text
stringlengths 307
28.2k
| __index_level_0__
int64 0
904
|
|---|---|
Dora Bas Rivka Silver O'H
The Sideways Ark
G-d told Moshe to go among the Jews and accept donations for building the Mishkan (Tabernacle). These donations could consist of gold, silver, copper, colored wool and other fabrics, skins, wood, gems, oil and spices. G-d would instruct Moshe in building the Mishkan, where His Presence would reside.
The first vessel G-d described was the Aron (Ark), a wooden box overlaid with gold. There were rings on the corners, through which poles were placed to carry the Aron; these poles were never to be removed. (The Ark is popularly depicted with the poles running along the longer sides but, really, the poles ran along the shorter ends. See Talmud Menachos 98a-b).
| 70
|
Acidosis is a condition in which there is excessive acid in the body fluids. It is the opposite of alkalosis (a condition in which there is excessive base in the body fluids).
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
The kidneys and lungs maintain the balance (proper pH level) of chemicals called acids and bases in the body. Acidosis occurs when acid builds up or when bicarbonate (a base) is lost. Acidosis is classified as either respiratory acidosis or metabolic acidosis .
Respiratory acidosis develops when there is too much carbon dioxide (an acid) in the body. This type of acidosis is usually caused by a decreased ability to remove carbon dioxide from the body through effective breathing. Other names for respiratory acidosis are hypercapnic acidosis and carbon dioxide acidosis. Causes of respiratory acidosis include:
- Chest deformities, such as kyphosis
- Chest injuries
- Chest muscle weakness
- Chronic lung disease
- Overuse of sedative drugs
Metabolic acidosis develops when too much acid is produced or when the kidneys cannot remove enough acid from the body. There are several types of metabolic acidosis:
Diabetic acidosis (also called diabetic ketoacidosis and DKA) develops when substances called ketone bodies (which are acidic) build up during uncontrolled diabetes .
- Hyperchloremic acidosis results from excessive loss of sodium bicarbonate from the body, as can happen with severe diarrhea.
Lactic acidosis is a buildup of lactic acid . This can be caused by:
- Exercising vigorously for a very long time
- Liver failure
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Medications such as salicylates
- Prolonged lack of oxygen from shock, heart failure, or severe anemia
Other causes of metabolic acidosis include:
Signs and tests:
- Arterial or venous blood gas analysis
- Serum electrolytes
- Urine pH
An arterial blood gas analysis or serum electrolytes test, such as a basic metabolic panel, will confirm that acidosis is present and indicate whether it is metabolic acidosis or respiratory acidosis. Other tests may be needed to determine the cause of the acidosis.
Treatment depends on the cause. See the specific types of acidosis.
Acidosis can be dangerous if untreated. Many cases respond well to treatment.
See the specific types of acidosis.
Calling your health care provider:
Although there are several types of acidosis, all will cause symptoms that require treatment by your health care provider.
Prevention depends on the cause of the acidosis. Normally, people with healthy kidneys and lungs do not experience significant acidosis.
Seifter JL. Acid-base disorders. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 119.
|Review Date: 11/15/2009|
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-
A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
| 457
|
Vanity Top Finishes
Vanity Top Composition
Geologically speaking, rocks are classified into 3 main categories: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Our sinks are made of all natural stones including granite, travertine, and cream marfil. Granite is a type of igneous rock, travertine is sedimentary while cream marfil is metamorphic.
Cream Marfil is a type of marble, which is a metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone. Limestone is a sedimentary rock, formed mainly from the accumulation of organic remains (bones and shells of marine microorganisms and coral) from millions of years ago. The calcium in the marine remains combined with carbon dioxide in the water in turn forms calcium carbonate, which is the basic mineral structure of all limestone. When subjected to heat and pressure, the original limestone experiences a process of complete recrystallization (metamorphism), forming what we know as marble. The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble varieties, for example, cream marfil, are usually due to various mineral impurities. Cream marfil is formed with a medium density with pores.
Travertine is a variety of limestone, a kind of sedimentary rock, formed of massive calcium carbonate from deposition by rivers and springs, especially hot bubbly mineral rich springs. When hot water passes through limestone beds in springs or rivers, it dissolves the limestone, taking the calcium carbonate from the limestone to suspension as well as taking that solution to the surface. If enough time comes about, water evaporates and calcium carbonate is crystallized, forming what we know as travertine stone. Travertine is characterized by pores and pitted holes in the surface and takes a good polish. It is usually hard and semicrystalline. It is often beautifully colored (from ivory to golden brown) and banded as a result of the presence of iron compounds or other (e.g., organic) impurities.
Travertine is mined extensively in Italy; in the U.S., Yellowstone Mammoth Hot Springs are actively depositing travertine. It also occurs in limestone caves.
Granite is a very common type of intrusive igneous rock, mainly composed of three minerals: feldspar, quartz, and mica, with the first being the major ingredient. Granite is formed when liquid magma?molten rock material?cools beneath the earth?s crust. Due to the extreme pressure within the center of the earth and the absence of atmosphere, granite is formed very densely with no pores and has a coarse-grained structure. It is hard, firm and durable.
| 218
|
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.
| 250
|
Tips for helping children behave
(especially in public)
I thought it was time to write down some of the tips I’ve acquired that concern children and behavior, as I’ve learned what I have about the brain and how it works. What I learned is that while you are thinking about something, you feel as you do about it. If you want to change how you feel, changing your thoughts helps us do that immediately. Just as I say, “ Imagine the tip of your left pinky finger… where the nail meets the skin…” Do you think of it? Did you think of your pinky because I mentioned it? You did that because that is how quickly our brain responds.
Tip 1. Keep a picture or small item (from a special time or event) that represents something special to the child with you.
Yes. Helping a child regain composure during a meltdown may be painful and embarrassing, not to mention the discomfort your child perceives at that time. There seems to be great debate over how to handle a situation like a meltdown like let them ride it out or leave immediately or yell or whatever… if you have tried these techniques I’d like you to pause and ask yourself how helpful your response was in the moment.
Keeping a picture of a grandparent or a party or a vacation or an item or toy that they really want for their birthday or special holiday… (Big breath…) you get the picture… it helps take your child’s thoughts to a more pleasant place. You can make this even more effective by asking them questions about it, even if you know the answers ; )
Ask questions like, “Hey remember this? Where/who is this again? Do you remember that thing in the picture…? What do you think happened right before this? What is your favorite thing about this? Can you make up a sentence/song/rhyme/or draw a picture about the picture? Can you spell something in the picture?
These questions will take their focus to something better. Once they’ve calmed down and appear to be past the issue, ask them what happened and explain why that behavior isn’t helpful or necessary.
Tip 2. A simple game of ‘I spy’ with extra OMG
This tip is great if you find yourself out and are caught empty handed without anything handy to keep your kids busy. Look around you and spot something ANYTHING that either you don’t see often or haven’t seen in awhile (not a person) and get excited while smiling and saying, “OMG you are never going to find what I am looking at! It is soooo _____________” This usually leads to a game of I spy which can be changed as your child develops I spy colors… I spy words that start with ___... I spy numbers …
Tip 3. Text Message back and forth
I noticed a long time ago how technology has changed the interpersonal dynamic. Being more of a “find the solution girl”, I established some rules like no cell phone at the table for meals. Please know my daughter was 4 when I did this knowing that when she is grown she will have a phone and I probably will want to use our dining times to connect. I figured our meals are relatively short and whatever needed me could wait the 30 minutes. Also, it was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the behavior I hope to create.
This is what led me to texting with my child. I remember when she was beginning to read that I looked for every practical experience for her to do so… signs, menus, airport terminals… everything. But sometimes there is nothing to read and nowhere to go as you get stuck waiting in line or for an appointment or for whatever presents a time where you can text and you need to keep kids busy and have fun… text them. Hand them your phone and say here… and let them read your message for them. Then let them respond to you via text. Hand the phone back and forth…after a few texts you may be happy to learn what you do… and you will both have fun while doing it.
Tip 4. Start them on a story.
This is one I use all the time and changes just as much as I use it. I simply start a story using something that I see for example… “Once there was this really cool girl who sat down to write some really helpful stuff for parents…” then they have to look around and continue the story using something they see. Example “But that girl decided to step away from her desk and go play with the fairies living in her backyard…”
Start stories about the cars you see driving or the foods you see in the market or the stars in the sky… about the waves in the ocean and the mermaids that live deep below.
When you run out of time for your part and you’ve got them interested, tell them to draw a picture of it or write a story about it.
How smart and well behaved your children are now. Thanks for reading. You do make a difference in your child’s life. Much Love.
| 39
|
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry. This excessive worry often interferes with daily functioning, as individuals suffering GAD typically anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday matters such as health issues, money, death, family problems, friend problems, relationship problems or work difficulties. Physical symptoms can include fatigue, fidgeting, headaches, nausea, numbness in hands and feet, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, bouts of difficulty breathing, difficulty concentrating, trembling, twitching, irritability, agitation, sweating, restlessness, insomnia, hot flashes, rashes, and an inability to fully control the anxiety. These symptoms must be consistent and on-going, persisting at least 6 months, for a formal diagnosis of GAD to be introduced. Generalized anxiety disorder is estimated to occur in 5% of the general population. Women are generally more affected than men .
Page 1 of 2
Dating Advice For Men
| 868
|
Since many ancestors of Americans were foreign born, naturalization records
are another a source of genealogical information that you might want to
investigate. Naturalization is the process through which a foreign born
person becomes a citizen of the United States and is eligible to vote.
Not all immigrants became citizens as it is not required. Many obtained
their citizenship because of pride in their new country and a desire to
participate in democratic elections, a privilege perhaps not accorded
to them in their country of birth. Others became citizens for more materialistic
reasons, such as the right to acquire free land through homesteading.
During times of war, there was often hostility towards people from the
enemy country and immigrants may have obtained citizenship to show their
loyalty to the U.S., especially if they had children serving in the U.S.
Was Your Ancestor Naturalized?
Before beginning a search for a naturalization record, it may save hours
of futile research if you try to determine if there is evidence that the
individual you are researching did become a citizen. There are several
ways to do this:
Even with the above information, keep in mind the following caveats:
- Location of Birth Was the person foreign born? Usually
there's no need to be naturalized if born in the U.S.
- Census The 1900 and 1910 censuses ask if a person is
naturalized and 1920 further asks the year of naturalization. Indirectly,
the 1820 and 1830 census provide a clue with the question "number of
foreigners in each household not naturalized."
- Homesteading Land The person had to have initiated the
naturalization process to be eligible for free land through homesteading.
- Voter Registration Lists Is he/she listed as a voter?
- Occupation Did this person hold a job that required
- Not all foreign born individuals applied for citizenship and a child
born abroad is still a U.S. citizen if his/her parents are. During much
of our history, the wife and children automatically became citizens
when the husband/father took out citizenship papers.
- Naturalization was one of many census questions. The person who provided
the answer may not have known in fact if someone else had been naturalized.
An individual may have said yes because he felt it was the right thing
to say or he intended to begin the process.
- A Declaration of Intent, not final papers, was all that was required
- Not everyone who became a citizen registered to vote. Also, some states
allowed people who had filed a Declaration of Intent to vote even if
they had not received their final papers.
What Is the Procedure?
By now you might be getting the idea that naturalization documents are
not necessarily as easy to use as some other records, such as the census.
Generally, for most of our history there are two rules that apply to naturalizations:
- It was a legal process handled through the courts.
- It was usually a two-part procedure, the first being a Declaration
of Intent indicating that the person intended to become a citizen (voluntary
after 1952). This may have included as part of the document or as a
separate certificate or record information on the individual's date
and place of arrival into the United States. After a required period
of residency (five years, with some exceptions) the individual would
then file a Petition for Naturalization and, if granted, would receive
a Certificate of Naturalization. Both or either the Declaration and/or
the Petition may contain valuable genealogical information.
The procedures and requirements differed greatly depending on the location
and the time period. The first important information the researcher needs
to establish is whether the naturalization was before 1906 or afterwards.
In 1906 the naturalization process was simplified and taken over by the
federal government. It is much easier to find out where to look and what
to expect if it took place after 1906.
Where are Records Located?
Prior to 1906, naturalization could take place in any court having common
law jurisdiction. The court could be federal, state, or local and be called
by many names circuit, supreme, civil, equity, district, common
pleas, chancery, superior. In some cases a municipal, police, criminal,
or probate court did not actually have the right to handle naturalization
but they issued certificates anyway. Prior to 1905, over 5,000 courts
had been handling naturalization. By 1908 that number was reduced to just
over 2,000 courts and the Department of Labor began issuing A Directory
of Courts Having Jurisdiction in Naturalization Proceedings. This
directory, available on microfilm through the Family History Library,
can help you determine which court your ancestor may have used. Naturalizations
can now be handled in either federal or local courts. Since 1929, most
naturalizations have been at federal courts, but earlier records are more
likely to be at a local court because it was closer to the individual.
Prior to 1906, the biggest problem confronting a researcher is where
to find the record. The two procedures did not have to take place in the
same court so the immigrant could have filed a Declaration soon after
his arrival in New York, or perhaps he lived in Ohio for a while and filed
his Declaration there, hoping to qualify for free land. Then, after settling
on land in South Dakota, he may have submitted his Petition to a local
court. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of many pre-1930
records. If your ancestor lived in an urban area, there are many rolls
of films relating to Chicago (1871-1930), New York (1792-1906), Philadelphia
(1793-1911) and New England (1791-1906).
The good news is that copies of all naturalization records from 1906
to 1956 are at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington,
DC. This does not guarantee success though. Since you are dealing with
a government agency, be prepared for a long wait. I had a copy of one
certificate of citizenship which gave the court, location, date, and name
of the immigrant, but the INS was never able to locate the file. You may
also be able to obtain copies of the file from the court, but some courts
will refer you to INS in Washington.
Naturalizations after 1956 are kept at the local INS office. Some records
are being transferred to National Archives branches or state archives.
See their page "Naturalization
Records" for information about records at the National Archives.
What Do the Records Contain?
In 1906, the process was standardized and uniform forms were issued.
The forms have been revised periodically, but generally contain at least
the following information:
- Declaration of Intention The court date and location;
the individual's name, age, occupation, personal description, birth
date and location, and residence; their date and vessel of arrival and
last foreign residence. From 1929 to 1941, it asked for the spouse's
name, marriage date and place, and birth information, plus names, dates,
and places of birth and residence of each child. It also includes a
picture of the applicant. After 1941, it requests the spouse's name
(no details on birth) and doesn't mention children. After 1929, the
last foreign residence is omitted. A separate Certificate of Arrival
giving details of arrival was required for arrivals after 1906, with
- Petition for Naturalization The court date and location;
name, residence, occupation, birth date and place; immigration departure
date and place; U.S. arrival port, date, and ship; date and place of
Declaration of Intention; spouse's name, birth date and place; children's
names, dates and places of birth; residence, witnesses, and oath of
allegiance. From 1929 to 1941 it also asked race, marriage date and
place, date of spouse's entry into the U.S. and naturalization information,
last foreign residence, and name used on arrival. After 1941, a personal
description was added, as well as details of any trips longer than six
months out of the U.S.
- The actual certificate This is the document given to
the new citizen and the one a researcher is most likely to find in old
family papers. It contains little information: court, date. and name
of new citizen. It may contain other information, but the Declaration
and Petition are the papers the researcher should try to locate.
Prior to 1906
There is no predicting what you might find in naturalization papers prior
to 1906. Until 1828, the immigrant had to report to a court to register.
This report was supposed to contain information on the birthplace, age,
and nationality. These alien registry books were separate volumes in many
areas, especially in the northeast. The registry may be found in later
records combined with the Declaration. After 1911, the immigrant was issued
a certificate of arrival.
A Declaration of Intention was usually required, again with exceptions.
It may contain little more than the name of the immigrant, but may also
have some of the details incorporated in the post-1906 form described
above. These are also called "first papers."
Early Petitions are part of the court record and may even be recorded
in separate ledgers called "second papers" or "final record." Information
varies greatly. Certificates of Naturalization were given to the new citizen.
The information was recorded but duplicates of the certificate were not
kept on file.
Spouses and children may derive their citizenship from their husband/father
and not have to go through the procedure themselves. Up until 1922, a
foreign born woman who married an American citizen became naturalized
upon marriage or, if her husband was foreign born, when he became a citizen.
No separate filings were required. Prior to 1906, they usually were not
even mentioned in the husband's petition.
After 1922, a woman had to be naturalized on her own. However, from 1907
to 1922, if a woman married an unnaturalized alien, she took his citizenship.
This created one particularly bizarre situation for a woman who was born
in Poland in September 1901. In November of that same year she came to
the U.S. with her parents. Her father obtained citizenship in 1906 and
she automatically became a citizen as well. In 1918 she married a man
who had immigrated from Russia in 1913, but was not yet a citizen. She
lost her citizenship because of this rule. In November 1922, her husband
became a citizen. This did not help her because on September 22, 1922,
the law was changed to say that any alien woman who married an American
does not become a U.S. citizen automatically. She applied on her own and
again became a U.S. citizen in 1942!
Children under the age of 21 automatically become citizens by the naturalization
of a parent. However, there are many exceptions to this law regarding
residence, whether or not a Declaration is required, what happens if the
parent dies or becomes insane, adopted children, illegitimate children,
step-children, and children born abroad.
Obtaining citizenship generally has been made easier for aliens who served
in the U.S. military. Filing of the Declaration of Intention was often
not required and the period of residency eliminated or reduced. However,
in 1894 the law was changed and during times of peace no one (except Indians)
could serve in the military unless he or she was a U.S. citizen or had
filed a Declaration of Intention. Aliens were allowed to serve during
times of war and to become naturalized.
Some states had laws forbidding aliens from owning land unless they had
filed a declaration. Homesteaders were able to qualify for free public
land after filing the declaration. The National Archives has homestead
records prior to May 1, 1908 and Bureau of Land Management after that
date. BLM can be accessed at http://www.blm.gov/nhp/index.htm.
Obstacles to Research
Besides identifying the court (or courts) that handled the various steps
in the procedure, there are other pitfalls. Some immigrants filed the
Declaration, perhaps for homesteading, but did not follow through with
the final papers. If they could vote and obtain land with the Declaration
only, they had no need to complete the process. Others were allowed to
skip the declaration and only had to file the final petition. In addition,
fraud occurred on a large scale. Thousands of fraudulent certificates
were issued in 1868 in New York because votes were needed in an election.
These certificates had no court records documenting the citizenship. If
you cannot locate the naturalization record in the court where it was
supposed to have occurred, your ancestor may have had a fraudulent certificate.
For further information, see the National Archives and Records Administration
Records" page; the LDS Research Outline on the U.S. (p. 38-41)
and the excellent 43-page booklet American Naturalization Processes
and Procedures 1790-1985 by John J. Newman (Indianapolis: Family History
Section, Indiana Historical Society 1985).
| 486
|
The Ancient Forests of North America are extremely diverse. They include the boreal forest belt stretching between Newfoundland and Alaska, the coastal temperate rainforest of Alaska and Western Canada, and the myriad of residual pockets of temperate forest surviving in more remote regions.
Together, these forests store huge amounts of carbon, helping tostabilise climate change. They also provide a refuge for large mammalssuch as the grizzly bear, puma and grey wolf, which once ranged widelyacross the continent.
In Canada it is estimated that ancient forest provides habitat forabout two-thirds of the country's 140,000 species of plants, animalsand microorganisms. Many of these species are yet to be studied byscience.
The Ancient Forests of North America also provide livelihoods forthousands of indigenous people, such as the Eyak and Chugach people ofSouthcentral Alaska, and the Hupa and Yurok of Northern California.
Of Canada's one million indigenous people (First Nation, Inuit andMétis), almost 80 percent live in reserves and communities in boreal ortemperate forests, where historically the forest provided their foodand shelter, and shaped their way of life.
Through the Trees - The truth behind logging in Canada (PDF)
On the Greenpeace Canada website:
Interactive map of Canada's Borel forest (Flash)
Fun animation that graphically illustrates the problem (Flash)
Defending America's Ancient Forests
| 110
|
Delahoyde & Hughes
A 6th-century BCE Greek philosopher and mathematician, originally from Samos (an island off the coast of Asia Minor settled by the Greeks), and born about 570 BCE, he left home around 530 BCE to escape the tyranny of the autocrat Polycrates. He lived in southern Italy, influencing city politics until the turn of the century when the citizens revolted against his influence and forced him to settle in Metapontum instead. Followers venerated him and they formed some sort of religious order. Although he did not set down his ideas in written form, Pythagorean centers sprang up throughout the Greek mainland during the 5th century BCE, including in Thebes and Athens, so he certainly influenced Socrates and therefore Plato. Legends include an instance of a superhuman voice wishing Pythagoras good morning as he was crossing the river Casas, and his being able to appear in both Croton and Metapontum on the same day at the same hour.
Pythagoras' concepts included the mathematical order of the cosmos, and he may have been led to this assessment from the mathematical order of music (consonants of octaves, fifths, and fourths being produced by simple ratios in the lengths of the vibrating strings). We know "the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the sides containing the right angle." But Pythagoras had an all-inclusive vision, which also included the "music of the spheres" (the sound that no doubt had to be produced by the planets encircling earth).
Pythagoras believed in reincarnation and claimed to remember previous incarnations. [Transmigration of souls is not a Greek leaning, so one school of thought says Pythagoras travelled east beyond Egypt and came back with the notion (but they say this of Jesus too).] A later report claims he told followers that he has once been Aethalides, a son of Hermes, who allowed him one wish excluding immortality. He wished to remember what happened to him, alive and dead. One of his remembered incarnations was as Euphorbus, who was wounded by Menelaus. Afterwards, he became Hermotimus, who in a temple of Apollo identified the shield of Menelaus (dedicated to Apollo when he sailed back from Troy). His next incarnation was as Pyrrhus the Delian fisherman, and then Pythagoras.There is a famous story that he once stopped an animal from being beaten because he insisted he recognized the voice of a dead friend. (I wonder if that might not have been merely a humane device to stop the beating of an animal.) (Asimov 535)Due partly to his belief in metempsychosis, he opposed the taking of life, the eating of flesh, and association with those who benefit by the slaughter business. He supposedly coined the term "Philosophy" first as a word to signify the love and pursuit of wisdom, which helps the soul bring itself into attunement with the cosmos.
- Do you agree with the philosophy of Pythagoras?Without transmigration of souls as a foundation, Metamorphoses still works because of its notions of the earth being generous, its commentary on pollution, and in general its environmentalism which seems almost modern in essence.
- But we don't sacrifice to the gods anymore.Uh huh, well, in celebration of the Pilgrims infiltrating North America we butcher countless turkeys; and there is a trend of celebrating the birth and rebirth of our Lord and Saviour with roast pigs; and there's this sanctimony about grilling ground flesh in honor of "the boys" who died in the big war; and we certainly sacrifice millions of animals now to the "god" Science. So what we consider "religion" may have changed more than the nature of the practices (or the excuses).
- The final connection to all the previous books?Metamorphoses celebrates the joy of change, of the natural world being animated, and in the ongoing process of wondrous creation. The stories are intended to inspire respect for the wonders of nature (however based in speciesistic assumptions that stories must be about humans). In this ongoing creation and active context, we have responsibilities too -- according to Pythagoras. The world, its flora, and its fauna: all have past lives and life stories worthy of some respect.
Ferguson, Kitty. The Music of Pythagoras. NY: Walker & Co., 2008.
Orpheus: Roman Mythology
| 72
|
Cheating, Plagiarism, and Academic Dishonesty
Students must be honest and responsible in the completion of their academic work. While parents are encouraged to assist and guide their children, they must allow their children to do their own work. Students must refrain from:
- Copying another student's work or homework
- Plagiarism (submitting another's work as one's own)
Teachers who suspect that a student may have been academically dishonest will report their concern to the Administration. Consequences may range from receiving a zero (no credit) on the assignment to required withdrawal from school.
| 86
|
Australian Bureau of Statistics
2901.0 - Census Dictionary, 2001
Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/04/2001
|Page tools: Print Page RSS Search this Product|
This variable identifies holders of Australian citizenship.
Citizenship data are used to obtain information on the tendency of different migrant groups to take out citizenship and to measure the size of groups eligible to vote. The data are useful cross-classified with birthplace, year of arrival in Australia and age data.
This page last updated 27 July 2006
Unless otherwise noted, content on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia Licence together with any terms, conditions and exclusions as set out in the website Copyright notice. For permission to do anything beyond the scope of this licence and copyright terms contact us.
| 696
|
Small businesses are starting smaller and staying smaller. That’s the conclusion of a study released by entrepreneurship advocate Kauffman Foundation.
“Starting Smaller; Staying Smaller: America’s Slow Leak in Job Creation” said its analysis of government data shows that since the middle of the last decade and perhaps longer, the growth path and survival rate of new businesses means they are generating fewer new jobs.
The businesses that started in 2009, for example, are on course to create 1 million fewer jobs in the next decade than historical averages would predict, the study says.
The trend started long before the Great Recession and is likely to continue into the future, the study says.
That trend signals an important shift for the U.S. economy, which needs to create a minimum of 125,000 new jobs a month merely to keep up with adult population growth.
The Kauffman research distinguishes between numbers of businesses and numbers of businesses that have employees.
Citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the study found that the number of new employer businesses has fallen 27% since 2006. The total number of startups (employer businesses and self-employed) has increased since the recession, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. But “firms that support only the self-employed owner do not scale to generate the new jobs needed to support overall economic growth.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says startups created about 4.65 million new jobs annually from 1997 to 2000 compared to 2.5 million in 2010, the study notes. The Census sets the drop off from 7 million jobs in 2006 to 4.5 million in 2009.
Part of the decline is that about 27% fewer businesses with employees are being started, the study says.
A second significant factor is that new small-business survival has declined. Before the recession, 45% to 50% of new businesses survived five years, the study says. Now fewer than 45% of businesses started in 2004 were still in business in 2009.
And a third factor is that new businesses are hiring fewer employees than in the past. In the 1990s, new establishments opened with an average of 7.5 jobs. By 2010, the number of jobs at the average startup was 4.9 jobs, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And those businesses that survive never accelerate their hiring to make up for their smaller initial staffs, the study says. So over their lifetimes, these businesses created fewer jobs.
The study does not address why businesses are making do with fewer workers. Are they using technology instead of human labor? Are they doing work that requires fewer employees? Do minimum wage laws and health insurance mandates affect staffing levels?
The study concludes:
“In many cases, companies or individuals that once would have been hired as employees of a business now are performing the work on a temporary basis as contractors through other professional service organizations or under their own self-employment contracts. … No matter how laudable their individual efforts, these sole proprietors… are not likely ever to be major employers.
“The clear challenge for the U.S. economy instead is to start more employer businesses, ensure that they are starting larger, and nurture their growth.”
The study doesn’t suggest how.
Click here to read the entire report.
Want the latest on small business? Text OCRSMALLBIZ to 56654 to get free news alerts for small businesses.
Other business stories…
| 448
|
Balmoral Castle is in Aberdeenshire – and is usually known as The Queen’s private residence in Scotland – while the rest of the family enjoy the estate with their grandparents.
|Balmoral Castle in 1854 painted|
by Queen Victoria during its
Queen Victoria had, in 1848, found the house “small but pretty”, and recorded in her diary that: “All seemed to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils”.
Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s Prince Consort, bought it in 1852 and in the following years had it rebuilt in white granite as a castellated mansion in Scottish baronial style.
The grounds were laid out by Prince Albert in the 1850s and planted out as parterre gardens with rare conifers, while plantations were established around the house.
|South front of Balmoral Castle|
The couple took a great interest in their staff setting up a lending library; while they also encouraged new ideas ... developed a model dairy, which was completed by the Queen after her husband’s death in 1861.
Near the Castle the Queen created her cottage garden around a private house, known as the Garden Cottage, while later in the 1920s Queen Mary, George V’s wife, altered it to include a sunken garden.
|Edward VII relaxing at Balmoral|
photographed by his wife, Alexandra
In our present Queen’s reign (1952 - ....) the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband, has improved the gardens – redesigning the herbaceous borders, planting up a shrubbery around the river and adding a water garden near Victoria’s Garden Cottage.
|North-West corner of Balmoral Castle|
Today it is a working estate – deer stalking, grouse shoots, forestry and farming are the main land uses, while there are tours to be booked, and cottages to rent.
The Castle, gardens and exhibitions (especially in this Diamond Jubilee Year) are open to the public from April to July.
Queen Victoria (1837 - 1901) in her journals described Balmoral as “my dear paradise in the Highlands” ...
That is B for Balmoral Castle ... a Scottish baronial castellated mansion built for Queen Victoria in the 1850s; now managed by the Balmoral Estates ... part of the ABC series Aspects of British Castles
By the way I meant to add yesterday - that Bob Scotney is also doing Castles - his A was for Amberley - should you wish to visit ...
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
| 174
|
The length of amyloid fibrils found in diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson appears to play a role in the degree of their toxicity, according to researchers at the University of Leeds. Their findings are published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry in a paper titled “Fibril Fragmentation Enhances Amyloid Cytotoxicity.”
Sheena Radford, Ph.D., and colleagues systematically analyzed the effects of fragmentation on three of the 30 or so proteins that form amyloid in human diseases. Their results showed that in addition to the expected relationship between fragmentation and the ability to seed, the length of fibrils also correlated with their ability to disrupt membranes and reduce cell viability. This was evident even when there were no other changes in molecular architecture.
Co-author, Eric Hewitt, Ph.D., says that while the findings provide scientists with unexpected new insights for the development of therapeutics against amyloid deposit-related diseases, the next stage of research will involve looking at a greater numbers of the proteins that form amyloid fibrils. “We anticipate that when we look at amyloid fibers formed from other proteins, they may well follow the same rules.”
“It may be that because they’re smaller it’s easier for them to infiltrate cells,” Dr. Hewitt suggests. “We’ve observed them killing cells, but we’re not sure yet exactly how they do it. Nor do we know whether these short fibers form naturally when amyloid fibers assemble or whether some molecular process makes them disassemble or fragment into shorter fibers. These are our next big challenges.”
| 425
|
- 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.”
| 350
|
Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
A Spanish historian; born at Cuellar, in the province of Segovia, in 1559; died at Madrid, 27 March, 1625. He was a great-grandson of the Tordesillas who was put to death by the Comuneros at Seville. He studied in Spain and Italy, and became secretary to Vespasiano Gonzaga, a brother of the Duke of Mantua, who was afterwards Viceroy of Navarre and Valencia, and who recommended him to Philip II in the last year of that monarch's reign. Philip appointed him grand historiographer ( cronista mayor ) of America and Castile, and he filled that office during part of his royal patron's reign, the whole reign of Philip III, and the beginning of that of Philip IV. At his death his body was conveyed to Cuellar, and interred in the church of Santa Marina, where his tomb is still to be seen.
His most famous work is the "Historia General de los Hechos de los Castellanos en las Islas y Tierra Firme del Mar Océano" (General History of the deeds of the Castilians on the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea), divided into eight periods of ten years each, and comprising all the years from 1472 to 1554. This work was printed at Madrid in 1601; reprinted by Juan de la Cuesta in 1615; revised and augmented by Andrés González and published at Madrid by Nicolas Rodríguez in 1726, and at Antwerp, by Juan Bautista Verdussen, in 1728. Worthy of note is the "Description of the West Indies", in the first volume of his work, which was translated into Latin and published at Amsterdam, by Gaspar Barleo, in 1622, a French version being published at Paris in the same year. In 1660 there appeared a French translation of the first three decades of his "Historia" by Nicolás de la Corte. In writing his great work Tordesillas made use of all the public archives, having access to documents of every kind. It is evident in his writings that he had to deal with a large number of historical manuscripts, and contented himself with relating events as he found them recorded. A great part of his work is more or less a transcript of the History of the Indies left by the famous Bishop Bartolomé de las Casas , though expurgated of wellnigh everything unfavourable to the settlers. A painstaking and conscientious investigator for the most part, his style does not correspond to his other admirable qualifications. He was a learned and judicious man, though, particularly in the later decades, somewhat prone to overpraise the conquerors and their exploits.
In addition to that already mentioned, his most important works are: "A General History of the World during the time of Philip II from the year 1559 to the King's death"; "Events in Scotland and England during the forty-four years of the lifetime of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland" (Historia de lo sucedido en Escocia é Inglaterra en los cuarenta y cuatro años que vivió Maria Estuardo Reina de Escocia); Five books of the history of Portugal and the conquests of the Azores in the years 1582, 1583; "History of events in France from 1585 to 1594" (a work published in Madrid in 1598, but suppressed by command of the king); "A Treatise, Relation, and Historical Discourse on the Disturbances in Aragon in the years 1591 and 1592" (Tratado, relación y discurso histórico de los movimientos en Aragon en los años de 1591 y 1592); "Commentary on the deeds of the Spaniards, French, and Venetians in Italy, and of other Republics, Potentates, famous Italian Princes and Captains, from 1281 to 1559"; "Chronicle of the Turks, following chiefly that written by Juan Maria Vicentino, chronicler to Mahomet, Bajazet, and Suleiman, their lords" (unpublished); various works translated from the French and Italian, preserved in the National Library at Madrid.
More Catholic Encyclopedia
Browse Encyclopedia by Alphabet
The Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes.
Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.
No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.
Browse the Catholic Encyclopedia by Topic
Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912
Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online
| 432
|
Don't miss our great houseplant growing section with self watering planters, high quality potting soil, organic houseplant fertilizers, sprouting bags and more.
In the late 1980s, a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) resulted in excellent news for homeowners and office workers everywhere. The study concluded that common houseplants such as bamboo palms and spider plants not only make indoor spaces more attractive, they also help to purify the air!
The study was conducted by Dr. B.C. Wolverton, Anne Johnson, and Keith Bounds in 1989. While it was originally intended to find ways to purify the air for extended stays in orbiting space stations, the study proved to have implications on Earth as well.
Newer homes and buildings, designed for energy efficiency, are often tightly sealed to avoid energy loss from heating and air conditioning systems. Moreover, synthetic building materials used in modern construction have been found to produce potential pollutants that remain trapped in these unventilated buildings.
The trapped pollutants result in what is often called the Sick Building Syndrome. With our ultra modern homes and offices that are virtually sealed off from the outside environment, this study is just as important now as when it was first published.
While itís a well known fact that plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, the NASA/ALCA study showed that many houseplants also remove harmful elements such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde from the air.
