text
stringlengths 307
124k
| __index_level_0__
int64 0
999
|
|---|---|
Cyber Bullying Leaflet Launch
Sue Ball Consultant for BRAG and Parents from Nechells Parents Forum launched a leaflet of advice for parents and carers about how to prevent and tackle cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullies use the internet, mobile phones or any other form of digital technology to threaten, tease or abuse someone.
This useful resource, produced by Birmingham City Council’s Young People and Families Directorate, in association with Nechells Parents Forum and the POD, helps parents understand how to be cyber-safe, how to spot the signs if their child is a victim of or an instigator of cyber-bullying and what steps to take to stop it. The leaflet provides useful, practical advice with local and national contacts for further support and guidance.
The launch took place at Nechells Zone Olympics at the Alexander Stadium on June 15th Noran Flynn, Director of the POD, and organiser of the Olympics Event said “Nechells parents are keen to support their children at our Olympics, and promote the values of respect, excellence and friendship. They are also very concerned about the rise in cyber-bullying and have worked hard, with Birmingham’s Bullying Reduction Action Group (BRAG) to produce this leaflet to help parents across Birmingham deal with cyber-bullying and keep their children safe”
How to tackle cyber-bullying:
New technologies are amazing. Mobile phones, smart phones, the internet and social networking slites like facebook allow us to keep in touch with our friends and family more easily and to have access to a wide range of information on the world-wide web. They can help children with their learning, prepare them for life in a technological world and improve their communication skills.
But as well as the positives, we all know that there are some negatives and that cyber-bullying is on the increase. Because many children and parents are worried about cyber-bullying Nechells Parents Forum have worked with Birmingham City Council’s Bullying Reduction Action Group (BRAG) to produce an advice leaflet for parents called How to Tackle Cyber-bullying.
This leaflet helps parents understand what cyber-bullying is, how to spot the signs if their child is a victim of or an instigator of cyber-bullying and what steps to take to stop it. It also gives useful, practical advice with local and national contacts for further support and guidance.
Sue Ball said “The Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship are important to us all. Thank you to the POD and all the members of Nechells Parents Forum, who helped to create this leaflet. It gives great advice to parents and carers across Birmingham about how they can best help their children to lead happy and bully-free lives, build respectful friendships and stay safe from cyber-bullying.”
For more information about Anti-bullying work in Birmingham
Events This Month
Latest Blog Posts
Tue, 14th May 13 at 4:00pm
Some pupils from year 5 in our Nechells EAZ schools: Cromwell, Nechells, St Clement's, St Joseph's and St Vincent's all went to Aston University today for a day of fun, experiments, experiences and inspiration for their future careers. The young people learnt all about team work, had a tour of the campus and then became mini scientists extracting DNA from kiwi fruits. The Nechells Schools and their pupils would all like to say a big thank you to Bal and her team of student volunteers at Aston University for the opportunity they give every year to some our most Gifted and Talents pupils, they really enjoy this fantastic experience, we hope that our pupils will all continue to study hard and in time become the graduates of the future.
| 521
|
35 - The Philosopher's Toolkit: Aristotle's Logical Works
Peter discusses Aristotle’s pioneering work in logic, and looks at related issues like the ten categories and the famous “sea battle” argument for determinism.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
• J. Hintikka, Time and Necessity. Studies in Aristotle's Theory of Modality (Oxford:1973).
• W. Leszl, “Aristotle's Logical Works and His Conception of Logic,” Topoi 23 (2004), 71–100.
• R. Smith, "Logic," in J. Barnes (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle (Cambridge: 1995), 27-65.
• S. Waterlow, Passage and Possibility (Oxford: 1982).
On the "sea battle" problem:
• G.E.M. Anscombe, “Aristotle and the Sea Battle,” in J.M.E. Moravcsik (ed.), Aristotle: a Collection of Critical Essays, (1967), reprinted from Mind 65 (1956).
• D. Frede, “The Sea-Battle Reconsidered: a Defence of the Traditional Interpretation,” Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 3 (1985).
• J. Hintikka, “The Once and Future Sea Fight: Aristotle’s Discussion of Future Contingents in de Interpretatione 9,” in his Time and Necessity (see above).
| 737
|
Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
The World Factbook
The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. The factbook gives a two- to three-page summary of the demographics, location, telecommunications capacity, government, industry, military capability, etc, of all US-recognized countries and territories in the world.
As The World Factbook is prepared by the CIA for the use of U.S. Government officials, the style, format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements.
Information is provided by:
- Antarctic Information Program (National Science Foundation),
- Bureau of the Census (Department of Commerce),
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor),
- Central Intelligence Agency,
- Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs ,
- Defense Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense),
- US Department of State,
- US Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior),
- US Maritime Administration (Department of Transportation),
- National Imagery and Mapping Agency (Department of Defense),
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (Department of Defense),
- Office of Insular Affairs (Department of the Interior),
- Office of Naval Intelligence (Department of Defense),
- United States Board on Geographic Names (Department of the Interior), and
- other public and private sources.
The official seal of the CIA, however, may NOT be copied without permission as required by the CIA Act of 1949 (50 U.S.C. section 403m). Misuse of the official seal of the CIA could result in civil and criminal penalties. Also, "Federal law prohibits use of the words "Central Intelligence Agency," the initials "CIA," the seal of the Central Intelligence Agency, or any colorable imitation of such words, initials, or seal in connection with any merchandise, impersonation, solicitation, or commercial activity in a manner reasonably calculated to convey the impression that such use is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Central Intelligence Agency. "
Many sites have used information and images from the CIA World Factbook, because of its public domain status, including this encyclopedia.
Besides the World Factbook, the CIA puts out a directory of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments each week.
Oddities and controversies
The maps of countries in the Factbook also appear to have strange anomalies. For example, the map of the United Kingdom lists the town of Grangemouth in Scotland, although it is only a small town and in no way a major city (this is perhaps due to its status as a major centre of the oil industry in Scotland).
The U.S. does not recognize the renaming of Burma by its ruling military junta to Myanmar and thus keeps its entry for the country under "Burma."
Specific regions within a country or areas in dispute among countries, such as Kashmir and Kosovo, are not covered, but other areas of the world whose status is disputed, such as the Spratly Islands, have entries.
Maps depicting Kashmir have the India-Pakistan border drawn at the Line of Control, but the region of Kashmir occupied by China drawn in hashmarks.
Northern Cyprus is not given a separate entry or listed as part of Turkey because "territorial occupations/annexations not recognized by the United States Government are not shown on U.S. Government maps."
Taiwan has a separate entry not listed under "T", but at the bottom of the list. The name "Republic of China" is not listed as Taiwan's "official name" under the "Government" section, perhaps due to U.S. recognition of Beijing's One-China Policy according to which the Republic of China is a defunct entity having been replaced by the People's Republic of China. The name "Republic of China" was briefly added on January 27, 2005 but changed back to "none" on February 10, 2005.
On December 16, 2004, the CIA added an entry for the European Union. According to the CIA, the European Union was added because the EU "continues to accrue more nation-like characteristics for itself".
- World Factbook Website
- 2004 CIA World Factbook for Pocket PC and Palm OS devices
- Nationmaster.com: statistics with bars, based on the Factbook
- Authorama CIA World Factbook: The complete Factbook as XHTML1.0 (easily readable, no images, device-independent)
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
| 740
|
One of the great bits of repartee in The King’s Speech comes as the maverick Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue, is just getting to know His Royal Highness Prince Albert, the stammering Duke of York:
Logue: “Surely a prince’s brain knows what his mouth’s doing?” Bertie: “You’re obviously not well acquainted with many royal princes.”
No one could have imagined any such dialogue involving Archduke Otto von Habsburg, who died on July 4—not because the archduke was a fearsome personality, but because he was a pre-eminently intelligent and decent man.
The full name he was given at his baptism in 1912—Franz Josef Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xavier Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius—speaks volumes about the history of his family, whose rule over central Europe extended back some seven centuries. Otto might have been thought an anachronism after his father, Emperor Karl, was driven from the throne of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary in the waning days of World War I. Yet the son declined to disappear from the scene and played roles both dramatic and useful over the eight decades of his maturity.
He worried Hitler, who saw him as a potential threat to the Anschluss uniting Austria with Germany. So the Nazi Führer twice tried to meet the young Austrian nobleman when Archduke Otto was studying in Berlin in 1931-32. Otto von Habsburg not only rebuffed Hitler on both occasions, thus putting himself firmly on the Gestapo’s list of enemies; in 1938, as the Nazi vice was closing on an independent Austria, the archduke, at obvious risk to his life, volunteered to return to Austria as the head of government, to provide a national rallying point against Nazi paganism.
In June 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed the Belgian castle in which Otto von Habsburg and his family were living, just hours after the family had fled south ahead of the Wehrmacht’s drive west. Hounded by the Gestapo in neutral Lisbon, Archduke Otto and his family came to the United States at the invitation of President Franklin Roosevelt and spent the Second World War years in America. Otto von Habsburg returned to Europe after the Nazi defeat, married Princess Regina of Sachsen-Meiningen, who was working as a nurse at a Munich refuge camp the archduke visited (and whose father, Duke George III, had died in the Soviet Gulag); the couple had seven children, and lived a model Christian family life.
Elected to the European parliament in 1979, Otto von Habsburg spent 20 years as perhaps that body’s most respected member: an adroit debater in seven languages, he kept alive the vision of a post-Cold War Europe reunited as a single civilizational enterprise, built on the sturdy foundations of biblical religion, faith in reason, and commitment to the rule of law. In that sense, Otto von Habsburg was arguably the first modern “European.”
He may also have been the last. For the European Union, as it has evolved in the early 21st century, has been built around a naked public square in which biblical religion plays no role; faith in reason is faltering under the assault of post-modernism and political correctness; and the rule of law is jeopardized by what another great son of Mitteleuropa, Joseph Ratzinger, has called the “dictatorship of relativism.” In 2006, I spent a memorable evening discussing this unhappy situation with the Archduke Otto, at an Acton Institute dinner in Rome at which we were seated across the table from one another. He was not bitter, for he was a man of deep Catholic faith, and thus a man of hope. But he was concerned about Europe’s future, and his concerns have turned out to be entirely prescient.
Otto von Habsburg’s father, Emperor Karl, was beatified by John Paul II in 2004. The late pope once greeted Archduke Otto’s mother, Empress Zita, by saying that he was “happy to receive the widow of my father’s last sovereign.” It is entirely safe to say that we shall not see their likes again. May they rest in peace.
George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
Become a fan of First Things on Facebook, subscribe to First Things via RSS, and follow First Things on Twitter.
| 660
|
Anorexia may be a disorder more of the metabolism than the mind, according to a new paper that argues the disease is a sort of cousin of diabetes.
But this theory of anorexia as a fundamentally biological disorder, rather than a psychological one, is untested, psychiatrists warn, and patients with the disease should not stray from proven treatments.
The review of past research on the topic, published in the June issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry, finds that certain genetic and cellular processes get activated during starvation in organisms ranging from yeast to fruit flies to mice to humans. The idea, said study researcher Donard Dwyer, is that in people with a broken starvation response, a few initial rounds of dieting could trigger a metabolism gone haywire.
In this theory, it’s not stubbornness or a mental disorder that keeps anorexics from eating, it’s their own bodies. The theory could explain why it can be so difficult to convince anorexic patients that anything is wrong with them, Dwyer told LiveScience.
“Unless we conceive of it as more of a metabolic function, I don’t think we’ll get past the first stage of treatment with a lot of the real hard-core patients,” he said.
The diabetes of starvation
In the current understanding of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder in which patients don’t maintain at least 85 percent of their normal body weight for their height, overachieving personality types attempt to control stress and emotion by restricting food and/or extreme exercising.
Dwyer sees the disease, instead, as a condition similar to diabetes. Someone who becomes obese and is genetically susceptible will develop insulin resistance, which then becomes diabetes. An initial trigger — the obesity — is required, but once the patient has diabetes, you can’t talk him or her out of the disease.
For anorexia, Dwyer said, the potential trigger is chronic undereating or dieting, and the messed-up molecular process could be any number of biological changes that happen during starvation. In the current review, he and his colleagues focus on a cascade of genetic and cellular events called the IGF-1/Akt/FOXO pathway. Organisms from yeasts to humans activate this pathway in response to starvation, triggering all sorts of biological changes, including a desire to look for food. If this pathway doesn’t work as it should, it could theoretically cause the warped approach to eating seen in anorexia. (The so-called epigenome, the supporting actor to our genes, is what helps determine which genes, or pathways, get switched on and off.)
If Dwyer is right, difficult-to-treat anorexic patients may need drugs to get their metabolisms back on track, much as diabetic patients have to take insulin shots. But so far, the idea has not been tested in humans.
“This is, at the moment, speculative,” Timothy Walsh, a psychiatrist at Columbia University who was not involved in the research, told LiveScience. “There’s no human data to support it, and it’s only part of the answer. It’s not proposed as the complete solution.”
Starvation and metabolism
Dwyer is careful to say that much more research is needed. But he says there is good reason to continue the work. Research on obesity has shown that being too heavy is more complex than simply calories in, calories out, he said. There are genetic and metabolic factors involved that make it hard for some people to shed weight. And obesity-related changes to the epigenome (our genes’ on-off switches) can even be passed down from mother to child. The same could be true on the flip side, with starvation, Dwyer said.
The genes linked to anorexia could be the same ones that regulate the metabolism during starvation, he said.
Additionally, studies on starving people suggest that many of the supposed causes of anorexia, including food obsession and anxiety, may be symptoms of starvation. And starving people, like anorexics, often report that they’re doing much better than their physical condition would suggest.
“Here we have our anorexic patients who are not aware of how sick they are despite how thin they have gotten. … We’re not going to be able to convince them otherwise until we understand that better,” Dwyer said. “It’s probably not going to be something we can just talk them out of.”
| 411
|
During slavery, some slaves were given a day of rest while others were forced to continue work. In some parts of the country, slaves were given a yule log to burn in the big house. As long as the log burned, they were granted rest during the holiday. Sometimes the log would burn until the New Year.
During the days of rest, some slaves would hold quilting bees, with both men and women. It was also sometimes tradition that slaves could keep the money they earned for the sale of goods during the holiday.
While the holiday season was meant to be a joyous occasion, slaves that worked inside the house would be worked hardest during Christmas, as many owners and their families would host Christmas parties.
The Christmas holiday would also be a time that some slaveowners gave wine and alcoholic beverages to their slaves. With business still in mind, the effects of alcohol were something unknown to many slaves, and most would overindulge. The increased lounge and slumber would discourage runaways during the break. This was a theory held by abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Despite, some slaves were given passes to see nearby relatives during Christmas time and allowed visitors from neighboring plantations.
Along with the traditions of the Christmas holiday in Western culture, slaves had dancing and singing in the slave quarters. Sometimes the white masters would come to the slave quarters to watch the celebration. Parents would give children small, homemade tokens.
Another celebration known as Jonkonnu, or a Christmas masquerade, took place on the plantations. It was a basic traveling show in which the slave would put on makeshift costumes and go from house to house to perform for gifts and money.
The traditions of Christmas during slavery were tools for celebration in the harshest working and living conditions for blacks. While the whites in the “big house” were being showered with gifts and feast, they shared a portion of those with their captives, and at the same time, used the opportunity to convince slaves that slavery was their best option for living peacefully and safely among the masters.
| 678
|
Cori spezzati (kor' ee spetz ah' tee), Italian for "separated choirs," is the term used to describe a musical composition that uses spatial effects to emphasize the interplay between its various voices. Typically, this means placing two or more choirs or groups of instruments in various places around a performance space. Music that is intended to be performed cori spezatti is by nature antiphonal; in fact, some consider these two terms to be synonymous, at least when they refer to instrumental music.
Cori spezzati isn't a particularly common form of music, and for obvious reasons. In order for it to work out right, it must be performed in a specific type of space; namely, one which is both big enough to accomodate the separation of the instrumental/vocal groups and acoustically suited to the kind of call and answer phrasing that characterizes antiphonal music. (If the space is too echoey, the interplay among the groups just becomes muddled. If it's just moderately echoey, though, it sounds great.) And even in concert halls which meet these specifications, there's a certain awkwardness to the idea of putting half the ensemble onstage and sending the rest up to the balcony or (as I have seen done) forsaking the stage altogether and having half the group stand in the left-hand balcony and the other half in the right-hand one.
The type of performance space which is most obviously suited to cori spezzati is the cathedral; in churches, the problem of the stage is eliminated, and there are generally balconies and nooks and crannies galore in Renaissance-style basilicas. Unsurprisingly, a Renaissance basilica was the formal birthplace of cori spezzati: in the late 1500's, Giovanni Gabrieli, the music director, organist, and composer-in-residence at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, began experimenting with the idea of separating his choirs and putting them in different places around the church. Gabrieli is considered to be the father of cori spezzati, and probably the only composer to write a serious volume of work in this style. He wrote both choral and instrumental pieces (mostly sacred, because of the nature of his job), some of which are still performed today and shouldn't be too hard to find recordings of. (I, unfortunately, do not own recordings of any of Gabrieli's music, although I heard his Sonata Octavi Toni for two brass choirs performed live, and it was gorgeous. I recommend it highly if you happen to like Renaissance/Baroque music.)
This writeup was made possible by a little bit of help from www.naxos.com/composer/gabrieli.htm, and Virginia Tech's Online Music Dictionary, found at www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary
| 626
|
- Yes, this is a good time to plant native grass seed in the ground. You may have to supplement with irrigation if the rains stop before the seeds have germinated and made good root growth.
- Which grasses should I plant? The wonderful thing about California is that we have so many different ecosystems; the challenging thing about California is that we have so many different ecosystems. It’s impossible for us to know definitively which particular bunchgrasses used to grow or may still grow at your particular site, but to make the best guesses possible, we recommend the following:
- Bestcase scenario is to have bunchgrasses already on the site that you can augment through proper mowing or grazing techniques.
- Next best is to have a nearby site with native bunchgrasses and similar elevation, aspect, and soils, that you can use as a model.
- After that, go to sources such as our pamphlet Distribution of Native Grasses of California, by Alan Beetle, $7.50.
- Also reference local floras of your area, available through the California Native Plant Society.
Container growing: We grow seedlings in pots throughout the season, but ideal planning for growing your own plants in pots is to sow six months before you want to put them in the ground. Though restorationists frequently use plugs and liners (long narrow containers), and they may be required for large areas, we prefer growing them the horticultural way: first in flats, then transplanting into 4" pots, and when they are sturdy little plants, into the ground. Our thinking is that since they are not tap-rooted but fibrous-rooted (one of their main advantages as far as deep erosion control is concerned) square 4" pots suit them, and so far our experiences have borne this out.
In future newsletters, we will be reporting on the experiences and opinions of Marin ranchers Peggy Rathmann and John Wick, who are working with UC Berkeley researcher Wendy Silver on a study of carbon sequestration and bunchgrasses. So far, it’s very promising. But more on that later. For now, I’ll end with a quote from Peggy, who grows, eats, nurtures, lives, and sleeps bunchgrasses, for the health of their land and the benefit of their cows.
“It takes a while. But it’s so worth it.”
| 513
|
Tag writer: Michele Wick, Psychology
Imagine the texture of skirt fabric rubbing against tiny feet, the sweet smell of grass, or the delight of looking at a resplendent blue shirt. Sensory experiences are a vital part of who we are; they are building blocks of a growing brain. Countless occurrences, like the intimate play we see in Cassatt’s print, help shape the contours of pliant neural networks. The child may not remember this exact moment, the feel of the woman’s secure grasp, the pleasure of gazing in her eyes, or the sound of her breath. Nevertheless, they have left their imprint on a blossoming mind.
Image Information: Mary Cassatt, American (1844–1926). Under the Horse Chestnut Tree , 1895. Drypoint and aquatint printed in blue, green, yellow, brown and flesh on paper. Sheet: 18 13/16 x 14 3/8 in.; 47.7838 x 36.5125 cm; plate: 16 1/8 x 11 3/8 in.; 40.9575 x 28.8925 cm. Bequest of Helen Haase
| 859
|
By Elliot Mamet
On June 23rd, 1972, President Nixon signed Title IX into law. Nearly 40 years later, the passage of Title IX is viewed as an unequivocal milestone in the struggle to protect, defend and expand civil liberties. As we celebrate Title IX’s 40th birthday, it is worth reflecting on its significance, as well as on the challenges that lie ahead.
Title IX mandates that federally funded institutions may not exclude or discriminate from an educational program or activity on the basis of sex. The law leverages federal funds in order to require equal opportunity for men and women. There are exceptions to Title IX (like sororities or the Boy Scouts), although in general, Title IX has applied quite broadly and unilaterally to different institutions. Through Title IX, the doors have opened a little wider for equal opportunity in the United States.
Title IX shattered the stereotype that women are too “fragile” or “weak” to play sports, but Title IX goes so much further than sports. By prohibiting discrimination based on non-conformity with gender stereotypes, Title IX has been used as an effective tool for defending the civil rights and civil liberties of LGBT students. Additionally, Title IX prohibits discrimination
and harassment based on students’ gender identity, change of sex, and/or transgender status.
Yet even with these successes, enforcing Title IX still has its challenges. One important concern for policymakers is applying Title IX in a way that is conscious of the diversity of gender expression. In a society where gender and sexual orientation mean different things to different people, self-identifying as the normative “male” or “female” can be difficult
. A sound approach to Title IX regulation would prioritize meeting the needs of participants in a particular sport or program. Federally funded institutions should allow students to participate in programs and sports based on the gender with which they identify, in a way that is conscious to individual needs. In this way, programs and activities could act as a safe space where program leaders are more sensitive to the diversity of gender expression.
Looking back at the past 40 years under Title IX, it is clear that Title IX has grown to reflect a fundamental mindset—that human institutions, whether the soccer team or a PhD program—shouldn’t shut out certain categories of people a priori
. If the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation mean anything at all to us today, surely they must be interpreted as another step on our quest to “make declarations of freedom real
,” as Martin Luther King Jr. said. And surely, in its own way, Title IX reflects that quest. It is today, nearly 40 years after Title IX was passed into law, that Title IX’s lessons must be heeded with the utmost resolve.
Elliot Mamet is the summer Colorado College Public Interest Fellow at the ACLU of Colorado. He is an incoming sophomore at Colorado College, a four-year, private liberal arts school, where he is studying political science.
| 136
|
Summer is usually the time for beach fun and barbeques but if you're stuck inside with a miserable cold, you may be sick longer than usual.
Medical experts are now saying that summer colds can last longer and have a higher chance of recurring than winter colds.
Winter viruses that cause upper respiratory infections are joined in the warmer months by enterovirus. This virus spread by coughing, sneezing and fecal matter. On top of the typical common cold symptoms, enterovirus can cause diarrhea, sore throats and rashes and linger around longer.
Another summer-specific factors is constant exposure to re-circulated air, which can dry out the lining of the nostrils and provide easier access to viruses. Dr. Muhammed Choudhry of Texas Health WNJ says there are several way to battle these summer colds.
"Most of these should respond to rest and plenty of hydration. They are usually caused by viruses and should get better in a few days. If they do not, you should talk to your doctor and see if there's something else that needs to be done such as a prescription to an antibiotic," said Choudhry.
You can prevent summer colds by following these tips:
WASH HANDS OFTEN
GET PLENTY OF SLEEP
EAT A BALANCED DIET
AVOID CONTACT WITH SICK PEOPLE
Designed by Gray Digital Media
| 811
|
Blocking production of a pyruvate kinase splice-variant shows therapeutic promise
Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
– Cancer cells grow fast. That’s an essential characteristic of what makes them cancer cells. They’ve crashed through all the cell-cycle checkpoints and are continuously growing and dividing, far outstripping our normal cells. To do this they need to speed up their metabolism.
CSHL Professor Adrian Krainer and his team have found a way to target the cancer cell metabolic process and in the process specifically kill cancer cells.
Nearly 90 years ago the German chemist and Nobel laureate Otto Warburg proposed that cancer’s prime cause was a change in cell metabolism – i.e., in cells’ production and consumption of energy. In particular cancer cells have a stubborn propensity to eschew using glucose as a source to generate energy. This is known as the Warburg Effect.
While metabolic changes are an important feature in the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells they are not now thought to be cancer’s primary cause. Despite this, metabolic changes remain an attractive target for cancer therapy, as Krainer and colleagues show in a paper published online today in Open Biology
, the open-access journal of Great Britain’s Royal Society.This image compares glioblastoma cells untreated or treated with antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) that modulate splicing for PK-M. The cells are visible under light microscopy in the left column, and the DNA in their nuclei shows up when using the blue dye DAPI in the second column. PK-M2 is visualized using a red stain in the third column, with the merge of the images in each row in the forth column. The 2nd and 3rd rows show cells that have been treated with ASOs. The red dye is nearly all gone indicating that there is less PK-M2 and that the ASOs have worked. Image courtesy of Zhenxun Wang and Adrian Krainer. (click to enlarge)
One difference between metabolism in cancer and normal cells is the switch in cancer to the production of a different version, or isoform, of a protein produced from the pyruvate kinase-M (PK-M) gene. The protein version produced in normal cells is known as PK-M1, while the one produced by cancer cells is known as PK-M2.
PK-M2 is highly expressed in a broad range of cancer cells. It enables the cancer cell to consume far more glucose than normal, while using little of it for energy. Instead, the rest is used to make more material with which to build more cancer cells.
PK-M1 and PK-M2 are produced in a mutually exclusive manner -- one-at-a-time, from the same gene, by a mechanism known as alternative splicing. When a gene’s DNA is being copied into the messenger molecule known as mRNA, the intermediate template for making proteins, a cellular machine called the spliceosome cuts and pastes different pieces out of and into that mRNA molecule.
The non-essential parts that are edited out are known as introns, while the final protein-coding mRNA consists of a string of parts pasted together known as exons. The bit that fits into the PK-M1 gene-coding sequence is known as exon 9, while it is replaced in PK-M2 by exon 10. In this way alternative splicing provides the cell with the ability to make multiple proteins from a single gene.
Krainer, an authority on alternative splicing, previously published research
on the protein regulators that facilitate the splicing mechanism for PK-M. His team showed that expression of PK-M2 is favored in cancer cells by these proteins, which act to repress splicing for the PK-M1 isoform. In the study published today the team explains that it decided to target the splicing of PK-M using a technology called antisense, rather than target the proteins that regulate the splicing mechanism.
Using a panel of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small bits of modified DNA designed to bind to mRNA targets, they screened for new splicing regulatory elements in the PK-M gene. The idea was that one or more ASOs would bind to a region of the RNA essential for splicing in exon 10 and reveal that site by preventing splicing of exon 10 from occurring.
Indeed, this is what happened. “We found we can force cancer cells to make the normal isoform, PK-M1,” sums up Krainer. In fact, a group of potent ASOs were found that bound to a previously unknown enhancer element in exon 10, i.e., an element that predisposes for expression of the PK-M2 isoform, thus preventing its recognition by splicing-regulatory proteins. This initiated a switch that favored the PK-M1 isoform.
When they then deliberately targeted the PK-M2 isoform for repression in cells derived from a glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer, all the cells died. They succumbed through what is known as programmed cell death or apoptosis -- a process whereby the cell shuts down its own machinery and chops up its own DNA in committing a form of cellular suicide.
As to why the cells die when PK-M2 is repressed: the team found it was not due to the concomitant increase in PK-M1 (the cells survived even when extra PK-M1 was introduced). Rather, it was the loss of the PK-M2 isoform that was associated with the death of the cancer cells. How this works is still unclear but a subject of investigation in the Krainer laboratory.
The next step will be to take their ASO reagents into mouse models of cancer to see if they behave the same way there. While there are some technical and methodological obstacles to overcome, Krainer is optimistic.
“PK-M2 is preferentially expressed in cancer cells, a general feature of all types of cancer -- it’s a key switch in their metabolism,” he says. Thus targeting the alternative splicing mechanism of PK-M2 using ASOs has the potential to be a cancer therapeutic with many applications.
The paper can be obtained online at the following link: Zhenxun Wang, Hyun Yong Jeon, Frank Rigo, C. Frank Bennett and Adrian R. Krainer. 2012 Manipulation of PK-M mutually exclusive alternative splicing by antisense oligonucleotides. Open Biology 2: 120133. http://rsob.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/2/10/120133.full
The research described in this release was supported by the National Cancer Institute grant CA13106, the St. Giles Foundation, and a National Science Scholarship from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore. About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Founded in 1890, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education with programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology and quantitative biology. CSHL is ranked number one in the world by Thomson Reuters for impact of its research in molecular biology and genetics. The Laboratory has been home to eight Nobel Prize winners. Today, CSHL's multidisciplinary scientific community is more than 360 scientists strong and its Meetings & Courses program hosts more than 12,500 scientists from around the world each year to its Long Island campus and its China center. Tens of thousands more benefit from the research, reviews, and ideas published in journals and books distributed internationally by CSHL Press. The Laboratory's education arm also includes a graduate school and programs for undergraduates as well as middle and high school students and teachers. CSHL is a private, not-for-profit institution on the north shore of Long Island. For more information, visit www.cshl.edu.
Written by: Edward Brydo
n, Science Writer
| 76
|
Information for Students
Welcome to the Flint Regional Science Fair! We look forward to seeing you at the Fair in March.
Taking part in a science fair is fun, educational, and rewarding. This part of our web site provides information and links that can help you get started, conduct your research and enter the Flint Regional Science Fair.
The FASF is held every Spring. This means you should begin planning in the Fall and Winter prior to the Fair to ensure you pick a good research topic, and have plenty of time to do a good job and present a quality project.
Parents, teachers, and mentors are important helpers to identify projects, collect the resources required for your project, and track your progress. Ask your parents and your teachers for assistance. They are your best bet for one-on-one direction and support in your Science Fair experience.
Elementary Division and Junior Division projects follow simpler rules than Senior Division projects.
More Web Student Science Resources
Questions? Email firstname.lastname@example.org.
| 636
|
Games, Interactivity, and Playable Media
Games, Interactivity, and Playable Media spans offerings in visual arts, film and media, and computer science to foster technical and digital literacy in the arts. Designed for experimentation, this initiative helps students establish digital proficiency while supporting the exploration of a wide range of new media forms and technologies. Courses of study might include visual programming, artificial intelligence, gaming, robotics, experimental animation, computer arts, experimental media design, data visualization, real-time interactivity, digital signal processing, cross-platform media environments, and mobile media development. Students are encouraged to coordinate these project-based investigations of the digital throughout their studies in the humanities, including literature, philosophy, politics, sociology, theatre, and writing.
| 973
|
| ||Minding Your Mind || |
When Striving for Perfection Is a Problem
Last Reviewed by Faculty of Harvard Medical School on May 4, 2012
By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
Some people can't live with the slightest imperfection. Their need to appear or be perfect perfectionism is so intense that it's exhausting if not painful.
But striving for perfection, while accepting that perfection rarely can be achieved, can lead to growth and development and a feeling of satisfaction. It can be a powerful motivator as long as it is based on reasonable standards and expectation. For example, the desire to have a perfect golf swing or tennis stroke can enhance the pleasure you take in these pursuits, whether you are an amateur or professional.
Perfectionism is unproductive, however, when it is linked to excessively high standards and is driven by a fear of failure.
Back to top
Types of Perfectionism
Perfectionism comes in many forms:
- Obsessive concern over mistakes
- Setting excessively high personal standards
- Perceiving parents as overly critical
- Unreasonable doubts about ability to perform tasks
- An over-emphasis on organization
- Trying to live up to high expectations you're convinced other people, such as parents, have of you
- Having high expectations of other people
But whatever form it takes, perfectionism can rob you of life's pleasures.
Back to top
The Roots of Perfectionism
It may not be so easy to figure out where perfectionism comes from. For some, it is a part of their inborn temperament like perfect skin and teeth. Researchers have linked perfectionism to anxiety, depression and eating disorders. The trait of perfectionism is common among people with obsessive-compulsive disorders. Or it could be a response to having parents who expected too much from you. Maybe they never let you off the hook, even if you got 98 out of 100 on an exam.
Back to top
The Role of Indirect Aggression
What goes on outside the home is also a big factor in the development of perfectionism. For some women, perfectionism is a way to cope with indirect aggression, a term for the socially manipulative behaviors of the stereotypical "mean girls" that they may have experienced.
A recent study published in the journal Aggressive Behavior supports the idea that perfectionism may develop in a social group and suggests that indirect aggression triggers it. The "aggressor" talks behind a person's back, gives someone the "silent treatment," tells secrets, or is nice in private but rejecting in public to hide her hostility toward another.
Girls and women tend to resort to this kind of social bullying because they are not encouraged or taught how to express aggressive or competitive feelings directly. They become aggressive in ways that can be easily concealed or denied.
For the study, researchers at McMaster University asked two groups of college-age women to fill out surveys about what types of verbal abuse, physical abuse and indirect aggression they had experienced in grades 3 through 12. They also asked the women to answer questions to gauge whether they were perfectionists.
The women who recalled experiencing indirect aggression in childhood were more likely to become perfectionists by the time they reached college. Verbal and physical abuse apparently was not linked to perfectionism.
The authors acknowledge that the study asked subjects to report on old experiences and that women who are perfectionistic might be more likely to recall past events in a negative way, no matter how they were treated in reality.
Even so, the authors say that a victim of indirect aggression may without knowing it come to feel that being "perfect" is the only way to assert herself in social situations or maintain control. Thus, perfectionism becomes a way to cope with a threatening environment.
Back to top
Making Perfectionism Work for You
There is a fine line between the positive aspects of striving to be perfect and perfectionism that can be detrimental. Striving to be perfect can be very positive as long as it:
- Is realistic
- Moves you forward
- Helps you feel stronger
- Gives you the satisfaction you deserve after all that hard work.
Perfectionism becomes a problem when it makes you feel worse instead of better, or when your inability to be satisfied unless you are perfect realizing that it will always be out of reach causes suffering.
You can make perfectionism work for you. Here's how:
- Look at and change unrealistic and self-destructive thought patterns with cognitive behavior therapy.
- Understand how you became perfectionistic and ease up on unwarranted self-criticism. Psychodynamic therapy can help you do this.
- If you do have one of the underlying disorders linked to perfectionism (obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety or depression), then a medication or psychotherapy may help by targeting the pressure coming from that source.
Consult a mental health professional as a first step. The goal is to let go of the excessively high standards and find ways to cope with fears of failure. At the same time, you want to hold on to the positive force of striving for perfection.
Back to top
Howard LeWine, M.D. is chief editor of Internet Publishing, Harvard Health Publications. He is a clinical instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. LeWine has been a primary care internist and teacher of internal medicine since 1978.
| 938
|
Residual Data is data that is unintentionally left behind on computer media. In forensic usage, remnant data is typically left behind after attempts have been made to delete the data, after the data has been forgotten, or after the media on which the data resides has been decomissioned.
Residual data appears at all levels of modern computer systems:
- Computer systems that are discarded.
- Partitions in hard drives that are deleted.
- Files on hard drives that are deleted but not overwritten.
- Snippets of text in Microsoft Word files.
- Heap variables that are freed with free()
- Automatic variables left on the stack of languages like C or garbage collected in languages like Java.
Byers, Simon. Scalable Exploitation of, and Responses to Information Leakage Through Hidden Data in Published Documents, AT&T Research, April 2003
Chow, J., B. Pfaff, T. Garfinkel, K. Christopher, M. Rosenblum, Understanding Data Lifetime via Whole System Simulation, Proceedings of the 13th USENIX Security Symposium, 2004.
Garfinkel, S. and Shelat, A., "Remembrance of Data Passed: A Study of Disk Sanitization Practices," IEEE Security and Privacy, January/February 2003.
| 899
|
Crew: Filipchenko, Grechko. Soyuz s/n 18 would have been the active spacecraft of the first dual-spacecraft test of the Kontakt docking system. A crew transfer using the Krechet spacesuit would presumably have taken place. Backup crew: Lazarev, Makarov.
Soyuz s/n 18 would have been the active spacecraft of the first dual-spacecraft test of the Kontakt docking system. A crew transfer using the Krechet spacesuit would presumably have taken place.
By December 1970, there were four crews in training for two pairs of Soyuz spacecraft to be launched to test the Kontakt lunar rendezvous/docking system. During the Salyut 1 mission, in June 1971, six crews were identified and assigned to specific Soyuz spacecraft serial numbers for these tests. These would have been launched in three pairs beginning in early 1972, depending on the schedule for the DOS-2 station. In the event, the death of the Soyuz 11 crew, and subsequent redesign of the Soyuz spacecraft, led to these Kontakt missions being cancelled and the whole Kontakt test series being reformulated with new crew members in early 1973. Soyuz Kontakt 1 would have been the active spacecraft of the first mission.
AKA: Soyuz s/n 18.
More... - Chronology...
First Launch: 1972 Early.
Lazarev Lazarev, Vasili Grigoryevich (1928-1990) Russian physician cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 12, Soyuz 18-1. Survived first manned spaceflight abort during launch. More...
Filipchenko Filipchenko, Anatoli Vassilyevich (1928-) Russian pilot cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 7, Soyuz 16. More...
Grechko Grechko, Georgi Mikhailovich (1931-) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 17, Salyut 6 EO-1, Salyut 7 EP-5. More...
Makarov Makarov, Oleg Grigoryevich (1933-2003) Russian engineer cosmonaut. Flew on Soyuz 12, Soyuz 18-1, Salyut 6 EP-1, Salyut 6 EO-5. Survived first manned spaceflight abort during launch. More...
Lunar L3 The Soviet program to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth. More...
Soyuz sn 18 Chronology
1971 June 15 -
- Soyuz Kontakt and DOS-2 crew assignments made. - .
Nation: USSR. Related Persons: Filipchenko; Grechko; Lazarev; Makarov; Vorobyov; Yazdovsky; Yakovlev; Porvatkin; Kovalyonok; Isakov; Shcheglov; Leonov; Rukavishnikov; Kolodin; Gubarev; Sevastyanov; Voronov; Klimuk; Artyukhin; Bykovsky; Alekseyev, Semyon; Gorbatko. Program: Salyut; Lunar L3. Flight: Soyuz 11; Soyuz 12 / DOS 1; Soyuz sn 18; Soyuz sn 19; Soyuz sn 20; Soyuz sn 21; Soyuz sn 22; Soyuz sn 23; DOS 2-1; DOS 2-2; DOS 2-3; DOS 2-4. Spacecraft: Soyuz Kontakt; Salyut 1. Crews are formed for six Soyuz (Kontakt?) flights. Soyuz s/n 18 - Filipchenko and Grechko; Soyuz s/n 19 - Lazarev and Makarov; Soyuz s/n 20 - Vorobyov and Yazdovsky; Soyuz s/n 21 - Yakovlelv and Porvatkin; Soyuz s/n 22 - Kovalyonok and Isakov; Soyuz s/n 23 - Shcheglov and [illegible]. Five crews are training for Salyut flights: Crew 1, Leonov, Rukavishnikov, and Kolodin; Crew 2, Gubarev, Sevastyanov, and Voronov. TsKBEM engineer cosmonauts are to be selected will round out the last three crews, but VVS members will be: Crew 3, Klimuk, Artyukhin; Crew 4, Bykovskyy, Alekseyev; Crew 5, Gorbatko. Leonov and Gubarev will have their crews fully ready for Soyuz 12 by 30 June, for a launch date between 15-20 July. Leonov is asking to go to East Germany for two to three days in the first week of July. Kamanin is fully opposed to this - he is thinkng not of his upcoming flight, but the exhibition of his paintings at the Prezdensk Gallery!
1972 Early -
- Soyuz sn 18 (cancelled) - .
Crew: Filipchenko; Grechko. Nation: USSR. Related Persons: Filipchenko; Grechko. Program: Lunar L3. Flight: Soyuz sn 18. Spacecraft: Soyuz Kontakt. Summary: Soyuz s/n 18 would have been the active spacecraft of the first dual launch to test the Kontakt lunar orbit rendezvous system. A crew transfer using the Krechet spacesuit would presumably have taken place..
Home - Browse - Contact
© / Conditions for Use
| 280
|
new zealand curriculum
The New Zealand Curriculum is
built around the acquisition of essential academic and practical
skills. It identifies 7 academic or essential
These are balanced by 8 practical
or essential skills:
- Language and languages
- Social sciences
- The arts
- Health & physical
- Communication skills
- Numeracy skills
- Information skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Self-management and
- Social and co-operative
- Physical skills
- Work and study skills
Each term, most schools prepare
student Progress Reports and hold parent-teacher evenings.
