energy.
Nuclear energyNuclear energy is the energy released in nuclearreactions. We also refer to nuclear energy as the energy by which we get other energies such as electric, thermal or mechanical energy from nuclear reactions.
Thermal or calorific energy Thermal energy is heat energy produced by burning a fuel, which may be solid, liquid or gaseous, also obtained by electricity, by friction, by nuclear fission ...This energy is generated by the movement of the particles forming the subject. Thermal energy is the result of adding all the mechanical energy associated with themovements of the different particles that form and unit of thermal energy is heat. In the thermal energy, there are 2 types: the heat energy and solar thermal.
Energy sourcesRenewable energyNon renewable energy
Renewable energy It is called renewable energy to the energy obtained from natural sources inexhaustible, or the immense amount of energy they contain, or because they are able to regenerate by natural means.
Non-renewable energyNon-renewable energy refers to those sources of energy found in nature in a limited amount and once consumed in its entirety can not be replaced, because there is no production or extraction system viable.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTIs t h e e f f e c t o f ac e r t a in a c t io n o n t h ee n v ir o n m e n t in it sv a r io u s a s p e c t s . T h ec o n c e p t c a n a ls o b ere fe re d to thee ffe c ts o f a na tu ra lc a ta s tro p he .E c o lo g y, w h ic hs t u d ie s t h er e la t io n s h ip b e t w e e nliv in g t h in g s a n d t h e ire n v ir o n m e n t , is
POWER STATIONSA power plant is a plant where some kind offuel is used in order to produce electricity.In this way there are: thermal plants (usingsteam or gas turbines), hydroelectric (usingwater power by means of hydraulic turbinesand generators with automated operation),nuclear, wind (using wind energy) and solar(solar energy).
ABOUT WIND TURBINES THAT PRODUCE FRESH WATERThis report explains the process of how fresh water can be produce from humid air by using wind turbines. This project is very important, because if it’s carried out, it could solve many problems, for example: islands cannot centralized their water supply, or some remote communities in arid countries where water resources are scarce.
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A medical miracle has been achieved in Edinburgh’s Center for Regenerative Medicine, Scotland, just a few miles from Roslin Institute, where Dolly, the world’s first cloned sheep was created. Scientists have created brain cells from skin cells and this is to study patients suffering from schizophrenia and depression. Since, it is not possible to poke the brain and study the development and degeneration of brain cells in such patients, scientists have hoped for a workaround.
Using the Stem Cell Route
After long frustrating periods fraught with disappointing results, researchers finally made a breakthrough using skin cells to make stem cells, which can then be made into brain tissue. The main reason for this is that tissues degenerate soon after death. Furthermore, they get affected by lack of oxygen during death, medication and, of course, ultimate stages of the disease itself.
Royal Edinburgh Hospital’s Professor Andrew McIntosh, collaborating with the study, says:
That tissue is affected by whatever killed them and by the impact of the medication they had been taking for their condition, possibly for several decades. So having access to living brain cells is a significant development for the development of drugs for these conditions.
Stem cells have been held up as a potential cure for many diseases, including cancer. Unfortunately, there has been opposition to the use of stem cells, especially when the stem cells need to be embryonic. Several religious groups have likened this to murder, as they believe that the soul enters the embryo when it is 10 days old and killing this fetus is equivalent to taking a life. Scientists around the world are strongly against this kind of reasoning, hailing stem cell research as the next big thing in medical sciences, a revolution potentially more impactful than even penicillin.
As this pioneering experiment showed, it might be possible to generate tissues for other organs like lungs and heart. However, that is still some time away, even if funds and academic freedom are granted to scientists.
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Training Educators How to Respond to Shootings
Columbine, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook — these schools have become the targets of shootings, provoking conversation about mental health and gun safety.
Now an “active shooter” training event will be held at the Homer Center School District in Indiana County Wednesday for all educators.
Psychologist Ralph May, one of the speakers, said there will be nine presentations walking the educators through an “active shooter” event.
“So it’s really designed to teach educators, school staff, how these events happen, how to recognize warning signs and how to kind of protect the school and protect the children when these events take place and then afterwards how to deal with the psychological ramifications of an active shooter event,” May said.
May defined an “active shooter event” as an individual coming into a facility and opening fire.
May emphasized that it’s not threatening to shoot; it’s actually coming in and firing.
“Many of the events that have reached the public eye … the person, the shooter just comes in and starts shooting, there’s no warning, there’s no talking, there’s no indications, it just happens, so there’s no opportunity to intervene with the shooter before the shooting actually begins,” May said.
But he said schools need to have a plan on how to handle such a situation and be able to recognize an individual at risk, and that goes beyond arming guards and bulletproof glass.
Gov. Tom Corbett signed a law allowing public and private Pennsylvania schools to compete for grants for armed security guards in early July.
May said there is no one specific profile of someone who might open fire, but there are broad warning signs that the individual is under stress.
“Now one of the things that’s most important in the research that’s been done on these events is that most of these individuals communicate in advance that they’re going to do something, some as much as outright say it to people, but they’re ignored because it’s thought to just be an off the cuff remark or they wouldn’t really do anything,” Ralph said.
He said there are cases where the individual is not doing well academically, their performance is deteriorating and their behavior has changed but people, including the individual, ignore those warning signs.
The Columbine and Virginia Tech shooters were students, but the gunman at Sandy Hook was not.
He said if shots are fired, the most important thing is to lock yourself in a safe place.
“Make sure your door’s locked, barricaded if necessary, make the office dark, get yourself small and be quiet and wait for law enforcement,” May said. “If you can escape safely from the facility, escape from the facility. There’s no evidence that trying to talk to a shooter is ever effective.”
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Treating Epilepsy: Medicines
If you’ve been diagnosed with epilepsy, your healthcare provider will create a treatment plan for you. Medicines called antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the primary treatment for epilepsy. These medicines greatly reduce or prevent seizures in most people who take them. For some people, other treatment choices may be available.
Your medicine plan
Your healthcare provider will work with you to create the best medicine plan for you:
Type of medicine. There are many types of AEDs. The first type you try will likely help you. If not, your healthcare provider may suggest another type, or a combination of AEDs.
Dosage. You will probably be started at a low dosage. The dosage will be slowly increased until your seizures are better controlled or a target dosage is reached.
Rescue medicines. Your treatment plan may include special medicines to stop seizures. They can be given to you during a seizure only by someone who has been specially instructed by a healthcare provider.
After you start taking medicines, you may have follow-up testing. These tests measure the level of medicine in your blood. Eventually, you’ll need to have these tests periodically, although certain medicines do not require lab testing. Additionally, your healthcare provider may need to check certain blood tests to monitor for side effects while on AEDs.
When taking epilepsy medicines
DO take your medicines exactly as directed.
DO keep a current list of all medicines you’re taking and show it to your healthcare provider. Make sure you show the list and ask about interactions with any healthcare provider prescribing new medicine for you.