NASA and ALCA spent two years testing 19 different common houseplants for their ability to remove these common pollutants from the air. Of the 19 plants they studied, 17 are considered true houseplants, and two, gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums, are more commonly used indoors as seasonal decorations.
The advantage that houseplants have over other plants is that they are adapted to tropical areas where they grow beneath dense tropical canopies and must survive in areas of low light. These plants are thus ultra-efficient at capturing light, which also means that they must be very efficient in processing the gasses necessary for photosynthesis. Because of this fact, they have greater potential to absorb other gases, including potentially harmful ones.
In the study NASA and ALCA tested primarily for three chemicals: Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Trichloroethylene. Formaldehyde is used in many building materials including particle board and foam insulations. Additionally, many cleaning products contain this chemical. Benzene is a common solvent found in oils and paints. Trichloroethylene is used in paints, adhesives, inks, and varnishes.
While NASA found that some of the plants were better than others for absorbing these common pollutants, all of the plants had properties that were useful in improving overall indoor air quality.
NASA also noted that some plants are better than others in treating certain chemicals.
For example, English ivy, gerbera daisies, pot mums, peace lily, bamboo palm, and Mother-in-law's Tongue were found to be the best plants for treating air contaminated with Benzene. The peace lily, gerbera daisy, and bamboo palm were very effective in treating Trichloroethylene.
Additionally, NASA found that the bamboo palm, Mother-in-law's tongue, dracaena warneckei, peace lily, dracaena marginata, golden pathos, and green spider plant worked well for filtering Formaldehyde.
After conducting the study, NASA and ALCA came up with a list of the most effective plants for treating indoor air pollution.
The recommended plants can be found below. Note that all the plants in the list are easily available from your local nursery.
For an average home of under 2,000 square feet, the study recommends using at least fifteen samples of a good variety of these common houseplants to help improve air quality. They also recommend that the plants be grown in six inch containers or larger.
Here is a list of resources for more information on this important study:
PDF files of the NASA studies related to plants and air quality:
| 867
|
const void * memchr ( const void * ptr, int value, size_t num );
void * memchr ( void * ptr, int value, size_t num );
Locate character in block of memory
Searches within the first num bytes of the block of memory pointed by ptr for the first occurrence of value (interpreted as an unsigned char), and returns a pointer to it.
Both value and each of the bytes checked on the the ptr array are interpreted as unsigned char for the comparison.
- Pointer to the block of memory where the search is performed.
- Value to be located. The value is passed as an int, but the function performs a byte per byte search using the unsigned char conversion of this value.
- Number of bytes to be analyzed.
sizet is an unsigned integral type.
A pointer to the first occurrence of value in the block of memory pointed by ptr.
If the value is not found, the function returns a null pointer.
In C, this function is only declared as:
void * memchr ( const void *, int, size_t );
instead of the two overloaded versions provided in C++.
/* memchr example */
int main ()
char * pch;
char str = "Example string";
pch = (char*) memchr (str, 'p', strlen(str));
printf ("'p' found at position %d.\n", pch-str+1);
printf ("'p' not found.\n");
- Compare two blocks of memory (function
- Locate first occurrence of character in string (function
- Locate last occurrence of character in string (function
| 590
|
NICAEA, ARABIC CANONS OF, name applied to several series of canons that are missing in the Greek or Latin canonical collections. They appear to have been reworked from the Syriac, at least in part. In the latter language the texts attributed to the Council of NICAEA in 325 are said to have come from the pen of the bishop Maruta of Maipherkat (in Arabic Mayyafaraqin, today a town in Turkey). At all events, who the translator, or rather the adapter, was is not known, nor at what date the canons were adopted by the Copts. It will be noted—this is not a proof that they were previously unknown—that in his Nomocanon the twelfth-century patriarch GABRIEL II IBN TURAYK knew only the twenty canons counted in the Greek collections, while MIKHA’IL, bishop of Damietta, cited two series of canons of Nicaea, one of twenty canons and one of eighty-four. Given that the grouping of these texts diverges greatly in the manuscripts, it has seemed better to follow the exposition given by Abu al-Barakat IBN KABAR in his religious encyclopedia Misbah al-Zulmah. This passage was translated into French in J. M. Vansleb's Histoire de l'église d'Alexandrie (1677, pp. 265ff.).
Ibn Kabar divides the documents attributed to the Council of Nicaea into three books. In the first book (according to him, it is the second in the Greek collections) he groups a history of CONSTANTINE I and his mother, Helena, as well as a presentation of his incentives for the convocation of the council, which forms a kind of introduction. The collection of Macarius, a monk of Dayr Abu Maqar in the fourteenth century, adds at this point a list of heresies and sects and a list of the 318 bishops who participated. Then comes the series of twenty authentic canons, according to the Melchite recension, followed by the Coptic series of thirty (sometimes thirty-three) canons concerning anchorites, monks, and the clergy. W. Riedel (1968, pp. 38, 1791) asked if this was not a reworking of the Syntagma ad monachos attributed to Saint Athanasius.
As to the second book, Ibn Kabar tells us, "The Melchites and the Nestorians have translated [the second book] and the Jacobites have adopted it." It is a series of eighty-four (sometimes eighty) canons. This division would perhaps indicate that the original text was continuous.
The third book contains the "Books of the Kings," which are themselves divided into four books and also exist independently. This is a collection of the legislation enacted by the Byzantine emperors Constantine, Theodosius, and Leo. Here these canons are attributed to the Council of Nicaea. It appears that the Christians of the Orient adopted these texts in defiance of the Muslims, who referred to the Shari‘ah, or Muslim sacred law, for guidance in purely civil matters such as marriages, inheritances, and the like.
These texts provide numerous translations. The first book gives a history of the emperor Constantine and his mother and relates the story of the council, as well as the reasons for the convocation of the bishops. It includes the twenty authentic canons followed by the thirty canons called Arabic and gives the history, or prehistory, of the Council of Nicaea in a rather free Latin translation by Abraham Ecchellensis (Ibrahim al-Haqilani), a celebrated Maronite deacon. The "Thirty Canons Relative to the Monks and Clergy" are given in Latin by the same author in a paraphrase rather than a true translation. The list of heresies is given in German translation by A. Harnack (1899, pp. 14-71). The list of the bishops according to the Coptic texts is examined by, among others, F. Haase (1920, pp. 81-92). As for the eighty-four canons, they will be found in a paraphrase by Abraham Ecchellensis in J. D. Mansi (cols. 1029-1049).
The enormous mass of the documents relating, rightly or wrongly, to the first council, which played a considerable role in the East more than anywhere else, is organized in the collection of Macarius into four books. The difference between his division and that of Ibn Kabar is that Macarius' second book comprises not all the eighty-four canons but only the first thirty-two. Canons forty-eight to seventy-three, combined with the thirty concerning anchorites, monks, and clergy, form the third book, the fourth containing only the Coptic recension of the twenty official canons. The "Four Books of the Kings" have with him a place apart.
The Arabic Canons of Nicaea are, in the strict sense, the eighty-four canons adapted from the Syriac by the Melchites and borrowed by the Copts. In addition to this series of eighty-four canons in Arabic literature, the literature in the Coptic language contains a series that has not survived in Arabic translation, called Gnômès. It is credited to the Council of Nicaea and gives moral exhortations, which probably reflect the discipline in force in the fourth century in the church of Alexandria. It was published and translated into French by E. Revillout (1873, pp. 210-88; and 1875, pp. 5-77, 209-266).
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.
| 490
|
scintillation counterArticle Free Pass
scintillation counter, radiation detector that is triggered by a flash of light (or scintillation) produced when ionizing radiation traverses certain solid or liquid substances (phosphors), among which are thallium-activated sodium iodide, zinc sulfide, and organic compounds such as anthracene incorporated into solid plastics or liquid solvents. The light flashes are converted into electric pulses by a photoelectric alloy of cesium and antimony, amplified about a million times by a photomultiplier tube, and finally counted. Sensitive to X rays, gamma rays, and charged particles, scintillation counters permit high-speed counting of particles and measurement of the energy of incident radiation.
What made you want to look up "scintillation counter"? Please share what surprised you most...
| 67
|
Earthquake off the Coast of Venezuela
A strong earthquake struck off the Venezuelan coast on September 12, 2009. The magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred underneath the Caribbean Sea near the city of Puerto Cabello. According to reports from Reuters some buildings in the Venezuelan countryside were damaged, but there were few injuries.
The United States Geological Survey indicated that the earthquake epicenter was in the region of the San Sebastián and El Pilar faults, both of which are seismically active. The fault zone is near the boundary of the South American and Caribbean tectonic plates. The Caribbean plate is moving 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) per year with respect to the South American Plate. Previous earthquakes in the region occurred in 1989 and 1967.
This image originally appeared on the Earth Observatory. Click here to view the full, original record.
| 215
|
In our Torah portion this week, it is written that Jacob "came to a certain place and stayed there that night" (Gen. 28:11). The Hebrew text, however, indicates that Jacob did not just happen upon a random place, but rather that "he came to the place" -- vayifga bamakom (וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם). The sages therefore wondered why the Torah states bamakom, "the place," rather than b'makom, "a place"? Moreover, the verb translated "he came" is yifga (from paga': פָּגַע), which means to encounter or to meet, suggesting that Jacob's stop was a divine appointment.
The Hebrew word makom ("place") comes from the verb kum (קוּם), meaning "to arise," and in Jewish tradition, ha-makom became a Name for God. The early sages therefore interpreted the verse to mean that Jacob actually had his dream while in Jerusalem rather than in Bethel... Indeed, the Talmud identifies "the place" Jacob encountered as Mount Moriah - the location of the Akedah - based on the language used in Genesis 22:4: "On the third day, Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place (הַמָּקוֹם) in the distance" (Sanhedrin 95b, Chulin 91b). If that is the case (i.e., if Jacob had been miraculously transported south from the mountains of Bet El to what would later be called Jerusalem), then Jacob's dream of the ladder would have functioned as a revelation of the coming glory of the resurrected Messiah - the Promised Seed whom Isaac foreshadowed and through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. It was Yeshua, the Angel of the LORD, who came to "descend" (as the Son of Man) and to "rise" (as the resurrected LORD) to be our mediator before God (see John 1:47-51). Perhaps the Talmud makes the claim that Jacob's vision occurred in Jerusalem because Bethel later became the site for one of two idolatrous shrines (i.e., the golden calves at Bethel and Dan) established by King Jeroboam of the Northern Kingdom which he set up to discourage worship at Solomon's Temple in the City of Jerusalem (see 1 Kings 12:28-29).
At any rate, the Hebrew word for "intercessor" (i.e., mafgia: מַפְגִּיעַ) comes from the same verb (paga') mentioned in our verse. Yeshua is our Intercessor who makes "contact" with God on our behalf. Through His sacrifice for our redemption upon the cross (i.e., his greater Akedah), Yeshua created a meeting place (paga') between God and man. Therefore we see the later use of paga' in Isaiah 53:6, "...the Lord laid on him (i.e., hifgia bo: הִפְגִּיעַ בּוֹ) the iniquity of us all," indicating that our sins "fell" on Yeshua as He made intercession for us (i.e., yafgia: יַפְגִּיעַ) for us (Isa. 53:12). Because of Yeshua, God touches us and we are able to touch God... And today, our resurrected LORD "ever lives to make intercession (paga') for us" (Heb. 7:25). He is still touched by our need and sinful condition (Heb. 4:15).
כֻּלָּנוּ כַּצּאן תָּעִינוּ אִישׁ לְדַרְכּוֹ פָּנִינוּ
וַיהוָה הִפְגִּיעַ בּוֹ אֵת עֲוֹן כֻּלָּנוּ
kul·la·nu katz·on ta·i·nu, ish le·dar·ko pa·ni·nu
vadonai hif·gi·a bo, et a·von kul·la·nu
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each to his own way;
but the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Paga' is also a term for warfare or violent meetings, and this alludes to the collision between the powers of hell and the powers of heaven in the outworking of God's plan of redemption: "... he (i.e., the Savior/Messiah) will crush your head (ראשׁ), and you (i.e., the serpent/Satan) will crush his heel (עָקֵב)." This was the original prophecy of redemption, an encounter with evil that would provide atonement and retribution (see the "Gospel in the Garden"). Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein, the mashgiach of Ponevezh, points out that the entire future of the Jewish people hinged on the vision given to Jacob - and in Jacob's response to it. Had he been prevented to return (i.e., through Laban's schemes to keep him in Charan), the Jewish people would have become enslaved and assimilated into the people of Aram, and ultimately the Messiah Himself would not have been born. Laban, then, embodied the desire of Satan to thwart the coming of the Promised Seed, and therefore he may be compared to Pharaoh, who likewise tried to enslave Israel in Egypt...
As I mentioned in my additional commentary on parashat Balak, Laban's worship of the serpent (nachash) led him to become one of the first enemies of the Jewish people (see "The Curses of Laban"). He tried to make Jacob a slave from the beginning, later claiming that all his descendants and possessions belonged to him (Gen. 31:43). After Jacob escaped from his clutches, Laban had a son named Beor (בְּעוֹר) who became the father of the wicked prophet Balaam (בִּלְעָם). In other words, the "cursing prophet" Balaam was none other than the grandson of diabolical Laban. Here is a diagram to help you see the relationships:
In Jewish tradition, Laban (the patriarch of Balaam) is regarded as even more wicked than the Pharaoh who enslaved the Jews in Egypt. This enmity is enshrined during the Passover Seder when we recall Laban's treachery as the one who "sought to destroy our father, Jacob." Spiritually understood, Laban's hatred of Jacob (i.e., Israel) was intended to eradicate the Jewish nation at the very beginning. Had Laban succeeded, Israel would have been assimilated and disappeared from history, and more radically, God's plan for the redemption of humanity through the Promised Seed would have been overturned....
Thankfully, Jacob was enabled by God's grace to overcome Laban and to return to the Promised Land, and even more thankfully, the Messiah was able to crush the rule of Satan through His atoning sacrifice and resurrection at Moriah. Yeshua, our ascended LORD, is ha-makom - the place where we encounter the Living God....
The authority and reign of Satan has been gloriously vanquished by Yeshua our Savior, blessed be He, though there is coming a time of judgment for all who dwell upon the earth. The time immediately preceding the appearance of the Messiah will be a time of testing in which the world will undergo various forms of tribulation, called chevlei Mashiach (חֶבְלֵי הַמָּשִׁיחַ) - the "birth pangs of the Messiah" (Sanhedrin 98a; Ketubot, Bereshit Rabbah 42:4, Matt. 24:8). Some say the birth pangs are to last for 70 years, with the last 7 years being the most intense period of tribulation -- called the "Time of Jacob's Trouble" / עֵת־צָרָה הִיא לְיַעֲקב (Jer. 30:7). The climax of the "Great Tribulation" (צָרָה גְדוֹלָה) is called the great "Day of the LORD" (יוֹם־יהוה הַגָּדוֹל) which represents God's wrath poured out upon a rebellious world system. On this fateful day, the LORD will terribly shake the entire earth (Isa. 2:19) and worldwide catastrophes will occur. "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (Rev. 6:17). The prophet Malachi likewise says: "'Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,' says the LORD Almighty. 'Not a root or a branch will be left to them'" (Mal. 4:1). Only after the nations of the world have been judged will the Messianic kingdom (מַלְכוּת הָאֱלהִים) be established upon the earth. Yeshua will return to Jerusalem to establish His glorious kingdom (as foretold by the prophets) and then "all Israel will be saved." The Jewish people will finally understand that Mashiach ben Yosef (the Suffering Servant) and Mashiach ben David (the anointed King of Israel) are one and the same... The 1,000 year reign of King Messiah will then commence (Rev. 20:4).
Presently our responsibility is to come to "the place" (ha-makom) where God's work of redemption was completed - that is, to the Cross of Yeshua. There we turn to God in repentance (teshuvah) and consign our sins to the judgment borne for us through Yeshua's sacrifice as our kapporah (atonement). By faith we understand that the resurrected Savior is forever ha-makom, "the place" where God meets with us, and we learn to abide in His gracious Presence by means of the Holy Spirit. We cease striving to justify ourselves (i.e., by virtue of works), but instead receive God's love and Spirit into our hearts. This means that we will study the Scriptures (truth), obey the Torah of Yeshua and His emissaries, and share the good message of God's redemption with a lost and dying world...
We are fast approaching, however, the prophesied "End of Days" (acharit hayamim), when the LORD will return to earth to "settle accounts" with its inhabitants (including those who profess to obey Him). We do not have much more time, chaverim. We must encourage people to call upon the LORD for salvation before it is too late...
כִּי־כֵן אהֵב אֱלהִים אֶת־הָעוֹלָם
עַד־אֲשֶׁר נָתַן בַּעֲדוֹ אֶת־בְּנוֹ אֶת־יְחִידוֹ
וְכָל־הַמַּאֲמִין בּוֹ לא־יאבַד
כִּי בוֹ יִמְצָא חַיֵּי עוֹלָם׃
ki-khen o·hev E·lo·him et-ha·o·lam,
ad-a·sher na·tan ba·a·do et-be·no et-ye·chi·do,
ve·khol-ha·ma·a·min bo, lo-yo·vad
ki vo yim·tza cha·yei o·lam
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son,
so that whoever trusts in Him should not be destroyed, but have eternal life"
Hebrew Study Card
| 796
|
Vienna Philharmonic asks historians to look into alleged Nazi past
Historian says orchestra demonstrated sympathy for Austria's Nazi leadership during Holocaust.
The Vienna Philharmonic has asked three historians to research the orchestra's alleged Nazi past.
The announcement on January 22 came after Harald Walser, a historian and Parliament member for the Austrian Greens, said in an interview that the orchestra demonstrated sympathy for the country’s Nazi leadership during World War Two.
Historians Fritz Truempi, Oliver Rathkolb and Bernadette Mayrhofer will look into the "politicization" of the Vienna Philharmonic from 1938 to 1945, the fate of its Jewish musicians during that time and its relations with Nazis afterward, according to an orchestra statement, the French news agency AFP reported.
Their report is due in March.
Walser has called for forming a committee of inquiry into the role of the philharmonic during those years and said the orchestra has not released all its documents from the Nazi era or has destroyed some of them.
He cited a listing on the philharmonic’s official website that describes a concert delivered on New Year’s Day of 1939 as a “sublime homage to Austria,” when it actually was a celebration of the country's unification with Nazi Germany in 1938.
The New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic takes place each year on the morning of January 1 in Vienna and is broadcast to an estimated audience of 50 million in 73 countries.
Walser claims that after the war, an emissary of the Vienna Philharmonic gave a new copy of its honor ring in 1966 to Nazi war criminal Baldur von Schirach, who was responsible for the deportation of tens of thousands of Austrian Jews to death camps, following his release from Berlin’s Spandau Prison for war criminals. Von Schirach had received the original ring in 1942.
Six Jewish musicians from the philharmonic were murdered by the Nazis in Austria and 11 were deported to death camps, according to reports.
| 591
|
- About LENS
- About Neurofeedback
- LENS Treated Disorders
- David Dubin
- LENS Videos
- Contact Us
Archive for author David Dubin
Los Angeles based LENS Neurofeedback provider and blogger.
More posts by David Dubin
Dr. David Dubin
After Einstein’s death, his brain was preserved for future study. Scientists were naturally curious to see how the brain of this genius compared with the brain of a person of ordinary intelligence. Would there be an abundance of neurons (grey matter) or some unusual wiring of the neurons that distinguished his brain? When the brain was dissected, however, the only difference was that the numbers of cells that were not neurons (white matter) was dramatically increased. It is also true that, from evolutionary point of view, as brains became larger and “smarter”, what increased was not the percentage of neurons but of white matter. What does this mean?
When most of us--scientists and lay people alike—imagine the brain, we think of neurons, those cells carrying information in the form of electrical impulses. Neurons are ‘brains of the brain’, so to speak, and the rest of the cells were thought to be there only for support. But neurons account for only 15 percent of the brain, while these so-called ‘support’ cells occupy 85 percent.
The group name for white matter cells, glia—derived from the world ‘glue’—reflects their lowly status. First seen clearly by anatomists in the late 1800’s, Glia were initially thought to be little more than structural support for neurons, because, like scaffolding, glial cells literally hold neurons in place.
It was later found that glia can speed transmission of electrical signals and also deliver energy to neurons and remove neuronal waste products. While appearing to be a little more interesting than originally thought, glia still seemed about as sexy as wire insulation, food delivery and waste management devices.
Unlike neurons, there is no electrical activity within glia to send messages and information. It was therefore assumed that glia were deaf and dumb, incapable of communicating with either neurons or other glia, and therefore not particularly compelling as a focus of research. A good analogue would be the under-appreciated dark matter in astronomy. Dark matter is undetectable because it emits no electromagnetic radiation as the matter in the “visible” universe does. The existence of dark matter was eventually inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter. While we had believed that the visible universe is the universe, the ordinary matter of our visible universe accounts for less than five percent of the total; dark matter accounts for more than 20 percent.
Today, the pace of knowledge about glia has begun to accelerate, as outlined in an exciting new book, The Other Brain, by Dr. R. Douglas Fields[i] (the title refers to the 85 percent of the brain that is glial). Fields is a neuroscientist specializing in glial cell research, and the information in his book is so new that it isn’t found in standard medical textbooks. Two review articles in the May, 2010 issue of the research journal Nature Neuroscience attest to how much still needs to be learned, and how potentially revolutionary are the implications.
So, are glial cells really dumb as a doorknob? First, we are just now learning that glial cells do communicate, not through synapses but through “gap junctions”. These gap junctions are protein channels connecting one cell to another, like a spaceship docking at the mother station. Glia can pass messages among themselves by using calcium as a chemical messenger instead of sending an electric signal as neurons do. In his research, Fields showed that after a 15-second delay, changes in response to a neuronal firing were seen in the surrounding glial cells. As Fields puts it, glial cells are “listening in” on what neurons are doing, something virtually no one in neuroscience thought possible.
Contrary to all established dogma, it is now known that glia not only communicate directly from one cell to an adjacent one, but also with cells very far away. Glia are even able to “jump” over barriers like a ping pong ball going over a net. And whereas neurons transmit their signals in linear lines, like telephone wires, glia communicate, as Fields puts it, by “broadcasting signals widely, like cell phones.”
Glia are also critical to the growth of neurons. Neuron cells grown in the lab without accompanying glial cells were found to have many fewer synapses than neurons grown with glial cells. Glia seem to play a central role in the number of synapses a neuron develops.
Contrary to what scientists thought, glia also have neurotransmitters; in fact, the same ones that neurons do. And there are receptors for these neurotransmitters both inside and on the outer surface of glial cells. Glial cells have receptors for glutamate, the principal stimulating neurotransmitter in the cortex, and GABA, which acts as a “brake” to calm down neurons. In other words, glia can excite or depress neurons and stimulate or calm the brain, just like medications.
And, unlike neurons, glia can move. They have enormous cellular “fingers” like the elastic Mr. Fantastic of comic book fame, and can move between and on neurons. This constantly changes the circuitry of the brain. These glial fingers also form around synapses. They secrete substances that remodel tissue or stimulate neuron growth during development and repair of the brain making it likely that they function in a similar role during learning in the healthy brain.
Glia repair injury, defend against disease, nurse neurons back to health and act as guide dogs for the re-growth of injured nerve fibers. Glia detect and react to bacteria and viruses, “gobble up” pathogens and release toxic chemicals to kill bacteria. And new research suggests that immature glial cells can act like stem cells and mature glia can stimulate stem cells dormant in the adult brain to form replacement neurons and glia. This could have implications for repair of the nervous system, including new possibilities for treating spinal cord injuries.
This is about as far removed from mere insulation, food delivery and waste management services as can be imagined. Glia are a lot smarter than we thought they were. A 2005 study shows a correlation between organization of fibers made of glial cells and IQ. Finding a greater proportion of glial cells in Einstein’s brain is not so surprising after all.
We still know very little about glia—even the basics such as how many kinds of glial cells there are and what they look like in detail. Their discovery, however, broadens our appreciation of the complexity of the brain. The brain, with its 100 billion neurons and an average of 10,000 synapses per neuron, has more potential connections than the atoms of our galaxy!
We don’t know yet if diet, exercise, supplements and other factors affect glial cells. However, the implications for health and illness—seizures, infections, cancer, addictions, mental illness and diseases such as Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis may be far-reaching and profound.
As Fields says near the end of his book, “Here are cells that can build the brain of a fetus, direct the connection of its growing axons to wire up the nervous system, repair it after it is injured, sense impulses crackling through axons and hear synapses speaking, control the signals neurons use to communicate with one another at synapses, provide the energy source and substrates for neurotransmitters to neurons, couple large areas of synapses and neurons into functional groups, integrate and propagate the information they receive from neurons through their own private network, release neurotoxic or neuroprotective factors, plug and unplug synapses, move themselves in and out of the synaptic cleft, give birth to new neurons, communicate with the vascular and immune systems, insulate the neuronal lines of communication, and control the speed of impulse traffic through them. And some people ask, ‘Could these cells have anything to do with higher brain function?’ How could they possibly not?”
[i] FIELDS, R. Douglas, The Other Brain, Simon & Schuster, December 2009, 384 p.
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, have recurrent thoughts and behaviors that can be crippling. What follows is a discussion of the biology of the disorder and several aspects of treatment.
Obsessive compulsive disorder is not a single disorder; rather, it’s of a cluster of conditions. In OCD, sufferers might obsess and be anxious and compulsive about hoarding, cleaning, ordering and checking. Patients can also exhibit body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), where they imagine possessing a defect in physical appearance. Other diseases that overlap with OCD include Tourette’s syndrome and hypochondria. OCD also has a genetic component and runs in families; relatives of someone with OCD are 8 times more likely to present symptoms.
The areas of the brain that appears involved with OCD are the orbito-frontal cortex (OFC), a center for decision-making, and the thalamus, which filters and relays information. In these brain regions, the neurotransmitter glutamate is responsible for neuronal signaling. It’s thought that the deficit of glutamate production and function might contribute to the condition of OCD and other counter-productive behavior, including making decisions based on inappropriately perceived danger.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment
The neurotransmitter serotonin may play an important role in whether someone gets obsessive compulsive disorder. Researchers have found a defect in the gene that makes a protein that “mops up” serotonin from between neurons. When there’s too much of this protein there is not enough serotonin, and that’s what is found in some with OCD. This is why Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SRIs) such as Prozac, which makes serotonin more available to the brain, are perhaps the most popular OCD treatment.
Another commonly used OCD treatment is exposure and response prevention (ERP), where the patient is exposed to stimuli that trigger the repetitive behavior but do not allow the patient to actually perform the compulsive behavior. Eventually the patient can learn that nothing bad happens when they don’t act out their compulsion.
Unfortunately, ERP is a stressful treatment for patients to endure. And significant numbers of patients drop out of treatment. Various drugs, such as the SRIs, are now being used in conjunction with ERP.
Anxiety usually is significant part of obsessive compulsive disorder. While anxiety does not appear to be the actual cause of OCD, anxiety can drive persistent thoughts and behaviors. A reduction in anxiety can be important in the treatment of OCD. Various modalities for treating anxiety include medication, neurofeedback (both traditional and LENS Neurofeedback), and/or behavioral approaches.
When anxiety is successfully brought under control, there are not only fewer obsessive thoughts, but those obsessive thoughts that do persist become less prominent. Instead being the dominant focus, compulsive become background music as opposed to a loud concert. These thoughts demand less attention and this makes it easier to control compulsive behavior.
| 708
|
|Skip Navigation Links|
|Exit Print View|
|Creating and Administering Oracle Solaris 11 Boot Environments Oracle Solaris 11 Information Library|
A boot environment is a bootable instance of the Oracle Solaris operating system image plus any other application software packages installed into that image. System administrators can maintain multiple boot environments on their systems, and each boot environment can have different software versions installed.
Upon the initial installation of the Oracle Solaris release onto a system, a boot environment is created. You can use the beadm(1M) utility to create and administer additional boot environments on your system.
Note - In addition, the Package Manager GUI provides some options for managing boot environments.
Note the following distinctions relevant to boot environment administration:
A boot environment is a bootable Oracle Solaris environment consisting of a root dataset and, optionally, other datasets mounted underneath it. Exactly one boot environment can be active at a time.
A dataset is a generic name for ZFS entities such as clones, file systems, or snapshots. In the context of boot environment administration, the dataset more specifically refers to the file system specifications for a particular boot environment or snapshot.
A snapshot is a read-only image of a dataset or boot environment at a given point in time. A snapshot is not bootable.
A clone of a boot environment is created by copying another boot environment. A clone is bootable.
Shared datasets are user-defined directories, such as /export, that contain the same mount point in both the active and inactive boot environments. Shared datasets are located outside the root dataset area of each boot environment.
Note - A clone of the boot environment includes everything hierarchically under the main root dataset of the original boot environment. Shared datasets are not under the root dataset and are not cloned. Instead, the boot environment accesses the original, shared dataset.
A boot environment's critical datasets are included within the root dataset area for that environment.
| 544
|
Seeing wildlife when on a camp out can be a real highlight of your adventure. These sightings can be a real treat but can also be dangerous. Attacks by mountain lions on humans have happened but are rare. Knowing what to do when you’re caught in this situation is very important.
Mountain lions are also known as pumas, panthers, or cougars. Another name for them is catamount. These creatures are shy and isolated so they are seldom seen. If you happen to come upon one of these cougars, think smart. Cluster together with your hiking companions, representing yourself as a big, noisy group. If you’re hiking alone, extend your arms or pack up as high as you can so you look bigger. Wave your trekking poles and shout. Never run or bend down as this will make you look like prey. Call children to come next to you.
These cats roam anywhere from central Canada down to Patagonia. They can be anywhere from sea level up to the high alpine areas. They can survive from swamps to forests to timberline.
The female will fiercely protect its young. Don’t even approach that darling, little kitten. Back away slowly if you happen to come upon an adult or baby. If the cat continues to follow you, throw sticks or rocks while backing away.
A camper’s fear of mountain lions is unjustified. They’re not going to come and get you in your tent while you sleep. These animals are rarely seen, but you may be able to catch a fleeting glimpse of one. Even though sightings are rare, be sure to use caution at all times. These cats’ stealth and adaptability allow them to survive well in a wide environment.
They’ve been known to jump 20 feet in one leap. The puma creeps up on its prey until it’s close enough to leap upon it. Their diet consists of deer, rabbits, turkeys, and grouse. Juvenile cats are trying to establish their territory while the mother cats will protect their young.
My own personal sightings have occurred in areas with an abundance of young rabbits. My sightings have been in the morning hours or at dusk. When my wife and I were in the High Uintahs, we witnessed a Canadian Lynx. It was in an area where lots of naïve, young cottontail rabbits abound.
| 714
|
MONTPELIER — Vermont students’ vocabulary comprehension in the fourth and eighth grades are above national averages, according to data released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Challis Breithaupt, NAEP state coordinator at Vermont Department of Education, said it was the first-ever national vocabulary report.
“There was a new framework for reading in 2009 and the feeling was there needed to be a criteria developed for vocabulary,” Breithaupt said.
The measure would assess more of students’ ability to understand vocabulary and their ability to acquire meaning from passages they were reading.
“Helping students to increase their vocabulary and to feel comfortable using words in various contexts is paramount,” state Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca said in a statement. “There is significant research in the field supporting a link between vocabulary and comprehension.”
On a scale of 0-500, fourth-graders scored 224 and eighth-graders scored 274. The national average for fourth- and eighth-graders was 217 and 263, respectively.
Only Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana and North Dakota scored higher than Vermont’s eighth-grade vocabulary.
“Students use their knowledge of words in order to understand what they are reading, to identify ideas and themes,” said Vilaseca. “Summer reading programs continue to support the good work that is done throughout the school year; keeping our children’s minds active supports strong reading and comprehension skills.”
The NAEP addressed the method of the vocabulary test in its results: “Unlike traditional tests of vocabulary that ask students to write definitions of words in isolation, NAEP always assesses word meaning within the context of particular passages. Students are asked to demonstrate their understanding of words by recognizing what meaning the word contributes to the passage in which it appears.”
For more information, The report card can be found online: www.nationsreportcard.gov.MORE IN Vermont News
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed
- MEDIA GALLERY
| 30
|
Simple technique appears to be safe and effective, review suggests
By Robert Preidt
MONDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A technique called the "mother's kiss" is a safe and effective way to remove foreign objects from the nostrils of young children, according to British researchers.
In the mother's kiss, a child's mother or other trusted adult covers the child's mouth with their mouth to form a seal, blocks the clear nostril with their finger, and then blows into the child's mouth. The pressure from the breath may expel the object in the blocked nostril.
Before using it, the adult should explain the technique to the child so that he or she is not frightened. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, the technique can be tried several times, according to a review published in the current issue of the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
For their report, researchers in Australia and the United Kingdom examined eight case studies in which the mother's kiss was used on children aged 1 to 8 years.
"The mother's kiss appears to be a safe and effective technique for first-line treatment in the removal of a foreign body from the nasal cavity," Dr. Stephanie Cook, of the Buxted Medical Centre in England, and colleagues concluded. "In addition, it may prevent the need for general anesthesia in some cases."
Further research is needed to compare various positive-pressure techniques and test how effective they are in different situations where objects are in various locations and have spent different lengths of time in the nasal passages, the researchers noted in a journal news release.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about foreign objects in the nose.
SOURCE: CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), news release, Oct. 15, 2012
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. URL:http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?id=669525
| 332
|
Project looked at massive mobile launch platform, shuttle transporter
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Sandia National Laboratories recently conducted a series of tests to help NASA understand the fatigue on the space shuttle caused during rollout from the Kennedy Space Center assembly building to the launch pad - a four-mile trip.
The tests are part of NASA's return-to-flight mission, with the first flight scheduled between May 15 and June 3.
Sandia, a National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory, helped NASA design the test and instrumentation to measure the dynamic vibration environment during rollout. Sandia also computed the input forces the crawler applies to the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP). These computations are being used by Boeing and NASA to determine the fatigue life for critical shuttle components.
Sandia engineer Tom Carne assisted in a series of tests beginning in November 2003 to develop the data necessary to understand the environment and the response of the space shuttle vehicle during rollout.
"NASA requested Sandia to assist them in this project because of our expertise in planning and conducting structural dynamic tests on very large structures," Carne says.
Sandia's solid mechanics/structural dynamics group has done numerous structural analysis projects on large structures including the I-40 Rio Grande bridge in Albuquerque, large wind turbines up to 110 meters tall, and the Department of Energy's Armored Tractor. One of the group's main missions is analysis and testing of the shock and vibration environments for weapons.