Subjects Taught At New Zealand Schools
The following is a general list of subjects taught in
New Zealand schools. Not all schools offer all the subjects
listed and others may offer additional disciplines. Some subjects
||Agriculture & Horticulture |
||Business Studies |
||Classical Studies |
||Media Studies |
||Physical Education |
||Social Studies |
||Graphics & Design |
||Clothing & Design
The school year begins in late January or early
February, after a summer holiday of about 6 weeks, and ends in
December. It is divided into 4 terms with breaks of two to three
weeks between them.
Secondary school students have slightly longer holidays
then primary school students.
Check with your local New Zealand school for actual term dates,
however the terms usually run as follows:
Term 1 - End of January to early April
Term 2 - Late April to end of June
Term 3 - Mid July to late September
Term 4 - Mid October to mid December (or early December for
New Zealand’s qualifications system is changing from traditional examination based awards to standards based qualifications. In 2002, level 1 of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) replaced School Certificate. The NCEA will replace Sixth Form Certificate in 2003 and University Bursaries in 2004.
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) is New Zealand's main national qualification for secondary school students and part of the National Qualifications Framework.
The Qualifications Framework covers industry and education qualifications from year 11 (formerly Form 5) of secondary schooling and entry level to vocations, through to post-graduate level.
All qualifications currently on the Framework are made up of national standards. A standard describes what a learner should aim to achieve in a skill or knowledge area. Standards are set by written criteria along with a national moderation system. Learners who meet all requirements get credit for that standard; those who don't may be reassessed when they are ready.
Each standard is at a level from 1 to 8. Level 1 is similar to School Certificate level; level 2 to Sixth Form Certificate; levels 3 and 4 are similar to University Bursaries. Each standard also has a credit rating.
Schools can also use many standards from beyond the school curriculum. Any number or combination of standards may be assessed within a course, so schools can develop courses to suit their students.
Students accumulate Framework credits towards National Certificates and National Diplomas. As well as being able to work towards a range of National Certificates, eg, National Certificate in Computing, from 2002 school students will work towards a general qualification, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). Students can start on Framework qualifications at school and carry on in the workplace or tertiary studies.
NCEA provides the pathway to tertiary education and workplace training and gives everyone a full picture of what students know and can do.
- Challenges students of all abilities, in all learning areas
- Reports more details about a student's achievement
- Is officially recognised in New Zealand and internationally
- Is recognised by employers, universities and polytechnics and used as the benchmark for selection
- Provides opportunities to begin studying for tertiary and industry qualifications * Enables students to gain credits from traditional school curriculum areas AND alternative school curriculum programmes
- Has exams as well as internal assessment
- Has a national system for checking internal assessments
- Shows credits and grades for separate skills and knowledge in some standards
The National Qualifications Framework contains two types of national standards: achievement standards and unit standards. Credits from all achievement standards and all unit standards count towards NCEA.
Choosing A School
Most New Zealand students attend state-funded schools
and every student has the right to enrol at the state school
nearest to their home. If the school is at risk of overcrowding,
it can set a home zone that is geographically
defined. Students living in this zone have the right to go to
that school. Those living outside the zone can be enrolled only
under special circumstances. These include situations where
students have brothers or sisters attending the school or require
access to special programmes such as special education or Maori
language. If the school is still at risk of over-crowding,
selection is made through a supervised ballot.
ERO reports are available at no charge from New Zealand schools
and ERO offices.
Families also have the right to visit schools and meet with the
principal and staff before deciding to enrol their children as
State schools are fully funded by the Government. At
primary and intermediate level they are co-educational with
classes that include both boys and girls. Both co-educational and
single-sex schooling is available at secondary level.
State schools do not charge fees, however parents are expected to
make donations towards the support of special programmes or
services. These are also charges for stationery and uniforms.
Meals are not provided but snacks can generally be purchased from
the school Tuck Shop, but many parents prefer to
provide a packed lunch.
The term integrated schools generally refers
to schools with a religious focus - usually Roman Catholic
in denomination that used to operate as private institutions. In
recent years, these schools have been integrated into the state
system, hence the name, integrated schools, and receive
government funding. Although they follow the state curriculum
requirements, all have retained their special religious or
philosophical character. A small number of institutions, such as
Montessori or Rudolf Steiner schools, are secular in character.
Private or independent schools receive only limited
government funding and are almost entirely dependent on income
derived from student fees. There are no standard fees as each
school determines its own fee scale. Fees also vary according to
levels, with fees in Years 12 and 13 usually significantly higher
than those charged in Years 9 and 10.
Fees at primary schools also vary according to level, although
these are generally much lower than secondary school fees.
Private schools are governed by their own independent boards but
must meet government standards in order to be registered and they
are also subject to the same ERO audits as state schools.
Boarding schools exist mainly at secondary school level.
Currently 78 state and integrated schools and 24 private schools
have boarding arrangements.
The Correspondence School teaches a full range of school
Home-based schooling must meet the same standards as
registered schools, and approval to exempt the student from
regular schooling must be obtained from the Ministry of
A small annual grant is available for teaching materials.
Home schooling accounts for less than 1% of school enrolments.
Most schools require students to wear a uniform at all
times unless the school has an optional uniform policy. School
uniforms are sold by most major department stores and some
schools also operate their own Uniform Shops and sell both new
and second-hand items.
Teachers are not allowed to physically punish students
in their care. Legal disciplinary methods include removal of
privileges, extra homework or detention. Parents or guardians are
advised in advance if a child is given detention, as this will
require the child to stay at school for a specified time after
the end of the standard school day.
For serious offences, students may be suspended from school for a
period of time and if they are over 16 years of age, they can be
expelled permanently. Expulsion generally occurs when a
students conduct either sets a dangerous example to other
students or threatens their safety. There are formal procedures
for suspending or expelling a student.
Most secondary and primary schools expect students to do
homework. Each school has its own rules on the amount and type of
Parents or guardians are responsible for ensuring that a
child can get to school. Each year about 100,000 children use
school buses. Although school bus services are contracted by the
Ministry of Education, students are expected to meet the costs of
If a child has to travel a long distance to school, and there is
no public transport or school bus service, financial assistance
can be provided. Financial assistance and/or bus and taxi
services are provided for special education students.
If you plan to change schools, the principal of your
childs current school should be informed as soon as
Transfer involving a change in the level of schooling, such as
from primary to intermediate or intermediate to secondary,
require additional documentation. Details of application
procedures are provided by the school the student plans to
transfer to. Most intermediate and secondary schools have open
| 883
|
Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. is about to replace all residential gas and electric meters with smart meters, saying the meters manage consumers' energy usage better, and in time, save money.
Some customers are questioning whether the new technology would be bad for your health.
Smart meters basically reads itself then sends the energy usage reading wirelessly to BGE. The utility company has touted the benefits to customers, eventually saving customers money.
"You are going to be able to actually go onto your computer, you are going to be able to see in near real time -- 24 hours, roughly -- your energy usage," BGE spokesman Rob Gould said.
But not everyone is looking forward to smart meter technology, including Junghie Elky, who said she suffers from something called electromaganetic sensitivity, and believes radio frequencies make her sick.
"I'm a little bit nervous about that, a bit worried about the health effects," Elky said. "At my worst, I was so sensitive, I could not touch things with electricity without feeling pain. I couldn't watch TV because the radiation from the screen would make me dizzy."
Elky said she would experience headaches, fatigue and ear aches that forced her to take a leave of absence from work.
Magda Havas, an associate professor of environmental and resource studies at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, has studied electromagnetic sensitivity for decades. She said 3 to 5 percent of the population suffer severe symptoms, and up to a third of the population have mild to moderate symptoms.
"There are so many sources of radiation, so smart meters are just one additional source," Havas said. "We have a lot of it in our home. We live near cell phone antennas and they all emit radio frequency. What seems to happen is once the smart meters go in, people seem to be fine, and then a few of them become quite ill."
| 761
|
Cougar sightings in Louisiana not that long ago were considered figments of the imagination of spooked hunters, hikers and others in the outdoors.
A citizen sent LDWF a trail camera picture taken Aug. 13, 2011. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and biologist Brandon Wear conducted a site investigation that confirmed the authenticity of the photograph.
“It is quite possible for this animal to be captured on other trail cameras placed at deer bait sites,” Davidson said. “Deer are the primary prey item for cougars; therefore, they are drawn to areas where deer congregate.”
It is unlikely this cougar will remain in any one area longer than it would take to consume a kill. Cougars do not prefer to eat spoiled meat and will move on as soon as the Louisiana heat and humidity take its toll on the kill.
“It is impossible to determine if the animal in the photograph is a wild, free-ranging cougar, or an escaped captive,” Davidson added. “Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held ‘pets’ in the state.”
LDWF has documented several occurrences since 2002. The first cougar sighting was in 2002 by an employee at Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.
Three trail camera photos were taken of a cougar in Winn, Vernon and Allen parishes in 2008. Subsequently on Nov. 30, 2008, a cougar was shot and killed in a neighborhood by Bossier City Police Department.
The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey. The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although LDWF receives numerous calls about black panthers, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.
The vast majority of these reports received by LDWF cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. Many of the calls are determined to be cases of mistaken identity, with dog tracks making up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.
The significant lack of physical evidence indicates that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills.
The recent sightings of cougars in Louisiana are believed to be young animals dispersing from existing populations. An expanding population in Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.
Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call the Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.
| 319
|
Mars is a cold desert world. It is half the diameter of Earth and has the same amount of dry land. Like Earth, Mars has seasons, polar ice caps, volcanoes, canyons and weather, but its atmosphere is too thin for liquid water to exist for long on the surface. There are signs of ancient floods on Mars, but evidence for water now exists mainly in icy soil and thin clouds.
Featured Mission: Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity
Curiosity, a robotic rover about the size of a small SUV, is designed to find whether the Red Planet ever was -- or is still today -- an environment suitable for life. The rover landed on Mars in August 2012.
Read More About Mars
| 549
|
a programme established by the US government in 1947 to give economic help to Europe after World War II. It was named after George C. Marshall, who was the US Secretary of State. Thousands of millions of dollars were provided for rebuilding cities, roads, industries etc
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.
| 174
|
- science (n.)
- c.1300, "knowledge (of something) acquired by study," also "a particular branch of knowledge," from Old French science, from Latin scientia "knowledge," from sciens (genitive scientis), present participle of scire "to know," probably originally "to separate one thing from another, to distinguish," related to scindere "to cut, divide," from PIE root *skei- (cf. Greek skhizein "to split, rend, cleave," Gothic skaidan, Old English sceadan "to divide, separate;" see shed (v.)).
Science, since people must do it, is a socially embedded activity. It progresses by hunch, vision, and intuition. Much of its change through time does not record a closer approach to absolute truth, but the alteration of cultural contexts that influence it so strongly. Facts are not pure and unsullied bits of information; culture also influences what we see and how we see it. Theories, moreover, are not inexorable inductions from facts. The most creative theories are often imaginative visions imposed upon facts; the source of imagination is also strongly cultural. [Stephen Jay Gould, introduction to "The Mismeasure of Man," 1981]
Modern sense of "non-arts studies" is attested from 1670s. The distinction is commonly understood as between theoretical truth (Greek episteme) and methods for effecting practical results (tekhne), but science sometimes is used for practical applications and art for applications of skill. Main modern (restricted) sense of "body of regular or methodical observations or propositions ... concerning any subject or speculation" is attested from 1725; in 17c.-18c. this concept commonly was called philosophy. To blind (someone) with science "confuse by the use of big words or complex explanations" is attested from 1937, originally noted as a phrase from Australia and New Zealand.
| 371
|
Docs On Call: Blogs
Multiple Sclerosis in Children
Story Updated: Feb 1, 2013
A new study suggests obese girls may be at increased risk for multiple sclerosis.
Researchers in California identified 75 children, aged 2 to 18, who had been diagnosed with MS. Records of body mass index before symptoms appeared were also accessed.
The children with MS were then compared to more than 900-thousand children without the disease.
All were grouped by weight - normal, overweight, moderately obese or extremely obese.
Nearly 51-percent of the children with MS were overweight or obese, compared to 37-percent of the children who did not have MS.
The risk of developing MS was more than 1-and-half times higher for overweight girls compared to normal weight girls nearly 1-point-8 times higher in moderately obese girls- and nearly four times higher in extremely obese girls.
The same association was not found in boys.
Once considered rare in children, multiple sclerosis
has become more common, especially in teenage girls. Researchers say an increase in childhood obesity may be one cause.
I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with the news doctors are reading health news for healthier living.
| 527
|
This is the second book wrote by Lee Lehman and presents in a very detailed manner the astrological dignities. It was published in 1989 by Whitford Press.
In Chapter 1 - Two Unsung Revolutions in Astrology the author explains how the Copernican Revolution changed the way astrologers understand dignities. At page 18 one can find a table with traditional and modern essential dignities.
Chapter 2 - Using Traditional Rulerships
Here you'll find many practical examples of charts analyzed using traditional dignities. There are presented five countries (Confederate States of America, Italy, Iran, Switzerland, USSR), five corporations (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, Pepsi), five individuals (Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, Doyle Arthur, Niccolo Machiavelli, Mark Twain) and one horary chart.
Of course, it is always nice to see how the theory applies in practice, but I was expecting from these examples to emphasize the different results which appears when analyzing the charts with traditional and modern dignities. Unfortunately, this is not happening, the charts are analyzed using only traditional dignities.
In Chapter 3 - The Origin of Rulerships: A Botanical Interlude you can find out which planer or sign rules every planet. You'll see that onion is ruled by Mars, beans by Venus, holly by Saturn etc. Also, there is a table with the medicinal uses of Jupiter- ruled plants. I didn't test these, but it may be helpful.
Chapter 4 - Modern “Rulerships”: Do They Work?
The author is trying to prove that modern rulerships aren't working well and to find arguments. She points out that:
“when modern astrologers discuss the modern rulerships the criterion appears to be: Which body (planet, asteroid or comet) has qualities which most resembles the sign in question?”
So, modern rulerships are assigned counting if a planet qualities are similar with the sign qualities and not looking at the planet strength in a sign. See another quotation:
“We haven't any evidence that the ancients thought that Pisces and Jupiter were synonymous. It was a question of the strength of Jupiter in Pisces, not the similarity of Jupiter and Pisces.”
Now, I think the idea is pretty clear. I must say that I totally agree with this point of view.
Then the charts of Marie Curie, Jeddu Krishnamurti, Adolf Hitler and Death of Dracula are analyzed. This time, Lee Lehman makes an analogy between the charts interpretations with modern and traditional rulerships. The results are pretty good and the lecture enjoyable.
Only one problem, from my point of view. It is analyzed the chart “Death of Dracula”, where Lee writes things like: “I have been fascinated by charts of people who are, so to speak, energy sucks”, “Scorpio Sun (life of the vampire)”, etc. Hei, I am from Romania and I tell you there is no vampire. Dracula is just a myth assigned to a Romanian prince, Vlad III of Wallachia. It is true that he was cruel and liked to kill people by impaling them on a sharp pole, but everything else is imagination.
Chapter 5 – The Meaning of Each of the Essential Dignities
In this chapter you'll find some general characteristics for the five essential dignities: ruler, exaltation, triplicity, term and face. At page 127 is a table with key words associated with these dignities. Starting from these key words Lee Lehman gives many descriptive explanations for dignities, but it just seems to much! There are the same things explained over and over again, it seemed pretty boring to me.
In Chapter 6 – A Statistical Interlude the author is trying to determine the influence of terms (both Chaldean and Egyptian) making a few tests. She selected a number of charts from different categories (suicide, scientist, sport champions) and counted the terms for each planet.
In the final, we can see that the planet that rules the category (for example, Mars for sport champions) obtained more points that usually, on a normal pattern. Even the results apparently validates the importance of terms I won't give to much credit to such a test. Why? Because I don't see terms so important to determine a person belong to a category or another. For example, more points in the term of Saturn won't drive you to suicide because can be many other (not even major) aspects that can change this influence.
Probably, I just don't believe terms are so important an if Lee Lehman is making those test it is clear that she also has doubts.
Chapter 7 – Detriment, Falls and Peregrines means several pages where you can find short descriptions for every planet detriment and fall.
In Chapter 8 – Conclusions there are the final words.
MY EVALUATION: 6
Conclusion. If I would have to say quickly, at my first impression, some words about this book I think would be: “too much noise for nothing”. But, then, if you think for a moment you realize that you can't say “for nothing” because dignities are a very important part in astrology and one could write a whole interesting book about this subject.
So, back to my reasoning, why this impression? Why “too much noise for nothing?”. Maybe, because this book presents shortly the five dignities associated with some main characteristics, ideas repeated in different chapters, but the rest of the book is somewhat near the subject.
You can read about history, botany, statistics, all connected with dignities, but the book doesn't seem to touch the essential points. It is a surface play. It doesn't have those clear, rational statements that gives you a better understanding of the subject.
If a medium astrologer reads this book I don't think will have much to learn and to integrate in his astrological system. Maybe I am a little too harsh, but it is my purpose here to criticize and to present a clear point of view about the astrological books I read. My evaluation is 6.
| 210
|
Intellectual knowledge appears to be innate and privy to the few, but in fact, access to information, development of intellectual work skills, time investment, and the maintenance of intellectual appearances are key to being perceived as an intellectual.
To make education more equitable, professors must go beyond knowledge transmission and instruct students in the concrete skills of knowledge acquisition and knowledge presentation. Instruction in intellectual skills-acquisition implies the breakdown of the traditional professor-student relationship and of the academic intellectual hierarchy and professors must learn to cope with the consequences of adopting new pedagogies. If we wish to share the secrets of our professions, how do we prepare our students for such a democratic approach and at the same time maintain our professional status?
The author, a professor of Spanish language and literature, presents strategies for democratizing education and demystifying intellectual work through the application of skills-based pedagogical methodologies to the teaching of literature. The implications that these strategies have for a new type of learning and the impact that they have on social stratification will also be discussed.
|Keywords:||Democratizing Education, Demystifying Intellectual Work, Knowledge Acquisition Skills, Interpretative Skills, Teaching Literature, Skills Based Teaching|
Assistant Professor of Spanish, Department of Literature and Languages, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
There are currently no reviews of this product.Write a Review
| 235
|
Alternative Instruction Program
The Alternative Instruction Program (AIP) provides an appropriate educational setting for students with diagnosed learning disabilities and/or attention disorders. While the standard-sized classroom works well for many students, the learning needs of some are better met in a small group environment providing more frequent interaction and closer supervision.
For admission into the AIP, the student must have a recent or updated diagnosis of a learning disability and/or attention disorder. Other data will also be taken into consideration as part of the admissions process such as standardized test scores, academic ability, observations, input from classroom teachers, work samples, and emotional or behavioral factors. Student progress in AIP is assessed regularly to ensure that enrollment in the program adequately meets the student’s educational needs.
| 101
|
|Paradise in Peril: Chilkoot's Brown Bears|
by Lincoln Larson
March 10, 2004
: The Chilkoot Brown Bear Project
I uttered the habitual salutation as I began the trek down from my isolated research cabin to the banks of Southeast Alaskaís Chilkoot River. Although I saw no evidence of recent bear activity through the light of my headlamp, I had no intention of startling a 700-pound sow with cubs in the predawn of that cold, rainy September day. At 5:00 AM, I was the only human being walking along the river.
As I approached my observation post, I heard splashing nearby. Straining my eyes in the darkness, I struggled to find the source of the commotion. Through my binoculars, I could just a make out the silhouette of a subadult grizzly devouring salmon carcasses on the riverís far bank, 60 meters away. At that distance, I was in no danger. Suddenly I froze. A large, dark form shot into my field of view, no more than 10 meters away. Even in the dark, I immediately recognized the shape of a large female brown bear. As I slowly and quietly backed away, two cubs ran up the bank and onto the road where I was standing. I managed to move behind the trunk of a spruce tree. My trembling fingers clutched the cannister of bear spray fastened to my beltóa last resort in case of a grizzly charge. The bears were obviously aware of my presence, but upwind, and in the dark, they were unable to locate my exact position. After over a minute of intense sniffing and scanning, the large sow eventually decided to saunter off downriver. The cubs bounded off behind her, and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I had emerged unscathed and transformed after my closest grizzly encounter while working on the Chilkoot Brown Bear Project.
Chilkoot Study Area
Inquisitive Subadult Bear
: Studying the Chilkoot Bears
The Chilkoot River flows about one mile out of Chilkoot Lake and into Lutak Sound, 10 miles north of Haines, Alaska. Every year, four different species of salmon (pink, sockeye, chum and coho) return to the river to spawn. The largest run occurs in September, when over 100,000 pinks and sockeyes (see note below) enter the icy waters to breed. The abundance of salmon attracts many predators to the Chilkoot each fall, including bald eagles and grizzly bears. Hundreds of fishermen and tourists also follow the salmon upstream to capitalize on the extraordinary angling and wildlife-viewing opportunities. This unique situation, a wild Alaskan River with easy road access, raises multiple conservation issues centered on the preservation of Chilkootís grizzly bears.
Taking advantage of the ideal setting, the Brown Bear Project focuses on bear foraging ecology and habitat use patterns in relation to the riverís human activity. For two months beginning in mid-August, the research team observed and recorded bear and human behavior along the river corridor. We were stationed at designated points along the river for three-hour shifts at sunrise and sunset (mixed with the occasional midday observation). Though spectators avoided the river on cold, rainy days, adverse weather conditions did not deter the bears or the researchers. We logged many hours huddled in freezing rain, inspired by the rapture of field biology and our majestic surroundings. The observation posts were concealed and did not obstruct bear access routes to the river. As a result, both tourists and bruins were rarely aware of our presence. Using video cameras, binoculars, and tape recorders, we documented human and bear activity throughout the three-hour periods.
From August to October, we viewed 16 different bears (not counting cubs) foraging along the Chilkoot River. Each of these bears was either an adult female (some with litters of up to four cubs) or a subadult (age 2-3 years). The large males presumably stayed deeper in the mountains, farther from the threats posed by hunters and civilization.
During the project, I became very familiar with all the individual bears and their idiosyncrasies. The grizzlies displayed a variety of different fishing techniques. While many of the subadults ran, jumped, and futilely flailed at fish in the swiftly moving water, the older bears had clearly refined their skills. One mother preferred snorkeling for salmon, another opted to wait patiently before plunging on unfortunate passersby, and another had mastered a herding technique, chasing fish into pools with no outlets. The cubs enthusiastically attempted to imitate their mothersí tactics, but experienced little success. They often left the water and frolicked on the riverbanks, anxiously awaiting the delivery of their next meal.
As the season progressed, the bears began to consume fish carcasses at a higher rate. Live fish offer a richer energy content but, with hibernation looming, bears desperate to pack on the pounds seemed to prefer quantity instead of quality. Individual bears developed certain routines that made their spatial and temporal habitat use patterns very predictable. One adult female emerged from the same spot in the forest at exactly the same time (virtually down to the minute) for five consecutive days, constantly fishing the same segment of the river. With many bears in a relatively small area (up to seven bears were sometimes visible along a 100 meter stretch of river), confrontations and chases between grizzlies unwilling to share fishing spots often occurred. Sows with cubs dominated the riverís feeding hierarchy, and smaller subadults were frequently forced to retreat. All the bears faced one common obstacle, however: human disturbances.
NOTE: Fish counts are conducted at the Weir, a man-made structure composed of a series of closely-spaced bars designed to block fish movement upstream while permitting the free flow of water. A few bars are lifted several times a day, creating a small opening through which fish can pass. Fish & Game Officials count the salmon as they swim by. After spawning, the salmon die and their bodies float downstream. Bears often congregate at the Weir early in the morning to pick the fish carcasses off the bars.
Fishing Along the Chilkoot
Subadult Feeding on Carcasses
: The Impacts of Human Activity
Evidence indicates that human activity greatly influences brown bear activity. Bears were most active in the extreme early morning and late evening, corresponding to the minimum in angler and vehicle densities. Bears in more remote locations, such as Alaskaís Katmai National Park, prefer to fish during the daylight hours when live fish capture rates are much higher. The Chilkoot grizzlies, however, choose to forage in the dark to eliminate human disturbances. With humans in the vicinity, the bears experienced decreased fishing success and often resorted to eating fish carcasses while maintaining constant vigilance. In some instances, vehicle traffic along the road was so heavy that bears were denied access to the river.
Sows with cubs generally showed less tolerance for humans, possibly due to the recent shootings of several young bears that some members of the local community perceived as threats. In most cases, these cubs discovered garbage that had not been properly disposed, and they began to associate humans with food. Food-conditioned bears are reluctant to exploit the valuable salmon resource of the river, electing to scavenge trash cans and fishermenís coolers in search of an easier meal. As people from around the world flock to the Chilkoot River each fall to witness the amazing bear-feeding spectacle, the number and intensity of bear-human interactions will continue to grow. Men and bears are capable of coexistence, but the volatile situation along the Chilkoot demonstrates that proper management techniques are necessary to ensure a relationship beneficial to both species. We must give the animals some space in order to encourage and appreciate their natural behavior.
As my experience with the Chilkoot brown bears confirms, the common perception of grizzlies as menacing monsters and man-killers is completely unwarranted. While the bears certainly offer an imposing, commanding presence, they are generally benign, intelligent creatures that should be revered, not feared. The Chilkoot River System provides an excellent case study for wildlife management techniques around Alaskaís salmon streams. If we can understand the effects of human habitat use and recreation in this river ecosystem, we can begin to develop strategies for protecting bears in other areas.
Special thanks to Lori and Anthony Crupi, founder and
director of the Chilkoot Brown Bear Project.
About the author:
Lincoln Larson is a recent graduate of Duke University (Durham,
North Carolina) and an aspiring field biologist.
| 986
|
As a developmental pathway towards autonomy and dexterity in robot in-hand manipulation, HANDLE is a Large Scale IP project coordinated by the university Pierre and Marie Curie of Paris and include a consortium formed by nine partners from six EU countries: France, UK, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Germany.
The TACO project aims at enhancing the abilities of service robots by improving the sensing system with real 3D foveation properties and to increase their ability to interact with their natural environment in a more natural and human-like way.
The PV-Servitor project focuses on concepts for a fully autonomous cleaning robot for ground mounted large scale photovoltaic power plants consisting of 100 kW and over.
STIFF-FLOP is researching how to take some of the new capabilities in soft robotics and apply them to the development of tools for endoscopic surgery. This project takes inspiration from octopus tentacles for the design of flexible soft robots.
DEXDEB is researching meat deboning. Taking apart an animal carcass to produce high-quality pieces of meat is a skilled but unpleasant and dangerous task. In DEXDEB we are looking at two designs of robotic hand and using them as the “left hand” that pulls at the meat, while a human operator slices the meat with a knife held in their right hand. This will provide DEXDEB with a baseline for doing more complex human-robot interaction work later.
HYFLAM is investigating the role of robotics in biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratories. Working with a UK Government lab and Hamburg University, HYFLAM is looking at a range of skilled tasks and investigating whether a robotic hand can perform them, and how well it performs them when working with software like that developed in HANDLE. This could lead to a new generation of robotic systems for hazardous lab work.
| 902
|
OAKLAND OUTDOORS: Oakland County residents can visit the ‘Arctic Circle’ right in Royal Oak
The date of the winter solstice on Dec. 21 draws near.
What better time than now to plan an adventuresome trek into the Arctic — a journey to the cryosphere, a land of ice, snow and frozen sea water. The Arctic is a landscape of mountains, fjords, tundra and beautiful glaciers that spawn crystal-colored icebergs. It is the land of Inuit hunters, polar bears and seals and is rich with mysteries that science is still working to unravel. Those wishing to reach the Arctic must travel north of the Arctic Circle.
And just where is the Arctic Circle?
The climatologists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center define the Arctic Circle as the imaginary line that marks the latitude at which the sun does not set on the day of the summer solstice and fails to rise on the day of the winter solstice, a day that is just around the corner. Arctic researchers describe the circle as the northern limit of tree growth. The circle is also defined as the 10 Degree Celsius Isotherm, the zone at which the average daily summer temperature fails to rise above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Polar bears are hungry in this foreboding landscape where the mercury can plunge quickly to 60 degrees below zero and winds are ferocious.
Perhaps it is time to stop reading my words, bundle up the kids and hike into the Arctic. Why not today! Children will almost certainly see seals just yards away and, if the timing is right, go nose to nose with a mighty polar bear that may swim their way and give a glance that could be interpreted as a one-word question: “Tasty?”
And here is the rest of the story, a special trail tale that takes visitors to a one-of-a-kind place.
I am amazed at how many residents of Oakland County have yet to hike through an acrylic tunnel known as the Polar Passage — a public portal to the watery world beneath the land above the Arctic Circle.
The 70-foot long tunnel is the highlight of a 4.2-acre living exhibit at the Detroit Zoo, the Arctic Ring of Life. And a hike through that exhibit and underwater viewing tunnel brings encounters with three polar bears, a gray seal, two harbor seals, one harp seal and three arctic fox.
A visit to the Arctic Ring of Life is more than a fun hike. It opens our eyes to the life of the Inuit people and introduces visitors to a fragile world in danger from events that can no longer be denied — climate change, global warming and rising sea waters. Continued...
Upon entering the park, check a map for the location. It’s easy to find and is rich with historical, cultural and natural information of the Inuit, the Arctic people. Before Europeans arrived, they had never even heard the word, “Eskimo.” The arrival of Europeans in the early 1800s was not good news for the pale-skinned strangers. They carried foreign diseases, and missionaries followed that sadly enticed the trusting Intuits to give up their own religion and become Christians. The native people were encouraged, and sometimes forced, to abandon their traditional lifestyles and live in the village. The jury may still be out, but some historians claimed that the Inuit were eager to embrace the new ways to forgo the harsh reality of nomadic life. Today, the Arctic Ring of Life’s Nunavut Gallery gives visitors a glimpse of a disappearing culture torn between the old and the new, but still rich with tradition, folk art, spirituality and creativity.
The Inuit once existed almost exclusively on meat and fat with only limited availability of seasonal plants. The Inuits hunted for survival and considered it disrespectful to hunt for sport. And as I dug deeper into their history to prepare for my tunnel trek, I discovered that metal for their early tools were chipped flake by flake from large meteorites and then pounded into tools like harpoon points.
The fascinating relationship between the Inuit, their environment and creatures that dwell above the Arctic Circle is more deeply understood when visitors trek through the highlight of the exhibit, the polar passage tunnel. A polar bear on a tundra hill, built high to afford the bears a wide range of smells, may be sniffing the air for zoo visitors.
The tunnel has acrylic walls four inches thick, is 12 feet wide, eight feet high and offers great views when a seal or polar bear swims. About 294,000 gallons of saltwater surround visitors.
Some wonder why the polar bears do not eat the seals. They can’t. A Lexan wall separates the species.
Be sure to take the time to explore the Exploration Station of the Arctic Ring of Life. It contains many of the accoutrements of a working research station complete with telemetry equipment, computers and displays of snowshoes and parkas from the arctic. Portholes provide views of the seals and bears.
Visitors may want to do what I did — enter through the tunnel a second time and then read all the well placed interpretive signs above ground. Stories of the hunters and the hunted await and include myth-busting facts on mass suicides of lemmings that have been alleged to jump off cliffs into the sea. And be sure to let a child put his or her foot in the imprint of the polar bear track on the pathway. And, of course, save time to hike the rest of the zoo. Cold weather is a perfect time to explore minus the summer crowds.
Jonathan Schechter’s column appears on Sundays. Look for his Earth’s Almanac blog at www.earthsalmanac.blogspot.com Twitter: OaklandNature E-mail:email@example.com.
For more information about the Detroit Zoo’s hours, exhibits and special events, visit detroitzoo.org. The zoo is located at 8450 West 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak. No additional fee to visit Arctic Ring of Life.
See wrong or incorrect information in a story. Tell us here
Location, ST | website.com
National Life Videos
- Fire destroys home, damages business in Waterford (1825)
- Long lines to see Stan Lee, Norman Reedus plague Motor City Comic Con on Saturday WITH VIDEO (1063)
- PAT CAPUTO: Detroit Red Wings show why they are Stanley Cup contenders (805)
- Nearby neighbors concerned after man convicted of murder paroled, moves to Pontiac group home (788)
- PAT CAPUTO: Detroit Red Wings show why Stanley Cup dream not far fetched (785)
- Pontiac council votes against Schimmel’s plan to eliminate health care for retirees (686)
- Fall Out Boy wants to "Save Rock and Roll" with new CD (4)
- New backcourt leads Lathrup over Dragons (4)
- Oakland County Sheriff’s Office veteran — Michigan's first black police captain — honored in retirement WITH VIDEO (3)
- Fire destroys home, damages business in Waterford (3)
- Despite Angelina Jolie, breast cancer treatment has a long way to go - COLUMN (2)
- PITTS: Woman ran to Key West, where else? (2)
- Bloomfield Hills mother graduates college with daughter, stepson (2)
Recent Activity on Facebook
Caren Gittleman likes talking cats. She'll discuss everything about them, from acquiring a cat, differences in breeds, behaviors, health concerns, inside versus outside lifestyles, toys, food, accessories, and sharing cat stories. Share your stories and ask her questions about your favorite feline.
Roger Beukema shares news from Lansing that impacts sportsmen (this means ladies as well) and talks about things he finds when he goes overseas to visit my children, and adding your comments into the mix.
Join Jonathan Schechter as he shares thoughts on our natural world in Oakland County and beyond.
| 947
|
Author:Inam Abidi Amrohvi
“The tyrant dies and his rule ends, the martyr dies and his rule begins.” — Soren Kierkegard
The straight path or the right path is always the most difficult one to travel but one that rewards the most, and so we are told when young. This battle of good versus the evil is an age old phenomenon. Every religion has some story or the other to show us the ‘right’ path from the ‘wrong’ one.Hinduism celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura (among other stories) as Diwali, Christians remember the crucification of Jesus Christ as a supreme sacrifice in the way of God, and so do Muslims observe Moharram (the month in which the tragedy of Karbala took place) to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Prophet [PBUH].
“Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.”—Surah Aal-e-Imran (Chapter 3), Verse 169
The tragedy of Karbala took place some 49 years after the death of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH] in 61 Hijri (AD 680).
The Events Leading Up To Karbala
The Muslim Caliphate briefly came to Imam Hasan (elder grandson of the Prophet [PBUH]) after the martydom of Ali bin Abi Talib (son-in-law of the Prophet [PBUH] and the Fourth Caliph of Islam). Sensing a possible split in the Muslim empire Hasan entered into a peace treaty with Amir Mu’awiyah, the son of Abu Sufyan and father of Yazid.
“Hasan agreed to relinquish all authority to Mu’awiyah in exchange for an agreement not to harm any of the supporters of Ali, and to govern by the book of God and the examples of the Prophet. This he would do by letter and by word, explaining to the congregation in the Kufa mosque that he had ceded his right to rule ‘for the best interest of the community and for the sake of sparing blood’. Mu’awiyah acknowledged that ‘the reign would belong to Hasan after him’ (though this would soon be quietly forgotten) and that to avoid all future strife the next Caliph was to be decided by a formal council.”
—The Heirs of the Prophet Muhammad and the roots of the Sunni-Shia Schism, Barnaby Rogerson
All the first four Caliphs had first been acclaimed by the people of Medina but this right and duty had now been brushed aside in favour of the courtiers at Damascus. The solemn pledge to hold a ’shura’ was broken. None of the previous Caliphs had thought to impose their own sons on the community, and had looked beyond the narrow loyalties of a family, towards their brother in faith. When Mu’awiyah died, Yazid was acclaimed as the Caliph. It marked the decisive emergence of dynastic monarchy triumphing over the religion of God.
The moment Yazid came to power he started demanding the oath of allegiance (bay’ah) from everyone using unfair means. Paying allegiance was an old Arab practice which was carried out in important matters such as that of rulership and authority. Those who were ruled, and specially the well known among them, would give their hand in allegiance, agreement and obedience to their king or the one in authority and in this way would show their whole-hearted support for his actions without any opposition to him. The approach of Yazid was proof enough of the kind of Muslim he was. He showed complete disregard for the tenets of Islam.
*Ibne Aseer (A renowned historian Allamah Ali bin Abil Karam more famous as Ibne Aseer Jazari) in his Tareekhe Kamil has this to say for Yazid, “Yazid was notorious and well known for his love of numerous musical instruments, passion for hunting and play with young boys, dogs, monkeys, etc. Every morning he rose still drunk. His monkeys and young boys wore gold caps. If a monkey died, he spent a considerable time in mourning it.”
“Traditions inform us that Yazeed loved worldly vices, would drink, listen to music, kept the company of boys with no facial hair, played drums, kept dogs, making frogs, bears and monkeys fight. Every morning he used be intoxicated and use to bind monkey with the saddle of a horse and make the horse run.”
—Al Bidayah Wal Nihayah, Ibn Kathir
Yazid’s message was delivered to Imam Husain as well but he said a firm no. Acknowledging Yazid’s authority by the Prophet’s [PBUH] grandson at this point would have meant confirmation of his evil deeds and Caliphate. For Yazid, Husain’s seal of approval was the one most needed.
*Abul Hasan Ali bin Husain Mas’oodi in his Muroojuz Zahab wa ma’adinul Jawahir reported, “Whoever accepted the slavery of Yazid by swearing fealty at his hands was spared, otherwise he was subjugated. Thus the meaning of allegiance to Yazid was not merely the acceptance of a new caliph, but it meant to sell one’s Religion and faith in slavery to a tyrant.”
The Kufans urged Husain in Medina to ride north and lead them against the usurpation of the Islamic world by Yazid, and to reclaim his rightful place as the head of the Muslim nation. Husain, encouraged by the chief men of Medina, decided to respond and rode out of the oasis to assume the leadership of the true army of Islam. But not a soul left the garrison city to join him on the desert trail. The Kufans too would betray him! When Husain settled at a land devoid of water or vegetation named Karbala (‘Karb’ in Arabic means grief and ‘bala’ is for trials) he had just 72 loyal soldiers with him.
Battle For Truth
The battle of Karbala finds great similarity with the one at Badr – Islam’s first battle. It was the holy Prophet [PBUH] at Badr who fought with 313 die-hard supporters against a formidable army of some 1000 men. That day against all odds the small group won a decisive victory, and paved the way for a future Muslim empire. 56 years later it was his grandson with just 72 loyal men, who fought against an impossible opposition of several thousands to save Islam from the clutches of tyranny.
Karbala was a battle of truth against falsehood, humanity against villainy, righteousness against evil, justice against corruption. The much loved grandson of the Prophet [PBUH] stood in the scorching heat of Karbala along with his companions, devoid of water but determined. His loved ones, including his six month old son, fell martyr one after the other. In spite of this he repeatedly invited the other party towards righteousness and forbade them from evil and immorality, but it all fell on deaf ears. When the time arrived for him to march ahead all alone, he did it in a fashion which was reminiscent of his illustrious father Ali.
One of those who fought the battle of Karbala against him says, “I have never seen a person bereaved of his sons, menfolk and his companions more Lion-hearted than him. The foot soldiers were scattering to his right and left like goats when a wolf come upon them.” —–Ibne Aseer, Tareekh Kamil
Husain fell in the desert of Karbala on that fateful Friday, the 10th of Moharram 61H. Worse was to follow. The bodies of the martyrs including the Imam were not only refused a proper burial but were trampled under the horses’ hooves and were left for the birds. The Kufan army looted the belongings of Husain. Imam’s family including his women-folk and tender children were humiliated and taken captives after burning down their camps. The women were paraded with uncovered heads. It wasn’t Islam!
“If Hussain fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand why his sisters, wives and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore that he sacrificed purely for Islam.” —Charles Dickens
The severed heads of the martyrs including Husain were raised on spears. How Yazid played with Husain’s head and the emotions of Imam’s family is a well documented fact. Karbala to this day remains a heart-wrenching story of exemplary courage and bravery to uphold the real principles of Islam.
“In a distant age and climate, the tragic scene of the death of Husain will awaken the sympathy of the coldest reader.”—Edward Gibbon
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the famous English translator of Qurán, has beautifully summed up the whole essence of this epic battle.
There is of course the physical suffering in martyrdom, and all sorrow and suffering claim our sympathy, —- the dearest, purest, most outflowing sympathy that we can give. But there is a greater suffering than physical suffering. That is when a valiant soul seems to stand against the world; when the noblest motives are reviled and mocked; when truth seems to suffer an eclipse. It may even seem that the martyr has but to say a word of compliance, do a little deed of non-resistance; and much sorrow and suffering would be saved; and the insidious whisper comes: “Truth after all can never die.” That is perfectly true. Abstract truth can never die. It is independent of man’s cognition. But the whole battle is for man’s keeping hold of truth and righteousness. And that can only be done by the highest examples of man’s conduct – spiritual striving and suffering enduring firmness of faith and purpose, patience and courage where ordinary mortals would give in or be cowed down, the sacrifice of ordinary motives to supreme truth in scorn of consequence. The martyr bears witness, and the witness redeems what would otherwise be called failure. It so happened with Husain. For all were touched by the story of his martyrdom, and it gave the deathblow to the politics of Damascus and all it stood for.