DO know that certain epilepsy medicines can interfere with how birth control pills work.
DO store pills in a cool, dry place (not in the bathroom).
DON’T stop taking your medicines, skip a dose, or change your medicine amount without your healthcare provider’s approval.
DON’T change brands of medicine (usually generic medicines are OK), or even forms of 1 brand (from tablet to liquid, for instance), without your healthcare provider's approval.
DON’T take herbal supplements or antacids without talking to your healthcare provider first. Ask your pharmacist about taking over-the-counter medicines.
Possible side effects of epilepsy medicines
Epilepsy medicines often have effects that are not intended (side effects). Most of these effects go away after a few weeks. The most common side effects of epilepsy medicines include:
Weight gain or loss
Allergic reaction (like a rash or fever)
Other treatments for epilepsy
Brain surgery. Brain surgery may sound scary, but it may be a choice if you are still having seizures while on medicine. It can greatly reduce or eliminate seizures, without causing loss of function. It impacts small parts of your brain that cause seizures, leaving the rest of your brain unharmed. In most cases, only people whose seizures start as partial seizures can have the procedure.
Vagus nerve stimulation. With vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), a device is placed under the skin in your chest. The device is connected to a nerve in your neck called the vagus nerve. The device sends electrical impulses through your vagus nerve to your brain. The impulses have been shown to help reduce seizures.
Brain stimulation. A newer device is now available to stimulate a part of the brain to prevent a seizure from spreading. This is not for all types of seizures and only for adults with epilepsy.
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Hurricane Research Division, NOAA/AOML
Radar played an important role in studies of tropical cyclones since it was developed in the 1940’s. In the last 15 years, technological improvements such as the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D tail airborne Doppler radar, the operational Weather Service Radar 1988-Doppler (WSR-88D) radar network, portable Doppler radars, and the first spaceborne radar system on the NASA Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite have produced a new generation of tropical cyclone data whose analysis and given us an unprecedented opportunity to document the dynamics and rainfall of tropical cyclones, and led to improved understanding of these devastating storms.
The NOAA WP-3D airborne Doppler data sets led to improved understanding of the symmetric vortex and the major asymmetries. The addition of a second airborne Doppler radar on the other WP-3D enabled true dual-Doppler analyses, and the ability to study the temporal evolution of the kinematic structure over 3-6 h. The advent of the WSR-88D Doppler radar network, and the construction of portable Doppler radars that can be moved to a location near tropical cyclone landfall has also generated new and unique data sets enabling improved understanding of (1) severe weather events associated with landfalling tropical cyclones, (2) boundary layer wind structure as the storm move from over the sea to over land, and (3) spatial and temporal changes in the storm rain distribution. The WP-3D airborne Doppler and WSR-88D data have also been instrumental in developing a suite of operational single Doppler radar algorithms to objectively analyze a tropical cyclone’s wind field by determining the storm location, and defining the primary, secondary, and major asymmetric circulations. These algorithms are used operationally on the WP-3D aircraft and on the ground at NOAA’s Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center.
The WSR-88D rainfall data, together with new satellite microwave passive and active sensors on the NASA TRMM satellite, are proving useful in studies of the temporal and spatial variability of rain in tropical cyclones. The instantaneous satellite snapshots provide rain estimates to improve our understanding of tropical cyclone rain distributions globally, providing estimates from one instrument and common algorithms in each basin, while the WSR-88D provides high temporal resolution rain estimates (1 h), to improve our understanding of the temporal variability of the rain as the storm makes landfall.
While these new data sets have led to improved understanding, they have also led to a number of new challenges the radar meteorology community must face by transferring the understanding gained into new applications and improved numerical weather prediction. These challenges will drive our science well into the next century.
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Jamaican Creole Vocabulary
A selection of articles related to jamaican creole vocabulary.
Original articles from our library related to the Jamaican Creole Vocabulary. See Table of Contents for further available material (downloadable resources) on Jamaican Creole Vocabulary.
- What is Qabalah?
- Being Appendix A to Liber 777 Qabalah is: -- (a). A language fitted to describe certain classes of phenomena, and to express certain classes of ideas which excape regular phraseology. You might as well object to the technical terminology of chemistry. (b). An...
Magick >> Qabalah
- Can You Bhoga All Night Long? An Introduction to Tantra, East and West
- When you hear the word Tantra, what images come to mind? Turbans and Sitar music? Mind-blowing sex? Most people in the Western world have heard the word Tantra, but few know anything in detail about what it means. The situation in India isn't much different....
Body Mysteries >> Yoga
- The Ace of Swords: Seizing the Power of Discernment
- "For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 KJV I have...
Tarot Cards >> The Minor Arcana
Jamaican Creole Vocabulary is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Jamaican Creole Vocabulary books and related discussion.
Suggested News Resources
- Patois not enemy of English
- It has, therefore, become difficult for Caribbean people to distinguish between what is English expression, for example, and what expression is in the 'first' language, that is, Patois (Patwa), also called 'dialect', or 'Creole', or 'Jamaican'.
- John Holm, 72, Dies; Opened Linguistics to Creole and Pidgin Tongues
- “By publishing careful empirical studies of creole and semi-creole language structures, and by publicizing these languages in 'Pidgins and Creoles,' John helped create one of the most exciting subfields of linguistics,” she added.
- Controversial mens' rights group that supports 'legal rape' to host event in
- You humorless idiots are so easy to get worked up, it should really take more effort. Got anything besides sub-Jay Batman level discourse to bring to the table?
- Let's have Patois and English, not 'Panglish'
- I am a strong supporter of the use of the Jamaican language (I am not referring to profane language); I use it often in this column, and when I preach. For making us Jamaicans who speak the Jamaican language feel comfortable with ourselves, we owe Dr ...
- 'English is for sissies!' - Crisis as boys rejecting English language
- "At this time, in my opinion, teachers are not equipped with a useful method of English language teaching where most of their charges speak Jamaican Creole," she said.
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
Jamaican Creole Vocabulary Topics
Related searchesaum origin
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The word being is used in several different grammatical structures.
Being + adjective
The structure being + adjective is used to talk about actions and behavior.
Why are you being so silly?
You are being cruel when you hurt others with your words or actions.
Note that when the adjective refers to feelings, the continuous form is not possible.
I was upset when I heard that I had failed the test. (NOT I was being upset when I … Here we are talking about the speaker’s feelings and hence a continuous form is not possible.)
I am delighted to hear that you have won the first prize. (NOT I am being delighted …)
Being + past participle
Being can be followed by a past participle. This structure is used in the passive forms of present and past continuous tenses.
Mother is cooking dinner. (Active)
Dinner is being cooked by mother. (Passive)
They are repairing the roof.
The roof is being repaired.
I am quite sure that somebody is following me. (Active)
I am quite sure that I am being followed. (Passive)
Being in participle clauses
Instead of a because /as / since clause, we sometimes use an adverbial participle clause with being. This structure is mainly used in a formal or literary style.