The three-million-pound shuttle sits on the eight-million-pound mobile launch platform, which is carried by a six-million-pound crawler. The crawler transports the vehicle and platform four miles from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad.
Moving the shuttle that distance, which normally takes five to six hours at 0.9 mph, had been considered a relatively low-stress process during most of the life of the shuttle system. As the equipment ages, however, more emphasis is being given to understanding how the rollout may fatigue the transport system.
Data were collected for rollouts of the MLP-only and the MLP with the two solid rocket boosters, at five different speeds ranging from 0.5 to 0.9 mph. For the tests more than 100 accelerometers were placed on the MLP, crawler, and solid rocket boosters. A data acquisition system installed inside the MLP for the road test measured and recorded the accelerations. The data were analyzed so that the character of the rollout environment is understood and can be analytically imposed on the shuttle using a finite-element computer model to predict fatigue damage to critical components. Even though these stresses are much lower than those seen during the launch, the five- to six-hour duration of the transport and the low-frequency vibration could cause fatigue in components within the orbiter.
Carne says the rollout analysis team determined that there are two families of forcing harmonics caused by the crawler drive train that vibrate the platform as a function of crawler speed, in addition to the random inputs induced by the road bed. Fortunately, he says, the harmonic forcing frequencies can be adjusted by merely changing the drive speed of the crawler, resulting in less damaging frequencies.
The team used a Sandia-developed algorithm, the Sum of Weighted Accelerations Technique (SWAT), to estimate the applied forces. Carne says the SWAT results were beneficial in choosing a new rollout speed that will extend the fatigue life of the shuttle components that were affected by rollout.
The SWAT-generated input forces have subsequently been used as the force input for NASA's NASTRAN structural analysis of the mobile launch platform, emulating the test conditions. The correlation between the rollout-measured data and the predictions from the NASTRAN analysis has engendered confidence in both the SWAT-computed forces and the NASTRAN model of the MLP and solid rocket boosters, he says.
The analyses showed that the shuttle's vibration response can be much reduced when the driving frequencies are shifted away from the shuttle's own resonant natural frequencies. They helped NASA determine that merely reducing crawler speed from 0.9 mph to 0.8 mph would significantly reduce the vibrations in the shuttle by shifting the impact frequency of the crawler treads.
Source: Eurekalert & othersLast reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Feb 2009
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Affirmations are like prescriptions for certain aspects of yourself you want to change.
-- Jerry Frankhauser
| 309
|
Constitution of Oregon: 2011 Version
Sec. 1. Election to accept or reject Constitution
2. Questions submitted to voters
3. Majority of votes required to accept or reject Constitution
4. Vote on certain sections of Constitution
5. Apportionment of Senators and Representatives
6. Election under Constitution; organization of state
7. Former laws continued in force
8. Officers to continue in office
9. Crimes against territory
10. Saving existing rights and liabilities
11. Judicial districts
Section 1. Election to accept or reject Constitution. For the purpose of taking the vote of the electors of the State, for the acceptance or rejection of this Constitution, an election shall be held on the second Monday of November, in the year 1857, to be conducted according to existing laws regulating the election of Delegates in Congress, so far as applicable, except as herein otherwise provided.
Section 2. Questions submitted to voters. Each elector who offers to vote upon this Constitution, shall be asked by the judges of election this question:
Do you vote for the Constitution? Yes, or No.
And also this question:
Do you vote for Slavery in Oregon? Yes, or No.
And in the poll books shall be columns headed respectively.
“Constitution, Yes.” “Constitution, No"
“Slavery, Yes." “Slavery, No."
And the names of the electors shall be entered in the poll books, together with their answers to the said questions, under their appropriate heads. The abstracts of the votes transmitted to the Secretary of the Territory, shall be publicly opened, and canvassed by the Governor and Secretary, or by either of them in the absence of the other; and the Governor, or in his absence the Secretary, shall forthwith issue his proclamation, and publish the same in the several newspapers printed in this State, declaring the result of the said election upon each of said questions. [Constitution of 1859; Amendment proposed by S.J.R. 7, 2001, and adopted by the people Nov. 5, 2002]
Section 3. Majority of votes required to accept or reject Constitution. If a majority of all the votes given for, and against the Constitution, shall be given for the Constitution, then this Constitution shall be deemed to be approved, and accepted by the electors of the State, and shall take effect accordingly; and if a majority of such votes shall be given against the Constitution, then this Constitution shall be deemed to be rejected by the electors of the State, and shall be void.–
Section 4. Vote on certain sections of Constitution. If this Constitution shall be accepted by the electors, and a majority of all the votes given for, and against slavery, shall be given for slavery, then the following section shall be added to the Bill of Rights, and shall be part of this Constitution:
“Sec. ___ “Persons lawfully held as slaves in any State, Territory, or District of the United States, under the laws thereof, may be brought into this State, and such Slaves, and their descendants may be held as slaves within this State, and shall not be emancipated without the consent of their owners.”
And if a majority of such votes shall be given against slavery, then the foregoing section shall not, but the following sections shall be added to the Bill of Rights, and shall be a part of this Constitution.
“Sec. ___ There shall be neither slavery, nor involuntary servitude in the State, otherwise than as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” [Constitution of 1859; Amendment proposed by S.J.R. 7, 2001, and adopted by the people Nov. 5, 2002]
Note: See sections 34 and 35 of Article I, Oregon Constitution.
Section 5. Apportionment of Senators and Representatives. Until an enumeration of the inhabitants of the State shall be made, and the senators and representatives apportioned as directed in the Constitution, the County of Marion shall have two senators, and four representatives.
Linn two senators, and four representatives.
Lane two senators, and three representatives.
Clackamas and Wasco, one senator jointly, and Clackamas three representatives, and Wasco one representative.
Yamhill one senator, and two representatives.
Polk one senator, and two representatives.
Benton one senator, and two representatives.
Multnomah, one senator, and two representatives.
Washington, Columbia, Clatsop, and Tillamook one senator jointly, and Washington one representative, and Washington and Columbia one representative jointly, and Clatsop and Tillamook one representative jointly.
Douglas, one senator, and two representatives.
Jackson one senator, and three representatives.
Josephine one senator, and one representative.
Umpqua, Coos and Curry, one senator jointly, and Umpqua one representative, and Coos and Curry one representative jointly. [Constitution of 1859; Amendment proposed by S.J.R. 7, 2001, and adopted by the people Nov. 5, 2002]
Section 6. Election under Constitution; organization of state. If this Constitution shall be ratified, an election shall be held on the first Monday of June 1858, for the election of members of the Legislative Assembly, a Representative in Congress, and State and County officers, and the Legislative Assembly shall convene at the Capital on the first Monday of July 1858, and proceed to elect two senators in Congress, and make such further provision as may be necessary to the complete organization of a State government.–
Section 7. Former laws continued in force. All laws in force in the Territory of Oregon when this Constitution takes effect, and consistent therewith, shall continue in force until altered, or repealed.–
Section 8. Officers to continue in office. All officers of the Territory of Oregon, or under its laws, when this Constitution takes effect, shall continue in office, until superseded by the State authorities.–
Section 9. Crimes against territory. Crimes and misdemeanors committed against the Territory of Oregon shall be punished by the State, as they might have been punished by the Territory, if the change of government had not been made.–
Section 10. Saving existing rights and liabilities. All property and rights of the Territory, and of the several counties, subdivisions, and political bodies corporate, of, or in the Territory, including fines, penalties, forfeitures, debts and claims, of whatsoever nature, and recognizances, obligations, and undertakings to, or for the use of the Territory, or any county, political corporation, office, or otherwise, to or for the public, shall inure to the State, or remain to the county, local division, corporation, officer, or public, as if the change of government had not been made. And private rights shall not be affected by such change.–
Section 11. Judicial districts. Until otherwise provided by law, the judicial districts of the State, shall be constituted as follows: The counties of Jackson, Josephine, and Douglas, shall constitute the first district. The counties of Umpqua, Coos, Curry, Lane, and Benton, shall constitute the second district.–The counties of Linn, Marion, Polk, Yamhill and Washington, shall constitute the third district.–The counties of Clackamas, Multnomah, Wasco, Columbia, Clatsop, and Tillamook, shall constitute the fourth district–and the County of Tillamook shall be attached to the county of Clatsop for judicial purposes.–
| 547
|
Welfare state in capitalism
Since the eruption of the sub-prime mortgage crises of 2007 to 2009, there have been hot debates on how the current “greedy capitalism” must change into sustainable capitalism.
The “Occupy Wall Street” protests were against the far-reaching negative consequences of neo-liberal capitalism.
In the wake of the global financial meltdown, the notion of Capitalism 4.0 has suddenly made headlines and the Davos Forum early this year also addressed how to make capitalism sustainable.
To what extent is this debate and the search for a new version of capitalism relevant to Korea?
Unlike advanced Western capitalist states with more than 300 years of history, Korea’s modern development of capitalism occurred in the past half century but is regarded as the representative economy of East Asian miracle performers.
Korea formally adopted capitalism in the post-liberation era after 1945 by formulating a constitution containing a market economy as its basic tenet to promote economic freedom and encourage creativity.
As a corollary of this fundamental principle, the Korean constitution dictates that the government can regulate and adjust economic matters to supplement market economic principles to achieve social justice and economic democracy.
Empirical analysis suggests that the Korean economy has achieved both growth and equity.
Ironically, at the outset of Korea’s modern economic development, the Korean War (1950-1953) allowed everyone in Korea to be on equal footing.
Furthermore, Korea, with the birth of a new democratic government, carried out two institutional reforms: land reform based on owner-cultivator principles and a compulsory education system for school-age children to be enrolled at a primary school, at the very least.
In the past half century, Korea’s rapid economic growth has evolved around the creation of chaebol (large conglomerates), administered credit allocation with easy monetary policies from banks to priority sectors and export-oriented outward-looking policies to concentrate economic power highly in favor of them.
However, in the post-1997/98 Asian financial crisis era, and with the recent global crisis, Korea’s compressed growth model has resulted in worsening income polarization and jobless growth.
Korea now faces serious challenges on its way to introducing a welfare state paradigm. As part of the campaigns for the general elections concluded last week, left-wing opposition parties introduced a series of free programs involving everything from school lunches, school tuition, universal welfare and college tuition reduction to tax hikes for the rich and a chaebol tax.
The conservative government party also put forward its own welfare policy platforms largely based on selective and prudential principles.
What type of welfare state Korea should design is likely to be a key issue in the December presidential election.
Korea should consider a welfare state as a distinct combination of democracy, welfare and capitalism, as implemented with different degrees of emphasis by Germany, all the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Given Korea’s transition to a matured advanced economy and ongoing income polarization, the country must address how to balance growth dynamism and equity.
Above all, the government should do its best to construct a social safety net for those in need.
Without due consideration of fiscal sustainability, we should avoid the popular approach to embrace “something for nothing.”
Korea may also consider privately channeled welfare measures within corporate social responsibility mandates as given in the United Nation’s new norm for shared growth.
In this regard, Korea’s large conglomerates need to be proactive in nurturing human capital for a high-tech society.
Indeed, highly skilled manpower is the core element to ensuring a sustainable endogenous growth model.
Koreans should keep in mind that the provision of welfare should not discourage the incentive to work. We should not let our next generation bear the burden of financing excessive welfare expenditure for the present generation.
We should be aware of the fact that capitalism is not a static set of institutions but an evolutionary system that reinvents and reinvigorates itself through challenges and crisis. The present case of Greece’s demise makes this clear.
| 611
|
Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women
The first Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women was held on May 9, 1837. Approximately 200 women gathered in New York City to discuss their role in the American abolition movement. Mary S. Parker was the President of the gathering. Other prominent women went on to be vocal members of the Women's Suffrage Movement, including Lucretia Mott, the Grimké sisters, and Lydia Maria Child. The attendees included women of color, the wives and daughters of slaveholders, and women of low economic status. The convention was a monumental step, both for the women's rights movement, and the abolition movement as a whole. Despite the event's significance, it receives very little historical attention.
| 501
|
This following chronology looks back at the problem of xenophobia since South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.
The Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) threatens to take “physical action” if the government fails to respond to the perceived crisis of undocumented migrants in South Africa.
IFP leader and Minister of Home Affairs Mangosutho Buthelezi says in his first speech to parliament: “If we as South Africans are going to compete for scarce resources with millions of aliens who are pouring into South Africa, then we can bid goodbye to our Reconstruction and Development Programme.”
In December gangs of South Africans try to evict perceived “illegals” from Alexandra township, blaming them for increased crime, sexual attacks and unemployment. The campaign, lasting several weeks, is known as “Buyelekhaya” (Go back home).
A report by the Southern African Bishops’ Conference concludes: “There is no doubt that there is a very high level of xenophobia in our country … One of the main problems is that a variety of people have been lumped together under the title of ‘illegal immigrants’, and the whole situation of demonising immigrants is feeding the xenophobia phenomenon.”
Defence Minister Joe Modise links the issue of undocumented migration to increased crime in a newspaper interview.
In a speech to parliament, Home Affairs Minister Buthelezi claims “illegal aliens” cost South African taxpayers “billions of rands” each year.
A study co-authored by the Human Sciences Research Council and the Institute for Security Studies reports that 65 percent of South Africans support forced repatriation of undocumented migrants. White South Africans are found to be most hostile to migrants, with 93 percent expressing negative attitudes.
Local hawkers in central Johannesburg attack their foreign counterparts. The chairperson of the Inner Johannesburg Hawkers Committee is quoted as saying: “We are prepared to push them out of the city, come what may. My group is not prepared to let our government inherit a garbage city because of these leeches.”
A Southern African Migration Project (SAMP) survey of migrants in Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe shows that very few would wish to settle in South Africa. A related study of migrant entrepreneurs in Johannesburg finds that these street traders create an average of three jobs per business.
Three non-South Africans are killed by a mob on a train travelling between Pretoria and Johannesburg in what is described as a xenophobic attack.
In December The Roll Back Xenophobia Campaign is launched by a partnership of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the National Consortium on Refugee Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The Department of Home Affairs reports that the majority of deportations are of Mozambicans (141,506) followed by Zimbabweans (28,548)
A report by the SAHRC notes that xenophobia underpins police action against foreigners. People are apprehended for being “too dark” or “walking like a black foreigner”. Police also regularly destroy documents of black non-South Africans.
Sudanese refugee James Diop is seriously injured after being thrown from a train in Pretoria by a group of armed men. Kenyan Roy Ndeti and his room mate are shot in their home. Both incidents are described as xenophobic attacks.
In Operation Crackdown, a joint police and army sweep, over 7,000 people are arrested on suspicion of being illegal immigrants. In contrast, only 14 people are arrested for serious crimes.
A SAHRC report on the Lindela deportation centre, a holding facility for undocumented migrants, lists a series of abuses at the facility, including assault and the systematic denial of basic rights. The report notes that 20 percent of detainees claimed South African citizenship or that they were in the country legally.
According to the 2001 census, out of South Africa’s population of 45 million, just under one million foreigners are legally resident in the country. However, the Department of Home Affairs estimates there are more than seven million undocumented migrants.
Protests erupt at Lindela over claims of beatings and inmate deaths, coinciding with hearings into xenophobia by SAHRC and parliament’s portfolio committee on foreign affairs.
Cape Town’s Somali community claim that 40 traders have been the victims of targeted killings between August and September.
Somali-owned businesses in the informal settlement of Diepsloot, outside Johannesburg, are repeatedly torched.
In March UNHCR notes its concern over the increase in the number of xenophobic attacks on Somalis. The Somali community claims 400 people have been killed in the past decade.
In May more than 20 people are arrested after shops belonging to Somalis and other foreign nationals are torched during anti-government protests in Khutsong township, a small mining town about 50km southwest of Johannesburg. According to the International Organisation of Migration, 177,514 Zimbabweans deported from South Africa pass through their reception centre across the border in Beitbridge since its opening in May 2006.
In March human rights organisations condemn a spate of xenophobic attacks around Pretoria that leave at least four people dead and hundreds homeless.
Sources include: IRIN, Human Rights Watch, SAMP, SAHRC, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
| 381
|
How to grow a reader
Tips for turning a fledgling reader into a voracious one.
By Peg Tyre
Once your child has figured out how to decode words and can actually read in a sustained way, then a chunk of his schooling should be focused on helping him squeeze meaning and richness out of the experience. You may remember the whole-language ideas about exposing kids to print through fiction, poetry, newspapers, and drama? It is the wrong way to teach kids to read. But getting kids excited about the written word is a great way to turn fledgling readers into voracious readers.
And here's where all parents should step up to the plate. You've been reading to your child, great. Don't stop. Books on tape in the car work, too. But now that she is a reader, surround her with print. Get a newspaper delivered. Get her a library card and make the library a regular stop, like the grocery store and the dry cleaner. And get over your view of what "proper" book reading looks like — fiction, nonfiction, comic books, how-tos, mysteries, sports biographies, magazines about current events, fast cars, sleek airplanes, or video gaming. Open the door wide. Find ways to bring what she is reading into the conversation. Ask questions like: What kind of book is it? What is the setting? What happens? What do you like/not like about the way the author writes?
Word by word
Similar but more formal versions of this should be happening at school, but parents can reinforce this learning at home. Watch for it. If your child is reading and sampling a wide enough variety of material, he will be encountering a lot of words in print that he doesn't know. He should be able to sound out unfamiliar words. First, encourage him to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words from their context, for example, what could propulsion mean based on the words that came before and after it? Then, see if he can tease out the meaning of the word by finding its root. For instance, the word propel is hidden in propulsion and gives a strong hint for the meaning of the word.
Teachers help students build comprehension through the systemic study of words. Yes, weekly vocabulary words. Kids who study words — by this I mean systematically learning their meanings — have larger vocabularies but are also better readers. It's not too effective for the teacher to hand out a list of ten words and have kids look them up and then take a test. They need to hear the words, see them, speak them, and write them that week and in the weeks that follow.
Word lists alone, though, aren't enough. Kids encounter an average of three thousand new words a year — more than eight a day. Unless the entire school day is going to be given over to word study (and no one thinks this is a good idea), teachers must instruct children on how to shave off chunks of an unfamiliar word and tease out its meaning by studying suffixes, prefixes, and the meaning of common root words.
Comprehension, fluency, and stamina should be growing steadily stronger as your child moves through school. Schools need to ensure that happens. So do parents. Do your part.
| 483
|
Deaths in Moscow have doubled to an average of 700 people a day as the Russian capital is engulfed by poisonous smog from wildfires and a sweltering heat wave, a top health official said today, according to the Associated Press.
The Russian newspaper Pravda reported: “Moscow is suffocating. Thick toxic smog has been covering the sky above the city for days. The sun in Moscow looks like the moon during the day: it’s not that bright and yellow, but pale and orange with misty outlines against the smoky sky. Muscovites have to experience both the smog and sweltering heat at once.”
“Russia has recently seen the longest unprecedented heat wave for at least one thousand years, the head of the Russian Meteorological Center,” the news site Ria Novosti reported.
Various news sites report that foreign embassies have reduced activities or shut down, with many staff leaving Moscow to escape the toxic atmosphere.
Russian heatwave: This NASA map released today shows areas of Russia experiencing above-average temperatures this summer (orange and red). The map was released on NASA’s Earth Obervatory website.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, based on MODIS land surface temperature data available through the NASA Earth Observations (NEO) Website. Caption by Michon Scott.
According to NASA:
In the summer of 2010, the Russian Federation had to contend with multiple natural hazards: drought in the southern part of the country, and raging fires in western Russia and eastern Siberia. The events all occurred against the backdrop of unusual warmth. Bloomberg reported that temperatures in parts of the country soared to 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit), and the Wall Street Journal reported that fire- and drought-inducing heat was expected to continue until at least August 12.
This map shows temperature anomalies for the Russian Federation from July 20-27, 2010, compared to temperatures for the same dates from 2000 to 2008. The anomalies are based on land surface temperatures observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite. Areas with above-average temperatures appear in red and orange, and areas with below-average temperatures appear in shades of blue. Oceans and lakes appear in gray.
Not all parts of the Russian Federation experienced unusual warmth on July 20-27, 2010. A large expanse of northern central Russia, for instance, exhibits below-average temperatures. Areas of atypical warmth, however, predominate in the east and west. Orange- and red-tinged areas extend from eastern Siberia toward the southwest, but the most obvious area of unusual warmth occurs north and northwest of the Caspian Sea. These warm areas in eastern and western Russia continue a pattern noticeable earlier in July, and correspond to areas of intense drought and wildfire activity.
Bloomberg reported that 558 active fires covering 179,596 hectares (693 square miles) were burning across the Russian Federation as of August 6, 2010. Voice of America reported that smoke from forest fires around the Russian capital forced flight restrictions at Moscow airports on August 6, just as health officials warned Moscow residents to take precautions against the smoke inhalation.
Posted by David Braun
Earlier related post: Russia burns in hottest summer on record (July 28, 2010)
Talk about tough: These guys throw themselves out of 50-year-old aircraft into burning Siberian forests. (National Geographic Magazine feature, February 2008)
Photo by Mark Thiessen
Join Nat Geo News Watch community
Readers are encouraged to comment on this and other posts–and to share similar stories, photos and links–on the Nat Geo News Watch Facebook page. You must sign up to be a member of Facebook and a fan of the blog page to do this.
Leave a comment on this page
You may also email David Braun (email@example.com) if you have a comment that you would like to be considered for adding to this page. You are welcome to comment anonymously under a pseudonym.
| 211
|
The formation of counties was one of the first matters attended to by the Lords Proprietors after they received their charter in 1663 from King Charles II for the vast tract of land in America he called the province of Carolina. In 1664 the Proprietors formed "all that parte of the province which lyeth on the north east side or starboard side entering of the river Chowan now named by us Albemarle River together with the Islands and Isletts within tenn leagues thereof" into a county that they named Albemarle County for George Monck, the duke of Albemarle, himself one of the Proprietors. This was the site of the first permanent settlement in Carolina. They then divided the new county into four precincts: Currituck , Perquimans , Pasquotank , and Chowan . Albemarle County was subsequently enlarged, and in 1696 the area south of Albemarle Sound was removed from Albemarle and made into a new county, named Bath, which in turn was divided into the precincts of Beaufort , Hyde , Craven and Carteret .
The primary reason for establishing counties (or precincts) was to provide local seats of government where citizens could record documents, such as deeds or wills, and participate in court proceedings. At the same time, the sheriff was provided with a home base from which to fulfill his basic responsibilities of collecting taxes and maintaining law and order.
By 1738 Albemarle and Bath Counties had been dissolved and the 14 precincts then in existence became counties, a designation that has remained since the seventeenth century. Throughout the remainder of the colonial period, as settlement spread westward and population increased, older counties were divided and new ones formed. With statehood came an even greater rate of growth, and by 1800 the number had risen to 59 counties covering all of the state. In many cases, the dividing of counties caused heated political controversy, as eastern counties were often divided to maintain that region's majority in the state legislature against expanding representation from the piedmont and mountain regions. Shifts in population continued throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, resulting in even more counties. Larger counties were divided, and those in turn were sometimes divided yet again, until the seemingly magical figure of 100 was reached in 1911. (For a time, the number of counties was actually greater than 100, but some of these were ceded to Tennessee in 1789 and others were absorbed into other counties or never fully developed.) The number remained at 100, although in 1933 the General Assembly authorized the consolidation of existing counties subject to approval of the electorate. This could have resulted for the first time in a decrease from the 100 county figure, but as of the early 2000s there had been no such consolidations.
Initially, county government and judicial matters were in the hands of justices of the peace , who formed a body known as the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions . The justices were appointed by the governor, with strong input from the members of the colonial Assembly from the affected county, leaving the average citizen with no say as to who would run the government of the county in which he lived. At first the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions met wherever it was convenient to assemble a quorum, usually in a private home. A 1722 act of the Assembly instructed the justices to pick a site for a permanent seat of government for each precinct, where they were to buy an acre of land and build a courthouse. Whether in the early precinct days, or after the name of the local government entity was changed from precinct to county, the justices had the support of a sheriff for law enforcement, as well as a clerk of court and a register of deeds. Of the three, both the clerk of court and the register of deeds needed to remain in their offices in the courthouse, which left only the sheriff free to travel about the county. Accordingly, he was also designated tax collector, a position sheriffs continued to hold until the latter part of the twentieth century.
The general system of county government of the early colonial period, with the appointed members of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions running things, was carried over into statehood, and little changed until the adoption of the North Carolina Constitution of 1868 . The system called for by the new constitution, known as the Township and County Commissioner Plan, gave control of county government to five commissioners, to be elected at large by the county's voters. In addition, each county was divided into townships whose residents elected two justices to serve as the township's governing body, as well as a three-member school committee and a constable. The new system significantly reduced the General Assembly's control of county government, since the legislators no longer appointed the justices of the peace who made up the county court.
The Township and County Commissioner Plan, patterned after one previously adopted in Pennsylvania, did not prove universally popular in North Carolina and lasted less than a decade. At a constitutional convention in 1875, the General Assembly was authorized to change the system, and in the session of 1877 townships were reduced to little more than geographic and administrative subdivisions of the counties. This seriously reduced the authority of county commissioners.
The modern system of county government, in which an elected board of commissioners is responsible for managing a county's affairs, including setting the rate and collecting taxes and determining where funds should be expended, dates to the early twentieth century. Periodically after that, the General Assembly conferred additional authority and responsibility on the county commissioners, until at the end of the century they had been provided with such a wide range of "home-rule" statutes that many counties found it impossible to run their greatly expanded business without professional help. This led to the adoption by many counties of the County Manager Plan. Under this plan, commissioners employ a county manager to serve as a sort of chief executive of the county business-in some instances, the largest business in the county-with the manager having certain independent authority, including that of hiring and firing employees.
As with other matters, the state determines what sources the counties may tap for income. Traditionally, the real estate tax has been the primary revenue source for North Carolina counties. However, especially in the last half of the twentieth century, counties were able to prevail on the General Assembly to let them collect from a variety of other sources, among those favored being local sales taxes, land transfer taxes, meals taxes, and occupancy taxes.
A. Fleming Bell, ed., County Government in North Carolina (3rd ed., 1989).
David LeRoy Corbitt, The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663-1943 (1969).
1 January 2006 | Stick, David
| 626
|
There are really two decisions that must be made regarding the hidden layers: how many hidden layers to actually have in the neural network and how many neurons will be in each of these layers. We will first examine how to determine the number of hidden layers to use with the neural network.
Problems that require two hidden layers are rarely encountered. However, neural networks with two hidden layers can represent functions with any kind of shape. There is currently no theoretical reason to use neural networks with any more than two hidden layers. In fact, for many practical problems, there is no reason to use any more than one hidden layer. Table 5.1 summarizes the capabilities of neural network architectures with various hidden layers.
Table 5.1: Determining the Number of Hidden Layers
|Number of Hidden Layers||Result|
|none||Only capable of representing linear separable functions or decisions.|
|1||Can approximate any function that contains a continuous mapping from one finite space to another.|
|2||Can represent an arbitrary decision boundary to arbitrary accuracy with rational activation functions and can approximate any smooth mapping to any accuracy.|
Deciding the number of hidden neuron layers is only a small part of the problem. You must also determine how many neurons will be in each of these hidden layers. This process is covered in the next section.
Deciding the number of neurons in the hidden layers is a very important part of deciding your overall neural network architecture. Though these layers do not directly interact with the external environment, they have a tremendous influence on the final output. Both the number of hidden layers and the number of neurons in each of these hidden layers must be carefully considered.
Using too few neurons in the hidden layers will result in something called underfitting. Underfitting occurs when there are too few neurons in the hidden layers to adequately detect the signals in a complicated data set.
Using too many neurons in the hidden layers can result in several problems. First, too many neurons in the hidden layers may result in overfitting. Overfitting occurs when the neural network has so much information processing capacity that the limited amount of information contained in the training set is not enough to train all of the neurons in the hidden layers. A second problem can occur even when the training data is sufficient. An inordinately large number of neurons in the hidden layers can increase the time it takes to train the network. The amount of training time can increase to the point that it is impossible to adequately train the neural network. Obviously, some compromise must be reached between too many and too few neurons in the hidden layers.
There are many rule-of-thumb methods for determining the correct number of neurons to use in the hidden layers, such as the following:
These three rules provide a starting point for you to consider. Ultimately, the selection of an architecture for your neural network will come down to trial and error. But what exactly is meant by trial and error? You do not want to start throwing random numbers of layers and neurons at your network. To do so would be very time consuming. Chapter 8, “Pruning a Neural Network” will explore various ways to determine an optimal structure for a neural network.
| 23
|
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
| 655
|
Behaviour-driven development is an “outside-in” methodology. It starts at the outside by identifying business outcomes, and then drills down into the feature set that will achieve those outcomes. Each feature is captured as a “story”, which defines the scope of the feature along with its acceptance criteria. This article introduces the BDD approach to defining and identifying stories and their acceptance criteria.
Software delivery is about writing software to achieve business outcomes. It sounds obvious, but often political or environmental factors distract us from remembering this. Sometimes software delivery can appear to be about producing optimistic reports to keep senior management happy, or just creating “busy work” to keep people in paid employment, but that’s a topic for another day.
Usually, the business outcomes are too coarse-grained to be used to directly write software (where do you start coding when the outcome is “save 5% of my operating costs”?) so we need to define requirements at some intermediate level in order to get work done.
Behaviour-driven development (BDD) takes the position that you can turn an idea for a requirement into implemented, tested, production-ready code simply and effectively, as long as the requirement is specific enough that everyone knows what’s going on. To do this, we need a way to describe the requirement such that everyone – the business folks, the analyst, the developer and the tester – have a common understanding of the scope of the work. From this they can agree a common definiton of “done”, and we escape the dual gumption traps of “that’s not what I asked for” or “I forgot to tell you about this other thing”.
This, then, is the role of a Story. It has to be a description of a requirement and its business benefit, and a set of criteria by which we all agree that it is “done”. This is a more rigorous definition than in other agile methodologies, where it is variously described as a “promise of a conversation” or a “description of a feature”. (A BDD story can just as easily describe a non-functional requirement, as long as the work can be scoped, estimated and agreed on.)
The structure of a story
BDD provides a structure for a story. This is not mandatory – you can use a different story format and still be doing BDD – but I am presenting it here because it has been proven to work on many projects of all shapes and sizes. At the very least, your story should contain all of the elements described in the template. The story template looks like this:
Title (one line describing the story) Narrative: As a [role] I want [feature] So that [benefit] Acceptance Criteria: (presented as Scenarios) Scenario 1: Title Given [context] And [some more context]... When [event] Then [outcome] And [another outcome]... Scenario 2: ...
Telling the story
A story should be the product of a conversation involving several people. A business analyst talks to a business stakeholder1 about the feature or requirement, and helps them to frame it as a story narrative. Then a tester helps define the scope of the story – in the form of acceptance criteria – by determining which scenarios matter and which are less useful. A technical representitive will provide a ballpark estimate of the amount of work involved in the story, and to propose alternative approaches. Many great ideas for systems come from the people developing them as well as the people who asked for them in the first place.
This will likely be an iterative process. The stakeholder will have an idea of what they want but will usually not know how much work will be involved, or how that work will be allocated. With the help of the technical and testing experts, they will understand the cost/benefit trade-off of each scenario and can make a judgement about whether they want it. Of course this is also balanced up against the other requirements: is it better to cover more edge cases in this story, or to move on to another story?
Sometimes the development team will simply not know enough to be able to make even a ballpark estimate. In this case they may choose to carry out some investigative work, known as a “spike”, in order to understand more about the requirement. (I will cover planning in more detail in a future article.)
The characteristics of a good story
Using the example from the article Introducing BDD, let’s look at the requirements for withdrawing cash from an ATM:
Story: Account Holder withdraws cash As an Account Holder I want to withdraw cash from an ATM So that I can get money when the bank is closed Scenario 1: Account has sufficient funds Given the account balance is \$100 And the card is valid And the machine contains enough money When the Account Holder requests \$20 Then the ATM should dispense \$20 And the account balance should be \$80 And the card should be returned Scenario 2: Account has insufficient funds Given the account balance is \$10 And the card is valid And the machine contains enough money When the Account Holder requests \$20 Then the ATM should not dispense any money And the ATM should say there are insufficient funds And the account balance should be \$20 And the card should be returned Scenario 3: Card has been disabled Given the card is disabled When the Account Holder requests \$20 Then the ATM should retain the card And the ATM should say the card has been retained Scenario 4: The ATM has insufficient funds ...
As you can see, there are a number of scenarios to consider, some related to the account balance, others about the card and yet others about the ATM itself. Let’s dissect the story to determine whether it is any good.
The title should describe an activity
The title of the story, “Account Holder withdraws cash”, describes an activity that the account holder wants to carry out. Until we implement this feature, the account holder won’t be able to withdraw money from the ATM. Once we have delivered it, they will. That gives us an obvious starting point for determining what “done” looks like.
If we had a title like “Account management” or “ATM behaviour”, we would have to look harder to understand when we were finished, and the edges would be a lot more fuzzy. For instance, “account management” might incorporate applying for a loan, and “ATM behaviour” might encompass changing the PIN number on my cash card. The story title should always describe actual behaviour by a user of the system.
The narrative should include a role, a feature and a benefit
The template “As a [role] I want [feature] so that [benefit]“ has a number of advantages. By specifying the role within the narrative, you know who to talk to about the feature. By specifying the benefit, you cause the story writer to consider why they want a feature.
It gets interesting if you find the feature won’t actually deliver the benefit attributed to it. This usually means you have a missing story. There is one story with the current feature, which delivers a different benefit (and is therefore still useful), and a hidden story whereby you will need a different feature to deliver the benefit described.
The example story tells us there is an Account Holder who cares about the feature being delivered, so we know where to start exploring what it should do.
The scenario title should say what’s different
You should be able to line up the scenarios side by side, and describe how they differ using only the title. In our example, we can see that the scenario descriptions say only what’s different between each scenario. You don’t need to say “an account holder withdraws money from an account with insufficient funds and is told they are unable to fulfull the transaction”. It’s obvious from the title whether this is the scenario you care about, compared to the others.
The scenario should be described in terms of Givens, Events and Outcomes
This is the single most powerful behavioural shift I have seen in teams adopting BDD. Simply by getting the business users, the analysts, the testers and the developers to adopt this vocabulary of “given/when/then”, they discover that a world of ambiguity falls away.