Lessons From Karbala
Karbala stands for courage, self-sacrifice, integrity, honesty, vision, and bravery beyond words. It symbolises all that is pure and true. Karbala teaches us that real battles are always fought in the minds and not on ground. Yazid was powerful and yet he lost the battle for truth.
“I learned from Hussain how to be wronged and be a winner.” —Mahatma Gandhi
Also, being in the majority need not necessarily make you right.
“The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Hussain and his companions were the rigid believers of God. They illustrated that numerical superiority does not count when it comes to truth and falsehood. The victory of Hussain despite his minority marvels me! —Thomas Carlyle
As the old adage goes, “Nothing lasts for ever.” Husain and his followers made sure that their martyrdom gave a fatal blow to Yazid’s oppressive rule. Karbala haunted Yazid till his eventual death two years later.
“Imam Husayn uprooted despotism forever till the Day of Resurrection. He watered the dry garden of freedom with the surging wave of his blood, and indeed he awakened the sleeping Muslim nation. Husayn weltered in blood and dust for the sake of truth. Verily he, therefore, became the bed-rock (foundation) of the Muslim creed; la ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah).”—Sir Muhammad Iqbal
It also teaches us to be patient and stand up against any form of wrong treatment. We curse Yazid and his army for their inhuman treatment of people, yet the cruel treatment of captives by the so called jihadis meets little protest. Muslims must recognize and protest against the savagery of inhuman treatment at all times, no matter who does it and where it takes place.
“If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (For ever): And the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him.”— Surah An-Nisa (Chapter 4), Verse 93
The best homage that we can pay to the great tragedy is to do some soul-searching. Do we have the right to be called the followers of the Prophet [PBUH]? Have we really understood the message of Imam Husain? Are the tears for Husain drawn merely by the scenes of mere butchery? Would we ever stand up to the false narrations of the events at Karbala by some maulanas to generate excessive grief? Was Karbala a political war or a struggle for true faith? Are we ready to shed aside our differences and respect each others’ view during our religious discourses during Moharram?
And when we finally have all the answers then we would understand the real message of Karbala.
“Shah ast Hussain, Badshah ast Hussain,
Deen ast Hussain, Deen e Panah ast Hussain,
Sar dad, na dad dast, dar dast-e-yazeed,
Haqaa key binaey La ila ast Hussain”
“It’s Hussain the Prince, it’s Hussain the king,
He is Faith, and Faith’s Defender most daring,
He preferred death to Yazid’s allegiance,
With his blood, Islam has verily been living.”
—Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti
| 346
|
Overcoming perceived GIS resource limitations
This module (Teaching with GIS) is designed to highlight GIS concepts that may be added to many geoscience topics and exercises. In particular, we focus on using GIS at the level of introductory geoscience; however, many of the exercises and concepts may be applied in upper level courses as well. We will attempt to answer the following questions:
Do I need to be a GIS wizard to introduce GIS concepts in my courses?
Answer: No! There are numerous web-based mapping utilities, some of which are specifically designed for geoscience applications. In addition, consumer-grade GPS devices and mapping software are both cheaper and easier to learn than the professional GIS/GPS tools.
Many students new to geoscience are unfamiliar with mapping concepts that we take for granted as professional scientists. Even simple geographic and cartographic concepts can help them understand more complex GIS tasks at a later stage. The introduction of hands-on map creation/interpretation exercises and the associated terminology can greatly enhance the learning experience of the students.
Aren't the hardware and software requirements of GIS prohibitive at the introductory level?
Answer: No! There are many options that may be pursued despite resource limitations or student difficulties with computer tasks. Below are some ideas on what can be accomplished with different levels of resource availability or student background. Keep in mind that this site is focused on how we can introduce GIS within existing introductory geoscience courses:
Hardware-limited options—There is little or no access to computers/internet or GPS receivers by students and/or instructor within the classroom. The students often have access to computers and the internet in public labs or have personal computers. Faculty usually have access to the internet on their computers and may have access to some GIS software.
- Instructor generates maps for exercises/labs utilizing online resources
- Utilize traditional paper maps (e.g. geologic maps) to introduce concepts of data-driven maps
- Assign homework exercises that access online resources from student-owned or campus computer labs
Software-limited options—Some access to computers/internet and GPS receivers, but little or no GIS software for student/instructor use in or out of the classroom.
- Instructor generates maps for exercises/labs from online sources or GIS software. Note that there is GIS shareware available (e.g. GRASS (more info) ).
- GPS use in lab exercises, particulary field labs
- Shareware utilities to download GPS data to computer
- MS Excel or other software used to analyze and plot data in x-y coordinates (convert from lat/lon in GPS software)
- Manual digitization of data locations
- Paper maps or using graphics editing software
No hardware/software limitations—easy access to computers/internet, GPS receivers, and GIS software in and out of the classroom.
- All of the more limited options listed above are possible
- Student use of GIS hardware/software/data in classroom or lab
- Possibilities limited only by time for GIS within the syllabus
| 139
|
A diplomatic crisis is engulfing part of Borneo, after Filipino rebels seized control of a remote section of Malaysia’s Sabah state as part of an unresolved territorial dispute that stretches back centuries. Malaysian security forces have surrounded 100 to 200 members of the Royal Army of Sulu, who have holed up in the village of Lahad Datu for the past two weeks in order to press their historic claim to the land. The Philippine and Malaysian governments are now engaged in tense negotiations in order to resolve the dispute without the use of force. The rebels, who hail from the autonomous island province of Sulu in the southwestern Philippines, had been given until midnight on Tuesday to voluntarily leave the area, but Manila has been desperately trying to negotiate an extension to this deadline to avoid bloodshed and a tense standoff currently hangs in place.
The leader of the rebel unit is the brother of Jamalul Kiram III, one of the two main claimants to the title of Sultan of Sulu. Back in the 17th century, before the Philippines existed in its present form, the two principle sultanates in the region were Sulu and Brunei. In 1658, the Sultan of Brunei for some reason gave Sabah to the Sultanate of Sulu, which today is considered part of the Philippines. However, the picture is further complicated by an 1878 deal between the Sultanate of Sulu and the British North Borneo Company, in which Sabah was leased to the Europeans on a rolling contract. To this day, the Malaysian government pays a token sum, equivalent to around $1,500, to the Philippines every year in recognition of this continuing arrangement. The Royal Army of Sulu interprets this deal as a lease that can be canceled, while Malaysia believes that it represents the permanent transfer of the territory.
It does not appear that the Malaysian authorities are willing to give up the land, which boasts valuable petroleum reserves, palm-oil plantations and also serves as an agricultural and manufacturing hub. Regional commentators have accused the Sulu rebels of trying to exploit past claims as a gateway toward ensuring future prosperity. “The governments of Malaysia and the Philippines are trying to manage this incident carefully,” Jonah Blank, senior political scientist specializing in Southeast Asia for RAND Corp., a global policy think-tank, tells TIME. ”We’ve seen many Muslim rebel groups arise or take refuge in the southern part of the Philippines, and Malaysia has brokered a fragile cease-fire: neither Kuala Lumpur nor Manila is eager to see that fall apart.”
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday appealed to Kiram to instruct his brother to end the occupation. “If you are truly the leader of your people, you should be one with us in ordering your followers to return home peacefully,” he said during a statement aired on national TV. On Sunday, Manila sent the Philippine navy ship BRP Tagbanua to Borneo carrying Filipino-Muslim leaders, social workers and medical personnel for a “humanitarian mission” to bring their compatriots home. However, Royal Army of Sulu sources indicate that the rebels are not willing to entertain such a retreat.
Some observers believe that the timing of the occupation is designed to disrupt the Malaysian national elections that are due before the end of June, and the issue has now become a political hot potato domestically. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, a Philippine NGO, on Tuesday released a joint statement condemning the arbitrary detention of three al-Jazeera journalists who were in Sabah to report on the standoff. The group was eventually released after being held and interrogated for at least six hours. Liew Chin Tong, a Democratic Action Party MP and shadow Defense Minister for the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition of Malaysia, tells TIME that the country is now suffering the consequences of decades of poorly enforced border controls. “Sabah is a key state which was previously seen as a safe zone for the government but now keenly contested by the opposition,” he says.
| 621
|
Skip to main content
More Search Options
A member of our team will call you back within one business day.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) occurs when there is too little glucose (sugar) in your child’s blood. It can be caused by skipping meals or snacks, eating too little food, or taking too much insulin or diabetes medication. A lot of physical activity can also cause low blood sugar, even hours later. In severe cases, low blood sugar can lead to seizures or passing out.
Everyone’s symptoms are different. Your child may feel dizzy, weak, hungry, headachy, or shaky. Your child may seem cranky or confused. If lows happen very often over time, your child may no longer be able to sense them. Encourage your child to recognize his or her symptoms and tell you about them right away.
Stay calm so you can better help your child.
Check your child’s blood sugar to make sure that it is low. If you’re not able to check, treat for low blood sugar anyway.
Give your child 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting sugar such as 3 to 4 glucose tablets, a glass of nonfat milk, or 4 ounces (½ cup) of juice or regular soda. Diet soda will not help at all. Chocolate, cookies, and other fatty sweets will not work as quickly.
If possible, recheck blood sugar in 15 minutes. If it is still low, give your child another 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting sugar.
Once your child’s blood sugar is normal, give your child a snack or meal to eat.
If your child’s blood sugar does not go back up, call the doctor or take your child to the emergency room.
Be sure your child eats meals and snacks on time, and eats before exercising.
Have your child carry fast-acting sugar.
Don’t inject insulin near a muscle that’s going to be exercised.
Check your child’s blood sugar often, especially after exercise and at bedtime.
Keep fast-acting sugars handy.
Check blood sugar often, especially after activity and before bed.
For severe low blood sugar, your child may need a glucagon injection. Ask your child’s healthcare provider about glucagon emergency kits for home and school.
| 499
|
Definitions of bullying
Bullying is when a person or a group repeatedly and intentionally uses or abuse their power to intimidate, hurt, oppress or damage someone else. It can be covert or cyber-based (happening online through social networks or even through mobile phones). Bullying can be physical or emotional.
According to the National Centre Against Bullying, there are five different kinds of bullying behaviour. They are:
1. Physical bullying: when physical actions such as hitting, poking, tripping or pushing, are used to hurt and intimidate. Repeatedly and intentionally damaging someone's belongings is also physical bullying, says the centre.
2. Verbal bullying: involves the use of negative words, like name calling, insults, homophobic or racist slurs, or words used to intentionally upset someone.
3. Social bullying: when lies, the spreading of rumours or nasty pranks are used. This includes repeated mimicking and deliberate exclusion.
4. Psychological bullying: involves the repeated and intentional use of words or actions which can cause psychological harm. Examples include intimidation, manipulation and stalking.
5. Cyber bullying: this is the big one at the moment and is when technology is used to verbally, socially or psychologically bully. It can occur in chat rooms, on social networking sites, through emails or on mobile phones.
- mutual arguments and disagreements
- single episodes of social rejection or dislike
- single-episode acts of nastiness or spite
- random acts of aggression or intimidation.
Find more bullying solutions and information
- 15 solutions to bullying and cyber bullying
- Helping when your child is bullied
- How bullies pick their victim
- My child is a bully
- What makes a bully
- What is bullying
- Facts and figures about bullying
- Is your child being bullied
- How to deal with bullying
- What parents can do about bullying
- When your child is a bully, here's what to do
- How to talk about bullying and cyber bullying
- Cyber bullying: here's what it is and how to tackle it
- How parents can prevent bullying
- School policies on bullying
This article was written by Fiona Baker, former editor in chief of Mother & Baby, Pregnancy & Birth and Wondertime magazines, for Kidspot, Australia's leading parenting and pregnancy resource. Sources include Bullying No Way , National Centre Against Bullying, Raising Children Network, Bullying Hurts brochure
- 1. Bunk beds for kids: The ultimate safety guide
- 2. 'Granny's gone to heaven': How to talk to your kids about death
- 3. How to get kids to listen
- 4. How to stop nagging
- 5. How birth order affects siblings
- 6. Pool safety
- 7. Kaz Cooke's 5 sibling rivalry tips
- 8. United parenting: how to be on the same page
- 9. How to tackle cyber bullies
- 10. When your child is the bully, here's what to do
| 370
|
Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/21/mars_geysers/
Martian pole freckled with geysers
Unlike anything on Earth
Every spring, the southern polar cap on Mars almost fizzes with carbon dioxide, as the surface is broken by hundreds of geysers throwing sand and dust hundreds of feet into the Martian "air".
The discovery was announced in the journal Nature by researchers at the Arizona State University, based on data from the Thermal Emission Imaging System on the Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Images sent back by the probe showed that as the sun began to warm the pole, the polar cap began to break out in dark spots. Over the days and weeks that followed, these spots formed fan-like markings, and spidery patterns. As the sun rose higher in the Martian sky, the spots and fans became more numerous.
"Originally, scientists thought the spots were patches of warm, bare ground exposed as the ice disappeared," said lead scientist Phil Christensen. "But observations made with THEMIS on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter told us the spots were nearly as cold as the carbon dioxide ice, which is at minus 198 degrees Fahrenheit."
The team concluded that the dark spots were in fact geysers, and the fans that appeared were caused by the debris from the eruptions.
Christensen said: "If you were there, you'd be standing on a slab of carbon-dioxide ice. Looking down, you would see dark ground below the three foot thick ice layer.
"The ice slab you're standing on is levitated above the ground by the pressure of gas at the base of the ice."
He explains that as the sunlight hits the region in the spring, it warms the dark ground enough that the ice touching the ground is vaporised. The gas builds up under the ice until it is highly pressurised and finally breaks through the surface layer.
As the gas escapes, it carries the smaller, finer particles of the soil along with it, forming grooves under the ice. This "spider" effect indicates a spot where a geyser is established, and will form again the following year. ®
| 198
|
Simply begin typing or use the editing tools above to add to this article.
Once you are finished and click submit, your modifications will be sent to our editors for review.
use in Native American music
...Native Americans developed lingua francas in order to facilitate trade and social interaction; in these areas, song texts may feature words from a lingua franca. Many Native American songs employ vocables, syllables that do not have referential meaning. These may be used to frame words or may be inserted among them; in some cases, they constitute the entire song text. Vocables are a fixed...
What made you want to look up "vocable"? Please share what surprised you most...
| 687
|
Biochemical Conversion Processes
The diagram below depicts a high-level view of the primary units of operation in the biochemical conversion process. Specific process operation conditions, and inputs and outputs within and between each unit, vary in practice. These process variations can impact the key performance outcomes (titer, rate, and yield), which determine economic viability when the process is scaled up. The following descriptions highlight issues in each key process step.
During pretreatment, biomass feedstock undergoes a process to mechanically or chemically fractionate the lignocellulosic complex into soluble and insoluble components. Soluble components include mixtures of five- and six-carbon sugars (mainly xylose, arabinose, mannose, galactose, and glucose) and some sugars oligomers. Insoluble components include cellulosic polymers and oligomers and lignin (and any other components that may be linked to the constituents). Depending on the exact chemistry chosen for this step, variable amounts of the biomass may be solubilized. The main purpose of this step is to open up the physical structure of the plant cell walls to permit further deconstruction during the hydrolysis stepyea. The more open structure of the resulting material makes the remaining carbohydrate polymers more accessible for hydrolytic conversion to soluble sugars by enzymes or chemicals. The specific mix of sugars and oligomers released depends on the feedstock used and the pretreatment technology employed.
In some process configurations, the pretreated material goes through a hydrolysate conditioning and/or neutralization process to adjust the pH of the biomass slurry and remove undesirable by-product from pretreatment that are toxic to the downstream fermenting microorganism. In some cases, this step and hydrolysis, the next step, are combined into a single process.
In hydrolysis, the pretreated material, with the remaining solid carbohydrate fraction, primarily cellulose, is guided through a chemical reaction that releases the readily fermentable sugar, glucose. This can be accomplished with enzymes, such as cellulases, or with strong acids. Addition of other enzymes in this step, such as xylanases, may allow for less severe pretreatment conditions, potentially resulting in a reduced overall pretreatment and hydrolysis cost. Depending on the process design, enzymatic hydrolysis requires several hours to several days, after which the mixture of sugars and any unreacted cellulose is transferred to the fermenter. Current processes use purchased enzymes or enzymes manufactured on site, based on the economics of the specific process. For technologies using strong acids, acid recovery is important for the economics to be viable.
Currently, the most common approach to biological processing is to employ a fermentation step, wherein an inoculum of a fermenting microorganism is added to the biomass hydrolysates. Fermentation of all sugars is then carried out, and after a few days of continued saccharification and fermentation, nearly all of the sugars are converted to biofuels or other chemicals of interest. The resulting aqueous mixture or two-phase broth is sent to product recovery. Some processes combine the hydrolysis and fermentation steps (i.e., simultaneous saccharification and fermentation [SSF]).
Chemical or catalytic conversion can be used in place of, or in addition to, fermentation to convert the hydrolysis products, such as sugars, alcohols, or a variety of other stable oxygenates, to desired end products. The addition of a catalyst makes the reaction less energy intensive, thus making the entire process more efficient. Different reactions achieve different yields and intermediates while targeting different end fuels and chemicals, so current research is aimed at identifying optimal process combinations with respect to efficiency, feedstock utilization, cost, sustainability, finished product characteristics, and anticipated market demands.
Product Upgrading and Recovery
Product upgrading and recovery varies based on the type of conversion used and the type of product generated, but in general, involves any biological and chemical transformations, distillation or any other separation and recovery method, and some cleanup processes to separate the fuel from the water and residual solids. Residual solids are composed primarily of lignin, which can be burned for combined heat and power generation or chemically converted to intermediate chemicals or intermediates for other uses.
| 584
|
(CNN) — For parents in Somalia, giving their children immunizations is not a choice.
In a country enduring more than 20 years of conflict, Somalia is home to one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, with one in five Somali children dying before their 5th birthday, aid agencies say — in many instances, from diseases that could be prevented by vaccines.
Yet for some equally loving parents in the developed world, the messages surrounding childhood vaccination have become muddied. Some communities in areas previously considered disease-free are now falling below the levels of “herd immunity” required to protect against diseases such as measles, whooping cough and mumps.
This week, in Swansea, Wales, the local public health agency announced that 886 people have been diagnosed with measles in an epidemic that started in November. The outbreak has been attributed to low measles, mumps and rubella immunization rates. One man’s death has been linked to the measles virus, while 80 people have been hospitalized.
In 2011, six people in France died as a result of a measles epidemic that neared 15,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Teens not getting vaccinated
PFCs’ impact on vaccine effectiveness
Study: 10% of kids improperly vaccinated
Vaccine schedules for children
In 2010, a whooping cough outbreak, resulting from pockets of under-vaccinated people in California, resulted in 10 deaths, according to the California Department of Public Health. Nine of these were infants were too young to be vaccinated.
“We are extremely concerned about what’s happening in some parts of the developed world,” said Jos Vandelaer, chief of immunization at UNICEF, one of the groups helping vaccination efforts in Somalia. “In the developing world, many people don’t even get the chance to be immunized. Health systems are not strong enough to take the vaccine to every child despite the fact that their parents want it.”
Parents with real fears
Measles, whooping cough and Hib (haemophilus influenzae type B), along with many other childhood diseases, can be deadly, but they are vaccine-preventable. Measles alone killed more than 150,000 people globally in 2011, according to WHO.
Measles is also highly infectious, with one carrier likely to pass on the virus to between 14 and 18 other susceptible people, said Dr. Matthew Snape of the Oxford Vaccine Group in the pediatrics department at the University of Oxford, England.
Despite the severity of these diseases, some parents in the developed world choose not to immunize their children and accept the risks.
“Studies show that it is the upper middle class, well-educated Caucasian parents who are shunning vaccines,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “They have generally gone to graduate school, are in positions of management and are used to being in control.”
A study released this month by the National Health Performance Authority in Australia reflected this trend. A number of affluent Sydney suburbs were identified as regions where low levels of immunity have put entire communities at risk from these diseases.
The reasons behind parents’ decisions are complex. Part of the problem is lingering doubts around vaccine safety that were compounded by a retracted 1998 study linking the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine with autism.
Although declared an “elaborate fraud” by the British Medical Journal, it raised questions about the safety of immunization in the minds of many parents. These doubts then were spread worldwide on the Internet and in the media by anti-vaccination groups and some celebrities.
“If you want to scare yourself about vaccines, it’s not that hard,” Offit said. “Just turn on your computer.”
For such parents, the perceived risks of vaccination outweigh the risks they associate with disease.
In Australia, where vaccination is not mandatory, the anti-vaccination Australian Vaccination Network website says parents need to make an informed choice. The site offers links to articles and parental accounts of the potential side effects of many vaccines.
A UNICEF working paper released this week to coincide with World Vaccination Week has tracked the rise of anti-vaccination sentiment in Eastern and Central Europe and concludes that poorly managed immunization campaigns in some countries have also contributed to the problem.
Concerned parents in the affected countries are taking to blogs and Facebook, discussing their mistrust of vaccines and government programs, questioning the involvement of pharmaceutical companies and often recommending alternative medicine.
A March survey conducted by the U.S. organization Public Policy Polling showed that 20% of Americans believe there is a link between childhood vaccines and autism, and a further 34% were not sure.
Diseases long forgotten in the developed world
While there are some risks associated with vaccines, they are mostly minor, such as pain at the vaccine site or low-grade fever, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A serious allergic reaction is rare and usually reported in less than one out of 1 million doses, the agency reported.
“Hundreds of millions of children every year are vaccinated, and the number of side effects we see is minimal,” UNICEF’s Vandelaer said. “The anti-vaccine groups focus on the potential side effects, not on the real side effects.”
On the question of autism, numerous studies conducted over the past decade have all demonstrated there is no scientific link between vaccines and autism.
With so much conflicting information readily available to parents, Dr. Dina Pfeifer, program manager for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization for WHO’s Europe office, said she believes the decision of whether to immunize children has become so fraught that many parents choose to do nothing at all.
“They have a difficulty dealing with the amount of information for and against (vaccination) on the Internet, and out of this confusion they are failing to recognize the risks of the disease,” she said.
Another factor driving parents’ decision not to vaccinate is the security that comes with herd vaccination, as rates of immunization for many diseases remain above 92% for the population.
But Europe’s recent battle with measles demonstrates the problems under-vaccinated populations can pose, especially with older children.
“Europe had 100,000 cases of measles from 2009 to 2012, and that shows how prevalent the pockets of un-immunized populations are in that area,” Pfeifer said. “Almost 50% of those cases were older than 10 years of age, and the older you are when you contract measles, the more severe the course of the disease.”
Another factor of these pockets is their affluence; these parents tend to be the ones able to afford overseas travel.
In 2008, a 7-year-old U.S. boy whose parents chose not to immunize him against measles traveled with his family to Switzerland. He caught the virus and returned to San Diego, unknowingly exposing 839 people to the disease and infecting 11 unvaccinated children, according to the journal Pediatrics.
In Europe and the United States, parents and most people under 45 have never seen the effects of diseases such as measles, diphtheria or polio.
“The fear factor (among parents in the developed world) is missing now — the knowledge of what’s on the other side if you don’t have vaccinations,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, known as GAVI Alliance.
The lack of knowledge of these diseases is also a problem among younger doctors and pediatricians, who may not be able to identify the signs, resulting in misdiagnoses.
“There is a lot of value in case-based learning, but it is difficult to learn how to recognize these diseases if you haven’t seen them before,” said WHO’s Pfeifer.
In contrast, most parents in the developing world, in places such as Somalia, have seen family members suffer, be maimed or die from such diseases, health advocates said.
Education and motivation
To address the problem, Berkley prescribes localized programs in countries to supplement the already high overall levels of immunization. Other physicians are supporters of parental education and want to ensure parents feel free to ask as many questions of their doctors and health care workers.
Dr. Steve Hambleton of the Australian Medical Association said further motivation may be necessary. “When you incentivize the parents in a meaningful way, whether it be financial or with other incentives, you can make an enormous difference in vaccination uptake,” he said.
Berkley, a doctor who specializes in epidemiology and global health, said he has seen the devastating effects of vaccine-preventable diseases in war-torn countries and refugee camps.
Berkley said he wished he could take some parents in the developed world “on a tour, show them how horrible it is. Show them the illness that occurs out of these viruses.”
“We’ve brought down child mortality dramatically with these vaccination campaigns and we are making dramatic progress, but the challenge is getting people to understand what the world was like before this.”
| 901
|
Tim the Plumber wrote:
The idea that you can predict the climate based on it's temperature behaviour between 1970 and 1998 is silly. Just as the statement that the absence of warming since 1998 and 2011 cannot utterly disproove AGW the rise between 1970 and 1998 cannot 100% proove the theory that CO2 is a significant greenhouse gas at the levels we have today.
Nobody is trying to predict temperatures based on historically temperatures over the last 40 or so. The predictions are based on our understanding of earth's climate over hundreds of millions of years and particularly the last 4 million years of recurring ice ages. The climate while complicated has to obey some very simple basic physical rules that is the energy coming in has over time to equal the energy going out. Change that simple relationship in some way and the temperature will change change until such time as the equation is back in balance. It is certain that greenhouse gases reduce the amount of energy that leaves the earth.
Northern Europe is having a wet and cool summer, it's just America which is having a long, hot and dry one.
No my original statement is correct
According to NOAA:-http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2012/6
The Northern Hemisphere land and ocean average surface temperature for June 2012 was the all-time warmest June on record, at 1.30°C (2.34°F) above average.
The Northern Hemisphere average land temperature, where the majority of Earth's land is located, was record warmest for June. This makes three months in a row — April, May, and June — in which record-high monthly land temperature records were set. Most areas experienced much higher-than-average monthly temperatures, including most of North America and Eurasia, and northern Africa. Only northern and western Europe, and the northwestern United States were notably cooler than average.
Tim the Plumber wrote:
When thinking about such climatic events it is vital to have a sense of proportion and not see a tiny change over 3 decades as a reason to think that there will be a drastic "exponential" continuation of this.
The temperatures changes over the last 3 decades simply confirms our basic understanding of the climate.
It is akin to having a graph of the speed of your car traveling along a highway. When the speed is 55mph your pasenger is happy, when the graph plots up to 57 mph the pasenger panics because the car is about to accelerate untill the machine disintergrates at the sound barrier. When the graph shows a slowing to 53mph the panic is of the sudden stopping of the car and the trafic behind slamming into the back of the car.
No it is more being in a car where the cruise control is stuck and the speed just keeps increasing.
Climate varies about quiote a lot.
Because we live fairly short lives we do not rember the droughts of the dust bowl. We do not rember the medevil warm period. We do not rember the frost fairs on the frozen Thames.
This is why we maintain weather data which shows that the current conditions are both worst and different.
We should take these dire warnings with a big pinch of salt.
Dire warnings should be assessed on the merits and action taken if necessary but never ignored
The sea level rose by 18cm last centuary, how many cities flooded because of this? This centuary looks like it could be twice as bad, maybe.
So as long as we split the sea level rises into 18 cm chunks it will be no problem ?
I am reminded of camels transporting straw.
| 59
|
[Embargoed for release until 12 p.m. ET Thursday, August 5, 2004, to coincide with publication in the journal Cell.]
BAD NEWS FOR PATHOGENIC BACTERIA: SCIENTISTS FIND PROTEIN ESSENTIAL FOR BACTERIAL SURVIVAL
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Further investigation into how the common organism Escherichia coli regulates gene expression has given scientists new ideas for designing antibiotics that might drastically reduce a bacterium's ability to resist drugs.
The findings, reported in the current issue of the journal Cell, suggest that bacteria rely on a key protein in order to properly regulate gene expression -- a process fundamental to cell survival.
This protein, called DksA, coordinates the expression of numerous genes in response to environmental signals.
Figuring out how to block DksA production in harmful bacteria may help scientists develop antibiotics that these bacteria are less likely to resist, said Irina Artsimovitch, a study co-author and an assistant professor of microbiology at Ohio State University.
The current study suggests that DksA is the glue that holds together two key components of bacterial gene expression – a molecule called ppGpp and an enzyme called RNA polymerase. RNA polymerase carries out transcription, the first step in gene expression.
In recent work, Artsimovitch and her colleagues discovered that ppGpp regulates gene expression by controlling amino acid production in bacteria. A cell makes ppGpp when amino acid levels are low, and ppGpp tells a cell to go dormant until amino acid levels return to normal.
"But there was something missing from the ppGpp story," Artsimovitch said. "We knew that ppGpp had a dramatic effect on gene expression, but for some reason that effect was drastically decreased when we conducted experiments in the laboratory."
Work by other researchers had suggested a link between DksA and the ppGpp-initiated stress response in the cell. But scientists couldn't agree on what role, if any, DksA played in the effect of ppGpp on gene expression.
Working with a team of researchers led by Dmitry Vassylyev, a scientist with the RIKEN research institution in Japan, Artsimovitch and Ohio State microbiologist Vladimir Svetlov solved high-resolution crystal structures of DksA.
Solving this structure meant that the researchers could at last determine just how DksA helped ppGpp hold fast to its target, RNA polymerase.
DksA uses something scientists call the "backdoor of gene expression," a cavity on the RNA polymerase molecule called the secondary channel. DksA squeezes through this narrow tunnel toward the site where ppGpp binds to the enzyme. Once here, the protein helps ppGpp stay bound to RNA polymerase.
"The secondary channel seems to be the hotspot for many interactions," Artsimovitch said. "It leads straight to the active site, and presents a confined area where many proteins and antibiotics that control transcription may bind to carry out their business."
Knowing what roles ppGpp and DksA play in how bacteria respond to stress and other physiological stimuli may help scientists create new antibacterial drugs that target mechanisms specific and unique to harmful bacteria.
"Conventional antibiotics aimed at killing bacteria also put immense pressure on bacteria to survive, and to ultimately develop resistance to these drugs," Artsimovitch said. "Forcing harmful bacteria into a stationary state by controlling ppGpp levels may be the way to circumvent the rise in antibiotic resistance.
"ppGpp and DksA are found in all bacteria, including harmful ones," she continued. "Using ppGpp-based compounds to shut down gene expression in harmful bacteria could help curb the spread of infections."
Grants from the National Institutes of Health and from RIKEN supported this research.
Artsimovitch, Vassylyev and Svetlov conducted the study with Anna Perederina, Marina Vassylyeva, Tahir Tahirov and Shigeyuki Yokoyama, all with RIKEN.
| 328
|
Moore's Law Is Alive And Well, And Intel Will Prove It Today
Intel, the world’s biggest manufacturer of computer chips, and by far the one with the most advanced manufacturing capabilities, is holding a big event in San Francisco which it described in an invitation to reporters as its “most significant technology announcement of the year.” It provided no further details.
This appears to be the announcement that CEO Paul Otellini alluded to during Intel’s quarterly earnings conference call last month. Intel has kept a pretty tight lid on the details, but I’ve talked to enough people who say this is one of those times when Intel will “open the kimono” on what will be going on inside its chip factories–or fabs–later this year. The big news will revolve around Intel’s disclosure of its 22-nanometer manufacturing process. It’s the sort of thing that gets people who know chips kind of excited and leaves others kind of cold. But in fact, everyone should be kind of excited about this.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Moore’s Law. This was the observation in 1965 by the Intel co-founder Gordon Moore (pictured at the Intel Museum in 2005) that the number of transistors that could be crammed onto a chip doubles–and the size of those chips tended to shrink–as manufacturing technology improved on a fairly regular basis: About every 18 to 24 months. That shrinking meant two things. Chipmakers could make a chip with the same computing power as the previous generation more cheaply, or they could make a more powerful one with more transistors for about the same cost.
It all comes down to how many transistors you can cram onto a chip, and how many useful chips you can get from a single silicon wafer. In both cases, more is better. Moore’s observation–which was first published 46 years ago this month–has held up remarkably well and has proven one of the most important engines of growth in the technology industry. All the computing oomph you take for granted in your notebook, your smart phone, in the cloud, and all around you happens in part because the chips inside the hardware have gotten smaller and yet ever more powerful every two years or so.
So back to today’s announcement. As I mentioned, it’s going to revolve around its 22-nanometer manufacturing process. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter, and its current factory processors turn out chips with transistors that are somewhat bigger–32 nanometers. Intel executives often refer to a process they call “tick-tock.” Today constitutes a tick, when in odd-numbered years, a new manufacturing process comes online and the previous generation chips are shifted to being built with the smaller transistors. A “tock” occurs in even-numbered years when Intel engineers come up with new chip designs that really show what the new factory processes are capable of. The implication is that it’s so regular you can almost set your watch by it. Intel’s long-term strategy can be summed up like so: Tick, tock, repeat.
On top of that there are likely to be disclosures about some of the advances in physics that Intel has had to make in order to get chips with transistors so small to work properly. When you’re dealing with things that small, the individual electrons flowing on the chip sometimes don’t behave as they should. For example, in 2007 Intel had to add the element Hafnium to its chip-making process in order to stop individual transistors from wasting electricity. (It was more complicated than that, but that in a nutshell was the problem.) Billions upon billions of transistors in billions of computers around the world wasting electricity is a bad thing, both financially–power is expensive–and environmentally.
What’s funny is that for years people have been saying that Intel–and indeed the entire chip industry–can’t continue on the Moore’s Law trajectory. At some point things get so small that you’re dealing with individual atoms and you can’t get any smaller than that. However, every time people have predicted its end, something happens to keep it going. A lot of companies have come up with some important advances that have kept it going. In the 1990s and early 2000s, IBM came up with some important advances that kept Moore’s Law on track. But more often that not it has been Intel that has kicked down the door when the experts said it was locked. Today it will probably kick down another.
This older video was created around the time that Intel unveiled its 45-nanometer process with Hafnium–kicking down one of those earlier doors. Perhaps there will be another today. Check in later as I cover the announcement.
| 96
|
From Sioux Falls to Rapid City, fire weather meteorologists are watching conditions closely. And until we receive widespread, heavy moisture they'll be monitoring what is known as the Keetch-Byram Drought Index or KBDI.
It measures the amount of precipitation needed to return the soil to full saturation. It uses a system rating of zero to 800, which represents the moisture amount of zero to eight inches of water. It's what is needed to reduce the drought index to zero, which is saturation.
Much of KELOLAND is at 500 or above. The KBDI of 400 to 600 is typical of late summer and early fall.
When it gets to 600 and above, that's when intense, deep burning fires can be expected with an emphasis on downwind new fires occuring.
The highest spots are in south central, north central and northeast South Dakota. Just this week, the area near Lake Andes is also considered at 800.
It's an important number to know this time of year, whether you're harvesting or off road for hunting.
© 2012 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
| 312
|
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States.
George Washington wrote the following on the eve of his inauguration:
It is said that every man has his portion of ambition. I may have mine, I suppose, as well as the rest, but if I know my own heart, my ambition would not lead me into public life; my only ambition is to do my duty in this world as well as I am capable of performing it, and to merit the good opinion of all good men.
We are so lucky, so very lucky, to have had this man in our “canon”. There’s as always, so much to say. One of the thing that strikes me about him is that he never wanted to seem like he was jostling for power or position. George Washington had many wonderful qualities and abilities – but it was this distaste for public life that I believe made him truly great. He went out of his way to let everyone know how unworthy he felt, how he hoped their trust in him was warranted, that he was eager to finally go home and live the life of a private man… But on this day in history, April 30, there was to be no private man anymore. His people had chosen him, and while Mount Vernon continued to call to him, he knew he must accept.
David McCullough describes, in his book on John Adams, inauguration day:
On the day of his inauguration, Thursday, April 30 1789, Washington rode to Federal Hall in a canary-yellow carriage pulled by six white horses and followed by a long column of New York militia in full dress. The air was sharp, the sun shone brightly, and with all work stopped in the city, the crowds along his route were the largest ever seen. It was as if all New York had turned out and more besides. “Many persons in the crowd,” reported the Gazette of the United States “were heard to say they should now die contented � nothing being wanted to complete their happiness � but the sight of the savior of his country.”
In the Senate Chamber were gathered the members of both houses of Congress, the Vice President, and sundry officials and diplomatic agents, all of whom rose when Washington made his entrance, looking solemn and stately. His hair powdered, he wore a dress sword, white silk stockings, shoes with silver buckles, and a suit of the same brown Hartford broadcloth that Adams, too, was wearing for the occasion. They might have been dressed as twins, except that Washington’s metal buttons had eagles on them.
It was Adams who formally welcomed the General and escorted him to the dais. For an awkward moment Adams appeared to be in some difficulty, as though he had forgotten what he was supposed to say. then, addressing Washington, he declared that the Senate and House of Representatives were ready to attend him for the oath of office as required by the Constitution. Washington said he was ready. Adams bowed and led the way to the outer balcony, in full view of the throng in the streets. People were cheering and waving from below, and from windows and rooftops as far as the eye could see. Washington bowed once, then a second time.
Fourteen years earlier, it had been Adams who called on the Continental Congress to make the tall Virginian commander-in-chief of the army. Now he stood at Washington’s side as Washington, his right hand on the Bible, repeated the oath of office as read by Chancellor Robert R. Livingston of New York, who had also been a member of the Continental Congress.
In a low voice Washington solemnly swore to execute the office of the President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Then, as not specified in the Constitution, he added, “So help me God”, and kissed the Bible, thereby establishing his own first presidential tradition.
“It is done,” Livingston said, and, turning to the crowd, cried out, “Long live George Washington, President of the United States.”
The following is George Washington’s first inaugural address. What I sense in these words is what I sense in so many of the original documents of that time, written by the main players: they were embarking on a grand and hopeful experiment. They were entering uncharted waters. And they all seem determined (each in their different ways, with their different views) to make the most of the opportunity, to seize the day. No decision was unimportant, everything had meaning … and what I also sense in this inaugural address is that Washington knew that he wasn’t only talking to the people present, but he was also talking to us. The future generations. They all knew that they were being watched, carefully, by those who would come after.
The only thing required of a President on his inauguration day, in those early early days, was that he take the oath of Office. Washington, in composing an address, to the people who put their faith in him, set the precedent. Every president since then has followed his example.
George Washington’s first inaugural address:
Fellow-Citizens of the Senate and of the House of Representatives:
Among the vicissitudes incident to life no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the 14th day of the present month. On the one hand, I was summoned by my Country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love, from a retreat which I had chosen with the fondest predilection, and, in my flattering hopes, with an immutable decision, as the asylum of my declining years–a retreat which was rendered every day more necessary as well as more dear to me by the addition of habit to inclination, and of frequent interruptions in my health to the gradual waste committed on it by time. On the other hand, the magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of my country called me, being sufficient to awaken in the wisest and most experienced of her citizens a distrustful scrutiny into his qualifications, could not but overwhelm with despondence one who (inheriting inferior endowments from nature and unpracticed in the duties of civil administration) ought to be peculiarly conscious of his own deficiencies. In this conflict of emotions all I dare aver is that it has been my faithful study to collect my duty from a just appreciation of every circumstance by which it might be affected. All I dare hope is that if, in executing this task, I have been too much swayed by a grateful remembrance of former instances, or by an affectionate sensibility to this transcendent proof of the confidence of my fellow-citizens, and have thence too little consulted my incapacity as well as disinclination for the weighty and untried cares before me, my error will be palliated by the motives which mislead me, and its consequences be judged by my country with some share of the partiality in which they originated.
Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge. In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow- citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me, I trust, in thinking that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence.
By the article establishing the executive department it is made the duty of the President “to recommend to your consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” The circumstances under which I now meet you will acquit me from entering into that subject further than to refer to the great constitutional charter under which you are assembled, and which, in defining your powers, designates the objects to which your attention is to be given. It will be more consistent with those circumstances, and far more congenial with the feelings which actuate me, to substitute, in place of a recommendation of particular measures, the tribute that is due to the talents, the rectitude, and the patriotism which adorn the characters selected to devise and adopt them. In these honorable qualifications I behold the surest pledges that as on one side no local prejudices or attachments, no separate views nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests, so, on another, that the foundation of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens and command the respect of the world. I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my country can inspire, since there is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained; and since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.
Besides the ordinary objects submitted to your care, it will remain with your judgment to decide how far an exercise of the occasional power delegated by the fifth article of the Constitution is rendered expedient at the present juncture by the nature of objections which have been urged against the system, or by the degree of inquietude which has given birth to them. Instead of undertaking particular recommendations on this subject, in which I could be guided by no lights derived from official opportunities, I shall again give way to my entire confidence in your discernment and pursuit of the public good; for I assure myself that whilst you carefully avoid every alteration which might endanger the benefits of an united and effective government, or which ought to await the future lessons of experience, a reverence for the characteristic rights of freemen and a regard for the public harmony will sufficiently influence your deliberations on the question how far the former can be impregnably fortified or the latter be safely and advantageously promoted.