Being late, he couldn’t watch the show. (= Because he is late, he couldn’t watch the show.)
Being a friend of the Minister, I am often invited to official parties. (= As I am a friend of the Minister, I am often invited to official parties.)
Being quite slim, I managed to squeeze through the small opening in the wall. (= Since I was quite slim, I managed to squeeze through the small opening in the wall.)
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The term "diabetic heart disease" (DHD) refers to heart disease that develops in people who have diabetes. Compared with people who don't have diabetes, people who have diabetes:
- Are at higher risk for heart disease
- Have additional causes of heart disease
- May develop heart disease at a younger age
- May have more severe heart disease
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which the body's blood glucose (sugar) level is too high. Normally, the body breaks down food into glucose and carries it to cells throughout the body. The cells use a hormone called insulin to turn the glucose into energy.
The two main types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn't make enough insulin. This causes the body's blood sugar level to rise.
In type 2 diabetes, the body's cells don't use insulin properly (a condition called insulin resistance). At first, the body reacts by making more insulin. Over time, though, the body can't make enough insulin to control its blood sugar level.
For more information about diabetes, go to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases' Introduction to Diabetes Web page.
What Heart Diseases Are Involved in Diabetic Heart Disease?
Coronary Heart Disease
In CHD, a waxy substance called plaque (plak) builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply your heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood.
Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis (ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis).
Plaque narrows the coronary arteries and reduces blood flow to your heart muscle. The buildup of plaque also makes it more likely that blood clots will form in your arteries. Blood clots can partially or completely block blood flow.
Heart failure is a condition in which your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs. The term “heart failure” doesn't mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. However, heart failure is a serious condition that requires medical care.
If you have heart failure, you may tire easily and have to limit your activities. CHD can lead to heart failure by weakening the heart muscle over time.
Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a disease that damages the structure and function of the heart. This disease can lead to heart failure and arrhythmias, even in people who have diabetes but don't have CHD.
People who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes can develop DHD. The higher a person's blood sugar level is, the higher his or her risk of DHD.
Diabetes affects heart disease risk in three major ways.
First, diabetes alone is a very serious risk factor for heart disease, just like smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol. In fact, people who have type 2 diabetes have the same risk of heart attack and dying from heart disease as people who already have had heart attacks.
Second, when combined with other risk factors, diabetes further raises the risk of heart disease. Although research is ongoing, it's clear that diabetes and other conditions—such as overweight and obesity and metabolic syndrome—interact to cause harmful physical changes to the heart.
Third, diabetes raises the risk of earlier and more severe heart problems. Also, people who have DHD tend to have less success with some heart disease treatments, such as coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary intervention, also known as coronary angioplasty.
If you have diabetes, you can lower your risk of DHD. Making lifestyle changes and taking prescribed medicines can help you prevent or control many risk factors.
Taking action to manage multiple risk factors helps improve your outlook. The good news is that many lifestyle changes help control multiple risk factors. For example, physical activity can lower your blood pressure, help control your blood sugar level and your weight, and reduce stress.
It's also very important to follow your treatment plan for diabetes and see your doctor for ongoing care.
If you already have DHD, follow your treatment plan as your doctors advises. This may help you avoid or delay serious problems, such as a heart attack or heart failure.
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Examines the Americas as a geographical and historical region. Applies a variety of approaches to specific topics and events, with particular attention to the interplay of politics and culture. Stresses interaction of local, regional, and global dynamics such as colonialism, migration, and slavery. Stresses diverse interpretive approaches within American Studies.
The class this year will be a comparative study of Mexico and Cuba, with an emphasis on the ways that the history of each has been affected by the United States, and vice versa: how the United States has been shaped and influenced by these two close neighbors. The class will also build research skills and experience using a variety of different sources to address questions.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Readings, discussions, work on questions in small groups and research clusters. There will be relatively little traditional lecture.
No prerequisites. However some previous experience doing research -- as emphasized now in many of the BIS program core (300, Introduction to Interdisciplinary Inquiry) would be helpful.
Class assignments and grading
Short response papers, longer papers, and some work by groups to facilitate classroom discussions. No exams, but plenty of writing.
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1 Researchers show memory jugs originated in Africa’s Bakongo culture, which influenced slave communities in America. The culture believed the spirit world was turned upside down, and that they were connected to it by water. They decorated graves with water bearing items (shells, pitchers, jugs or vases), which would help the deceased through the watery world to the afterlife. Items were broken to release the loved one’s spirit so as to make the journey.
2 A surge of interest in memory jugs took place during the late 19th century as ‘scrap booking’ Victorians sought to keep their mementos in one place
|This set of three memory jugs sold for $500 during a May 2010 auction by Slotin Folk Art of Gainesville, Ga.|
3 Jugs are often found coated in a thick layer of lacquer or gold paint to further glorify the recipient
5 The matrix used to hold objects in place include mortar, plaster, and river clay or windowpane putty
6 Most makers did not sign their work, however it is possible to date a memory jug by determining its under-structure or identifying the type of adhesive used
7 A grass-roots revival of ‘memory jug making’ swept through Appalachia and the African-American south in the 1950’s and 60’s.
8 A revival of memory jug art is taking place in contemporary ‘found object sculptures.”
9 Values for memory objects range from $20 to simple forms and adornments to as much as $3,000 for elaborate examples with provenance.
10 Other objects decorated with mementos: high-button shows, cigar boxes, lamps, transistor radios, tea pots and even duck decoys.
- Artisans Folk Art & Antiques & Outsider Art – Artists Matt Lippa and Elizabeth Schaaf offer both vintage and contemporary memory jugs and assorted home spun art.
More from Antique Trader
Editor’s Pick – New Release
As the longest-running guide and the most trusted name in antiques and collectibles, the 45th Edition of Wamran’s Antiques & Collectibles features more than 1,500 color images and 6,000 listings. It brings a fresh, 21st-century perspective that honestly assesses the market and looks at the best categories for investment–everything from glassware and toys to early flags and maps. “Future of the Market” reports share what’s hot, and where the experts are putting their money.
Top names in the trade weigh in on key categories:
- Writer Andrew Myers looks at 18th- and 19th-century French furniture
- Toy expert Andrew Truman shares insights on “Door of Hope” dolls
- Tom Deupree and Morrow Jones reveal the secrets to finding vernacular photographs
- Collector Forrest Poston looks at the market for West German art pottery
MORE RESOURCES FOR ANTIQUE COLLECTORS and DEALERS
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 5/7/2014 (722 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
For the last five to 10 years, the word "accountability" has been widely discussed and bandied about. Whenever you pick up a business and/or human resource article to read, the word accountability is sure to be found.
Yet, even after all these years, do leaders, managers and employees really know what it means? And are people indeed applying a personal- or organizational-accountability framework? Is it well-known that the concept of accountability applies to everyone in the organization? Frankly, I am not sure, but no matter what your job role or responsibility, the concept of accountability applies to you.