Not all scenarios are this simple. Some are best represented as a sequence of events, described as: given [some context] when [I do something] then [this happens] when [I do another thing] then [this new thing happens] and so on. An example is a wizard-style website, where you step through a sequence of screens to build up a complex data model. It is perfectly appropriate to intermingle sequences of events and outcomes, as long as you get into the habit of thinking in these terms.
One interesting emergent behaviour is that the quality of the conversation changes. You will quickly discover that you have missed out an assumed given (“well of course the account is overdrawn”), or forgotten to verify an outcome (“well naturally the account holder gets their card back”). I observed this on one particular project where the lead developer told me he could sense the analysts and developers were talking at cross purposes, but couldn’t see a way to demonstrate this to them. Within a few days of introducing the given/when/then vocabulary, he could see a dramatic improvement in the quality of their interactions.
The givens should define all of, and no more than, the required context
Any additional givens are distracting, which makes it hard for someone looking at the story for the first time – whether from the technical or business side – to understand what they need to know. Similarly any missing givens are really assumptions. If you can get a different outcome from the givens provided, then there must be something missing.
In the example, the first scenario says something about the account balance, the card and the ATM itself. All of these are required to fully define the scenario. In the third scenario, we don’t say anything about the account balance or whether the ATM has any money. This implies that the machine will retain the card whatever the account balance, and whatever the state of the ATM.
The event should describe the feature
The event itself should be very simple, typically only a single call into the production code. As discussed above, some scenarios are more complicated than this, but mostly the scenarios for a story will revolve around a single event. They will differ only in the context (the givens) and the corresponding expected outcomes.
The story should be small enough to fit in an iteration
There are no hard and fast rules about how you do this, as long as you break it down into demonstrable chunks. In general if there are more than about five or six scenarios, a story can probably be broken down by grouping similar scenarios together.
We can’t tell from the ATM example how many more scenarios there are for this story, but I am suspicious that there may be several more. Essentially we have three “moving parts” in this story, namely the account balance, the status of the cash card and the state of the ATM. We could get into more detail with the cash card: what if it is out of date, so I can’t use it to withdraw cash but the ATM still returns it to me? What if the ATM breaks partway through the transaction? What if my account has an overdraft facility?
It might be better to break the story out into several smaller stories:
- Account Holder withdraws cash (assumptions: ATM is working and card is valid)
- Account Holder withdraws cash with invalid card (assumptions: ATM is working)
- Account Holder withdraws cash from flaky ATM (assumptions: card is valid)
Although this may seem artificial, it allows you to demonstrate progress in business terms and gives you more data points to track with. The important thing is always to break the story out along business lines by scenarios (and making the assumptions explicit) rather than along technical lines (e.g. doing the database stuff in this iteration and the GUI stuff in the next iteration). This is so the business can see demonstrable progress on their own terms rather than just taking your word for it.
So how is this different from Use Cases?
There are use cases and there are use cases. I’m a huge fan of the way Alistair Cockburn describes use cases (as opposed to the over-engineered versions I have encountered on RUP-as-waterfall projects). Given that I don’t have much experience on use case-driven projects, I’ll leave it to others to draw the comparisons.
Certainly I agree with his process of starting at the lower precision (of an outcome, or goal) and working towards higher precisions, taking in more exception scenarios as you go. In BDD, this means starting with the business outcome, and working through high level functional areas to drill into specific stories with acceptance criteria.
In reality, it doesn’t matter what your process is to identify and elaborate requirements. It’s fine for you to write requirements documents if that helps you organise your thoughts. It’s not fine, however, to pass those documents along as if they actually encapsulated all your thoughts, because they don’t. Instead, you should put the requirements document, or stack of use cases, to one side and start over defining stories from business outcomes, safe in the knowledge that your hard work has meant that you have all the answers in your head – or at least a good enough understanding to outline the work as you currently see it.
Behaviour-driven development uses a story as the basic unit of functionality, and therefore of delivery. The acceptance criteria are an intrinsic part of the story – in effect they define the scope of its behaviour, and give us a shared definition of “done”. They are also used as the basis for estimation when we come to do our planning.
Most importantly, the stories are the result of conversations between the project stakeholders, business analysts, testers and developers. BDD is as much about the interactions between the various people in the project as it is about the outputs of the development process.
1. Actually it should be the person who actually cares about the feature, so it may equally be an operational, legal or security person depending on the story.
| 436
|
Opportunities and Challenges in High Pressure Processing of Foods By Rastogi, N K; Raghavarao, K S M S; Balasubramaniam, V M; Niranjan, K; Knorr, D Consumers increasingly demand convenience foods of the highest quality in terms of natural flavor and taste, and which are free from additives and preservatives. This demand has triggered the need for the development of a number of nonthermal approaches to food processing, of which high-pressure technology has proven to be very valuable. A number of recent publications have demonstrated novel and diverse uses of this technology. Its novel features, which include destruction of microorganisms at room temperature or lower, have made the technology commercially attractive. Enzymes and even spore forming bacteria can be inactivated by the application of pressure-thermal combinations, This review aims to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with this technology. In addition to discussing the effects of high pressure on food components, this review covers the combined effects of high pressure processing with: gamma irradiation, alternating current, ultrasound, and carbon dioxide or anti-microbial treatment. Further, the applications of this technology in various sectors-fruits and vegetables, dairy, and meat processing-have been dealt with extensively. The integration of high-pressure with other matured processing operations such as blanching, dehydration, osmotic dehydration, rehydration, frying, freezing / thawing and solid- liquid extraction has been shown to open up new processing options. The key challenges identified include: heat transfer problems and resulting non-uniformity in processing, obtaining reliable and reproducible data for process validation, lack of detailed knowledge about the interaction between high pressure, and a number of food constituents, packaging and statutory issues. Keywords high pressure, food processing, non-thermal processing Consumers demand high quality and convenient products with natural flavor and taste, and greatly appreciate the fresh appearance of minimally processed food. Besides, they look for safe and natural products without additives such as preservatives and humectants. In order to harmonize or blend all these demands without compromising the safety of the products, it is necessary to implement newer preservation technologies in the food industry. Although the fact that “high pressure kills microorganisms and preserves food” was discovered way back in 1899 and has been used with success in chemical, ceramic, carbon allotropy, steel/alloy, composite materials and plastic industries for decades, it was only in late 1980′s that its commercial benefits became available to the food processing industries. High pressure processing (HPP) is similar in concept to cold isostatic pressing of metals and ceramics, except that it demands much higher pressures, faster cycling, high capacity, and sanitation (Zimmerman and Bergman, 1993; Mertens and Deplace, 1993). Hite (1899) investigated the application of high pressure as a means of preserving milk, and later extended the study to preserve fruits and vegetables (Hite, Giddings, and Weakly, 1914). It then took almost eighty years for Japan to re- discover the application of high-pressure in food processing. The use of this technology has come about so quickly that it took only three years for two Japanese companies to launch products, which were processed using this technology. The ability of high pressure to inactivate microorganisms and spoilage catalyzing enzymes, whilst retaining other quality attributes, has encouraged Japanese and American food companies to introduce high pressure processed foods in the market (Mermelstein, 1997; Hendrickx, Ludikhuyze, Broeck, and Weemaes, 1998). The first high pressure processed foods were introduced to the Japanese market in 1990 by Meidi-ya, who have been marketing a line of jams, jellies, and sauces packaged and processed without application of heat (Thakur and Nelson, 1998). Other products include fruit preparations, fruit juices, rice cakes, and raw squid in Japan; fruit juices, especially apple and orange juice, in France and Portugal; and guacamole and oysters in the USA (Hugas, Garcia, and Monfort, 2002). In addition to food preservation, high- pressure treatment can result in food products acquiring novel structure and texture, and hence can be used to develop new products (Hayashi, 1990) or increase the functionality of certain ingredients. Depending on the operating parameters and the scale of operation, the cost of highpressure treatment is typically around US$ 0.05-0.5 per liter or kilogram, the lower value being comparable to the cost of thermal processing (Thakur and Nelson, 1998; Balasubramaniam, 2003). The non-availability of suitable equipment encumbered early applications of high pressure. However, recent progress in equipment design has ensured worldwide recognition of the potential for such a technology in food processing (Could, 1995; Galazka and Ledward, 1995; Balci and Wilbey, 1999). Today, high-pressure technology is acknowledged to have the promise of producing a very wide range of products, whilst simultaneously showing potential for creating a new generation of value added foods. In general, high-pressure technology can supplement conventional thermal processing for reducing microbial load, or substitute the use of chemical preservatives (Rastogi, Subramanian, and Raghavarao, 1994). Over the past two decades, this technology has attracted considerable research attention, mainly relating to: i) the extension of keeping quality (Cheftel, 1995; Farkas and Hoover, 2001), ii) changing the physical and functional properties of food systems (Cheftel, 1992), and iii) exploiting the anomalous phase transitions of water under extreme pressures, e.g. lowering of freezing point with increasing pressures (Kalichevsky, Knorr, and Lillford, 1995; Knorr, Schlueter, and Heinz, 1998). The key advantages of this technology can be summarized as follows: 1. it enables food processing at ambient temperature or even lower temperatures; 2. it enables instant transmittance of pressure throughout the system, irrespective of size and geometry, thereby making size reduction optional, which can be a great advantage; 3. it causes microbial death whilst virtually eliminating heat damage and the use of chemical preservatives/additives, thereby leading to improvements in the overall quality of foods; and 4. it can be used to create ingredients with novel functional properties. The effect of high pressure on microorganisms and proteins/ enzymes was observed to be similar to that of high temperature. As mentioned above, high pressure processing enables transmittance of pressure rapidly and uniformly throughout the food. Consequently, the problems of spatial variations in preservation treatments associated with heat, microwave, or radiation penetration are not evident in pressure-processed products. The application of high pressure increases the temperature of the liquid component of the food by approximately 3C per 100 MPa. If the food contains a significant amount of fat, such as butter or cream, the temperature rise is greater (8-9C/100 MPa) (Rasanayagam, Balasubramaniam, Ting, Sizer, Bush, and Anderson, 2003). Foods cool down to their original temperature on decompression if no heat is lost to (or gained from) the walls of the pressure vessel during the holding stage. The temperature distribution during the pressure-holding period can change depending on heat transfer across the walls of the pressure vessel, which must be held at the desired temperature for achieving truly isothermal conditions. In the case of some proteins, a gel is formed when the rate of compression is slow, whereas a precipitate is formed when the rate is fast. High pressure can cause structural changes in structurally fragile foods containing entrapped air such as strawberries or lettuce. Cell deformation and cell damage can result in softening and cell serum loss. Compression may also shift the pH depending on the imposed pressure. Heremans (1995) indicated a lowering of pH in apple juice by 0.2 units per 100 MPa increase in pressure. In combined thermal and pressure treatment processes, Meyer (2000) proposed that the heat of compression could be used effectively, since the temperature of the product can be raised from 70-90C to 105-120C by a compression to 700 MPa, and brought back to the initial temperature by decompression. As a thermodynamic parameter, pressure has far-reaching effects on the conformation of macromolecules, the transition temperature of lipids and water, and a number of chemical reactions (Cheftel, 1992; Tauscher, 1995). Phenomena that are accompanied by a decrease in volume are enhanced by pressure, and vice-versa (principle of Le Chatelier). Thus, under pressure, reaction equilibriums are shifted towards the most compact state, and the reaction rate constant is increased or decreased, depending on whether the “activation volume” of the reaction (i.e. volume of the activation complex less volume of reactants) is negative or positive. It is likely that pressure a\lso inhibits the availability of the activation energy required for some reactions, by affecting some other energy releasing enzymatic reactions (Farr, 1990). The compression energy of 1 litre of water at 400 MPa is 19.2 kJ, as compared to 20.9 kJ for heating 1 litre of water from 20 to 25C. The low energy levels involved in pressure processing may explain why covalent bonds of food constituents are usually less affected than weak interactions. Pressure can influence most biochemical reactions, since they often involve change in volume. High pressure controls certain enzymatic reactions. The effect of high pressure on protein/enzyme is reversible unlike temperature, in the range 100-400 MPa and is probably due to conformational changes and sub-unit dissociation and association process (Morild, 1981). For both the pasteurization and sterilization processes, a combined treatment of high pressure and temperature are frequently considered to be most appropriate (Farr, 1990; Patterson, Quinn, Simpson, and Gilmour, 1995). Vegetative cells, including yeast and moulds, are pressure sensitive, i.e. they can be inactivated by pressures of ~300-600 MPa (Knorr, 1995; Patterson, Quinn, Simpson, and Gilmour, 1995). At high pressures, microbial death is considered to be due to permeabilization of cell membrane. For instance, it was observed that in the case of Saccharomyces cerevasia, at pressures of about 400 MPa, the structure and cytoplasmic organelles were grossly deformed and large quantities of intracellular material leaked out, while at 500 MPa, the nucleus could no longer be recognized, and a loss of intracellular material was almost complete (Farr, 1990). Changes that are induced in the cell morphology of the microorganisms are reversible at low pressures, but irreversible at higher pressures where microbial death occurs due to permeabilization of the cell membrane. An increase in process temperature above ambient temperature, and to a lesser extent, a decrease below ambient temperature, increases the inactivation rates of microorganisms during high pressure processing. Temperatures in the range 45 to 50C appear to increase the rate of inactivation of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. Preservation of acid foods (pH ≤ 4.6) is, therefore, the most obvious application of HPP as such. Moreover, pasteurization can be performed even under chilled conditions for heat sensitive products. Low temperature processing can help to retain nutritional quality and functionality of raw materials treated and could allow maintenance of low temperature during post harvest treatment, processing, storage, transportation, and distribution periods of the life cycle of the food system (Knorr, 1995). Bacterial spores are highly pressure resistant, since pressures exceeding 1200 MPa may be needed for their inactivation (Knorr, 1995). The initiation of germination or inhibition of germinated bacterial spores and inactivation of piezo-resistive microorganisms can be achieved in combination with moderate heating or other pretreatments such as ultrasound. Process temperature in the range 90-121C in conjunction with pressures of 500-800 MPa have been used to inactivate spores forming bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum. Thus, sterilization of low-acid foods (pH > 4.6), will most probably rely on a combination of high pressure and other forms of relatively mild treatments. High-pressure application leads to the effective reduction of the activity of food quality related enzymes (oxidases), which ensures high quality and shelf stable products. Sometimes, food constituents offer piezo-resistance to enzymes. Further, high pressure affects only non-covalent bonds (hydrogen, ionic, and hydrophobic bonds), causes unfolding of protein chains, and has little effect on chemical constituents associated with desirable food qualities such as flavor, color, or nutritional content. Thus, in contrast to thermal processing, the application of high-pressure causes negligible impairment of nutritional values, taste, color flavor, or vitamin content (Hayashi, 1990). Small molecules such as amino acids, vitamins, and flavor compounds remain unaffected by high pressure, while the structure of the large molecules such as proteins, enzymes, polysaccharides, and nucleic acid may be altered (Balci and Wilbey, 1999). High pressure reduces the rate of browning reaction (Maillard reaction). It consists of two reactions, condensation reaction of amino compounds with carbonyl compounds, and successive browning reactions including metanoidin formation and polymerization processes. The condensation reaction shows no acceleration by high pressure (5-50 MPa at 50C), because it suppresses the generation of stable free radicals derived from melanoidin, which are responsible for the browning reaction (Tamaoka, Itoh, and Hayashi, 1991). Gels induced by high pressure are found to be more glossy and transparent because of rearrangement of water molecules surrounding amino acid residues in a denatured state (Okamoto, Kawamura, and Hayashi, 1990). The capability and limitations of HPP have been extensively reviewed (Thakur and Nelson, 1998; Smelt, 1998;Cheftal, 1995; Knorr, 1995; Fair, 1990; Tiwari, Jayas, and Holley, 1999; Cheftel, Levy, and Dumay, 2000; Messens, Van Camp, and Huyghebaert, 1997; Ontero and Sanz, 2000; Hugas, Garriga, and Monfort, 2002; Lakshmanan, Piggott,and Paterson, 2003; Balasubramaniam, 2003; Matser, Krebbers, Berg, and Bartels, 2004; Hogan, Kelly, and Sun, 2005; Mor-Mur and Yuste, 2005). Many of the early reviews primarily focused on the microbial efficacy of high-pressure processing. This review comprehensively covers the different types of products processed by highpressure technology alone or in combination with the other processes. It also discusses the effect of high pressure on food constituents such as enzymes and proteins. The applications of this technology in fruits and vegetable, dairy and animal product processing industries are covered. The effects of combining high- pressure treatment with other processing methods such as gamma- irradiation, alternating current, ultrasound, carbon dioxide, and anti microbial peptides have also been described. Special emphasis has been given to opportunities and challenges in high pressure processing of foods, which can potentially be explored and exploited. EFFECT OF HIGH PRESSURE ON ENZYMES AND PROTEINS Enzymes are a special class of proteins in which biological activity arises from active sites, brought together by a three- dimensional configuration of molecule. The changes in active site or protein denaturation can lead to loss of activity, or changes the functionality of the enzymes (Tsou, 1986). In addition to conformational changes, enzyme activity can be influenced by pressure-induced decompartmentalization (Butz, Koller, Tauscher, and Wolf, 1994; Gomes and Ledward, 1996). Pressure induced damage of membranes facilitates enzymesubstrate contact. The resulting reaction can either be accelerated or retarded by pressure (Butz, Koller, Tauscher, and Wolf, 1994; Gomes and Ledward, 1996; Morild, 1981). Hendrickx, Ludikhuy ze, Broeck, and Weemaes ( 1998) and Ludikhuyze, Van Loey, and Indrawati et al. (2003) reviewed the combined effect of pressure and temperature on enzymes related to the ity of fruits and vegetables, which comprises of kinetic information as well as process engineering aspects. Pectin methylesterase (PME) is an enzyme, which normally tends to lower the viscosity of fruits products and adversely affect their texture. Hence, its inactivation is a prerequisite for the preservation of such products. Commercially, fruit products containing PME (e.g. orange juice and tomato products) are heat pasteurized to inactivate PME and prolong shelf life. However, heating can deteriorate the sensory and nutritional quality of the products. Basak and Ramaswamy (1996) showed that the inactivation of PME in orange juice was dependent on pressure level, pressure-hold time, pH, and total soluble solids. An instantaneous pressure kill was dependent only on pressure level and a secondary inactivation effect dependent on holding time at each pressure level. Nienaber and Shellhammer (2001) studied the kinetics of PME inactivation in orange juice over a range of pressures (400-600 MPa) and temperatures (25-5O0C) for various process holding times. PME inactivation followed a firstorder kinetic model, with a residual activity of pressure-resistant enzyme. Calculated D-values ranged from 4.6 to 117.5 min at 600 MPa/50C and 400 MPa/25C, respectively. Pressures in excess of 500 MPa resulted in sufficiently faster inactivation rates for economic viability of the process. Binh, Van Loey, Fachin, Verlent, Indrawati, and Hendrickx (2002a, 2002b) studied the kinetics of inactivation of strawberry PME. The combined effect of pressure and temperature on inactivation kinetics followed a fractional-conversion model. Purified strawberry PME was more stable toward high-pressure treatments than PME from oranges and bananas. Ly-Nguyen, Van Loey, Fachin, Verlent, Hendrickx (2002) showed that the inactivation of the banana PME enzyme during heating at temperature between 65 and 72.5C followed first order kinetics and the effect of pressure treatment of 600-700 MPa at 10C could be described using a fractionalconversion model. Stoforos, Crelier, Robert, and Taoukis (2002) demonstrated that under ambient pressure, tomato PME inactivation rates increased with temperature, and the highest rate was obtained at 75C. The inactivation rates were dramatically reduced as soon as the essing pressure was raised beyond 75C. High inactivation rates were obtained at a pressure higher than 700 MPa. Riahi and Ramaswamy (2003) studied high- pressure inactivation kinetics of PME isolated from a variety of sources and showed that PME from a microbial source was more resistant \to pressure inactivation than from orange peel. Almost a full decimal reduction in activity of commercial PME was achieved at 400 MPa within 20 min. Verlent, Van Loey, Smout, Duvetter, Nguyen, and Hendrickx (2004) indicated that the optimal temperature for tomato pectinmethylesterase was shifted to higher values at elevated pressure compared to atmospheric pressure, creating the possibilities for rheology improvements by the application of high pressure. Castro, Van Loey, Saraiva, Smout, and Hendrickx (2006) accurately described the inactivation of the labile fraction under mild-heat and high-pressure conditions by a fractional conversion model, while a biphasic model was used to estimate the inactivation rate constant of both the fractions at more drastic conditions of temperature/ pressure (10-64C, 0.1-800 MPa). At pressures lower than 300 MPa and temperatures higher than 54C, an antagonistic effect of pressure and temperature was observed. Balogh, Smout, Binh, Van Loey, and Hendrickx (2004) observed the inactivation kinetics of carrot PME to follow first order kinetics over a range of pressure and temperature (650800 MPa, 10-40C). Enzyme stability under heat and pressure was reported to be lower in carrot juice and purified PME preparations than in carrots. The presence of pectinesterase (PE) reduces the quality of citrus juices by destabilization of clouds. Generally, the inactivation of the enzyme is accomplished by heat, resulting in a loss of fresh fruit flavor in the juice. High pressure processing can be used to bypass the use of extreme heat for the processing of fruit juices. Goodner, Braddock, and Parish (1998) showed that the higher pressures (>600 MPa) caused instantaneous inactivation of the heat labile form of the enzyme but did not inactivate the heat stable form of PE in case of orange and grapefruit juices. PE activity was totally lost in orange juice, whereas complete inactivation was not possible in case of grapefruit juices. Orange juice pressurized at 700 MPa for l min had no cloud loss for more than 50 days. Broeck, Ludikhuyze, Van Loey, and Hendrickx (2000) studied the combined pressure-temperature inactivation of the labile fraction of orange PE over a range of pressure (0.1 to 900 MPa) and temperature (15 to 65C). Pressure and temperature dependence of the inactivation rate constants of the labile fraction was quantified using the well- known Eyring and Arrhenius relations. The stable fraction was inactivated at a temperature higher than 75C. Acidification (pH 3.7) enhanced the thermal inactivation of the stable fraction, whereas the addition of Ca^sup ++^ ions (IM) suppressed inactivation. At elevated pressure (up to 900 MPa), an antagonistic effect of pressure and temperature on inactivation of the stable fraction was observed. Ly-Nguyen, Van Loey, Smout, Ozean, Fachin, Verlent, Vu- Truong, Duvetter, and Hendrickx (2003) investigated the combined heat and pressure treatments on the inactivation of purified carrot PE, which followed a fractional-conversion model. The thermally stable fraction of the enzyme could not be inactivated. At a lower pressure (<300 MPa) and higher temperature (>50C), an antagonistic effect of pressure and heat was observed. High pressures induced conformational changes in polygalacturonase (PG) causing reduced substrate binding affinity and enzyme inactivation. Eun, Seok, and Wan ( 1999) studied the effect of high-pressure treatment on PG from Chinese cabbage to prevent the softening and spoilage of plant-based foods such as kimchies without compromising quality. PG was inactivated by the application of pressure higher than 200 MPa for l min. Fachin, Van Loey, Indrawati, Ludikhuyze, and Hendrickx (2002) investigated the stability of tomato PG at different temperatures and pressures. The combined pressure temperature inactivation (300-600 MPa/50 -50C) of tomato PG was described by a fractional conversion model, which points to Ist-order inactivation kinetics of a pressure-sensitive enzyme fraction and to the occurrence of a pressure-stable PG fraction. Fachin, Smout, Verlent, Binh, Van Loey, and Hendrickx (2004) indicated that in the combination of pressure-temperature (5- 55C/100-600 MPa), the inactivation of the heat labile portion of purified tomato PG followed first order kinetics. The heat stable fraction of the enzyme showed pressure stability very similar to that of heat labile portion. Peelers, Fachin, Smout, Van Loey, and Hendrickx (2004) demonstrated that effect of high-pressure was identical on heat stable and heat labile fractions of tomato PG. The isoenzyme of PG was detected in thermally treated (140C for 5 min) tomato pieces and tomato juice, whereas, no PG was found in pressure treated tomato juice or pieces. Verlent, Van Loey, Smout, Duvetter, and Hendrickx (2004) investigated the effect of nigh pressure (0.1 and 500 MPa) and temperature (25-80C) on purified tomato PG. At atmospheric pressure, the optimum temperature for enzyme was found to be 55-60C and it decreased with an increase in pressure. The enzyme activity was reported to decrease with an increase in pressure at a constant temperature. Shook, Shellhammer, and Schwartz (2001) studied the ability of high pressure to inactivate lipoxygenase, PE and PG in diced tomatoes. Processing conditions used were 400,600, and 800 MPa for 1, 3, and 5 min at 25 and 45C. The magnitude of the applied pressure had a significant effect in inactivating lipoxygenase and PG, with complete loss of activity occurring at 800 MPa. PE was very resistant to the pressure treatment. Polyphenoloxidase and Pemxidase Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), the enzymes responsible for color and flavor loss, can be selectively inactivated by a combined treatment of pressure and temperature. Gomes and Ledward (1996) studied the effects of pressure treatment (100-800 MPa for 1-20 min) on commercial PPO enzyme available from mushrooms, potatoes, and apples. Castellari, Matricardi, Arfelli, Rovere, and Amati ( 1997) demonstrated that there was a limited inactivation of grape PPO using pressures between 300 and 600 MPa. At 900 MPa, a low level of PPO activity was apparent. In order to reach complete inactivation, it may be necessary to use high- pressure processing treatments in conjunction with a mild thermal treatment (40-50C). Weemaes, Ludikhuyze, Broeck, and Hendrickx (1998) studied the pressure stabilities of PPO from apple, avocados, grapes, pears, and plums at pH 6-7. These PPO differed in pressure stability. Inactivation of PPO from apple, grape, avocado, and pear at room temperature (25C) became noticeable at approximately 600, 700, 800 and 900 MPa, respectively, and followed first-order kinetics. Plum PPO was not inactivated at room temperature by pressures up to 900 MPa. Rastogi, Eshtiaghi, and Knorr (1999) studied the inactivation effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatment (100-600 MPa) combined with heat treatment (0-60C) on POD and PPO enzyme, in order to develop high pressure-processed red grape juice having stable shelf-life. The studies showed that the lowest POD (55.75%) and PPO (41.86%) activities were found at 60C, with pressure at 600 and 100 MPa, respectively. MacDonald and Schaschke (2000) showed that for PPO, both temperature and pressure individually appeared to have similar effects, whereas the holding time was not significant. On the other hand, in case of POD, temperature as well as interaction between temperature and holding time had the greatest effect on activity. Namkyu, Seunghwan, and Kyung (2002) showed that mushroom PPO was highly pressure stable. Exposure to 600 MPa for 10 min reduced PPO activity by 7%; further exposure had no denaturing effect. Compression for 10 and 20 min up to 800 MPa, reduced activity by 28 and 43%, respectively. Rapeanu, Van Loey, Smout, and Hendrickx (2005) indicated that the thermal and/or high-pressure inactivation of grape PPO followed first order kinetics. A third degree polynomial described the temperature/pressure dependence of the inactivation rate constants. Pressure and temperature were reported to act synergistically, except in the high temperature (≥45C)-low pressure (≥300 MPa) region where an antagonistic effect was observed. Gomes, Sumner, and Ledward (1997) showed that the application of increasing pressures led to a gradual reduction in papain enzyme activity. A decrease in activity of 39% was observed when the enzyme solution was initially activated with phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) and subjected to 800 MPa at ambient temperature for 10 min, while 13% of the original activity
| 213
|
Not Just for Kids
The Hunt for Falling Leaves...
Nature's Color on the Ground
by Mary Catherine Ball
Being a reporter, I am always looking for an adventure. Last week, I found one.
I left work to go on a simple journey, but it turned out to be much more.
First, I crossed a mud-ridden stream. Then, I came face to face with flying creatures, fighting to get near me. I even endured webmakers spinning my hair into a shiny maze.
Where did I go? Into the woods, of course. Why? I wanted to gather some fallen leaves.
My luck was good that day. I was able to spy lots of different kinds of leaves lying on the ground. Some were leaves I had never seen. Some were still green, while others were changing to their autumn colors.
Have you ever hunted for leaves? I wonder if you know the names of five of the trees that live in your neighborhood? I bet the answer is no.
Well, me neither. So I had five of the leaves analyzed. I had found the leaves from an oak, a beech, a sweet gum tree and more.
Now, I invite you to make this journey.
Narrow body with pointy edges
Narrow body with pointy edges
May grow berries
Good for sap & color
3 distinct leafs
May grow nuts
This is your task...
Travel to the deep, dark woods (in the daylight) to find these 5 leaves. Cut out the page and take it with you. Make sure you can match your discovery with mine. Happy leaf-hunting!
Stone Soup October 9 (11:30am)-Enjoy lunch and a show. After you eat peanut butter & jelly, watch Stone Soup, performed by the Lost Caravan. Lunch is at noon; show starts at 12:30. Chesapeake Music Hall, Off Rt. 50 approaching the Bay Bridge: 410/406-0306.
All Aboard October 9 & 10 (2pm)-Chug a chug to Zany Brainy for train fun. Listen to stories and sing railroad songs. Build your own trains. Ages 3+. Zany Brainy, Annap. Harb. Ctr.: 410/266-1447.
Tiny Tots Fall for Nature Tues. Oct 12 (10:30am-noon) Three- to five-year-olds (and their adult) hike into the woods to hear autumn stories, gather leaves and make a craft. Bring a bag lunch to enjoy w/apple cider @ King's Landing Park, Huntingtown. $3 rsvp: 800/735-2258.
Spooky Stories in the Woods Tues. Oct. 12 (10:30-noon)-Hike with a ranger to a clearing in the woods. Listen to autumn stories and drink warm apple cider. Gather leaves to make a craft. Bring a bag lunch. Kings Landing Park, Huntingtown: 410/535-5327.
Musical Minds Wed. Oct. 13 (4-4:45pm)-Music makes the world go round. So sing, listen to stories and play musical instruments. Ages 2-4. Chesapeake Children's Museum, Festival at Riva. $8.50; rsvp: 410/266-0677.
Nature Designs Deadline Oct. 15-Create your favorite nature scene out of clay or on paper to win prizes. Age categories are 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 years. Place winners win nature books or statues. All art forms accepted. Take your masterpiece to Wild Bird Center, Annapolis Harbour Center: 410/573-0345.
Tiny Tots get in Touch with Mother Nature Sat. Oct 16 (10-10:30am)
Tiny tots (2-3 w/adult) learn nature by touch, feeling the many different
textures rough and soft in the world around us. @ Battle Creek Cypress Swamp,
Prince Frederick: 800/735-2258.
| Issue 40 |
Volume VII Number 40
October 7-13, 1999
New Bay Times
| Homepage |
| Back to Archives |
| 63
|
How do you get HIV?
HIV can be passed on when infected bodily fluid, such as blood or semen, is passed into an uninfected person. Semen is the liquid which is released from a man's penis during sex which carries sperm. It can be infected with HIV or AIDS when someone is HIV positive or is carrying the AIDS virus. This can happen during unprotected sex. For example when two people have sex without using a condom when one partner is already infected, or between drug users who inject and share needles.
It can't be transmitted by things like coughing, sneezing, kissing, sharing a toilet seat, swimming pools, sweat and tears.
| 640
|
By Allison Lichter
Young children who can sit still and focus are more likely to graduate from college than children who are easily distracted, according to a new study from Oregon State University.
Researchers made use of data that spanned 25 years, tracking a group of 430 preschool-age children through age 21. Parents were asked to rate their children on such behaviors as “playing with a single toy for long periods of time,” or “gives up easily” when a task or games gets hard.
“We were interested in identifying early predictors of later success,” said Megan McClelland, early childhood research core director at OSU’s Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, and a lead author on the study.
“We know that early academic skills predict later academic stills,” she said. “But the ability to pay attention and focus are foundational skills that help kids persist through difficult tasks when they need to.”
She was quick to add that academic skills are critical, and that “aptitude part is part of the equation.”
Still, she said, “There are a lot of very smart people who have difficulty finishing tasks.”
Of course, a lot transpires in a person’s life between age 4 and age 21. While researchers couldn’t control for all variables, McClelland said, they were able to control for some of the most important predictors of academic success: including parents’ education level, the child’s cognitive ability, and childhood vocabulary.
Teachers and parents can help young children develop the qualities of persistence and self-discipline by adding new rules to some familiar games. For example, McClelland suggested playing “Red Light, Green Light,” but changing the rules so that “red” means go, and “green” means stop.
“Kids ask me all the time, ‘Are you trying to trick me?’ I tell them, ‘No, we want you stop and think about what you’re doing first.’”
Another simple activity to help build the concentration muscle is a dance game in which children are told they have to dance slowly when the music is fast, and dance quickly when the music is slow.
“When kids have to control their bodies, it’s more challenging for them,” McClelland said. “They actually have to stop their movements and do something different. It requires a lot of thinking.”
McClelland is also the mother of a 3-year-old son. She acknowledges it takes time to help kids practice ways to focus and get engaged in things they are interested in.
“He will sit there for 15 or 20 minutes doing a Thomas the Train puzzle.” While putting it together, McClelland will sometimes ask ‘How many pieces have we used?’ to build her son’s aptitude for counting.
But she says, “I’m also helping him focus and persist.”
| 693
|
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.
| 802
|
Big Leap Forward in Understanding Genetics Underlying Prevalent Diseases
The Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC), a collaboration of 24 leading human geneticists analyzing thousands of DNA samples from patients suffering prevalent human diseases, have announced breakthrough research findings. Hailed as a "...new chapter in medical science...", genetic variants have been found for:
- Crohn's disease
- coronary heart disease
- rheumatoid arthritis
- Type I and Type II diabetes
Some of the fascinating findings:
- Type I Diabetes and Crohn's disease share a common gene, suggesting similar biological pathways!
- An obesity gene as well as three new genes linked to Type II Diabetes
- The WTCCC used gene chip technology, which is not unlike microchip technology, enabling scientists to scan hundreds of thousands of DNA markers at once.
Thank you jurvetson for use of photo Playing with DNA featuring James Watson!
Recent Blog Posts
| 749
|
Christine Duncan, MD
Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects as many as 100,000 Americans, and a comprehensive understanding of SCD is essential for pediatric and adult hematologists. This common disease will be explored in depth in an Education Program Session today at 7:30 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. in rooms 393-396 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The session is designed for all hematologists who treat patients with sickle cell syndromes, including general adult and pediatric hematologists and those who practice in tertiary care centers.