To the foregoing observations I have one to add, which will be most properly addressed to the House of Representatives. It concerns myself, and will therefore be as brief as possible. When I was first honored with a call into the service of my country, then on the eve of an arduous struggle for its liberties, the light in which I contemplated my duty required that I should renounce every pecuniary compensation. From this resolution I have in no instance departed; and being still under the impressions which produced it, I must decline as inapplicable to myself any share in the personal emoluments which may be indispensably included in a permanent provision for the executive department, and must accordingly pray that the pecuniary estimates for the station in which I am placed may during my continuance in it be limited to such actual expenditures as the public good may be thought to require.
Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.
William Maclay, a senator from Pennsylvania, kept a daily journal – highly detailed, and rather cynical, about the Senate sessions of the first Congress. He describes the first inauguration in vivid detail:
30th April, Thursday.–This is a great, important day. Goddess of etiquette, assist me while I describe it. The Senate stood adjourned to half after eleven o’clock. About ten dressed in my best clothes; went for Mr. Morris’ lodgings, but met his son, who told me that his father would not be in town until Saturday. Turned into the Hall. The crowd already great. The Senate met. The Vice-President rose in the most solemn manner. This son of Adam seemed impressed with deeper gravity, yet what shall I think of him? He often, in the midst of his most important airs–I believe when tie is at loss for expressions (and this he often is, wrapped up, I suppose, in the contemplation of his own importance)– suffers an unmeaning kind of vacant laugh to escape him. This was the case to-day, and really to me bore the air of ridiculing the farce he was acting. “Gentlemen, I wish for the direction of the Senate. The President will, I suppose, addressthe Congress. How shall I behave? How shall we receive it? Shall it be standing or sitting?”
Here followed a considerable deal of talk from him which I could make nothing of. Mr. Lee began with the House of Commons (as is usual with him), then the House of Lords, then the King, and then back again. The result of his information was, that the Lords sat and the Commons stood on the delivery of the King’s speech. Mr. Izard got up and told how often he had been in the Houses of Parliament. He said a great deal of what he had seen there. [He] made, however, this sagacious discovery, that the Commons stood because they had no. seats to sit on, being arrived at the bar of the House of Lords. It was discovered after some time that the King sat, too, and had his robes and crown on.
Mr. Adams got up again and said he had been very often indeed at the Parliament on those occasions, but there always was such a crowd, and ladies along, that for his part he could not say how it was. Mr. Carrol got up to declare that he thought it of no consequence how it was in Great Britain; they were no rule to us, etc. But all at once the Secretary, who had been out, whispered to the Chair that the Clerk from the Representatives was at the door with a communication. Gentlemen of the Senate, how shall he be received? A silly kind of resolution of the committee on that business had been laid on the table some days ago. The amount of it was that each House should communicate to the other what and how they chose; it concluded, however, something in this way: That everything should be done with all the propriety that was proper. The question was, Shall this be adopted, that we may know how to receive the Clerk? It was objected [that] this will throw no light on the subject; it will leave you where you are. Mr. Lee brought the House of Commons before us again. He reprobated the rule; declared that the Clerk should not come within the bar of file House; that the proper mode was for the Sergeant-at-Arms, with the mace on his shoulder, to meet the Clerk at the door and receive his communication; we are not, however, provided for this ceremonious way of doing business, having neither mace nor sergeant nor Masters in Chancery, who carry down bills from the English Lords.
Mr. Izard got up and labored unintelligibly to show the great distinction between a communication and a delivery of a thing, but he was not minded. Mr. Elsworth showed plainly enough that if the Clerk was not permitted to deliver the communication, the Speaker might as well send it inclosed. Repeated accounts came [that] the Speaker and Representatives were at the door. Confusion ensued; the members left their seats. Mr. Read rose and called the attention of the Senate to the neglect that had been shown Mr. Thompson, late Secretary. Mr. Lee rose to answer him, but I could not hear one word he said. The Speaker was introduced, followed by the Representatives. Here we sat an hour and ten minutes before the President arrived–this delay was owing to Lee, Izard, and Dalton, who had stayed with us while the Speaker came in, instead of going to attend the President. The President advanced between the Senate and Representatives, bowing to each. He was placed in the chair by the Vice-President; the Senate with their president on the right, the Speaker and the Representatives on his left. The Vice-President rose and addressed a short sentence to him. The import of it was that he should now take the oath of office as President. He seemed to have forgot half what he was to say, for he made a dead pause and stood for some time, to appearance, in a vacant mood. He finished with a formal bow, and the President was conducted out of the middle window into the gallery, and the oath was administered by the Chancellor. Notice that the business done was communicated to the crowd by proclamation, etc., who gave three cheers, and repeated it on the President’s bowing to them.
As the company returned into the Senate chamber, the President took the chair and the Senators and Representatives their seats. He rose, and all arose also and addressed them. This great man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket. He trembled, and several times could scarce make out to read, though it must be supposed he had often read it before. He put part of the fingers of his left hand into the side of what I think the tailors call the fall of the breeches, changing the paper into his left hand. After some time he then did the same with some of the fingers of his right hand. When he came to the words all the world, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression. I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands of the dancing-masters, and that this first of men had read off his address in the plainest manner, without ever taking his eyes from the paper, for I felt hurt that he was not first in everything. He was dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them, white stockings, a bag, and sword.
From the hall there was a grand procession to Saint Paul’s Church, where prayers were said by the Bishop. The procession was well conducted and without accident, as far as I have heard. The militia were all under arms, lined the street near the church, made a good figure, and behaved well.
The Senate returned to their chamber after service, formed, and took up the address. Our Vice-President called it his most gracious speech. I can not approve of this. A committee was appointed on it–Johnson, Carrol, Patterson. Adjourned. In the evening there were grand fireworks. The Spanish Ambassador’s house was adorned with transparent paintings; the French Minister’s house was illuminated, and had some transparent pieces; the Hall was grandly illuminated, and after all this the people went to bed.
I have such a deep fondness for John Adams, with all his airs and self-importance and vanity. I just love the guy, what can I say. He’s so feckin’ human.
The description of Washington’s awkwardness makes me want to cry:
He rose, and all arose also and addressed them. This great man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket. He trembled, and several times could scarce make out to read, though it must be supposed he had often read it before. He put part of the fingers of his left hand into the side of what I think the tailors call the fall of the breeches, changing the paper into his left hand. After some time he then did the same with some of the fingers of his right hand. When he came to the words all the world, he made a flourish with his right hand, which left rather an ungainly impression. I sincerely, for my part, wished all set ceremony in the hands of the dancing-masters, and that this first of men had read off his address in the plainest manner, without ever taking his eyes from the paper, for I felt hurt that he was not first in everything. He was dressed in deep brown, with metal buttons, with an eagle on them, white stockings, a bag, and sword.
God. Good God. But what really moves me is that after the address, they all walked in procession, led by George Washington, to St. Paul’s Church, for a service.
St. Paul’s Church. (Read that article … it’s a well-known story, of course, but it always bears repeating.) St. Paul’s has always had meaning for us here in New York, because of its long history, but now … it has more meaning than ever. I can’t even think about St. Paul’s without feeling tears come to my eyes. So to think … that that special church, that church that became symbolic (not just to us here, but to people all over the country) of hope, or survival, of healing … would be the place where George Washington prayed for guidance after being sworn in as the first President… I mean, honestly. I don’t even know what else to say about it.
April 30, 1789 … the day this new nation embarked on its unknown and exciting course, with George Washington at the helm.
Here is an image of the first page of this inaugural address, in Washington’s own hand.
| 974
|
Identifying time lags in the restoration of grassland butterfly communities: a multi-site assessment
Woodcock, B.A.; Bullock, J.M.; Mortimer, S.R.; Brereton, T.; Redhead, J.W.; Thomas, J.A.; Pywell, R.F.. 2012 Identifying time lags in the restoration of grassland butterfly communities: a multi-site assessment. Biological Conservation, 155. 50-58. 10.1016/j.biocon.2012.05.013Full text not available from this repository.
Although grasslands are crucial habitats for European butterflies, large-scale declines in quality and area have devastated many species. Grasslandrestoration can contribute to the recovery of butterfly populations, although there is a paucity of information on the long-term effects of management. Using eight UK data sets (9–21 years), we investigate changes in restoration success for (1) arable reversion sites, were grassland was established on bare ground using seed mixtures, and (2) grassland enhancement sites, where degraded grasslands are restored by scrub removal followed by the re-instigation of cutting/grazing. We also assessed the importance of individual butterfly traits and ecological characteristics in determining colonisation times. Consistent increases in restoration success over time were seen for arable reversion sites, with the most rapid rates of increase in restoration success seen over the first 10 years. For grasslands enhancement there were no consistent increases in restoration success over time. Butterfly colonisation times were fastest for species with widespread host plants or where host plants established well during restoration. Low mobility butterfly species took longer to colonise. We show that arable reversion is an effective tool for the management of butterflycommunities. We suggest that as restoration takes time to achieve, its use as a mitigation tool against future environmental change (i.e. by decreasing isolation in fragmented landscapes) needs to take into account such time lags.
|Programmes:||CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 onwards > Biodiversity|
|CEH Sections:||CEH fellows
|Additional Keywords:||arable reversion, calcareous, grassland enhancement, mesotrophic, functional traits, recreation|
|NORA Subject Terms:||Ecology and Environment|
|Date made live:||12 Sep 2012 15:38|
Actions (login required)
| 299
|
This interactive resource gives students practice in identifying and working with the parts of speech to improve reading and writing skills. The CD is divided into six sections, each focusing on a different part of speech: nouns/pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions. Each section:
- Defines the part of speech and its usage
- Gives examples to illustrate the definition
- Provides a range of interactive exercises to develop and consolidate understanding
- Offers additional printable activity sheets to extend the learning.
Ideal for interactive whiteboards, or as individual activities on a computer, this engaging CD makes learning the parts of speech fun and challenging for the entire class.
PC: Windows XP and up
Mac: OS X (10.1) and up
Resolution: 800 x 600 or higher
| 277
|
There are times when I want to create an ad hoc network to share files or a network connection. Here are the steps to create an ad hoc network in Windows 7.
- Click on Start (Windows icon) and type wireless. Click on Manage wireless networks.
- Click on Add to add a network.
- Click on Create an ad hoc network.
- Click on Next.
- Enter a name for your network and configure the security options. Click on Next when you are done.
[Update: 3/21/2009] If you are interested in setting up an ad hoc network with encryption, please see this post.
[Update: 8/17/2010] Please see my latest post about setting an ad hoc network to share an internet connection.
| 924
|
With the hope of encouraging Pennsylvanians to better understand their personal finances, Governor Tom Corbett has declared April to be “Financial Education Month” in the state.
The administration believes a basic financial education is essential to ensuring that Pennsylvanians of all ages are prepared to manage money, credit, investments, and debt.
Pennsylvania Department of Banking is looking to both celebrate and draw attention to public and private education efforts. “One of our goals is to empower people. In the run up to the economic downturn, we saw a lot of very hardworking people make poor decisions with credit cards, mortgage financing, and home purchases,” said Department of Banking spokesperson Ed Novak.
The governor believes in order for Pennsylvanians to fully recover from the economic slide, they need to be responsible for better educating themselves. “It’s clear to us that as a starting point for getting ourselves out of this economic downturn, Pennsylvanians need to increase their financial literacy to help them navigate what is becoming an increasingly complex financial marketplace,” said Novak.
| 601
|
Most of you probably don't remember. I don't, besides that I was in residency.
I bet you have no idea how close you came to dying (it was 2 minutes). Or, if you didn't die, having your life dramatically altered.
A Black Brant is a type of goose. It's also the name of a Canadian rocket routinely used for atmospheric experiments. It's launched with a bunch of instruments (depending on what's being studied) and the instruments are monitored during the flight. They then parachute back to Earth and are recovered for further data.
Black Brants are commonly used by Canada, the U.S., and several other countries for research. And so it was on this day in 1995.
A team of U.S. and Norwegian scientists launched a Black Brant from northwest Norway to study the Aurora Borealis. It contained standard scientific instruments.
But things - almost - went horribly wrong.
Routine notification of scientific and test launches is customary, and this one was no exception. 30 countries were told, including Russia. But due to layers of bureaucracy, the notice wasn't passed along their military chain. After all, the cold war had been over for 4 years.
As the rocket climbed, it was picked up by Russian radar early warning systems. It was on a trajectory that matched a predicted Trident missile launch from U.S. nuclear submarines in the Arctic circle. As it flew it also crossed an air corridor between American ballistic missile silos in North Dakota and Moscow, which resulted in Russian satellites tracking it.
The Russians read it as an American first strike. Both sides had practiced war games where a single high-altitude nuclear explosion from a submarine would be used to blind radar and satellites from the real attack, while the electromagnetic pulse would paralyze their defenses.
The Russian military went to full alert. Their ballistic missile submarines in the Arctic were all ordered to prepare for immediate launch. Silo crews on land were notified. Their targets would be the major cities of North America and western Europe. They knew the American/NATO forces would respond in kind.
The Black Brant used in this case was a 4-stage rocket. As it separated the radar pattern matched that of a ballistic missile with multiple re-entry warheads coming down, further convincing the Russians that an attack was underway.
The nuclear briefcase, with its launching codes, was brought to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Like the Americans, the Russians use a mandatory 10 minute launch window (the time needed for a submarine-launched missile to reach either country). Yeltsin activated his nuclear keys to launch a counterattack- but waited for final verification.
At 8 minutes into the alert the rocket's course became clearer, and the Russians realized it was not incoming. With 2 minutes left before the mandatory nuclear launch time, Yeltsin deactivated the briefcase and ordered all nuclear forces off alert. The incident wasn't reported at the time.
The Black Brant rocket completed it's planned flight, landing near Spitsbergen and recovered. The scientists involved had no idea what had happened.
Did that story scare you? Then think about this: It's a single incident.
On November 9, 1979 the U.S. military was testing a radar training tape of what an incoming missile strike would look like. Unfortunately, while being tested, the tape was accidentally broadcast on screens at the American nuclear missile headquarters (NORAD).
The long range nuclear bombers in Alaska were ordered to take off to bomb Russia, while the command tried to verify the attack with other radar systems and satellites (which didn't show anything unusual). It took 6 minutes before an anonymous officer discovered the error, and the bombers were recalled.
We've all heard of Yeltsin, but have you ever heard of Stanislav Petrov? He's a retired Soviet military officer, now living in Fryazino, Russia.
In September, 1983 U.S.-Soviet relations were likely at their worst point since the Cuban Missile Crisis. To top it off, the Russians had just installed a new early-warning system.
On September 26, 1983, Petrov was the shift officer in command of the Soviet early-warning radar defenses. The system twice reported an incoming nuclear strike from North America, once with a single missile, a second time with 4.
Petrov, in a remarkably gutsy move, overrode the computer both times. He declared it an error and didn't pass the information to his superiors. His reasoning was based entirely on his gut instinct that the new system couldn't be trusted. As it turned out, he was right.
Petrov himself couldn't launch a strike. But both sides were on such a hair trigger at the time that if he'd passed the information farther up the line, most historians agree that his superiors would have assumed the worst and ordered a retaliatory attack.
You want more? During the Cuban Missile Crisis Vasili Arkhipov was First Officer on a submarine stationed in the Caribbean. His submerged boat was surrounded by American destroyers, who were trying to identify it.
The captain thought war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. had started, and wanted to launch a nuclear torpedo. To do so required a unanimous opinion of the boat's 3 top officers. The other 2 wanted to launch, and Arkhipov refused. He argued so forcefully against doing so that the captain decided to surface, identify himself, and check with Moscow. The movie "Crimson Tide" was based on his story.
In only one incident was it actually a world leader who averted disaster. In the rest (and there are many others, read here, or over here) it was a few people (even one), considerably lower in the chain.
On this day in 1995 it was only 2 minutes. Just 120 seconds. Less time than it took you to read this.
Life on the edge is precarious.
| 439
|
US 6543011 B1
A method for recording events in Java. According to a preferred embodiment, an automator is attached to a Java applet. Responsive to selection by a user, listeners are added for each event type produced in the Java applet. Each time a specified event occurs, that event is captured and saved to a data structure. The recording of events is performed until the user stops the process.
1. A data processor implemented method of recording events, the steps comprising:
loading an application;
adding listeners for each event type produced in the application;
capturing user generated events;
recording the user generated events to a data structure; and
replaying the user generated events.
2. The method as recited in
3. The method as recited in
4. The method as recited in
5. The method as recited in
6. The method as recited in
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. A computer program product in computer readable media for use in a data processing system for recording events, the computer program product comprising:
first instructions for loading an application;
second instructions for adding listeners for each event type produced in the application;
third instructions for capturing user generated events;
fourth instructions for recording the user generated events to a data structure; and
fifth instructions for replaying the user generated events.
10. The computer program product as recited in
11. The computer program product as recited in
12. The computer program product as recited in
13. The computer program product as recited in
14. The computer program product as recited in
15. The computer program product of
16. The computer program product of
17. A system for recording events, comprising:
means for loading an application;
means for adding listeners for each event type produced in the application; and
means for capturing user generated events;
means for recording the user generated events to a data structure; and
means for replaying the user generated events.
18. The system as recited in
19. The system as recited in
20. The system as recited in
21. The system as recited in
22. The system as recited in
23. The system of
24. The system of
25. A method of recording events, the steps comprising:
loading an application;
adding a listener for an event type;
capturing an event;
recording the event; and
replaying the event.
26. The method as recited in
27. The method as recited in
28. The method as recited in
29. The method of
30. The method of
31. A system for recording events generated by an application, comprising:
a listener; and
a file; wherein
the automator is attached to an application and adds the listener to a component of an application; and
the listener monitors events of the event type received from a system queue within the application and posts received events to the file.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to computer software and, more specifically, to methods of recording events in Java.
2. Description of Related Art
The evolution of programming languages has, to a great extent, been driven by changes in the hardware being programmed. As hardware has grown faster, cheaper, and more powerful, software has become larger and more complex. The migration from assembly languages to procedural languages, such as C, and to object-oriented languages, such as C++ and Java, was largely driven by a need to manage ever greater complexity—complexity made possible by increasingly powerful hardware.
Today, the progression toward cheaper, faster, and more powerful hardware continues, as does the need for managing increasing software complexity. Building on C and C++, Java helps programmers deal with complexity by rendering impossible certain kinds of bugs that frequently plague C and C++ programmers.
In addition to the increasing capabilities of hardware, there is another fundamental shift taking place that impacts upon software programming, that is the network. As networks interconnect more and more computers and devices, new demands are being placed on software. One of these demands is platform independence.
Java supports platform independence primarily through the creation of the Java Virtual Machine. The Java Virtual Machine is an abstract computer, and its specification defines certain features every Java Virtual Machine must have. However, the specification for the Java Virtual Machine is flexible, enabling it to be implemented on a wide variety of computers, devices, and operating systems. One of the main tasks performed by a Java Virtual Machine is to load class files and execute the bytecodes they contain.
One type of program executed by a Java Virtual Machine is an applet. An applet is a Java program that has a set of standard properties that are defined by the applet class. This class was developed by Sun Microsystems and is included in the standard Java Software Development Kit (Java SDK).
Although, theoretically, a program written in Java for one platform should perform on any Java enabled platform, given the allowable differences among Java platform implementations and other factors, a Java program or applet should be tested on all platforms on which it is anticipated to perform. Since user actions in Java are handled by events, and since it can sometimes take many hours or days for a problem to manifest itself, testing of the entire Java Virtual Machine on a platform can be very tedious. Therefore, it is desirable to provide methods of automating the functional testing of the Java platform on various systems.
However, current methods of automating testing of the Java platform on various systems requires a specialized execution environment, as well as compilation of a separate program. Furthermore, current methods require that the applet or application must be exited before any automation can take place, and they require a significant amount of system resources. Therefore, there is a need for a simpler method of testing the Java platform, that does not require recompilation of code, that does not require the applet or application to be exited before automation, and that uses fewer system resources.
The present invention provides a data processor implemented method for recording events in Java. According to a preferred embodiment, an automator is attached to a Java applet. Responsive to selection by a user, listeners are added for each event type produced in the Java applet. Each time a specified event occurs, that event is captured and saved to a data structure. The recording of events is performed until the user stops the process.
The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of a distributed data processing system;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a data processing system that may be implemented as a server;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a data processing system;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a Java virtual machine (JVM);
FIG. 5 depicts a sample user interface to an applet recorder;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating how events are currently handled within Java applets;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating how events are handled when an automator is attached to a Java applet;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating how the applet recorder functions;
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the function performed by an automator listener; and
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the three main parts of an object created by an automator listener.
With reference now to the figures, and in particular with reference to FIG. 1, a pictorial representation of a distributed data processing system is depicted in which the present invention may be implemented.
Distributed data processing system 100 is a network of computers in which the present invention may be implemented. Distributed data processing system 100 contains network 102, which is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected within distributed data processing system 100. Network 102 may include permanent connections, such as wire or fiber optic cables, or temporary connections made through telephone connections.
In the depicted example, server 104 is connected to network 102, along with storage unit 106. In addition, clients 108, 110 and 112 are also connected to network 102. These clients, 108, 110 and 112, may be, for example, personal computers or network computers. For purposes of this application, a network computer is any computer coupled to a network, which receives a program or other application from another computer coupled to the network. In the depicted example, server 104 provides data, such as boot files, operating system images and applications, to clients 108-112. Clients 108, 110 and 112 are clients to server 104. Distributed data processing system 100 may include additional servers, clients, and other devices not shown.
In the depicted example, distributed data processing system 100 is the Internet, with network 102 representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high-speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers consisting of thousands of commercial, government, education, and other computer systems that route data and messages. Of course, distributed data processing system 100 also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks such as, for example, an intranet or a local area network.
FIG. 1 is intended as an example and not as an architectural limitation for the processes of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a data processing system which may be implemented as a server, such as server 104 in FIG. 1, is depicted in accordance with the present invention. Data processing system 200 may be a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) system including a plurality of processors 202 and 204 connected to system bus 206. Alternatively, a single processor system may be employed. Also connected to system bus 206 is memory controller/cache 208, which provides an interface to local memory 209. I/O bus bridge 210 is connected to system bus 206 and provides an interface to I/O bus 212. Memory controller/cache 208 and I/O bus bridge 210 may be integrated as depicted.
Peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus bridge 214 connected to I/O bus 212 provides an interface to PCI local bus 216. A number of modems 218-220 may be connected to PCI bus 216. Typical PCI bus implementations will support four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors. Communications links to network computers 108-112 in FIG. 1 may be provided through modem 218 and network adapter 220 connected to PCI local bus 216 through add-in boards.
Additional PCI bus bridges 222 and 224 provide interfaces for additional PCI buses 226 and 228, from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported. In this manner, server 200 allows connections to multiple network computers. A memory mapped graphics adapter 230 and hard disk 232 may also be connected to I/O bus 212 as depicted, either directly or indirectly.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in FIG. 2 may vary. For example, other peripheral devices, such as optical disk drives and the like, also may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted. The depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention.
The data processing system depicted in FIG. 2 may be, for example, an IBM RISC/System 6000, a product of International Business Machines Corporation in Armonk, N.Y., running the Advanced Interactive Executive (AIX) operating system.
With reference now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented is illustrated. Data processing system 300 is an example of a client computer. Data processing system 300 employs a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) local bus architecture. Although the depicted example employs a PCI bus, other bus architectures, such as Micro Channel and ISA, may be used. Processor 302 and main memory 304 are connected to PCI local bus 306 through PCI bridge 308. PCI bridge 308 may also include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor 302. Additional connections to PCI local bus 306 may be made through direct component interconnection or through add-in boards. In the depicted example, local area network (LAN) adapter 310, SCSI host bus adapter 312, and expansion bus interface 314 are connected to PCI local bus 306 by direct component connection. In contrast, audio adapter 316, graphics adapter 318, and audio/video adapter (A/V) 319 are connected to PCI local bus 306 by add-in boards inserted into expansion slots. Expansion bus interface 314 provides a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter 320, modem 322, and additional memory 324. In the depicted example, SCSI host bus adapter 312 provides a connection for hard disk drive 326, tape drive 328, CD-ROM drive 330, and digital versatile disc read only memory drive (DVD-ROM) 332. Typical PCI local bus implementations will support three or four PCI expansion slots or add-in connectors.
An operating system runs on processor 302 and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system 300 in FIG. 3. The operating system may be a commercially available operating system, such as OS/2, which is available from International Business Machines Corporation. “OS/2” is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. An object oriented programming system, such as Java, may run in conjunction with the operating system, providing calls to the operating system from Java programs or applications executing on data processing system 300. Instructions for the operating system, the object-oriented operating system, and applications or programs are located on a storage device, such as hard disk drive 326, and may be loaded into main memory 304 for execution by processor 302.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in FIG. 3 may vary depending on the implementation. For example, other peripheral devices, If; such as optical disk drives and the like, may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in FIG. 3. The depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention. For example, the processes of the present invention may be applied to multiprocessor data processing systems.
With reference now to FIG. 4, a block diagram of a Java virtual machine (JVM) is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. JVM 400 includes a class loader subsystem 402, which is a mechanism for loading types, such as classes and interfaces, given fully qualified names. JVM 400 also contains runtime data areas 404, execution engine 406, native method interface 408, and memory management 424. Execution engine 406 is a mechanism for executing instructions contained in the methods of classes loaded by class loader subsystem 402. Execution engine 406 may be, for example, Java interpreter 412 or just-in-time compiler 410. Native method interface 408 allows access to resources in the underlying operating system. Native method interface 408 may be, for example, a Java native interface.
Runtime data areas 404 contain native method stacks 414, Java stacks 416, PC registers 418, method area 420, and heap 422. These different data areas represent the organization of memory needed by JVM 400 to execute a program.
Java stacks 416 are used to store the state of Java method invocations. When a new thread is launched, the JVM creates a new Java stack for the thread. The JVM performs only two operations directly on Java stacks; it pushes and pops frames. A thread's Java stack stores the state of Java method invocations for the thread. The state of a Java method invocation includes its local variables, the parameters with which it was invoked, its return value, if any, and intermediate calculations.
Java stacks are composed of stack frames. A stack frame contains the state of a single Java method invocation. When a thread invokes a method, the JVM pushes a new frame onto the Java stack of the thread. When the method completes, the JVM pops the frame for that method and discards it. A JVM does not have any registers for holding intermediate values; any Java instruction that requires or produces an intermediate value uses the stack for holding the intermediate values. In this manner, the Java instruction set is well defined for a variety of platform architectures.
PC registers 418 are used to indicate the next instruction to be executed. Each instantiated thread gets its own PC register (program counter) and Java stack. If the thread is executing a JVM method, the value of the PC register indicates the next instruction to execute. If the thread is executing a native method, then the contents of the PC register are undefined.
Native method stacks 414 store the state of invocations of native methods. The state of native method invocations is stored in an implementation-dependent way in native method stacks, registers, or other implementation-dependent memory areas. In some JVM implementations, native method stacks 414 and Java stacks 416 are combined.
Method area 420 contains class data, while heap 422 contains all instantiated objects. The JVM specification strictly defines data types and operations. Most JVM implementations choose to have one method area and one heap, each of which is shared by all threads running inside the JVM. When the JVM loads a class file, it parses information about a type from the binary data contained in the class file. It places this type information into the method area. Each time a class instance or array is created, the memory for the new object is allocated from heap 422. JVM 400 includes an instruction that allocates memory space within the memory for heap 422 but includes no instruction for freeing that space within the memory. In the depicted example, memory management 424 manages memory space within the memory allocated to heap 422. Memory management 424 may include a garbage collector that automatically reclaims memory used by objects that are no longer referenced by an application. Additionally, a garbage collector also may move objects to reduce heap fragmentation.
Turning now to FIG. 5, there is depicted a screen image of user interface 500 for an applet recorder in accordance with the present invention, which may run on top of a JVM such as JVM 400. User interface 500 contains a start record button 510 to start recording events, and a stop record button 520 to stop recording events. User interface 500 also contains a close button 530 to close the applet recorder. The applet is viewed in area 550 on the left side of user interface 500.
The applet is loaded and started prior to receiving a request to record events. Thus, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the applet has been loaded and started. Start record button 510 is enabled because recording has not commenced. Stop record button 520 is not enabled, for the same reason.
Turning now to FIG. 6, there is shown a block diagram illustrating normal Java applet operation that runs on top of a JVM such as JVM 400 and may be implemented in a data processing system such as data processing system 300. An applet 620 must be loaded into an applet viewer, such as the applet viewers within Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Applet 620 contains all of the user-accessible components. Once applet 620 is loaded, it creates a standard Java class of event listeners (shown in FIG. 6 as applet listeners 640) that are attached to these components and system queue 650. It should be noted that several applet listeners may be (and usually will be) used.
Applet listeners 640 are event listeners. An event listener is any object that implements one or more listener interfaces. There are different listeners for each category of event in Java. For instance, the MouseListener interface defines methods such as MouseClicked, MousePressed, and MouseReleased. In order to receive events from a component, an object adds itself as a listener for that component's events. If an object implements the MouseListener interface, it listens for a component's mouse events by calling addMouseListener on that component. This allows a component's events to be handled without having to create a subclass of the component, and without handling the events in the parent container.
In response to user input 610 on a component in applet 620, such as moving a mouse, a keystroke, or a drag operation, an event 630 is constructed and posted on system queue 650. System queue 650 then dispatches this event to any applet listeners 640 on that component. The component's applet listeners 640 execute tasks according to the properties of event 630. Examples of tasks performed by applet listeners 640 include loading or saving information to a file when a button is depressed, playing a sound or displaying an image when the mouse cursor is moved over a specific area, and closing a program when a specific combination of keys is pressed.
Turning now to FIG. 7, there is a block diagram illustrating an applet recorder 700 in accordance with the present invention. Applet recorder 700 runs on top of a JVM, such as JVM 400, and may be implemented in a data processing system, such as data processing system 600. Applet recorder 700 consists of automator 760, which loads an applet 620 from a database located either on the local data processing system or on a network computer, such as server 104, for viewing. Automator 760 references applet 620 and adds automator listeners 770 to each of the applet 620 components. In response to user input 610 to a component of applet 620, an event 630 is constructed and posted on system queue 650, as is done with normal applet operation as discussed above.
However, system queue 650 not only dispatches event 630 to applet listeners 640, but also it dispatches event 630 to automator listeners 770 on that component. Automator listeners 770 receive an event 630 and store event 630 information to automator queue 780. When the recording session is complete, automator queue 780 contains all of the events that have occurred on applet 620 components. These events can then be played back by being posted to system queue 650 in the same order in which they were recorded.
Automator listeners 770 are similar to applet listeners 640, and are created by the automator and attached to each component of the applet 620. However, rather than perform a specified task to implement applet 620 as applet listeners 640 are programmed to do, automator listeners 770 capture events 630 and record them to automator queue 780, thereby recording the events such that they may be played back at a later time. By having these events stored, testing of a Java Virtual Machine, such as JVM 400, on a particular platform may be automated by having applet recorder 700 replay the user-generated events, thus freeing a person from this tedious task. These events may be required to be played back several times over a period of hours or days.
Turning now to FIG. 8, there is shown a flowchart illustrating a preferred method for recording events with applet recorder 700. After the applet recorder is started, it waits in idle mode (step 805) until it receives an indication from a user to start recording events 630 from an applet 620 (step 810). Once the indication to start recording is received from the user, an applet 620 is loaded into applet recorder 700 (step 815). The applet recorder then adds automator listeners 770 to each component of the applet (step 820), and then waits for user input (step 825).
If user input is received (step 830), then an event is constructed and posted to system queue 650. The system queue dispatches event 630 to automator listeners 770, which capture event 630 (step 835) and record event 630 to automator queue 780 (step 840) for later playback. Applet recorder 700 then continues to wait for user input (step 825).
If no user input is received (step 830), then the applet recorder determines if a stop recording command has been received from the user (step 845). If no stop recording command has been received (step 845), then applet recorder 700 continues to wait for user input (step 825). The recording of events generated by the user through applet 620 thus continues until a stop recording command is received (step 845). When a stop recording command is received, automator listeners 770 are removed, and applet recorder 700 ceases to record events generated by applet 620 (step 850). Applet recorder 700 then idles (step 805), waiting for a command to start recording anew (step 810).
With reference now to FIG. 9, there is shown a flowchart illustrating the function performed by an automator listener 770. Automator listener 770 idles (step 910) until an event occurs (step 920). Once an event, such as MOUSE_CLICKED, occurs, the event information is saved to an object (step 930). The object is then added to the automator queue 780 (step 940) and the automator listener continues to idle (step 910), waiting for the occurrence of another event (step 920).
A block diagram illustrating the three main parts of an object created by an automator listener 770 is depicted in FIG. 10. The object consists of event ID 1010, component field 1020, and event information 1030. Event ID 1010 indicates the type of event that occurred, such as MOUSE_CLICKED, ITEM_STATE_CHANGED, etc. Component field 1020 references the component on which this event occurred, such as a button, list, text area, etc. Finally, each object contains specific event information 1030, which includes several event-specific things.
As an example of the functioning of an automator listener 770 and the creation of an object, suppose applet 620 button is clicked by a user. The automator listener 770 for that component would create an object with MOUSE_CLICKED as event ID 1010. A reference to the button component would be placed in component field 1020. Event information 1030 would contain all other information about the event, such as the x-y coordinate position, modifiers, click count (double or single click), etc.
It is important to note that, while the present invention has been described in terms of recording events generated by Java applets, it is also applicable to applications as well. Furthermore, while described principally with respect to Java, the present invention may be applied to other event-driven object oriented programming languages following a similar “listener interface” model.
It is also important to note that, while the present invention has been described in the context of a fully functioning data processing system, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processes of the present invention are capable of being distributed in the form of a computer readable medium of instructions and a variety of forms, and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media actually used to carry out the distribution. Examples of computer readable media include recordable-type media, such floppy discs, hard disk drives, RAM, and CD-ROMs and transmission-type media, such as digital and analog communications links.
The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Citations de brevets
Citations hors brevets
| 837
|
Eye tracking is a process that identifies a specific point in both space and time that is being looked at by the observer. This information can also be used in real-time to control applications using the eyes. Recent innovations in the video game industry include alternative input modalities to provide an enhanced, more immersive user experience. In particular, eye gaze control has recently been explored as an input modality in video games. This book is an introduction for those interested in using eye tracking to control or analyze video games and virtual environments. Key concepts are illustrated through three case studies in which gaze control and voice recognition have been used in combination to control virtual characters and applications. The lessons learned in the case studies are presented and issues relating to incorporating eye tracking in interactive applications are discussed. The reader will be given an introduction to human visual attention, eye movements and eye tracking technologies. Previous work in the field of studying fixation behavior in games and using eye tracking for video game interaction will also be presented.
Collect Fly Buys when you purchase this title
The final chapter discusses ideas for how this field can be developed further to create richer interaction for characters and crowds in virtual environments. Alternative means of interaction in video games are especially important for disabled users for whom traditional techniques, such as mouse and keyboard, may be far from ideal. This book is also relevant for those wishing to use gaze control in applications other than games. Table of Contents: Introduction / The Human Visual System / Eye Tracking / Eye Tracking in Video Games / Gaze and Voice Controlled Video Games: Case Study I and II / Gaze and Voice Controlled Drawing: Case Study III / Conclusion
| 570
|
You are browsing the web and suddenly come across a page that displays numbers
instead of letters? You see four numbers inside a little box instead of letters? Well then you might just be missing a Unicode font. Here is a simple fix.
Those four numbers inside the little box are the hexadecimal code for the letter. If you have not got the font that translates those four numbers into a character or glyph you will only be able to see the number.
Here you can find a list of all Unicode fonts as well as a comparison of those Unicode fonts.
Having a look at the list, "GNU Unifont" clearly stands out with 63,446 characters 63,449 glyphs. As the name already suggests GNU Unifont is free to use and to download. You can get the GNU Unifont for Mac and Windows from here. Download the WinZip archive for Mac or Windows, it is 3MB in file size.
Once downloaded simply unzip the file and copy it to your systems fonts folder.
If you have trouble with that have a look here for Windows 7 users and here for Windows XP users. Basically in Windows the fonts are located at c:\windows\fonts.
Mac users can check this out to install the font.
Additionally here is a link to the Unicode 6.0 Character Code Charts.
| 879
|
Forgetfulness: Knowing when to Ask for Help
Maria has been a teacher for 35 years. Teaching fills her life and gives her a sense of accomplishment, but recently she has begun to forget details and has become more and more disorganized. At first, she laughed it off, but her memory problems have worsened. Her family and friends have been sympathetic but are not sure what to do. Parents and school administrators are worried about Maria's performance in the classroom. The principal has suggested she see a doctor. Maria is angry with herself and frustrated, and she wonders whether these problems are signs of Alzheimer's disease or just forgetfulness that comes with getting older.
Many people worry about becoming forgetful. They think forgetfulness is the first sign of Alzheimer's disease. Over the past few years, scientists have learned a lot about memory and why some kinds of memory problems are serious but others are not.
Age-related changes in memory
Forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging. As people get older, changes occur in all parts of the body, including the brain. As a result, some people may notice that it takes longer to learn new things, they don't remember information as well as they did, or they lose things like their glasses. These usually are signs of mild forgetfulness, not serious memory problems.
Some older adults also find that they don't do as well as younger people on complex memory or learning tests. Scientists have found, though, that given enough time, healthy older people can do as well as younger people do on these tests. In fact, as they age, healthy adults usually improve in areas of mental ability such as vocabulary.
Keeping your memory sharp
People with some forgetfulness can use a variety of techniques that may help them stay healthy and maintain their memory and mental skills. Here are some tips that can help:
Other causes of memory loss
Some memory problems are related to health issues that may be treatable. For example, medication side effects, vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic alcoholism, tumors or infections in the brain, or blood clots in the brain can cause memory loss or possibly dementia (see more on dementia, below). Some thyroid, kidney, or liver disorders also can lead to memory loss. A doctor should treat serious medical conditions like these as soon as possible.
Emotional problems, such as stress, anxiety, or depression, can make a person more forgetful and can be mistaken for dementia. For instance, someone who has recently retired or who is coping with the death of a spouse, relative, or friend may feel sad, lonely, worried, or bored. Trying to deal with these life changes leaves some people confused or forgetful.
The confusion and forgetfulness caused by emotions usually are temporary and go away when the feelings fade. The emotional problems can be eased by supportive friends and family, but if these feelings last for a long time, it is important to get help from a doctor or counselor. Treatment may include counseling, medication, or both.
More serious memory problems
For some older people, memory problems are a sign of a serious problem, such as mild cognitive impairment or dementia. People who are worried about memory problems should see a doctor. The doctor might conduct or order a thorough physical and mental health evaluation to reach a diagnosis. Often, these evaluations are conducted by a neurologist, a physician who specializes in problems related to the brain and central nervous system.
A complete medical exam for memory loss should review the person's medical history, including the use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diet, past medical problems, and general health. A correct diagnosis depends on accurate details, so in addition to talking with the patient, the doctor might ask a family member, caregiver, or close friend for information.
Blood and urine tests can help the doctor find the cause of the memory problems or dementia. The doctor also might do tests for memory loss and test the person's problem-solving and language abilities. A computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan may help rule out some causes of the memory problems.
Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Some people with memory problems have a condition called amnestic mild cognitive impairment, or amnestic MCI. People with this condition have more memory problems than normal for people their age, but their symptoms are not as severe as those of Alzheimer's disease, and they are able to carry out their normal daily activities.
Signs of MCI include misplacing things often, forgetting to go to important events and appointments, and having trouble coming up with desired words. Family and friends may notice memory lapses, and the person with MCI may worry about losing his or her memory. These worries may prompt the person to see a doctor for diagnosis.
Researchers have found that more people with MCI than those without it go on to develop Alzheimer's within a certain timeframe. However, not everyone who has MCI develops AD. Studies are underway to learn why some people with MCI progress to AD and others do not.
There currently is no standard treatment for MCI. Typically, the doctor will regularly monitor and test a person diagnosed with MCI to detect any changes in memory and thinking skills over time. There are no medications approved for use for MCI.
Dementia. Dementia is the loss of thinking, memory, and reasoning skills to such an extent that it seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. Dementia is not a disease itself but a group of symptoms caused by certain diseases or conditions such as AD. People with dementia lose their mental abilities at different rates.
Symptoms may include:
Two of the most common forms of dementia in older people are Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. These types of dementia cannot be cured at present.
In Alzheimer's disease, changes to nerve cells in certain parts of the brain result in the death of a large number of cells. Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease begin slowly and worsen steadily as damage to nerve cells spreads throughout the brain. As time goes by, forgetfulness gives way to serious problems with thinking, judgment, recognizing family and friends, and the ability to perform daily activities like driving a car or handling money. Eventually, the person needs total care.