Overall, accountability is a personal value. Values help you prioritize the where, when, what, why and how of your actions and behaviour. Some of the common workplace values you might recognize are service, respect, quality, collaboration, excellence, honesty, ambition, efficiency and, as noted, personal accountability. Yet the value of taking personal accountability is not something you were born with. Instead, it's one of those lifelong lessons an individual learns from the experience of growing up.
Values are unique entities in that people can identify how you think and what's important to you by observing your behaviour. The other thing that's unique is that many times people don't know what their own values are unless someone points out the signals their behaviour demonstrates. Finally, many people also don't realize that when they feel a sense of satisfaction in their workplace and/or in their personal life, it is a signal their feelings are actually matching their values.
So what does the value of personal responsibility and accountability mean to an employee? How can this value and behaviour propel and/or negatively impact your career progress? And since this value is something you can learn, how can you enhance and apply the appropriate values in your workplace? The following tactics will send you on your way.
Understand the meaning of values: First of all, understand what accountability means in the workplace. It means arriving and leaving work on time, completing your tasks on time and with quality work. It means doing the right thing at the right time in alignment with the goals and tasks assigned to you. It also means focusing on organizational goals and taking responsibility for all of your actions in the workplace. It is "ownership."
Understand the benefit of values: So, why should a value such as "accountability" even matter? It's because, just as everything you do needs to match your values in order for you to feel and reach success, the same applies to the workplace. For instance, if you arrive late and leave early, fail to do quality work, or finish behind schedule, your behaviour demonstrates your values are different than your employer's. Your lack of productivity punishes the employer, because overall revenue will be negatively affected. And it's likely you are not enjoying your job and are not achieving any sense of job satisfaction. Overall, your behaviour suggests your current job may not be a good fit. If this is the case, take responsibility and find another job more suited to your values.
Understand your own values: As I indicated earlier, values are what drive you to do what you do. However, many people, especially young people, don't understand their own values and don't understand how to explore this issue. One strategy is to read a self-help book that will help you identify your values. Secondly, work with a career counsellor to complete a self-assessment online and/or make your personal discoveries through an interview and paper-based questionnaire. Self-assessment is the most rapid way to learn about your values. However, be sure to match your values with the best fit to specific jobs and careers.
Focus on career progression: Taking personal responsibility and accountability can have a significant impact on your career. After all, who wants to promote an employee who can't show up on time or blames others for poor-quality work? Who wants to promote an employee who isn't a team player or one who constantly complains, rather than offering suggestions for improvement? What employer wants to promote an employee when he isn't dependable and can't be trusted? Believe me, it simply won't happen.
-- -- --
Now that you know the importance of values and the value of personal accountability in particular to your career success, how can you successfully apply your values to work? How can you use values to improve the chances of career success? The following four tips should help put you in good stead.
Understand your job role: The reason organizations have job descriptions is so all employees understand their specific tasks, as well as the boundaries of their job. Knowing what you are responsible for helps you keep on track and be accountable. In turn, being accountable creates job satisfaction. Staying within those job boundaries is essential unless you are asked to undertake new tasks. People in general, and managers in particular, take offence at someone who deliberately oversteps their role. Pay attention to this organizational value. It is important.
Reach out and develop relationships: Another important value is the desire to reach out and develop relationships within your workplace. This means working well in a team, sharing and, supporting and helping others. This will result in having colleagues around you who will provide help when you need it. Relationship-building is perceived as a "soft skill" rather than a hard skill, but failing to apply this particular value will lessen your chances for promotion.
Apply effective time management: No matter what your job, it is important to focus on results, which means getting your task completed on time and under budget while at the same time providing quality work. When this occurs, your boss will recognize he or she can depend on you, trust you and feel comfortable delegating you increasingly responsible work. Career promotion will soon be written into your pathway.
Engage in continuous learning: Employers appreciate individuals who take continuous learning into their own hands. They value someone who is flexible about taking risks to try something new. This is a key tool to creating new opportunities, even if you decide not to stay with your current employer. You can't ever lose by gaining more education -- even more so if the employer sees you are taking this step on your own rather than expecting the employer to pay for anything and everything.
Personal accountability in the workplace is one of the biggest issues in today's businesses, both for individuals and for employers. When individuals and leaders apply personal accountability, everyone wins. Employees will be motivated and will experience increased job satisfaction, while employers will experience profitability and success.
Barbara J. Bowes, FCHRP, CMC, CCP, M.Ed is a senior partner with Legacy Bowes Group. She can be reached at email@example.com.
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Climate researchers discover new rhythm for El NinoUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Outreach Specialist, International Pacific Research Center
El Niño wreaks havoc across the globe, shifting weather patterns that spawn droughts in some regions and floods in others. The impacts of this tropical Pacific climate phenomenon are well known and documented.
A mystery, however, has remained despite decades of research: Why does El Niño always peak around Christmas and end quickly by February to April?
Now there is an answer: An unusual wind pattern that straddles the equatorial Pacific during strong El Niño events and swings back and forth with a period of 15 months explains El Niño’s close ties to the annual cycle. This finding is reported in the May 26, 2013, online issue of Nature Geoscience by scientists from the UH Mānoa Department of Meteorology and International Pacific Research Center.
“This atmospheric pattern peaks in February and triggers some of the well-known El Niño impacts, such as droughts in the Philippines and across Micronesia and heavy rainfall over French Polynesia,” says lead author Malte Stuecker.
When anomalous trade winds shift south, they can terminate an El Niño by generating eastward propagating equatorial Kelvin waves that eventually resume upwelling of cold water in the eastern equatorial Pacific. This wind shift is part of the larger, unusual atmospheric pattern accompanying El Niño events, in which a high-pressure system hovers over the Philippines and the major rain band of the South Pacific rapidly shifts equatorward.
With the help of numerical atmospheric models, the scientists discovered that this unusual pattern originates from an interaction between El Niño and the seasonal evolution of temperatures in the western tropical Pacific warm pool.
“Not all El Niño events are accompanied by this unusual wind pattern,” notes Stuecker, “but once El Niño conditions reach a certain threshold amplitude during the right time of the year, it is like a jack-in-the-box whose lid jumps open.”
A study of the evolution of the anomalous wind pattern in the model reveals a rhythm of about 15 months accompanying strong El Niño events, which is considerably faster than the three-to-five-year timetable for El Niño events, but slower than the annual cycle.
“This type of variability is known in physics as a combination tone,” says Fei-Fei Jin, Professor of Meteorology and co-author of the study. Combination tones have been known for more than three centuries. They were discovered by violin builder Tartini, who realized that our ear can create a third tone, even though only two tones are played on a violin.
“The unusual wind pattern straddling the equator during an El Niño is such a combination tone between El Niño events and the seasonal march of the sun across the equator,” says co-author Axel Timmermann, climate scientist at the International Pacific Research Center and professor at the UH Mānoa Department of Oceanography. He adds, “It turns out that many climate models have difficulties creating the correct combination tone, which is likely to impact their ability to simulate and predict El Niño events and their global impacts.”