Gene therapy offers promise as a curative therapy for SCD but is not yet a reality. Stem cell transplantation has successfully cured many severely affected patients, but it is limited by the availability of donors and by transplant-related toxicity. As a result, we are still searching for effective and tolerable alternative therapies for this common disease.
In today’s session, Drs. Kenneth Ataga of the University of North Carolina and Russell Ware of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will review existing and innovative therapies for SCD.
Dr. Ataga will describe treatments aimed at decreasing sickle hemoglobin polymerization directly, and therapies that target aspects of sickle cell pathobiology other than hemoglobin (e.g., vascular adhesion or cellular hydration).
Dr. Ware will then examine the use of hydroxyurea in SCD, a treatment widely used by clinicians since landmark clinical trial results were reported in the 1990s. While hydroxyurea cannot be considered a novel therapy, it is receiving increased attention, and there is renewed enthusiasm for the drug. The 2008 NIH consensus statement regarding the use of hydroxyurea in patients with SCD cites strong evidence for the efficacy of the drug in adult patients and compelling data for its use in children.
The NIH consensus statement that examined the use of hydroxyurea also addressed the need for patients with SCD to have a primary health care provider. The statement suggests that providers either specialize in the care of patients with SCD or maintain contact with a hematologist with expertise in SCD. This recommendation highlights the often overlapping arenas of SCD management and primary care, which Dr. Joshua Field from Washington University, St. Louis, will emphasize in his discussion of two commonly co-exisiting conditions that have complex interactions: SCD and asthma. As Dr. Field explains, "We do not fully understand if these are two separate disease processes or if the asthma is a manifestation of sickle cell disease. The diagnosis and treatment of patients with sickle cell and airway disease is not straightforward. The same rules used to diagnose a patient with asthma in the general population may not apply to a child with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell comorbidities may make it harder to diagnose and to treat a patient with asthma and SCD."
Dr. Duncan indicated no relevant conflicts of interest.
back to top
| 891
|
The authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, IBWA members include U.S. and International bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA represents our industry’s uncompromising commitment to the safety and availability of bottled water worldwide.
Bottled water companies work hard to protect the environment, and play an important role in promoting recycling of plastic containers and groundwater management.
The bottled water industry is one of thousands of food, beverage and commercial water users. Bottled Water companies actively support comprehensive ground water management practices that are science-based, treat all users equitably, multi-jurisdictional, and provide for future needs of this important resource. Learn more.
Bottled water is a safe, healthy, and convenient packaged food product, which is comprehensively regulated at both the federal and state level.
Strictly regulated as a packaged food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bottled water is a safe, refreshing, convenient, and consistently reliable beverage choice. Did you know that by mandate of federal law, the FDA regulations governing the safety and quality of bottled water must be as stringent as the EPA regulations which govern tap water? Learn more.
MYTH: Bottled water isn't as regulated as tap water.
FACT: By federal law, the FDA regulations governing the safety and quality of bottled water must be as stringent as the EPA regulations which govern tap water.
To suggest in any way that bottled water is less stringently regulated than tap water is simply not true...
| 291
|
The Handel and Haydn Society is a chorus and period instrument orchestra in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1815, it is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in the USA. Most widely known for its performances of George Frideric Handel's Messiah, the group gave its American premiere in 1818 and has performed the piece annually since 1854.
The Handel and Haydn Society was founded as an oratorio society in Boston on April 20, 1815, by Gottlieb Graupner, Thomas Smith Webb, Amasa Winchester, and Matthew S. Parker, a group of Boston merchants and musicians who were eager to improve the performance of choral music in a city that, at the time, offered very little music of any kind. The name of the Society reflects the foundersí wish to bring Boston audiences the best of the old (G.F. Handel) and the best of the new (Haydn) in concerts of the highest artistic quality. The first performance by the Society was held on Christmas night in 1815 at King's Chapel, and included a chorus of 90 men and 10 women.
From its earliest years, the Handel and Haydn Society established a tradition of innovation, performing the American premieres of G.F. Handelís Messiah in 1818, Haydnís The Creation in 1819, Verdiís Requiem in 1878, Amy Beach's Mass in 1892, and numerous other works by G.F. Handel, Mozart, J.S. Bach, and others.
The Society was also an early promoter of composer Lowell Mason, publishing his first collection of hymns and later electing him as the group's President. Mason's music was extremely influential and much of it is still performed today. He is best known for composing the music for the popular carol, Joy to the World. Mason was also instrumental in establishing music education in the USA.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Handel and Haydn staged music festivals to commemorate its own anniversaries and such significant events as the end of the Civil War. The Society organized Americaís first great music festival in 1857, and in later years gave benefit concerts to aid the Union Army, victims of the Chicago fire in 1871, and Russian Jewish refugees in 1882. Over the years, the Handel and Haydn Society has performed for such luminaries as President James Monroe, Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, Admiral Dewey, and Queen Elizabeth II.
By the mid 20th century, the Handel and Haydn Society had begun to move toward vocal and instrumental authenticity. In 1967, an acknowledged expert in Baroque performance practice, Thomas Dunn, became the Society's Artistic Director and transformed the group's large amateur chorus into one of approximately 30 professional singers. In 1986, Christopher Hogwood succeeded Thomas Dunn as Artistic Director and added period-instrument performances and a new verve to the high choral standards of the Society. In October 1986, Handel and Haydn presented its first period instrument orchestra concert under Christopher Hogwoodís baton, and by the 1989-1990 season all of the Society's concerts were performed on period instruments. The Society has remained committed to historically informed performance following the end of Christopher Hogwood's tenure as Artistic Director in the spring of 2001.
Handel and Haydn Society announced the appointment of Harry Christophers as Artistic Director on September 26, 2008. Harry Christophers, a regular guest conductor of the Society, began his tenure as Artistic Director with the 2009-2010 season and is the organizationís thirteenth artistic leader since its founding in 1815. The initial term of Harry Christophersí contract with the Society extends through the 2011-2012 season.
Harry Christophers has conducted the Handel and Haydn Society each season since his first appearance in September 2006, when he led a sold-out performance in the Esterházy Palace at the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. Held in the same location where Haydn lived and worked for nearly 40 years, this Austrian appearance marked the Societyís first in Europe in its then 191-year history. Harry Christophers returned to conduct the Society in Boston in a critically acclaimed performance of G.F. Handelís Messiah in December 2007, followed by an appearance at Symphony Hall in January 2008. Founder and Music Director of the renowned UK-based choir and period-instrument orchestra, The Sixteen, he is also in demand as a guest conductor for leading orchestras and opera companies worldwide and in the USA.
Welsh conductor Grant Llewellyn joined Handel and Haydn in the 2001-2002 season as Music Director. Grant Llewellyn did not have a background in period-instrument performance prior to joining the Society, but has won wide acclaim from critics and musicians for his energetic and compelling conducting. He has been noted for his charming personality and for his ability to produce exceptional performances from the Society's musicians.
During his tenure as Music Director, the Society produced several recordings that have met with considerable commercial success, including Peace and All is Bright which both appeared on Billboard Magazine's Classical Top 10 chart. Handel and Haydn Society was also awarded its first Grammy Award for a collaboration with the San Francisco choral ensemble Chanticleer for the 2003 recording of Sir John Tavener's Lamentations and Praises.
The Society also entered into a multi-year relationship with Chinese director Chen Shi-Zheng starting in 2003. This has yielded fully-staged productions of Monteverdi's Vespers (in 2003) and Orfeo (in 2006) that Chen sees as the start of a cycle of Monteverdi's surviving operas and his Vespers. The 2006 Orfeo was co-produced by the English National Opera. Chen also directed a production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in 2005 for Handel and Haydn. Grant Llewellyn concluded his tenure in 2006.
In July 2007, the ensemble made a historic appearance at London's Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms concert series, presenting Haydn's oratorio Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons), with Sir Roger Norrington conducting.
| 361
|
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.)
| 333
|
The talk, made available by the Center for Design Innovation (via The Next Web), was from 1983's International Design Conference at Aspen, at which a 20-something Steve Jobs spoke to how personal computers would change the world forever. His insight was eerily prescient as he described a day when email would dominate the communications landscape, people would use portable network-connected computing devices and users would be able to interact with machines in new and innovative ways.
In about 20 minutes, Jobs summarized the then-current state of personal computing, noting that the market was about to see a significant boom. He also said that computers would likely be poorly designed, a theory that became reality with the early beige boxes of the 80s and early 90s, including Apple's own Apple II.
Jobs' vision of "good design" meant not only building aesthetically pleasing machines, but devices that had a utility of function like user-friendly GUIs akin to those seen on early Macs.
Near the end of his talk, Jobs looked even further into the future, hinting that technology like artificial intelligence and predictive computing could one day be a possibility.
He recalls how books helped him learn straight from the source instead of being filtered through interpretation when he was in school, citing Plato and Aristotle as two examples. The problem, Jobs said, was that the great minds couldn't be tapped once they were dead. To this, he proposed a machine that can collect data, compiling it into a type of artificial intelligence.
"I think as we look toward the next 50 to 100 years, if we really can come up with these machines that can capture an underlying spirit, or an underlying set of principles, or an underlying way of looking at the world so that then when the next Aristotle comes around?" Jobs said. "Maybe if he carries around one these machines with him his whole life and types in all this stuff, then maybe someday after the person's dead and gone we can ask this machine, 'Hey, what would Aristotle have said?what about this?' And maybe we won't get the right answer?but maybe we will. And that's really exciting to me."
A video of the speech as well as an accompanying audio file can be found at the Center for Design Innovation's blog.
| 260
|
This week I was visited by a woman inventor who created a way to reduce one seemingly small contributor to the landfill. You know those little tiny plastic spoons they give you in the ice cream shop so you can taste lots of flavors before you make a selection or that are distributed along with little samples of a new soup in the supermarket? Well they're not reused, recycled, or biodegradable.
That's why Peggy Cross developed the EcoTaster (shown left),a paperboard tasting spoon made from recycled materials that will decompose in compost in just two weeks.
For full-size portions, she also offers the EcoTensil (shown right) which is made of the same type of paperboard as a milk carton and will also biodegrade, although a little bit more slowly.
Cross also pointed out that these made-in-the-USA tools are made of less material and take up less space than other disposable utensils (see photo at left), making for a much smaller carbon footprint. Stonyfield Farms recently used the spoons for yogurt samplings at the US Open tennis championship--we hope they start popping up in supermarkets, trade shows, and sports events all over the country. Voskos Yogurt, Solgar Vitamin and Herb Company, and Schoolhouse Kitchen are other companies that are already using them.
Here at GHRI we've demonstrated our commitment to the environment with our Green Good Housekeeping Seal which helps you make wise choices for the earth, when you're out shopping.
| 588
|
BP still has to pay the government for that little slip-up that happened last year. The Clean Water Act imposes punitive damages for any act of pollution carried out in US waters, with fines proportional to the magnitude of the environmental impact. For oil spills, damages are calculated according to the amount of hydrocarbons leaked into the water column. The Macondo well hemorrhaged oil for 89 days. That’s a whole lotta fine dollaz. Damages look set to total between $5.4 and $21 billion dollars, depending government’s final estimate of oil spilled.
But Congress has to decide how that money gets spent – and thankfully, the House and Senate are trying to move quickly to pass the bill. The fine money is tentatively set to be divided amongst five areas:
- 35 percent would be divided equally among the five Gulf states for economic and ecological recovery activities along the coast.
- 30 percent would be dedicated to the development and implementation of a comprehensive restoration plan. A new Gulf Coast Restoration Council — made up of representatives from all five states — would dictate the scope of that plan.
- 30 percent would be disbursed by the council to Gulf Coast states, with the allocation dictated in part by spill impact.
- 5 percent would go to a new long-term science and fisheries endowment and to a Gulf Coast research, science and technology program.
Last October, President Barack Obama established the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force to come up with a plan to not only restore ecosystems damaged by the spill but also to repair decades of past damage done by efforts to reengineer the Mississippi River and expand oil and gas drilling in gulf marshes. The task force, made up of senior federal officials and representatives from the five Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, held a series of public meetings over the past year and sought input from a wide range of scientists.
The result is a set of sweeping but relatively general recommendations aimed at bolstering both the science and the political support needed to tackle some highly complex restoration challenges. It sets out four major goals—restoring and conserving habitat, restoring water quality, replenishing and protecting living coastal and marine resources, and enhancing community resilience—along with 19 “major actions” needed to accomplish the goals.
The need for better science gets plenty of ink—including calls for more comprehensive gulf monitoring and data-collection systems. But the report also notes that “the dire state of many elements of the Gulf ecosystem cannot wait for scientific certainty and demand immediate action.” To avoid delays, the panel proposes an “adaptive management” process of “learning by doing, wherein flexibility is built into projects, and actions can be changed based on” new science and progress toward goals.
| 355
|
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Documents WHC-08/32.COM/8B and WHC-08/32.COM/INF.8B1,
2. Inscribes the Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih), Saudi Arabia,on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iii);
3. Adopts the following Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:
The archaeological site of Al-Hijr is a major site of the Nabataean civilisation, in the south of its zone of influence. Its integrity is remarkable and it is well conserved. It includes a major ensemble of tombs and monuments, whose architecture and decorations are directly cut into the sandstone.
It bears witness to the encounter between a variety of decorative and architectural influences (Assyrian, Egyptian, Phoenician, Hellenistic), and the epigraphic presence of several ancient languages (Lihyanite, Talmudic, Nabataean, Greek, Latin).
It bears witness to the development of Nabataean agricultural techniques using a large number of artificial wells in rocky ground. The wells are still in use.
The ancient city of Hegra/Al-Hijr bears witness to the international caravan trade during late Antiquity.
Criterion (ii): The site of Al-Hijr is located at a meeting point between various civilisations of late Antiquity, on a trade route between the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean world and Asia. It bears outstanding witness to important cultural exchanges in architecture, decoration, language use and the caravan trade. Although the Nabataean city was abandoned during the pre-Islamic period, the route continued to play its international role for caravans and then for the pilgrimage to Mecca, up to its modernisation by the construction of the railway at the start of the 20th century.
Criterion (iii): The site of Al-Hijr bears unique testimony to the Nabataean civilisation, between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC and the pre-Islamic period, and particularly in the 1st century AD. It is an outstanding illustration of the architectural style specific to the Nabataeans, consisting of monuments directly cut into the rock, and with facades bearing a large number of decorative motifs. The site includes a set of wells, most of which were sunk into the rock, demonstrating the Nabataeans' mastery of hydraulic techniques for agricultural purposes.
The testimony borne by Al-Hijr to the Nabataean civilisation is of outstanding integrity and authenticity, because of its early abandonment and the benefit over a very long period of highly favourable climatic conditions.
The State Party has begun to set up an extremely comprehensive Local Management Unit, and this process is now under way. The announced management plan should enable satisfactory protection of the property. With this in mind, the plan should organise systematic monitoring of the conservation of the site, and prepare a project for the presentation of the Outstanding Universal Value of the property for the benefit both of visitors and of the population of the region.
4. Requests the State Party to:
- a) implement the established management plan;
- b) in the framework of the management plan and the Local Management Unit, conduct regular monitoring;
5. Recommends that:
- a) the new framework law on the Kingdom's Antiquities and Museums be promulgated;
- b) care be taken to ensure that the development of reception facilities at the property and future developments in the wider surroundings of the property do not impact on the expression of the property's Outstanding Universal Value.
| 551
|
Young children have very short attention spans, which is not surprising given that the optimum study time for an adult is 40 to 45 minutes. So it's quite normal for your students' attention to stray. Also teaching young children is very different to working with adults, you just need to make a few adjustments to how you go about the classes.
You need to think about lots of short activities when you are planning your lessons. At the beginning, this will be very time-consuming as you will need to think through each activity when planning. As time goes by, you will build up a bank of short activities (eg a song, a chant, a nursery rhyme, games such as I spy) that the children are familiar with and that you can introduce when you feel a change is needed. As children get used to your style of teaching, the classroom rules and the types of activity, it will be easier to introduce these short activities into the lesson.
You should also think about pace and variety when you are planning. Some activities should involve whole class focus on the teacher, some should include individual work requiring reflection, some should involve group work and some should include physical movement. The changing focus will also stimulate children, re-focus their attention or calm them down.
You should also insist on having full attention when you are working with or addressing the whole class, for example when telling a story. Children need to understand that when you are talking they should stop what they are doing and listen to you. You could use a signal to indicate when this is necessay, for example clapping your hands.
I'm sure that with time you will get used to teaching children and it will seem less tiring the more you do it.
| 235
|
| This article or section is a Cataclysm stub. You can help expand it by editing it.
Ancient Shark Jaws is a common fossil archaeology artifact.
Sharks have no true bones, only cartilage. Because their feeding habits involve biting things with a great deal of force, losing Teeth is Common. Therefore, sharks have multiple rows of teeth which they replace constantly throughout their lifetimes.
Patches and hotfixes
- Patch 4.0.3 (15-Nov-2010): Added
| 811
|
Bullying Among Elementary Schoolchildren
- New Studies on Bullying. // Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers;May2005, Vol. 80 Issue 5, p15
Reports on a study focusing on bullying among school children by the Committee for Children (CFC) in the U.S. Initiatives undertaken by school administrators to reduce aggressive student behavior; Proposition for the integration of anti-bullying and social and emotional skills into classrooms;...
- Bullying Prevention. Feldman, Sandra // Teaching Pre K-8;Mar2004, Vol. 34 Issue 6, p6
Discusses information on handling bullying among children in a school environment. Importance of parents' cooperation in handling bullying among their children in schools; Strategies in helping students deal with bullying among peers.
- A Bully's Tale. // Education Canada;Summer2005, Vol. 45 Issue 3, p43
The article presents a personal narrative of experiences of being bullied when the author was a student. She relates how she was bullied, both physically and psychologically, during her elementary years. She relates how she was able to stop the bullying only after she herself used violence. She...
- trying to fit in. Brodkin, Adele M. // Scholastic Parent & Child;Sep2008, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p48
The article offers tips on how parents and teachers can help a child not to be neglected in school. A six-year-old boy who is not as ease with physical activities, experienced being left out by other boys. An expert explains that young children exhaust their own fears of being an outsider by...
- Free State educators' experiences and recognition of bullying at schools. de Wet, Corene // South African Journal of Education;Feb2006, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p61
In South Africa little research has been conducted into bullying and particularly into South African educators' experiences of school bullying. In an attempt to address this hiatus in the literature on bullying, I report on an investigation into Free State educators' experiences and recognition...
- BULLYING. Scarpaci, Richard T. // Kappa Delta Pi Record;Summer2006, Vol. 42 Issue 4, p170
This article discusses the prevalence of bullying among school children in the U.S. in 2006. In approaching this problem, research has suggested that reduction of bullying is best accomplished through a school-wide effort. The role of teachers in addressing this problem is indicated. In...
- BULLYING HURTS. Feltes, Kimberly // Scholastic Action;3/16/2009, Vol. 32 Issue 11, p16
The article addresses the growing problem of bullying in schools and offers tips on how to deal with it.
- sticky SITUATION. // Scholastic News -- Edition 5/6;5/7/2007, Vol. 75 Issue 23/24, p14
A hypothetical situation about a boy being bullied by his classmates is presented.
- Next in the Teachers' Lounge …. Leete, Patricia // Teaching Young Children;Apr/May2012, Vol. 5 Issue 4, p31
The article presents the author's insights regarding the issue of bullying in school.
| 136
|
King James II of England (who was also James VII of Scotland) inherited the throne in 1685 upon the death of his brother, Charles II. James II was unpopular because of his attempts to increase the power of the monarchy and restore the Catholic faith. Deposed in the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688-89, he fled to France. His daughter and son-in-law succeeded him as Queen Mary II and King William III. James II died in 1701.
Unless otherwise noted, these books are for sale at Amazon.com. Your purchase through these links will help to support the continued operation and improvement of the Royalty.nu site.
James II by John Miller. Biography from the Yale English Monarchs series.
James II: The Triumph and the Tragedy by John Callow. Charts James' life using little-known material from the UK National Archives. Includes James' own description of the Battle of Edgehill, his reasons for his conversion to Catholicism, and his correspondence with William of Orange.
A Court in Exile: The Stuarts in France, 1689-1718 by Edward Corp. After James II was deposed, he established his court in France. The book describes his court and the close relationships between the British and French royal families.
King in Exile: James II: Warrior, King and Saint by John Callow. Reassesses James's strategy for dealing with his downfall and exile, presenting a portrait of a man who planned for great political rewards and popular acclaim.
James II and the Trial of the Seven Bishops by William Gibson. The trial of seven bishops in 1688 was a prelude to the Glorious Revolution, as popular support for the bishops led to widespread welcome for William of Orange's invasion.
The Making of King James II by John Callow is about the formative years of the fallen king. Out of print, but sometimes available from Alibris.
The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James II by Susan Holloway Scott. Novel about Katherine Sedley, a royal mistress forced to make the most perilous of choices: to remain loyal to the king, or to England.
The Crown for a Lie by Jane Lane. Novel about how James II lost his throne. Out of print, but sometimes available from Alibris.
| 783
|
Family: Corvidae, Crows, Magpies, Jays view all from this family
Description ADULT Has a pale gray-brown back, but otherwise mostly dark blue upperparts; note, however, the dark cheeks and eyeline and pale forecrown, extending back as faint supercilium. Throat is whitish and streaked, with discrete demarcation from otherwise grubby pinkish gray underparts. JUVENILE Similar, but dull gray on head, back, and wing coverts, with blue flight feathers and tail.
Dimensions Length: 11" (28 cm)
Endangered Status The Florida Scrub-Jay is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as threatened throughout its range in Florida. Like many other Florida wildlife species, the scrub-jay has declined as its habitat has succumbed to development. Remaining habitat has been fragmented and degraded, and existing populations are small and isolated. This makes them vulnerable to any change to their environment, as an entire population can be wiped out at once. In some areas the rate of mortality appears to exceed the rate at which the populations is reproducing. A long-term problem for this species could be rising sea levels caused by global warming, as their remaining habitat could easily become inundated.
Habitat Common and widespread resident of scrubby woodland and overgrown suburban lots. Has declined markedly due to habitat loss and degradation
Observation Tips Easy to see and often indifferent to people.
Voice Utters a harsh, nasal cheerp, cheerp, cheerpÖ and other chattering calls.
Similar Species Western Scrub-jay A. californica (L 11-12 in) is bluer on head but otherwise similar; a mainly western species, resident in Texas.
Discussion Florida endemic with slim body, long tail, and stout, but rather slender bill. An opportunistic feeder with an omnivorous diet that includes berries, fruits, insects, and the eggs and young of songbirds. Usually seen in family groups. Sexes are similar.
| 342
|
MONTFERMEIL, France (AP) -- The streets in one of the Paris region's toughest housing projects, burgeoning with immigrants, bear names like Cezanne, Picasso and Utrillo, as if to stamp the French heritage onto the psyches of its residents.
But neither the names of the great masters nor the idyllic images conjured up by the name of the project, Les Bosquets, or The Groves, capture the daily realities of the French-style ghetto, an enclosed world where many residents don't speak French.
Delinquency soars and the unemployment rate is estimated at some 40 percent, nearly four times the national rate. Montfermeil's town hall could not provide an official figure.
Just 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from Paris, Les Bosquets is light years from the world of Parisians.
Les Bosquets, like other projects that surround the big cities of France, belies this nation's special brand of integration whereby newcomers from afar assimilate into the French culture, becoming one with it whatever their origins. Despite quiet debate, French authorities, whatever their political colors, have stood by a French model that's colorblind to differences, in total contrast to the U.S. notion of a vibrant melting pot.
The story of France is often viewed as the antithesis to the U.S., one in which race and ethnicity are not counted in the government census and minority rights need not exist, due to residents who share a common identity of "French." Many French shudder at the word "multiculturalism."
But housing projects such as Les Bosquets, often cut off by poor public transport from the cities, raise questions about how much assimilation is really happening in France and whether the French model of integration, long the nation's pride, is wearing thin.
Even Muslim immigrants from France's former North African colonies, many in their third generation, and making up a large portion of residents of Les Bosquets, are far from melding with the mainstream.
For Patrick Simon, a leading demographer, the French model has a basic flaw that is becoming increasingly evident as time goes by.
"It's a model founded on the invisibility of differences," Simon said. The problem is that minorities are increasingly visible, many of them with origins in France's former colonies in Muslim North Africa, and because "we see them, we can't ignore their existence."
Even second- and third-generation citizens of foreign origin are perceived as different and treated thus.
Statisticians are not allowed to count people by their origins, complicating research.
But the postcard vision of France with church steeples perched over a contented populace that's wearing berets and carrying baguettes has been upended in the Seine-Saint-Denis region northeast of Paris.
French kings are buried in the great cathedral of Saint-Denis, the main town, but traditional minorities have become the majority in the region.
A study by Simon puts immigrants and their descendants through the second generation at 75 percent of the city's population. It includes people from French overseas departments (8 percent), who are French but of color. The jobless rate was 16.5 percent in 2009, according to Insee, the national statistics agency. But the economic leaders are in the white minority, Simon said, putting new stress on the notion that immigrants and their children are being successfully assimilated.
In Les Bosquets, the most widespread complaint remains poor public transport and the isolation that keeps Les Bosquets at a distance from mainstream France. It takes nearly 90 minutes to get to Paris.
"They've done everything to keep us closed among ourselves," said a 34-year-old born in France of Algerian parents. "It is they who don't want us to integrate." Like most residents of the projects, the man, who works with a private fire department, refused to identify himself by name.
Discrimination is a fact of life in France for minorities, and a poll by the Ipsos firm published this year in the daily Le Monde showed no sign that that might lessen. A full 70 percent of those questioned felt there were "too many foreigners in France." The finger was pointed, above all, at those of the Muslim faith.
| 305
|
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
| 734
|
Located 2,341 feet beneath the surface, in an old iron mine, the lab is deep enough that particle physics experiments see less than 100,000 times the cosmic radiation than on the surface, allowing sensitive searches for exotic particles like neutrinos and dark matter.
The MINOS neutrino experiment and the CDMS2 dark matter search are the two largest projects supplemented by several smaller experiments taking advantage of low background radiation to search for dark matter, measure neutron background underground, and assay experimental equipment to ensure radiopurity.
Summer visitors take tours of the lab and learn about particle astrophysics, and during the school year field trips are popular with Minnesota science classes.
The only operational deep underground lab in the US. Space and infrastructure available for a wide range of neutrino, dark matter, and low background counting experiments.
| 44
|
Bonding, Sealing and Gasketing
Bonding and sealing equipment for an array of materials, products, markets and end-uses
Bonding is joining two work pieces with a liquid or semi-liquid material to create a long-lasting bond
Automotive Hem-Flange Bonding
Bonding solutions for automotive metal
Adhesive dispensing equipment for structural adhesives
Equipment solutions for creating a secondary seal on insulating glass.
Adhesive handling equipment for bonding filter elements into assemblies
Equipment to create liquid gasketing from beads of two-component silicone or polyurethane
Equipment to create liquid gasketing from single-component RTV silicone
Roll coating refers to coating a laminate with an adhesive.
Sealing is the process of closing or securing a part or assembly with a fluid-tight, air-tight adhesive.
| 416
|
Description from Flora of China
Herbs, annual or perennial, all parts strongly aromatic (anise-scented). Stem erect, terete, gray-green or lurid-green, glabrous. Leaves petiolate, sheaths membranous-margined; blade pinnately decompound; ultimate segments linear. Umbels compound, terminal and lateral; bracts and bracteoles absent; rays numerous, upwards-spreading, unequal. Calyx teeth obsolete. Petals yellow, obovate, mid rib conspicuous, apex with narrowly inflexed lobule. Stylopodium conic; styles very short, reflexed. Fruit oblong, terete, glabrous; ribs 5, acute or round-obtuse; vittae 1 in each furrow, 2 on commissure. Seed face plane or slightly concave. Carpophore 2-cleft to base.
One species: Mediterranean region; cultivated and adventive worldwide, including in China.
(Authors: She Menglan (佘孟兰 Sheh Meng-lan); Mark F. Watson)
| 244
|
A new anti-bullying program combats an ever increasing issue among Utah schoolchildren: bullied because of body-size issues, either being overweight or underweight, a University of Utah study released Sunday concluded.
Maya Miyairi, a College of Health doctorate-candidate student, said that a survey found a 7 percent decrease in reports of students being bullied after the new, eight-week anti-bullying program.
Miyairi said that now is more important than ever for kids to understand body-image and racial issues related to bullying, citing a recent suicide by a Taylorsville teen.
Family members said David Phan, who shot himself in front of peers two months ago, could not deal with the bullying and the burden of being a gay Asian student in a school they believe did not support him.
Miyairi created the new anti-bullying program specifically to address these issues.
"It's important for [students] to understand the media messages and how our society views men and women," Miyairi said Sunday. "Those students were not too young to be educated about treating everyone equally regardless of appearance, color of skin, or body size."
The new program met with applause from other counseling professionals. Miyairi conducted the new program at the beginning of the school year at Albion Middle School in Sandy.
"Middle school is such a difficult time for most students and weight-body image concerns make this time even more challenging," said Albion counselor Cathy Nelson in an email. "This program's goals were to address weight-related bullying and to empower students with the confidence that they are beautiful just the way they are. This is a message that all students need, and need often."
At the beginning of the program, 41 percent of students reported experiencing bullying, while 34 percent did so after the two-month program.
Moises Prospero, a Utah research consultant on criminal and social justice issues with a doctorate in social work, said many students take their messages about the body from the media.
"People don't remember how many factors are related to body images and the role models being pushed upon our children," said Prospero, who was a mentor of Miyairi. "The social norm has been females anorexic looking and males extremely muscular, but now we're seeing some of the men being extremely thin."
"The message is it's your fault if you're overweight or underweight because we're an individualistic culture," Prospero said. "But we've taken away PE, there are preservatives in food, and we have these extreme views of what is the look of health ⦠rather than the mental health of the individual. Maya's intervention is trying to address those issues."
Miyairi, who is finishing up her research for a doctorate in health promotion and education, said her program highlights the gap between what children know about bullying and how they actually behave in school around peers.
"We're educating the kids that this is not acceptable and to become leaders for others," Miyairi said. "We want to teach empathy as a core value. We tell the students: Next year, new students will come here and copy what you do now."
Miyairi, who came to Utah from her native Japan, said a significant component of her program includes healthy communication skills.
"We role-play," she said. "The students are shy at first but then they get into it. They learn how to express their emotions in healthy ways."
Albion Middle School does not have more of a bullying issue than other schools, Miyairi said, but school officials were open to her conducting her research an openness that is not always easy to find.
Albion Middle School has other anti-bullying programs: anti-bullying lessons, Internet safety/cyber-bullying lessons, and anti-bullying video clips delivered through home-room classes. Â
"We are so fortunate to be able to partner with Maya and the University of Utah to provide this intervention program for our students," Nelson said. "With only two counselors for 900 students, it's wonderful to take advantage of as many resources as possible to address the needs of our students."
Before pursuing her doctorate, Miyairi worked for four years at Avalon Hills in Logan, where she helped treat those with eating disorders.
"I'm hoping more school districts and researchers can work together," said Miyairi, who will get her doctorate sometime this summer. "My next plan is to expand this project to educate parents, teachers and school administrators. If we create a nonjudgmental environment in the community, I believe bullying incidents will be reduced."Â
People in need of help with bullying or other issues can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Utah CrisisLine 1-801-587-3000.
New anti-bullying program
As part of her University of Utah doctorate thesis, Maya Miyairi created a two-month anti-bullying program designed to address issues not often found in such programs: ideal-body image, body esteem and racial issues, among others.
Her study at a Utah middle school measured students' perceptions on teasing as well as bullying experiences, which decreased by 7 percent after the program. The new anti-bullying program had the following schedule.
Week 1: Introduction and ground rules.
Week 2: Helping students claiming their strengths.
Week 3: Core values such as empathy.
Week 4: How the media manipulates ideal-body images.
Week 5: Media literacy and how it stigmatizes weight.
Week 6 & 7: Role playing to foster healthy communication.
Week 8: Students finishing by creating bullying-awareness posters.
| 420
|
Major depression and other mood disorders account for a substantial proportion of medical disabilities in the United States. They can also worsen the outcome of other medical disorders, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
This has led Washington University physicians to practice and develop new and more effective treatments for this devastating disorder, focusing on the use of brain stimulation methods.
These include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a core treatment for severe and refractory mood disorders.
Researchers are developing new methods for use of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), two novel approaches that have received FDA approval in recent years. Several physicians also have expertise in deep brain stimulation (DBS), a form of treatment that is in its infancy as a tool for treating highly refractory psychiatric disorders.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS): Brain activity is triggered through weak electric currents, changing the excitability of corticospinal and corticocortial pathways.
| 615
|
1. Yodhājīva Sutta. On five kinds of warriors: those who are frightened by a cloud of dust, by the sight of a flag, by tumult, by conflict, and those who fight victoriously; and on five similar kinds of monks. A.iii.87f.
2. Yodhājīva Sutta. On five kinds of warriors: those who go down into the thick of the fight where they are overpowered, those who are wounded and die on the way to their home, those who survive for some time but die of their wounds, those who are cured of their wounds, those that are victorious in battle and continue to fight. There are five corresponding kinds of monks. A.iii.94ff.
3. Yodhājīva Sutta. Records the visit of the headman Yodhājīva to the Buddha. S.iv.308.
| 280
|
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
| 141
|
There are many interactions between fisheries, including aquaculture and capture fisheries as well as their intermediate forms in freshwater and marine environments, and other uses of the aquatic systems such as agriculture, flood control, power generation, tourism, mining, transportation, land development (e.g. housing), and urban and industrial effluent disposal.
Synergistic interactions between fisheries and agriculture are primarily derived from the recycling of livestock or farming wastes and nutrients and optimal use of scarce land and water resources. In aquaculture, the active search for synergies has led to a number of development and management concepts such as Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture (IAA), Integrated Irrigation-Aquaculture (IIA), as well as to livestock-fish or rice- fish production systems. These synergies have been enhanced by improving the use of water and reducing agricultural impacts on aquatic systems, e.g. through the Integrated Pest Management concept (IPM). These improvements have been beneficial in improving water and fish quality and productivity. Unexpected synergies have also been detected in marine fisheries where the nutrients of continental origin (e.g. phosphates, nitrates), often a source of eutrophication and red tides, are believed to have increased productivity (e.g. in the Mediterranean and the North Sea).The development of reservoirs and other small-water bodies for agricultural and other purposes offers additional opportunities for both aquaculture, culture-based fisheries through stocking, and capture fisheries.