In vascular dementia, a series of strokes or changes in the brain's blood supply leads to the death of brain tissue. Symptoms of vascular dementia can vary but usually begin suddenly, depending on where in the brain the strokes occurred and how severe they were. The person's memory, language, reasoning, and coordination may be affected. Mood and personality changes are common as well.
It's not possible to reverse damage already caused by a stroke, so it's very important to get medical care right away if someone has signs of a stroke. It's also important to take steps to prevent further strokes, which worsen vascular dementia symptoms. Some people have both Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
Treatment for dementia
A person with dementia should be under a doctor's care. The doctor might be a neurologist, family doctor, internist, geriatrician, or psychiatrist. He or she can treat the patient's physical and behavioral problems (such as aggression, agitation, or wandering) and answer the many questions that the person or family may have.
People with dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease may be treated with medications. Four medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Alzheimer's disease. Donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), and galantamine (Razadyne®) are used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (donepezil has been approved to treat severe Alzheimer's disease as well). Memantine (Namenda®) is used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. These drugs may help maintain thinking, memory, and speaking skills, and may lessen certain behavioral problems for a few months to a few years in some people. However, they dont stop Alzheimer's disease from progressing. Studies are underway to investigate medications to slow cognitive decline and to prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease.
People with vascular dementia should take steps to prevent further strokes. These steps include controlling high blood pressure, monitoring and treating high blood cholesterol and diabetes, and not smoking. Studies are underway to develop medicines to reduce the severity of memory and thinking problems that come with vascular dementia. Other studies are looking at the effects of drugs to relieve certain symptoms of this type of dementia.
Family members and friends can help people in the early stages of dementia to continue their daily routines, physical activities, and social contacts. People with dementia should be kept up-to-date about the details of their lives, such as the time of day, where they live, and what is happening at home or in the world. Memory aids may help. Some families find that a big calendar, a list of daily plans, notes about simple safety measures, and written directions describing how to use common household items are useful aids.
What you can do
If you're concerned that you or someone you know has a serious memory problem, talk with your doctor. He or she may be able to diagnose the problem or refer you to a specialist in neurology or geriatric psychiatry. Health care professionals who specialize in Alzheimer's can recommend ways to manage the problem or suggest treatment or services that might help. More information is available from the organizations listed below.
People with Alzheimer's disease, MCI, or a family history of Alzheimer's disease, and healthy people with no memory problems and no family history of Alzheimer's disease may be able to take part in clinical trials. Participating in clinical trials is an effective way to help in the fight against Alzheimers. To find out more about clinical trials, call the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center toll-free at 1-800-438-4380 or visit the ADEAR Center website at www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers. More information is available at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.
For more information
Here are some helpful resources:
Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center
P.O. Box 8250
Silver Spring, MD 20907-8250
The National Institute on Aging's ADEAR Center offers information and publications in English and Spanish for families, caregivers and professionals on diagnosis, treatment, patient care, caregiver needs, long-term care, education and training, and research related to Alzheimer's disease.
225 North Michigan Avenue, Floor 17
Chicago, IL 60601-7633
National Library of Medicine
For more information on health and aging, contact:
Visit NIHSeniorHealth (www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a senior-friendly website from the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine. This website has health information for older adults. Special features make it simple to use. For example, you can click on a button to have the text read out loud or to make the type larger.
National Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Page last updated March 29, 2010
| 261
|
Potatoes are one of the easiest plants to grow because they are not extremely picky about the soil that they are grown in. Growing the best potatoes, however, requires preparation and diligence during the growing stages. As potato plants spread and the potatoes start to grow, the gardener needs to be sure that the tubers remain covered with soil.
Chit (pre-sprout) the seed potatoes. This step is optional but recommended. Cut out the crown sprouts or eyes to allow the potato to grow sprouts from the shoulders and sides. To find the crown sprout, look closely at the potato for a cluster of more than four or five eyes. Cut out these eyes with a potato peeler and set the potatoes in an egg carton, crown side up.
Check the potatoes every few days and mist them lightly with a water/fertilizer mix. When the sprouts have grown to about an inch, they are ready to plant.
Clear the planting area of all weeds and debris, using a shovel and garden rake. Remove any rocks and roots, as they can interfere with the growth of the potatoes. Prepare the soil to approximately 1 foot deep.
Spread a 2-inch layer of compost or planting mix onto the cleared soil and mix in with a shovel. Dig into the soil with the shovel and turn the dirt several times until the compost and soil are mixed thoroughly.
Plant the sprouted (or unsprouted) seed potatoes at a depth of about 1 inch and about 1 foot apart. If the seed potatoes are small, less than 2 oz. each, they do not need to be cut; if they are larger than 2 oz., cut the potatoes into chunks that include at least one eye each. Each chunk should be no smaller than 1 square inch.
Water the potatoes thoroughly at least once each week. Over-watering will cause potatoes that have black centers, but potatoes need to be watered consistently to avoid misshapen tubers.
Check the leaves and stems daily for insect damage and treat as necessary. Bring in dirt from other areas of the garden to bury the tubers as they grow in size; do not let the potatoes become uncovered while growing.
Harvest the potatoes at any desired stage of growth. New potatoes are small, tender potatoes and are used in many recipes. Allow baking potatoes to grow larger.
| 578
|
Job Description: To Explore the Unknown
Curiosity about how life might have evolved on Mars could help reveal more about our own planet.
Planetary studies can spark the imagination. We want to go to Mars. Humans have dreamed of going to another planet and looking for life throughout the ages. We want to better understand the nature of the Solar System and we want to know if we're alone.
We're finding out as much as we can about our nearest habitable neighbor in order to lay the groundwork for the eventual colonization of Mars. There is nothing scientifically stopping us.
A passion for exploration
The discovery of hundreds of worlds around other stars has shown that planets orbit at least 5 to 10 percent of all stars. But how many of these planets are Earth-size, and possibly Earth-like?
| 23
|
How many times did you hear that today? Probably a lot. But why are adults so hung up on hand washing? Why are they so in love with lather?
Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. Think about all of the things that you touched today — from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you blew your nose in a tissue and then went outside to dig around the dirt.
Whatever you did today, you came into contact with germs. It's easy for a germ on your hand to end up in your mouth. Think about how many foods you eat with your hands.
You can't wear rubber gloves all day long, but you can wash your hands so those germs don't get a chance to make you or someone else sick. When germs go down the drain, they can't make anyone sick.
So when are the best times to wash your hands?
when your hands are dirty
before eating or touching food (like if you're helping cook or bake, for example)
before and after visiting a sick relative or friend
Now you have the when and the why of hand washing. But did you know that a lot of people don't know how to get their paws perfectly clean? The next time you're told to step up to the sink and scrub up, remember these handy hints:
Use warm water (not cold or hot) when you wash your hands.
Use whatever soap you like. Some soaps come in cool shapes and colors or smell nice, but whatever kind gets you scrubbing is the kind you should use. Antibacterial soaps are OK to use, but regular soap works fine.
Work up some lather on both sides of your hands, your wrists, and between your fingers. Don't forget to wash around your nails. This is one place germs like to hide. Wash for about 10 to 15 seconds — about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday." (Sing it quickly two times or just once if you go nice and slow.)
| 30
|
Teachers, register your class or environmental club in our annual Solar Oven Challenge! Registration begins in the fall, and projects must be completed in the spring to be eligible for prizes and certificates.
Who can participate?
GreenLearning's Solar Oven Challenge is open to all Canadian classes. Past challenges have included participants from grade 3 through to grade 12. Older students often build solar ovens as part of the heat unit in their Science courses. Other students learn about solar energy as a project in an eco-class or recycling club.
How do you register?
1. Registration is now open to Canadian teachers. To register, send an email to Gordon Harrison at GreenLearning. Include your name, school, school address and phone number, and the grade level of the students who will be participating.
2. After you register, you will receive the Solar Oven Challenge Teacher's Guide with solar oven construction plans. Also see re-energy.ca for construction plans, student backgrounders, and related links on solar cooking and other forms of renewable energy. At re-energy.ca, you can also see submissions, photos and recipes from participants in past Solar Oven Challenges.
3. Build, test and bake with solar ovens!
4. Email us photos and descriptions of your creations by the deadline (usually the first week of June).
5. See your recipes and photos showcased at re-energy.ca. Winners will be listed there and in GreenLearning News.
| 617
|
December 19, 2012
Share Email Print
Kate Wong is an editor and writer at Scientific American covering paleontology, archaeology and life sciences. Follow on Twitter
PALEO DIET: Analyses of tartar on the teeth of Australopithecus sediba show that this early human species ate bark and other unexpected foods. Image: Kate Wong
Recent years have brought considerable riches for those of us interested in human evolution and 2012 proved no exception. New fossils, archaeological finds and genetic analyses yielded thrilling insights into the shape of the family tree, the diets of our ancient predecessors, the origins of art and advanced weaponry, the interactions between early Homo sapiens and other human species, and other facets of our ancestors’ lives. The list below highlights the discoveries that most captivated me in a year of revelations about the way we were. Did I miss your favorite? Let me know in the comments.
- A 3.4 million-year-old fossil foot suggests a second lineage of hominins (creatures more closely related to us than to our closest living relatives, chimpanzees) may have lived alongside Lucy’s kind and spent more time in the trees than on the ground.
- Fossils from Kenya dating to between 1.87 million and 1.95 million years ago rekindle debate over whether our own genus, Homo, split into multiple lineages early on.
- Analysis of tartar, molar wear and tooth chemistry in the nearly two-million-year-old hominin known as Australopithecus sediba shows that it had an unexpected diet, including tree bark.
- A shift in the technology and diet of early Homo around two million years ago may have doomed large carnivores
- Tiny bits of burned plants and bone from a South African cave show that humans had tamed fire by 1 million years ago–some 600,000 year earlier than had previously been documented.
- Our ancestors began making multicomponent tools in the form of deadly stone-tipped spears 500,000 years ago—200,000 years earlier than previously thought.
- Cave paintings in Spain are the oldest in the world and are sufficiently ancient to be the creations of Neandertals.
- Neandertals hunted birds for their fashionable feathers for thousands of years and may have exploited certain plants for their medicinal properties–compelling evidence that our hominin cousins were cognitively sophisticated.
- Reconstructed genome of the Denisovans–an enigmatic group of archaic hominins—confirms that early Homo sapiens interbred with them and reveals new details of their genetic legacy.
- Whole-genome sequencing of modern hunter-gatherers from Africa turns up loads of previously unknown genetic variants and indicates that early Homo sapiens interbred with another hominin species long ago in Africa.
- Paleoanthropology’s hobbit, a tiny hominin species called Homo floresiensis, gets a new face thanks to forensic reconstruction–and the result is startlingly familiar.
- Stone tools and preserved poop from Oregon add to mounting evidence that the early human colonization of the Americas was more complex than scholars once envisioned.
- Study finds that mom’s metabolism—not the size of the pelvis—limits gestation length to nine months, providing a new explanation for why humans give birth to helpless babies.
About the Author:
Kate Wong is an editor and writer at Scientific American covering paleontology, archaeology and life sciences. Follow on Twitter @katewong
Rights & Permissions
| 10
|
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
rothbard on the utility of quantitative easing
Economist Murray Rothbard ("America‟s Great Depression", Ludwig von Mises Institute 2000) made extensive analysis of why the inflationary policies of the US Federal Reserve failed during the Great Depression. Those policies proved to be counterproductive:“American citizens lost confidence in the banks and demanded cash.. for their deposits.. while foreigners lost confidence in the dollar and demanded gold.. The more that.. the Fed tried to inflate, the more worried the.. public became about the dollar, the more gold flowed out of the banks, and the more deposits were redeemed for cash.. The Fed purchase of government securities was a purely artificial attempt to dope the inflation horse..”
this has to be a core concern of every briton at the moment, with the bank of england having entered the gilt market to monetize government debt. the grand experiment intends to goose economic activity at the expense of the real value of the already-slashed pound, with some sincerely icelandic tail risk.
in normal conditions, a devalued currency could be expected to assist exporters as well. as mentioned by the financial times, there is considerable doubt as to the efficacy of that pathway amid a global demand collapse. so the primary intention is to increase the currency in circulation in the hopes that more on hand will mean more spending and (critically) more borrowing.
this clearly did not work well in the 1930s to the extent it was undertaken as banks chose to hoard cash (much as today). of course, the united states also experienced a series of devastating bank runs which reinforced that tendency. today, with the FDIC, bank runs are a much smaller problem. aren't they?
the hard answer is that "it depends". much of the catastrophe of 2008 can be seen as a run on the shadow banking system -- that is, the uninsured and off-balance-sheet extensions of the financial system. the contraction of that massive credit generator is analogous in its effect to a systemic bank run that has resulted in failed "banks", boggling capital losses and widespread (and justifiable) paranoia.
that run has at times extended to more visible elements of the banking system, forcing insurance to be put into place on an ad hoc basis -- such as the commercial paper and money market fund backstops put in place following the collapse of lehman brothers, which were hoped to be able to forstall a systemic run on those markets which was actually underway.
beyond that there is the question of the fate of crossborder deposits -- international depositors in american banks have heretofore been well treated by the FDIC, but their accounts are not legally protected. these accounts are a massive part of the deposits in money-center banks such as C or JPM. crossborder runs have already become a reality in some parts of the world during this crisis.
and there is finally the question of the FDIC itself. michael panzner forecast in his sometimes-eerily-prescient "financial armageddon" (and has repeated elsewhere) that eventually deposit insurance (along with many overpromised government-backed obligations) will likely have to be diluted or perhaps even eliminated in the crisis now underway as the fiscal position of government may not allow it to backstop all failed banks as the debt unwind progresses and the losses being assumed by the government through the FDIC and other pathways become overwhelming. the mere anticipation of that development could reintroduce the bank run to american society after a long absence, which is probably why sheila bair recently approached congress for a $500bn line to the treasury, a move many see as preparatory of the resolution of a money-center bank. this comes on top of a draconian assessment levied across all banks, leaving many smaller community bankers incensed at what some term "confiscating the capital of the industry" on the part of the government in service of the majors.
and this is not to mention hoarding in anticipation of runs on other elements of the financial system -- most notably of late the insurance sector, which rolfe winkler delves into today.
beyond simply engendering some healthy skepticism of the value of government insurance in a real crisis, the two-pronged point here is
- that quantitative easing may not work to promote economic activity through increased lending in part because the value of assurances against losses are, even and perpahs particularly where comprehensive, questionable;
- that quantitative easing, or rather monetization, may be the only resort to which government could really appeal in the case of multiple large-scale bank resolutions.
it is impossible to know how this would work out in detail -- but should we witness a real spate of dollar weakness in forex markets as things go along, government may be faced with some very stark choices about what it can really afford to backstop.
| 221
|
Many of us are inclined not to talk about things that upset us. We try to put a lid on our feelings and hope that saying nothing will be for the best. But not talking about something doesnt mean we arent communicating. Children are great observers. They read messages on our faces and in the way we walk or hold our hands. We express ourselves by what we do, by what we say, and by what we do not say.
When we avoid talking about something that is obviously upsetting, children often hesitate to bring up the subject or ask questions about it. To a child, avoidance can be a message - If Mummy and Daddy cant talk about it, it really must be bad, so I better not talk about it either. In effect, instead of protecting our children by avoiding talk, we sometimes cause them more worry and also keep them from telling us how they feel.
On the other hand, it also isnt wise to confront children with information that they may not yet understand or want to know. As with any sensitive subject, we must seek a delicate balance that encourages children to communicate - a balance that lies somewhere between avoidance and confrontation, a balance that isnt easy to achieve. It involves:
- trying to be sensitive to their desire to communicate when theyre ready
- trying not to put up barriers that may inhibit their attempts to communicate
- offering them honest explanations when we are obviously upset
- listening to and accepting their feelings
- not putting off their questions by telling them they are too young
- trying to find brief and simple answers that are appropriate to their questions; answers that they can understand and that do not overwhelm them with too many words.
Perhaps most difficult of all, it involves examining our own feelings and beliefs so that we can talk to them as naturally as possible when the opportunities arise.
Not Having All the Answers
When talking with children, many of us feel uncomfortable if we dont have all the answers. Young children, in particular, seem to expect parents to be all knowing - even about death. But death, the one certainty in all life, if lifes greatest uncertainty. Coming to terms with death can be a lifelong process. We may find different answers at different stages of our lives, or we may always feel a sense of uncertainty and fear. If we have unresolved fears and questions, we may wonder how to provide comforting answers for our children.
While not all our answers may be comforting, we can share what we truly believe. Where we have doubts, an honest, I just dont know the answer to that one, may be more comforting than an explanation which we dont quite believe. Children usually sense our doubts. White lies, no matter how well intended, can create uneasiness and distrust. Besides, sooner, or later, our children will learn that we are not all knowing, and maybe we can make that discovery easier for them if we calmly and matter-of-factly tell them we dont have all the answers. Our non-defensive and accepting attitude may help them feel better about not knowing everything also.
It may help to tell our children that different people believe different things and that not everyone believes as we do, e.g., some people believe in an afterlife; some do not. By indicating our acceptance and respect for others beliefs, we may make it easier for our children to choose beliefs different from our own but more comforting to them.
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 26 Aug 2010
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
| 820
|
QUASAR’S BELCH SOLVES LONGSTANDING MYSTERY
February 23, 2011
Artist’s conceptualization of the environment around the supermassive black hole at the center of Mrk 231. The broad outflow seen in the Gemini data is shown as the fan-shaped wedge at the top of the accretion disk around the black hole. This side-view is not what is seen from the Earth where we see it ‘looking down the throat’ of the outflow. A similar outflow is probably present under the disk as well and is hinted at in this illustration. The total amount of material entrained in the broad flow is at least 400 times the mass of the Sun per year. Note that a more localized, narrower jet is shown, this jet was known prior to the Gemini discovery of the broader outflow featured here.
Gemini Observatory Press Release
For Immediate Release – February 23, 2011
When two galaxies merge to form a giant, the central supermassive black hole in the new galaxy develops an insatiable appetite. However, this ferocious appetite is unsustainable.
The growth of supermassive black holes, which are found in the centers of all normal galaxies (including our Milky Way), is fundamentally linked to the stars in galaxies. Black holes grow and stars form over time, resulting in a tight connection between the mass of the central black hole and the mass in stars of the host galaxy. Since most galaxies in the local universe do not currently have actively growing black holes at their centers, some process must eventually emerge to shut down this growth and development. Theoretical modeling specifically points to quasar outflows as the culprit. In this negative feedback loop, while the black hole is actively acquiring mass as a quasar, the outflows carry away energy and material, suppressing further growth. Small-scale outflows had been observed before, but none sufficiently powerful to account for this predicted and fundamental aspect of galaxy evolution. The Gemini observations provide the first clear evidence for outflows powerful enough to support the process necessary to starve the galactic black hole and quench star formation.
This extraction from the data cube shows the large-scale, fast outflow of neutral sodium at the center of the quasar Markarian 231. We are looking down onto the material that moves toward us relative to the galaxy, so the measured velocities are negative. The large black circle marks the location of the black hole, and red lines show the location of a radio jet. In addition to the quasar outflow, the jet pushes the material at the top right, resulting in even greater speeds. Part of the starburst is located at the position of the box at the lower left, and it is likely responsible for the gas motion in this region.
For the first time, observations with the Gemini Observatory clearly reveal an extreme, large-scale galactic outflow that brings the cosmic dinner to a halt. The outflow is effectively blowing the galaxy apart in a negative feedback loop, depriving the galaxy’s monstrous black hole of the gas and dust it needs to sustain its frenetic growth. It also limits the material available for the galaxy to make new generations of stars.
The groundbreaking work is a collaboration between David Rupke of Rhodes College in Tennessee and the University of Maryland’s Sylvain Veilleux. The results are to be published in the March 10 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters and were completed with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.
According to Veilleux, Markarian 231 (Mrk 231), the galaxy observed with Gemini, is an ideal laboratory for studying outflows caused by feedback from supermassive black holes. “This object is arguably the closest and best example that we know of a big galaxy in the final stages of a violent merger and in the process of shedding its cocoon and revealing a very energetic central quasar. This is really a last gasp of this galaxy; the black hole is belching its next meals into oblivion!” As extreme as Mrk 231’s eating habits appear, Veilleux adds that they are probably not unique, “When we look deep into space and back in time, quasars like this one are seen in large numbers and all of them may have gone through shedding events like the one we are witnessing in Mrk 231.”
Although Mrk 231 is extremely well studied, and known for its collimated jets, the Gemini observations exposed a broad outflow extending in all directions for at least 8,000 light years around the galaxy’s core. The resulting data reveal gas (characterized by sodium, which absorbs yellow light) streaming away from the galaxy center at speeds of over 1,000 kilometers per second. At this speed, the gas could go from New York to Los Angeles in about 4 seconds. This outflow is removing gas from the nucleus at a prodigious rate – more than 2.5 times the star formation rate. The speeds observed eliminate stars as the possible “engine” fueling the outflow. This leaves the black hole itself as the most likely culprit, and it can easily account for the tremendous energy required.
The energy involved is sufficient to sweep away matter from the galaxy. However, "when we say the galaxy is being blown apart, we are only referring to the gas and dust in the galaxy,” notes Rupke. “The galaxy is mostly stars at this stage in its life, and the outflow has no effect on them. The crucial thing is that the fireworks of new star formation and black hole feeding are coming to an end, most likely as a result of this outflow.”
The environment around such a black hole is commonly known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), and the extreme influx of material into these black holes is the power source for quasi-stellar objects or quasars. Merging galaxies help to feed the central black hole and also shroud it in gas. Mrk 231 is in transition, now clearing its surroundings. Eventually, running out of fuel, the AGN will become extinct. Without gas to form new stars, the host galaxy also starves to death, turning into a collection of old aging stars with few young stars to regenerate the stellar population. Ultimately, these old stars will make the galaxy appear redder giving these galaxies the moniker “red and dead.”
Numerical astrophysicist Philip Hopkins, a Miller Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley, explains that many physical processes unique to rapidly growing black holes are likely to play a role in propelling the winds observed by Gemini. “At its peak, the quasar shines with such intensity that the light itself is ‘trapped’ by a cocoon of gas and dust pushing on material with a force that can easily overcome the gravitational pull of the black hole.” Hopkins adds that the bath of X-rays and gamma rays known to be generated by quasars could also heat up the gas in the galaxy’s center until it reaches a temperature where it "boils over" and causes a bomb-like explosion. “But until now, we haven’t been able to catch a system ‘in the act.’” Part of the problem, according to Hopkins, has been that the most visible outflows are those ‘collimated jets’ already known in Mrk 231. These jets are trapped (probably by magnetic fields) in an extremely narrow beam, whereas material is falling into the black hole from all directions. The previously known jets therefore only cause very localized damage – drilling a tiny hole in the cocoon, rather than sweeping it away more broadly as seen in these new, more all-encompassing, outflows.
The observations for this study were obtained with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on Gemini North, on Mauna Kea, Hawai‘i. The study used a powerful technique known as integral field spectroscopy. The integral field unit (IFU) in GMOS obtains a spectrum at several hundred points around the galaxy’s core. Each spectrum is then, in turn, used to determine the velocity of the gas at that point and represents the third dimension in what is called a data cube.
Markarian 231 is located about 600 million light years away in the direction of the constellation of Ursa Major. Although its mass is uncertain, some estimates indicate that Mrk 231 has a mass in stars about three times that of our Milky Way galaxy and its central black hole is estimated to have a mass of at least ten million solar masses or also about three times that of the supermassive black hole in the Milky Way.
Movie showing the gas in a galaxy merger with a quasar-driven “blowout”: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~phopkins/Site/Movies_files/collision_BH_run4.avi
| 296
|
Vol. 17 Issue 6
One-Legged (Single Limb) Stance Test
The One-Legged Stance Test (OLST)1,2 is a simple, easy and effective method to screen for balance impairments in the older adult population.
You may be asking yourself, "how can standing on one leg provide you with any information about balance, after all, we do not go around for extended periods of time standing on one leg?"
True, as a rule we are a dynamic people, always moving, our world always in motion, but there are instances were we do need to maintain single limb support. The most obvious times are when we are performing our everyday functional activities.
Stepping into a bath tub or up onto a curb would be difficult, if not impossible to do without the ability to maintain single limb support for a given amount of time. The ability to switch from two- to one-leg standing is required to perform turns, climb stairs and dress.
As we know, the gait cycle requires a certain amount of single limb support in order to be able to progress ourselves along in a normal pattern. When the dynamics of the cycle are disrupted, loss of balance leading to falls may occur.
This is especially true in older individuals whose gait cycle is altered due to normal and potentially abnormal changes that occur as a result of aging.
The One-Legged Stance Test measures postural stability (i.e., balance) and is more difficult to perform due to the narrow base of support required to do the test. Along with five other tests of balance and mobility, reliability of the One-Legged Stance Test was examined for 45 healthy females 55 to 71 years old and found to have "good" intraclass correlations coefficients (ICC range = .95 to .099). Within raters ICC ranged from 0.73 to 0.93.3
To perform the test, the patient is instructed to stand on one leg without support of the upper extremities or bracing of the unweighted leg against the stance leg. The patient begins the test with the eyes open, practicing once or twice on each side with his gaze fixed straight ahead.
The patient is then instructed to close his eyes and maintain balance for up to 30 seconds.1
The number of seconds that the patient/client is able to maintain this position is recorded. Termination or a fail test is recorded if 1) the foot touches the support leg; 2) hopping occurs; 3) the foot touches the floor, or 4) the arms touch something for support.
Normal ranges with eyes open are: 60-69 yrs/22.5 ± 8.6s, 70-79 yrs/14.2 ± 9.3s. Normal ranges for eyes closed are: 60-69 yrs/10.2 ± 8.6s, 70-79 yrs/4.3 ± 3.0s.4 Briggs and colleagues reported balance times on the One-Legged Stance Test in females age 60 to 86 years for dominant and nondominant legs.
Given the results of this data, there appears to be some difference in whether individuals use their dominant versus their nondominant leg in the youngest and oldest age groups.
When using this test, having patients choose what leg they would like to stand on would be appropriate as you want to record their "best" performance.
It has been reported in the literature that individuals increase their chances of sustaining an injury due to a fall by two times if they are unable to perform a One-Legged Stance Test for five seconds.5 Other studies utilizing the One-Legged Stance Test have been conducted in older adults to assess static balance after strength training,6 performance of activities of daily living and platform sway tests.7
Interestingly, subscales of other balance measures such as the Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment8 and Berg Balance Scale9 utilize unsupported single limb stance times of 10 seconds and 5 seconds respectively, for older individuals to be considered to have "normal" balance.
Thirty percent to 60 percent of community-dwelling elderly individuals fall each year, with many experiencing multiple falls.10 Because falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in older adults and a significant cause of disability in this population, prevention of falls and subsequent injuries is a worthwhile endeavor.11
The One-Legged Stance Test can be used as a quick, reliable and easy way for clinicians to screen their patients/clients for fall risks and is easily incorporated into a comprehensive functional evaluation for older adults.
1. Briggs, R., Gossman, M., Birch, R., Drews, J., & Shaddeau, S. (1989). Balance performance among noninstitutionalized elderly women. Physical Therapy, 69(9), 748-756.
2. Anemaet, W., & Moffa-Trotter, M. (1999). Functional tools for assessing balance and gait impairments. Topics in Geriatric Rehab, 15(1), 66-83.
3. Franchignoni, F., Tesio, L., Martino, M., & Ricupero, C. (1998). Reliability of four simple, quantitative tests of balance and mobility in healthy elderly females. Aging (Milan), 10(1), 26-31.
4. Bohannon, R., Larkin, P., Cook, A., & Singer, J. (1984). Decrease in timed balance test scores with aging. Physical Therapy, 64, 1067-1070.
5. Vellas, B., Wayne, S., Romero, L., Baumgartner, R., et al. (1997). One-leg balance is an important predictor of injurious falls in older persons. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, 45, 735-738.
6. Schlicht, J., Camaione, D., & Owen, S. (2001). Effect of intense strength training on standing balance, walking speed, and sit-to-stand performance in older adults. Journal of Gerontological Medicine and Science, 56A(5), M281-M286.
7. Frandin, K., Sonn, U., Svantesson, U., & Grimby, G. (1996). Functional balance tests in 76-year-olds in relation to performance, activities of daily living and platform tests. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine, 27(4), 231-241.
8. Tinetti, M., Williams, T., & Mayewski, R. (1986). Fall risk index for elderly patients based on number of chronic disabilities. American Journal of Medicine, 80, 429-434.
9. Berg, K., et al. (1989). Measuring balance in the elderly: Preliminary development of an instrument. Physio Therapy Canada, 41(6), 304-311.
10. Rubenstein, L., & Josephson, K. (2002). The epidemiology of falls and syncope. Clinical Geriatric Medicine, 18, 141-158.
11. National Safety Council. (2004). Injury Facts. Itasca, IL: Author.
Dr. Lewis is a physical therapist in private practice and president of Premier Physical Therapy of Washington, DC. She lectures exclusively for GREAT Seminars and Books, Inc. Dr. Lewis is also the author of numerous textbooks. Her Website address is www.greatseminarsandbooks.com. Dr. Shaw is an assistant professor in the physical therapy program at the University of South Florida dedicated to the area of geriatric rehabilitation. She lectures exclusively for GREAT Seminars and Books in the area of geriatric function.
APTA Encouraged by Cap Exceptions
New process grants automatic exceptions to beneficiaries needing care the most
Calling it "a good first step toward ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have coverage for the physical therapy they need," Ben F Massey, Jr, PT, MA, president of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), expressed optimism that the new exceptions process will allow a significant number of Medicare patients to receive services exceeding the $1,740 annual financial cap on Medicare therapy coverage. The new procedure, authorized by Congress in the recently enacted Deficit Reduction Act (PL 109-171), will be available to Medicare beneficiaries on March 13 under rules released this week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
"APTA is encouraged by the new therapy cap exceptions process," Massey said. "CMS has made a good effort to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries who need the most care are not harmed by an arbitrary cap."
As APTA recommended, the process includes automatic exceptions and also grants exceptions to beneficiaries who are receiving both physical therapy and speech language pathology (the services are currently combined under one $1,740 cap).
"We have yet to see how well Medicare contractors will be able to implement and apply this process. Even if it works well, Congress only authorized this new process through 2006. Congress must address this issue again this year, and we are confident that this experience will demonstrate to legislators that they must completely repeal the caps and provide a more permanent solution for Medicare beneficiaries needing physical therapy," Massey continued.
The therapy caps went into effect on Jan. 1, 2006, limiting Medicare coverage on outpatient rehabilitation services to $1,740 for physical therapy and speech therapy combined and $1,740 for occupational therapy.
The American Physical Therapy Association is a national professional organization representing more than 65,000 members. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research and education.
New Mouthwash Helps With Pain
Doctors in Italy are studying whether a new type of mouthwash will help alleviate pain for patients suffering from head and neck cancer who were treated with radiation therapy, according to a new study (International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, Feb. 1, 2006).
Fifty patients, suffering from various forms of head and neck cancer and who received radiation therapy, were observed during the course of their radiation treatment. Mucositis, or inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth, is the most common side effect yet no additional therapy has been identified that successfully reduces the pain.
This study sought to discover if a mouthwash made from the local anesthetic tetracaine was able to alleviate the discomfort associated with head and neck cancer and if there would be any negative side effects of the mouthwash. The doctors chose to concoct a tetracaine-based mouthwash instead of a lidocaine-based version because it was found to be four times more effective, worked faster and produced a prolonged relief.
The tetracaine was administered by a mouthwash approximately 30 minutes before and after meals, or roughly six times a day. Relief of oral pain was reported in 48 of the 50 patients. Sixteen patients reported that the mouthwash had an unpleasant taste or altered the taste of their food.
| 54
|
Mount Desert Rock
About 20 miles southeast of Mount Desert Island, this is one of the most remote and lonely lights. Even mild storms scour the island, denuding it of anything not firmly secured, and frequently submerge it entirely. Yet each spring keepers transported soil from the mainland, tucking it into crevices on this otherwise barren rock in hopes of cultivating flowers and vegetables. For a few months in summer and early fall, the rock became a colorful garden in the middle of the sea. But late fall and winter storms always washed it all away. It's a challenge to see this lighthouse, even from a boat, but whale-watching cruises from Bar Harbor sometimes pass by.
Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse was built in 1830.
| 542
|
50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy told the United States that man would go to the moon. Soon, another American president may announce that the same celestial body will serve as a waypoint for manned space exploration. The Verge has learned that NASA intends to deploy a robotic lunar rover on the Moon in 2017 to search for water and other resources necessary for space travel, and that NASA may have secured support from the White House for an actual manned outpost — a space station — floating above the far side of the moon.
We spoke to Logsdon as well, and he said that the administration is planning a shift in policy that could make the Moon and its surrounding space a more important part of the equation.
And our source tells us that part of that plan is deploying RESOLVE on the lunar surface in 2017. It’s a payload designed to be mounted on a robotic rover and driven across the moon to find water and other useful materials for space travel, “Cheaper than lifting water off the Earth” such that spaceships won’t have the tremendous expense of lifting them from Earth in order to bring them along. They could theoretically travel from Earth to the lunar waypoint and find resources waiting for them before undertaking a journey further abroad. 2017 also happens to be the target date for the first unmanned mission for NASA’s new Space Launch System and Orion capsule, which will make a loop around the moon, but our source wasn’t sure whether that craft would be the one to drop the lunar rover. In fact, they suggested that instead, the rover would be deployed as part of a commercial partnership, and that the mission would “lay the groundwork for commercial lunar transport.”
Private firms have been working on commercial space travel for a while, with the SpaceX Dragon capsule successfully completing its first resupply mission to the International Space Station just last month, but recently there’s been some interest in space mining as well: Planetary Resources, a company backed by James Cameron, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, plans to launch a spaceship within two years and begin mining asteroids by 2022.
When we asked NASA about the possibilities of a moon base, a representative wouldn’t confirm or deny the plans. “We are pursuing a range of possible destinations on route to an eventual trip to Mars,” they explained, but admitted that a lunar waypoint would be “in the range of possibilities that have been discussed” and could be “a potential stepping stone to Mars.”
At present, NASA could only confirm that the Space Launch System’s first unmanned mission (Exploration Mission 1) is still slated for 2017 and a second manned mission (Exploration Mission 2) with a crew of four would likely occur in 2021, that astronauts would attempt to land on an asteroid by 2025, and arrive at Mars sometime in the 2030s. NASA did caution, however, that there’s no current plan to land people on the Moon itself.
“Neither EM1 nor EM2 would put boots on the surface of the Moon,” NASA told us.
Rumors of such a deep-space outpost surfaced as early as February of this year, when a leaked memo from a NASA administrator detailed an idea to build a “human-tended waypoint” at Earth-Moon Lagrange Point 2 (EML-2): a point in space where balanced gravitational forces allow an object to remain in stationary orbit relative to both the Earth and the Moon. From there, NASA could launch missions deeper into space — say, to Mars, or a near-Earth asteroid — using the base as a stepping stone.
In September, the Orlando Sentinel revealed that the “gateway spacecraft” wasn’t just a crazy idea. The publication reported that the White House had been pitched on a plan to begin construction as early as 2019, possibly defraying the to-be-determined expense by using parts left over from the International Space Station and components from international partners, including Russia — which has committed to a moon base of its own — and Italy. At the time, the Sentinel reported that it was unclear whether the Obama Administration would support the move.
Now, space policy expert John Logsdon told Space.com that the White House is indeed interested in the idea, and had merely been “holding off announcing that until after the election.” In 2010, President Obama told the nation that we would send men to an asteroid for the first time, and then on to Mars by the mid-2030s, but suggested that the Moon itself wasn’t part of the plan:
| 209
|
National Conservative Political Action Committee
The National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC; pronounced "nick-pack") was a New Right political action committee in the United States that was a major contributor to the ascendancy of conservative Republicans in the early 1980s, including the election of Ronald Reagan as President, and that innovated the use of independent expenditures to circumvent campaign finance restrictions.
In 1979 Time magazine characterized NCPAC, the Conservative Caucus and the Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress (headed by Paul Weyrich) as the three most important ultraconservative organizations making up the New Right.
NCPAC was founded in 1975 by conservative activists John Terry Dolan, Charles Black and Roger Stone, with help from Richard Viguerie and Thomas F. Ellis. The group got its start through direct mail solicitations. "The shriller you are, the better it is to raise money," explained co-founder Terry Dolan.
NCPAC became one of the first groups to circumvent the contribution limits of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) by exploiting the "independent expenditure" loophole permitted under a 1976 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Although federal law restricted political action committees' expenditures to $10,000 per candidate, an organization could spend unlimited amounts of money supporting or opposing a particular candidate as long as their campaign activity was not coordinated with a candidate. NCPAC pooled independent contributions in order to make independent expenditures on campaign attack ads. Not only did this circumvent campaign finance restrictions, but it prevented candidates from being associated with advertising created on their behalf. NCPAC Chairman Terry Dolan was quoted as saying, "A group like ours could lie through its teeth, and the candidate it helps stays clean." Dolan later said he was describing a hypothetical situation, not NCPAC's actual tactics.
1978 election
NCPAC's first major target was Democratic Senator Dick Clark of Iowa in the election of 1978. Three weeks before the November 1978 election, incumbent Clark had a 30 percentage-point lead in campaign polls, but he lost to Republican Roger Jepsen, 52 to 48 percent. Clark's defeat was attributed to intense anti-Clark campaigning conducted by direct mail, mailgrams, and leaflet distribution during the final weeks of the campaign, attacking Clark for his positions on abortion, gun control, and the Panama Canal Treaty. NCPAC took credit for Clark's defeat and was encouraged to expand its efforts in the 1980 election.
1980 election
Clark's defeat, for which NCPAC took credit, encouraged NCPAC and other allied organizations to expand their efforts in the 1980 election, when NCPAC spent at least $1.2 million. Four of the six incumbent Democratic Senators targeted by NCPAC in 1980, John Culver (Iowa), George McGovern (South Dakota), Frank Church (Idaho), and Birch Bayh (Indiana), were defeated. Senators Alan Cranston of California and Thomas Eagleton of Missouri were also targeted, but achieved re-election.
1982 election
NCPAC hoped to repeat its success in the 1982 election. Initially the group targeted a list of 20 Senators for defeat, including Pat Moynihan of New York, Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, and John Melcher of Montana. The organization later trimmed its target list to five incumbents, and spent $4.5 million in the 1982 elections. However, only one of its targets, Democrat Howard Cannon of Nevada, failed to win re-election. Sarbanes was charged with being "too liberal for Maryland," but voters did not respond to the NCPAC message. Sarbanes made NCPAC's tactics a major issue in his campaign. Democratic Senator John Melcher, a veterinarian, countered a commercial that claimed he was "too liberal for Montana" by running a TV commercial of his own featuring cows. After a shot of "out-of-staters" carrying a briefcase full of money off an airplane, one cow remarked, "Did ya hear about those city slickers bad-mouthing Doc Melcher? One of 'em was stepping in what they've been trying to sell."
Later years
L. Brent Bozell succeeded Dolan as the group's head after Dolan's death in 1986.
The organization is based in Alexandria, Virginia.
- The New Right Takes Aim, Time magazine, August 20, 1979
- Thomas Frank, "The Tilting Yard: Charlie Black's Cronies" Wall Street Journal July 2, 2008
- Running with the PACs Time magazine, October 25, 1982
- The Washington Post, August 10, 1980, p. F1, as cited at http://www.bartleby.com/73/150.html
- Richard F. Fenno, Jr., Richard F. Fenno, Senators on the Campaign Trail, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998 ISBN 0-8061-3062-8, ISBN 978-0-8061-3062-0, page 111
- Richard F. Fenno, Jr., Richard F. Fenno, Senators on the Campaign Trail, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998 ISBN 0-8061-3062-8, ISBN 978-0-8061-3062-0, page 114
- Richard F. Fenno, Jr., Richard F. Fenno, Senators on the Campaign Trail, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998 ISBN 0-8061-3062-8, ISBN 978-0-8061-3062-0, page 115
- No Thunder from the Right, by Jane O'Reilly, Time magazine, Nov. 15, 1982
- A Bag of Tricks: Independent Expenditures, Center for Responsible Politics opensecrets.org website, archived January 13, 2008.