The scientists are convinced that a better representation of the 15-month tropical Pacific wind pattern in climate models will improve El Niño forecasts. Moreover, they say the latest climate model projections suggest that El Niño events will be accompanied more often by this combination tone wind pattern, which will also change the characteristics of future El Niño rainfall patterns.
Citation: Stuecker, M.-F., A. Timmermann, F.-F. Jin, S. McGregor, and H.-L. Ren (2013), A combination mode of the annual cycle and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation, Nature Geoscience, May 26, 2013, online publication at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1826.
This study was supported by US NSF grant ATM1034798, US Department of Energy grant DESC005110, US NOAA grant NA10OAR4310200, the 973 Program of China (2010CB950404) and the China Meteorological Special Project (GYHY201206033). A.T. was also supported by US NSF grant 1049219 and through the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) through its sponsorship of the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC).
Malte Stuecker, Department of Meteorology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822; email: email@example.com; phone: (808) 956-7110.
Axel Timmermann, Professor of Oceanography, International Pacific Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822; email: firstname.lastname@example.org; phone: (808) 956-2720.
Fei-Fei Jin, Professor Department of Meteorology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822; email: email@example.com; phone: (808) 956-4645.
International Pacific Research Center Media Contact: Gisela E. Speidel, International Pacific Research Center, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822; email: firstname.lastname@example.org; phone (808) 956-9252.
The International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, is a climate research center founded to gain greater understanding of the climate system and the nature and causes of climate variation in the Asia-Pacific region and how global climate changes may affect the region. Established under the "U.S.-Japan Common Agenda for Cooperation in Global Perspective" in October 1997, the IPRC is a collaborative effort between agencies in Japan and the United States.
For more information, visit: http://iprc.soest.hawaii.edu/news/press_releases/2013/13_05_stuecker.jpg
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From Santo Domingo, Pedro Franco is an organizer of social movements and mutual-aid cooperatives. He is also a member of CoopHabitat, which promotes housing coops.
Previous theories of social transformation could be constructed based on the American Far West movies, where the stagecoach came through the desert with those who stole, guarded, and transported the gold. The revolutionaries waited to raid the coach.
Revolutions – the October Revolution, all of them - were based on that image of the assault on power. This is an anti-Zapatista image, which instead is of building power from the community, from below. This image requires a new vision. Our problem nowadays is how to build power and a new economy from below. There are many factors to take into account in doing this, but first and foremost: human beings.
There had been some social movements in the city: traditional movements as well as the union movements and so-called “housewife” movements; cultural and youth clubs that worked on popular art, popular education and sports; the literary movement… During times of dictatorship, the youth movement and the teachers’ movement were those that had the most staying-power.
With the global crisis of perspectives with the fall of the Berlin Wall, many grassroots movements and labor unions here suffered a very negative impact. The global, unipolar domination that we are now so familiar with was born. In the mid-1980s, urban social movements re-emerged in the country. These community-based, poor-people’s movements took up the struggle against the neoliberal policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
We had a popular uprising April 22 to 24, 1984, with the demand of breaking the agreements with the IMF. People occupied the whole country, holding demonstrations everywhere, and on the second day, the government brought in a specialized militia called the Hunters from the Mountain. Their prey was human beings. It was a slaughter; over 200 Dominicans were killed.
The urban movement subsequently weakened, but it persisted and took on new expression, as in the Popular Urban Network, housing cooperatives, and a wave of neighborhood and citizen organization. Together they’ve developed successful struggles, like a victory to stop a cement factory from being established in a forest reserve; modifying a contract with the Barrick Gold Canadian mining corporation so that the nation got 56% of the revenue, instead of 3%; and forcing another reserve, Loma Miranda, from being exploited for gold.
The Dominican Political Context
The political context of the Dominican Republic is no different from the rest of Latin America. If we look back a bit, we know that the right-wing forces and American forces, have acted on calculations made about the Dominican Republic. The Kennedy doctrine had the priority of preventing a new Cuba in the Americas and the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic is the country that is closest to Cuba, and has a very similar historical tradition. The Americans demonstrated their concern in 1965, with an intervention by 42,000 Marines.
The poet Pedro Mir wondered, writing about one of the famous American aircraft carriers during that invasion, Intrepid [in a poem by the same name]: Why do you fear these barefoot men and women, why are you coming to Santo Domingo? You who are used to spewing out smoke and fire, to consuming whole nations with your ire, what are you afraid of, why are you coming to Santo Domingo? And the poet told the aircraft carrier: I know you come simply out of fear, you see the will these peoples have. The US also supported our worst dictator, Trujillo, during that period.
Right now there’s an imposition of neoliberalism in the Dominican Republic, using the same recipes found in different countries. We’ve been a sort of a testing ground for these policies. We stopped being an agricultural country, state companies were privatized, and financial, speculative capital started taking over. We became a country of tourism, free-trade zones, and sweatshops.
The Dominican Republic also reflects the deepening of poverty throughout Latin America. Eighty percent of Dominican wealth is in the hands of 20 families. We have an excellent record of growth, but most of the capital has gone to these 20 families.
The political parties are powerful and they unite to do terrible things, like excluding a large part of Dominicans [of Haitian descent] from their rights, constitutionally weakening women’s rights regarding their own bodies, and giving away our country to mines. Now, for example, when the price of gold is so high, we have an agreement with a mining company which takes away 97% of the profits, leaving the state only 3%. We could go on for hours talking about control by traditional political parties in the Dominican Republic.
Facing the Future
We need to look at what we want to be and do. There has been a tendency of social movements to take up roles like NGOs [non-governmental organizations, or non-profits]. Do we want to be consultants, receive funding, have big conference rooms and a lot of bureaucratic staff? Occupy all our time with paperwork, internet, reading the international press? Go from Tunis to Argentina, and from Argentina to Alaska, and I’ll drop by my country and grab my suitcase and off I’ll go to Asia, and maybe a week or 15 days in Europe wouldn’t be bad… Do we want to be people who travel the world, or people who transform societies from the ground up? Do we want to be coordinating a project with international funding, with salaried functionaries in the office, or do we want to be out there knocking on doors and raising awareness?
These are challenges for all movements. Maybe I have old-fashioned ideas, but it seems to me that social movements don’t need so much money. What we need, fundamentally, is to get moving.
The left has committed a lot of errors, and that has led many people to think of them not in terms of power but only in terms of defending causes. The left is pretty inactive; they [the government and the bourgeoisie] are coming down hard on people, and the left says nothing. When it’s time to choose, people vote for traditional parties, for the right. All the left and the progressive forces don’t even make up 2% of the national vote. It’s the fault of the movements themselves, because they have wanted to act as apolitical, as non-partisan. They say, “[Elective] politics are not my problem, my problem are social ones.”