Antagonistic interactions between agriculture and fisheries occur where these two sectors compete for the same kinds of resources, especially land and water, where rising productivity in one production system leads to reducing productivity in the other. For example, bad farming practices and deforestation impact on aquatic habitats and water resources - and therefore on fishery resources productivity and quality - through erosion, siltation, pollution and eutrophication (and red tides) resulting from excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers. Similarly, extensive saltwater or brackish water culture on coastal land areas affects the quality of soils (salinization, water logging) and the quality and level of the water table. Dams established for the purpose of irrigation, flood control or energy production impair fish migration and reproduction routes and change the qualitative nature of the habit which in turn influences the aquatic communities, e.g. changing species composition from riverine to lacustrine species. Efficiency in the use of water, primarily fresh water, and land resources is becoming of central importance to sustain increases in fisheries so as to provide for rural village communities and supply urban areas with the needed quantity, quality and variety of food. In many areas where human activities have rapidly expanded during the last decade, there is increasing pressure on limited land and water resources.
There are also interactions between capture fisheries and aquaculture. Development of aquaculture may adversely impact capture fisheries through habitat change associated with farming systems or impacts of introduced species. There is competition for space between the production systems; for habitat and resources between wild and farmed species; for the market between respective harvests and products; for wild seeds. Pollution from aquaculture may also be a problem. On the other hand, aquaculture may provide alternative employment in overexploited areas or additional resources for fishing through enhancement, and may be an important alternative source of fish for rural communities thus reducing the fishing pressure and helping in the rehabilitation of wild fish stocks.
The negative sides of these numerous interactions is progressively being recognised by Governments and industry and integrated management of natural resources is the strategy of choice to improve efficiency despite obvious implementation difficulties. The integrated management of watersheds, river basins and coastal areas (and of productive ecosystems in general) aims at managing sectoral components as parts of a functional whole. The overall objective of better integration between fisheries and other sectors in policy development and management is to maximize synergistic interactions and minimize antagonistic ones.
Awareness of inter-sectoral dependencies, through the environment and the global economy, is rapidly rising, stimulated inter alia by growing media coverage of ecological catastrophes, advances in data processing and information technology, development of ecological economics, increased mobilisation of social forces through NGOs communications. The abilities of local communities to participate in information gathering, analysis, decision-making and enforcement is better recognised together with the need to involve them directly in decisions regarding common property resource use. All of this has created favourable conditions to fully realize the benefits of better integration between fisheries and agriculture as well as of these sectors with the rest of the economy.
Numerous difficulties remain on the way towards better integration. Among these:
- the technical difficulty of integrated development planning;
- the political and economic difficulty of an equitable allocation of resources;
- the organisation of a balanced leadership of the interaction between sectors;
- the decentralisation of rights and responsibilities;
- the development of the human resources necessary for effective decentralisation;
- the cost of better understanding of the ecosystems functioning and resilience;
- the application of the precautionary approach when information is lacking;
- the development of integrated indicators of sustainability.
| 788
|
The OED “is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world. As a historical dictionary, the OED is very different from those of current English, in which the focus is on present-day meanings. You’ll still find these in the OED, but you’ll also find the history of individual words, and of the language—traced through 3 million quotations, from classic literature and specialist periodicals to films scripts and cookery books.” For more information about this resource, visit their site.
To access this database, please visit the Databases A-Z page or visit the English Literatures LibGuide. Contact Sue Samson, firstname.lastname@example.org, with questions or for more information on how this database can help you with your research or teaching.
| 692
|
Nordic Cool 2013: Literature Panel: The Secret Behind the Northern Lights
In this interactive session, Norwegian solar physicist Pål Brekke utilizes photos and video footage from NASA satellites to discuss the visual phenomenon known as the Northern Lights.
- Sat., Mar. 2, 2013, 10:30 AM
- Terrace Gallery
Please use the event calendar to search for current events.
For the duration of Nordic Cool 2013, the Terrace Gallery will become the Cool Club, an extension of the Nordic Design Illustrated exhibition. The Cool Club will feature the iconic Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chairs, on loan from Fritz Hansen, the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, D.C., and Furniture from Scandinavia, and a new curtain made from fabric by Marimekko.
For thousands of years, people in the northern part of the world have marveled at the spectacular and fearful displays that occasionally light up the northern sky. Award-winning Norwegian solar physicist Pål Brekke has published several popular books about the Sun and the aurora borealis, including the most recent, Our Explosive Sun and The Northern Lights: A Guide. One of the foremost scholars on the subject, Mr. Brekke has spoken multiple times to full houses at the Smithsonian and elsewhere. In this interactive session, he will utilize photos and video footage from NASA satellites to discuss the visual phenomenon known as the Northern Lights. This panel will be moderated by Joseph M. Davila, an Astrophysicist in the Solar Physics Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.
Part of Nordic Cool 2013.
Joseph M. Davila, USA (Moderator)
Joseph M. Davila is an award-winning astrophysicist in the Solar Physics Branch of the Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics at NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Davila earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lamar University, Beaumont, TX in 1972, a BS in Physics from the University of California, Irvine in 1978 and a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Arizona in 1982. His research interests have included the linear and non-linear theory of hydromagnetic waves; hydromagnetic instabilities due to energetic particle beams, resonance absorption in inhomogeneous plasmas, the acceleration of high speed wind streams in solar and stellar coronal holes, and plasma heating in closed magnetic structures. Dr. Davila has also published research on the acceleration of cosmic rays, the transport of energetic particles within the Galaxy, the modulation of Galactic cosmic rays by the solar wind, and the propagation of solar cosmic rays in the interplanetary medium.
Pål Brekke, Norway
Pål Brekke received a Dr. Scient degree in 1993 from the University of Oslo and he participated on behalf of Norway in the pre-launch activities for the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission. After the launch of SOHO in December 1995, he was part of the science operation team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. In 1999, he joined the European Space Agency (ESA) as the SOHO Deputy Project Scientist stationed at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. While there he was also responsible for outreach and media activities making SOHO into one of the most well-known current satellite projects with more than 60 million hits per month on their web page. Currently, he works as a senior advisor at the Norwegian Space Centre in Oslo and as an adjunct professor at the University Center at Svalbard (UNIS). He is a Norwegian delegate to the ESA Science Programme Committee and a delegate to the International Living with a Star. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, ESA's Exceptional Achievement Award, and the Laurels for Team Achievements from the International Academy for Astronautics. He is an internationally known lecturer and author of several popular science articles and books - the latest Our Explosive Sun (Springer 2012). He will be coming out with a new book in January tailored toward tourists, visitors, and anyone hunting the northern lights, The Northern Lights: A Guide.
This is a FREE event. General Admission tickets will be distributed, two (2) per person on a first-come-- first-serve basis, in front of the theater, 30 minutes before the performance begins.
The Nordic Cool 2013 Literature Series is curated by Danish Arts Council, Norwegian Literature Abroad, Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet), Finnish Literature Exchange, and Icelandic Literature Foundation.
Nordic Cool 2013 is presented in cooperation with
and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
The Honorable Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Marilyn Carlson Nelson, and Barbro Osher
Major support is provided by the Honorable Bonnie McElveen-Hunter,
Mrs. Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Dr. Glen Nelson, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation,
David M. Rubenstein, and the State Plaza Hotel.
International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the
Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.
| 286
|
In the summer of 2007, shoppers at some food co-ops in the upper Midwest encountered a new label on their produce: “Local Fair Trade.” Seasonal staples such as cucumbers, squash, and broccoli were the first to don the label, a large, hard-to-miss sticker symbolizing the union of two approaches to sustainable food: eating food grown locally, and purchasing food traded fairly.
We’ve gotten used to a variety of labels on our food. There’s “organic,” which used to connote ideas like “pure” and “natural” but these days technically means food certified as organic by the USDA (if domestically produced) or by the food’s country of origin. “Local” usually means food grown or produced within a few hundred miles of its selling location. And “fair trade” is seen most commonly on popular imports such as coffee and chocolate; the label means that the food’s growers or producers were paid a decent wage.
So what does “local fair trade” mean? According to Erik Esse, the director of the Minneapolis-based Local Fair Trade Network, the label is an attempt to answer a question: “How can the principles of fair trade, which have effectively moved many farmers and workers in the developing world out of poverty and towards self-sufficiency, work here in the U.S., where our farmworkers are having some of the same problems?”
At the heart of the local or “domestic fair trade” label is the idea of fair and equitable relationships. The label can be applied to food grown in the U.S. under a set of guidelines, including a living wage and an emphasis on fair and healthy living conditions. The product of nearly a decade of careful planning, the domestic fair-trade label is an effort to incorporate social-justice awareness into our burgeoning efforts to eat foods that have been cleanly and sustainably produced.
As the fair-trade movement (both international and domestic) wants everyone to understand, the local people behind the food we eat deserve sustainability, too. The USDA’s national organic standards guarantee that organically certified food is not genetically modified and is grown without petroleum-based fertilizers or synthetic chemicals. But the standards have nothing to say about the people who produce the food. This fact appalls those who work closely with farmworkers, including Richard Mandelbaum of El Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas (CATA), a migrant-farmworker organization based in New Jersey.
“Organic standards include all sorts of rules about how livestock needs to be treated, but absolutely none for the human beings that are on the farm,” says Mandelbaum.
The Local Fair Trade Network’s Esse isn’t sure that enough consumers are paying attention to those human beings, either. “The way stores like to put up pictures of happy farmers these days — that’s in some ways great, in that it’s identifying that there’s a person growing their food,” he says. “But in some ways, those smiles mask the fact of how little money they get paid and how hard their lives are.”
Although some organic farms in the U.S. opt to pay their workers a living wage, as well as provide vacation days and access to health care, many do none of those things. Small-scale organic farmers, who often live hand-to-mouth themselves, rarely have the budget to do so. And most large, industrial-sized organic farms rely on hundreds if not thousands of underpaid migrant workers, in much the same way that conventional farms and food processors do.
According to a 2005 survey report from the University of California, Davis, the majority of the 188 California organic farms surveyed did not pay a living wage or provide medical or retirement plans. And despite the nationwide boom in organic food — the industry was worth more than $17 billion by the end of 2006 — the wealth has not trickled down. While the absence of synthetic pesticides (and the health impacts that accompany them) can be a draw to some workers, most employees on organic farms earn no more than those on conventional ones.
Across the country, three to five million people labor every year on farms and in factories, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and processing fresh produce and other agricultural products. Their lives are anything but easy. According to the National Agricultural Workers Survey, 61 percent of farmworkers live in poverty. In recent years, their median income has not kept up with inflation: for individual farmworkers, the median annual income is now $7,500, while for farmworker households, the median annual income is less than $10,000. (The overall U.S. median household income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is more than $48,000.) It is also estimated that between 72 and 78 percent of farmworker households have no health insurance.
Today’s domestic fair-trade movement dates back as far as 1999, when CATA, along with Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI-USA) and several other partners, argued for an inclusion of labor issues in the federal organic standards.
“When it became clear that the issues of social justice and fairness would not be incorporated into the federal [organic standards],” says RAFI’s Michael Sligh, “that really triggered our work to look at opportunities to make that additional claim to the marketplace.”
The result was something called the Agricultural Justice Project (AJP), a group that set to work devising a separate set of standards that would cover both equity for the small-scale farmer as well as fair working conditions for farmworker. But not everyone was convinced.
“When we first started out, it wasn’t uncommon to get a shrug from those in the organic/sustainable community, with responses like, ‘I’m not sure why you’re focused on this,’” says CATA’s Mandelbaum. “But in the last two years, we’ve seen that consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with anonymous products, and really want to know how their food is made — environmentally of course, but also increasingly socially.”
In 2005, the Agricultural Justice Project, along with the international fair-trade organization Equal Exchange and several domestic farmer cooperatives, held the first meeting of the Domestic Fair Trade Working Group (now renamed the Domestic Fair Trade Association). By 2006, it became clear that the best place to pilot a domestic fair-trade label was the Minnesota/Wisconsin area.
According to Erik Esse, whose Local Fair Trade Network is the Minneapolis-based arm of the movement, there are around 40 food co-ops in Minnesota and more than 25 in Wisconsin. “The fact that consumer cooperatives are so key to the area,” he says, “as opposed to the corporate natural-food-store model, means we have a background that lends to embracing fair trade. [The customers] already believe in democracy and in consumer activism.”
By early 2007, four small farms in the upper Midwest had been chosen to participate in the Domestic Fair Trade Working Group’s pilot project, along with two food co-ops in the Minneapolis area. All the farms involved were closely audited, including their business practices and employee policies. And they pledged to, among other things, “1) Respect workers’ freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, 2) Provide adequate health and safety protections, including access to adequate medical care, information on potential hazards, and using the least toxic methods available, and 3) Pay a living wage.”
Esse points out that although small-scale farmers and farmworkers are often in similar financial situations, there is still some tension between the two groups. “Farmers don’t always want to stir the pot,” he says. “We often hear, ‘Things are going fine; why would I want to bring this up?’”
Rufus Hauke, of Keewaydin Farms in Viola, Wisconsin, does want to stir the pot. He’s a produce farmer participating in the pilot project who, along with his brother, decided to remake the family farm according to a vision for what he calls “the next evolution of food.” Although he has only a few employees, Hauke was excited to offer them the paperwork and training necessary to help get the first Keewaydin Fair Trade growing season off the ground.
Culinate’s features address the practical challenges and joys of food.
Want more? Comb the archives.
Flatbreads from around the continent
Beyond a supporting role
The great Sicilian-Neapolitan kitchen rivalry
Five ideas each month for eating better
| 306
|
Managing the Generations
By Kerry L. Roberts and Pauline M. Sampson
Generational differences are common in schools; after all, for the most part students and their teachers have always come from different generations. We’d like to call attention to another kind of generational difference in districts: those among school board members, administrators, and teachers.
For many reasons, including economics and changing demographics, many districts have three or even four generations working for it. We note this because people born in different generations see and perceive situations, values, and work differently, and they communicate differently. This is a broad generalization, of course, but the era in which you grow up does influence your outlook, philosophy, and work habits.
Understanding generational differences can help school board members and superintendents lead more effectively. They can make the differences work to the advantage of the district and to improve student achievement.
Subscribers please click here to continue reading. If you are not a subscriber, please click here to purchase this article or to obtain a subscription to ASBJ.
| 585
|
Five new names have been approved for Mars: Angustus Labyrinthus, Chronius Mons, Promethei Mons, Sisyphi Tholus, and Thyles Montes. The names Australis Patera, Angusta Patera, and Cavi Frigores have been marked as dropped in the database. New imagery has shown that the two paterae were named using the wrong descriptor term, and the area previously named Cavi Frigores has been incorporated into the adjacent Cavi Angusti.
The definition of the descriptor term labyrinthus has been expanded from "Complex of intersecting valleys" to "Complex of intersecting valleys or ridges."
See the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature for more information.
| 712
|
Green buildings are designed, constructed and operated for the purpose of providing the occupants with a space that is both healthy and productive, while also being energy efficient and sustainable. Unfortunately, current approaches to green building design and construction don’t always meet occupants’ indoor environmental quality (IEQ) needs for “acoustic comfort.”
Acoustic comfort refers to an indoor environment that is conducive to providing speech intelligibility, speech privacy, low distractions and annoyance, and sound quality.
And, according to ongoing research at the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), it is the lowest performing IEQ factor in green buildings. Moreover, in all buildings surveyed, the level of acoustic satisfaction was rated as the lowest performance IEQ factor, and the only negative (dissatisfaction) factor overall.
There is no need, however, to sacrifice good acoustics when selecting products for green buildings. Architects and interior designers do not have to choose between sustainability, design and acoustic needs—they can have all three.
Outlined below are a number of acoustic considerations for green buildings in three market segments: healthcare facilities, commercial offices and educational facilities.
Acoustics are a key element in the IEQ of healthcare facilities because they play an important role in supporting the safety, health and well-being of patients and staff alike.
In general, ambient noise levels in hospitals are high, and have been shown to be a source of annoyance and stress to both patients and staff. They can also interfere with the staff’s ability to work effectively. Because of this, both the FGI 2010 Guidelines and LEED for Healthcare address the issue.
One reason healthcare facilities are so noisy is the predominance of hard, sound-reflecting surfaces that cause speech and activity sounds to persist much too long. When acoustic conditions are characterized by long reverberation, spoken words are perceived to overlap, resulting in reduced speech intelligibility.
To reduce reverberation and noise levels, acoustical ceiling panels should have a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.70 or greater. (The NRC indicates the average percentage of sound a material absorbs; an NRC of 0.70 means the material absorbs about 70 percent of the sound that strikes it.) They should also meet healthcare standards for washability, mold and microbial resistance, and fire safety. Ceiling panels with these characteristics are ideal for patient rooms, treatment rooms and other spaces that require a balance of cleanliness and quiet.
Ceiling panels with a NRC of 0.95 are recommended for areas that require even higher levels of sound absorption to ensure patient privacy and meet HIPAA regulations. These include open plan spaces such as waiting areas, pharmacies, nurses’ stations and closed plan spaces where walls extend up to the deck above.
Whether for a space with cubicles and teaming areas or private offices and conference rooms, there are acoustic options that also address sustainable needs. For example, a wide range of continuous and wall-to-wall acoustical ceilings are available that not only enhance the acoustic environment, but also contain high recycled content and can be recycled at the end of their service life.
There are also a variety of “free-floating” ceiling treatments including acoustical clouds, canopies and baffles that are ideal for open plenum or exposed structure spaces—a design trend in green buildings that continues to grow.
Unfortunately, this “warehouse look” can often cause acoustical problems due to sound reflecting off the deck, resulting in excessive reverberation. Any large space of this type will usually need some sound-absorbing elements to help control noise and reverberation within it. In addition, if the exposed deck is less than 15 feet high, reflections between open plan cubicles can cause distractions for nearby occupants.
Designed for use in either new construction or retrofit applications, acoustical clouds, canopies and baffles can add sound absorption in open spaces, provide visual interest and make a design statement, all without sacrificing that exposed look.
Available in a myriad of shapes, acoustical ceiling clouds suspended above work areas provide a type of interrupted ceiling plane. As such, they help control both distant reverberations and reflections, reducing occupant annoyance and distractions. Acoustical clouds actually provide greater sound absorption than a continuous ceiling of the same surface area because they absorb sound on both their front and back surfaces. In fact, reverberation time can be reduced nearly 50 percent with only 20 percent coverage.
Acoustical canopies also help reduce reverberation in the space below them, but are much different in size and look compared to acoustical clouds. For example, cloud systems are available in standard sizes up to 14 by 14 feet, while canopies are usually 3 by 3 or 4 by 6 feet in size. Visually, acoustical clouds are flat, while canopies are curved and can be installed as hills or valleys.
Currently, there is no standard credit in the IEQ section of LEED for acoustic performance. However, an innovation credit can be applied for by demonstrating that the acoustics of a building are superior to what would normally be considered typical, thereby improving the quality of the indoor environment. The LEED v4 proposal (in a fifth public comment at the time of this writing) does, however, include a requirement for acoustic performance as part of the IEQ section.
Considering that the primary mode of teaching involves speech and listening, the quality of the acoustic environment in a classroom is crucial. LEED for Schools recognized the unique nature of the design and use of K-12 schools, and was the first of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) rating systems to include acoustics as an integral and important element of IEQ.
To provide classrooms that enhance learning, LEED for Schools includes a minimum acoustical performance prerequisite. To meet it, two requirements must be achieved:
- Classrooms and other core learning spaces must include sufficient sound-absorptive finishes to comply with a maximum reverberation time of 0.60 seconds (classrooms less than 20,000 cubic feet).
- Classrooms and other core learning spaces must meet a maximum background noise level from HVAC systems of 45 decibels A-weighted (dBA).
Compliance with the first requirement is accomplished in one of two ways:
- By confirming that 100 percent of all ceiling areas (excluding lights, diffusers and grilles) are finished with a material that has a NRC of 0.70 or higher.
- By confirming that the total area of acoustical wall panels, ceiling finishes and other sound-absorbent finishes equals or exceeds the total ceiling area of the room (excluding lights, diffusers and grilles). All materials in the calculation must have an NRC of 0.70 or higher.
The proper use of sound-absorbing materials will significantly reduce reverberation, however, the location of acoustic treatments is a vital consideration. In classrooms where there is no fixed position for the teacher and ceiling heights are about 10 feet, the best and most cost-effective option is to place most, if not all, of the sound-absorbing material on the ceiling, in the form of a suspended acoustical ceiling.
If ceiling heights are greater than 12 feet, an increasing amount of sound-absorbing material should be placed on the walls. If there is no possibility for wall treatment, consider placing three-dimensional furnishings such as bookshelves along the walls to ensure sound waves are scattered, thereby reducing the possibility of distant echoes.
Kenneth P. Roy, Ph.D., FASA, is a senior principal research scientist for acoustic technologies for Armstrong Building Products in Lancaster, Pa. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.
| 862
|
Today, existing insulin pumps are about the size of a pager. The new ST- enabled Debiotech miniaturized MEMS device is about one quarter the size of these existing pumps and can be worn as a nearly invisible patch on the skin. The small size frees the patient from concerns with holding the pump in place and concealing it under clothing.
The insulin Nanopump, developed by Debiotech and industrialized by ST, represents the first use of microfluidic MEMS technology in diabetes treatment. Functional samples have already been produced and the two partners expect that a fully industrialized product, in the form of a disposable cartridge, will be available in selected markets in 2008. Debiotech will remain responsible for the commercialization of the product through its licenses with major players in the medical device market.The press release states that the Nanopump can control it's output down to the nanoliter level and has capabilities of detecting occlusions, bubbles and other malfunctions. A browse through their website shows that this is not the only innovation they're working on that affects diabetics. They're also developing a micro-needle array built using MEMS technology to allow for improved hypodermic drug delivery.
| 137
|
China has worked actively and seriously to tackle global climate change and build capacity to respond to it. We believe that every country has a stake in dealing with climate change and every country has a responsibility for the safety of our planet. China is at a critical stage of building a moderately prosperous society on all fronts, and a key stage of accelerated industrialization and urbanization. Yet, despite the huge task of developing the economy and improving people’s lives, we have joined global actions to tackle climate change with the utmost resolve and a most active attitude, and have acted in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities established by the United Nations. China voluntarily stepped up efforts to eliminate backward capacity in 2007, and has since closed a large number of heavily polluting small coal-fired power plants, small coal mines and enterprises in the steel, cement, paper-making, chemical and printing and dyeing sectors. Moreover, in 2009, China played a positive role in the success of the Copenhagen conference on climate change and the ultimate conclusion of the Copenhagen Accord. In keeping with the requirements of the Copenhagen Accord, we have provided the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with information on China’s voluntary actions on emissions reduction and joined the list of countries supporting the Copenhagen Accord.
The targets released by China last year for greenhouse gas emissions control require that by 2020, CO2 emissions per unit of GDP should go down by 40% - 45% from the 2005 level, non-fossil energy should make up about 15% of primary energy consumption, and forest coverage should increase by 40 million hectares and forest stock volume by 1.3 billion cubic meters, both from the 2005 level. The measure to lower energy consumption alone will help save 620 million tons of standard coal in energy consumption in the next five years, which will be equivalent to the reduction of 1.5 billion tons of CO2 emissions. This is what China has done to step up the shift in economic development mode and economic restructuring. It contributes positively to Asia’s and the global effort to tackle climate change.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Green and sustainable development represents the trend of our times. To achieve green and sustainable development in Asia and beyond and ensure the sustainable development of resources and the environment such as the air, fresh water, ocean, land and forest, which are all vital to human survival, we countries in Asia should strive to balance economic growth, social development and environmental protection. To that end, we wish to work with other Asian countries and make further efforts in the following six areas.
First, shift development mode and strive for green development. To accelerate the shift in economic development mode and economic restructuring provides an important precondition for our efforts to actively respond to climate change, achieve green development and secure the sustainable development of the population, resources and the environment. It is the shared responsibility of governments and enterprises of all countries in Asia and around the world. We should actively promote a conservation culture and raise awareness for environmental protection. We need to make sure that the concept of green development, green consumption and a green lifestyle and the commitment to taking good care of Planet Earth, our common home are embedded in the life of every citizen in society.
Second, value the importance of science and technology as the backing of innovation and development. We Asian countries have a long way to go before we reach the advanced level in high-tech-powered energy consumption reduction and improvement of energy and resource efficiency. Yet, this means we have a huge potential to catch up. It is imperative for us to quicken the pace of low-carbon technology development, promote energy efficient technologies and raise the proportion of new and renewable energies in our energy mix so as to provide a strong scientific and technological backing for green and sustainable development of Asian countries. As for developed countries, they should facilitate technology transfer and share technologies with developing countries on the basis of proper protection of intellectual property rights.
Third, open wider to the outside world and realize harmonious development. In such an open world as ours, development of Asian countries and development of the world are simply inseparable. It is important that we open our markets even wider, firmly oppose and resist protectionism in all forms and uphold a fair, free and open global trade and investment system. At the same time, we should give full play to the role of regional and sub-regional dialogue and cooperation mechanisms in Asia to promote harmonious and sustainable development of Asia and the world.
Fourth, strengthen cooperation and sustain common development. Pragmatic, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation is a sure choice of all Asian countries if we are to realize sustainable development. No country could stay away from or manage to meet on its own severe challenges like the international financial crisis, climate change and energy and resources security. We should continue to strengthen macro-economic policy coordination and vigorously promote international cooperation in emerging industries, especially in energy conservation, emissions reduction, environmental protection and development of new energy sources to jointly promote sustainable development of the Asian economy and the world economy as a whole.
Fifth, work vigorously to eradicate poverty and gradually achieve balanced development. A major root cause for the loss of balance in the world economy is the seriously uneven development between the North and the South. Today, 900 million people in Asia, or roughly one fourth of the entire Asian population, are living below the 1.25 dollars a day poverty line. We call for greater efforts to improve the international mechanisms designed to promote balanced development, and to scale up assistance from developed countries to developing countries, strengthen South-South cooperation, North-South cooperation and facilitate attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals. This will ensure that sustainable development brings real benefits to poor regions, poor countries and poor peoples.
Sixth, bring forth more talents to promote comprehensive development. The ultimate goal of green and sustainable development is to improve people’s living environment, better their lives and promote their comprehensive development. Success in this regard depends, to a large extent, on the emergence of talents with an innovative spirit. We need to build institutions, mechanisms and a social environment to help people bring out the best of their talents, and to intensify education and training of professionals of various kinds. This will ensure that as Asia achieves green and sustainable development, our people will enjoy comprehensive development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We demonstrated solidarity as we rose up together to the international financial crisis in 2009. Let us carry forward this great spirit, build up consensus, strengthen unity and cooperation and explore a path of green and sustainable development. This benefits Asia. It benefits the world, too.
In conclusion, I wish this annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia a complete success.
| 848
|
- Historic Sites
History As A Cure
December 1956 | Volume 8, Issue 1
Not long ago two teen-age boys in New York City got into trouble with the law. The police laid hands on them as juvenile delinquents, and in due course the boys appeared in court. Judge J. Randall Creel, of Magistrates’ Court, faced the tough problem that confronts jurists in such cases: should he send the boys off to jail forthwith, or should he see whether they might not be able to straighten themselves out? He decided on the latter course, and in looking for a means of rehabilitation he selected an unusual instrument: American history.
He gave these high school youngsters a historical research job to do.
They should forthwith (he told them) make a study of the Battle of Long Island—an important struggle in the Revolutionary War, in which General Washington’s army narrowly escaped destruction when the British commander, General Howe, landed an overpowering force on Long Island late in August of 1776. They would find, he suggested, that utter disaster for the American cause was averted because of a valiant rear-guard action fought by a regiment of the Maryland line. Let them, therefore, go to the sources and find out all they could about this action; having done this, each boy must submit a paper, describing what had happened, citing his sources, and bringing out what the gallant stand of the embattled Marylanders meant to future generations of Americans. By the jobs they did he would determine whether or not they had reinstated themselves as reliable junior members of their community.
The boys went to work, and eventually they presented their papers. They had done a good deal of hard work. They had traced the movements of the different troops engaged. They had run down the historic markers which (largely ignored by present-day citizens) show where the actions took place. They had found out all they could about the gallant old Maryland battalion, and they had gone to the trouble of listing the names and ranks of all the Marylanders who were killed or captured in the fight. And it seems that this excursion into American history had been a powerful medicine for good. These boys learned something—about their own home city (for they live in Brooklyn, and the battle they investigated had been fought along what are now the familiar streets and squares and parks of their own neighborhood), about the price a former generation had to pay for American freedom and happiness, and about the way in which boys of their own age, long ago, met a profound challenge.
Specifically: in their research into the history of the Battle of Long Island, these boys learned that a spirited rear-guard action by a regiment of Maryland soldiers—the 5th Maryland Infantry, under Colonel William Smallwood—had kept the American defeat from becoming a complete, irremediable disaster. The Marylanders fought a delaying action which enabled the bulk of Washington’s army to get away. Four or five hundred of them charged a British strong point, losing more than half of their numbers and going down at last to bloody defeat, but gaining the important fragments of time that enabled the beaten Continental army to get away clean and live to fight another day.
They found out that the Maryland soldiers who saved the day were simply boys like themselves. They dug out the old muster rolls, which gave each man’s name and age. Down the long columns, in faded archaic script, were the scanty records of boys who dared everything and gave everything more than a century and a half ago—and most of them turned out to be lads of eighteen or nineteen. This probably meant that they were even younger than that; boys usually add a year or two to their ages when they enlist in wartime. The Marylanders, in other words, were early teen-agers, who faced up to something big before they had got out of adolescence simply because youth wants nothing in all the world so much as the chance to respond to a real challenge. Life was good to them; it gave them the challenge, they met it—and today, as a direct result, we have an American nation.
One of the two boys, writing about the battle, expressed himself like this:
“If the youth of today is not conscious of the historical background of Long Island, the battle I will now unfold will make him so. I will, therefore, endeavor to show you what today’s youth could and should be capable of as compared to those who fought to preserve their rights as individuals. … It was merely lads of seventeen and eighteen who fought and died making this supreme sacrifice in defense of the preservation of the American Army and their fight for independence.”