- New Resolve by the New Right, by Edwin Warner, Time magazine, December 1, 1980
- NCPAC's Waterloo, by Chuck Lane, The Harvard Crimson, September 25, 1982
- Attack PAC Time magazine, Oct. 25, 1982
| 604
|
The loss of biodiversity affects us in many ways. For some of us, its loss is felt in the same way that we regret the destruction of a great work of art- it may not affect us directly, but the indirect impact is strong. For others, its loss is felt in changes in lifestyles and livelihoods- the measurable costs are high. Striking the right balance between the conservation/sustainable use and the loss of biodiversity requires accounting for all the impacts of its destruction. Weighing the loss against any potential benefits will ensure that the social, as well as economic, well-being of every one are at the best levels possible. Market based economic systems have the potential to ensure that such a balancing occurs, but require that all the impacts of its loss, or use, have been fully internalised into market transactions. This book shows how public policy in the form of market creation can be used to internalise the loss of biodiversity. It promotes the use of markets to ensure that our collective preferences for conversation and sustainable use are reflected in economic outcomes.
Executive Summary available.
How to obtain this publication
Readers can access the full version of Handbook of Market Creation for Biodiversity: Issues in Implementation choosing from the following options:
- Subscribers and readers at subscribing institutions can access the online edition via SourceOECD, our online library.
- Non-subscribers can purchase the PDF e-book and/or paper copy via our Online Bookshop.
- The report is available to journalists from the OECD Media Relations Division (Media Relations Division)
Executive Summary Handbook of Market Creation for Biodiversity: Issues in Implementation
| 692
|
F. A. Hayek, “Planning, Science and Freedom”, Nature, Nov. 15, 1941, Vol. 148, pp. 580-584.
The reasons why the adoption of a system of central planning necessarily produces a totalitarian system are fairly simple. Whoever controls the means must decide which ends they are to serve. As under modern conditions control of economic activity means control of the material means for practically all our ends, it means control over nearly all our activities. The nature of the detailed scale of values which must guide the planning makes it impossible that it should be determined by anything like democratic means. The director of the planned system would have to impose his scale of values, his hierarchy of ends, which, if it is to be sufficient to determine the plan, must include a definite order of rank in which the status of each person is laid down. If the plan is to succeed or the planner to appear successful, the people must be made to believe that the objectives chosen are the right ones. Every criticism of the plan or the ideology underlying it must be treated as sabotage. There can be no freedom of thought, no freedom of the Press, where it is necessary that everything should be governed by a single system of thought. In theory Socialism may wish to enhance freedom, but in practice every kind of collectivism consistently carried through must produce the characteristic features which Fascism, Nazism and Communism have in common. Totalitarianism is nothing but consistent collectivism, the ruthless execution of the principle that ‘the whole comes before the individual’ and the direction of .all members of society by a single will supposed to represent the ‘whole’.
| 662
|
Please Note: By clicking a link to any resource listed on this page, you will be leaving the KidsHealth site.
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America
This group provides education, advocacy, and other initiatives to promote awareness of and support for sickle cell disease programs.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
NINDS offers research information related to neurological disorders.
United Cerebral Palsy
This organization provides information about cerebral palsy (CP) as well as new research and therapies.
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)
NICHCY is the national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals.
| 866
|
When the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) was first founded in 1973 there were only 1.5 million wild turkeys across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Today, it is estimated there are more than 5.6 million wild turkeys.
In Utah, wild turkey restoration efforts continue to be the most aggressive in the nation. Over 2,800 wild turkeys have been relocated to suitable habitat areas in Utah since the winter of 1999. As a result, wild turkey permits have increased 20 percent for the spring 2002 season.
However, this program will not be complete until over 200,000 wild turkeys roam the cottonwood river bottoms, pinyon/juniper, and ponderosa pine forests of the state. Whether you pursue wild turkeys as a hunter, or simply enjoy watching these magnificent birds in their natural surroundings, the time to view wild turkeys in Utah has never been better.
At the forefront of this dramatic return in Utah, has been the Federation's volunteers, working side-by-side with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Now, with most restoration efforts completed in the East, all eyes have shifted to the West, where the wild turkey continues to redefine it's own idea of suitable habitat. While the release of a wild turkey into western habitat remains one of the federation's most enduring symbols, it is just one brick in a foundation of good works that are impacting people's lives and the environment in many positive ways.
Since 1977, the NWTF has spent over 144 million dollars on over 16,000 projects nationwide. The federation helps fund transplants, research projects, habitat acquisition, education, and the equipment needed to successfully accomplish these tasks. Through the Federation's regional habitat programs, volunteers have helped improve hundreds of thousands of acres by planting trees, crops, winter food sources and grasses that provide food and shelter for not only the wild turkey, but many others species of wildlife as well. Also improved in many areas, particularly in the west, has been water quality. Projects occurring right here in southeastern Utah include a San Rafael Desert guzzler, Knolls Ranch habitat improvement, and numerous other projects on the La Sal Mountains, Blue Mountains and Book Cliffs areas.
This month the Price River chapter of the NWTF will be hosting it's annual Wild Turkey Banquet on January 26. For more information, please call (435) 259-9453.
| 70
|
A/Prof. Dirk Van Helden
|Work Phone||(02) 4921 5623|
|Fax||(02) 4921 7406|
Principal Research Fellow
School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy
The University of Newcastle, Australia
|Office||MS405, Medical Sciences|
Investigations are being made on cellular rhythms including those in lymphatics, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, heart and specific mood-associated brain nuclei. We have discovered a new mechanism that it is driven by intracellular Ca2+ stores that allow groups of cells to self pace and hence become rhythmic. We are now exploring the relevance of this mechanism in a range of tissues. We are also interested in specific proteins involved in the pacemaker mechanism including inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors, ryanodine receptors, store operated calcium channels and TRP family proteins. These studies may influence future therapies to control lymphedema, digestive disorders, heart arrhythmias and brain mood states.
We also have a recent patent relating to use of a topical ointment as a first aid treatment against snakebite. This was a surprising outcome that arose from studies investigating whether snake venoms enhance lymphatic pumping and hence accelerate their own delivery. Our preliminary trials indicate topical application of the ointment slows lymphatic transport by some 350% with no obvious adverse effects. The cream will be of particular use for bites to the torso where pressure bandaging is ineffective. It may also be useful as a first aid treatment against bites from other venomous creatures.
- PhD, University of New South Wales
- Bachelor of Engineering, University of New South Wales
- Cellular physiologist
- gastrointestinal physiology
- heart pacemaking
- smooth muscle
Lymphatic and gastric pacemaking: Pacemaking in the lymphatic and gastric systems are the basis for our discovery of store pacemaking and calcium phase waves. We are now unravelling the finer details of these mechanisms. Importantly, as for all good research, there can often be unexpected yet important serendipitous outcomes. One in case is that this work has led to development of a first aid treatment against bites from venomous animals whose venoms transit the lymphatic system and we have a patent application on this finding under review.
Heart pacemaking: Traditionally, this has been considered to operate through a clock in the cell surface membrane of pacemaker cells. However, recent evidence from our pilot and modelling studies and from the work of others indicates a significant role of calcium stores. This introduces the possibility that the heart pacemaker model is only part of the story and that pacemaking involves an intracellular clock (i.e. store pacemaking). We are investigating this hypothesis, which if upheld will change the text book model for heart pacemaking and help change present understanding of specific heart disorders and their treatment.
(National Health and Medical Research Program Grant -NHMRC PG Cardiac Pacemaking, 2007-2009).
Brain rhythms: Brain rhythms function in most areas of the brain and while fundamental to life and our psyche remain poorly understood. We are testing the hypothesis that specific rhythms in the Locus Coeruleus, a brain stem nucleus known to be associated with mood states, are generated by store pacemaking. Evidence that the rhythms are generated by store pacemaking could provide a new framework for interpreting drug action in the treatment of mood disorders such as Bipolar Disorder, as all three main drug classes used in its treatment have the common mode action of inhibiting calcium stores.
(Australian Research Council Discovery Program Grant Investigation of a Brain Rhythm 2005-2007).
Uterine pacemaking: Astonishingly, there is still no clear understanding of the pacemaker mechanism that initiates and times uterine contractions. Pilot studies we have undertaken suggest this to be mediated by store pacemaking. Proof for this hypothesis would herald a mechanistic description for uterine contractions and may provide new insight into associated dysfunctions such as premature birth.
(NHMRC PG Rhythmicity and synchronicity in uterine smooth muscle, 2007-2009).
Fields of Research
|020599||Optical Physics Not Elsewhere Classified||50|
|110399||Clinical Sciences Not Elsewhere Classified||30|
|111699||Medical Physiology Not Elsewhere Classified||20|
Centres and Groups
Body relevant to professional practice.
- Faculty member - Cardiovascular Physiology/Circulation of 'Faculty of 1000 Biology'
- member of council - Australian Physiological society
- Chair, Research Committee - HMRI Cardiovascular Group
- Member of Editorial Board 2001-2005 - the British Journal of Pharmacology
- Member - The British Journal of Pharmacology
- member - Australian Physiological Society
|01/01/2001 - 01/12/2011|
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow
University of Newcastle (Australia)
|01/01/1990 - 01/12/2000|
Senior Brawn Fellowship
University of Newcastle (Australia)
Hunter Medical Research Institute (Australia)
2004 Hunter Medical Research Institute Sparke Helmore/ NBN Award for Research Excellence from a field of ~350 scientists in the University and Area Health Sectors
Gordon conference, United Kingdom (Conference Presentation - non published.)
Department of physiology
University of Western Australia, Australia (External Reviewer - Departments.)
Research policy (e.g. Archetect of the Brawn Fellowship Scheme at the University of Newcastle)
Honours and Postgraduate students
- Cellular Physiology
| 543
|
All the evidence to date shows that value-added techniques are being employed responsibly
In one suburban school district, teachers across the system were ranked and evaluated according to the contribution they had made to student learning–based on a value-added analysis of state test results. When they were ranked again the next year, the results were very similar except for one teacher who moved from a top rank to a very low rank. When the school superintendent looked at the results, he immediately identified the teacher–her husband had died during the second year of rankings.
What does this anecdote illustrate? For starters, that value-added assessments can misidentify good and bad teachers–and that the discrepancies can be cleared up by local administrators. More important, however, was the fact that the findings were robust; teachers’ rankings were similar across three years of analysis. Moreover, these rankings were used to grant a standard reward to a top group of teachers, not to make fine distinctions in the amount of compensation that teachers received. In other words, the results of value-added analysis, when examined over a period of two or three years, were stable and were used in a way that respected the margin of error involved in using these statistical techniques.
Critics of value-added assessment tend to embrace the concept but don’t want the results gleaned from such analysis to be used for accountability purposes–and especially don’t want to use the results to reward or sanction teachers. But teachers are the dominant school input, in terms of both spending and impact on student learning. Excluding them essentially leaves the education system without accountability.
The main concern with value-added assessment is that the technique exacerbates the amount of random error involved in measuring student performance. The risk is that teachers and schools may be wrongfully rewarded or punished because value-added techniques either over- or underestimated their students’ learning gains. However, no intelligent users of standardized testing would make policy choices based on a single year’s result or small differences among schools and teachers. Texas, for example, rewards schools based on value-added achievement gains calculated using two-stage regression analysis. The state does not hand out awards based on decimal-point differences among schools; officials reward a previously set percentage of top-ranking schools. The point here is that most of the statistical objections to value-added measurements assume a misuse of the analysis. The statistical “noise” involved in measuring value-added should preclude decisions that are based on small, unreplicated analysis; it should not preclude decisions that are based on gross findings.
Confidence in gross findings can be developed by replication, by averaging results over several time periods, and by using several measures of the development of human capital–not tests alone, but also attendance rates, dropout rates, and promotion rates (a very high-quality assessment will track indicators of human capital such as post-secondary school earnings and higher-education outcomes as well). The richer the measures used, the less weight there is on the psychometric concerns involving test scores. The alternative is to rest teacher compensation on factors that have little to do with student learning. It is now well established, for example, that the number of degrees teachers possess and the number of hours teachers spend in education courses are unrelated to student learning. Put another way, an important criterion in the determination of a teacher’s salary does not have any bearing on the ability of the teacher to develop human capital. We know that because it has been replicated in many studies in many school districts, even though salary schedules have yet to reflect this information.
Critics often cite the difficulty of comparing the results of large and small schools and comparing one subject with another. It is essential in the debate over the usefulness of the value-added assessment approach that the unit of observation and the comparison group be specified. If, as has been the case in a number of places, the comparison group is all the teachers in a given grade in the school district–with, say, the top 15 percent of the 4th grade teachers receiving an award–what is the significance of a big or small school? The class is the unit, and class size tends to be uniform within a school district. At the high-school level, the comparison group is likely to be, for example, all history teachers or all science teachers across the district. The award-receiving group is a percentage of that comparison group, and it is not affected by the test scores in another subject.
If multiple factors are used for assessment, efforts to check on robustness are made, only extreme performances are rewarded or sanctioned, and comparison groups are selected carefully, the technical psychometric points raised by critics should not swamp the incentive and information benefits of performance-based compensation plans for teachers. If we are ready to determine reading programs, language labs, class sizes, and the use of computerized learning on the basis of value-added assessments, we should be ready to reward teachers using the same techniques.
There is already considerable evidence from several places–such as Tennessee and Florida, where value-added analysis has been used for accountability purposes–that low-achieving students are the main beneficiaries of the changes that occur when these techniques are implemented. When low-achieving students are taught the same body of knowledge over and over again, and when they are taught how to work under a time constraint, they benefit. Value-added assessment techniques reveal that information.
The Illusion of Transparency
Critics of value-added assessment say that it is just too complicated for teachers and the public to understand the results these systems will generate. In other words, the results will not be transparent. But if transparency is the criterion that trumps all other criteria, we would be compelled to use an assessment method that we know to be wrong. For example, there is no satisfactory way to make judgments about which method of teaching reading is superior–whole language or phonics–without factoring in the socioeconomic, school, and teacher characteristics of each of the groups of students in the experiment. Statistical controls must be used if the assessments of teachers, schools, or programs are to be accurate, even though very few educators understand the statistical principles and methods involved. I do not require a transparent understanding of the efficacy of the flu shot I take, nor do I require a transparent understanding of the operating characteristics of my car; I trust the experts on the techniques. So must it be in educational evaluation.
The problems with the use of value-added assessments, even for teachers, are greatly exaggerated, and the alternatives are simply untenable.
One proposed alternative is the use of one or more methods of subjective evaluation. Other teachers, students, and/or parents can be surveyed to make the judgments. Most of those surveys focus on whether respondents like the teacher, are happy in the classroom, or equally soft attributes. They do not really determine what kind of learning gains a certain teacher is eliciting relative to other teachers. Most people look back at their primary and secondary schooling and identify an extremely demanding teacher (whom they disliked at the time) as the one who made the biggest contribution to their educational development.
A second possibility is to set up a standard–some threshold–of student achievement as an absolute hurdle to define adequate performance. The problems with this are legion. How should the threshold be determined? Those who want to be rewarded set lower thresholds than those who watch budgets. The threshold becomes a major bargaining tool, quite divorced from the informed decisionmaking objective. What incentives for improvement are there for those who crossed the threshold?
Basically, subjective evaluation allows the information essential to the rational allocation of educational resources to be derived politically rather than scientifically.
The state of American public education has been deplored by critics for many years. The notion that student learning has remained somewhat stagnant over the past century, though the country has spent steadily more real resources on education, is a matter of profound concern. This surely indicates that we do not know a lot about what works and what doesn’t.
We need to know if we are to change the pattern. We must have calibrated results; we must use sophisticated statistical methods to interpret the data; we need to use multiple measures of performance; and we need to implement the analysis in ways that are appropriate to the quality of the information. And teachers, the most important school-controlled input into the educational process, cannot be exempt from this information-gathering activity. Our current unhappy results are consistent with the subjective and/or unsophisticated tools we use for assessing effectiveness and creating incentives.
-Anita A. Summers is a professor emeritus of public policy and management at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sign Up To Receive Notification
when the latest issue of Education Next is posted
In the meantime check the site regularly for new articles, blog postings, and reader comments
| 107
|
Scaevola taccada is a dense, spreading shrub that generally grows up to 3 meter in height. The light green leaves are somewhat succulent with a waxy covering and are alternately arranged along the stem.
The blades are elongated and rounded at the tips, 5 to 20 cm long and 5 to 7 cm wide and the edges are often curled downward. The flowers are white or cream colored, often with purple streaks, 8 - 12 mm long, and have a pleasant fragrance. They have an irregular shape with all five petals on one side of the flower making it appear to have been torn in half. The flowers grow in small clusters from the leaf axils near the ends of the stems. The fruits of Scaevola taccada are fleshy berries. They are white, oblong, and about 1 cm long. The seeds are beige, corky and ridged. The inside of the fruit is spongy or corky and the fruits are buoyant. They can float for months in the ocean and still germinate after having been in salt water for up to a year. One study showed that the seeds germinated best after 250 days in salt water.
(National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG). 1994. Naupaka. In Native Hawaiian plant information sheets. Lawai, Kauai: Hawaii Plant Conservation Center. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Unpublished internal papers.)
(Rauch, Fred D., Heidi L. Bornhorst, and David L. Hensley. 1997. Beach Naupaka, Ornamentals and Flowers.)
(Wagner, Warren L., Darrel R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i.)
(Bornhorst, Heidi L. 1996. Growing native Hawaiian plants: a how-to guide for the gardener.)
| 493
|
The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 9, Issue 7
, Page 401, July 2009
doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(09)70162-8Cite or Link Using DOI
Swine-origin influenza A H1N1 update
As swine-origin influenza A H1N1 continues to spread through the world, with cases in Asia and Africa, WHO is now debating whether to declare a pandemic.
Since the start of May, the number of H1N1 cases has risen from fewer than 3000 to over 20 000. As of June 8, 25 288 people had been infected, of whom 139 have died.
A key concern was the spread of the virus to developing countries, which will struggle to contain the virus. Africa's first infection was in a young girl travelling back to Egypt fro ...
This article is made available free of charge, as a service to our users.
Please login to access the full article, or register if you do not yet have a username and password.
Already Registered? Please Login
New to TheLancet.com?
TheLancet.com is the online home of:
- The Lancet
- The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology
- The Lancet Infectious Diseases
- The Lancet Neurology
- The Lancet Oncology
- The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
Please register to access selected articles for free, personalize and interact with this site. Registration is free, takes no more than two minutes, and offers you many benefits.
| 590
|
There's No Such Thing as Ethical Oil (or Nuclear Power)
Canada is digging itself a dirty energy destiny in the Athabasca oil sands.
By Evan O'Neil | March 22, 2011
After the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and now the nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima reactors in Japan, it should be clear that oil and nuclear power are not benign forces in our world. Both are toxic, dirty, and insecure forms of energy. It is thus astonishing that the Canadian energy industry proposes combining the two.
The boreal forest of northern Alberta sits atop one of the largest fossil fuel deposits in the world: the Athabasca bituminous sands. Energy insiders call it oil sands, while environmentalists prefer tar sands—each side seeing what it wants. At room temperature, raw bitumen has the consistency of asphalt and won't flow through a pipeline without being diluted or upgraded into synthetic crude oil.
Underground, the bitumen exists in a mixture with sand and clay, and there are two techniques for extracting it. Surface mines have been the predominant method since commercial production began in the 1960s. At the Suncor Energy mine, for example, the native forests, topsoil, and muskeg bog were cleared, and 50 meters of "overburden" earth was removed to expose a tar sand deposit itself about 50 meters thick. The bitumen is mined 24 hours per day with massive electric shovels that fill dump trucks three stories tall.
The dump trucks haul the tar sands out of the mine to a separation unit where it is mixed with hot water. The bitumen floats to the top and is skimmed off, while the wastewater slurry—containing sand, clay, salts, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic, naphthenic acid, and other substances—is pumped into large, open-air tailings ponds where it is left to evaporate. The problem with tailings ponds has been that the finest clay particles take decades to settle into sediment. To accelerate reclamation of the land, some companies are now experimenting with adding polyacrylamide flocculant, in a process similar to municipal waste treatment, to help separate the solids from the water.
Mining for deeper deposits is uneconomical, so the industry also employs in situ drilling. In a typical setup, two horizontal wells are drilled, one above the other. The top well injects steam into the sands, melting out the bitumen, which is then pumped out through the lower well in a process called Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage, or SAGD. The well pads of these SAGD installations dot the remote boreal landscape in a network of roads, pipelines, and seismic cutlines.
Mining and in situ operations both consume a lot of energy. The advantage of in situ is that the land is much less disturbed, making it easier to return it to a natural state. SAGD also separates the sand and bitumen below the surface, requiring significantly less infrastructure. Of the total Athabasca deposit, 80 percent is thought to be recoverable through in situ and 20 percent through mining.
SAGD requires a lot of natural gas to make steam. The ratio of steam injected to oil extracted is what determines a project's carbon emissions as well as its profitability. Mining and SAGD together consume hundreds of billions of cubic feet of natural gas per year, a substantial fraction of Canada's entire demand.
That's where nuclear power enters the picture. As bitumen production in Alberta is slated to expand over the next several decades, gas production will be in decline. This means that eventually producers will have to either burn part of their bitumen, thus eating into their profits, or find new power sources to generate heat and electricity.
Nuclear power has been mooted to fill this gap. Japan, of course, turned to nuclear power during the 1970s oil shocks to offset its dependence on foreign oil. Now, in an ironic twist, Canada is considering nuclear power so that it can expand its oil exports. Most of the tar sands oil is sold south of the border through a pipeline network to meet American demand, while Canada still imports foreign oil to its eastern provinces.
One has to wonder why Canada would burn so much of its natural gas, a relatively clean fossil fuel, to extract an even dirtier energy. The answer is, of course, to make money. Most of the world's oil is controlled by national oil companies, making Canada one of the only remaining patches where the energy industry can really play in the sandbox.
And the Athabasca deposit is a big sandbox. The area is roughly the size of New York State. It contains an estimated 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen, of which about 170 billion barrels are extractable with current technologies. Multiply by $100 per barrel and pretty soon we're talking real money.
But it is capital intensive to slurp these heavy, unconventional dregs of the global oil barrel. Hundreds of billions of dollars have already been invested in the Alberta tar sands, where it takes an oil price of $65 to 85 per barrel to recuperate costs. As recently as 2009, oil was back down in the $40 range, slowing or canceling many projects.
So is tar sands oil dirty oil? Of course it is. All oil is dirty. But is it dirtier than other sources? On average, yes. According to Cambridge Energy Research Associates, oil from Alberta tends to be about 5 to 15 percent more polluting than the average oil consumed in the United States when compared on a well-to-wheels basis. Twenty-five percent of oil's emissions occur during the production phase, while 75 percent comes from combustion in a vehicle.
Industry insiders often repeat the following argument: It's the consumer's fault, whether they mean car owners or America in general. "If you would stop driving so much, we would stop digging up all this oil and pumping it in your direction," goes the typical line. Then whenever the United States wavers in its affection for Canadian energy, the argument becomes a threat: "We'll just sell it to the Chinese instead."
This argument is nonsense on the individual level. American consumers aren't presented with a significant choice at the pump. They get to decide between three octane ratings with maybe a dash of dubiously efficient ethanol in the blend. The only real power a person has to reduce oil consumption is in deciding where to live. Ditching the car and moving to a dense, pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly community with access to mass transit is the most effective solution. For those who cannot or do not wish to move, the alternative is to work through the local political process to redesign your community.
Most families haven't made the carless choice yet. Instead the typical response is to buy a bigger car when gasoline is cheap and a more efficient one when the price goes back up. Without a price floor of some sort, America will never break its addiction to oil, foreign or domestic. A strong gasoline tax could serve as a de facto price floor if it were set high enough. Unfortunately the United States has chosen to set the bar very low: Gas tax is a pittance relative to the price of gasoline, and it isn't indexed to inflation, meaning the value has actually declined over the last several decades.
It is an abdication of political responsibility to argue that an unorganized and reactionary collective such as consumers is at fault for oil consumption. The essence of ethics is whether our political institutions can make choices that are in the interest of all affected stakeholders, local and global, regardless of the political cost.
Seen in this light, can the Canadian and Albertan governments be trusted not to morph into petrostates?
It is an abdication of political responsibility to argue that an unorganized and reactionary collective such as consumers is at fault for oil consumption.Sadly the outlook is bleak. The federal environment minister recently declared that Canadian oil is "ethical oil." This concept is drawn straight from the title of a book by conservative political activist Ezra Levant, in which he argues that Canada's oil is morally superior to oil from countries with poor human rights records. Even if Canada and the United States were to boycott imports from all countries they consider problematic, an option neither is willing to consider, oil would still remain a globally priced and traded commodity and the benefits of its consumption would continue to flow to unsavory dictators.
On the provincial level, the Alberta government is of the opinion that the tar sands "should" be developed further, despite the fact that a panel recently found that water and environmental monitoring program has been inadequate. Alberta's Energy Resources Conservation Board, its regulatory agency for energy development, has one of the more Orwellian names one can imagine.
Bullish development of the oil sands has also contributed to Canada's violation of its Kyoto Protocol commitments. The goal was to decrease emissions 6 percent below 1990 levels. Instead, Canadian emissions have increased by a whopping 24 percent, in great measure due to tar sands expansion. Tar sands emissions now account for about 5 percent of Canada's total.
Alberta did manage to enact one innovative policy that few other jurisdictions will even consider: a carbon tax of $15 per ton. This move should be applauded, but it is unfortunately accompanied by billion-dollar investments in the unproven technologies of carbon capture and sequestration—an expensive crutch to help the fossil fuel industry limp into the future—with minimal focus on renewable energy research, development, and deployment.
Another concern for Canada's energy future is that the royalty regime [PDF] for tar sands leases is too weak. The rate is set at 1 percent until a project becomes profitable, and then it jumps to 25 percent, which is still low compared to some countries. Alberta risks squandering an opportunity to build its Heritage sovereign wealth fund while the people's resources disappear into private pockets, leaving the province without financial means to transition to a cleaner economy.
Is America being a good neighbor in this transaction, or merely abetting a fellow oil junkie? The proposed Keystone XL extension of the pipeline network that carries Albertan oil to the United States is currently under consideration, and final approval falls to the U.S. Department of State because of the international border crossing. It was announced on March 15 that a supplemental environmental impact statement will be issued, followed by a new public comment period, to determine whether the project is "in the U.S. national interest."
Buying more energy from a friendly neighbor appears like a good idea on the surface. But while energy security has the ring of a robust and consistent concept, it is actually a relative one. It wears a false halo of military necessity even during peacetime. Supplier countries want security of demand, and consumer countries want security of supply. What the oil industry really worries about is running out of business. "Producers who seek to maximize long-term revenue will want to maintain oil prices stable at the highest price that does not induce substantial investment in substitutes," writes technology and innovation expert Philip Auerswald.
Should we be worried about today's high prices? Auerswald doesn't think so. High prices merely hasten the inevitable transition to a post-oil economy. Estimations vary on the timing of peak oil, but the finitude of the resource is undisputed and so is its eventual depletion to a level where the cost of extraction will equal the value of the product.
Saying that America should be open to more tar sands oil is basically just another version of the "drill here, drill now" argument for tapping the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in Alaska. The Obama administration, it should be noted, has been a booster of domestic production, and production has gone up in the last five years. Canadian production has also increased significantly in the last decade, mostly from growth in the tar sands. But after two major oil price spikes during the same period, in 2008 and again now, it should be crystal clear that domestic and Canadian production growth doesn't control the global price, and that a much better strategy lies in finding replacement technologies and actively reducing demand.
But this is a tough sell when you think of things like how many Caterpillar 797B dump trucks are needed to mine the tar sands, and how the parts are manufactured all over the United States, by quite a few workers in quite a few Congressional districts. Add to that the public's resistance to raising gasoline taxes, and it becomes quite easy to see why it's politically difficult to enact bold and necessary energy policy. The hundreds of millions of lobbying dollars the oil industry spends certainly don't help our Senators see things clearly.
American politicians have been saying we need to get off foreign oil for half a century. Canadian energy executives and politicians bristle when they hear things like that. They feel that somehow Canadian oil shouldn't be considered foreign because it comes from North America. But the ethical thing is for both countries to pursue energy independence based on clean, renewable sources that don't pollute the environment, harm human health, and risk massive destabilization of the global climate.
As it stands, Canada has become a climate change ostrich with its head in the oil sands.
A version of this article first appeared in the Carnegie Ethics Online column.
Read More: Business, Conservation, Democracy, Development, Diplomacy, Economy, Energy, Environment, Ethics, Jobs, Security, Sustainability, Technology, Trade, Transportation, Canada, United States, Americas, Global, Middle Eastblog comments powered by Disqus
| 741
|
Life Club is what regular schools don’t provide: the opportunity for your child to become a creative and confident English speaker. Life Club brings students of a common age group together to participate in teacher-led activities, socialize, and have fun in an English-speaking environment.
Life Club focuses on building your child’s confidence, communication skills, and awareness of English speaking cultures through fun performances, speech and drama activities, and authentic experience held outside of the traditional classroom setting.
We believe that the most effortless and effective learning happens while the student is having fun. The non-traditional environment of Life Club helps your child gain the skills and confidence to use real-life English.
As a component of the Efekta System, Life Club reinforces the language learned in the classroom and through iLAB.
Life Club is made up of various activities including games, speech and drama performances, holiday parties, music appreciation, movement, social interaction, arts & crafts, and multi media presentation. All these in English, all the time!
Read more about this product.
The Life Club Themes
Life Club creates a link between English language learning and a broader educational curriculum. The Life Club themes are based on mainstream school subjects such as Science, Geography, History, Art, Mathematics, Music, and Health. This cross-curricular approach also offers students an ideal opportunity to refresh and to revise what they have done and learned in other subject areas, so that their knowledge becomes more active. This makes both learning and teaching English more interesting and memorable.
This theme is aimed at helping the students realize and nurture their talents and skills. The sessions will provide the students the opportunity to discover their and each other’s talents.
Related Subjects: Arts, Social Science, History, Sports, and Music.
Under the Sea
This theme presents the great bodies of water, the natural resources, and many fun things about the sea. Students will learn new interesting trivia through the game shows.
Related Subjects: Social Science, Natural Science, Geography, and Sports.
The Little Green Explorer
This theme is about the environment, natural resources and the world in general. It seeks to create awareness among students on how to take care of the environment. Students will learn the basics of news reporting and interviewing during the sessions.
Related Subjects: Natural Sciences, Geography, and Health.
This theme is about satisfying the curiosity about things and events around students. The Secret Detective theme seeks to open the students’ eyes to the value of research, experimentation, and inquiry.
Related Subjects: History and Science.
Everybody, especially kids, is interested in animals, wild and domesticated alike. This theme helps the students discover the many creatures that surround them. Through the sessions, they will learn how to appreciate and care for animals and wildlife.
Related Subjects: Natural Science and Social Science.
This theme will specially focus on the beauty of the universe. Space Wonders presents the topic of space exploration and the science involved in it.
Related Subjects: Astronomy, Astrology, History, Science, and Technology.
Super Duper Heroes
This theme introduces universal heroes and their adventures to students. The theme can help the children to better understand the concept of good deeds, manners and social responsibility. The topics include famous heroes who made a difference to the world. Through role-play, students get to be their own heroes, with or without the superpowers.
Related Subjects: History and Social Science.
The World Over
This theme introduces culture in different English-speaking countries other than The United Kingdom, Australia and the United States of America. Students will become more familiar with countries and cultures around the world.
Related Subjects: History, Language and Social Science.
Happy Birthday (For Small Stars only)
One’s birthday is probably the most important day of the year. This theme introduces the concept of western birthday parties to the students. They will learn the Happy Birthday song, decorate the room, play party games, make birthday cards, decorate birthday cookies, and make and wrap birthday gifts. The students will be involved actively in the preparation of an exciting birthday party for Roddy!
Related Subjects: Music, Arts, and Sports.
The Life Club Session
A Life Club Session is composed of various activities such as Speech and Drama, Social Interaction, Games, Music, Movement, Visual Presentation, and Arts & Crafts, based on a relevant theme. Through these, students experiment with language in a low-stress, fun, and secure English environment. A typical Life Club session will involve the students practicing a range of language skills as they carry out the activities. These will be integrated into the activities and will be practiced together. As most of the sessions will have members who are at different levels and ages, there is a strong emphasis on open-ended tasks and activities. These will allow for more student involvement and will help to promote the students’ autonomy.
The teacher should be seen as a group leader or facilitator, assisting and guiding the students as they engage in the activities. The teacher aims to provide learning opportunities whenever possible.
Life Club for Parents
EF encourages active parental involvement in each student’s learning. To this end, Life Club for Parents is conducted in the school at least once a month. Life Club for Parents gives suggestions on how to support and reinforce at home what your child has learnt in class and in Life Club.
EF introduces your child to foreign cultures in a playful, hands-on way, without very detailed background explanations. Through Life Club for Parents, EF can provide you with the background information necessary to understand cultural aspects at a level that is accessible only for adults.
Life Club for Parents includes special interest sessions which have been designed to broaden your knowledge in the field of education in order to support your child’s learning development at home.
| 292
|
ASIA NEWS NETWORK
WE KNOW ASIA BETTER
Publication Date : 01-02-2013
Golden goose floats used in the funeral procession are based on the hamsa
The golden goose floats used in the funeral procession for the late King Father Friday are based on the hamsa, the Sanskrit name for an aquatic bird in Hindu mythology.
At least three such floats were seen as the procession got underway. One carried Venerables Bou Kry and Tep Vong, the heads of the two main Buddhist sects in Cambodia.
A second carried National Assembly President Heng Samrin, Prime Minister Hun Sen, Royal Palace Minister Kong Samol and Senate Vice President Say Chhum.
A third carried members of the royal family, who appeared to be grandchildren of the former king.
Brahma, the god of creation, is typically represented with four faces and four arms mounted on a hamsa.
Hamsas are still used as symbols and for decoration in India and Southeast Asia, especially in Myanmar, where they appear on some regional flags, and Thailand, where the mythical bird is featured on the royal barge.
In Cambodia, where the goose is known as a hang, the hamsa is found in the logo of the Ministry of Economy and Finance as well as Acleda Bank.
The Chu Nath Dictionary defines the hang as a wild goose distinguished by a long neck and wings that are usually white but sometimes yellow. It says the geese are known for flying long distances at extremely high altitudes and swimming on water to find food.
Some believe the mythical creature to be based on the bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) which migrates south across the Himalayas to spend the winters in India.
A paper published by America's National Academy of Sciences in 2011 said this species makes one of the highest trans-mountain migrations in the world.
The birds typically cross the Himalayas in a single day, climbing between 4,000 and 6,000 metres in seven to eight hours. According to the paper, they can support minimum climb rates of 0.8 to 2.2 kilometres an hour.
According to Birdlife International, the bar-headed goose mainly breeds in China, Afghanistan and Mongolia. Non-breeding populations are found in Pakistan and India as well as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand.
| 289
|
Food Safety: Serving
You can help prevent food poisoning by taking precautions when serving food.
When you eat out, be sure that meat is cooked thoroughly and that foods that should be refrigerated, such as puddings and cold cuts, are served cold. Also pay attention to the restaurant environment. If the tables, dinnerware, and restrooms look dirty, the kitchen may be too.
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
Find out what women really need.
Most Popular Topics
Pill Identifier on RxList
- quick, easy,
Find a Local Pharmacy
- including 24 hour, pharmacies
| 652
|
May 19, 2008 A vaccine created by University of Rochester Medical Center scientists prevents the development of Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in mice without causing inflammation or significant side effects.
Vaccinated mice generated an immune response to the protein known as amyloid-beta peptide, which accumulates in what are called "amyloid plaques" in brains of people with Alzheimer's. The vaccinated mice demonstrated normal learning skills and functioning memory in spite of being genetically designed to develop an aggressive form of the disease.
The Rochester scientists reported the findings in an article in the May issue of Molecular Therapy, the journal of The American Society of Gene Therapy.
"Our study demonstrates that we can create a potent but safe version of a vaccine that utilizes the strategy of immune response shaping to prevent Alzheimer's-related pathologies and memory deficits," said William Bowers, associate professor of neurology and of microbiology and immunology at the Medical Center and lead author of the article. "The vaccinated mice not only performed better, we found no evidence of signature amyloid plaque in their brains."
Alzheimer's is a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with dementia and a decline in performance of normal activities. Hallmarks of the disease include the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brains of patients and the loss of normal functioning tau, a protein that stabilizes the transport networks in neurons. Abnormal tau function eventually leads to another classic hallmark of Alzheimer's, neurofibrillary tangle in nerve cells. After several decades of exposure to these insults, neurons ultimately succumb and die, leading to progressively damaged learning and memory centers in the brain.
The mice that received the vaccines were genetically engineered to express large amounts of amyloid beta protein. They also harbored a mutation that causes the tau-related tangle pathology. Prior to the start of the vaccine study, the mice were trained to navigate a maze using spatial clues. They were then tested periodically during the 10-month study on the amount of time and distance traveled to an escape pod and the number of errors made along the way.
"What we found exciting was that by targeting one pathology of Alzheimer's -- amyloid beta -- we were able to also prevent the transition of tau from its normal form to a form found in the disease state," Bowers said.
The goal of the vaccine is to prompt the immune system to recognize amyloid beta protein and remove it. To create the vaccine, Bowers and the research group use a herpes virus that is stripped of the viral genes that can cause disease or harm. They then load the virus container with the genetic code for amyloid beta and interleukin-4, a protein that stimulates immune responses involving type 2 T helper cells, which are lymphocytes that play an important role in the immune system.
The research group tested several versions of a vaccine. Mice were given three injections of empty virus alone, a vaccine carrying only the amyloid beta genetic code, or a vaccine encoding both amyloid beta and interlueikin-4, which was found to be the most effective.
"We have learned a great deal from this ongoing project," Bowers said. "Importantly, it has demonstrated the combined strengths of the gene delivery platform and the immune shaping concept for the creation of customized vaccines for Alzheimer's disease, as well as a number of other diseases. We are currently working on strategies we believe can make the vaccine even safer."
Bowers expects the vaccine eventually to be tested in people, but due to the number of studies required to satisfy regulatory requirements, it could be three or more years before human trials testing this type of Alzheimer's vaccine occur.
Grants from the National Institutes of Health supported the study. In addition to Bowers, authors of the Molecular Therapy article include Maria E. Frazer, Jennifer E. Hughes, Michael A. Mastrangelo and Jennifer Tibbens of the Medical Center and Howard J. Federoff of Georgetown University Medical Center.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
| 39
|
I was helping a friend with setting up her iMac computer yesterday for genealogy and she said something that caught my attention. She said, "I have to learn what all the genealogy terms mean." That brought home a common problem with all specializations; learning the jargon.
Jargon is a really a technical term I became acquainted with during my graduate studies in Linguistics at the University of Utah. It is defined as special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand. The main problem with jargon is that we often do not even know we are using it.
Take for example, the word "genealogy" itself, as in "I am doing my genealogy" or "I am working on my genealogy." What does that statement communicate to a non-genealogist? And sometimes we wonder why we get blank stares. The challenge is that there is really no way to avoid jargon. It is present in every (I mean every) activity and profession and interest in the entire world from skydiving to sewing. Every human activity has its own special set of insider terms.
Jargon can be very exclusionary. If you are the outsider, trying to understand what the "insiders" are talking about can be a formidable challenge. An extreme type of jargon is called an argot. Sometimes the word argot is associated with criminal activities so using the word jargon is more appropriate. Usually term "argot" is used to identify an extreme jargon specifically designed to exclude outsiders. What is more difficult is that the people who are using the jargon are usually not even aware that they are using specialized words and terminology.
I have noticed that many people who are new to genealogy are put off immediately by genealogists using terms they don't immediately understand. For example, they are asked if they have a pedigree chart or family group record. Although these terms seem so simple and fundamental, they are in fact very specialized uses of common words. If you add in the jargon associated with computers and computer use, coming into the world of genealogy can be formidable.
By the way, it often doesn't help to try to explain or define our "jargon" terms because we end up using even more jargon to define the terms. I suggest that when you are talking to non-genealogists, you think carefully about the terms you are using and ask frequent questions to see if those you are speaking to understand what you are saying.
| 589
|
: Grade-2 English Games
Sight Words is a simple vocabulary and memory exercise for kids. It is designed to introduce kids to some common dolch sight words. Early readers recognize sight words from having memorized them. In this exercise, kids will learn to recognize and recall dolch sight words by flipping the cards and making a pair of the matching words. Kids will enjoy as they sharpen their memory skills and build their vocabulary. This will help kids in improving their reading skills also.
| 307
|
Discovered in 1988, the Roman Hippodrome in Beirut is situated in Wadi Abou Jmil, next to the newly renovated Jewish Synagogue in Downtown Beirut. This monument, dating back for thousands of years, now risks to be destroyed.
The hippodrome is considered, along with the Roman Road and Baths, as one of the most important remaining relics of the Byzantine and Roman era. It spreads over a total area of 3500 m2.