I will end by saying that in spite of that reality, we are taking action. In the Dominican Republic today, there is struggle, there are new social movements. Youth are playing a stellar role, but we all contribute. There’s an environmental movement, a solidarity economy movement, a teachers’ movement, mutual-aid cooperatives, and also [progressive] NGOs. The Citizens’ Forum is a space where we all come together for global and national campaigns. For example, after a lot of effort, together the Citizens’ Forum achieved getting 4% dedicated to basic education. Not 4% of the budget, but of the GDP.
Creating a new society with political alternatives and an economy based on solidarity is hard work, but we must take on the challenge. We need a new society today, today, not tomorrow. Easy tasks are not for people who want to create change. You have to face great tasks with bravery and persistence, with the help of good friends.
Thanks to Flavia Moreno for translating the interview.
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Trees are incredibly smart. They run on sunshine, provide shade in summer and ever so kindly drop their leaves to allow the winter sun through. And now a team from the University of Exeter has determined that they are good for our mental health, too. Londoners who had more trees on their street popped fewer antidepressant pills. Eric Jaffe of Citylab reports:
The study methods were straightforward: Researchers gathered data on antidepressant prescriptions across London in 2009-2010 and paired that with data on street trees in the same area. … The numbers revealed an average of 40 trees per kilometer across the boroughs of London, with antidepressant prescriptions ranging from about 358 to 578 per 1,000 people. But the places with higher tree densities had lower prescription rates.
Research by the USDA's Forest Service also showed that people who live around trees are physically healthier: "About 850 lives are saved each year, the number of acute respiratory symptoms is lower by about 670,000 incidents each year, and the total health care savings attributed to pollution removal by trees is around $7 billion a year."
A tale of two cities. At top: Poor Somerville, Massachusetts; at bottom: Rich Cambridge, Massachusetts (Photo: Google Earth via Per Square Mile)
Over at Per Square Mile, Tim de Chant spent some quality time with Google Earth, comparing neighborhoods and finding that (surprise!) wealthy neighborhoods have more trees. He also quotes research on the subject:
They found that for every 1 percent increase in per capita income, demand for forest cover increased by 1.76 percent. But when income dropped by the same amount, demand decreased by 1.26 percent. That’s a pretty tight correlation. The researchers reason that wealthier cities can afford more trees, both on private and public property. The well-to-do can afford larger lots, which in turn can support more trees.
The authors of the study claim that they have adjusted for socioeconomic status, employment status, prevalence of smoking and age. There is so much statistical noise here that it's impossible to tell what factor is actually causing the difference, but the conclusion is clear: "Street trees may have a role to play in supporting neighborhood mental health."
Amen to that.
Related on MNN & TreeHugger:
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St. Marguerite Bourgeoys
FOUNDRESS, SISTERS OF THE CONGREGATION OF NOTRE-DAME
Feast: January 12 (Canada)
| MARGUERITE BOURGEOYS was born in Troyes, in the province of Champagne (France), on Good Friday, April 17, 1620. She was baptized on the same day in the church of Saint-Jean, a church that was located near her home. Marguerite was the sixth child in a family of twelve. Her parents were Abraham Bourgeoys and Guillemette Gamier, and she was privileged to grow up in a milieu that was middle class and thoroughly Christian.|
Marguerite was nineteen years of age when she lost her mother. In the following year, 1640, in the course of a procession held on October 7 in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, she had an unforgettable experience. Her eyes rested on a statue of the Blessed Virgin, and at that moment she felt inspired to withdraw from the world and to consecrate herself to the service of God. She registered, at once, as a member of the extern Congregation of Troyes, an association of young girls devoted to the charitable work of teaching children in the poor districts of the town. While engaged in this apostolate she learned about the foundation of Ville Marie (Montreal) in Canada. The year was 1642, and at that time she sensed a first call to missionary life. This call was rendered concrete in 1652 when she met Monsieur de Maisonneuve, founder and governor of the settlement begun in New France, who was in search of someone who would volunteer her services for the gratuitous instruction of the French and Indian children. Our Lady confirmed the call addressed to her: "Go, I will not forsake you", she said. Thus assured, Marguerite left Troyes in February, 1653, in a spirit of complete detachment. She arrived in Montreal on the following 16th of November, and without delay she set to work to promote the best interests of the colony. She is rightly considered co-foundress of Montreal, with the nurse, Jeanne Mance, and the master designer, Monsieur de Maisonneuve.
In order to encourage the colonists in their faith, she arranged for the restoration of the Cross on Mount Royal after it has been destroyed by hostile Indians, and she undertook the construction of a chapel dedicated to Notre-Dame de Bon Secours. Convinced of the importance of the family in the building of this new country, and perceiving the significance of the role to be exercised by women, she devoted herself to the task of preparing those whose vocation it would be to preside in a home. In 1658, in a stable which had been given to her by the governor for her use, she opened the first school in Montreal. She also organized an extern Congregation, patterned after the one which she had known in Troyes but adapted to the actual needs. In this way, she could respond to the needs of the women and young girls on whom much depended as far as the instruction of children was concerned. In 1659, she began receiving girls who were recommended by "les cures" in France, or endowed by the King, to come to establish homes in Montreal, and she became a real mother to them. Thus were initiated a school system and a network of social services which gradually extended through the whole country, and which led people to refer to Marguerite as "Mother of the Colony".
On three occasions, Marguerite Bourgeoys made a trip to France to obtain help. As of
1658, the group of teachers who associated themselves with her in her life of prayer, of heroic poverty, and of untiring devotedness to the service of others, presented the image of a religious institute. The Congregation de Notre-Dame received its civil charter from Louis XIV in 1671, and canonical approbation by decree of the Bishop of Quebec in 1676. The Constitutions of the Community were approved in 1698. The foundation having been assured, Sister Bourgeoys could leave the work to others. She died in Montreal on January 12, 1700, acknowledged for her holiness of life. Her last generous act was to offer herself as a sacrifice of prayer for the return to health of a young Sister. Forty members of the Congregation de Notre-Dame were there to continue her work.
On November 12, 1950 Pope Pius XII beatified Marguerite Bourgeoys. Canonizing her on October 31, 1982, Pope John Paul II gave the Canadian Church its first woman saint.
(Abridged from Vatican News Services)
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1947 Oct 16 02:09:52.5 UTC
This major earthquake centered southeast of Nenana on the Salcha River fault. Small fissures formed in the ground near the Nenana Airport, southwest of Fairbanks. Streets "upheaved" at Nenana in several places, and several long cracks formed in the ground. Cracks in river mud and ice occurred from Shaw Creek on Richardson Highway to the headwaters of the Kantishna and Tolavana Rivers. Cracks 56 centimeters wide, as much as 30 centimeters deep, and several meters long were reported about 24 kilometers below Chena Bluffs on the Tanana River. A few pressure ridges were observed where large, frozen blocks came together.
Alaska Railroad officials reported that rails were bent between Julius , Nenana, and Browne, and that some changes were observed in the elevation of the roadbed. Landslides occurred on the Richardson Highway, and rockslides were observed between Fairbanks and Nenana on the Tanana River.