The other boy, carried away by the story of the fight, found himself writing in the best vein of the military historian:
”…Thrice again these brave young Marylanders charged upon the house, once driving the gunners from their pieces within its shadow; but numbers overwhelmed them, and for twenty minutes the fight was terrible. Washington, Putnam and other General Officers who witnessed it … saw the overwhelming force with which their brave compatriots were contending, and held their breath in suspense and fear.… Washington wrung his hands, in the intensity of his emotion, and exclaimed: ‘Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose!’”
| 737
|
Publisher Council on Foreign Relations Release Date Last Updated: May 21, 2013 Scope of the Challenge Oceans are the source of life on earth. They shape the climate, feed the world, and cleanse the air we breathe. They are vital to our economic well being, ferrying roughly 90 percent of global commerce, housing submarine cables, and providing one-third of traditional hydrocarbon resources (as well as new forms of energy such as wave, wind, and tidal power). But the oceans are increasingly threatened by a dizzying array of dangers, from piracy to climate change. To be good stewards of the oceans, nations around the world need to embrace more effective multilateral governance in the economic, security, and environmental realms. The world's seas have always been farmed from top to bottom. New technologies, however, are making old practices unsustainable. When commercial trawlers scrape the sea floor, they bulldoze entire ecosystems. Commercial ships keep to the surface but produce carbon-based emissions. And recent developments like offshore drilling and deep seabed mining are helping humans extract resources from unprecedented depths, albeit with questionable environmental impact. And as new transit routes open in the melting Arctic, this once-forgotten pole is emerging as a promising frontier for entrepreneurial businesses and governments. But oceans are more than just sources of profit—they also serve as settings for transnational crime. Piracy, drug smuggling, and illegal immigration all occur in waters around the world. Even the most sophisticated ports struggle to screen cargo, containers, and crews without creating regulatory friction or choking legitimate commerce. In recent history, the United States has policed the global commons, but growing Indian and Chinese blue-water navies raise new questions about how an established security guarantor should accommodate rising—and increasingly assertive—naval powers. And the oceans themselves are in danger of environmental catastrophe. They have become the world's garbage dump—if you travel to the heart of the Pacific Ocean, you'll find the North Pacific Gyre, where particles of plastic outweigh plankton six to one. Eighty percent of the world's fish stocks are depleted or on the verge of extinction, and when carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, much of it is absorbed by the world's oceans. The water, in response, warms and acidifies, destroying habitats like wetlands and coral reefs. Glacial melting in the polar regions raises global sea levels, which threatens not only marine ecosystems but also humans who live on or near a coast. Meanwhile, port-based megacities dump pollution in the ocean, exacerbating the degradation of the marine environment and the effects of climate change. Threats to the ocean are inherently transnational, touching the shores of every part of the world. So far, the most comprehensive attempt to govern international waters produced the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). But U.S. refusal to join the convention, despite widespread bipartisan support, continues to limit its strength, creating a leadership vacuum in the maritime regime. Other states that have joined the treaty often ignore its guidelines or fail to coordinate policies across sovereign jurisdictions. Even if it were perfectly implemented, UNCLOS is now thirty years old and increasingly outdated. Important initiatives—such as local fishery arrangements and the United Nations Environment Program Regional Seas Program—form a disjointed landscape that lacks legally-binding instruments to legitimize or enforce their work. The recent UN Conference on Sustainable Development ("Rio+20") in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, convened over one hundred heads of state to assess progress and outline goals for a more sustainable "blue-green economy." However, the opportunity to set actionable targets to improve oceans security and biodiversity produced few concrete outcomes. As threats to the oceans become more pressing, nations around the world need to rally to create and implement an updated form of oceans governance. Oceans Governance: Strengths and Weaknesses Overall assessment: A fragmented system In 1982, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) established the fundamental legal principles for ocean governance. This convention, arguably the largest and most complex treaty ever negotiated, entered into force in 1994. Enshrined as a widely accepted corpus of international common law, UNCLOS clearly enumerates the rights, responsibilities, and jurisdictions of states in their use and management of the world's oceans. The treaty defines "exclusive economic zones" (EEZs), which is the coastal water and seabed—extending two hundred nautical miles from shore—over which a state has special rights over the use of marine resources; establishes the limits of a country's "territorial sea," or the sovereign territory of a state that extends twelve nautical miles from shore; and clarifies rules for transit through "international straits." It also addresses—with varying degrees of effectiveness—resource division, maritime traffic, and pollution regulation, as well as serves as the principal forum for dispute resolution on ocean-related issues. To date, 162 countries and the European Union have ratified UNCLOS. UNCLOS is a remarkable achievement, but its resulting oceans governance regime suffers several serious limitations. First, the world's leading naval power, the United States, is not party to the convention, which presents obvious challenges to its effectiveness—as well as undermines U.S. sovereignty, national interests, and ability to exercise leadership over resource management and dispute resolution. Despite the myriad military, economic, and political benefits offered by UNCLOS, a small but vocal minority in the United States continues to block congressional ratification. Second, UNCLOS is now thirty years old and, as a result, does not adequately address a number of emerging and increasingly important international issues, such as fishing on the high seas—a classic case of the tragedy of the commons—widespread maritime pollution, and transnational crime committed at sea. Third, both UNCLOS and subsequent multilateral measures have weak surveillance, capacity-building, and enforcement mechanisms. Although various UN bodies support the instruments created by UNCLOS, they have no direct role in their implementation. Individual states are responsible for ensuring that the convention's rules are enforced, which presents obvious challenges in areas of overlapping or contested sovereignty, or effectively stateless parts of the world. The UN General Assembly plays a role in advancing the oceans agenda at the international level, but its recommendations are weak and further constrained by its lack of enforcement capability. Organizations that operate in conjunction with UNCLOS—such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and the International Seabed Authority (ISA)—play an important role to protect the oceans and strengthen oceans governance. The IMO has helped reduce ship pollution to historically low levels, although it can be slow to enact new policy on issues such as invasive species, which are dispersed around the world in ballast water. Furthermore, ITLOS only functions if member states are willing to submit their differences to its judgment, while the ISA labors in relative obscurity and operates under intense pressure from massive commercial entities. Fourth, coastal states struggle to craft domestic policies that incorporate the many interconnected challenges faced by oceans, from transnational drug smuggling to protecting ravaged fish stocks to establishing proper regulatory measures for offshore oil and gas drilling. UNCLOS forms a solid platform on which to build additional policy architecture, but requires coastal states to first make comprehensive oceans strategy a priority—a goal that has remained elusive thus far. Fifth, the system is horizontally fragmented and fails to harmonize domestic, regional, and international policies. Domestically, local, state, and federal maritime actors rarely coordinate their agendas and priorities. Among the handful of countries and regional organizations that have comprehensive ocean policies—including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the European Union, and most recently the United States—few synchronize their activities with other countries. The international community, however, is attempting to organize the cluttered oceans governance landscape. The UN Environmental Programme Regional Seas Program works to promote interstate cooperation for marine and coastal management, albeit with varying degrees of success and formal codification. Likewise, in 2007 the European Union instituted a regional Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) that addresses a range of environmental, social, and economic issues related to oceans, as well as promotes surveillance and information sharing. The IMP also works with neighboring partners to create an integrated oceans policy in places such as the Arctic, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean. Lastly, there is no global evaluation framework to assess progress. No single institution is charged with monitoring and collecting national, regional, and global data on the full range of oceans-related issues, particularly on cross-cutting efforts. Periodic data collecting does take place in specific sectors, such as biodiversity conservation, fisheries issues, and marine pollution, but critical gaps remain. The Global Ocean Observing System is a promising portal for tracking marine and ocean developments, but it is significantly underfunded. Without concrete and reliable data, it is difficult to craft effective policies that address and mitigate emerging threats. Despite efforts, oceans continue to deteriorate and a global leadership vacuum persists. Much work remains to modernize existing institutions and conventions to respond effectively to emerging threats, as well as to coordinate national actions within and across regions. The June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development , also known as Rio+20, identified oceans (or the "blue economy") as one of the seven priority areas for sustainable development. Although experts and activists hoped for a new agreement to strengthen the sustainable management and protection of oceans and address modern maritime challenges such as conflicting sovereignty claims, international trade, and access to resources, Rio+20 produced few concrete results. Maintaining freedom of the seas: Guaranteed by U.S. power, increasingly contested by emerging states The United States polices every ocean throughout the world. The U.S. navy is unmatched in its ability to provide strategic stability on, under, and above the world's waters. With almost three hundred active naval ships and almost four thousand aircraft, its battle fleet tonnage is greater than the next thirteen largest navies combined. Despite recently proposed budget cuts to aircraft carriers, U.S. naval power continues to reign supreme. The United States leverages its naval capabilities to ensure peace, stability, and freedom of access. As Great Britain ensured a Pax Britannicain the nineteenth century, the United States presides over relatively tranquil seas where global commerce is allowed to thrive. In 2007, the U.S. Navy released a strategy report that called for "cooperative relationships with more international partners" to promote "greater collective security, stability, and trust." The United States pursues this strategy because it has not faced a credible competitor since the end of the Cold War. And, thus far, emerging powers have largely supported the U.S. armada to ensure that the oceans remain open to commerce. However, emerging powers with blue-water aspirations raise questions about how U.S. naval hegemony will accommodate new and assertive fleets in the coming decades. China, for instance, has been steadily building up its naval capabilities over the past decade as part of its "far sea defense" strategy. It unveiled its first aircraft carrier in 2010, and is investing heavily in submarines outfitted with ballistic missiles. At the same time, India has scaled up its military budget by 64 percent since 2001, and plans to spend nearly $45 billion over the next twenty years on its navy. Even tensions among rising powers could prove problematic. For example, a two-month standoff between China and the Philippines over a disputed region of the South China Sea ended with both parties committing to a "peaceful resolution."China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines have competing territorial and jurisdictional claims to the South China Sea, particularly over rights to exploit its potentially vast oil and gas reserves. Control over strategic shipping lanes and freedom of navigation are also increasingly contested, especially between the United States and China. Combating illicit trafficking: Porous, patchy enforcement In addition to being a highway for legal commerce, oceans facilitate the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and humans, which are often masked by the flow of licit goods. Individual states are responsible for guarding their own coastlines, but often lack the will or capacity to do so. Developing countries, in particular, struggle to coordinate across jurisdictions and interdict. But developed states also face border security challenges. Despite its commitment to interdiction, the United States seizes less than 20 percent of the drugs that enter the country by maritime transport. The United Nations attempts to combat the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and humans at sea. Through the Container Control Program (PDF), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assists domestic law enforcement in five developing countries to establish effective container controls to prevent maritime drug smuggling. The UNODC also oversees UN activity on human trafficking, guided by two protocols to the UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime. Although UN activity provides important groundwork for preventing illicit maritime trafficking, it lacks monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and thus has a limited impact on the flow of illegal cargo into international ports. Greater political will, state capacity, and multilateral coordination will be required to curb illicit maritime trafficking. New ad hoc multilateral arrangements are a promising model for antitrafficking initiatives. The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, for instance, provides a uniform set of measures to enhance the security of ships and ports. The code helps member states control their ports and monitor both the people and cargo that travel through them. In addition, the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative facilitates international cooperation to interdict ships on the high seas that may be carrying illicit weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles, and related technology. Finally, the Container Security Initiative (CSI), also spearheaded by the United States, attempts to prescreen all containers destined for U.S. ports and identify high-risk cargo (for more information, see section on commercial shipping). One way to combat illicit trafficking is through enhanced regional arrangements, such as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control. This agreement provides a model for an effective regional inspections regime, examining at least 25 percent of ships that enter members' ports for violations of conventions on maritime safety. Vessels that violate conventions can be detained and repeat offenders can be banned from the memorandum's area. Although the agreement does not permit searching for illegal cargo, it does show how a regional inspections regime could be effective at stemming illegal trafficking. Securing commercial shipping: Global supply chains at risk Global shipping is incredibly lucrative, but its sheer scope and breadth presents an array of security and safety challenges. The collective fleet consists of approximately 50,000 ships registered in more than 150 nations. With more than one million employees, this armada transports over eight billion tons (PDF) of goods per year—roughly 90 percent of global trade. And the melting Arctic is opening previously impassable trade routes; in 2009, two German merchant vessels traversed the Northeast Passage successfully for the first time in recent history. But despite impressive innovations in the shipping industry, maritime accidents and attacks on ships still occur frequently, resulting in the loss of billions of dollars of cargo. Ensuring the safety and security of the global shipping fleet is essential to the stability of the world economy. Internationally, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) provides security guidelines for ships through the Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea, which governs everything from construction to the number of fire extinguishers on board. The IMO also aims to prevent maritime accidents through international standards for navigation and navigation equipment, including satellite communications and locating devices. Although compliance with these conventions has been uneven, regional initiatives such as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding have helped ensure the safety of international shipping. In addition, numerous IMO conventions govern the safety of container shipping, including the International Convention on Safe Containers, which creates uniform regulations for shipping containers, and the International Convention on Load Lines, which determines the volume of containers a ship can safely hold. However, these conventions do not provide comprehensive security solutions for maritime containers, and illegal cargo could be slipped into shipping containers during transit. Since 1992, the IMO has tried to prevent attacks on commercial shipping through the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, which provides a legal framework for interdicting, detaining, and prosecuting terrorists, pirates, and other criminals on the high seas. In reality, most enforcement efforts since the 9/11 attacks have focused on securing ports to prevent the use of a ship to attack, rather than to prevent attacks on the ships themselves. Reflecting this imperative, the IMO, with U.S. leadership, implemented the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) in 2004. This code helped set international standards for ship security, requiring ships to have security plans and officers. However, as with port security, the code is not obligatory and no clear process to audit or certify ISPS compliance has been established. Overall, a comprehensive regime for overseeing the safety of international shipping has not been created. The United States attempts to address this vulnerability through the Container Security Initiative (CSI), which aims to prescreen all containers destined for the United States, and to isolate those that pose a high-security risk before they are in transit. The initiative, which operates in fifty-eight foreign ports, covers more than 86 percent of container cargo en route to the United States. Several international partners and organizations, including the European Union, the Group of Eight, and the World Customs Organization, have expressed interest in modeling security measures for containerized cargo based on the CSI model. Despite these efforts, experts estimate that only 2 percent of containers destined for U.S. ports are actually inspected. Confronting piracy: Resurgent scourge, collective response After the number of attacks reached a record high in 2011, incidences of piracy dropped 28 percent in the first three months of 2012. Overall, the number of worldwide attacks decreased from 142 to 102 cases, primarily due to international mobilization and enhanced naval patrols off the coast of Somalia. However, attacks intensified near Nigeria and Indonesia as pirates shifted routes in response to increased policing, raising fresh concerns over the shifting and expanding threat of piracy. In addition to the human toll, piracy has significant economic ramifications. According to a report by the nonprofit organization Oceans Beyond Piracy, Somali piracy cost the global economy nearly $7 billion in 2011. Sustained international coordination and cooperation is essential to preventing and prosecuting piracy. Recognizing this imperative, countries from around the world have shown unprecedented cooperation to combat piracy, particularly near the Gulf of Aden. In August 2009, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization commenced Operation Ocean Shield in the horn of Africa, where piracy increased close to 200 percent between 2007 and 2009. This effort built upon Operation Allied Protector and consisted of two standing maritime groups with contributions from allied nations. Although the efforts concentrate on protecting ships passing through the Gulf of Aden, they also renewed focus on helping countries, specifically Somalia, prevent piracy and secure their ports. Meanwhile, the United States helped establish Combined Task Force 151 to coordinate the various maritime patrols in East Africa. Other countries including Russia, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and South Korea, have also sent naval vessels to the region. At the same time, regional organizations have also stepped up antipiracy efforts. The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia was the first such initiatives, and has been largely successful in facilitating information-sharing, cooperation between governments, and interdiction efforts. And in May 2012, the European Union naval force launched its first air attack against Somali pirates' land bases, the first strike of its kind by outside actors to date. Like individual countries, international institutions have condemned piracy and legitimized the use of force against pirates. In June 2008, the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1816, encouraging greater cooperation in deterring piracy and asking countries to provide assistance to Somalia to help ensure coastal security. This was followed by Resolution 1846, which allowed states to use "all necessary means" to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. In Resolution 1851, the UN Security Council legitimized the use of force on land as well as at sea to the same end. Outside the UN, watchdogs such as the International Maritime Bureau, which collects information on pirate attacks and provides reports on the safety of shipping routes, have proven successful in increasing awareness, disseminating information, and facilitating antipiracy cooperation. However, such cooperative efforts face several legal challenges. The United States has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which governs crimes, including piracy, in international waters. More broadly, the international legal regime continues to rely on individual countries to prosecute pirates, and governments have been reluctant to take on this burden. Accordingly, many pirates are apprehended, only to be quickly released. In addition, many large commercial vessels rely on private armed guards to prevent pirate attacks, but the legal foundations governing such a force are shaky at best. National governments have redoubled efforts to bring pirates to justice as well. In 2010, the United States held its first piracy trial since its civil war, soon followed by Germany's first trial in over four hundred years. Other agreements have been established to try pirates in nearby countries like Kenya, such as the UNODC Trust Fund to Support the Initiatives of States to Counter Piracy of the Coast of Somalia, established in January 2010. Under the mandate of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, the fund aims to defray the financial capital required from countries like Kenya, Seychelles, and Somalia to prosecute pirates, as well as to increase awareness within Somali society of the risk associated with piracy and criminal activity. Future efforts to combat piracy should continue to focus on enhancing regional cooperation and agreements, strengthening the international and domestic legal instruments necessary to prosecute pirates, and addressing the root causes of piracy. Reducing marine pollution and climate change: Mixed progress Pollution has degraded environments and ravaged biodiversity in every ocean. Much contamination stems from land-based pollutants, particularly along heavily developed coastal areas. The UN Environment Program (UNEP) Regional Seas Program has sponsored several initiatives to control pollution, modeled on a relatively successful program in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1995, states established the Global Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities, which identifies sources of land-based pollution and helps states establish priorities for action. It has been successful in raising awareness about land-based pollution and offering technical assistance to regional implementing bodies, which are so often starved for resources. More recently, 193 UN member states approved the Nagoya Protocol on biodiversity, which aims to halve the marine extinction rate by 2020 and extend protection to 10 percent of the world's oceans. Shipping vessels are also a major source of marine pollution. Shipping is the most environmentally friendly way to transport bulk cargoes, but regulating maritime pollution remains complicated because of its inherently transnational nature. Shipping is generally governed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which regulates maritime pollution through the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). States are responsible for implementing and enforcing MARPOL among their own fleets to curb the most pernicious forms of maritime pollution, including oil spills, particulate matter such as sulfur oxide (SOx) and nitrous oxide (NOx), and greenhouse gas emissions. Port cities bear the brunt of air pollution, which devastates local air quality because most ships burn bunker fuel (the dirtiest form of crude oil). The IMO's Marine Environmental Protection Committee has also taken important steps to reduce SOx and NOx emissions by amending the MARPOL guidelines to reduce particulate matter from ships. Despite such efforts, a 2010 study (PDF) from the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation found that international shipping still accounts for nearly 3 percent of all greenhouse gasses. The IMO has achieved noteworthy success in reducing oil spilled into the marine environment. Despite a global shipping boom, oil spills are at an all-time low. The achievements of the IMO have been further strengthened by commitments by the Group of Eight to cooperate on oil pollution through an action plan that specifically targets pollution prevention for tankers. The IMO should strive to replicate this success in its efforts to reduce shipping emissions. Climate change is also exacerbating environmental damage. In June 2009, global oceans reached their highest recordedaverage temperature: 17 degrees Celsius. As the world warms, oceans absorb increased levels of carbon dioxide, which acidifies the water and destroys wetlands, mangroves, and coral reefs—ecosystems that support millions of species of plants and animals. According to recent studies, ocean acidity could increase by more than 150 percent by 2050 if counteracting measures are not taken immediately. Moreover, melting ice raises sea levels, eroding beaches, flooding communities, and increasing the salinity of
| 367
|
Chile's economy is based on the export of minerals, which account for about half of the total value of exports. Copper is the nation's most valuable resource, and Chile is the world's largest producer. Agriculture is the main occupation of about 15% of the population; it accounts for about 6% of the national wealth, and produces less than half of the domestic needs. The Vale of Chile is the country's primary agricultural area; its vineyards are the basis of Chile's wine industry. Grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, and beans are the chief crops. Livestock production includes beef and poultry. Sheep raising is the chief pastoral occupation, providing wool and meat for domestic use and for export. Fishing and lumbering are also important economic activities. Chile's industries largely process its raw materials and manufacture various consumer goods. The major products are copper and other minerals, processed food, fish meal, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transportation equipment, and textiles.
The dependence of the economy on copper prices and the production of an adequate food supply are two of Chile's major economic problems. Chile's main imports are petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, and natural gas. In addition to minerals, it also exports fruit, fish and fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, and wine. The chief trading partners are the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina, and South Korea.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
More on Chile Economy from Fact Monster:
See more Encyclopedia articles on: South American Political Geography
| 60
|
Machu Picchu, Peru
Everything about Machu Picchu makes you marvel that it ever came to exist. The lost city of the Incas is built on a saddle-shaped ridge slung between two giant peaks. Near-vertical slopes drop away on either side, down to a massive bend in the Urubamba River. What could have motivated the Incas to undertake such a construction at this remote location in the Andean cordillera? Machu Picchu, built over 700 years ago and hidden by jungle since the 16th century, was rediscovered in 1911. It consists of about 200 buildings, which include dwellings and temples, a central plaza and a royal palace, all flanked by terraces for farming.
The stone for the buildings was mined from a quarry and shaped using bronze tools, then smoothed with sand in order to fit tightly together. No mortar was used in the construction. Even after many centuries of wear and tear, the precision is amazing; It would be impossible to slide a piece of paper between many of the blocks. Machu Picchu is notable for the way that existing rock features were incorporated into the design. Inevitably the craftsmanship on sacred buildings is the finest. For spectacular views, make the steep climb up to Wayna Picchu, the mountain behind Machu Picchu. Alternatively, climb to the top of the less crowded Machu Picchu peak, which catches the first rays of the rising sun. Both mountains overlook the entire site, down to the river below, which puts the Incas· great achievement of construction into perspective.
The Incas worshipped the sun god Inti, so the summer solstice was the most important day in their calendar, and the Temple of the Sun their most important building. In fact, all their temples and sacred sites were designed to mark solar and astrological events. A stone, Intihuatana ('Hitching Post of the Sun'), is the focus of a major religious site where a ritual was performed, in the shortening days before the winter solstice, to prevent the sun disappearing. Similar stones were at other Inca sites, but were damaged or destroyed by Spanish conquistadores. The one at Machu Picchu survived because the site was never discovered. The population of Machu Picchu is believed to have numbered over a thousand, and the people were so distant from other settlements that they would have produced much of their own food. This accounts for the intricately terraced fields, which have survived remarkably intact thanks to the care and skill that went into their construction. Maize and potatoes were grown, and advanced irrigation techniques were used to ensure that rainwater didn't just run off down the hill to the Urubamba River far below.
No-one knows for sure why Machu Picchu was built. Some surmise that it was a royal or religious retreat for one of the Inca rulers. Certainly its remote location and altitude of nearly 2500 metres would seem to rule out any trade or military function. Whatever its use, the obvious effort that went into its construction indicates that it was considered important and held in high regard by those who created it.
All trips to Machu Picchu begin and end in Cuzco. The train journey from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes, the town in the river valley below the ruins, takes four hours. Buses go to and from the town to the ruins from 6 am until 5.30 pm. The trains from Cuzco arrive mid-morning and leave late in the afternoon, so the least crowded times at the
| 616
|
Harvard economist Andrei Shleifer has a new paper on The Age Of Milton Friedman that begins with:
The last quarter century has witnessed remarkable progress of mankind. The world’s per capita inflation-adjusted income rose from $5400 in 1980 to $8500 in 2005.Schooling and life expectancy grew rapidly, while infant mortality and poverty fell just asfast. Compared to 1980, many more countries in the world are democratic today.
The last quarter century also saw wide acceptance of free market policies in both rich and poor countries: from private ownership, to free trade, to responsible budgets, to lower taxes. Three important events mark the beginning of this period. In 1979, Deng Xiao Ping started market reforms in China, which over the quarter century lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. In the same year, Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister in Britain, and initiated her radical reforms and a long period of growth. A year later, Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States, and also embraced free market policies. All three of these leaders professed inspiration from the work of Milton Friedman. It is natural, then, to refer to the last quarter century as the Age of Milton Friedman.
| 808
|
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.
| 535
|
London: No matter how bright you think your child is, until the age of seven, children are no brainier than the birds.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge during simple experiments found out that birds did just as well as children up until the age of seven, The Daily Mail reported.
By pitting birds against boys and girls using tests inspired by the Aesop's fable in which a thirsty crow is able to drink from a pitcher after using pebbles to raise the water level to within its reach.
In two of the three tests the birds, Eurasian jays, did just as well as the seven-year-old children.
After this, the human mind proved superior to the bird brain.
The experiments built on earlier work in which jays quickly learned that adding stones to a cylinder half-filled with water would bring a tasty treat floating on the surface within reach of their beaks.
In a second task the jays, colourful members of the crow family and about the same size as jackdaws, realized it was better to use pebbles, which sink, than corks, which float.
When Cambridgeshire children, aged four to ten, were set similar tasks, they did as well as the jays on the first, up to the age of seven.
From the age of eight, the pupils learned more quickly than the birds. The pattern was similar with the second task, except four-year-old children did worse than the jays.
However, a third, more complex, task separated the youngsters from the birds.
It again involved dropping objects into water to raise its level. But this time, a U-shaped tube was used, with the join at its bottom hidden; giving the impression it was two separate tubes.
This appeared to confuse the birds. However, the children did as well as before. The researchers said this shows children are better at putting preconceptions aside.
Lucy Cheke, a PhD student, said: "It is a child's job to learn about the world. They can't do that if they're limited by a preconceived idea about what is or is not possible. For a child, if it works, it works. The birds, however, found it much harder to learn what was happening because they were put off by the fact it shouldn’t be happening."
First Published: Thursday, July 26, 2012, 16:22
| 538
|
Sudoku Puzzle #11
Education World's weekly Sudoku Puzzle
feature offers a perfect tool for building students' critical thinking skills. It can be used in class, assigned for homework, or offered as a challenge or reward activity. The best part of all: as students learn to complete the puzzles they will be building confidence in their ability to tackle challenging tasks and building critical thinking skills that will carry over into all aspects of their classroom performance.
Each Suduko puzzle challenges students to use the numbers provided to help them fill in the blank squares so that each number, 1 to 9, appears in every Column, Row, and Block of the completed puzzle.
Click for a PDF [portable document format] printable page. (If you are unable to view the printable page, download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Click for the answers to this week's puzzle.
Click for Sudoku Puzzles from previous weeks.
Click for tips for teaching students to do Sudoku puzzles.
Copyright © 2006 Education World
| 66
|
Upland Bird Regional Forecast
When considering upland game population levels during the fall hunting season, two important factors impact population change. First is the number of adult birds that survived the previous fall and winter and are considered viable breeders in the spring. The second is the reproductive success of this breeding population. Reproductive success consists of nest success (the number of nests that successfully hatched) and chick survival (the number of chicks recruited into the fall population). For pheasant and quail, annual population turnover is relatively high; therefore, the fall population is more dependent on reproductive success than breeding population levels. For grouse (prairie chickens), annual population turnover is not as rapid although reproductive success is still the major population regulator and important for good hunting. In the following forecast, breeding population and reproductive success of pheasants, quail, and prairie chickens will be discussed. Breeding population data were gathered during spring breeding surveys for pheasants (crow counts), quail (whistle counts), and prairie chickens (lek counts). Data for reproductive success were collected during late summer roadside surveys for pheasants and quail. Reproductive success of prairie chickens cannot be easily assessed using the same methods because they generally do not associate with roads like the other game birds.
Kansas experienced extreme drought this past year. Winter weather was mild, but winter precipitation is important for spring vegetation, which can impact reproductive success, and most of Kansas did not get enough winter precipitation. Pheasant breeding populations showed significant reductions in 2012, especially in primary pheasant range in western Kansas. Spring came early and hot this year, but also included fair spring moisture until early May, when the precipitation stopped, and Kansas experienced record heat and drought through the rest of the reproductive season. Early nesting conditions were generally good for prairie chickens and pheasants. However, the primary nesting habitat for pheasants in western Kansas is winter wheat, and in 2012, Kansas had one of the earliest wheat harvests on record. Wheat harvest can destroy nests and very young broods. The early harvest likely lowered pheasant nest and early brood success. The intense heat and lack of rain in June and July resulted in a decrease in brooding cover and insect populations, causing lower chick survival for all upland game birds.
Because of drought, all counties in Kansas were opened to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) emergency haying or grazing. CRP emergency haying requires fields that are hayed to leave at least 50 percent of the field in standing grass cover. CRP emergency grazing requires 25 percent of the field (or contiguous fields) to be left ungrazed or grazing at 75-percent normal stocking rates across the entire field. Many CRP fields, including Walk In Hunting Areas (WIHA), may be affected across the state. WIHA property is privately-owned land open to the public for hunting access. Kansas has more than one million acres of WIHA. Often, older stands of CRP grass are in need of disturbance, and haying and grazing can improve habitat for the upcoming breeding season, and may ultimately be beneficial if weather is favorable.
Due to continued drought, Kansas will likely experience a below-average upland game season this fall. For those willing to hunt hard, there will still be pockets of decent bird numbers, especially in the northern Flint Hills and northcentral and northwestern parts of the state. Kansas has approximately 1.5 million acres open to public hunting (wildlife areas and WIHA combined). The regular opening date for the pheasant and quail seasons will be Nov. 10 for the entire state. The previous weekend will be designated for the special youth pheasant and quail season. Youth participating in the special season must be 16 years old or younger and accompanied by a non-hunting adult who is 18 or older. All public wildlife areas and WIHA tracts will be open for public access during the special youth season. Please consider taking a young person hunting this fall, so they might have the opportunity to develop a passion for the outdoors that we all enjoy.
PHEASANT – Drought in 2011 and 2012 has taken its toll on pheasant populations in Kansas. Pheasant breeding populations dropped by nearly 50 percent or more across pheasant range from 2011 to 2012 resulting in fewer adult hens in the population to start the 2012 nesting season. The lack of precipitation has resulted in less cover and insects needed for good pheasant reproduction. Additionally, winter wheat serves as a major nesting habitat for pheasants in western Kansas, and a record early wheat harvest this summer likely destroyed many nests and young broods. Then the hot, dry weather set in from May to August, the primary brood-rearing period for pheasants. Pheasant chicks need good grass and weed cover and robust insect populations to survive. Insufficient precipitation and lack of habitat and insects throughout the state’s primary pheasant range resulted in limited production. This will reduce hunting prospects compared to recent years. However, some good opportunities still exist to harvest roosters in the sunflower state, especially for those willing to work for their birds. Though the drought has taken its toll, Kansas still contains a pheasant population that will produce a harvest in the top three or four major pheasant states this year.
The best areas this year will likely be pockets of northwest and northcentral Kansas. Populations in southwest Kansas were hit hardest by the 2011-2012 drought (72 percent decline in breeding population), and a very limited amount of production occurred this season due to continued drought and limited breeding populations.
QUAIL – The bobwhite breeding population in 2012 was generally stable or improved compared to 2011. Areas in the northern Flint Hills and parts of northeast Kansas showed much improved productivity this year. Much of eastern Kansas has seen consistent declines in quail populations in recent decades. After many years of depressed populations, this year’s rebound in quail reproduction in eastern Kansas is welcomed, but overall populations are still below historic averages. The best quail hunting will be found throughout the northern Flint Hills and parts of central Kansas. Prolonged drought undoubtedly impacted production in central and western Kansas.
PRAIRIE CHICKEN – Kansas is home to greater and lesser prairie chickens. Both species require a landscape of predominately native grass. Lesser prairie chickens are found in westcentral and southwestern Kansas in native prairie and nearby stands of native grass within the conservation reserve program (CRP). Greater prairie chickens are found primarily in the tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies in the eastern one-third and northern one-half of the state.
The spring prairie chicken lek survey indicated that most populations remained stable or declined from last year. Declines were likely due to extreme drought throughout 2011. Areas of northcentral and northwest Kansas fared the best, while areas in southcentral and southwest Kansas experienced the sharpest declines where drought was most severe. Many areas in the Flint Hills were not burned this spring due to drought. This resulted in far more residual grass cover for much improved nesting conditions compared to recent years. There have been some reports of prairie chickens broods in these areas, and hunting will likely be somewhat improved compared to recent years.
Because of recent increases in prairie chicken (both species) populations in northwest Kansas, regulations have been revised this year. The early prairie chicken season (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) and two-bird bag limit has been extended into northwest Kansas. The northwest unit boundary has also been revised to include areas north of U.S. Highway 96 and west of U.S. Highway 281. Additionally, all prairie chicken hunters are now required to purchase a $2.50 prairie chicken permit. This permit will allow KDWPT to better track hunters and harvest, which will improve management activities. Both species of prairie chicken are of conservation concern and the lesser prairie chicken is a candidate species for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act.
This region has 11,809 acres of public land and 339,729 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – Spring breeding populations declined almost 50 percent from 2011 to 2012, reducing fall population potential. Early nesting conditions were decent due to good winter wheat growth, but early wheat harvest and severe heat and drought through the summer reduced populations. While this resulted in a significant drop in pheasant numbers, the area will still have the highest densities of pheasants this fall compared to other areas in the state. Some counties — such as Graham, Rawlins, Decatur, and Sherman — showed the relatively-highest densities of pheasants during summer brood surveys. Much of the cover will be reduced compared to previous years due to drought and resulting emergency haying and grazing in CRP fields. Good hunting opportunities will also be reduced compared to recent years, and harvest will likely be below average.
Quail – Populations in this region have been increasing in recent years although the breeding population had a slight decline. This area is at the extreme northwestern edge of bobwhite range in Kansas, and densities are relatively low compared to central Kansas. Some counties — such as Graham, Rawlins, and Decatur — will provide hunting opportunities for quail.
Prairie Chicken – Prairie chicken populations have expanded in both numbers and range within the region over the past 20 years. The better hunting opportunities will be found in the central and southeastern portions of the region in native prairies and nearby CRP grasslands. Spring lek counts in that portion of the region were slightly depressed from last year and nesting conditions were only fair this year. Extreme drought likely impaired chick survival.
This region has 75,576 acres of public land and 311,182 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – The Smoky Hills breeding population dropped about 40 percent from 2011 to 2012, reducing overall fall population potential. While nesting conditions were fair due to good winter wheat growth, the drought and early wheat harvest impacted the number of young recruited into the fall population. Certain areas had decent brood production, including portions of Mitchell, Rush, Rice, and Cloud counties. Across the region, hunting opportunities will likely be below average and definitely reduced from recent years. CRP was opened to emergency haying and grazing, reducing available cover.
Quail – Breeding populations increased nearly 60 percent from 2011 to 2012, increasing fall population potential. However, drought conditions were severe, likely impairing nesting and brood success. There are reports of fair quail numbers in certain areas throughout the region. Quail populations in northcentral Kansas are naturally spotty due to habitat characteristics. Some areas, such as Cloud County, showed good potential while other areas in the more western edges of the region did not fare as well.
Prairie Chicken – Greater prairie chickens occur throughout the Smoky Hills in large areas of native rangeland and some CRP. This region includes some of the highest densities and greatest hunting opportunities in the state for greater prairie chickens. Spring counts indicated that numbers were stable or slightly reduce from last year. Much of the rangeland cover is significantly reduced due to drought, which likely impaired production, resulting in reduced fall hunting opportunities..
This region has 60,559 acres of public land and 54,170 of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – Spring crow counts this year showed a significant increase in breeding populations of pheasants. While this increase is welcome, this region was nearing all-time lows in 2011. Pheasant densities across the region are still low, especially compared to other areas in western Kansas. Good hunting opportunities will exist in only a few pockets of good habitat.
Quail – Breeding populations stayed relatively the same as last year, and some quail were detected during the summer brood survey. The long-term trend for this region has been declining, largely due to unfavorable weather and degrading habitat. This year saw an increase in populations. Hunting opportunities for quail will be improved this fall compared to recent years in this region. The best areas will likely be in Marshall and Jefferson counties.
Prairie Chickens – Very little prairie chicken range occurs in this region, and opportunities are limited. The best areas are in the western edges of the region, in large areas of native rangeland.
This region has 80,759 acres of public land and 28,047 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – This region is outside the primary pheasant range and has very limited hunting. A few birds can be found in the northwestern portion of the region.
Quail – Breeding populations were relatively stable from 2011 to 2012 for this region although long term trends have been declining. In the last couple years, the quail populations throughout much of the region have been on the increase. Specific counties that showed relatively higher numbers are Coffey, Osage, and Wilson. However, populations remain far below historic levels across the bulk of the region due to extreme habitat degradation.
Prairie Chicken – Greater prairie chickens occur in the central and northwest parts of this region in large areas of native rangeland. Breeding population densities were up nearly 40 percent from last year, and opportunities may increase accordingly. However, populations have been in consistent decline over the long term. Infrequent fire frequency has resulted in woody encroachment of native grasslands in the area, gradually reducing the amount of suitable habitat.
This region has 128,371 acres of public land and 63,069 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – This region is on the eastern edge of pheasant range in Kansas and well outside the primary range. Pheasant densities have always been relatively low throughout the Flint Hills. Spring breeding populations were down nearly 50 percent, and reproduction was limited this summer. The best pheasant hunting will be in the northwestern edge of this region in Marion and Dickinson counties.
Quail – This region contains some of the highest densities of bobwhite in Kansas. The breeding population in this region increased 25 percent compared to 2011, and the long-term trend (since 1998) has been stable do to steadily increasing populations over the last four or five years. High reproductive success was reported in the northern half of this region, and some of the best opportunities for quail hunting will be found in the northern Flint Hills this year. In the south, Cowley County showed good numbers of quail this summer.
Prairie Chickens – The Flint Hills is the largest intact tallgrass prairie left in North America. It has served as a core habitat for greater prairie chickens for many years. Since the early 1980s, inadequate range burning frequencies have consistently reduced nest success in the area, and prairie chicken numbers have been declining as a result. Because of the drought this spring, many areas that are normally burned annually were left unburned this year. This left more residual grass cover for nesting and brood rearing. There are some good reports of prairie chicken broods, and hunting opportunities will likely increase throughout the region this year.