Requests for construction projects in the hippodrome’s location have been ongoing since the monument’s discovery but were constantly refused by former ministers of culture of which we name Tarek Metri, Tamam Salam and Salim Warde. In fact, Tamam Salam had even issued a decree banning any work on the hippodrome’s site, effectively protecting it by law. Salim Warde did not contest the decree. Current minister of culture Gabriel Layoun authorized constructions to commence.
When it comes to ancient sites in cities that have lots of them, such as Beirut, the current adopted approach towards these sites is called a “mitigation approach” which requires that the incorporation of the monuments in modern plans does not affect those monuments in any way whatsoever. The current approval by minister Layoun does not demand such an approach to be adopted. The monument will have one of its main walls dismantled and taken out of location. Why? to build a fancy new high-rise instead. Minister Layoun sees nothing wrong with this. In fact, displacing ruins is never done unless due to some extreme circumstances. I highly believe whatever Solidere has in store for the land is considered an “extreme circumstance.”
The Roman Hippodrome in downtown Beirut is considered as one of the best preserved not only in Lebanon, but in the world. It is also the fifth to be discovered in the Middle East. In fact, a report (Arabic) by the General Director of Ruins in Lebanon, Frederick Al Husseini, spoke about the importance of the monument as one that has been talked about in various ancient books. It has also been correlated with Beirut’s infamous ancient Law School. He speaks about the various structures that are still preserved and only needing some restoration to be fully exposed. He called the monument as a highly important site for Lebanon and the world and is one of Beirut’s main facilities from the Byzantine and Roman eras, suggesting to work on preserving and making this site one of Beirut’s important cultural and touristic locations. His report dates back from 2008.
MP Michel Aoun, the head of the party of which Gabriel Layoun is part, defended his minsiter’s position by saying that: “there are a lot of discrepancies between Solidere and us. Therefore, a minister from our party cannot be subjected to Solidere. Minister Layoun found a way, which is adopted internationally, to incorporate ancient sites with newer ones… So I hope that media outlets do not discuss this issue in a way that would raise suspicion.”
With all due respect to Mr. Aoun and his minister but endangering Beirut’s culture to strip away even more of the identity that makes it Beirut is not something that should concern him or Solidere. What’s happening is a cultural crime to the entirety of the Lebanese population, one where the interests of meaningless politicians becomes irrelevant. Besides, for a party that has been anti-Solidere for years, I find it highly hypocritical that they are allowing Solidere to dismantle the Roman Hippodrome.
The conclusion is: never has a hippodrome been dismantled and displaced in any parts of the world. Beirut’s hippodrome will effectively become part of the parking of the high-rise to be built in its place. No mitigation approach will be adopted here. It is only but a diversion until people forget and plans go well underway in secrecy. But the time for us to be silent about this blatant persecution of our history cannot continue.
If there’s anything that we can do is let the issue propagate as much as we can. There shouldn’t be a Lebanese person in the 10452 km2 that remains clueless about any endangered monument for that matter. Sadly enough, this goes beyond the hippodrome. We have become so accustomed to the reality of it that we’ve become very submissive: the ancient Phoenician port is well behind us, there are constructions around the ancient Phoenician port of Tyre and the city itself risks of being removed off UNESCO’s list for Cultural Heritage Sites.
The land on which ancient monuments are built doesn’t belong to Solidere, to the Ministry of Culture or to any other contractor – no matter how much they’ve paid to buy it. It belongs to the Lebanese people in their entirety. When you realize that of the 200 sites uncovered at Solidere, those that have remained intact can be counted with the fingers of one hand, the reality becomes haunting. It’s about time we rise to our rights. Beirut’s hippodrome will not be destroyed.
| 679
|
The man behind ‘Twin Bridges,’ Gen. Thaddeus Kosciuszko, remembered as the Revolutionary War hero he was
HALFMOON — To countless Northway travelers, the span over the Mohawk River is simply a way to get to and from work, or fun Adirondack vacations.
Most people call it the “Twin Bridges.”
To veterans advocate Carol Hotaling, of Clifton Park, the structure has a much deeper meaning – a tribute to the Revolutionary War hero that it’s officially named after — Gen. Thaddeus Kosciuszko.
The bridge, which first opened in 1959, underwent a major reconstruction project this fall.
“I would like to propose a rededication of this bridge,” she said. “He (Kosciuszko) was born in Poland, came to a struggling America, volunteered his services to the Continental Army and became chief engineer.”
Hotaling, the “Yellow Ribbon Lady,” has made countless yellow decorations for veterans-themed events, celebrations and observances, and works tirelessly to support troops stationed overseas.
Kosciuszko’s accomplishments were many, including the fortification of West Point. But his most important contribution was designing the American defenses for the 1777 Battles of Saratoga, which proved to be the Revolution’s turning point.
Gen. Horatio Gates, the American commander, gets most of the credit for the victory at Saratoga. Without Kosciuszko, though, it never would have happened.
“It was his use of topography and design of defenses that gave Americans an extremely strong and defensible position,” said Bill Valosin, a Saratoga National Historical Park ranger.
Specifically, artillery placed atop Bemis Heights stopped the flow of British supplies on the Hudson River, directly below, and kept them from using the main north-south river road. Continued...
The southward advancing British army, under Gen. John Burgoyne, was trying to reach Albany, where it would meet British forces moving up the Hudson Valley led by Gen. William Howe. The goal was to split the colonies in two, and bring the American rebellion to a quick end.
At Saratoga, however, the river forms a bottleneck and thanks to Kosciuszko’s well-designed defenses, the Americans controlled it. Burgoyne’s army split up into three separate columns – one near the river; the other two about a mile and two miles inland, respectively.
However, Kosciuszko built an L-shaped three-quarter-mile long line to the west, and another about two-thirds of a mile to the south and west, to hold off attacks from those directions, too.
None of this work began until Sept. 12, one week before the first battle.
“He (Kosciuszko) wasn’t directly in the (battle) lines,” Valosin said. “But his fortifications, where and the way that he placed them, forced the British to abandon the direct route south.”
Born in February 1746, Kosciuszko came to America looking to gain experience and make a name for himself, which he unquestionably did. In Europe, he’s considered one of the Revolution’s greatest heroes, perhaps second only to George Washington.
After the war, he helped lead an insurrection against the Russian occupation of Poland.
In August 1797, still suffering from battle wounds during the insurrection, he came back to the U.S. and lived in Philadelphia. That historic home is now the smallest site, one fifth of an acre, in the entire National Park system.
The next spring, Kosciuszko left Philadelphia for France. He dreamed of seeing a unified and free Poland, but Napoleon’s rise to power dashed those hopes. He spent the last two years of his life in Soleure, Switzerland where he died in 1817.
Recently, there’s been some debate because of constantly changing European borders, about whether Kosciuszko was born in Poland, Lithuania or Belarus. Continued...
Regardless, there is no question about his role as a hero during the American fight for independence.
His good friend Thomas Jefferson called him “as pure a son of liberty as I have ever known.”
Hotaling would like people to remember that during the course of their busy travels over the bridge that bears Kosciuszko’s name.
“It’s one way we can show him the respect he deserves,” she said.
See inaccurate information in a story? Other feedback and/or ideas for us to consider? Tell us here.
What should we investigate? Have a tip you want us to look into? Tell us here.
Location, ST | website.com
National News Videos
- Police & Courts: May 19, 2013 (744)
- Corinth woman dead, two injured in Lake Luzerne crash (698)
- Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee endorses slate of candidates (342)
- Skidmore College's Class of 2013 celebrates commencement (278)
- Public to vote Tuesday on Saratoga Springs City School District's proposed $113 million budget, choose board of education members (267)
- High school athletes, coaches survive respective budget proposals (205)
- Police & Courts: May 17, 2013 (177)
- Creating jobs a goal for Wilton town board in 2010 (5)
- PHOTOS: Saratoga Springs High School Prom 2013 (1)
- Corinth woman dead, two injured in Lake Luzerne crash (1)
- Saratoga Springs Democratic Committee endorses slate of candidates (1)
- Saratoga Rowing Association takes 4 gold medals in early stages of championship regatta (1)
- Skidmore College's Class of 2013 celebrates commencement (1)
Recent Activity on Facebook
Barbara Lombardo is the managing editor of The Saratogian.
Updates on Spa City and Saratoga County business news and trends.
This blog aims to supplement the daily coverage published online and in the paper.
Reporter Caitlin Morris offers insights into the issues affecting Saratoga County residents.
| 66
|
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2012 June 23
Explanation: As seen from Frösön island in northern Sweden the Sun did set a day after the summer solstice. From that location below the arctic circle it settled slowly behind the northern horizon. During the sunset's final minute, this remarkable sequence of 7 images follows the distorted edge of the solar disk as it just disappears against a distant tree line, capturing both a green and blue flash. Not a myth even in a land of runes, the colorful but elusive glints are caused by atmospheric refraction enhanced by long, low, sight lines and strong atmospheric temperature gradients.
Authors & editors:
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
| 275
|
VLADNIC, Romania (AP) -- Their origins are a mystery. The most widely accepted theory is that the Csango people of Romania's remote eastern Carpathian mountains began settling around the 13th Century, dispatched by Hungarian rulers to defend the kingdom's easternmost frontier.
Of Roman Catholic faith and speaking a medieval Hungarian dialect, they still live in relative isolation, harvesting vegetables and nuts, some of which they exchange for oil, rice and other necessities brought in by village-to-village Romanian salesmen.
The Csangos fear that their culture and language are eroding. Since Romania joined the European Union in 2007, an entire generation of adults has been lured away by the prospect of jobs in countries like Italy and Spain.
In some homes, grandparents are looking after as many as 14 grandchildren.
A group of doctors from a Hungarian Catholic charity recently visited Vladnic and the nearby Csango villages of Ciucan and Tuta to give eye and dental tests.
For 14-year-old Tuta resident Annamaria Laura Lupo, the eye exam was long overdue. She said she's been having headaches and it was affecting her studies at school. Now, she and her mother are awaiting glasses that will be sent from Budapest.
Dentist Renata Jaky said there was a near total lack of oral hygiene. "When I ask the kids how many times they brush their teeth, the most usual answer is 'never,'" she said.
Children are key to the villages' survival and many start work before sunrise.
"I get up at five in the morning and start the day by milking the goat and taking the animals out to pasture. Only after that do I go to school," said Gyorgy Radavoi, a 14-year-old boy. "My mother died and my father works abroad all year. I'm happy when my granddad isn't drunk, we have food to eat and it's warm at home."
| 67
|
Girl Scout Preserves Florida's Wildlife
March 23, 2012 – Miami, Fla. – Senior Girl Scout Caitlin Kaloostian earned the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can receive, by completing a new butterfly garden and wildlife themed mural for The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The FWC works with community and youth organizations to demonstrate the importance of safeguarding Florida’s Natural resources and to encourage the next generation of conservationists. To further this mission, Kaloostian held fundraisers such as garage sales and solicited help from fellow high school students to raise funds necessary to complete the project. With the help of her troop, Girl Scout Troop 305, Kaloostian painted a mural at the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement Office which featured native fish and wildlife including a Florida panther, a manatee, an alligator, fish and many other animals. The butterfly garden uses native plants to attract butterflies and birds. Both the mural and the butterfly garden will help to preserve Florida’s future.
| 318
|
Diabetic Ketoacidosis Symptoms
The body's cells need two energy requirements to function. The blood stream delivers both oxygen and glucose to the front door of the cell. The the oxygen is invited in, but the glucose needs a key to open the door. The insulin molecule is that key. When we eat, the body senses the levels of glucose in the blood stream and secretes just the right amount of insulin from the pancreas so that cells and the body can function.
People with diabetes don't have the luxury of that auto-sensing. They need to balance the amount of glucose intake with the amount of insulin that needs to be injected. Not enough insulin and the glucose levels in the blood stream start to rise; too much insulin, and they plummet.
The consequences of hypoglycemia (hypo=low, glycemia=glucose in the blood) are easy to understand. No energy source, no function - and the first organ to go is the brain. It needs glucose to function and without it, the brain shuts down quickly. Confusion, lethargy, and coma occur quickly. It's interesting that brain cells don't need insulin to open their doors to glucose, so when people develop coma from low blood sugar, they waken almost instantaneously upon treatment. Blood sugar is one of the first things checked on scene of a comatose patient, because it's so easy to fix and very embarrassing for an EMT to miss.
| 548
|
Jan. 22, 2008 Norwegian and Swiss biologists have made a startling discovery about the relationship between organisms that most people have never heard of. The Tree of Life must be re-drawn, textbooks need to be changed, and the discovery may also have significant impact on the development of medicines.
The discovery by Norwegian and Swiss researchers has gained attention from biologists worldwide. The findings come from the largest ever genetic comparison of higher life forms on the planet. Of 5000 genes examined, researchers identified 123 common genes from all known groups of organisms; these common genes have been studied more closely.
Lost a Branch
“The results were pretty astounding. All non-bacterial life on Earth—called eukaryotic life— can now be divided into four main groups instead of the five groups that we have been working with up to now,” says Kamran Shalchian-Tabrizi, an associate professor from the University of Oslo’s Department of Biology who has also worked with the Department of Zoology and Animal Biology and the Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
The Tree of Life (see illustration) has, through the discovery that the two formerly separated branches share a similar evolutionary history, lost one of its branches, and this will both improve and simplify quite a bit of scientific work in the future.
“Kinship says a lot about shared traits. Our findings can be important in many fields, such as in the study of the development of life and in the manufacture of new medicines” says Shalchian-Tabrizi in an interview with the University of Oslo’s research magazine Apollon.
“Our knowledge of organisms and the development of medicines are often based on comparative studies across species. It is, therefore, essential that we know the relationships between the largest groups in the great diversity of eukaryotes,” he adds.
The research group has, for example, found that brown algae and silica algae, and groups of single cell organisms like the malaria parasite, marine foraminifera, and the green sun animalcule (acanthocystis turfacea) actually belong to the same group. Previously, these species were thought to be completely unrelated.
“The work that we published in the August edition of PLoS One means that the description of the Tree of Life must be revised in new textbooks,” says Professor Kjetill S. Jakobsen from the University of Oslo’s Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES). He is also a member of the Microbial Evolution Research Group (MERG), led by Shalchian-Tabrizi, at the Department of Biology. MERG is one of 16 groups that the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences believes may have the potential to develop into new Centres of Excellence.
The New Branch
All life on Earth can be divided into two essentially different life forms—eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The eukaryotes gather their genetic material in a nucleus, while the prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea) have their genetic material floating freely in the cell. Eukaryotic organisms—such as humans—can, as a result of the new findings, be divided into the following four categories:
- Plants (green and red algae, and plants)
- Opisthokonts (amoebas, fungi, and all animals—including humans)
- Excavates (free-living organisms and parasites)
- SAR (the new main group, an abbreviation of Stramenophiles, Alveolates, and Rhizaria, the names of some of its members)
“The SAR group has to some extent been identified earlier, but we could not know if it was a correct observation because we lacked statistical data. To get that data, we first had to reconstruct the entire eukaryote tree with the help of these 123 genes. Chromalveolates and rhizaria were clearly separate groups until we published our results,” says Shalchian-Tabrizi.
“To make the picture a little less clear, one branch of chromalveolates is still in no man’s land. It may be that these also belong to SAR, but we will require additional genes and genomes to study this. We have set our sights on doing that in the course of the next few years,” he adds.
“The Tree of Life tells the story of life on Earth, and our research can say something about how quickly life developed. Our discovery suggests that there were fewer big “events” than we have previously assumed in the development of higher life forms. The more we know about the branches on the Tree of Life, the more we can find out about life’s Big Bang, the beginning of life on Earth,” says Shalchian-Tabrizi.
Three billion years ago, there was only bacteria and Archaea. Eukaryotic life, which comprises all multi-celled organisms, developed in the sea—probably between 1.2 and 1.6 billion years ago. It was not before about 500 million years ago that the first creatures crept onto land.
“By digging down into the historical layers with the help of phylogenetic reconstruction, where we can find out about kinship between organisms at the genetic level and we can find answers to questions about how new traits developed. We are working, in a matter of speaking, with genetic archaeology. In this manner, we can also discover the cause of the Earth’s biological diversity,” says Jakobsen.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
| 998
|
The Syrian Flag :
color in the Syrian flag refers to a definite meaning or a period as follows:
1. Red Color: The blood of the martyrs.
2. Black Color: The Abbasids.
3. White Color: The Umayyad.
4. The Green: The Rashidun or the Fatimid.
5. The two stars represent the previous union
between Egypt and Syria.
Syrian flag is also found as a Shield in the middle of the Syrian Eagle's heart
which is derived from the Arabic history, which referred to the flag of "Khaled
Bin Al Waleed" that was held
at when he conquered Damascus in 635 AD. At the
bottom of the Shield , there are two wheat spikes to represent the country's first
crop and its agricultural nature. The eagle grabs in his claws a stripe that
has the words "Syrian Arab Republic" written on it in Kufic (an
Arabic type of writing).
Syrian National Anthem:
"Homat el Diyar"
(translated Guardians of the Homeland) is the national anthem of Syria, with
lyrics written by "Khalil Mardam Bey" and the music by "Mohammed Flayfel", who
also composed the national anthem of the Palestinian National Authority, as
well as many other Arab folk songs.
was adopted in 1936 and temporarily fell from use when Syria joined the United
Arab Republic with Egypt in 1958. It was decided that the national anthem of
the UAR would be a combination of the then-Egyptian anthem and "Homat elDiyar" When Syria seceded from the union in 1961, the
anthem was completely restored.
Translation of Syrian National Anthem:
Defenders of our home,
Peace be upon you;
The proud spirits had
refused to subdue.
The lion-abode of Arabism,
A hallowed sanctuary;
The seat of the stars,
An inviolable preserve.
Our hopes and our hearts,
Are entwined with the flag,
Which unites our country...
Listen Syrian National Anthem...Click Here
| 714
|
CURRENT CZECH NAME: Ostroh
Ostroh Uhersky, Uhersky Ostroh, Ungarisch-Ostra, Ungarisch-Ostroh
LOCATION: Ostroh is a small
town in Moravia, located at 48.59 longitude and 17.23 latitude, 75 km E
of Brno, 9 km ENE of Bzenec (seeMap
- by Mapquest, then click
on your browser's "Back" button to return to this page).
HISTORY: The earliest known
Jewish community in this town dates from 1592. In 1635 there were
22 Jewish houses. In 1671 there were 16 Jewish houses with more than
30 Jewish families, including Isak Schulklopper, Salamon Lateiner, Israel
Isak, Mandl, Salamon Chaska, Benesch, Friedrich Kojeteiner, Schmidl, Jekl
Fleischhacker, Salamon Mojses, Rabiner, Mojses Stanjetz, Jakob Gutman,
Israel Strimpfstricker, and Loebl Isak. From 1798-1848 there were
89 Jewish families. In 1848 the community numbered 478 members, but
dropped to 220 after the First World War. The Jewish population was
70 in 1930. The present town population is 5,000 - 25,000 with fewer
than 10 Jews.
Noteworthy historical events involving or affecting the Jewish community
were the separation of a Jewish quarter in 1727 and the existence of a
self-standing political community from 1890-1920. The old Jewish
cemetery was established in 17th century, with the last known Jewish burial
in 1862. The Jewish congregation was Conservative.
Birth, Death and Marriage record books for Ostroh may be located at the
Czech State Archives in Prague, Statni istredni archiv, tr. Milady Horokove
133, CZ-166 21 Praha 6, Czech Republic, tel/fax: +42 (2) 333-20274.
Search JewishGen/Internet resources for Ostroh.
NOTABLE RESIDENTS AND DESCENDANTS:
According to the entry in the International Association of Jewish Genealogical
Societies Cemetery Project database, Chaim Weizmann, president of the State
of Israel, once lived in Ostroh.
The following rabbis worked in Ostroh: Salomo Mose (1592); David b. Samuel
Halevy (1659); Mose b. Hakadosch Elchanan from Fuerth (1655); Jesaja b.
Sabatai Scheftel (1659); Joel b. Samuel from Krakau (1668); Mhrr Pinchas
(after 1700); Mhrr Salomo (before 1719); Kolonimos b. mhrr Baruch (from
1720); Loeb Steiniz (d. 1760); Mhrr Pinchas b. mhrr Aaron (1766); Jakob
Hirsch b. Mose Loeb (Biach) Feilbogen (1790-1853); Mose Loeb b. mhrr JA
ha-Kohen Mueller (d. 1853); Dr. Joel Mueller; Dr. S. Wolfsohn; (1876-1878);
Dr. Israel Taglicht (1883-1893); Dr. Emanuel Lenke; Dr. D. Herzog (1897-1900);
Dr. Simon Friedmann; Dr. Michael Halberstamm (from 1919).
Other notables include: Mordechai b. Schalom (community elder and author
of the statutes of the chevra kadisha in 1650); Schalom b. Jecheskel (landowner
1668); Mandl Salamon Steinitzer (land deputy 1732); Michl b. R. Sch. David
(judge); Mose Singer (judge 1835); Mandl Duschak (judge 1858); Loeb Winter
(judge 1860); Jesajas Braun (judge 1864); Sal. Kihn (judge 1876); Salamon
Winter (judge 1880-1888); Jonatan Lamberg (judge); Max Kihn (judge 1898);
Dr. Eduard Stern (judge 1902); Jehuda Diamand (judge 1903); Sigmund Klein
(judge 1909); Loeb Nussbaum; Samuel Kornblueh; Sal. Sommer; Jakob Hahn;
Jakob Strauss; Jechiel Gruenbaum.
Rabbi Dr. Moritz Grünwald was born 29 March 1853 in Ostroh.
He studied at the Universities of Vienna and Leipzig. He founded
the Jüdische Centralblatt in Belovar. In 1883 he became rabbi
of Pisek and later Jungbunzlau. He was the chief rabbi of Sofia from
1893 until his death in London on 10 June 1895.
The great-great- grandson of Amalie Reif (b. Ostroh), E.
Randol Schoenberg, is a frequent contributor to Jewishgen's Austria-Czech
SIG and the submitter of this page.
Tom Beer has submitted an interesting story about his great-grandfather,
Beer (b. Ostroh).
CEMETERIES: There are two Jewish
cemeteries in Ostroh. The older cemetery location is urban, on flat
land, separate but near other cemeteries, and not identified by any sign
or marker. It is reached by turning directly off a public road.
It is open to all. The cemetery is surrounded by no wall or fence
and there is no gate. The approximate size of cemetery before WWII
and now is 0.1277 hectares. The cemetery contains no special memorial
monuments. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Within the limits
of the cemetery there are no structures. The municipality is the
present owner of the cemetery property, which is now utilized for recreation
(park, playground, sports field). Adjacent properties are commercial
or industrial. The cemetery boundaries have not changed since 1939.
Private visitors come rarely to the cemetery. The cemetery
was vandalized during World War II and between 1945 and 1981. No
maintenance has been done. Now there is occasional clearing or cleaning
by authorities. There is a slight threat posed by pollution and proposed
The new cemetery is located at 1.5 km to the E, Veselska-Str. This
Jewish cemetery was established in 1862. The last known Jewish burials
were in the 1950s and 1960s. The cemetery location is urban, on flat
land, separate, but near other cemeteries, and not identified by any sign
or marker. It is reached by crossing the public property of the town
cemetery. It is open to all. A continuous masonry wall surrounds
the cemetery. There is a gate that does not lock. The
approximate size of the cemetery is now 0.2777 hectares; before WWII it
was about 0.47 hectares. There are 100-500 stones. The cemetery
has no special sections. The tombstones and memorial markers
are made of marble, granite and sandstone. The tombstones vary among
flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, flat stones with
carved relief decoration and obelisks. The cemetery has tombstones
with bronze decorations or lettering and metal fences around graves.
Inscriptions on tombstones are in Hebrew, German and Czech. The cemetery
contains special memorial monuments to Holocaust victims. There are
no known mass graves. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures.
The present owner of the cemetery property is the local Jewish community
of Brno. The adjacent properties are other cemeteries.
The current Jewish cemetery boundaries are smaller now than in 1939 because
of the town cemetery. Private visitors come occasionally to the cemetery.
The cemetery has been vandalized occasionally, mostly between 1981-91.
No maintenance has been done. Local/municipal authorities and Jewish
groups from within the country did restoration work, finally completed
in 1991. Now there is occasional clearing or cleaning by authorities.
There is a moderate threat posed by pollution, vegetation and vandalism;
and slight threats are posed by uncontrolled access, weather erosion, and
existing and proposed nearby development.
These surveys were completed on 1.3.1992 by Ing. Arch. Jaroslav Klenovsky,
Zebetinska 13, 623 00 Brno.
CONTACTS: Town officials:
Magistrate Jiri Chmelar, Mestsky urad Hradistska 305, 687 24 uhersky Ostroh,
tel. 0632/91116. Regional officials: PhDr. Jana Spathova, Okresni urad,
Referat Kultury, 686 01 Uherske Hradiste, tel. 0632/432. Interested parties:
Slovacke muzeum, dir. PhDr. Ivo Frolec, Smetanovy sady, 686 01 Uherske
Hradiste, tel. 0632/2262. Other sources: Bohumil Gelbkopf, Rybare 198,
687 24 Uhersky Ostroh, Tel. 0.
SOURCES: Gedenkbuch der
Untergegangenen Judengemeinden Mährens, Hugo Gold ed. (1974), pp..
116-117; Die Juden und JudengemeindenMährens in Vergangenheit unde
Gegenwart, Hugo Gold ed. (1929), pp: 563-570 (pictures); Jiri Fiedler,
Jewish Sights of Bohemia and Moravia (1991), pp. 53-54; International Association
of Jewish Genealogical Societies Cemetery Project, Czech Republic, Ostroh.
SUBMITTER: E. Randol
Schoenberg, 3436 Mandeville Canyon Road, Los Angeles, California 90049-1020
USA. Tel: 1-310-472-3122 (h), 1-213-473-2045 (w). Fax: 1-213-473-2222.
Web Page: http://www.schoenberglaw.com
Return to GemeindeView
Return to Austria-Czech SIG Homepage
| 753
|
January 10th, 2004 01:15 AM
Yeah, arbitrary precision is very confusing. I've tried to make my own like that with huge string allocations (acturally char arrays) and compare numbers one by one. I don't know what happened to it, but I probably never completed it anyways.
And that recursive function looks really....recursive. I don't see any code to exit out of the loop, IE it will continue to call it self over and over until the program finally kills the heap/stack or something. I don't quite know what it is...
Also, even if it wasn't a static, it would still always be zero (if you managed to get an answer out of it since it loops forever). Why? Since there is no checking to see if X is less than or equal to 1. Without that it would multiply it by 0 when x = 0, and thus the answers would be cleared.
Well the only reason I can acturally comment on it is because I have my C book here with an example of a recursive function to calculate factorials... heh. Sadly I don't think I'm *allowed* to post the code up. Sorry.
The next best thing - Using Linked Lists of Integers to store the factorial of 1000... http://www.codeguru.com/algorithms/factorial.shtml I don't happen to think that the code there is easily understandable though...
January 10th, 2004 01:32 AM
Tim_axe, sorry to be pedantic, but if you look at his code, x would never be zero, that wasn't the issue. The fact is that it is pointless even having the x if you set total to 0 at the start because total will never increase, and that's even if you ignore that there is no way to exit the recursion.
Also, because total is a local variable and you are not sending it as an argument, total would have died at the beginning of each recursion in any case. A slightly more functional function, if still not very good would be:
Please note that even that code is completely useless :P I just felt like correcting the other code (too tired to check who it was that posted it, and I can't see just now anyway :P)
void genFactorial(int x, int t)
int total = t; // you probably wouldn't even need total now
void main(void) // yes, I know it isn't totally correct
Oh god that makes me look sad.
Tim_axe, I'm sorry. I realise what you are saying now (couldn't really see it properly, my contact lenses are fscked atm). I left what I said in incase someone already had seen it so that you know I was apologising [/edit]
January 10th, 2004 04:07 AM
Don't worry about it gothic_type, I can see where I sort of rambled on in my post and just messed up what I was trying to point out.
I'll work off of your code since it has the basic framework and I want to save typing...
*Opens up DevC++*
*Finds C Programming Book*
*Returns to Open Window*
Okay, this following code compiles, and works fine for me. If not, please debug it yourself. :P Also, don't give it an integer bigger than 14. It will crash or mess up something (Integer Overflow). Same goes for letters, and decimal numbers. Integers only...
Enjoy. Also, it won't do your 100 or whatnot. Only up to 14... Check the link in my previous post to find code for bigger numbers. I haven't tried it myself...
using namespace std;
unsigned int genFactorial(unsigned int x);
cout<<"Blah. Give me an Integer or I'll crash: ";
cout<<"\nI think that is: "<<genFactorial(fact)<<endl;
cout<<"If that's wrong, it's 42!"<<endl;
unsigned int genFactorial(unsigned int x)
x *= genFactorial(x-1);
January 10th, 2004 08:33 AM
Tim_axe, nice prog; appears to work correctly (despite the fact that I attempted to get gcc to compile it to begin with which made it unhappy )
Now all we need to do is edit the program so that it can do 100, but still using integers :P.
BTW -- Tim_axe, I think we must be the only people sad enough to have kept on posting to this topic...I think everyone else bailed :P
January 12th, 2004 07:27 PM
well you guys are using recursion, which isnt going to be good when you are computing 100 because you will run out of space in RAM.
Support your right to arm bears.
^^This was the first video game which i played on an old win3.1 box
January 12th, 2004 10:26 PM
White_Eskimo, the only reason I (and I think Tim_axe as well) was using recursion was because Striek had suggested it. His code was really messed up, so I was trying to "fix" it while also attempting to point out the multiplying by zero error.
Anyhow. Since no-one else really suggested/posted another method, at least it's something. :P
January 13th, 2004 12:31 AM
Well I guess we could continue it... Anyone else want to help out?
So we can scrap the recursion idea because the program would eventually run out of heap/stack or something on really big numbers... But as to how will we use integers to store numbers that are over 32bits long... We might have to borrow from the code @ http://www.codeguru.com/algorithms/factorial.shtml by somehow adopting use of linked lists of integers. Although the code there already uses it to compute factorials...
So, I guess it would be like this (insert really bad program outline here):
Use types in number, ie 60.
Allocate 59/60/61 integers (array), put numbers 60 to 1 in them. (we will somehow multiply them later on, which is what factorials do)
Then we can allocate some more integers, say 1000 to be safe for now, and set each element to 0. This will hold our output, with each integer holding a single digit. 1000 here would mean we can store a 1000 digit answer for a factorial. My guess is that is the factorial of 150 or so?
We then multiply the last two integers from the first array, ie with values 60 and 59.
Store this result, ie 3540, in a temporary integer. We then seperate it into thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones, etc., and put it into the answer in those respective places in the answer array.
This gets messy. We seperate the next integer into ones and tens, and then somehow multiply the answer array and this next integer, ie 58, and deal with carrying over numbers to keep a single digit to the answer. Move that into the answer, and repeat that process. The link does that somewhere, but with linked lists instead of arrays of integers.
This technique could work well up until getting the factorial of about 65537, since 65537 * 65536 is a number over 32bits, the largest we could hold in an unsigned integer / long value on a normal 32bit PC... (first multiplacation step)
It is sort of reinventing the wheel I guess since there is already code to do it. I could probably work on it when I'm not studying for finals this week. Hopefully we can figure this one out, lol.
January 13th, 2004 04:55 PM
Wow. I looked at that "algorithm"...I couldn't even have begun to think about coding that (mainly because I've never learned about linked lists and I don't know as much as I should about c++).
January 14th, 2004 03:38 AM
I tried to come up with my own code and it is useless. I can't get it to carry numbers over right and multiply them together the way I need to. It ended up using only the first unsigned long in the array of about 1000 of them.
Anyways, I read through the comments of that tutorial, and came across this one. Man the person (Krishna Kumar Khatri) is good... Saves me from ripping out anymore of hair trying to get my own version to work.
January 14th, 2004 03:47 PM
lol. That code's still too confusing for me to understand without reading it over a couple of times :P.
If you could somehow devise a way to multiply parts 1 to n in an array to output them without having to store them in a variable, then I've got a program that solves this problem. But I guess that was the whole problem in the first place :P
Anyhow. I'm just annoyed that I couldn't think up a solution myself
| 327
|
BURKE TEACHERS STUDY, PREPARE FOR NEW CURRICULUM
Burke County schools are preparing for a curriculum change coming in August as North Carolina joins more than 40 other states in adopting the Common Core State Standards. A pamphlet Burke schools will send to parents next month explains the new way of teaching, testing and holding principals accountable.“These standards describe what students are supposed to know from kindergarten through 12th grade,” the pamphlet reads. “They define the reading, writing and math knowledge and skills needed at each grade level. Each year builds on the next so that by high school graduation, young people are prepared to go to college or to enter the workplace.”Burke school officials attended a crash course in Common Core last month as North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson toured the state to talk about the upcoming changes.
| 382
|
The intent of this work is five fold: 1) To spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance, and size of both reef fishes and macro-invertebrates (conch, lobster, Diadema); 2) To relate this information to in-situ data collected on associated benthic composition parameters; 3) To use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting; 4) To establish the efficacy of those management decisions; and 5) To work with the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program to develop data collection standards and easily implemented methodologies for transference to other agencies and to work toward standardizing data collection throughout the US states and territories. Toward this end, the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment's Biogeography Branch (BB) has been conducting research in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands since 2000 and 2001, respectively. It is critical, with recent changes in management at both locations (e.g. implementation of MPAs) as well as proposed changes (e.g. zoning to manage multiple human uses) that action is taken now to accurately describe and characterize the fish/macro-invertebrate populations in these areas. It is also important that BB work closely with the individuals responsible for recommending and implementing these management strategies. Recognizing this, BB has been collaborating with partners at the University of Puerto Rico, National Park Service, US Geological Survey and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources.
To quantify patterns of spatial distribution and make meaningful interpretations, we must first have knowledge of the underlying variables determining species distribution. The basis for this work therefore, is the nearshore benthic habitats maps (less than 100 ft depth) created by NOAA's Biogeography Program in 2001 and NOS' bathymetry models. Using ArcView GIS software, the digitized habitat maps are stratified to select sampling stations. Sites are randomly selected within these strata to ensure coverage of the entire study region and not just a particular reef or seagrass area. At each site, fish, macro-invertebrates, and benthic composition information is then quantified following standardized protocols. By relating the data collected in the field back to the habitat maps and bathymetric models, BB is able to model and map species level and community level information. These protocols are standardized throughout the US Caribbean to enable quantification and comparison of reef fish abundance and distribution trends between locations. Armed with the knowledge of where "hot spots" of species richness and diversity are likely to occur in the seascape, the BB is in a unique position to answer questions about the efficacy of marine zoning strategies (e.g. placement of no fishing, anchoring, or snorkeling locations), and what locations are most suitable for establishing MPAs. Knowledge of the current status of fish/macro-invertebrate communities coupled with longer term monitoring will enable evaluation of management efficacy, thus it is essential to future management actions.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)/National Ocean Service (NOS)/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)/Biogeography Branch, 20101216, St. Croix, USVI Habitat Assessment and Monitoring Data (2001 - Present): NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Silver Spring, MD.
Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal Degrees.
This is a cooperative effort between NOAA's Biogeography Branch, the National Park Service and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources.
1) To spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance, and size of both reef fishes and macro-invertebrates (conch, lobster, Diadema); 2) To relate this information to in-situ data collected on associated benthic composition parameters; 3) To use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting; 4) To establish the efficacy of those management decisions; and 5) To work with the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program to develop data collection standards and easily implemented methodologies for transference to other agencies and to work toward standardizing data collection throughout the US states and territories.
Data are collected on the following: 1) Logistic information - diver name, dive buddy, date, time of survey, site code, and meter numbers at which the quadrat is placed.
2) Habitat structure - to characterize the benthic habitats of the dive site, the habitat diver first categorizes the habitat structure of the site: hard, soft or mangrove.
3) Proximity of structure - on seagrass and sand sites, the habitat diver records the absence or presence of reef or hard structure within 3m of the belt transect. A score of zero (0) indicates that no reef or other hard structure is present; one (1) indicates that a reef or hard structure smaller than 4m2 is present; and (2) indicates that a reef or hard structure larger than 4m2 is present within 3m of the diver. The point-count diver also uses this scoring system to record the absence, presence, and proximity of reef or hard structures within their cylinder.
4) Transect depth profile - the depth at each quadrat position. Depth is measured with a digital depth gauge to the nearest 1ft.
5) Abiotic footprint - defined as the percent cover (to the nearest 1 percent) of sand, rubble, hard bottom, and fine sediments within each quadrat position. Rubble refers to rocks and coral fragments that are moveable; immovable rocks are considered hard bottom. The percent cover given as a part of the abiotic footprint should total 100 percent. In a seagrass area for example, despite the fact that seagrass may provide 50 percent cover, the underlying substrate is 100 percent sand so this is what is recorded. To estimate percent cover, the habitat diver first positions the quadrat at the chosen meter mark along the transect tape. If the meter mark is an odd number, then the quadrat is placed on the left side of the tape; if even, it is placed on the right. Next, the habitat diver lays the quadrat along the substrate (regardless of the slope) and estimates percent cover based on a two-dimensional (planar) view (e.g. if bottom is sloping, the quadrat is not held horizontally). Also, the diver should try to use the same planar view for all estimates of percent cover. The habitat diver then estimates, for each quadrat, the height (in cm) of the hardbottom from the substrate to get a sense of bottom relief. Note: Height is collected for all hardbottom substrates, excluding rubble; height is not collected for softbottom substrate.
6) Biotic footprint - defined as the percent cover (to the nearest 0.1 percent) of algae, seagrass, live corals, sponges, gorgonians, and other biota (tunicates, anemones, zooanthids, and hydroids) within each quadrat position. The remaining cover is recorded as bare substrate to bring the total to 100 percent. Again, the diver must use a planar view to estimate percent cover of the biota. Seagrasses and gorgonians should not be stacked upright. For example, if a single seagrass blade crosses 10 squares, then total seagrass coverage should be the sum of the area taken up by that blade in all 10 squares instead of the area covered if the blade was held upright. Species covering less than 0.1 percent of the area are not recorded. Taxa are identified to the following levels: stony coral-species, algae-morphological group (macro, turf, crustose, rhodolith, filamentous, cyanobacteria), sponge-morphological group, and gorgonians-morphological group. When estimating percent cover, it is important to realize there is a balance between precision and time. For stony corals, the approximate area covered by living coral tissue is recorded. Coral skeleton (without living tissue) is usually categorized as turf algae or uncolonized substrate. Data on the condition of coral colonies are also recorded. When coral is noticeably bleached, the entire colony is considered affected and is recorded to the nearest 0.1 percent. Coral colonies are reported as entirely bleached if they contain any portion of white, blotchy, mottled, or pale tissue. This protocol assumes stress throughout the colony and estimates maximum bleaching impact. Diseased/dead coral refers to coral skeleton that has recently lost living tissue because of disease or damage that is still visible, and has not yet been colonized by turf algae. Turf algae include a mix of short (less than 1cm high) algae that colonize dead coral substrate.
7) Maximum canopy height - for each soft biota type (e.g., gorgonians, seagrass, algae), structure is recorded to the nearest 1cm at the quadrat level.
8) Number of individuals - for sponges, gorgonians and "other" biota type (non-encrusting anemones and non-encrusting hydroids) the number of individuals at the quadrat level is recorded.
9) Rugosity - measured by placing a 6-m chain at two randomly selected positions along the 25m belt transect. The chain is placed such that it follows the substrate's relief along the centerline of the belt transect. Two divers measure the straight-line horizontal distance covered by the chain. The chain is placed on top of any hard substrate encountered, but not on top of soft corals or sponges since we are measuring hard bottom rugosity. Data on rugosity are collected for reef sites only. Rugosity measurements typically are made by the point-count and belt-transect divers while awaiting the completion of other benthic habitat measurements by the habitat diver. Upon completion of the dive, the rugosity data are transferred from the fish data sheet to the habitat data sheet by the habitat diver.
10) Abundance and maturity of queen conchs (Strombus gigas) - a count of the total number of conch encountered within the 25 x 4m belt transect are enumerated. The maturity of each conch is determined by the presence or absence of a flared lip and labeled mature or immature, respectively. If conch abundance is counted by a fish diver, the data are then reported to the habitat diver. The decision of who will collect conch data should be made prior to entering the water.
11) Abundance of spiny lobsters (Panilaurus argus) - a count of the total number of lobsters encountered within the 25 x 4m belt transect. No measurements are taken. If lobster abundance is counted by a fish diver, the data are then reported to the habitat diver. The decision of who will collect lobster data should be made prior to entering the water.