In Fairbanks, merchandise in stores was damaged heavily, many windows were broken, and a powerline short-circuit occurred near the University of Alaska. Changes in the flow of water in several wells were reported both at Fairbanks and Nenana. Trees and poles were shaken violently. At the town of Clear, south of Nenana, some prefabricated buildings were damaged.
The felt area is rather well defined to the south and west but is uncertain to the north and east because of sparse population. The earthquake was felt over most of central and southern Alaska and at two places in the Yukon Territory of Canada, an area within a radius of about 500 kilometers of the epicenter. This earthquake series consisted of more than 200 foreshocks and aftershocks. The strongest aftershock occurred on October 20.
Abridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993.
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To refrigerate pumpkin pies or not to refrigerate? That is the question. You have seen pumpkin pies in the bakery section of supermarkets not refrigerated and you wonder if you can do the same at home. Unfortunately, homemade pumpkin pies need special care to prevent foodborne illness. Pumpkin pies are a custard-style pie made by using potentially hazardous foods such as eggs and milk. Food temperature controls are especially important with foods classified as potentially hazardous.
Pumpkin pies also have a high moisture and protein content. They must be kept at a refrigerated temperature of 41° F or cooler. If the pies are left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, bacteria grows more rapidly and can cause a foodborne illness.
When cooking, make sure to test your pies for doneness by inserting a clean knife in the center. The knife should come out clean. Remove the pies from the oven and allow them to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. After they have cooled, cover and refrigerate to keep them cold.
So, why are pumpkin pies displayed at room temperature at the supermarket? These pies are formulated with shelf-stable ingredients, such as preservatives, that prevent harmful bacteria from growing. Commercial pies must be properly labeled, “approved by the Food and Drug Administration”. They will carry the letters “RT”, which means they meet the guidelines required for display at room temperature. The label will also give a “sell by” or “use by” date. Even these pies should be refrigerated for storage at home especially after they have been cut.
Additional pie safety tips include making sure you purchase clean, refrigerated and uncracked eggs. Keep hands clean by washing them with warm water and soap before handling ingredients. Also, wash utensils, equipment and work surface area with hot soapy water before and after contact with eggs. Never leave milk or eggs out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
Enjoy those traditional holiday feasts, but keep them safe!
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The Brown Bluff: How Waffen SS Veterans Exploited Postwar Politics
While hunting for new voters, both the conservative Christian Democratic Union and the center-left Social Democratic Party courted veterans of Hitler's Waffen-SS after World War II. A recent study illustrates how the major parties were taken advantage of in the process.
On the evening of Aug. 7, 1953, the art nouveau room at the Fährhaus (ferry house) in Hamburg's Winterhude neighborhood was filled to capacity. A grayish-blue cloud of cigarette smoke hung over the heads of the hard-faced men in the audience. Under their shirts, many had their blood types tattooed onto their left upper arms. They were veterans of the Waffen-SS, who had gathered at the ferry house, a popular Hamburg destination.
Parliamentary elections were around the corner, and the speaker, a short, dashing former lieutenant, was courting the one-time members of Hitler's elite unit. As a former fellow soldier he told the men that he had "always felt particularly confident" when he was fighting alongside the Waffen-SS. It was unfortunate, a newspaper for Waffen-SS veterans later wrote in reporting on the event, that its members were often confused with those of the Gestapo and unjustly prosecuted.
There is no record of the audience's reaction to the speech, but it seems likely that the Hamburg transportation official's words were met with roaring applause. He was a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and an economist, and he was about to embark on an unparalleled political career. His name was Helmut Schmidt, and he would later become West Germany's chancellor.
Courting Members of a 'Criminal Organizaton'
Schmidt wasn't the only one courting the Waffen-SS veterans. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and SPD postwar leader Kurt Schumacher also tried to garner votes among members of the former elite unit, which the Allied judges at the Nuremberg military tribunal had defined as a "criminal organization."
Adenauer even visited former Waffen-SS General Kurt Meyer ("Panzer Meyer," or "Tank Meyer"), who was then imprisoned in the town of Werl, near Dortmund, for his involvement in the 1944 execution of about 20 Canadian prisoners of war in France.
Conservatives like philosopher Hermann Lübbe later praised the founding generation for their mild treatment of the SS unit, noting that this "integration" had guaranteed the stability of the young democracy. But younger historians have repeatedly called this assessment into question.
Karsten Wilke, an academic in the city of Bielefeld, has now put this hypothesis to a special test. Wilke has turned his attention to a group known as the "Mutual Help Association" (HIAG), the traditional association of the Waffen-SS, which was dissolved at the national level in 1992, and whose records he has been able to analyze.
The records suggest that although the former Nazis claimed to have been reformed (making statements like: "Camaraderie ends where crime begins"), the brown demon still ruled their internal thinking. The efforts to accommodate the former Nazis by democrats like Schmidt and Adenauer remained fundamentally unrewarded.
Instead, HIAG representatives used the widespread, but unfounded, fears of their members to help secure retirement pensions and, through public falsification of history, aided in ensuring that crimes remained unpunished for years. Wilke concludes that HIAG wrote "the Waffen-SS into the 'legend of the clean Wehrmacht.'"
But it was precisely the Waffen-SS that was particularly brutal in its treatment of prisoners and civilians. The divisions, which originally consisted only of volunteers and later included conscripts who saw themselves as the armed wing of the SS, also encompassed the SS Totenkopfverbände (skull associations), which guarded the concentration camps. This was one of the reasons the Nuremberg judges accused the Waffen-SS of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Although these veterans had no political ambitions after 1945, they did want to receive the same attractive temporary allowances and pensions as members of the regular German army, or Wehrmacht. Of course, they also wanted to rehabilitate their image in the wake of the Nuremberg trials.
For this reason, HIAG maintained close ties with both the ruling CDU and the opposition party, the Social Democrats (SPD). The SPD, having been a resistance party to the Nazis, was a moral force. Schumacher, who had lost one of his legs after spending years in several concentration camps, nonetheless still met with a HIAG delegation in Bonn in 1951, thereby opening a door to the SPD for the Waffen-SS veterans.
Exaggerating the Numbers
The organization's influence was based largely on their vast exaggerations. HIAG's spokesmen claimed to represent up to 2 million people, and they lured the Social Democrats with the prospect of "winning millions of German votes." In reality, however, only 250,000 Waffen-SS veterans were living in West Germany at the time. Of that number, only 8 percent were members of HIAG -- not a particularly impressive potential group of voters. But the bluff was successful.
Schumacher justified his meeting by pointing out that it was "not a good thing for a young democracy" for such a large group of dissatisfied people to be allowed to form.