This region has 19,534 acres of public land and 73,341 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – The breeding population declined about 40 percent from 2011 to 2012. Prolonged drought for two years now and very poor vegetation conditions resulted in poor reproductive success this year. All summer indices showed a depressed pheasant population in this region, especially compared to other regions. Some of the relatively better counties in this area will be Reno, Pawnee, and Pratt although these counties have not been immune to recent declines. There will likely few good hunting opportunities this fall.
Quail – The breeding population dropped over 30 percent this year from 2011 although long term trends (since 1998) have been stable in this region. This region generally has some of the highest quail densities in Kansas, but prolonged drought and reduced vegetation have caused significant declines in recent years. Counties such as Reno, Pratt, and Stafford will likely have the best opportunities in the region. While populations may be down compared to recent years, this region will continue to provide fair hunting opportunities for quail.
Prairie Chicken – This region is almost entirely occupied by lesser prairie chickens. The breeding population declined nearly 50 percent from 2011 to 2012. Reproductive conditions were not good for the region due to extreme drought and heat for the last two years, and production was limited. The best hunting opportunities will likely be in the sand prairies south of the Arkansas River.
This region has 2,904 acres of public land and 186,943 acres of WIHA open to hunters this fall.
Pheasant – The breeding population plummeted more than 70 percent in this region from 2011 to 2012. Last year was one of the worst on record for pheasant reproduction. However, last fall there was some carry-over rooster (second-year) from a record high season in 2010. Those carry-over birds are mostly gone now, which will hurt hunting opportunities this fall. Although reproduction was slightly improved from 2011, chick recruitment was still fair to below average this summer due to continued extreme drought conditions. Moreover, there were not enough adult hens in the population yet to make a significant rebound. Generally, hunting opportunity will remain well below average in this region. Haskell and Seward counties showed some improved reproductive success, especially compared to other counties in the region.
Quail – The breeding population in this region tends to be highly variable depending on available moisture and resulting vegetation. The region experienced an increase in breeding populations from 2011 to 2012 although 2011 was a record low for the region. While drought likely held back production, the weather was better than last year, and some reproduction occurred. Indices are still well below average for the region. There will be some quail hunting opportunities in the region although good areas will be sparse.
Prairie Chicken – While breeding populations in the eastern parts of this region were generally stable or increasing, areas of extreme western and southwest portions (Cimarron National Grasslands) saw nearly 30-percent declines last year and 65 percent declines this year. Drought remained extreme in this region, and reproductive success was likely very low. Hunting opportunities in this region will be extremely limited this fall.
| 898
|
Cruisin' Comet (December 21, 2004)
Hi-res TIF (3.0M)
Casually arcing above the Sun (from right to left in these SOHO LASCO views) this
week, comet SOHO-884 was first
seen by SOHO on Dec. 16, 2004. For the first couple of days in the video clip the
comet's tail is clearly
discernible, but then due to our viewing angle it seems to fade.|
The comet was first spotted in four images taken by SOHO's ultraviolet, interstellar medium-viewing SWAN instrument by Michael Mattiazzo, but he was not certain about it. On Dec. 16th, a bright comet entered C3 and was first reported by John Sachs. Shortly after, Sebastian Hoenig pointed out that this comet had the very real possibility of being Michael's SWAN comet, a connection that was soon confirmed. So many hands were involved in making the discovery. The comet is not a member of any known group of comets, but instead one that does not appear on a regular schedule as some do. SOHO has now discovered over 160 comets this year alone and as can be seen in the name "SOHO-884", this is the 884th comet discovered by SOHO since its launch in December, 1995.
Comets are frozen balls of ice and dust that are believed to have been created when the universe was very young. In fact, scheduled for July 2005, NASA's Deep Impact's spacecraft will arrive at Comet Tempel 1 and become the first mission to impact the surface of a comet. You can learn about this mission at http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/.
SOHO began its Weekly Pick some time after sending a weekly image or video clip to the American Museum of Natural History (Rose Center) in New York City. There, the SOHO Weekly Pick is displayed with some annotations on a large plasma display.
If your institution would also like to receive the same Weekly Pick from us for display (usually in Photoshop or QuickTime format), please send your inquiry to email@example.com.
| 530
|
Cremation to a Child
When a deceased family member or friend is cremated or already
has been cremated, your child may want to know what cremation is.
In answering your child's questions about cremation, keep your
explanation of what cremation involves simple and easy to
In explaining cremation to your child, avoid using words that
may have a frightening connotation such as "fire" and "burn."
Instead, in a straightforward manner, tell your child that the
deceased body, enclosed in a casket or container, is taken to a
place called a crematory where it goes through a special process
that reduces it to small particles resembling fine gray or white
sand. Be sure to point out that a dead body feels no pain.
Let your child know that these cremated remains are placed in a
container called an urn and returned to the family. If cremation
has already taken place and the container picked up, you may want
to show it to the child. Because children are curious, your child
may want to look at the contents.
If your child makes such a request, look at them yourself first
so that you can describe what they look like. Share this with your
child. Then let the child decide whether to proceed further.
If possible, arrange for a time when you and your child can be
with the body before cremation is carried out. If handled
correctly, this time can be a positive experience for the child. It
can provide an opportunity for the child to say "good-bye" and
accept the reality of death. However, the viewing of the body
should not be forced. Use your best judgment on whether or not this
should be done.
Depending on the age of your child, you may wish to include him
or her in the planning of what will be done with the cremated
remains. Before you do this, familiarize yourself with the many
types of cremation memorials available. Some of the many options to
consider include burying the remains in a family burial plot,
interring them in an urn garden that many cemeteries have, or
placing the urn in a columbarium niche.
Defined as a recessed compartment, the niche may be an open
front protected by glass or a closed front faced with bronze,
marble, or granite. (An arrangement of niches is called a
columbarium, which may be an entire building, a room, a bank along
a corridor, or a series of special indoor alcoves. It also may be
part of an outdoor setting such as a garden wall.)
Although your child may not completely understand these or other
options for memorialization, being involved in the planning helps
establish a sense of comfort and understanding that life goes on
even though someone loved has died.
If you incur any difficulties in explaining death or cremation
to your child, you may wish to consult a child guidance counselor
who specializes in these areas.
| 139
|
Entomological Survey of Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, Belize
Peter Kovarik, John Shuey, and Chris Carlton
During the mid-late 1990's, lepidopterist John Shuey became interested in testing the widely touted concept that insect communities are useful in evaluating impacts to ecological integrity in tropical forest communities. At that time the literature had been advocating insects, especially butterflies, as appropriate indicators for assessing the impacts of specific management activities on tropical forests. People were already using insects as indicators, despite the fact that this simple premise had yet to be tested. John enlisted coleopterist Peter Kovarik as a partner in this study. The two decided that in addition to butterflies, scarabaeine scarabs and hister beetles would become part of the study. The taxa that were selected were chosen in part because of their susceptibility to bait and or passive trapping techniques. In fact the beauty of this study was that we envisioned relatively little active collecting. This way we could quasi enjoy ourselves while our traps were filling with insects!
The site chosen for our study was Rio Bravo Conservation Area located in Orange Walk Province, Belize. Rio Bravo is a 230,000 acre nature preserve in the northwestern corner of the country near the corner where Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico meet. Rio Bravo is a beautiful mosaic of semitropical moist forest, savanna, and wetland habitats with over 230 species of trees, 70 species of mammals, and approximately 400 species of birds. Among large animals, the area has healthy populations of jaguar, puma, Baird's tapir, and two species of monkeys. There are also significant Mayan archeological sites, and the area has a colorful recent history of mahogany logging, chicl? extraction, and marijuana farming. This preserve is ministered by Programme For Belize (PfB), a private conservation organization that holds Rio Bravo in trust for the people of Belize. PfB integrates elements of sustainable forestry and natural product harvesting, ecotourism, and education into a single comprehensive long-term management plan. For a location map of Rio Bravo click on the PfB logo above. For additional information about The Nature Conservancy's role, click on that logo.
Rio Bravo turned out to be an ideal setting for our study. In addition to extensive areas of oak-pine savanna, there were huge expanses of contiguous limestone rainforest without excessive topographic variability. Within this expanse of fairly homogenous habitat, there were areas along trails or roads through the forest that had been fairly recently logged. We sought to imbed our sample sites within areas that were both recently disturbed by man and others which had been relatively untouched for quite some time. Because Rio Bravo is a preserve and PfB encourages research activities, we felt confidant that human impact on both the ecosystem and our sampling devices would be minimal. Thus, it seemed probable that any potential differences we observed in insect communities between our sample sites would be primarily due to forest integrity rather than extraneous factors.
Our core studies were conducted once during the dry season and twice during the rainy season. They were completed in 1996. Since neither John nor Pete knew much about scarabaeine scarabs, expert Bill Warner was coaxed into participating by promising him many scarabs with no strings attached. In fact Bill eventually joined us in Rio Bravo in July 1996. We are still awaiting some of our quantitative insect data, but we have botanical assessments of each forest tract, and data from the sample events for butterflies and hister beetles in hand. As soon as the last of our insect data is cleaned up, we will finish off the ecological end of this work.
Like many studies, this one began small and focused and eventually expanded into a full blown entomological survey. Coleopterist Chris Carlton became the third major player in our survey. Chris has made several trips to Rio Bravo and done some intensive leaf litter work and set up many a flight intercept trap in search of tiny pselaphid beetles. We collected massive amounts of insects and have spent the last several years processing our samples and farming specimens out to various specialists who have generously provided us with identifications. We have learned, with little surprise that many of the insects that inhabit the forests and savannas of Rio Bravo are new to science. Many others are new country records. This is not surprising either since the entomofauna of Belize is poorly known. What is perhaps a bit of a surprise are the many unusual range extensions for some of the described insect species. This indicates that knowing the insect fauna of Belize will improve our understanding of the zoogeography of Mexico and Central America.
The following checklists and are now available and more will be added as they mature. Available images may be accessed through links within the checklists.
- Anthribidae, by Charles O'Brien
- Cerambycidae, by Robert Turnbow
- Chrysomelidae, by Shawn Clark
- Curculionidae, by Charles O'Brien
- Elateroidea, by Paul Johnson
- Erotylidae, by Paul Skelley
- Mordellidae, by John Jackman
- Staphylinidae: subfamily Pselaphinae, by Chris Carlton
- Tenebrionidae, by Charles Triplehorn and Otto Merkl
For questions and comments contact Peter Kovarik.
| 625
|
This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.
Muhammad Bilal - This character is the son of a farmer who is stolen from Africa and sold as a slave.
Lizzy - This character is a slave on the Live Oaks plantation in South Carolina who never has a freedom dream.
Elijah Lewis - This character is intelligent and forward thinking and dreams of making enough money to help his family hold onto the Glory Field.
Luvenia Lewis - This character is tall and dark-skinned. He/she has ideas of his/her own and does not want to move to Curry Island with his/her...
This section contains 570 words|
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
| 842
|
Green Power is electricity generated from renewable energy sources that are environmentally friendly such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydro power. New York State and the Public Service Commission have made a commitment to promote the use of Green Power and foster the development of renewable energy generation resources.
GREEN POWER IN NEW YORK
Electricity comes from a variety of sources such as natural gas, oil, coal, nuclear, hydro power, biomass, wind, solar, and solid waste. Green Power is electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as:
Solar: Solar energy systems convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Biomass: Organic wastes such as wood, other plant materials and landfill gases are used to generate electricity.
Wind: Modern wind turbines use large blades to catch the wind, spin turbines, and generate electricity
Hydropower: Small installations on rivers and streams use running or falling water to drive turbines that generate electricity.
NY’s ENERGY MIX
|The pie chart below shows the mix of energy sources that was used to generate New York’s electricity in 2003. Buying Green Power will help to increase the percentage of electricity that is produced using cleaner energy sources.|
You have the power to make a difference For only a few pennies more a day, you can choose Green Power and make a world of difference for generations to come.
- Produces fewer environmental impacts than fossil fuel energy.
- Helps to diversify the fuel supply, increasing the reliability of the NY State electric system and contributing to more stable energy prices.
- Reduces use of imported fossil fuels, keeping dollars spent on energy in the State’s economy.
- Creates jobs and helps the economy by spurring investments in environmentally-friendly facilities.
- Creates healthier air quality and helps to reduce respiratory illness.
If just 10% of New York’s households choose Green Power for their electricity supply, it would prevent nearly 3 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, 10 million pounds of sulfur dioxide, and nearly 4 million pounds of nitrogen oxides from getting into our air each year. Green Power helps us all breathe a little easier.
Your Energy…Your Choice
Your electric service is made up of two parts, supply and delivery. In New York’s competitive electric market, you can now shop for your electric supply. You can support cleaner, sustainable energy solutions by selecting Green Power for some or all of your supply. No matter what electric supply you choose,your utility is still responsible for delivering your electricity safely and reliably, and will provide you with customer service and respond to emergencies.
What happens when you choose to buy Green Power?
The Green Power you buy is supplied to the power grid that delivers the electricity to all customers in your region. Your Green Power purchase supports the development of more environmentally-friendly electricity generation. You are helping to create a cleaner, brighter New York for future generations. You will continue to receive the safe, reliable power you’ve come to depend on.
Switching to Green Power is as easy as:
1. Use the list below to contact the Green Power service providers in your area.
2. Compare the Green Power programs.
3. Choose the Green Energy Service Company program that is right for you.
Using New York’s power to change the future Energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy are critical elements in New York’s economic, security and energy policies. New York State is committed to ensuring that we all have access to reliable electricity by helping consumers use and choose energy wisely. Recently, the state launched two initiatives – one designed to educate the public about the environmental impacts of energy production, and one to encourage the development of Green Power programs.
The Environmental Disclosure Label
NY RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICE INITIATIVES
The New York State Public Service Commission is supporting development of renewable energy service programs in utility service territories across the state. These programs are spurring the development of new sources ofrenewable energy and the sale of Green Power to New York consumers. As a result, Green Power service providers are now offering a variety of renewable energy service options. Most New York consumers now have the opportunity to choose Green Power.
Suppliers Offering Green Energy Products
Green Power can be arranged through the following suppliers (may not operate in all utility territories.) PSC has created the following list of providers and does not recommend particular companies or products.
|Agway Energy Services||1-888-982-4929||www.agwayenergy.com|
|Amerada Hess||1-800-HessUSA (437-7872)||www.hess.com
(Commercial and Industrial only)
|Community Energy, Inc.||1-866-Wind-123
|Constellation New Energy||1-866-237-7693||www.integrysenergy.com
(Commercial and Industrial only)
|Energy Cooperative of New York||1-800-422-1475||www.ecny.org|
|Green Mountain Energy Company||1-800-810-7300||www.greenmountain.com|
|Integrys Energy NY||1-518-482-4615
|Juice Energy, Inc||1-888-925-8423||www.juice-inc.com|
|NYSEG Solutions, Inc.||1-800-567-6520||www.nysegsolutions.com|
|Pepco Energy Services, Inc.
(NYC commercial and industrial only)
|Just Energy (GeoPower – Con Ed territory)||1-866-587-8674||www.justenergy.com|
|Just Energy (GeoGas – Con Ed, KeySpan, NFG territories)||1-866-587-8674||www.justenergy.com|
|Central Hudson Gas and Electric||1-800-527-2714||www.centralhudson.com|
|National Grid||1-800-642-4272 (upstate)
1-800-930-5003 (Long Island)
|New York State Electric and Gas||1-800-356-9734||www.nyseg.com|
|Orange and Rockland||1-877-434-4100||www.oru.com|
|Rochester Gas and Electric||1-877-743-9463||www.rge.com|
|Long Island Power Authority(LIPA)||1-800-490-0025||www.lipower.org|
| 302
|
Oct. 6, 2010 Doppler weather radar will significantly improve forecasting models used to track monsoon systems influencing the monsoon in and around India, according to a research collaboration including Purdue University, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
Dev Niyogi, a Purdue associate professor of agronomy and earth and atmospheric sciences, said modeling of a monsoon depression track can have a margin of error of about 200 kilometers for landfall, which can be significant for storms that produce as much as 20-25 inches of rain as well as inland floods and fatalities.
"When you run a forecast model, how you represent the initial state of the atmosphere is critical. Even if Doppler radar information may seem highly localized, we find that it enhances the regional atmospheric conditions, which, in turn, can significantly improve the dynamic prediction of how the monsoon depression will move as the storm makes landfall," Niyogi said. "It certainly looks like a wise investment made in Doppler radars can help in monsoon forecasting, particularly the heavy rain from monsoon processes."
Niyogi, U.C. Mohanty, a professor in the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, and Mohanty's doctoral student, Ashish Routray, collaborated with scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and gathered information such as radial velocity and reflectivity from six Doppler weather radars that were in place during storms. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, they found that incorporating the Doppler radar-based information decreased the error of the monsoon depression's landfall path from 200 kilometers to 75 kilometers.
Monsoons account for 80 percent of the rain India receives each year. Mohanty said more accurate predictions could better prepare people for heavy rains that account for a number of deaths in a monsoon season.
"Once a monsoon depression passes through, it can cause catastrophic floods in the coastal areas of India," Mohanty said. "Doppler radar is a very useful tool to help assess these things."
The researchers modeled monsoon depressions and published their findings in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. Future studies will incorporate more simulations and more advanced models to test the ability of Doppler radar to track monsoon processes. Niyogi said the techniques and tools being developed also could help predict landfall of tropical storm systems that affect the Caribbean and the United States.
The National Science Foundation CAREER program, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Ministry of Earth Sciences in India funded the study.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
- A. Routray, U. C. Mohanty, S. R. H. Rizvi, Dev Niyogi, Krishna K. Osuri, D. Pradhan. Impact of Doppler weather radar data on numerical forecast of Indian monsoon depressions. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 2010; DOI: 10.1002/qj.678
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
| 633
|
Butter Flavoring Linked To Alzheimer's
If you've been looking for one more thing to worry about, here it is.
If you're a fan of butter-flavored microwave popcorn, a new study finds a flavoring used in the product may trigger Alzheimer's disease. University of Minnesota drug-design expert Robert Vince, PhD, and colleagues found that diacetyl causes brain proteins to misfold into the Alzheimer's-linked form called beta amyloid. Vince's team also found that diacetyl has an architecture similar to a substance that makes beta-amyloid proteins clump together in the brain -- clumping being a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Even more, the popcorn butter flavorant can pass through the blood-brain barrier and can inhibit the brain's natural amyloid-clearing mechanisms. Diacetyl, already linked to lung damage in people who work in microwave popcorn factories, is also used to produce the distinctive buttery flavor and aroma of margarines, snack foods, candy, baked goods, pet foods, and even some chardonnays.(Tipped by JMG reader SIdan)
| 704
|
In my line of work, I get asked the question a lot “What exactly IS a gifted child?” There are a lot of misconceptions and misdiagnoses surrounding this issue. I like to refer to the following two lists that I’ve adapted from College Planning for Gifted Students: Choosing And Getting into the Right College by Sandra Berger, who articulates the myths and truths of this topic very well.
Some common myths about gifted children:
- They are all high achievers and super smart.
- They do not need help and are self-contained.
- They have fewer problems because they are superior to others mentally.
- The future of a gifted student is guaranteed to go well and they will succeed at anything they try.
- They are disciplined and self disciplined.
- They develop socially and emotionally at the same rate as their intellect.
- They are outcasts and loners.
- Their greatest asset is their smarts.
- The gifted student's family always champions and supports them completely.
- They need to be leaders for others and assume that position as part of their lives.
- They are naturally creative and do not need much instruction.
- They are well behaved and role models.
Some truths about gifted children:
- They are often perfectionists who see their academic achievements in direct correlation to their self-esteem.
- They can place unreal expectations on themselves to do well and feel personally responsible as failures if they don’t reach those expectations.
- Their chronological age, social, physical, emotional, and intellectual development may all be at different levels at any given time.
- Some of them are "mappers" (sequential learners), while others are "leapers" (spatial learners).
- They may always be steps ahead of their classmates and peers, causing them to grow bored within the school setting.
- They are problem solvers and sometimes have trouble being in the academic environment where curriculum is so structured and predictable.
- They often think abstractly, which oftentimes makes studying and test taking difficult for them even though they may know the material.
Dr. Dan Peters, Ph.D., is co-founder of the Summit Center (http://summitcenter.us/), which provides psychological and educational assessments and counseling for children and adolescents, specializing in the gifted, creative, and twice-exceptional.
| 168
|
Causes of Cancer
Cancers can develop from a variety of sources and causes. A major source is a group of chemicals known as carcinogens, which have been found in industrial pollutants, cigarette smoke and some food additives and pesticides. People exposed to carcinogens are more susceptible to cancer, but not everyone exposed to these carcinogens develops cancer.
Other causes of cancer include obesity, excessive consumption of alcohol, a sedentary lifestyle, exposure to large amounts of radiation and too much sunlight. Certain viruses can also cause cancers, such as cervical cancer or liver cancer.
Cancer is also linked to heredity. If you have a strong family history of cancer, you may be more likely to develop cancer. Your parents can pass a gene to you that makes you more susceptible to cancer, or a genetic mutation can be passed to you through your father’s sperm or your mother’s egg that makes cancer more likely.
Many scientists believe that the combination of a hereditary susceptibility to cancer and an environmental trigger, such as exposure to a carcinogen or being obese, puts individuals at risk of developing cancer, especially at an earlier adult age.
| 312
|
Jonas Salk, with both eloquence and simplicity, once stated that there are two primary approaches to treating ill people. He said that there are therapeutic techniques that directly impact specific symptoms, and there are methods that stimulate the body's own immune and defense system.
Whereas conventional medical treatments today tend to focus on the former goal of treating or controlling symptoms, various natural therapeutics primarily attend to the latter goal of augmenting the person's own inherent defenses. Although the direct treatment of symptoms often has immediate effects, its benefits tend to be short-term. Because such therapeutic interventions do not usually strengthen the person's own defenses, the individual remains prone to recurrence of their problem.
In contrast, therapeutic methods that strengthen a person's immune and defense system has longer term benefit and can prevent recurrence, but the benefit is sometimes achieved more slowly.
These generalizations about therapeutic methods are, however, just that, generalizations. There are plenty of exceptions, but these generalizations create a useful framework from which to evaluate the benefits and limitations of various therapeutic approaches.
Homeopathy and Immune Response
Homeopathy obviously fits into the class of therapeutic methods that augment the body's own defenses. The basis of homeopathy, called the principle of similars, suggests that a microdose of a substance will heal whatever pattern of symptoms this substances causes in large dose. This principle is also observed in the use of vaccinations and allergy treatments, though homeopathic medicines are both considerably smaller and safer in dose and more individualized to the person they are being used to treat.
Although homeopathic medicines are thought to stimulate the body's own defenses, how they do so remains a mystery. One study published in the European Journal of Pharmacology1 showed that a homeopathic medicine, Silicea, stimulated macrophages (macrophages are a part of the body's immune system which engulf bacteria and foreign substances). How or why Silicea was able to have this action or why exceedingly small doses of it are so active is unknown. In the same way that physicians and pharmacologists do not understand how many drugs work, we do not understand how homeopathic medicine actually work.
Homeopathic medicine do not simply stimulate the body's immune system to treat ill people, for they can also calm it when this is necessary for the healing of the individual. An example of this latter effect was observed in a study of the homeopathic treatment of people with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition which is considered an autoimmune illness. People with auto-immune ailments suffer because their body's immune system is over-active and it attacks the person's own cells, not just bacteria, viruses, or foreign substances.
This study on 46 people with rheumatoid arthritis showed that those given an individualized choice of homeopathic medicine got considerably more relief than those given a placebo.2 A total of 82% of those people given a homeopathic medicine experienced relief of pain, while only 21% of those given a placebo got a similar degree of relief.
Homeopathy and Infectious Diseases
Toward the end of Louis Pasteur's life, he had come to realize that germs may not be the cause of disease afterall, but instead are probably the results of disease. In other words, various bacteria and other infective organisms may be present when there is some type of disease, but infection tends to establish itself primarily when a person's own defenses are compromised sufficiently to make him susceptible to the infection.
| 254
|
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
| 760
|
Man vs. Meltdown
Will Japan's nuclear crisis end in catastrophe?
When the unexpected happens, even at a nuclear power plant, don't freak out. All you have to do is cool the cores. Just add water. If you can't deliver it through a pump, you can spray it from a truck or dump it from a helicopter. If pressure builds up, you can vent it. Yes, that might entail releasing some radiation. But releasing radiation isn't the end of the world. It's better to go nuclear in small doses than in a catastrophic blast.
While the workers at Fukushima wage this fight, the rest of us should rethink power plant construction with the same innovative urgency. American plants built with a container design similar to Fukushima's have already been upgraded to relieve pressure in the event of overheating. The Japan crisis suggests other fixes as well. Put diesel generators on higher ground. Require longer-lasting batteries to power the cooling system when the electrical grid goes out. And for crying out loud, build some robots.
Nothing is more exasperating than reading reports about all the things that can't be done at Fukushima—fixing valves, pumping water, ascertaining damage, dousing spent-fuel pools—because of heat, radiation, or the risk of explosion. Last year, BP plugged an oil leak a mile under the Gulf of Mexico with the aid of remotely operated vehicles. Why doesn't Japan, the world's most robotically advanced country, have unmanned vehicles on hand to do simple but dangerous jobs at a radiation-contaminated nuclear power plant? Ten minutes ago, I got a newsletter from the unmanned-vehicles industry about all the cool things robots are doing to help Japan. It has not a word about the nuclear reactors. That's disgraceful.
To head off the next nuclear accident, we need to rethink the parameters of plant design. Why do we build backup cooling pumps for reactors but not for spent-fuel pools? And we need layers of protection that are truly independent. If some safety mechanisms require electricity, others should be functional without it. Store cooling water above the reactor so you can deliver it with plain old gravity if you lose power. And diversify the layers. At Fukushima, all the gizmos failed, but the containers have largely held firm. Build in different kinds of protection—barriers, gizmos, training, manual tools—so that if one kind fails, another can intercede.
If everything goes wrong, and your reactor melts down, don't give up. You still have evacuation and iodine. And even if Fukushima becomes another Chernobyl, nuclear energy still has a much better safety record than fossil fuels, just as stocks have a better track record than bonds over the long term, despite the occasional crash. But that safety record depends on us. We have to learn from Fukushima, just as we learned from Chernobyl. We have to diversify our means of managing disasters and averting meltdowns. We have to give ourselves a fighting chance when things go wrong, as they sometimes will. Fukushima's workers haven't surrendered. We shouldn't either.
Human Nature's latest short takes on the news, via Twitter:
Will Saletan covers science, technology, and politics for Slate and says a lot of things that get him in trouble.
Photograph by Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images.
| 76
|
By A. M. Sullivan
CHAPTER IX. (continued)
From the Atlas and Cyclopedia of Ireland (1900)
It was to the rugged and desolate Hebrides that Columba turned his face when he accepted the terrible penance of Molaise. He bade farewell to his relatives, and, with a few monks who insisted on accompany him whithersoever he might go, launched his frail currochs from the northern shore. They landed first, or rather were carried by wind and stream, upon the little isle of Oronsay, close by Islay; and here for a moment they thought their future abode was to be. But when Columba, with the early morning, ascending the highest ground on the island, to take what he thought would be a harmless look toward the land of his heart, lo! on the dim horizon a faint blue ridge—the distant hills of Antrim! He averts his head and flies downward to the strand! Here they cannot stay, if his vow is to be kept. They betake them once more to the currochs, and steering further northward, eventually land upon Iona, thenceforth, till time shall be no more, to be famed as the sacred isle of Columba! Here landing, he ascended the loftiest of the hills upon the isle, and "gazing into the distance, found no longer any trace of Ireland upon the horizon." In Iona accordingly he resolved to make his home. The spot from whence St. Columba made this sorrowful survey is still called by the islesmen in the Gaelic tongue, Carn-cul-ri-Erinn, or the Cairn of Farewell—literally, The back turned on Ireland.
Writers without number have traced the glories of Iona. Here rose, as if by miracle, a city of churches; the isle became one vast monastery, and soon much too small for the crowds that still pressed thither. Then from the parent isle there went forth to the surrounding shores, and all over the mainland, off-shoot establishments and missionary colonies (all under the authority of Columba), until in time the Gospel light was ablaze on the hills of Albyn; and the names of St. Columba and Iona were on every tongue from Rome to the utmost limits of Europe!
"This man, whom we have seen so passionate, so irritable, so warlike and vindictive, became little by little the most gentle, the humblest, the most tender of friends and fathers. It was he, the great head of the Caledonian Church, who, kneeling before the strangers who came to Iona, or before the monks returning from their work, took off their shoes, washed their feet, and after having washed them, respectfully kissed them. But charity was still stronger than humility in that transfigured soul. No necessity, spiritual or temporal, found him indifferent. He devoted himself to the solace of all infirmities, all misery and pain, weeping often over those who did not weep for themselves.
"The work of transcription remained until his last day the occupation of his old age, as it had been the passion of his youth; it had such an attraction for him, and seemed to him so essential to a knowledge of the truth that, as we have already said, three hundred copies of the Holy Gospels, copied by his own hand, have been attributed to him."
But still Columba carried with him in his heart the great grief that made life for him a lengthened penance. "Far from having any prevision of the glory of Iona, his soul," says Montalembert, "was still swayed by a sentiment which never abandoned him—regret for his lost country. All his life he retained for Ireland the passionate tenderness of an exile, a love which displayed itself in the songs which have been preserved to us, and which date perhaps from the first moment of his exile. . . . 'Death in faultless Ireland is better than life without end in Albyn.' After this cry of despair follow strains more plaintive and submissive."
"But it was not only in these elegies, repeated and perhaps retouched by Irish bards and monks, but at each instant of his life, in season and out of season, that this love and passionate longing for his native country burst forth in words and musings; the narratives of his most trustworthy biographers are full of it. The most severe penance which he could have imagined for the guiltiest sinners who came to confess to him, was to impose upon them the same fate which he had voluntarily inflicted on himself—never to set foot again upon Irish soil! But when, instead of forbidding to sinners all access to that beloved isle, he had to smother his envy of those who hard the right and happiness to go there at their pleasure, he dared scarcely trust himself to name its name; and when speaking to his guests, or to the monks who were to return to Ireland, he would only say to them, 'you will return to the country that you love.' "
"We are now," said Dr. Johnson, " treading that illustrious island which was once the luminary of the Caledonian regions; whence savage clans and roving barbarians derived the benefits of knowledge and the blessings of religion....Far from me and from my friends be such frigid philosophy as may conduct us indifferent and unmoved over any ground which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery, or virtue. That man is little to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force upon the plain of Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of Iona."—Boswell's "Tour to the Hebrides."
From a sad, comfortless childhood Giles Truelove developed into a reclusive and uncommunicative man whose sole passion was books. For so long they were the only meaning to his existence. But when fate eventually intervened to have the outside world intrude upon his life, he began to discover emotions that he never knew he had.
A story for the genuine booklover, penned by an Irish bookseller under the pseudonym of Ralph St. John Featherstonehaugh.
FREE download 23rd - 27th May
Join our mailing list to receive updates on new content on Library, our latest ebooks, and more.
You won't be inundated with emails! — we'll just keep you posted periodically — about once a monthish — on what's happening with the library.
| 781
|
WEDNESDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) -- For safety's sake, Americans should avoid using fireworks of any kind this Independence Day, experts say.
Prevent Blindness America urges consumers to attend only authorized public fireworks displays conducted by licensed operators. Individuals should not buy, use or store fireworks, including sparklers, the nonprofit organization added.
Although sparklers are sometimes considered to be safe, they were responsible for 17 percent of the injuries, including 36 percent of those sustained by children under 5 years of age, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Injuries from sparklers and other novelties also made up two out of five emergency room injuries, the CPSC found.
Overall, an estimated 6,200 people went to the emergency room between June 17 and July 17, 2011, for injuries they sustained while using fireworks, according to the CPSC. Their 2011 Fireworks Annual Report noted that children younger than 15 accounted for 26 percent of those injuries.
Prevent Blindness America announced it supports bans on the importation, sale and use of all fireworks and sparklers by non-licensed operators, such as bans established in Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
Last year alone, there were also more than 1,100 reported eye injuries, according to the CPSC report. To help Americans avoid the emergency room this July 4th, Prevent Blindness America offered the following safety tips:
If there are specks in the eye:
- Do not rub the eye.
- Allow tears to wash out the particles or use an eye wash.
- Lift the upper eyelid outward and down over the lower lid.
- If the speck doesn't wash out, see a doctor or visit the emergency room.
If the eye or eyelid is cut or punctured:
- Do not rinse the eye with water.
- Do not try to remove any object stuck in the eye.
- Cover the eye with a stiff shield, such as the bottom of a paper cup, without applying any pressure.
- Visit a doctor or an emergency room immediately.
"The 4th of July should be a time when we come together to honor our country by celebrating our great nation safely and responsibly," Hugh Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America, said in an organization news release. "We hope all Americans have a wonderful holiday with their loved ones, not in the emergency room."
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about eye injuries.
SOURCES: Prevent Blindness America, news release, June 15, 2012; June 2012, 2011 Fireworks Annual Report, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Copyright © 2013
HealthDay. All rights reserved.
HealthDayNews articles are derived from
various sources and do not reflect federal policy. healthfinder.gov
does not endorse opinions, products, or services that
may appear in news stories. For more information on
health topics in the news, visit
Health News on healthfinder.gov.
| 814
|
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. Why should you care?
Biodiversity is the number of different species that exist in a given area. The healthier an area is, the more biodiversity it has. Different forms of wildlife and plants inhabit areas, and these plants and animals learn to coexist and form ecological relationships with each other.
In unhealthy environments, only a few kinds of species of each plant or animal exist. This is what is known as a monoculture, and monocultures are unhealthy. Whether a monoculture is ten thousand or a hundred thousand acres planted all together of one kind of crop, or an entire subdivision with lawns all growing the same five plants, monocultures are vulnerable to pests and disease. For example, part of the fire ant problem in the United States is exacerbated by homeowners, because fire ants prefer monocultures and will shy away from biodiverse areas.
By contrast, the more kinds of species that inhabit an area, the more likely it is that at least a few strains of plants or animals will be resistant to pests and disease. If you have thirty kinds of plants, and a virus blows in across the ocean from a remote island, your lawn has a better chance of surviving and renewing itself than if you have only five kinds of plants. In the same way, having more species of wild birds will provide more secure insect control than having only a few kinds of wild birds. So, by growing more kinds of plants in your yard, you will attract more animals, and help to increase your neighbourhood’s biodiversity.
| 298
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.