12) Abundance of long-spined urchin (Diadema antillarum) - a count of the total number of urchins encountered within the 25 x 4m belt transect. No measurements are taken. If urchin abundance is counted by a fish diver, the data are then reported to the habitat diver. The decision of who will collect urchin data should be made prior to entering the water.
NOTE: If rugosity, conch, lobster or urchin data are collected by a fish diver, data must be transferred to the habitat data sheet. The habitat diver is responsible for transferring the data to their data sheet; however, the fish diver should assist the habitat diver with this task by reporting the data once the dive concludes.
13) Marine debris - type of marine debris within the transect is noted. The size of the marine debris and the area of affected habitat is also recorded along with a note identifying any flora or fauna that has colonized the debris.
14) Photography - the point count or habitat diver will take at least two photos in different directions at each site to maintain an anecdotal and permanent visual description of the sites that were sampled. Proper care and maintenance is necessary for all camera and camera housings. It is important to maintain the cameras and housings before, after and in between dives.
Data Caveats: Overtime, some changes were made to the stratified random site selection process as follows: 1) Habitat strata initially consisted of hard bottom, sand, and seagrass. Sand and seagrass strata were subsequently combined into one soft bottom strata at all three locations (Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. John). This action was taken after the February 2002 mission to Puerto Rico. 2) A small subset of sites were resampled during each mission through June 2002 in Puerto Rico and October 2002 in St. Croix. These station names contain the letter 'P' indicating they are permanent stations. 3) The sample area in St. Croix has increased over time. Initially, samples were collected within historic Buck Island National Monument boundaries as well as outside up to a distance of 0.5 km from those boundaries. In February 2002 the sampling effort was increased to include the entire expanded monument boundaries. Finally in April 2003 the effort was increased again to include areas outside of the Monument for control sites. This area is now almost entirely enclosed within the East End Marine Park of St. Croix. 4) The habitat map utilized to stratify the samples in St. Croix was changed from the original habitat map created with a 1 acre minimum mapping unit to one with a 100m2 minimum mapping unit beginning with the April 2003 mission. 5) In 2007, algae data collection changed from identification of each alga to the genus level to grouping algae into six morphological groups: macro, turf, crustose, filamentous, rhodolith, and cyanobacteria for more efficient data collection. 6) Shelter characteristics ceased being recorded at the end of 2006. 7) Marine debris data collection began in 2007. 8) The spring St. Croix mission was cancelled in 2007, therefore only one mission was conducted that year. 9) Beginning in 2010, missions to St. Croix was reduced from twice per year (March/April and October) to once per year (October only).
Although the 1m-square-quadrat remained the basic method of choice for habitat data collection, overtime, changes in data collection methods were made for some habitat variables and several additional variables were added. These changes were deemed necessary to capture more precise information and as many variables as possible to explain better the observed variability in reef fish assemblage metrics. Detailed information on all changes to the protocols for collecting habitat data in St. Croix can be found at: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/corealreef/reef_fish/protocols.html>
Process Date: 200102 - Present
These data consists of multiple fish community surveys across all nearshore marine habitats around St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Sites were randomly selected and stratified across by habitat types using NOAA's benthic habitat maps of St. Croix, USVI.
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: None
- Please reference NOAA/NOS/NCCOS/CCMA/Biogeography Branch when utilizing these data in a report or peer reviewed publication. Additionally, knowledge of how this dataset has been of use and which organizations are utilizing it is of great benefit for ensuring this information continues to meet the needs of the management and research communities. Therefore, it is requested but not mandatory, that any user of this data supply this information to the Program Manager: Kimberly Roberson (email: Kimberly.email@example.com).
These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.
|Data format:||tab delimited text file|
| 451
|
SAVINGS ACTION 59: Lower the temperature on your water heater
In a typical household, the water heater thermostat is set to around 140 degrees Fahrenheit. But did you know that setting it to 120 is usually fine? Each 10-degree reduction saves 3 to 5 percent on your energy costs and 600 pounds of CO2 per year for an electric water heater, or 440 pounds for a gas heater. Reducing your water temperature to 120 also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes. This helps your water heater last longer and operate at its maximum efficiency. Here's another interesting tidbit from the folks at Power ScoreCard: "If every household turned its water heater thermostat down 20 degrees, we could prevent more than 45 million tons of annual CO2 emissions — the same amount emitted by the entire nations of Kuwait or Libya."
Savings: 3-5 percent on your monthly energy costs
Environmental Impact: 440-600 pounds of CO2 emissions reduced annually
TAKE THE CHALLENGE and LEARN MORE about SAVING ENERGY! Visit: www.SouthCoastEnergyChallenge.org
| 522
|
On Cancer’s Trail
by Florence Williams
Stefanie Raymond-Whish was 9 years old when her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. A traditional Navajo who raised 15 children after her husband died in a car wreck, Raymond-Whish's ama' sa' ni seldom spoke about her illness. Even after her surgery, when she lived with the grandchildren and their mother, she always acted strong around the kids. It became a pattern: When Raymond-Whish was 13, her 38-year-old mother, Nellie Sandoval, was also diagnosed with breast cancer. And Sandoval was equally reserved on the subject. "My mother was really good about not appearing sick in front of us," says Raymond-Whish, now 32. "As a little girl, I knew about cancer, but didn't understand the impact of it at the time."
She understood it better by the time she was in college, in Flagstaff, Ariz., when a new tumor appeared in her mother's other breast. "When my mom had her recurrence, that's when it really hit me ... it was really upsetting. I went home to Farmington for her lumpectomy." Sandoval survived the disease, but not without a long struggle that included chemotherapy, radiation, and finally a double mastectomy. "My breasts were pretty mangled," says Sandoval, now 58. "So I said, 'Just get rid of them.' " Both Sandoval and her daughter have made breast cancer and its impact on Navajos the focus of their lives. Sandoval became an activist and filmmaker, working out of her papaya-colored home in Farmington, N.M. Raymond-Whish has taken her mission a step further: She works as a molecular biologist at the University of Northern Arizona, searching for breast cancer's root causes. "Is there any difference in how breast cancer develops in Native Americans and non-Native Americans?" she asks. One possible - and provocative - answer is emerging from her lab at the university: uranium.
Scientists have long known that uranium damages human cells. But in over six decades of atomic health testing, no one had ever noticed that uranium, at low doses, can act like an estrogen. No one, that is, until recently, when Raymond-Whish and her coworkers observed some unusual effects in lab animals.
Uranium can be found in several of the Jurassic sandstones that lie beneath the Four Corners region like a wrecked layered pastry. The target of frenzied mining throughout the Cold War, uranium ore has been wrenched from the ground, pulverized, milled and tossed in tailings across the Navajo Reservation. Low-level radioactive waste has dissolved into groundwater, escaped onto dust particles and blown off thousands of passing trucks to settle uneasily on surface soils. Over 1,000 abandoned uranium mines pockmark Navajo lands, but only half of them have been reclaimed. Exposure to uranium and its daughter elements has been linked to lung cancer, kidney damage and bone disease in Navajos, and it is the suspected culprit in numerous other medical conditions, from degenerative nerve disease and birth defects to a variety of other cancers.
Raymond-Whish's research lab is tucked inside a neo-Grecian edifice on the Northern Arizona University campus. With her gloved hands in a ventilated booth, the white-coated scientist carefully measures out uranium in solution into small test tubes. The solution will be injected into dishes of cultivated human breast cells, donated by a nun who died of breast cancer in 1979. The MCF-7 cells, as they are known, have been kept alive by the Michigan Cancer Fund through 178 generations of cell division. They are famous among researchers for the properties they exhibit in lab experiments. For example, estrogen causes them to proliferate rapidly - exactly as it does in real-life breast tissue, which is why many women diagnosed with breast cancer have their estrogen-producing ovaries removed. Raymond-Whish wants to see if the cells react in the same way to uranium.
"What I'm really interested in is the development of the mammary gland," says Raymond-Whish, who at this point is just weeks away from finishing her doctoral dissertation. A former teen rodeo star in barrel racing, she once wanted to be a veterinarian. But NAU didn't have a vet school, so she majored in zoology. That eventually landed her in the Discovery Research lab, where she studied the effects of pollution on tadpoles. She found she loved research. "It's like being a detective," she says.
The lab's discoveries have already demolished the conventional wisdom on the properties of uranium. Not only does the heavy metal appear to alter mammary cells at very low doses, but it also seems to interfere with normal hormonal signals. Sometimes the uranium follows the same pathways as estrogen, but sometimes it doesn't, which means it's triggering other endocrine responses as well. "We don't yet know the mechanism of how uranium is affecting these cells," Raymond-Whish says, "but we do know an estrogen receptor is involved. We see it in both animals and MCF-7 cells."
Although the work in Raymond-Whish's lab is considered pure research science, it is impossible to sift it from the real-world context of her family, her culture and her beliefs. Breast, uterine and ovarian cancers have risen steeply in Indian country since the advent of uranium mining. Having watched her grandmother and mother suffer, and now with two kids of her own, 14 and 4 years old, Raymond-Whish can't help but wonder if she's next in line.
But while Raymond-Whish's intimate acquaintance with cancer may harm her credibility as a dispassionate scientist, it may also propel her to help make startling discoveries where no one else has thought to look.
The lab's investigation started several years ago, when Northern Arizona University became part of a team that received a five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute. The project is designed to address community health care, so the local Navajo elders had a few suggestions. They told the scientists they wanted to know more about the health effects of uranium pollution.
"So I started adding uranium to the drinking water of my lab animals," recalls physiologist Cheryl Dyer, who was Raymond-Whish's faculty advisor at the time. "And because I'm an ovarian physiologist, I wanted to see what happened in the ovary." Uranium has long been known to be radioactive and toxic, but no one had ever looked at its effects on follicle counts, or the number of "pre" eggs - eggs in the ovary that have not yet been released for fertilization. Dyer and Raymond-Whish found that the number of pre-eggs declined with low exposure to uranium, and that the mice developed heavier-than-normal uteruses. Normally, a toxic chemical will cause an organ such as a kidney to shrink, not expand. "I said, 'Whoa, what is going on here?' " says Dyer. "I started to wonder if there were other heavy metals that cause these changes, and it turns out cadmium does the same thing. That's when a light bulb went off in my head. Cadmium is an estrogen mimic." All those decades of lab work with atomic elements, and "they had completely missed the boat on estrogen mimicry."
Raymond-Whish was the lead author of a paper showing the unexpected effects of uranium on mouse follicle counts, uterine weights and accelerated puberty. "Drinking Water with Uranium below U.S. EPA Water Standard Causes Estrogen Receptor Dependent Responses in Female Mice" was published in December in Environmental Health Perspectives, a peer-reviewed journal put out by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences. Raymond-Whish concluded that uranium acts as an estrogen, and she recommended that Navajo girls and women be followed closely for reproductive cancers. In conversation, Dyer makes her opinion clear: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency should lower its drinking water standard for uranium from 30 micrograms per liter to 20 micrograms, the Canadian standard. But Dyer and Raymond-Whish are tip-toeing out on a treacherous scientific limb by suggesting policy changes that are based on controversial data.
Raymond-Whish's work and its results have landed her in the middle of a scientific and regulatory quagmire. It's one thing to regulate a chemical known to be toxic at high doses; it's entirely another to suggest regulating minute levels of a substance that is readily found across a large swath of the American West. Many communities, not just those on the reservation, are affected by uranium. Recent tests in Colorado, for example, revealed that 37 cities and towns in the state depend on drinking water that exceeds federal levels for uranium and its daughter nuclides.
Uranium is not just an emotional issue for Raymond-Whish, but for the tribe as a whole. The legacy of mining the element on the 27,000-square-mile reservation is so deeply and collectively felt that the Navajo Nation banned it altogether in 2005 in the face of globally rising ore prices. During the '40s and the Cold War period, the U.S. government used yellow cake - or milled and concentrated uranium ore - to build nuclear weapons. The government stopped buying the ore for weapons in 1971, but the commercial nuclear energy market picked up the slack until the early 1980s. Only about a quarter of all U.S. uranium miners were Native American - Laguna, Hopi, Zuni and Ute as well as Navajo. But Native Americans have been disproportionately affected: Their tribal lands are still contaminated, and former miners suffer illnesses and deaths for which many families are still awaiting compensation.
Despite the tribal ban, at least five companies are seeking state permits in New Mexico to mine lands just off the reservation, including on tribal allotment land. In Arizona, 700 individual mining claims were filed in 2005. The prehistoric sea and river beds that run underground from Naturita, Colo., to Grants, N.M., and across to Moab, Utah, still hold an estimated 600 million pounds of low-grade ore. But for every 4 pounds of uranium extracted, 996 pounds of slightly radioactive waste is left over, in piles, in pits and eventually in the soil, arroyos and underground aquifers.
Some Western tailings piles, like those outside of Monticello, Utah, or Grand Junction, Colo., have been cleaned up. But those on tribal lands have fallen through yawning bureaucratic and regulatory gaps. It's estimated that up to 25 percent of unregulated water sources on the Navajo Reservation exceed federal drinking water standards for uranium. And many families still haul water from these wells, despite warnings by health providers and advocacy groups.
In her lab experiments, Raymond-Whish applies concentrations of uranium that match those of water supplies in parts of the Four Corners, at or slightly above the current EPA standard. She will treat the mammary cells - which come bathed in a red wash of nutrients that resembles weak Kool-Aid - twice in nine days with differing doses. She will then collect the breast cells, extract their protein signatures, and use a tedious process to examine differences in the number of their estrogen receptors. She will also feed rats different mixtures of uranium-tainted water and examine their mammary glands for altered development. She will compare those results to rats fed a well-known synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol, or DES, and to rats that have drunk plain tap water. She'll look for changes to the mammary glands' terminal end buds, lobules and milk ducts, changes that may make them more prone to breast cancer. The work is controversial, and its implications, both for the science of breast cancer and for the treatment of past and future mining pollution, could be profound.
Like Marie Curie over a century before, Raymond-Whish is both repelled and fascinated by the heavy element's mysterious abilities to alter living cells. In some respects, Raymond-Whish and Curie are not dissimilar. Curie, a Polish Jew working in anti-Semitic France, was the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne. As the first Navajo to be awarded a Ph.D. in the Biology Department of NAU, Raymond-Whish displays a confident ease in navigating a different dominant culture. Like Curie, she is driven by an unrelenting curiosity.
If it was a difficult journey from being Rookie of the Year in barrel racing to creating stunning presentations on heavy metals, Raymond-Whish doesn't show it. She moves through the fluorescent-lit lab in a quiet, deliberate fashion, her long, shiny hair neatly in place.
"I like it that you're working on something no one knows the answers to and you're finding the answers," says Raymond-Whish. She grew up in Colorado and New Mexico with her siblings, stepfather and mother, who was a high school guidance counselor before becoming a breast-cancer activist. Forty-four percent of Navajos do not graduate from high school, but Raymond-Whish's mother made sure that she did. "Everybody's saying it's a big deal for me to get a Ph.D. For me, nothing less was expected than, 'You're going to college.' "
The lab work is routine - even tedious - but it's also demanding and consuming. She is tired. With her oral defense looming before a committee of distinguished faculty, she doesn't slow down. In the mornings, she drops her two kids at school. Her husband, Bryan, a Wichita Indian, works nearby in the university's admissions office. She shuttles from the tissue culture room down a long linoleum-floored corridor to the animal histology lab with its wide-screened computer that magnifies mouse ovary sections 40 times over. Scrolling across the screen to count the follicles is her least favorite job. "I get motion sick," she says. The ovaries dominate the screen like giant pink potato chips, lightly salted.
The science of endocrine disruptors, which studies chemicals that mimic hormones, is a little over 10 years old and still rife with skeptics. It has only been in recent years that very low doses of chemicals - in the parts-per-billion range - have been measurable. (A part per billion is the equivalent of one kernel of corn in a corn-filled silo 45 feet tall.) But natural hormones do their work at these very low levels in the human body. One theory holds that certain environmental chemicals, both natural and man-made, can bind to and deceive the hormone receptors.
These receptors are the signal towers that trigger - or prevent - cellular responses that govern everything from metabolism to sex. Artificial chemicals scramble the signals. They appear to be interfering with normal cellular communication and altering how and when the cells, glands and organs develop. Endocrine disruptors have been implicated in obesity, infertility and the timing of puberty as well as in cancer. When many older women stopped taking synthetic estrogen a few years ago, breast cancer rates in this country dropped for the first time in 40 years. DES, the control substance used by Raymond-Whish, was given to pregnant women to prevent miscarriages up until 1971. Their daughters, who were exposed to it in the womb, have been stricken with unusual reproductive cancers, and recent studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer as well.
Typical carcinogens cause a cell's DNA to mutate, eventually leading to cancer. Radiation causes the fragile chains of DNA to break, also leading to errors and mutations. Scientists know a lot about these two types of cancer-causing agents. But endocrine disruption is far more mysterious.
Which is why scientists like Raymond-Whish find themselves at a unique moment in science, just as the traditional models of understanding disease are shifting. The field of breast cancer research in particular is driving the debate. Chemicals such as atrazine and DDT (an herbicide and a pesticide, respectively), plastics - such as the bisphenol A compound found in Nalgene that was banned from baby bottles this spring in Canada - and now uranium, are challenging and confounding scientists seeking to understand the actions of chemicals in the human body.
In the dynamic field of environmental health, toxicologists - who study traditional dose-response curves of carcinogens - and endocrinologists - who study extremely low levels of chemicals that do not always follow expected linear curves - frequently disagree. Because it is not yet known exactly how chemicals like uranium act upon cells, some scientists flatly dispute Raymond-Whish's findings. "Uranium is not plausibly linked as an endocrine disruptor," says toxicologist Margaret Ruttenber, director of the environmental health studies program of the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment. "There is an absence of a known mechanism."
Louise Canfield, director of the Native American Cancer Research Partnership at the University of Arizona, says: "My personal opinion is that obesity and other lifestyle factors are key risks (for breast cancer), along with access to care. Uranium in drinking water is a health hazard for sure, but I'm not sure it's a primary cause of cancer."
But others consider the work groundbreaking. "This is a science of subtlety," explains Andrea Gore, a neuroendocrinologist at the University of Texas, Austin, and former advisor to the National Science Foundation. "(Dyer's and Raymond-Whish's) work is consistent with other good labs. People criticize the field of endocrine disruption because we don't always understand the mechanisms, but the effects are still real. This is why animal studies are so important. The responses we see in lab animals can happen in humans, because we share the exact same hormones. The estrogen receptor is similar."
Still, more evidence is needed before scientists concede a link between uranium and breast cancer in humans. "You can make a very strong case with animal studies, but it will never be definitive," says cancer expert Joaquin Espinosa, professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "You hope that nature would have done the experiment for you out there at some point. You need to show that real people are affected."
But epidemiological data on the reservation is hard to come by. For one thing, it's difficult to sort out reliable cancer statistics and their changes over time. Some Navajo elders consult only medicine men, so some cancers go unreported. Cancer itself is translated in Navajo as Lood doo nadziihii, "the sore that does not heal." Some patients do not seek treatment, nor do they even speak of the disease for fear of wishing it upon their families, according to Fran Robinson, a nurse oncologist at San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington. Until recently, the Indian Health Services kept haphazard records in which diagnoses went unconfirmed and doctors came and went. For a variety of reasons, including instances of abuse of trust by researchers, the Navajo Nation guards its own data as closely as any member of the former Soviet bloc.
The New Mexico State Tumor Registry keeps statistics on cancers by county, including those on the New Mexico portion of the reservation, which is also where many uranium mines were located. In her published paper, Raymond-Whish cites registry data from the late 1970s showing a 17-fold increase in childhood reproductive cancers there compared to the U.S. as a whole. These are extremely rare cancers that are related to hormone systems. Another study looking at registry data from 1970-1982 showed a 2.5-fold increase in these cancers among all Native Americans in New Mexico. (Although these statistics are not broken down by tribe, most of the Native Americans in the state are Navajo.) A 1981 paper showed a possible link between incidents of birth defects in families and the proximity of those families to uranium mine tailings. The sample sizes of the first two studies were too small to draw solid conclusions, and the birth defects study was flawed, cautions Charles Wiggins, director of the Tumor Registry. He plans to re-examine childhood cancer statistics this fall, using new data gathered since 1982.
Overall, Native Americans in New Mexico actually suffer less cancer than the rest of the country, including about half the rate of breast cancer. But even as breast cancer rates in the U.S. have leveled or dropped slightly in recent years, they continue to grow among Native Americans, and the rate has increased more steeply over the past three decades. Breast cancer is the number-two killer (after heart disease) of Navajo women and the most common cancer found in Navajos. (In the U.S. as a whole, lung cancer is the most common cancer.) Navajos with cancer also suffer higher mortality rates due to poor access to medical care. One study found that between one-third and one-fifth of Navajo breast cancer patients receive substandard care. Relatively more young Navajo women get breast cancer, although much of this can be explained by demographics: Navajos have a younger population than other groups. To the doctors working on the reservation, the anecdotal evidence is disturbing. "When we see women in their 30s with breast cancer, it really knocks everyone for a loop," says physician Tom Drouhard, who has been practicing in Tuba City, Ariz., for 30 years. "Our ladies come in with later stages and higher death rates. It's hard to say what the trends are. All of these tumors are multi-factorial, and uranium could be another thing thrown at it. We are very paranoid about the situation with uranium. We had uncovered tailings five miles from Tuba City for 20 years. It's a reasonable concern."
Two other hormonally active cancers, uterine and ovarian cancers, have doubled or tripled in New Mexico Indians since 1970 while remaining essentially the same for Anglos and Hispanics. But although lung cancer in the Navajo population has been authoritatively linked to uranium exposure, it's harder to make the case for other cancers.
"It's a tough nut to crack," says Wiggins. "The rise in breast cancer everywhere almost certainly has to do with hormones more than anything else. Is something going on with hormones and hormone receptors? Our data is not going to make or break any one hypothesis, because there are a zillion factors going up or down. But you have to take seriously any proposition anyone comes out with, because we just don't have answers yet."
It's difficult to trace a disease to an environmental exposure that may have occurred years earlier. And so far, cancer cases have not been mapped in concert with drinking water sources. "Is there more breast and reproductive cancer here?" asks Dyer. "Yes, but you can't localize it geographically. It would be nice to establish a connection between where people are getting sick and where they drink their water. It's hard to get the data. It's frustrating."
One major effort is currently under way to do just that, but the sickness in question is kidney disease, not cancer. This five-year, $2.5 million study, a collaboration between the University of New Mexico Community Environmental Health Program, the Eastern Navajo Health Board and the Dine Network for Environmental Health, is being funded by U.S. Health and Human Services. The team is compiling illness data from 1,300 Navajos, backed up by urine and blood samples, and then overlaying the results on a map of 160 drinking wells that have been studied for uranium, arsenic and other contaminants. Preliminary data from 550 residents and 100 wells have already shown that living within .8 kilometer of an abandoned mine is a significant predictor of kidney disease and diabetes. Although the science linking uranium with kidney disease is solid, it's never before been demonstrated on a real-life map showing proximity to mines, says Chris Shuey, an environmental scientist at the Southwest Research and Information Center. Once the kidney data are in, the researchers might look at cancer next, he says.
Of course, Navajos are not the only population exposed to uranium. What about breast cancer rates in other areas with better data?
Susan Pinney is an epidemiologist at the University of Cincinnati. She and her colleagues looked at the population surrounding a nuclear processing facility in Fernald, Ohio, which operated between 1952 and 1989. The facility, which made fuel rods for nuclear power plants, was the site of numerous accidental releases of uranium into the surrounding air and water. As a result of a $73 million class action lawsuit in 1990 against National Lead of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Energy, the Fernald Medical Monitoring Project has accumulated 17 years worth of data on illnesses and exposures. Pinney examined the medical records of 8,770 people, including nearly 5,000 women, for a variety of cancers, and was able to model the exposure level of each individual. Her work is still being prepared for publication, and she declined to discuss it. However, a presentation of her preliminary, statistically significant findings last November to the annual conference of the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers is now available on-line. Its provocative conclusion: "For women living within five miles of a uranium processing plant, degree of exposure to uranium particulates was related to risk of incident breast cancer."
A few months ago, Raymond-Whish held a traditional Kinaalda ceremony for her daughter, Darby, to mark her passage into puberty. One of the most important Navajo rituals, it celebrates fertility, the natural order and harmony with the earth through song and prayer. Raymond-Whish's mother was there along with dozens of other relatives, and Dyer from the biology department at NAU also attended. For Raymond-Whish, it was a happy, soulful event, but shadowed by the uncomfortable realities of her career in cancer research. From now until late middle age, Darby will produce the large pulses of estrogen that have been linked to breast and other cancers in so many women. And natural harmony, as her mother knows, is not what it used to be, especially now that pollutants are acting like even more estrogen in our bodies. Raymond-Whish can only hope that Darby's cells have the normal number of receptors, and that her genes and her environment haven't somehow conspired to reprogram her development.
"What does artificial estrogen do to the breast?" she asks. "It depends on the time of exposure. If you look at cells of a younger individual who's not yet through puberty, and you expose them to uranium, then that could promote earlier onset of puberty, earlier breast budding. And if they're exposed in the womb, you could be changing the way the receptors are expressed through life."
In breast cancer research in general, there is a fundamental shift from large epidemiological studies that look at women's current lifestyles and exposures to an examination of what the women were exposed to as children. "Most epidemiology starts with the moment a tumor is diagnosed," said Irma Russo, a molecular biologist at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. "We need to look at when normal cells may have transformed many years earlier."
Suzanne Fenton, a research biologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agrees. "We think one of the main drivers of breast cancer is what changes occurred in very early life to alter breast development. It's a fairly radical re-thinking."
Among other experiments, Raymond-Whish is exposing pregnant rats to uranium in order to track what happens in their offspring. When she tried this earlier with mice, the female pups exposed in the womb entered puberty approximately two days earlier, just as they did when exposed to DES. It's a subtle difference, but when combined with other real-life exposures, it may add up.
Explains Fenton: "It's important to remember that breast cancer risk is likely determined by a number of compounds interweaving with genetic factors and not just any one exposure."
Certainly, lifestyles on the reservation have changed in many ways over the past 50 years. "Once upon a time there was no diabetes here, no diverticulitis, no colon cancer," says physician Drouhard. "We are now exposed to the same things you are: plastics, fast food, obesity. Now everybody I know eats at Kentucky Fried Chicken." One way to learn more is by working with all those nose-twitching rodents in the lab. In the coming months, Raymond-Whish will repeat her experiments, prepare to publish again, and spend more time staring at the nauseating giant ovaries on the computer screen. The rats are euthanized before they actually get sick. Still, she says, they do have to offer up their organs to science. It's not easy for her to kill the animals. "Culturally, it's an issue," she says. "But I'm searching for something that's going to help somebody or even lots of people. I always say, 'Thank you for your life.' "
Florence Williams is a 2007-2008 Scripps Fellow at the
University of Colorado, where she is researching endocrine
disruption and cancer. A former HCN staffer, she currently serves
on the HCN board.
This story was funded by a grant from the McCune Charitable Foundation.
Kathleen Tsosie, who has devoted her life to helping others, now faces the frightening possibility that her breast cancer has returned.
Glenda Rangel and her family grew up drinking from and swimming in water tanks dangerously polluted with uranium.
Nellie Sandoval, the mother of scientist Stefanie Raymond-Whish, has become an outspoken activist as a result of her own struggle with breast cancer.© High Country News
| 218
|
Lier Psychiatric Hospital (Lier Psykiatriske Sykehus or Lier Asyl in Norweigan) in Norway, has a long history as an institution. The sickest people in the society was stowed away here and went from being people to be test subjects in the pharmaceutical industry’s search for new and better drugs. The massive buildings house the memory of a grim chapter in Norwegian psychiatric history the authorities would rather forget.
UPDATE: When you have read this post you might be interested in reading my report one year later!
The buildings welcome you
Many of the patients never came out again alive and many died as a result of the reprehensible treatment. It was said that the treatment was carried out voluntarily, but in reality the patients had no self-determination and the opportunity to make their own decisions.
Must be creepy at night
There is little available information about the former activities at Lier Hospital. On this page (In Norwegian) you can read more about the experiments that were carried out on this Norwegian mental hospital in the postwar period from 1945 to 1975. It’s about the use of LSD, electroshock, brain research funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and drug research sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies. It is perhaps not surprising that they try to forget this place and the events taking place here.
Chair in room
One of many rooms
Things that is left behind including bath tub
It was also performed lobotomy here. That’s a procedure that involves knocking a needle-like object into the eye socket and into the patients head to cut the connection between the anterior brain lobes and the rest of the brain. Lobotomy was primarily used to treat schizophrenia but also as a soothing treatment for other disorders. The patients who survived were often quiet, but generally this surgery made the patients worse. Today lobotomy is considered barbaric and it is not practiced in Norway.
From a window
Lier Psyciatric Hospital, or Lier Asylum as it was called originally, was built in 1926 and had room for nearly 700 patients at the most. In 1986, many of the buildings were closed and abandoned and they still stand empty to this day. Some of the buildings are still in operation today for psychiatric patients.
Exterior of the A building
Desinfection bath tub
These photos are from my visit there as a curios photographer. The place was clearly ravaged by the youths, the homeless and drug addicts who have infiltrated the buildings during its 23 years of abandonment. On net forums people has written up and down about ghost stories and the creepy atmosphere. I was curious how I would experience the place myself. But I found it was pretty quiet and peaceful. I went there during the day so I understand that during nighttime, one should look far for a more sinister place. The floor consisted of a lot of broken glass and other debris.
View through window
A pile with electrical boxes or something
These days, there has been provided money to demolish the. 15 million NOKs is the price. Neighbors cheer but the historic, photographers and ghost hunting kids think it’s sad. This is the most visited, and just about the only and largest urban exploration site in Norway.
I have read and recommend Ingvar Ambjørnsen first novel, “23-Salen”, which is about when he worked as a nurse at Lier Psychiatric Hospital for one year. The book provides insight into how life for patients and nurses turned out in one of the worst wards.
The famous motorized wheelchair
Doorways and peeling paint
Top floor, view to the roof and empty windows
Disused stairs outside
| 787
|
By Vendor > AgBio Communications > grassland plants of south dakota and the northern great plains
grassland plants of south dakota and the northern great plains
"Learning to identify and understand the plants that produce the forage, provide the cover, protect the soil, and enrich our lives in many ways is an essential first step to conserving our native grassland, whether they are the grasslands we own and manage, or the grasslands we hunt and hike over, or simply the grasslands we view from our vehicles. This photographic guide can help you discover and learn about the plants inhabitating our northern prairies and plains." David J. Ode, Botanist/Ecologist, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department Authors are James R. Johnson and Gary E. Larson
$19.95 and Free Shipping
As Done By:
AgBio Communications — Click to view all items by this member.
| 436
|
Humans are intimately connected with the physical environment, even though we have only been present for a fraction of the vast history of the Earth. We strive to understand how the Earth has evolved since its formation over 4 billion years ago and what types of processes have fostered these changes. Our knowledge of the Earth is critical, not only for piecing together its history, but also to aid in the understanding of issues relevant to our present-day lives, such as: availability of natural resources, pollution, climate change, and natural hazards.
During this course, we will perform a general survey of the physical Earth. We will examine the minerals and rocks of which the solid Earth is composed, the processes that generate Earth's landforms, natural hazards associated with geologic processes, geologic time, and surface processes (e.g., glaciers, streams, groundwater).
Final Exam (May 17: 10:30-12:30)
The final exam will be on materials presented during the final quarter of the course (lectures and materials in chapters 16, 15, 18, 19, 12). The exam will be comprehensive and will include material from the entire course. To get the most recent copies of the study guides click at left.
The field trip to Great Falls (MD) took place on Saturday April 22. About 100 students attended on a morning that set a record for rainfall at Dulles Airport (over 3 inches of rain). The field trip was teh only opportunity for extra credit in the course. To see some photos from previous trips, click here.
| 764
|
Growing Political Turmoil
After the conservatives came to power in Spain in November 1933, the CNT planned a national uprising for December 8. Despite a spectacular Barcelona jail break by CNT prisoners, the insurrection was a failure; indeed, it was used to legitimate government censorship, union repression, and the arrest of labor leaders. When, in October 1934, the Catholic conservative party won three cabinet positions, Socialists and anarcho-syndicalists were galvanized to take action against what they feared would be a right-wing coup, whether in fact or
in name. Within a few days, the CNT and the Socialist General Confederation of Workers (UGT), which since December 1933 had been discussing some kind of working-class alliance, planned a national general strike. It began on October 4, with coal miners in Asturias in northern Spain leading the struggle. If there had been any doubts about the ruthlessness of the new republican government, they were laid to rest by its treatment of the workers. Utterly unsympathetic to the gruesome conditions under which the coal miners worked and without concern for their fears, it called in Colonel Francisco Franco. As commander of the crack Moroccan troops and Foreign Legion mercenaries, Franco showed no mercy as his soldiers quashed the miners and their supporters. From October 10 to October 18, Moroccan troops and Legionnaires were permitted to rape and pillage in the mining towns of Asturias. The maneuver resulted in about one thousand dead and thirty to forty thousand jailed throughout Spain.
The day after the nationwide general strike was called on October 4, 1934, Lluís Companys, now president of the Generalitat, proclaimed the "Republic of Catalunya within the Federal Republic of Spain"—an act that was regarded as treason, since there was no federalist state at the time. Companys was arrested and held for sixteen months, and the Statute of Autonomy was abrogated.
After the strike, forces from among Spain's landowners, its army, and its fascist Falange political party had begun to negotiate with Mussolini and Hitler, from whom they obtained financial commitments and promises of military support for a rebellion to overthrow the legally elected Second Republic. The republicans and the left, increasingly aware of the growing fascist menace throughout Europe and mindful that in 1933 divisions among republicans, Socialists, and leftists had permitted conservatives to come to power in Spain, decided to run a unified slate for the parliamentary elections of February 16, 1936. Their coalition, like other such slates elsewhere in Europe, was known as the Popular Front.
Meanwhile, during the summer of 1935, Jaume Sabartés, a poet turned journalist who had been a close friend of Picasso's some three decades earlier in Barcelona, received a summons from the painter. Now that Picasso had left his wife Olga Koklova, with whom he had been fighting for years, he needed a secretary. He hoped that Sabartés, who had recently returned to the city after twenty years as a journalist in Latin America, would accept this position. Although Sabartés had been
the butt of Picasso's jokes in their youth, he was happy to serve. Persuading his own wife to join him, Sabartés headed for Paris, where, from November 1935 to the winter of 1937, he practically lived with Picasso as his secretary and companion. Presumably, he filled Picasso in on recent events in Barcelona.
In the midst of the Popular Front election campaign, Picasso was contacted by the Catalan Friends of the New Arts (Amics de l'Art Nou, or ADLAN), who wanted to open an exhibit of his work on February 18, 1936, two days after the election was scheduled to take place. Even though Picasso was a celebrity, few in Barcelona were familiar with his art, which had not been seen since he and Ramón Casas exhibited jointly in Barcelona in 1932. Picasso agreed to the retrospective but refused to attend. His mother, María Picasso, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dalí talked on the radio in his place to publicize the show. Picasso's friend, the surrealist poet Paul Éluard, traveled down to Barcelona from Paris for the exhibit and delivered a lecture at the opening. Éluard, standing in for Picasso, received the hearty support of students who chanted, "Picasso, the Marxist," confirming that they saw Picasso as a radical. (In fact, although Picasso did later, in 1944, join the Communist party of France, Éluard, like most of the other surrealists, had become a member in 1926.)
When the Popular Front won the elections in February, the left was jubilant, and the right intensified their plotting. With the support of Catholic landowners and fascists, five generals, including Francisco Franco, organized a barracks uprising for July 18, 1936, that was designed to overthrow the freely elected government and impose one more congenial to themselves. The plotters, however, had not counted on the loyalty of certain officers who supported the Popular Front. Nor did they count on the quick action of the people in cities like Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville, where civilians—many of them acting through their unions—rose up to defend the Republic. Only about half of Spain went over to the rebels. And thus the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939 began.
On the day of the attempted coup in Barcelona, the CNT marched on the army barracks, disarmed the soldiers, and seized their weapons to arm themselves. Having chafed at the bit under nearly five years of republican rule, the CNT now attempted to carry out a social revolution by collectivizing all local economic and social resources. George Orwell, who was in Barcelona shortly afterward, talked about how it felt to be in a city in which the people ruled:
It was the first time I had ever been in a town where the working class was in the saddle. Practically every building of any size had been seized by the workers and was draped with red flags or with the red and black flag of the Anarchists; . . . almost every church had been gutted and its images burnt. Every shop and café had an inscription saying that it had been collectivized; even the bootblacks had been collectivized and their boxes painted red and black. Waiters and shop-workers looked you in the face and treated you as an equal. Servile and even ceremonial forms of speech had temporarily disappeared. Nobody said "Señor" or "Don" or even "Usted"; everyone called everyone else "Comrade" and "Thou. " . . . The revolutionary posters were everywhere, flaming the walls in clean reds and blues that made the few remaining advertisements look like daubs of mud. . . . Practically everyone wore rough working-class clothes, or blue overalls, or some variant of the militia uniform. All this was queer and moving. There was much in it that I did not understand, in some ways I did not even like it, but I recognized it immediately as a state of affairs worth fighting for.
The Spanish Republican government continued to carry on its work while it attempted to defend itself against its enemies. The right-wing rebels, among whom General Francisco Franco had become preeminent by November 1936, were willing to empower Hitler and Mussolini to test new military strategies on Spain in their behalf. On October 23, 1936, three months after the Civil War had begun, the Luftwaffe began to bomb Madrid. Over five thousand people were killed in a single night, in the first time systematic bombing was used specifically to terrorize and crush the will of a civilian population. Like later similar attempts, however, this first instance only enhanced the resolve of the people, both in Madrid and in the Spanish nation as a whole. It was at this time that Dolores Ibarruri, a Communist leader known as "La Pasionaria," coined the slogan "No pasarán" (They shall not pass), which became a watchword for democratic forces throughout the world.
| 88
|
Basics: What is the GRE®?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE®) is a standardized test used by graduate programs to help determine who gets in and who receives grants and fellowships. The exam comes in two types: the general exam, which covers a range of non-specific skills developed over a long period of time and years of schooling, and the subject tests, which test depth of knowledge in eight different fields. Worldwide, about half a million people take the general test each year, while a much smaller number takes the subject exams.
The general test is computer-based and consists of three sections, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing. Verbal and quant are each scored on a scale of 130-170, in 1-point increments, plus a percentile rank. The writing section is scored on a scale of 0-6, in half-point increments. The test does not cover specifics in any field of study, but rather a set of skills thought to be important for prospective grad students.
The subject tests, on the other hand, are paper-based and administered 3 times a year. Unlike the general test, the subject test assumes extensive knowledge. Tests cover the following areas: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Literature in English; Mathematics; Physics; and Psychology. To determine whether you should take the general test or one of these subject-specific exams, you’ll need to check with the programs where you’re applying. For any field without a subject test, you’ll take the general exam.
Next Basics article: GRE® Test Format
| 63
|
S.A.D.D. is an acronym used to described the symptoms/signs/strong behavioral patterns that a nonwhite person is having sex with a white person and/or having frivolous contact with white people (not using the time with white people for constructive benefit).
S- Space for white people.
The nonwhite/victim of racism person will seek space for white people in discussion of racism. Often seeking space for white people who are not racist and have a high problem of not suspecting white people they come in contact with of being racist/white supremacist especially the white person they are having sex/sexual contact with.
The C.O.W.S. w/ Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr.
"Your definition sounds like it is not leaving space for white people who don't practice racism or is working against racism" Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., after hearing Gus T. Renegade/Victim of Racism definition of racism/white supremacy.
A- Abstract thought and speech.
The nonwhite/victim of racism "They won't talk about racism as if it's live and experienced everyday" but they will talk about it as if it's "out there". They will use words like institutional racism as if institution's are not buildings and are run by the people inside them.
The C.O.W.S. w/ W. Kamau Bell
Victim of Racism known as W. Kamau Bell used the abstract term Halls of Power six times to describe the system of white supremacy.
D- Defend white people/Divided loyalties
Defend White People/Defend making white space
The nonwhite person will ferociously defend white people and that space they make for white people in discussion of racism. They will often experience from Cognitive Dissonance when they start to think about pondering that the white person they are sleeping with might be a racist/white supremacist.
The C.O.W.S. w/ Cynthia McKinney
A victim of racism called in after Cynthia McKinney left defending the space for white people.
D- Divided loyalties.
A metaphor of divided loyalties.
The nonwhite person will be on the battlefield of countering racism/white supremacy and instead of going full charge at their enemies, they will be discouraging nonwhite persons from fighting, causing conflict and confusion within the tents making it easy for the white supremacists to come slaughter them.
| 826
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.