"Panzer Meyer," who had been released from prison and later became the national spokesman of HIAG, skillfully took advantage of these fears. On one occasion, the charismatic former general threatened that his men could drift into extremist right-wing parties "out of stupidity," unless the SPD championed their cause. He also claimed that the Soviet ambassador had tried to establish contact with him, and that such attempts from the East had a "certain likelihood of succeeding if the integration of the former members of the Waffen-SS ran into difficulties in the democratic nation."
The SPD leadership was astonishingly gullible. Schumacher believed HIAG when it claimed that the majority of Waffen-SS veterans had turned their backs on Nazism and had fallen into a "pronounced pariah role," and that it was necessary to help them shed this label.
Later, both the SPD defense policy expert Fritz Erler, a former member of the resistance himself, and Helmut Schmidt remained in contact with HIAG. Social Democrats appeared at its events and helped the right-wing group remain socially acceptable. In the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, the SPD and the ruling CDU agreed that the former Waffen-SS members would gradually be granted the same pension rights as former members of the Wehrmacht.
At least the Bundeswehr, Germany's postwar military, in which the former SS officers would have liked to have continued their careers, remained largely off-limits to HIAG members.
On the surface, many HIAG members pretended to be reformed. Meyer, a convicted war criminal, assured Erler that criminals had "no business in HIAG." When a wave of anti-Semitic graffiti in West Germany caused a stir in 1959 and 1960, he offered to post former Waffen-SS members as guards in front of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries -- a PR coup that was as clever as it was cynical.
Of course, this never happened and Meyer distanced himself from the proposal. Instead, the HIAG leadership maintained contacts with right-wing extremists. Wilke discovered "consistently anti-democratic, racist and anti-Semitic positions" in the comments of HIAG members.
In 1959, for example, a HIAG member wrote to Meyer: "Unfortunately, the Israelis control and substantially influence almost everything that has something to do with the public."
A Bavarian HIAG member was even more direct when he wrote: "The Jews, who have become powerful once again, would not hesitate to politically destroy any member of parliament who dared to campaign for the rights of the family members and survivors of the former Waffen-SS."
Celebrating Their Nazi Past
In 1953, HIAG members staged a torchlit procession during a "solstice celebration" and marched up to Staufeneck Castle in southwestern Germany, belting out the Nazi song, "This Is the Guard that Adolf Hitler Loves." Kurt Meyer, Jr., the son of "Panzer Meyer," later wrote that his father, the HIAG spokesman, had kept a photo of himself with Hitler on the wall above his desk.
In the 1960s, when it became clear that no further benefits could be attained for HIAG members, the group slowly drifted into open right-wing extremism. For a time, the national organization published a calendar on which Nazi commemoration dates were marked.
It wasn't until the 1980s that the SPD and later the CDU officially corrected their positions. Starting in 1981, HIAG members were no longer welcomed into the SPD.
After that, the issue resurfaced only one more time within the SPD. In 2006, the Nobel Prize winning author Günter Grass, who had been a Social Democrat for many years and was an SPD campaigner, admitted to having been a member of the Waffen-SS. But Grass was never a member of HIAG.
Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan
© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2011
All Rights Reserved
Reproduction only allowed with the permission of SPIEGELnet GmbH
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Energy and agriculture have more in common than you might think. Food and fossil fuels prices are rising at the same time as land and water are becoming increasingly scarce commodities—and both energy and agricultural production processes are harming human health and the environment. At the same time, both industries suffer from complex and inefficient distribution systems and heavy government regulations that favor the status quo. Each industry is also supported by government subsidies that benefit incumbent producers over young companies that might have solutions to some of these problems.
And then there is the inextricable link between energy and agriculture. The food industry in the U.S is one of the largest and most wasteful consumers of energy. Various studies estimate that the food industry consumes around 10% of the nation’s energy with only about 20% of it used in the actual production of food. The rest goes to processing, home refrigeration and preparation, and of course, transportation. Transportation costs also are a major factor in food prices, especially for water-heavy vegetables such as romaine lettuce.
For all of these reasons and others, the local food movement in America is gaining steam. Families, restaurants and schools are purchasing more of their food from farmer’s markets. Community, school, and backyard gardens are springing up all over. And in places where land is scarce—large, densely populated urban areas—consumers and some businesses are taking to the sky and growing food hydroponically in rooftop greenhouses.
The question we must ask is, "Will this scale?" For anything to scale, it must solve a real problem, be cost-effective and replicable, and have the right systems in place to support it. To do that, it must attract sufficient capital from the private sector to encourage entrepreneurs to build large, profitable businesses.
In 1999, when I was an MBA student, I came up with a solution for selling solar power to businesses at or below the going rate for electricity. My idea was to form a company and raise money from big investors to cover the upfront costs of buying photovoltaic solar panels for commercial customers’ rooftops. The company would install, own and operate the plants. In return, customers would sign power purchase agreements locking in electricity prices for as long as 20 years. This would create a steady revenue stream for the company and an affordable way for customers to use (very) locally generated clean power for their businesses, instead of paying the rates du jour for power generated by utilities at central stations and transmitted over aging and congested transmission lines.
I wrote a business plan, but it was the height of the dotcom era and no one was interested in financing a company that did not have a sock puppet for a mascot. It wasn’t until 2003 that I actually got SunEdison off the ground. It was not easy because we had to overcome the qualms of conservative investors and, in many states, push to get laws and regulations that posed potentially insurmountable barriers. But over the next few years, we created a thriving multi-billion industry with scores of competitors.
Now, a company called BrightFarms is taking a similar approach to rooftop farming. In business since 2006 as a consultant to rooftop farmers, the company recently adopted a new business model. BrightFarms contracts with supermarkets to build, own and operate onsite greenhouses on store rooftops. There are no upfront costs for the retailers—just the obligation to purchase food grown hydroponically on store rooftops farms through long-term, fixed price contracts. BrightFarms has a policy of not announcing customers until its farms are delivering produce, but it has signed up eight supermarket chains as customers so far. (In the interests of full disclosure, I am an investor in BrightFarms.)
Retailers purchasing food grown on their premises completely disrupts the complicated and expensive food industry supply chain. It reduces transportation costs to almost zero—offsetting the higher upfront costs of greenhouse farming over conventional methods—and increases margins because the produce has a longer shelf life. It also lowers water, fertilizer, and other inputs by over 90%. And it gives consumers what they want: fresh, tasty, affordable produce. Most importantly, the model requires local labor to work, so it keeps and adds jobs in local communities.
Only time will tell if this new model catch on with enough U.S. supermarket chains to make a difference in our nation's food supply. But what is clear now is that no silver bullet exists for America's energy and food production issues. Just as solar rooftop systems meet some but not all of our energy needs, rooftop gardens can make some but not all of our nation's food production and distribution more efficient. Finding the right answers for energy or food production will require us to invest in thousands of technologies that are scalable and make an impact. But given the economic and environmental benefits of rooftop gardening, it is worth it to start trying.
Jigar Shah is CEO of the Carbon War Room, a nonprofit that harnesses the power of entrepreneurs to implement market-driven solutions to climate change and create a post-carbon economy.
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